fit(1) - Hamely Tongue
Source: The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim
Author: James Fenton
Comments: ‘The Hamely Tongue’ has been widely acclaimed as the authoritative record of contemporary (surviving) Ulster-Scots in its heartland of County Antrim where James Fenton faithfully recorded his dictionary items among a network of other native speakers over a 30-year period. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from ‘Part One’ of the fourth edition of 2014 and includes over 3000 word entries. The book preliminaries, supplementary word lists and end matter have been excluded.
fit1 ~ a foot. a legless stockin wae nae fit a very poor investment (C). barefitted barefoot. couldnae tell a B frae a bull’s fit (an assessment of perspicacity and intelligence). dig wae the wrang fit (see dig). first-fittin (usu. planned) visit by the first person to come through the door as the new year begins (traditionally being dark-haired and bringing a piece of coal to ensure a lucky year). fit-aboot offens. (of gait) having the feet turned inwards; offens. (nickname for) one walking in this way (Ba). fit-folk mourners walking at a funeral. fit-ga a narrow draining-channel cut along the base of a peat bank to ensure firm footing. fitless awkward on one’s feet; liable to trip or stumble. fit o the toon (see toon). fitpad footpath. fit-rig the strip of ground left at the ‘foot’ of a cultivated field to allow horses, etc. to turn (and sometimes, when the crop is potatoes, sown with cabbages to be transplanted later; cf. heid-rig). fit-spade the common digging spade. fittin footing; foothold; a small clump of drying peats. harly able tae put yin fit by the ither in a state of utter weariness (especially after a long trek). heavyfitted pregnant. miss yer fit trip, stumble. on yer fit on foot. reelfitted (see reel). wae yin at her fit (usu. of a woman getting married) already having a child. while ye can lift a fit running at one’s utmost speed (While ye can lift a fit noo, an nae stappin tae tak). v. (with it) walk; make the journey on foot. fit peats prop a few peats in an upright position and leaning against each other, to assist drying. turn-fit peats reverse the position of fitted peats (exposing the inner surfaces to the weather). (Also occas. fut.)
Purchase the Hamely Tongue
The fourth, expanded edition of James Fenton’s seminal work is now available as a Kindle ebook and can be downloaded from Amazon stores:
The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim (ebook)
The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim (paperback)
