392 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



[No. 208. 



trhere see the notes of the commentators for other 

 instances of it. There are rival etymologies for 

 this word, but all uncertain. The French has 

 Tiurlu-burlu. Nares in Hurhj. 



Hurry-scurry. — This word, formed from hurry, 

 ;1s used by Gray in his Long Story. 



Nick-nack. — A small ornament. Not in the 

 'dictionaries. 



Pic-nic. — For the derivation of this word, which 

 , seems to be of French origin, see " N. & Q.," 

 Vol. vii., pp. 240. 387. 



Pit-pat, or Pit-a-pat. — A word formed from 

 -pat, and particularly applied to the pulsations of 

 the heart, when accelerated by emotion. Used by 

 Ben Jonson and Dryden. Congi-eve writes it 

 a-pit-pat. 



Riff-raff. — ThQ refuse of anything, "II ne lui 

 lairra rif ny raf." Cotgrave in Rif, where rif is 

 said to mean nothing. 



Rolly-pooly. — "A sort of game" (Johnson). It 

 is now used as the name of a pudding rolled with 

 sweetmeat. 



Rowdy-dowdy, and Rub-a-dub. — Words formed 

 in imitation of the beat of a drum. 



Shilly-shally. — Used by Congreve, and formerly 

 written " shill I, shall I." 



Slip-slop. — " Bad liquor. A low word, formed 

 by reduplication of slop" (Johnson). Now gene- 

 rally applied to erroi's in pronunciation, arising 

 from ignorance and carelessness, like those of 

 Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals. 



Tip-top. — Formed from top, like slip-slop from 

 slop. 

 , Tirra-lirra. — Used by Shakspeare : 



" Tlie lark that tirrn lirra chants." 



Winters Tale, Act IV. Sc. 2. 



From the French, see Nares in v. 



The preceding collection is intended merely to 

 illustrate the principle upon which this class of 

 ■words are formed, and does not aim at complete- 

 ness. Some of your correspondents will doubtless, 

 if they are disposed, be able to supply other ex- 

 amples of the same mode of formation. L. 



EARL OF OXFORD. 



(Vol. viii., p. 292.) 



S. N. will find the Earl's answer in a volume, 

 not very common now, entitled A Compleat and 

 Impartial History of the Impeachments of the Last 

 Ministry, London, 8vo., 1716. The charge re- 

 specting the creation of twelve peers in one day 

 formed the 16th article of the impeachment. I in- 

 close a copy of the answer, if not too long for 

 your pages. G. 



" In answer to the 16th article, the said Earl doth 

 insist, that by the laws and constitution of this realm, 

 it is the undoubted right and prerogative of the Sove- 



reign, who is the fountain of honor, to create peers of 

 this realm, as well in time of Parliament as when there 

 is no Parliament sitting or ia being ; and that the 

 exercise of this branch of the prerogative is declared in 

 the form or preamble of all patents of honor, to pro- 

 ceed ex mero moUi, as an act of mere grace and favor, 

 and that such acts are not done as many other acts of a 

 public nature are, by and with the advice of the Privy 

 Council ; or as acts of pardon usually run, upon a 

 favorable representation of several circumstances, or 

 upon reports from the Attorney- General or other 

 officers, that such acts are lawful or expedient, or 

 for the safety or advantage of the Crown ; but flows 

 entirely from the beneficent and gracious disposition 

 of the Sovereign. He farther says, that neither the 

 warrants for patents of honor, the bills or other en- 

 grossments of such patents, are at any time communi- 

 cated to the council or the treasury, as several other 

 patents are ; and tlierefore the said Earl, either as 

 High Treasurer or Privy Councillor, could not have 

 any knowledge of the same : Nevertheless, if her late 

 sacred Majesty had thought fit to acquaint him with 

 her most gracious intentions of creating any number of 

 peers of this realm, and had asked his opinion, whether 

 the persons whom she then intended to create were 

 persons proper to have been promoted to that dignity, 

 he does believe he should have highly approved her 

 Majesty's choice ; and does not apprehend that in so 

 doing he had been guilty of any breach of his duty, or 

 violation of the trust in him reposed ; since they were 

 all persons of honor and distinguished merit, and the 

 peerage thereby was not greatly increased, considering 

 some of those created would have been peers by descent, 

 and many noble families were then lately extinct: And 

 the said Earl believes many instances may be given 

 where this prerogative hath been exercised by former 

 princes of this realm, in as extensive a manner ; and 

 particularly in the reigns of King Henry the Eighth, 

 King James the First, and his late Majesty King Wil- 

 liam. The said Earl begs leave to add, that in the 

 whole course of his life he hath always loved the esta- 

 blished constitution, and in his private capacity as well 

 as in all public stations, when he had the honor to be 

 employed, has ever done his utmost to preserve it, and 

 shall always continue so to do." 



PICTS HOUSES. 



(Vol. viil., p. 264.) 



The mention there made of the recent discovery 

 of one of these subterranean vaults or passages in 

 Aberdeenshire, induces me to ask a question in 

 regard to two subterranean passages which have 

 lately been discovered in Berwickshire, and which 

 so far differ from all others that I have heard or 

 read of, that whereas all of them seem to have 

 been built at the sides with large flat stones, and 

 roofed with similar ones, and then covered with 

 earth, those which I am about to mention are both 

 hewn out of the solid rock. They are both situated 

 in the Lammermoor range of hills. Those persons 

 who have seen them are at a loss to know for what 



