h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

All over England there are pubs called "The Blue Anchor". Why the "Blue" anchor, what is the reason for "Blue"

What's the reason for any colour on a pub sign? I can understand 'Red Lion' or 'White Lion' - they're heraldic. But why 'Green Dragon'? Why not red or gold or pink?

Becuase, in the way of parents everywhere, trying to explain why something is when they dont know...

"becuase it just is, Alright?"

Methinks its something to do with being distinctive (the green dragon part) We only have Red Lions in Herefordshire, apart from a restruant which is named the green dragon.

Heraldry, I think you'll find (just think of the number of pubs called the Something Arms). In heraldry everything had to be really bright simple colours (not pink I'm afraid!) and on a stronglly contrasting background, so you could tell who was hacking you to bits in the midst of battles. Lots of simple shapes as well like...anchors!

Reminds me of the old travelling game of pub cricket - you get good points for a green dragon

In that case shouldn't the pubs be called

The Lion Rampant Gules

or the

Anchor Azur

or whatever the heraldic terms are. Heraldry is poetry, but no one can understand it!

On a bend sinister, two cross crosslets fitchy.

Heraldry is not poetry, it's just written in a very old form of Norman French.

Wasn't the Dragon that "St." George killed green. To differentiate it from the Welsh, Red Dragon. I think that is were it comes from.

There is a Blue Anchor brewery in Cornwall.
Are these tied pubs?

Don't know, possibly.

There's a pub in Phillack, Cornwall called the 'Bucket of Blood'. Can anyone shed some light onto this name?

There's one in Dublin called the Bleeding Horse. Blood is obviously a popular element in pub names, as is dismembered royalty, such as the King's Head, King's Arms etc.

The "bloody stream" in Howth (http://www.h2g2.com/A428221) is named after a bit of Irish folklore in which a woman was washing her clothes in a stream and the stream ran thick with blood, thus fortelling the death of Brian Boru (or Cuchulain...?)

A number of pubs in England are named after symbolic things like "The Wheatsheef" because in the days when most of the population couldn't read, an inn was often denoted by hanging something like a wheatsheaf outside the door. Over time this became the hanging pub sign that is common today.

I think that later there were pub names which gave you the loyalty or otherwise of the clientelle. The "Red Lion" would be chock full of supporters of Richard the Lionheart, the "Cross Keys" would be full of some religious subsect or other.

Not too sure about the "bleeding horse"...but there is something in the pub about where the name came from so I may remember it next time I'm there.

Thinking about it, perhaps the blood isn't blood at all but red wine.

Claret perhaps? In the late eighteenth century blood was called claret, especially by boxing fans due to the similarity in colour

And what was sack? I've forgotten. A fore-runner of beer?

Thanks for all your interest, most enlightening, unfortunately I am no nearer finding out the reason for a "Blue Anchor".

The comments about blood are quite revealing. When I was a kid, if a girl's pettycoat was showing under her skirt we would call out "Charlies Dead".

This phrase goes all the way back to 1649 wen Charles the first was beheaded. A lot of court ladies had front row views of the execution. As the blood flowed on the ground the ladies stepped forward and dipped their pettycoats in the blood. These garments were then never washed, and were worn at gatherings of Royalists where the women would toast the dead King by lifting their skirts and say "Charlies Dead".

There's a pub near me called "The Same Yet". The story goes that the pub originally had another name (I don't know what) and the landlord had ordered a new sign to be painted. The signwriter asked what name the landlord wanted - and he replied "the same yet", meaning the same as before. Why he then kept it I don't know - perhaps he thought it would be a talking point.

None of this explains "The Railway and Naturalist" in Prestwich. Or the "Blue Anchor".

By the way, am I the only one to be irritated with these contrived pub names for new chains, like "Rat and Parrot", and "Slug and Lettuce"?

In Coventry there is (or was, at least) a pub next to the HMV shop, aimed at trendy young things. The pub came into being in the 80s and was called 'The Dog and Trumpet', a reference to the HMV logo. A lot of people referred to it as 'The Wuff and Puff'. (No, it was not a gay bar. The 'Hare and Squirrel' near New Union Street had that reputation. It was also know as the 'Queer and Squirrel'!)

An early version of sherry, beloved of Sir John Falstaff as I am sure you knew. But why is a sackbutt a musical instrument and not a wine barrel?

(Replying to Captain Kebab)

What about "The Skyrack" in Leeds? It sounds like it should mean something.

No you're not the only one who dislikes those names, although "The Hogshead" and "The Tap and Spile" aren't too bad (also they're much better pubs than your examples)

At least Hogshead and Tap and Spile are names that derive from the brewing industry.

Most of thw Wetherspoon chain take ther names from something to do with the local area where they are. The other popular name (the moon under water) is from Orwell.