Babbity Bowster

[Judy Prince]

Apparently the term "Babbity Bowster" hadn't/hasn't emigrated to the States
as I had thought when querying this list a few days ago.  Robin Hamilton
kindly sent its etymology, but we still don't know how "Bow-" is pronounced.
 If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.  Following is the information Robin
sent:

DSL - SND1



BAB AT THE BOWSTER, BAB IN THE BOWSTER, BABBITY BOWSTER, phr.



1. An old country dance, finishing off a ball, a wedding, or any kind of
merrymaking.



    *Sc. 1851 Eng. Notes and Q. (18 Jan.) 45:



    The manner of dancing it is, the company having formed itself into a
circle, one, either male or female, goes into the centre, carrying a pillow
[or handkerchief], and dances round the circle with a sort of shuffling
quick step, while the others sing, — “Wha learn’d you to dance, you to
dance, you to dance, Wha learn’d you to dance, Bab in the Bowster brawly?”
To which the dancer replies: “Mother learn’d me to dance, me to dance, me to
dance, Mother learn’d me to dance, Bab in theBowster brawly.” He or she then
lays down the pillow before one of the opposite sex, when they both kneel on
it and kiss; the person to whom the pillow has been presented going over the
above again, etc., till the company tires.



    *Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto Tammas Bodkin (1868) xxxv.:

    Lang ere Sandy’s fiddle struck up the grand finale o’ “Bab at the
Bowster.”

    *Lnk. 1894 W. H. Ballantyne in A. B. Gomme Dict. Brit. Folk-Lore I. 9:

    Wha learned you to dance, Babbity Bowster brawly?



    2. A children’s game. (1) A ring game. (2) A hopping game.



    (1) *Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 45:

    Bab-at-the-bowster. . . . A children’s ring-game.

    (2) *Arg. 1901 R. C. Maclagan Games of Argyleshire 58:

    Crouching down on their . . . hunkers, . . . and clasping their hands
under their legs behind their knees, they hop on their toes opposite each
other, singing: — Wha learnt you to dance, Babbity Bowster, Babbity Bowster,
Wha learnt you to dance,Babbity Bowster? [etc.]



    3. ‡A boys’ game. Known in Dundee as Hockey-duck.



    *ne.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 45:

    Bab-at-the-bowster. . . . A game of the leap-frog kind, in which one boy
climbs along the bowed backs of several others.



    [From Bab, v., 2 (1), and Bowster, a pillow.]

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Best,

Judy

-- 
Frisky Moll Press:  http://judithprince.com/home.html

http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/author/jprince/

"Southern hospitality has ten years left."  ---Jeff Hecker, Norfolk, VA

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