[from A Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect, 1924]

A VOCABULARY OF THE ANGLO-MANX DIALECT

NOTE—
B. The Rev. T. E. Brown.
C. Miss Josephine Kermode (‘ Cushag').

  B

BAARL [b~(r)l] (Mx. Baarl), the English language.

He's got no Manx ; he's on’y got the Baarl, and fine he can twiss it on his tongue.

BAB [bab], a sheep mark made by cutting a straight slit in the ear. See Beim.

Our sheep mark used to be two babs.

BABBAN [bab3n, bavan] (Mx.), baby.' Babban beg', little babe.

Babban beg, coo my birdie in your nes’.

BACK [bak], behind.

He's out back o’ the house. There's a nice lil back-o’-behind to that house. He's got plenty more to the back o’ that (in addition). He’ll be home at the back end of summer.

The' back' fishing begins at Douglas about the last week in August when the Peel herring fishing ends :—The boats is gettin ready for the Douglas back.

‘ Back-land men', a name given to fishermen from Strangford Lough He's one o’ them back-lan’ men turnin his shirt other side out of a Sunda and sayin' Clane linen is sweet!’

BAD [bad, bad], evil.

Bad eye, evil eye. Om not believin in no witchraf’, but om believin in bad eyes, i.e. I do not believe in witchcraft, but I believe in the evil eye.

Bad bread, disfavour (also Cumberland) :—We got in bad bread with them.

Bad scran (bad luck) to ye!

A bad stick (a reprobate) but ter’ble bright (B.).

BAG [bag]. To walk on the bag, (i) to beg from door to door, (2) to gad about gossiping. In the ~times before newspapers, the pro— fessional beggar who went from house to house with his bag for scraps was the chief news carrier in the country districts, hence to be' on the bag' means to gossip, and' a news-bag' is said for a gossip.

I have nothin new to tell you, I hav’n been on the bag to-day. Yandher one is a proper news-bag.

BAG ; mind.

I think I’ve heard something about it, but it's dane gone out of me bag.

BAHEE, BAHIE [b~i] (Mx.),' Biddy'. This name, once common in the Island, has gone out of use. In the parish registers there are entries of women baptized as Bahie and buried as Bridget. ‘ Bridget M’ylvorrey' was christened Bahie and was called by that name at marriage in 1716.

BAIL [bël],' beal', suppurate.

I gorra thorn in me han’ an’ I’m afraid it's goin to bail. There's a bailin finger at her.

BALANCE [babns], crisis.

He's lying in the faver, an’ he's just come to the balance.

BALK [b~k], to retch.

The cat was balkin, lek if it was goin to puke.

BALL [b~l], to wind (of yarn, thread, &c.) ; a festivity (not necessarily a dance) ; to beat or thrash.

I’ll ball them now. When I’m ballin this.

A ball-down is a name for a' jollification' :—An’ a fine ball down we were havin. A tay party ball is a term for a tea-meeting. See Boliface.

I’ll ball ye black an blue when I get houl of ye.

Phr. ball off, to finish quickly. They asked me for something for the bazaar, so I balled off them two pictures there.

BALLA {bal~] (Mx. bailey), farm (in place-names). Farmers are often called simply by the name of their farm.

Somewhere aback of the Ballamoore (B.). She was one of the Shimmins of Ballarat (B.).

Aw, the Ballachrink was the man that could ! (B.). Ballawhane and Ballayockey was'arb-docthors—fairy-docthors lek, and they had wondherful power in workin the charms.

BALLAD, BALLAT [balad, balat], a song.

He could sing every oul’ ballat tha's in.

A hole in the ballad means a gap in the song or story :—Can’t she tell it good though ; there isn a hole in the ballad. She toul’ me the whole story— there was’n a hole in the ballad.

BAME, BAEM [bemi,' beam'. Phr. Broad in the bame.

She’s a fine looking woman but a bit broad in the bame.

BANG []

‘ Bang play, I call ‚ : this is said when a short rest or break in a game is wanted.

BANJAGH [ban~raxl (Mx.), fallow land.

I’ll give thee the banjagh, i.e. I will turn you out of doors. I’ll put thee out on the banjagh if thou won’t behave theeself.

BANNAG [banag] (Mx.), ballad. On Hallow Eve there was an old custom of going about singing or shouting something they called the Bannag in Manx. The young folks go about yet on Holly-Eve and sing something of the same nature in English with Hop-the-nei at the end of every sentence. In the Manx a spotted heifer was to be kilt and broth made of the flesh—like they have it in English.

BANTY [banti], Bantam fowl.

She has a banty hen with a toppin.

BARGAN [ba(r)gan] (Mx. bargane),' bargain', a contract, a deed.

There was a bargan on the land so it cudn be soul’ from him, and he cudn purrit away himself.

BARGE [ba(r)dz], to scold, abuse.

Sh,e’ll barge like 1-dun-knaw-what. I got the wuss barjin from her I avar got in me life.

BARK [ba(r)kl. At the command of a minister, especially of one who was a Roman Catholic priest, ghosts could be banished for seven years to go' between the bark and the tree’.

The ghose was sent to go between the bark and the three, but that would on’y be for seven years.

BARLEY [ba(r)li], an exclamation used by children to obtain respite when playing the game of' tig’.

He's no sooner beginnin to play till he's shoutin' Barley!’
Charlie, barley, butter and eggs,
Sheeps’ skins, cows’ legs.

Charlie Barley, butter and eggs
Sold his wife for two duck eggs,

When the hen began to hatch
Charlie Barley ran to watch. (Children’s rhymes.)

BARLEY-CORN [ba(r)li k3(r)n], in Three Barley-corns, a name for a children’s juggling game, played with three peas, one of which they pretend to put in their eye and pull out of their mouth :— Me grammother sent me three barley-curns, an’ here they are ye plainly see ; she toul’ me to take one up an’ taste it, she toul’ me to take one up and purrit in me eye, she toul’ me to put the other in me mouth and pull them all out, and here they are ye plainly see, one and two and three.

‘ Barley-corn broth', a jocular name for ale :—Pipe as thun-ibagga (and tobacco) and barley-corn broth will make the rags hang to your thoinn (postenor).

BARNAGH [ba(r)naX] (Mx. baarnagh), a limpet-shell.

She's gonna a hat like a barnagh on her, the rim of it dhroopin all roun’.

BARRAGH [bara~] (Mx.), tow,' the shorts of lint', cloth made of tow.

There was barragh sheets on the bed—well may be they were linsey-wolsey, but they wor as coorse as barragh. A bratful of barragh.

BARRICOAT [barikõt],' barrow coat', a baby’s coat.

The chile was in bed asleep and his lil flannin barricoat on.

BART [ba(r)t, ba(r)tJ~] (Mx.), bundle, burden, load.

Go you roun’ to the back and stuff a bart of sthrowe down the chimley, Moll Muggins used to be goin to the' Hill’ to gather ling for fire-kindlin ; she would be carryin a hart of it tied up in a bed-quilt and strapped upon her back; she was sellin it in the town at sixpence the' hart', or' burthen' as it was oftener called.

BASE [bës],' beast', (also W. Somerset).

Places where the people is not a bit better than bases (B.). Base of a divil! (B.). Now aren’t they innocent things—them bases ? (B.).

BASS, BAZE [bEz], to sing bass.

I’d a coul’ in my thrut and I was hoa’se, and I cudn haze my bes’. She was singin thribble and he was bazin to it gran’.

BASSER, BAZER [bëz~(r)], a bass singer.

The high he got after yandher bassers (B.). This roarin baser (B.). He’s a bazer and oni a tanner.

BASTEAGH [b~s~,axl (Mx. beishtagh), beastly, gluttonous.

Billy the Tweet went to the tay party and he drunk fifteen cups of tay, and ate five plates of bun loaf. Aw ! the man was basteagh for all.

BASTHAG BWEE [bas}~ag bwi] (Mx. bastag-vuigh, literally,' yellow basket'), the corn.marigold.

As yalla as a basthag-bwee.

BAT [bat], a blow.

She giv him a bat on the lug.

BAULK [b~lk, bolk], a long fishing-line.

He's gone to the baulk, i.e. to the cod or long-line fishing.

BAWK, BAWKY [b~k, b~ki], creeper, louse.

They’re sayin if you’ll rowl in the sand you’ll get bawkies in yer head.

BAWKI.MAN [b~ki man],' bogie-man’.

Now, childher, if ye won’t stop in the house at night the Bawkie-man’ll catch ye. The big toot of a boy—freckent ofbawkie men and bawkie fayries, and him in his teens.

BAYR [bæ3(r)] (Mx.), lane, road.

The Bayr-broghe (lit.' dirty lane') is now goin a callin' Love lane'. [Peel - small lane between Market and Castle streets]
He's livin in the barre dhowin (Mx. bayr dowin, lit. deep road).

BAYRN-MOOAR [ba3(r)n mii~(r)] (Mx. lit.' big cap'), a name in the south of the Island for stinging.jelly.fish.

The bayrn-mooar is like a big bonnet with streamers.

BE [bi], in phrase' to be for', to intend being at, to be bound for; by.

Will you be for the Fair to-morrow ?
Me feet slipped on the steers an’ I came down be the run.

BEARDY [bi~(r)di], bearded.
And the boys is now growin big and beardy.

BEARINS [bë~r~nz, bi~renz],' bearings', lines in boat.building.
And bearins—eh ? and stowage ? My gough ! (B.).

BEAUTY [bjiiti], excellence.
He can run with beauty. Aw, man ! he can do it with a birro beauty. Phr. Beauty doesn’t make the pot boil.

BECK [bek], bench.
He was sittin in the boat on the forrard beck (B.).

BEDGOWN [bedgoun], a short loose jacket worn by peasant women.
It was also called a' beggon’.
She hed a blue bedgown on tied roun’ her middle with the sthring of her apern.

BEE-BO [bi bõ], a tag said at the end of any story.

Bee-bo bend it,
My story's ended;
And if you don’t like it,
Go to Wales
And get copper nails
And mend it.

BEEDLE [b~d1], to beat with a beetle.

Before mangles came in, the clothes were always' goin a beedlin’.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
Take a stick and beedle on,
When the stick begins to crack,
Take another and break his back. (Children’s rhyme.)

BEG [beg] (Mx.), little. Mob beg (lit.' little mob'), a mob of boys.

The whole mob-beg was outside of the door (B.).

BEGIN [bÌgin],' beginning’.
The shovin there’d be for one to make a begin and talk to the girl.

BEIM, BEAM [bern] (Mx.), slash, a mark cut in the ear of a sheep.
-In old days sheep marking was done by clipping the ears. This mark was called' cowrey keyrragh' (sheep mark), or' beim er y chleaysh' (a slash on the ear). Some sheep had a small slit made at the tip of the ear, others a small hole, and others again had a small piece cut from some part of the ear. See Bab.
Our mark was ollaghan (angle) and a beam ; i.e. our mark was an angular notch.

BELL-TINKER [bel til)ke(r)], a severe scolding. She gev him bell-tinker.

BELL.TOPPER [be! top~(r)], a top.hat.
He's gone pas’ in his bell-topper ; there mus’ be a buryin, for he is only wearin the bell-topper at funerals.

BELLY-GRUMPS [be!i grumps], colic.
Afther atm cabbage and buttermilk he took the belly grumps bad.

BEN [ben, be(d)n] (Mx.), woman, wife. Inflected it becomes' yen’.
Jinny yen I this child is mine for ever (B.). Ben my chree [ben m~ xri] ( Mx., lit.' woman of my heart'), wife of my heart. Ben-tizie (Mx., lit.' woman of the house'), mistress. Ben-rein ny hole (Mx., lit.' Queen of the night'),
a sea-name for the moon. Ben-varrey (Mx., lit.' sea-woman'), a mermaid :—' Ben-varrey has bound the beach with a chain.’

BERRIES [beiiz], gooseberries.
She was out in the garden picking berries.
The berries and the currants, kishans full!

BERRISH-FRANGAGH [berif frai~gax] (Mx., lit.' French berry'), a name for currants.
Berrish-Frangagh was the oul’ name for what's goin a callin' corrins' now.

BETTERN [bathe(r)n], bettering, amending.
He's sick these three months and there's no bettern for him.

BHOY, BOEE [bùi],' boy’.
Bhoy hi veen ! (Mx. la/i veen = dear lad). Bo/i hi veen, or Bolla veen = boy lah veen. Bhoys-a-bIzoys I i.e. Boys, oh, Boys!
I’m the boee that can talk to thee ! A cap laak the Collidge boees has got (B.).

BHULLUGHT [bù1ù~] (Mx.), mayflower, marsh.marigold. See Blughtyns.

BIATCHAGH, BEETCHAGH [bitS~x] (Mx.), food.house, hospice.
In oul times the thravelin beggars would be gettin a night’s lodgin and maet for nothin at the biatchagh.

BIBLE AND KEY [bàibl an k~J. A girl who wishes to ascertain the first letter of her future husband’s name takes a door-key and places it in a Bible at the first chapter of Ruth. Then tieing her garter firmly round the Bible and taking care that the top end of the key protrudes, she balances the book by placing the tip of the forefinger of each hand under—not in—the ring of the key, and repeats a verse of the chapter for each letter of the alphabet, and at whichever letter the key' turns', that will be the initial of her husband’s name.
Many is the time I’ve seen the gels thryin their fortchin with the Bible and kay.
I’ll take me bible-oath that it was thrue. It's as thrue as the Bible, what I’m tellin ye this minute.

BIDDAG, BITHAG [bi~ag] (Mx.), thick milk for churning.
Aw, as innocent as a biddag bowl (B.), An’ Billy Boyd the Bithag, an’ Johny Bob the Kithag.

BIDDY [bidi], bird’s foot trefoil.
The Castle is yalla with biddies.

BIG [big], size.
What big is it ? An’ the big he was ! Harry was no match for him for all the big of body and limb (B.).
‘ Big Bay', the name given to the famous fishing ground lying between the Niarbyl Point and Bradda Head.
‘ Big gizzard', said of a consequential person :—A ter’ble big gizzat at him. The old saying,' He's that big in his own consate the box of a cart couldn houl’ his inside' has much the same meaning.
‘ Big House', the Lunatic Asylum.
‘ Big man', the principal person in a place.
‘ Big word', oath —He put the big word out of him.

BILLY YN TWEET [bi!i ~n twIt] (Mx., lit.' Billy of the twittering'), the meadow pipit, Ant/lus pratensis.
She's gorra v’ice like a Billy-yn-tweet, i.e. she has a small shrill voice.

BINJEAN, PINJANE [bindzë~n, pindzë~n] (Mx.), new milk turned into curd with rennet, junket.' Binjean, known also in the north as Pinjane, and in the south as Baanjane' (B.).
A man can’t live upon pinjane (B.). These pinjanes of women that’ll hardly look up (B.).

BINK [bii~k] (Mx.), a stone slab, a bench.
Put the crock on the bink.

BISCAKE [biskëk],' biscuit'. In Peel' biscake' has the special meaning of' ship’s biscuit’.
After we had our stores on board, the bes’ part of a sack of biscakes was given away to ones comm to the boat and askin for a biscake.

BISHOP [bij~p] (Mx. Fo laveyn Aspick,' under the Bishop’s hand'), a term for the rite of confirmation.
He's larnin his collec’s ready for goin under the Bishop’s han’. She's near oul’ enough now to get the Bishop’s han’ on her head.
Porridge that is burned or milk that is singed in the pan is said to have had the bishop’s foot in it. There is an expression' Bishopped milk' with the same meaning in Derbyshire.
This porridge isn fit, the Bishop has put his fut in it.

BITE [bait, belt] (Mx.), a wick.
There''s a ter’ble smull on the bite, i.e. there is a great snuff on the wick.

BLAA [blë] (Mx~), lukewarm (water).
Put a drop of blaa in the churn to make the butter come. Have you a drop of blaa that I can wash my hands?

BLACK [blak], dark.
Them two twins isn lookin much alike ; the one is feeir and the other is black. The night was as black as tar.
Comp. Black cat. None of the men will be drowned while the black cat is in the house.
Black coats, a sea-name for Ministers.
Black dog—phr. I don’t care a black dog.
Black gut, a disease in herrings caused by feeding on fray.
Black Jack, i.e. the coal fish.
Black marble. The dark fiaggy argillaceous limestone which forms the uppermost portion of the carboniferous limestone of Poolvash was foirmerly quarried for steps under the name of' black marble'.
My two lil sisthers picked my bones,
And buried me undher black marble stones. (Children’s rhyme.)
Black nets, nets hauled on board empty and black because without fish :— We hauled next morning but it was all black nets.
Blackout : entirely out :—The fire is black out.
Black pig : when a person sulks he is said to have the black pig on his back :—I know the' pip', the' black pigs' too (B.). Black pigs are said to be able to see the wind —Leave your face without washin for nine days and you’ll see the wind as gud as a black pig.
Black spot : when children tell lies there is said to them :—That''s a whopper, let 's see if there''s a black spot on yer teeth.
Black stranger, an unknown person :—He's a black stranger to me. She tuk a black stranger in to do for her, and plenty of her own ones in.

BLACK SIDE [blak seid].
Wheraver I’m goin the people is turnin a black side to me ; and me that navar done nothin to none o’ them.
The story about him got out, with a black side on, and everybody shied him.

BLADDHER [blað~(r)],' bladder', bubble.
He was blawin bladdhers of soap, i.e. soap bubbles. The big blue eyes began to blow like—’ Bladders' was it I was sayin ? (B.).

BLAME [blëm].' To he the blame' means to be the cause of blame, also to bear the blame.
He's the blame of it all. I won’t be the blame of it for nobody, for it wasn me that done it.

BLANKET BAY, bed.
She's gone to blanket-bay in dreamland.
Time for little girls to go to blanket-bay.

BLAS’, BLASS [bias],' blast', a draught ; a rash ; erysipelas in the face.
Don’t be sittin there, you’re right in the blas’ of the door.
A blass all over her arms. He's gorra blass on the one side of his face tha's painin pirriful.

BLASS, BLAST [bias, biãsth] (Mx. blayst,' the taste'), flavour,
accent.
He can’t put the right blass on the Manx, i.e. he cannot pronounce Manx with the true accent. Thou are doin middlin but there's not the blass on it that Danny Boyd had.

BLATHER-GAS [biað~(r) gas], a gossip, tell.tale, a loquacious person.
She's a reg’lar blathergas ; don’t tell her, she can’t keep it.

BLATHERSKITE [b1ad~(r)skeit], a person who boasts without performance.
Blubberin cowards ! aw, blatherskites.

BLEB [bieb] (Mx.), fool.
We could hear them laughin and callin us blebs.

BLEIH [blei] (Mx.) , a half-witted person.
He's a bleih of a man, that he can’t do his work well.

BLESSIN [blesn].
Step-mothers blessing, a name for torn skin at the root of the finger-nails :— She's got plenty of stepmother’s blessins on her han’s.

BLIGH [bia3], blight.
There seems a bligh on you all.

BLIND [blàin], to spread a surface covering of earth mixed with small stones or cinders in making roads.

The highroad men ought to blind this road, the bike is feer shuk to bits goin over it.

BLIND GOBBAG, BLIND GOVVAG [blàin govag], dog-fish.

Did ye heer of the thrick o’ yandher falla sellin a blind-govvag to the sthrangers for a' Manx salmon’?

BLITHE-MEAT, the meal prepared for visitors at the birth of a child. This term has gone out of use and has been replaced by the phrase' There's bread and cheese going’.
Small pieces of bread and cheese called blithe-meat.

BLOB, BLAB [blob, blab], a babbler ; to chatter secrets.
Yandher blob can’t keep a ha’porth. She’ll blob everything you tell her. Clavar as ye are ye can’t say' blab' without movin yer lips.

BLOCKAN, BLOCKIN [blokan, b1oX~n] (Mx. bloggan), pollack, coal. fish, Merlangus carbonarius.
Just a string of callig and blockin (B.).

BLOOD SHED [blùd fed],'bloodshot’.

His face all swelled and his eyes bloodshed.

BLOOD-WIPE [blùd weip],' blood.wite', compensation for blood. shed.
These courts (Common Law Courts = Court of Common Pleas in England) are said to have taken cognizance of assaults, called' blood-wipes’.

BLOOIT, BLUETT [blii~t] (Mx.), the long-nosed skate, Rala mar-ginata. Known also as the mud-skate from which crimped skate is obtained. See Peegagh. ~ _~a~rr~t~r ~
We’ll heng the blooit up to dhrain and dhry, andMt’ll ate fine in two or three days’ time.

BLUBBAGH [blùba~, biùva~] (Mx.), blub-cheeked.
Fine and blubbagh faces—noan of yer sickly boghs o’ things.

BLUEBILL [bliibil]. Peel nickname for mackerel.
Terrible expense on fitting her this year (in making the boat ready for sea).
Aw the bluebills will pay for all, i.e. the mackerel season.

BLUE [blju].
Black and bloo
That’ll do;
Quite and red
Go to bed. (Children’s rhyme.)
They h’isted the sail half-mas’, an’ painted the moulding blue, i.e. the moulding stroke round the boat was painted blue as a sign of mourning.
Blue-man [blu man, biju man], a mulatto :—Om toul the blue men havn the strenth of the black men.
Blue-bunty, the hedge-sparrow, Accentor modularis : —As blue as the egg of a blue-bunty.
Blue-muck, wild hyacinth, Scylla nutans :—The childher is out gatherin blue-mucks.

BLUGGAN SNAIE [blùgan snei] (Mx. bluckan snaie, lit.' a ball of thread'), the name given to a mythical tune which is said to be very tedious and unmelodious and as long in coming to an end as a ball of thread.
It's like the tune of bluggan snaie, i.e. very tedious.

BLUGHTYNS [bljùx~~nz], marsh-marigolds. See Bhullught. They were used as a charm against the wiles of fairies and witches on Old May Eve.
On Burn-the-Witch Night, childher would be sthrawin blughtyns on the door-step to keep the witches out.

BOASTER [bõs$(r)], a nickname for Ramsey people.
Them' Boasthers' hey always a good consate o’ themselves. Those from the north of the Island are called' Stunners' or Boasters (B.).

BOBBAN-AND-JUAN [bobn an dzii~n], an old singing game. Two players, with arms crossed behind and clasped hands, dance up and down ; when singing the fourth line they turn.
Bobban and Juan dressed in black,
Soldiers’ buttons behind their back,
Foot to foot and knee to knee,
Turn about George Barbaree.

BOB-Y-LANE, BOBLANE [bob ~ l~n, bob len] (Mx.), sea-bobs, an edible sea tang, Alaria esculeata.
Children eat the' rib' of the Boblane, and the' bob' of pendants attached to its lower end, but the tough footstalk known as sleepy head by which it adheres to the rock is seldom eaten as it' cribs' the mouth. See Moor-lane.

BOCK-GLASS [bok glas] (Mx., lit.' grey horse'), a name given to a species of dog-fish which causes great destruction to the herring nets.

BOCK JUAN VANNEE [bok jim vani], lit. the Horse of John the Flayer.
A butcher of the name of John sold his horse and was afterwards obliged to travel on foot with the help of a stick. Hence Bock Juan Vannee became a Manx expression for a walking-stick.

BOG-BEAN, BOG-BANE [bog ben], the marsh trefoil, Menyanthes tr~folia/a.
Yet the bog-bean blossoms and the cuckoo calls (B.). The bog-bane is plenty in Ballaugh curragh.

BOGH, BOUGH [boy] (Mx. bog/it), poor ; a poor person. It is used as a term of endearment to a child, but when applied to a grown up person it means' simple' or' silly’.
The bogh veen, i.e. the poor dear. Bogh millish, i.e. poor sweet! The boghts o’ people tha's iii now don’t knaw nothin: Yandher man is a' boy-bogh' (poor boy) of a faha and'll navar be able to look afther his own consarns.

BOGHEE VEG [bo~i veg] (Mx.), poor little thing. A term of endearment.
Aw, you couldn help lovin the boghee veg (B.).

BOGHLANE [bo~læn] (Mx.), an old broken-down hedge. He was lyin at the foot of an oul’ boghlane.

BOGHNED, BOGHNID, BOGHNET [bo~n~d, boXn~t] (Mx. boghtynid), poorness, used in the sense of foolishness.
Allis some sort of boghnid arrim. There's people sayin thar i's all boghned about the fairies. No one minded his boghnets. Chut ! what boughnet is this?

BOHILLAY, BOHILA [bõ~la] (Mx. bochilley), herdsman.
Where's Joe bohillay livin ? i.e. where does Joe the shepherd live?

BOH-KEEAR [bà ki~(r)] (Mx. boght keeir, lit.' brown poor-one', or' poor brown thing'), a name for the hedge-sparrow.
Frittin about like a boh-keear.

BOLGUM [bolg3m] (Mx.), a mouthful of liquid. See Holly-Eve.

BOLIFACE [bolifes], a first class feast. It seems to be a corruption
of Bully-feast. In schoolboy slang anything very good is called' bully'. It may, however, be a compound of' ball', a ball-feast or bally feast. A tea-meeting is spoken of as a' tay-party-ball'. See Ball.
An’ plenty o’ soda cake an’ barley bread ; an’ deed they had a reg’lar boliface.

BOLL, BOULL [bõl, boul], a measure of six bushels. In the Isle of Man it is six bushels or twenty-four kishens of barley and oats, and four bushels or sixteen kishens of wheat, rye, peas, beans, and potatoes.
Ould parson Harrison sent us the first boll of oats. We won’t be long goin through a boull of potatoes, and the pig in to ate them.

BOLLAN [bolan] (Mx.), the ballan wrasse, Labrus macu/a/us.
The bollans is goin a catchin close to the rocks. Geese . . . as round as bollans (B.).

BOLLAN [bolan] (Mx.), in plant-names with the meaning of' wort’.
Bollan-bane (lit.' white wort'), mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris. It is also known as Bollan-feaill’-Eoin (lit.' wort of the vigil of John') —These is the words tha''s goin a singin at the fayries—’ Ry do diddle diddle dum, bollan bane, bollan bane!’
I’ve h’ard oul’ people say that when they wor childher they used on St. John’s Eve to dhress themselves all over with bollan-feaill’-Eoin, and take hands and dance up an’ down.
The bollan-feail-Eoin is the Manx national flower—The Manx Fenciblos used to wear it in theircaps on oul’ Tynwald Day which fell on St. John’s Day.
They’re sayin bolla-fil-yone is gud for makin tay for people tha's in a decline. Bollan-doo (lit.' black wort'), the burdock, Arctium lappa. It is also known as' bollan dhoa' and' boghan-dhoa' :—He folla’d us an’ we cudn shake him off, for he stuck to us like the cockles of bollan doo. The boys was throwin bollan dhoas at the gels’ heads. It’ll catch in yer clothes like bollan dhaws. Them boghan dhoas is a plague to get urro yer perricuts. To chapel he went, and the back of his coat all stuck over with boglian dhaws at the gels unknownst to him.

BOLLDAA [boldd~] (Mx.), a skull-cap worn under hats, &c. ; any unbecoming headgear.
An oul’ bolldaa on her head that looked as if it was made in the year One. Did ye avar see such a bolldhaa of a bonnet?

BOM [born, bùrn],' bombardier’.
When Bailey the Born died he was buried in Peel Castle.

BON [bon] (Mx. bwon,' a stump'), a stalk ; a stick for firing.
It bruk in me hand like a cabbage bon. But I’m seem him readin his book when the bons is burnin bright.

BONEY [bõni],' bonny', fair. He''s goin’ for skipper on the Boney Iane.
‘ Feer play is boney play'. This is an expression used when one of the players thinks another is taking undue advantage.

BONNAG [bonag],' bannock', a circular flat loaf. He's like barley bonnag—hard in the cruss.
Baking bonnags
And roastin sconnags. (Children’s rhyme.)

BOOAG [bi~g] (Mx. bugogue, boggoge), berry of the wild rose. This is the word used in the north of the Island,' buckie' (which see) being the word used in the south and west.
We used to make sthrings of booags for our necks when we wor childher.

BOOKS, in phr.
When the books is open, i.e. During Divine Service. We used to go to the well for a cure when the books were open.

BOON-DAYS [bun dëz], days of service in kind, or in labour, paid by a tenant to the lord of the manor.
We’re navar heerin talk o’ Boon-days now.

BOOSELY, BOOSTLY, BOOSTY [bush, biis~i], boisterous, rough; beastly.
It 's doin boosly weather, i.e. it is stormy. Them boys is ter’ble boosty when they’re playin.
The boosely ould nigger (B.).

BOOSH [buS] (Mx. bee uss,' be thou it'), used in counting out in the game of tig. Sometimes instead of' boosh' there is used the word' bash' (Mx. bee ass,' be out'). See Hainie-fainie
Am bam boosh, i.e. am barn you are it. Am barn bash, i.e. am barn you are out.

BOTTER-CAKE [botj,a(r)këk, bùt~~(r)këk],' butter-cake', a slice of bread spread with butter ; a simpleton, a softy.
And got a botter cake the thick with sugar (B.). Ye big butther-cake ye! What for did ye tell her ? Did ye get a butther-cake for the news ? (Said to a tell-tale.)

BOUL, BOULD [boul],' bold'.' To make bould of’, to presume upon.
Nothin forye to make bould of, i.e. nothing for you to be presumptuous of. Now, here''s a nice mannerly advice to you:
Navar inthrude, sit where you’re toul’,
Spake when you’re spoke to, and navar make boul’.

BOUNCE [bouns], bound, leap ; snatch, pounce.
He made a bounce at me, lek goin to knock me down. She made a bounce arrit, an’ scutched it up, an’ away with her.

BOW [bou, boes] (Mx.), a half-sunken rock, covered by the tide, and
only visible at low-water.
Purt lern bows is a good place for killigyn, an bowyn Harry a good place for bollans.
. The bows is the cheihs where the fish is often plentiful. Off Sandwick, and visible only at lowest low-water, are the weed-covered tide-rocks, the bouz.

BOUSTHER [bousp~(r), bouls~~(r)],' bolster’. This bousther is as hard as a boord.

BOW, BOWEE [bàn, boui], a term used to children for' going to sleep' ; blanketland.
It's time to go bow. Be quiet, baby is gone to bowee. Hushee bow-babby (B.).

BOX [boks], a receptacle ; the body of a cart ; a club-box.
There was herrins enough brung in the baskets to fill the whole box of the cart.
To be' on the box' means to be drawing club money :—He's on the box.

BOX FRIGGANAGH [boks frigan~x] (Mx. bocs frioganagh, lit.' bristly box'), the sea-urchin, Echinus. It is also called Box-Frangagh (Mx. bocs Rangagh, lit.' French box'). See Kione.
If ye’ll scrape the box-frigganagh and dane it well, it'll do a nice lil urnament for the chimlee-piece.

BOY [bùi, bail, a man-servant ; an unmarried man.
He's hed the one boy workin for him for over thirty years. Them boys on a farm is coorse uncommon—raggin an’ maulin reg’lar.
‘ Sayle’s boys' they wor goin a-callin till their dyin day, and them far over sixty.

BOY-BOGH [bùi box] (literally,' poor boy'), a simpleton. These boy-boghs of fallas. The boy-bogh had lef’ the street wis all his belongings tied up in a red pokad hank’cher.

BOY-DRID [bùi dðrid] (literally,' slow-trot boy'), a messenger, errand boy.
I was the boy-drid of the family, and the measles had navar time to catch me.

BRADDAG MOLLAGH [bradag molaX] (Mx., lit.' rough cater-pillar'), the woolly bear caterpillar. It is also called' herring caterpillar' or in Manx braddag skeddan because it appears during the August herring season.
He's gorra hand as hairy as a braddag mollagh.
Plenty braddag skeddan, plenty herrin’.

BRADDAN [bradan] (Mx.), salmon, salmon-trout. The stream is full of braddan.

BRAEG [br~g] (Mx. braag), shoe, brogue.
And oul’ braegs of shoes on him goin flip-floppin. Put yer oul’ braags off ye.

BRAG [brag, brag], boast.
That's nothin to take brag out of, i. e . that is not a thing to boast of. The soda-cake she was braggin urrov. He’ll take a shockin brag urrov that (B.).

BRAGHTAN [brax~~n] (Mx.), a griddle-cake sandwiched with cheese, or meat, or herring, &c. ; a sandwich ; anything flattened.
Put a braghtan in thee pocket.
Thou’ve sat on me hat and made a braghtan of it.

BRANCHY [branSi, brenji], full of branches ; said of a person who professes to know a great deal ; boastful,' spreading one’s self out’.
How branchy the fellow is!

BRAOO, BRAUW [bræu] (Mx. braew),' brave', fine. It's a brauw day. How are ye, man ? Aw, brauw.

BRASHLAGH [brajlax] (Mx.), charlock or wild mustard.
I never seen so much brashlagh in a field in me life ; the field's all yalla with it, and sickenin the cattle.

BRASNAG [brasnag] (Mx.), a stick for burning.
She's out gatherin brasnags.

BRAT [brat], pinafore ; apron.
She straightened her hair and smoothed her brat (B.). She wrapped my head in her brat (B.).

BRAVE [brëv], smart, intelligent.
‘ Aw, Mary has got a brave man. He's that kind and steady and good to work, a striving man. Aw ! yes, a brave man.

BRAVIN [brëvan],' braving', finely.
He's gettin on bravin with his readin and writin. Thou can turn a tchoon bravin, i.e. you can sing a tune finely.

BRAVVAG [bravag] (Mx. brabbag, or breabag), warming the knees at the fire.
She was sittin at the fire makin a bravvag. Are ye takin a brabbag ? Are ye gettin a brabbag on ? Come an’ get a brabbag.

BREAST LAWS, BRESS.LAWS [bres l~z], traditional and unwritten laws of the Island. The Breast Laws of the Deemster were expositions of the common law of the Island accepted by the Keys, the jury, who acted with them.
All the laws is in books now, an’ we’re navvar hearin of Bress-laws.

BREATH [bre~], in the phrase'the breath just out of’, meaning' almost out of breath’.
The breath jus’ out of her to tell the newses. Take keer thou don’t br’athe a breath o’ that to a livin sowl.

BREE [bri] (Mx.), vigour, force, spirit, steam.
No bree in her. He can sing with a bree. There's a bree of heat in the sun to-day. You’ve got a fine bree comm off the fire.
There's a big bree comm off yondhar convart, i.e. there is a strong smell of that carrion.

BREED [brid], to form.
These white clouds that breed high in the eer (air) is a sign o’ win’ and rain.

BREESHEY [bri~] (Mx.), Bridget. Laa Breeshey, St. Bridget’s Day, 2 February.
Every ditch had to be full of rain or snow on' las Breeshey', so that the old Caillagh-ny-faishnag, or Witch, could not gather the brasnags or faggots for firing—if she could lay in a stock of firing on that day there would be bad weather in the spring, but if she could not gather the brasnags there would be fine weather. See Caillagh.

BRELLISH [breli5] (Mx.), wort (in brewing).

Do you feel the smell o’ brellish that's comm urro the Brewady ? i.e. Do you perceive the smell of wort that comes from the Brewery ? I always put some brellish in the nettle beer.

BRENTH [brenj,],' breadth’.
The lenth and the brenth of it. Another brenth of canvas (B).

BRESS [bres],' breast' ; hill-front. An’ the little bress like choked (B.).
Nobody navar seen the like o’ these growin on the bare bress before.

BRETT [bret], brill.
He carried a brett to his mother to see would it temp’ her to ate it.

BREW, BROO [] (Mx. broogh), hill-slope.
When I’d be gettin atop of the brew (B.). Betwixt the brews that the sheep have wore.

BREWING-PAN []. A gossip is said to go about like a brewing-pan. One brewing-pan, or kettle, once served for a whole neighbourhood and was passed on from landowner to landowner. In some instances it was parish property. The light beer called' jough' (Mx. = drink) thus made was for the most part brewed by each family for its own use.

BRIAGHT [] (Mx.) inquiry.
I thought I would go on the briaght, i.e. make inquiry.

BRIAR [], a bramble or other prickly shrub.
The childher is out on the briars afther blackberries, and scrapin theer hands and teerin theer clothes.
Briar, briar, limber lock,
Three mice in a flock. Sit and sing, turn the spring,
O. U. T. out ! (A counting-out rhyme.)

BRICKLE [,' brittle', apt to break.
The weather was very brickle. Them powls is as brickle as pipe-shanks.

BRIDGE []. To have the' bridge and staff’, was said of persons whose servants could not be taken from them by yarding’. See Yard.

BRIDGEEN [] (Mx.), the oyster-catcher (bird). This is the word used in the south of the Island,' garey vreck' being used at Peel and in the north.
Runnin like a bridgeen.

BRING [], take.
Bring it away. Bring a' piece' in yer pocket, we won’t be back till late.

BRITCHES [] ; the roe of a fish.
The britches of a cod is right good fried.

BROACHEY [] (Mx. broatchey),' broach', a spindleful of thread, bobbin.
I used to go to the mill to get the broacheys for me father to weave.
‘ Broatchey vocs' (Mx.), the box where the spindles are fixed.

BROCK [] (Mx. broc), to make rubbish of, mangle, spoil.
Look how you’ve brocked it ! You’ve made brock of the whole thing.

BROISH [] (Mx. broish or brouish),' brewis', broken pieces
of' cake' soaked in broth or milk.
‘ Broish feill' (Mx. = meat brewis), bread soaked in gravy.' Broish vainney’, milk broish.' Broish bithag’, thick cream broish.' Broish geir’ (Mx. = sour brewis), buttermilk broish.' Broish mulish’ (Mx. = sweet brewis), new milk broish.' Broish phidher', pea soup.

BROKE [], turned sour, turned to curd.
His temper is broke altogether. The heat has broke the milk, I’m thinkin there was thunder in the air. The milk was on the turn and broke in the tay.

BROKEN [], ruined.
Come as far as the' Broken Church', i.e. St. Trinian’s, the roofless church at Marown.

BROOILLAGH [] (Mx.), crumbs, fragments.
These priddas is all gone to brooillagh.

BRUIT, BREWIT [],' breward', young springing corn.
The corn is beginning to take bruit. The barley and the oats are in bruit. A lawvly green, as bright as brewit it was.

BRUNT [] (Mx. brynt), blunt, outspoken.
She's very brunt, no goin behin’ the bush at her. She's brunt and she's broosk (brusque).

BUCK [], to play the buck, act pretentiously. It has a somewhat
different meaning from the modern English slang expression.
The ould woman bucked up as proud as ye plaze (B.). Who was he to be buckin up to the quality?
Bucks, a Peel nickname for Port St. Mary fishermen :—Them bucks from Purt-le-Moirrey.

BUCKIE [], (I) hip, dog-rose berry, (2) (Mx. buckee), a large whelk which is used for bait at' baulk' or long-line fishing ; another name for the whelk is mudliogh or mutlyag (Mx. mwa/lag). See Booag.
I. As red as a buckie (B.).
2. He's good to make buckie creels, i.e. he is clever at making wicker creels for catching shell-fish for bait.

BUCK-KIONE [] (Mx.), a small fish found in shallows. See Bull-kione.
But up the Claddagh agate o’ buck-kyones (B.).

BUGGANE [] (Mx. boagane), hobgoblin.
Ghoses and goblins, and big bugganes (B.). Witches and boaganes and the like of that.

BUGGANE-DOA [] (Mx. boagane.doa], a scarecrow. It is
also called' Scaa-buggane-ushag', and' Dollaghan’.
We’ll purra buggane-doa in the fiel’ tha’ll frecken every bird away.

BULKAN [],' bulking', heap.
They gathered the wraick and h’aped it in bulkans lek, ready for the farmers’ carts to take away for manure. You might spare us some o’ that, you’ve got bulkans of it for yerself.

BULL-DOCK [],' burdock’.
There's far too many bull-docks lef’ grawin here.

BULL-KIONE [] (Mx.), bull-head (fish), the' father lasher’,
Cot/us scorpio. See Buck-kione.
The chilciher is after the bull-kiones.

BUMBEE [], bumble-bee.
The bumbees hummin (B.). He can sing like a bumbee in a barrel, i.e. he can make a noise but no tune.

BUMMIN [],' booming', humming ; soliciting.
A bee comm bummin by (B.). When he’d be lef’ all alone, he’d be bummin a lil tchoon to himself for company lek.
He's goin roun’ the town bummin for votes.

BUMMING-YAWL [], a fish-buyer’s boat.
When we neared the port the' bumming yawls', or buyers, would board us, and whoever would give the highest price would get our fish.

BUMPO [],' bumping', knocking against anything suddenly.
He come full bumpo agen me and knocked the tin-bumper that I was kerryin dane urro me han’.

BUN [] (Mx.), the base, substance, end ; also used for news, story.
‘ Bun as baare', lit. bottom and top, i.e. from top to bottom, complete.
Come and tell me the whole bun of it. He gave them a fine bun about the wedding. She's good for the bun, i.e. she tells a good story. She had neither bun nor baare of the story, i.e. neither end nor beginning.

BUNKAN [],' bumpkin’.
Country bunkans come to town,
Sellin the butter a penny a pown’.
(Said in derision by town children to country children.)

BUNNEY [] (Mx.), a sheaf. Bunney yn voddey or 'dog-sheaf’ was a name for the 'sheaf of three bands' which was a perquisite of the sumner or clerk of the church for whipping the dogs out of church. Other names for this were' Boandey voddey' (dog’s band),' Boandey sundeyr',' sumner’s band',' sumner’s corn’,' sumner’s sheaf’.
She wouldn’t have been allowed to carry that little dog in church if the clerk would be gettin his bunney yn voddey.

BUNTY [], short, stumpy.
‘ What’ll we hey for dinner,
Johnie my bunty lad?’
‘ Can’t we hey priddas and herrin?
I believe the gel is mad !' (Children’s rhyme.)

BURLEEK [] (Mx.), brooklime, pimpernel, Veronica Beccabunga.
Burleek is what's goin a callin the' poor-man’s-weatherglass' ; it's good for a cough, boiled in water and Spanish-juice.

BURLEY [] (Mx.), watercress, Nasturtium officina/is. Atm burley'll do ye good,
Warm yer tongue, and cool yer blood.

BURN-THE-WITCH-NIGHT. See Holly Eve.
‘ Burn-the-Gorse Night we would be calling it in the North ; I’ve seen men, many a time, going lying hiding to watch all night their gorse creggans, because they wanted the gorse to burn for fireing on their own hearths. When the wutches were burned out of the gorse they would be running into the houses an’ we were hanging bolugh over the door to keep them out.

BURYIN, a funeral.
John the Lord always said that he hoped he would die on a Friday so that his buryin’ would take place on a Sunday.

BUSH [], a dense clump. A' bush of herring' is a term for a' thick shoal’.
We got in the' bush' last night and no mistake, i.e. We got into the thick of the shoal last night and had an excellent catch.
Let her dry on the bush she got wet, i.e.' She has made her bed, let her lie on it'. Go and change that wet coat.—Aw let it dry on the bush it got wet.
Bush-child, a bastard.
Bus/i-rabbit :—Though the rabbit generally burrows, I have known it to have its nest in the gorse ; these we used to call' Bush rabbits', the shape of the head and the size seemed slightly to differ from that of the others.

BUTCH [] (Mx. buitch), witch, wizard ; to bewitch.
I can’t suffer the sight o’ that oul’ butch, i.e. I cannot bear to see that old witch.
The chile is butched sure enough, ye’ll hay to gerra charrim purr on him.

BUTCHERAGH [] (Mx. buitcheraght), witchcraft. There's no bad in a charrim, but butcheragh is a bad thing.

BUTT [], (I) a heap, (2) a small crowd, (~) a strip of land in a field. In ploughing a grass field the land has to be first divided into butts by' clashes'. In a competition the man that ploughs the straightest butt gets the prize.
1. A butt of potatoes.
2. A butt of men standin at the corner.
3. There was two of us shearin on each butt.

BUTTHER [],' butter’.
Butther to Butther is no kitchen (quoted when two eligible young girls were seen walking together). Butther goes mad twice a year (said when butter melts and runs away in summer, or when it is too hard to spread in winter).

BUT-THORRIN, BUTT.THURRAN [] (Mx. butt tooran, lit.' stack butt'), a game of hide and seek around stacks :—‘ One was putting his head against the stack and the rest getting away among the other stacks, and then the one that was lying was coming out and trying to tip some one and make him lie in his stead, and if he chased one to a certain distance from his own stack, whoever would catch him then he had to ride them back to his stand again. We used to spend moonlight evenings in the winter at that game.’
Lek playin But-thorrin with herself (B.).

BUTTON.SOOREE [] (Mx., lit.' courting button'), a name for the burdock.
Houl’in to her like a button-sooree.

BUTTON WRAICK [], bladder wraick.

If you’ll boil button wraick and bathe a wake chile in the water of it, it’ll strenthin him wonderful.

BUTTY [], larder ; a term applied in Peel to a Douglas cook boy in a fishing-vessel, or to Douglas people in general.

The cat gorrin the butty and done scan’lous jeeill altogether. He's one of them Douglas butties.

BUYERS [], a name for the sailing-smacks that took herrings purchased from the fishing-luggers to sell again. Such as carried fresh herrings were called' fresh buyers' to distinguish them from the vessels that carried cured salt herrings. See Fresh-buyer.

BWOAILLEE [] (Mx.), a fold for sheltering sheep and cattle. It is also applied to a circle or halo round the sun or moon.
A ring roun’ the moon used to be goin a callin a bwoaillee.

BWOIRAGH, BORRAGH [] (Mx. boiragh), bother-some ; quarrelsome.
She's very bwoiragh is that woman. He's bwoiragh uncommon and always quar’lin. Them borragh ones ! I’m glad to be shut o’ them.

BWOOLLIAGH [] (Mx. buaillagh,' striker'), a fighter.
The whole clan of the bwoolliaghs was there.

BY [], of ; with.
Two sisters by the name of Sayle (B.).
I tuk the measure of it by my eye, and behoul ye, when I gorrit home it was oceans too big.

BY-CHILD [], a bastard.
You’d be hearin of the by-child it's like.

BYE [] (Mx. bai, or baigh), bias, a diagonal slope.
It is used to express the meeting of two furrows diagonally.
The 'clash' is the furrow made by the plough on each side of the 'bye’.

BYELAGH, BOYALAGH [] (Mx. biallagh,' obedient'), submissive.
When a man would be noisy and drunk and carryin on, people would say,' Aw, he’ll be boyalagh to-morrow'. When they’re high there's no dealin with them, but when they’re gettin to be poor and low they're boyalagh enough.