BANGING [bang een]. A very common expletive expressive of size; always used with guurt. [U guurt bang een raat,] a great banging (i. e. very large) rat. BANKER [bang kur]. 1. sb. A kind of rough erection of stones, or a bench upon which the stones for building are dressed or nobbled. Is it possible that the term for a covering for a bench may have been applied to the bench itself? Or can this be the O. F. banc, a bench, with our West Country redundant er added? Cf. legger, toe-er, &c. curiouste stondip in hallis, bobe in making of þe housis, in doseris, bancurs, and cu3shens, and mo veyn þingis þan we kunnen rikene.—Wyclif, Works, P. 434 Banker. Sammarium, amphitaba.--Promp. Parv. Banquier: m. See also Way's note, Ib. p. 23. also a bench cloath, or a carpet for a form or bench. Cotgrave. 2. A man whose business it is to hew rough stones into shape fit for walling. Tom 's the best banker ever I zeed in my life.-January 1876. 3. Rough boards nailed together like a small door; used by masons on a scaffold to hold their mortar, called elsewhere a mortar-spot. BANNIN [bae'uneen], sb. Anything to form a barrier, or temporary fence. When a footpath crosses a field it is very common to crook down branches of thorn, at intervals, on each side of the path, to prevent people from straying from the track. This is frequently called [puut een daewn sm bae uneen,] putting down some bannin. BANT [bae'un(t]. Am not, are not. The invariable negative of the verb to be, pres. tense, in the 1st person sing., and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pers. plur. See Grammar of W. Somerset, pp. 55, 56. BAN-TWIVY TWIST [ban twúv'ee twús], adv. phr. (Very com.) Askew, awry, out of truth. Same in meaning as scurry whiff. [Kyaalth úz-zuul u weelruyt! neef ee aan u-ang dhu wee'ul u dhu wageen aul lan twúve: twús, jis dhu vuree sae'um-z u fúd·lurz uul boa,] calls himself a wheelwright! and if he has not hung the wheel of the wagon all out of truth, just the very same as a fiddler's elbow. BAR [baar], v. i. Used only in the passive voice. To be debarred, prevented. [Ee wuz u-baard vrum gwai'n, kuz uv úz wuyv-uur wuz u-tèokt bae ud jis dhoa,] he was prevented from going, on account of his wife-she was taken ill just then. BARE [bae'ur]. 1. adj. Thin, lean, in low condition; applied to animals-bare-boned. [Dhai bee us bee tuur bl baeur,] those beasts are very thin. 2. Plain, unadorned, meagrely furnished. [Aunkaum'un bae'ur kunsaa'rn,] uncommonly bare concernsaid of a shabby performance at a travelling circus. BARE RIDGED [bae'ur-újud]. Applied to riding on horseback without saddle or covering to the horse's back. Thee't never be able to ride vitty, avore canst stick on bare-ridged. BAR-IRE [baar uy'ur], sb. Quite distinct from ire-bar. The former is merchantable iron for smiths' use; the latter is a crow-bar. Sometimes one hears, Where's the bar-ire?—i. e. crow-bar; but the demonstrative makes all the difference. In reply to a remonstrance about his charges, a blacksmith said: Well, sir, 'tis a little bit better now; but I didn't charge no more vor shoein o'm when bar-ire was more-n so dear again. BARM [baa'rm], sb. The only name for yeast. A. S. beorma. BARNACLES [baa'rniklz], sb. Spectacles. BARNEY-GUN [baar'ni-guun], sb. Shingles. Herpes. [They zes how tis the barney-gun, but I sure you I 'ant got no paice way un (i. e. my husband) day nor night, he's proper rampin like. July 1876. Mrs. R. Tho come to a Heartgun. Vorewey struck out and come to a Barngun. Ex. Scold. 1. 557. BARN-SIEVE [baarn zee'v], sb. Tech. A sieve of which the bottom is made of plaited cane-used in winnowing. BARN'S-DOOR [baa'rnz-doo'ur, or doa'ur], sb. (In the Hill district the first form, oo'ur, in floor and door are heard; in the Vale the second, oa ur). The door of the barn, generally made in two parts, meeting and fastening in the middle, while one, and sometimes both of these parts are again divided, so that the upper half may be opened while the under is kept shut. The only light in a barn is usually that from the doors when open. The possessive inflection is always retained-barn-door is never heard. = The same occurs in many cases-e. g. pig's meat hogwash; cart's tail, &c. A farmer's wife said to me: We never don't drink the pump's water.-July 9th, 1886. A very common saying expressive of inconsistency is : [Múd su wuul puut u braas naukur pun a baarn-z-dooʻur,] (you) may as well put a brass knocker on a barn-door. So we always say tarn's-door fowls. BARN'S-FLOOR [baa'rnz vloo'ur], sb. The only name given to the thrashing-floor. It is generally in the centre of the barn, and on the same level as the sill of the barn's-door, of which there are always two, one at each end of the floor, i. e. back and front of the building. It is never made to cover the entire space within the barn, but is only about ten feet in width, its length being the width of the building. It is generally raised above the bays on each side, and has a low wooden partition called the spirting-board, on either side, to keep the corn upon the floor. It is made of elm planks, two inches thick, while the rest of the barn is usually floored with concrete, or beaten earth. The best barns are constructed so as to drive a wagon loaded with corn in at one door along upon the floor, and when unloaded it passes out at the opposite door. See ZESS, POOL. BARN'S-FLOOR PLANK, or PLANCH [baa'rnz-vloo'ur plansh], sb. A particular size of plank, which is usually two inches thick and eleven inches wide; it is of elm, on account of its toughness. The above is applied to the boards or planks severally; when spoken of collectively as material they are called planchin. Thick there butt'll cut out some rare barn's-floor planchin; i. e. flooring. The same term is used for the wood-work of the floor: Plaise, sir, the barn's-vloor's a-come to doin shocking bad; the planchin o' un 's all a-ratted to [tich-èod,] touch-wood. BARNY [baar nee], sb. An altercation, dispute, quarrel. Of some quarrelsome neighbours, a man said: Twas a purty barney way 'em sure 'nough; and later on the same day of another matter: I'll warnt there'll be a barney over thick job.Dec. 22, 1885. BARREL [baa'ree-ul], s. Applied to that part of the body of a horse which is between the fore and hind legs; the belly. [Ee du mizh'ur wuul een dhu baa'ree ul, ee kn kaa'r-z dún'ur lau'ng wai un, ee kan,] he measures well round the body, he can carry his dinner along with him, he can. Very often I have heard the above (verbatim) praise of a stout-bodied horse. BARREN [baa'reen], adj. Of any animal not pregnant. It is important to the grazier who buys the cow or heifer to be assured as to her state. One invariable question put by the buyer of a cow for grazing, before he completes the bargain, is : [Wuol yùe wau'rn ur baareen ?], will you warrant her barren? A barren animal may have had any number of offspring. BARRENER [baar·inur], sb. A cow which has borne one or more calves, but is not now in calf. The regular Tech. word. Fresh-barreners are constantly advertised for sale. See FRESH. PRESENT ENTRIES: 1 barrener, 2 prime fat heifers, 3 fat heifers, 8 very superior fat Devon heifers, 5 fat horn ewes, 10 fat hogs, 2 fat steers, 2 young barreners, Devon bull, Devon barrener, three-years-old heifer, in calf; fresh barrener, cow and calf, Devon yearling bull, 10 fat lambs, 10 fat horn ewes, I excellent shorthorn barrener.— Som. Co. Gaz. Ap. 1, 1882. Four good young dairy cows in milk and in calf, 1 barrener in milk.-Advert. in Wellington Weekly News, Oct. 15, 1885. BARREN-SPRING [baar een spring], sb. Water unfit for irrigation-i. e. non-fertilizing. [Ted-n gèod wau'dr, tez u baareen spring,] was said to me by a tenant of a stream of water running near a farmyard. Though clear and tasteless, cattle will not readily drink it; they prefer the foulest ditch water. Probably it is too cold for them. BARRING [baa'reen], pres. part. Excepting, excluding. [Aal bee dhae'er, baa reen músaa'ps,] I will be there, if not prevented by accidents. [Baareen lats yùe shl shoa ur t-ab-m,] excepting unavoidable hindrances occur, you shall (be) sure to have it. See LET. BARROW-PIG [baa'ru paig]. A gelt pig (always). Never heard alone, or otherwise than with pig. It could not be said, "the pig is barrow "-it is always, "'tis a barrow-pig." BARTLE [Baar'tl], sb. St. Bartholomew. Bartlemas fair held August 24th, called a'so Bathemy fair [baa'thumee]. BARTON [baarteen], sb. That part of the farm premises which is specially enclosed for cattle; very frequently called the stroa baarteen, because it is here that large quantities of straw are strewed about to be eaten and trodden into manure. See COURT. In this sense it is very common to reserve in leases the use of bartons, linhays, &c., for certain periods after the expiration of the term, for the consumption of the fodder which must not be sold for removal. And also at any time after the first day of September to enter the bartons and stalls, and haul and carry away the dung, &c.-Lease from Author to a farmer, dated Sept. 27, 1884. The enclosure for corn and hay-stacks is called the maew-baar teen. See Mow. The term barton is also applied to the entire farm and homestead, but in this case it is only to the more important farms; very often it is the manor farm, or the principal holding in the parish, whether occupied by the owner or not-generally not. In these cases the farm, including the homestead, generally takes the name of the parish preceding the barton, as Sampford Barton, Kittisford Barton, Leigh Barton, Chevithorne Barton, &c. múlk], sb. The first It is never used for The word is used as BASE [baeus, bee'us, bae'us múlk, beeus milk from a cow immediately after calving. dairy purposes, but generally given to pigs. often without múlk as with it. "I've a stroked her down, for to take off the base." See BISKY-MILK. BASE CHILD [baerus cheerul]. A bastard. BASTARD KILLER [baas turd kee'ulur], sb. The plant savin -Juniperus sabina. BAT [baat]. 1. sb. A heavy laced boot, thickly hob-nailed; cilled also aaf baats. [Aay-d u-bún een tu beespaik u pae'ur u baats,] I had been in to bespeak a pair of boots. 2. Bricks when not whole are called half or three-quarter bats, according to size, as compared with the perfect brick. 3. In ploughing a field there are always some corners and generally other small places which cannot be got at with the plough, and must be dug by hand-these are called [baats]. 4. A round stick used to strike the ball in the game of rounders. This stick is oftener called a timmy. As to a thef ye come oute, with swerdes and battes to take me. BATCH [baach], sb. A baker's oven-full of bread. quantity baked at one time. The barm stinkt, and spwoiled all the batch o' bread. See BAKING. Batche of bread, fournee de pain.-Palsgrave. The BATE [bae'ut], v. To reduce in price; to take less than demanded. [Bae ut mee zik'spuns-n aal ab-m,] come down sixpence, and I will have it. [Aay oan bae'ut u vaar'dn,] I will not abate a farthing. The above is about the only meaning known in the dialect. BATER [bae'utur], sb. Hunting. An abater, or stag, which either from old age or hard living has become "scanty in his head -i.e. has not the rights (q. v.) which he should have in accordance with his age. See Records N. Devon Staghounds, 1812-18, p. 9. A heavy bodied stag with a large slot, having a head that might equally well |