In The Hobbit, Bilbo called the spiders Attercop, Lazy Lob, Crazy Cob, and Old Tomnoddy. What do the words mean?
Notes in the Annotated Hobbit identify Attercop, Lob, and Cob as being taken from similar words in Old and Middle English for “spider” (indeed, the word for “spider” in modern Norwegian is “edderkopp”). The Oxford English Dictionary definition of Tomnoddy is given as “a foolish or stupid person.” (Annotated Hobbit, 170-171) As is well known, Tolkien used “Lob” again later.
Related Questions
- vomiting after eating is called regurgitation, especially when its food coming back up. In other words he isn really vomiting but bringing back up the food he just ate.
- In The Hobbit, Bilbo called the spiders Attercop, Lazy Lob, Crazy Cob, and Old Tomnoddy. What do the words mean?
- What are those things above french letters called?
