GLOSSARY TO THE BIGLOW PAPERS by James Russell Lowell: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This is the glossary that Lowell created for *The Biglow Papers*, a collection of satirical poems written in the dialect of a rural New England Yankee.
The poem
Act'lly, _actually_. Air, _are_. Airth, _earth_. Airy, _area_. Aree, _area_. Arter, _after_. Ax, _ask_. Beller, _bellow_. Bellowses, _lungs_. Ben, _been_. Bile, _boil_. Bimeby, _by and by_. Blurt out, _to speak bluntly_. Bust, _burst_. Buster, _a roistering blade_; used also as a general superlative. Caird, _carried_. Cairn, _carrying_. Caleb, _a turncoat_. Cal'late, _calculate_. Cass, _a person with two lives_. Close, _clothes_. Cockerel, _a young cock_. Cocktail, _a kind of drink_; also, _an ornament peculiar to soldiers_. Convention, _a place where people are imposed on; a juggler's show_. Coons, _a cant term for a now defunct party_; derived, perhaps, from the fact of their being commonly _up a tree_. Cornwallis, _a sort of muster in masquerade_; supposed to have had its origin soon after the Revolution, and to commemorate the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. It took the place of the old Guy Fawkes procession. Crooked stick, _a perverse, froward person_. Cunnle, _a colonel_. Cus, _a curse_; also, _a pitiful fellow_. Darsn't, used indiscriminately, either in singular or plural number, for _dare not, dares not_, and _dared not_. Deacon off, _to give the cue to_; derived from a custom, once universal, but now extinct, in our New England Congregational churches. An important part of the office of deacon was to read aloud the hymns _given out_ by the minister, one line at a time, the congregation singing each line as soon as read. Demmercrat, leadin', _one in favor of extending slavery; a free-trade lecturer maintained in the custom-house_. Desput, _desperate_. Dō', _don't_. Doos, _does_. Doughface, _a contented lick-spittle_; a common variety of Northern politician. Dror, _draw_. Du, _do_. Dunno, dno, _do not_ or _does not know_. Dut, _dirt_. Eend, _end_. Ef, _if_. Emptins, _yeast_. Env'y, _envoy_. Everlasting, an intensive, without reference to duration. Ev'y, _every_. Ez, _as_. Fence, on the; said of one who halts between two opinions; a trimmer. Fer, _for_. Ferfle, ferful, _fearful_; also an intensive. Fin', _find_. Fish-skin, used in New England to clarify coffee. Fix, _a difficulty, a nonplus_. Foller, folly, _to follow_. Forrerd, _forward_. Frum, _from_. Fur, _for_ Furder, _farther_. Furrer, _furrow_. Metaphorically, _to draw a straight furrow_ is to live uprightly or decorously. Fust, _first_. Gin, _gave_. Git, _get_. Gret, _great_. Grit, _spirit, energy, pluck_. Grout, _to sulk_. Grouty, _crabbed, surly_. Gum, _to impose on_. Gump, _a foolish fellow, a dullard_. Gut, _got_. Hed, _had_. Heern, _heard_. Hellum, _helm_. Hendy, _handy_. Het, _heated_. Hev, _have_. Hez, _has_. Holl, _whole_. Holt, _hold_. Huf, _hoof_. Hull, _whole_. Hum, _home_. Humbug, _General Taylor's antislavery_. Hut, _hurt_. Idno, _I do not know_. In'my, _enemy_. Insines, _ensigns_; used to designate both the officer who carries the standard, and the standard itself. Inter, intu, _into_. Jedge, _judge_. Jest, _just_. Jine, _join_. Jint, _joint_. Junk, _a fragment of any solid substance_. Keer, _care_. Kep', _kept_. Killock, _a small anchor_. Kin', kin' o', kinder, _kind, kind of_. Lawth, _loath_. Less, _let's, let us_. Let daylight into, _to shoot_. Let on, _to hint, to confess, to own_. Lick, _to beat, to overcome_. Lights, _the bowels_. Lily-pads, _leaves of the water-lily_. Long-sweetening, _molasses_. Mash, _marsh_. Mean, _stingy, ill-natured_. Min', _mind_. Nimepunce, _ninepence, twelve and a half cents_. Nowers, _nowhere_. Offen, _often_. Ole, _old_. Ollers, olluz, _always_. On, _of_; used before _it_ or _them,_ or at the end of a sentence, as _on 't, on 'em, nut ez ever I heerd on_. On'y, _only_. Ossifer, _officer_ (seldom heard). Peaked, _pointed_. Peek, _to peep_. Pickerel, _the pike, a fish_. Pint, _point_. Pocket full of rocks, _plenty of money_. Pooty, _pretty_. Pop'ler, _conceited, popular_. Pus, _purse_. Put out, _troubled, vexed_. Quarter, _a quarter-dollar_. Queen's-arm, _a musket_. Resh, _rush_. Revelee, _the réveille_. Rile, _to trouble_. Riled, _angry; disturbed,_ as the sediment in any liquid. Riz, _risen_. Row, a long row to hoe, _a difficult task_. Rugged, _robust_. Sarse, _abuse, impertinence_. Sartin, _certain_. Saxon, _sacristan, sexton_. Scaliest, _worst_. Scringe, _cringe_. Scrouge, _to crowd_. Sech, _such_. Set by, _valued_. Shakes, great, _of considerable consequence_. Shappoes, _chapeaux, cocked-hats_. Sheer, _share_. Shet, _shut_. Shut, _shirt_. Skeered, _scared_. Skeeter, _mosquito_. Skooting, _running,_ or _moving swiftly_. Slarterin', _slaughtering_. Slim, _contemptible_. Snake, _crawled like a snake_; but _to snake any one out_ is to track him to his hiding-place; _to snake a thing out_ is to snatch it out. Soffies, _sofas_. Sogerin', _soldiering_; a barbarous amusement common among men in the savage state. Som'ers, _somewhere_. So'st, _so as that_. Sot, _set, obstinate, resolute_. Spiles, _spoils; objects of political ambition_. Spry, _active_. Steddles, _stout stakes driven into the salt marshes_, on which the hay-ricks are set, and thus raised out of the reach of high tides. Streaked, _uncomfortable, discomfited_. Suckle, _circle_. Sutthin', _something_. Suttin, _certain_. Take on, _to sorrow_. Talents, _talons_. Taters, _potatoes_. Tell, _till_. Tetch, _touch_. Tetch tu, _to be able_; used always after a negative in this sense. Tollable, _tolerable_. Toot, used derisively for _playing on any wind instrument_. Thru, _through_. Thundering, a euphemism common in New England for the profane English expression _devilish_. Perhaps derived from the belief, common formerly, that thunder was caused by the Prince of the Air, for some of whose accomplishments consult Cotton Mather. Tu, _to, too_; commonly has this sound when used emphatically, or at the end of a sentence. At other times it has the sound of _t_ in _tough_, as _Ware ye gain' tu? Goin' ta Boston_. Ugly, _ill-tempered, intractable_. Uncle Sam, _United States_; the largest boaster of liberty and owner of slaves. Unrizzest, applied to dough or bread; _heavy, most unrisen, or most incapable of rising_. V-spot, _a five-dollar bill_. Vally, _value_. Wake snakes, _to get into trouble_. Wal, _well_; spoken with great deliberation, and sometimes with the _a_ very much flattened, sometimes (but more seldom) very much broadened. Wannut, _walnut (hickory)_. Ware, _where_. Ware, _were_. Whopper, _an uncommonly large lie_; as, that General Taylor is in favor of the Wilmot Proviso. Wig, _Whig_; a party now dissolved. Wunt, _will not_. Wus, _worse_. Wut, _what_. Wuth, _worth_; _as, Antislavery perfessions 'fore 'lection aint wuth a Bungtown copper_. Wuz, _was_, sometimes _were_. Yaller, _yellow_. Yeller, _yellow_. Yellers, _a disease of peach-trees_. Zack, Ole, _a second Washington, an antislavery slaveholder; a humane buyer and seller of men and women, a Christian hero generally_.
This is the glossary that Lowell created for *The Biglow Papers*, a collection of satirical poems written in the dialect of a rural New England Yankee. It translates the phonetic spellings and slang of that dialect into standard English, all while delivering sharp political commentary—particularly aimed at slavery and the politicians who supported it. You can think of it as a dictionary with a bit of sass: sprinkled throughout, Lowell throws in definitions that serve as a direct jab at a public figure or a corrupt institution.
Line-by-line
Act'lly, _actually_. / Air, _are_.
Beller, _bellow_. / Bellowses, _lungs_.
Caleb, _a turncoat_. / Cal'late, _calculate_.
Darsn't, used indiscriminately... / Deacon off, _to give the cue to_...
Eend, _end_. / Ef, _if_.
Fence, on the; said of one who halts between two opinions; a trimmer.
Gin, _gave_. / Git, _get_.
Hed, _had_. / Heern, _heard_.
Idno, _I do not know_. / In'my, _enemy_.
Keer, _care_. / Kep', _kept_.
Mash, _marsh_. / Mean, _stingy, ill-natured_.
Nimepunce, _ninepence, twelve and a half cents_. / Nowers, _nowhere_.
Offen, _often_. / Ole, _old_.
Peaked, _pointed_. / Peek, _to peep_.
Quarter, _a quarter-dollar_. / Queen's-arm, _a musket_.
Resh, _rush_. / Revelee, _the réveille_.
Sarse, _abuse, impertinence_. / Sartin, _certain_.
Take on, _to sorrow_. / Talents, _talons_.
Ugly, _ill-tempered, intractable_. / Uncle Sam, _United States_...
V-spot, _a five-dollar bill_. / Vally, _value_.
Wake snakes, _to get into trouble_. / Wal, _well_...
Yaller, _yellow_. / Yeller, _yellow_.
Zack, Ole, _a second Washington, an antislavery slaveholder_...
Tone & mood
Dry, satirical, and deceptively casual. At first glance, this seems like a useful reference tool—a dictionary for puzzled readers. But Lowell keeps delivering sharp critiques. The tone swings between a sincere love for the Yankee dialect and a biting anger towards the political elite, and this contrast generates much of the energy. It captures the voice of a person who sees the world as both amusing and truly infuriating, trusting the reader to discern the difference.
Symbols & metaphors
- The dialect itself — The phonetic spellings and rural slang aren't merely for comic effect — they represent straightforward moral honesty. The Yankee farmer who says "wut" and "hev" speaks the truth, while the polished politician who uses proper language does not.
- The fence — "On the fence" represents Lowell's view of moral cowardice — the unwillingness to take a stand on slavery when it truly matters. While it shows up as a glossary term, it serves as a key image throughout the entire *Biglow Papers* project.
- The furrow — Drawing a straight furrow symbolizes living with integrity. This farming metaphor holds significant ethical meaning: just like a diligent ploughman, an honest person maintains their course, no matter how uneven the terrain may be.
- Uncle Sam — Lowell reimagines the national symbol not as a source of pride, but as a walking contradiction — the loudest advocate for liberty while being one of its biggest slaveholders. The symbol is turned against itself.
- Unrisen bread — "Unrizzest" — the heaviest, unable to rise — represents Lowell's view of people and ideas that lack life or moral energy. It’s a domestic metaphor with a theological twist: the inability to rise.
- Ole Zack (Zachary Taylor) — Taylor stands out in the glossary as a prime example of American political hypocrisy: a war hero hailed as antislavery while also being a slave owner, a "Christian hero" whose interpretation of Christianity aligns perfectly with the buying and selling of human beings.
Historical context
James Russell Lowell published *The Biglow Papers* in two series, with the first released in 1848 during the Mexican-American War. As a committed abolitionist, Lowell used the voice of Hosea Biglow, a fictional farm boy from Massachusetts, to criticize the war as a land grab aimed at expanding slavery into new territories. The glossary was part of the framework Lowell created around the poems — along with fictional editors and footnotes — allowing him to express his views more directly than was typically accepted in polite literary circles. The dialect he captures is authentic: it reflects the rural New England Yankee speech of the early nineteenth century, which urban readers were beginning to view as quaint or humorous. Lowell’s strategy was to turn that condescension on its head, positioning the dialect speaker as the moral authority while portraying the standard-English-speaking politicians as foolish. The glossary exists at the crossroads of linguistics, folklore, and political commentary — making it a truly unique document in American literary history.
FAQ
*The Biglow Papers* are satirical poems by Lowell, featuring the voice of a rural New England Yankee named Hosea Biglow. Lowell spelled the dialect phonetically—using "wut" for *what* and "hev" for *have*—which meant that readers not familiar with the speech required a translation guide. However, Lowell cleverly used the glossary as an additional layer of satire, mixing political definitions in with the phonetic ones.
It takes the shape of a glossary, yet it operates as both a literary and political work. Lowell deliberately chooses how to arrange the entries, how detailed the definitions are, and when to step away from the neutral tone of a lexicographer to insert his own sharp commentary. This piece is part of a tradition of satirical mock-scholarship, reminiscent of writers like Swift and Sterne.
Ole Zack is Zachary Taylor, the general from the Mexican-American War who later became the twelfth U.S. president. Taylor was a slaveholder but portrayed himself as sympathetic to antislavery views during his campaign. Lowell saw this as a blatant lie — hence the term "Whopper," illustrated by Taylor's alleged support for the Wilmot Proviso, a bill aimed at banning slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico.
A doughface referred to a Northern politician who backed or catered to Southern slaveholding interests. The term was in use prior to Lowell's application, but his description — "a contented lick-spittle" — highlights his disdain for them more vividly than the slang itself. In Lowell's opinion, they are more despicable than Southerners who openly support slavery because they should know better.
Lowell truly admired it. The way he meticulously records entries like "Wal" — highlighting how the vowel shifts with emphasis — reflects a genuine linguist's care. He wasn't mocking the dialect; he was preserving it and making a case that the speakers had more moral clarity than the educated class that looked down on them.
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposed law introduced in 1846 that aimed to prohibit slavery in any territory the United States gained from Mexico due to the war. It passed in the House but did not succeed in the Senate. In Lowell's opinion, Taylor's alleged support for it was a campaign falsehood—this is why it serves as the example sentence under *whopper*.
By 1848, "Uncle Sam" had become a well-known symbol representing American freedom and democratic values. Lowell's definition — "the largest boaster of liberty and owner of slaves" — deliberately flips that symbolism on its head. He highlights the contradiction between the nation's self-image and its actual practices, suggesting that no amount of patriotic rhetoric could disguise this reality.
Lowell created a complex fictional framework for the poems, featuring a made-up editor named Homer Wilbur, along with footnotes, prefaces, and a glossary. This entire setup parodies scholarly editing, enabling Lowell to present political arguments while appearing as a neutral commentator. The glossary exemplifies this tactic—while it resembles a reference tool, it reads more like an opinion piece.