Wednesday 16 December 2009

V is for...


Victualler

There are a few words I love. Actually, serendipity, quicquidlibet and victualler. I first heard the word victuals in one of the great movies of the fifties, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The first wife to arrive is expected to make good 'vittles' (food). But the word seemed to be extinct. I never heard or saw it. And then...

I saw it. In Birr in Ireland. A real honest working victualler! Of course I took a photo, but I still didn't really know what a victualler was. I figured it would be like a grocer, but when I looked it up, no mention was made of a grocer, only of a sutler. I'd never heard of a sutler, so I had to look that up! That turned out to be a person who followed an army and sold provisions. So again, you could say a grocer, but still no mention of that word.

Anyway, victuals are food supplies or provisions, so someone who is a victualler is the person who supplies the food or provisions. Anyone any other thoughts about the word?

For more V words from around the world, please check out ABC Wednesday and join in the fun!

16 comments:

  1. What a lovely photo of such a charming place to eat! And once again I learned something today! Great post for the day!

    Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  2. I certainly learned something from your efforts! Thank you!

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  3. I've heard of victuals but not victualler. Interesting entry!

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  4. I know victuals, but it isn't terribly common.

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  5. Clever! I've never seen it on a sign. Thanks!

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  6. This is a new word to me! Such a quaint and charming storefront. And thanks for all the info. Serendipity is one of my favorite words, too, by the way.

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  7. Interesting V and a great shot!:-)

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  8. Who are the folks who provide food for the Army, who stock the commissary? That word has left me.

    Vittles, on the other hand, always reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillies TV show on CBS-TV in the 1960s.

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  9. What a coincidence to use a form of the same word in my post for V. Its a great sounding word and I loved Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

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  10. first time i ever heard that word
    very interesting

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  11. I always love the paintwork on Irish shops and your photo shows it a treat. I'm with Roger in remembering the word from the Beverly Hill billies but but they used the dialect word vittles, it was a comedy show.
    I looked up its root in my Chambers Dictionary and it is a mix of Old French and Latin, no wonder its all about food and drink.

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  12. Thanks for the lesson. Also, I own Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I just love old musicals! So the next time I watch it I will watch for that word.

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  13. This is the first time I've heard of such word, learn something new today.

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  14. Very nice finding, I first thought of "vehicles" before I read your text.

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  15. It is a nice word, and a very old fashioned one. It's good to see it still in use!

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  16. I love learning new words - this one was new to me, I had heard vittles, but never knew the rest of the story so to speak. :)

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Any weighty (and not so weighty) comments are welcome!