Notes and Queries, Number 180, April 9, 1853 | Page 7

ETC.
These two venerable words were used by our ancestors. Every one has
heard of Gammer Gurton; Gaffer Gingerbread was also famous in, as
well as I can remember, a portion of the literature which amused my
childhood. In Joseph Andrews, Fielding styles the father of Pamela
"Gaffer Andrews:" and, for aught I know, the word may be still in use
in Wilts and Somerset.
Unde derivantur Gaffer and Gammer? Lye said they were quasi
good-father and good-mother; Somner, that they were the Anglo-Saxon
Gefæder and Gemeder, i. e. godfather and godmother; Webster derives
the former from the Hebrew geber, man, the latter from the
Scandinavian gamel, old. Having a fondness for simplicity, I go less
learnedly to work. I have observed little children, when commencing to
speak, to say "ganpa" and "gamma" for grandpapa and grandmamma:
whence I conjecture that, in the olden time, ere we had Pa's and Ma's,

the little aspirants used to say "ganfa'er" and "gamma'er," which easily
became Gaffer and Gammer. I am confirmed in this view by a friend to
whom I mentioned it, and who told me that his own children always
called his father gaffer, a word entirely of their own formation.
There is a term now coming a little into use, which is I believe of pure
Irish origin, namely, old fogie. Indeed, I have heard it used rather
disrespectfully of those mature old warriors, whom it pleases the
wisdom of our government to send out in the command of our fleets
and armies. The word, as I said, is of Irish, or rather of Dublin birth.
The old fogies are the inmates of the Royal or Old Men's Hospital, the
Irish Chelsea. I think, then, that it must be plain to every one that the
term is nothing more than a good-humoured corruption or diminutive
of old folks.
This leads me to the simple origin of a word which seems to have
posed all our etymologists--it has done so to Richardson at
least--namely, "PETTIFOGGER, a low, tricky attorney." According to
my view, pettifogger is neither more nor less than pettifolker, i. e. one
whose practice lies among the petty folk, small tradesmen,
day-labourers, and such like. This derivation, too, has simplicity in its
favour.
THOS. KEIGHTLEY.
* * * * *
MINOR NOTES.
Search for MSS.--A proposal was made some time ago in "N. & Q." by
MR. MACKENZIE, that some systematic effort should be made for the
recovery of ancient MSS. I have heard nothing more of it, but am sure
that, if a beginning were made, it would receive warm support from the
friends of literature. There is, however, a kindred search which can be
prosecuted nearer home, with more certain success and more important
results. I mean a continued search among the numerous MSS. in which
so much of our unknown history is buried. Might not a systematic
examination of these be instituted, with the help of the "division of

labour" principle, so that important portions of the great mass should be
accurately described and indexed, valuable papers abridged for
publication, and thus given to the world entire? Much is being done, no
doubt, here and there; but surely much more would be accomplished by
united and systematised labour. How much light might be thrown on a
given period of our history by such a study of all the records,
correspondence, &c. relating to it. Is there none of our existing
societies within whose scope such an undertaking would fall, or might
not different societies unite for the purpose? The books, of course,
should be sold to the public. I leave the hint to the judgment of your
readers.
ELSNO.
Clifton of Normanton.--Following the excellent example of DR. TODD,
of Trin. Coll. Dublin, I send you from the fly-leaves of an old English
Bible (C. Barker, London, 1599, small 4to.), for the information of any
one connected, some of the particulars inscribed on the leaves, relating
to--
"Thomas Clifton of Normanton, in the county of Darby, who had issue
by his first wife three sonnes and four daughters; and by his second
wife, two sonnes and one daughter."
The names of his wives are not mentioned. The details of births,
marriages, and deaths extend from 1586 to 1671, and some of the
branches of {355} the family went to Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Zachary Clifton was at the Universities of
Utrecht and Leyden (at which latter university "hee co[=m]enct M'r. of
Arts, March 5, 1654"), and in 1659 was ordained minister of the gospel
at Wisborough Green in Sussex. Many other particulars are given. The
Bible is in the library of Sir Robert Taylor's Institution, Oxford, and is
in excellent preservation, having been recently carefully repaired.
J. M.
Oxford.

The Three per Cent. Consols.--In Jerdan's Autobiography, vol. iii.,
published