1 AUGUST 1914, Page 15

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The mention in a

letter in last week's Spectator of "Rabbit the fellow" and "Rabbit me," as forms of impre- cation used in Fielding's and Scott's works reminds me that in quite recent times similar expressions were common in Nottinghamshire. Twenty-five years ago I well knew an old Notts gentleman who constantly used the expression "Rabbit your head" to express mild indignation. I was never able to gather the precise meaning or origin of the phrase. In these cases it is often far from easy to get lucid explana- tions. Only the other day I asked an old Notts country- man to explain some wonderful name he had given to a freshwater fish, and his answer was, "Don't expect me to be

an Ecclopedia."—I am, Sir, &c., C. B. S.