ALMONDBURT AND HUBDERSFIELD. 85 May geslings, or goslings, sh, the flowers of the Willow, &c., some- tunes oalled ' palms.' See Palms. Haze, sh, a state of amazement. Mazy, adj, dizzy, as when one turns round too often. Meant (pronounced ment)^ sh, meaning, or importance. ' Are these letters of any mmnt V i. e. are they on husiness, or of any more im- portance than circulars F A white cat appeared to a man at Bradley Spout fields always when he went home at * neet.' He could not teU wnat was the meant o' this cat, hut he knew a certain woman was iigen him. So as he was going thro' a steel (stile), he struck at the cat, and the next momin * th' woman was i' hed wi' her theegh brokken.' Measure is pronounced mezanir (pi, mez'ur), no h sound ; so ^ sure ' is aewer^ or seooar ; and * sugar ' is nearly eeoogar, or sewgar. Perhaps this pronunciation is really that of the word * messour.' See Alex- ander Scott's Roundel of Love : ^ Short pleasour, lang displeasour, Bepentance is the hire ; And pure tressour, without messour ^ Luve is ane fervent fire.' Meaverly, or Meverly, adj. Halliwell says, * bashful ; shy ; mild ; ' but I have heard it stated to be ' middling ' as regards health. * Art ta meaverly ^ ' = ' Are you pretty well P ' But it seems not much known. Meg, sh. a halfpeuny. Meist (pronounced nearly mayeefd the old form of mixed. A similar character to Joseph o' Nuppits was one Ben Morton, who lived at Milneefold, on Ahnondbury Bank. He was chiefly remarkable for begging with a can, into which was put everything that was given him. First perhaps went in bread, then meal, then milk, potatoes, porridge, ana so on ; his theory being, * As it has to be meiBty it moui as weel be mMst first as last.' like many other plausible theories, it did not answer in practice. His route was not much in Almondbury. On one occasion there was a festival of some kind near where ne lived, and the pudding sauce was missing — in fact some one had seen old Ben drink it The violence of the threats denounced against him will be understood from his own reply, which amounted to this :
- Ef there's poisin o' bottoms, there's nae rippin o' bailies.'
Ben was not without wit. He once met a ^ntleman coming up the Bank on horseback, who said to him, * A fine morning.* He answered, * Aye, maister, it is ; ' adding, * an' it's a rare thing for some on us horses weer made.* * What for, my man ? ' said the equestrian. ' Wha, if theer had been nooan, sicklauk as me would ha* had to hvg sicklauk as thee.' Melder, ah. a confusion in the mind. Mell, vh. to meddle. See Skelton, Colin Clout, 11. 161-3 :
