I did the pools...

[magnitofon11]

Hello!!
Look, I`ve started to read a book of John Fowles (I think that`s the right spelling of his name) and I found some expression and slang I wouldn´t know the meaning of, here they are:
"I did the pools from the week I was 21"; "I did the same five-bob term" (what does the five-bob term stand for?); "sniggle" and "gormless". Could anyone help me to figure out the meaning?

[woodhouse]

Hello!!
Look, I`ve started to read a book of John Fowles (I think that`s the right spelling of his name) and I found some expression and slang I wouldn´t know the meaning of, here they are:
"I did the pools from the week I was 21"; "I did the same five-bob term" (what does the five-bob term stand for?); "sniggle" and "gormless". Could anyone help me to figure out the meaning?

El Gordo (Lottery) only the pools is played with the stats of football games eg. 0 for a draw, 1 for a home win, 2 for an away win. Five -bob refers to five shilling the currency before the change 1971. The term could mean the length of time in which the bets were to be played. I remember even now that the pools man used to come once a week to collects the pools money. Gormless - stupid or dullwitted. You would have to post an example of sniggle - in which context does the word stand

[magnitofon11]

El Gordo (Lottery) only the pools is played with the stats of football games eg. 0 for a draw, 1 for a home win, 2 for an away win. Five -bob refers to five shilling the currency before the change 1971. The term could mean the length of time in which the bets were to be played. I remember even now that the pools man used to come once a week to collects the pools money. Gormless - stupid or dullwitted. You would have to post an example of sniggle - in which context does the word stand

The word sniggle was used in a phrase which sounded like: "He would sniggle at me and she would giggle." I guess in this case it would stand for mock or insult... Is this a word of many meanings?
I`ve come up with another question: and "slimy" what does it mean?

[Tdol]

Snigger = laugh unkindly or in a negative way
It sounds like a portmanteau word from snigger + giggle

If someone is gormless, they are stupid and unable to understand things happening around them- stupid and inept.
Five bob- this is a reference to the old money in the UK- five shillings (20p now), so it refers to how much they spent on the pools.

[Howard]

Hello!!
Look, I`ve started to read a book of John Fowles (I think that`s the right spelling of his name) and I found some expression and slang I wouldn´t know the meaning of, here they are:
"I did the pools from the week I was 21"; "I did the same five-bob term" (what does the five-bob term stand for?); "sniggle" and "gormless". Could anyone help me to figure out the meaning?

[Howard]

Hello!!
Look, I`ve started to read a book of John Fowles (I think that`s the right spelling of his name) and I found some expression and slang I wouldn´t know the meaning of, here they are:
"I did the pools from the week I was 21"; "I did the same five-bob term" (what does the five-bob term stand for?); "sniggle" and "gormless". Could anyone help me to figure out the meaning?

He started doing the football pools from the age of 21. If he correctly guessed the results of 8 games, he would win the jackpot.
Doing the five-bob term, means that his stake money each week was five shillings (a bob, being slang for one shilling (pre-decimalisation - in today's money, five pence).
To sniggle, is to fish for eels (Collins English Dictionary).
Gormless, is Yorkshire slang for stupid, ie, he seemed to be a bit gormless.

Cheers, Howard

[Howard]

:-d