ADJ.
1. having a smooth surface, slippery ...1490 arch.
2. lascivious, wanton, lewd ...1490 obs.
3. slippery, shifty, deceitful; wavering, unsteady, uncertain;
prone to danger or error ...1631 obs.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from French lubrique
or Latin lubricus slippery, slimy; fleeting; inconstant; deceitful; hazardous, unsteady
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1490 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE (for definition 1)
"...sette and imposed vnder the feet of the righte chaste quene, thyng slypper and lubrik, for to make hir to ouerthrowe..."
 
From: The Boke yf Eneydos
Translated by William Caxton, 1490
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The Encyclopaedic Dictionary,
Robert Hunter, 1879-1888
• The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language,
Rev. John Ogilvie, 1847-1850
• A Glossary of Tudor and Stuart Words,
​Walter W. Skeat, 1914

ADJ.
1. marked by necessity; necessary ...c1650 obs.
2. marked by need; needy, poor ...1870 rare
 
ETYMOLOGY
from need (n.) + -some
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
c1650 - See Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...So many needsome advertisements I presume to tell you."
 
From: Don Bellianis
The Honour of Chivalry, or the Famous and Delectable History of Don Bellianis of Greece
Translated 1650
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The English Dialect Dictionary,
​Joseph Wright, 1898-1905

ADJ.
pert. to youth; youthful ...1602 obs.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from young adj.
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1602 - see EXAMPLE below
 
EXAMPLE
",,,All for he feeles the heate of youngthly dayes,
Which secret law of kinde hath inly bred?"
 
From: A Poetical Rhapsody
By: Francis Davison, 1602
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933
• A Glossary of Tudor and Stuart Words, Walter W. Skeat, 1914
 

ADJ.
avid, ardently desirous, extremely eager, greedy ...1534 rare
 
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin avidus greedy, eager, desiring
or from French avide greedy
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1534 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...The auydious desyres of honour."
 
From: Tullyes Offyces
Translated by Roberte Whytinton (Robert Whittinton), 1534
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia,
William Dwight Whitney, 1889-1891
• A Standard Dictionary of the English Language,
Isaac K. Funk, 1908
• The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language,
Rev. John Ogilvie, 1847-1850
• Webster's International Dictionary of the English Language,
​Noah Porter, 1895
 

NOUN
a weak comparison ...1583 nonce word obs.
 
ETYMOLOGY
? from 'fumble', parodying 'similitude'
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1583 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...As for you fomblitudes of Manlius and Iudas, two proper names, compared with image, an idoll, King, and Tyrant, which be common names, I will not vouchsafe to answer them."
 
From: A Defense of the Sincere and True Translations of the Holie Scriptures into the English Tong...
By: William Fulke, 1583
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words,
​James Halliwell, 1855
 

VERB
to slide or move along on one's buttocks ...1853 nonce word
 
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin podex the rump, podic- + -ate
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1853 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...we managed to roll, slide, stagger and podicate to the foot in the dark"
 
From: The Autobiography of William Jerdan, Volume IV
By: William Jerdan
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933

​ADJ.
shaky, insecure ...1866
 
ETYMOLOGY
from shog (n.) a shaking condition; a shake, jerk
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1866 - see EXAMPLE below
 
EXAMPLE
"...ascended to the narrow shoggy scaffold at the top of the spire..."
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933

​NOUN
a sharp retort; a repartee ...1554 obs. rare exc. Scot.
 
VERB
to controvert, to refute; to reply smartly ...c1440 obs. rare exc. Scot.
 
ETYMOLOGY
for n.: from re- + jag n. a prick with anything sharp (Scot.)
for vb.: from re- + jag vb. to pierce with a sharp instrument
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE (for vb.)
c1440 - Reiaggyn (or reprevyn), redarguo
From: Promptorium Parvulorum 
 
EXAMPLE (for n.)
"...without Snakkes, Reiagges, Revilinges, Chekkes, Rebukes,
and Tauntes, such as I never herd the like in such an audience,
​all my Life longe."
 
From: A Protestation of Mr. Hughe Latymer (1554)
in John Strype's Ecclesiastial Memorials, 1721
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language,
​John Jamieson, John Johnstone, 1867 

1. HAVE KANGAROOS IN ONE'S TOP PADDOCK
a) to be rich, to have plenty to spend
b) to be crazy or very silly
c) to look well-fed, to have sufficient food
​
2. LEGLESS
a) drunk
b) stupid, silly
c) lewd, wanton

3. WILLIE-FISHER
a) a notorious liar
b) one considered wanting in gentlemanly breeding
c) a miser, a covetous person
​
4. CAMELOPARD
a) a two-humped camel
b) the cheetah
c) the giraffe

5. NUMQUID
a) a dull-witted or stupid person
b) an inquisitive person
c) a weakling; an effeminate man
​
6. BIGGUMS
a) important, of consequence
b) the buttocks
c) overweight

7. JAMMOCKED
a) excited or enthusiastic
b) worn out, exhausted
c) damned

​8. UNFORTUNATE WOMAN
a) a prostitute
b) an old maid
c) a widow
​
9. DAMMARET
a) a profane swearer
b) a mild oath
c) a lady's man
​
10. MINACIOUS
a) menacing, threatening
b) miserly, tight-fisted
c) effeminate, delicate
​

QUIZ 1

1. MALEFACTIOUS
a) unthrifty, wasteful
b) discontented-looking, grim
c) wicked, criminal

2. SIMPER-DE-COCKET
a) an affected coquettish air; a female flirt
b) a simpleton; a fool; a foolish act
c) one who collects or studies 'simples', a herbalist
​
3. BOUNCING CHIT
a) a bottle
b) a lively child
c) a bad cheque

4. WREATH OF ROSES
a) a good luck charm
b) a venereal ulcer
c) ringworm
​
5. IN A PIG'S BUTT!
a) completely impossible! absolutely not!
b) indeed!
c) excellent!

6. CANOODLE
a) to kiss and cuddle
b) to make bare or naked
c) to mystify, to deceive
​
7.  LET THE OLD CAT DIE
a) to let well enough alone
b) to let a swing come to a standstill by itself
c) to let a person mope
​
8. SPURCITIOUS
a) clandestine, secretive
b) filthy, foul, obscene
c) lively, spirited

9. AFLUNTERS
a) in a state of disorder; disarranged
b) broke, having no money
c) terrified, afraid

​10. RAISE NED
a) to dress up; to wear one's best clothes
b) to have unexpected good luck
c) to be quarrelsome; to make a disturbance

ADJ.
1. cheering, cheerful ...1377 obs. rare
2. strengthening, reviving, as medicine, food, etc. ...1398 obs.
 
NOUN
a strengthening or reviving medicine ...1398 obs.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from Middle English confortatif, from French confortatif, -ive:
Latin type confortativus
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1377 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...And is companable and confortatyf, as cryst bit humselve"
 
From: The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman
By: William Langland, 1377
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia,
William Dwight Whitney, 1889-1891
• A Supplementary English Glossary, O. Davies, T. Lewis, 1881
• A Standard Dictionary of the English Language, Isaac K. Funk, 1908
 

ADJ.
sounding horribly; making a terrible or dreadful sound ...1656
 
ETYMOLOGY
from stem of Latin horrere to bristle + sonantem sounding
from sonare to sound
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1656 - from Glossographia Anglicana Nova,
or, A Dictionary Interpreting such Hard Words, Thomas Blount,
Horrisonant, roaring, having a terrible sound
 
EXAMPLE
"...A multiplicity of Horisonant Phrases."
 
From: The British Apollo, 1708-11
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933
• An English Dictionary, Elisha Coles, 1717
• A Supplementary English Glossary, O. Davies, T. Lewis, 1881
• The Encyclopaedic Dictionary, Robert Hunter, 1879-1888
• Dictionary of Early English, Joseph Shipley, 1955
 

NOUN
a small round pellet of sheep's or goat's dung;
generally used in the plural ...1547 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
 
VERB
1. to bubble; to make a bubbling noise ...1821 Scot.
2. to toddle, to walk with short quick steps, as a child learning to walk
...1825 Scot.
3. to chatter ...1882 Scot.
4. to dawdle, to idle, to waste one's time ...1921 Scot.
 
ETYMOLOGY (for noun)
assumed to be related to 'treddle' a pellet of sheep's or goat's dung (c1000 obs. exc. Eng. dial.)
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1547 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE (for n. )
"...doth loke like shepes tretles, there is abundance of coler adusted"
 
From: The Breviary of Healthe
By: Andrew Boorde, 1547
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The English Dialect Dictionary, Joseph Wright, 1898-1905
• A Scots Dialect Dictionary, Alexander Warrack, 1911
• The Dialect of Banffshire, with a Glossary of Words not in Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary,
​Rev. Walter Gregor, 1866
 

VERB
to transpose the letters in a word or phrase ...1702
 
ETYMOLOGY
from Greek μετά meta- after, with (implying change afterward)
+ γράμμα letter, character
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1702 - See Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...observing the great hospitality of Mr. Wilson, in conjunction
with his metagrammatising temper ..."
 
From: Magnalia Christi Americana:
Or, The Ecclesiastical History of New-England
By: Cotton Mather, 1702
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933
 

ADJ.
with hair hanging wet and untidy ...1865 nonce word
 
ETYMOLOGY
from draggle (vb.) to make wet, limp and untidy + hair
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1865 - See Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"...consuming hate and anger in his face, white-lipped, wild-eyed,
draggle-haired, seamed with jealousy and anger ..."
 
From: Our Mutual Friend
By: Charles Dickens, 1865
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933

VERB
1. to deviate from the usual path or course; to stray ...1600 obs. or arch.
2. of heavenly bodies: to deviate from the usual orbit;
to follow an erratic course ...1693 obs. or arch.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin exorbitat- ppl. stem of exorbitare to go out of the track
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1600 - see EXAMPLE below
 
EXAMPLE (for vb. 1)
"...Whereas they and we are ready to exorbitate,
by looking on other men, he sendeth vs backe to our selues ..."
 
From: An exposition vpon the prophet Ionah Contained in certaine Sermons,
Preached in S. Maries church in Oxford
By: George Abbot, 1600
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia,
William Dwight Whitney, 1889-1891
• A Complete and Universal Dictionary of the English Language,
​Rev. James Barclay, 1848

ADJ.
trifling, trivial, useless; troublesome;
​speaking in an affected or mincing manner ...1818 Scot.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from knickknack
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1818 - see EXAMPLE below
 
EXAMPLE
"...be trying to speak that vile nicky-nacky language they ca' English..."
 
From: The Brownie of Bodsbeck
By: James Hogg, 1818
 
SOURCES
• The English Dialect Dictionary, Joseph Wright, 1898-1905
• A Scots Dialect Dictionary, Alexander Warrack, 1911

NOUN
1. a bald-headed person ...1382 obs.
2. a castrated ram ...1796 Eng. dial.
 
ETYMOLOGY (for definition 1)
apparently from 'ball' a white streak or spot + -ard
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1382 - see Example below
 
EXAMPLE
"... And scorneden to hym seying, Stye up, ballard!"
​
From: John Wyclif's Bible, 1382
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• The Century Dictionary and Encyclopedia,
William Dwight Whitney, 1889-1891
• Dictionary of Early English, Joseph Shipley, 1955
• A Middle English Dictionary,
​Francis Henry Stratmann, Henry Bradley, 1891
• The English Dialect Dictionary, Joseph Wright, 1898-1905

NOUN
a great or greedy eater; a glutton ...1592 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
 
ETYMOLOGY
from gut (n.) + -ling
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1592 - see EXAMPLE below
 
EXAMPLE
"...The bestiall gutlings of this fulsome feeding age fall upon a piece of piping hot poetry..."
 
From: Groats-Worth of Wit
By: Robert Greene, 1592
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
James Murray, 1887-1933
• A Supplementary English Glossary, O. Davies, T. Lewis, 1881
• The English Dialect Dictionary, Joseph Wright, 1898-1905
• The Dialect of Craven in the West-Riding of the County of York, 
William Carr, 1828
• A Glossary of the Dialect of Almondbury and Huddersfield,
​Rev. Alfred Easther, 1883
• Glossary of Words Used in the Wapentakes of Manley and Corringham, Edward Peacock, 1875

VERB
to fail in one's purpose ...1546
 
ETYMOLOGY
the allusion is to tennis, in which a line is stretched in the middle
of the court, and the players standing on each side have to
​send the ball over the line
 
FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1546 - The Proverbs of John Heywood, John Heywood
"Thou hast striken the ball vnder the lyne."
 
SOURCES
• A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles,
​James Murray, 1887-1933
• Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894