When Saying "First" Is Not Enough

In the section on "Claiming Precedence", Iona and Peter Opie record in Lore and Language of Schoolchildren that the terms "for gaining possession of an object [are] also commonly used for securing a privilege of first place" and they include "ferry" and "foggy".

I adore the map that accompanies this exposition.

The terms for claiming precedence are found in a section in the chapter devoted to what the Opies call the Code of Oral Legislation which opens with this brilliant beginning:

The schoolchild, in his primitive community, conducts his business with his fellows by ritual declaration. His affidavits, promissory notes, claims, deeds of conveyance, receipts, and notices of resignation, are verbal, and are sealed by the utterance of ancient words which are recognized and considered binding by the whole community.

The Opie opera and collections are indeed a "firsy".

And so for day 1613
14.05.2011