a hogget...
...is a lamb over a year old, but under two, when, of course, it becomes mutton. I only found that out the other day. Fascinating, eh?
mr mcmuffin on 24 Feb 2005 @ 11:43 PM ✲ Permalink
Comments
A gelding, don't you mean? For a male sheep, that is. Actually, there are different terms for each year, and whether castrated or not. If you want, I can ask my parents for the precise details - I'm pretty sure they know this, strangely enough!
By the way, did you know that up in the Dales - in Swaledale, I think - they still count sheep in units of twenty using the old words that have survived Angles, Vikings and Normans? These words, from one to twenty, are close to Welsh, Cornish and Breton. I can't actually remember them - they weren't part of my own upbringing - but they start off, from "one" onwards, something like "Yan, tan, [something], pedwar, pimp..." Actually, I think that nowadays, after many centuries (clearly), the last people to use this archaic counting system naturally, without thinking about it, are probably really old and about to die. And so we can now witness in our lifetimes the death of a language, so to speak. But so be it, I suppose.
Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) | 25 Feb 2005 02:27:49
This site gives clearer info about the sheep counting system.
Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) | 25 Feb 2005 02:40:46
And I thought it was a pig or a hog. Hmph.
Posted by: Retro Girl | 25 Feb 2005 05:38:35
Counting sheep while you castrate them is all very interesting, but I think you must be on drugs, David. Stop it now while there is still time.
Posted by: mr mcmuffin | 25 Feb 2005 07:36:28
Just unsober 'chatting' - must stop that habit. But anyway, it's important to have a good system for counting your sheep, as how else can you keep an eye on your harem? Oops, I mean 'flock'!
Posted by: David (TEFL Smiler) | 25 Feb 2005 18:27:58
