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this word means, in the dialect of which he treats, dirt laid superficially. We use it in the strongest sense, of dirt deeply insinuated into the skin.

GRIT, for sand. (Grose.) Such a one has the real grit in him, is a common expression for energy of character. We have never heard it for sand. GROUNDSILL, the threshold of a door.

This may

be heard in precisely the same meaning in New England. GUESS, to suppose, to believe. (Craven Glossary.) Mr. Pickering says this word is used in Kent, England, in the same way as in New England. We also have it, in Yorkshire, with the same meaning. The Yankees have been and are outrageously quizzed by Englishmen and their own countrymen about this word. It is as good as any other, and not used in any peculiar sense, but according to its real meaning; generally a Yankee who guesses, is quite certain as to what he expresses a doubt.

GUMPSHON, or GUMPTION. Common sense combined with energy; shrewd intelligence; a superior understanding. An excellent word of high antiquity. (Brockett.) This word is heard very often, but not seriously. When used, however, it is applied in the sense given by Brockett. Grose derives it from gawm, to understand. GUNNER, a shooter; GUNNING, the sport of shooting. (Forby.) Both of these words have been sources of ridicule against us, with English writers. They have been considered as peculiar, but our ancestors must now take the responsibility; and any American who

feels ashamed in using language the English do not approve, may be now encouraged, and say, "I am going a gunning," without the fear of the British. Beaumont and Fletcher have it more than once. GUMMED. In Beaumont and Fletcher's "Woman Hater," I find, "She has never, boy, been gummed or fretted." It is said to be derived from velvet, stiffened by gum, and chafing the wearer. I remember, as a boy, an expression, "that's rather gumming," meaning, likely I have never heard it since.

to annoy.

It appears to be the same word. By gom, or gum, a vulgar oath, and not uncommon among us, is from Essex.

H.

HACKING COUGH. This common expression Holloway gives as belonging to Norfolk and South of England. A faint, tickling cough, is its Norfolk meaning; a short, hard, cutting cough, the Southern. The last is our application of the term.

HALF-SAVED, for half-witted. (Hereford Glossary.) This is a very common New England word, in the above

sense.

HALLA-BALOO, for noise, uproar, clamor. (Brockett.) Common in this country.

HALVES. The going halves, as boys called it, when anything was found, is an old custom derived from the North of England. "Come, let us go halves." HAMES. Two movable pieces of wood, or iron, fastened upon the collar, with suitable appendages for attaching

a horse to the shafts. (Jenning's West of England Dialect.) The collar by which a horse draws in a wagon. (Tod's Johnson.) We do not remember to have heard this word in New England. Among the farmers of Chester County, Pennsylvania, it is common, and in the meaning given by Jennings.

HANDY, for near, adjoining. (Jennings.) He lives quite handy, is common here; also, he is a handy fellow, for one ready and active.

HANKITCHER. The handkerchief was frequently so pronounced in New England, and is now so called in the dialects of Westmoreland and Cumberland. Hankerchar, is the Essex pronunciation. It was probably commonly so pronounced two centuries ago. In Middleton's "Roaring Girl," there is this oath, "I swear by the tassels of this hankercher it is true." HARD OF HEARING. This common expression among us, is from Essex; and, to "haul over the coals," and to "hide," for beat.

HARUM-SCARUM.

Wild, unsettled; running after you know not what. German, herumschar, a wandering troop. Scharen, in the plural, meaning blackguards. (Brockett.) The only use we make of this word is to imply heedlessness, thoughtlessness. A harum-scarum sort of a fellow, may be heard daily. Schar, in German, means a crowd, a multitude; herum, about; but the word schwarmen, to play the vagabond, to be wild, dissipated, or unsettled, or to have no fixed pursuit; or the word schwarmer, meaning one "qui fait la debauche, qui aime les divertissement bruyantes,"

Harum

with the adverb, would make a better derivation than Brockett's. Herum schwarmen, or schwarmer, would then speak for themselves. They use, however, in the North of England, a word, to hare, to frighten, from an old French word, harier. scarum would come simply enough from this. HAWK, to expectorate. (Brockett.) We use it as the preliminary to expectoration, not for the act itself. It is an old word. Tod's Johnson derives it from the Welsh, hocher, to throw up phlegm with a noise. HAYTY-TAYTY. What's here? (Jennings.) What's the matter? what's all this about? Common among us. HEAP, in the sense of a large quantity, or large number, is not as common here as in England, though I have heard it among farmers. HEFT, for weight. (Jennings.) Did you heft it? It is used in Wiltshire, and as a verb, to heft. We have heard it, in New England, for the handle of an ax. HELTER-SKELTER. In great haste, disorderly. (Brockett.) Used in this sense, very common here. Its etymology is unsettled. See Tod's Johnson, in voce. HICKELTY-PICKELTY. In the utmost confusion. (Brockett.) A very common expression among us. seems to be no satisfactory etymology of this word. To lie huddled together like pigs, appears a probable origin, and very applicable to its use.

There

HIDE, to beat; HIDING, a beating. (Brockett and Jennings.)

HITCH, to become entangled or hooked together. (Jennings.) Hitch your horse to the fence; there's a hitch

in that business; they were hitched together. These
expressions give the meanings in which we have heard
this word applied. Also, hitch your chair a little far-
ther along; also, he's got a hitch in his gait or walk,
for a slight lameness.

HITY-TITY. Brockett derives this from the French, haute
tête, and gives to it the meaning haughty, flighty.
We have never heard it in this sense; but as a retort
on one who takes airs we have heard it. "Hity-tity
miss!" Jennings, from height, and tite, weight. The
board on which see-saw is played, is called, in some
parts of England, a tayty. By what analogy hity-
tity can be derived from this, in the way in which it
is generally applied, is not clear, unless it be heigh to
the tayty, or hie. Height, aloud; to speak in a loud
voice, seems, in some of the senses in which it is em-
ployed, a more correct derivation, but whence come
tity, or taty, puzzles us as much as it does the other
glossaries. Little children in see-sawing might cry,
"high to the sky," and thence this expression. I do
not know, however, whether any children ever did so
cry. This is often pronounced, by little children, "ity
up in the ty." Highty is given, in the Craven Dialect,
as a child's word for a horse; and as tayty is a board,
and ridden astraddle, this may be defined highty-ty-ty.
In the "Suppliants of Eschylus," we have "otototo
toi."
HOBBY-TY-HOY. Jennings believes this word to be sim-
ply Hobby the Hoyden, or Robert the Hoyden, or
Hoyt. Hoyden was once applied to the male sex.

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