june v

1 also with along, around: To hasten, hurry; to bustle. Cf zoon1869 Overland Mth. 3.127 TX, A trig, smirk little horse is a “lace-horse,” and he often has to “june” . . or “get up and dust.” [Overland Mth. Ed: There is a large colony of Germans in Western Texas, and “june” is said to be corrupted from their gehen.] 1892 DN 1.230 KY, June-in’ [ǰunɪn]: running fast. “She came a-june-in’.” An onomatopoetic word, from the humming noise made by what we call June-bugs. They are the bronze-coated beetles that children catch to tie long strings to their legs to hold them while they hum in their efforts to fly away.  1893 Shands MS Speech 41, June. . . A word used by all classes to mean to get along, to progress; as, “He made that horse june.” 1903 (1965) Adams Log Cowboy 228 West, Now, we thought, if the herd could be brought up slowly, and this bridgeful let off in their lead, they might follow. To june a herd of cattle across in this manner would have been shameful.  1905 DN 3.84 nwAR, June. . . To hurry. ‘It made him june (with what he was doing).’ ‘We went just a-junin’.’ ‘He kept me a-junin’ ‘ (used by a stenographer of an employer). Not uncommon. 1923 DN 5.212 swMO, June along. . . To hasten. To come a-junin’ = to come hastily. 1940 (1978) Still River of Earth 199 KY, This time o’ year the mining business ought to be juning. 1984 Burns Cold Sassy 154 nGA 1906, I really juned around when I got home that evening. I needed to lay in a store of good feelings as well as stovewood before asking permission to go camping.

2  also with around: To make a humming or rasping sound; to buzz. Cf June bird1893 Shands MS Speech 41, June. . . To make a humming noise, as is made by a body moving or revolving swiftly; . . a nail when thrown through the air, is said to june.  c1960 Wilson Coll. csKY, June bug. . . Children . . would tie a thread to one of its legs and let the insect “June” around.

3  with around: To putter; to loaf or idle (about).1895 Inlander Nov 61, June around. To be busy but not accomplish anything.  1948 AmSp 23.305 Ozarks, You stay here and I’ll go down and june around awhile. (Gossip with loafers on streets of the town.)  [1968 Adams Western Words 167, Junin’ ’round—A cowboy’s expression meaning restless.]  1975 DARE File eVA, June around—take it easy; used in the Virginia counties of Delmarva Peninsula.  1984 Wilder You All Spoken Here 17 Sth, Juneing around: Flitting leisurely.

4  To pay court to. Cf junesey1948 Manfred Chokecherry 27 nwIA, He’s been junin’ Gert Hansen.  1953 Randolph–Wilson Down in Holler 258 Ozarks, June. . . Sometimes it seems to mean courting or sparking: “They tell me Jim Burke’s a-junin’ Sally Randall here lately.”