receive in a morning to render it propitious and lucky-that it may draw more money to it. Su.-Got. handsoel, mercimonii divenditi primitiæ. V. Ihre. The Germans employ their twin-expression handkauf, in identically a correspondent mean. ing. Hansel is also the first use of any thing. “Hansel'd the new font." Forcett Register, 1646. HANSEL-MONDAY, the first Monday in the New Year; when it is customary to make children and servants a present. Huloet defines handsell, 66 a new year's gift." HANTLE, much, many, a great deal. Swed, antal. Germ. anzahl, a great number. Grose. See, also, Ray. Hap-harlot, HANTY, wanton, unruly, restive. HAP, to cover warmly, as in bed. HAPPEN, HAPPENS, perhaps, possibly, it may be. HAPPING, a coarse covering, a rough rug for a bed. a coverlet for a servant, is a very old word. ancient popular distich in Newcastle, in allusion to the celebrated Roger Thornton-one of its most wealthy merchants and greatest benefactors—who, it is said, arrived there literally in the situation described At the Westgate came Thornton in, With a happing, a halfpenny, and a lambskin. There is an In Stowe's transcript of Leland's Itinerary, there is a different version of the couplet In at the West-Gate came Thornton in, With a happen hapt in a ram's skynn. HARD-CORN, wheat or maslin in the grass state. Probably from being sown before winter. HARDEN, to grow dear, "The market hardens." HARDLEYS, scarcely, hardly. Universal among the vulgar. Probably from Sax. har, hare, hoar. Ray has harl, a mist. V. Skinner, a sea harr. HARN, or HARDEN, a term for coarse linen cloth. Perhaps, originally, a literary friend conjectures, from Germ. häaren, made of hair; as brewers' aprons sometimes are. HARNS, brains. Used only in the plural. V. Todd's Johnson. HARP, to be constantly dwelling on one topic, to repeat a thing incessantly, to grumble. HARRY, to rob, to plunder, to oppress. Sax. hergian, to harrow, to pillage. Swed. hårja, to ravage, to lay waste. The word, in this sense, is by no means confined to Scotland, as Dr. Johnson supposed. It is common in Northumberland and Durham; particularly as applied to the taking of a bird's nest ; and being used by Milton, ought to be considered as classical English, The Saxons with perpetual landings and invasions harried the South coast of Britain.-Hist. of Eng. B. II. p. 108. HARRYGAUD, a blackguard sort of person. Ray says, a wild girl; but, I think, I never heard it applied to a female. HARS. The two ends of a gate in Northumberland are called the hars, and the bars the selms. Hodgson's History, Part II., Vol. I., p. 86. HARSTANE, HARSTONE, the hearth-stone of a cottage. HARUMSTARUM, HARUMSCARUM, wild, unsettled-running after, you know not what. Germ. herum-schar, a wandering troop; plural, scharen, vagabonds. HASH, a sloven, one who does not know how to act or behave with propriety-a silly talkative person. In 1655, Henry Hedley was fined 3s. 4d. for calling William Johnson, one of the stewards of the incorporated company of Bricklayers and Plasterers, a slavering hash. V. M'Kenzie's Hist. of Newc., p. 700. HASK, coarse, harsh, rough, parched. Germ, harsch, roughwith the common suppression of the r. A hask wind is keen and parching. Hask-lips are parched lips. The word is also applied to the sense of feeling, when any thing from its touch appears unpleasantly dry or hard. Coarse worsted is hask to the feeling. Husky is cognate-the husk of a nut-the rough envelopement. HASSOCK, a reed, or rush; hence, a stool or cushion to kneel upon at church, is called a hassock. Sw. vass, a rush, and såck, a sack. There is a tract of land adjoining the Tyne, near Dunston, called the Hassocks, which, it is probable, was once covered with hassocks. Sir John Swinburne informs me, that hassock is used on the moors for a tuft of rushes, or coarse grass, in very soft boggy ground. HATHER, HETHER, heath. C "Hather-buzzoms"-besoms made of heath. "Hether-bell"-the heath-blossom. HAUGH, low, flat, or marshy ground by the side of a river, liable to be overflowed. Isl. hagi, ager pascuus. HAUNCH, HAINCH, to throw; as a stone from the hand, by jerking it against the haunch. HAUSE, the neck, the throat. A very old word. Sax. Dan. and Germ. hals. "It's down the wrang hause." HAVER, v. to talk foolishly, to speak without thought. Isl. gifra, blaterare.-HAVERS, s. silly discourse, idle bantering Dinna deave the gentleman wi' your havers.-Redgauntlet. HAVER, s. oats. Dan. havre. Swed. hafre. Dut. haver. `` HAVER-BREAD, large, round, thin oaten cakes, baked on a girdle. Swed, hafrekaka, oat cake. HAVER-MEAL, Oatmeal. Swed. hafremjöl. Teut. haveren meel. HAVER-SACK, a bag in which oatmeal is carried. This is the origin of the haversacks of soldiers-used formerly for carrying their haver-meal. HAVERIL, a sort of fool, a half-wit. From HAVER; which see. HAWK, to expectorate. Welsh, hochi, to throw up phlegm. Shakspeare uses "hawking or spitting." འ HAY-MAKING. When hay is first cut, it is called a swede, or swathe; which is in fact the grass swayed to one side by the scythe. Germ. schwaden, a row of new mowed hay. Dut. zwade. When it is spread out it is named a teed (properly a ted); and when dried ready for gathering, a whin-row, windrow, or won-row. It is next put into cocks, several of which are collected into what is called a kyle. Fr. cueilli, gathered. When these again are heaped so high as to require a pike to lift the hay to the top of the heap, it is called a pike. HAZE, to drizzle, to be foggy. V. Ray's North C. Words. HAZE-GAZE, wonder, astonishment—a state in which one sees dimly and confusedly, as through a haze. HEALD, or HEAL, to lean or incline to one side, to bend laterally. Sax. hyldan, inclinare, declinare. HEAM, H'YEM, home. Dan. hiem. hals, collum. Swed. hem. See HAME. Isl. HEAMS, OF HEAMSTICKS, two pieces of crooked wood encompassing a horse's collar to which the traces are fastened. Teut. hamme, numella. Lat. hamus. This word is often pronounced YAWMES, with the aspirate H before it-H'YAWMES. HEAP, a wicker basket, a dry measure somewhat correspondent to the BEATMENT. Sax. hip, species. HEAP, a good many. "A heap of folks." "A heap of bairns." HEART-SCAD, any thing disagreeable or contrary to your expectation or wishes; grief, vexation. Heart-scald, for a heartburning pain. HEARTSOME, merry, cheerful, lively—full of heart. HECK, a rack for cattle to feed in. Su.-Got. hæck. V. Ihre. HECK-BOARD, a loose board at the back part of a cart. HECKLE, to dress tow or flax. Swed. håckla. Teut. hekelen.HECKLER, a tow or flax-dresser. Teut. hekeler, carminator. HECKLE, HECKLE-FLEE, an artificial fly for fishing-made of the hackle feather so called, which grows on the neck of a cock. HEERIN, HARRIN, herring. "Fresh-heerin-fresh-heerin :-four twopence caller harrin-four twopence caller harrin :—here's yor cuddy's-legs-here's yor Dumbar-wethers-here's yor January harrin.”-Cry in Newc. Fish-market. HEFT, a haunt. Su.-Got. hæfd, usus, consuetudo. HEIGH-HOW, an occasional assistant in the kitchen-a sort of char-woman. So called, in all probability, from a notorious propensity which a character of this kind has to all sorts of low gossip and marvellous stories. HELL, HELLE, to pour out.-Dur. and North. Sax. hægelan, to hail. HELM-WIND, a singular phenomenon so called-generated in that enormous cloud which gathers round the summit of CrossFell-a mountain encompassed with the most desolate and barren heights-covering it like a helmet, to an extent of several miles. On its first appearance, there issues from it a prodigious noise, which in grandeur and awfulness has been thought to exceed the roaring of the ocean. Sometimes there is a less cloud, in an opposite direction, called a helm-bar ;' probably from its resisting the progress of the wind. The violence is greatest, when the helm is highest above the mountain. HELTER, the northern word for halter. Sax. hælster. See Brand's Pop. Antiq. Vol. II. p. 583. HELTER-SKELTER, in great haste, disorderly-unbridled, as it were.. Skinner's derivation from Sax. heolster sceado (unless we reject Dr. Johnson's translation and adopt that of Dr. Jamieson), seems to me far fetched; and that given by Grose, is, in my mind, equally fanciful. A friend suggests that it may be from hic et aliter; while the author of the Craven Glossary refers to the Dutch. But I am satisfied that helter-skelter is halter loose, halter broken, effrænatè. Thus Shakspeare expresses the exact meaning when he makes Pistol say, Sir John, I am thy Pistol, and thy friend, And helter-skelter have I rode to thee; And tidings do I bring. 2d. Part of King Henry IV. This is quoted, but its peculiar significance entirely overlook ed, in Todd's Johnson. |