goitre – an enlarged thyroid gland, illness of the hormones deficiency
‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ books – Blue book is an official document with information on a particular subject, published by the British government; Red book is an official, or canonical, collection of data or regulations.
Bradshaw’s Guide – a series of railway timetables and travelers’ guide books
the Honfoglalas – Hungarian conquest or land-taking, resulting in the settlement of the Hungarian people in Central Europe (9–10th centuries)
shame of Cassova – he means the Turkish victory at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, fought between the Serbian Principality and the invading Ottoman Empire.
the Crescent – the symbol of Islam and the Ottoman Empire
battle of Mohács (1526) – the battle fought between the forces of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I, and the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary, resulting in the Ottoman victory
Omnia Romae venalia sunt – Everything in Rome is for sale. (Latin)
‘Marmion’ – a poem by Walter Scott (1771–1832) about the Battle of Flodden Field (1513)
fash masel – trouble myself (local language)
cured herrin’s – herring, preserved by fermentation, or pickling, or smoking
gang ageean wards – go ahead towards
crammle aboon the grees – climb about the steps
lack belly-timber sairly by the clock – I’m hungry, surely, it’s time
lock, stock, and barrel – everything, all of it
bairns – children
a’belderin’ – crying
touters – here: crooks
skeer = scare
hafflin – youth
steans – tombstones
acant – crooked
scowderment – chaos, confusion
jouped – jumbled
Yabblins — possibly
balm-bowl – chamber pot
kirkgarth – churchyard
consate — imagine
be happed here – are buried here
snod an’ snog – smooth and compact
toom – empty
baccabox – mouth
aftest abaft – near stern
bier-bank – churchyard path
antherums – doubts
jommling and jostling – jamming and pushing
thruff-stone – a table-like tombstone covering the entire body
gawm – understand
acrewk’d – twisted
lamiter – a deformed person
the clegs and dowps – the flies and the crows
Gabriel – archangel, messenger from God to people
keckle – to cackle, to laugh
aud – old
daffled – beaten down
abaft the krok-hooal — about the crock-hole (grave)
caffin’ – joking
The chafts will wag as they be used to — the chaps will laugh as they’re used to do
dooal – pity
mares tails — clouds in the form of thin, wispy strands
lanthorns – the chambers at the top of lighthouses, surrounding the light
mirabile dictu – amazingly (Latin)
theyoungCasabianca – Giocante, young son of Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca, the captain of a French ship ‘Orient.’ During the Battle of the Nile in 1798 he remained at the burning ship not to leave his post without his father’s orders. Both of them and the remaining crew were killed in the explosion of the ship.
wolds – woods on high ground
cum grano – with a grain (Latin); the phrase ‘cum grano salis’ (with a grain of salt) means ‘with a bit of common sense.’
sent a round robin – a petition or protest, having the signatures in a circle (not to guess the order of signing)
Jack Sheppard – a famous London thief and gaol-breaker of the 18th century.
kick the beam — to be of light weight or of misguided judgment
virgin crants and maiden strewments – from William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet,’ Act 5, Stage 1.
perfeshunal subjucts – professional subjects
bloomin’ ’arf-quid – half-quid; quid = 1 pound.
dessay – dare say