K is for Kingkisheen

Kingkisheen: A person born on Whit Sunday, generally fated to be unlucky and to slay or be slain or both.

Whit Sunday, to the best of my understanding, is the Christian Feast of Weeks, currently known as the Pentecost, which celebrates the descending of the holy spirit upon the twelve apostles of Christ, which in essence marks the origin of the Christian church. I could possibly be wrong about any or all of that.

Not to be confused with Kinky Sean. But we don't talk about him.

Source: The English Dialect of Donegal (1953) Michael Traynor
Google hits: 1900


Ketchcraft: The hangman's craft.

Because hanging releases no blood, a good ketcher would arrange to have ketchup theatrically squirted at the crowd at the moment of the plunge, hence the term ketchcraft. Those in the front row often wore raincoats for this reason and this tradition evolved into the modern day Marineland events where whales and dolphins now take the place of death-row prisoners and are made to splash water, which is cheaper than ketchup, under the threat of starvation should they refuse. And... that might have all been B.S. just now.

Source: New English Dictionary (1901) Sir James Murray
Google hits: 15300


Kickseys: The pockets of breeches when turned inside out for the purpose of stealing their contents. To turn out a man's kickseys.

Example: "It was got from the kickseys."

An authority on pickpockets, Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame) describes his encounter with Apollo Robbins, likely the premiere pickpocket of all time; his ability described as almost supernatural: At a magician's convention where they shared a table with other peers, Jillette insisted Robbins demonstrate his craft. Robbins refused, declaring he hadn't the nerve to perform in front of other magicians but finally offered to do a trick instead. He asked Jillette to remove his ring and trace it on a piece of paper. Jillette produced the ring and his pen, began the exercise and promptly declared, "Fuck you," slumping back into his chair. Robbins was holding a small cylindrical object, the ink cartridge for Jillette's pen.

Source: Vocabulary of the Flash Language (1812) James Hardy Vaux
Google hits: 14400

Little Tommy always has to fight the urge to take candy from strangers.