Miss Buskbody now placed her left foot on the fender, crossed her right leg over her knee, lay back on the chair, and looked towards the ceiling. When I observed her assume this contemplative mood, I concluded she was studying some farther cross-examination, and therefore took my hat and wished her a hasty good-night, ere the Demon of Criticism had supplied her with any more queries. In like manner, gentle Reader, returning you my thanks for the patience which has conducted you thus far, I take the liberty to withdraw myself from you for the present.
It was mine earnest wish, most courteous Reader, that the “Tales of my Landlord” should have reached thine hands in one entire succession of tomes, or volumes. But as I sent some few more manuscript quires, containing the continuation of these most pleasing narratives, I was apprised, somewhat unceremoniously, by my publisher that he did not approve of novels (as he injuriously called these real histories) extending beyond four volumes, and if I did not agree to the first four being published separately, he threatened to decline the article. (Oh, ignorance! as if the vernacular article of our mother English were capable of declension.) Whereupon, somewhat moved by his remonstrances, and more by heavy charges for print and paper, which he stated to have been already incurred, I have resolved that these four volumes shall be the heralds or avant-couriers of the Tales which are yet in my possession, nothing doubting that they will be eagerly devoured, and the remainder anxiously demanded, by the unanimous voice of a discerning public. I rest, esteemed Reader, thine as thou shalt construe me,
JEDEDIAH CLEISHBOTHAM. GANDERCLEUGH, Nov. 15, 1816.
GLOSSARY.
A’, all.
A’body, everybody.
Aboon, abune, above.
Ae, one.
Aff, off.
Afore, before.
Again, against, until.
Ahint, behind.
Ain, own.
Ajee, awry.
Amaist, almost.
Amna, am not.
An, if, suppose.
Ane, one.
Anent, regarding.
Anes, once.
Anither, another.
Arles, earnest money.
Asteer, in confusion.
Atweel, aweel, well.
Aught, own, possessed of; also, eight.
Auld, old.
Awa’, away.
Awe, to owe. “Awe a day in har’st,” to owe a good turn.
Awsome, awful, terrible.
Bab, a bunch.
Back-cast, back-stroke.
Baith, both.
Bang, to beat.
Bannock, a scone.
Bawbee, a halfpenny.
Beild, shelter.
Bein, bien, well provided.
Belive, directly.
Bide, to wait, to suffer. “Bide a blink,” stay a minute.
Birky, a lively young fellow.
Birl, to toss, to drink.
Bleeze, a blaze; also, to brag, to talk ostentatiously.
Blithe, happy.
Blude, bluid, blood.
Boddle, a small copper coin.
Branks, a kind of bridle.
Braw, fine, brave.
Brawly, cleverly.
Braws, fine clothes.
Breeks, breeches.
Brigg, a bridge.
Brogue, the Highland shoe.
Browst, a brewing.
Budget, a carabine-socket.
Busk, to deck up.
“By and out-taken,” over and above and excepting.
Ca’, to call. “Ca’ the pleugh,” to work the plough.
Canna, cannot. “Canna hear day nor door,” as deaf as a post.
Canny, quiet, cautious, snug.
Carcage, a carcass.
Carena, care not.
Carline, an old woman, a witch.
Cast, chance, opportunity, fate.
“Cast o’ a cart,” chance use of a cart.
Certie! conscience!
Change-house, a small inn or alehouse.
Chield, a fellow.
Chimley, a chimney.
Claes, clothes.
Clatter, tattle.
“Clinked down,” quartered.
“Cock laird,” a small land holder who cultivates his estate himself.
Copleen, to complain.
Coup, to barter; also, to turn over.
Crap, the produce of the ground.
Crowdy, meal and milk mixed in a cold state.
Cuittle, to wheedle, to curry favour.
Daft, crazy.
Daur, to dare.
Daurna, dare not.
Deil, the devil. “Deil gin,” the devil may care if.
Didna, did not.
Dighting, separating, wiping.
Ding, to knock.
Dinna, disna, do not.
Disjasked-looking, decayed looking.
Disjune, breakfast.
Div, do.
Dooms, very, confoundedly.
Douce, douse, quiet, sensible.
Doun, down.
Dour, stubborn.
“Dow’d na,” did not like.
Downa, cannot.
“Downs bide,” cannot bear, don’t like.
Drouthy, dry, thirsty.
Dwam, a swoon.
Ee, an eye.
Een, eyes.
E’en, evening; even.
E’enow, presently, at present.
Eik, an addition.
Eneuch, eneugh, enow, enough.
Fa’, fall.
Fairing “gie him a fairing,” settle him.
Fallow, a fellow.
Fand, found.
Fash, trouble.
Faured, favoured.
Feared, afraid.
Fearsome, frightful.
Feck, part of a thing.
Feckless, harmless.
Fend, to provide.
Fire-flaught, flash.
Fizenless, tasteless.
Flyte, to scold.
Forby, besides.
Forgie, forgive.
Forrit, forward.
Foumart, a pole-cat.
Frae, from.
Fund, found.
Gae, to go; also, gave.
Gang, go.
Ganging, going.
Gar, to make, to oblige.
Gat, got.
Gate, way, mode, direction.
Gaun, going.
Gay, gey, very. “Gey thick,” pretty thick.
Gear, property.
Gentles, aristocracy.
Gie, give.
Gin, if.
Gledge, a side-glance.
Gomeril, a fool, a simpleton.
Gowd, gold.
Gowpen, a handful.
Grewsome, sullen, stern, forbidding.
Gude, God; good.
Gudeman, a husband; head of the household.
Gude-sister, a sister-in-law.
Gudewife, a wife, a spouse.
Guide, to manage.
Ha’arst, harvest.
Hae, have.
Haena, have not.
“Hae ’t,” have it.
Haill, whole.
Hantle, a great deal.
Harry, to rob, to break in upon.
Hash, a clumsy lout.
Hand, to hold, to have.
Hauld, a habitation.
Hempie, giddy.
Heugh, a dell; also, a crag.
Hinny, a term of endearment=honey.
Holme, a hollow, level low ground.
“Horse of wood, foaled of an acorn,” a form of punishment.
Howf, a retreat.
Hunder, a hundred.
Hup! used to a horse in order to make him quicken his pace.
“Hup nor wind,” quite unmanageable.
Hurdies, the buttocks.
Ilk, ilka, each, every.
Ill-fard, ill-favoured.
Ill-guide, to ill-treat.
I’ se, I shall.
Isna, is not.
Jalouse, to suspect.
Jimply, barely, scantily.
Jo, joe, a sweetheart.
“John Thomson’s man,” a husband who yields to the influence of his wife.
Justify, to punish with death.
Kail, kale, cabbage greens; broth. “Kail through the reek,” to give one a
severe reproof.
Kail-brose, pottage of meal made with the scum of broth.
Kale-yard, a vegetable garden.
Ken, to know.
Kend, knew.
Kenna, kensna, know not.
Kittle, ticklish.
Kye, kine.
Lane, lone, alone. By a peculiar idiom in the Scotch this is frequently
conjoined with the pronoun: as, “his lane,” “my lane,” “their lane,”
i. e., “by himself,” “by myself,” “by themselves.”
“Lang ten,” the ten of trumps in Scotch whist.
Lassie, lassock, a little girl.
Lave, the remainder.
Leatherin’, beating, drubbing.
Letten, allowed.
Lift, to carry off by theft.
Linn, a cataract.
Lippie, the fourth part of a peck.
Loon, a fellow.
Loot, looten, let, allowed.
Lound, quiet.
Loup, to leap.
Lug, the ear.
Mains, demesne.
Mair, more.
Maist, most.
Mart, a fatted cow.
Mann, must.
Maunder, palaver.
Maut, malt.
Mensfu’, modest, mindful.
Mickle, much.
Mind, to remember.
Mirligoes, dizziness.
Mislear’d, unmannerly.
Mistaen, mistaken.
Many, many.
“Morn, the,” to-morrow.
Muckle, much.
Muir, a moor.
Na, no, not.
Naething, nothing.
Naig, a nag.
Neb, the nose, the beak.
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