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28 A Dictionary of the Sussex Dialect. |
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In spite of a proclamation made at London, July 22, 1540, that "neither children should be decked ne go about upon St. Nicholas', St. Catherine, St. Clement, the Holy Innocents', and such-like days," the children in some parts of East Sussex still keep up the custom of catterning and clemmening, and the Sussex blacksmiths are particularly active in commemorating their patron saint; the anvils are fired with a loud explosion, and at least a half-holiday is kept. At Burwash, a few years ago, it was the custom to dress up a figure with a wig and beard and a pipe in his mouth, and set it up over the door of the inn where the blacksmiths feasted on St. Clement's day.
Clim. To climb.
Clinkers. Small bricks burnt very hard and used for paving. The hard refuse cinders from a forge fire.
Clish, m. The bond or band by which heath or birch brooms are fastened.
Clitch, w. A cluster.
Clocksmith, m. A watchmaker.
"I be quite lost about time, I be; for I've been forced to send my watch in to the clocksmith. I couldn't make no sense of mending it myself; for I'd iled it and I'd biled it, and then I couldn't do more with it."
Clogue, m. To flatter.
Cloppers, or Clog-boots. Boots with wooden soles, worn by the fishermen on some parts of the coast.
Close, w. A farmyard.
Cloverlay. [Clcefer and leag, Ang. Sax.] A field of clover which has been lately mown.
Cluck, m. Out of spirits; slightly unwell. A hen is said to be cluck when she wants to sit.
Clung, m. Cold and damp.
The mown grass is spoken of as very clung after having been exposed to wet chilly weather, so that it has not hayed satisfactorily.
Clutch, e. Close; tightly.
"If you takes up a handful of the hay and holds it pretty clutch, you'll soon see 'taint fit to carry, for 'tis terr'ble clung."
Clutch, w. A brood of chickens or a covey of partridges.
Clutter-up, m. To throw into confusion; to crowd. |
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