Leerie n. a lamplighter, who lit gas lamps in towns and cities (before electric light)
The word leerie is perhaps best known nowadays from the nostalgic poem ‘The Lamplighter’ by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894). The character, ‘Leerie’, is depicted as a romantic wanderer who charms th...
I have to wonder if traffic on the site has picked up for this word based on the recent opening of the film Mary Poppins Returns?
It seems that leeries are just as pictuesque and poetic in other incarnations as they are depicted in Mary Poppins Returns. Why the romanticism for such a menial and dirty seeming profession?
Read Scots Word of the Season: ‘Leerie’ (The Bottle Imp)
I have to wonder if traffic on the site has picked up for this word based on the recent opening of the film Mary Poppins Returns?
It seems that leeries are just as pictuesque and poetic in other incarnations as they are depicted in Mary Poppins Returns. Why the romanticism for such a menial and dirty seeming profession?
Syndicated copies to:
Syndicated copies:
I imagine that when gas lights were first installed in city streets, they were as exciting and liberating as the internet.