Stronginthearm

Stronginthearm is a very common dwarf surname, and an old one. A young Stronginthearm survived the original Battle of Koom Valley some fifteen hundred years ago, and carried an item up to the surface which would prove pivotal to the events of Thud!.

Particular Stronginthearms in the Discworld chronicles include:

• Abba Stronginthearm: Ankh-Morpork Watchman;
• Bjorn Stronginthearm: Carrot Ironfoundersson's great uncle;
• Erig Stronginthearm: Barbarian hero;
• Pors Stronginthearm: of Burleigh & Stronginthearm;
• Thomas Stronginthearm: owns a workshop in Five-and-Seven Yard;
• Morose Stronginthearm: Inventor of Hnaflbaflsniflwhifltafl.
• Zakzak Stronginthearm: Dibbler-esque purveyor of suspect magical merchandise at inflated prices for gullible young witches

Annotation

Incidentally, there are a surprising number of "Stronginthearms" in the Manchester North and Lancashire telephone directories. The name is thought to originate with the heaviest jobs in manufacturing industry during the Industrial Revolution which called for most physical strength. In the manner of these things, a nickname conferred in admiration became a surname and is carried with pride today. The symbol of Stones Bitter shows a typically admiring image.

An old Yorkshire poem:

Lancashire born and Lancashire bred

Stronginth'arm and weak in t'head!