QUOTE(Malleus @ Thu 13th August 2009, 3:45am)
I'm astonished though to see that it appears to have spread to the US, where it's considered to have "Celtic origins". Completely bizarre, as ferrets weren't introduced to England until the 11th century.
Yeah, that's quite depressing (see my post earlier in the thread).
According to WP, the Richmond Times-Dispatch "claims it has a Celtic origin" (that's Richmond, Virginia - not Richmond in Yorkshire). You should take that out because it is clearly false - "reliable source" or not.
On YouTube there is
some footage of ferret legging from the Richmond "Celtic Fare" featuring a guy pulling the most unconvincing Scottish / Irish (?) accent you'll ever hear.
Also, YouTube have got
that classic clip from Yorkshire TV of presenter Richard Whitely getting attacked by a ferret while its ferreter owner looks on nonchalantly. As I say, there's just something inherently funny about ferrets.