As far as I can make out, there is no difference between a ginnel and a snicket. They are both small passageways between houses, alleys. They are both used exclusively but quite widely in the North of England. The ginnel is found particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
But the big question is whether there ever was a distinction and what is the etymology of these glorious words.
Ginnel
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- Grand Panjandrum
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- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Ginnel
If snicket is related to snick, then perhaps it's in the sense of a short cut? A passageway between buildings, perhaps meant for access to the walls, but used as a quick way of not going around the block.
Ginnel appears to be a corruption of channel.
Ginnel appears to be a corruption of channel.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Ginnel
Thanks Slava. I also asked my friends who live in the North of England. The Facebook page is a group of Preston North End supporters. And if anyone is interested, this (copied and pasted) is what they say on the ginnel / snicket issue. I hope that makes it clear!
I wrote:
Not football.
In the old days when we had an email list, we used to banter about any old thing particularly in the off-season. And I have a question that someone who lives there might be able to help with.
I came across the word 'ginnel' on that email list. Since then I have encountered 'snicket'. They seem to have identical meanings - a narrow alleyway. Can anyone tell me what the distinction is? Is one Lancashire and the other Yorkshire? Is one an alley for waste disposal and the other for people? Can you have them together? Any other ideas on the difference?
Paul Kelly wrote
A ginnel, as I recall it, is specifically the narrow passage way between terraced houses giving access to the back passage. Often (?always?) a snicket was essentially a tunnel covered by the upper floor of one of the houses.
Jed McCormick wrote
All the ginnels we called ginnels, were footpaths between buildings. I think snicket is the same but used in Yorks. We used to call (and still do) the passage way behind terraced houses "backs". Will be interesting to hear what others call them.
Shaun Fagan wrote
I found it interesting that all these words are based on old English for ladies bits
Paul Kelly wrote
Jed McCormick Yes, backs not as I said 'back passage'
Shaun Fagan wrote
Backsies
Mark Dixon wrote
The path behind the old Town End with amusing graffiti and questionable odours was always referred to as the Ginnel by my more elderly family members back in the day
Shaun Fagan wrote
Mark Dixon yes, now you mention it we used to call it the ginnel or death alley
Tom Crook wrote
Backs.....
"Let's play Cricket int Backs"...... Ashton, Preston 50s60s
Phil Monks wrote
For me, pretty much as PK says, a ginnel goes between terraced houses and leads to the backs.
Alan Hudson wrote
A quote: 'As nouns the difference between ginnel and snicket is that ginnel is (british|especially yorkshire and lancashire) a narrow passageway or alley often between terraced houses while snicket is (northern england) a narrow passage or alley.'
Andrew Mercer wrote
Not forgetting a "jigger" !
Mark Dixon wrote
Andrew Mercer A jigger is one of those small milk cartons you get with tea and coffee on trains.
Andrew Martin Green wrote
Wasn't there a ginnel from Lancaster Road up to the old bus station?
Andrew Martin Green wrote
My grandparents called the passage from the street through to their back yard "the lobby."
Barb Cooper wrote
Andrew Martin Green mine too
I wrote
I'm grateful for all this response. Most informative, all of it. The only old alleys we have in Australia are nightcart lanes, where the shitcarts travelled to collect before sewers were invented. I especially enjoyed Alan Hudson's formal explanation: one is a narrow passage, the other's a narrow passageway. And tell me, the distinction between northern England and Lancs and Yorks. Are those counties not also Northern England? I mean it's all north of Luton...
Tony Platt
Here are in Chesterfield it's a Jennel. Weirdos.
I wrote:
Not football.
In the old days when we had an email list, we used to banter about any old thing particularly in the off-season. And I have a question that someone who lives there might be able to help with.
I came across the word 'ginnel' on that email list. Since then I have encountered 'snicket'. They seem to have identical meanings - a narrow alleyway. Can anyone tell me what the distinction is? Is one Lancashire and the other Yorkshire? Is one an alley for waste disposal and the other for people? Can you have them together? Any other ideas on the difference?
Paul Kelly wrote
A ginnel, as I recall it, is specifically the narrow passage way between terraced houses giving access to the back passage. Often (?always?) a snicket was essentially a tunnel covered by the upper floor of one of the houses.
Jed McCormick wrote
All the ginnels we called ginnels, were footpaths between buildings. I think snicket is the same but used in Yorks. We used to call (and still do) the passage way behind terraced houses "backs". Will be interesting to hear what others call them.
Shaun Fagan wrote
I found it interesting that all these words are based on old English for ladies bits
Paul Kelly wrote
Jed McCormick Yes, backs not as I said 'back passage'
Shaun Fagan wrote
Backsies
Mark Dixon wrote
The path behind the old Town End with amusing graffiti and questionable odours was always referred to as the Ginnel by my more elderly family members back in the day
Shaun Fagan wrote
Mark Dixon yes, now you mention it we used to call it the ginnel or death alley
Tom Crook wrote
Backs.....
"Let's play Cricket int Backs"...... Ashton, Preston 50s60s
Phil Monks wrote
For me, pretty much as PK says, a ginnel goes between terraced houses and leads to the backs.
Alan Hudson wrote
A quote: 'As nouns the difference between ginnel and snicket is that ginnel is (british|especially yorkshire and lancashire) a narrow passageway or alley often between terraced houses while snicket is (northern england) a narrow passage or alley.'
Andrew Mercer wrote
Not forgetting a "jigger" !
Mark Dixon wrote
Andrew Mercer A jigger is one of those small milk cartons you get with tea and coffee on trains.
Andrew Martin Green wrote
Wasn't there a ginnel from Lancaster Road up to the old bus station?
Andrew Martin Green wrote
My grandparents called the passage from the street through to their back yard "the lobby."
Barb Cooper wrote
Andrew Martin Green mine too
I wrote
I'm grateful for all this response. Most informative, all of it. The only old alleys we have in Australia are nightcart lanes, where the shitcarts travelled to collect before sewers were invented. I especially enjoyed Alan Hudson's formal explanation: one is a narrow passage, the other's a narrow passageway. And tell me, the distinction between northern England and Lancs and Yorks. Are those counties not also Northern England? I mean it's all north of Luton...
Tony Platt
Here are in Chesterfield it's a Jennel. Weirdos.
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 8099
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
- Location: Finger Lakes, NY
Re: Ginnel
I've always thought of a jigger as a shot glass.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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