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CHESHIRE
GLOSSARY. 200
LEADERS, s. tendons.
LEAD-LOOKERS or LEAD-VIEWERS, s. officers appointed formerly in the salt
towns, to see that the salt pans (made of lead) were in proper order. L.
LEAD- WALLERS, s. commonly abbreviated to Wallers. Men
employed in boiling brine for salt The boilers or pans were
formerly of lead, hence the term. — Cheshire Sheafs voL i., p. 292.
LEAD-WALLING, s, a term descriptive of the pannage owned by
different salt proprietors, and appearing in the old Parish Assess-
ments of Middlewich, and in old deeds. — Cheshire Sheafs vol i.,
p. 292.
LEAF, X. the internal fat of a pig, which lies upon the sides, from which the
lard is made. Also the internal fat of a goose.
LEAR, s, pasture for sheep. Halliwell.
LEASTWAYS, adv.
anyhow. L. A common provincialism everywhere.
LEATH, s.{i). See Laith.
(2) remission of pain. W.
LEATHER, v, (i) to beat.
(2) to scald and shave the hair off a calfs head, so
as to leave the skin on, which makes it much
better when cooked.
LEAVE-LOOKER, s. a public officer who collected the dues for primage
at the once celebrated port of Chester. — Cheshire Sheafs vol. iii., p. 44.
LECK, v.
(i) to leak.
(2) to water. A person watering flowers is said to
leckin them. Mow Cop.
LECKIN CAN, s. a watering can. Mow Cop.
LECK OFF, v. to run liquor from a cask.
LEDDY, interj, an abbreviation of " By our Lady." See By Laki -i
I^£^ s. hard water softened by adding wood ashes. S. Ches.
I^E> v. lay. W. Ches.
LEEASE,
s. weaving term. The crossing of alternate ends of the warp through the Healds or Yells.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 201
LEECHED, v. used with "how*' before it, «' How is it?" "How
happens it?"
" How leeched you are not gone to school ?" ** How leeched
thou docs not go to thy work ?" L. See How Light.
LEEDY, s, lady. W. Ches.
This pronunciation of the letter a throughout a considerable part of
the county is very peculiar.
A cow had knocked a child down, and the mother arrived just in time to
save it from being gored. In describing the v^y in which she chastised the
cow she said, " And didn't I lee into my Uedy,**
LEESING, /ar/. gleaning.
This word is given by Randle Holme (Academy of Arffiary), and may
therefore be presumed to have been used in Cheshire in his time, as well as
the word Songoing, which he also gives in the same sentence.
LEET, X. light.
LEET, adj. light.
LEET, v. {i)io light upon, to meet with.
**Aw conna leet of him." •
(a) or LEETEN, to pretend, to feiga
**You are not so ill as you Ueten yourself," as you suffer yourself to
Appear. W.
I-EET BOWT or LIGHT BOWT, s. lightning, a thunderbolt
-LEETTEN, V, (i) to lighten, in the sense of relieving from a
burden.
(2) to lighten, as in a thunderstorm.
(3) ^o pretend. See Leet (2).
'^ETIN BOOARD. See Let Board.
X. the stem of a shrub.
A currant or gooseberry bush is always said to be better when it *' stands
^** one leg," that is, when it proceeds from a distinct stem, instead of
con-
^^sting, as is often the case, of a number of offsets shooting up from the
Si'ound.
V, to propel boats by means of the legs. See Legger.
^^OER, X. a name given to men who formerly propelled the boats
^Hrough a canal tunnel at Barnton, near Northwich.
'* A plank was laid across the bow of the boat, upon which two men lay
^m on their backs, and as the tunnel was of very narrow dimensions, they
/T^*'c able to push against the sides with their feet, and so to propel the
boat
^*»*'ough. Hence they were called liggers or UggerSy the latter name being
J"I*I>arcntly the proper one. Of late years a steam tug has been
substituted
^•' this manual "legging." — Cheshire Sheafs vol. iii., p. 5. See
LiGGER.
"fiER, adj. pliant. Wilmslow. See Limber.
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202 CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LENCH, s. salt-mining term ; the middle portion of a seam of rock salt, lying
under the Roof Rock; usually from four to six feet thick.
LENT LILY, s, the daffodil. Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus.
LET, v.
(i) to alight, as a bird upon a tree.
(2) to hinder. W.
LET BOARD, s, the board outside a pigeon cote upon which the
pigeons alight LEETIN BOOARD (Wilmslow).
LET DOWN, z;. (i) to reduce in quality, applied to liquids, as when
spirits are adulterated with water.
(2) to swallow. A suckling animal b said to be
letting down,
(3) when a cow allows her milk to flow freely she
is said to let it down,
LET FLY, V, to strike out at zxijthmg,
LET ON, V, to tell, to divulge a secret.
"Nye, yo munna let omsAvr said so."
LET OUT, v. to distribute cuttings or plants of new varieties.
About Wilmslow the cultivation of the gooseberry is carried on to a great
extent, especially the show kinds ; and in consequence there is a great deal
of rivalry and jealousy amongst the gooseberry growers. I remember a party
of Field Naturalists having tea at ** The Ship " Inn at Styal. After tea
some of the party wandered into the garden, but were carefully watched by
the proprietor, lest any accident should happen, or intentional damage be
done, to his show gooseberries. When a new variety of gooseberry has been
raised, young plants are let out to subscribers only. The same plan is
adopted with aahlias or any other new variety of florists' flowers.
LET OUT, part, salt-making term; when a pan is emptied for
cleaning or picking it is said to be " let out,^'
LET OUT A LEG, v. an expression for kicking. L.
LETTEN IN, part, deceived, taken in.
LETTING -DOWN, s. a loss of character ; losing caste.
"He may say what he will, but it's a great lettin dawn to him."
LEUR or LEUN, s. tax or rate. L.
QEL| adj. a man of level mind is one not likely to go to extremes;—
dot hasty. L.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 203
LEWNES or LUNES, s. taxes, rates, leys. L.
LEW-WARM, adj. lukewarm.
L.EY (pronounced Lay), s, {i) a pasturage where cattle, horses, or
sheep are taken in for a season at
a certain price per head.
Most of the gentlemen's parks, of which there are a very great number in
Cheshire, are used as ieys. The season is generally from the ist of May to
the 1st of October ; sometimes from the 1 2th of May (old May-day) to the
1 2th of October. The proprietor of the ley keeps a sufficient number of
bulls for stock purposes, and provides a man to attend to the cattle. See
Ley-looker.
(2) the law. W.
LEY, v. to send cattle to a ley; or perhaps it would be more correct
to say, " to book cattle for a iey.^'
Farmers, blacksmiths, inn-keepers and other people in the surrounding
villages act as agents for the proprietors of /eys, and receive a small com-
mission for booking the young cattle.
** Wheer *an yo leyed your cawves this year?" **Aw*ve leyed em wi* Tommy
Weych o* Morley for Tatton." Thomas Wych being the agent in Morley who
has booked the cattle for Tatton Ley.
L.EY DAY, s. the day on which cattle are taken to a ley.
L.EY- LOOKER, s. a man who attends to cattle in a ley.
His duties are to look them over once or twice a day ; book their time of
calving, and report any that are not well.
LEY OATS, s, oats grown on newly-ploughed grass land. See Leys.
LEY PLOUGHING, part, the ploughing up of grass lands.
LEYS, s, (i) grass lands.
(2) parochial or county rates.
LIBBARD, adj, applied to cold, stiff, clay land. L.
^ICH ROAD, X. the road by which a corpse passes for interment.
The popular belief that the passage of a funeral over any ground gives to
^ pubhc a right of way obtains in Cheshire.
LICIOUS, adj. soft, flabby. Kelsall.
UCK, ». (i) to beat in the sense of chastising.
** He's a bad un, he wants lickingJ*^
(2) to beat in the sense of excelling.
"It licks out," i.e.y " It excels, or exceeds,
everything,"
(3) to vanquish.
'' Kvi'm licked:'
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LICKING, X. (i) chopped hay mixed with turnips, or mangolds, and
ground com.
(2) a beating.
LICKING -TUB, s, a trough in which licking is mixed.
LICKSOME, adj\ neat in appearance, natty. W. Ches.
Wilbraham explains it as "lightsome, pleasant, agreeable," and adds
that it is chiefly applied to places or situations, which does not seem to be
the case in West Cheshire., At the same time he says, in illustration of the
word, '* a pretty girl is said to be a licksonu girl," and this
corresponds with
my idea of its meaning. Wilbraham also gives Lissome as a ^nonjrm, but
says *' lissome often means active, agile, the same as hinge." I think
it is
an error to couple Licksome and Lissome,
LICK THE MUNDLE, idiom, to humiliate one's self for the sake
of gain. See Mundle.
LIE, V, to sleep.
** He lUs by hissel," t.^., he sleeps by himself.
LIE-BY, s, a bedfellow. Wilmslow.
A man will often speak of his wife as " my lie-by J**
LIEF, adv, (but always preceded by " as;" as lief), readily,
willingly.
" rd as lie/^o it as not."
LIEFER, adv, rather.
LIE TO, V, to favour an animal by giving it an extra quantity of
food.
'* If I see a cow as '11 keep to her milk pretty well, I lie to her a
bit."
LIE UP, \v, cows are said to lie up when they sleep indoors at
LIE OUT, I night; and to lie out when they sleep in the fields.
LIFTING, part, an Easter custom formerly practised throughout
Cheshire, but now fast dying out.
The following description of the custom is extracted from the Rev. H.
Green's Knutsford and Us Vicinity ^ p. 84: "There is, or rather there
was,
another curious custom, which lingered here in common with other parts of
Cheshire and Lancashire — that of lifting or heaving on Easter Monday and
Tuesday. The practice is now almost confined to the working-classes, but
within memory it was of general observance in most of the considerable
mansions of the county. Indeed, I have heard that at Toft, a very few years
ago, it was usual for a chair, ornamented with ribbons and garlands of
evergreen, to be placed in the break fast -room, by the women servants on
Monday, and by the men servants on Tuesday, and that the master or
mistress of the mansion sat down for an instant on the rustic throne, and
after submitting to be heaved, or slightly lifted from the ground, gave-
largesse to the domestics."
The Vicar [Rector] of Barthomley differs a little as to the women's day
an&
the men's day for performing this ancient ceremony. He says ( Barthomley ^ h^
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 20$
the Rev. Edward Hinchcliffe, p. 145), "Lifting, an ancient usage on
Easter Monday and Tuesday, is still observed : on Monday the iadus, on
Tuesday the gtntUmen^ are favoured with this ceremonial exaltation. Early
in the morning of each of these days, an arm-chair, decorated with flowers
and ribbons, was placed at the foot of the front staircase of the Rectory, in
which your Mamma, according to rule, first seated herself, and was gently
raised by the servants three times into the air ; your sisters, and any
female
visitors, succeeded to the same honour. On the next day, I underwent a
similar treatment, which drew forth no little degree of mirth from the female
lifters, who, of course, were rewarded for their trouble. These little
£umliarities of the season, coming but once a year, are, I am sure,
advantageous to all parties, promoting good humour and kind feeling among
classes kept too much apart m England. Speaking for myself, I was always
glad of the opportunity to make tnis merry custom an excuse for presenting
an annual ^ift to my household, and which they seemed to value exceedingly.
As these little customs are fast disappearing, the record of them becomes
precious.'*
I am told that this lifting custom is not a decorous one, and ought to be
altogether discontinued ; but I strongly incline to the opinion of the kind-
hearted Vicar of Barthomley, and at any rate can advance in its favour the
authority of its being a very ancient observance. In the year 1290 King
Edward I. paid a sum of money to the ladies of the bedchamber and maids
of honour, for having at Easter taken their sovereign lord the king
prisoner in his very bed, and complied with the universal practice of
giving him a heaving or lifting, t.^., a raising up symbolically towards
ncaven.
The custom is sometimes called Heaving and occasionally Hoisting.
LIFTING DAYS, s. Easter Monday and Tuesday. See Lifting.
LIG, J. a lie.
LIG, t/. (i) to lie down.
(2) to tell a lie.
(3) to alight.
" Brid hath Hgged in turmits. " L.
LIGGER,5. (i) a liar.
(2). See Legger.
LIGGERTY LAG, interj, used by the leader of a herd of rough
^ys on running away from some trouble; meaning simply,
"Who'll stay long enough here to be caught?'' L.
LIGHT, v. (i) confined, brought to bed.
" Is your wife lighted V L.
(2) to alight, to dismount.
" Stand thee back, in the darke ; light not adowne.
Lest that I presently crack thy knave's crowne."
— '• The King and Miller of Mansfield," Percys
Reliques, Ed. V., vol. iii., p. 231.
i
206
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LIGHT BOWT. See Leet Bowt.
LIGHT ON, cuLj. a load is said to be light on when the weight i:
too far back on a cart.
LIKE or LOIKE, adv, (i) expressing compulsion.
'* Aw'm hike do it," f.^., I must do it.
(2) probability.
"The master may like come after baggin, " t. e. , he may probably
come. L
(3) nearly, all but.
*' Aw'd hike to have fawn," i,e,, I ahnost fell.
LIKE or LOIKE, idiom, used constantly at the end of a sentence
where it is absolutely without meaning. Sometimes in the middU
of a sentence. A sort of expletive.
" He gen him a shove, /ike, an sent him clean o'er th' hedge."
Occasionally at the end of a sentence it is reduplicated, *' like-like;'
and I can give no better illustration than the sentence I have just written.
" It is reduplicated, like-like,**
LIKE AIM, s, a shrewd guess.
•* Do you know who did this ?'* " Now, bur auVe a hike aim.'
LILE, adj. little. L.
LILLY- PIN, s. a linch pin.
LIMB, s. a mischievous child Perhaps scarcely local, but v(
frequently used in Cheshire.
'* It's no use a paperin th' waws while th' childer are you
that Tom, theer, he'd skin th' kitchen in a week ; — and Maud
wer a reglar iimd when 00 wer young — ^and 00 's a iimd yet !"
LIMB, V, to tear limb from limb. Kelsall.
It is said magpies will take young chickens and ** /ifn6 'era alive."
LIMBER, adj. pliant, flexible. Crewe. LEMBER (Wilmsj
It is a popular belief in Cheshire that when a corpse is limber a
death will soon take place in the same family.
LIME ESS, s, small lime, containing a few cinders.
When lime is burned the larger lumps are selected and sold as f
** picked" lime. The smaller portions are sold separately, at
cheaper rate, under the name of Lime Essy i.e.^ lime ashes, and a
for agricultural purposes, or for grinding up in a mortar mill.
> Near the Derbyshire lime-kilns there were formerly (and pei
still/ ?reat heaps of these lime ashes which had grown quite hard 1
and in^ '^ome places caves were dug out in them where people li^
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 20/
infonnant went into one of these cave dwellings near Buxton about thirty-
fire years since, and upon entering looked up at the irregular roof with some
SLpprehension. An old woman in the nook said, '* You need not be afraid ;
I think it will not fall while you stop ; Vve been in it seventy years."
I mention thb circumstance to show the antiquity and solidity of these
lieaps and of the cave dwellings, and to illustrate the customs of the
labouring
classes early in this century.
The sanitary authorities would not permit people to live in caves now-a-
days ; but forty or fifty years since a £imily was brought up in one of the
sandstone caves in the neighbourhood of Frodsham.
, s. the heather, Calluna vulgaris^ and occasionally Erica
jTetralix.
BEESOMS, s, brooms made of ling, Calluna vulgaris,
^XNGE, V, to work so violently as to cause exhaustion. Wilmslow.
FINING, s. (i) part of a cart. See Cart.
(2) the cord of which a bricksetter's (or other work-
man's) line is made.
"Jack, caw at rope and twine shop, and buy me some lining;
my line's done ; its full o' knots an bullythrums."
UN - PIN, s. the pin holding the wheel on the arms of a cart.
MiDDLEWICH.
LINT, s. the flocculent dust which collects in bedrooms, or under
looms.
LINTY, adj. idle.
" What aUs him ? is he Ul r " Not he ; nowt ails him, but he's
lin/y.'*
*-^I^E HOLE, s. a loop-hole; applied to the slits in the walls of a
bam, which are left for the admission of air, Mobberley. LOUP
HOLE (Norton).
UPp'N, v. to //>/^«, to expect W.
LISSOME, adj. active. See Licksome.
LITE, s. a little.
A farmer, after enumerating the number of acres he has in wheat and
barley, will often add, "and a TiU wuts," i.e., a little oats. W.
^*THE, v. to mix flour, starch, oatmeal, &c., with a little water,
before pouring it into a saucepan to boil and thicken.
^^THER, adj. idle, lazy; long and lil/ur is said of a tall, idle
person. W.
Ray gives as a Cheshire proverb, "If he were as long as he is li/h€r, he
>xUght thatch a house without a ladder."
^^THING or LITHINGS, s. thickening for the pot. See Lithe.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LITIGIOUS, adj, I have heard weather that unpeded the harvest so
called; but I believe it is only a cant term, and not a true
country word. W.
This seems very like a misapplication of a word, heard once in a way
only ; but Leigh also says he has heard it.
LIVERD or LIVERY, adj. close-grained and wet; applied to a soil
which ploughs up sodden.
LIVE TALLY, v, to live in a state of concubinage.
LOACH, v» to ache.
" My yed ^w/i^j." L.
LOAD, ^. (i) three or four bushels, or, as they are called in^ Cheshire,
measures^ according to the kind of produce.
A IcHid of potatoes consists of three bushels of 84lbs. each, or 252lbs.,
that
is, 12 score I2lbs., or twelve long scores of 2ilbs. eadi, the score
answering
to a local peck. Potatoes are also sold by the score, and by the half-load
hamper. A load of wheat consists of four measures, and varies in weight in
different localities. In some places it is customary to sell yolbs. for a
measure ; in other places the measure contains 75lbs., and again in othen
Solbs. These different customs prevail in almost contiguous parishes ; so
that in selling wheat it is always necessary to specify how much a measare
is to weigh, and the load is 14, 15, or 16 scores, according as the measare
weighs 70, 75, or Solbs. But taking Cheshire generally, the load of 14 scores
b the most in use for wheat. A load of barley, beans, Indian com, or Indian
meal weighs 24olbs.
(2) a lane; more commonly looad. See Looad.
LOAD -BACK, s, a variety of pear. Middlewich.
LOADED, part drunk.
LOADEN. part, loaded, laden. Mow Cop. LOOADEN (Wilms-
Low, Mobberley).
LOAMY or LOOMY, adj. applied to sand which is of a fine, soft,
character, from being slightly intermixed with argillaceous soil
Such sand is not so good for mortar as what is called a sharp sand.
LOB, s. mud, pulp. Delamere, Rostherne.
I am rather at a loss to explain this word. I do not think it would ever
be used by itself as a name for mud or pulp, but anything is said to be
"aw
of a lob^^ when it is muddy or pulpy. Thus an old lady at Rostherne,
speaking of the earthen floors which used to be common in Cheshire, said
that when they wetted them or anything was spilt upon them they went •• all
ofa^.*' At Delamere the word was thus explained: When the potatoes
are boiling hard and the outside of the potato boils away and mixes with the
water, rendering it thick, it is said to be * 'aw of a i^?^." This last
explanation
reminds one of "lobscouse," or potato hash, in which the potatoes
are
pulped by boiling ; but whether there is really any connexion between the
two words or not I do not venture to decide. See WoB.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 209
LOCKED, part, a faced card in a pack is said to be locked. W.
LODGED, part, said of corn when beaten down by the storm. L.
I have frequently heard this word used, but never by Cheshire men. In
Cheshire we invariably speak of the com being laid,
LOFFELING, /«r/. a form of lolling, idling.
**Loffeling on the squab." L.
LOFFER, adj. lower. Mow Cop. LUFFER (Wilmslow, Mor-
LEY, but becoming obsolete).
"Th'i^^^rreend."
A portion of Lindow Common adjoining Morley used always to be called
"the luffer moss." It was formerly pronounced laugher with a strong
guttural sound, but gradually became softened into luffer.
LOFT, X. salt-making term; the storeroom over the stove.
LOFT, v. salt-making term; to loft the salt is to pass it from the
stove to the room above.
LOFTER, X. salt-making term; the man who "lofts" the salt, i.e.,
passes it from the stove to the loft.
LOMMER, V, to climb or scramble ; but the word also conveys an
idea of a certain amount of clumsiness.
LOMMOCfC (Macclesfield), LUMMOCK (Delamere, Mob-
BERLEY, Wilmslow), x. a big, rough lump.
LOMPOND (or, as it should probably be spelt, LOM POND), x.
the pond in a farm yard into which all refuse runs. L. See
LuM Hole.
There is a place at the junction of two brooks (the Allum and the Croco
at Kinderton) called Lompon, — Cheshire Sheafs vol. i., p. 292.
LOND, X. land.
LONDON PRIDE, x. the plant Saxifraga umbrosa.
This name is in such general use that I should not have included it but
for the fact that the plant which was originally called London Pride was the
Sweet William, and it is still so called in several counties, I have entered
it to show which of the two plants is called London Pride in Cheshire.
LONE^ X. a lane.
LONE EEND, x. the end of a lane, where one road joins another.
LONGART, X. the tail or end board of a cart or waggon. Halliwell.
LONGB ACK, x. an old term for a slate of a certain length.
Long'-hacks^ Short-backs^ and Wybits were names formerly given by
sbUen to the different lengths oigrey slates. The slates were at that time of
sizes, and had to be sorted into courses for which these terms were
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LONG HUNTHERT or LUNG HUNTHERT, s. a long hundred-
weight, that is, i2olbs.
Formerly most things were sold by the long hundredweight; but it is now
only used in weighing cheese.
LONGNIX, s. a heron. L. Ardea cinerea,
LONG PASTUR or LUNG PASTUR, idiom, the lanes, where
cottagers used to turn their cattle previous to the passing of the
new Highway Act.
'* Where do you keep your cows, youVe no land?" " I turns *em
\\\C lung pastur"
LONG-WING,
s, the swift, Cypselus Apus. Frodsham.
LONLERT, s. a landlord.
LOOAD, s, a lane; in Mobberley applied to the roads leading to the various
mossrooms on Lindow Common. See Gate.
LOOK SHARP,
LOOK SLIPPERY,
LOOK SLIPPY,
V, be quick.
LOOM, 5. a frame for weaving; but Wilbraham explains it as "a
utensil, a tool, a piece of furniture.''
It is, however, also used metaphorically in reference to putting a person
to rights, or punishing him.
" If he docs na howd his neize, aw*l square his loom for him."
LOON or LOUNT, s. a butt in a field which belongs to another
owner, and which no doubt has formerly been a strip in a
common field.
The word is frequently found in old Cheshire documents and maps. In
Morton's Cyciopadia of Agriculture^ Looms is given as a Cheshire word, and
is defined as "wide lands, wider than butts." Looms is no doubt a
mistake
for loons, and the definition is hardly accurate.
LOOSE, v. to leave off work, to finish school-hours, &c
** What time does church loose?"
LOOT, s, salt-making term ; a skimmer.
' ' A skimmer made with a wooden handle thrust through a long square of
wainscot board, twice as bigg as a good-sized trencher; this they call a
looi"-^
(Nantwich, 1669) Phil, Trans, J vol. iv., p. 1065.
LOO' THE, interj. look you !
Said old Mr. , of Runcorn, pointing to a pile of sovereigns on the
mantel-piece, ^* Loo the I John; folks sen as cottage property's not worth
havin; but I think it is; yon's aw cottage property; and it comes in eveiy
week."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 211
LOP, v. perfect tense of leap.
LOP -LOLLARD, s. a lazy fellow. Macclesfield. Not general.
LOPPEN, V, perfect tense plural, and participle of leap.
LORD OF THE PIT, s. the head man of a gang of marlers, who,
amongst other things, received and disbursed all money given to
the gang.
Marling had ceased before my time ; but I remember a man in Mobberley,
who had been a great hand amongst the marlers in his day, who always went
by the name of Lord Lowndes. So completely has marling gone out of
&shion that the customs connected with it seem quite forgotten. During
the
year 1881 I tried the experiment of marling a small piece of ground at
Norton, and opened a marl pit. I went one day to the men and stood
talking with them for some time, in the full expectation that they would ask
me for drink money according to the old custom ; in fact, I went partly to
see if they would do so. They, however, made no sign, and appeared to be
quite ignorant of the old usage.
I-OKD RALPH, s. a currant cake.
When the husband goes from home, the wife makes a Lord Ralph and
invites her friends, just as the husband, under similar circumstances, hoists
the besom and invites his cronies. L.
LOUDS AND LADIES, 5. the plant Arum maculatum.
LORGESSE, s. the present given by any one to a gang of marlers :
if it is sixpence, it is formally announced by the lord as " six-
pence, part of ^£^500;" if half a crown, as part of ;^i,ooo;
evidently largesse, L.
LORJUS, interj, a very frequent profane exclamation, supposed to
be an abbreviation of Lord Jesus.
1-.OSSELL, s, a lazy fellow, a ne'er do weeL L. See Lozzel.
LOTHE, v. to offer at a price.
** He lothed it me for twenty pound."
The tk has the thick sound as in "that," not the thin sound as in
"thin."
There is rather a nice distinction about the exact meaning of this word.
Halliwell defines it "to offer for sale;" but it means more than
that; a price
must also have been asked, as in the above illustration, and even then the
lowest price, the ultimatum, must have been named. I do not remember
^cr to have heard the expression unless a price had been asked.
'^UGHING, /ar/. laughing. Wilmslow.
Pronounced with a strong guttural sound.
LOUME, adj. soft, gentle. Halliwell.
^^%s. See Loon.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LOUP HOLE, s. See Lipe Hole.
LOUSE'S LADDER or LATHER, s. an open slit m a st
caased bv dropping a stitch. Macclesfield.
LO\'£CHILD, J. an iUegitimate child.
L0\T; YOU AND LEAVE YOU, idiom, a common saying whe^'
any visitor is going to take his departure.
'* Well a* man ^evtjre^ amd UaoeytJ*
LOW, adj. short in stature.
" What sort of a num is be?" *« Well, he's a i^man." This
would not
in the least imply that he was mlgar or disreputable, but merely little.
LO^^Tl, s. a hill, often used in place names : Bucki^ Hill, Shutlings
L(niM^ Wemeth Lou*€.
LO^VKIXG, s. ^nAfart. weeds; weeding. L.
LOZENGER, s. a lozenge.
LOZZEL, v. to lop about in a lazy manner. Wilmslow.
*' He'll do nowt bu' hzul on th' screen, for aw he knows heaw
busy aw am."
LUCK, v. to happen by good fortune. If I had lucked, if I had
had the good fortune. ^V.
LUCKA, interj. look you ! Macclesfield.
LUCKY- BONE, s. the coracoid bone of a fowl Macclesfield.
LUCK YO, interj. look you ! Knutsford.
LUFFER. See Loffer.
LUFFER-BOARDS, s. the louvres of a drying shed in a tan-j^ard.
LUG, s. the ear. Wilderspool.
LUG, v. to pull the hair, or the ear.
LUG UPPARTS, idiom, to apply any very severe measure.
To pull the hair upwards is more painful than pulling it downwards;
hence any severe measure is spoken of as lugging upparts,
LUKE'S LITTLE SUMMER, idiom, the few days of fine warm
weather which often come about St. Luke's day, October i8th.
LULLIES, s. kidneys. Halliwell.
LUM, adj. numb.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 213
I-UMBER,x. (i) mischief.
** He*s alius i' some lumber if my back's turned."
(2) trouble.
" He's i' lumber again ; he's been drunk an leathert th' policeman,
an neaw he's got for t' goo afore his betters, an he'll likely get sent
prison for 'l"
LXJM HOLE, s. a small pond in a garden. Wirrall. Obsolete
or becoming so.
In the meadows, however, which lie between Frodsham and the salt
marsh, there is a small piece of morass which is called "The Z»f»."
The
meadow in which it is situated is known as " The Lum Meadow."
LXJMMOCK. See Lommock.
LUMP, X. to buy anything ** by the lump*^ is to bargain for it without
^veighing or measuring.
Pigs, for instance, are usually sold per lb. ; but occasionally the seller
and
boyer wiU agree about the price without reference to weight; they then
of the transaction as " by the lump,''*
'.'
LUMPING PENNORTH, idiom, good weight, or good measure.
*• He ne'er weighed it; he gen me a lumping pennorth" ,
LUKf P ROCK, s. salt-mining term ; the large pieces of rock salt
^ot in working.
LXJKf PS, s. salt-making term. The name for the salt made in
moulds j they are sometimes conical, sometimes four-sided.
LXJNG, adj. long.
LUNGE, ZF. (i) to break in a horse by running it round in a circle,
holding it by a long rein.
(2) to thieve. Delamere.
*'Does she lunge V was asked of a cat.
1-XJNGEOUS, adj. (i) unexpectedly violent
(2) thievish. Delamere.
lAJRCHING, part, sneaking about, being after no good L.
lAJRKEY-DISH, X. the herb penny-royal. W. Mentha Pulegium.
mJSTY, adj. fat ; but perhaps more especially it means bulky.
WMM FROM WARBURTON, idiom, complete separation.
"TopuU anjrthing Lymmfrom Warburton*'^ means to pull it completely
to pieces.
1 believe the expression originates from the fact that the church livings of
H^aand Warburton were formerly held together, but that they were even-
"***ly Kparated, and the income of the rectors of Lymm thereby reduced.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
LYMM GREYS, At&?jii. a itf^fi^iM/ for the inhabitants of Lymm. L.
Ldgfa explains it thus : '* In fonner (cock-Eghting) days, different town-
ships were called after the peculiar breed of their nghting cocks ; by which
afterwards, and to this day, the inhabitants are designated, although the
origin of the name is forgotten by, or unknown to, nine hundred and ninety-
nine out of a thousand inhabitants. Thus we have * Lymm Greys^ and
•Peorer Pecks.'"
LYMM HAY, idiom, anything extra good.
'* To lick it up like Lim May" is a proverb given by Ray, and explained
thus: " Lim is a village on the river Mersey that parts Cheshire and
Lan-
cashire, where the best hay is gotten." Hence anything superexcellent is
likened to Lymm hay.
LYTHE, aJj, supple, pliant.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 215
M.
MACKLY, adj, comely, good-looking. Dukinfield.
AlAD, adj, angry.
" As mcul as a wasp '' is a common saying.
MADE FIRM, part, confirmed by the bishop. Mobberley.
Used in a sort of jocular way.
When a gap in a hedge has been mended it is said to be made up. A
, whi
MADE UP, part, closed up.
When a gap in a hedge hs
person's eye, which is swelled and closed up from some accident, is made up.
if AD£ WINE, J. home-made wine.
4ADPASH, J. a madbrain. W.
fAD- START, 5, a wild, madbrained person or animal Mob-
berley, VVlLMSLOW.
I once had a cow with so vile a temper that no one could milk her. She
would put her tongue out, snort and bellow, and throw herself down, rather
than be handled; she always went by the name of ** MadstartJ*^ The bull-
grips (which see) eventually brought her to a considerable extent to her
senses. When she had to be milked they were clapped on her nose, and
then tied to a bar in front of her, and she soon learnt to know that as long
as
she remained quiet they gave her no pain, but that if she got out of temper
she punished herself.
CAFFLEMENT, s. concealment, under-hand work. L.
f AG, v. to chatter.
fAHLY, adj, mouldy. Middlewich, Wilmslow, and probably
general, though Mowldy is often used.
" They ayten bread at owd Robert Ward*s so mahly that it smooks
eawt o* their maiths."
See also illustration to Twiggen Dick.
lAIDEN, a clothes horse. See Clothes Maiden.
4AID OF THE MEAD, s, meadow-sweet, Spiraa Ulmaria. W.
Ches.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MAIL or MEAL, v. to milk a cow once, instead of twice a day,
when near calving.
•* You man mat/ Cherry." L,
Halliwell gives it as a north country word.
There is a little misapprehension here of the exact meaning of mati or
mual. As a substantive it means one milking ; and to " mail Cherry
" simply
means putting her on one tma/ a day instead of two. For further explanation
see Meal.
MAIN, s. a main at bowls is a match played by a number of couples,
the winners again playing in couples against each other till one
man is left the victor.
Bowls is quite /^ game of the district around Runcorn* Halton, &c.
In the olden days it was similarly applied to cock-fighting. " A maim of
cocks."
There is also the term fVelsk main, applied in a secondary sense to
voting: votii^ until only two are left in, and then for those two alone.
WiLMSLOW.
MAITH, s. (i) mouth. Pronounced almost like my the,
(2) the portion of a spade which goes into the soil.
"Aw mun send th' shoo to th' smithy to have a yew maith, " See
Yew.
(3) the bowl of a spoon. Wilmslow.
MAK, 5. kind, sort ; literally make,
" Wliat mak of a mon is he ?"
MAY'h'* (')tomake.
(2"^ to lock, or fasten.
•* May th* durr," 1.^., " fasten the door."
Shakspcre uses the word make in the same sense: ^^ Make the doors
upon a woman's wit, and it will out at the casement." — As You Like It,
Act iv., Sc. I.
M.AKE, 5. a mate or companion.
•• Rise up, Adam, and awake;
Heare have I formed thee a make"
Chester Flays^ i. 24 (Halliwell).
MAKE A PUT, 7'. make an attempt. Mow Cop.
MARE A\VAY WITH, v. (i) to destroy, to discard, to throw away
as being worthless.
(2) to kill.
•• It's not worth rearing," said of a calf which had come prematurely
and
was very weakly, "but I dunno like to make aiwiy with it."
A i^rsi^n who commits suicide is said to " make away with himself."
MAKE FOR, r. to go towards.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 21/
MAKE FOR OFF, v. to make a move of departure.
MAKESHIFT, s. a temporary substitution.
MAKE SHIFT, v. to contnve, to manage.
MAKE SHORT UP, v. to run a course quickly, to draw to a hasty
conclusion, generally applied to fast life.
A young man djring of dissipation is said " To have made short up,"
W.
MAKE UP, v. (i) to decide, to intend.
*• We'd made U up for goo this week end.**
(2) to be reconciled.
" Come, you two mun try and make it up."
(3) to repair, to close up.
•• You mun mak yon gap up,"
(4) a caterpillar is, in the language of the working-
men naturalists, said to make up when it turns
into a chrysalis.
MAL or MALLY, s, for Moll or Molly. W.
MALT-COOMS, s. the culms or sprouts of barley which fall off
during the process of malting.
They contain a considerable quantity of saccharine matter, and are much
^tted for feeding cows that are milking.
MANDRAKE, s, the plant Bryonia dioica, W. Ches.
MAN-HOLE, s, a trap-door in a ceiling through which a man can
get to inspect the roof; or a hole in a sewer or liquid manure
tank, through which a man may descend to clean them out.
MANK, s, a trick, a prank.
MANK, V, to play tricks or pranks.
MANKY, adj, lively, frisky.
** I could hardly ride th* tit, he were that manky,"
Mannerly, adj, (i) well mannered.
(2) Leigh gives it as having much the same
meaning as farantly.
He says: "A Cheshire shoemaker said to a gentleman who was ordering
sliocs, * 1 know what you would wish, sir, you would have a pair of shoes,
^th a farantly toe and a mannerly heel.* * Farantly' and * mannerly' have
^Qch the same meaning, except that to the latter is attached rather more
elegance than to the former — in short, heing in fashion."
^NTICKS, s. pranks. Wilmslow.
^^^NY a time and oft, a common expression, meaning
^uently. W. It can scarcely be considered local.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
M'APP^N, adv. perhaps.
MAR, z'. (i) to damage.
(2) to spoil by petting.
MARA, 5. the forest of Mara ; the old name of the forest of Dela-
mere. — Randle Holme. W.
MARCHANT, 5. merchant, but very frequently used to describe
one who takes pride in any speciality; a fancier. Thus we
speak of a " hen marchant^^ or a " dog tnarchcmV^
** He wur th' ronkest dog niarchant as ever a seed."
MARE or MERE, s, a small lake, of which there are a good many
in Cheshire.
Rostheme Mare is a favourite resort for Manchester holiday folk. It is a
very picturesque sheet of water, and is extremely deep.
MARE-FART, 5. ragwort, Senecio Jacobcta,
MARES* TAILS, s, long streaky clouds, which indicate stormy
weather.
MARGARETS, or EARLY MARGARETS, 5. an early variety of
apple, very sweet and very red.
MARGIT, prop, name, the local pronunciation of Margaret.
MARIGOLD, s, generally the garden plant CaUndtUa officinalis.
In W. Ches. Chrysanthemum segetum is included.
MARINE, adj, salt-making term ; applied to a kind of grainy butter
salt
MARKET-FRESH, adj. in extra good spirits, from having had *' a
good twothry glasses " at market.
MARKET-PEERT, adj, the same as Market-fresh. W. Ches.
MARL, s. salt-mining term. The usual name for the clays above
the rock-salt. The salt-marls themselves are called nuials,
MARL, V, (i) to spread marl on land.
Marl was considered such an excellent manure that it was commonly said :
** He who marls sand
May buy the land" —
because he would be sure to grow rich if he used marl on sandy soil.
(2) metaphorically ** to marl a man '* is to follow the
drinking of his health by cheering him.
Taken from the old customs of the county, where the gang [of marlers],
after receiving any small sum as a present from a chance visitor, stand io a
ring and cheer. L.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 219
MARLERS, s. men who work in a marl pit.
MARL HEAD, s. the face of marl at the deepest end of a marl pit.
MARLOCK, s. fiin, a joke, especially a practical joke.
MARLOCK, v. to play jokes.
About Hyde it appears to mean simply "to play." Leigh gives //rar-
lakiftgzi an adjective, and explains it as frolicksome.
MARLPIT, s. the hole from which marl is dug.
MARRED, adj\ spoilt, petted.
"A marred" child is a spoilt child. " A marred" cat is
one that likes
to be petted. I once heard a woman call her calf ** a marred owd stink."
MARRIED ALL O'ER, idiom. Said of women who after mar-
riage lose their good looks. Macclesfield.
MARROW, s, (i) a mate, a companion.
Pigs of the same litter are called '* marrow pigs."
(2) an exact counterpart.
(3) an equal. Wilderspool.
** There binna his marrow."
(4) a husband.
MARROW TO THE PATCH, idiom, well matched. Walton.
A husband and wife who were rather strange characters, and about
equally eccentric, were said to be " marrow to the patch."
MARRY! COME UP, MY DIRTY COUSIN, is an expression
used to those who affect any extreme nicety or delicacy which
does not belong to them ; or who assume a distinction to which
they have no claim. L.
MARSH MALLOW, s. Malva sylvestris and M. rotundifolia.
Much used in cases of lacerated bruises as an emollient poultice, and with
good effect.
MARSH MARIGOLD, s. Caltha palustris.
MARTIN, the same as Free-martin.
MARTON CHAPEL.
"All on one side like Alar ton Chapel" is a common expression about
wiLHsLow. See Parkgate.
MARVIL, 5. a marble.
MASH, v. to infuse.
Poaring a small quantity of boiling water on tea, and letting it stand a
wile while on the hob before filling it up, is " mashing the tea."
Pouring
Wling water on malt for brewing is ** mashing the malt."
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220 CHESHIRE GLOSSARV.
MASHIXG-MUXGLE, s. a staflf for stirring the wort in the hCF^^^^
when ale is being brewed. Macclesfield. See Mundle.
MASH -TUB, s. a large tub in which malt is mashed for brem^^^
Scarcely local
MASKE, X. a mesh of a net L. ^^ i
Ldgfa gives this oo the aothoritj of Wilbraham ; but as I understand 1^^
WUbraham merely intended to say that maske meant the mesh of a net in
i^"^
Flemish language.
MASKER, r. to choke or stifle.
MASKERT, part, choked, smothered. ^
A crop overgrown with weeds would be said to be ** maskert wi' weed."
See Smoskert.
MASLIN, s. an alloy of copper with some harder metal.
I believe this word is obsolete in Cheshire, but it was formerly in use. A
description has been sent me of an old spoon, apparently made of some alloy
of copper, not brass, but more like gold in appearance, which the grandfather
of my informant spoke of some fifty years since as a maslin spoon. Brass
preserving pans are still called " Maslin Pans " at Stourbridge
{Notes and
Queries^ 6th S , vol. x., p. 2S9), and the name seems to signify any mixture,
whether of metals or of com. See Mezlin.
MASSACREE, v. to massacre, but applied to destruction of life by
any accident.
An old shepherd objected to some canal scourings being placed on a
meadow where ewes were lambing, lest the young lambs should flounder into
the soft mud and be * * massacrecd, "
MASTER COW, 5. the leader of a herd.
In most herds of cattle there is generally one cow to which all the others
give way. She is called the ** master coiVy and generally leads the way from
one pasture to another, the rest following. She sometimes also leads the
others into mischief. How she gains her supremacy it is difficult to say, but
she certainly does exercise an influence over the herd.
MASTERFUL, adj. headstrong, overbearing, unmanageable.
MASTER HANDLE (of a plough), j. "is that on the left hand,
which the man holdeth while he cleareth the plough from clogging
earth." — Academy of Armory, Bk. IIL, ch. viii., p. T^'^^t*
MATE or MEAT, s. food of any kind ; by no means confined to
butchers* meat, which is always distinguished as flesh-mate.
Cattle food, even, is called mate,
"What wage dost get ?" **A shilling an' my mate^'* ue,, food of all
kinds.
MATE, s, (i) a fellow workman.
(2) a friend or companion.
(3) a wife.
This word can scarcely be considered local in any of its significations; but
I have entered it because in Cheshire it is so especially used in its first
meaning.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 221
MATTOCK, s, a tool somewhat resembling a pick-axe, but formed
like a blunt axe at one end and a blunt adze at the other.
Its use is for grubbing up tree-roots, hedges, &c
MATTY, /n?/. nam^, the short for Martha.
MAUL, v. (i) to handle anything unnecessarily so as to make it
disagreeable.
(2) to treat roughly, to pull one about.
MAULY, fl//y. sticky.
Applied to the soil when there has been rain enough to make it clag on
horses' feet or on the wheels of a cart.
MAW, ;. (i) the stomach. W. Scarcely local.
(2) the mouth. W.
(3) a mall.
A large woo<Ien hammer with a long handle, for driving stakes into the
ground. The head is shod with an iron hoop at each end. In salt-making
^ flail is aJso used for breaking lumps of salt.
MAW. BUND, /^r/. a state of costiveness in a cow, caused by an
obstruction in the third stomach.
MAWKIN, s. (i) a bunch of clouts at the end of a pole, used to
wipe out the embers from a brick oven before
setting in the bread.
. The clouts are usually attached to the pole by a short chain. In using it,
1^ i> dipped in water, and is pushed backwards and forwards over the
bottom
'^f ihe oven.
(2) a scarecrow.
^^•^^VKISH, aJ/.(i) sick, faint. L.
(2) insipid, but perhaps scarcely local.
^^•^^VK.S, s. a dirty figure, or mixture. W.
I^^^SKIN, s. the stomach of a calf used for rennet in coagulating
^*lk. See Bag-skin.
^^yPIELD, M.VXFILT, or MAXILT, pro^, tianu, the town of
•^Macclesfield.
, ^^ measure is spoken of as ^* Maxfuld measure, upyepped and
^tched," that Is, heaped up and pressed down. Such superabundant
'n^ure is now prohibited by the Weights and Measures Act.
L ^^'^"espondent writes that an old servant of her family used to pride
«.?, ^"^ "^^^'cr having been out of Macclesfield, and spoke *• nowt
bur
^^^^ BIRCHERS. See May Birches.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MAY BIRCHES, J. branches of various kinds of trees fastened ^^y.
the doors of houses and on the chimneys on the eve of May ^^tjo
They were fixed up by parties of young men, called May BircherSt ^
went round for the purpose, and were intended to be symbolical Qy ^^'^^
character of the inmates. Some were complimentary in their mean^-^^^*^*
others were grossly offensive ; and they sometimes gave rise to much
ill-fc<r^ -^^
in rural districts. Generally the name of the tree rhymed with the
it symbolized. Thus, owUr (alder) for a scowUr^ &c., &c.
MAY FLOWER, s, (i) Cardamine pratensis, Mobberley, K
FORD.
(2) CaJtha palustris. W. Ches.
MAY-HAPPEN, ME-HAPPEN (Macclesfield), adv. perhaps.
MAY-SINGERS. See May-singing.
MAY-SINGING, part.
A day or two before the first of May parties of young men go out in th<
early morning to the various farmhouses singing a song in welcome of th<
•* merry month." They are always spoken of as "the May
Singers," toi
their song is known as *' the Afay Song,"
MAY SONG. See May-Singing.
For words and music, see Appendix.
MAZY, MEEZY (W. Ches.), ad;\ giddy.
ME, pron. used instead of " myself."
** Aw've scawded »«."
MEADOW BOUT, s. the marsh marigold, Caltha palustris. Mob —
BERLEY.
MEADOW-SWEET, s. Spiraa Ulmaria,
MEAL, X. a milking ; that is, the appointed time when a cow is^
milked.
Thus we speak of a cow giving ten quarts at a meal, that is, at on
milking. The term is extended to cheese-making ; thus, if a cheese is made
of the morning's milk only, it would be called a one-meal cheese ; if from
the milk of two meals, a two-meal cheese ; of three meals, a three-meal %■
cheese. But as most cheese is made of the night's and morning's milk
mixed together, one seldom hears of one-meal or two-meal cheeses. It is
when the cows fall off in milk in the autumn, and two meals are not
sufficient to make a cheese, one hears of three or four-meal cheeses.
MEALS-MEAT, s. food enough for a meal. Macclesfield.
MEALY-MOUTHED, adj, soft spoken, plausible.
It implies a certain amount of insincerity.
Wilbraham, and after him Halliwell, explains it as a Winchester bushel;
but this is not the case ; now, at any rate. The measure varies for different
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 223
materials and in difTerent localities. (See Load.) A measure of wheat
varies, sometimes in neighbouring parishes, from yolbs. to 75lbs. or 8olbs.
Oats are generally 45lbs. to the measure; in Chester 461bs.; and in some
districts 5olbs.
A measure of beans weighs 6olbs. ; of potatoes 84lbs.
MEAT. See Mate.
MEEATH, s. mead, wine made from honey. Wilmslow, Mob-
BERLEY.
Leigh gives it as ** Meth ; short for Metheglin."
MEE-MAWIN, /art, caressing in a wheedling manner. Delamere,
Wilmslow.
** Dunna be mee-mawin me a that'ns, for get o*er me."
MEE-MAWS, s. soft tricks. Wilmslow.
MEENY, adj. many. Mobberley, Wilmslow.
*• How are your potatoes ? " " Whei, there's a nueny rotten."
WEER, s. a boundary. Obsolete, but still found in combination.
See Meer Stone, Meer Tree.
Many place-names in Cheshire embody the word, now spelt mere. Thus
We have the township of Mere, near Knutsford, and not far distant the hamlet
of Mere Heys or Mare Heys. Mere Hills is a hamlet between Knutsford
and Chelford ; and in Mobberley there is a Mere House. Some of these,
however, may be connected with mere^ a lake.
^^EER, V, to mark out or measure land.
This word is probably quite obsolete, but in a Cheshire deed, dated 1679,
a man was permitted " to meere out " an acre of common land, and to
build
upon the land ** so tneered out."
In a deed made in 1775, concerning the enclosure of land for the erection
of the old poorhouse at Lindow, near Wilmslow, occurs the following phrase :
" from the common called or known by the name of great Lindow as the
same is now meered out by meters and bounds."
There is a field in Mobberley called the Mere or Mare Flats. I find from
an extremely old map in my possession, that this field was formerly part of
the common ploughing land of Mobberley, and was laid out in strips or
"lands" appropriated to different owners or occupiers. The name
may,
perhaps, be derived from the fact of the field having been meered or measured
off from the common lands.
-^^EER stone, s, a boundary stone.
They are sometimes placed in a hedge to show where one man's portion
tenninates and another's begins. Sometimes put at the comers of a quillet
or loofiy to show the property of an individual when lying unenclosed amongst
other lands. There are many such stones on Halton Hill ; also on a large
field called the ** Dowes," at Astmoor in Halton. The boundary of the
townships of Keckwick and Daresbury runs in a tortuous line through a wood
called Keckwick or Daresbury Firs, It is marked by a number of mere-stones
and mere-trees, and the burley-men of Keckwick walk the boundaries
periodically, and place a dab of whitewash upon each of the stones and trees,
which mark the boundary of the two townships.
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TrTS«:fcF GLOSSARY.
jf •*■* V ^ %TT^ iL X trse TfaTfg<! to mnk a boundary, serving the
I isim jgcg: jjeaL'i x ac jl jui uiw nl JKtf is oommoo.
IGXT- ncL Set "73T Mot
>L.lj3-r^A5JLV. j:. I a tacahcT. a Tocng girl with masculine man-
^2 as DcnsapciioGite.
)££G WATER, s, ssli-ciziaz tcnn : a weak or bastard brine found
>tE-HA?rEX, ATT. psrrjL^s. pcssiblY. Macclesfield.
** M^lcmx re r ccce xa a ba to-Dect at after dark."
MEMBER oc oa::s\ s^ a kiln fuH. as many as are dried at a time for
W,
MELL. r. :o rseicLe-
MELLOr, ,v ±< sbcr:-tiilevi neld mouse. Crewe.
MELi^H, ^\ nulc. sot: : spplied chiefly to the weather, but also
'•He2> "H S:§ir xUjinsooa, iisso«wif>l." See Harsh.
MEl^HEP, /c< milted, but used as a compound adjective, as
.•^o;»-.n^Vjtvi^ .ij:rJ'tfuSj^Jj i\e,, easy- to-be-milked, hard-to-be-
milkevi.
Tiius we speik c:' a cow as ** oo's an CAsy-m elsk^J un,"
'* CV? s :vv> eji>v-«tAVc<"i": 1 doubt ooT run her milk
ile."
m
MFLl\ jf. the mill or spleen of an animal.
MKN1\ fv to nLXX>ver.
•* How s j-our wife lo-day?'' **0o*s numiin nicely, thank you."
MbXnW f\ to make a wr)* face. Macclesfield.
This >»vrvl is only useii in a very secondary sense. Its primary meaning
is, oJ cvuinie, the mewing of a cat.
MKRR s. a small lake. See Mare.
MKRRIKING, aJj, rollicking, up to a lark. L.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 225
MERRY, s. the wild cherry, Prunus Avium.
MERRY MEAL, s, junketting when a child is born.
It is customary for those present (except the mother) to take something to
drink, generally spirits, to bring luck to the new comer. It is called
••wettin*choiIt*syed.';
The Cheshire version of the proverb ** The more the merrier" is ** More
and merrier, less and better fare, like Meg o* Wood's merry-nual"
MESS, J. (i) a dish of anything; a quantity sufficient for a meal.
** We had a truss o* these taters just to try em, an I never tasted
any better ; they wun like balls o' flour."
"And be took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's
mess was five times so much as any of theirs." — Genesis xliii. 34.
(2) the mass. See By Mass, which is often pronounced
By Mess.
MESS, v. to divide food amongst a number of people. Wilmslow.
"Come an' tay th' cheilt, wheile aw mess th' dinner for th' men."
MESTER, I , , ^
MESTHER,)^' (i) master.
** Han you seen th* mester lately ? "
(2) mister.
" Are yo Mester 'olland ? "
(3) husband.
A wife always speaks of her husband as her ^* mester "
In Cheshire a husband and wife never walk arm in arm. The mester
^alks in front and the wife follows about two yards behind.
'^^ET, V, might.
^^^ALj s, salt-mining term ; the name given by the sinkers to the
various salt marls found in sinking shafts.
^ETER, adj. moderate. L.
"ETERLY, adv, moderately. L.
^ETH. SeeMEEATH.
*^XEN, V, to clean out a pigsty, or shippon, or any building
^here animals are kept. Leigh also gives the form Mixen.
tl^YTHER,
moider;
"OITHER,
V. to bother, to bewilder.
" Dunna moither me." " Don't bother me."
•* Thast goo if tha dusna meyther me."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MEYTHERING,^
MYTHERING,
MOIDERING,
MOITHERING,
part, bewildering.
MEZLIN, J. wheat and rye grown together. j
A custom quite out of fashion now ; and the word, I think, Ji^^^^^ »
obsolete. I can, however, remember hearii^ of malin frequently ^ml^^^ ip^
boy. Halliwell spells it maslin^ and gives it as a north-country word
Maslin.
ME^ZLED or MEZZL'T, adj, rneasled; a disease in pigs.
•• MetsUd pigs "or " nuzzled pork " are commonly spoken o£ ^^
MICHAELMAS DAISY, s. Aster Tripolium, which is common 0"
the salt marshes bordering the Mersey.
In gardens there are several species ol Aster so called.
MICHAELRIGGS, s, the autumnal equinoctial gales, happenin^^"^
about Michaelmas.
** Kigg *' means a strong blast of wind. L.
MU^KLES, J. size.
** He's of no mickles'" he is of no size or height W.
MinOKN. jr, a manure heap, or the cesspool of a privy.
MinnKX-HOLE, s, the place where manure is heaped in a farm-^
Viml ; gonorally slightly sunk below the surface of the ground.
MUMM.K HAN1\ s. the thong (usually made of whitleather)
which tho ^\i/'/ift^^ of a flail is fastened to the swipple,
*' I ho XtuidU /i,m</, th.il Leather Thong, or Fish Skin as tyeth
them^^^^^
l\>>ivtl\v»/* .in,u\tnr 0/ .-Irmcryt Bk. III., ch. viii., p. 333.
\nnni IN\;» «i,/r. ^O tolerably, passably.
{2) rather poorly.
** \ low nrc you today ? " " But middling,**
*' Hut in ;\ mtM/tMi^ way,"
MUMU lNi;S, J. the mediocrity.
*' V»uM\>j I ho «^i.;'//i«v^- '* is an idiom, meaning that a person or
thing is ^^ ^^.^
»\\^hu\^ t\» b\MNt \W. Asking ihc char.icter of a man who had applied to
vac^^^^
\\^\ \\\^^ \ \i\\y\ l\» his ojuployor, ** What sort of a man is your
team-man?*'**^
I ho T*»uN\o» \^rt^, *' Well I he s just about among the middlings ;*^ so I
did not 'W^-^
\\\\^ \\< \ niKR or Min-KITHER, s, (i) a narrow ridge of land
between two pits.
NJ\^»\ s^l \»\u pouil* or pits arc old marl pits, and the mid-feather appears
^\^ l».»\v Uou lol\ botworn \\\\ old and a new pit. The reason probably was
\\\M V\ iho \uu<» 1^ now pit was wanted the old one had become filled with
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 22/
witer ind coald not be again worked ; bat the same seam of marl was worked
u DOT the old pit as possible, the mid-featfaer being left to dam the water
out of the new piL
It is also a tnrf-getting term. In former times there was no drainage from
the peat bogs; and when a turf-getter in digging oat turf got to the bottom
of t hole the water filtered in upon his work and stopped him. He, there-
fcie, left a mid-feather of solid turf between the hole he was digging and
the
previoas hole, and baled the water over it, whilst he got the bottom "
lift "
ofihetofoat
(2) a wall dividing two flues
in a chimney stack.
(3) salt-making term ; the
plates running between
the fires, and parallel
to the sides of the pan.
MIDGE, s. a kind of gnat.
Uigb says it is used as a term of contempt for any small and contemptible
object.
MID-THRILLS. See Cart.
MILKOANS, s. the plant Stellaria Holostea. Lymm.
Le^ gives the name as Milk-pans.
MILK-WARM, (idj. lukewarm. Wilmslow.
MILK-SIEVE, s, a milk-strainer.
MIMICK, V, " Mimicking work " is work made to look well for a
^e, but not to last, like bad contract work ; soft or lime bricks,
unseasoned or unlasting timber, inferior slates, &c, &c L.
MIND, p. to look after, to take care of.
" J/iWiV th' babby."
MIND OUT, z;. (i) get out of the way.
(2) to be on one's guard.
MINSHULL CRAB, s. a variety of cultivated apple found in many
01 the old orchards.
*i IS much valued on account of its keeping properties, being extremely
iSk ^^****^^ ^^ ^s too sour to eat, but is a most excellent cooking apple —
T^ *bont its own weight of sugar. In the Nruj Bot. GuicU^ vol. i., p. 255,
lull." 1
^^ ^ — ^^ nothing
■** anything like the memory of man."
^^^^EL COURT OF CHESHIRE, s. a court founded by
J^^e Biun^jgyiiig^ Earl of Chester, from 1181 to 1232, and
*"*c^ntinued rather more than a century ago.
^^^ Peter Leycester {Historical Antiquities, p. 141) gives the following
***^"t of the origin and duties of this Court : ** This Randle among the
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
many Conflicts be had with the WdiM^ as I find in an andent Iknkt
Roll, written above two bondred Yean ago, wherein the Barons d Bk
with their Issue were carefully collected, was distressed by the IVelMk^
forced to retreat to the Castle of JiMiient in FimUkin^ about the Rei^
King Jokn^ where they Besieged him : He presently sent to his Constah
ChisMrt^ Rogtr La^^ simamed ffiU^ for his fioce Spirit, that be w
come with aU speecf, and bring what Forces he could towards his R<
Hogtr having gathered a tumultuous Rout of Fidlers, Players, Cob
debauched persons, both Men and Women, out of the City of CkeOtr
'twas Uien the Fairtime in that Cit^) marcbeth immediatdy towards the 1
The Wilsk perceiving a great multitude coming raised thdr Siege and
The Earl coming back with his Constable to GluHtr^ gave him Power
all Fidlers and Shoemakers in Chester^ in reward and memory of this Ser
The Constable retained to himself and his Heirs, the Authority and Dcku
of the Shoemakers, but conferred the Auth<mty of the Fidlers and Playei
his Steward, which then was Dutton of Dutton ; whose Heirs enjoy the )
Power and Authority over the Minstralcy of Ckeshine even to tms day ;
in memory hereof keep a ^rearly Court upon the Feast of 5Sf. y^kn Biptx
Chester^ where all the Mmstrels of the County and City are to attoid
Play bdfore the Lord of Duttom: And none ought to use their Bfinstralq
l^ Order and License of that Court, under the Hand and Seal of the .
button or his Steward, either within Ckeskin or the City of Chtstgr.
to this day the Heirs of Dutton^ or their Deputies, do in a solemn mi
yearly upon Midsummer-day^ being Chester Fair, Ride through the Ci
Chester^ with all the Minstnlcy of Ckishin playing before uiem on
several Instruments, to the Church oiSt, Jokm^ and at the Court renew
Licences yearly."
MINT-DROPS, 5. peppermint lozenges.
It used to be a constant custom in country places for old women to
fort themselves in church by sucking mint-dropu In years gone by the :
of peppermint in Mobberley Church on Sunday afternoons used to be
overpowering.
MIPIN, part showing indifference to food. Mow Cop.
** Mipin an mindn."
MIPUSIN, part, the same as Mipin. Wilmslow.
MISDEEMFUL, adj. suspicious. Macclesfield.
MISDEEMOUS, adj, the same as Misdeemful. Wilmslow.
MISE, V, to value for rating purposes. See Miss of Cheshi
MISE BOOK, s. a parish valuation book. See Misb of Chesh
MISE OF CHESHIRE, s. an ancient tax.
A tribute of 3,000 marks, which the inhabitants of the County Pal
paid at ihc change of every owner of the Earldom, for enjoying their libc
There was, and perhaps still is, at Chester a mise-book^ in which every
and village in the county is rated for this tax. See Cheshire Sheafs vo
p. 361.
MISERD, 5, a miser. Macclesfield.
MISFORTUNE, s. giving birth to an illegitimate child is al'
spoken of as " having a misfortune.'^
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 229
MISLEST, v. to molest, to interfere with.
The third person singular of the present tense is misUsses,
" No one never misUsses us."
MITCH (i) much.
(2) unlikely, strange, extraordinary.
" It's mitch if he coroes now,"
MITCHNESS, 5. equality.
Things are " mitch of a mitchness " when there is not much
difference
between them.
MITTENS, 5, strong leather gloves used in hedging.
They have a place for the thumb, but the fingers are not separated.
MIXEN, J. a dunghill. W.
MIXEN-HOLE, s. a midden hole. W. Ches.
MIZZER, s. a measure. See Measure.
MZZER, V, to measure.
MI2ZICK, s. a boggy place. W.
MI2ZICKY, adj, boggy.
In South Lancashire the substantive Mizz is used, meaning a boggy place.
I have never heard the word as a substantive in Cheshire, but there is in
Wobberley a place called Mizzy IVood, which probably means "boggy
^ood," and, if so, the adjective mizzy would be formed from the
substantive
w/c:, which may, therefore, very likely have been in use formerly in Cheshire
^ well as in Lancashire.
*I2ZLE, v. (i) to rain very fine rain.
(2) to run away; or it rather corresponds to the phrase
" to take oneself off."
*^ZLY, adj\ small, fine, applied to rain.
** It's a mizziy sort o' rain."
^ObbERLEY clock. At Wilmslow the following colloquial
saying is current : — ** Always too late like MobberUy Clocks
^^iBERLEY CRABS, prop, name, the inhabitants of Mobberley
are known by this soubriquet.
It was formerly the custom amongst rough Mobberley people to pelt
)>assers by with crabs, just as they now pelt with snowballs. I have also
heard
%t said that the parson used to be pelted with crabs on *' Wakes
Sunday."
IBERLEY HOLE, idiom, about Wilmslow there is a tradition
^hat all the rain comes from Mobberley Hole.
At Mobberley the honour is given to Bexton. The explanation of course
i» that Mobberley lies south-west of Wilmslow, and Bexton south-west of
Mobberley, and that the rain frequently comes from the south-west.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MOBBUM BREAD, s. bread made from mezlin,
" A Cheshire servant-maid . . . told me in November, 1746, L
in that part of Cheshire where she had lived, they eat . . . bread m^
with half rye and half wheat-meal, which they there call Mobbum bread;
in other parts of Cheshire, towards Manchester, she says, they eat sour
that is to say, oat -cake-bread." — W. Ellis, Country HouseTvifty p.
18^.
quoted in Old Country and Farming Words^ E.D.S. ed.
MOGGINS, J. shoes with wooden soles, commonly called clogs.
MOGGY, J. a young calf. Macclesfield.
MOIDER. See Meyther.
MOIL, J. a mile.
The plural is the same.
"It's three moil to Knutsford."
MOILING, part, slaving oneself, doing extra work.
Generally used in the phrase " moiling znA toiling."
MOILY, adj, dirty, sticky. L. See Mauly.
MOITHER. See Meyther.
MOLLCOT or MOLLICOT, 5. a soft, effeminate man ; one
will potter about and do women's work.
MOM MOCKS, J. fragments, scraps.
MON, 5. a man.
MONKS- WOOD, s. monkshood, several garden species of ^a^^ii
being included.
MONNY, adj. many.
MONTH or MONETH, s, **To have a month's mind" is to have
strong inclination to do something. L.
MOON DAISY, J. Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum.
MOONDARK, s, money saved by a wife, as her own particular n
egg, •* unbeknown" to her husband. L.
MOONPENNY, s. the moon daisy. L. Chrysanthemum Leucan
themum.
MOOR, s. marshy land; but not necessarily a peat bog.
Sale Moor (now drained and built over), Knutsford Moor, Astmoor i
Hallon.
MORAL, J. exact likeness. MORAL SPIT (Macclesfield).
" He*s just the very moral on him."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 23 1
MORE COST NOR WORSHIP, idiom, not worth the cost; an
old Cheshire saying. L.
MORLEY GAWBIES, prop, name^ a soubriquet for the inhabitants
of Morley.
MORRIS DANCERS, s.
At Cheadle Wakes the ancient Morris-dancing is still one of the
attractions, and it is a pretty sight to see the dancers, fantastically
dressed
with gay ribbons hanging from their arms and legs, dancing in a sort of pro-
cession, with the cracking of carters' whips, and to a quaint tune the notes
of
which I have not been able to pick up. Very likely modern tunes are now
adapted to the dance, but some fifteen or sixteen years ago I saw these
Morris Dancers parading through Stockport to a very peculiar tune played on
fifes, which had quite a traditional ring about it.
In former times there was also Morris-dancing at Wilmslow at the
Koshbearing.
MORT, s. a great deal, a great number.
" He's gett'n a mart o' brass."
MORTACIOUS, adj, dreadful, terribly bad, troublesome. W.
MOKTACIOUS, adv. extremely.
" A mortacious foine seet," an extremely fine sight.— J. C. Clough.
MORTAL, adv. very.
••A »wr/a/ hard brick."
MOSEY, adj. overripe, as applied to fruit.
* * A mosey pear. " L.
MOSING, part, smouldering, burning slowly. Sandbach.
^OSS, J. a peat bog ; as Lindow Moss, Adder's Moss, Feather-bed
Moss, Carrington Moss.
^OSS-DIRT, s. peat soil, Mobberley.
JOSSES MARE, idiom.
Leigh gives the following as a Cheshire adage : — "To catch a person
sleeping, as Moss caught his mare. "
^OSS FLOWER, Pedicularis palustris. Dodcott, Checklev.
^OSS-REEVE, s. a bailiff or reeve appointed to regulate claims for
land on the mosses.
^OSS-ROOM, s. narrow plots of land on a peat bog, formerly
allotted for turbary to each house in the township in which the
moss was situated.
Each person was restricted to width, but might work towards the centre
of the moss as far as he liked ; consequently the Moss-rooms in time became
long, narrow strips. In manv cases they have been drained, enclosed, and
cultivated ; so that in the neighbourhood of the peat-bogs there are, at the
present day, a great number of extraordinarily long and narrow fields.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MOST AN END, adv. usually, almost constantly and without inter-
mission. Mow Cop.
2ND Citizen: "What will this girl do?"
Merchant: "Sure no harm at all, sir.
For she sleeps most an endj*^
— Massinger, a Very Wonum^ Act iii., Sc. I.
MOT, f. (i) moat, a wide ditch for defence, surrounding antient
country seats or castles. W.
(2) the mark on which a taw is placed to be shot at in the
game ot marbles. L.
MOTE, s. a moth. Mobberley, Sandbach. MOWT (Knuts-
FORD, MiDDLEWICH).
MOTHER, s, mould in liquids rendering them turbid.
MOTHER DEE, s. the plant Torilis Anthriscus. Delamere.
MOTHER OF THOUSANDS, s. the plant Linaria Cymbalaria.
MOTHERY, adj\ turbid with mould.
MOTTY, s. word.
"What art puttin thy motty in for?"
MOULD BREAD, v. to make it into loaves.
Randle Holme gives this as one of the terms used by bakers. — Acatiemy
of Armory^ Bk. III., ch. iii., p. 85.
MOUNTAIN FLAX, s. Linum catharticum,
MOUNTAIN SAGE, s, Teucrium Scorodonia, Delamere.
MOUTH. See Maith.
MOUZLE, V* to mess or make untidy. L.
MOWBURNT, adj, hay or com overheated in the stack is so called
MOWDIWARP, s. a mole, Talpa europosa. Mobberley, Knuts-
ford. MOWLEWARP (MiDDLEWICH).
MOWED UP, crowded up ; having no room left to work in.
MOWLDY, adj. mouldy.
MOWT, 5. See Mote.
MOWT, v. to moult MAIGHT (Wilmslow).
MOV SAKE or MOI SAKE ALOI VE, interj\ my sake — a fre-
quent expletive.
""JCH, s. a wonder, a marvel Halliwell.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 233
MUCK, s, manure.
MUCKED TO DEEATH, idiom, overmanured
MUCKFOODLE, aiij. boastful, braggart Mobberley.
" I cannot abide to hear him; sitch muckfoodU talk he*s full of.*'
MUCK-FORK, s, a fork for spreading manure or mexening ship-
pons, &c.
MUCK-HOOK, 5. a hook with a long handle for dragging manure
out of a cart
MUCKINDER, s, a dirty napkin or pocket-handkerchief. W.
MUCK MIDDEN, s. a heap of manure.
MUCK ROBIN, s. a term of opprobrium often used to lads
who are always whistling and disturbing their elders.
" Owd thi neize, it alius rains when muck robins whistlen."
lam unable to find the primary meaning of " Muck Robin." Probably
it is some bird whose note portends rain.
MUCK-SWAT, J. a profuse perspiration. Wilmslow.
MUDGE HOLE, s, a dirt hole, a soft boggy place, liable to give
way under the weight of a cow.
" Oo were welly marred in a mudge-hoU,^ L.
MUFFLED, adj. tufted with feathers.
Hens with top-knots or with feathers puffing out under their throats are
said to be mufflea,
MUFFLER, 5, a thick handkerchief for the neck.
I think rather a modem term.
MUG, s. a drinking vessel, not necessarily of pottery.
A silver tankard would be called a mug; so would a half pint pot of
earthenware.
MUG, adj. made of crockery.
MUGGIN, s. " To receive a muggin " is to be beaten. L.
MUGGY, adj. warm and damp, as applied to the weather.
MUGWORT, 5. Artemisia vulgaris. Mobberley. MUGWEED
(Delamere).
MULLIGRUBS, s. (i) stomach ache.
(2) depression of spirits, ** blue devils," ill-
humour.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
MULLOCK, s. (i) turf dust, rubbish, small refuse of any kind.
Chaucer uses the word in speaking of the fruit of the medlar.
"Til it be rotten in mullok^ or in strc.** — Canterbury TaUs^ Revc's
Prologue.
(2) confusion. Mow Cop.
MULSH, s. long litter, put round plants and delicate trees and
shrubs, to keep the frost out. L. Scarcely local.
MULSH, adj, soft, damp, drizzling weather. L.
MUMCHANCE, adv. stupidly silent. Macclesfield.
MUN, 5. the uiunth. W.
MUN, v. must. A very old form of the word.
& soe fast hee called vpon Sir Cawline,
*• Oh man, I redd thee fflye !
ffor if cryance come vntill thy hart,
I am a-feard least thou mun dye.**
— " Sir Cawline," Ferty Folio AfS., vol. iii., p. 7,
ed. Hales and Fumivall.
MUNCORN, s. blencom, mengecom and blendecom, maslin, wheat
and rye mixed together as they grow. \V.
MUNDLE, s. a round piece of wood, generally made of ash, to stir
porridge or pigs' food with. Middlewich. MUNGLE (Mac-
clesfield).
•• Have a little, give a little, let neighbour lick the mund/e" is a
saying
to illustrate the maxim that you must look after yourself first.
Another common saying, when anyone has been currying favour with
another, is, " That's th' lad as licked th' mund/e,"
MUNDLE-DIRT, s. a dirty, clumsy woman. Wilmslow.
A woman like a mundU, which is often fouled with the batter it stirs.
MUXG. s. a crowd of people. Halliwell.
MUXGE, s. a porridge slice, or piece of wood used to stir porridge
Hyl>k. See Mundle.
MUNGER, r. to do anything awkwardly. Kelsall.
••What art mungerin at it a that'ns for, astead o* doin it properly?**
MUNGLE, See Mundle.
^^^^•^'iJ^\> v. must not.
Ml NNLK, »
MURENGER, s, an officer whose duty it was to keep the walls of
a city in rc^uir.
The definition in the Imperial Dictionary is as follows: " Two officers
of
j»rvMt aniiouilv in the City of Chester, annually chosen from the aldermen,
to
»<*c the walls kept in repair, and to receive a certain toll for the
purpose.'*
l*tic v»tfic^» however, was not confined to Chester.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 235
MURGIN, s. a bog. Halliwell.
MUSE, s. a hole in a hedge, made by being the regular run of a
hare.
The s has a sibilant sound, not pronounced like z.
MY LADY'S PINCUSHION, s. the garden plant Pulmonaria
officinalisy the spots on the leaves resembling pin heads.
MY RESPECTS, cxcL the toast always used instead of ** your good
health."
MYSEL, pron. myself
MY SONG, excl. a very frequent form of mild adjuration. Mob-
BERLEY, WiLMSLOW.
MYTHER. See Mevther.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
N.
NA, adv, not, when the next word begins with a consonant. See Ner.
t^ACKKTTYAadj, handy, ingenious; perhaps the best definition
NACKY, ) would be "expert in litUc things."
NAG, r. (i) to be perpetually finding fault
(2) to keep up a dull pain ; as the first symptoms of tooth-
ache.
** How's your face, now ?** ** Well, it nags a bit."
NAGGLING, part, bartering. Knutsford.
Perhaps more correctly disputing about any matter with a view to a
bargain or otherwise.
N.\GGV, aJj\ (i) snappish. Leigh adds Naggety.
(2) aching with a dull pain.
NAHJ ,
v\-i.- *iwr. now.
NAIL PASSER, s. a gimlet Macclesfield.
I think a $•^uth-country word imported, but it is also in use in Shropshire.
NAKKP HOYS, s, the plant Crocus nudiflorus, Gatley, where it
IS ploniiful in the meadows bordering the Mersey.
N.\RKn Gl'I.U X. an unfledged bird. Halliwelu
N.'VRKn VIRGINS, s. the plant Colchicum autumnaU^ the flowers
of whiv h come up in autumn when the plant is destitute of leaves.
NANCK»/r»»^ napitty Nancy.
N AN V' Y \V 11 .IX X. Wild Nancy. Narcissus, L.
v«ci\oi;aUv called Swket Nancy or White Nancy.
NAOW, I .
NOW. I "-'• "^^-
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 237
NAPPE, s, the head of foam on a glass of ale.
William Webb, writing about 1621 (King's Vate-RoyaU^ 1656, p. 78),
speaks of " our ale here at Sandbach being no less famous than that [at
Derby] of [i.f., for] a true nappe. ^^
On a tombstone in Prestbury Churchyard to Thomas Bennison, head
huntsman many years to Charles Leigh, of Adlington, Esq., who died 17th
February, 1768, aged 75, arc these lines : —
" The Joys of his Heart were good Hounds and good Nappy,
Oh! wish him for ever still more and more Happy."
— ^J. P. Earwaker, East Cheshire, vol. iii., p. 202.
The adjective futppy was, of course, a word in general use ; but nappe as
a substantive appears to have been rather locaL
NAR, adj. near, nearer. W.
NARROWED, part, reduced
Thus we sometimes say a man's circumstances are narrowed ; or he has
been narrowed in his circumstances. Leigh, however, gives the verb a more
transitive form, and speaks of the man himself being narrowed. *< He's
been narrowed lately ^^ i.e., he has fallen in the world, he is not so well
off
as he was.
NATION, adj. an emphatic form of very, or extremely; probably
an abbreviation of damnation or tarnation.
NATRAL, s. an idiot.
NATTER, v. to gnaw, to nibble.
NATTERED or NATTERT, adj. snappish, ill-tempered.
NATTY, adf. ingenious, clever, handy. Delamere.
" A «a//y fellow."
NATURE or NATUR, s. condition, quality, strength.
Anything which is beginning to deteriorate is said to have lost its nature,
or to have no nature in it.
Timber which is perished from age, and has lost its toughness, has no
nature in it. Land which has become impoverished has no nature in it.
NAZZY, adj\ ill-tempered. S. Ches.
NEAR, adj\ stingy, niggardly.
NEARING, parf. getting near to, approaching.
NEBBURLY, adj\ neighbourly. NEEBURLY (W. Ches.).
NECK. See Cutting the Neck.
NECK-HOLE, s. the nape of the neck.
NEELD, s. a needle. L.
NE'ER, adv. never.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
NEET,) „. ,,
NoiT, r- "'S^^-
NEEZE, s, a nest.
NEEZE, V, to sneeze.
NEEZLE, V, to nestle, to settle oneself in a good situation. W.
NEINTER or NOINTER, s. a mischievous lad. Wilmslow.
NELLY LONG ARMS, s. sl sort of bogey for frightening children.
Wilmslow, Mobbbrley.
This boggart was supposed to inhabit wells, and children were told that
Nelfy Long Arms would pull them in if they went too near.
NEPS, s, lavender spikes, Lavandula vera.
NER, conj, nor.
NER, adv. not, when the next word begins with a vowel. See Na.
NERE, s. the kidney. W.
NERVISH, adj. nervous.
NESH, adj. tender, delicate, unable to withstand ph3rsical pain.
NESHIN, v, to make tender. W., who gives it as an old word ; it
was, therefore, probably obsolete in his day.
NEST, 5. " to get upon the nest" is sometimes used metaphorically
to express that a young wife has begun to have a family about
her. The allusion is, of course^ to a sitting hen. Mobberlev.
NETHER, s. an adder.
NETHER, adj. lower, as applied to the names of places.
Nethir Knutsford, Nether Peover, Nether Aldcrley.
NETTLE FOOT, s, Stachys sylvatica, Delamere.
NEVER NO MORE, idiom, a very frequent expression to denote
that the speaker never intends to have anything more to do with
a person or thing; that having been once taken in, he is not to
be caught again.
NEVIT, adj, neat, compact Wilmslow.
A neat little woman would be spoken of as **a nice little nevit body."
NEVVY, s. a nephew.
XEW-FA\V'N,/ar/. newly calved.
NEXT, adj, nearest.
** Th' fuxt road " is the nearest way.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 239
NEXT THOWT, idiom, next thought, 1'^., now I come to consider,
or to recollect. Mobberley.
NICE, adj. fastidious as regards food.
NIDDY-HOMMER, s. a fooL Hyde.
NIGGARD, s, a movable side to a kitchen grate, which can be
wound up with a handle, so as to make the fire narrow or wide
according as it is required.
NIGGIE, prop, name, the short for Isaac; also Igie.
NIGHT-JACKET, s, a short calico jacket to sleep in, worn over
the chemise.
MIP, s. (i) a small glass of neat spirit.
(2) a pinch.
WIP, v. to pinch.
M'lP OFF, v. to make a hasty exit.
>ri TPER, s. a sharp, quick person. W. Ches.
Sometimes used as a soubriquet, as " Nipper Trimble."
NII>PERNAILS,) ,. r.u ij T r>
j^-j^ PQ *\s. hips of the wild rose. L. Rosa camna,
NITEM, 5. a token or signal. Mow Cop.
" Oo gen him th* nUem:'
There is no doubt that this has originally been an item corrupted into a
ftttem ; but the use of the de6nite article shows that the original word is
/orgotten. About Wilmslow, however, the word item is well known, and
means a private hint.
NIZZLY, adj, applied to weather, inclined to rain, foggy, drizzly, L,
NOATHER, conj. neither.
" Which on *em did it ?" " Noather on em."
NOBBUT,}^^- °°^5^-
^O Danger, interj. not likely ! certainly not !
A very common deprecatory expression.
NODDY, s. Tom Noddy, a siUy fellow. L.
NO DXJR (no door), idiom, metaphorical expression for a failure.
^ILMSLOW.
The expression has its origin in a custom formerly very prevalent at
^brovetide, of diooting for tea kettles with bullets out of a common gun at a
'^^or for a target If the shooter missed the door altogether, the bystanders
**^outed '*Noodur.''
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
NOGER, (i) an auger.
No dcubt from an oger (auger) being corrupted into a nogtr; but we now
speak of the noger,
(2) a borer used by cheese factors for tasting cheese.
" A good cheese should stick to the noger^*
NOGGIN, 5. (i) a quarter of a pint.
(2) ** in Cheshire, a wooden kit or piggin is called a
f^ggin, — Kennet, MS. Lansd. 1033." Halu-
WELL.
NOGGING or NOGGING PANES, j. the filling up of the squares
in the old timber buildings.
Formerly raddle and dobe was used ; but when that decays the squares are
filled up with bricks, which still retain the name.
NOGGINTLE, s. a nogginfuL
NOGGS, 5. tow. Cheshire Sheafs voL L, p. 322.
NO GREAT SHAKES, idiom, not good for much.
NOGS, s. {i) pieces of wood built into a brick wall, in order that
nails may be driven in when anything is intended
to be fixed to the wall.
(2\ the short handles attached to the pole of a scythe.
NOIXT, r. to anoint ; figuratively, to beat severely. W.
XOINTED ONE, aJJ. or fart, an unlucky or mischievous boy, .
who may l>e supposed to have been severely corrected, is so^c
called. 'W.
More coramcnly Xeint&k, whidi see.
XOn\ jf. night Sec Neet.
NOMINKK, ,c a marling tenn.
The j:ivtT of A j>rRaeni to :h< lord of the pit (marl) for himself and
hix-
wvcn i> oaVkv; the ni^Kint,'. *na vhen ibe mooer is >pent in drink
afterward ^
*t i)k> l>«l<K>bv^tt5c, ibc ic«\i aai his men '•'shout" the
name of ih»
I N;:^y\^: 1^5^ i* in errw ir. this exj^anatioo, and that the nominee,
AS I ihu^k j; ^>cia Nf «i^:;<'r. mmwi. vt^artd. to ihc vonls the men
shoute-=^
A;vi ttvv; tv^ the :>ci>^Na «h.- c*v? '-i« iaoaev. See Nominy and
Shutting. —
Nv'^M INW >\ A s:xxvh. a v:;5<\x:r«, a sermon ; also the burden of
^^v,\g. SOC SHirriNvx
1 >» AS ;>?v>!cr.: v\n vXje ^xvasj^x: a: a S2.rcier gsveo br the
Chnrchwardens
K ; .,%;*. ,.^ ;So oV. r.>cT, vX :Sr :\kn5ih, My sort Bca^boor remarked to
*' » ,^wv. >V/..'v..%^;.v: >»*,-: ><vr bc-t. Sc'i a gen tts a
nominj."
V'o— . ^^,.^;^ «*x * 3:rcx: y.r5c»jj.->>« ivrj.xspc tbe We&kyans,
and at th'
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2595)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 24 1
NONPLUSH, s. a dilemma, a position of difficulty.
A pronunciation of nonplus,
NOOKSHOTTEN, adj. (i) out of the square, crooked; often applied
to a crooked pane of glass.
*'A Querke is a nook-shoten pane, w^ose sides and top run out of a
square form." — Randle Holme, Academy of Armory,
(2) disappointed, mistaken, having over-
shotten the mark. W.
This is scarcely the exact definition. It rather means crooked in temper
as a result of disappointment.
^OOPE, s, the run of a hare or rabbit L.
NOl^ adv. than.
" he is ffine in the middle, & small in the wast,
& pleasant in woman's eye;
& more nor this, he dyes for your Love,
Therfore, Lady, show some pittye."
— " Will Stewart and John," Percy Folio MS,, vol. iii.,
p. 219, Hales and Furnivall Ed.
^^OR AW THEER (not all there), idiom, weak in intellect.
^SSROW, s. a shrew mouse. Middlewich.
^T'CHELLED, part, when a man makes a public announcement
that he will not pay his wife's debts, she is said to be notchelUd.
See Cry Notch ell.
E, s, time of calving, or period when milking begins.
A cow is said to make a good note when she calves at a good time for
^rielding milk, and is, therefore, likely to give a maximum quantity during
tliat season. A dairy of cows is said to be in good note when they all happen
to come into milking conveniently for making cheese.
If a cow is expected to calve pretty soon, it would be said, " Oo*s for
an
^arly note,'' See Cross-noted.
THIS TIME, THANK YOU, idiom, the usual way of
declining to take any more food at meal times.
A "gradely Cheshire mon," when asked if he will take any more,
never
^^ys simply, " no, thank you ;" but with characteristic caution
qualities his
*'«fusal by ** not this time," or, ** not at present."
^^ITIMAZE, s, a skeleton. Kelsall. See Ottimaze.
^^iTTINGS, s, wheat which remains in the husks after threshing
3^nd is separated in winnowing. Used for feeding poultry.
^^TtLED, ad;, or part, stunted in growth.
Said of imperfectly formed fruit, or stunted and diseased plants.
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2596)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
NOURISHMENT, s. wine or spirituous liquors when given medi-
cinally.
There is a strong accent on the last syllable.
" How's Betty to-day ?** ** Oh, oo conna live lung, oo tay's nowt,
neaw, bu,' nourishments,**
NOW, adv, no.
NOWMAN, s. a silly or unsettled person. Bredbury.
NOWP, v. to hit. Delamere.
NOWSE, s, sense.
NOWT, s.{i) nothing.
(2) with the prefix "to** is used idiomatically to express
close resemblance.
** He's his fayther to nowt^* i,e,, he exactly resembles his father.
(3) ^ good-for-nothing.
" He's a reglar nowt,**
NOWT, adj, (i) bad in disposition, worthless, naughty.
"He'saiww/lad."
(2) savage.
A bull that will " run you" is said to be nowt,
Wilbraham (who spells it nought) adds, ** stark nought, good for nothing,
is often employed in the sense of unchaste."
At the present day it appears to have lost the latter meaning and implies
simply anything utterly worthless.
NOWTINESS, naughtiness, wickedness.
** He's as full of nowtincss as he can be."
NOWTY, adj, naughty.
NUD, V, to butt with the head.
NUDGE, J. (i) a slight push with the elbow.
(2) a hint.
*' I did give you a bit of a nudge yesterday, but you did not seem
to take it."
NUDGE, V, to give a slight push, as when one boy accidentally
touches the elbow of another during the writing lesson, and
causes him to make a blot or a slip of the pen.
"What have you been doing to your copy-book?" "Please,
sir, he nudged me."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 243
NURR, s. (i) a round ball of wood used for playing hocky.
The word is chiefly used in Lancashire and Yorkshire, but in its secondary
sense is common in Cheshire.
(2) a hard, enduring man.
" He's a regular nurr,**
NURRING, adj, striving, enduring.
NURSEMDHILD, s. a child put out to nurse, that is placed with
strangers to be brought up, an allowance being paid for its keep.
Illegitimate children are very frequently M»rx^-children ; and the converse
is also true ; nurse-children are, in three cases out of four, illegitimate.
NUT, s. the head. W. Ches.
NUT-RAGS, s. the male catkins of the hazel nut, Cofyius Avellana.
NUTTING^HOOK, s. (i) a hooked stick, like a shepherd's crook,
to pull down the nut bushes.
(2) a hooked nose.
A man with a hooked nose is sometimes said to have " a good nutting-
NUZZLE, v. to nestle, as a young animal against its mother.
NYE, adv. now.
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2598)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
O.
OAF, s. a fool. W.
About MoBBBRLEY and Wilmslow pronounced Auve,
OAK-APPLE, s. an oak gall
OAK- ATC HERN, s. an acorn. Mobbbrley, Knutsford, and
I think Mid-Cheshire generally.
OATHER, pron, either.
** Oa^Aer on em *11 do."
OBSHACKLED, adj. lame, limping. L.
The more usual pronunciation is huffshtikiri.
OCCAGION, J. occasion, used in the sense of cause or motive, as
'* I was the occagion^ or cagion,
of his doing so." W.
CX^CASIOXALLY, adv, as a makeshift, for want of a better.
Moi?RERLEV.
•*Can you make shift with this axe? It's not very sharp.** **Yoi,
itll do K\casicMaUy"
vWUPATIOX. s, an old term for a salt house or holding. (Spelt
a;:>^a^7>t^ Cheshire Sheafs vol i., p. 322.
OOP MAX, s. one who does odd jobs on a farm.
OPPMKXTS, J. scraps, odds and ends.
v^OO RAPPIT IT, excL meaning pretty much the same as
"' vvnfound it/'
v'^ KR% t'Tt. owr. It is* almost always thus abbreviated.
v^ K R AX FXS l\ t^rep. ( i ) over-against, opposite. Halton. O'ER-
XKXSrv^^*"»^»^^^^')'
I ^H^ih i:ivv* it a« Oeranent.
(2) useil metaphorically to signify equality.
^' HcmVvxI hum ap^, and he towd me his, and was d'er-anenst me, just as
V. >H\i Uy*^ hi* t^uaL "^Cktskire Sheaf, vol. i., p. 211.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 245
O'ER-FACE, v. (i) to surfeit.
If a cow has more food given her than she can eat, she is o^erfaced.
(2) to overdo.
A man who has harder work to do than he can accomplish is **o^erfaced
wi' work."
O'ER-GET, t^. (i) to overtake.
(2) to escape from.
(3) to over-dry hay.
OERGETTEN, part, overgot.
Said of hay which is too much dried before being carried.
0*Er-LaY, V, to kill by lying upon, as drunken women sometimes
kill their children.
" We'n had bad luck with uz soo ; oo*s o^er-laid welly aw her pigs. *'
^'ER-NENST, frep, opposite. Wirrall, becoming obsolete.
^*ER-RUN, v. (i) to escape from a person. (2) to go without permission; to
"take French leave."
" He*s e'er-run his work."
^^BIH-RUN ONE'S COUNTRY, idiom, to run away from creditors,
or to escape being imprisoned, or called to account for any
misbehaviour.
^^EH-RUN THE CONSTABLE, idiom, to get out of the way of
creditors.
R-TH'-LEFT, idiom, an ironical way of explaining that what has
been said must be taken as meaning just the contrary.
** Dun yo think he likes you?" "Aye, he likes
mt—o^er'ih^'lift"
Left is usually pronounced lift.
prep. for.
•* We*n not heeard on him o/evti so long."
, prep. from.
"He took it ^me."
s. refuse portions, that is, the poorer samples of anything.
The word in Cheshire does not refer to garbage. The offal of an animal
<3oes not particularly mean the intestines, but those portions which, in
selling
l^y weight, become the butcher's perquisite; such as the head, feet, skin,
internal fat, liver, &c Market prices are often quoted as "sinking
the
ofiEU," that is, selling the carcase, but giving the above portions in.
In grinding corn, the husks and dust are spoken of as offal, in contradis-
tinction to the meal.
•*Th* wuts maden pratty wecl o* male, an aw'd offcU for th' pigs."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
OFFAL CORN. OFFAL WHEAT, i. the lighter grains winnowed
±zaL nie xDETUSibiie sunpiry and used for feeding fowls.
r*FF AL ?^r>R£^ I. iH ihe )omts of a pig which are not bacon,
CFF-HIS .T HER A'ED. £&-«. insane.
^ A <« <* <& «
CI. /»-7nL irie pr^accz: L cspedaDr when emphatic.
-If wismt&Ikan.ffdBlL*' See An.
r KKExT. ^'. awkwird.
r LT*^ AC-. 2» ccscB used in tise sense of great, £unous, such as was
C'^' 5:czipk. 9^;xe:^ £rxi kvt:* greit Icutin^ an uncommon display of
Fs srasi: cano^gm- voris besnuuz^ with "Old," see Owd.
s?LI> HOK i an oui Cheshire cnstom, carrying about a horse's
be&i c^i^ercd w=h a s^ieet to fri^iten people. L. See Dobby-
v'^lT MAX. i . I tbe pjLTi soctherowood. Artemisia Abrotanum.
2 ibe a^c^TTA L.
\ '."I ^^ i. the jLoer. A.'kms glMiimtsa.
•*v>ae im 'rs. ' "Ncadjcr em 'cm.''
.: ^>d iX ^ry arimal which is maris appttens,
ONO^^r ^:y-.>cvx:-x-^ va^ct or ONST, adj, once.
v^NVl'^F.K. X vi :»< i:':emcs?n. L
i behir.A Haxiiwell-
v^NVrN'A Ai:- ^i^ uprightly, on end
yi^ j>?rj>?iually.
v^N V O 01 vX^KS. See Clocks.
v.^NK'^N* i. •^e wc*.i or wart inside a horse's legs.
I; ^M A ^Yvy $uv>n( smell, and dogs are particularly fond of it. L.
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2601)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 247
ONLIEST, adj. pronounced ownliest, superlative of only.
The best or most approved way of doing anything is said to be the onliest
way. W.
ONNY, adv. any, also pronounced Anny.
ONNYTHIN or ONNYTHINK, s. anything. Also ANNYTHINK.
ON SPREE or ON THE SPREE, idiom, to be having a drinking
bout.
00, pron, she. See Hoa
OON, s, an oven.
OON PEEL, the same as Peel, which see.
OON PIKEL, 5. a fork with two prongs like a hayfork, but with a
long iron neck, two or three feet long, so that the wooden handle
cannot get burnt
OON STUN, 5. oven stone.
A flag, square at the bottom and rounded at the top, to fix against the
oaouth of a brick oven when the bread is baking. To prevent all escape of
^ea.t, it is plastered round or stopped with clay, so as to close up every
crerice.
Any purely useless effort is spoken of as " like stoppin an oon wi'
butter.**
Of*EN or OPPEN, adj. (i) mild, as applied to weather in the winter.
(2) a sow is said to be open when she is not
spayed.
O^ENARSE, s. a medlar, Mespilus germanica. L.
I fare as doth an open ers;
That ilke fruit is euer lenger the wers,
Til it be rotten in mullok, or in stre.
— Chaucer, "Reve's Prologue."
^^IN'ION TO THINK, idiom. incUned to the opinion.
" rm of afnnion to think " is the somewhat strange expression which
is
^Inaost invariably used to indicate that a person is inclined to any opinion.
OI^PEN, adj. open.
^^N^ARY, adj. (i) inferior, ordinary.
(2) naughty, ill-disposed. Hyde.
(3) not very well.
^^IS, 5. the angular edge of a square object.
Thus a joiner who planes off the angles of a square pole to make it
^^Ctagon is said to ** take off the ^m."
Also applied to the angle at which a plough furrow is laid. Thus, if a
ploughman lays his furrows too flat, it is said " they (the furrows)
should be
ploughed with more orris,"
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
ORRIS, r. to take off the angles.
** John, ^rris them jetsts."
CRTS. s. remnants of food left by cows or horses in their stalls or
mangers. Broken victuals of any kind
OS& r. (i> to offer to do a thing.
** He's o«ed me ten poond for ever so long, and he ne'er osses
psymc."
^2 « to bi^in. to try, to set about
*" He fsj£5 ba»ilT~ wonid be sud of a man who be^an a job in a clumsy
Tbe Sxk««ing coDTcrsation actnaDy took place in Rainow Sunday-
srb>x: — •• Teacher: ' Why did Noah go into the ark?* Scholar: • Please,
:eacheT. Sec&sse God vas cssin for t' drown th* world.' **
r^;ije=30Q Holland in his Trmuiatum of Pliny uses the word osses for
rrocic«N3es. See Boss.
OTTI\L\ZE,)
OTTOMIZEU - i, a person worn to a skeleton.
orroMV, J
I: is occasioDally heard with the prefix if, an oitimase having become
^ mxn ^zze. (See illastntioo to WiTCUED. ) Miss Jackson in the Shropshire
tK-r-^ Sx>i also gives it as A^amjr, See Nottimaze.
OTTV-MOTT\\ s, suspense.
** Keepin him in otty-mcity^ an noather tellin him one thing or
anocher — ifs ecocgh to vex annybody.**
"To si^N^i .■»-•* is. of course, quite a common expression; but in
Ois^>.:^ mc say " Shall I read it ouir meaning, " Shall I read
it aloud r
OV riNvK .*. iiv^ini: from home, a day's pleasuring.
\.'*V ri K l\ y. :he same as Boozing Field, but in leases and farm
j^^:cc:r.cn:> .'a.-.V/ is the word generally used.
v^V r OF COI LAR. /::V;>Jw. out of work.
v^v^ r OF riFF, ULm, out of breath.
0\ FKIU 0\\\ :\ to blow hard. L.
*M; I* >.v<r tv* .fv-V-w: take in your sprit-sail, stand by to hand the
V*VsNAi*/ SrrKMKY's tVT:/.Vi2/.l/ijrT«<v, 1669.
v'^V K RW AIS l\ .*j '. covered with ^-ater like a ham boiling in a pot. L.
V^VFRWKir, fart, a sheep overthrown and lying on its back is
suu! tv» Ik* s'l'^rxiYiiy £<'., it is overwalted. W. See Reen-
v^ \VAR!^» A a landing place. Lymm, Warrington.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 249
OWD-ANCIENT, adj, ancient
Any antiquity, such as a ruined castle, is always so described.
OWD-FASHINT, adj. old-fashioned.
Children are said to be owd-fashint when they are clever and thoughtful
bejroiid their years.
Leigh gives as a Cheshire saying, " That owd-fashioned^ he might a bin
o* the earth afore. "
OWD LAD, ) r ♦u ^ 1
OWD SCRAT I ^' "^^"^^^ ^*^' *"^ devil.
It is often said of a mischievous boy <'Th' owd lad has thrown his club
o'er him."
OWD MON, s. the spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola.
This, like the robin, wren, and swallow, is considered a sort of sacred
bird, and its nest and eggs are respected by the schoolboy.
OWD-REST-PIECE, s. a piece of land which has not been
ploughed up for a considerable time.
OWLER, see Oler.
OWLERT, s. an owl. L.
More frequently pronounced Ullert.
OWNDER or AUNDER, s. the afternoon. W.
OWT, s. (i) everything.
•* It caps owiy^ i.^., it exceeds everything.
(2) anjrthing.
** Han you getten ^w/?" i.e.j have you got anything ?
OX-HARROWS, s. strong heavy harrows.
They were formerly always used to break up the stiff clay lands which
were bong summer-worked. Bare or summer fallows are things of the past,
and one seldom sees a pair of ox-harrows being used ; but I now and then
see them advertised in auctioneers' bills of farm sales, where all the old
implements collected from odd comers are brought to light.
OXLIP, X. the caulescent form of Primula vulgaris,
OX VOMIT, s. the drug nux vomica.
2SO
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
P.
PACE EGG, s. an Easter egg.
During Holy Week, children, and sometimes older people, ^ round to
the farm-houses begging iox pace-eggs. They collect a considerable number,
and have a custard pudding; on Easter Sunday. Occasionally some of the
eggs are boiled hard, with bits of ribbon wrapped round them, or onion skins,
to stain them, and they are then kept for a time as ornaments. In the
neighbourhood of Wilmslow the followmg song was sung by those who were
be^ng for eggs:
" Here's two or three jovial boys all in a mind ;
We're come a pace-eggin if you will prove kind ;
But if you'll prove kind with your eggs and strong beer.
We'll come no more here until the next year.
Fol de riddle lol
Fol de ray
Fol de riddle lol delay."
The following Easter song is sung by the children in the Wirral district
when they come round Pace-egging :
** Please, Mr. Whiteley,
Please give us an Easter egg.
If you do not give us one
Your hen shall lay an addled one,
Your cock shall lay a stone."
— Leigh's Ballads and Legends of Cheshire.
(Communicated by Gen. the Hon. Sir E. Cust)
PACE-EGGERS, s, those who go out collecting pace-eggs.
PACE- EGGING, /ar/. collecting pace-eggs.
PACK, s, (i) a dairy of cows. Halliwell.
I have never met with the term, nor is it included in either Wilbraham or
Leigh, and I suspect it is an error.
(2) twelve score weight, i.e., 240 lbs.; two long hundred-
weights.
(3) a pedlar's bundle.
PACK, v. an order to begone.
'Tacko^V L.
PACKET, s. any horse-pannel, to carry packs or bundles upon.
Halliwell.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 25 1
PACKMAN, 5. a pedlar.
There are many men who travel about the county selling various kinds
of woven goods. There are also itinerant shoe-vendors ; and» one man I
know who sells hats. Travelling tea-men also are numerous.
PACK -STAFF, s, a stick with which a packman carries his bundle
on his back.
PAD, J. (i) a foot-path.
(2) a padded leather saddle to support the chains of a
plough horse ; more commonly called a Ploo-pad.
(3) hatting term ; a delivery of work.
PAD )
pod' [ ^' ^^ ^^^^» ^o go on tramp. Wilmslow.
PADDING, part, the term used by a workman when he takes back
to his employer work he has done at home.
''Padding" his work " is walking back to his employer with finished
work. L.
PADDING- CAN, s, a common lodging-house.
PADDY -HOUSE, s. a bothy for the use of the Irish labourers on a
farm. W. Ches., where many Irish are employed. Also
occasionally called an Irish-house.
Paddy is the general name for an Irishman throughout the county.
PAD THE HOOF, \ idiom, to go away on tramp, to walk off.
POD THE HOOF, { Wilmslow.
** If he does na behave hissel, he'll have to pod th^ hoof^^ i.e., he will
have
to leave his present place of work and go on tramp.
PAD -WAY, s. a foot-path.
PAIGLE, s, the primrose or cowslip. L.
I have never heard this name in Cheshire, and very much doubt whether
it is used, as it is more especially an East Anglian word ; at the same time
Holme, who was a Cheshire man, uses it in his Academy of Armory, but
confines it to a double garden cowslip.
PAIN, v. to cause bodily pain.
«*Doesit/am thee?'*
PAINFUL, adj. active, hardworking, painstaking.
Leigh speaks of "honest and /a/Vf/M/ parents." I do not think it is
a
Tcry common word; but I have heard sung at rent dinners a song about
"the
peunful plough. *'
" Such seruants are oftenest /a/'ii/^// and good,
that sing in their labour, as birdes in the wood.'*
— TussER, E.D.S. ed., p. 170.
252
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
peel! i' ^' ^ fortress. \V. Ches.
Enters into place-names, as the Old PaU and New Pale in Delamere ;
Peel Hall in Kingsley ; Peel Causeway, near Altrincham, &c.
PALE, r. (i) to strike continuously. Wilmslow.
A man felling a tree said, "Moy axe is so dull aw conna cut a chip, bnr
aw keep on palin at it, an aw dinge em oflf."
(2) to beat barley. Halliwell.
PALL, prop, name for Molly or MolL L.
PALMS, 5, catkins of willow, Salix capraa. More commonly
called Geslins.
PAN, s, (i) a purline in a roof Mobberley.
(2) salt-making term; large vessels of iron plates riveted
together in which the brine is evaporated.
They vary in size, the smaller ones being 30 feet long by 15 feet in
breadth ; large ones reaching to 100 feet in length by 30 feet in breadth.
They are set upon brick walls with a row of nimaces at one end and a
chimney at the other.
PANCAKE BELL or PONCAKE BELL, s. a beU rung at eleven
o'clock on Shrove Tuesday morning at several Cheshire
churches.
PANE, s, a panel of doab or of bricks between the wooden frame-
work of the old black-and-white buildings.
PANCU TTERS, s. salt-making term ; now, I think, obsolete.
Officers appointed in the salt towns to measure the pans, to see
that they were of the standard dimensions appointed by the
towns. L.
PAN-MUG or PON- MUG, s, coarse red and black crockery used
for bread, milk, buttermilk, &c.
PANNEL, s. **is Canvice stuffed with Wool to lie next the
Horse." — Academy of Armory^ Bk. IIL, ch. iii., p. 93.
Randle Holme enumerates this amongst "Terms used in the Sadler*s
Art."
**& on our Mill horsses full swift wee will ryd,
with pillowes & panfiells as wee shall provyde. "
— Percy MS. "Kingeand Miller," 1. 174, vol. ii., p. 155,
Hales and Furnivall ed. Sec Packet.
PAN PICKS, s, salt-making term; strong long-headed hammers,
used when the pan is Ut out, that is, not at work.
They are used to break up the scale or incrustation on the pan bottoms.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 253
PAN SCALE, X. salt-making term ; the thick scale that forms on
the bottom of a pan.
PAPES, X. (i) any pulpy material.
When mortar is mixed too thin a bricksetter will say : " Aw conna use
this, it*8 as thin zs papes ; it winna lie on my trowel."
(2) bread and milk. L.
PAPE'S MILK, s. juice of poppies.
Mentioned by Sir W. Brereton in his Travels (a.d. 1634) as one of the
ingredients of a drink he took for curing the flux (diarrhoea), p. 130. L.
PAPISH, s. a papist
PAPPA, s, papa.
The accent is always on the first syllable.
PAPPER, s. paper.
PAOO, t a pool.
It is almost impossible to indicate the very peculiar Cheshire pronunciation
of many words in which double 0 occurs without some phonetic method of
spelling understood by both writer and reader.
PARGE,
PARGET,
X. plaster; but about Wilmslow generally applied to
plaster for the inside of chimney flues, made of a
mixture of cow-dung and mortar.
PARGETTED, part plastered.
PARISH WAITER, s. used metaphorically for rain. Antrobus.
" Aw dunna loike anny parish waiter for get into th* liquid
manure tank."
PARKGATE.
"Alien one side like Parkgaie*^ is said of anything that is lop-sided,
^^fjigate is a fishing village on the Cheshire side of the river Dee, con-
'j*^ of one long street with houses on one side only, the sea wall being on
theothcr side. About Wilmslow it used to be commonly said, **Aw o' one
^t^\\Vt Marton Chapel." Why, I have not the least idea.
PARLE or PARLEY, s, a talk, a long conversation. L.
PARLIAMENTING, part, talking for the sake of talking.
** He viza parliament ing a good deal." L.
PARLOUS, adj. perilous. L.
PARSLEY-PERK, s. the plant Alchemilla an^ensis. Mobberley.
PARSON-IN-THE-PULPIT, s. the plant Arum maculatum,
PARTICULAREST, adj. superlative of particular. L.
.-T-T-^anKF GLOSSARY.
. -tiPi. :r ':azL=t far woiDCii. Ray (E.D.S. Gloss.,
f.'J.~V «C7. aiSET. .tis? PARTLV-%VHAT (WiuiSLOw).
~ 3: KZ ajji ^~ iecE ^ be were /arfiy-s-itaf lossled."
rr ^3«c : a gush.
« nooej ihin bnini. L.
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a ihape, with apples of
FATCH, .-. : i *caii *-:r= o«T the ere.
; i ?T7.iZ c:;t::r:T of any growing crop.
"A ri, i ;"»ijft::~ "'a^v* o' poutoes."
V i.r.rH \Nr> I>.\I.TCH. iJi.-**. to smve hardj to inch and
-F'r i.-a.-, =iEo«: b.-» «•!/«.'■*«■' <oVdiuiiVA an' ooT
powler
"XT'fXr FVTTER. /. sal-.-making tenn. A very fine heavy
X-vVd i*':. —.iJe ;r. cirti:!jj pans with moveable scrapers and
JWriFNT rVHTK. J- /*..V^v«*« Bistoria. Mobberley.
rAV-KiCE> s. •■«a-s:;ck5. Wistasto.v.
VAVS. i v<^
■AY ;;WAD. s.^i'S. pea shell
(21 a boys" game.
I: was it'OK'what umilar to auiii/tiii. Each boy, wh«n be threw to
»;--o,-, had to say •' fajf-r-vJ," or he had to go down Wmself.
'•lie gets fower shillbga week an his/wi."
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(tudalen 255)
(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2609)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 255
jcK-A. or PECKLE, s. a freckle.
L^h gives as an old Cheshire saying —
" Fawn peckUs once made a vow
They never would come on a face that was fow."
T, €tdj. spotted.
gCK- I="OR ONE'S SELF, idiom, to gain one's own livelihood.
<sa.ther complained to me one day how his grown-up son still lived upon
bi***-* ^Lx^d added, ** It*s toime tt pecked for issel ; oi peck for
moistX."
j^pl'-A-^^^'S BASKET, s, a name given to two trailing plants —
(^ ^ -^^inaria Cymbalaria^ but more generally to
(2 > 'S^xifraga sarmentosa,
^"In-is is a favourite plant in cottage windows. The pots in which it
gf^^^ sure generally placed upon a little square board, and suspended by four
The
from the top of the window. The long threadlike runners of the
^Vaj^^ Vka.ng down around the pot, and are supp<^ed to resemble the
threads
2^^ VsLpcs hanging out of a pedlar's basket.
o^^» ^* {,i)to look with one eye. W.
(a) to pay. W. Ches.
** If yo pleese, sir, I've come iopee for a peck o' poteeturs."
-p-g,E»t>» adj, having only one eye. W.
pE£^ J. (i) a flat piece of wood at the end of a pole, used for setting
btead into a brick oven, or taking it out.
It is planed to a thin edge, so that it can be slipped easily under the
loaves. The long handle allows the baker to reach to the further end of the
oven without getting too near the hot oven mouth.
(2) a fortress. See Pale.
PEERCH, s, (i) a perch (fish).
(2) a perch for a bird.
PEERCH, v. to perch.
PEERK, PERK, or PERKY, adj, brisk, sharp, well. L.
PEERT, adj. (i) lively, brisk.
**Poor an' peerty like th' parson's pig," is a common proverbial saying
about WiLMSLOW. It probably refers to the times when the parson collected
his tithe in kind. The pig reserved for him, being a small one and not
overfed, was consequently brisk and active.
(2) in good health.
•*How bin yo?" "Oh, aw'm preity peert.'*
Applied also to a plant which, being transplanted, has not drooped.
PEESNIPS, s. a pronunciation of peewits. L.
PEET, prop. name, the short for Peter. Norton.
256
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2610)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PEG-LEG, X. a wooden 1^ .
^^ ^^
PEGGY, s, (i) an implement for washing clothes, the sam^
Dolly, q.v. Mobberley. -^^.
(2) the game of hockey played with a wooden
Macclesfield. Abo called Piggy.
PEGGY WHITETHROAT, s. the lesser whitethroat, Cm
dnerea.
PELLET, s. a shot
PELT, i. the skin of an animal, especially a sheepskin.
PEN, 5. (i) a small enclosme made with hurdles. PIN (Wilde:
pool).
(2) a feather just sprouting through the skin. Also call^'^
a Pex-fither.
(3) a female swan.
(4) a shoot for grafting.
PEN. r. (i) to graft
(2) to confine in a pen.
PENCE APIECE or PENNIES APIECE, idiom, one penny each^
PENK, s, (i) a minnow.
Wilbraham also gives Pink.
(2) a small blow, a tap.
A bricklayer's labourer said : ** If tha does that again awT gic thee t
penk wi* ih' brick hommer beak."
PENNY, adj, said of poultry when the skin is full of sproutin
feathers, rendering them very troublesome to pluck.
PENNY GRASS, s. Rhinanthus Crista-galli.
It is always considered that hay grass is ready for mowing when the penny
grass comes into flower.
PENNY RYAL, s, penny royal, Mentha PuUgium,
PENNY WHIP, J. very small beer, swipes watered. L.
PENTICE, s, a penthouse. Hence the Pentice and Pentice Court
at Chester. L.
The Pentice at Chester was an ancient building attached to St. Peter's
Church, which was taken down about the year 1806.
PEOVER PECKS, prop, name, a soubriquet for the inhabitants of
Peover (pronounced Peever). L. See Lymm Greys.
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the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2611)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 257
PEPPERGATK
There is a Cheshire proverb ** When the daughter is stolen, shut the
Ptppergaie,^'* This is equivalent to " when the steed is stolen, shut
the stable
door." The proverb is said to be founded on fact. At any rate the legend
nmsthat the daughter of the Mayor of Chester was stolen as she was playing
at ball in Pepper Street .; and the young man who carried her off took her
through the Pepper Gate. After the loss of his daughter, the Mayor ordered
the gate to be closed.
PEPPILARY, s, the poplar, Populus nigra. W.
PEPPIN (less frequently PIPPIN), j. (i) an apple or pear pip.
(2) a variety of apple raised
from a pip (?) MoBBER-
LEY.
There is a distinction, at any rate, between apples in general and
P^fpins, I have, on several occasions, asked the name of an apple which
I was not acquainted with, and been told, "Well, I dunna know, but I
think it must be some kind of a peppin."
^EPT*^ Z'. perf. tense of peep.
^ERlSHT,/tf/f. killed or starved with cold.
^^RK up, V, to revive. Macclesfield.
•^R^T, adj, forward. Delamere.
"Hoo'sa/^f^lass."
■^^TER, v. to worry, to be importunate.
'^'T'ERS, j. hatting term. Work which has been paid for before
<^ompletion.
■^IT'Y, s, a privy.
■^^^-IT, J. a peewit, Vanellus cristatus.
The bird is more commonly called Lappinch, q.v. Randle Holme spells
'^^'^-IT LAND, s, undrained land, such as is frequented by
Peewits.
Leigh gives the following as an old Cheshire saying relating to poor,
^retched land, ** 'Twould take an acre to keep a peewit."
^^ET, s. the garden paeony, Pceonia officinalis. Delamere.
Also PIONY (general ?) and PI AN NOT.
"Double peony, vulgarly called 2, planet,^' — Academy of Armory^ Bk.
II.,
P- 71.
^^ AN NOT, f. (i) a magpie.
(2) the paeony.
258
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(tudalen 258) (Glossary
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PICK, s, (i) a basket used for drawing coals out of a pit.
(2) a pick-axe.
In salt-mining the picks used are of a somewhat special constroction.
The handle of wood is about 30 inches long ; the head is straight but
tapering
at each end, with sharp steel points. The weight is from four to six pounds.
PICK, v. (i) to vomit
* (2) (or PICK CAWF) to calve prematurely.
Abortion in cattle often takes the form of an epidemic. It is probably
caused by the presence of the ergot fungus in the grasses which constitute
their food ; but the popular idea is that it is infectious, or even that one
cow
influences another in some mysterious way; and several superstitious
practices are resorted to in order to prevent the spread of the disease. One
remedy is to bury the first prematurely bom calf under its mother's ^u.
Occasionally the calf is nailed up against a wall, and left there to decay.
PICK AT, v. to persecute.
Of a boy at school who was always being teased by his schoolfellows, or
a cow in a herd that was constantly being persecuted by the rest, it would be
said, "They're zlluspicJtin at him, or her.
PICKING, /^r/. (i) finding fault. Frodsham.
(2) salt-making term ; breaking up and taking
away the scale that forms on the bottom,
of a pan.
PICKING PEG, s. weaving term. The handle by which the
shuttle is thrown.
PICKING SALT, s, salt-making term. The first salt made after m
pan has been " picked," that is, has had the scale taken off the
bottom.
PICKING UP, part, a term for picking a pocket. L.
PICK UP, ?'. (i) to be convalescent.
(2) to prosper.
**He*s f'iikift-: up his crumbs nicely," said of anyone who is
prospering.
Cheshire Sheaf\ vol. i., p. 322.
PIDDLE-PADDLE, s. very poor ale. Wilmslow.
PIECE, s. a recitation.
In the country schools when children recite poetry it is alwa)*s call ■«
*• saying their //Vivj.''
PIED-FINCH, s. the chatfinch, Frin^ilia ciElebs. More commoi
abbreviated into PvDih:,
PIG-COTE, .f. a pigsty.
P Kill IN, .c. a small wooden jxiil. one of the staves of which is 1^
longer than the rest, and serves tor a handle.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 259
PIGGIN C AWF, i. literaUy a calf doc suckled oo the cow, but fed
oot of a pail ox pigpn.
In this sense the word is oommamcited to me firoa Dklamuie. Aboo:
KXUTSFOKD mud Mobbeujet, bovcrer, the tern "J^iggim calf ~ ased 10 be
restricted to a calf reared after the corns go oot to grass, when milk
becomes
too Talaable to give to cahes, all beii^ lequiied for the cbeese-tabL Thesap
cdves were fed opoo fleedi^ instead of mflk, and were the wife's perquisite ;
cooseqoentlj she used generaDj to feed them with cream JUetim^s^ whiph are
extmneiy rich, and the calf was soon fed np to the vahie of four or fire
pounds. See Fleetings.
PIGGIN STAKE, s. a stake on which to hang milk cans.
It b often formed of a post abont fire feet h^h, with side pegs mortised
into it, like a hat stand; sometimes it is made of abranchii^ piece of oak,
peeled. It is fixed into the gioond near the kitdien door, and the milk-cans
and smaller dairy vessds are hnng npoo it after being washed and scalded.
WGGINTLE, s. a pigginful.
WGGY. See Peggy {2).
^IG-NUT, s. Bunium fitxuosum^ and occasionally the seed capsules
of Vuda syhdtica^ which children are in the habit of eating.
^*GS, 5, the divisions of an orange.
"IG'S HACK, s, the rough fat from the inside of a pig.
^IG^WINYORT, s. a dealer in pigs.
^ O VIOLET, s. Viola sylvatica^ occasionally so called. Mobberley.
^K.1;, 5, salt-making term; a one-pronged instrument (one can
- Hardly call it a fork seeing it has but one prong) used for lifting
^nd handling lumps of salt
^ ^E, z\ to pick. Norton.
"/'i:*i>i scutch."
" he calles them knaues your hignes keepe,
with -all hee caUs them somewhatt worsse,
he dare not come in without a longe staffe,
hees ffeard lest some bankrout shold pike his pursse.**
— Percy MS.^ "The pore man and the Kinge," vol. iii.,
p. 201, Hales and Fumivall ed.
^^ ^EL or POIKEL, s. a hayfork.
LET, 5. a muffin.
Randle Holme calls it a Bara-PikUtt, It **is bread made of fine flour,
^nd knodden up with Bearm, which makes it very light and spunjjy, its form
>« round about an hands breadth." — Academy of Armory, Bk. III., ch.
iii.,
P- 293.
Bara is the Welsh for bread.
**CETH0NK, s, an officious, meddlesome person. Wilmslow.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PIKING, /tf/f. joking. L.
PILCH, s, the back. Wilmslow.
Lads playing at leap-frog will say to each other, "Set thi//ZfA."
PILL, v. to peel.
«*/^7/i«^bark."
PILLARS, s. salt-mining term ; compact masses of rocksalt left
excavating a mine, extending from floor to ceiling, in order
support the overlying strata.
PILLGARLIC, 5. a thing of no value. L.
Scarcely local, and very little used in Cheshire.
PILLING IRON, s. an instrument for raising the bark of fell
oak timber.
PILLOW-BEAR, s. a pillow-case.
This word, which occurs in Chaucer, and is there spelt pilwe-btre^ was
use in Cheshire until a comparatively recent date. Tne following extrac
taken from the old township books of Pownall Fee. ** 27 May, 1782. Ai
of all the Goods &c. of Widow Dix of Pownal Fee taken by us Daniel Taj
and Edward Pierson Overseers of the Poor for the sd. Fee and Samuel T
constable for the sd. Fee aforesaid as Follows. Houseplace. A rug
Covering for a Bed a pair of sheets a Blanket a Fither bed Pillow and Pill
beur a pair of Bed -stocks," &c.
The word is also found in an inventory of property belonging to Marg
Clutton of Nantwich, 161 1. — Local Gleanings ^ Feb., 1880, p. 300, whei
is further stated that pillow cases are still called in Cheshire
pillorw-heardi
PILLOW-SLIP, X. a pillow-case.
PILPIT, 5, a pulpit. W.
PIMMEROSE or PIMROSE, s, a primrose, Primula vulgaris,
PIN, s. See Pen (i).
PINDER, s, the parish officer whose duty it is to impound st
cattle. L.
PINDERT,/^r/. burnt, dried up.
** He left his dinner i'th oon, an forgeet it, an it were pin
away. "
PIN-EYED, <z^: Polyanthuses are said to be pin-eyed when
pistil, which resembles a pin's head, is seen in the throat of
flower.
The various kinds of the genus Primula are what is called in botar
language dimorphous, that is they have two forms of flowers. In one the p
is long and reaches to the mouth of the flower, and the stamens are sh
being placed half way down the tube ; in the other the pistil only reaches
way up the tube, whilst the stamens are long and fill up the mouth of
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 26 1
tube. These latter are called thrum-eyed flowers, and as they have a richer
appearance, are preferred by florists. In fact pin-eyed flowers are not
admis-
sible for exhibition purposes.
Pin-eyed may possibly be a general gardening term, but I think thrum-
eyed is local. The more general gardening terms are, I think, pin-centred
and rose-centred.
PINFOWT, s. the pound
"You mistake ; I mean the pound, a pinfold."
— Two Gentlemen of Verona^ Act i., Sc. i.
PINGOT, s. a small croft. Wilbraham has Pingle.
WNING FOR THEIR MOTHER, idiom.
When young oats cease to draw nutriment from the seed, and begin to
feed from the soil, they very often look yellow and sickly. It is then said
that they are pining for their mother, or that they are ** being weaned
;" and
these curious expressions actually describe the physiological changes that
are
taking place in the plant. Mobberley.
^INK. SeePENK.
-^INK-EYE, s. a kind of potato.
^^NK grass, s. Carex pracox, C. glauca, and other allied species
of sedge.
^1 N'NED, atij. impounded. L.
^^^"SONS, s, a pair of pincers.
NY, s. the peony, Pceonia officinalis. See Pianet.
or PEEP, s. a single blossom where flowers grow in bunches. W.
The word is now in general use, whatever it may have been in Wilbra-
l^am's time.
^ ^^'■^ X. a small dingle or ravine, breaking out from a larger one. W.
^XF^
^^ABED, s. the dandelion, Lentodon Taraxacum.
^^^SIMOTE, s. an ant
^^'r^,apond.
•^CH, v. to pave. L.
I question whether this word is really localized in Cheshire.
!HER, 5. a tool used by stone masons to knock large pieces
off the edges of stones or flags.
•-^CH HOLE, s. the window of a hayloft through which hay or
straw are put.
*TSTEAD, s, a place where there has been a pit or a collection
of pita
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PIZZLY. mJj\ :o(^, tnftr, applied to pasture land. Nortoj^^^
PLAIN. otX/. and aJr. exposed to the wind.
*^ Its X camd shop, it sunds mj flatm^** is often said of a house.
PLANK, s. hatting term, (i) the workmen's bench or table _^-=^rrrLE.
surrounds the kettle. See Ki
(2) used metaphorically for work.
** He's getien a /CtmJt at Dentoo's " would mean that he has got
EVectJc's.
PLANKING, /aiY. hatting term. The felting of hat bodi
rolling them on a plank, and frequently immersing the
acidu.ired water.
rork ai
-hih
f th
PLASH, r. n to renew a hedge by cutting half way throug
stems, so as to bend them down.
Tb« cut stems throw op nnmeroas vertical shoots, and the bottom
hedge becomes thick again. •
"Cut vines and osier
/^k hedge of endosier.*' _ g^
— ^Tdsseb, E.D.S. ed., p. ;
(2) to splash.
PLASTER, s. salt-mining term. The common name for gypsu
A bonk along the River Weaver where the gypsum is much ex
called **/\'a/.*^ Brow." See Plaster Hill.
PLASTER FLOORS, s.
In macy old Cheshire farmhouses the cheese-room floors used to be
of an extremely hard calcareous clay, which was sometimes laid upon
but Ro: untrcquen:ly upon reeds. The material was obtxuned from seai
scaly rock, which are found in the clays of the New Red Sand
tormaiion. It was burnt and treated like Plaster of Paris. There are
many of these doors now existing in houses, but one is to be seen, or
very lately 10 be seen, at Mr. Thomas Dale's house in Morley. I have
with iherc, however, once or twice in repairing old farmhouses. The
material was used for bam floors : and in out-of-the-way places there may^
several of these stiil left. The fodder -bing in my own farm buildings
Mobl>erley, which were built about 2co years ago, still has the original
floor. It is perfectly hard though somewhat uneven, and has certainly
deteriorated during the last forty years.
PLASTER HILL, x.
On the banks of the river BolHn, in the neighbourhood of Mobberley ai^ ^^
Styall, there are one or two high escarpments of clay containing calcareoi;^
'^
bands of shaly stone. These escarpments, and especially one on the
Ovcrslr,^^^
Ford farm, are called plaster hills. They furnished the material for the har^
^^
clay floors described above.
PLAT, s, a small flat bridge over a stream or gutter, or where ^
ditch is carried by means of pipes across a gate-place.
About Frodsham the watercourse itself under the plat is called the Trmnk,
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 263
PLAT, V, (i) to plait, as straw is plaited for a hat.
(2) used metaphorically for crossing the legs.
Leigh says, " upon enquiry about the antecedents of a man and his wife
■who had died very suddenly of cholera, my informant told me they were
very
respectable people, but both loved a sope of drink ; and that he had often
seen them plaiting their legs as they were returning home market
]>eart."
PLATTER, s. a plate.
"A beast's heart's a very profitable piece, it covers iW platters "
1.^., you
can cut good large slices.
PLATTER, v. "to platter along" is to walk in an awkward and
scrambling way, like a man with bad corns. L.
PLATTER DOCK, J. Potamogeton, L. More commonly Flatter
Dock, which see.
PLAY ONE'S SELF, v, to be not working, either intentionally or
of necessity.
A man who is unable to get any work is said to be " playing him."
Mill
hands when on strike are * * playing them. " The expression is extended
to
horses standing idle in the stable.
^LAZE or PLEEASE, v. (i) to please.
(2) to satisfy with a gift, in money or other-
wise, in payment for some service
rendered ; to fee a person.
In my practice as a land-agent I have frequently been told, *' If you will
i&rrange this for me with so-and-so, I'll please you," z.^.,
"I'll pay you for
your services."
•*Once ended thy haruest let none be begilde,
please such as did helpe thee, man, woman and childe."
— TussER, E.D.S. ed., p. 132.
Very often the "pleasing" seems to be offered in the light of a
l^ribe. Thus, a tenant, anxious for a farm, has sometimes said to me, ** Now,
ii" you'll get that farm for me, V\\ please you."
ASIN, s. choice, ordering.
A little boy said to his uncle : ** Uncle, vfhosc p/easin is it what we have
fcr dinner ? yours or my aunt's ?"
CK, s, a place. Wilmslow, but rarely used.
" This is the very //<rr/-."
CKS, s, a term in haymaking, applied to the square beds of
dried grass. Halliwell.
.E, v. to play. W. Ches.
^LEURISY STITCH, s, the pleurisy. Mobberley.
A man is never said to be suffering from pleurisy, but that he has ^'getten
9. pleurisy stitcA,**
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PLIM, adj, perpendicular.
PLIM, V, to plumb with a plummet.
PLIM-BOB, a plummet hung to a string for the purpose of ascer-
taining if work is perpendicular.
PLOO, J. a plough.
Formerly pronounced with a strong guttural sound, ploogh,
PLOO, V, to plough.
PLOO CLATES, s. iron wedges belonging to a plough.
** The Plcw elates, a kind of Wedge to raise the Beam higher or lower, lo
make it strike accordingly into the ground." — Academy of Armory, Bk.
III.,
ch. viii., p. 333.
PLOO COCK, s. the front portion of a plough beam.
** The Plow Cock, is the Iron to tye the Oxen to the V\omJ**— Academy
of Armory, Bk. III., ch. viii., p. 333.
It is given as distinct from the Buck which is said to be the iron "
which
the Horses are tyed unto."
PLOOD TO DEEATH, idiom, land which has been too long in
tillage, and has been impoverished thereby, is sometimes so
described. Mobberley.
PLOOING DAY, j.
Wlien a new tenant enters a farm, it is customary for his neighbours to
give him a day's ploughing. He goes round, generally with some friend
who lives in the place, to invite them to come on a certain day, when dinner
is provided, and a considerable amount of ploughing is done for the new
comer. I lately let a farm to a young man who had so many friends anxious
to help him, that no less than forty teams made their appearance in his field
on ploughing day. It was rather too much of a good thing, for they got in
each other's way ; and the piece of ground that each team had to plough was
so small that the work was finished long before dinner was ready, whereupon
the men all grumbled, and squabbled amongst themselves ; and when at last
the dinner made its appearance there was not enough for so many mouths.
This caused more grumbling, and altogether the day, which had beien begun
with such good intentions, was a complete failure— an excellent illustration
of the old saying, ** Save me from my friends !"
PLOO-PADS, s. the soft, padded saddles which support the chains
of a plough horse. Mobberley.
PLOO STAFF, s. a paddle for scraping earth from a plough-share.
** The lioiv Staff QXid Poddle, by which the man cleaneth the Plow from
clogged Earth or Mould." — Academy 0/ Armory ^ Bk. III., ch. viiL, p.
333.
PLOO TAILS, s, the handles of a plough.
** The PUivtailsox Stilts." — Acouicmy of Armory, Bk. III., ch. viii.,
p. 333
'* To be brought up at \.\iQ ploo-tcUr' is equivalent to saying that a person
is a peasant
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 265
PLOO WITH DOGS, idionu used to express the slowest possible
way of doing a thing.
" My knife is so blunt I might as "v^ plough wUh dogs,^^ L.
PLUG, X. (i) a pull.
(2) a piece of wood to stop a hole.
(3) a wedge of wood driven into brickwork for the purpose
of nailing anything to a wall, the nail fastening into
wood better than into mortar.
^PLUG, v. to pull the hair.
PLUG UPPARTS, the same as Lug Upparts, which see.
PLUM-PUDDING, s. the plant EpiloMum hirsutum.
POBS, s, bread and milk.
POCK-FRETTEN, part, marked with the smallpox. L.
POD, see Pad.
PODDER, s. one who gathers field peas for market.
POD THE HOOF, see Pad the Hoof.
POISONING, part, salt-making term ; said of a pan when some
ingredient is pOt into it to make the brine work differently ; or
to prevent it working freely and properly.
POKERS, s. the bulrush, lypha latifolia, W. Ches.
K)LER, 5. a barber. Halliwelu
POLER, v. See Powler.
POLITITIONER, s. a politiciaa L.
POLLER. See Powler.
POLLIANTS, 5. garden polyanthuses. Dukinfield.
POLLY, s, 2l polled cow.
POLSY, adj. bad, spoUt.
"/^Zrr hay," badly got hay. L.
POMPER, v. to pamper. Mobberley.
PON, s. a pan.
POO, v. to pull.
"Aw*ll><w thoi yure for the."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
POOD BY A PAP, idiom, milked. Mobberley.
'* Oo's as good a little kye as ever wox pood by a pap,*^
POOR MAN'S TREACLE, s. garlick, AUium, L.
Gerard assigns this name to Allium jaHvum, but does not give it specially
as a Cheshire name.
POOR MAN'S WEATHER-GLASS, s. the pimpernel, Anagallis
arvensis.
POOT, s. a pullet.
POOTHER, s, powder, dust. Also PUDDER (Wilmslow).
« What tipoolMer tha kicks up wi' thi brush !"
POP, X. ginger beer.
POP, V, to pawn.
POP OFF, v. to die.
«• Brother Bill popped ^sudden, didn't he ?"
POPPET, X. a term of endearment for a child.
POPPILARY or PEPPILARY, s. the poplar tree. W.
POPPY, s. com cockle. Lychnis Giihago. W. Ches.
RIPPY SHOW or PUPPY SHOW, s. a peep show.
Childrxrn place flowers behind a small piece of glass, and fold all up in
paper. They then cut a trapdoor in the paper, and make it into a sort of
|<e|>e!^>w. E&ch person who looks at it has to pay a pin.
IVP-^HOP. *\ a pawn shop.
IVRRl R H, s. porridge.
Thi:js Hke several other kinds of semi-liquid food, is a plural noun.
IMRRllVH PIES, s. porridge pies. Wilmslow and the neigh-
K>urhvHxi,
These were rused pies made of coarse flour, and the crust very hard ;
thev we<e txUevi with a sort of batter composed chiefly of flour and
treacle,
Atxi >ftete :>eei\ At nvxnT of the £umhoases some forty or fifty years
ago. They
>ftetv >xrK> ;Kin^ azhi by no means relished by the farm servants
for whom
c>N ^ we;e mjivie. I shvHiU think these dainties are quite things of the
past ;
m r^c,. tjktra >efvjLn:5 are oKHe particular now-a-days, and would not
tolerate
s:;\^ xWM-se \vvL Tncy were occasianally filled with rice.
1\>SN K l\ >; a:x ;r\>n or brass pan for making posset.
^^\\t' An xrAx-atory v'^* wv>penv belonging to Margery Glutton of
Nantwich.
\x^u , A-4. v^vt%t<,,-y, laa.. iSSo» p. 264.
V\XSS :o \v<>^ i$ ;\ kx^ulor punishment common among marlers
>* "x ^ .r'>'or.<* cvMwcs Ute to work in the morning.
^. c > V s- Jtctv^s^ a hv>rse with his posteriors exposed, and struck
on them
m ^ V '.*, v.v\: x^ a s^N»v*.e by the head workman called the lord of the
marl
^ ^^ l>^ $cras^ ctt$^^cEl is Uke the ■■ilii% itself quite
obsolete.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 267
POSSET, v. to dance. Delamere.
•* Sammy, ItVsfossdt,"
POSSITy v. to bring up small quantities of food as a baby does.
POST AND PETRIl' I ^' ^^^^^ woodwork fixed on stone.
POTATO CAKE, PRATO CAKE, or TATER CAKE, s. a tea
cake made of mashed potatoes and flour in equal parts, buttered,
and eaten hot
There is another kind called "grathert tater-cakg** (grated potato
cake),
which is thus made: The raw potatoes are grated on a large grater and are
mixed with flour, occasionally currants, and milk to the consistence of
batter. The batter is poured on a backstone and baked over the fire.
F^OT BAW, s. a dumpling.
"A Pot-Ball^ or Dumpling or baked of Bread " is enumerated amongst
the dishes for the "First Coursse" in a Bill of Fare given by
Randle
Holme {Academy of Armory^ Bk. III., ch. iii., p. 79).
I^OT CROCKER, s, a boy employed in a large garden, who learns
the rudiments of the gardener's art.
One of his frequent occupations is to break up "crocks" or
potsherds
with which the flower-pots are drained, hence the name.
^OTE, V, to poke or kick. Wilmslow.
" H^potes aw th* dooas off" him i* bed."
POTINGER, s. a porringer or cup.
From an inventory of property belonging to Margery Glutton of Nantwich,
161 1. — Local GUanings^ Feb., 1880, p. 299.
POT MARVILS, s, the commonest kind of boys* marbles made of
unglazed earthenware.
POTTER, V, to disturb or confound. W.
POTTERED, part, confused, disturbed. W.
POTTERING, part, fumbling, working without result.
Used also adjectively, ** He's a potterin owd chap."
POTTLE, J. a measure of two quarts. L.
Leigh gives as an old Cheshire saying, '' Who would keep a cow when he
can have z^pottU of milk for a penny ?**
K)UND, $.
A pound of butter used formerly to weigh eighteen ounces generally
throughout Cheshire, but in certain markets the weight varied.
POUND PEAR, s. an old-fashioned variety of pear.
It was very large, very hard, and most excellent for stewing, but totally
unfit for eating uncooked. A very old tree in my garden was blown down
many years ago, and I have never seen one since.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
POUSE-DIRT, s. anything inferior or dirty.
POUSEMENT, s. the same as Pousedirt.
POVERTY-WEED, s. the ox-eye daisy, Chrysanthemum Leucan-
themum. L.
POW, s. a pole.
POW, v. to cut the hair.
POWCHER, s. a poacher. PEAWCHER (Wilmslow).
POWER, s. a large quantity.
** K power o* money."
POWERATION, s. a large quantity.
The word occurs in a manuscript note in a copy of Wilbraham's Glossary,
written apparently about 1826. Halliwell gives it as a west-country word,
but it would seem to have been in use in Cheshire at the banning of this
century.
POW-FAGGED, adj. (i) tired out, exhausted with work, either
manual or mental.
(2) applied, in a secondary sense probably,
to bad, rough mowing, as if it were
done by men who were tired out.
POWK, s, a pimple or small pustule.
POWLER, v. to ramble about, to prowl.
*' After a bit o* snow th* grass is sweet, and th' sheep pcwUm
after it like anny think."
Wilbraham has also Poller, explaining it "to beat the water with a pole,
and figuratively to labour without effect ;" and Leigh has PoLER, to
toddle
about doing little things.
POWSE, 5. (i) dirt, filth, dregs.
(2) also used in a semi-metaphorical sense to describe
anything which is troublesome or destructive.
** Rappits is vizxy potvsey
POWSELS AND THRUMS, s, dirty scraps and rags.
PO WSY, adj, full of powse, or dust
PR ATA, J. a potato.
PRATA-CLODS, s, tough sods cut from a peat bog, used fc>T
covering potato and turnip hogs to keep off the frost.
PRATE, z/. to utter the noise made by a hen before she lays.
PR ATT Y, adj, pretty, handsome.
A good-looking man is even called ** a pratty mon."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 269
PREPARING THEIR BOBS. Said of fir-trees enlarging their
cones, which swell as the spring advances. L.
PRESBYTERIAN ROAD, idiom, passing the bottle the wrong
way. L.
PRESPERATION, s. perspiratioa
A very general provindalism.
PRESS, J. (i) a coffin.
Leigh gives this on the authority of Wilbraham, but I am unable to find
it either in the 1820 or the 1826 edition, and I think it is an error.
(2) 21 linen or clothes chest.
PRICKED, part, fermented.
Said of preserves in which a slight vinous fermentation has commenced.
PRICKER, J. (i) a prickle or thorn.
(2) salt-mining term; a tool used in charging a hole
for blasting.
It is a short iron rod inserted after the powder is put in, to keep an
opening for the fuse.
PRiCK-MEET, adj. fastidious, exact, particular.
PR.ICK NOTES, v. to copy music.
^RlCK THE LOAF, v. "is to make little holes on the top of the
loaf with a Bodkin.*' — Academy of Armory^ Bk. III., ch. iii., p. 85.
This refers to pricking bread before putting it into the oven, for what
purpose I do not know. It is now generally done with a steel fork.
^IDE, s. to have a pride in his pace, or way of going, is a quaint
ironical way of saying a man is lame. L.
^R'lESTS' PINTLE, s. the early purple orchis. Orchis mascula.
^ISON BARS, s. the game known as Prisoners' Base.
It used always to be played at Mobberley wakes in one of my fields, but
has become quite obsolete for many years.
^I^-I THE, interj, pray.
A lady of my acquaintance considered it best to feed her children at stated
times, and never to allow them to eat between meals. This was rather con-
trary to the Cheshire adage: "Eat when you're hungry, and drink when
you re dry." A neighbour commenting upon the delicate look of one of
these
children gave my friend the following good advice: ** Pri tAe, woman 2
dunna bring em up by rule ; you know —
' A child and a chicken
Should always be pickin.'"
This last is a very common Cheshire saying.
^^IVATE, s. hatting term ; the particular mark by which a work-
man knows his own work.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PRIVILUS, adj. of little value. Mow Cop.
Perhaps from fnvoloiift tlKNuh not laed in quite tbe samcTtf
wofd is used to denote a thing ot little Yalne — a matter of aoBall i
It is never apptied to peraons; so weneverspeakofa/rMAitrjoti
and we have no such woid as privc^ty.
PRIVY, f. privet, Ugustrum vuiffnt.
" S^frimi or prim,
set boze like nim."— TassiE, E.D.S. e
PROCKLEIN, f. old Iwown earthenware. Delambre.
PRODIGAL^ adj. (i) extravagant
A man sowing seed too thickly would be told by the &nner, '
so prodigal wi' tmit seed; it winna hode ite."
(2) smart looking. Wirral.
A gallows /fVtffii^diap is a smart, conceited kind of man.
(3) violent, impetuous. L.
PROFFER, v. to offer.
" forth came an old KnisAit
pattering oie a creede*
& tut preferred io this little boy
20 markes to his meede."
--<*Boy and Mantle," 1. 83, voL il
Hales and FurnivaU e
PROKE, v. to poke.
•'/VvArth' fire a bit."
PROKER, 5. a poker.
PRONOUNCIATION, s. pronunciation.
An old joiner who had worked for three generations of my fa
great local preacher amongst the Wesleyans. On one occasion W'
cussing together something about Church matters, I forget
amongst other things he informed me that he frequently went t
rector at church, and was very fond of listening to his sermons;
he continued, **I*ve learnt more from Mr. M than from
VxiOTt— especially in pronaunciatum.
PROSPERATION, s. prosperity. L.
PROTESTANTS, s. a variety of potato ; almost, if not c
now.
PROUD, adj, pleased.
" I'm sure I*m very proud io see you."
PROUD CARPENTER, s. the plant Prunella vulgaris. 1
PROVABLE, adj, said of com that yields well.
PROVANT, 5. com, chopped hay, and such like dry food
horses.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 27 1
PROVE, v. to prove pregnant, spoken of cattle. W.
Misquoted by Leigh as "pave.**
PROW, v. to prowL
PROW ITE, PROW EAWT (prowl out), v. to seek food. Mob-
BERLET.
Cows are said to prow tie when they spread over the fields in search of
new pasture in the spring.
PRUDENT, adj. chaste.
PRUSSIAN ROCK, s. salt-mining term; the rock salt as got,
large and small together.
PX-JDDER, see Poother.
DDINGS, J. intestines.
DDINING,/aff. presenting an egg, a handful of salt, and a bunch
of matches to a new-bom infant. — Leigh's Ballads and Legends
of Cheshire^ Note, p. 65.
^XJDGE, J. (i) a short, fat persoa
It is sometimes applied as a soubriquet. Many years ago a man of this
baild kept the "Bird m Hand" public house, at Mobberley, who went
by the
name of Pudge Graisty.
(2) dirt, rubbish; often applied to bad mortar, or to
loamy sand unfit for making mortar.
" It's good t' nowt ; it's nohW pudge,''
^UPF, s, breath.
• • Wait a bit, I'm out of puff, "
^XJPFLE, v. (i) to swell
(2) to put one out of breath.
** Going up \nVLpuffles me."
Also used intransitively, as, "I'm <imit puffled,'*
^UgGIL, s, rubbish. Mow Cop.
The word is usually used to denote something bad or inferior in the shape
of food.
** It's nowt hvXpuggil,''
^^ GORFIN, V, to make faces. L.
ULL, s, advantage.
'* We desarven a pull nye." As much as to say, ** you've had the advan-
tage hitherto ; now it ought to be our turn. "
^UMMER, adj. big, plump. L.
272
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2626)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
PUMMICES, s.
** Sheep Fummices is the Head, Heart, Lights, Liver and Wind-Pipe of a
Sheep all hanging together. Lambs Pumices^ is the same of a Lamb."—
Acaaemy of Armory, Bk. HI., ch. iii., p. 88.
PUN, V, to pound
PUNCE,) ^^
PUNCH, f ^- ^^^^*^'
The first form is used, I think, more especially on the Lancashire borders.
PUNCH ROD, s.
'* Is With or Wreathen Stick turned about the Head of a fire punch to
hold it on the hot Iron while it is striking through or making a hole in
it." —
Academy of Armory ^ Bk. III., ch. iii., p. 89.
Enumerated amongst '* Terms used by Smiths and Farriers."
PUNGER, V, to puzzle or confound.
A farmer in distress said, " I am so pungered^ I know not which eaver to
turn to." W.
PUNGOW, V, PUNGOWING, part Very much the same as
PuNGER. To bother, bothering, wearing.
" To lead a threppoing, pungowing life*' means the sort of life where it
is
hard to make both ends meet, when one is puzzled how to get on ; a hand-
to-mouth sort of existence. L.
PUNISH, V, to cause pain.
** This tooth docs punish me above a bit."
PUNISHMENT, j. pain.
** Aw pinched my thumb i'th* durr, an it were Siwfu* punisAmeHi.'
PUNNER, s, a piece of wood used for pounding or beating in the
soil when filling up a hole, as in setting posts and rails. Also a
ivaviour s rammer.
PUPPY SHOW. See Poppy Show.
rUR» r. ii) to kick.
{2) to beat or bang. Altrinxham.
rURcUNc^i Kl.AX, ^. Linum caiharticunL W. Ches.
riRlKlV^^ ^ „ , , .^ . ^
rrKKKl> \f^^^^ pullcvi down with sickness.
n SU n 00, >. a ivaring plough, worked by hand and pushed
IvtvMv iho pUvaghman in order to ^vire off sods for burning.
Tawjx^ Ano humu-^: i'^ proh.iN::<\i in some old-fashioned Cheshire leases.
\ \\^.\ \\\\y\\ y.xs Kvn jVAixvi m::h ^^ne of these inslnirocnts is said to
' A vvN 5\,vv: '^ Vhcv Apf A'nv^ ob!k^>:e in Cheshire, but I have sec
« -s x; >*,n;W, xs;\ tw^*:;^i<\i ivAi K^, mithin the last twenty years.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 273
PUTHERY, adj, hot, close— said of weather.
PUT IN, v. to rake up hay into windrows ready for leading,
PUTTEN, part. put.
PUTTER, v. PUTTERING, part, an unhealthy state of the body
of cattle, when the skin feels as if it had paper under it L.
PUTTIN ON, idiom, used substantively for a makeshift ; a tempo-
rary supply.
** It*s not a livin; it*s on'y ^puttin on,"
PUT THE PEG IN, idiom, to put a veto upon anything
When a shopkeeper will trast no more he puts the peg in.
This expression has its origin in the method adopted to fasten an ordinsury
thumb latch which can be opened from the outside; or perhaps it had its
origin before thumb latches became common, when a door latch was opened
Irom the outside by means of a piece of string or a thong which passed
through a hole in the door. By pulling the string the latch was raised. In
other cases the latch was raised by pushing one finger through a round hole
in the door immediately under the latch. The latch, however, can be
effectually locked by putting a peg of wood above it into the carry latch,
PYDIE, J. a chaffinch, Fringilla Calebs,
PYNCK, J. a pinch.
*• Aye pyntkes is your pay e,**— Chester Plays, L, p. 126. L.
^4
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2628)
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GLOSSARY.
Q-
QUAA& r. to qiuck like a dnck, but apptied metaphoria^^=^y> or
densreh-, to anjtxie who chatters and gossips. Wilmslo^^ ^^-
^ He s a28s
and
)leto
pretty
QUAKERS, j: qniking giass, ^ma wtedia, Gerard.
sajs it "is called in Chediiie, aboat Nantwicfa,
bot vbedber ke intended this as one name or two I am ui^^
Aboci WSflukm- it is called Trkmbung Grass. It is also
^euBHuij known as Qcakixg Gras&
QUAKING GRASSl See Quakers.
QU AUFIED, sJj\ (i) able, capable.
(2) in good circnmstances.
A lac^ Bin WDsld be said to be qmalifiid,
QUALITY or QUALITY FOLKS, s. the upper classes.
*' Go's bin 60a vom, an' bin Tisitin among th' quality,**
QUAXK. a:X quiet. L., who probably copied it from P^ge,
cives i: as a Cheshire word.
I: 2s sow q^iie obsolete, if indeed it was ever in use.
QUARREL, i: (I ' a pane of glass.
12 a square flooring tile; also Quarry.
« 3 • apparently an old, and perhaps the original
for a stone quarry.
«>i=aiTT Bank« a hrm bouse in Morley, wbicb takes its name from
::«-x\\im:tT to a stone qoany, is called in the old township books of Po
V<e. vVJp-rri!:." /»L^; and it was so oJled by old people forty or
fifty ]
siac«w Mr. Earwaker, in his East Ckeskirtt states that in the lease of the
xYt which Messrs. Greg's cotton mill stands, dated 1778, the place b
QUARREL PICKER, j. a soubriquet for a glazier. L.
Appuently quoted from Halliwell, who does not state that it is a Cheshire
QUART, X* a measure, is pronounced to rhyme with Cart,
■ :ixr^:ii:
GLOSSARY. 275
QUARTER, s. (i) die fomdi port of a cxiw's odder; pronoonced to
rimne wtth Carter.
\Kiba soov; fraa anr aoodcBt, oases to g;ive milk from ooe teat, slie b
aid '*tD hsve lost a
1 2) a saw^^ers tenn.
Vhen ft lag of wood is cat into fioar pieces li^t through the middle, it is
aidiDbecMt ''an the
QUARTER, r. to drire a cait or carnage so that the wheeb shall
not ran in the old rats.
It ii spoken of as *' ^MBrtfrrai^ the wheds."
QUARTER WOODy s. a piece of timber, four square and four inches
thicL BiiiLET.
" Qmarier womi att the wkhe howses " is mentioiied in an inTentory
of
propoty iMliHifcim^ to SlaigciyChittaii of Nantwich, 161 1. — Locml
Gltanimgs^
Feb., iSSo^ p. loOL
It ii stated in fiphnation that no coal was osed in the sah-hooses in
Kantwicfa at that time, and there were laws regulating the amount of
0Mrt!(r mm/ allowed to each wiche-house by the Rnleis of Walling.
QUEASY, adj. qualmish. \L4CCLksfielix
QUEECE, s. a wood pigeon, Calumba palumbus,
^Vilbnham speOs it Qtuest.
QUEEN ANN, J. one of the names for a coloured butterfly.
RuKcoRN. See French Butterflee and Red Drummer.
QUEENING, J. an old variety of apple mentioned by Randle
Holme.
" The Qtueninf^ is a {aix and striped Apple, and beautiful in its
Season,
"^t kind of Winter YraaxJ"— Academy of Armory^ Bk. III., ch. iu.,
p, 4S.
QUEENING, /tfr/. an occasional pronunciation of Coining. Mob-
BERLEY.
" He's queenin money."
QUEEN'S FE.\THER, s. London Pride, Sari/raga umbrosa. L
QUEERE, s, a choir. Prestbury Church Accounts, 1572.
Also frequently so called in the Chapter accounts of Chester Cathedral. L.
This is stiU the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire pronunciation of choir. See
'^D.S. Glossaries. Tnsser uses the same word —
" The better brest, the better rest.
To serve the Qu^ere^ now there now heere."
— five Hundred Paints, E.D.S. ed., p. 2o6l
***« niodem pronunciation is Coir, and about WiLMSLOW Queigkrt.
QUEER STREET, idiom, a dilemma.
" He's in queer 'street.''^
QUEIGHT, s. a quoit. Wilmslow.
276
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2629)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
QUEIGHT, adv, quite. Wilmslow, Mobbsrley.
QUEIGHTIN, part, playing at quoits. Wilmslow.
QUEINT, adj, quaint
(«
A queiiU lad," a fine lad, used ironically. L.
QUELL, v. to subdue; a word of very frequent use in Cheshire ^^
" YoQ mon's goin' mad ; see if you can qtiell him."
"Th* feire has getten sitch a yed, we shan ne'er be able to qutU ^
QUERK, J. (i) anything out of the square.
<<
A nook shoten pane of glass, or any pane whose sides and top run ou'
, Bk. IIL,
of a square form." — Academy of Armory^ Bk. IIL, ch. ix., p. 385.
(2) a twist or quibble.
*'Aw*s no* straight theere ; there's a querk somewheer."
"He wer axin him a quesht'n wi' a bit of a qiurk in it."
(3) an ornamental pattern knitted in the ankle of a
stocking. Macclesfield, but not very commonly
used.
QUESHTN, s. a question.
QUEST, s. an inquest
QUICKS, 5. young hawthorn plants for hedges.
QUIFF, J. a dodge, a quirk. Mow Cop.
"Thccr'sa^«iyinit."
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QUIFTING POTS, s, half gills, a measure for drink. L.
QUILE, s, a small hay cock. The same word is used in the plural.
About Wilmslow pronounced queiU,
QUILE, V, to make hay into quiUs,
" They're agate o' quilin th' hay."
QUILL, X. silk-weaving term. The bobbin oi shoot or woof put in
the shuttle.
QUILLET, s, a small plot of land lying within the property of
another proprietor, and not separated therefrom by any fence.
Chiefly used in W. Ches.
Of course the owner of the quillet has a right of road to his property.
There is a piece of land called ** The Quillet " which formerly belonged
to
the Marquis of Cholmondeley, but was surrounded by other land belonging
to Sir Richard Brooke.
•* Lot 6. Nine pieces of land, being Quillets in Big Maes Ewlin." — From
particulars of Auction Sale by Messrs. Churton, Elphick, & Co., at
Chester,
Oct. 8th, 1881.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 2/7
3UILLET STONES, s. boundary stones to mark where one man's
quillet ends and another begins. L.
^XJILT, v. to beat
iUlLTING, s. a beating.
iUlRKEN, v. to choke. L.
^UlST, v. to twist. MOBBERLEY.
There are many people in Cheshire who use this pronunciation in several
words that begin with tw, as, for instance,
Quig for twig,
Quenty „ twenty,
Quelve „ twelve,
bat the rule is by no means universal.
QUISTED, adj\ twisted, spiral. Mobberley
"Jeffrey Bray's getten some owd-andent chairs wi' ^«f>/^^
rails."
QUITE BETTER, adj. entirely recovered from sickness.
QUYSION, s. a cushion.
"It. y]quysions • , . , v« — ." — From an inventory of the property
of Margery Clutton of Nantwich, itii .^Local Gleanings^ Jan.« 1880, p. 262,
278
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2632)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
R.
RABBIDGE, s, a rabbit L.
RABBLED, part, ravelled, entangled.
RABBLEMENT, s, a rabble, a noisy crowd.
RACCONALS, s. cowslips and ozlips, Primuia verts and
variabilis, Sutton, near Frodshazn.
In use some forty or fifty years since, but now, I think, obscdete.
RACE, s, (i) a series of anything, a row.
(2) a track.
A wheel rate is the place in a com mill where the wheel tarns.
RACHE, v. to smoke.
" Chimley raches:' L.
RACK, s, weeds, sticks, and rubbish of all kinds brought down b^
stream.
RACK or RACK OFF, v, to pour off liquor from one cask ^^
another.
RACK OTH' EYE, idiom, judging by the eye instead of ^"f
measurement.
in it."
•* Aw con tell by th* rack oUh^ eye as stack has abeawt fowec
it."
** He'd noo pattern; he made it by th* reuk d^th* eye,**
RACK UP, v. to choke up, as a drain becomes choked
sediment.
It is used actively, as '' I doubt this drain '11 soon rack up;** and we
speak of a drain being ** racked up."
RACKED UP,/^r/. (i) choked up.
(2) in difficulties, sold up.
(3) brick or stone pavement is said to
racked up when the joints are filled
with gravel or grout
RADDLE, v. to beat.
* • A w 'II raddle thi bones for thee. "
-C-on
2th
u3so
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(Glossary of Words Used In the County of Chester. 1886.) (delwedd H2633)
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 279
RADDLE AND DAWB (or DOBE), s.
The old Cheshire buildings were framed with timber which formed
squares. Long sticks were wound together between the timber, forming a
sort of basketwork or ra€ldUy upon which clay, and clay mixed with chopped
straw, was plastered. This was the dobe^ the whole forming a raddle ana dobe
house. See Dawber.
RADICAL, s. a very favourite variety of early potato. Mobberley,
MiDDLEWICH.
I have known this '* breed " for more than forty years, and I think they
are still in existence.
RADLING, s, a long stick or rod, either from a staked hedge, or
from a barn wall made with long sticks twisted together and
plastered with clay. W.
RAFE^ prop, name, this is always the pronunciation of Ralph in
Cheshire, and occasionally it is so spelt
RAG, s, the tongue.
RAG, v. to rifle.
To rag a bird's nest is to rob it of the eggs.
RAGGAMUFFIN, adj. idle, loose, scampish.
" He*s sitch raggamuffin wa3rs wi* him."
RAGGED ROBIN, s. the cuckoo-flower lychnis, Lychnis Flos-cuculL
RAG JACK, s, the goosefoot, Chenopodium album, Rostherne.
RAGMANNERT, adj. of rude manners.
** He's a very ragmannert sort o* chap."
RAIN, 5.
We have a very carious saying about rain, " Rain has such narrow
shoulders, it will get in anywhere." L.
RAINBOW, J. (i) it is said
"A rainbow at night is the shepherd's delight ;
A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd's warning ;"
and, " If you run to the place where the rainbow touches the earth, you
will
find a bag of money."
(2) the hairy caterpillar of the tiger moth is sometimes
called a rainbow^ and is said to portend rain
when it crosses your path.
RAIND (pronounced almost like ryni)^ adj, (i) round.
Warburton in his Hunting Songs has RoiND. About Wilmslow it is
Reawnd.
(2) coarse.
**Raind, or reawnd male" is coarse oatmeal.
2»
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
RAIXD-ABATT, mij. not direct.
^A xrxx raimi^mimit raid."
AbcKC WiLHsiiTV ^■iiwmn! Reawnd-abeawt.
** To ^ r9mc-«Mn€ for th' ncrt road " is a proverb applied when on^ ^
Mniiiiji't a s^KKt cat and it proves longer than the ordinary way.
RAIXD^HAISE or REAWND-HEAWSE, i: a lock-up or local^
WlUfSLOV.
RAlXTRSs ^ i^cms Ibr dxirii^ Mobberley.
XAK-TUB, J. a ntcr-txm.
RAISE OXE DOWNSTAIRS, TO, idiom, a Cheshire saying which
xDoms gecix^ a disakdrantage instead of an advantage, like being
Tni.v? oi^e ol the hands of a mill after having been an over-
idocer. L.
RAISE THE WEIXD, iiitm. to get means.
RAK£>FIR£. ^. used metaphorically for one who comes to pay a
aDd s:aTS vcfj late. See Rake the Fire.
RAKELL. JL a tborocghlj bad man.
RARER, j. I • sa2t>making tenn; a piece of flat iron at the end of
a long handle, used for raking the salt off the
nres and to the sides of the pan.
^r a big lump of coal by means of which a cottage fire
is usually kept in through the night. Mow Cop.
RAS.E THE FIRE, r. to pile slack, Le.^ small coal, upon the
fcrrcher. f.nf r^o-re going to bed, so that it may remain burning
iU ru^'~: JLiNi sire the trouble of lighting it in the early morning.
T^Ls » a rstr jsoetal practice in o!d-&shioned farm-houses. There arc
»K=T Sas!<s vbere ibe ki:cben nre only goes oat once a week that the grate
;:r *J>? 5ii:^i:xx;ibsxxi of peat bogs turf hassocks are generally used
for
RARIXOS, ^\ :he scattered com raked up in a cornfield after the
vxvr. 1$ s^x^ked.
TVv u$;^;t girt a g^xxi deal dirtied with the soil, and are frequently
«t«:V(t«v!. They are moistly kept by themselves, and threshed at once for
^(c«t vXNTK xY pig-meit. The scattereii hay raked up after the crop is
carried
» juK" kDO«Q as raim^s,
RARkVSlN, Jjr\ noisv. boisterous.
RAl I W .< A rush, impetus
** in> quieily, dunna go i* such a ra//y."
** rh* waggon coom deawn th* broo wi' a rally"
RAl l.\\ n to recover or revive. Mobberley.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 281
REAM* I ^' *^ Stretch out the arm as if to reach anything. W.
See Rawm, which is also given by Wilbraham, and which is the present
piooonciation of the word.
K-AIIMEL or RAMMIL, J. (i) broken bits of branches used for fire-
wood, or any other rubbishy bits.
" It. %ve wayne loads of Coles, some Ramellt Kids, pooles (poles), &
a
stone trough." — From an inventory of property belonging to Margery
Clatton of Nantwich, l6ii. — Local Gleanings^ Feb., 1880, p. 297.
The broken bits of turf at the bottom of a stack are also called ramnul,
(2) stony or brashy subsoil.
K-A3(f MELLY, adj. partaking of the character of brash or gravel.
^^-A.BiMY} adv. tasting or smelling strong like a ram. Mobberley.
A boar when he is killed " tases very rammy."
RAMPAGEOUS, adj. boisterous.
RAMPICKED, adj. a rampicked tree is a stag-headed tree. W.
Those trees which die at the top are so called.
Randan, $, the very coarsest flour, or rather the very finest bran,
ground almost as fine as flour.
Random, adj. irregular.
A random wall is one built of stones of various shapes and sizes, in con*
tradistinction to a " coursed *' wall, which is built of squared stones.
Random flags are flags of all sizes, not ranked,
^^ANGER, s, salt-making term ; a long poker used for stirring up
the fires.
^ANGE stake, 5. the wooden stake to which cows are tied in the
shippon. W. Ches. See Ratch Stake and Ring Stake.
" She'd like the boose, but not the range-stake *' is a Cheshire
sa3ring, the
meaning of which is that a young woman who was courted liked the suitor's
house and fortune, but not to be tied to him.
Range is pronounced to rhyme with "flange."
^^^K, 5. a ** rank of flag" is a row all of one width.
^ANK, adj. vexed, in a passion.
" He wer rank when he seed aw th* milk knocked o'er into th'
groop behind th* keaw."
See RoNK and its compounds.
^ANSTIEST, mperl. adj difficult, hard.
" It*s the ranstiest job that au ever heard on." L.
WANTING WIDOW, s. the plant Epilobium angustifolium.
^ety frequent in cottage gardens, and so called from its exuberant growth,
ftt least io explained to me by a cottager.
^ANTIPOW, s. a see-saw. Hyde.
T
282 CHESHIRE GIjOSSARY.
RAP AXD RING, iditmu scnpe together. L.
RAP- A-T AGs, 5. a name for a ne'er-do-well, a scamp. I^
RAP OUT, r. to break oat into bad language.
It xSso n:iicr iap&sthK: thae fatt been a {xerioosattaiipt to soppftss
RAPPIT, j: a labbiL
RAPPIT rr, ertL a mfld fonn of imprecatioa.
RARE, r. to rear.
RASE-BRAINED, adf. violent, impetuous. W.
RASSERT, aJj\ (i) vexed, ill-tempered.
1 2) done upL Wiliislow.
** He 000 go noo fan ; he's rassertJ*
RATCH, J. the space in a loom between the jam-beam and t
healds.
RATCH STAKE, x. the stake to which a cow is tied in the shippo
Mid Ches In W. Ches. Range Stark, q.v.
RATS-TAIL or RATS-TAIL GRASS, *. Phlcum pratense. L.
RATTLETRAP, j. the mouth, when foolish speech is uttered.
** Shut ihi rattUtrap:'
RAUGHT, r. perfect tense of reach. W.
RAW, v. to pull excessively.
"A'tfTi'Wfi'hissel to death.*'
RAWM, r. to reach.
A bricklayer trying to reach tee high ta his work would be told, " G
suromat under thi fee:, an* then tha con do it beawt mwmin,"
RAWMY, adj. rank, coarse.
Applied to the sort of loose innutritions hay that grows about a hedge <
under trees ; or to com that has grown rank and leafy, and becomes laid.
RAWNY, s, (i) a dead bough on a growing tree.
** Chips and rawnies belong to the fallen" — Old Cheshire saying. L
This, however, scarcely seems to be a colloquial saying; but a simp
assertion of a fact that the chips and dead branches are the perquisite of tl
man who feUs the timber.
(2) a fooL
RAWP, v. to scratch.— J/tJ;x^^M/<rr City News, Feb. 26th, 1880, b
not localized.
RAW-YED, s. a soft fellow.
RAYL, adj, real.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 28j
R AYLLY, adv. really.
There is a peculiar use and a peculiar pronunciation of this word in
certain cases where it becomes emphatic ; there is then a verjt strong accent
upon the second syllable, thus: "Kay lee, mon, aw could stond it no
lunger;
aw were forced for t' spake."
RAYTHER, adv. rather.
RAYTHER OF GATHER, idiom, an imperceptible inclination in
a certain direction.
•* Is your fayther mendin?" " Well I aw con scarcely tell ; bur aw
think he rayther ofoather gains strength."
" Is yon waw plim?" "Aye, it's what you- may caw plim, th'
bant beats o' th* hne ; but yet it rayther ofoiUher batters."
RAZZER, 5. (i) a razor.
(2) a small cop or hedge narrow at the top. Sometimes
an adjective. L.
" They didna stop for razxur cop." — Warburton*s Hunting Songs.
R^ZZORED, part, enraged. L, See Rassert.
REAP UP, v. to recur to something, generally of an irritating or
disagreeable nature. Mow Cop.
A woman said, "My husband never hit me but once, and I reaped \i up
so often, he b^ged me to let it drop."
^^AR, v.(i)X.o bring up a young animal.
(2) to mould the crust of a raised pie.
^^ARING, s. (i) a calf which is being reared.
(2) a supper given to the workmen who are building a
house, as soon as the roof timbers are put on.
^AWK, v. to ramble off for a gossip.
" Oo*s alius reawkin eawt at neets."
^AWKIN, s. a gossiping meeting. L.
*^KON, v. to suppose, to conjecture, to conclude.
^C) BUTCHER, s, the red campion, Lychnis diuma, Crewe.
^£Dden up, v. to become red.
•* The hens begin to redden up,'''*
It is a sign they are going to lay, when their combs get a bright colour. L.
BEDDING COMB, 5. a comb for dressing the hair.
'^^D DRUMMER, 5. a name used by the Cheshire and Lanca-
shire working men naturalists for a coloured butterfly. White
^nes are called ** butterfleea" See French Butterflee and
Queen Ann,
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
REDDY, «^. (i) to comb.
" Oo*s «^jKw» her hair.*'
(2) to Strip the rough fat from the intestines of a pig*
" Reddyin rops."
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(3) also used as a sort of indefinite threat
*' Awll reddy his rops for him."
RED JACK, s, the red campion, Lychnis diuma. Rosthbrne.
RED KNEES, s. the plant Polygonum Persicaria. RED L
(W. Ches.).
RED LINNET, s. the goldfinch.
RED LONE, 5. used idiomatically for the throat.
" His money's aw gone dain th' red lone,^*
RED RAG, 5. (i) the poplar, so called from its red catkins. L*
Pofnilus nigra is probably the species intended, which produces a
quantity of red catkins.
(2) a writ is occasionally so called. Wilmslow.
RED ROCKET, s. the lilac variety of Hesperis matronalis. Comm
in gardens.
RED SOLDIER, s, the red campion, Lychnis diuma, Delam
REDWEED, s. Geranium Robertianum. Delamere Forest.
Science Gossip^ 1877, p. 39.
REEAN or REEN, 5. the furrow or gutter between two butts in a fid
REEAN-WAWTED or REEN-WAWTED, part a sheep or oth.
animal is said to be reean-wawted when it gets on its back in
reean^ and, as is often the case, cannot get up again witho'
assistance.
REECH, v. to retch, to vomit
REED, 5. (i) weaving term. A fi^me of flattened wires for se
rating the threads of the warp, and for beating t
weft up to the web.
(2) used metaphorically for state or condition.
One lunatic speaking to another at an asylum, and receiving no an:
turned to my friend who stood by, and said, *' Is yon mon i'th same
as me ?"
" To be in a poor reed" is to be in a poor condition.
'* AVhat sort of bricks has he to sell T ** But middling; he's
a poor rif^"^ just now."
REEDIMADAZY, s. a child's first lesson book, called "Readii
made easy;" but invariably pronounced by the children as
have written it.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 285
REEF, s. a rash on the skin ; the itch, or any eruptive disorder. W.
KEEN, s, (i) rain. W. Ches.
(2) a furrow. See Reean.
REEST, s. the mould-board of a plough.
R£ESTY, adj, rancid, said of bacon.
" Through follie too beastlie
much bacon is reastie,** — TussER, E.D.S. ed., p. 53.
REET, adj. (i) right. REIGHT (Wilmslow).
(2) sane.
" He*s no* reet, poor lad."
REEVE, v. to separate com that has been winnowed from the small
seeds which are among it; this is done with what they call the
leeving sieve. — Academy of Armory. W.
REMEDDY, s. remedy.
The accent is always on the second syllable.
REMEMBER, v. to remind.
" Rtnumbtr me for t' pay yo back ; win yo?"
RENDER, v. (i) to melt down, as lard or other fat.
(2) to plaster a wall or ceiling.
^ENSE, v. to rinse.
^ENSINGS, s, rinsings, especially of milk cans.
RESOLVE, v. (i) to dissolve.
(2) to explain.
" Aw canna mak it ait, yo mun resolve it."
^ESORTER, s, frequenter, an uncommon word found in Newes
out of Cheshire of the newfound well^ a.d. 1600. L.
^TCH, V, (i) to stretch.
" If z OLwf retches when it gets up, it doesner ail mitch."
(2) to exaggerate.
^^VNOLDS, s. sl fox is frequently spoken of as Mister Reynolds.
^^EUMATIZ, 7 ^* rheumatism.
It is a very common idea amongst the country people, especially the older
generation, that rfuutnatics and rheumatism are not quite the same disease.
" Has yoVe mester getten th* rheumatiz^^
"Now, its no th' rheumatit; its rheumatic^
In the same way I have heard a distinction made between epilepsy and
epileptic
286 OIESHIRE GLOSSARY.
RIB, s. a wtfe.
RIB GRASS, s. PhfUago lanceolaia.
RIBBON GRASS, s. the vari^ated garden variety of Ph
itfUfidifHiCfn
fts
RICK, ^. (i) a stack; an occasional word ^ee
RjuMile Holme describes a Rick as being dififerent from a Statk, '^
Haystack.
(2) the noise made by a polecat or ferret. L.
RICK, v. to chatter. Wilmslow and the neighbourhood.
" Oo ricks as bad as a jay '* is said of a chattering or scolding woman.
A polecat or fenet also make a ncuse which is called ricking. See Rl
andJRjKERS.
RICKING-RIPE, udj, dead ripe. Wilmslow and the neigl
bourhood.
Applied to com, probably because it then makes a rattling noise.
RiCKKA.
RICKKA or RICKKER, r. to ratfle. Wilmslow and the neig
bourhood.
Many years ago ^ere was an old weaver named Jacob Bradbury wh
■lived in Morley who, when times were bad, was acctistomed to go and
for a few days woilc at the neighbouring £aurms, in the hope of getting Ix
food than he was able to provide at home. JForty or fifty ^ears ago farm
m<
in Cheshire were fed with very coarse food. Raised pies made of browK
flour, and filled with apples, or even crabs, sweetened with treacle, were
n<
unfrequently set upon the table. They were extremely hard, and not vci^
palatable, and these>ptes used to disgust old Jacob. He always called the
"Crab LAntems," and said that when he ** picked ^th* poy up fro*
th* tab!
and shak't it, he could hear th' app'es rickka i* th' insoide.
RID or RID UP, v. to clear out, or pull up.
Applied to pulling -up a hedge, or getting « tree up by the roots.
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RIDDLE^ X a coarse sieve.
RIDE AND TIE, v. alternate walking and riding when
travellers have only one horse between them.
The process is rather curious. A and B -start together, A on horseback,^-
B walking. A rides on quickly for, say a mile, and then ties his horse to
gate, and walks on. 6, after a while, comes up with the horse, mounts him
and rides on quickly, passes A, ties up the hoEse a certiain distance in
advance,^-
and walks on. Thus they continue to "the end of the journey, performing
i ~
quicker than if they kept together, each having an equal amount of rest, am
the horse likewise resting at intervals. I u^ frequently Xo hear of t^ '
method of travelling when I was a boy.
RIDE-EAWT, s. a commercial traveller.
RIDER or RYTHER, a stook of com; generally made of tenr^
sheaves; four on each side;, and two "hudders" or covering
sheaves.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 287
RIDGE-POLE or RIDGE-POW, s. the topmost piece of wood in a
roof; also the cross pole that supports a stack sheet
MDGING STONE, s, the stone capping seen upon old roofs.
Blue tiles are now used instead.
WDGE-UTH, s. the chain back band which goes over the saddle of
a carthorse, and supports the shafts.
Leigh spells it Ridgwith, and a correspondent from the neighbourhood
of Warrington spells it Ridgworth, but I hdve always heard it pronounced
as I have spelt it.
HIDING ST ASG, part.
A summary mode of punishment adopted in cases of matrimonial
quarrels, and more especially in cases of unfaithfulnsess on the part of
either
husband or wife. A stang, i,e., a pole, was supported on the ^otilders of
two men, and the culprit was made to sit astride of it, and was then paraded
through the streets or lanes followed by a rabble of men and boys, who beat
upon tin cans and made as much din as possible. The procession stopped
at every comer, and also opposite the house of the culprit, where the
misdoer-s
delinquencies were proclaimed. In later times a ladder was often substituted
for a pole, and the culprit was represented by someone else, or even by an
efiBgy. I have, on one occasion, known a cart to be used, in which the man
stood who repeated the ncminy. The custom, though dying out, is still
practised. The last occasion that {L remember was about twelve or thirteeo
years ago.
RIFE, adj, commonly known or reported.
"The news IS n^t.**
RIFF-RAFF, s. (i) offal.
(2) metaphocically, -the scum of society.
RIFT, V, to eructate,
RIFTING FULL, ad;\ full to repletion.
RIG, X. (i) a quiz. L.
(2) a strong blast of wind«
The storms which usually prevail about the time of the autumnal equinoc
are called MUhaelmas Riggs, W.
(3) a male horse net fully developed, and which cannot be
castrated.
RIGGOT, s. 2l channel or gutter.
RIKE, v. to gad about gossiping. Mow Cof.
" Hoo's aU'ays Hkm,**
RIKERS, s. gossiping women- Mow Cop.
RIMY, adj, white with hoar frost-
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
RINER, s, a toacher. It is used at the game of quoits.
A /^itur B when tbe qnoit toadies the peg or mark. A wkdmer is wben
it rests wpatk the peg, and hangs over, and oooseqoeiitly wins the casL
" To
shed rineis with a whaver " is a prorerbial ejcprosioo from Ray, and
means
to soipass anything skiUol or adroit by somfrthing still more so. W. I think
the word is not now in nse.
RING DAIXy r. when the church bell ringers increase the speed
the ringing preparatory to tolling the tenor bell for the last
minutes before going into churcL
** Look sharp, yoa'n be late for chmdi ; they're Hmgim dam,
RINGER, s. a crowbar.
An iron or sted lever, usually aboot four feet kmg. In Plott's Histmy i
Siaffordskirty ed. 16S6, p. 153, is a description of Vtut process of qi
limestone. The rock is described as in horizontal laras, " broken up ^
iron wedges knock't in with great sledges (hammers), and prised up [wit^^^ J
great leavers TLntk rinn ronnd them to stay the feet of the workmen who fg^
apon them, whereof some wei^ at least 150 lbs." — Ckahin Skti^
vol. L, p. 322.
RINGE WAVE BUTTER, x.
'* IL X potts of Ringg waye butter & some oat of potts.**— From
inventory ofpropertv belonging to Margery Glutton of Nantwich, 161 1.^. '
GiiomngSy Feb., 1880, p. 30a
It b suggested that this is "Ring^Mtey-butter;" the frnt^ being, .
a press placed on the wfuy hmtUr in the pots to erclude the air, so u to
it good for a long time.
RING STAKE, s, the stake to which the cows in a shippon
tied. L. See R\nge Stake and Ratch Stake.
RINKS, s, circle, quasi ring. Part of Tabley Park is so called. C^ *"
There is a circle of trees in Talton Park called *' the bull-ring.**
RIP, J. (i) a scapegrace.
(2) an old, lean horse would also be spoken of as ''a n]^ ^ ^
a tit^'
RIP, v. to behave in a \'iolent manner.
We frequently speak of a man *'*' ripping ziA swearing."
RIPSTITCH, J. a harum-scarum person.
RISEN ON, part, a peculiar swelling of the body of a cow, causes
by a cold wind blowing upon her when she has been turned o^
of a warm shippon in winter. Such cases are sometimes £aital.
RISH, s, a rush. W.
** All the w^'ves of Tottenham came to see that syrt
With wyspes, and kexis, and rvschys there lyzt.**
— Percy s ReliqueSy ed. v., voL iL, p. 23.
KIT or RITLING, s, the smallest pig of a litter. Also applied to
puny child.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 289
KITM, fart, arrived. Wilmslow, Mobberley, but almost, if not
quite, obsolete.
*' If a*d had th' luck to have rife afore he went away."
RITLING. SeeRiT.
RIZZOM, 5. the head of the oat.
When oats are well-headed they are said to be well-msMFfr</.
ROAD, s. manner, way.
"That's not th' reet road for do it, come an' 111 show thee."
ROAD, v. to show the way. Wilmslow.
" Awll road thee heaw to manage him."
RO ADED, /art. streaked with lean. Said of bacon.
'^OAST, v. to bake meat in an oven.
If roasted in the orthodox way, it is specified as " roasted before the
fire "
or " in firont of the fire."
R^oast meat, s.
There is an old Cheshire saying, ** Roast meat does cattle." L. (See
X>os.) Which means that grass in a very dry season, hsdf roasted, as it
Were, is more fottening than grass in a rainy season.
^^BlN, s. hatting term. A coating of paste or pasted paper put in
the angle of a hat crown to keep it in proper shape.
^OBIN hood wind, s. a cold, piercing wind from the south
Or south-east, which often accompanies the breaking up of a long
frost.
This is generally spoken of as a " thaw wind/' or, as it is pronounced,
a
'•^ wind; but it has also received the above curious name ; and it is further
&<Ided in explanation that ** Robin Hood could stand anything but a
tho
'^rind." I have never been able to trace out any reason or any tradition
to
Connect the celebrated outlaw, in the Cheshire mind, with a thaw wind.
^^^BlN RED-BREAST, s, the red, mossy gall which grows upon
^lie branches of the wild rose. Kelsall.
^^^BlN-RUN-ITH'-EDGE, s, (i) the ground ivy, Nepeta Glcchoma.
(2) Bindweed. L.
^^CHE, s. refuse stone. W.
^^CK-GETTER, j. salt-mining term; a rock-salt miner.
^^CK-GETTING, part, salt-mining term; used for all the
processes of working out the rock salt, either with tools or by
blasting.
^OCK head, s. salt-mining term ; the surface of the first bed of
tocksalt
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
ROCK MINE, s. salt-mining term ; the local name for a rock salt
mine.
ROCK-PIT HOLE, s. salt-mining term ; a pit or hole fonned by
the falling in of rock salt mines.
Such subsidences, not always caused by the falling in of a mine, t^^t »!
the pumping of brine from beneath the earth, are of common occurrcoc* *
Northwich, causing the houses in the streets to be very irregular* *^®^
leaning one way, some another.
RODNEY, X. a confirmed idler (Mow Cop), but more generaU^ *
man who is notorious for any kind of nawtiness.
At one of the "revival** services amongst the Methodists a man ^'^^
to pray, but not being used to reverent forms of expression, he soon ^^^^^^L
into his vernacular, and said, *' Oh ! Lord, have meicy upon me, for ^
knows Tve been a rodney,^*
ROG, v. to shake.
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A window or door rogs with the wind. L. Also RoGGER, which
ROGER GARY'S DINNER, idiom, a saying when the dinr*
scanty, or ** just enoo and none to spare." L.
ROGGER, v. to rattle violently; to jolt Wilmslow ancl
neighbourhood.
*' What art roggerin at th* dur for, when tha knows its lockC
"Aw could hear th* cart roggerin on th* causey as £ar
Knowles Green.**
ROGUE, V, to cheat.
** Dost think aw*m gooin rogue thee?**
ROMANCE, V, to make up a story; to " shoot with a long \m^^
" Tak no heed o* what he sez ; hc*s nowt bu* romancing^
ROMBLIN, adj, restless. Macclesfield.
ROMPETY, adj, violent, restless; ^aid of a horse. £..
R0NDLE,/r<7/. name, the pronunciation of Randal or Randle.
RONDLE, V, to pull the hair.
RONGE, V, to reach, as cattle reach over a hedge to get at so
thing they are not intended to haye. Maccleseieud,
RONGIN, adj, rough, unruly.
RONK, adj, (i) rank, keen, strong
** He were as ronk a dog marchant as ever lived,** i,e,■^ He^as as kee^
dog fancier.
"As ronk a wick-sond as ever aw seed."
(2) luxuriant in growth, as of wheat or potatoes.
CHESHIRE JGLOSSARY. 29 1
(3) fully, completely.
**RaHk ripe," i,e., fully ripe, said of fruit.
;(4) ba4, cunning, mischievous.
(5) maris appetens^ said of a sow.
(6) having a bad smelL
RONKLE, V, to fester, to be inflamed.
"Aw geet aj>rick4* my .thumb, an* it^« done nowt bu* ronkle
ever sin."
ROOD, s. a lineal measure of eight yards.
It is the foundation of all Cheshire land measurements, as the rod is of
statute measure. Such piece-work as hedging and ditching, draining, putting
up posts and rails, &c, is done at so much per rood. Digging is done Iw
the
square rood of 64 yards. A rood of marl was formerly 64 cuHc yards. Rood
is the same in the singular and the plural. See Acre.
^OOF, s. salt-mining term; the top of a mine.
As the salt is first got at the roof the process is called roofing,
HOOFING. See Roof.
^OOF ROCK, s. salt-mining term ; the upper portion of rock salt
in a working.
'^^OOM, s. a quantity.
"A room of water," i,e, , a flood. L.
'^OOSLE, V, to dust their feathers as birds and poultry do, in sand,
dust, or ashes. L.
^^OT, V, to enquire into, to meddle with.
^^OTS, X. the counterfoils of bank and other cheques.
A Chester alderman lately, at an audit, refused to pass some cheque
fccdpts, unless, as he said, the officers produced the roots, L.
^OOT-WARTED, pari, a tree pulled up by the roots is called
9'oot'Wariidt in contradistinction to one that is cut or sawn
down. L.
^Ops, s. the small intestines of an animal
*^OPY, adj, viscous.
^^SAMUND, s. the wild garlic. Allium ursinum, L.
*^0SE noble, s, the hounds-tongue, Cynoglossum officinale. New
Brighton, Wallasey, where it is very plentiful upon the
Sandhills.
^OSE OF SHARON, s. Hypericum caiycinum.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
ROSIDANDUM (Mobberley), ROSADANDY (Mow Cop), s. *«
rhododendron.
ROSKERT or ROSCUT, adj. scabbed and rusty, said of potato^-
ROT, s. a rat
ROTTEN, s. a rat. Mobberley.
The plural is rottens,
ROUGHED or ROUGHENED, part, horses are said to be rauff^^
when their shoes are sharpened to prevent slipping in firc^^ty
weather.
ROUGH LEEAF, s. the second leaves of seedlings, especially
turnips.
** They're welly safe from flee, when they'n getten i* th* rtf^^
leeafy
ROUGH-NUT, s, the sweet or Spanish chestnut, Castanea tfes^
L.
ROUGH-NUTTING, part, going out to gather or pick up roi»g^"
nuts. L.
ROUK, adj. rich, fertile. Very rich.
"As rouk as th' Roodee."— Old Cheshire Proverb.
The Roodee, the Champ de Mars of Chester, naturally and artifi^^***^
most fertile. L.
ROVE, V, to disarrange, to tear in pieces.
"It wur a rough neet ; th' wind's roved aw th' thatch o£*
ROVING, part, scattered.
'* It lies roving many a rood," said of a wounded or shot bird's
scattered over the turnip tops. L.
ROWEL, 5. a seton.
Many farmers insert rowels in the dewlaps of their calves to prevent
being "struck."
ROWLER, 5. a roller.
ROWLER-COVERER, s. a man who covers with leather the snP^
rollers through which cotton is drawn in a cotton mill
ROWM, s. (i) a room. Acton Grange.
** We never usen that rowm.^^
(2) room, in the sense of space. Acton Grange.
" No rowm for 'im."
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 293
ROWS, s.
The I^aws of Chester are covered footways above the lowest stonr and
nnder the third story of the houses. Some of the best shops are in the Rows.
There are also shops in the lower story, level with the street. Thus the
people who walk in the rows are walking over the ceilings of the lower range
of shops, and under the projecting bec&ooms or sitting rooms of the upper
range of shops.
RUBBING-STON£| s. a calcareous stone used for whitening kitchen
floors.
It is sold by rag and bone men, who bring it round in carts and exchange
it for rags, bones, bottles, &c. It is generally in blocks of about three
inches
cnbe; but sometimes larger pieces are fixed at the end of a long handle, so
that the person using them need not stoop.
RUBBITCH, s. rubbish of any kind.
Also used metaphorically for bad, low people.
" They're nowt bu' rubHtch,'*
RTJBBITCHY, adj. poor, worthless.
RTJBBITCHY, adj. poor, worthless.
xyz
"They're a ruMiUAy lot o* pratoes."
RUBXJB, s. rhubarb.
RUB^VORT, s. Geranium Roberiianum. Delamere Forest. —
Science Gossips 1^77) P* 39*
RUCK, ^. (i) a heap.
"Putitinanw^*."
"The devil always tips at the biggest ruek^* is a saying about Middle-
(2) a large quantity, or number.
"A rtuk o' brass," fl/., a great deal of money.
'* A ruck o' childer," f.r., many children.
RUCK or RUCK UP, ». (i) to make a heap.
"Yo'dbestmr^it."
" We'n getten th' hay rucked up.''
(2) to get close or huddle together as
fowls do. W.
(3) shrivelled and withered, as flowers
exposed to the hot sun. Frodsham.
(4) to attack in a body.
"They could do nowt wi' him single-bonded, bu' they rucked
him."
BUCKLING, s. the least of a brood. W.
UCKS AN' YEPS, idiom, untidy. Delamere.
•* Wi me bein ait so mitch, missis, it's aw rucks an' yefn^*' meanmg the
Pl«ce was untidy.
RUD, /. ^i; the roach-dace. Mobberley.
(2) Spawn of toads or frogs.
"Tcodnwi"
KUD, adj. red. Rudheath. L.
Kudheath is genendly pronoanced Ridheeath.
RUE, v. to repent.
A woman who married a widower with six young children said, " On th*
first (lay aw weshed, an' aw skriked, an' aw rtud"
RUE-BARGAIN, s. a bargain from which the purchaser draws back.
RUFFERS, s, hatting term, the men who put the nap on those
hats known as " beavers."
This branch of industry was superseded about thirty years ago by the intro —
ductiun of sillc hats, which are made by covering a stiffened calico body
wittB.
a silk plush, and the men employed as ruffers had to seek other emp1ovment_
Al>()ut four years ago the beaver hat was again introduced for ladies wear
«
and on account of the great demand, and small number of workmen th
living who understood the work, great difficulty was experienced in meetiuj
the demand. These men, who were all grown old, were eagerly sought out
and many who had gone into the workhouses to end their days were fetch*
away and put in easy and lucrative employment. See Ruffing.
RUFFIN, J. aruffian.
RUFFINCi, /jr/. hatting term. The process of putting the nap o
beaver iiats.
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It is A more interesting process than many in the hat-making indus _
After t)\o h;\t iHHly has been made and stiffened with a solution of sheila-
the bc.uor tu other material which is to form the nap is spread out and c
to tho sh.iiH' oi the h.\t body flattened. It is then laid on the hat body
thiiv toliU. but between each fold being laid on, the hat has to be rolled ii
oloih so .\s to ^et the nap to adhere. After the third layer or fold has
put vM\ the hats .ue \kA\cA for three hours, and frequently immersed in
boili:
.iv'uliU.\i%-vi M.\tei. the etVect of which is to cause the nap to grow quite
fast
\\\c \\,\\ Ivsly. The tiSres of the nap, having projections like teeth,
pointL
»m;;\\.mvss \*oik intv» the Iwiy, and cannot l>t pulled out; and if this
roUL
pus *-sv wv'u' oontiiuu\l loHj;; enough the nap would work through
\\\\ lss:\. ,\r.xl v\nue out on the oiher side. The third and last lajxr wh:
\x pv.i o.\ »x n\:\v\i wjth oof.on. uhich, l^ing a vegetable fibre, will not
f^^s- I ^ .*
r.u; '.SiH iMo\v-.'.;> tV.o r.-i:" iioir. fcltinj: daring the
continuous rolling to wIl -aa^ii
u i^ v,;!- ,v ;»n;. v^v.'.v a:*.::v..\*. ::^ic> >*;'.! ic\\ : and it is
remarkable that w
» -.s, w \\^^\\\ vV.^\pxs.u> h.;> r..^: :he i;.\:r.e ithing properties
as wool which
•.sv;\ v^v'i.; t'.x"A'. ;I'.o *v.oV of ;he /.vir.j: sheep.
\x \ \ V-; K *V \:;\ * .A •.:•/•/ uhire :he impetus is gained by
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 295
RUNAGATE, s. an idle person.
This antiquated word is still in common use in Cheshire.
RUNDLE, 5. a small running stream.
RUNGE^ s. salt-mining term. A large tub or bucket used for
drawing water or brine out of a rock-salt mine.
RUNGEING, a/ij. savage, violent. Frodsham.
A sow which was so violent that a man was unable to put a ring in her
nose was described as " a great, big, rungeing thing.''
RUNNER, s. a policeman^ Becoming obsolete, but quite common
thirty years ago.
RUNNER-DOWN, s. hatting term. A small implement with a
groove by which a tight cord can be moved up and down the
crown of a hat
*UN ONE'S COUNTRY, v. ta abscond from creditors.
°UN hYTjfart, (i) impoverished; said of land that has been too
heavily cropped, and not sufficiently
manured.
(2) extinct.
"Billy Green pratoes-are runait^ there's none on em nai."
^NT, v. to hum, to whistle. L.
^SHBEARING, 5, a custom of carrying rushes to the Church,
still kept up at Lymm, Farndon, Aldford, Coddington, Tilstone,
Shocklach, and probably many other parishes.
Formerly the rushes were strewed on the floor, presumably for the
purposes of vrarmth ; but now the custom takes the form of decorating the
'^^^Jls of the church with flowers and rushes, and laying rushes on the
graves
^f departed friends; hence the custom has also been called Rush-burying,
The following details concerning the rushbearing formerly observed at
^V'ilmslow is supplied by a correspondent : " I know from my grandfather
and
S^ajidmother that there was formerly a rush^bearing at Wilmslow, with the
Accompaniment of Morris Dancing, &c. A Mary Massey, called Mary
^-■ippinch, from the name of the place where she lived— Lappinch Hall,
on
^-inaow racecourse— being the presiding genius at this Morris Dancing. I
just remember the old woman. When 1 knew her she was very old, and I
^^^sis only a child. From what I gathered from my grandparents this rush-
^^^s&ring was for a useful purpose. The rushes were gathered some time
previously by the swains of the parish gratuitously, and on the set day some
^f the fanners* teams would carry them to the Church with rejoicings. The
tushes were then strewn all over the floor of the Church, for the purposes of
^a-nnth during the coming winter. I have often heard my grandmother
^pcak of the great comfort these rushes afforded ; for these were not the
days
^f bot water apparatus, &c'*
^^T*» ^. the dashing of the waves. Halliwell.
i WJTCHART,/r^/. name. Richard. W. Ches.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
RUTE) v. to cry with vehemence, to strive as children do sometimes
in crying, to make as much noise as they can; to bellow or roar.
W. The word is quite obsolete, I think.
RYAXi adj. pronunciation of royal
RYNT, )
RO YNT, t r. to get out of the way.
RUNT, )
**Ifjmi thee," is an expression ased by milk-maids to a cow when she hs
been nulked, to bid her get oat of the way. W.
Raj giires ^^Rynt joa, witch, quoth Besse Lockett to her mother," :k
an old Cheshire saying.
RYTHER. See Rider.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 297
S.
)ACK. See Seck.
BACKERS, s. salt-making term. Men who hold the salt sacks
w^hilst they are being filled.
BACKING or BECKING, part, salt-making term. When a sack
is too full to stitch properly, the men jump it up and down, to
ca.use the salt to settle more closely ; this is called sacking.
Shaking com in a bag to make it more solid is also called sacking it.
S^^» adj, sodden, livery.
Said of bread which is heavy.
SA.DH1, p. to surfeit, to tire. Mow Cop.
"Too much paddin ud sade a dog" is the local way of expressing the
undesirability of too much, even of a good thing. See also Sate.
S\DED, parf, tired. Delamere.
" Tm quite sadgd out."
^A-FK, adj, sure, certain.
•* Safe to be drownded." " Safe to be hung."
^^G, v, to swag. MOBBERLEY.
A beam that drops in the middle is said to saj^,
♦^GE cheese, s, cheese with the juice of sage mixed amongst
the curd.
It gives it a peculiar green-mottled appearance, and a flavour much
''dished by some. Occasionally the vat is half-filled with sage cheese, and
^iled up with plain cheese, so that when a wedge of cheese is brought to
Ubie one half is flavoured with sage and the other not, and each person can
be helped to the kind he likes best. Very few sage cheeses are now made.
HL, SOHL (Wilbraham), SOLE, or SOW. See Sow.
^Dyfart advised, induced, deterred.
** He winna be sau/.*^
LOR, s. a long, black, coleopterous insect.
There is a red one, very similar in shape, called a " Soldier."
T ANTHONY'S FIRE, s, erysipelas.
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY.
S\IK YE. exdi a tenn of reprobatioii, an oath.
SAKE. s. « I » a vet spat where the water oozes out on the surface ^^
the land; a land spring. Mobbkrley, and I thu
geooaL
(s> soitice water in contradistinction to water fix)m a dee:^
ibalknr pvnp-vell made to coUect merely the water th^^
of the hud is »okcn of as "only a ioib^ " whilst a dee^''
^VKE. 7. CD pePDotate, as water does either into or out of anything
or i=T r^fece.
SALADIXE^ j: celandine. CkdsJ^mhtm wtajus.
SALARY, s.
SALUET. i: salad: focmerlr extended to pickles.
'*' SaTitc, BCEiher Sveet Herbs» or Pickled Fruit, as Cncnmbers, Samphire,
E!oar~¥^^> Ek%xxB-bQis» Jcc, eaten with Roasted meats." — Acadtmy
<if
Ar pvibfic disBers the coomtiy people still eat pickles with hot roast
WbesK c=as » aim and good to mow the mowers say *' it cats like a
SAMCLOTH^ JL an old and apparently the refined word for a
•*A ,NciKrijit«« ralgarhr a Sampler." — Academy of Armory^ Bk. III.,
5AMMVL* tim^ %jfmi, Samuel
SAMSON CLOTH, j. hatting term. A coarse cloth used in the
ejiriy scu^i* of felling.
SAMSOX-TRAP. i: a kind of mousetrap which kills the mouse by
a S.vvk of wvxxl tilling on it Wilmslow.
SLVNCrVARY. J. the herb Erytkraa Centaurium^ largely collected
by the herb doctors and used as a stomachic, and, f believe, one
ot the in^reuients of what is sold in the towns as "botanic beer."
S.\NOIXO K>R WEDDINGS.
A cmrsocB custom ongiaallT peculiar to Knatsford, but now extended to a
itw o< tifce oetghSxirin*: villages. On the occasion of a marriage the
friends
c< tiic bci** Athi brivi<^x>m put sand before their doors in
patterns, the most
AjWx'^t^ ^>M:«Yn being like scale armour. Mottoes are also written in
sand,
^xac v'* the mvx« popular being
** Long may they lire and happy may th^ be ;
Blest with contentment to all eternity.*
TV saAcUt^ exteiKis about halfway across the streets from each house, and if
the brik and bridegroom are faToorites, or are people of distinction, almost
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CHESHIRE GLOSSARY. 299
tJie whole town is thns sanded, having a strange but pretty effect. The
patterns are made by trickling the sand through a large funnel, occasionally
sands of varioos colours being used.
The or^ of this custom is veiled in obscurity. There is, however, a
traditioo that it is not of very great antiquity, but that it was first
practised
abont 150 yean since, when the bell of the Chapel of Ease, which stood in
the Lower Street, was cracked, and was too discordant to be rung at
weddings, and the people exercised their ingenuity in devising this new
method of testifying their joy. The tradition has not a genuine ring about
iti and soands very mucn like one invented to account for a custom of
^"^^Down origin.
SANJEM, /. an early variety of apple, supposed to be ripe on St.
James's day (July 25).
Leig^ has San Jam Pear, and explains it as the " Green Chiswell
Pear."
I have ne?er heard this pear so called, and I think it must be an error.
SAXJEM FAIR, s, a very popular fair held at Altrincham on St.
Jameses day.
SAP, s. the soft outside part of timber. It is always spoken of as
^fi not $ap-ivood>
It is an old and common saying amongst joiners that " Sap and heart are
u« best of the wood," meaning Siat all parts of the timber are useful
for
««ne purpose or other.
^^PY, f. a soft, foolish person.
SAPYED, s. 2l soft person.
SARMONT, X. a sermon.
MARTIN, adj. certaia
SARTIN SURE, adj. absolutely certain.
^ARVE, V, to serve.
The assistant who hands the straw up to the thatcher, or bricks and
°^rtar to the bricklayer, is always said to **sarve " him.
SMVENT, X. a servant.
S-^VENT-WENCH, s. a female servant.
CARVER, J. (i) a small, round, flat basket, used as a measure for a
feed of oats for a horse.
(2) one who serves a bricklayer, thatcher, &c.
^ARVE UP or SERVE UP, v. to litter and fodder horses and
^ttle before leaving them for the night
This is generally done about eight o'clock.
^^E, 7*. to cloy, to satiate. See Sade.
ATlNG,/ar/. adj. cloying, satiating.
^CO
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