18th Century Lingo

Malken Fitzroy

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.

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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/