98 TUE DIALEOT OF Peace Egg, the name sometimes given on the title-page of the drama of ' St. George/ which is performed at Christmas. I insert it here, not as necessarily forming a part of the dialect, but as being an instance of a very singular corruption, arising from the straining of a word to meet the knowledge, or ignorance, of the mass of people. The true name is Pace Egg, i. e. Pasch Egs, or Easter Esg. Still it may be asked why such a name should oe given to a drama performed at Christmas, and the entire reason may be difficult to make out. It must not be forgotten that the drama was, and I believe is still, in some parts performed at Easter, and the egg is the symbol of the Besurrection. It is much the same as if a Christmas publication were called the * Holly Branch ' ; but the Face Egg of course has a far wider signification. PeahnlL See Peasood. Pear, the fruit, is pronounced pear, as two syllables {gl, pee'h'r). Peartly, adv, in a brisk, lively manner. See Merrie Conceited Jests of George Pede, Gentleman, 1607. * So down-stairs goes she peartiyJ* Peasoalding (pronounced payscalding). This was a kind of pea feast, formerly popular enough, and conducted as follows. A large quantity of peas were gathered, say two strokes, which equal a bui^el. They were boiled with the 9wad* on in the aet-pot ; they were then piled upon a riddle and placed upon the table. Bound the base of the mountain were a lot of cuj^ containing butter, which was melted by the warmth of the peas. The neighbours and rriends gathered round. To eat the peas, the^ took hold of the stalk and stripped the pods in their mouths after dipping them in the melted butter, and the sweet- ness thus derived from the awads made the peas delicious. Bread was eaten with them. In the midst of the moimd of peas was a salt pot, into which the peas were dipped. Sometimes a little playfulness arose^ and they pelted one another with the awada, Peasood, the pod of the pea : so called probably from its resemblance to a pillow, in some places called a cod, * Hull ' is also used, f . e. pea-hulL Peaswad, or Peaswod (pronounced payswad ; gl, painswaad, second a as in had), a pea-pod. Peddle, a long tale. ' Let's ha' a less o' thi peddle * i. e. not so much of your talk. Peggy, an instrument used in washing clothes, having a long handle inserted at right angles to the plane of a wooden disc, in which axe set several pegs ; also called ' the maiden.' Pelt, sh, a skin : used chiefly for rabbit-skins, which are called rabbit peiUy and for hare-skins also. Pen, a feather. Penk, and sometimes Pink, to wink, or squinny. Dr. Kenealy. in his speech for the defence of the Claimant, said, * One of the witnesses
