18th Century Lingo
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In the late 18th century, English slang was rich with unique terms and phrases that have since fallen out of common use. Here are some examples:
- Addle Pate: being inconsiderate and loud.
- Afternoonified: "Smart," as in high-class, refined, or fashionable.
- Arsy Varsey: To fall arsy varsey, i.e. head over heels.
- Babes in the Woods: Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.
- Bags O' Mystery: Sausages
- Barking Irons: Pistols, from their explosion resembling the bow-wow or barking of a dog.
- Beardsplitter: A man much given to Wenching, or consorting with prostitutes.
- Bedswever: A married person that swerves from one person’s bed to another, aka an unfaithful partner.
- Betwattled: Confused or bewildered.
- Blunderbuss: A stupid, blundering fellow.
- Bone Box: The Mouth
- Bottle-Headed: Void of wit.
- Captain Queernabs: "A shabby, ill-dressed fellow."
- Dicked in the nob: Silly or crazed.
- Fly Rink: "A polished bald head."
- Gigglemug: A habitually smiling face.
- Gollumpus: A large, clumsy fellow.
- Irish Apricots: "Potatoes. It is a common joke against the Irish vessels [or boats] to say they are loaded with fruit and timber, that is, potatoes and broomsticks."
- Nanny House: A cathouse.
- Oil Of Gladness: "I will anoint you with the oil of gladness,' ironically spoken for, 'I will beat you."
- Owl In An Ivy Bush: "Frequently said of a person with a large frizzled wig," or whose hair is dressed messily.
- Pish Posh: Balderdash, Nonsense.
- Piss Prophet: A physician who judges of the diseases of his patients solely by the inspection of their urine. A urologist.
- Quail-Pipe: "A woman's tongue; also a device to take birds of that name by imitating their call."
- Rantum Scantum: "Playing at rantum scantum; making the beast with two backs."
- Shipwrecked: Inebriated.
- Silent Flute: The virile member.
- Suggestionize: "To prompt," or to influence someone's thoughts or actions.
- Sky Farmers: "Cheats who pretend they were farmers in the Isle of [Skye], or some other remote place, and were ruined by a flood, hurricane, or some such public calamity."
- Skilamalink: "Secret, shady, or doubtful." Often used in Victorian London to refer to disreputable business dealings or clandestine rendezvous.
- Wake Snakes: Provoke to the uttermost.
- Whipt Syllabub: "A flimsy, frothy discourse or treatise, without solidity." Essentially, meaningless conversation. Named after English dessert drinks that were "made from cream and wine and were served cold."
These phrases were part of a vibrant slang culture that often evolved from the need for secrecy among criminals and the general evolution of language.
https://colonialbrewer.com/2021/07/08/swear-and-profanity-in-18th-century-england/
https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/eighteenth-century-grammars/
https://www.quia.com/jg/2252000list.html
https://www.ranker.com/list/great-18th-century-slang/zach-seemayer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English-language_idioms_of_the_19th_century
https://www.marquisofwinchesters.co.uk/words-and-phrases-of-the-seventeenth-century/