An obsolete British humorous slang term for a ditch, playing on the fact that in Essex — a largely flat, low-lying county in eastern England — ditches served the practical drainage purpose that stiles (steps over fences or hedges) served in hillier terrain. The joke being that Essex lacked the elevated ground to need a proper stile. Primarily of interest to historians of English regional slang and humour. Has no meaningful presence in contemporary speech.
The old pamphlet joked that the traveller crossing Essex would find no stiles to speak of, only the county's famous 'Essex stiles' — its endless drainage ditches.
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(UK, slang, humorous, obsolete) A ditch.
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