Page:The ancient language, and the dialect of Cornwall.djvu/259

 239 Podar. Mundic, pyrites. In Celtic Cornish ][)odar means rotten, corrupt ; mundic ; ugly. Borlase's Corn. Vocab. miner to whom its nature was entirely unknown gave it the name of poder (podar) ; and it will hardly be credited in these times, when it is stated that he regarded it not only as useless, but upon its appearance was actually induced to abandon the mine, the common expression upon such an occasion was that the ore came in and spoilt the tiny The writer when a boy used to hear aged men speak of copper ore (thought to be podar or mundic) having been used to mend the roads. "About the year 1735, says Dr. Paris, Mr. Coster, mineral- ogist of Bristol, observed this said podar among the heaps of rubbish, and seeing that the miners were wholly unacquainted with its value he entered into a contract to buy all he could get, and no doubt he found it a profitable transaction." Podge. A short fat person, '- quite a podge." Podgy. Short, thick, and fat. Pokemen. Stupid, clumsy, "such p6kemen ways," (Podging. M.A.C.) Poldavy. A very coarsely woven linen cloth. Sail cloth was formerly called Fowle-davies. Polled. Beheaded, used of fish. Polwhele. PoUet, or PoUeck. A crooked stick, knobbed at one end. w.F.P. Polyn. A stick. B.v. Polrumptions. Uprorious, restive. Pomster. A quack. In Celtic Cornish it is spelt ponster, meaning quackery, giving improper medicines.
 * ' Upon the first discovery of Copper ore, says Dr. Paris, the