262 



Contributions towards a Wiltshire Glossary. 



"^Sloomy. n. An idle, listless, lounging kind of person. S.W. 

 *Slopper-hock. Untidy about the feet, slipshod. — Notes and Queries, 6th 

 Aug., 1881. 



Slouse. Add .—s.w. 



SlutVfarthings. Add : — In common use at Deverill and elsewhere. N. & 



S.W. 



Small Nightingale. Curruca atricapilla, Blackcap, from its song 

 somewhat resembling that of the Nightingale. N.W. (Marlborough.) 



"^Smoke-acre. This word occurs twice — as " one smoak-acre, shooting East 

 and West" — in a terrier relating to the common lands at Broadtown and 

 Thornhill, N. Wilts, 1725. This piece of land may have been charged with 

 the payment of "Smoke-silver" formerly, or the term may simply be a 

 field-name. 



In Wiltshire Inquisitiones Post Mortem we find the following instances : 

 " Inquisition taken at the City of New Sarum, 12th July, 8 Charles I. (1632), 

 . Edward Mompesson was seised of . . . 1 acre of land called 



Smoak acre, lying in a certain field called Kingscombe, within the parish 



of Codford Marie."— p. 182. 

 " Inquisition taken at Marlborough, 6th October, 11 Charles I. (1635) . . . 



George Mompessson was seised of ... 1 acre of land called Smoke 



acre, lying within the parish of Codford . . . Smoke acre is held of 



the King in chief by knight's service." — p. 185. 

 Snag"- gin. An excellent liqueur made from small sloes. Also known as 



Sloe -gin. The sloes, or " snags," are bottled in gin. 

 Snails. Snails are much used as a remedy for rheumatism, inflammation of 

 the lungs, etc., as well as for broken knees in horses. Sometimes a black 

 snail is simply rubbed into the part affected, while in other cases a poultice is 

 applied. 



" To prepare a ' snail ' poultice, you have but to gather the small snails 

 so abundant on the downs, crush them between two stones, and lay them on 

 the part affected. A 'snail poultice' is believed in . . . firmly by 

 ' Wiltshire vauk ' for inflammation of the lungs and stomach." — Diogenes' 

 Sandals, p. 200. 

 Snake bird. Yunx torquilla, Wryneck. 



Snarl. An entanglement in thread, etc. N. & S.W. 



Snoppet. A small piece of anything, especially meat or bread. 

 Snuff-Candle. Lamium Galeobdolon, Cr., Yellow Archangel. N.W. (Calne.) 

 So. " Mrs. Brown is so," is in the family way. Used in polite conversation as 

 an euphemism. Cp. Gen. xxv., 22. Also used in the Cotswolds. N.W. 



(Clyffe Pypard, etc.) 



