Guisers

'guisers' -- of whom there are always several sets -- or waits arrive. ❋ John Ashton (N/A)

'guisers' are admitted indoors, and go through the several acts of their play. ❋ John Ashton (N/A)

The guisers were well prepared for their task of fending off the lost spirits out and about on their annual night of home leave. ❋ A. D. Scott (2010)

The dresses of the guisers are often of the most expensive and fanciful description. ❋ William Francis Dawson (N/A)

Each band of guisers has its fiddler, who walks before it, playing "Scalloway Lasses," or ❋ William Francis Dawson (N/A)

There'll be summat more for your brass nor mell-suppers, an 'guisers an' dolls. ❋ Frederic William Moorman (1895)

An 'then there was t' mell-supper i 't' gert lathe, wi 'singin' an 'coontry dances, an' guisers that had blacked their faces. ❋ Frederic William Moorman (1895)

The guisers themselves, though inwardly regretting this confusion of persons, could not afford to offend those by whose assistance they so largely profited, and the innovations were allowed to stand. ❋ Unknown (1878)

If you don't happen to have a family vault in the back garden, pick up a 'Buried Alive' tombstone from Asda, complete with clawing zombie arms and fake blood, or show guisers the way by lighting up the porch with all manner of glow toys, including BOO tealight holders from John Lewis or character torches from Sainsburys.

This year's smartest guisers will be dressed as advocates, judges, chefs, surgeons and architects.

This year, Margaret and Angus McLean noted, but didn’t mention, that there were fewer guisers calling at their door. ❋ A. D. Scott (2010)