PORKER
In strong competition with the Danes, our hogs and sows do their level best to bring home the bacon:
hodge (Shropshire) the large paunch in a pig
wurtle (Cumberland) to work underneath or in the ground like a pig
treseltrype (Somerset 1883) the youngest in a litter of pigs
FOWL PLAY
Some birds we keep as hunters or pets, some we breed to mow down with guns, a few we eat…
turdoid (1823) akin to a thrush
ostreger (1400) a keeper of goshawks
hack (1575) eagles before they become acclimatized and can hunt on their own
ossiger (Orkney Isles) the condition of a fowl when moulting
jollop (1688) to gobble like a turkey
zoo-zoo (Gloucestershire) a wood pigeon (from the sound it makes)
… but they’re always worth listening to:
quit-quit (Wiltshire 1900) the note of the swallow
quee-beck (Scotland 1901) the cry of grouse when startled
hoolie-gool-oo-oo (Banffshire 1876) the cry, hooting of an owl
valentine (1851) to greet with song at mating-time (said of birds)
chavish (1674) the sound of many birds chirping together, or many people chatting at once
QUEENS AND WORKERS
In other parts of the world they eat fried grasshopper and chocolate-coated ants; but with one glorious exception, insects are not much help in our national diet:
warp (Tudor–Stuart) bees in flight working themselves forward
cut (Gloucestershire) the second swarm of bees in the same season (hob or kive: the third swarm of bees)
spear (Sussex) the sting of a bee
narrow-wriggle (East Anglian) an earwig (the Yorkshire version is forkin robins)
dulosis (Modern Latin 1904) the enslavement of ants by ants
GREAT AND SMALL
The ordinary garden mole was known in Middle English (1100–1500) as a mowdiwarp. Later he became known as the little gentleman in black velvet (early 18C), the subject of a famous Jacobite toast to the mole that raised the hill that caused their oppressor King William to fall from his horse and die. Other animals have avoided such glorification…
fuz-pig (Somerset) a hedgehog
bubbly jock (Scottish) a turkey
pilser (b.1828) the moth or fly that runs into a candle flame
… but nonetheless their most obscure parts have been carefully noted…
junk (New Zealand 1837) the soft part of a sperm-whale’s head
dewlap (1398) the pendulous skin under the throat of cattle, dogs etc.
cnidocil (1884) a stinging bristle of the tentacle of a jellyfish
katmoget (Shetland Isles 1897) having the colour of its belly different from the rest of the body
acnestis (1807) that part of an animal (between its shoulders and lower back) that it cannot reach to scratch
fleck (Essex) the soft hair of a rabbit
… not to mention their intriguing behaviours…
mather (Gloucestershire) to turn round before lying down, as an animal often does
squeem (Ayrshire) the motion of a fish as observed by its effect on the surface of the water
pronk (1896) to leap through the air, as an antelope does
traffic (Gloucestershire) the tracks worn by rabbits or rats near their holes
… to say nothing of their mating habits…
epigamic (1890) attracting the opposite sex at breeding time
clicket (b.1811) the copulation of foxes
amplexus (1930s) the mating embrace of a frog and a toad
caterwaul (Middle English) the cry of cats at mating time
YELLS BELLS
At rutting time a badger shrieks or yells; a boar freams; a buck groans or troats; a feret or stoat chatters; a fox barks; a goat rattles; a hare or rabbit beats or taps; a hart bells; an otter whiles; a roe bellows and a wold howls.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Most of us know that geese on the ground come in gaggles. But were you aware that when they take to the air they become a skein? The collective nouns for other animals are often bizarre in the extreme:
a murder of crows
a watch of nightingales
an unkindness of ravens
a crash of rhinoceroses
a deceit of lapwings
a business of ferrets
a wedge of swans
JUG JUG IN BERKELEY SQUARE
When it comes to the sounds of animals, some of our attempts at mimicry may leave something to be desired:
curkle (1693) to cry as a quail
winx (15C) to bray like a donkey
desticate (1623) to squeak like a rat
chirr (1639) to make a trilling sound like a grasshopper
cigling (1693) chirping like the cicada
jug (1523) the sound of the nightingale
skirr (1870) a whirring or grating sound, as of the wings of birds in flight
gi’-me-trousers (Jamaican English 1958) the sound a cock makes when it crows
PEN AND INK
In Lincolnshire, the sounds of horses’ hoofs were onomatopoeically described as butter and eggs, butter and eggs for a horse at a canter. If the animal happened to be a clicker, that is, it caught its front hoofs on its rear ones when it was running, there were extra beats in the rhythm and it went hammer and pinchers, hammer and pinchers. A horse at a gallop went pen and ink, pen and ink.
RUTH RUTH
And who knows how this strange variety of human calls to animals developed over the years?
muther-wut (Sussex) a carter’s command to a horse to turn right
woor-ree (East Anglian 1893) a waggoner or ploughman’s call to his horse to come to the right
harley-harther (Norfolk 1879) a call to horses to go to the left
aw whoop (Gloucestershire) an order for a horse to go on
fwyee (Northern) a peculiar noise made in speaking to a horse
rynt ye (Cheshire) what milkmaids say to their cows when they have milked them (similar to aroint thee – get ye gone)
ruth ruth (Ireland) an encouragement to a bull to service a cow
habbocraws (Scotland 1824) a shout used to frighten the crows from the cornfields
way leggo (New Zealand 1945) a musterer’s cry to recall a dog
midda-whoy (Lincolnshire) an instruction to a horse to turn left
bumbeleery-bizz (Lanarkshire) a cry used by children when they see cows startling, in order to excite them to run about with greater violence
soho (1307) a call used by huntsmen to direct the attentions of a dog to a hare which has been discovered
whoo-up (Lancashire and Yorkshire 1806) a shout of huntsmen at the death of the quarry
poot, poot, poot (Orkney Isles) a call to young pigs at feeding time
cheddy-yow (Yorkshire) a call to sheep being brought down from the fell, to come closer
poa poa (Northamptonshire) a call to turkeys
tubby (Cornwall) a call used to pigeons
pleck-pleck (Scotland 1876) the cry of the oyster catcher
RSPCA
However good we are as a nation to our furry and feathered friends, there’s certainly no room for complacency:
shangle (Cumbria) to fasten a tin or kettle to a dog’s tail
hamble (1050) to make a dog useless for hunting by cutting the balls of its feet
brail (1828) the leather strap to bind a hawk’s wing
gablock (1688) a spur attached to the heel of a fighting cock
bdellatomy (1868) the act of cutting a sucking leech to increase its suction
spanghew (1781) blowing up a frog through a straw inserted into its anus; the inflated frog was then jerked into the middle of the pond by being put on a cross stick, the other end being struck, so that it jumped high into the air
EXCREMENTAL
American slang has the phrase alley or road apple for a lump of horse manure
. Back home in the Middle Ages the language of hunting meant that you didn’t need slang to describe the specific faeces of an animal: there were the crotels of a hare, the friants of a boar, the spraints of an otter, the werderobe of a badger, the waggying of a fox and the fumets of a deer.
WORD JOURNEYS
mawkish (17C) from a maggot; nauseated
tabby (1630s) from Attabiyah, a quarter of Baghdad, renowned for its production of striped cloth
rostrum (16C from Latin) a bird’s beak; then from the orator’s platform in the Roman forum which was adorned with the prows of captured ships
white elephant (1851) from successive kings of Thailand who gave a white elephant to any courtier who irritated them; although the animals were considered sacred, their maintenance was so expensive that anyone who was given one was inevitably ruined
SWALLOCKY
Rural life and weather
Spring is here when you can
tread on nine daisies at once
on the village green
(1910)
Out in the sticks are things not dreamt of by those who remain in town:
goodman’s croft (Scotland 19C) a corner of a field left untilled, in the belief that unless some such place were left, evil would befall the crop
loggers (Wiltshire) lumps of dirt on a ploughboy’s feet
dudman (1674) a scarecrow made of old garments
icker (1513) a single ear of corn
squeaker (Newfoundland 1878) a blade of grass held upright between the thumbs and producing a shrill vibration when blown upon
cowpat roulette (Somerset 2004) a game in which villagers bet on which plot of land will be the first to receive a cow’s calling card
FIGHTING FOR THE CLAICK
Dialects and local language identify particular aspects important to rural folk…
plud (Somerset) the swampy surface of a wet ploughed field
fleet (Somerset) the windward side of a hedge
wamflet (Aberdeenshire) the water of a mill stream, after passing the mill
chimp (Wiltshire) the grown-out shoot of a stored potato
griggles (Wiltshire) small worthless apples remaining on the tree after the crop has been gathered in
… as well as gadgets and techniques that have been developed over long years of experiment:
atchett (Devon and Cornwall) a pole slung across a stream to stop cattle passing
averruncator (1842) a long stick with shears for cutting high branches
stercoration (1605) the process of spreading manure
baggin-bill (Shropshire) an implement for reaping peas
reesome (Lincolnshire) to place peas in small heaps
claick (Scotland) the last armful of grain cut at harvest (also called the kirn-cut, mulden, or kirn-baby: it was often kept and hung by a ribbon above the fireplace; in Suffolk harvesters threw their sickles to compete to reap it)
GREEN FINGERS
On a smaller scale, gardeners always have plenty to talk about…
platiecrub (Shetland Isles) a patch of enclosed ground for growing cabbages
olitory (1658) belonging to the kitchen garden
chessom (1626) of soil; without stones or grit
pissabed (Jamaican English 1801) a dandelion (as it is a diuretic)
… and things can get pretty technical on occasion:
suckshin (Yorkshire) liquid manure
sarcle (1543) to dig up weeds with a hoe
graff (Shropshire) a spade’s depth in digging (delve is two spades’ depth)
cochel (Sussex) too much for a wheelbarrow but not enough for a cart
BOSKY
Out on the slopes beyond the hedge the trees too need careful categorizing:
maerapeldre (Anglo-Saxon) an apple-tree on a boundary
pollard (Newfoundland c.1900) a dead tree still standing
rampick (1593) a tree bare of leaves or twigs
stub-shot (Somerset) the portion of the trunk of a tree which remains when the tree is not sawn through
… and beyond that, Nature may be wilder and more magnificent still:
borstal (South English 1790) a pathway up to a steep hill
brucktummuck (Jamaican English 1943) a hill so steep that it seems to break the stomach of one who tries to climb it
UP ON THE DOWNS
Critics from abroad often claim that English weather is dreadful. But this is only one point of view; for others relish the huge variety of effects to be found in such a changeable climate. These are just those found in Sussex:
port-boys small low clouds in a clear sky
windogs white clouds blown by the wind
eddenbite a mass of cloud in the form of a loop
slatch a brief respite or interval in the weather
swallocky sultry weather
shucky unsettled weather
truggy dirty weather
egger-nogger sleet
smither diddles bright spots on either side of the sun
THE RAIN IT RAINETH EVERYDAY…
It may rain often but that’s not to say that there aren’t some happy aspects to the experience:
petrichor (1964) the pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell
eske (Orkney Isles) small spots of rain that precede a heavy storm
fog dog (mid 19C) the lower part of a rainbow
water-gall (Tudor–Stuart) a second rainbow seen above the first
monkey’s wedding (South African 1968) simultaneous rain and sunshine
although its less enjoyable side is also well documented…
trashlifter (Californian slang) a heavy rain (loglifter: a really heavy rain)
duck’s frost (Sussex dialect) cold rain rather than freezing
New York rain (Hong Kong slang) the local term for water that drips annoyingly from air-conditioners onto passers-by
BLOWN AWAY
For those who live on coasts and hills, the wind has always been a constant presence:
pipple (Tudor-Stuart) to blow with a gentle sound (of the wind)
wyvel (Wiltshire) to blow as wind does round a corner or through a hole
whiffle (1662) to blow, displace or scatter with gusts of air; to flicker or flutter as if blown by the wind
not to be trifled with if you’re out on the water…
williwaw (1842) a sudden and powerful downdraught of wind (originally in the Straits of Magellan)
the dog before its master (nautical late 19C) a heavy swell preceding a gale
or a storm is imminent…
brattle (Newcastle 1815) the noise of a thunderclap
rounce robble hobble (b.1582) a representation of the tumult of thunder
heofonwoma (Anglo-Saxon) thunder and lightning, literally a terrible noise from heaven
levin (13C) a bolt of lightning
THE LIVING IS EASY
Every now and then the sun appears, and everyone goes crazy with delight:
apricate (1691) to bask in the sun
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 19C) the exhalations seen rising from the earth during a warm day (while queen’s weather (18C) 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