Talking with friends at a recent New Year party about motties and we wondered where the word mottie came from - motif perhaps - tallies etc. are self explanetary but no one could come up with why they were always called motties.

Hoping you can help.

Regards

John

The word seems to be mainly spelt - mottie in pit terms. The only response on Google is the following
Mega Hottie (Mottie) - Good looking girl
Have some mottie - sexual activity!!
Mot / Mottie - Womens Genitals

Maybe either the shape of the cast iron tub tags (Looked at upside down with the hanging hole!!) or the reward for getting lots of money when the lads got home, was a slang connotation to the item.

A similar but reverse slang connotation is another word describing a Womans genatalia - C--t, This is derived from the name of the soft leather pouch on a Farmers belt into which he slid the 8" long x 1.5" diameter cylindrical sharpening stone that he used to keep the sharp edge on the sythe he used for cutting corn/grass.

I have done an extensive search of Glossaries of Mining Terms from acroos the world, which do not list the word mot/mottie/motty; and apart from NMMA site and E-Bay items, there is no other result apart from the above Google references.

Anyone with any other explanations?

the motties used in mining were hung on the tub of coal by the miner who filled it to show it was his, "mottie" could have derived fron monogram or moniker, to put your mark to something thats yours, only a guess though. pete. ps is there a meeting at elsecar this month?.