A Glossary of Provincial Words & Phrases in use in Somersetshire Part 2

Beat the streets, to run about idly

Beeastle, Beezle _v._ to make nasty

Bee-bird _s._ the White-throat

Bee-but, Bee-lippen, a bee-hive (_lepe_, a basket, Wiclif Acts ix, 25)

Beetel, Bittle, or Bitle _s._ a bron-bitle, or brand-bitle, a heavy mallet for cleaving wood. Shaks. Hen. IV. "fillip me with a three man beetle." Bitle-head _s._ a blockhead

Becal _v._ to abuse, to rail at

Bedfly _s._ a flea

Bed-lier _s._ a bed-ridden person

Beever _s._ a hedge-side enc.u.mbered with brambles

Begaur, Begaurz, Begumm, Begummers, words of a.s.severation and exclamation

Begrumpled _adj._ soured, displeased

Begurg _v._ begrudge

Behither _adv._ on this side

Belge, or Belve _v._ to bellow

Belk, or Bulk, _v._ to belch

Bell flower, Bell-rose, a Daffodil

Belsh _v._ to clean the tails of sheep

Benet, Bents _s._ Bennetty _adj._ long coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, and plantain stalks

Benge _v._ to continue tippling, to booze

Benns, or Bends, ridges of gra.s.s lands

Bepity _v.a._ to pity

Besk.u.mmer _v._ to besmear, abuse, reproach

Bethink _v._ to grudge, ex. He bethink'd I but everything

Bet.w.a.ttled _v.n._ to be in a distressed state of mind, also _v.a._

Betwit, to rake up old grievances

Bevorne, before

Bibble _v._ to tipple. Bibbler _s._

Biddy _s._ a chick. Chick-a-Biddy, a term of endearment

Biddy's eyes _s._ pansy

Bide _v._ to live or lodge in. Bidin _s._ a place where a man lives

Big, Beg, Begotty _adj._ grand, consequential, ex. Too big for his birches

Billid _adj._ distracted, mad

Billy _s._ a bundle of straw, or reed, one-third part of a sheaf

Bim-boms _s._ anything hanging as a bell, icicles, or tags of a woman's bonnet, or dress

Bin, Bin'swhy _conj._ because, seeing that, prob. "being," provided that

Binnic, or Bannisticle _s._ stickle-back

Bird-battin _v._ taking birds at night with a net attached to two poles.

Shaks. bat-fowling

Bird's-meat, Bird's-pears _s._ hips and haws

Bisgee, (g hard), (Fr. _besaigue_. Lat _bis-acuta_) _s._ a mooting or rooting axe, sharp at both ends and cutting different ways

Bis't _v._ Art thou? (Germ. _bist du_)

Bit _s._ the lower end of a poker _v._ to put a new end to a poker

Bivver _v._ to shake or tremble, ex. They'll make he bivver, (A S _bifian_, to tremble)

Blackhead _s._ a boil, a pinswil

Black-pot _s._ black-pudding

Blacky-moor's-beauty _s._ Sweet scabious

Blake _v._ to faint (A S _blaecan_, to grow pale)

Blanker, Vlanker, Flanker _s._ a spark of fire

Blanscue _s._ an unforeseen accident

Blather _s._ Bladder _v._ to talk in a windy manner, to vapour

Bleachy _adj._ brackish