GLOSSARY. A. Act'lly, actually. Air, are. Airth, earth. Airy, area. All-fiered, euphemism for great, Buster, a roistering blade; used also as a general superlative. C. Caird, carried. Cass, a person with two lives. Clear, or clear out, to go away, or be off-sometimes dered "clear the tracks." Close, clothes. Cockerel, a young cock. Cocktail, a kind of drink; also, an ornament peculiar to sol diers. Consarn, a euphemism for confound, or damn. Convention, a place where people are imposed on; a juggler's show. Coons, a cant term for a now defunct party; derived, perhaps, from the fact of their being commonly up a tree. Coot, a bird deemed unwise. Cornwallis, a sort of muster in masquerade, supposed to have had its origin soon after the Revolution, and to commemorate the surrender of Lord Da and Martin, Day and Martin, the eminent London blacking merchants. It is amusing to know that this firm is a symbol in the United States for punctuality and solidity; "always on hand, like Day and Martin's blacking," is a common simile. Dander, temper, passion. Darkie, negro. Darn, euphemism for damn. Darsn't, used indiscriminately, either in singular or plural number, for dare not, dares not, and dared not. Deacon off, to give the cue to; derived from a custom, once universal, but now extinct, in our new England Congregational churches. An important part of the office of deacon was to read aloud the hymns given out by the minister, one line at a time, the congregation singing each line as soon as read. Demmercrat, leadin', one in favor of extending slavery: a free-trade lecturer maintained in the custom-house. Desput, desperate. Dough, in allusion to the dough- Dunno, dno, do not or does not know. Dut, dirt. Gin, gave. Git, get. G. Go, to advocate or profess; "I go free trade," i.e. I profess free trade principles. Golly, or by Golly, a New Eng. land euphemism for swearing by the name of the Deity. Grease-spot, a minute remnant, the only distinguishable remains of an antagonist after a terrific contest. Gret, great; "no great of a man," i.e. of but little account. Grit, spirit, energy, pluck. Grout, to sulk. Grouty, crabbed, surly. Gum, to impose on. Gump, a foolish fellow,a dullard. Gumption, common sense, understanding. Gut, got. K. Kal'late, to calculate. Keer, care. Kep, kept. Kerswosh, the noise produced by a heavy body falling into the water. Shakes, great, of considerable consequence. Shappoes, chapeaux, cocked-hats. Shiver-de-freeze, chevaux de Sixty; "to go along like sixty," i. e. at a good rate, briskly. Skeer, to scare, or frighten. Skeeter, mosquito. Skooting, running, or moving swiftly. Skunk, a small but very objec tionable animal;-the term is used figuratively in America for a mean man. Slarterin', slaughtering. Slick, to brighten up, or polish. Slick, sharp, clever, quick. Slim, contemptible. Snaked, crawled like a snake; but to snake any one out is to track him to his hiding-place; to snake a thing out is to snatch it out. Snakes; "to wake snakes," to create a disturbance. Soffies, sofas Sogerin', soldiering; a barba rous amusement common among men in the savage state. Som'ers, somewhere. So'st, so as that. Sot, firm; sotter, firmer. Spout, to preach, or lecture. Staddles, stout stakes driven into the salt marshes, on |