skeet

Uncertain. Compare Manx skeetagh (“nosy”, adverb). Compare also English peek (“to look slyly; a quick glance”, verb or noun) or skit (“to caper; to be skittish”, verb).


skeet

en-verb

skeet (third-person singular simple present skeets, present participle skeeting, simple past and past participle skeeted)

skeets (present singular third-person)
skeeting (participle present)
skeeted (participle past)
skeeted (past)

(Isle of Man) to spy through the front windows of somebody else's house


yessir

(Isle of Man, colloquial) Term of address to a male; mate; buddy.


haggard

He tuk a slew [swerve] round the haggard http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/am1924/pt_s.htm

(dialect, Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland) A stackyard, an enclosure on a farm for stacking grain, hay, etc.


coroner

From Middle English coroner, from Old French curuner, from Medieval Latin custōs placitōrum corōnae (“guardian of the crown's pleas”). The function was originally to protect royal properties.

der

(Isle of Man) The administrative head of a sheading.


ayr

Borrowed from Manx ayr. Doublet of faeder, father, padre, pater, and père.


comeover

Some laborer, a comeover for sure, perhaps had stolen it, disabused his bosses of it, and for what?

2008, Kathleen M. Henry, Critical Mass, →ISBN, page 46:

It was a comeover who told me that she disliked the Manx because they were so “provincial.” She was quite wrong. The Manx were not in the least provincial; they were profoundly insular—and the distinction is essential.

2011, Jonathan Raban, Coasting: A Private Voyage, →ISBN:

(Isle of Man) An immigrant: a non-Manx person living on the Isle of Man.


qualtagh

qualtaghs (plural)
quaaltagh (alternative)

PIE word
 *ḱóm
Borrowed from Manx qualtagh, quaaltagh (“first person one meets after leaving the house; first person one meets on New Year’s Day”, literally “one who meets or is met”), from quaail (“act of meeting; a meeting”) (ultimately from Old Irish comdál, from com- (prefix meaning ‘with’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by; near; with”)) + dál (“part, share; land in which a tribe lives”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to divide; to share”))) + -agh (suffix forming adjectives and nouns expressing belonging, a connection to, having, or an involvement with). The interfix -t- may be modelled after an unattested form of Old Irish comaltae (“foster-brother; companion”).

cog

A company of young lads or men, generally went in old times on what they termed the Qualtagh, at Christmas or New Year's Day to the house of their more wealthy neighbours; some one of the company repeating in an audible voice the following rhyme:– […] they were then invited in to partake of the best that the house could afford.

[1835, Archibald Cregeen, “Quaal′tagh or Qual′tagh”, in A Dictionary of the Manks Language, with the Corresponding Words or Explanations in English; […], Douglas, Isle of Man: […] J. Quiggin, […]; Whittaker, Treacher, and Arnot, […]; Evans, Chegwin, and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 132, column 2:

On these occasions a person of dark complexion always enters first, as a light haired male or female is deemed unlucky to be a first-foot or quaaltagh on New Year's morning. The actors of the quaaltagh do not assume fantastic habiliments like the Mummers of England or the Guisards of Scotland, nor do they, like these rude performers of the ancient mysteries, appear ever to have been attended by minstrels playing on different kinds of musical instruments.

1845, Joseph Train, “Manners and Customs”, in An Historical and Statistical Account of the Isle of Man, from the Earliest Times to the Present Date; […], volume II, Douglas, Isle of Man: […] Mary A. Quiggin, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 115:

The Manx attach great importance to the qualtagh, or first person met with on the occurrence of any particularly important event, as in going to the fishery, the first day of the new year, a birth-day or a christening. On these occasions, in order to insure good luck or to avert an evil eye, they make a present of food or drink to the person met. The present Bishop of Bath and Wells, when Bishop of Sodor and Man, upon one occasion was the qualtagh of a poor christening party, […] and very kindly partook of their humble offering.

1861, Joseph George Cumming, “Manners and Customs”, in A Guide to the Isle of Man with the Means of Access thereto and an Introduction to Its Scenery: […], London: Edward Stanford, […], →OCLC, page 22:

Who would the ‘Qualtagh’ to a parish be?

1875, Oscar Harrison, The Isle-iad; or, King Orry’s Banquet. A Fragment of a Mankish Tale, Douglas, Isle of Man: James Brown & Co., page 59; quoted in Joseph Wright, editor, The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volumes IV (M–Q), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, 1903, →OCLC, page 667, column 1:

On New Year's Eve there occurred an incident which greatly increased the tension at Claddagh House. Mrs. Colquitt was in a painful state of agitation about the quaaltagh, or first person who should cross the threshold after midnight. If he happened to be dark, she anticipated some wonderful slice of luck; if light, a continuance of misfortune; and if a spaagaght or splay-footed person, nothing short of a calamity. […] [S]he kept trotting up and downstairs, being imperatively urged to confide to Mona her wish that the quaaltagh might be somebody she had just thought of, a different somebody each time.

1887, Hugh Coleman Davidson, “Suspense”, in The Green Hills by the Sea: A Manx Story […], volume III, London: Hurst and Blackett, […], →OCLC, pages 4–5:

[page 79] At present New Year's Day is the time when the qualtagh is of general interest, and in this case he is practically the first person one sees (besides the members of one's own household) on the morning of that day, whether that person meets one out of doors or comes to one's house. The following is what I have learnt by inquiry as to the qualtagh: all are agreed that he must not be a woman or girl,[…]. The prevalent belief, however, is that he should be a dark-haired man or boy, […] An English lady living in the neighbourhood of Castletown told me that her son, whom I know to be, like his mother, a pronounced blond, […] called at a house in Castletown on the morning of New Year's Day, and he chanced to be the qualtagh. The mistress of the house was horrified, and expressed her anticipation of misfortunes to the English lady; […] [page 90] Mr. [Alfred] Nutt: […] [I]f red-haired and splay-footed people, the qualtaghs were not likely women of the aboriginal race, i.e., assuming this race to have been a dark, small, high-instepped one.

1892 March, John Rhys, “Manx Folk-lore and Superstitions. II.”, in Folk-lore: A Quarterly Review of Myth, Tradition, Institution, & Custom, volume III, number I, London: David Nutt, […], →OCLC, pages 79 and 90:

"I should be the first-foot here, only I'm no use as a qualtagh," said Philip. / "Why not?" / "I'm a fair man, and would bring you no luck, you know."

1894 January–July, Hall Caine, chapter II, in The Manxman, London: William Heinemann, published 3 August 1894 (1 September 1894 printing), →OCLC, part II (Boy and Girl), page 71:

The "White Boys," the "Hunt the Wren Boys," and "Quaaltaghs" received the dessert.

1911, John Clague, Cooinaghtyn Manninagh: Manx Reminiscences, Castletown, Isle of Man: M. J. Backwell, →OCLC, page 11:

The Foolish Fortnight and its gaieties may have been relinquished under the relentless pressure of modern life as we choose to live it, but at least one of the old New Year rituals is still quite vigorous amongst us – the Qualtagh, or First Foot.

1966, Mona Douglas, “The Foolish Fortnight and the Qualtagh Tradition”, in This is Ellan Vannin again: Folklore, Douglas, Isle of Man: Times Press, →OCLC, page 84:

Did you ever use to go as the ‘quaaltagh?’ […] I did indeed!

1977, Jennifer Kewley Draskau, quoting John Gell, “Verbs”, in Practical Manx, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 126:

(Isle of Man) The first person one encounters, either after leaving one's home or (sometimes) outside one's home, especially on New Year's Day; a first-foot.


Hallantide

Allantide (alternative)
Hallontide (alternative)
Hollandtide (alternative)
Hollantide (alternative)

Palmes and my friend, this night of Hallantide / Left all alone, and no way occupied

c. 17th century, William Browne, “An Epistle occasioned by the most intolerable Jangling of the Papists' Bells on All Saints' Night”, in The Poems of William Browne of Tavistock, volume 2, published 1894, page 229:

Hallantide ... All Saints' Day, (hallow-een-tide)

1872, Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society's Proceedings, “Somersetshire Glossary”, in Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society's, page 17:

(obsolete, dialectal, West Country, Ireland, Isle of Man, Lincolnshire, Northampton, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, Wiltshire, Somerset, Cornwall) All Saints' Day

Isle of Man; Northampton; Worcestershire; Isle of Wight; Somerset; Isle of Man; Northampton; Worcestershire; Isle of Wight; Somerset


keeill

Borrowed from Manx keeill. Doublet of cell.

The division into sheadings and into (early secular) parishes is shown in Plate II with the sites of incised or engraved stones and of those keeills beside which graveyards have been identified.

1958, Annie Ashley, The Church in the Isle of Man, number 13, page 8:

The local place-name 'Chapel Gate' — 'the road to the Chapel' — is of some antiquity (J. J. Kneen, Place-Names, I, p. 22) and applies particularly to the steep pathway down the brooghs to the keeill-site and well at the west end of 'Chapel Bay'.

1966, in the Report of the Manx Archaeological Survey, volume 6, page 61

(chiefly Isle of Man, historical) A small monastic cell or chapel (especially during the pre-modern period).


Wren Day

(Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Newfoundland) A celebration on December 26 where people, especially boys, hunt a fake wren and parade it upon a decorated pole.


deemster

deemsters (plural)
demster (alternative)
dempster (alternative)
deempster (alternative)

From Middle English demester, demster, equivalent to deem (“to judge”) + -ster.

If you hire a house for a year, and before the end of a month, happen to disagree with your landlord, he goes to the Deemster, and tells him, that he suspects you intend to leave the island, without paying his rent; […]

1767, The Gentleman's and London Magazine:

(now dialectal, Isle of Man) A judge; one who pronounces sentence or doom.


MHK

(Isle of Man) Initialism of Member of the House of Keys.


House of Keys

Disputed. Possibly from keys (a Latin document from 1417 refers to Claves Mann and Claves Legis: the Keys of Mann and the Keys of Law); possibly from Norse verb kjósa, "to choose"; possibly from the Manx term kiare as feed, "twenty-four", because the House has always had 24 members.

(Isle of Man) The lower house of Tynwald, the Isle of Man parliament.


lockman

the defendent must be summoned by the Coronor or his deputy (a lockman) to appear at the next court day, when the action is called in rotation.

1860, M.P. Backwell, Backwell's Illustrated Guide to the Isle of Man, etc., page 50:

I have gone down to vote for a clerk or a lockman; we have pressing letters to go down and vote for a lockman sometimes.

1865, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Reports from Committees - Volume 12, page 52:

A lockman is appointed for each parish, and acts as deputy or assistant to the coroner.

1900, Arthur William Moore, A History of the Isle of Man - Volume 2, page 746:

You see, at the present time a coroner is appointed to a sheading but a lockman only to a parish, so this will bring them both into line.

1978, Isle of Man. Tynwald. Legislative Council, The Times Reports of Debates in the Manx Legislature, page K-454:

(Isle of Man) An officer who acts as a kind of undersheriff to the governor.


jeel

From Manx jeeyl, jeeill ("damage"), cognate to Irish díobháil.

And the gel, you know, as freckened as freckened,
Because of coorse she navar reckoned
But Misthriss Banks could do the jeel ¹
She was braggin she could, and she'd take and kneel
On her bended knees, and she'd cuss — the baste !
[…]
¹ Damage.

1889, Thomas Edward Brown, The Manx Witch: And Other Poems, page 79:

An' first an' last upon the flure, an' spinnin' at the wheel,
But that strange silence on her still of what had done the jeel.

1908, Cushag (Josephine Kermode), Eunys, Or the Dalby Maid, page 16

The jeel (damage) the govags is doin to the nets is urrov all marcy.
page 188, entry "Traa-dy-liooar":
An' the wan (one) that's doin all the jeel (damage) is wickad Traa-dy-liooar (Time-enough). (Cushag.)

1924, Sophia Morrison, Edmund Goodwin, A vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx dialect, page 73, entry "Govvag"


bonnag

From Manx [Term?]. Compare Irish bonnóg (“bannock, scone”), based on Latin pānicum (“millet”). Doublet of bannock.

Such were the doings in the big house down in the valley, while up in the thatched cottage behind the water-trough, on potatoes and herrings and barley bonnag, lived Bridget and her little Pete.

1899, Hall Caine, The Manxman: A Novel, page 13:

[…] being assigned to my Aunt Bridget, provided that I should henceforward live on the ground floor and eat oaten cake and barley bonnag and sleep alone in the cold room over the hall […]

1913, Hall Caine, The woman thou gavest me: being the story of Mary O'Neill, page 16:

These delicacies are widely exported and are also part of the Island's cuisine along with fresh fish, lobsters, Manx lamb, kippers and bonnag.

2001, Trevor Kneale, Derek Croucher, The Isle of Man, page 96:

The aroma of baking pastry beckoned from the confectionery next door. “I'd like to try some typical cake.” Amandine pleaded. Gudrad got her a bonnag, a sort of scone made with buttermilk. / […] / On the way she bought some bonnags at the corner bakery.

2009, Elena Scialtiel, Amandine: Amour. Glamour. On Tour, pages 90, 433:

Traditionally, the boys of the Isle of Man would go from house to house carrying turnips or cabbages on sticks and hope to be rewarded with apples, bonnag (a tea plate-sized fruit cake), herring and possibly some sweets […]

2012, Jeremy Hobson, Curious Country Customs, page 178:

(chiefly Isle of Man) A flat cake, sometimes made with dried fruit.


broogh

The new Trust property also includes the interesting small prehistoric stone circle on the nearby brooghs and is also of considerable botanical interest. The cliff top shows a fine example of the hummock heath produced by a combination of […]

1970, Manx Museum and National Trust, The Journal of the Manx Museum, volume 7, issues 86-87, page 162

(chiefly Isle of Man) A steep bank or grassy cliff.


cushag

From Manx cushag vooar (“big stalk”), from cushag (“stalk”).

He saw Kate coming down the glen road, driving two heifers with a cushag for switch and flashing its gold at them in the horizontal gleams of sunset.

I pointed out a field near my apiary full of cushags, and, though a sunny day in midsummer, not a bee was to be found among the cushags, nor had I ever previously seen them working on that flower.

1908, British Bee Journal and Bee-keepers' Adviser, volume 36, page 214:

Little green men with their eyes all afire,
Poking stray sunbeams in pools to catch them,
Binding the wind with a cushag stem wire,
Throwing the mist on the clouds to patch them.

1954, Dorothy Kaucher, Armchair in the sky: ocean flights with air pioneers, page 108:

(chiefly Isle of Man) The ragwort, the national flower of the Isle of Man, which has a large stalk.


tholtan

From Manx tholtan. Compare tolltach (“full of holes”).

You can be sitting in a tholtan down in back Castle Street in Peel in a bit of property that is not fit to live in, but it will still be rated at about £55. So the whole system, really, is wrong.

1981, The Times Reports of Debates in the Manx Legislature, volume 98, page T-905

Throughout the Isle, abandoned tholtans, devoid of their thatched roofs and whitewash, are silent reminders of the people who once were sheltered near the warmth of their hearths and sang in their own Celtic tongue.

1995 July–August, Ancestry Magazine, volume 13, number 4

Near the schoolhouse was a tholtan, a tiny, half-ruined cottage with sagging thatch and the door off its hinges.

1997, Vivien Allen, Hall Caine: Portrait of a Victorian Romancer, page 25:

(chiefly Isle of Man) An abandoned house; a ruin of a building which was once a home.


tramman

As above noted, the Blackbird was even a hundred years ago remarkably common in Man, and it is to-day an extremely abundant and widely-spread species, equally at home among the fuchsias and 'trammans' of a cottage garden […]

1905, Pilcher George Ralfe, The birds of the Isle of Man, page 9:

'The old trammans at Ballakoig were cut down, and the fairies came every night to weep and lament.'

1976, Margaret Killip, The folklore of the Isle of Man, page 36:


mollag

(Isle of Man) A fishing float made from animal skin.


suggane

en-noun

suggane (countable and uncountable, plural sugganes)


newses

There was no poor-law in the Isle of Man fifty years ago ... He was welcomed in a spirit of charity that had not a particle of pride in it, but he earned his board by bringing the "newses" from other places.

1909, Massachusetts Reformatory (Concord, Mass.), Our Paper, volume 25, page 286:

There were two smithies; the smithy was the meeting place for the "newses."

1959, Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Proceedings of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, volume 6, page 178:

A great stone 'bink' outside the present Kerrowkeil Chapel - 270 yards south fof the keeill-site - was remembered by the late Mr. Quayle as have been brought from the keeill ; it was for long a favoured seat for the exchange of "newses" among the farming community.

1966, Manx Archaeological Survey, Report of the Manx Archaeological Survey, volume 6, page 7:


gobbag

(Isle of Man) A person from Peel, Isle of Man.


slowrie

...a pot of potatoes in their jackets which swung from the slowrie, the hook over the fire.

Fill the three-legged pot 3/4 full of water and hang it on the slowrie.

1908, Sophia Morrison, Manx Cookery Book:

(chiefly Isle of Man, also Scotland and Ireland) A chain or hook used for hanging a pot while cooking.


quaaltagh

On these occasions a person of dark complexion always enters first, as a light haired male or female is deemed unlucky to be a first-foot or quaaltagh on New Year's morning. The actors of the quaaltagh do not assume fantastic habiliments like the Mummers of England or the Guisards of Scotland, nor do they, like these rude performers of the ancient mysteries, appear ever to have been attended by minstrels playing on different kinds of musical instruments.

1845, Joseph Train, “Manners and Customs”, in An Historical and Statistical Account of the Isle of Man, from the Earliest Times to the Present Date; […], volume II, Douglas, Isle of Man: […] Mary A. Quiggin, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 115:

On New Year's Eve there occurred an incident which greatly increased the tension at Claddagh House. Mrs. Colquitt was in a painful state of agitation about the quaaltagh, or first person who should cross the threshold after midnight. If he happened to be dark, she anticipated some wonderful slice of luck; if light, a continuance of misfortune; and if a spaagaght or splay-footed person, nothing short of a calamity. […] [S]he kept trotting up and downstairs, being imperatively urged to confide to Mona her wish that the quaaltagh might be somebody she had just thought of, a different somebody each time.

1887, Hugh Coleman Davidson, “Suspense”, in The Green Hills by the Sea: A Manx Story […], volume III, London: Hurst and Blackett, […], →OCLC, pages 4–5:

The "White Boys," the "Hunt the Wren Boys," and "Quaaltaghs" received the dessert.

1911, John Clague, Cooinaghtyn Manninagh: Manx Reminiscences, Castletown, Isle of Man: M. J. Backwell, →OCLC, page 11:

Did you ever use to go as the ‘quaaltagh?’ […] I did indeed!

1977, Jennifer Kewley Draskau, quoting John Gell, “Verbs”, in Practical Manx, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 126:

(Isle of Man) Alternative spelling of qualtagh.


tholthan

tholthans (plural)
thalthan (alternative)


tanrogan

(Isle of Man) A scallop (edible mollusc).