A Final Regency Slang Quiz!

by Emily May

I'm stepping down from the LoveCats, so here's one final Regency Slang Quiz using some of my favourite slang terms. Once again, these are all taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. 

Have fun! (The answers are at the bottom.)

A mutton monger is:

a) a sheep farmer

b) a whore master

c) a man addicted to wenching

Pucker water is:

a) the coarsest and vilest of gins

b) a vinaigrette used to rouse ladies who have swooned

c) astringent water used on a certain part of the female anatomy to counterfeit virginity

To be scragged and ottomised is:

a) to be tied down in a dentist's chair so that one or more teeth may be removed

b) to be hanged and dissected

c) to be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and beaten 

A nit squeezer is:

a) a hairdresser

b) an organ-grinder's monkey

c) a comb

Melting moments are:

a) candles that have almost burned out

b) a fat man and woman in amorous congress

c) false words of flattery and praise

To burn one's poker is to:

a) to catch venereal disease

b) to fall into debt

c) to stay up all night

A miraculous pitcher is:

a) a flagon of spirituous liquor

b) a tankard of ale passed around in a tavern

c) the private parts of a modest woman and the public parts of a whore

A fire ship is:

a) a wench who has venereal disease

b) a cart carrying coals

c) a flatulent individual

A cackling fart is:

a) an old woman

b) a hen

c) an egg

A stargazer is:

a) an astronomer

b) a daydreamer

c) a whore who plies her trade outdoors

To make a duchess is to:

a) marry above oneself

b) have sex with one's shoes on

c) dress in all one's finery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, how did you go...?

Here are the answers!

A mutton monger is: c) a man addicted to wenching

Pucker water is: c) astringent water used on a certain part of the female anatomy to counterfeit virginity

To be scragged and ottomised is: b) to be hanged and dissected

A nit squeezer is: a) a hairdresser

Melting moments are: b) a fat man and woman in amorous congress

To burn one's poker is to: a) to catch venereal disease

A miraculous pitcher is: c) the private parts of a modest woman and the public parts of a whore (miraculous because it holds water with the mouth down!)

A fire ship is: a) a wench who has venereal disease

A cackling fart is: c) an egg

A stargazer is: c) a whore who plies her trade outdoors

To make a duchess is to: b) have sex with one's shoes on

I hope you had fun with that final Regency Slang Quiz! I've really enjoyed my time with the LoveCats -- the Cats are a great group of authors and I've met some wonderful people in the comments here. See you around!

(All images courtesy of WPClipart.)

Whirlygigs and Thingumbobs

by Emily May

Last month I shared some of the Regency slang that was used to describe brothels, the people who frequented them, and the activities that went on in them. This month, I'd like to share some amusing Regency slang that has purely to do with men, their sexual activities, and their anatomy. As before, these terms are all taken from that marvellous resource, The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.


Let's start with some anatomical slang...


bawbles, nutmegs, tallywags, thingumbobs, twiddle-diddles, and whirlygigs -- were all words for ... yes, you guessed correctly: testicles!

the matrimonial peacemaker, Man Thomas, pego, silent flute, sugar stick, and whore pipe were all slang for (in the words of the Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue) a man's 'virile member'

a rantallion -- is a man whose 'shot pouch is longer than the barrel of his piece' [a lovely bit of euphemism!]



a fancy man, petticoat pensioner, or stallion -- was a man kept by a woman for 'secret services'

to be a back door usher, backgammon player, or gentleman of the back door -- to be a sodomite

to navigate the windward passage -- to be a sodomite

And to finish...

to fetch mettle -- the 'act of self-pollution' [mettle being Regency slang for semen]

 That's all from me this month. Happy reading everyone!

Bawd houses and other debauchery

by Emily May

I've just finished writing a scene set in a Regency brothel -- not a high-class establishment, but a very low-class and vulgar place! The sort of brothel you'd find in this picture below.

 
I had so much fun writing the brothel scene that I thought I'd share of the colourful language that was used in Regency times to describe brothels, the people who frequented them, and the activities that went on in them.

The following phrases are all taken from one of my favourite research books, the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Sit back and enjoy!

a mutton-monger -- a man addicted to wenching

to make a duchess -- to have sex with one's shoes on

 
to take a flyer or take a flourish -- to enjoy a woman in a hasty manner (i.e. with her clothes on or without going to bed)

feather-bed jig -- sex  

a fire ship -- a wench who has venereal disease

to burn one's poker -- to catch venereal disease

laced mutton -- a prostitute

a Covent Garden nun -- a prostitute

to break one's shins against Covent Gardens' rails -- to catch venereal disease


a woman's commodity -- the private parts of a modest woman and the public parts of a prostitute [beautifully worded description, don't you think?] also known as crinkum crankum, the venerable monosyllable, and the mother of all saints



fruitful vine -- a woman's private parts, so called, because it flowers every month and bears fruit in nine months [I love it!]

the miraculous pitcher -- a woman's commodity, so-called because it holds water with the mouth down [!]

to crack one's pitcher -- to lose one's virginity

pucker water -- water impregnated with alum or other astringents to counterfeit virginity

Of course, there were far cruder words and phrases used to describe sex, prostitutes and prostitution, and women's anatomy, but I'll spare your blushes!

So what's your view on historical accuracy? Would you prefer that authors kept to the glittering ballrooms of the ton, or would you like to see something of the seedier side of Regency England?

Wedding bells are ringing...

by Emily May

Reading: Under Your Spell by Lois Greiman
Listening to: Satie
Watching: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3
Making me smile: I have finally finished writing my next Regency!



It's not surprising that I've been thinking about weddings and marriages recently, given all the excitement of the royal wedding! I had a quick flick through one of my favourite Regency reference books -- The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue -- and found some amusing Regency slang associated with marriage that I'd like to share with you.


First up is this one: 'to read a curtain lecture' ... which means the scolding given by a wife to her husband when they're in bed. I can just imagine Wickham saying 'For heaven's sake, Lydia, don't read me another curtain lecture!'


Then there's this gem: 'to have a colt's tooth in one's head' .. which refers to an older man who marries a young girl. I wonder whether anyone said it about Colonel Brandon when he married Marianne? 'Lucky Brandon! Has a colt's tooth in his head.' Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.


And I love this one: 'To cuckold the Parson' ... which means to have sex with one's future wife before the marriage. Exactly what Wickham did with Lydia! (And exactly what all of my heroines have done, come to think of it. Shameless creatures!)






And finally, here's a wee test for those of you who read Regencies: Which of the following phrases do you think means ‘to be married’?

a) to be leg-shackled
b) to fall into the Parson’s mousetrap
c) to be riveted
d) to be a tenant for life
e) all of the above

If you picked 'e', you were right!

But enough about Regency marriage slang. Tell me, did you watch the royal wedding?

(All images are from the BBC productions of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. If you haven't watched them, do!)