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Last word on name debate?
Monday 27th April 2009, 8:00AM BST.
LETTER: Regarding Mr J Wood’s assertion that only snobs pronounce Shrewsbury as Shrowsbury, he admits that this is just another one of many in the futile argument, but it is difficult to understand why he then goes on to insist that his own opinion is the correct one.
Scholars do generally agree that the name probably arose when the Saxons gave it the name of Scrobbesbyrig, but it must be admitted that they were unlikely to have had Mr Wood’s gift of absolute certainty.
It happens that I was born in Shrewsbury, as were my mother and grandmother, together with many friends, and we all lived there in the happy ignorance of the fact that we were snobs.
I do recall that it was sometimes pronounced Shrewsbury as in Shrew. But this was often by people from outside the town, and, indeed, Wellington people often called their town Wellitun, and the man from Oakengates came from Gairts.
I really do not think that anyone then thought about snobbery at all.
There is an old saying that Shrewsbury was spelt Shrewsbury, pronounced Shrowsbury, and called Salop.
Perhaps those were more innocent days.
Many dictionaries and guides do not consider that standard rules must apply rigidly to either place names or to personal names, although Mr Wood does give his carefully selected examples to prove his point.
The same dictionaries often show the origins of words and he may be interested to know that the origin of snob is cobblers.
Alec Roberts
Newport
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proud to be a snob and proud to be a proud salopian, a proud salopian is someone born with in the isthmus of the river severn at shrowsbury. come on you shrows, show dagenham how it’s done on saturday.
evidence-
sew not sow
shew became show
case closed, we can all be snobs
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Who cares..?
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Is few now fow then? Is Newbury really Nobury? There are no real rules in the English language that can be applied to prove anything, thus it is so hard to learn as a foreign language. It would be hilarious if “Shrowsbury was chanted at the football though” – I can’t see that ever happening! “Going down the Oteley Road to see the Shrowsbury Aces”!
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And “Sex” is something the rich people carry their coal in! ……………..
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well done alec shrewsbury is and been always known as salop time j wood got off his high horse
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ruth greenwood, …… I think you will find that the name “Salop” refers to the County of Shropshire and not the town of Shrewsbury! …..
The Normans found the Saxon pronunciation difficult and called the County “Salopescira” over time shortened to “Salop”………..
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T Bill brings a question that begs an answer:
Why has Shropshire County Council dropped the word ‘County’ from its title?
I would suggest that this must have something to do with EU regionalisation!
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SALOP – The True Meaning!!!
A word in french creole that means literally, “nasty”. However, it can be used as an exclamation.
It can also be used to describe someone who is promiscuous, filthy, or simply does not care. The word is predominantly used as an expletive in many former french colonies.
Joseph “Jack’s girl has been sleeping with five guys behind his back.”
John “Five guys! Where mate pick up that salop”
(Car Crash sounds) SALOP!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Dread, you slept with your girlfriends mother and her sister? Boy you really salop eh”
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Grew, grow, knew, know, threw, throw, blew, blow etc etc.
You’ll notice that the ‘Shrowsbury’ brigade refer to the town’s football team as the SHREWS too!
Get’s my goat everytime, same people who call a garage a ga-rarj. It’s pronounced garrij!!
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T Bill – I think YOU will find that Salop can refer to either the county or the county town. Hence why distances to Shrewsbury on mileposts are given to “Salop” and why Salop is used by Shrewsbury Town fans. Salop is of course also another name for the county as a whole.
Trevor – once again, I find it hard to distinguish whether someone is being sarcastic… you’re not being serious with your remark about the EU? The dropping of the word “County” from the Council’s official name is more to do with the fact that it is no longer a county council, but a unitary authority. Shropshire of course remains a geographic county, with its own high sheriff and lord lieutenant.
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Great observations and each will see things as they see them! …… but we must not lose sight of historical fact! ……. I was not born in Shropshire (Salop) but I lived there for many years and I think all will agree that it is a most beautiful County! ……. both scenically and historically and whatever you want to call the County Town whether it be Ludlow, Wroxeter or Shroosbury is OK by me! ……………..
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