L - Buckinghamshire Vocabulary

The following list of words are quoted from three articles published in the "Records of Buckinghamshire" by Alfred Heneage Cocks, M.A, between 1897 and 1909 (some editing has been used to produce a unified list). See the introduction for further details..

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y

LACE, to beat, in the sense of to thrash.
LADE, to dip water. Halliwell gives it in the sense of to leak, or to admit water.
LADDIKIN, a bone instrument for opening window-lead to fit the glass in. Perhaps from lead.
LADY'S FINGERS, KINGFISHERS, the Bird's Foot Trefoil or Lotus (Lotus corniculatus).
LAM INTO, to beat, in the sense of to thrash.
LAND-EFFETT, see EFFETT.
LANE, a tier or row of sheaves in a rick. "The next lane 'll begin drawing in, for the ruff (= roof)."
LARGESS (pronounced lardjiz). Among farm-labourers "to keep largess" is to make up a supper party paid out of largess, which is money begged from the local tradesmen with whom the farmer has dealings, such as wheelwright, blacksmith, etc.
LARRUP, to beat, in the sense of to thrash.
LATTERMATH, see Aftermath.
LATTERN, late. "A very lattern sort of apple." LATTERED, belated. "The wheat is lattered this year."
LAY, TO (trans. and intrans.), to wager, bet.
LAY-BY, an extra fishing rod, laid ready to hand, so as to seize directly a fish takes the bait, in addition to the rod held in hand.
LAY DOWN (intransitive), for, to lie down, almost universally used.
LEARN (frequently pronounced larn), as often, or more often, used as to teach, than in its natural meaning. Very commonly used as a threat, "I'll larn ye."
LEASE, to glean (Pron. = Z). Halliwell states that its original meaning (A-S) is to gather. Cf. Psalms iv. and v.
LEASTEST, intens. Of least.
LEATHERING, a drubbing, thrashing. TO LEATHER, to thrash, beat.
LICK, to beat, in the sense of to thrash. Also, in the sense of to defeat, as in a game or other contest.
LIGG, to lie (Norwegian, ligge, dissyl.). Mr. Clear writes me that an old man at Whaddon recently told him, that before the enclosure of the chase there, the seer "used to ligg about like ship." In Lady Verney's very interesting third volume of The Verney Memoirs, (p. 438), a letter written by Sir Ralph Verney, dated 1659, has "... we Virgins are resolved to Ligg altogeather." Mr. Clear tells me the word is not in general use in N. Bucks.
LIGHT ON, to find, or come across.
-LIKE. Mr. Rye says one mode of forming adjectives in the Saxon language was by adding lic or lice to substantives or verbs. So in English, -like, meaning "in a manner," or "as it were". E.g., "Rather cur'ous-like," "Quite a cur'osity-like."
LIMB (term of reproach), a blackguard.
LIMB, TO, to tear off violently. From AS lemian, to break. LIMB UP, to run up (a hill, etc.).
LINCE, a natural bank, generally caused by a settlement of the ground. Such banks abound in certain parts of the chalk district [Ivinghoe, and Central Bucks]. Another form used elsewhere in England is linch. Links (for golf) is the same word. AS, hline.
LINGE, TO, to loosen.
LISSOM, supple, agile. Perhaps for lithesome. Light, not weighty; glad; comfortable.
LITCHUP, an idle person, a loafer; (verb) to lounge idly about. From Middle English lich, AS lic, a corpse. The termination -up or -op appears in dollup or dollop, and lollup, harrup (supra), tittup and wallop (infra).
LIVER-BY, a person living close to, with whom one is not on friendly terms. "He's not a neighbour, he's a liver-by."
LOB-WORM, the common Earth-worm (Lumbricus terrestris).
LOGGER, a straw-plaiting term; a "setting" of seven splints of straw.
LOLLUP, to lounge, or loll about idly.
LONG, for high, in "a long price."
LOOFER, pronunciation of loafer.
LOOSUMS, lucerne.
LORTH, for loath. "It seems lorth to come," of the rain during the recent dry weather.
LUG, TO, to pull strongly. A bird's nest destroyed by boys is at Wing called "a lugg'd UN"
LUMMAKIN, heavy, awkward.