iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

kenticisms will be taking a summer break. I have not been able to interact with this account in the way I would wish as I'm busy with other projects. Hopefully I can return to the account with more time and attention in a few months.

line drawing illustration of an Ospringe hop garden in June taken from an old book and coloured. Two young children walk alongside the garden on an unmade road. In the background is a church.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

The TONGUE was the projecting part of the COW or COWL of an OAST, which caused it to turn round when acted on by the wind.

Black and white photograph of a row of oast houses. The base of the oast houses are brick built and there is a hung tile conical roof, topped off with white painted wooden cowls which rotate in the wind.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

I came across a word in a 1960s Kent newspaper, which I hadn't seen before. TANT or TANTED meant 'faint, fainted' or sometimes 'tantrum'.

AN ex-teacher reader has sent in the dialect word "tanted," used in a school note "Please excuse Kate from from school as she "tanted' this morning." "Tanted" meant fainted, but was occasionally used to describe childish tantrums. "She had her 'tants' over it," i.e., lost her temper or was stubborn and naughty.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

An old bicycle might have been known as a GRID IRON, GRIT IRON, OLD GRID, OLD GRIT or a RATTLE-TRAP. Said to be from likening an old rickety cycle to a griddle-iron, used in cooking over open fire, meaning that one might get along riding on a griddle-iron just as well and as comfortably.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect says that a short man might have been referred to as ONE OF KING JOHN'S MEN. "He's one of King John's men, six score to the hundred." Six score, 120, was the old hundred, or long-hundred.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Nicholas Wood (c1585-1630), the GREAT EATER OF KENT was born in Hollingbourne before becoming a farmer in Harrietsham. John Taylor wrote a small book detailing his feats, including "..did eat a whole sheep, of 16 shillings price, and raw at that, at one meal. Another time he eat 30 dozen of pigeons"

Details from the front page of an old book written by John Taylor reading; To the Most Famous, Infamous, High and Mighty Feeder, Nicholas Wood, Great and Grand Gurmandizer of Harrisom [Harrietsham] in the County of Kent.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

The Field Naturalist (1833) says that the willow warbler also known as the willow wren "are partial to some kinds of fruit, but they will not touch cherries, although they are very commonly known in many parts of Kent and Surrey by the provincial name CHERRY CHOPPERS.

An old hand coloured illustration of a willow warbler or willow wren. A small brown backed bird, with a white front and a brown stripe around the eye, it is sitting on the twig of an oak tree, against a green foliage background.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

First published in The Kentish Gazette in 1771 "The Chathamites" paints a very unflattering portrait of 18C Chatham Starting with the town's uniqueness before denigrating the locals morals, religions and military, finally a comparison to other Medway Towns, here are the first & last couple of verses

The Chathamites.

A Song.

TUNE - Nancy Dawson.

Of all the spots on Britain's shore,
Examine ev'ry country o'er
Sure ne'er was seen the like before
The well-known town of Chatham.

Proud Rochester and Strood may talk
Of pavements smooth, and roads of chalk,
For those who chuse to ride or walk :
Not so the folks of Chatham.

Contented in their dirty hole,
They hobble on with meaner soul,
Contriving how to save the cole ;
Who would not live at Chatham?

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Fred Sanders of Chatham was a great collector and recorder of Kent dialect in the middle of the last century. When he wrote to the Kentish Express in 1957on the subject of UFOs he felt compelled to throw in some Kentish dialect; "There bi'-ant no such queer things as floi-ing sarcers!"

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

In Kentish dialect CHOG seems to have been used for a number of different things, from an apple core to a lump of rough wood. Also in hop cultivation a CHOG was a grubbed-out hop hill and CHOGS were the cuttings of the hop plants when the plants were dressed in the spring.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

An old rhyme is taken to indicate Kentish miles were longer than the statute mile; Essex stiles, Kentish miles, Norfolk wiles, many men beguiles One theory was the bad state of Kentish roads meant miles seemed longer for travellers. However Notes & Queries (1895) suggests Kentish miles were longer;

So far as the county of Kent is concerned, the mile was certainly longer than the statute mile, and was officially recognized as longer. In 1633 the Mayor and Jurate of Dover Wrote to Sir
Edward Dering, Lieutenant of Dover Castle and the Cinque Ports, complaining of the extra charges exacted by the postmen, saying that the hackneymen of Dover and Canterbury had measured the highway between those two places, and had set up posts at every mile end, and expressed the same to be fifteen miles and & quarter, since which time they demand 3s. 1d. for every horse hire, which is 9d, more than the ordinary rate (State Papers, Domestic, Charles I.' vol, ccxsxviii., May 13, 1633). Sir Edward Dering, in forwarding the complaint to William Trumbull, the Clerk of the Council, explains that, Kentish miles being longer than in some places, the allowance has been 3d. per mile, although in some other places but 2 1/2d. (ibid, voL ccxxxix., May 24). In fact, I have seen on an old map of Kent three scales: one geographical miles, one Kentish miles, and one common miles.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

The Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima) was known in Kent as DRAGON'S TONGUE. Its said to be found in woodland on the North Downs, especially around Boxley.

A photograph of the flower of the Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima), mostly white petals with blue-purple veins, pictured against a background of green foliage.
Image from wikipedia.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

A WASH-WAY was a narrow path cut in the woods to make the CANTS [portions] of a WOODFALL [part to be cut]. A fall of 10 acres would probably have been washed into 6 or 7 cants. "You've no call to follow the main-track; keep down this here wash-way for about ten rods and you'll come right agin him."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect has LERRY, LORRY, LURRY as a "jingling rhyme' spoken by mummers in their folk plays. However this cutting from a 1950s newspaper suggests that it had been extended to any fast speech which was intended to cause difficulty in being understood by others listening in

Kentish Dialect
LURRY is a word seldom heard at the present time, but it used to be commonly used throughout the county. It means to speak so rapidly that the listener would have difficulty in following what was said.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Following on from the boat known as a FOLKESTONE COCKTAIL In the additions to Pegge's Alphabet of Kenticisms the Rev W. Scott Robertson notes that a small boat was known as a COCK. He says that "The word appears repeatedly in the Queenborough Town Records" on the Isle of Sheppey.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

FOLKESTONE COCKTAILS were boats used to bring in kegs of spirits sunk by smugglers close to the Varne sandbank about 9 miles offshore. 'Cocktail' smuggling did not last long as the boats were seized by excise officers. JMW Turner was familiar with this smuggling, more information at

buff.ly

Joseph Mallord William Turner, 'Folkestone from the Sea' c.1822-4 (J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours) | Tate

Matthew Imms July 2016

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

buff.ly

Joseph Mallord William Turner, 'Folkestone from the Sea' c.1822-4 (J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours) | Tate

Matthew Imms July 2016

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

I found a couplet in 'English Folk-Rhymes' (1892) suggesting a friendly rivalry between Folkestone and Dover fisherman. This old spelling of Folkestone, without the middle 'e' was used to further tease locals pointing out that this was an anagram of KENT FOOLS.

There was a vale [whale] came down the flood ;
Folsteners (Folkstone men) couldn't catch un, but Doverers dud.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

CHOATY and CHUFF are words recorded as Kentish dialect for chubby or broad faced. "He's a choaty boy." And CHUFFER was used for eating a large amount of food or being a hearty eater. "By Golly! Our young Willum (William) can't half chuffer, he'll eat us out of house and home"

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

In the Kentish dialect poem 'Dick and Sal at Canterbury Fair' the White Hart ALUS or ALIS - alehouse, is mentioned; An den we turn’d about agen, An see an alis stan. Sal thought it was de goat or hine, I diden know fer my part; But when we look’t apan de sign, De readin was de White Hart.

Photograph of the White Hart pub in Canterbury, a red brick building with a hung tile and white painted frontage.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

A BANNICKING or BANNOCKING was a thrashing or beating - to give someone a "good hiding", as shown in this example from this 1950s newspaper snippet.

Kentish Dialect
If not generally used in these days, Kentish school boys of the past were painfully aware of the meaning of bannicking.
"I got into trouble and father gave me a good bannicking" indicated that the culprit had received a sound thrashing. The word is not often heard outside Kent.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Some recorded Kentish names for the common earwig are PINCHERWIG or PINCHYWIG and TWINGE. Although earwigs eat pests such as aphids, they can also attack young plants and shoots. CAXES or CECKSIES - dry hollow plant stalks e.g. bean or elder were used to catch earwigs, especially around fruit trees.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Dialect dictionaries record the Corn Marigold (Chrysanthemum segetum, Glebionis segetum) being known in Kent as a YELLOW BOTTLE. I also found a reference in The Complete Farmer (1807) of these flowers growing in the sandy soils around Sandwich also being known as BUDDLE and GOLDS.

Old colour illustration of Glebionis segetum (previously known as Chrysanthemum segutum), common name Corn Marigold. A plant with yellow flowers and jagged leaves.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect defines BODILY-ILL as a person ill with bronchitis, fever, shingles, however this would not be used for someone who had hurt his hand, sprained his ankle, or broken his leg, they would say: "Oh, he's not, as you may say, bodily-ill."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

A 1950s newspaper column mentions the dialect word BLY, meaning a likeness to someone. Although its origin is said to be a mystery it's actually recorded in The Dialect of Kent in the 14th Century as a look or feature, "This man has the bly of his brother". Said to be from Old Frisian blie or bli.

Kentish Dialect
A reader who lived in Kent for 70 years has a word of dialect that will probably be new to most people.
It is "bly." How or why it was ever coined is surely a mystery: Actually it means like and is used in this connection: "You are not the bly of me" - signifying you are not like me.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

'The Dialect of Kent in the 14th Century' by Richard Morris records some of the language spoken in Kent at that time, much of the evidence for this is from the 'Ayenbite of Inwyt' written in 1340. Some examples are AGHTEND - eighth; BALD - bold; BERK - bark; ZYEALD - sold; ZIDEN - sides; ZENNE - sin

n.pl

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

An 1877 edition of Notes & Queries records some local names for fossils and shark teeth found in the chalk pits around Gravesend - NIPPLE-RINGS, FILES, LARKS' TONGUES and WORMS. An example of the cidaris fossil is pictured below (image from wikipedia).

In the chalk quarries. about Gravesend the echinoderms of the genus cidaris are known as "nipple-rings," and the spines of the same as "files." The teeth of the Cretaceous sharks and rays are called "larks' tongues," and the fossil remains of annelids are known to the men as "worms."

Spiny cidaris fossil pictured against a black background.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect records BRUT as a noun - the shoots or buds, especially of potatoes; "My taturs be brutted pretty much dis year." But also as a verb when those shoots are broken off; "I've been going, over those old potatoes and brutting them."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

This article from a 1900 edition of the Maidstone Journal has a description of May Day celebrations in the Loose Valley, near Maidstone, including the words to the May Day Carol.

A MAY-DAY CAROL.- Speaking of old customs still kept up in some of our Kentish villages, especially in the Loose Valley. Mr. Moul says: "One of the prettiest of these in the celebration of May-day, when the children of the village visit the various houser in a procession, earring long poles decorated with branches of the early blossoming fruit trees, and long garlands made with primroses and other early spring flowers. As it comes to a door the procession halts. and sings the following old English May-day carol, in the hope of getting pennies as a reward:
This in the day, the first of May.
Please to remember the Maybough:
The garland, the garland,
Please to remember the garland.
A bunch of May I have brought you.
And at your door I stand:
It in the work of our Lord's hand,
So hip ! hip! hurrah!*
Another band sings the same song, but instead of the last four lines substitutes the following triplet,
"First come buttercups, then come daisies,
Then come gentle-folks, then come ladies,
So we pass the time away."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

PALMING was used for covering up or covering over something. “Don’t come palming those things all over the table.” And so PALMED meant covered. “They palmed newspapers all over their windows because they could not afford to buy curtains.”

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

If you've wondered why the old sailing ship anchorage between the Goodwin Sands and Deal was called THE DOWNS. Treanor in his book "Heroes of the Goodwin Sands" suggests it may be from the French "les Dunes".

Between them and Deal lies thus a stretch of four miles of deep water, in which there is a great anchorage for shipping. This anchorage, of historic interest, is called the Downs — possibly from the French les Dunes, or 'the Sands,' a derivation which, so far as I know, was first suggested by myself - and is sheltered from the easterly gales to some extent by the Goodwins.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

The DOWNS off of Deal were of great importance as a safe anchorage for the Royal Navy, the Goodwin Sands formed a natural breakwater. Here their usefulness is stressed in Memorials of the Goodwin Sands (1890)

From the earliest periods of history the Downs appear to have always been a regular rendezvous for
ships of the Navy; and more especially during the prevalence of European wars "His Majesty's Fleets"
were continually stationed, for long periods together, in these favourite waters, so often referred to in Dibdin's, and other, sea songs of former days:—
"All in the Downs the fleet lay moored."
"All over the Downs in the 'Nancy,'
My jib how she slapped through the breeze."
"No braver deeds than ever turned the fate of kings or crowns,
And done for England's glory by her boatmen of the Downs."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

DOVER SOLE is not peculiar to the Dover area. The flatfish, also known as the common or black sole, is found from Norway to N. Africa, The Dover connection is a result of local fishermen cornering the market for supplying Victorian London. Americans then applied the 'brand name' to a different fish.

A photograph of an American Dover Sole (Microstomus paciificus) and a European Dover Sole (Solea solea).

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect recorded the superstition of GIFTS - white specks on a fingernail which was thought to foretell something coming.

GIFTS [gifts] so. pl. White specks which appear on the finger nails and are supposed to indicate something coming, thus—
A gift on the thumb indicates a present.
" on the fore-finger indicates a friend or lover.
" on the middle finger indicates a foe.
" on the fourth finger indicates a visit to pay.
" on the little finger indicates a journey to go.
-W. F. S.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

In the past I have found evidence of PITHER being used to mean 'to bother' and PITHERING to mean wandering about aimlessly, also I have seen where PITHERED meant being cramped up with cold. Here is another example from a 1950s newspaper of the use of PITHER, here meaning 'to crumble away'.

Kentish Dialect
Mrs. P, Smith, of Herne Bay writes for some 45 Years I have naturally used the word 'pither' meaning to crumble away as with soft sandstone, dry cake, in fact, any dry disintegrating substance.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Old Country and Farming Words (1880) records FLAWING as a Kentish pronunciation of flowing. Oaks were usually felled when the sap is rising, so that the bark may be easily stripped off. "The oaks are all cut in the flawing season, for the bark of all sizes."

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Traditional Kentish Easter Day fare was Pudding Pies and Cherry Beer, and the young folk would go 'pudding pieing' as described in Brand's Popular Antiquities (1905). However "The Dover Road" (1922) bemoaned a decline in the delicacy.

A photograph of a homemade pudding pie and a half-pint glass tankard of modern cherry flavoured beer sitting on a wooden table.

Pudding-pieing.- In Kent, they go a pudding-pieing on Easter day, the pudding-pie being a sort of cheese-cake or custard, with a raised crust and currants sprinkled over. Cherry beer is commonly drunk with these delicacies by the young folks.

You cannot get so immediately and incapably drunk nowadays at the " Halfway House,"
and 'tis better so, but I have seen the place drunk dry in the space of an hour by thirsty Volunteers marching from London to Dover at Eastertide. When they had gone, it was as hopeless to call for a draught of ale as I imagine it would have been to ask the hostess for that old-time Kentish delicacy, the "pudding-pie," that was once to be had for the asking at any inn during Easter week has almost entirely vanished from Kent, but, " once upon a time," not to have tasted one was regarded as unlucky, and it was the usual thing for ale-house customers to ask for a "pudding-pie" as a right." Neow, missus," the Kentish yokel would say, " let uz teaste one o' them 'ere puddeners o' yourn," and the "missus" would hand him a flat circular tart, about the size of a saucer, and filled with custard sprinkled thinly with currants.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

This 1950s newspaper snippet records JOUTERING as a Kentish form of arguing or nagging.

Kentish Dialect
An expression common enough in rural Kent years ago and still used by the older generation is "joutering." It means nagging or consistently arguing, such as "She's always a' joutering at her husband," otherwise grousing - another term having the same meaning.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

I posted about DENEHOLES last week a name which probably owes its origin to a "dene", a small wooded valley, since some Victorian writers believed that they were found in such locations. Other names which were applied to these shafts were, CHALKWELL, SOUND HOLE, TOLT and CLAPPER.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

These phrases have been noted to have been used in Kent for doing one thing in return for another, or 'tit for tat'; QUITEE FOR QUOTTIE, QUITTER FOR QUATTER and WHICKET FOR WHACKET.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

Around Romney Marsh MARLED was used to describe to white flecks and streaks of fat within the lean sections of meat. It would be more commonly known as MARBLED today. From Old Country and Farming Words (1880)

Marled [marbled]. 'In both bullocks and sheep, the flesh of none that die with little fat within will taste well; the fine eating meat being that which is marled flesh and spreadwell' Kent (Romney Marsh).—xx. 266.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect records that a LUBBER HOLE was a place made in a haystack when it is three-parts built, where a man may stand to reach the hay from the men in the wagon, and pitch it up to those on the top of the stack.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

This 1950s newspaper clipping translates a sentence that may have been heard in north Kent.

Kentish Dialect
"NOW den git an olt on it" would to a stranger sound rather like gibberish, but not so to the northern Kent resident. Being translated it merely means. "Now then, get and claw hold of it," otherwise-grasp it.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Dog's Mercury (Mercurialis perennis) is a common, but poisonous, woodland plant. The book 'Herbal Simples' (1895) records that it was sometimes called KENTISH BALSAM. Image from wikipedia.

MERCURY-DOG'S (Euphorbiacae):
THE Mercuriallis perennis (Dog's Mercury) grows commonly in our hedges and ditches, occurring in large patches, with egg-shaped pointed leaves, square stems, and light green flowers, developed in spikes. The old herbalists called it Smerewort, and gave it for agues, as well as to cure melancholy humours. It has been eaten in mistake for Good King Henry, which is sometimes called Mercury Goosefoot ; but it is decidedly poisonous, even when cooked. Some persons style it "Kentish Balsam."

Photograph of the green leaves of a Dog's Mercury or KENTISH BALSAM bush.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Nearly everyone in Kent has heard of DENEHOLES, a name applied to just about every small hole and hollow. Theories of their origin included use as grain stores, hiding places, habitations and flint mines, but now they are thought to have been sunk solely to obtain chalk to improve farm land.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

FERRER’S-END was a corruption of "Furrow’s-End" originating from use in ploughing, but it also became used to mean the end of an argument. Perhaps the end of a ROOKERY - an argument or altercation, sometimes amongst many people. Derived from watching the behaviour of rooks.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

The STRICKING PLOW [PLOUGH] was a type of plough peculiar to Kent. Here is a description of the implement in "The Rural Economy of the Southern Counties" (1798).

Another implement, which is peculiar I believe to Kent, is the "STRICKING PLOW,"
with which channels, grooves, or seed seams are struck, drawn, or opened, in broken or fallow ground. The principle of construction is still that of the turn-wrest plow; the operating parts being long pieces of wood, resembling the chip or keel of the plow, these are generally two in number; sometimes three: in some cases only one. The beam or beams, with which these keels are connected, rest on a gallows, or cross piece, similar to that of the common plow, but lighter.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

I'd not come across the word SCAMMIDGY before, this 1950s newspaper snippet says that it meant scarce and poor in quality.

Kentish Dialect
A VISITOR to Kent would be rather puzzled if he heard a gardener declare that his growing potatoes were scammidgy and that he had never had them so bad before. He would be deploring that the crop was scanry or scarce and poor in quality.

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Some phrases collected in Kent associated with being foolish, some may still be familiar. ACT-ABOUT - to play the fool. "He got acting-about, and fell down and broke his leg." ACT-THE-GIDDY-GOAT - to act foolishly. MUCK ABOUT and FIRK AROUND were noted in The Weald in the 1930s

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kenticisms @kenticisms.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

The CANTERBURY SCENE was a group of musicians playing prog rock with influences of free-form jazz and psychedelia around Canterbury. It was rather a loose collection of groups & musicians, some of which claim it wasn't really a scene at all. Bands included Soft Machine, Caravan and National Health.

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