Notes

Old-witch, a person of either sex possessed of supernatural powers, not necessarily old in years, as will be seen in other stories. The name "white witch" applied to men is familiar to dwellers in the West of England.

'mash-up, smashed up, wounded, lacerated.

youricky-yourk, a nonsense word for some kind of plaster.

pass, path.

Miss Princess. Prince and Princess are common names for boys and girls.

good mornin'. This broad o is always pronounced ah.

yard, a house with its immediate surroundings.

Never you bodder, don't you bother with something which stands so, with that sort of commission.

ahm, frequently used for him.

fuppence, with Italian u having a turn towards o, fivepence in the old Jamaica coinage, equal to threepence English. Princess advises the return of the fuppence because it is going to get Justina (English u and Italian i) into trouble, coming as it does from an old-witch. It would not be guessed that the Jamaica coinage is identical with that of England. Such is, nevertheless, the case in spite of these curious names:

3 farthings 1 gill.

2 gills 1 quatty (quarter of sixpence, pronounced quotty).

2 quatties 1 treppence or fuppence (old coinage).

3 quatties 1 bit.

4 quatties 1 sixpence or tenpence (old coinage).

5 quatties, bit-o-fuppence.

7 quatties, bit-o-tenpence.

8 quatties 1 shilling or maccaroni.

10 quatties, mac-o-fuppence.

go go buy. It is not only Annancy who uses reduplications. The close English o is replaced in the Negro's mouth by an Italian open o.

hafoo (pronounced hahfoo, really afoo, an African word), a kind of yam.

'kellion, skellion or scallion, a kind of onion which does not bulb.

Gungo, Congo. This pea is not only excellent for soup, but the growing plant improves the soil by introducing nitrogen into it.

ya, do you hear? a common ending to any remark.

tell goodbye. They tell howdy (how do you do?) and goodbye.

Lingo Starban. This should probably be Lingo's tavern, Lingo's tahvern; v and b being indistinguishable as in Spanish and Russian.

'cornful day, a day of scorning or flouting. Justina wishes Tomby to believe that she tried everywhere to get some youricky-yourk, but met only with flouts and jeers.

Hm, hm, grumbling.

a him, it is him, it is that which makes you say:—"Tatalingo, here's your bit," your three quatties. She only had a treppence but the Negro is above accuracy as the Emperor Sigismund was above grammar.

Tatalingo. Lingo's name is now transferred to Tomby. Italian vowels in Tata. In "Finger Quashy" we find Tatafelo as one of the cats' names.

make him a present, make her (Justina) a present to Annancy.

Mrs. Annancy Sinclair. They are not particular in the matter of surnames. A remarried widow is constantly called by the surname of her first husband.