Similarly, a
witch's incantation--probably in monotone--is a charm, and then comes
to mean the object given by a witch to an applicant. "Charming" and
"bewitching" thus both proclaim their origins, but have now acquired a
totally different signification.
There are an immense number of curious words and phrases in everyday
use, and they were collected by Mr. A. Porson, M.A., who published a
very interesting list with explanatory notes in 1875, under the title
of _Notes of Quaint Words and Sayings in the Dialect of South
Worcestershire_. I append a list of the local archaic words and
phrases which can also be found in Shakespeare's Plays. This list was
compiled by me some years ago, and appeared in the "Notes and Queries"
column of the _Evesham Journal_; I think all are still to be heard in
Evesham and the villages in that corner of Worcestershire.
SHIP--sheep; cf. Shipton, Shipston, etc.; _Two Gentlemen of Verona_,
Act I., Scene 1; _Comedy of Errors_, Act IV., Scene 1.
FALSING--the present participle of the verb "to false"; _Comedy of
Errors_, Act II., Scene 2; _Cymbeline_, Act II., Scene 3.
FALL--verb active; _Comedy of Errors_, Act II., Scene 2; _Midsummer
Night's Dream_, Act V., Scene 1.
CUSTOMERS--companions; _Comedy of Errors_, Act IV., Scene 4.
KNOTS--flower beds; _Love's Labour's Lost_, Act I.
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