From: Peter Westlake <peter@harlequin.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Ollifant & Castile?
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 13:50:20 +0000

At 23:51 1998-11-18 GMT, m.driussi@genie.com wrote:
>Spectacled Bear,
>
>"Elephant and Castle"?
>
><blank>
>
>No, I don't get it.

It's an area of London across the river from the Houses of Parliament,
complete with famous pub - and Underground railway station.

The name comes from that time of British history when mispronouncing
pub names seems to have been a national pastime. "God Encompasseth Us"
became the "Goat and Compasses", for instance, and the "Infanta of
Castile" became "Elephant and Castle", which is an even better name.
So now you need to find Spanish Infanta connections ... is Contessa
a Spanish title? :-)

SBear.


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