[from A Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect, 1924]

A VOCABULARY OF THE ANGLO-MANX DIALECT

NOTE—
B. The Rev. T. E. Brown.
C. Miss Josephine Kermode (‘ Cushag ‘).

J

JACK [], periwinkle, shell-fish. See Dog.
The black jacks is right gud when they're burlt (boiled). The white jacks isn hafe so gude-they're tastin too sthrong. In the phr., You musn' take Jack for Juan, still, for all.

JACK-A-BULL-SLIDY [], JACK-A-MY-SLIDY [], slaide, see-saw. See Meih.
The boys hev gorra plank put across the side of a barrel, and they're playin jack-a-bull-slidy on it.

JACK-A-DANDY [], a conceited empty-headed little fellow; a small top-shell.
Down on my knees like a jack-a-dandy (B.).
The childher are playin on the shore and gatherin lil shells-jack-a- dandies, and maidenheads, and the lek.

JACKASS [], a male ass, an unskilful person.
That big jackass of a falla can't do nothin. How they're callin him a jennyass (genius) is more than I can undherstan, for he's nothin burra big stupid jackass.

JACKS [], jack-stones, a girls' game played with four white periwinkle shells and a marble. The marble is bounced on a flagstone while the 'jacks' are caught up and replaced in certain ways according to rule. When a player fails to make a catch another player has a turn, and whichever has the fewest failures wins. The game has several variations of performance in the different parts of the Island. The following are the names and order of the moves as played at Peel.
Oneses. Twoses. Threeses. Four-time bobses.
Threeses. Twoses. Oneses. Four-time nipses.
Oneses. Twoses. Threeses. Thirty-fiveses.
Threeses. Twoses. Oneses. Eight-time bobses.
Oneses. Twoses. Threeses. Eight-time nipses. Threeses. Twoses. Oneses. Fifty-fiveses.
Oneses. Twoses. Threeses. Twelve-time bobses. Threeses. Twoses. Oneses. Twelve-time nipses.
Oneses. Twoses. Threeses. A hundred-and-fiveses. Threeses. Twoses. Oneses-done !
Terms used in the course of the Peel game :-Scramble the jacks. Scrawl.
No two scrawls. Nip-upses. Double bounce. Little fiveses. Touch him and take him, boil him and ate him. Bulk-o'-mineses.
Other terms used outside of Peel :-Bobbany. Franzy. Nip-nag. Bull's eyes. Little fies. Little sixies. Little tens. Three big ans. Touch him and take him, bite him and ate him.
Additional ornamental moves not essential to the ordinary game :-Lay eggs. Pick potatoes. Put horses in the stable. Catch for nip-nag. Sweep the house. Stitch the poor man's breeches.

JACKY-LONG-LEGS [], crane-fly. Harry-long-legs with eight lil paws,
Jacky-long-legs with six lil taws (toes). (Children's rhyme.)

JACKY-Y-LANTHORN, JACKY-A-LANTHERIN [], 'Jack-a-lantern', Will-o'-the-wisp, Isanis fatuus.
They used to be sayin to childher, ! Jacky-y-lanthorn'll be roun' to night and he'll catch you if you stop out'. Aw, Maa, I seen Jacky-the-lanthern !
They were sayin Jacky-a-lantherin was a sign o' death, though some was sayin it was the sign of a weddin.

JAGGAD, JADHAG [], 'jacket'.
Do ye knaw the oul' song' Juan y jaggad keeir' (John of the grey jacket) ?'Cock a gun, and sen' it wes'
Riddle Juan's jaggad,
Make his breeches like a sieve All in holes and ragged.'

JAMMY [], smashed, bruised.
And his knuckles all jammy (B.). And my weddin bonnet smashed to jammy (B.).

JAMYS [] (Mx.), James.
And Juan and Jamys,
The two tuk reamys (room).
I. e. John and James made their escape.

JANDHERS [], ' jaundice' (also W. Ire.).
He's got the black jandhers, and that's wuss far tel the yalla jandhers.

JAP [], ' jab', crush ; a blow.
He japped his thumb with the hommer. He got his finger japped in the hinge of the door and he's lossin his nail.
I'll give you a jap on the mouth.

JARROO [] (Mx.), indeed, in truth. See Dy-jarru.
Equal to a man, the jarroo ! (B.)
It's her that's nice, aw, ta dy-jarroo (yes, indeed).
It's thrue wharr I'm sayin, dy-jarroo ta (indeed it is).
Aw, jarroo cha jean ('deed I won't).

JASTHAN [] (Mx. liastau), heather pulled and laid on the ground preparatory to carrying away.
Behin' the Hill they would be pullin ling and rawin it all along in jastans.

JAWRY [] (Mx. joarree), strange, uncommon.
Jawry nice she was. Tha 's gran' joarree, aw, yis, gran urro' common.

JEAN-MYGHIN [] (Mx., lit. 'do mercy'), have mercy. And never a word from either man's mouth, but, Jean myghin orrin peccee hreih' (B.), i. e. Have mercy upon us miserable sinners. (Litany.)

JEEAGH [] (Mx.), look.
Now, boys, Jeeagh shen ! (see that). The oul' people would be sayin in surprise, ' Jeeagh, Paarick, orrym ! ' (Patrick look on sne.)

JEEBIN [] (Mx.), I deeping', a breadth or I deeping' of a fishingnet, netting.
In the winther time they would be workin at the jeebin, reg'lar. She can handle the jeebin-needle (net-needle) well-it's takin her no time to men' a big hole in the net.

JEEL, JEILL [] (Mx. jeeill), damage.
What avar possess'd her to do such jeel with the crockery? (B.) The jeill they done further on ! Mind, Chile, ye don't do no jeel on yer new pinny (pinafore).

JEES [] (Mx.), two.
And the Club came marchin jees as jees (two by two).

JEETRYM-JEES [] (Mx. jeetdrym jeeas), mare's-tail, Hippuris vulgaris.
Some is callin jeetrym-jees mare's tails, and others is callin it hoss-tails. Take lus-y-jeetdrym-jeeas (herb mare's-tail) and boil it, and sup the water, and it'll soon aise yer bovvels (bowels).

JENNY-NETTLE, JENNY-NETTLE [], stinging-nettle; also a name for jelly-fish.
And me just rubbin down the meer (mare), and a jenny nettle, and poppin it under her tail (B.).
They're gatherin jinny nettles to make beer. Some people like a birro jinny nettle in the Sunday's broth. I'll scotch thee with jinny nettles if avar thou'll do that again.
They're callin the jelly-fish 'jinny nettles', because when ye're bavein (bathing) they'll sting yer legs.

JERKIN [], short working-jacket. Put yer jerkin on ye.

JERLIN [] (Mx.), 'darnel
There was jerlin grun up among the male and it made every one d them sick.

JERREY [] (Mx.), unprofitable.
Aw, it's the jerrey season this, i. e. caps every bad season.

JERRUDE [] (Mx. jarrood), forgetfulness, reverie.
And lie be the hedge on a fine spring day, an' fall in a jerrude. He was walkin up and down the room in a jarrood.
He put the jarrood on me, i. e. he made me forget.

JESH [] (Mx.), right; neat; active, handy.
She's upstairs makin herself jesh. She's very jesh in her clothes. He's a jesh man about the house, can turn his han' to anything.

JESHAL [], hemp-agrimony, Eutatorium cannabium. Jeshal is good for a cow with a cough.

JIARGAN-TRAIE [] (Mx., lit. 'strand flea'), sandhopper.
He was jumpin on the Castle walls like a jiargan-traie, but I made him behave himself

JIGG [] (Mx. jeeig), ditch, drain.
Have done with yer rigs, Or yell fall in the jiggs.
Dig a jigg round the hedge and let the water run.

JIGGER [], a kind of lugger rig.
The wherry rig went out of use when the jigger or dandy rig came in, and afterwards when faster boats were wanted the nicky or lug rig came in.

JING [ ] (Mx.), to press, crowd; move along.
What are ye jingin people like that for? And the jingin and shovin just like a fair (B.).
Jing over, move up, jing in can't you ! I've jung in as far as I can get.
Then we got jung right into the hedge. And the jung we wor, and us havin to sit on one another's knees, the coach was that full.

JINK [], money.
A nice lump of jink (B.).
There's nothin like jink To cover the stink.

JINN [] (Mx.), 'Jane'.
Do ye remember Jinn Mugg-and the lil woman she was?

JINNY-DIVER [], the cormorant; P. Carbo.

JINNY-JO [], 'Jenny Jones', a children's game in which 'Jenny' is supposed to die.
Her cryin ?-pitendin she was, like the childher when they're playin jinny-jo.

JINNY-SPINNER [], garden spider. She can run like a jinny-spinner.

JIVE [], 'jibe'.
Up peak, my lads, down jib, and jive her ! (B.)

JOB [], excrement.

JOCKEY-BAR [], the broad, flat top-bar of a kitchen grate.
The kettle was singing on the jockey-bar. Put the kettle sittin on the jockey.

JOHN-GORRY [], the John Dory fish.
A John-gory is fuss-rate atin, fit for the Govenor himself.

JOHNNY-CRAPOO [], 'Johnny crapaud', a name for Frenchmen.
At Kingsale (Kinsale) the Johnny-crapoos was comin fishin markarel (mackerel) the same time as the Manx men.

JOHNNY-DORY. The fish John Dory.

JOHNNY-GANT. The gannet, Sula bassane. We caught a Johny Gant alive in the nets las' night.

JOHNNY-ONIONS [], a name for strolling Breton onionsellers.
There's three or four o' them Johnny-onions at the door of a day, with sthrings of onions slung on a poul.

JOKAL, JOHAL [] (Mx., lit. ' yoking'), work done by a yoked team, a spell of ploughing.
In winter, say you'd plough from nine o'clock till two, that would be called one jokal. A johal was, doin a lil spell of ploughin-not the whole day. There's many a day in winter the men can only do a johal.

JOLLICK [], 'jellick', jerk in stone-throwing. I can jollick a stone right across the harbour.
A. G., jollick a knee,
Lock the door and turn the key. (Children's rhyme.)

JOLLOO [] (Mx. halloo, image, used figuratively for an unreality), nothing.
And he wanted me to swop (barter), aw, the jolloo ! I'll keep what I got. She's makin a Jee-jolloo of him, i. e. she is making a God's image (idol) of him.
I don't think a jolloo of him.

JOLLUP [], 'jalap'.
Mix the jollup among the tay,
Scutter, scatter, off and away. (Children's rhyme.)

JONEE [] (Mx.), Judith.
Me Aunty Judy was a very short woman, and she'd be often gettin called Jonee veg' (little Judith).
Jonee-ghorrym (blue Judith) is a sea-name for the mermaid, also for seafoam:-The win' is blawin and Jonee-ghorryn is movin.

JONNICK [], ' jannock', hearty and hospitable.
He's rael jonnick man. Him and his father was jonnick uncommon-the
bes' company, funnin and jokin, and open in the han'. I seen him at the feer, and jonnick he was, thratin the gels to taffy and pop.

JOOIGH [] (Mx.), greedy, ravenous. She's middlin jooigh. He's a jooigh man.

JOUGH [] (Mx., lit. 'drink'), ale.
Gin, or brandy, or jough, or the lek (B.) He only had a pint of jough on the road home.
Jough-a-dhorris ! (Mx. jough y dorrys, ' drink of the door'), stirrup cup, parting glass :-They had drunk the jough-a-dhorris at Thobm Joe's.
'Jough-eig' (Mx., ' dead or flat beer'), a worthless miserable person :It's a wonder she would walk with that jough-eig.
'Jough-yn-Ollick', or' Jough y Nollick' (Mx., lit. 'drink of the Christmas Christmas beer :-They used to be brewin a bettermos' surt of ale fur joughy-Nollick.

JOURUM [], ' jorum', a large jug. And jourums o jough goin.

JOUYL [] (Mx.), devil.
The mad he would get when the boys would be callin afther him-' How is yer Bowl, Johnny-mac-y-jouyl (son of the devil) ?'
A man quarrelled with his wife, and to aggravate her, he determined to do no work that day, but he would dress himself in his Sunday clothes and go from home. He could not find his best pair of stockings. ' Kerree,' said he. ' where 's my loghtan stockins ?' ' Where are ye goin-wantin yer bes' ones?' 'To the Jouyl,' said he. ' Aw, if tha's the place thou're for, the second bes' pair is good enough.'

JUAN [] (Mx.), John.
He could have puk up Juan beg (little John) under his arrim. Wheer's Juan boght (poor John) this night, and the storrim tha's in ?
I don't regard you or any Juan-Jack-Johns of yer surt.
Juan boght, ' Poor Cod' (Mx., lit. poor John) :-Well, there was a Dalby pazon an' he was buying a cod always from a fisherman, a weaver by thrade, an' he always bought him by weight, whether he was lean or fat, an' one day the fisherman had a poor cod-what we call a Juan boght to, an' he expected the pazon would be coming for a cod, so he knew the pazon would be feeling him to see where he was heavy or light an' he filled Juan boght's belly full of gravel. So the pazon when he felt he was heavy, he took him, an' when he went to open him he found stones in his belly an' the next time he met the fisherman he wanted to know why the stomach of the cod was full of gravel an' the fisherman said : "Deed I don't know,' he said, 'except Juan boght was expecting a gale an' taking in ballas'.'
Juan-gorrym (blue John), a fisherman's name for the sea.
Juan-mooar (big John), the great black-backed gull, Larus marinus :Them Juan-mooars, ' Parson-gulls' we're sometimes callin them.
Juan-teayst (John dough), the jackdaw :-Did ye avar hear the name Juanteayst goin a puttin on a caag (chough) ?

JUDY [], 'jury'.
We'll have to purra judy on it, i. e. we shall have to hold a jury of inquiry.

JUMPIN-OVER [], 'jumping over', the game of leapfrog, also known as 'leap-the-frog' and 'Spanish fly'.
Let's have a game of jumpin-over, and I'll houl' my back for ye.

JUNK [], 'chunk', a shapeless lump.
Pints of jough and junks of bread and cheese goin. Purra junk or two of turf on the fire, lah (lad). Ye might give us a lil junk o' that.

JUS [], 'just', almost, wellnigh, nearly. Except in the counties of Northumberland and Derbyshire, and in 'little England beyond Wales' (Pembrokeshire), this use of 'just' is unknown, so that we cannot wonder that an English schoolmaster in the Island was flabbergasted on being told by a truant that he was 'goin for med'cine to the druggis" for his father who was ' jus' dead '. This word is seldom or never used in the sense of recently in point of time, but it is often used in the sense of 'only' or 'merely', and of 'immediately', or 'ere-long'.
You'll hear them about every night jus' (almost) (B.). She's jus' dead, i. e. wellnigh dead. Jus' at the church, i. e. nearly at the church, or, near the church. I'm gettin jus' right (nearly well). It's jus' eight o'clock now, only short three minutes of it.
' Jus' (nearly) the blin' man catched the hare, and he navar catched it yit.' (Old saying.)
Jus' (only) a lil cauf (B.), i. e. only a small calf. And all she giv us to dhrink was jus' a little coul' wather.
I'll be with ye jus' now, i. e. I shall be with you in a short time. I'll go jus' now, I'll start to-rec'ly-not more tel five minutes till I'll begin to get ready to go.

JUSLY [], 'justly', exactly.
The master ? I cudn say jusly where he is. I cant jusly tell ye the longs and the shorts of it.

JYP [], 'gee up'.
Dhrivin the cart and shoutin, ' jyp !' Jyp ! and off with ye !

JYSS, JISS [] (Mx. jyst), a dish.
' A dish full o' priddas, and a jyss full o' herrin, What batther could a man and his fam'ly be gerrin?'
The fisherman, for luck, used to throw a jiss of herrin overboard to the merman for his breakfast.