1.

HABBERCOCK -An old Scots word for working day, or the first results of any new
anything that is a source of annoyance, followed endeavor or interest. You can also use it as a
by… verb, meaning “to give a gift,” “to be the first
2. HABBER-GLABBER -another Scots customer of a business,” or “to celebrate or
dialect word for rash, impulsive behavior, inaugurate something new,” to do something for
probably derived from an earlier word, glab, good handsel likewise means doing it for good
meaning “to snatch impetuously.” luck, and Handsel Monday is an old nickname
3. HACKSLAVER- To hesitate or stammer in for the first Monday of a New Year, when
speech. handsel gifts were once traditionally exchanged.
4. HAEMOPHOBIA- Hate the sight of blood? 11. HANG-GALLOWS- In 18th century slang,
Then you’re haemophobic. Other H- if you had a hang-gallows look then you looked
phobias include hygrophobia (hatred of humid like you were up to no good—in other words,
or damp you looked like someone who would eventually
conditions), homichlophobia (fog), hippophobia  be hanged.
(horses), and hypegiaphobia (the hatred of 12. HANS-IN-KELDER - Adopted into English
having responsibilities). from Dutch in the 17th century, a Hans-in-
5. HAIGSPEAK- When politicians use Kelder is an unborn baby still in its mother’s
convoluted, deliberately obscurant language to womb. Also known by its equivalent English
disguise or divert away from what they’re translation Jack in the cellar, more often than
actually talking about, that’s Haigspeak. The not Hans-in-Kelder was used as a toast to an
term dates back to the early 1980s and refers expectant mother.
General Al Haig, who served as United States 13. HAPPING - As a verb, hap can be used to
Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan from mean “to cover” or “enswathe,” which
1981 to '82. Haig became known for his makes happing a 17th century word for bed
fractured, verbose, and often mentally sheets.
befuddling speeches—which were so distinctive 14. HAPTICS- Derived from Greek, haptics is
that one British ambassador to Washington the name of the science behind the sense of
even offered a prize for the best rendering of touch. It’s involved in the study of haptotropism,
the Gettysburg Address in “Haigspeak.” which is the growth or movement of plants (or
6. HALCYONINE - In Ancient Greek myth, parts of plants) in response to what they touch,
the halcyon was a legendary bird said to build its like the tendrils of grasping creepers and vines—
floating nest far out in the middle of the sea, and or, in extreme cases, exploding cucumbers.
during the two weeks the female halcyon sat on 15. HARAGEOUSNESS- A 15th century word
her nest brooding her eggs—usually said to be for sternness or cruelty.
from mid-December onwards—it was believed 16. HARD-WEIGHT- When you weigh
that there would be a prolonged period of fine, something out and it’s just slightly short of the
dry, calm weather. This period became known as quantity you need, that’s a hard-weight.
the halcyon days, a phrase still in use today to 17. HEBDOMAD- Derived from the Greek
refer to any time of total happiness or word for the number seven, a hebdomad is a
contentment. Nowadays, the myth of the halcyon week. If something occurs hebdomadally, then it
is attached to the kingfisher: It might not nest in occurs once every seven days.
the middle of the sea (far from it in fact, as 18. HEBETATE- To hebetate something is to
kingfishers usually nest in deep muddy tunnels make it blunt or dulled. Something that
excavated into riverbanks), but anything is hebetative does precisely that.
described as halcyonine is nevertheless said to 19. HEDERACEOUS- If something
resemble—or be as brightly colored as—a is hederaceous then it resembles ivy, whereas if
kingfisher. you’re hederigerent then you’re dressed with or
7. HALF-WIDOW- An old American bedecked in ivy. If something is hordaceous,
slang word for a wife with a lazy husband. incidentally, then it resembles barley, while
8. HALIOGRAPHY anything that is horeiform is shaped like a
A written description of the sea. barleycorn.
9. HANDFAST- As well as being another word 20. HEDGEHOGGED- Spiky, or covered in
for a strong grasp, handfast can be used to mean prickles. Bonus H-fact: a baby hedgehog is
a binding contract or agreement, or a handshake called a hoglet.
to secure a deal. Shakespeare used the 21. HEDLEY-MEDLEY- A confused jumble.
expression to be in handfast to mean “to be 22. HEMPSTRING- In the sense of something
under arrest.” of very little value, hempstring was a Tudor
10. HANDSEL- Handsel is an ancient English English word for a worthless or disreputable
word (the earliest record of which dates back to person.
the mid 10th century) used in a number of 23. HEN-FRUIT- No surprises here—that’s an
different senses, most of which carry some sense old 19th century nickname for an egg.
of placing something in someone’s hands. In 24. HESITUDE- An old word for hesitancy or
simple terms, a handsel is just a gift or a reward, doubtfulness.
but specifically it refers to a gift given for good 25. HIDDER-AND-SHIDDER -A Tudor
luck at New Year, or at the start of something period word for a mixed herd or flock of both
new, such as when moving into a new home or male and female animals. It literally means “he-
starting a new job. Handsel can also be used to deer and she-deer.”
mean a down-payment or first installment, the
money made by the first sale of a business or a 26. HIEMATE- To spend the winter
somewhere.
27. HIGH-STOMACHED- A Shakespearean
invention describing anyone especially proud or
haughty.
28. HISTRIOMASTIX -A 17th century
word for a theater critic, derived from the Greek
for “scourge of actors.” The word itself was
originally popularized in the title of an
unforgiving critique of England’s actors,
actresses, and theaters published by a Puritan
lawyer and pamphleteer named William Prynne
in the early 1630s. Unfortunately for Prynne, the
anti-thespian opinions he outlined in
his Histriomastix were taken as a slight against
Henrietta Maria, wife of the reigning King
Charles I, who was known to have dabbled in
theater alongside her duties as queen consort. As
a result, Prynne was imprisoned in the Tower of
London, fined a staggering £5,000 (equivalent to
more than £400,000/$570,000 today), was
pilloried, had both his ears cut off, and was
branded with the letters SL (meaning “seditious
libeler”) on both sides of his face.
29. HITHERUM-DITHERUM- Presumably
derived from a local pronunciation of “hither and
thither” (that is, “here and there”), hitherum-
ditherum is an old Scots dialect word for the
perfect weather for drying clothes outside—in
other words, a day when the wind seems to blow
from all directions.
30. HONESTATION- As a verb, honest can be
used to mean “to honor or bestow dignity on,”
and derived from that an honestation is any
honorable or positive quality or attribute.
31. HORALLY-Anything that occurs horally
happens every hour. Likewise, anything that
is semihoral lasts half an hour, and
anything sesquihoral lasts an hour and a half.
32. HORNSWOGGLE- To get the better of or
to bamboozle someone is to hornswoggle them.
33. HORODIX- Derived from the Greek for
“hour-shower,” horodix is essentially a formal
17th century word for clock.
34. HORRESCENT- If you’re horrescent, then
you’re shuddering with fear. Something that
is horriferous, likewise, induces horror or terror,
while…
35. HORRIPILATION - is the medical name
for goose-bumps. It’s also known
as piloerection.
36. HORRISONANT- An adjective used to
describe anything that sounds awful.
37. HORSE-GODMOTHER- A 16th century
insult aimed at “a large coarse-looking woman,”
according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
38. HUFTY-TUFTY- A 16th century
word describing anyone swaggeringly arrogant.
39. HUMSTRUM - A Scots dialect word for a
sulky mood.
40. HYLOMANIA - Derived from the Greek
word for “wood,” hylomania is an obsessive
desire to own material things.