Archaic use of the common word spell.
Spell referring to time as in, sit a spell. It also means to relieve someone on a watch, as in spell a guard.
I'd never heard the latter part used until one night in a hospital waiting room I overheard another group of people talking:
Son, could you go up to the room and spell your brother?
Huh? I can spell it here, J-A-S-O-N.
No we mean relieve him watching grandma.
I had to look it up in a dictionary at the library lol
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@the-gravedigger saidGive it some time -- it might become swoll.
Swell thread.
@Gambrel:
I love archaic and retro words and phrases, but am drawing a blank so have nothing to contribute at the moment.
However, this thread did inspire me to see whether the local library system includes access to the OED Online (they don't seem to, but I'll ask them), and also what the current subscription price is for OED Online (only $100/year in the US! -- I don't remember having seen it that low).
