A Glossary of Provincial Words & Phrases in use in Somersetshire Part 18

Rexen _s. p._ rushes (A S _rixe_)

Rip _v._ to rate or chide

Riscous applied to bread imperfectly baked

Robin-ridd.i.c.k, or Ruddock _s._ redbreast

Rodd.i.c.ks, Roddocks _s._ ex. Off the roddocks, as a cart off the grooves of the axle

Rode _v.n._ to go out to shoot wild fowl which pa.s.s over head on the wing early at night or in the morning; also applied to the pa.s.sage of the birds themselves, ex. The woodc.o.c.ks' rode

Roe-briar _s._ the large dog-rose briar

Roller, Rawler, Brawler _s._ a bundle of reed, ex. As weak as a rawler

Rompstal _s._ a rude girl

Ronge _v._ to gnaw, to devour (Fr. _ronger_)

Room, Rhume _s._ scurf of the scalp

Root-chains _s._ main plough chains

Roozement _s._ a slip or falling-in of earth

Ropy _adj._ wine or other liquor is ropy when it becomes thick and coagulated; also bread when a kind of second fermentation takes place in warm weather

Rose _v.n._ to drop out from the pod or other seed-vessel when the seeds are over ripe

Rose, Rooze-in _v._ to fall in, as the upper part of a quarry, or well

Round-dock _s._ the common mallow

Rouse-about _adj._ big, unwieldly

Rout _v._ to snore

Rowless _adj._ roofless. A Rowless Tenement an estate without a house

Rowsse _v._ to rush out with a great noise

Rozzim, Rozzums _s._ quaint sayings, low proverb

Ruck _v._ to couch down

"What is mankind more unto you yhold Than is the shepe that rouketh in the fold."

(Chaucer, Knight's Tale)

Rudderish _adj._ rude, hasty

Ruge _v.n._ to hang in folds, to wrinkle (Lat. _rugae_)

Rungs, Rongs _s. pl._ the rounds of a ladder, also of a chair

Rushen _adj._ made of rushes

Sand-tot _s._ sand-hill

Sape _s._ sap of trees, juice of fruit. Sapey _adj._ as fruit-tart

Sar, Sarve _v._ to earn wages

Scad _s._ a sudden and brief shower

Scamblin _s._ irregular meal

Scarry-whiff _adv._ askew

Scorse, Squoace, Squiss _v._ to exchange, barter

"And there another, that would needsly scorse A costly jewel for a hobby-horse"

(Drayton's Moon Calf)

Scottle _v._ to cut into pieces wastefully

Scourge-mettle _s._ the instrument with which a boy whips his top

Scovin, Scubbin _s._ the neck and breast of lamb

Scrambed, Shrambed _adj._ deprived of the use of some limb by a nervous contraction of the muscles; benumbed with cold

Scrint _v._ to scorch, singe; also to shrink a good deal in burning, as leather, silk, &c.

Scun _v._ to reproach with the view of exposing to contempt or shame (A S _scunian_, to shun, avoid)

Scurrick, Scurrig _s._ any small coin, a mere atom; ex. I havn't a scurrick left

Scute _s._ a sum of money, a gratuity, the impress on ancient money, from _scutem_, a s.h.i.+eld. So _ecu_, Fr., a crown; s.h.i.+lling, from A S _scild_, a s.h.i.+eld. Chaucer uses _s.h.i.+ldes_ for ecus, _i.e._, crowns

Seam _s._ a horse-load (A S _seam_)

Seed-lip _s._ a sower's seed basket

Seem, Zim _v._ to think, to be of opinion; ex. I do zim, or zim t' I

Seltimes _adv._ seldom