‘ 
1800. | 
I never could difcover. The term has 
poffibly been derived, at a remote period, 
from fome legal obfervance. But, as far 
as I know, the precife occafion and man- 
ner of its introduétion has not hitherto 
been def{cribed. 
A fervant’s fee fignifies hi$ wages. 
The poor man has loft his judgment, or 15 
out of bis judgment. For judgment, the 
Englifh ufe fenfes or wits. 
A.B. writer in Edinburgh, &c. means 
that the gentleman is an attorney at law. 
Writer, in this fenfe, may therefore be 
referred to the head of law-words. 
The words sortify and mortification un- 
doubtedly owe their very curious applica- 
tion to the Scottifth law. ‘* We have had a 
great mortification in this town,”’ faid a 
northern provoft (mayor) to his Englifh 
sueft. ‘ 1am forry for it,” faid the lat- 
ter. The provoft was furprifed; but, 
finding that his meaning was mifunder- 
ftood, immediately added, ‘* An old nig- 
gard, who died lately, has mortified eight 
thoufand pound to build us a new church.” 
<< And may you never fuffer a worfe mor- 
tification!’ faid the Englifhman. But 
this word is alfo ufed in Scotland, in 
the ordinary fenfes annexed to it in Eng- 
land. 
To what Mr. Bannantine has faid of 
merchant and park, 1 fhall add the re- 
mark of a candid and liberal, though hu- 
morous, and occafionally farcaftic, travel- 
ler, whofe work is entitled, a Tour through 
Great Britain, &c. by a Gentleman, in 
four volumes, 8vo. printed in 1760 or 
1761. The author obferves, that in Scot- 
land an inclofure, containing eight or nine 
acres, is called a park; the proprietor is 
a laird, and his wife a lady. A fhop- 
keeper, who fells thread by the ounce, 1s 
ftiled a merchant; and he who goes to 
fetch the thread is faid to fulfil his comz/- 
fion, and to make his report. Of park and 
merchant, the gentleman has given the 
literal meaning. JLazrd and lady are in- 
deed ufed in the fenfes he gives them, but 
generally with fomewhat of ridicule er 
jocularity : and he has ‘added the comzz/- 
fon and report, by way of embellifh- 
ment. 
Thirdly, adjeftives, participles, and pro- 
nouns are ufed by the Scotchin improper, 
' orat leaft peculiar fenfes, in the following, 
among other inftances. 
In addition to the ordinary Englifh 
fenfe of the word hone/?, the Scotch often 
ute it as a term of endearment, as in this 
expreflion, Hone? man! he has his own 
troubles. Like the Englifh, they alfo ule 
the word poor in the dame fenfe. 
Lift of Scotticifms. 
“39 
When they fay,** the manzs very throng,” 
they mean, he1s very bufy. 
Clean dirt is a vulgarifm fometimes 
heard in Scotland, and which, for impro- 
priety and ablurdity has no parallel in the 
Englifh, or, 1 fuppofe, any other ‘lan- 
guage, It means unalloyed, unadulte- 
rated dirt. 
The compound term formed of the word 
back and the word fide, fignifies in Scotland 
a back ground—a ludicrous combination, 
it muft be owned, to an Ezgli/h ear, but 
which, 27 afel/, conveys no, ludicrous idea 5 
‘nor is any thing of the kind meant by it 
in Scotland, otherwife it would not be ap- 
plied, as it often is, to grounds fituated 
behind the houfes of ladies. 
Mr. Bannantine’s very proper Scottifh 
acceptation of fore head, &c. is well 
known in the army and navy. A navy- 
furgeon, on making that oblervation to 
me, jocularly added, that an Englifhman, | 
when fick, was apt to complain moft of 
his belly, an Irifhman of his ftomach, 
and a Scotchman of his head. 
Stripped fluf is tne vulgar Scotticifm 
for /iriped ftuff. 
Situate, compenfate, &c. are too often 
ufed for fituated, compenfated, &c. 
The thirtreth and frfi verfe of the bun- 
dredth, fortieth, and ninth Pfalm, thould 
be “¢the thirty-firft verfe of the hundred 
and forty ninth Pialm.”’? The refpectable 
clergy of Scotland will excufe this remark. 
The coat is fplit new. This no doubt 
is a Scotticifm; but is it more impro- 
per than the Anglicifm ** fpick and fpand 
new ?”’ The proper phrafe is quite new. 
The Scotticilm, old bread, feems no 
way inferior to the Anglicifm /fale breads 
Speaking of diftant countries, or ‘* the 
days of other times,” the Scotch are very 
‘apt to fay, thefe regions, or thefe ages. 
The Englith vulgar alfo ule thefe for 
thofe; but perhaps not fo frequently as 
the Scotch of the middle clafs. It fhould 
be remembered, that thee is the plural of 
this, and confequently refers to perfons or 
things at«hand, or to times prefent 5 
whereas, thafe 1s the plural of tbat, and 
refers to perfons or things diftant, or to 
times patt. itary 
(To be concluded in our next.) 
Se 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | 
EW fubftances have been found to 
WL’ anfwer better for correcting | fprit 
flour, than the farinaceous vegetable Rice: 
which, befides correéiing its bad quality, 
adds much to its nutrimént. The method 
made ufe of i my own family, is as fol- 
lows 3 







