Egg

EGG, sb.1 Var. dial. uses in Sc. Irel. and Eng. [eg.]

1. In comb. (1) Egg-bag, a meaningless argument; (2) Egg-battle, see below; (3) Egg-bed, the ovarium of a fowl; also used fig.; (4) Egg-bound, preparing to sit and lay eggs; (5) Egg-cap, see Egg-hat; (6) Egg-cheese, a cheese made with eggs and curd; see below; (7) Egg-clock, a cockchafer; (8) Egg-cratch, a frame made with holes in it for holding eggs; (9) Egg-cups, red cup-moss, Lecanora tartarea; (10) Egg-doup, a woman's cap, with an egg-shaped or oval back; see Dowp; (11) Egg-doupit, shaped like the end of an egg; (12) Egg-eater, the cuckoo, Cuculus canorus; (13) Egg-feast, the Saturday before Shrove Tuesday; (14) Egg-gull, the herring-gull, Larus argentatus; (15) Egg-hat, a boys' game; see below; (16) Egg-hog, (17) Egg-hot, a hot drink made of beer, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, &c.; also called Eggy-hot; (18) Egg-laters, persons who used to go about among neighbouring villages to buy up the eggs to send off on market days; (19) Egg-peg bushes, the plant Prunus spinosa; (20) Egg-plant, (a) the plant, Solanum Melongena; (b) the snowberry, Symphoricarpus racemosus; (21) Egg-wife-trot, an easy jog-trot, such a pace as that with which farmers' wives carry their eggs to market; (22) Eggs-eggs, the fruit of the hawthorn. (1) w.Yks. Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Jan. 22, 1893). (2) Cor. At St. Columb,.. on Shrove Tuesday, each child in a dame's school was expected to bring an egg, and at twelve o'clock the children had an egg-battle, Flk-Lore Jrn. (1886) IV. 131; Children struck the eggs together over a plate held by mistress, the contents of which became her perquisite for her pancakes, Antiquary (Mar. 1884). (3) Sc. (Jam.) Ayr. I'll no say what's in the egg-bed o' my brain, Galt Lairds (1826) vi. (4) Suf. [A pair of Turtle-doves.] At last one of them began to show signs of cradle-making, and I was told that she was manifestly egg-bound, Blackw. Mag. (Nov. 1889) 620. (5) w.Yks. A game played by throwing small stones into a cap placed at the foot of a wall (A.C.). (6) n.Cy. Farmers in the northern parts of England make egg cheeses, which are famous for toasting. After the curd is thoroughly prepared, they make this cheese by putting five yolks of eggs to every pound of curd, mixing the whole properly, and putting it into the cheese press as usual, Young Annals Agric. (1784-1815) XXXVIII. 504. (7) n.Yks.2 Sometimes called egg-clocks, as being oviform and hard-cased (s.v. Cock-clocks). Lan.1 Prov. Kill a egg-clock an' it'll rain to-morn. ne.Lan.1 (8) w.Yks. Banks Wkfld. Wds. (1865). (9) Hmp. (W.M.E.F.) (10) Abd. She seems to clutch At Firhill's clean, new-pipet mutch... It's no an egg-doup like her ain, Cadenhead Bon-Accord (1853) 170; Your runkled venerable face, Your egg-doup mutch undecked wi' lace, Anderson Rhymes (1867) 57. (11) Abd. Wi' a blue-spotted wrapper, an egg-doupit mutch, Anderson Rhymes (1867) 13. (12) Som. (W.H.Y.) (13) Oxf. In the Oxford Almanacks, the Saturday preceding this day [Shrove Tuesday] is called the Egg-feast, Brand Pop. Antiq. (ed. 1813) I. 56; For neither the Papists, nor those of the Eastern Church, eat eggs during Lent, but at Easter they begin to eat them. And hence the Egg-feast formerly at Oxford, when the scholars took leave of that kind of food, on the Saturday after [sic] Ash-Wednesday, BRAND Pop. Antiq. 146. (14) [It is a sad pilferer of its neighbours’ goods, and is sometimes called the ‘Egg-Gull’ from its habit of devouring the eggs of other sea birds, Smith Birds (1887) 535.] (15) Mid. (A.B.C.) w.Mid. The players place their caps in a row. One throws a stone into another's cap. The owner picks it up and throws the cap at the other, and if he hits him a stone is put in the cap of the latter. When one boy has five stones in his cap ‘he is a flier,’ and pays a forfeit ─ passes between a double line of his companions, who ‘sock at him with their caps!’ (W.P.M.) (16) Ant. A drink with beaten-up eggs boiled in (W.H.P.). (17) War.2 War.3, w.Wor.1, Glo.1, Brks.1, Oxf.1, Dev.3 Cor. At the plentiful supper always provided on that night, egg-hot or eggy-hot, was the principal drink,... made with eggs, hot beer, sugar, and rum, and... poured from one jug into another until... covered with froth, Flk-Lore Jrn. (1886) IV. 116; The mug of eggy-hot passed from hand to hand as steadily as usual, ‘Q.’ Three Ships (1890) vii; Cor.1 Cor.2 Cor.3 (18) Cum. (M.P.) (19) Glo.1 (20, a) w.Som.1 (b) Chs.1 Chs.3 (21) w.Yks.1 (22) Wil.1

2. phr. (1) egg and bird, from youth to maturity, from first to last; (2) a bad egg, an unfortunate venture or speculation; (3) to break an egg, curling term: to play one stone so as to touch another very gently; (4) to peel eggs with any one, not to stand on ceremony; (5) to be off your eggs, to make a mistake, be on the wrong tack; (6) to be off eggs, on potatoes, to wander abruptly from one subject to another; (7) eggs and bacon, (a) the yellow toadflax, Linaria vulgaris; (b) the bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus; (c) the daffodil, Narcissus incomparabilis and bicolor; (8) eggs and butter, (a) see eggs and bacon (a); (b) the buttercup, Ranunculus acris and Ranunculus bulbosus; (c) daffodils of var. kinds; (9) eggs and collops, (a) see eggs and bacon; (b) fried eggs and bacon or ham. (1) Myo. Bad luck to her sowl, egg and bird! Barrington Sketches (1830) III. xvi. (2) War.3 ne.Wor. A girl, whose supposed lover had fallen off in his attentions, summed up the matter by remarking ‘Well, that's a bad egg!’ (J.W.P.) (3) Ayr. A well-delivered stone from a smart driver ‘broke an egg’ on the enemy's front, Johnston Kilmallie (1891) II. 109; The ice is gleg; Aim for the guard, and break an egg, Boswell Poet. Wks. (ed. 1871) 196. (4) Mon. Such a one is not a person that you would peel eggs with [stand on ceremony with], N. & Q. (1871) 4th S. viii. 396. (5) Sc. Ye're aff yours eggs and on cauld chuckie-stanes (Jam.). Sh.I. Na, boy, doo's aff o' dy eggs for wance, Sh. News (Sept. 18, 1897). Fif. ‘Woman, your education's been sairly neglected.’ ‘Ye're aff your eggs there, guidman, for C. Mitchell... gied me as guid a schulein' as his abeelities wad allow,’ McLaren Tibbie (1894) 62. Dmb. Ye're aff yer eggs there, mistress; for except Jean Broun, I wadna gi'e a smoke o' tobacco for a' the women betwixt this and Jerusalem, Cross Disruption (1844) xi. Rnf. Ye're aff yer eggs there, mistress, Neilson Poems (1877) 52. (6) Cai.1 (7, a) w.Yks. (W.M.E.F.), s.Not. (J.P.K.), Rut., Glo.1, Nrf. Wil. The resemblance of the yellow toad-flax flower to a puppy-dog's mouth is not very striking; neither does ‘Eggs and Bacon’ very happily describe its yellow and orange blossoms, Sarum Gazette (Jan. 1890) 6, col. 1; Wil.1, w.Som.1, Dev.4, nw.Dev.1 (b) Rut.1 A common name. Nhp.1, Sus. (c) War.3, Shr.1 (8, a) n.Wil. Eggs and butter, a curious name for a flower, will of course be there, Jefferies Wild Life (1879) 49. w.Som.1, Dev.4 (b) Chs.1 Chs.3 (c) w.Som.1, Dev.4, Cor.3 (9, a) n.Cy., w.Yks.1, Lan.1 (b) w.Yks.1

EGG, sb.2 w.Yks. (W.H.V.) [eg.] A flag, fixed on edge, on which a workman prepares the slates ready for the slater. Cf. edge, sb. 3. [ME. egge, edge, rim (Paston Lett. I. 468).]

EGG, v. and adj. In gen. dial. and colloq. use in Sc. Irel. and Eng. Also in forms agg War.2 Shr.1; aye se.Wor.1; eag Sc. Chs.1 Shr.1 Hrf.; edge e.Lan.1 s.Chs.1 Lei.1 War.3 Glo.1 w.Som.1 Cor.2; eke Abd.; heg, hegg Dur.1 Wm.; heyh e.Lan.1; igg Sh.&Ork.1; yeg e.Yks.1 [eg, edʒ.] 1. v. To incite, instigate, urge, encourage, esp. to incite to mischief or wrongdoing. Gen. with on or up. Sh.I. (Coll. L.L.B.); Try a' 'at dey can ta igg da taen up again' da tidder, Sh. News (May 28, 1898). Sh.&Ork.1 Abd. Aul' Dykeside, 'er fader, aiven ekeit 'er up till't, Alexander Ain Flk. (1882) 179. Frf. She's egging my laddie on to fecht, Barrie Minister (1891) iv. Dmb. Wha was to ken that the Deil had eggit on Dr. Snapperdudgeon again? Cross Disruption (1844) xxviii. Ayr. I'll be there next Lord's day and egg my neighbours to be likewise, Galt Ann. Parish (1821) i. Lnk. It'll keep her frae egging up her father to put ye away for impidence, Fraser Whaups (1895) viii; Now when nae sep'rate interest eags to strife, Ramsay Poems (ed. 1733) 134. Lth. Sleely egg up Agnes to veesit a' her acquaintances, Lumsden Sheep-head (1892) 264. Edb. I used aye to egg him on to tell me what he had come through, Moir Mansie Wauch (1828) i. Ant. He egged up the boys to fight, Ballymena Obs. (1892). s.Don. Simmons Gl. (1890). N.Cy.1 Nhb. And egg wor men of news Their cause to stigmatize, Tyneside Sngstr. (1889) 101. Dur.1 Cum. Thoo's a bonny fella teh be a policeman, sez ah, eggan [fwok] on teh feight, Sargisson Joe Scoap (1881) 74; Cum.1 Wm. The screaming curlews i' the air Appear'd to heg beayth hound an hare, Whitehead Leg. (1859) 37. n.Yks.1 n.Yks.2, e.Yks.1 m.Yks.1 He was egged to it. w.Yks.2 w.Yks.4; w.Yks.5 He'll egg him on till he'll be duing him an injury. Lan.1 He eggs him on to o' sorts o' mischief. e.Lan.1, Chs.1 Chs.3 s.Chs.1 Dhem Naantwey·ch men kùm ŭn faach·t ùp sich·ŭ ky' er·i i)th mey·tin dhŭn nóo·bdi kŭd gy'et in ŭ wuur·d; bŭr ah noa· óoŭr it woz egd ŭm on [Them Nantweich men come an' fatcht up sich a kerry i'th' meitin' than (till) noob'dy could get in a word; bur ah know hooar (who) it was egged 'em on]. s.Stf. They'd never ha fought if yo' hadner egged 'em on, Pinnock Blk. Cy. Ann. (1895). Der.2, nw.Der.1 Not. His wife was allust egging him on to it (L.C.M.); (W.H.S.); Not.1, Lei.1, Nhp.1 War. B'ham Wkly. Post (June 10, 1893); War.1 War.2 War.3 se.Wor.1 Ayed him on. Shr.1 W'y 'ow can I blame the lad w'en yo' bin al'ays eäggin 'im on 'E didna want to fight, on'y they agged 'im on. Hrf. Bound Provinc. (1876). Oxf.1, Brks.1, Hnt. (T.P.F.), Sus.1, I.W.1 w.Som.1 Ee èod·n u dùe·d ut, neef uur ad-n u-aej·-n au·n [He would not have done it, if she had not urged him on]. Cor.2 Hence (1) Edgement, sb. incitement, urging, persuasion; (2) Eg-battle, sb. a person who urges on others to quarrel and fight; (3) Egging, vbl. sb. (a) see Edgement; (b) ppl. adj. urging, persuading, inciting; (4) Eggings, sb. pl. temptations, inducements; (5) Eggs, sb. pl. bumps on the hinder parts given with the knee. (1) w.Som.1 Ee-d bee soa·bur nuuf, uun·ee dhur-z au·vees zaum aej·munt ur nuudh·ur [He would be sober enough, only there is always some temptation or other]. (2) Cum. He was a rare eg-battle, bit he teukk gud care to keep at ootside his-sell, Dickinson Cumbr. (1875) 7. (3, a) n.Yks.2 e.Yks.1 Thoo taks a deeal o' eggin to get thă started. m.Yks.1, n.Lan.1, Not. (L.C.M.) [Ill egging makes ill begging, Ray Prov. (1678) 131.] (b) n.Yks.2 ‘Egging brass,’ the money reward offered for anything lost, to induce restoration. (4) n.Yks.2 (5) s.Not. (J.P.K.)

2. To tease, irritate; to importune, find fault continually, to ‘nag.’ n.Yks. Sha's awlus yeggin at ma (I.W.). e.Yks. Daun't yeg! (E.F.); e.Yks.1 War.2 Er aggs that poor mon till I wonder 'e don't do for 'er. Agg! agg! agg! I don't get any peace o' my life for yer clack. Glo. Baylis Illus. Dial. (1870). n.Dev. Tamzen and thee be olweys wother egging or veaking, Exm. Scold. (1746) l. 307.

3. adj. Keen, eager; used with on. s.Chs.1 Ey i)nŭ ver·i eg on aat·it [He inna very egg on at it]. Glo.1 [1. ME. eggen, to incite (CHAUCER). (1) ME. eggement, incitement (CHAUCER); ON. eggja.]

EGG, sb. Sc. Cum. Dor. In phr. (1) clean off yan's eggs, mistaken, on the wrong tack; (2) to crack an egg, curling term: to play one stone so as to touch another very gently; (3) eggs and bacon, the daffodil, Narcissus incomparabilis. (1) Cum. (E.W.P.) (2) Sc. Then merrily we'll crack an egg, Sweep him up or leave [let] him be, R. Caled. Curling Club Ann. (1894-1895)( 1894-95) 103. (3) Dor. (E.C.M.)

EGG, v. Lakel.2 To roughen; a dial. form of ‘edge.’ Sleeas fair egg yan's tongue.