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triple-bob-major

English translation: It's based on bell-ringing ...

15:09 Mar 21, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Folklore / Dickens
English term or phrase: triple-bob-major
Greetings,

It’s in Martin Chuzzlewit:

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/BookLibrary/books/biblio...

“Proves that changes may be rung in the best-regulated families, and that Mr. Peckniff was a special hand at a triple-bob-major”

All the best,

Simon
SeiTT
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:37
Selected answer:It's based on bell-ringing ...
Explanation:
A Triple Bob Major is a way of ringing bells in (almost) every possible combination. "Ringing the changes" is an expression based on bell-ringing, and it appears that Mr Pecksniff is very good at making changes.

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Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-21 15:18:16 GMT)
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This may help, but I couldn't open the reference:
charles dickens and musicA slight technical knowledge of bell phraseology is found in _Barnaby Rudge_ (7), where he mentions the variations known as a 'triple bob major. ...
www.gutenberg.org/files/16595/16595.txt - 244k - Cached - Similar pages
Selected response from:

David Knowles
Local time: 16:37
Grading comment
many thanks, excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +10It's based on bell-ringing ...
David Knowles


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +10
It's based on bell-ringing ...


Explanation:
A Triple Bob Major is a way of ringing bells in (almost) every possible combination. "Ringing the changes" is an expression based on bell-ringing, and it appears that Mr Pecksniff is very good at making changes.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 mins (2007-03-21 15:18:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This may help, but I couldn't open the reference:
charles dickens and musicA slight technical knowledge of bell phraseology is found in _Barnaby Rudge_ (7), where he mentions the variations known as a 'triple bob major. ...
www.gutenberg.org/files/16595/16595.txt - 244k - Cached - Similar pages

David Knowles
Local time: 16:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
many thanks, excellent

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jack Doughty
0 min
  -> Thanks Jack
agree  Kim Metzger: Bob. A set of changes rung on [church] bells: as a “bob major,” a “bobminor,” a “triple bob.” http://www.bartleby.com/81/2148.html
12 mins
  -> Yes, I'm not sure that "triple bob major" is correct in bell-ringing terms. Thanks for the ref.
agree  Armorel Young: Indeed, it's a pun on "ringing the changes". Change ringing is when church bells are rung in particular patterns, and triple bob major is one of those patterns. Nothing specifically Cockney about it at all.
22 mins
  -> Not sure it's a pun, but "ringing the changes" has almost entirely lost its association with bell-ringing, so it feels like one.
agree  Angela Dickson (X): yes, and it's definitely not 'cockney'!//agree with Armorel that it is a rather laboured pun by Mr Dickens.
1 hr
  -> Agreed - Cockneys and Bow Bells have nothing to do with this one!
agree  Tony M: Definitely not Cockney! (my family are Londoners!)
1 hr
agree  Richard Benham: Yes, they do ring bells outside London, and the terminology is pretty much the same even where English (as opposed to Cockney) is spoken.
2 hrs
agree  David Moore (X): I think we should remember that in CD's times, bell-ringing was a rather more popular pastime than it is today...
5 hrs
agree  Will Matter
7 hrs
agree  ErichEko ⟹⭐
11 hrs
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
13 hrs
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