The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

704 PROVINCIALISMS.
Dangling.-Idling about another. Used by MARSTON (circa 1600). Hanging
loosely; " A dangling lock of hair."
Darken the door.-Spoken in anger; "I hope he'll never darken my door
again.
Dauby.-Untidy, dirty, slovenly people.
Dawdling. —Idling about; wasting time.
Dawdles. —" A poor dawdles;" an idle person.
Dead horse.-To work the dead horse; working for wages already received, or
an old obligation.
Deaf.-Blighted or barren. " A deaf nut;" a nut without a kernel, &c.
Deal (a). —A plank. A large quantity of anything; as, "A deal of money."
DAMsI-, deel. "I'd a deal rather not;" I'd much rather not.
Deary me.-A term of wonder or surprise.
Deary.-c" A little deary bairn;" a small puny child.
Deep.-Cunning; sly; cautious.
Dill (to).-"s It dills the pain;" it eases or soothes it.
Ding (to).-To strive to make a person understand by frequent explanations;
"' I can't ding it into him."
Dint.-An impression made by a blow.-SKoELTON. A.S., Dynt.
Dished.-Frustrated; disappointed; checked.
Dither.- To shake with cold.
Ditted up. —D)irtied up; begrimed. A. S., dyttan.
Dobbin (old).-An old horse.
Dock. —The plant burdock, or docken.
Dog-cheap.-Very cheap.
Dole.'-Money, bread, &c., given to the poor at a funeral. A. S., doelan.
Done up.-Wearied; prostrated; ruined.
Door-cheeks.-The side-posts of the doorway.
Door-sill. —The threshold.
Doted.-Decayed in spots; " A doted (dotted) cheese."
Dote (to).-To be very fond of, or attached to.
Douced.-Drenched with rain; c "A doucing rain."
Douck (to).-To stoop the head; "He's a doucker," a ducker.
Downfall,-Rain or snow.
Down in the mouth —Dispirited; discouraged; desponding.
Draggle-tailed.-Draggled; dirty.
Drape.-" A drape cow." One that gives no milk; a barren ewe or cow.
Drese. A. S. Drape sheep.-SIUNNER, RAY.
Dresser.-A table in the kitchen close to the wall; with shelves above, on
which to arrange delf, pewter, &c.
Dripe. —To drip or dribble. A. S. Drypan.
Drove.-A road to fields, &c.
Drub (to).-To beat; to conquer.
Dry-joke.-Fun and frolic, and nothing to drink.
Dullard.-A stupid child, slow to learn.
Dull of hearing.-Rather deaf. SONMIRSETSII1RE.
Dumps. —Low spirits.
Dyke. —A ditch. DANISH, dige.
Dykereeve.-A parish officer, who sees that the drains and sewers are kept in
good order.
Dyling. —A small excavation for drainage.
Dythes. —Cow-dung dried and cut into squares for fuel.
1 Bequests to the poor are now often (but improperly) called Doles.