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Bear's breeches [Was: Lidl Gardening week]
In message , Tim C.
writes Following up to "Mike Lyle" : June Hughes wrote: [...] My dog has killed off my bear's breeches, which is a shame. [...] This caught my attention (among the wise remarks on a subject I don't get embroiled in, thank you!). I like English names, though like most people I seem to use them less and less. But this may be the first time I've seen this one, Bear's Breech[es], used on its own rather than alongside the Latin _Acanthus_. Does anybody know how this curious name arose? OED is no great help, but I find that the plant is/was also called "Bear's Foot", and in Medieval Latin _branca ursina_, "bear's claw". The Greek word just means "spiny". Just to confuse matters, OED says "Brank-ursine" was sometimes erroneously applied to hogweed! Not too erroneously, perhaps. Bärenklau (~bear's claw) is the/a German common name for giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) Blimey! If mine was that, it may be just as well it is dead! -- June Hughes |
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