Wovember Words #3

As promised yesterday, here are some more lamby words. Wovember friend Liz Ashdowne has found them all in the Oxford English Dictionary!

gimmer-lamb, n.

A female lamb that has not been shorn.

a1642 H. Best Farming & Memorandum Bks. (1984) 4 From lambinge time‥till clippinge time‥they [sc. ewes] are called gimmer lambes.

hob-lamb, n.

A lamb reared by hand.

1847 in J. O. Halliwell Dict. Archaic & Provinc. Words

1875 W. D. Parish Dict. Sussex Dial., Hob-lamb, a pet lamb, brought up by hand.

mutton dressed lamb-fashion: applied to an old woman dressed in youthful style.

1810 Splendid Follies I. 131 Ewe mutton without garnish is a tough bite, to be sure; but methinks she’s dished herself off to day, lamb-fashion.

in three (or two) shakes of a sheep’s (or lamb’s) tail: very quickly

1858 S. A. Hammett Piney Woods Tavern xxiv. 260 Out come my mare, and in a couple of shakes of a sheep’s tail we was a doin’ our three minits jest as fine as silk.

IMG_4584_PHall_Herdwicks

Picture and © Pam Hall – Herdwick sheep from her own flock