Page:Glossary of words in use in Cornwall.djvu/494

ALMONDBURT AND HUDDERSFIELD. 133 Sweal (pronounced sweet), to bum the soot out of the chimney. Also the candle sweah; or one sweah the candle when the grease runs down, or the flame is turned by the wind. Swiller. See Maiden, or 'Peggy tub. Swilloky, said of such things as shake like jelly, <&c., when moved about. Swine grease (gL swein'grih's), an expression often used for the word Mard.' Swinging, or Swinging rods. See Fleyk. Swingletree, a bar attached to carriages, ploughs, &c., to which the horses are yoked. Swirrel, a squirrel. See Quarrel, &c. Swissop, a rap on the side of the head. Switcher, to strike blindfold at birds' eggs with a switch. Whit Monday is a day specially devoted to this elegant amusement. Swither, to singe. They switlier the hairs off a fowl after it has been plucked. They used to awither pieces (of cloth) formerly. Swither, sh. a switch. At Lepton. System (pronounced sistim; gl. sist'im), a word which, consider- ing its origin, does a singular amount of duty in this district. It has a very extensive use, signifying not only what is commonly known as a system, but a plan, a way of doing anything, an action, and even a company, or assemblage. A lad seeing a windmill for the first time (which are not common in the neighbourhood of Huddersfield), ex- claimed, * Does ta see that system 9 * On one occasion a pupil brought to the Grammar School, for general purposes, a sharp cutting instrument, which unfortunately was, by nis neglect, the cause of great injury to a boy. A surgeon^s bill was the consequence. The injured boy*8 parents thought the boy originally in fault should be responsible for the amount. To this his father, a wealthy manufacturer, demurred, insisting that the dangerous weapon had been brought for the whole systemy i.e. for all the boys; therefore all were liable. At another time I was looking on at an All England cricket match, at Huddersfield, when a friend from Dewsbury joined me. He, like myself, was from the south, but of more recent importation, and quite ignorant of the dialect. Ho was struck with a mechanic near, who said in a warning voice, * Drop that system ! ' What my friend imagined I can't tell ; but if it had been a command to banish a sun with its attendant planets to a bottomless abyss, the words would have expressed it. Much perplexed, and with wondering countenance, lie looked at me, and said, * What does he mean ?* * Oh,* I replied, ' he is speaking to those boys jumping over the forms, and is only requesting them to leave oflF; that's all.*