SOME HOLDERNESS DIALECT FIGHTING WORDS. 267 



tonnaps up." We went "an bunched not nowt." In 

 an assault case at the Driffield Police Court the magis- 

 trate said to the plaintiff, " Well, my good woman, what 

 did she do?" " Deeah ? Why sha clooted mi heead, 

 rov' me cap, lugged mi hair, dhragged ma doon, an' 

 bunched mi when Ah was down." The magistrate 

 turned to the clerk, exclaiming piteously, "What does 

 she say ? " Up rose the tall, thin form of the clerk, and 

 slowly and seriously he answered : " She says the 

 defendant clooted her heead, rov' her cap, lugged her 

 hair, dhragged her doon, and bunched her when she was 

 down," and as he ended the court revelled in laughter. 



Bung up — To close as with a bung. This term is limited in 

 its application, and is anatomical, being applied to the 

 eyes, applied by the fists of an opponent as a sedative, 

 in the hope of bringing the quarrel to an end. A keenly- 

 interested spectator of a street quarrel shouted out to his 

 favourite, "Go it Jim; bung his e'es up for him! 

 That'll sattle him." Plug is a word of similar meaning. 



Bussle— To drive away angrily. Often applied to tiresome 

 children, thus : " Noo, away wi' yo', or Ah'll bussle yo' 

 off i' quick-sticks." 



" Callitin "-Doot. — Now comes Billingsgate to the front. In 

 this preliminary overture to fisticuffs the tongue wags 

 supremely, and the domestic history of the wordy 

 combatants is made public property with a strength of 

 diction worthy a better cause. Blows may not succeed 

 words ; the quarrel may begin and end in a callitin-bout. 



Catch it — Is a threat pure and simple, but perhaps all the 

 more dreadful, because of the mystery attached to it. 

 'Tis the unknown that is dreadful, and to tell a fearful 

 boy that he will "catch it "for something he has done, 

 or not done, is to add another terror to his upbraiding 

 conscience. 



Cherrup. — A cherrup is a sharp, stinging blow given by the 

 hand on the ear, a sort of box on the ear. A long- 

 suffering father said to his boy, " Ah'll gi'e thaa cherrup 

 ower lug, an' then thoo'll mebbe think on what thoo's 

 •telled ti deeah." 

 Chin-chopper — Is a blow on the jaw or the chin (the " under- 

 cut " in the language of the prize-ring). The word 

 "chin-choppy" is sometimes used, and reminds one of 

 the nursery rhyme, "Brow brinky, eye winky, nose 

 noppy, mouth moppy, chin-choppy." 



