Archaic bird slang / British (1 Viewer)

[CoffeeBird]

Hello birder-folk,

I've come across some really old bird slang, dating back to the 19th century in some older books. I've searched google, but I've come up empty.

There were two references. One was some kind of wading birds referred to as "tukes". The other was a bird called a 'corn-cutter', with a song described as "work-if-I-had-it". Both references were set in 19th century Britain.

This is a UK-based board, so I thought this might be a good place to ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[fugl]

Hello birder-folk,

I've come across some really old bird slang, dating back to the 19th century in some older books. I've searched google, but I've come up empty.

There were two references. One was some kind of wading birds referred to as "tukes". The other was a bird called a 'corn-cutter', with a song described as "work-if-I-had-it". Both references were set in 19th century Britain.

This is a UK-based board, so I thought this might be a good place to ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What are the books?

 

[Nutcracker]

From the Oxford Book of British Bird Names (Lockwood):
Tuke. A Redshank [Tringa totanus] name from Essex, imitating the alarm note.

No entry for 'corn-cutter'.

 

[Richard Klim]

From the Oxford Book of British Bird Names (Lockwood):
Tuke. A Redshank [Tringa totanus] name from Essex, imitating the alarm note.

No entry for 'corn-cutter'.

Also, Greenoak 1997 (British Birds: their Folklore, Names and Literature)...

Redshank Tringa totanus
from its alarm cry:
Teuk (Essex)
Took; Tuke (Sussex)

But again, no entry for corn-cutter.

 

[delia todd]

bird called a 'corn-cutter', with a song described as "work-if-I-had-it".

What about Quail?

 

[MSA]

Are you sure it refers to a bird? I found the following info online -

http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/work-if-i-had-it.2656241/

 

[CoffeeBird]

Thanks for the tip on "tukes"! So, a corn-cutter isn't a bird, then, but the chant of a wandering worker. That sounds plausible. Every other reference I've found seems to mix up "corn cutter" and corn-crake, and that has a distinctly one-note call.