A Kentish Word-bot
@kentishwordbot.bsky.social
A word once an hour. From A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect and Provincialisms in Use in the County of Kent, by WD Parish, 1888. Created by @grouchomerckx.bsky.social. Built with https://bluebotsdonequick.com/
CATERWAYS [kai•turwaiz] adv. Obliquely; slantingly; cross-ways.
'He stood aback of a tree and skeeted water caterways at me with a squib.'
'He stood aback of a tree and skeeted water caterways at me with a squib.'
November 28, 2025 at 6:23 AM
CATERWAYS [kai•turwaiz] adv. Obliquely; slantingly; cross-ways.
'He stood aback of a tree and skeeted water caterways at me with a squib.'
'He stood aback of a tree and skeeted water caterways at me with a squib.'
SCOURGE [skurj] vb. To sweep with a besom.
November 28, 2025 at 5:22 AM
SCOURGE [skurj] vb. To sweep with a besom.
GEÄT [ge•ut] sb. Gate.
November 28, 2025 at 4:22 AM
GEÄT [ge•ut] sb. Gate.
GOD'S GOOD [Godz good] sb. Yeast; barm.
It was a pious custom in former days to invoke a benediction, by making the sign of the cross over the yeast.
It was a pious custom in former days to invoke a benediction, by making the sign of the cross over the yeast.
November 28, 2025 at 3:23 AM
GOD'S GOOD [Godz good] sb. Yeast; barm.
It was a pious custom in former days to invoke a benediction, by making the sign of the cross over the yeast.
It was a pious custom in former days to invoke a benediction, by making the sign of the cross over the yeast.
SCOTCHEN, sb. A badge; shortened from escutcheon.
'For ij dosen skotchens of lede for the poore people of the citie [of Canterbury], that they myght be knowen from other straunge beggars.'
—Historical MSS. Commission, 1550.
'For ij dosen skotchens of lede for the poore people of the citie [of Canterbury], that they myght be knowen from other straunge beggars.'
—Historical MSS. Commission, 1550.
November 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
SCOTCHEN, sb. A badge; shortened from escutcheon.
'For ij dosen skotchens of lede for the poore people of the citie [of Canterbury], that they myght be knowen from other straunge beggars.'
—Historical MSS. Commission, 1550.
'For ij dosen skotchens of lede for the poore people of the citie [of Canterbury], that they myght be knowen from other straunge beggars.'
—Historical MSS. Commission, 1550.
CRACK-NUT [krak-nut] sb. A hazel nut, as opposed to cocoa nuts, Brazil nuts, &c.
November 28, 2025 at 1:23 AM
CRACK-NUT [krak-nut] sb. A hazel nut, as opposed to cocoa nuts, Brazil nuts, &c.
LAYSTOLE [lai•stoal] sb. A rubbish heap.
November 28, 2025 at 12:22 AM
LAYSTOLE [lai•stoal] sb. A rubbish heap.
ECHE [ee•ch] (1) sb. An eke, or addition; as, an additional piece to a bell rope, to eke it out and make it longer. So we have Eche-End near Ash-next-Sandwich.
(2) vb. To eke out; to augment.
(2) vb. To eke out; to augment.
November 27, 2025 at 11:22 PM
ECHE [ee•ch] (1) sb. An eke, or addition; as, an additional piece to a bell rope, to eke it out and make it longer. So we have Eche-End near Ash-next-Sandwich.
(2) vb. To eke out; to augment.
(2) vb. To eke out; to augment.
OARE [oar] sb. Seaweed; seawrack. This is the name of a parish in North Kent, near Faversham, which is bounded on the north by the river Swale, where probably great quantities of seaweed collected.
November 27, 2025 at 10:22 PM
OARE [oar] sb. Seaweed; seawrack. This is the name of a parish in North Kent, near Faversham, which is bounded on the north by the river Swale, where probably great quantities of seaweed collected.
LAWYER [laa•yur] sb. A long thorny bramble, from which it is not easy to disentangle oneself.
November 27, 2025 at 9:22 PM
LAWYER [laa•yur] sb. A long thorny bramble, from which it is not easy to disentangle oneself.
PHARISEES [far•r'iseez] sb. pl. Fairies. (See Fairisies.)
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
PHARISEES [far•r'iseez] sb. pl. Fairies. (See Fairisies.)
TILLER [til•ur] sb. An oak sapling, or other young timber tree of less than six inches and a quarter in girth. In other places it is called teller. Anglo-Saxon telgor, a branch, a twig.
November 27, 2025 at 7:21 PM
TILLER [til•ur] sb. An oak sapling, or other young timber tree of less than six inches and a quarter in girth. In other places it is called teller. Anglo-Saxon telgor, a branch, a twig.
UNDERNEAD [un•durneed•] prep. Underneath.
'Den on we went, and soon we see
A brick place where instead
A bein' at top as't ought to be,
De road ran undernead.' —Dick and Sal, st. 46.
'Den on we went, and soon we see
A brick place where instead
A bein' at top as't ought to be,
De road ran undernead.' —Dick and Sal, st. 46.
November 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM
UNDERNEAD [un•durneed•] prep. Underneath.
'Den on we went, and soon we see
A brick place where instead
A bein' at top as't ought to be,
De road ran undernead.' —Dick and Sal, st. 46.
'Den on we went, and soon we see
A brick place where instead
A bein' at top as't ought to be,
De road ran undernead.' —Dick and Sal, st. 46.
GAVELKIND [gav•l•kend] sb. An ancient tenure in Kent, by which the lands of a father were divided among all his sons; or the lands of a brother, dying without issue, among all the surviving brothers… female descendants were utterly excluded
November 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
GAVELKIND [gav•l•kend] sb. An ancient tenure in Kent, by which the lands of a father were divided among all his sons; or the lands of a brother, dying without issue, among all the surviving brothers… female descendants were utterly excluded
TED [ted] vb. To make hay, by tossing it about and spreading it in the sun.
1523.—'For mowyng and teddyng of ye garden, xij d.'
—Accounts of St. John's Hospital, Canterbury.
1523.—'For mowyng and teddyng of ye garden, xij d.'
—Accounts of St. John's Hospital, Canterbury.
November 27, 2025 at 4:13 PM
TED [ted] vb. To make hay, by tossing it about and spreading it in the sun.
1523.—'For mowyng and teddyng of ye garden, xij d.'
—Accounts of St. John's Hospital, Canterbury.
1523.—'For mowyng and teddyng of ye garden, xij d.'
—Accounts of St. John's Hospital, Canterbury.
BLUNDER [blund•ur] (1) sb. A heavy noise, as of a falling or stumbling.
'I knows dere's some rabbits in de bury, for I heerd de blunder o' one.'
'I knows dere's some rabbits in de bury, for I heerd de blunder o' one.'
November 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
BLUNDER [blund•ur] (1) sb. A heavy noise, as of a falling or stumbling.
'I knows dere's some rabbits in de bury, for I heerd de blunder o' one.'
'I knows dere's some rabbits in de bury, for I heerd de blunder o' one.'
WATER-TABLE [waa•tur-tai•bl] sb. The little ditch at the side of the road, or a small indentation across a road, for carrying off the water.
November 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
WATER-TABLE [waa•tur-tai•bl] sb. The little ditch at the side of the road, or a small indentation across a road, for carrying off the water.
STIVER [stivur] vb. To flutter; to stagger; to struggle along.
'An so we stivered right acrass,
An went up by a mason's.'—Dick and Sal, st. 50.
'An so we stivered right acrass,
An went up by a mason's.'—Dick and Sal, st. 50.
November 27, 2025 at 1:14 PM
STIVER [stivur] vb. To flutter; to stagger; to struggle along.
'An so we stivered right acrass,
An went up by a mason's.'—Dick and Sal, st. 50.
'An so we stivered right acrass,
An went up by a mason's.'—Dick and Sal, st. 50.
CHUFF [chuf] adj. Fat; chubby. (See Choaty.)
November 27, 2025 at 12:10 PM
CHUFF [chuf] adj. Fat; chubby. (See Choaty.)
QUITTER FOR QUATTER [kwit•r fur kwat•r] phr. One thing in return for another. (See Whicket.)
November 27, 2025 at 11:07 AM
QUITTER FOR QUATTER [kwit•r fur kwat•r] phr. One thing in return for another. (See Whicket.)
NOD [nod] sb. The nape of the neck. With this are connected noddle, noddy; as in the nursery rhyme—
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
November 27, 2025 at 10:08 AM
NOD [nod] sb. The nape of the neck. With this are connected noddle, noddy; as in the nursery rhyme—
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
DOGS' DAISY, sb. The May weed, Anthemis cotula; so called, ''Cause it blows in the dog-days, ma'am.'
November 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM
DOGS' DAISY, sb. The May weed, Anthemis cotula; so called, ''Cause it blows in the dog-days, ma'am.'
POOK [poo•k] sb. The poke or peak of a boy's cap.
November 27, 2025 at 8:04 AM
POOK [poo•k] sb. The poke or peak of a boy's cap.
SHINGLE [shing•l] sb. A piece of seasoned oak about 12 inches long by 3 inches wide, ¼ inch in thickness; used in covering buildings, and especially for church spires in parts of the country where wood was plentiful, as in the Weald
November 27, 2025 at 6:59 AM
SHINGLE [shing•l] sb. A piece of seasoned oak about 12 inches long by 3 inches wide, ¼ inch in thickness; used in covering buildings, and especially for church spires in parts of the country where wood was plentiful, as in the Weald
SPEAN [speen] sb. SPEEN [spee•n] (i.) The teat of an animal. (ii.) The tooth or spike of a fork or prong.
November 27, 2025 at 5:54 AM
SPEAN [speen] sb. SPEEN [spee•n] (i.) The teat of an animal. (ii.) The tooth or spike of a fork or prong.