Page:The ancient language, and the dialect of Cornwall.djvu/293

273 Spalling, Breaking large stones of ore, &c. See Cobbing. Spalls. Small chips of metal or stone. Stonecutters often say, " I've got a spall in my eye." Spanjar, or Span. A tether. m.a.c. Spanker. A large thing. Spankin. Big, very large. Spar. Quartz. ^^In Cornwall all the white, opake, common hard stone is called spar ; erroneusly it must be owned for it is quartz." Borlase^s Natl. Histy, Sparables. Sprigs ; very small, short, headless nails, used for the soles of boots and shoes. (Hob-nails. Dr. Bannister.) Sparable pie. A quaint term meaning anything un- palateable, as thus to a boy, *'I'll give you some sparable pie. Spare. Slow. " A very spare job." Sparrow. A wooden rod or skewer, used by thatchers to secure the thatch. Spar stone. Quartz. Speed, Luck. "I had very poor speed." Speedy. To hurry, to quicken. In Celtic Cornish it is spedye, to succeed, to hasten; ta spedye^ to speed well. (See Borlase's Cornish Vocaby.) Speedy ground. See Teary ground. Spell- See Stem.