Adrian Woolfson
@adrianwoolfson.bsky.social
Opinions @WSJ.com & @Science.org. Author Life Without Genes @harpercollins.bsky.social & On The Future of Species bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social (12 Feb 2026) & @MITpress.bsky.social (17 Mar, 2026). www.adrianwoolfson.com. Founder Genyro.com
Reminds me of Mayhew’s wonderful ethnography London Labour and the London Poor (1851), where he noted that Victorian chimney sweeps had developed their own micro-culture and language. ‘A tidy’ was a good day’s earning, whereas a ‘shy’ was a bad one. ‘Going black’ represented a full day of sweeping.
January 18, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Reminds me of Mayhew’s wonderful ethnography London Labour and the London Poor (1851), where he noted that Victorian chimney sweeps had developed their own micro-culture and language. ‘A tidy’ was a good day’s earning, whereas a ‘shy’ was a bad one. ‘Going black’ represented a full day of sweeping.
Good to be reminded of the golden age of hits like Donny Osmond’s classic ‘Puppy love’. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Probably just as well!
January 4, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Good to be reminded of the golden age of hits like Donny Osmond’s classic ‘Puppy love’. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. Probably just as well!