Purple

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjje132jvygo

Howzat?

[Erpingham]

Howzat?

Won't need to explain to Justin but for Jon.  "Howzat!" is a cry of triumph when a wicket falls at cricket.  "Howzat?" or "Howizee?" is the question a bowler asks/screams at the umpire if he thinks he has taken a wicket.  This is known as "enquiring of the umpire" or "asking the question". For maximum spectator enjoyment, the bowler must by supported in an impassioned scream by baying team mates and the umpire must stand impassive and give the barest shake of the head. 

[lionheartrjc]

This find helps reinforce the theory that the emperor Severus and his family stayed at Carlisle while destroying the Caledonians.

Richard

[Imperial Dave]

A very good possibility

[DBS]

Also interesting because the purple actually looks... purple.  I simply mean that sometimes there are suggestions that Tyrian purple may not have always been a shade that we would now automatically class as purple.

[Jon Freitag]

Howzat?

Won't need to explain to Justin but for Jon.  "Howzat!" is a cry of triumph when a wicket falls at cricket.  "Howzat?" or "Howizee?" is the question a bowler asks/screams at the umpire if he thinks he has taken a wicket.  This is known as "enquiring of the umpire" or "asking the question". For maximum spectator enjoyment, the bowler must by supported in an impassioned scream by baying team mates and the umpire must stand impassive and give the barest shake of the head. 

Seems I am in dire need of remedial re-education in British colloquialisms and idioms.

[Imperial Dave]

Also interesting because the purple actually looks... purple.  I simply mean that sometimes there are suggestions that Tyrian purple may not have always been a shade that we would now automatically class as purple.

I did think that myself!

[Ian61]

Also interesting because the purple actually looks... purple.  I simply mean that sometimes there are suggestions that Tyrian purple may not have always been a shade that we would now automatically class as purple.

I did think that myself!

I think you are both right in that we know the shade is dependant on the species and precise details of manufacture. I watched a video some time ago about a chap (I am sure it was Tunisia) who had heard about this in school as 'local history' and decided to try it for himself. He got some deep colours which he used to dye some wool but not the wonderful purple we are looking at on that BBC article - that is very purple'. The Wikipedia article on Tyrian purple shows other examples from different species.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple#/media/File:Purple_Purpur_(retouched).jpg

[Erpingham]

Seems I am in dire need of remedial re-education in British colloquialisms and idioms.

Not at all.  But I believe that understanding cricket is something that many Americans say they struggle with, so I thought I'd help out 

[Jim Webster]

Seems I am in dire need of remedial re-education in British colloquialisms and idioms.

Not at all.  But I believe that understanding cricket is something that many Americans say they struggle with, so I thought I'd help out 

Apparently cricket used to be relatively popular in the US before the Civil War. Apparently during the civil war, it was easier for soldiers to improvise a pitch for rounders, evolving into Baseball, than it was to find somewhere suitable for cricket.

[Imperial Dave]

And of course the difference between pink and purple is apparently your grip.....?

[Adrian Nayler]

 

Also interesting because the purple actually looks... purple.  I simply mean that sometimes there are suggestions that Tyrian purple may not have always been a shade that we would now automatically class as purple.

I did think that myself!

I think you are both right in that we know the shade is dependant on the species and precise details of manufacture. I watched a video some time ago about a chap (I am sure it was Tunisia) who had heard about this in school as 'local history' and decided to try it for himself. He got some deep colours which he used to dye some wool but not the wonderful purple we are looking at on that BBC article - that is very purple'. The Wikipedia article on Tyrian purple shows other examples from different species.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple#/media/File:Purple_Purpur_(retouched).jpg

I can confirm Ian's recollections of the Tunisian chap extracting purple from Murex. The aspect that I remember most was that the man, his workspace and everything about and around him was indelibly stained 'purple'. Definitely a job for the enslaved workforce in antiquity.

Adrian.