Phrases & Sayings

whinberry or winberry

Is it Whinberry or Winberry? As it's not in the dictionary - can it be either?

nykkieberry Fri 08/08/03 12:15

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nykkieberry
Fri 08/08/03
12:52

Question Author

I thought that initially but it would seem it's actually Wimberry! (according to the BBC) Confused!

nykkieberry
Fri 08/08/03
13:37

Question Author

I wonder if it is a regional thing - wimberry seems to be a Lancashire spelling. It's not in the dictionary as it's a colloquial term for bilberries. Another interesting fact, one site is claiming that they can only be found in Wales! LOL! they are actually selling pies based on this!

Toglet
Fri 08/08/03
13:58

At first it seems obvious - the fruit of the Whin (a thorny shrub similar to furze), but there is also Wineberry, originally the grape (1562) but nowadays referring locally to various berries, especially bilberries and gooseberries. (OED)

Quizmonster
Fri 08/08/03
15:42

Here, Jelly-B! The basic current spelling is either whimberry or whinberry. Other variants are windberry, wineberry, winberry and wimberry. In Old English, it was winberige, meaning a sort of bilberry or whortleberry.

strozzi
Fri 08/08/03
16:11

Well there we are then. We can choose just about any combination of letters that we want as long as the ending is berry.
QM, we rely on you for the answers when everyone else has had a stab.

Jacob
Sat 09/08/03
01:38

wot about chuck berry, strozzi?

nykkieberry
Mon 11/08/03
07:41

Question Author

Nick Berry. Ooops - that's me ; )

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