Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 145

The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

Gotch-Gutted

I felt the need to mention this word in the dictionary as there is a Norfolk link and it’s defined as “pot bellied: a gotch in Norfolk signifying a pitcher, or large round jug”. A gotch jug was once often used for carrying beer or water, usually having two handles. This photo shows visually how it was used to denote someone who was pot-bellied, it’s quite a poetic phrase.