Glossary of ringing terms – F
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Words or phrases underlined are defined within the glossary. Where it assists with clarity, a definition is annotated to indicate a part of speech. (n) = noun, (vb) = verb, (adj) = adjective, (adv) = adverb. Section references refer to sections within The Tower Handbook.
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- F
- Abbreviation for Fourths, calling position. See also IV.
- Fabric
- The structure of a church building, including walls, floor and roof – often used to include other substantial parts such as a bellframe.
- Faculty
- Formal permission required before any significant change can be made to the fabric and fittings of a church. An ecclesiastical equivalent of 'planning permission'.
- Fall
- (n) Alternative term for lowering. eg 'Look to the fall' or just 'Look to' is sometimes used as the call to initiate lowering in peal.
(n) The portion of a Devon style ringing performance when the bells are lowered. Devon performances include the rise and top ringing.
- False
- (1) A touch or composition is false if one or more rows occur more than once
(2) A course is 'false with another course' if it contains rows that occur in the other course.
(3) A synonym for odd struck.
- False course head
- The course head defining a course that is false with the plain course, abbreviated to FCH.
- False floor
- An intermediate floor, usually to reduce the transmission of sound from bell chamber to ringing chamber.
- Falseness
- Falseness of a method (internal falseness), or between methods, is a measure of whether any rows will repeat between lead head and lead end, ie repeats that will not be detectable by checking for repeated lead heads.
- Far
- The dodging position that is further in the direction of hunting (especially in Double Norwich). See also 'near'. In Major, 3-4 is near when hunting up and far when hunting down, whereas 5-6 is near when hunting down and far when hunting up.
- Far call
- Call where the places are made father from the hunt bell, eg n-2 bob and n-2, n-1, n single (in a method of stage n).
- Far places
- Places, or combination of places and dodges, made far.
- FCH
- False course head.
- Fid
- A tapered hard wood pin used to separate the strands of rope, especially when tucking a tail end. See also marlin spike
- Fifths
- Calling position causing the observation bell (normally the highest working bell) to be in fifths place at the lead head. Abbreviated to V.
- Figure of eight knot
- A knot resembling a figure of eight used to shorten the tail end of a bell rope temporarily. Each knot will reduce the length by 6-8" (150 - 200mm).
- Fillet hole
- Alternative term for garter hole
- Fillet stroke
- Alternative term for handstroke, particularly in Devon and Cornwall. A fillet hole was not necessary until the development of full circle ringing which also introduced the handstroke, hence the association of the two.
- Fire, firing
- Bells are fired by ringing them almost simultaneously in ascending sequence, ie (rounds backwards). In some places, this is traditional after a wedding.
- Fire out
- A touch or performance that ends with multiple, irrecoverable errors by many ringers.
- Fish tail
- Work resembling a fish's tail, ie two points preceded and followed by hunting in opposite directions (see figure 15.2-6). Sometimes described by the positions of the points and intervening 'notch', eg '656', '565', '787',....
- Fittings
- The components required to enable a bell to be rung (to full circle ringing). These include headstock and bearings, wheel, stay and slider, clapper and staple, frame and ground pulley(s). Also called gear.
- Five
- A ring of five bells.
- Fixed bell
- A bell that appears in the same position at course heads or part ends in a composition . Usually in addition to the observation bell. NB the part end can be a course head.
- Flange
- The side rims of the wheel that guide the rope round it. Also called shrouding..
- Flat 6th
- A bell added to a ring of 12 to enable 8 of the lighter bells to be rung in a major key. (2, 3, 4, 5, 6-, 7, 8, 9)
- Flight
- The end portion of a clapper, sticking out beyond the ball. It acts as a counter balance to the weight of the shank and reduces the bending force on the clapper caused by the impact of striking the bell.
- Flight board
- See running board
- Follow
- Ring immediately after. Take your timing from.
- Follow down:
- Course down next after the bell named, normally plain hunting. eg 'follow 3rd down' means hunt down leaving a space between you and the 3rd at every blow and then turn 3rd from the lead. The space in between is occupied by a different bell in each successive row.
- Foot strap
- Alternative name for toe strap.
- Foreman
- Tower captain, a term used by tradition in some towers.
- Forestroke
- Alternative name for handstroke.
- Forward
- A principle consisting of treble bob hunting except in 3-4 where the dodges are replaced by Kent places.
- Forward hunting
- Hunting in which even positions are occupied at handstroke on the way up, and backstroke on the way down. Forward hunting means leading right on the front.
- Foundation
- Timber or metalwork let into the tower walls to support the bellframe – also referred to as grillage
- Foundry
- Bell foundry
- Four
- A ring of four bells.
- Four blows behind
- Work in which four consecutive blows are made in the last working position, ie excluding the covering position if there is one. It occurs in the odd stages of plain bob, as the pivot position.
- Fourteen-in
- The stage name for methods with fourteen working bells. see -in (3).
- Fourths
- Calling position causing the observation bell (normally the highest working bell) to be in fourths place at the lead head. Abbreviated to IV.
- Frame
- Bell frame
- Frame high
- When the bell centre line swings up as far as the horizontal, ie 90° either side of the down or rest position.
- Framework for method ringing
- A set of definitions, conventions and recommendations for the description and reporting of methods and performances. It superseded the Decisions in 2019.
- Front
- At or near first place.
- Front sub section
- The sub section below the treble
- Front work
- Working for an extended period on the front.
- Fundamental
- The basic or key note of a bell when struck. See tuning.
- Full
- For two blows (ie a whole pull), eg 'lead full', 'lie full'.
- Full work
- Extended work, usually at the front or back
- Full circle
- Swinging mouth up to mouth up through approximately 360°, ie English style ringing.
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