CORRUPTED APPELLATIONS. 707 
onginally meant for Boulogne Gate, and represented by an embattled 
gate or entrance into a fortified town. 
The Barber’s Pole has been the subject of many conjectures; some 
conceiving it to have originated from the word pole or head, with 
several other conceits as far-stretched and unmeaning : but the true 
intention of that party-coloured stalfF was, was to shew that the mas-^ 
ter of the shop practised surgery, and could breathe a vein as well 
as mow a beard; such a staff being to this day, by every village 
practitioner, put into the hand of a patient undergoing the operatiori 
of phlebotomy. The white band which accompanies the hand was 
meant to represent the fillet, thus elegantly twined about it. 
Nor were the Chequers, at this time a common sign of a public 
house, less expressive, being the representation of a kind of a draught- 
board, called Tables, and shewed that here this game might be played. 
From their colour, which was red, and their similarity to a lattice, it 
\vas corruptly called the red lettuce^ which word was frequently used 
by ancient writers to signify an ale-house. 
The Spectator has explained the sign of the Bell Savage inn plausi- 
bly enough, in supposing it to have been originally the figiire of a beau- 
tiful female found in the woods, called in the French La Belle Saii- 
vage. But another reason has since been assigned for this appella- 
tion, namely, that the inn was once the property of Lady Arabella 
Savage, and familiarly called Bell Savage’s Inn, probably represented 
by a bell and a savage, or wild man, which was a rebus for her 
name ; rebusses being much in fashion in the IGth century. 
The Three Blue Balls prefixed to the doors and windows of pawn- 
brokers’ shops, by the vulgar humorously enough said that it is 
tvvo to one that the things pledged are never redeemed, were in reality 
the arms of a set of merchants from Lombardy, who W'ere the first that 
publicly lent money on pledges. They dwelt together in a street, from 
them named Lombard-street, in London, and they also gave their 
name to another at Paris. The appellation of Lombard was for-i 
merly all over Europe considered as synonymous to that of usurer. 
At the institution of Yeomen of the Guards, they used to wait at 
table on ail great solemnities, and were ranged near the buffets; 
this procured them the name of Buffeteers, not very unlike in sound 
to the jocular appellation of Beef-eaters, now given them; though 
probably it was rather the voluntary misnomer of some wicked 
wit, than an accidental corruption arising from ignorance of the 
French language. 
The opprobrious title of Bum-Bailiff, so constantly bestowed on 
the sheriff’s officers, is, according to judge Blackstone, only the cor- 
ruption of bound bailiff, every sheriff’s officer being obliged to enter 
into bonds, and to give security for his good behaviour, previous to 
his appointment. 
A Gordwainer seems to have no relation to the occupation it is 
meant to express, which is that of a shoemaker. But cordonieVy 
originally spelt cordaunieVy is the French word for that trade ; the 
best leather used for shoes, coming originally from Cordova in 
Spaih. Spanish leather shoes were once famous in England. 
Ofa piece with these corrupted appellations, is that of the usual 
