The origin of the name "slow worm"

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I am trying to find out where the name slow worm originated from - often people write short articles in Natural history newsletters questioning why the word slow is used as it is clear that the animal is quite nimble when frightened.
I have been told that the word slow comes from the word slay (N Smith) and that it was the blind worms sting (Macbeth) that gave rise to the notion of the animal's ability to sting people. When handled the slowworm presses its tail against the captors skin - the horny scale in a complete tail is sharp and gives a very slight tingle which could be a small sting - 
the animal was also called a 'worm' because it looked like a serpent and so slay worm eventually became slow worm????
Any other ideas

Jon

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herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: The origin of the name "slow worm" Posted: 23 Oct 2004 at 4:01pm
	I am trying to find out where the name slow worm originated from - often people write short articles in Natural history newsletters questioning why the word slow is used as it is clear that the animal is quite nimble when frightened. I have been told that the word slow comes from the word slay (N Smith) and that it was the blind worms sting (Macbeth) that gave rise to the notion of the animal's ability to sting people. When handled the slowworm presses its tail against the captors skin - the horny scale in a complete tail is sharp and gives a very slight tingle which could be a small sting - the animal was also called a 'worm' because it looked like a serpent and so slay worm eventually became slow worm???? Any other ideas Jon

administrator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10	Post Options Post Reply Quote administrator Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 25 Oct 2004 at 11:52pm
	In the 1969 reprint Malcolm Smith disagrees with the notion that the name was derived from 'slaw' (slay) then corrupted to 'slo'. He supports the statement made by Caleb that slo-worm as it was in Middle English, was simply an abbreviation of 'slowe worm' a slow snake. (I'm not sure if this contradicts earlier copies of The British Amphibians and Reptiles?). I would think the logical one would have been the slow snake, I'm not sure that the natural history of slow-worms would have been known well enough when the name was derived for people to have widely realised that slow-worms predated worms and therefore call it the slayer of worms. I would suggest that this is just a confusion of the term 'worm' with its more usual modern meaning. I've always thought slow snake quite fitting also, particularly as they don't tend to flee like our native snakes and usually make their way-off quite slowly, almost hesitantly unless one attempts to capture them. We can hardly blame people in history for not realising they were not snakes, afterall enough people seem to have trouble with notion even today. Edited by administrator

Matt Harris Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 233	Post Options Post Reply Quote Matt Harris Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 Oct 2004 at 9:21am
	The older generation where I come from do not recognise the name Slow-worm; They always refer to them as Blind-worms. I have also heard the term Deaf-adder used.
	Local Authority Ecologist

herpetologic2 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511	Post Options Post Reply Quote herpetologic2 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 Oct 2004 at 10:27am
	Thanks for the replies I have found some interesting passages in shakespeare's play Macbeth - a brew was made and one of the ingredients was Blind worms sting - I have also found a folklore tale from Wales that children were very fearful of Slow-worms or Blindworms as they were known In the Oxford dictonary the word slowworm - means legless lizard etc and the name is assilmilated from the old english 'sla wrym'. Nick Smith gave a talk and suggested that the slowworm's sting is where the name is from - people thought that the sting was dangerous and so called 'slay worms'. I find this subject very interesting let me know what your thoughts are about this I will be writing a short article for the South Essex Natural History Society about this as a member has queried the 'slow' as she felt they were quite quick. Thanks again Jon