I Never Knew There Was a Word for It - Adam Jacot De Boinod [149]
crizzles (1876) rough, sunburnt places on the face and hands in scorching weather
jack-a-dandy (Shropshire) the dancing light sometimes seen on a wall or ceiling, reflected from the sunshine on water, glass or other bright surface
king’s-weather (Scotland 18C) the exhalations seen rising from the earth during a warm day (while queen’s weather (19C) is a fine day for a fête as Queen Victoria was famous for having fine weather when she appeared in public)
SNOW ON THE LINE
While at the other end of the year the country grinds to a halt for another reason:
devil’s blanket (Newfoundland) a snowfall which hinders work or going to school
pitchen (Bristol) snow that is settling
cloggins (Cumberland) balls of snow on the feet
tewtle (Yorkshire) to snow just a few flakes
sluppra (Shetland Isles) half-melted snow
although the novelty does often rather pass after the building of the second snowman:
two thieves beating a rogue (b.1811) a man beating his hands against his sides to warm himself in cold weather (also known as beating the booby and cuffing Jonas)
to beat the goose (c.1880) to strike the hands across the chest and under the armpits to warm one’s chilled fingers (the movement supposedly resembles a goose in flight)
shrammed (Bristol) feeling really cold
WORD JOURNEYS
aftermath (16C) after mowing (i.e. the second crop of grass in autumn)
derive (14C from Latin via Old French) to draw away from the river bank
damp (14C) noxious vapour, gas; then (16C) fog, mist, depression, stupor
sky (13C from Old Norse) a cloud
aloof (nautical 16C) windward
FEELIMAGEERIES
Paraphernalia
None are so great enemies to knowledge
as they that know nothing at all
(1586)
The English language has a name for pretty much everything, even things you’ve never imagined needing to describe:
feazings (1825) the frayed and unravelled ends of a rope
ouch (Tudor–Stuart) the socket of a precious stone
swarf (1566) the metallic dust that accumulates after sharpening or grinding metal
ferrule (Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby 1838) the metal tip on an umbrella
nittiness (1664) the condition of being full of small air bubbles
DRIBS AND DRABS
If that wasn’t enough, dialect supplies a few more:
charmings (Lincolnshire) paper or rag chewed into small pieces by mice
swailing (Rutland) wax drips from a candle
smut (Dublin) the remains of a nearly burnt-out candle
catamaran (Devon 1836) anything very rickety and unsafe
swiggle (East Anglia) to shake liquid in an enclosed vessel
noraleg (Shetland Isles 1899) a needle with a broken eye
ROUGHLY SPEAKING
When it comes to describing other aspects of objects, there are some surprisingly useful words out there:
scrawmax (Lincolnshire) anything badly formed or out of shape
ullage (1297) the amount of liquid by which a container falls short of being full
wee-wow (Shropshire) more on one side than on the other, ill-balanced, shaky
cattywampus (US Middle and Southern slang) diagonally across from something else
by scowl of brow (Gloucestershire) judging by the eye instead of by measurement
ostrobogulous (1951) unusual, bizarre, interesting
… as there are for directions too:
widdershins (1513) in the opposite direction, the wrong way
deasil (1771) clockwise, or ‘in the direction of the sun’s course’ (considered by some to bring bad luck)
antisyzgy (1863) a union of opposites
COUNTING SHEEP
Being able to count was a matter of survival long before education for all. Yan Tan Tethera is a numerical sequence once used widely by shepherds in northern England and southern Scotland to count their sheep. It was also used in knitting to count stitches. The words differ according to accent and locale (in the Lake District versions alter according to which valley you find yourself in). In Westmorland it goes like this:
Yan · Tahn · Teddera · Meddera · Pimp (5) · Settera · Lettera · Hovera · Dovera · Dick (10) · Yan Dick · Tahn Dick · Teddera Dick · Meddera Dick · Bumfit (15) · Yan-a-Bumfit · Tahn-a Bumfit · Teddera-Bumfit · Meddera-Bumfit · Jiggot (20)