Shinner, G. schinder (a knacker,[71]) an objurgatory epithet applied by butchers to farmers who compete with them in the market.
Speck, the flitch of salt bacon, particularly when boiled with sourcrout, hence, 'speck and sourcrout.'
Tsitterly, calf's-foot jelly.
Hartley, a hurdle for drying fruit.
Snits, a snit (G. schnitz, a cut), a longitudinal section of fruit, particularly apples, and when dried for the kitchen. The term is in use in districts where German is unknown.[72]
Hootsle, PG. hutsl, G. hotzel, a dried fruit; Bavar. and Suab. hutzel, a dried pear. In Pennsylvania, a peach dried without removing the stone.
Dumb (G. dumm) is much used for stupid.
Fockle (G. fackel), a fisherman's torch.
Mother (PG. from G. mutter-weh, not parturition, but) a hysterical rising in the throat. The word occurs in old and provincial English.[73]
Chipmunk, a ground-squirrel (Tamias); chip probably from its cry, and Swiss munk, a marmot.
Spook (G. Spuk), a spectre; and the verb, as—"It spooks there," "The grave-yard spooks."
Crĭstkintly (PG. Krischtkintli, G. Chrĭst Kindlein), the Christ Child who is supposed to load the chrĭstmas trees and bring presents at Christmas. Perverted in the Philadelphia newspapers to Kriss Kringle, Kriss Kingle, and Kriss Kinkle.
Christmas-tree, a well-known word for a well-known and much used object, but absent from the American dictionaries.
Bellsnickle, PG. beltsnikkl (G. Pelz a pelt, skin with hair, as a bear-skin, here used as a disguise, and perhaps associated with peltzen, to pelt,) and Nickel, Nix, in the sense of a demon. (Suab. Pelzmärte, as if based on Martin). A masked and hideously disguised person, who goes from house to house on christmas eve, beating (or pretending to beat) the children and servants, and throwing down nuts and cakes before leaving. A noisy party accompanies him, often with a bell, which has influenced the English name.
These, I suppose, were Christmas mummers, though I heard them called "Bell-schnickel."—Atlantic Monthly, October, 1869, p. 484.
Gounsh, n. and v.i. As to seesaw implies reciprocal motion, so to gounsh is to move up and down, as upon the free end of an elastic board. PG. 'Kumm, mr wellǝ gaunschǝ.' (Come, let us gounsh.) Suab. gautschen; Eng. to jounce.[74]
Hoopsisaw (PG. húppsisaa, also provincial German). A rustic or low dance, and a lively tune adapted to it. Inferior lively music is sometimes called 'hoopsisaw music,' 'a hoopsisaw tune.'[75]
Hoove, v.i. a command to a horse to back, and used by extension as in "The men hooved (demurred) when required to do more work." Used in both senses in the Swiss hüfen, imperative hüf! and Schmeller (Bayr. Wörterb. 2, 160) gives it as Bavarian.
Hussling-, or Hustling-match, PG. hossl-mætsch (with English match), a raffle. From the root of hustle, the game being conducted by shaking coins in a hat and counting the resulting heads.
Sock up, "to make a man sock up," pay a debt, produce his sack or pouch. This is uncertain, because, were a PG. expression to occur like "Du muscht ufsakkǝ" (you must sock up), it might be borrowed from English.
Boof, peach brandy. In Westerwaldish, buff is water-cider,—cider made by wetting the pomace and pressing it a second time.
Sots, n. sing. G. satz, home-made 'yeast' as distinguished from 'brewer's-yeast.'
Sandman, "The sandman is coming,"—said when children get sleepy about bedtime and indicate it by rubbing the eyes. Used thus in Westerwald and Suabia.[76] Children are warned against touching dirt by the exclamation (bæætschi).
Snoot, for snout, a widespread teutonic form.
§ 2. Family Names Modified.
With several concurrent languages, the deterioration of names is an obvious process. Among the mixed population of Baltimore, the name 'Bradley' is to a Frenchman Bras-de-long; for 'Strawberry' (alley) and 'Havre-de-grâce' (in Maryland) the Germans say Strubbel, and Hasel-im-gras; and the Irish make the following changes—
Carron (French) Scarron Schöffeler Scofield Coquerelle Corcoran van Dendriessche Driscol de Vries Freezer van Emstede Hampsted Giessen Gleason Winsiersski Winchester Grimm Grimes Fayette Street Faith St. Henning Hannon Alice Ann St. Alexander St. Rosier Rosetree Happy Alley Apple Alley
| Carron (French) | Scarron | Schöffeler | Scofield |
| Coquerelle | Corcoran | van Dendriessche | Driscol |
| de Vries | Freezer | van Emstede | Hampsted |
| Giessen | Gleason | Winsiersski | Winchester |
| Grimm | Grimes | Fayette Street | Faith St. |
| Henning | Hannon | Alice Ann St. | Alexander St. |
| Rosier | Rosetree | Happy Alley | Apple Alley |
A German with a name which could not be appreciated, was called John Waterhouse because he attended a railroad tank—a name which he adopted and placed upon his sign when he subsequently opened a small shop. A German family became ostensibly Irish by preferring the sonant phase of their initial—calling and writing themselves Grady instead of Krady; a name 'Leuter' became Lander; 'Amweg' was tried a while as Amwake and then resumed; and in a family record, the name 'George' is given as Schorts. A postoffice 'Chickis' (Chikiswalungo—place where crayfish burrow) received a letter directed to Schickgets, another Schickens Laenghaester Caunte, and 'Berks County' has been spelled Burgix Caunte.[77]
The following German and Anglicised forms may be compared,—