Chapter 6

'Olde Freeman doe weare ruggs [coarse cloth],And Thomas Lord doe goe to the woods to steal poles and luggs.'

Seventeenth century doggrell rhymes from Wroughton,quoted inWilts Arch. Mag.vol. xxii. p. 216.

Lug-wood. Lops and tops of trees.—S.W.

Lummakin. Heavy, ungainly, clumsy (A.B.).—N.W.

Lumper. To move heavily, to stumble along. Of a pony, to stumble. To kick against anything (S.).—N. & S.W. (Malmesbury, Pewsey, &c.)

Lumpus. (1) Noise, row. 'Don't 'ee make such a lumpus.'—N.W. (2) All in a lump, heavily, as applied to a fall. 'Th'oss didn't vall down, but a come down wi' a kind of a lumpus.'—N.W.

Lump work. Piece work.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Lumpy. Stout and strong. To say to any one, 'Why, ye be growed main lumpy!' is to pay him a high compliment.—N.W.

Lurry. Of cows, suffering from looseness.—N.W.

Lynchet,Lytchet. SeeLinch.

'Another British coin, found on the "lytchets" at East Dean, has passed into the cabinet of Dr. Blackmore.'—Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. xxii. p. 242.

Maakin. SeeMalkin.

Mace. See Note to quotation.

'This is a style still used by the lower classes in North Wiltshire to tradesmen and sons of farmers. Thus at Ogbourne St. George, a brickmaker whose name is Davis, is called "Mace Davis," and sons of farmers are called "Mace John," or "Mace Thomas," the surname being sometimes added and sometimes not.'—Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. i. p. 338.

This seems a misapprehension. The word used is simplyMais'(before a consonant), a shortened form of 'Maister.' 'Mais' John' is short for Maister John. Before a vowel it would beMais'rorMaistr'—as 'Maistr' Etherd' [Edward].—N.W.

'Maswas formerly a common contraction formaster, e.g. "Mas John," and is used by Ben Jonson and other Elizabethan writers. See Nares, s.v.Mas.'—Smythe-Palmer.

*Mad. Of land, spoilt, damaged, as by sudden heat after much rain (Lisle'sHusbandry).—Obsolete.

Madde. *(1)Asperula odorata, L., Sweet Woodruff.—N.W. (Lyneham.) (2)Anthemis Cotula, L., Stinking Camomile.—N. & S.W.

Madell(abroad),Medal, &c. The game of 'Merrills' or 'Nine Men's Morris.' Also known asPuzzle-Pound. Several varieties ofMadellare played in Wilts, known respectively asEleven-penny(strictlyThe Merrills),Nine-penny,Six-penny, andThree-penny, according to the number of pieces used. 'Eleven-penny' is played with eleven pieces each side, instead of nine, the game being in other respects identical with 'Nine Men's Morris' as described in Strutt'sSports and Pastimes. The players move alternately, and the general principle is to get three pieces together in a line anywhere on the dots or holes, while at the same time preventing your adversary from making a line. 'Nine-penny,' 'Six-penny,' and 'Three-penny' differ only in the number of men each side and the form of the board (see diagrams). The 'board' is scratched or chalked out on paving-stones, drawn on the slate, cut deep into the turf on the downs, or the top of the corn-bin (with holes instead of dots), in short, made anywhere and anyhow. The 'men' or 'pieces' may be anything available, sticks being played against stones, beans against oats, &c.—N.W. (Devizes, &c.)

Nine Men's Morris,or Eleven-penny Madell.

Nine-penny Madell,or The Merrills.

Six-penny Madell.

Three-penny Madell.

Maggots.n.Tricks, nonsense. 'Her's at her maggots again.'—N.W.

*Maggotting. Meddling (S.).—S.W.

Maggotty.adj.Frisky, playful (A.S.).—N. & S.W.

Maggotty-pie.Picus caudatus, the Magpie (MS. Lansd.1033, f. 2), still in use.—N.W.

*Maiden's Honesty.Clematis Vitalba, L., Traveller's Joy. SeeHonesty.—N.W., obsolete.

'All the hedges about Thickwood (in the parish Colerne) are ... hung with maydens honesty.'—Aubrey'sWilts, Royal Soc. MS. p. 120.

Main. (1)adv.Very, as 'main good,' excellent (A.B.).—N.& S.W. (2)adj.'A main sight o' frawk,' a great number (S.).—N. & S.W.

Mais'. SeeMace.

Make. 'That makes me out,' puzzles me (H.).—N.W.

Malkin. SeeMawkin.

*Mammered. Perplexed (A.).

*Mammock.v.To pull to pieces (Leisure Hour, August, 1893).—N.W. (Castle Eaton, &c.)

'He did so set his teeth and tear it; O, I warrant, how he mammocked it!'—Shakespeare,Coriolanus, i. 3.

*Mander. To order about in a worrying dictatorial fashion (S.). 'Measter do mander I about so.'—S.W.

Mandy(longa). (1) Frolicsome, saucy, impudent (A.B.C.): now only used by very old people.—N.W. *(2) Showy (C.).—N.W., obsolete.

Mar. SeeMore.

Marlbro'-handed. People who used their tools awkwardly were formerly called 'Marlbro'-handed vawk,' natives of Marlborough being traditionally famed for clumsiness and unhandiness.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Marley. Streaky, marbled; applied to fat beef, or bacon from a fat pig, where the fat seems to streak and grain the lean.—N.W.

Martin,Free-martin. A calf of doubtful sex.—N.W. An animal with an ox-like head and neck, which never breeds, but is excellent for fatting purposes. It is commonly supposed that a female calf born twin with a male is always a free-martin. Recent investigations, however, have proved that though the external organs of a free-martin may be female the internal are in all cases male. The rule laid down by Geddes and Thomson is that twin calves are always normal when of opposite sex or both female; but that if both are male one is invariably thus abnormal (Evolution of Sex, ch. iii. p. 39). Compare Scotchferoworferry cow, a cow not in calf, andmart, an ox; also A.S.fear, a bullock (Folk-Etymology).

Masked. SeeA-masked.

Mathern,Mauthern. *(1)Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, L., Ox-eye Daisy (A.D.H.Wr.).—N.W. (2) Wild Camomile (Great Estate, ch. viii).—N.W.

*Maudlin. The Ox-eye Daisy (D.).—N.W.

Mawk(pronouncedMaak). To clean out the oven with the 'maakin,' before putting in the batch of bread.—N.W.

Mawkin,Malkin,Maak, orMaakin, (1) An oven-swab with which the charcoal sticks are swept out of the oven, before putting in the batch (A.).—N. & S.W.

'The malkin, being wetted, cleaned out the ashes ... malkin [is] a bunch of rags on the end of a stick.'—Great Estate, ch. viii.

(2) Also used as a term of reproach.—N.W.

'Thee looks like a girt maakin.'—Great Estate, ch. viii.

*May-beetle, The cockchafer (A.B.).

*May-blobs,May-blubs, orMay-bubbles, Flowers and buds ofCaltha palustris, L., Marsh Marigold.

Mazzard, *(1) A small kind of cherry (English Plant Names).Merryis the usual Wilts name,Mazzardbeing Dev. and Som. (2) The head (A.), but only in such threats as:—

'I'll break thee mazzard vor thee!'—Wilts Tales, p. 31.

Ben Jonson hasmazzarded, broken-headed.—N.W.

*Meadow-soot,Spiraea Ulmaria, L., Meadow-sweet (Great Estate, ch. ii).Sote, orsoot=sweet.—N.W.

*Mealy, Mild and damp. ''Twar a oncommon mealy marnin'.'—N.W. (Bratton.)

Measle-flower, The garden Marigold, the dried flowers having some local reputation as a remedy. Children, however, have an idea that they may catch the complaint from handling the plant.—N. & S.W.

Med, SeeMid.

Meg,Meggy. (1) In the game ofMust, q.v., a small stone—called a 'meg' or 'meggy'—is placed on the top of a large one, and bowled at with other 'meggies,' of which each player has one.—N. & S.W. *(2)Maig.A peg (S.).—S.W.

Mere. A boundary line or bank of turf.—N. & S.W. A turf boundary between the downs on adjoining farms: formed by cutting two thick turves, one smaller than the other, and placing them, upside down, with the smaller one on top, at intervals of about a chain along the boundary line.—N.W. (Devizes.)

'The strips [in a "common field"] are marked off from one another, not by hedge or wall, but by a simple grass path, a foot or so wide, which they call "balks" or "meres."'—Wilts Arch. Mag.xvii. 294.

'Two acres of arable, of large measure, in Pen field, lying together and bounded by meres on both sides.'—Hilmarton Parish Terrier, dated 1704.

Mere-stone. A boundary stone (Amateur Poacher, ch. iii).—N.W.

Merry. The cherry; applied to both black and red varieties, but especially the small semi-wild fruit.—N. & S.W.

Merry-flower. The wild Cherry.—S.W. (Barford.)

*Mesh(elong). Moss or lichen on an old apple-tree.—S.W. (Som. bord.)

Messenger. (1) A sunbeam reaching down to the horizon from behind a cloud is sometimes said to be the sun 'sending out a messenger.' Cf. Cope'sHants Glossary. Used by children in both N. & S. Wilts. (2)pl.The small detached clouds that precede a storm (Greene Ferne Farm, ch. vi).—N. & S.W.

*Mice's-mouths.Linaria vulgaris, Mill., Snapdragon.—S.W. (Farley.)

Michaelmas Crocus.Colchicum autumnale, L., Meadow Saffron.—N.W.

Mickle. Much (A.S.). A.S.micel.—N. & S.W., occasionally.

Mid,Med.v.Might or may (S.).—N.W.

Middling. (1) Ailing in health (H.);Middlinish(Wilts Tales, p. 137).—N. & S.W. (2) Tolerable, as 'a middlin' good crop.'Middlekinis occasionally used in S. Wilts in this sense.—N. & S.W. 'Very middling' (with a shake of the head), bad, or ill; 'pretty middling' (with a nod), good, or well (Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. xxii. p. 112).

*Midstay. The barn-floor between the mows.—N.W. (Aldbourne.) CompareMiddlestead, a threshing-floor:East of England; also

'The old and one-eyed cart-horse dunThe middenstead went hobbling round,Blowing the light straw from the ground.'

W. Morris,The Land East of the Sun.

Midsummer men.Sedum Fabaria, Koch., a variety of the red Orpine.—N.W. occasionally; S.W. (Farley.)

Mild. Of stone or wood, easily worked (Great Estate, ch. ix).—N.W.

*Milk-flower.Lychnis vespertina, Sibth., Evening Campion.—S.W. (Charlton All Saints.)

Milkmaids.Cardamine pratensis, L., Lady's Smock. In common use in Hill Deverill and Longbridge Deverill, also at Farley and Hamptworth.—S.W.

Milkwort.Euphorbia Peplus, L., Petty Spurge.—N. & S.W.

Mill. To clean clover-seed from the husk (D.).Milled Hop(D.).—N.W.

Miller,Millard,Mallard, orDusty Miller. A large white moth (A.S.); generally extended to any large night-flying species.—N. & S.W.

*Mill-peck. A kind of hammer with two chisel-heads, used for deepening the grooves of the millstone (Great Estate, ch. ix).

*Mill-staff. A flat piece of wood, rubbed with ruddle, by which the accuracy of the work done by the mill-peck may be tested (Great Estate, ch. ix).

Mind. (1) To remind. 'That minds I o' Lunnon, it do.'—N. & S.W. (2) To remember. 'I minds I wur just about bad then.'—N. & S.W. (3) 'To be a mind to anything,' to be inclined to do it.—N.W.

Minding. A reminder. After a severe illness you are apt to have 'the mindings on't' now and again.—N.W.

Minnies. Small fry of all kinds of fish.—N. & S.W.

Mint. A cheese-mite (A.). The older form ofmite(Skeat).—N.W.

Minty. Of cheese, full of mites (A.).—N.W.

Mist-pond. A pond on the downs, not fed by any spring, but kept up by mist, dew, and rain. Such ponds rarely fail, even in the longest drought. More commonly calledDew-ponds.—S.W. (Broadchalke, &c.)

Mixen,Muxen. A dungheap (A.B.C.S.).—N. & S.W.

Mix-muddle. One who muddles things imbecilely (Village Miners).—N.W.

Miz-maze. Puzzle, perplexity, confusion.—S.W.

Miz-mazed. Thoroughly puzzled, stupefied. Stunned (S.).—S.W.

Mizzy-mazey. Confused. Used of print swimming before the eyes.—S.W.

Moile. Dirt, mud.Mwoile(A.). 'Aal in a mwoile.'—N.W.

Moll*'ern,Molly Heron. The Heron (Great Estate, ch. iv).—N.W.

Mommick,Mommet. A scarecrow. Cf.Mummock.—N.W. (Malmesbury.)

Money-in-both-pockets.Lunaria biennis, L., Honesty, from the seeds showing on both sides of the dissepiment through the transparent pod.

Monkey-musk. The large garden varieties ofMimulus, which resemble the true musk, but are scentless, and therefore merelymonkey(i.e. mock, spurious) musk.—N. & S.W.

Monkey Nut.Poa annua, L., Meadow Grass; eaten by boys for its nut-like flavour.—S.W. (Salisbury.)

Monkey-plant. GardenMimulus(Wild Life, ch. viii).—N.W.

Mooch. SeeMouch.

Moocher. SeeMoucher.

Moochers. Fruit ofRubus fruticosus, L., Blackberry (S.). Cf.Berry-moucher(2).—S.W.

Moon-daisy.Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, L., Ox-eye Daisy (Great Estate, ch. ii). A very general name, especially in N. Wilts. The flowers are sometimes calledMoons.—N. & S.W.

Moonied up. Coddled and spoilt by injudicious bringing up. 'Gells as be moonied up bean't never no good.'—N. & S.W.

Moots. Roots of trees left in the ground (A.). SeeStowls.—E.W.

Mop. (1) A Statute Fair for hiring servants (A.B.); also used in Glouc. (Wilts Tales, p. 33).—N.W. (2) A rough tuft of grass.

Moral. A child is said to be the 'very moral,' or exact likeness, of its father. A form of 'model.'—N. & S.W.

More,Mar,Moir. (1) An old root or stump of a tree.—N. & S.W. (2) A root of any plant (A.B.G.S.: Aubrey'sWilts MS.), as 'a strawberry more'; 'fern mars'; 'cowslip mars,' &c. (Amateur Poacher, ch. vii.) OccasionallyMoirin N. Wilts, as inCrazy Moir.—N. & S.W.

Moreish. Appetizing, so good that you want more of it. 'Viggy pudden be oncommon moreish.'—N. & S.W.

Mort.n.A quantity.—N. & S.W.

'Her talks a mort too vine.'—Dark, ch. x.'I stuck up to her a mort o' Sundays.'—Ibid.ch. xv.

'Her talks a mort too vine.'—Dark, ch. x.

'I stuck up to her a mort o' Sundays.'—Ibid.ch. xv.

Most-in-deal. Usually, generally (A.B.C.). 'Where do 'e bide now, Bill?' 'Most-in-deal at 'Vize [Devizes], but zometimes at Ziszeter [Cirencester].'Most-in-generalis more commonly used now.—N.W.

Most-in-general. Usually.—N.W.

'Most in gen'ral I catches sight of you when I goes by wi' the horses, but you wasn't in the garden this afternoon.'—Dark, ch. i.

Mote,Maute. A morsel of anything, a very minute quantity.—S.W., formerly.

Mother-of-thousands. (1)Saxifraga sarmentosa, L.—S.W. (2)Linaria Cymbalaria, Mill., Ivy-leaved Toadflax.—S.W. (Salisbury.)

*Mother Shimbles' Snick-needles.Stellaria Holostea, L., Greater Stitchwort (Sarum Dioc. Gazette).—S.W. (Zeals.)

Mothery. Thick, muddy, as spoilt beer or vinegar (A.B.C.S.).—N. & S.W.

Mouch,Mooch. (1)v.To prowl about the woods and lanes, picking up such unconsidered trifles as nuts, watercresses, blackberries, ferns, and flower-roots, with an occasional turn at poaching (Gamekeeper at Home, ch. vii); to pilfer out-of-doors, as an armful of clover from the fresh-cut swathe (Hodge and his Masters, ch. xxiii).—N. & S.W.

'Probably connected with O.F.mucer,muchier, Fr.musser, to hide, to lurk about. It always implies something done more or less by stealth.'—Smythe-Palmer.

(2)v.To play the truant.—N. & S.W. (3)v.To be sulky or out of temper.—N. & S.W. (4)n.'In a mouch,' in a bad temper. 'On the mouch,' gone off mouching.—N. & S.W.

Moucher,Moocher. (1) A truant (A.B.). SeeBerry-moucher.—N. & S.W. (2) A man who lives by mouching (Gamekeeper at Home, ch. vii).—N. & S.W.

Moulter. Of birds, to moult.—N.W.

Mound. (1)n.A hedge. In general use in N. Wilts.—N. & S.W. (2)v.To hedge in or enclose.—N.W.

'The Churchyard ... to be mounded partly by the manor, partly by the parish and parsonage except only one gate to be maintained by the vicar.'—1704,Hilmarton Parish Terrier.

Mouse. The 'mouse' is a small oblong piece of muscle, under the blade-bone of a pig.—N.W.

'The chief muscles of the body were named from lively animals; e.g. ...mus, mouse, the biceps muscle of the arm, and so in A.S. and O.H.G. Cf.musculus, (1) a little mouse, (2) a muscle.' (Folk-Etymology, p. 615, sub Calf.)—Smythe-Palmer.

*Mousetails. A kind of grass, perhaps Cats'-tail, but notMyosorus.—N.W.

*Moutch. 'On the moutch,' shuffling (H.). Some meaning ofMouchhas probably here been misunderstood.

Mouthy.adj.Abusive, cheeky, impudent.—S.W.

Mow. In a barn, the unboarded space at each end of the threshing-floor, where the corn used to be heaped up for threshing.—N.W.

*Mowing-machine Bird.Salicaria locustella, Grasshopper Warbler, from its peculiar note (Birds of Wilts, p. 154).—S.W. (Mere.)

Much. (1) 'It's much if he do,' most likely he won't do it. 'It's much if he don't,' most likely he will.—N.W. (2)v.To make much of, to pet. 'Her do like muching,' i.e. being petted.—N.W.

Much-about. Used intensively.—N.W.

'I was never one to go bellockin', though I've allus had much-about raison to murmur.'—Dark, ch. x.

Muck. Dirt, mud, earth.—N. & S.W.

*Mucker. A miserly person (S.) Cf.Mouch.—S.W.

'A fine old word, that I do not remember to have met with in other counties. It=Old Eng.mokerer(Old English Miscellany, E. E. T. S. p. 214), a miser; Scot.mochre,mokre, to hoard.'—Smythe-Palmer.

Muckle. (1)n.Manure, long straw from the stable (Agric. of Wilts, ch. vii).—N. & S.W. (2) 'Muckle over,' to cover over tender plants with long straw in autumn, to protect them from frost.—N.W.

Muddle-fuss. A persistent meddler with other people's affairs.—N.W. (Steeple Ashton.)

*Mudel over. The same asMuckle over, q.v. (Agric. of Wilts, ch. vii).

Mud-up. (1) To pamper and spoil a child.—S.W. (Hants bord.) *(2) To bring up by hand (H.Wr.), as 'Mud the child up, dooke' (Monthly Mag., 1814).

Muggeroon. A mushroom.—N.W.

Muggerum. Part of the internal fat of a pig.—N.W.

Muggle. (1)n.Confusion, muddle (A.S.).—N. & S.W.

'Here we be, ael in a muggle like.'—Wilts Tales, p. 137.

(2) To live in a muddling, haphazard way.—N.W. Cf.:—

'Most on us 'ad a precious sight rather work for a faermer like the old measter, an' have our Saturday night reg'lar, than go muggling the best way we could, an' take our chance.'—Jonathan Merle, xxxvii. 412.

Muggle-pin. The pin in the centre of a want-trap.—S.W.

Mullin. The headstall of a cart-horse: sometimes extended to the headstall and blinkers of a carriage horse.—N.W.

Mullock. A heap of rubbish (A.B.), now applied to mine refuse in Australia.

Mummock. A shapeless confused mass. A clumsily-swaddled baby or badly-dressed woman would be 'aal in a mummock.'—N.W.

Mum up. To make much of, pamper, pet, and spoil. 'A granny-bred child's allus a-mummed up.'—N. & S.W.

Mun. Used in addressing any person, as 'Doesn't thee knaw that, mun?' (A.)—N.W.

Must. A game played by children: a small stone—'a meggy'—is placed on the top of a large one, and bowled at with other 'meggies,' of which each player has one.—N.W.

Muxen. SeeMixen.

Nacker. SeeKnacker.

Nail-passer. A gimlet (A.). Kennett hasNailsinin a similar sense.—N.W.

'"Here's the kay" ... holding up a small gimlet. "Whoy, thuck ben't a kay ... that's nothing but a nail-passer."'—Wilts Tales, p. 44.

Nails.Bellis perennis, L., Daisy.—S.W. (Mere.)

Naked Boys.Colchicum autumnale, L., Meadow Saffron, the flowers and leaves of which do not appear together (Aubrey,Nat. Hist. Wilts, p. 51, ed. Brit.).Naked Ladyin Cornw., Yks., &c., andNaked Virginsin Chesh.—N. & S.W. (Huish, Stockton, &c.)

*Naked Nanny.Colchicum autumnale, L., Meadow Saffron. SeeNaked Boys.—S.W. (Deverill.)

Nammet. SeeNummet(S.).

'Nan. What do you say? (A.B.C.). SeeAnan.

Nanny-fodger, orNunny-fudger. (1) A meddlesome prying person.—S.W. (2)Troglodytes vulgaris, the Wren.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Narration. Fuss, commotion. 'He do allus make such a narration about anythin'.'—N. & S.W.

Nash,Naish,Nesh. (1) Tender, delicate, chilly (A.B.H.Wr.).—N. & S.W. (2) Tender and juicy: applied to lettuces.—S.W., occasionally.

Nation,Nashun, &c. Very, extremely, asnation dark(A.B.S.).—N. & S.W.

Nation-grass.Aira caespitosa, L., perhaps an abbreviation of Carnation-grass.—S.W. (Som. bord.)

Natomy,Notamy,Notamize, &c. A very thin person or animal, an anatomy.—N. & S.W.

*Naumpey. A weak foolish-minded person.—N.W.

*Navigator. A drain-maker's spade, with a stout narrow gouge-like blade (Amateur Poacher, ch. xi), more usually known as aGraft.

Neal,Nealded. SeeAnneal.

Neck-headland. 'To fall neck-headland,' i.e. headlong.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Neet. SeeNit(S.).

Neoust of a neoustness. Nearly alike (A.). SeeAneoust.—N.W.

Nesh. SeeNash.

Nessel-tripe,Nessel-trip,Nussel-trip. The smallest and weakest pig in a litter. Commonly used in the Deverills, and elsewhere.—S.W.

Nettle-creeper. Applied generally in Wilts to the following three birds:—(1)Curruca cinerea, Common Whitethroat, (2)C. sylvatica, Lesser Whitethroat, and (3)C. hortensis, Garden Warbler (Birds of Wilts, pp. 159-161).—N.W.

Neust. SeeAneoust.

Neust alike. Nearly alike.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard, &c.)

Neust of a neustness. SeeAneoust.

*Never-the-near. To no purpose, uselessly. 'I cwourted she ten year, but there, 'twer aal niver-the-near.'—N.W. (Malmesbury.)

Next akin to nothing. Very little indeed. 'There's next akin to nothen left in the barrel.'—N.W.

Nibs. The handles of a scythe (A.).—N.W.

Niche. SeeKnitch.

Nightcaps. (1)Convolvulus sepium, L., Great Bindweed.—N. & S.W. (2)Aquilegia vulgaris, L., the garden Columbine.—N.W. (Devizes, Huish, &c.)

Night-fall.n.A disease in horses. A humour in the fetlock joint, recurring until it produces incurable lameness.—S.W.

'Witness ... told him his animal was very lame, and asked what was the matter with it. He replied, "Nothing, it is only 'night-fall,' and it comes on several times during the year."'—Wilts County Mirror, Oct. 27, 1893.

Nightingale.Stellaria Holostea, L., Greater Stitchwort.—S.W. (Hants bord.)

*Night Violet.Habenaria chlorantha, Bab., Greater Butterfly Orchis (Sarum Dioc. Gazette).—N.W. (Lyneham.)

Nine-holes. A game played by children.—N.W.

'This is mentioned among the "illegal games" in the Castle Combe records.'—Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. iii. p. 156.'1576.Lusum illicitum vocatumnyne holes.'—Scrope'sHistory of Castle Combe.

'This is mentioned among the "illegal games" in the Castle Combe records.'—Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. iii. p. 156.

'1576.Lusum illicitum vocatumnyne holes.'—Scrope'sHistory of Castle Combe.

Nineter. (1) 'A nineter young rascal,' a regular scamp. Not perverted fromanoint(as if it meant set apart to evil courses and an evil end), but from Fr.anoienté,anéanti, brought to nothing, worthless (Folk-Etymology, p. 9).—N.W. (Seend.) *(2) A skinflint (S.).

Ninny-hammer. A fool, a silly person.—N.W.

'Nint. SeeAnoint.

'Ninting(ilong). A beating. SeeAnoint.—N.W.

Nipper. A small boy (S.).—N. & S.W.

Nippers. The same asGrab-hook.—N.W. (Huish.)

Nippy. Stingy (S.).—N. & S.W.

Nistn't. Need not.—N.W.

'Thee nistn't hoopy at I—I can hyar as well as thee.'—Greene Ferne Farm, ch. iii.

Nit, Neet. Nor yet. Wrongly defined by Akerman, Slow, and others asnot yet. 'I han't got no money nit no vittles.'—N. & S.W.

Nitch. SeeKnitch.

Nog. A rough block or small log of wood.—N.W.

Nog-head. A blockhead (S.).Nug-headin W. Somerset.—S.W.

Nolens volens. Used in N. Wilts in various corrupted forms, as 'I be gwain, nolus-bolus,' in any case; 'vorus-norus,' rough, blustering; and 'snorus-vorus,' vehemently.

Noodle along. To lounge aimlessly along, to move drowsily and heavily, as a very spiritless horse.—N.W.

*Noon-naw. A stupid fellow, a 'know-naught' (Great Estate, ch. iv).

Nor, Nur. Than; as 'better nur that' (B.).—N. & S.W.

Not-cow. A cow without horns (A.). A.S.hnot, clipped, shorn.—N. & S.W.

Noust. SeeAneoust.

Nummet. The 'noon-meat' or noon-day meal (A.).Nammetin S. Wilts.—N. & S.W.

Numpinole. The Pimpernel.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Nuncheon, Nunchin. The noon-meal (A.S.).Nunch(Wilts Tales, p. 117).—N.W.

Nunchin-bag. The little bag in which ploughmen carry their meals (A.).—N.W.

Nunny-fudging. Nonsense. 'That's all nunny-fudgen.'—N.W., now nearly obsolete.

Nunny-fudgy. 'A nunny-fudgy chap,' a poor sort of a fellow with no go in him: now used only by old people.—N.W.

Nur. SeeNor.

*Nurk. The worst pig of a litter. SeeRinnick.—N.W.

Nurly. Of soil: lying in lumps.—S.W. (Bratton.)

Nut. The nave of a wheel (S.).—S.W.

Nyst, Niest. Often used in Mid Wilts in same way asneust, as 'I be nyst done up,' i.e. over tired.

Nythe. A brood, as 'a nythe o' pheasants'; always used by gamekeepers.—N.W. Apparently a form of Fr.nid, a nest. In the New Forest they say 'aneyeof pheasants.' See Cope'sHampshire Glossary(s.v.Nye).

Oak-tree loam or clay. The Kimmeridge Clay (Britton'sBeauties, 1825, vol. iii., also Davis'sAgric. of Wilts, p. 113, &c.).

Oat-hulls(pronounced Wut-hulls). Oat chaff and refuse.—S.W.

Oaves. (1) Oat chaff.—N. & S.W. (Huish, &c.) (2) The eaves of a house (S.).—S.W.

'A good old form. Mid. Eng.ovese(Old Eng. Miscell., E. E. T. S. p. 15, l. 465),=O. H. Germ,opasa(Vocab. of S. Gall).'—Smythe-Palmer.

Odds. (1)v.To alter, change, set right. 'I'll soon odds that' (Wilts Arch. Mag.vol. xxii. p. 112).—N.W. (2)n.Difference. 'That don't make no odds to I.' 'What's the odds to thee?' what does it matter to you?—N.W.

Oddses. Odds and ends.

Oddy. (1) SeeHuddy. (2) Strong, vigorous, in hearty health.—N.W.

Of. With. 'You just come along o' I!'—N. & S.W.

Offer. 'To offer to do a thing,' to make as though you were going to do it, or to begin to do it. 'He offered to hit I,' i.e. did notsayhe would, but just put up his fists and let out.—N.W.

Old man. (1)Artemisia Abrotanum, L., Southernwood.—N. & S.W. (2)Anagallis arvensis, L., Scarlet Pimpernel.—S.W.

Old man's beard. (1)Clematis Vitalba, L., Traveller's Joy, when in fruit.—N. & S.W. (2) The mossy galls on the dog-rose.—N. & S.W.

Old Sow.Melilotus coerulea, L., from its peculiar odour (Science Gossip, Nov. 1868).—N. & S.W., rarely.

*Old woman's bonnet.Geum rivale, Water Avens.—S.W. (Mere.)

*Old woman's pincushion.Orchis maculata, L., Spotted Orchis.—S.W.

Ollit. SeeElet.

On. (1) =in, prep., as 'I run agen un on th' street' (A.).—N. & S.W. (2) =in, prefix, asondacent.—N. & S.W. (3) =im, prefix, asonpossible(A.B.).—N. & S.W. (4) =un, prefix, asongainly(B.).Onlight, to alight.—N. & S.W. (5) =of, as 'I never did thenk much on 'en.'—N. & S.W. (6) =by, as 'He come on a mistake.'—N. & S.W.

Once. (1) Some time or other (M.). 'Once before ten o'clock,' some time or other before ten.—N. & S.W.

'Send it once this morning, dooke.'—Monthly Mag.1814.

(2) 'I don't once (=for one moment) think as you'll catch un.'—N. & S.W.

Oo. Such words ashood, wood,want, a mole,wonder, &c., are usually pronounced in N. Wilts as'ood,'oont,'oonder.

*Organy. (1)Mentha Pulegium, L., Pennyroyal (A.B.). (2)Origanum vulgare, L., Marjoram (English Plant Names).

Otherguise. Otherwise.—N.W.

Out-axed. Of a couple, having had their banns fully asked, or called for the last time (Wilts Tales, p. 100). The banns are thenout, and the coupleout-axed.—N.W.

Oven-cake. Half a loaf, baked at the oven's mouth.—N.W.

Oven-lug. The pole used as a poker in an oven. SeeLug(2).—N.W.

*Over-get. To overtake, to catch up.—N.W. (Malmesbury.)

*Overlayer. See quotation.

'The waggons ... seldom have any overlayers or out-riggers, either at the ends or sides.'—Agric. of Wilts, ch. xxxviii.

Overlook. To bewitch. Rare in Wilts, common in Dev. and Som.—N.W. (Malmesbury.)

Over-right,Vorright. Opposite to.—N.W.

Owl about. To moon about out of doors in the dark.—N.W.

Owling. The same asGriggling, q.v.—N.W. (Clyffe Pypard.)

Compare:—

'Howlers. Boys who in former times went round wassailing the orchards.'—Parish,Sussex Glossary.

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