King

Source : Wright, Joseph English Dialect Dictionary web : https://eddonline4-proj.uibk.ac.at/edd/main.html

ING, sb. Var. dial. uses in Sc. Irel. Eng. and Amer.

1. In comb. (1) King and Queen o' Cantelon, a boys' game resembling ‘King Caesar’; (2) King-apostle, a boys' game; see below; (3) King-cappers, a boys' game of ‘follow my leader’; (4) King-castle, the game of ‘King-apostle’ (q.v.); (5) King's chair, a game played by crossing hands to form a seat; (6) King Charles' day, the 29th of May; (7) King Charles' wain, the constellation, Ursa major; (8) King-coll-awa or King Gollowa, (9) King-collie, the ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata; (10) King-come-a-lay, a boys' game; (11) King-conk, a shell; (12) King's covenanter, see (1); (13) King's cruise, a pause made to enable any one to do something not connected with the work in hand; gen. in games; (14) King's cushion, a seat formed by crossing the arms; a game played by making such a seat; cf. (5); (15) King's dykes, the entrenchment once surrounding the outside of the Newcastle town-walls; (16) King's ellwand, the constellation, Orion's belt; (17) King's evil, erysipelas, a gathering in the face; (18) King's field, ground where every man may dig a mine at his pleasure, without any appeal from the proprietor of the upper soil; (19) King's fish-board, obs., see below; (20) King-fisher, (a) the demoiselle dragon-fly, Calepteryx virgo; (b) an exciseman; (21) King George, (a) the peacock butterfly, Hamadryas io; (b) the orange-tipped butterfly, Euchloë cardamines; (c) a halfpenny of the time of King George; (22) King George on horseback, gingerbread made in a particular shape; (23) King's ground, in phr. I am on the king's ground, a cry for a temporary truce in games; (24) King-gutter, a main drain; (25) King's hat, (26) King's head, the second stomach of a ruminating animal; (27) King-healer or King-heeler, a boys' outdoor game [not known to our other correspondents]; (28) King Henry, a boys' game, see below; (29) King Henry's boys-go-round, a boys' game, see below; (30) King herring, a large herring acting as pilot to a school of herrings; (31) King hood, or King's hood, the second stomach of ruminating animals; the great gut, part of a sheep's entrails; also used fig.; (32) King John's men, a term applied to short persons; (33) King's keys, crowbars, &c., used to open doors in execution of the king's warrant; (34) Kings land, land formerly in possession of the crown; (35) Kingsman, (a) see (20, b); (b) a necktie; (36) King of Cantland, see (1); (37) King of the herrings, the fish Chimaera monstrosa; (38) King of the mullet, the basse, Labrax lupus; (39) King of the week, Friday; (40) King-pear, the Windsor pear; (41) King's picture, money; (42) King Plaster Palacey, a game; (43) King-ring, the ring by means of which the scythe is fastened to the snead or pole; (44) King-sealing, the game of ‘King Caesar’; (45) King's speech, a temporary truce claimed in games; (46) King-tree, the best tree in a wood; (47) King-'s weather or King's wethers, exhalations rising from the earth during a warm day; (48) King-wedge, a wedge used to secure the ring by which the scythe is fastened to the snead or pole; (49) King's will, in phr. to come in the king's will, to submit to the king's pleasure as to sentence, &c.; (50) King William, a game resembling ‘kiss in the ring’; (51) Kings and Queens, (a) the largest grains in a head of oats; (b) the finest portions of any growing crop; (c) herrings with coloured fins; (52) King Doctor Ellison, see (9). (1) Gall. Two of the swiftest of the boys are placed between two doons or places of safety... All the other boys stand in one of these... doons, when the two fleet youths come forward, and address them with this rhyme: ‘King and Queen o' Cantelon, How mony mile to Babylon; Six or seven, or a lang eight, Try to win there wi' candle-light.’ When out they run in hopes to get to Babylon or the other doon, but many of them get not near that place before they are caught by the runners, who ‘taens’ them, that is lay their hands upon their heads, when they are not allowed to run any more in that game, that is, until they all be ‘taend’ or taken, Mactaggart Encycl. (1824). (2) Lakel.2 Cum. Played about 1830. ‘For King-apostle some will call, While others start to "hale" the ball’ (J.H.). Wm. A lads' game, consisting of a small pile of flat stoneswith around one on the top. Twenty-one paces are stepped and a ‘taw’ marked; from this ‘taw’ stones are thrown to try and dislodge the King-apostle (B.K.). (3) Wm. The ‘King’ sets out and makes it part of his aim to find some task his followers cannot perform ─ such as jumping over a stream, hedge, &c. (B.K.) (4) B.K. (5) Elg. Two children join hands by crossing their arms... A third mounts on the crossed arms and clasps the carriers round their necks while they move on, saying: ‘King, King Cairy, London Cairy, Milk an' bread In the king's chairie,’ Gomme Games (1894) I.
2. Bnff. Played at Keith without the words, GOMME Games (6) Not. Smaller eggs are still used by the school-lads on ‘King Charles' day,’ Flk-Lore Jrn. (1884) II. 382. w.Som.1 (7) War.3 (8) Kcd. King, King Gollowa, Up your wings and fly awa, Chambers Pop. Rhymes (1870) 201. Rnf. King, King Coll-awa, Tak up yer wings an' flee awa (Jam.). (9) Abd. (G.W.) (10) Sh.&Ork.1 Two sides strive for the mastery as to which party can secure most prisoners for the king. (11) Lon. The shells of this man's stock-in-trade he called ‘conks’ and ‘king conks,’ Mayhew Lond. Labour (1851) II. 22, ed. 1861. (12) Lth., Rxb. One takes possession of the middle of a street or lane and endeavours to catch those who cross over within a given distance; and the captive replaces the captor. ‘King's covenanter, come if ye dare venture,’ is the cry made (Jam.). (13) Lin. A pause in a game, whilst the individual who asks for ‘king's cruise,’ accomplishes something not connected with the game, Thompson Hist. Boston (1856) 712; Lin.1 (14) Lth. Properly a sort of play among children, who... repeat, ‘Lend me a pin to stick i' my thumb, to carry the lady to London town’ (Jam.). N.Cy.1, Nhb.1, ne.Lan.1, Nhp.1, Wil.1 (15) N.Cy.1 (16) Cld. (Jam.) Slk. Yonder the king's ellwand already begun to bore the hill, Hogg Perils of Man (1822) I. 261 (JAM.). (17) e.Dur.1 (18) Der. A mine of his own sinking in the ‘king's field’ of the mountain opposite, Verney Stone Edge (1868) ix. (19) Chs.1 The ‘King's Fish-board at Chester’ is mentioned in an old tract. It was probably a stall at which the quality of foreign fish was tested, and at which the Mayor, as Clerk of the Market, bought such fish as he chose for the city's use. (20, a) Shr.1 (b) Cor. They're sunk in deep water, so the King's fishers will never find them, Forfar Kynance (1865)
3. (21, a) Nrf. We beat about the soft marsh, putting up a bright-eyed peacock-butterfly (‘King George’ the fenmen call it), Emerson Birds (ed. 1895) 78. (b) Cum.4 Formerly when children saw some butterfly, they used to sing: ‘King George is coming tomorn To bake thy bread, To sell thy corn And pull thy house down.’ (c) Cum. A fortune-teller leately com about, And my twea guid King Gweorges I powt out, Relph Misc. Poems (1747) 96; Gl. (1851). (22) Lon. Twenty or thirty years ago, ‘King George on horseback’ was popular in gingerbread, Mayhew Lond. Labour (1851) I. 200. (23) w.Yks.2 (24) w.Som.1 The principal drain in draining a field. Dev. (Hall.) (25) Bnff.1 (26) Sh.I. Part of the king's head,.. a bit of the reed, or sparl-pudding skins, besides a collop or two, Sh. News (Jan. 29, 1898). (27) Ess. (R.G.C.) (28) Lnk. There were two games I can remember were great favourites, ‘Heckery-peckery,’ and ‘King Henry,’ played chiefly in summer, the latter having as penalties the discarding of portions of our apparel, till some unlucky individual would be almost in a state of nature, Glasgow Herald (Dec. 23, 1899). (29) Nhb. And King Henry's-boys-go-round ─ what a gam that was! aw used to be King Henry! Allan Tyneside Sngs. (ed. 1891) 396; A round game played by a number of players. If twenty form the company, one is King Henry. He stands in the centre and directs the game. Nine boys kneel in a circle round him, all taking off their caps. The others stand round in an outer circle. The King begins a recitative, ‘King Henry's boys go round, go round,’ upon which the outer circle of lads begins to run round and round. Their movement is quickened by exhortations from the King of a lewd kind. Suddenly the King calls out, ‘Every man a stob!’ The runners stop and endeavour to clutch the hair of a kneeling boy. As there are ten runners and only nine heads to grasp, one of the runners is left without a ‘stob.’ He is ‘out’ in consequence and is immediately set upon by all the boys and ‘baited’ (R.O.H.). (30) Sus. A large herring of a blood-red colour which acts as pilot to the ‘school’ of herrings. If caught it is always thrown overboard by the fishermen, as keeping it would bring bad luck, Sawyer Sus. Nat. Hist. (1883) 12. (31) Sc. (Jam.) Ayr. Deil mak his king's-hood in spleuchan, Burns Death and Dr. Hornbook (1785) st. 14. Peb. Pow's-sowdy, king's-hoods, mony-plies, Sheep's trotters, hot and hot, Lintoun Green (1685) 92, ed. 1817. Kcb. Right o'er the steep he leans When his well-plenish'd king-hood voiding needs, Davidson Seasons (1789) 3. (32) Ken.1 He's one of King John's men, six score to the hundred. (33) Sc. The door, framed to withstand attacksfrom excisemen, constables, and other personages, considered as worthy to use what are called the king's keys, ‘and therewith to make lockfast places open and patent,’ Scott Redg. (1824) xix; ‘To mak king's keys,’ to force open the door of a house, room, chest, &c., by virtue of a legal warrant in his Majesty's name (Jam.). (34) Sh.&Ork.1 Now possessed by Lord Zetland. (35, a) Gall. He was one of the greatest smugglers on the shores of the Solway, and outwitted the most sagacious kingsmen, Mactaggart Encycl. (1824) 362, ed. 1876. (b) Lon. Some of the boys, when desperate with ‘bad luck,’.. mortgage their ‘king's-man’ or neck-tie, Mayhew Lond. Labour (1851) I. 16. (36) Dmf. One of a company being chosen King o' Cantland, and two goals appointed at a considerable distance from each other, all the rest endeavour to run from the one goal to the other; and those whom the King can seize in their course so as to lay his head upon their heads (which operation is called winning them) become his subjects and assist him in catching the remainder (Jam.). (37) Sh.I. (C.D.) (38) N.I.1 (39) Shr.1 On [this] day it is popularly believed the weather will attain its climax, be it of shine or shower. ‘Fair or foul, Friday's bound to be king-o'-the-wik.’ Dev. (Hall.) (40) Chs.1 Almost, if not quite, discarded from modern gardens. (41) n.Cy. (Hall.), w.Yks.1 (42) Ken. The players are a King and his three sons named White Cap, Red Cap, Brown Cap. Red Cap says, ‘Plaster Palacey had a son whose name was old daddy White Cap.’ White Cap, in an injured voice, says, ‘Me, sir?’ The King says, ‘Yes, sir.’ White Cap answers, ‘You're a liar, sir/ The King then says, ‘Who then, sir?’ White Cap answers, ‘Old daddy Red Cap,’ Gomme Games (1894) I. 301. [I remember once witnessing a game in which a ball was passed from player to player, and in which the dialogue was similar... When one player was told that the ball was in his possession, the answer was, ‘What, me, sir?’ ‘Yes, you, sir.’ ‘Not I,’ sir.’ ‘Who then, sir?’ ‘White Cap, sir.’ The questions and answers were again repeated for Red Cap and Blue Cap. When it was Black Cap's turn, I think the ball was thrown by this player to some one else; whoever was hit by the ball had to chase and capture one who became questioner,’ GOMME Games] (43) Dor. Barnes Gl. (1863) (s.v. Sneäd). (44) Dor. Gomme Games 299. (45) Nhb.1 When an adjustment or stoppage is desired during the course of a game, the one who desires a truce calls out ‘King's-speech an' barley bay.’ The formula secures him immunity, and he cannot be caught out till play is resumed. (46) Der. A common word amongst woodmen, Addy Gl. (1891) Suppl. (47) s.Sc. (Jam., s.v. Summer-cauts). Lth. (JAM.) (48) Dor. Barnes Gl. (1863) (s.v. Sneäd). (49) Sc. The Laird himself, together with his two sons... ‘came in the King's will’ for forethought felony done to William Knox, Spottiswoode Miscell. (1844) I. 21. (50) Wtf. Over the head of a girl who stood in the centre of a ring was held a shawl sustained by four others grasping the corners. The game then proceeded. .. King William is then supposed to enter... He then recognises the disguised girl, Gomme Games 303. Dur. Newby, handkerchief in hand, was walking round a great circle of players, who were saying: ‘King William was King David's son, And all the royal race is run; Choose from the East, and choose from the West, Choose the one that you love best. Salute your bride and kiss her sweet, Then rise again upon your feet.’ Newby, of course, would drop that handkerchief at Kitty's feet, Kitty would then fly in and out under the outstretched arms of the ring of players, and he in and out after her, until he caught and then kissed her, Longman's Mag. (Oct. 1896) 584. w.Yks. In Sheffield a ring of young men and women is formed. A man goes inside the ring and walks round within it, whilst the others sing the verse. The young man then chooses a sweetheart and the two walk round arm in arm within the ring whilst the same verses are sung. When the singing is ended the girl picks a young man and so they all pair off, Gomme Games 302; In the Hanging Heaton version, two children kneel and kiss in the middle of the ring when the capture is made, GOMME Games (51, a) Chs.1 They ripen a little before the rest, and are very liable to be shed whilst the corn is being cut, unless the farmer is careful to begin cutting before the whole crop is dead ripe. (b) s.Chs.1 The largest roots in a field of potatoes, the primest stalks in a crop of oats, &c. (c) e.An.1 (52) ne.Sc. In some districts the king is addressed in these words: ‘King Doctor Ellison, Fahr ill I be mairrt till, East or Wast or Norowa, Tack up yir wings and flee awa,’ Gregor Flk-Lore (1881) 147.
4. Comb. in names of plants: (1) King Charles in the Oak, a garden variety of the polyanthus, Primula elatior; (2) King's claver, the melitot, Melitotus officinalis; (3) King-clover, the white-flowered melitot, Melitotus alba; (4) King-cob, or King's cob, (a) the buttercups, esp. Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus, and Ranunculus repens; (b) the marsh-marigold, Caltha palustris; (5) King crown, or King's crown, the wild guelder-rose, Viburnum Opulus; (6) King-cup, (a) see (4, a); (b) see (4, b); (c) the lesser celandine, Ranunculus Ficaria; (d) the globe-flower, Trollius europaeus; (7) King-fern, the flowering fern, Osmunda regalis; (8) King finger, or King's finger, (a) the early purple orchis, Orchis mascula; (b) the green-winged orchis, Orchis Morio; (c) the bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus; (d) the common sorrel, Oxalis Acetosella; (9) King's-finger grass, see (8, c); (10) King-fisher, see (8, b); (11) King's hood, the wood geranium, Geranium sylvaticum; (12) King of the ferns, see (7); (13) King of the meadow, the meadow-sweet, Spiraea Ulmaria; (14) King of the wood, a plant similar to the sun-dew, Drossera rotundifolia; (15) Kings and Queens, the cuckoo-pint, Arum maculatum. (1) Chs.1, Glo.1 (2) Sc. (Jam.) (3) Cum.4 (4, a) Cmb., Nrf., Suf. [Skinner (1671).] (b) Brks., Hrt. (5) Glo.1; Glo.2 The flower formerly used wherewith to crown the king of May. (6, a) sw.Cum., n.Yks., Chs.1 Nhp. Where golden king-cups open into view, Where silver daisies in profusion grew, Clare Poems (1820) 7; Nhp.1, Bck., Cmb., Nrf., Ess., Sus., Som. Dev. Janifred, lying in her grave, with daisies and king-cups for a coverlet, O'Neill Idyls (1892) 87; Dev.4 (b) Per. The king-cup pours its guineas In a lavish largess, Haliburton Ochil Idylls (1891) 158. Fif. Witch-bells,.. dear daffodillies, kingcups, and spinks, Tennant Papistry (1827) 9. Lnk. Nicholson Idylls (1870) 147. Ir. Pullin' her kingcups along be the pool, Barlow Bogland (1892) 121, ed.
5. Nhb.1, w.Yks. (W.M.E.F.), w.Yks.2, War.3, e.An. Ken. King-cups gemmed the spot, Longman's Mag. (Nov. 1891) 89. Hmp. The rich yellow of the king cups, Longman's Mag. (Dec. 1899) 150; (G.E.D.) Dor., w.Som.1 (c) Dev.4 (d) w.Som.1 (7) Lim., Kry., Chs.1, Dev.4 (8, a) Lei. War. Wise Shakespere (1861) 61; War.3, s.Bck. (b) s.Lin. The king-fingers and the cowslips is out (F.H.W.). Nhp.1 Sometimes extended to all orchideous plants. War.3 The roots of King Fingers were formerly used to make a beverage called Saloop, and sold in the Birmingham Market Hall. Bck. (c) Bck. Science Gossip (1897) 119. (d) Bck. Nature Notes, No. 9. (9) Mid. (10) War. (11) Nhb.1 (12) Dev. (13) Shr. (G.E.D.) (14) Ant. (W.H.P.) (15) Dur., n.Lin.1
6. Comb. in names of birds: (1) King-fisher, (a) the dipper, Cinclus aquaticus; (b) the common tern, Sterna fluviatilis; (2) King Harry, the goldfinch, Carduelis elegans; (3) King Harry blackcap, the blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla; (4) King Harry redcap, see (2); (5) King of birds, the wren, Troglodytes parvulus. (1, a) Ir. Swainson Birds (1885) 30. (b) Ant. SWAINSON Birds 203. (2, a) n.Yks., Shr. SWAINSON Birds 58. Nrf. Cozens-Hardy Broad Nrf. (1893) 51. Suf. (H.H.), Suf.1 e.Suf. e.An. Dy. Times (1892). [Obsol., Macpherson Hist. Wild-fowling (1897) 20.] (3) e.An.1 Nrf. Swainson Birds 24. (4) e.An.1 [Obsol., Macpherson Hist. Wild-fowling] (5) Nrf. The boys go forth to stone the ‘king of birds,’ Emerson Birds (ed. 1895) 68.
7. Phr. (1) a king better, &c., a great deal, much better, &c.; (2) to be a king to, to be superior to. (1) I.W. It's a king better now than what it used to be (J.D.R.); I.W.2 (2) Sh.I. William is kass'n wi' ane 'at dy ane is a king til, Sh. News (May 13, 1899). Glo.1 ‘How be off for water?’ ‘Oh, this be a king to we’ [it was not so bad as it sometimes is]. Oxf. (G.O.), Nrf. (S.P.H.) Ess. Alluding to the drainage of the parish of Springfield, a man said: ‘Arbour Lane is a king to the Wharf’ (S.P.H.).
8. An adept. Elg. He's a fine honest chiel, A king at the coffins, an' the cradles as weel, Tester Poems (1865) 134.
9. The boy or girl holding the first place in class at school. Wxf. The queen, i.e. the boy or girl second in rank, proposed to the ‘king’ the most out-of-the-way word he or she could remember, Kennedy Banks Boro (1867) 263.
10. An ass, donkey. Cor.1 Cor.2
11. The ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata. ne.Sc. Gregor Flk-Lore (1881) 147. Bnff.1
12. A certain quality of teazle. Glo. The central shoot of each plant called the king is cut, the produce of the second and subsequent cuttings are sorted into queens, middlings, and scrubs, Marshall Review (1818) II. 457. Som. When made into packs... a pack of kings consisted of 9000 heads (W.F.R.).
13. pl. An exclamation used in games to claim a temporary truce. Occas. in phr. kings to rest. e.Yks.1 MS. add. (T.H.) w.Yks.2 [In the game of Bedlam]: If when a prisoner is caught he cries out ‘kings,’ or ‘kings to rest,’ he is allowed to escape (s.v. Bedlam). Not. (J.H.B.) s.Not. No, I'm not it; I said ‘kings’ (J.P.K.). n.Lin. (M.P.), Nhp.1 Nhp.2 [Amer. ‘King,’ a child's word to intermit play, Dial. Notes (1896) I. 61.] Hence (1) king out, (2) kings up, phr. an exclamation used in games to terminate a temporary truce. (1) [Amer. Dial. Notes (1896) I. 61.] (2) n.Lin. (M.P.)