Popular Romances of the West of England: Popular Superstitions: Peculiar Words and Phrases

PECULIAR WORDS AND PHRASES [a] "THE people in the west," writes a correspondent, "have I adopted many words from the Danish invaders." Tradition assures us that the sea-rovers of the North frequently landed at Witsand Bay, burned and pillaged the villages of Escols and Mayon, sometimes took off the women, but never made a settlement. Certain red-haired families are often referred to as Danes and the dark-haired people will not marry with "a red-haired Dane.' He continues :-- "If you were in Buryan Church town this evening, you might probably hear Betty Trenoweth say, 'I 'll take off my touser [toute serve], and run up to Janey Angwins to cousey [causer] a spell; there's a lot of boys gone in there, so there'll be a grand courant [de courir], I expect.' In a short time Betty may come back disappointed, saying, ' 'Twas a mere cow's courant after all, cheld vean--all hammer and tongs.'" The touser is a large apron or wrapper to come quite round and keep the under garments clean. By a courant with the boys, they mean a game of running romps. It is not at all uncommon in other parts of the country to hear the people say, "It was a fine courant," "We 'ye had a good courant," when they intend to express the enjoyment of some pleasure party. These are, however, probably more nearly allied to Norman-French. There are some proverbial expressions peculiar to the west :- "Sow barley in dree, and wheat in pul." [b] "To make an old nail good, right it on wood." " Fill the sack, then it cars stand." The last meaning that neither man nor beast can work on an empty stomach. The following are a few of less common expressions, presenting remarkable words :- 'Tis not bezibd--It is not allotted me. He will never scrip it--He will never escape it. He is nothing pridy--He is not handsome. Give her dule--Give her some comfort or consolation. Hark to his lidden--Listen to his word or talk. - It was twenty or some--It was about twenty. The wind brings the pilme--The wind raises the dust. How thick the brusse lies--How thick the dust lies. He is throyting--He is cutting chips from sticks. He came of a good havage--He belongs to a good or respectable family. Hame--a straw collar with wooden collar-trees, to which are fastened the rope traces. Scalpions (buckthorn, or rather buckhorn)--salt dried fish, usually the whiting. "Eating fair maids, or fermades--(fumadoes) --[pilcbards], and drinking mahogany [gin and treacle]." [a] See Appendix EE. [b] In vul. - meaning in mud.