hobs of hell

[howard richler]

Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

[Skitt]

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

From the Century Dictionary:

hob
[...]
5.
A structure inserted ill a fireplace to diminish
its width, originally introduced when broad
open fireplaces were first fitted with grates for
the burning of coal; also, the level top of such
a structure, forming a space upon which any-
thing can be set which it is desired to keep hot.
They compounded some hot mixture in a jug . . . and
put it on the hob to simmer.
Dickens, Christmas Carol, p. 44.
[...]

[Christopher Johnson]

Post by Skitt

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

hob
[...]
5.
A structure inserted ill a fireplace to diminish
its width, originally introduced when broad
open fireplaces were first fitted with grates for
the burning of coal; also, the level top of such
a structure, forming a space upon which any-
thing can be set which it is desired to keep hot.
They compounded some hot mixture in a jug . . . and
put it on the hob to simmer.
Dickens, Christmas Carol, p. 44.
[...]
--

I'm sure that's right, and what is being referred to in the example, but
there is another meaning of hob that has a connection to hell.
hob (hòb) noun
1. Chiefly British. A hobgoblin, a sprite, or an elf.
And I dimly recall "Hob" as a nickname for the devil.

'Hobs' are also (male) ferrets; hellish, if they're running
loose nearby.

[Evan Kirshenbaum]

hob (hòb) noun
1. Chiefly British. A hobgoblin, a sprite, or an elf.
And I dimly recall "Hob" as a nickname for the devil.

According to MWCD10, this sense of "hob", which is the older of the
two, comes from Middle English "Hobbe", a nickname for Robert.

It would appear that "hobgoblin" is a retronym, as "hob" for the
goblin is dated to the fifteenth century, "hob" for the fireplace
insert is dated 1511, and "hobgoblin", for the older sense, is dated
1530.
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |Usenet is like Tetris for people
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |who still remember how to read.
Palo Alto, CA 94304

***@hpl.hp.com
[phone]

http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

[Murray Arnow]

Post by Evan Kirshenbaum

hob (hòb) noun
1. Chiefly British. A hobgoblin, a sprite, or an elf.
And I dimly recall "Hob" as a nickname for the devil.

According to MWCD10, this sense of "hob", which is the older of the
two, comes from Middle English "Hobbe", a nickname for Robert.
It would appear that "hobgoblin" is a retronym, as "hob" for the
goblin is dated to the fifteenth century, "hob" for the fireplace
insert is dated 1511, and "hobgoblin", for the older sense, is dated
1530.

John Ciardi has something interesting to add:

Hob A familiar dialect nickname for Robin Goodfellow, also called
Puck, a sprite more mischievous than evil. [XV < _(hob)goblin_.
But Hob was also a standard nickname for the once common given
name Robin.] "raise Hob" 1. Lit. To summon Robin Goodfellow (to
his mischief). 2. _Effective sense_. To act up. To play pranks.
"play Hob with" To spoil; to destroy. "Jean Borup keeps saying no,
which raises Hob with my fantasy life".

NOTE. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," II. i. 32-41, the Fairy,
addressing Robin Goodfellow, sums him up:

Either I mistake your shape and seeming quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Called Robin Goodfellow: are you not he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern,
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometimes make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are you not he?

("Quern," a hand mill for grinding grain; "barm," froth.)

[Charles Riggs]

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

The cooking elements of a stove, is a possibility.

[Mike Lyle]

Post by Charles Riggs

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

The cooking elements of a stove, is a possibility.

And, quite irrelevantly, *Listen With Mother* vets will know the
little song:

"Hob shoe hob!
Hob shoe, hob!
Here a nail,
And there a nail,
And that's well shod!"

Hobnails lead further still. But I think have little to do with the
aetiological tale explaining the diabolic propensity to avoid
horseshoes: a smith asked by the Devil to shoe his hooves/hoofs used
extra-sharp nails and extra-hot iron. The Earl of Hell hobbled (ah,
*hobbled*, now..!) off, vowing never to go near the trade again.

...and in some cultures, smiths have a priestly role.

Mike.

[Larry Trask]

Post by Charles Riggs

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

The cooking elements of a stove, is a possibility.

Yes. In all this blizzard of erudition, no one has pointed out that,
in Britain, 'hob' is the ordinary word for the top part (the business
surface) of a kitchen stove (a 'cooker', in British parlance). Brits
describe a pot or a kettle as being "on the hob", where a Yank would
say "on top of the stove".

Even so, I surmise that the proverbial expression more likely involves
the earlier sense of 'hob': a metal plate set near an open fire, on
which cooking pots are placed to keep them hot.

This item, by the way, is the same word as 'hub', as in 'hub of
activity'. Apparently the cooking hob was perceived as the center of
activity in the kitchen.

Larry Trask
***@sussex.ac.uk

[Mike Lyle]

Post by Larry Trask

Post by Charles Riggs

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

The cooking elements of a stove, is a possibility.

Yes. In all this blizzard of erudition, no one has pointed out that,
in Britain, 'hob' is the ordinary word for the top part (the business
surface) of a kitchen stove (a 'cooker', in British parlance). Brits
describe a pot or a kettle as being "on the hob", where a Yank would
say "on top of the stove".
Even so, I surmise that the proverbial expression more likely involves
the earlier sense of 'hob': a metal plate set near an open fire, on
which cooking pots are placed to keep them hot.
This item, by the way, is the same word as 'hub', as in 'hub of
activity'. Apparently the cooking hob was perceived as the center of
activity in the kitchen.

That's interesting: OED1 is more cautious, saying the origin's
obscure, but "cf HUB". Have they, er, nailed it now?

I think its use for the top of a gas or electric cooker may be
relatively recent, and is perhaps commercialese. I say this because I
learned the old sense first, and neither COD5 (1964) nor OED1 mentions
it; and because I don't think I noticed the usage until separate hobs
and ovens became fashionable (mine is a "ceramic hob").

"The kettle's on the hob" may, of course, have survived as a set
expression without implying the word's transfer to the other sense.

Some hobs could be swivelled right over the fire, while others were
fixed. Versions existed for ordinary open fireplaces as well as for
old open-fire kitchen ranges ("Coalbrookdale stoves").

I think the British preference for "cooker" may be connected with the
survival here of "stove" for all the closed-firebox stoves such as
either the dual-purpose Aga or the potbellied stove. I wish I could
remember, but I think people also used to call those portable kerosene
heaters "oil stoves". In Australia we used "stove" for the
single-purpose cooking appliance.

Mike.

[Larry Trask]

***@yahoo.co.uk (Mike Lyle) wrote in message news:<***@posting.google.com>...

[on 'hob']

Post by Mike Lyle

Post by Larry Trask
This item, by the way, is the same word as 'hub', as in 'hub of
activity'. Apparently the cooking hob was perceived as the center of
activity in the kitchen.

That's interesting: OED1 is more cautious, saying the origin's
obscure, but "cf HUB". Have they, er, nailed it now?

My OED2 is still in storage. But, a couple of years ago, I had
occasion to look into this, and I found a couple of sources that were
certain that 'hub' and 'hob' were the same word. Of course, that's no
guarantee of truth.

Larry Trask
***@sussex.ac.uk

[Martin Ambuhl]

Yes. In all this blizzard of erudition, no one has pointed out that, in
Britain, 'hob' is the ordinary word for the top part (the business
surface) of a kitchen stove (a 'cooker', in British parlance).

Bullshit. My message
Message-ID: <90C6b.7511$***@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT

"Hobs" is slightly interesting, since there are several obvious
candidates. It could refer to hobgoblins, or to what we in the US often
call rangetops, or to flat metal shelves in fireplaces (similarly used).

[Mike Lyle]

Post by Martin Ambuhl

Yes. In all this blizzard of erudition, no one has pointed out that, in
Britain, 'hob' is the ordinary word for the top part (the business
surface) of a kitchen stove (a 'cooker', in British parlance).

Bullshit. My message
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT

"Hobs" is slightly interesting, since there are several obvious
candidates. It could refer to hobgoblins, or to what we in the US often
call rangetops, or to flat metal shelves in fireplaces (similarly used).

Hold hard, Martin! What's wrong with what you quoted from Larry? I can
assure you it's pretty well true that "hob" is at least replacing
expressions like "stove-top", "the top of the cooker", "the rings",
etc. And as for the bit about "hob"="hub", I dare say he's going to
reply to my enquiry with the new evidence.

Mike.

[Aaron J. Dinkin]

Post by Larry Trask
Even so, I surmise that the proverbial expression more likely involves
the earlier sense of 'hob': a metal plate set near an open fire, on
which cooking pots are placed to keep them hot.
This item, by the way, is the same word as 'hub', as in 'hub of
activity'. Apparently the cooking hob was perceived as the center of
activity in the kitchen.

The focus, as it were (Latin "focus" = 'hearth')?

-Aaron J. Dinkin
Dr. Whom

[Sara Moffat Lorimer]

(crosspost snipped)

Post by Larry Trask
Yes. In all this blizzard of erudition, no one has pointed out that,
in Britain, 'hob' is the ordinary word for the top part (the business
surface) of a kitchen stove (a 'cooker', in British parlance). Brits
describe a pot or a kettle as being "on the hob", where a Yank would
say "on top of the stove".

This Yank would just say it was on the stove, not the top of the stove
-- "the top of the stove" would be the hinged metal cover that folds
down over the stove I currently live with.

[Martin Ambuhl]

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter than
the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

I notice that you are posting via sympatico.ca. I grew up with the "that
there" form in Tennessee and Texas, and was surprised to see it from
Canada. Normally, however, we use it only when the referent is clear,
often made clear by pointing: "That there pickup darn near lost its load."
I really have no idea *which* there trip to Portugal was hotter than the
hobs of hell.

"Hobs" is slightly interesting, since there are several obvious candidates.
It could refer to hobgoblins, or to what we in the US often call rangetops,
or to flat metal shelves in fireplaces (similarly used).

[Martin Ambuhl]

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Martin Ambuhl

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

[Martin Ambuhl]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Martin Ambuhl

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

Another master of the obvious. Wake up, children.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Martin Ambuhl

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

That their Martin is such a silly. What did you make of "TIC", BTW?

Nothing whatsoever. It's probably an a.u.e inside joke.

[Evan Kirshenbaum]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

That their Martin is such a silly. What did you make of "TIC", BTW?

Nothing whatsoever. It's probably an a.u.e inside joke.

Both "TIC" and its expansion ("tongue in cheek") occur together 1,570
times in the Google Usenet archives. Six of these are on AUE. In
two, the word occurs in "nervous tic". In one, it's in "tic-tac-toe".
One is in a quoted list of usenet abbreviations. These run from 1993
to 1998. Then there are two in this thread.

So if it's an AUE inside joke, it's one that was never explained to
anybody in AUE. The alternative is that it's reasonably common and
reasonably transparent.
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |The Elizabethans had so many words
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |for the female genitals that it is
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |quite hard to speak a sentence of
|modern English without inadvertently
***@hpl.hp.com |mentioning at least three of them.
[phone] | Terry Pratchett

http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

[R J Valentine]

[Discrossposted, if only to preserve inside jokes.]

In alt.usage.english Evan Kirshenbaum <***@hpl.hp.com> wrote:

} "Peter T. Daniels" <***@worldnet.att.net> writes:
}
}> David McMurray wrote:
}> > That their Martin is such a silly. What did you make of "TIC", BTW?
}>
}> Nothing whatsoever. It's probably an a.u.e inside joke.
}
} Both "TIC" and its expansion ("tongue in cheek") occur together 1,570
} times in the Google Usenet archives. Six of these are on AUE. In
} two, the word occurs in "nervous tic". In one, it's in "tic-tac-toe".
} One is in a quoted list of usenet abbreviations. These run from 1993
} to 1998. Then there are two in this thread.
}
} So if it's an AUE inside joke, it's one that was never explained to
} anybody in AUE. The alternative is that it's reasonably common and
} reasonably transparent.

It's the dyslectic's "toc is cot". You new here?

[David McMurray]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Martin Ambuhl

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

That their Martin is such a silly. What did you make of "TIC", BTW?

Nothing whatsoever. It's probably an a.u.e inside joke.

Like the one about the roof, you mean?

[John Atkinson]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "Somebody told me

recently that there trip to

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

Oh? Are you saying that "Somebody told me recently their trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell." doesn't parse in your dialect?

[In other words, the sentence doesn't require a relative. So, in a variety
in which "that there" is an acceptable demonstrative, the original sentence
could easily be interpreted the way Martin mentioned.]

John.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by howard richler

Post by Peter T. Daniels

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "Somebody told me

recently that there trip to

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

Oh? Are you saying that "Somebody told me recently their trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell." doesn't parse in your dialect?
[In other words, the sentence doesn't require a relative. So, in a variety
in which "that there" is an acceptable demonstrative, the original sentence
could easily be interpreted the way Martin mentioned.]

Looks like you don't know the expression "that there." It's a remote
deictic, or something like that. For "that there" to have been correct,
the sentence would have had to be "Somebody told me recently that that
there trip to Portugal was hotter than the hobs of hell." But that would
be most unusual, since it would be picking out one from an array of
trips to Portugal.

[Brian M. Scott]

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 11:28:25 GMT, "Peter T. Daniels"

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by John Atkinson

Post by Peter T. Daniels

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "Somebody told me
recently that there trip to Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

Oh? Are you saying that "Somebody told me recently their trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell." doesn't parse in your dialect?
[In other words, the sentence doesn't require a relative. So, in a variety
in which "that there" is an acceptable demonstrative, the original sentence
could easily be interpreted the way Martin mentioned.]

Looks like you don't know the expression "that there." It's a remote
deictic, or something like that. For "that there" to have been correct,
the sentence would have had to be "Somebody told me recently that that
there trip to Portugal was hotter than the hobs of hell."

I doubt it. I'd say 'He said that that trip to Portugal was
hotter than the hobs of hell', but 'He said that trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell' is certainly possible for most
speakers, and I'd expect 'He said that there trip ...' to be
equally possible for those who use the deictic 'that there'.

Post by Peter T. Daniels
But that would
be most unusual, since it would be picking out one from an array of
trips to Portugal.

Brian

[howard richler]

Post by Brian M. Scott
On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 11:28:25 GMT, "Peter T. Daniels"

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by John Atkinson

Post by Peter T. Daniels

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "Somebody told me
recently that there trip to Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Because if you hadn't snipped the datum, you could see that the "that"
isn't a demonstrative, but a relative. "That there" doesn't parse.

Oh? Are you saying that "Somebody told me recently their trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell." doesn't parse in your dialect?
[In other words, the sentence doesn't require a relative. So, in a variety
in which "that there" is an acceptable demonstrative, the original sentence
could easily be interpreted the way Martin mentioned.]

Looks like you don't know the expression "that there." It's a remote
deictic, or something like that. For "that there" to have been correct,
the sentence would have had to be "Somebody told me recently that that
there trip to Portugal was hotter than the hobs of hell."

I doubt it. I'd say 'He said that that trip to Portugal was
hotter than the hobs of hell', but 'He said that trip to Portugal
was hotter than the hobs of hell' is certainly possible for most
speakers, and I'd expect 'He said that there trip ...' to be
equally possible for those who use the deictic 'that there'.

Post by Peter T. Daniels
But that would
be most unusual, since it would be picking out one from an array of
trips to Portugal.

Brian

To settle the debate, I mention to write "their" and I wrote "there."
I''ll be more careful what I right next thyme.

[David McMurray]

howard richler <***@sympatico.ca> wrote [regarding "Somebody told
me recently that there trip to Portugal was 'hotter than the hobs of

Post by howard richler
To settle the debate, I mention to write "their" and I wrote "there."

Almost everyone figured that out immediately, and it no longer matters
anyway. (I assume you mean that you *meant* to write 'their'.)

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 10:59:14 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

Post by Martin Ambuhl

On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 08:29:57 GMT, the renowned Martin Ambuhl

[A TIC comment on Howard Richer's post mentioning "that there trip to
Portugal"]

I think that their/there spelling was phonetic.

You think so? How'd you figure that out. Gosh I wish I could figure
obvious things like that.

Gee willikers, Martin, I'm glad you can't, because if I'd had even a
scintilla of suspicion your reply was ironic in nature I'd have had
been duty-bound to suppress my "that their"/"that there" sentence, and
that there would have been heart-rending.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

[Jacqui]

howard richler wibbled

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter
than the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

I've never heard the phrase before but to me a hob is a set of rings
(electric) or burners (gas) that you cook on. Like the top of a cooker
(stove) but separate. I could quite imagine likening hell to a set of
lit gas rings.

Jac

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Jacqui
howard richler wibbled

Post by howard richler
Somebody told me recently that there trip to Portugal was "hotter
than the hobs of hell." Does anybody know what "hobs" refers to?

I've never heard the phrase before but to me a hob is a set of rings
(electric) or burners (gas) that you cook on. Like the top of a cooker
(stove) but separate. I could quite imagine likening hell to a set of
lit gas rings.

I went looking to see how old the phrase "hobs of hell" is... Google has
only 40 hits (that is, "Results 1 - 40 of about 93" which I take to mean

No, that means your google viewer is set to display 40 items per page.
You could have gone on to two more pages of results.

In the eighties one Thomas Casey, a blaster turned
vaudevillian, popularized a comic song about their
work; the piece was published in 1888 by Frank
Harding, a mainstay of the New York industry...
[Snip version of "Drill, ye Tarriers, Drill"]
...The boss was a fine man all around,
But he married a great, big, fat far down,
She baked good bread and baked it well,
And baked it hard as the hobs of Hell.
Then drill, etc.
Harder than the hubs of Hell
Harder than the hobs of Hell - that's pretty hard!!
Interesting -- so far, these old hits are for *hard* not *hot*.
Nonrhotic confusion? Some people also say "as black as the hobs of hell"
and at least one person used it for speed: "And run they did, as though
the hobs of Hell were after them." The goblin image, I assume.
Now I've checked Google Advanced Groups Search. 25 uses, with the same
hard as/harder than 10
hot as/hotter than 8
as if h.o.h. after him (speed) 3
black as 2
Please don't ask where the other two went to.
So, a phrase little known today, but with wide geographical distribution
(Australia, Ireland, UK, US) and with a range of uses.

[Donna Richoux]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

I went looking to see how old the phrase "hobs of hell" is... Google has
only 40 hits (that is, "Results 1 - 40 of about 93" which I take to mean

No, that means your google viewer is set to display 40 items per page.
You could have gone on to two more pages of results.

I always keep my preferences set to show 100 hits per page, so that's
not it.

If I choose the link at the end, "In order to show you the most relevant
results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 40 already
displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted
results included" then I get "Results 1 - 63 of about 93." The extra 23
are indeed duplicates, lined up under the originals. The significance of
the still missing 30, I don't know.

[Brian M. Scott]

Post by Donna Richoux

Post by Peter T. Daniels

I went looking to see how old the phrase "hobs of hell" is... Google has
only 40 hits (that is, "Results 1 - 40 of about 93" which I take to mean

No, that means your google viewer is set to display 40 items per page.
You could have gone on to two more pages of results.

I always keep my preferences set to show 100 hits per page, so that's
not it.
If I choose the link at the end, "In order to show you the most relevant
results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 40 already
displayed. If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted
results included" then I get "Results 1 - 63 of about 93." The extra 23
are indeed duplicates, lined up under the originals. The significance of
the still missing 30, I don't know.

Currently up to 65 out of about 96. I suspect that the
discrepancy has something to do with the way they estimate the
number of hits. I didn't look at every hit, but I checked enough
to think that it's not the result of counting multiple
occurrences of the phrase on a single page.

Brian