A Glossary of Provincial Words & Phrases in use in Somersetshire Part 10

Gush _v._ to put the blood in quicker motion by fright or surprise, ex.

A' gied I sich a gush

Guss _v._ and _s._ to gird, a girth

Gurt _adj._ great

Hack _s._ the place where bricks newly-made are arranged to dry

Hack, Hacket, Hick, Heck _v._ to hop on one leg, to play hackety oyster, hopscotch, or hack-sh.e.l.l

Hacker _v._ to chatter with the cold, to stammer

Hackle _s._ a good job

Hag-mal _s._ a slattern, a t.i.tmouse

Hag-rided _adj._ subject to night-mare

Hag-ropes traveller's joy, wild clematis (A S _Hage_, a hedge)

Hain _v._ to let up gra.s.s for mowing

Halfen-deal _s._ moiety _adj._ composed of different materials

Half-strain _adj._ mongrel, half-witted

Halipalmer _s._ the palmer-worm, (holy-palmer)

Hallantide _s._ All Saints' Day, (hallow-een-tide)

Halse _s._ hazel; halse coppice

Halsen, Hawseny, Noseny, Osney _v._ to divine, predict, forebode (A S _halsen_, from the hazel divining rod)

Halve, or Helve _v._ to turn over, to turn upside down

Ham _s._ an open field, usually near a river: on Mendip, old calamine pits

Hame _v._ "rem habere" (A S _haeman_)

Hames, Heamsies _s._ parts of harness

Hang-fair, Hanging-vayer _s._ an execution

Hanch _v._ to gore as a bull

Hangles, (a pair of hangles) _s._ a pot or kettle-rack suspended over the fire

Hank _s._ dealings with

Happer _v._ to crackle, rattle like hail

Hard _adj._ full grown, as hard stock, or sheep; a Hardboy a boy of about 13 years old

Harr _s._ the part of a gate which holds the hinges, ex. Heads and harrs

Hart _s._ haft, or handle as of knives, awls

Hat, or Het _pret._ of _v._ to hit

Hathe _s._ to be in hathe, _i.e._, to be thickly covered with pustules, to be closely matted together

Haydigees, (g hard and soft) _s._ high spirits

Hay-sucker _s._ the white-throat

Hayty-tayty seesaw, also _interj._ what's here!

Hay-ward _s._ pound-keeper, a keeper of hedges or hays (A S _haeig-weard_)

Hedge-bore _s._ a rough workman

Heel, h.e.l.l _v._ to pour out or in, hence Heel-taps

Heel _v._ to hide, to cover (A S _helan_)

Heeler _s._ one who hides or covers. Proverb: The heeler is as bad as the stealer

Heft _s._ and _v._ weight, to lift up, from _v._ to heave

Hegler, or Higler _s._ an egg or fowl collector and dealer

h.e.l.lier _s._ a tiler, one who covers

Hel'm _s._ haulm of wheat, beans, peas, potatoes (A S _healm_)

Hem _p.r.o.n._ he or him, ex. If hem had hat hem as hem hat hem, hem 'oud a kill'd hem or hem 'oud a kill'd hem

Hen _v._ to throw, see Aine

Hen-hussey _s._ a meddling officious person, a woman who looks after poultry

Hent, or Hint _v._ to wither or dry up

Hern, His'n _p.r.o.n._ her's, his

Herret _s._ a pitiful little wretch