Letter M - 1892 Mid-Antrim Glossary
Author: ‘F.L.’ (William James Knowles)
Date: 1892
Source: Nine lists of local (mid-Antrim) words and sayings, with notes, published in the Ballymena Observer between April and August 1892. See 1892 Ballymena Observer (Mid-Antrim) Word Lists for original articles (USLS/TB/Hist/1800-1899/012).
Comments: This serialised ‘glossary’ was compiled in response to a letter published in the Ballymena Observer, 19 February, 1892, from P W Joyce, whose book, English as we Speak it in Ireland, was in preparation. Dr. Joyce was appealing throughout Ireland for help in amassing a record of Irish Dialect, including words of Scotch origin. The first response from the readers of the Ballymena Observer was a significant glossary of local words by ‘F.L.’ on April 8. This word list began with an appeal for other readers to “add to it and throw light on meanings which they will see are rather obscure to me”. Further word lists introduced by ‘F.L.’ then appeared on April 22; April 29; May 6; May 27; June 17; July 1; and August 18. The identity of F.L. as William James Knowles, MRIA (1832–1927), a distinguished antiquarian from Cullybackey, was confirmed by Joyce when English as we Speak it in Ireland was published in 1910. Numerous entries sourced from this ‘Ballymena Observer’ glossary were also published in the English Dialect Dictionary (1898) and the Scottish National Dictionary (1929–1946). A complete A–Z ‘merged’ glossary has been created from these entries, and appears as the ‘1892 Mid-Antrim Glossary’ in this website.
Doc. ref. no.: USLS/TB/Hist/1800-1899/013-m
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Maisled – The speckled appearance of children’s bare legs from sitting round the fire. You will frequently hear, Get up oot o’ that an’ dae some work, an no’ be maislin’ your shins at the fire.
Malthins – another term besides huggars for stockings without feet, possibly introduced from County Derry.
Maun – for must; as, If a maun dae it, A can daeit.
Mavish – the thrush; He wus singin’ like a mavish.
Mealymouthed – bashful; backward in speaking your mind. A’ll no be mealymouthed the next time.
Mebby – maybe, perhaps.
Melder – the quantity of meal which a farmer gets made at one time at a mill.
Mense – manners; if you offered food to a visitor and that it was declined owing to not being required, it would be said that you had baith your meat (food) and your mense.
Mensfu – mannerly; as, He wus a mensfu crathur.
Messin – a mean person; as, You’re a dirty messin.
Midden – the dunghill.
Milkartherins – itchy spots on the soles of the feet that are relieved by rubbing them on hot stones or iron. I have seen people who go barefoot heat a leg of the tongs and draw it through between the toes to relieve the itching, perhaps, perhaps this is also milkartherins.
Mirly – Of mixed colours, as black, brown, and black, as, A mirly hen.
Mirril – a disease that cows are subject to; the moorill.
Misdoot – for doubt; as, A daeny misdoot ye.
Misken – as you’ll misken yoursel’ and no’ know your nibors, said to one who has meet wi’ good fortune, i.e. he would soon have a high opinion of himself and look down on former associates.
Miskin – The well-known three-sided lump of butter which is sold in the markets, and known as lump butter.
Mislippen – to neglect.
Mismay – for molest, to put yourself about, used in the negative sense; as, He niver mismayed himself, but let me dae it a’ mysel’.
Moiley – A hornless cow.
Moother, Mulcture – the millers payment in kind.
Morrow – A term used in daily salutation. A young man will say to another when he meets him, Morrow boy, and the reply will simply be, Morrow. If followed by Hoo ir you the day? the reply will be Richtly or Bravely, An older man will say Morrow Bab; an if followed by Hoo ir you the day the reply will probably be, Heth, A’m stubly, or, A canny compleen.
Muddies, Muddie Breesties – both mean tongs and are well-known words; but tongs is the usual local word. A friend thinks muddies refers to tongs made of a piece of hoop-iron.
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