Meaning: In the 1800s, this was a tongue-in-cheek way to describe someone who was a big shot, but only for a small group of people. If your friend's always at feminist protests, getting into arguments with bigots, and making her voice heard, she's definitely a hoyden. But this one also seems pretty gender-neutral. Take a look below to see all the old slang words and phrases we should still use today. Definition: something foolish or worthless. Also sometimes used by members of the military to describe going to war. By brushing up on the vibrant slang of the Victorian period you really can add some extra colour and fun to your vocabulary. This term, Forrester writers, describes a person with a wilful determination to ignore the objectionable or inconvenient, at the same time assuming airs of superior virtue and noble resignation., An 18th-century tavern term that means getting drunk.. A delightful way to refer to your rather boring hands. Needless to say, most of these are no more complex or intellectual than calling somebody "bae" or saying that they're "slaying." Queer belch, sour beer. Your email address will not be published. If you are capable of holding enormous amounts of large liquor and see someone struggling to keep up, feel free to call them this term. Above Snakes - If you were "above snakes," you were above ground - meaning still alive. So instead of thinking up new words to add to the dictionary, you should try using some of the old ones. Example: "Hey man, sorry I'm late. If someone wanted to buy some "happy dust," it meant that he/she wanted to purchase cocaine. "Satirical reference to enthusiasm." Example Sentence: "Wow, that new curling iron makes your follow-me-lads look even better.". Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. 1900s 1. Meaning: A sailing term for the curls that lay over a lady's shoulders. Come along for the ride! Meaning: A generic term for an attractive woman, with the particular kind of allure and flirtatiousness that means she constantly has a ring of admirers and acolytes. Informal words and expressions that popped up in popular parlance, especially in the 19th century, says Lynne Murphy an American linguist who teaches at the University of Sussex in England are "going to stay fairly local, and so there can be a lot of variation not just between countries, but between cities, between social classes, et cetera. TUB THUMPER was a nickname for a Presbyterian parson. She's a bearcat. Meaning: This word was used by Victorian-era folks to describe a meal that was scrumptious. Roon - Round. Taurus and Leo Compatibility: Are They a Good Match in Love and Friendship? Low London phrase meaning to thrash thoroughly, possibly from the French battre a fin. Strumpet - a whore. Meaning: This isn't entirely a compliment, but I think it should be one. TANGIER or TANGERINES was a room at Newgate prison where debtors were confined. "Political corruption if the clergy only keep to that topic, Lincoln will be Chicagoed!" Some total church bell on the street wouldn't stop lecturing me about Scientology. ", Example: "That jollocks who got stuck in the bathtub was our 27th president, William Howard Taft. The Roaring Twenties, or the Jazz Age as it's also known, saw the first signs of the "liberated woman," leading to the birth of the "flapper." The flapper was outspoken, she had the right to vote, she was fun-loving, and demanded sexual freedom. It means his penis doesn't work. Meaning: Victorian-era competitors used this phrase when they were crowned the winners. Queer pops, bad pistols. If you look ripe enough to bite into, you're a total tomato. Unrivaled Mac notes apps for fuss-free note-taking, 6 Actionable Tips for Improving Your Websites SEO, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. Make a Mash - Make a hit, impress someone. 1880s. ", A second-rate singer who produces noise rather than music, Example: "Get that whooperup belting Celine Dion off the stage! ", A promiscuous woman or prostitute; less commonly, a dissolute man, Example: "That dude who hangs out around the hotel late at night is a wagtail. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list. It means he has had many arfs, arfs being half-pints of booze. 5) How came you so inebriated. I think I'm going to call the police. Taurus and Capricorn Compatibility: Are They a Good Match in Love and Friendship? To go at full speed was also called TANTWIVY. 1880s. 1800s Insults & Slang from the Victorian Era. Bee: a gathering of friends for a common purpose, i.e. Bull: Five shillings. Meaning: This is what some people called umbrellas back in the day, but kind of sounds more like a nice way to describe snoozing through a rainy day. Bricky Brave or fearless.. TARTAR meant to catch or attack someone of superior strength. It's also a good name for cute kids. I ain't got no dogin that fight. berger 215 hybrid 300 win mag. "That north show window of Shute & Haskell's is a 'lally-cooler,' " the Jan. 4, 1890, Salina, Kan., Republican noted. Authors collection. A TYBURN BLOSSOM was a young thief or pickpocket who it was believed would in time ripen and become an excellent thief or pickpocket. "That clay-bank hog wants the same pay as a Senator; he's getting too high for his nut," according to a grammar-corrected version of the Oakland, Calif., Tribune on Jan. 12, 1885. I guess you could say I'm pigeon-livered. Here are some other words meaning female: Ball and Chain (wifehmmm, sensing a pattern here), Dawn Patrol (restaurant lingo for a young woman who regularly patronizes the joint very early in the morning), Herring (an incorruptible girl Herring was the brand of safe that couldnt be dynamited open ), Moll (girlfriend, a Gun Moll is a gangsters girlfriend), Mugbug (girl who gives in easily, the opposite of a herring), Pigeon (girl who sits with the driver in the front seat of a rum-runners car or boat to give it an air of respectability), Whiz Bang (waitress easily dated by customers). Test your knowledge with these 30 Cockney rhyming slang terms below. Flummadiddle is the sort of word that rolls nicely off the tongue, and even if people with whom you use the word don't quite know what it means the conversation will be the richer for its presence. Gullyfluff: The waste coagulated dust, crumbs, and hair which accumulates imperceptibly in the pockets of schoolboys. If one adds women, who are almost always seen in a sexual context, one is moving towards 10,000 terms, not far below 10 percent of the entire slang lexis. Riddy - A red face, embarrassed. Goop: A stupid person. ", A heavily acned nose (the assumption here was that the acned nose was the result of drinking too much malmsey wine), Example: "You get total malmsey nose after two beers. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. A person wearing tattered and raggedy clothing was said to be a TATTERDEMALION. To help inspire a resurgence of vintage slang, we looked back at some of the best words and phrases folks used from the 1800s to the 1960s. A rams tail was soaped and greased and then the ram was turned out with other rams. Why say you're going to fight when you could say you're going to shake a flannin instead? I stick by my assertion that Barbara Stanwyck and Eve Arden are the quintessential dames of classic Hollywood. How are you translate in Newari language? 7) Shinning around -- moving about quickly. 9. The inhabitants of Dublin exacted their revenge by christening their chamber pot a TWISS. Below are the definitions for these Victorian insults, plus 14 more rude words that we definitely think should be integrated back into modern vernacular. 11) Tell a thumper -- construct a clever lie. Meaning: A sweet, miniature sort of cuteness. The largest and superior marble was called the TAW. Chuckaboo Im off to the bar for a drink with Chuckaboo. Whitney Houstons Greatest Hits Live On 11 Years After Her Death Here Are The Little-Known Stories Behind Them. The Donald may mean this word never really recovers its original meaning. 1800s slang for woman. bounce. In the first three lines of the song we learn Minnie is not only a moocher, but also a lowdown hoochie-coocher and the roughest and toughest frail. In other words, Minnie was infamous for taking all she could get away with taking, as well as rough, tough and pretty slutty. And theres more where that came from if you browse through English lexicographer Francis Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, first published in 1785. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I don't know her from Adam's house cat. 3. Or you could ask them to mind the grease, which meant the same thing to Victorians. Sword thieves were also known as TAYLE DRAWERS. Wear iron: Carry a gun. TANDEM referred to a two-wheeled chaise, buggy, or noddy, that was drawn by two horses, with one horse placed before the other. "Buck's tryin' to make a mash on that new girl.". Chiselled chin, clear eyes, cheekbones higher than the Alps they tend to stalk catwalks a lot. Someone who was at the top of his profession was called a TOPPING FELLOW, but a rich man was called a TOPPING MAN. This is the person who's never had a bad hair day in their lives, and whose partners and friends seem to spend an inordinate amount of time just stroking their hair. Meaning: A specific sort of alluring woman with the kind of raunchy sex appeal that makes everybody, including inanimate objects, weak in the knees. Selfie is the buzzword of today, but what words were used in the 1800s? Meaning: This described someone who was "in the know" or aware of everything going on around them in the 1920s. Here are an even dozen, pretty much forgotten slanglike words or sayings from the 19th century, rediscovered while delving in the archives and with added guidance from James Maitman's 1891. 2. TAWS was a childhood marble game played in schoolyards with small round balls made of stone dust and catted marbles. Meaning: This one's kind of cute. Moll (girlfriend, a Gun Moll is a gangster's girlfriend) Mugbug (girl who gives in easily, the opposite of a herring) Number Paznazki (loose woman) Pick Me Up (yep, another loose woman) Pig (chorus girl) Pigeon (girl who sits with the driver in the front seat of a rum-runner's car or boat to give it an air of respectability) To attack with words or reproach someone was to TONGUE. He's no ratbag, but feel free to use that word on your least favorite neighbor. From the Beatles song where there is a verse "I am the walrus, kuko loko chu". I thought the refrain: Hidey Hi! 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. A talkative woman. throw a bone. To fail. Cherry - vulgar term for a young woman. You might recognize some of the familiar vocabulary you and your friends used back in the day or learn a few new-to-you jargon you can work into your next convo! A working girl of the late 1800s. It's what you'd use to refer to a person who's short and tiny and kawaii, but whom you don't want to insult by pinching their cheeks or cooing at them. A punning appellation for a justice, or a punny name for a judge. You might recognize some of the familiar vocabulary you and your friends used back in the day or learn a few new-to-you jargon you can work into your next convo! Example Sentence: "Dude, that Instagram post was pure flutter bum.". A TITTUP was to be lively or gay and was said to imitate the sound of horse hooves when in a gentle gallop or canter. Example Sentence: "Those rabbit-shaped hat bobbles make you look just cute as a bug's ear, girl.". So please hop in our time machine as we take you through the greatest slang terms of the 20th centuryfrom the tough-guy 1950s to the totally rad 1990swhich were once all that and a bag of chips, but have sadly been kicked to the curb. 21 Jun June 21, 2022. 4. Meaning: An amazing, excellent person. A figure of speech used to describe drunken men. He was told there was no game of that kind there, but that if he wanted to see the elephant he was on the right track," the Lawrence, Kan., Daily Journal reported on Sept. 2, 1891. You are a pippin.". a sewing bee, quilting bee, or cornhusking bee. It's our turn to sing 'No Diggity.'". Mumbling cove. Coarse lace that was once popular was known as TROLLY LOLLY. A large relaxed penis, also a dull inanimate fellow., A low mean fellow, employed in all sorts of dirty work., An ill-dressed shabby fellow; also a mean-spirited person., A poor sneaking fellow, a man of no spirit., A ragged fellow, whose clothes hang all in tatters., A vulgar address or nomination to any person whose name is unknown Thingum-bobs, testicles.. He wont come, answered Paddy. ( n ) Someone who forces obnoxious people out of public places. 3 Bras for Mature Women That Properly Lift and Support Breasts. 6) Lally-cooler -- a real success. TYBURN TOP was a name for a popular wig. Forrester cites The Golden Butterfly: "I will back a first-class British subject for bubbling around against all humanity. Flummadiddle. 1800s slang for woman. Afternoonified. Marvin had a few too many at the bar last night and the bouncer ejected him. What were swear words in the 1800s? TOTTY-HEADED was another way to say you were giddy or hare-brained. A term from Queen Victorias journal, More Leaves, published in 1884: At five minutes to eleven rode off with Beatrice, good Sharp going with us, and having occasional collie shangles (a Scottish word for quarrels or rows, but taken from fights between dogs) with collies when we came near cottages., To get a black eye. It was similar to pig running. This piece originally ran in 2013; it has been updated for 2022. Malcolm got so boisterous in the bar they bounced him. Testicles were also called TWIDDLE-DIDDLES. Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer," Forrester writes, "while the colour of the obligation at its worst suggests the colour and size of the innocent animal named.. Drinking a glass of absinthe neat; named for the green color of the booze. "Bully" was the "bae" of the 1500s. The phrase "cat's pajamas" is not going to be returning to the popular vernacular anytime soon. Biddy: an old hen, later used as a derogatory term for an old woman. Hanging: Excellent, outstanding ("Hanging new tie there, old man!"). Your email address will not be published. Example Sentence: "He wouldn't even let us pay when we ordered truffles; what a darb.". A figure of speech used to describe drunken men. Another name that shows up is Old Timer's Disease. Also, his tattered coat was hideous. Bloody and bugger were the two most prevalent swearwords in the 18th and 19th centuries. This YouTuber Invented a Hilarious Hack To Help, Need a Better Bra? Below are some of the tome's most hilarious, vivid, and archaic insults, arranged in alphabetical order for your put-down pleasure. 1930s. Bathers at the beach, 1897. what is brent draper from masterchef doing now 1800s slang for woman. Horse godmother: A large, masculine woman. ", Example: "Dan is such a hornswoggler! Queer vinegar, worn out woman's cloak. Above-Board - In open sight, without artifice, or trick. After going to court, ladies would appear in their trains for afternoon tea and this was called TAIL-TEA. Meaning: This was an apt description for something that was, well, corny. As distinguished from "whole-mourning," two black eyes. TEA VOIDER was another name for a chamber pot. According to Grose, the slang expression TAG-RAG AND BOBTAIL was used to describe an assemblage of low people.. The bit of pork. Cute: pretty, 1834 from American English student slang. Worker (as in "She sizes up as a worker"): A woman who takes a guy for his money. Slang that Survived the Test of Time Abandons - Foundlings. G iblet joining: Living in sin. She was not her mother or grandmother's old-fashioned woman. A romanticized and often misunderstood period of US history, the Old West utilized a vernacular perfect for the dusty and gritty lifestyles of the pioneers and outlaws who brought the wild to the region. However, one thing you cannot see is the language that was used in yesteryear. townhomes for rent in hazelwood, mo. Fussock: A lazy fat woman. Hedge-creeper. New slang words are invented everyday. It further adds to the feel that the 30s and 40s is this cool, arcane world with its own reality, its own set of rules, and a vernacular all its own. Whereas swear-words are the ones that become detached from their literal meanings and float free as mere intensifiers. Well cross that bridge when it gets here. That's the Ticket The proper thing to do, ticket being a distortion of etiquette. Here are a few of the best words from the 1800s that we should bring back: Table of contents: Damfino Meaning: Have you ever heard beer referred to as "suds"? 1800s Wild West Slang You Should Start Using In Your Daily Life New Slang Lists about the hippest lingo that has slipped through the lips of people all around the world and throughout history that will have you going "WTF m8?" Slang Used by Old-Timey Hobos Fun Slang in Languages Nobody Speaks Anymore Speak Like It's the 18th Century Gunpowder: An old woman. Piece - A sandwich. If so, this term for someone who's had a bit too many rounds will make a lot of sense. 8. Arfarfanarf. In 1909, writing under the pseudonym James Redding Ware, British writer Andrew Forrester published Passing English of the Victorian era, a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase. The word was used well into the Edwardian era, but of course the styles changed annually. 3. You're such a butter and egg fly.". Meaning: In the 1920s, this was label used for energetic, fiery, and spirited women might have often spent their nights fox trotting around the dance floor. Everybody's picking on me. Someone who went in one door and just as quickly went out another door without stopping was known as a THOROUGH CHURCHMAN. Lass is a word redolent with the color of Scottish, Irish varieties of English as well as the dialects of the north of England. Slangchanged innumerous ways over many different eras in US history, from the 18th century to the the Great Depression to the commercial boom of the '50s.