[Ads-l] noggin

[Barretts Mail]

The Blarney Lads have a recording of “All for Me Grog” (http://pakvim.net/watch/HgpcNpOlxJA <http://pakvim.net/watch/HgpcNpOlxJA>), whose lyrics include what appears to be the adjective “noggin”.

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Where are me boots, me noggin, noggin boots
they're all gone for beer and tobacco 
For the heels they are worn out and the toes are kicked about 
And the soles are looking for better weather 

…

Where is me shirt me noggin, noggin shirt
It's all gone for beer and tobacco 
For the collar is all worn and the sleeves they are all torn 
And the tail is looking for better weather

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I’m not sure what “gone for” means. Has the singer worn them out due to beer and tobacco or has the singer sold them for beer and tobacco?

The OED defines “noggin” as a small drinking vessel. I suppose “noggin boots” could be “drinking boots”. Just listening to the song, I thought “noggin" meant either “fucking” or “awesome”.
 
This same song appears in Shakespeare, issue 65, spring 2017, p. 19 (https://tinyurl.com/y3xl3b7c <https://tinyurl.com/y3xl3b7c>), which says it’s based on the 1956 recording by Al Lloyd.

There are a couple of instances on the internet of “noggin” (meaning “head”) being spelled as “naggin” and a citation that appears to be unrelated at https://www.jstor.org/stable/25473871?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents <https://www.jstor.org/stable/25473871?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents>, but I couldn’t find the meaning for the song above.

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org