What kind of words have English speaking people forgotten about? And how does a person just totally forget that a word exists? I know that's what you're thinking, but I have no answers. Sorry. But I can go on in length about some interesting words I've come across so far. Is that okay? Oh, well, you'll get over it.
Hopshackles
What these were, we can only guess...They appear to be some kind of shackles imposed upon the loser of the race by the judges. Roger Ascham [wrote in] The Scholemaster (1570): "Some runners...deserve but the hopshackles."
-Robert Nares's Glossary of the Works of English Authors, 1859
The brand new year started of with this one. I couldn't get over their definition. Heh, hopshackles...
Ploughed Rainbow
A field ploughed in curves ("bows") to suit a curving outline, is said to be ploughed rainbow. Hence, some fields have the name Rainbow Field.
-Edward Gepp's Essex Dialect Dictionary, 1923
This one is one of my favorites so far, because the same day that it was on the calendar, I also found a green star sticker on the floor of my room, the same stickers we use in the Rainbows class at church. I miss those little kids.
Water-wolf
In drinking out of a stream, a man is said to "swallow a water-wolf" which, it is said, lives and grows in his stomach.
-Sidney Addy's Glossary of...Sheffield [Yorkshire], 1888
While to most people this may seem on the outrageous and ridiculous side, I find this one hilariously awesome! Not to mention, this totally sounds like something that would pop up in one of the circle stories my friend Caroline and I write. I have a feeling there will most definitely be a water-wolf in the current one.
Stay out of those streams and don't drink any water-wolves, people!
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