74 NOTES ON ESSEX DIALECT AND FOLK-LORE.
Bullimony, Bullimoug—A mixture of several sorts of grain as peas, oats, and
vetches.
Bum-by—By and by.
Bus!—To kiss, to embrace.
Cop—To throw (as "cop that to me," and "cop it here," etc.).
Cowl or cow—A tub. Ger., Kugel, a bowl.
Dag—Dew, from the Swedish dagg.
Dog-rapper—The parish beadle with the long willow wand in church. This has
been handed down from the early 17th century.
Dunt—To confuse by noise.
Down—At, as "down t'other end of town."
Enow—Enough.
Grift—Slate-pencil, from the Danish and Swedish griffel.
Gumption—Nonsense, foolish talk. (It also means talent, understanding.)
Haysel— Haytime, from A.-S. heg, hay ; sel, time.
Hodmadod—A shell snail, from A.-S. hod (whence hood), and mad an earth-worm.
Mawther—A great, awkward girl. This word is also used in Norfolk and
Suffolk.
Paagles—Cowslips are so-called by children in N. Essex. This is a corruption
of paigles. In some places the word signifies flowers in general.
Pay—To flog or beat, as "I'll pay you" said to a bad boy. Shakespeare also
uses the word "pay" in the sense of "to beat or thrash."
Tighted up—Put in order.
Weavers' Beef of Colchester—Sprats.
Flacked—Hung loose, agitated by wind.
Finnick—A tawdry dressing woman.
Golls—The hands, as
" Warm golls warm
Boys are gone to plough,
If you want to warm golls,
Warm golls now." (N.E. Essex.)
Many more examples might be given, but want of space
forbids.
Essex is particularly rich in Local Sayings, and the following
may be noted :
"As wise as a Waltham Calf which went nine miles to suck a bull, and came
home as dry as it went." This needs no explanation.
"Dovercourt all talkers and no hearers."—At Dovercourt a court is annually
held, at which, as it consists chiefly of seamen, the irregularity described is likely
to prevail. "Keeping Dovercourt" is said to mean making a great noise, and a
further explanation was that Dovercourt was celebrated for its scolds. (See
Nare's "Glossary," Halliwell, Wright," Prov. Dict." ; Also Ray.)
"Every dog has its day and a cat two Sundays."
"Giving the straight tip" meaning speaking plainly and decisively, and very
often an insult is intended,
"Good elm, good barley, good oak, good wheat" is well understood.
"Laying by the wall."—If anyone is dead, he or she is said "to lie by the
wall," implying also that one is dead but not yet buried. In the Dutch there is