A Kentish Word-bot
@kentishwordbot.bsky.social
A word once an hour. From A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect and Provincialisms in Use in the County of Kent, by WD Parish, 1888. Created by @grouchomerckx.bsky.social. Built with https://bluebotsdonequick.com/
'LOW [lou] vb. To allow; to suppose, e.g., 'I 'low not,' for 'I allow not.'
February 17, 2026 at 4:35 AM
'LOW [lou] vb. To allow; to suppose, e.g., 'I 'low not,' for 'I allow not.'
ANOINTED [unoi•ntid] adj. Mischievous; troublesome.
'He's a proper anointed young rascal,' occasionally enlarged to: 'The devil's own anointed young rascal.'
'He's a proper anointed young rascal,' occasionally enlarged to: 'The devil's own anointed young rascal.'
February 17, 2026 at 3:36 AM
ANOINTED [unoi•ntid] adj. Mischievous; troublesome.
'He's a proper anointed young rascal,' occasionally enlarged to: 'The devil's own anointed young rascal.'
'He's a proper anointed young rascal,' occasionally enlarged to: 'The devil's own anointed young rascal.'
WATER-GALLS [waa•tur-gaulz] sb. pl. Jelly-fish.—Dover.
February 17, 2026 at 2:35 AM
WATER-GALLS [waa•tur-gaulz] sb. pl. Jelly-fish.—Dover.
GABERDINE [gab•urdin] sb. A coarse loose frock; a smock frock, sometimes called a cow-gown, formerly worn by labouring men in many counties, now fast disappearing.
February 17, 2026 at 12:32 AM
GABERDINE [gab•urdin] sb. A coarse loose frock; a smock frock, sometimes called a cow-gown, formerly worn by labouring men in many counties, now fast disappearing.
TIDY [tei•di] adv. Considerable. 'A tidy few,' means a good number.
'It's a tidy step right down to the house, I lay.'
'It's a tidy step right down to the house, I lay.'
February 16, 2026 at 11:32 PM
TIDY [tei•di] adv. Considerable. 'A tidy few,' means a good number.
'It's a tidy step right down to the house, I lay.'
'It's a tidy step right down to the house, I lay.'
NOD [nod] sb. The nape of the neck. With this are connected noddle, noddy; as in the nursery rhyme—
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
February 16, 2026 at 10:31 PM
NOD [nod] sb. The nape of the neck. With this are connected noddle, noddy; as in the nursery rhyme—
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
'Little Tom Noddy,
All head and no body.'
SCALLION [skal•yun] sb. The name given to the poor and weakly plants in an onion bed, which are thinned out to make room for the growth of better ones.
February 16, 2026 at 9:33 PM
SCALLION [skal•yun] sb. The name given to the poor and weakly plants in an onion bed, which are thinned out to make room for the growth of better ones.
SHIFT [shift] (1) vb. To divide land into two or more equal parts.
February 16, 2026 at 8:31 PM
SHIFT [shift] (1) vb. To divide land into two or more equal parts.
SEEMING [see•ming], SEEMINGLY [see•mingli] adv. Apparently.
February 16, 2026 at 7:32 PM
SEEMING [see•ming], SEEMINGLY [see•mingli] adv. Apparently.
WIVVER [wiv•ur] vb. To quiver; to shake.
February 16, 2026 at 6:32 PM
WIVVER [wiv•ur] vb. To quiver; to shake.
BORROW-PENCE, sb. pl. An old name for ancient coins; probably coins found in the tumuli or barrows.
February 16, 2026 at 5:32 PM
BORROW-PENCE, sb. pl. An old name for ancient coins; probably coins found in the tumuli or barrows.
SLOSH [slosh], SLUSH [slush] sb. Dirty water; a muddy wash; liquid mud. They are both formed from the sound, hence slosh represents rather 'a muddy wash,' which makes the louder noise when splashed about, and slush, 'liquid mud'
February 16, 2026 at 4:31 PM
SLOSH [slosh], SLUSH [slush] sb. Dirty water; a muddy wash; liquid mud. They are both formed from the sound, hence slosh represents rather 'a muddy wash,' which makes the louder noise when splashed about, and slush, 'liquid mud'
COUPLING BAT [kup•lin bat] sb. A piece of round wood attached to the bit (in W. Kent), or ringle (in E. Kent), of two plough horses to keep them together.
February 16, 2026 at 3:32 PM
COUPLING BAT [kup•lin bat] sb. A piece of round wood attached to the bit (in W. Kent), or ringle (in E. Kent), of two plough horses to keep them together.
AMPER [amp•ur] sb. A tumour or swelling; a blemish.
February 16, 2026 at 2:32 PM
AMPER [amp•ur] sb. A tumour or swelling; a blemish.
DESTINY [dest•ini] sb. Destination.
'When we have rounded the shaw, we can keep the boat straight for her destiny.'
'When we have rounded the shaw, we can keep the boat straight for her destiny.'
February 16, 2026 at 1:32 PM
DESTINY [dest•ini] sb. Destination.
'When we have rounded the shaw, we can keep the boat straight for her destiny.'
'When we have rounded the shaw, we can keep the boat straight for her destiny.'
PONGER [pong•ur] sb. The large edible crab, Cancer pagurus, is best known by this name in North Kent; the name crab being restricted to the common shoe-crab. (See Pung.)
February 16, 2026 at 12:32 PM
PONGER [pong•ur] sb. The large edible crab, Cancer pagurus, is best known by this name in North Kent; the name crab being restricted to the common shoe-crab. (See Pung.)
HOBBL'D [hobl•d] pp. Puzzled; baffled; put to a difficulty.
February 16, 2026 at 11:33 AM
HOBBL'D [hobl•d] pp. Puzzled; baffled; put to a difficulty.
SCUBBIT [skub•it] sb. A wooden shovel. That form of scubbit now used by maltsters and hop driers has a short handle; that formerly used by farmers for moving corn … prior to the introduction of the threshing machine, had a long handle.
February 16, 2026 at 10:32 AM
SCUBBIT [skub•it] sb. A wooden shovel. That form of scubbit now used by maltsters and hop driers has a short handle; that formerly used by farmers for moving corn … prior to the introduction of the threshing machine, had a long handle.
GRUBBY [grub•i] adj. Dirty.
'You are grubby, and no mistake.' (See also Grabby.)
'You are grubby, and no mistake.' (See also Grabby.)
February 16, 2026 at 9:32 AM
GRUBBY [grub•i] adj. Dirty.
'You are grubby, and no mistake.' (See also Grabby.)
'You are grubby, and no mistake.' (See also Grabby.)
SAY [sai] (2) vb. 'Give us something to say' means, give us a toast.
February 16, 2026 at 8:31 AM
SAY [sai] (2) vb. 'Give us something to say' means, give us a toast.
TO-AND-AGIN [too-und-u•gin] prep. phr. Backwards and forwards; to and fro.
'Ah, I likes to goo to church o' Sundays, I doos; I likes to set an' look at at de gurt old clock, an' see de old pendylum goo to-and-agin'
'Ah, I likes to goo to church o' Sundays, I doos; I likes to set an' look at at de gurt old clock, an' see de old pendylum goo to-and-agin'
February 16, 2026 at 7:32 AM
TO-AND-AGIN [too-und-u•gin] prep. phr. Backwards and forwards; to and fro.
'Ah, I likes to goo to church o' Sundays, I doos; I likes to set an' look at at de gurt old clock, an' see de old pendylum goo to-and-agin'
'Ah, I likes to goo to church o' Sundays, I doos; I likes to set an' look at at de gurt old clock, an' see de old pendylum goo to-and-agin'
FRITH, sb. A hedge or coppice. A thin, scrubby wood, with little or no timber, and consisting mainly of inferior growths such as are found on poor soils, intermixed with heath, &c.
February 16, 2026 at 6:32 AM
FRITH, sb. A hedge or coppice. A thin, scrubby wood, with little or no timber, and consisting mainly of inferior growths such as are found on poor soils, intermixed with heath, &c.
SHUCK [shuk] (3) vb. To do things in a restless, hurried way, as, e.g., to shuck about.
February 16, 2026 at 5:32 AM
SHUCK [shuk] (3) vb. To do things in a restless, hurried way, as, e.g., to shuck about.
SAG [pron. sag; saig; seg] vb. To sink; bend; give way; to be depressed by weight. A line or rope stretched out sags in the middle. The wind sags. Compare Anglo-Saxon sagan, to cause, to descend.
February 16, 2026 at 4:31 AM
SAG [pron. sag; saig; seg] vb. To sink; bend; give way; to be depressed by weight. A line or rope stretched out sags in the middle. The wind sags. Compare Anglo-Saxon sagan, to cause, to descend.
RAVEL-BREAD [rav•l-bred] sb. White-brown bread.
February 16, 2026 at 3:32 AM
RAVEL-BREAD [rav•l-bred] sb. White-brown bread.