The Peasant Speech of Devon: With Other Matters Connected Therewith |
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Common terms and phrases
adüed agot agwaine tü arter ave abin aveard avee avore awl awver awl day awl tha awnly ayte bant bant agwaine blid brath bütivul bwoys cheel chell chell ave chillern clayne com'th Creem cüde dawnt dear Devon dree drü düed düee e'll ef yü er's erzel gert go tü güde idden intü tha iver ivery jist knaw lüke Lükee maid marning mawther mayte minit missis niver did zee nort nuff ov tha passen plaize tü pon tha purty rekkon Shillet shüde tellee thease thease yer thee theng thenk There's Thews thickee Tiverton tü dü tü go tü tha tü zee tü-day turmits turrabul tweel twoad twunt upen vatch vather vittee vowr vrom vüle vur tha vur tü wance whot Whot's Whotiver wunt yü'd yü'll yü've zartin zee tha zeed zome zune
Popular passages
Page 53 - ... lifted them up, and then laid them down on their sides. The bees, thus hastily invaded, instantly attacked and fastened on the horses and their riders. It was in vain they galloped off. the bees as precipitately followed, and left their stings as marks of their indignation.
Page 52 - A superstitious custom prevails at every funeral in Devonshire, of turning round the beehives that belonged to the deceased, if he had any, and that at the moment the corpse is carrying out of the house.
Page 37 - ... worked like a galley-slave. A strange fellow, this quiet Baxter. He could make shoes among other things, could shoe the horses, make pack-saddles, do a hundred and fifty things ; all of which he did with steady, quiet diligence these lonely six weeks, as if a little voice was ever singing in his ear, " The night cometh in which no man can work." I confess that I should have liked to know that man Baxter, but that is impossible ; one can only say that once there was a very noble person whom men...
Page 52 - Collumpton of a rich old farmer, a laughable circumstance of this sort occurred ; for, just as the corpse was placed in the hearse, and the horsemen to a large number were drawn up in order for the procession of the funeral, a person called out,
Page 23 - The west wind always brings wet weather : The east wind cold and wet together : The south wind surely brings us rain : The north wind blows it back again...
Page 53 - ... circumstance occurred. Just as the corpse was placed in the hearse, and the visitors (a large number) were arranged in order for the procession of the funeral, a person called out ' Turn the bees !' A servant who had no knowledge of such a custom, instead of turning the hives round, lifted them up, and laid them down on their sides. The bees, thus suddenly invaded, instantly attacked and fastened on the visitors. It was in vain they tried to escape, for the bees precipitately followed, and left...
Page 21 - Slavonian gipsy tale tells how a girl noticed everyone smash the shell when they had eaten an egg. She asked why, and was told: You must break the shell to bits for fear Lest the witches should make it a boat, my dear. For over the sea, away from home, Far by night the witches roam. 'I don't see why the poor witches should not have boats as well as other people,' said the girl, and she threw an egg-shell as far as she could, crying: 'Witch - there is your boat!
Page 72 - faggot' suggests to the rustic mind something savoury and inviting, wholly unconnected with ' a bundle of brushwood used for fuel ' ; ' fig,' in several dialects, means a raisin, hence figgypudding, ' plum-pudding.' We are told that a woman placed this notice in her shop-window : ' Figgy pudden wan appenny a slice ; more figgier wan penny a slice.
Page i - The speech of the peasantry of Devon and the adjacent counties is undoubtedly the purest remains of the AngloSaxon tongue extant in England at the present time. Many words are almost as pure as when spoken by our Saxon ancestors.
Page 121 - Ib. salt fat bacon cut small, 2 oz. castor sugar, £ pint of mutton broth, pepper and salt to taste. Place these in layers in a deep pie-dish, cover with rich paste and bake for an hour and a half, or place the whole in a crock and stew an hour and a half. Serve piping hot. I have seen clotted cream served and eaten with this