The Dialect of the West of England; Particularly Somersetshire Part 21

To Skeer. _v. a._ To mow lightly over: applied to pastures which have been summer-eaten, never to meadows. In a neuter sense, to move along quickly, and slightly touching. Hence, from its mode of flight,

Skeer-devil. _s._ The black martin, or Swift.

Skeer'ings. _s._ pl. Hay made from pasture land.

Skent'in. _adj_. When cattle, although well-fed, do not become fat, they are called skentin.

Skenter. _s._ An animal which will not fatten.

To Skew, To Ski'ver. / _v. a._ To skewer.

Skiff-handed. _adj._ Left-handed, awkward.

Skills, Skittles. / _s. pl._ The play called nine-pins.

Skim'merton. _s._ To ride Skimmerton, is an exhibition of riding by two persons on a horse, back to back; or of several persons in a cart, having _skimmers_ and _ladles_, with which they carry on a sort of warfare or gambols, designed to ridicule some one who, unfortunately, possesses an unfaithful wife. This _may-game_ is played upon some other occasion besides the one here mentioned: it occurs, however, very rarely, and will soon, I apprehend, be quite obsolete. _See_ SKIMMINGTON, in _Johnson_.

Skiv'er. _s._ A skewer.

To Skram. _v. a._ To benumb with cold.

Skram. _adj._ Awkward: stiff, as if benumbed.

"With hondis al _forskramyd_."

CHAUCER, _Second Merchant's Tale_.

Skram-handed. _adj._ Having the fingers or joints of the hand in such a state that it can with difficulty be used; an imperfect hand.

To Skrent. _v. a._ [An irregular verb.] To burn, to scorch.

Part. _Skrent_. Scorched.

Sk.u.m'mer. _s._ A foulness made with a dirty liquid, or with soft dirt.

To Sk.u.m'mer. _v.a._ To foul with a dirty liquid, or to daub with soft dirt.

Slait. _s._ An accustomed run for sheep; hence the place to which a person is accustomed, is called slait.

To Slait. _v. a._ To accustom.

To Slait. _v. a._ To make quick-lime in a fit state for use, by throwing water on it; to slack.

To Slat. _v. a._ To split; to crack; to cleave. To Sleeze.

_v. n._ To separate; to come apart; applied to cloth, when the warp and woof readily separate from each other.

Sleezy. _adj._ Disposed to sleeze; badly woven.

Slen. _adj._ Slope.

'Slike. It is like.

Slipper-slopper. _adj._ Having shoes or slippers down at the heel; loose.

To Slitter. _v.n._ To slide.

To Slock. _v. a._ To obtain clandestinely.

To Slock'ster. _v. a._ To waste.

Slom'aking. _adj._ Untidy; slatternly (applied to females.)

This word is, probably, derived from _slow_ and _mawkin_.

Slop'per. _adj._ Loose; not fixed: applied only to solid bodies.

To Slot'ter. _v. n._ To dirty; to spill.

Slot'tering. _adj._ Filthy, wasteful.

Slot'ter. _s._ Any liquid thrown about, or accidentally spilled on a table, or the ground.

Slug'gardy-guise. _s._ The habit of a sluggard.

_Sluggardy-guise; Loth to go to bed, And loth to rise._

WYAT says--"Arise, for shame; do away your _sluggardy._"

Sluck'-a-bed, Sluck'-a-trice, } _s._ A slug-a-bed; a sluggard.

Slock'-a-trice. /

Smash. _s._ A blow or fall, by which any thing is broken.

_All to smash_, all to pieces.

Smeech. _s._ Fine dust raised in the air.

To Smoor. _v. a._ To smooth; to pat.

Snags. _s._ Small sloes: _prunus spinosa_.

Snag, Snagn. / _s._ A tooth.

Snaggle'tooth. _s._ A tooth growing irregularly.

Snarl. _s._ A tangle; a quarrel. There is also the verb _to snarl_, to entangle.

Snead. _s._ The crooked handle of a mowing scythe.