Comments on: Capsy Wennet

By: catherine

catherine — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:47:56 +0000

Thanks for your comment, SRD. I suspect “capsy wennet” can mean anything we want it to. That’s rather annoying, though, as I’m sure we’d all like a definitive definition.

By: SRD

SRD — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:53:59 +0000

Surely a ‘capsy wennet’ is a ‘mere slip of a girl’ as shown when Adam meets Flora at the station and she offers to drive the cart.

By: catherine

catherine — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:27:43 +0000

That’s a very interesting point, Catalpa. I think we need an ornithologist to catalogue the birdlife at Cold Comfort Farm and perhaps throw some more light on your observations. Let’s hope there’s a monograph somewhere in the pipeline. We might also then discover why the Bronte sisters are referred to as “poor young mommets”.

By: catalpa

catalpa — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:57:17 +0000

“Capsy” might also be related to captious, meaning irritatingly critical or inclined to raise complaints. I like the idea of “wennet” being a diminutive of wench, although it might be another member of the exotic birdlife abounding at Cold Comfort Farm, like the marsh-tigget.