D.W. Wilkin's Blog, page 348
July 12, 2012
Regency Era Prime Ministers-William Lamb
Regency History
Often in my research I keep needing to find who was leading the government and do this through every book. I thought that having the list handy would be good, and then turning it into a research webpage even better. Here is the list. After I post a few more Timeline years and write some more, I will work on the web page with notes about each PM.
The next PM I am doing is William Lamb, and I am hosting a page devoted to him and then all our period PMs at Regency Assembly Press. That page is here.
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
04/02/1783
12/19/1783
Whig
William Pitt the Younger
12/19/1783
03/14/1801
Tory
Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth, “The Doctor”
03/14/1801
05/10/1804
Tory
William Pitt the Younger
05/10/1804
01/23/1806
Tory
William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville
02/11/1806
03/31/1807
Whig
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
03/31/1807
10/04/1809
Tory*
Spencer Perceval
10/04/1809
05/11/1812
Tory
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
06/08/1812
04/09/1827
Tory
George Canning
04/10/1827
08/08/1827
Tory
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
08/31/1827
01/21/1828
Tory
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
01/22/1828
11/16/1830
Tory
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
11/22/1830
07/16/1834
Whig
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
07/16/1834
11/14/1834
Whig
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
11/14/1834
12/10/1834
Tory
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet
12/10/1834
04/18/1835
Conservative
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
04/18/1835
08/30/1841
Whig
Tory* (Tory government, PM a Whig)
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
Born 03/15/1779 London
Died 11/24/1848 Brocket, Herts
Major Acts:
Dissenters’ Marriage Bill 1836 – legalized civil marriage outside of the Church of England
Cuckolded by Byron
Viscount Melbourne had two lives – the first as the cuckolded husband in one of the most scandalous affairs of the nineteenth century, and the second as senior statesman and mentor to Queen Victoria.
Born William Lamb, in 1805 he succeeded his elder brother as heir to his father’s title. Now known as Lord Melbourne, he married Lady Caroline Ponsonby. It was a marriage which was to cause him no small amount of grief.
He first came to general notice for reasons he would rather have avoided, when his wife had a public affair with poet Lord Byron. The resulting scandal was the talk of Britain in 1812.
In 1806 he was elected to the Commons as the Whig MP for Leominster, where he served 1806-1812 and 1816-1829, before joining the House of Lords on his father’s death
He was Secretary for Ireland 1827-28, and Home Secretary 1830-34, during which time he cracked down severely on agricultural unrest.
On Grey’s resignation in 1834, King William IV appointed Melbourne as the Prime Minister who would be the ‘least bad choice’, and he remained in office for seven years, except for five months following November 1834 when Peel was in charge.
Without any strong political convictions, he held together a difficult and divided Cabinet, and sustained support in the House of Commons through an alliance of Whigs, Radicals and Irish MPs.
He was not a reformer, although the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 did ensure that the growing middle class secured control of local government.
Efficient PM
But he was efficient in keeping order, raising taxes and conducting foreign policy.
Melbourne also had a close relationship to the monarch. He was Queen Victoria’s first prime minister, and she trusted him greatly. Their close relationship was founded in his responsibility for tutoring her in the world of politics and instructing her in her role, but ran much deeper than this suggests.
Victoria came to regard Melbourne as a mentor and personal friend and he was given a private apartment at Windsor Castle.
Later in his premiership, Melbourne’s support in Parliament declined, and in 1840 it grew difficult to hold the Cabinet together.
His unpopular and scandal-hit term ended in August 1841, when he resigned after a series of parliamentary defeats.
Lady Caroline Ponsonby- Lamb was not a typical politician’s wife.
The daughter of Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough, and the granddaughter of the 1st Earl Spencer, she was born in 1785.
Lady Caroline married Lord Melbourne, in 1805. After two miscarriages, she gave birth to their only child, George Augustus Frederick, in 1807.
He was epileptic and mentally handicapped and had to be cared for almost constantly. Lady Caroline was devoted to him.
In 1812, Caroline read Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage and declared:
“If he was as ugly as Aesop, I must know him.” On meeting Byron that summer, she famously noted in her diary that he was “mad, bad and dangerous to know”.
They began an affair which lasted until 1813, but even after it finished Lady Caroline’s obsession with the poet continued. She published a novel, Glenarvon , in 1816 containing obvious portraits of herself, her husband, Byron and many others.
Embarrassed and disgraced, Melbourne decided to part from his wife, though the formal separation did not occur until 1825.
Lady Caroline died in 1828, aged 42, her death hastened by drink and drugs.
Lord Melbourne, not yet prime minister, was by her bedside.
“It is impossible that anybody can feel the being out of Parliament more keenly for me than I feel it for myself. It is actually cutting my throat. It is depriving me of the great object of my life.”
First Ministry
07/16/1834 11/14/1834
OFFICE
NAME
TERM
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords
The Viscount Melbourne
July–November 1834
Lord Chancellor
The Lord Brougham
July–November 1834
Lord President of the Council
The Marquess of Lansdowne
July–November 1834
Lord Privy Seal
Earl of Mulgrave
July–November 1834
Home Secretary
Viscount Duncannon
July–November 1834
Foreign Secretary
The Viscount Palmerston
July–November 1834
Secretary of State for War & the Colonies
Thomas Spring Rice
July–November 1834
First Lord of the Admiralty
The Lord Auckland
July–November 1834
Chancellor of the Exchequer
July–November 1834
Leader of the House of Commons
Viscount Althorp
July–November 1834
President of the Board of Trade
July–November 1834
Treasurer of the Navy
Charles Poulett Thomson
July–November 1834
President of the Board of Control
Charles Grant
July–November 1834
Master of the Mint
James Abercromby
July–November 1834
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
Sir John Hobhouse, Bt
July–November 1834
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord Holland
July–November 1834
Paymaster of the Forces
Lord John Russell
July–November 1834
Secretary at War
Edward Ellice
July–November 1834
Second Ministry
April 1835 – August 1839
OFFICE
NAME
TERM
First Lord of the Treasury
The Viscount Melbourne
April 1835–August 1839
Lord Chancellor
In Commission
April 1835–January 1836
The Lord Cottenham
January 1836–August 1839
Lord President of the Council
The Marquess of Lansdowne
April 1835–August 1839
Lord Privy Seal
Viscount Duncannon
April 1835–August 1839
Home Secretary
The Lord John Russell
April 1835–August 1839
Foreign Secretary
The Viscount Palmerston
April 1835–August 1839
Secretary of State for War & the Colonies
The Lord Glenelg
April 1835–February 1839
The Marquess of Normanby
February–August 1839
First Lord of the Admiralty
The Lord Auckland
April–September 1835
The Earl of Minto
September 1835–August 1839
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Thomas Spring Rice
April 1835–August 1839
President of the Board of Trade
Charles Poulett Thomson
April 1835–August 1839
President of the Board of Control
Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Bt
April 1835–August 1839
Secretary at War
Viscount Howick
April 1835–August 1839
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
Viscount Duncannon
April 1835–August 1839
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord Holland
April 1835–August 1839
Viscount Duncannon served concurrently as Lord Privy Seal and First Commissioner of Woods and Forests.
August 1839 – September 1841
OFFICE
NAME
TERM
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords
The Viscount Melbourne
August 1839–September 1841
Lord Chancellor
The Lord Cottenham
August 1839–September 1841
Lord President of the Council
The Marquess of Lansdowne
August 1839–September 1841
Lord Privy Seal
Viscount Duncannon
August 1839–January 1840
The Lord Clarendon
January 1840–September 1841
Home Secretary
The Marquess of Normanby
August 1839–September 1841
Foreign Secretary
The Viscount Palmerston
August 1839–September 1841
Secretary of State for War & the Colonies
Leader of the House of Commons
The Lord John Russell
August 1839–September 1841
First Lord of the Admiralty
The Earl of Minto
August 1839–September 1841
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Sir Francis Thornhill Baring
August 1839–September 1841
President of the Board of Trade
Henry Labouchere
August 1839–September 1841
President of the Board of Control
Sir John Cam Hobhouse
August 1839–September 1841
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
Viscount Duncannon
August 1839–September 1841
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord Holland
August 1839–October 1840
The Lord Clarendon
October 1840–June 1841
Sir George Grey, Bt
June–September 1841
Secretary at War
Thomas Babington Macaulay
August 1839–September 1841
Chief Secretary for Ireland
Lord Morpeth
August 1839–September 1841
The Third Ministry was during the time of Victoria.
Family
Apparently Lamb had a dark side once all the brouhaha with his wife was done. He had married Caronline Ponsonby who stated she did not like Byron’s poetry and then spent her life in an open affair with Lord Byron. A man who had been a friend of Lamb’s when they were at University together.
They had a premature daughter and one son, George Augustus Frederick, born on 11 August 1807, who possibly had severe autism. Until Byron, they had a happy life. Caroline died in 1828, after Byron had died, and had also married Caroline’s cousin, who later separated from him.
Aside from the rumors that circulated about Byron at such time, later in life rumors circulated against the widower Lamb. Rumors suggesting that he may have engaged in spanking of high-born ladies, but whipping of those from the streets.
The Writing Life
My current writing project, a Fantasy, the third part of my trilogy on the son of Duke. It is the third in what I started when I left college. I finished the second part about 2 years ago, and so now I will wrap it up and reedit it all. It is tentatively titles, Crown in Jeopardy, the third book in the Born to Grace tale.
It opens with our hero setting up a trap for the enemies.
Chapter 2: Cynwal’s Folly (Continues)
Would Arthur Argent have coordinated attacks from Gwynedd, and from Andover without having Cynwal also part of the plot. No. Cynwal was part of Arthur’s conspiracy. It was not Hyfaidd who had instigated it all. Arthur Argent may have done so, but the Clanrex was part of the plot. Now he was going to pay. Caradoc administered high justice and he had decided on the sentence for Cynwal’s hand in the plot. One that had led to the death of King Richard.
Someone was going to see to it that Cynwal did not leave the field that day. That he was killed in battle. If Caradoc had wanted to ensure that the tale was spread around, he would have put a bounty on the man’s head. Caradoc knew that Cynwal had placed one of a thousand gold on his head. Enough money to keep any man in comfort forever.
Even the Earl of West Hills could live well on a thousand gold, though perhaps not as an Earl was supposed to. “Ah, there.” Cynwal and his closest troops were clear of the caltrops and holes on the battlefield and trying to regroup. They could sense the thousands that were spreading out from the camp. And that many were going after him. “Jamus, there! We attack there.”
Jamus looked back to Caradoc and nodded showing that he heard. He didn’t even shake his head which the man would have if he had no intention of taking Caradoc towards the source.
The men of Northmarch had an advantage knowing that they had turned this attack upon them into an ambush against the attackers. That hiding thousands in the camp had allowed them to spring forth with a host, perhaps not as a great as those that attacked, but nearly so. So many soldiers, and so many archers, that when the attackers were mired in the battlegrounds, they did not notice how many losses they were taking, while the defenders barely took one. The enemy had thought they would have charged and been against the Northmarchers quickly. Surely more than 1000 had fallen to the caltrops, or their horses turned lame in the attack, or the arrows piercing into them.
And very few of Northmarch had been wounded. Caradoc raised his sword and shouted “MacLaughlin!” The battle cry.
Again taken up by hundreds and then thousands. Arrows loosed over his head claimed another hundred or two hundred of the enemy. And Cynwal turned and saw Caradoc then. He had nowhere near the sic hundred horsemen who had charged some few minutes before. Much less, but enough that he had men that would fight and kill. That was the thing that surely gave the Clanrex confidence. He thought he had enough men to kill Caradoc. If his men were caught in a trap and suffering great losses, then he was determined to cause many deaths among the enemy as well. An enemy who had continually hurt the men of Powys.
“I would not want to be you, Cynwal, if you do not attack us.” Caradoc said to himself. The man would lose his hold over the clans, he was sure. And then if he did attack, was he as good a fighter as men said about him. Caradoc had fought duels to reduce the bloodshed. He had fought leaders before. He had killed Hyfaidd, the son of Cynwal. That should make the father wish to seek vengeance. Caradoc was right there. He waved his shield and sword at Cynwal who was looking at him.
What Caradoc wanted to force was Cynwal charging against him and the men he had with him. But Caradoc had no need to personally fight the Clanrex. Caradoc knew he was a decent fighter. And perhaps one of the best in his command. But there were other men as good, or better than he. They could fight Cynwal instead. Or, Iain could shoot at him from the wall. Caradoc had told the man who was considered one of the best archers in all of the clan, that it would not hurt his honor if the Clanrex approached within five feet of him and then Caradoc saw an arrow embedded in his head.
Iain chuckled. Well the men of Cynwal seemed to be rallying to him and beginning to form up. Forty, fifty of them. “I hope you are pleased,” Jamus shouted. “You got there attention and they are going to come this way. You do realize that there are more men then we have in this lane, and with those on foot, we shall be outnumbered here.”
Caradoc heard all of that. Jamus had a way of shouting that he could hear such things. Alain, who was now laughing as he held his shield to clout those who came to close said, “Well done.” The man would use a mace against any enemies that he truly had to hit, but the shield had the arms of Valens upon them, as did his surcoat over his armor. All knew his function. Caradoc was sure that some who stood against the Vater were glad to face a priest of the war god for he would try to disarm before trying to kill. If his opponents treated him the same, then those fighting Alain might survive the day with their lives.
Jamus was in the second rank of horsemen that were pushing against the enemy. Caradoc and Alain were in the third Rank. And behind came many more warriors. Caradoc felt it more than he saw it but the men in front of him from Northmarch were expanding their frontage. Then Jamus shouted back, “Hold Caradoc. Let us create a barrier!”
He knew that Jamus was serious. And he also had the Vater of Valens to help him. Jamus was sure to tell Clarisse, too, if Caradoc was too aggressive at that moment. He could shout his challenge, for the men still were doing so. Instead he hefted his sword and positioned his shield to be defensive. More of the men behind him would have to come forward and strengthen the line, and Cynwal was most likely going to arrive before that.
Looking to the far left, that was what was important. Cynwal was focused on hate. A chance that Caradoc had hoped to exploit. Avram led a large group of men along the lane that was farthest that way. Behind them, Frederick led another contingent. Those two, if they broke free, which had been the plan, might flank the enemy and cause such havoc that very few would be able to rout. If the day went against the men of Powys.
And since the enemy had only expected twelve hundred and found that they were fighting nearly five times that many warriors. He knew that they were already upset and disappointed.
A man broke through the lines in front of him and was doing his best to get at Caradoc. Not Cynwal, but large enough that he was probably one of Cynwal’s bodyguard. A man who probably had been instructed to kill Caradoc just as he had told so many to do their best to kill Cynwal.
Caradoc was at a standstill, and the enemy had a little momentum to his charge. Caradoc braced himself and raised his shield. He was in time to deflect the blow that was aimed at him. But then he had trained to be able to do that for countless hours. Years.
Combat though, was when his life was most at risk. This time as all the other times he had been involved in a fight. And the times that he was involved were increasing in frequency. He did not always leave a fight whole either. By directing battles and not participating in them as a fighter he had a better chance of not bleeding during the fight.
By not being the recipient of an enemies blows, he might not end up bruised. And maybe even his feet wouldn’t get so hot. That was more and more bothersome. That his feet were so damn hot. It made him angered.
A second blow was deflected by his shield. Vater Alain was not going to help get rid of the attacker, for he was trying to be a man defending, and not attacking. The men of Powys worshipped Valens too.
Caradoc saw no help for it, and stood quickly, pushing against the stirrups. Rising he deflected a third blow even as he brought his own sword twisting to slash under the man’s shield he faced. That let his sword slash upwards on the other side of the shield and he knew he hit the man’s shield arm, though the angle did not allow any cutting except perhaps against the strap.
Recovering his sword, he tried to pull hard against any constraint. His sword was very sharp, and if it found a think leather tie, it might cut it. With his sword free he quickly hit it against the man’s shield, and it did seem to move a little. The man once more tried to strike and Caradoc moved his shield in between them. He was there for every strike. And the man had another that he wanted to send Caradoc’s way. Not that Caradoc knew he was very fast, or absurdly fast but the man seemed slow. He was very tall, but he was slow.
And so Caradoc struck again trying to get over the shield but the big man had a big shield. Caradoc’s sword glanced off the top of the rim of the large shield. And the man’s shield shook again. More than it should have. Caradoc must have damaged the ties, he thought. Once more under, and there the enemy had a weakness.
Once more under and pull hard to cut the leather ties and any other armor he could reach. He also had to place his shield between the enemies blade and his head once more. The man should have learned to very his attack. It was too predictable.
Though the enemy losing his shield to the ground was sure to force a change in his routine. As the shield fell away, Caradoc did not want to give him much time. He slashed out again and struck against a now exposed shoulder. He struck hard and though he did not cut into the bone, the man had armor there, he did bruise that shoulder badly. The next strike Caradoc aimed for the helmet. Let him ring a bit.
A solid hit on the man and his head. Time for another. These could be very painful if they kept up. More to do with all that metal on your head being pushed about and how your neck held up. Caradoc would have to be lucky to have his sword cut through the helmet, which was pretty thick steel. But there were places of weakness in the head area. The eye slits, for instance.The neck was always thinly protected, even if there was chainmail there. It had to do with the articulation. If you wanted to see anywhere but straight ahead, you would want to move your helmet about, just as you could do with your head without a helmet. So the neck area was not solid steel.
It took good arm control to move the tip of the blade to where you wanted it to go. But then man squires, especially the sons of the great lords, learned how to do that long before they were considered for advancement to knighthood. Caradoc had mastered it years ago.
Fighting the man, though, also kept others of Powys from engaging him, and should one of those others happen to be Cynwal, then it would be too dramatic for him and the rest of the army. An army that should have had one person kill the Clanrex by then. A thousand gold pieces Cynwal would give to any who killed him. Maybe that was why the warrior still had not retreated. He had no shield and his head must have hurt terribly by then.
“Retreat man. Do you want me to kill you!” Caradoc shouted at the man. Striking once more on the man’s head.
Their steeds were well trained, for they allowed the two men to face each other without too much jostling about. “Never! Swine!”
“Do you not think I shall kill you?”
“Hyfaidd was my friend!” The fool said. That decided it for Caradoc. Hyfaidd was the worst of any type of lord.
July 11, 2012
A Regency Era Lexicon XII The Letter J
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research 
there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next letter of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term.
Jabber–To talk thick and fast, as great praters usually do, to chatter like a magpye; also to speak a foreign language. He jabbered to me in his damned outlandish parlez vous, but I could not understand him; he chattered to me in French, or some other foreign language, but I could not understand him.
Jack–A farthing, a small bowl serving as the mark for bowlers. An instrument for pulling off boots.
Jack Adams–A fool. Jack Adams’s parish; Clerkenwell.
Jack at a Pinch–A poor hackney parson.
Jack in a Box–A sharper, or cheat. A child in the mother’s womb.
Jack an an Office–An insolent fellow in authority.
Jack Ketch–The hangman; vide Derrick and Ketch.
Jack Nasty Face–A sea term, signifying a common sailor.
Jack of Legs–A tall long-legged man; also a giant, said to be buried in Weston church, near Baldock, in Hertfordshire, where there are two stones fourteen feet distant, said to be the head and feet stones of his grave. This giant, says Salmon, as fame goes, lived in a wood here, and was a great robber, but a generous one; for he plundered the rich to feed the poor: he frequently took bread for this purpose from the Baldock bakers, who catching him at an advantage, put out his eyes, and afterwards hanged him upon a knoll in Baldock field. At his death he made one request, which was, that he might have his bow and arrow put into his hand, and on shooting it off, where the arrow fell, they would bury him; which being granted, the arrow fell in Weston churchyard. Above seventy years ago, a very large thigh bone was taken out of the church chest, where it had lain many years for a show, and was sold by the clerk to Sir John Tradescant, who, it is said, put it among the rarities of Oxford.
Jack Pudding–The merry andrew, zany, or jester to a mountebank.
Jack Robinson–Before one could say Jack Robinson; a saying to express a very short time, originating from a very volatile gentleman of that appellation, who would call on his neighbours, and be gone before his name could be announced.
Jack Sprat–A dwarf, or diminutive fellow.
Jack Tar–A sailor.
Jack Weight–A fat man.
Jack Whore–A large masculine overgrown wench.
Jackanapes–An ape; a pert, ugly, little fellow.
Jacked–Spavined. A jacked horse.
Jackmen–See Jarkmen.
Jackey–Gin.
Jacob–A soft fellow. A fool.
Jacob–A ladder: perhaps from Jacob’s dream. (Cant) Also the common name for a jay, jays being usually taught to say, Poor Jacob! a cup of sack for Jacob.
Jacobites–Sham or collar shirts. Also partizans for the Stuart family: from the name of the abdicated king, i.e. James or Jacobus. It is said by the whigs, that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, lest the descendants of that patriarch should be called Jacobites.
Jade–A term of reproach to women.
Jague–A ditch: perhaps from jakes.
Jail Birds–Prisoners.
Jakes–A house of office, a cacatorium.
Jammed–Hanged. (Cant)
Janizaries–The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers.
Japanned–Ordained. To be japanned; to enter into holy orders, to become a clergyman, to put on the black cloth: from the colour of the japan ware, which is black.
Jark–A seal.
Jarkmen–Those, who fabricate counterfeit passes, licenses, and certificates for beggars.
Jarvey–The driver of a hackney coach.
Jarvis–A hackney coachman.
Jason’s Fleece–A citizen cheated of his gold.
Jaw–Speech, discourse. Give us none of your jaw; let us have none of your discourse. A jaw-me-dead; a talkative fellow. Jaw work; a cry used in fairs by the sellers of nuts.
Jazey–A bob wig.
Jefy–It will be done in a jeffy; it will be done in a short space of time, in an instant.
Jehu–To drive jehu-like; to drive furiously: from a king of Israel of that name, who was a famous charioteer, and mentioned as such in the Bible.
Jem–A gold ring. (Cant)
Jemmy Fellow–A smart spruce fellow.
Jemmy–A crow. This instrument is much used by housebreakers. Sometimes called Jemmy Rook.
Jenny–An instrument for lifting up the grate or top of a show-glass, in order to rob it. (Cant)
Jericho–A place of concealment–To “wish someone at Jericho” is to want them out of the way–The manor of Blackmore, near Chelmsford, was called Jericho, and was one of the houses where Henry VIII visited his courtesans.
Jerrycummumble–To shake, towzle, or tumble about.
Jerry Sneak–A henpecked husband: from a celebrated character in one of Mr. Foote’s plays, representing a man governed by his wife.
Jessamy–A smart jemmy fellow, a fopling.
Jesuit–See To Box the Jesuit.
Jesuitical–Sly, evasive, equivocal. A jesuitical answer; an equivocal answer.
Jet–A lawyer. Autem jet; a parson.
Jew–An over-reaching dealer, or hard, sharp fellow; an extortioner: the brokers formerly behind St. Clement’s church in the Strand were called Jews by their brethren the Taylors.
Jew–A tradesman who has no faith, i.e. will not give credit.
Jew Bail–Insufficient bail: commonly Jews, who for a sum of money will bail any action whatsoever, and justify, that is, swear to their sufficiency; but, when called on, are not to be found.
Jew’s Eye–That’s worth a Jew’s eye; a pleasant or agreeable sight: a saying taken from Shakespeare.
Jibber The Kibber–A method of deceiving seamen, by fixing a candle and lanthorn round the neck of a horse, one of whose fore feet is tied up; this at night has the appearance of a ship’s light. Ships bearing towards it, run on shore, and being wrecked, are plundered by the inhabitants. This diabolical device is, it is said, practiced by the inhabitants of our western coasts.
Jig–A trick. A pleasant jig; a witty arch trick. Also a lock or door. The feather-bed jig; copulation.
Jigger–A whipping-post. (Cant)
Jilt–A tricking woman, who encourages the addresses of a man whom she means to deceive and abandon.
Jilted–Rejected by a woman who has encouraged one’s advances.
Jingle Boxes–Leathern jacks tipped with silver, and hung with bells, formerly in use among fuddle caps. (Cant)
Jingle Brains–A wild, thoughtless, rattling fellow.
Jinglers–Horse cosers, frequenting country fairs.
Job–A guinea.
Job’s Comfrot–Reproof instead of consolation.
Job’s Comfroter–One who brings news of some additional misfortune.
Job’s Dock–He is laid up in Job’s dock; i.e. in a salivation. The apartments for the foul or venereal patients in St. Bartholomew’s hospital, are called Job’s ward.
Jobation–A reproof.
Jobbernole–The head.
To Job–To reprove or reprehend. Cambridge Term.
Job–Any robbery. To do a job; to commit some kind of robbery.
Jock, or Crowdy-Headed Jock–A jeering appellation for a north country seaman, particularly a collier; Jock being a common name, and crowdy the chief food, of the lower order of the people in Northumberland.
To Jock, or Jockum Cloy–To enjoy a woman.
Jockum Gage–A chamber-pot, jordan, looking-glass, or member-mug. (Cant)
Jogg-Trot–To keep on a jogg-trot; to get on with a slow but regular pace.
Johnny Bum–A he or jack ass: so called by a lady that affected to be extremely polite and modest, who would not say Jack because it was vulgar, nor ass because it was indecent.
Joint–To hit a joint in carving, the operator must think of a cuckold. To put one’s nose out of joint; to rival one in the favour of a patron or mistress.
Jointure–A financial provision for a widow–Typically the amount is negotiated based on the portion she brought to the marriage, and is generally established as part of the marriage settlement.
Jolly, or Jolly Nob–The head. I’ll lump your jolly nob for you; I’ll give you a knock on the head.
Jolly Dog–A merry facetious fellow; a Bon Vivant, who never flinches from his glass, nor cries to go home to bed.
Jolter Head–A large head; metaphorically a stupid fellow.
Jordain–A great blow, or staff. I’ll tip him a jordain if I transnear; i.e. I’ll give him a blow with my staff, if I come near him. (Cant)
Jordan–A chamber-pot.
Jorum–A jugg, or large pitcher.
Joseph–A woman’s great coat. Also, a sheepish bashful young fellow: an allusion to Joseph who fled from Potiphar’s wife. You are Josephus rex; you are jo-king, i. e. joking.
Joskin–A countryman. The dropcove maced the Joskin of twenty quid; The ring dropper cheated the countryman of twenty guineas.
Jowl–The cheek. Cheek by jowl; close together, or cheek to cheek. My eyes how the cull sucked the blowen’s jowl; he kissed the wench handsomely.
Jug–See Double Jug.
Jug-Bitten–Drunk.
Juggler’s Box–The engine for burning culprits in the hand. (Cant)
Jukrum–A licence.
Jumblegut Lane–A rough road or lane.
Jump–The jump, or dining-room jump; a species of robbery effected by ascending a ladder placed by a sham lamp-lighter, against the house intended to be robbed. It is so called, because, should the lamp-lighter be put to flight, the thief who ascended the ladder has no means of escaping but that of jumping down.
Jumpers–Persons who rob houses by getting in at the windows. Also a set of Methodists established in South Wales.
Juniper Lecture–A round scolding bout.
Jury Leg–A wooden leg: allusion to a jury mast, which is a temporary substitute for a mast carried away by a storm, or any other accident. Sea Phrase.
Jury Mast–A Journiere mast; i.e. a mast for the day or occasion.
Just-Ass. A punning appellation for a justice.
July 10, 2012
Regency Era Prime Ministers-Charles Grey
Regency History
Often in my research I keep needing to find who was leading the government and do this through every book. I thought that having the list handy would be good, and then turning it into a research webpage even better. Here is the list. After I post a few more Timeline years and write some more, I will work on the web page with notes about each PM.
The next PM I am doing is Charles Grey, and I am hosting a page devoted to him and then all our period PMs at Regency Assembly Press. That page is here.
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
04/02/1783
12/19/1783
Whig
William Pitt the Younger
12/19/1783
03/14/1801
Tory
Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth, “The Doctor”
03/14/1801
05/10/1804
Tory
William Pitt the Younger
05/10/1804
01/23/1806
Tory
William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville
02/11/1806
03/31/1807
Whig
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
03/31/1807
10/04/1809
Tory*
Spencer Perceval
10/04/1809
05/11/1812
Tory
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
06/08/1812
04/09/1827
Tory
George Canning
04/10/1827
08/08/1827
Tory
Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
08/31/1827
01/21/1828
Tory
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
01/22/1828
11/16/1830
Tory
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
11/22/1830
07/16/1834
Whig
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
07/16/1834
11/14/1834
Whig
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
11/14/1834
12/10/1834
Tory
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet
12/10/1834
04/18/1835
Conservative
William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
04/18/1835
08/30/1841
Whig
Tory* (Tory government, PM a Whig)
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey
“Earl Grey”
Born 03/13/1764 Falloden, Northumberland
Died 07/17/1845 Howick Hall, Howick, Northumberland
Major Acts:
Reform Act 1832 – reformed the electoral process
Slavery Abolition Act 1833 – abolished slavery throughout all the Empire
An affair and child out of wedlock with the notorious Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
A firmly Whig politician, Earl Grey oversaw four years of political reform that had enormous impact on the development of democracy in Britain.
Earl Grey’s political experience before becoming the Prime Minister was limited.
He first took office briefly under Grenville in 1806, but it was nearly a quarter of a century before he returned to office as PM.
Earl Grey’s most remarkable achievement was the Reform Act of 1832, which set in train a gradual process of electoral change.
Indeed, it sowed the seeds of the system we recognise today.
Around 130 years of parliamentary reform began with this act and culminated in universal suffrage for men and women over 18, secret ballots and legitimate constituencies.
The battle to pass the historic act was a difficult one.
Grey resigned after the Lords rejected it, although he returned to office when Wellington found himself unable to form an administration.
Wellington then consented, and Grey was able to push the bill through.
Other reforming measures included restrictions on the employment of children, and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833.
Best-known for tea
One of Grey’s other legacies is the blend of tea known as Earl Grey. He reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic present, of tea that was flavored with bergamot oil.
It became so popular that Grey asked British tea merchants to recreate it.
After resigning in 1834, Grey did not linger in politics. He was greatly attached to his family, and he retired from the limelight to spend his remaining years with them.
He was said to be ‘tall, slim and strikingly handsome’ although in later years he went bald and wore spectacles.
Ministry
11/22/1830 07/16/1834
Lord Grey — First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Brougham — Lord Chancellor
Lord Lansdowne — Lord President of the Council
Lord Durham — Lord Privy Seal
Lord Melbourne — Secretary of State for the Home Department
Lord Palmerston — Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Lord Goderich — Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Sir James Graham — First Lord of the Admiralty
Lord Althorp — Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons
Charles Grant — President of the Board of Control
Lord Holland — Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Duke of Richmond — Postmaster-General
Lord Carlisle — Minister without Portfolio
Changes
June, 1831 — Lord John Russell, the Paymaster of the Forces, and Edward Smith-Stanley, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, join the Cabinet.
April, 1833 — Lord Goderich, now Lord Ripon, succeeds Lord Durham as Lord Privy Seal. Edward Smith-Stanley succeeds Ripon as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. His successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the Cabinet. Edward Ellice, the Secretary at War, joins the Cabinet.
June, 1834 — Thomas Spring Rice succeeds Stanley as Colonial Secretary. Lord Carlisle succeeds Ripon as Lord Privy Seal. Lord Auckland succeeds Graham as First Lord of the Admiralty. The Duke of Richmond leaves the Cabinet. His successor as Postmaster-General is not in the Cabinet. Charles Poulett Thomson, the President of the Board of Trade, and James Abercrombie, the Master of the Mint, join the Cabinet.
Family
Grey married Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby (1776 – 1861), only daughter of William Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby and Hon. Louisa Molesworth in 1794. The marriage was a fruitful one; between 1796 and 1819 the couple had ten sons and six daughters:
[a dau.] Grey (stillborn, 1796)
Lady Louisa Elizabeth Grey (7 April 1797 – 26 November 1841); married John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
Lady Elizabeth Grey (10 July 1798 – 8 November 1880); married John Crocker Bulteel (d. 10 September 1843). Their daughter, Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel, is one of the great-great-great-grandmothers of Diana, Princess of Wales
Lady Caroline Grey (30 August 1799 – 28 April 1875); married Capt. The Hon. George Barrington
Lady Georgiana Grey (17 February 1801 – 1900); never married
Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey (28 December 1802 – 9 October 1894), eldest son, who became a politician like his father
General Sir Charles Grey (15 March 1804 – 31 March 1870), father of Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
Admiral Sir Frederick William Grey (23 August 1805 – 2 May 1878)
Lady Mary Grey ( 2 May 1807 – 6 July 1884); married Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax
Hon. William Grey (13 May 1808 – 11 Feb 1815)
Admiral The Hon. George Grey (16 May 1809 – 3 October 1891)
Hon. Thomas Grey (29 Dec 1810 – 8 Jul 1826)
Rev. Hon. John Grey ( 2 March 1812 – 11 November 1895)
Rev. Hon. Sir Francis Richard Grey (31 March 1813 – 22 March 1890) married Lady Elizabeth Howard (1816–1891), daughter of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle and Georgiana Cavendish (daughter of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire).
Hon. Henry Cavendish Grey (16 October 1814 – 5 September 1880)
Hon. William George Grey (15 February 1819 – 19 December 1865)
Mary was frequently pregnant and during his absences in London or elsewhere Grey had a series of affairs with other women. The first, most notorious, and most significant, which antedated his engagement to his future wife, was with Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, whom he met at Devonshire House – the centre of Whig society in London in the 1780s and 1790s – shortly after his arrival in the capital as a young recruit to the House of Commons.
Impetuous and headstrong, Grey pursued Georgiana with persistence until she gave in to his attentions. She became pregnant by Grey in 1791, but she refused to leave her husband the duke, and live with Grey, when the duke threatened that if she did so she would never see their children again.
She went abroad with Elizabeth Foster, and on 20 February 1792 at Aix-en-Provence, gave birth to a daughter who was given the name Eliza Courtney. After their return to England in September 1793 the child was taken to Fallodon and brought up by Grey’s parents as though she were his sister.
This affair was a significant step in the process by which he became a member of the Whig party, led by Charles James Fox.
The Writing Life
My current writing project, a Fantasy, the third part of my trilogy on the son of Duke. It is the third in what I started when I left college. I finished the second part about 2 years ago, and so now I will wrap it up and reedit it all. It is tentatively titles, Crown in Jeopardy, the third book in the Born to Grace tale.
It opens with our hero setting up a trap for the enemies.
Chapter 2: Cynwal’s Folly
Caradoc sat atop his horse as the sounds of the horns reverberated over the camp. A call he had heard before this last few months as they battled the men of Powys. Foolish to announce there attack this way. But Caradoc’s men, those who were set to act as if they were taken unawares, rushed about, feigning a hunt for weapons and armor. Trying to convince an enemy now rushing towards them that they were unprepared.
Caradoc had only to wait and stand beneath his banner. He did not even have to order his men to counter attack. He just was to shout at the top of his lungs as he waited for the enemy to engage. Pandaemonium was the detail they were trying to convey and if Cynwal and his commanders saw what Caradoc did, then they would believe that was what was happening. That the men of Northmarch were taken unawares.
“Looks like it is working. That has to be six hundred cavalry charging this way.” Alain said. It was what reports had as there heavy armor. “Did they not think to send scouts to see how we prepared our fortresses? And what we would do to a field after dark had fallen.
“If they had seen us strew caltrops then they would know that we protect our camps. But then, we do not do so when there is light, nor half we left such behind us when we break camp. The enemy I suspect has wondered why our men have spent time cleaning the grounds that we are to leave. Telling the women and children that we have displaced that we do not want to leave them with any of our trash that they may use its value against us I hope would not work should that tale ever be told to me.”
Alain shook his head. “I suspect that Cynwal has never seen a foe spread caltrops and dig holes around a camp, and so does not think that you pick them up. None of Powys were with us when we went to the Holy Lands.”
“Knowing Arthur Argent and the family he married into, they are two cowardly for such.” Caradoc said. Then thought of Arthur’s son who was with Edward and the army going South. Gareth was punished by Edward for the deeds his father had done. They were cousins and Gareth had shown his bravery several times. Especially when defying the actions of his own father. Caradoc had to rescue the young man from his vengeful cousin when they returned to the main column. If they did so.
“I think Cynwal has gotten a few more troops then we thought.” Caradoc turned in his seat, and looked over the heads of the men crouched on their knees below him. He peered to where the false dawn showed the fields and the enemy coming from the distance. “Yes, I make out three thousand here to the front, these cavalry, and then there is at least four thousand behind.”
Alain nodded, then said, “You had planned for ten. We are prepared for this then.”
“As a Vater of Valens, you may always be ready for war, my old mentor, but I have yet to be ready for battle. No matter how many times we are about to enter it.”
“Well, here we go again. And to tell you truthfully, no Vater of Valens is ever ready for battle. No Vater ever wants battle. But we do want it to be as quickly and mercifully done as it may be. Contradictory of course, but often men say war is fought for just means.”
Caradoc frowned. It had been what he had been thinking of the previous night. “There are no just means in war. Or ends. But should Cynwal fall, then perhaps it will be worthwhile. I wonder if he thinks the same as I. That should he slay me, then he will see some resolution. Yet he must also slay Padaric.”
“Which his allies attempt,” Caradoc heard Jamus from in front of him. That they had heard. That the enemy in their coordination to attack all on the same day had attempted such. They had failed, but they had tried.
The enemy neared enough and Caradoc urged his mount forward, “MacLaughlin!” he shouted. The clansmen responded immediately. And so too did the others that had travelled with them north. More than twelve hundred voices shouted the name. Many more.
“They are not phased.” Caradoc said, though it could not be heard much over the chanting of his name. From the tents in the encampment, much larger than would hold two men, but would hold eight and ten, came forth men in armor, prepared for battle.
Alain knew what he had said, though he probably did not hear it. He said something as well. Caradoc was sure that it was along the lines that it did not matter if the enemy understood that more men were appearing in the Northmarch camp. The enemy was committed from too many directions for Cynwal to stop. And the Cavalry unit, amongst which he rode, had begun a charge that it would be near impossible to stop.
The end of Cynwal and his forces was imminent. Caradoc hoped. Caradoc would do his best to see to. It was time to end the Clanrex of Powys. Something that had been done before by a MacLaughlin and had to be done again.
“MacLaughlin” was shouted again and from where he sat, he could see that the charge of the enemy faltered as the caltrops and holes that had been dug were encountered. A counter charge would be dangerous, but there were posts on the inside of the encampment that had been put up to show where safe lanes were. Wide enough for three and four mounted men to ride out, but not more. And then a hundred paces would free them of the danger.
Caradoc though did not intend to ride just yet. Not until the other enemy had marched into the killing grounds. Then, when they were caught up and the archers of Northmarch fired into them, he would ride through the killing lanes, as would three thousand. Through and then, to back of the attackers, where he would try to push them further against their fortified camp.
That, or look for Cynwal and try and kill the man. That would bring an end to things he hoped. Finding Cynwal.
The first of the foot soldiers of Powys had reached the edge of the caltrops infested area and they were not happy. As soon as they understood the danger they began to step gingerly and avoid the harmful spikes. But they did slow tremendously. And they began to be hit with the arrows of Northmarch.
Caradoc had more than six thousand men with him. The Magus had cloaked the movements of many of the troops. Resting hidden under cover of magic during the day, and moving to join forces with Caradoc at night. The enemy only noticed that they had the troops that he had wanted them to see. Now it was a surprise to find so many Northmarchers there and fit to fight.
The enemy moved closer and all the men that Caradoc had been hiding were either at the makeshift wall, or formed up to rush forth and attack.
The enemy cavalry, Cynwal’s Clanrex standard amongst them, mired in the field to the front of the camp. Caradoc caught Avram’s attention and mouthed a question. Avram looked and held up two fingers. Beckoning the enemy to move closer. Then it was just one finger and finally, Avram turned to Caradoc and smiled widely, while waving to some of the horns to sound the attack.
Even as Caradoc heard the notes from the horns he was spurring his horse. As too did Jamus and the other bodyguards. They were watching Caradoc and saw when he had communicated by signal to Avram. Three thousand Cavalry were making there way out of the camp by way of first four exits, and then ten lanes that had been marked. The enemy there, were a little thicker as they did not have to deal with holes or caltrops to slow them. Yet they did not expect to be counterattacked.
Caradoc raised his sword and swung heavily at a man who stood at the side of the lane that his men were clearing. He was not allowed to lead this charge from the front, nor even could he hold his horse to the flank of a lane, as Jamus ensured that he was to one side of him and Vater Alain was to the other. But a man had gotten past his bodyguard and this was where Caradoc aimed.
He was not surprised when the clansman of Powys fell. Caradoc was mounted and had a great height advantage and the man was caught between two mounted warriors. The smartest thing would have been to run away. The Clanrex had done his best to stop his men from doing that once more.
The lane that Caradoc had his guardsmen travel was the one that would lead them closest to the Clanrex and his warriors. Caradoc’s spies had relayed that not all amongst the army they faced were of the Powys clan. Some where there with great reluctance to serve the Clanrex. And Caradoc hoped, should he force upon Powys another defeat, now on their own lands, perhaps those who had given the man their allegiance would think twice before giving such to another who claimed to be a part of that clan.
A much bigger and complex picture, but one that Duchess Amanda had been working towards for years. One that she had sent emissaries once more the leaders of other clans reminding them that should the area that Powys looked to as its lands have a clanrex not of the Powys clan, then friendship with Northmarch and an end to warfare might be possible.
“We have to get Cynwal. We may not get another chance. Someone must bring the Clanrex down.” Not that he had made death of the Clanrex the cause for the incursion that they had made into Powys, but it was a part of it. Forcing the Clanrex to respond until he had exhausted his resources, until he too felt the devastation that his troops had been causing in Hull. That was why they had come north and forced battle. Though, if Caradoc was to tell himself why they came, it was really to kill Cynwal. The man should have been responsible for his son. Hyfaidd was part of the ambush upon those of Northmarch. Could he really have done all that he did with out his father knowing?
A Regency Era Lexicon XI The Letter I
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research 
there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next letter of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term.
Impost Takers–Usurers who attend the gaming-tables, and lend money at great premiums.
Impudent Stealing–Cutting out the backs of coaches, and robbing the seats.
Impure–A modern term for a lady of easy virtue.
In One’s Black Books–Out of favor.
In Quite Deep–In debt.
In The Suds–To be in trouble.
Inching–Encroaching.
Indies–Black Indies; Newcastle.
India Wipe–A silk handkerchief.
Indorser–A sodomite. To indorse with a cudgel; to drub or beat a man over the back with a stick, to lay Cane upon Abel.
Inexpressibles–Breeches.
Inkle Weavers–Supposed to be a very brotherly set of people; ‘as great as two inkle weavers’ being a proverbial saying.
Inlaid–Well inlaid; in easy circumstances, rich or well to pass.
Innocents–One of the innocents; a weak or simple person, man or woman.
Incognitas–Higher class prostitutes.
Inexpressibles–A man’s very tight (and very revealing) trousers or breeches–Also called unmentionables.
Inside and Outside–The inside of a **** and the outside of a gaol.
Irish Apricots–Potatoes. It is a common joke against the Irish vessels, to say they are loaded with fruit and timber, that is, potatoes and broomsticks.
Irish Assurance–A bold forward behaviour: as being dipt in the river Styx was formerly supposed to render persons invulnerable, so it is said that a dipping in the river Shannon totally annihilates bashfulness; whence arises the saying of an impudent Irishman, that he has been dipt in the Shannon.
Irish Beauty–A woman with two black eyes.
Irish Evidence–A false witness.
Irish Legs–Thick legs, jocularly styled the Irish arms. It is said of the Irish women, that they have a dispensation from the pope to wear the thick end of their legs downwards.
Irish Toyles–Thieves who carry about pins, laces, and other pedlars wares, and under the pretence of offering their goods to sale, rob houses, or pilfer any thing they can lay hold of.
Iron–Money in general. To polish the king’s iron with one’s eyebrows; to look out of grated or prison windows, or, as the Irishman expresses them, the iron glass windows. Iron doublet; a prison. See Stone Doublet.
Ironmonger’s Shop–To keep an ironmonger’s shop by the side of a common, where the sheriff sets one up; to be hanged in chains. Iron-bound; laced. An iron-bound hat; a silver-laced hat.
Island–He drank out of the bottle till he saw the island; the island is the rising bottom of a wine bottle, which appears like an island in the centre, before the bottle is quite empty.
Itchland, or Scratchland–Scotland.
Ivories–Teeth. How the swell flashed his ivories; how the gentleman shewed his teeth.
Ivory-turners–Gambling cheat and swindler.
Ivy Bush–Like an owl in an ivy bush; a simile for a meagre or weasel-faced man, with a large wig, or very bushy hair.
July 9, 2012
A Regency Era Lexicon X The Letter H
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research 
there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next letter of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term.
Ha-Ha–A landscaping element consisting of a trench or ditch that cannot be Seen until one approaches it–Presumably named for the exclamation of surprise one utters on encountering it.
Haberdasher Of Pronouns–A schoolmaster, or usher.
Habit Shirt–A short linen or muslin shirt, originally part of a riding costume, it was also worn to fill in a wide-necked bodice for day wear–Sometimes with a stand-up collar or ruff–Also called a chemisette.
Hackney Carriage–A carriage for hire–A hackney is a horse for ordinary riding or driving, from the town of Hackney near London known for its horses.
Hackney Writer–One who writes for attornies or booksellers.
Hackum–Captain Hackum; a bravo, a slasher.
Had’em–He has been at Had’em, and came home by Clapham; said of one who has caught the venereal disease.
Hadn’t An Ounce Of Steel In Her–Not strong-willed.
Hair Splitter–A man’s yard.
Halbert–A weapon carried by a serjeant of foot. To get a halbert; to be appointed a serjeant. To be brought to the halberts; to be flogged a la militaire: soldiers of the infantry, when flogged, being commonly tied to three halberts, set up in a triangle, with a fourth fastened across them. He carries the halbert in his face; a saying of one promoted from a serjeant to a commission officer.
Half a fiddle–Thruppence, (approx $25).
Half a hog–6 pence, (approx $50).
Half-Boots–Ankle high boots for women, typically for outdoor wear, often made of kid, but sometimes of less sturdy cloth, even velvet.
Half borde–6 pence, (approx $50).
Half bull–2 1/2 shillings, A hind coachwheel, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Half-crown–2 1/2 shillings, A hind coachwheel, a half-bull, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Half Pay–A military officer who was not on active duty received half his usual pay.
Half Seas Over–Almost drunk.
Half-Sovereign–10 shillings, (approx $1000).
Half-Sprung–Tipsy, not fully drunk.
Hamlet–A high constable. (Cant)
Hams, or Hamcases–Breeches.
Hand–A sailor. We lost a hand; we lost a sailor. Bear a hand; make haste. Hand to fist; opposite: the same as tete-a-tete, or cheek by joul.
Hand and Pocket Shop–An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Hand Basket Portion–A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion.
Handle–To know how to handle one’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing. The cove flashes a rare handle to his physog; the fellow has a large nose.
Handle The Ribbons–To drive a coach or carriage.
Handsome–He is a handsome-bodied man in the face; a jeering commendation of an ugly fellow. Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.
Handsome Reward–This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.
To Hang an Arse–To hang back, to hesitate.
Hang Gallows Look–A thievish, or villainous appearance.
Hang In Chains–A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.
Hang It Up–Score it up: speaking of a reckoning.
Hang On Someone’s Sleeve–To let self be supported financially.
Hang Out–The traps scavey where we hang out; the officers know where we live.
Hanger On–A dependant.
Hangman’s Wages–Thirteen pence halfpenny; which, according to the vulgar tradition, was thus allotted: one shilling for the executioner, and three halfpence for the rope,—N. B. This refers to former times; the hangmen of the present day having, like other artificers, raised their prices. The true state of this matter is, that a Scottish mark was the fee allowed for an execution, and the value of that piece was settled by a proclamation of James I. at thirteen pence halfpenny.
Hank–He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See Bull Hank.
Hanker–To hanker after any thing; to have a longing after or for it.
Hans in Kelder–Jack in the cellar, i.e. the child in the womb: a health frequently drank to breeding women or their husbands.
Ha’penny, H’pence–1/2 of a penny. (approx. $4)
Hard–Stale beer, nearly sour, is said to be hard. Hard also means severe: as, hard fate, a hard master.
Hard at His Arse–Close after him.
Hare–He has swallowed a hare; he is drunk; more probably a HAIR, which requires washing down,
Hark-Ye-Ing–Whispering on one side to borrow money.
Harman–A constable. (Cant)
Harman Beck–A beadle. (Cant)
Harmans–The stocks. (Cant)
Harp–To harp upon; to dwell upon a subject. Have among you, my blind harpers; an expression used in throwing or shooting at random among the crowd. Harp is also the Irish expression for woman, or tail, used in tossing up in Ireland: from Hibernia, being represented with a harp on the reverse of the copper coins of that country; for which it is, in hoisting the copper, i.e. tossing up, sometimes likewise called music.
Harridan–A bad-tempered, disreputable old woman–Probably from the French word “haridelle” meaning a worn-out horse.
Harry–A country fellow. (Cant)—Old Harry; the Devil.
Harum Scarum–He was running harum scarum; said of any one running or walking hastily, and in a hurry, after they know not what.
Hash–To flash the hash; to vomit. (Cant)
Hasty–Precipitate, passionate. He is none of the Hastings sort; a saying of a slow, loitering fellow: an allusion to the Hastings pea, which is the first in season.
Hasty Pudding–Oatmeal and milk boiled to a moderate thickness, and eaten with sugar and butter. Figuratively, a wet, muddy road: as, The way through Wandsworth is quite a hasty pudding. To eat hot hasty pudding for a laced hat, or some other prize, is a common feat at wakes and fairs.
Hat–Old hat; a woman’s privities: because frequently felt.
Hatches–Under the hatches; in trouble, distress, or debt.
Hatchet Face–A long thin face.
Haven’t A Sixpence To Scratch With–Have no money.
Havey-Cavey Business–Suspicious goings-on.
Havil–A sheep. (Cant)
Havy Cavy–Wavering, doubtful, shilly shally.
Hawk–Ware hawk; the word to look sharp, a bye-word when a bailiff passes. Hawk also signifies a sharper, in opposition to pigeon. See Pigeon. See Ware Hawk.
Hawkers–Licensed itinerant retailers of different commodities, called also pedlars; likewise the sellers of news-papers. Hawking; an effort to spit up the thick phlegm, called Oysters: whence it is wit upon record, to ask the person so doing
Haymarket Ware–Low class prostitutes.
To Hazel Gild–To beat any one with a hazel stick.
Head Cully of the Pass, or Passage Bank–The top tilter of that gang throughout the whole army, who demands and receives contribution from all the pass banks in the camp.
Head Rails–Teeth. Sea Phrase.
Hearing Cheats–Ears. (Cant)
Heart’s Ease–Gin.
Hearty Choaks–He will have a hearty choak and caper sauce for breakfast; i.e. he will be hanged.
Heathen Philosopher–One whose breech may be seen through his pocket-hole: this saying arose from the old philosophers, many of whom depised the vanity of dress to such a point, as often to fall into the opposite extreme.
To Heave–To rob. To heave a case; to rob a house. To heave a bough; to rob a booth. (Cant)
Heaver–The breast. (Cant)
Heavers–Thieves who make it their business to steal tradesmen’s shop-books. (Cant)
Hector–bully, a swaggering coward. To hector; to bully, probably from such persons affecting the valour of Hector, the Trojan hero.
Hedge–To make a hedge; to secure a bet, or wager, laid on one side, by taking the odds on the other, so that, let what will happen, a certain gain is secured, or hedged in, by the person who takes this precaution; who is then said to be on velvet.
Hedge Alehouse–A small obscure alehouse.
Hedge Creeper–A robber of hedges.
Hedge Priest–An illiterate unbeneficed curate, a patrico.
Hedge Whore–An itinerant harlot, who bilks the bagnios and bawdy-houses, by disposing of her favours on the wayside, under a hedge; a low beggarly prostitute.
Heels–To he laid by the heels; to be confined, or put in prison. Out at heels; worn, or diminished: his estate or affairs are out at heels. To turn up his heels; to turn up the knave of trumps at the game of all-fours.
Hell Tap–A peg in the heel of a shoe, taken out when it is finished. A person leaving any liquor in his glass, is frequently called upon by the toast-master to take off his heel-tap.
Hell (I.e. Gaming Hell)–A gambling establishment–Sort of a casino without all the neon lights and loud music–A young “pigeon” was more likely to fall victim to a dishonorable “shark” at a hell than at an elite gentleman’s club.
Hell–A taylor’s repository for his stolen goods, called cabbage: see Cabbage. Little hell; a small dark covered passage, leading from London-wall to Bell-alley.
Hell-Born Babe–A lewd graceless youth, one naturally of a wicked disposition.
Hell Cat–A termagant, a vixen, a furious scolding woman. See Termagant and Vixen.
Hell Hound–A wicked abandoned fellow.
Hell Fire Dick–The Cambridge driver of the Telegraph. The favorite companion of the University fashionables, and the only tutor to whose precepts they attend.
Helter Skelter–To run helter skelter, hand over head, in defiance of order.
Hemp–Young hemp; an appellation for a graceless boy.
Hempen Fever–A man who was hanged is said to have died of a hempen fever; and, in Dorsetshire, to have been stabbed with a Bridport dagger; Bridport being a place famous for manufacturing hemp into cords.
Hempen Widow–One whose husband was hanged.
Hen-Hearted–Cowardly.
Hen House–A house where the woman rules; called also a She House, and Hen Frigate: the latter a sea phrase, originally applied to a ship, the captain of which had his wife on board, supposed to command him.
Henpecked–A husband governed by his wife, is said to be henpecked.
Hen–A woman. A cock and hen club; a club composed of men and women.
Here and Thereian–One who has no settled place of residence.
Herring–The devil a barrel the better herring; all equally bad.
Herring Gutted–Thin, as a shotten hering.
Herring Pond–The sea. To cross the herring pond at the king’s expence; to be transported.
Hertfordshire Kindness–Drinking twice to the same person.
Hessians–A style of man’s riding boot that is calf-length in the back and curves up in front to a point just below the knee, from which point hangs a tassel–Generally made of black leather, they sometimes had a narrow border at the top in a different color.
Hick–A country hick; an ignorant clown. (Cant)
Hickenbothom–Mr. Hickenbothom; a ludicrous name for an unknown person, similar to that of Mr. Thingambob. Hickenbothom, i.e. a corruption of the German word ickenbaum, i.e. oak tree.
Hickey–Tipsey; quasi, hickupping.
Hide and Seek–A childish game. He plays at hide and seek; a saying of one who is in fear of being arrested for debt, or apprehended for some crime, and therefore does not chuse to appear in public, but secretly skulks up and down. See Skulk.
Hidebound–Stingy, hard of delivery; a poet poor in invention, is said to have a hidebound muse.
Higgledy Piggledy–Confusedly mixed.
High Eating–To eat skylarks in a garret.
High Flyers–Tories, Jacobites.
High In The Instep–Arrogant; snobbish; overly proud; haughty.
High Jinks–A gambler at dice, who, having a strong head, drinks to intoxicate his adversary, or pigeon.
High Living–To lodge in a garret, or cockloft
High Pad–A highwayman. (Cant)
High Ropes–To be on the high ropes; to be in a passion.
High Shoon, or Clouted Shoon–A country clown.
High Water–It is high water, with him; he is full of money.
Highgate–Sworn at Highgate—a ridiculous custom formerly prevailed at the public-houses in Highgate, to administer a ludicrous oath to all travellers of the middling rank who stopped there. The party was sworn on a pair of horns, fastened on a stick: the substance of the oath was, never to kiss the maid when he could kiss the mistress, never to drink small beer when he could get strong, with many other injunctions of the like kind; to all which was added the saving cause of “unless you like it best.” The person administering the oath was always to be called father by the juror; and he, in return, was to style him son, under the penalty of a bottle.
Hike–To hike off; to run away. (Cant)
Hind Coachwheel–2 1/2 shillings, a half-bull, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Hind Leg–To kick out a hind leg; to make a rustic bow.
Hinney, My Honey–A north country hinney, particularly a Northumbrian: in that county, hinney is the general term of endearment.
History of the Four Kings, or Child’s Best Guide to the Gallows–A pack of cards. He studies the history of the four kings assiduously; he plays much at cards.
Hoaxing–Bantering, ridiculing. Hoaxing a quiz; joking an odd fellow. University Wit.
Hob, or Hobbinol–a clown.
Hob or Nob–Will you hob or nob with me? a question formerly in fashion at polite tables, signifying a request or challenge to drink a glass of wine with the proposer: if the party challenged answered Nob, they were to chuse whether white or red. This foolish custom is said to have originated in the days of good queen Bess, thus: when great chimnies were in fashion, there was at each corner of the hearth, or grate, a small elevated projection, called the hob; and behind it a seat. In winter time the beer was placed on the hob to warm: and the cold beer was set on a small table, said to have been called the nob; so that the question, Will you have hob or nob? seems only to have meant, Will you have warm or cold beer? i.e. beer from the hob, or beer from the nob.
Hobberdehoy–Half a man and half a boy, a lad between both.
Hobble–As in to be in a hobble or a predicament.
Hobbled–Impeded, interrupted, puzzled. To hobble; to walk lamely.
Hobbledygee–A pace between a walk and a run, a dog-trot.
Hobby–Sir Posthumous’s hobby; one nice or whimsical in his clothes.
Hobby Horse–A man’s favourite amusement, or study, is called his hobby horse. It also means a particular kind of small Irish horse: and also a wooden one, such as is given to children.
Hobby Horsical–A man who is a great keeper or rider of hobby horses; one that is apt to be strongly attached to his systems of amusement.
Hobnail–A country clodhopper: from the shoes of country farmers and ploughmen being commonly stuck full of hob-nails, and even often clouted, or tipped with iron. The Devil ran over his face with hobnails in his shoes; said of one pitted With the small pox.
Hobson’s Choice–That or none; from old Hobson, a famous carrier of Cambridge, who used to let horses to the students; but never permitted them to chuse, always allotting each man the horse he thought properest for his manner of riding and treatment.
Hoby–A popular gentleman’s bootmaker.
Hocks–vulgar appellation for the feet. You have left the marks of your dirty hocks on my clean stairs; a frequent complaint from a mop squeezer to a footman.
Hockey–Drunk with strong stale beer, called old hock. See Hickey.
Hocking, or Houghing–A piece of cruelty practised by the butchers of Dublin, on soldiers, by cutting the tendon of Achilles; this has been by law made felony.
Hocus Pocus–Nonsensical words used by jugglers, previous to their deceptions, as a kind of charm, or incantation. A celebrated writer supposes it to be a ludicrous corruption of the words hoc est corpus, used by the popish priests in consecrating the host. Also Hell Hocus is used to express drunkenness: as, he is quite hocus; he is quite drunk.
Hod–Brother Hod; a familiar name for a bricklayer’s labourer: from the hod which is used for carrying bricks and mortar.
Hoddy Doddy, All Arse and No Body–A short clumsy person, either male or female.
Hodge–An abbreviation of Roger: a general name for a country booby.
Hodge Podge–An irregular mixture of numerous things.
Hodmandods–Snails in their shells.
Hog–12 pence, (approx $100). To drive one’s hogs; to snore: the noise made by some persons in snoring, being not much unlike the notes of that animal. He has brought his hogs to a fine market; a saying of any one who has been remarkably successful in his affairs, and is spoken ironically to signify the contrary. A hog in armour; an awkward or mean looking man or woman, finely dressed, is said to look like a hog in armour. To hog a horse’s mane; to cut it short, so that the ends of the hair stick up like hog’s bristles. Jonian hogs; an appellation given to the members of St. John’s College, Cambridge.
Hog Grubber–A mean stingy fellow.
Hoggish–Rude, unmannerly, filthy.
Hogo–Corruption of haut goust, high taste, or flavour; commonly said of flesh somewhat tainted. It has a confounded hogo; it stinks confoundedly.
Hoist–To go upon the hoist; to get into windows accidentally left open: this is done by the assistance of a confederate, called the hoist, who leans his head against the wall, making his back a kind of step or ascent.
Hoisting–A ludicrous ceremony formerly performed on every soldier, the first time he appeared in the field after being married; it was thus managed: As soon as the regiment, or company, had grounded their arms to rest a while, three or four men of the same company to which the bridegroom belonged, seized upon him, and putting a couple of bayonets out of the two corners of his hat, to represent horns, it was placed on his head, the back part foremost. He was then hoisted on the shoulders of two strong fellows, and carried round the arms, a drum and fife beating and playing the pioneers call, named Round Heads and Cuckolds, but on this occasion styled the Cuckold’s March; in passing the colours, he was to take off his hat: this, in some regiments, was practiced by the officers on their brethren, Hoisting, among pickpockets, is, setting a man on his head, that his money, watch, &c. may fall out of his pockets; these they pick up, and hold to be no robbery. See Reversed.
Hoity-Toity–A hoity-toity wench; a giddy, thoughtless, romping girl.
Holburn Hill–To ride backwards up Holborn hill; to go to the gallows: the way to Tyburn, the place of execution for criminals condemned in London, was up that hill. Criminals going to suffer, always ride backwards, as some conceive to increase the ignominy, but more probably to prevent them being shocked with a distant view of the gallows; as, in amputations, surgeons conceal the instruments with which they are going to operate. The last execution at Tyburn, and consequently of this procession, was in the year 1784, since which the criminals have been executed near Newgate
Holiday–A holiday bowler; a bad bowler. Blind man’s holiday; darkness, night. A holiday is any part of a ship’s bottom, left uncovered in paying it. Sea Term. It is all holiday; See All Holiday.
Holy Father–A butcher’s boy of St. Patrick’s Market, Dublin, or other Irish blackguard; among whom the exclamation, or oath, by the Holy Father (meaning the Pope), is common.
Holy Lamb–A thorough-paced villain. Irish.
Holy Water–He loves him as the Devil loves holy water, i.e. hates him mortally. Holy water, according to the Roman Catholics, having the virtue to chase away the Devil and his imps.
Hollow–It was quiet a hollow thing; i.e. a certainty, or decided business.
Honest Man–A term frequently used by superiors to inferiors. As honest a man as any in the cards when all the kings are out; i.e. a knave. I dare not call thee rogue for fear of the law, said a quaker to an attorney; but I wil give thee five pounds, if thou canst find any creditable person who wilt say thou art an honest man.
Honest Woman–To marry a woman with whom one has cohabitated as a mistress, is termed, making an honest woman of her.
Honey Moon–The first month after marriage. A poor honey; a harmless, foolish, goodnatured fellow. It is all honey or a t—d with them; said of persons who are either in the extremity of friendship or enmity, either kissing or fighting.
Hood-Winked–Blindfolded by a handkerchief, or other ligature, bound over the eyes.
Hoof–To beat the hoof; to travel on foot. He hoofed it or beat the hoof, every step of the way from Chester to London.
Hook and Snivey, with Nix the Buffer–This rig consists in feeding a man and a dog for nothing, and is carried on thus: Three men, one of who pretends to be sick and unable to eat, go to a public house: the two well men make a bargain with the landlord for their dinner, and when he is out of sight, feed their pretended sick companion and dog gratis.
Hookee Walker–An expression signifying that the story is not true, or that the thing will not occur.
Hooked–Over-reached, tricked, caught: a simile taken from fishing. **** hooks; fingers.
Hookers–See Anglers.
Hoop–To run the hoop; an ancient marine custom. Four or more boys having their left hands tied fast to an iron hoop, and each of them a rope, called a nettle, in their right, being naked to the waist, wait the signal to begin: this being made by a stroke with a cat of nine tails, given by the boatswain to one of the boys, he strikes the boy before him, and every one does the same: at first the blows are but gently administered; but each irritated by the strokes from the boy behind him, at length lays it on in earnest. This was anciently practised when a ship was wind-bound.
To Hoop–To beat. I’ll well hoop his or her barrel, I’ll beat him or her soundly.
To Hop the Twig–To run away. (Cant)
Hop Merchant–A dancing master. See Caper Merchant.
Hop-O-My-Thumb–A diminutive person, man or woman. She was such a-hop-o-my thumb, that a pigeon, sitting on her shoulder, might pick a pea out of her a-se.
Hopkins–Mr. Hopkins; a ludicrous address to a lame or limping man, being a pun on the word hop.
Hopping Giles–A jeering appellation given to any person who limps, or is lame; St. Giles was the patron of cripples, lepers, &c. Churches dedicated to that saint commonly stand out of town, many of them having been chapels to hospitals. See Gyles.
Hopper-Arsed–Having large projecting buttocks: from their resemblance to a small basket, called a hopper or hoppet, worn by husbandmen for containing seed corn, when they sow the land.
Horns–To draw in one’s horns; to retract an assertion through fear: metaphor borrowed from a snail, who on the apprehension of danger, draws in his horns, and retires to his shell.
Horn Colic–A temporary priapism.
Horn Fair–An annual fair held at Charlton, in Kent, on St. Luke’s day, the 18th of October. It consists of a riotous mob, who after a printed summons dispersed through the adjacent towns, meet at Cuckold’s Point, near Deptford, and march from thence in procession, through that town and Greenwich, to Charlton, with horns of different kinds upon their heads; and at the fair there are sold rams horns, and every sort of toy made of horn; even the gingerbread figures have horns, The vulgar tradition gives the following history of the origin of this fair; King John, or some other of our ancient kings, being at the palace of Eltham, in this neighbourhood, and having been out a hunting one day, rambled from his company to this place, then a mean hamlet; when entering a cottage to inquire his way, he was struck with the beauty of the mistress, whom he found alone; and having prevailed over her modesty, the husband returning suddenly, surprised them together; and threatening to kill them both, the king was obliged to discover himself, and to compound for his safety by a purse of gold, and a grant of the land from this place to Cuckold’s Point, besides making the husband master of the hamlet. It is added that, in memory of this grant, and the occasion of it, this fair was established, for the sale of horns, and all sorts of goods made with that material. A sermon is preached at Charlton church on the fair day.
Horn Mad–A person extremely jealous of his wife, is said to be horn mad. Also a cuckold, who does not cut or breed his horns easily.
Horn Work–Cuckold-making.
Hornified–Cuckolded.
Horse Buss–A kiss with a loud smack; also a bite.
Horse Coser–A dealer in horses: vulgarly and corruptly pronounced Horse Courser. The verb To Cose was used by the Scots, in the sense of bartering or exchanging.
Horse Godmother–A large masculine woman, a gentlemanlike kind of a lady.
Horse Ladder–A piece of Wiltshire wit, which consists in sending some raw lad, or simpleton, to a neighbouring farm house, to borrow a horse ladder, in order to get up the horses, to finish a hay-mow.
Horse’s Meal–A meal without drinking.
Hosteler–i.e. oat stealer. Hosteler was originally the name for an inn-keeper; inns being in old English styled hostels, from the French signifying the same.
Hot Pot–Ale and brandy made hot.
Hot Stomach–He has so hot a stomach, that he burns all the clothes off his back; said of one who pawns his clothes to purchase liquor.
House, or Tenemenrt, To Let–A widow’s weeds; also an atchievement marking the death of a husband, set up on the outside of a mansion: both supposed to indicate that the dolorous widow wants a male comforter.
Hoyden–A tomboy; a girl who behaves in a boisterous and unladylike manner. A romping girl.
Hubble-Bubble–Confusion. A hubble-bubble fellow; a man of confused ideas, or one thick of speech, whose words sound like water bubbling out of a bottle. Also an instrument used for smoaking through water in the East Indies, called likewise a caloon, and hooker.
Hubble de Shuff–Confusedly. To fire hubble de shuff, to fire quick and irregularly. Old Military Term.
Hubbub–A noise, riot, or disturbance.
Huckle my Buff–Beer, egg, and brandy, made hot.
Hucksters–Itinerant retailers of provisions. He is in hucksters hands; he is in a bad way.
To Hue–To lash. The cove was hued in the naskin; the rogue was soundly lashed in bridewell. (Cant)
To Huff–To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house.
Hug–To hug brown bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier. He hugs it as the Devil hugs a witch: said of one who holds any thing as if he was afraid of losing it.
Hugger Mugger–By stealth, privately, without making an appearance. They spent their money in a hugger mugger way.
HugotonTheOnbiquiffinarians–A society existing in 1748.
Hulky, or Hulking–A great hulky fellow; an over-grown clumsy lout, or fellow.
Hulver-Headed–Having a hard impenetrable head; hulver, in the Norfolk dialect, signifying holly, a hard and solid wood.
To Hum, or Humbug–To deceive, or impose on one by some story or device. A humbug; a jocular imposition, or deception. To hum and haw; to hesitate in speech, also to delay, or be with difficulty brought to consent to any matter or business,
Hums–Persons at church. There is a great number of hums in the autem; there is a great congregation in the church.
Hum Box–A pulpit.
Hum Cap–Very old and strong beer, called also stingo. See Stingo.
Hum Drum–A hum drum fellow; a dull tedious narrator, a bore; also a set of gentlemen, who (Bailey says) used to meet near the Charter House, or at the King’s Head in St. John’s-street, who had more of pleasantry, and less of mystery, than the free masons.
Hum Durgeon–An imaginary illness. He has got the humdurgeon, the thickest part of his thigh is nearest his a-se; i.e. nothing ails him except low spirits.
Humbugs–The brethren of the venerable society of humbugs was held at brother Hallam’s, in Goodman’s Fields.
Hummer–A great lye, a rapper. See Rapper.
Humming Liquor–Double ale, stout pharaoh. See Pharaoh.
Hummums–A bagnio, or bathing house.
Hum Trum–A musical instrument made of a mopstick, a bladder, and some packthread, thence also called a bladder and string, and hurdy gurdy; it is played on like a violin, which is sometimes ludicrously called a humstrum; sometimes, instead of a bladder, a tin canister is used.
Hump–To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation.
Humpty Dumpty–A little humpty dumpty man or woman; a short clumsy person of either sex: also ale boiled with brandy.
To Hunch–To jostle, or thrust.
Hunch-Backed–Hump-backed.
Hung Beef–A dried bull’s pizzle. How the dubber served the cull with hung beef; how the turnkey beat the fellow with a bull’s pizzle.
Hunks–A covetous miserable fellow, a miser; also the name of a famous bear mentioned by Ben Jonson.
Hunt’s Dog–He is like Hunt’s dog, will neither go to church nor stay at home. One Hunt, a labouring man at a small town in Shropshire, kept a mastiff, who on being shut up on Sundays, whilst his master went to church, howled so terribly as to disturb the whole village; wherefore his master resolved to take him to church with him: but when he came to the church door, the dog having perhaps formerly been whipped out by the sexton, refused to enter; whereupon Hunt exclaimed loudly against his dog’s obstinacy, who would neither go to church nor stay at home. This shortly became a bye-word for discontented and whimsical persons.
Hunting–Drawing in unwary persons to play or game. (Cant)
Hunting the Squirrel–An amusement practiced by postboys and stage-coachmen, which consists in following a one-horse chaise, and driving it before them, passing close to it, so as to brush the wheel, and by other means terrifying any woman or person that may be in it. A man whose turn comes for him to drink, before he has emptied his former glass, is said to be hunted.
Huntsup–The reveillier of huntsmen, sounded on the French horn, or other instrument.
Hurdy Gurdy–A kind of fiddle, originally made perhaps out of a gourd. See Humstrum.
Hurly Burly–A rout, riot, bustle or confusion.
Hush–Hush the cull; murder the fellow.
Hush Money–Money given to hush up or conceal a robbery, theft, or any other offence, or to take off the evidence from appearing against a criminal.
Huskylour–A guinea, or job. (Cant)
Hussy–An abbreviation of housewife, but now always used as a term of reproach; as, How now, hussy? or She is a light hussy.
Huzza–Said to have been originally the cry of the huzzars or Hungarian light horse; but now the national shout of the English, both civil and military, in the sea phrase termed a cheer; to give three cheers being to huzza thrice.
Hyp, or Hip–A mode of calling to one passing by. Hip, Michael, your head’s on fire; a piece of vulgar wit to a red haired man.
Hyp–The hypochondriac: low spirits. He is hypped; he has got the blue devils, &c.
A Regency Era Lexicon IX The Letter H
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next letter of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term.
Ha-Ha–A landscaping element consisting of a trench or ditch that cannot be Seen until one approaches it–Presumably named for the exclamation of surprise one utters on encountering it.
Haberdasher Of Pronouns–A schoolmaster, or usher.
Habit Shirt–A short linen or muslin shirt, originally part of a riding costume, it was also worn to fill in a wide-necked bodice for day wear–Sometimes with a stand-up collar or ruff–Also called a chemisette.
Hackney Carriage–A carriage for hire–A hackney is a horse for ordinary riding or driving, from the town of Hackney near London known for its horses.
Hackney Writer–One who writes for attornies or booksellers.
Hackum–Captain Hackum; a bravo, a slasher.
Had’em–He has been at Had’em, and came home by Clapham; said of one who has caught the venereal disease.
Hadn’t An Ounce Of Steel In Her–Not strong-willed.
Hair Splitter–A man’s yard.
Halbert–A weapon carried by a serjeant of foot. To get a halbert; to be appointed a serjeant. To be brought to the halberts; to be flogged a la militaire: soldiers of the infantry, when flogged, being commonly tied to three halberts, set up in a triangle, with a fourth fastened across them. He carries the halbert in his face; a saying of one promoted from a serjeant to a commission officer.
Half a fiddle–Thruppence, (approx $25).
Half a hog–6 pence, (approx $50).
Half-Boots–Ankle high boots for women, typically for outdoor wear, often made of kid, but sometimes of less sturdy cloth, even velvet.
Half borde–6 pence, (approx $50).
Half bull–2 1/2 shillings, A hind coachwheel, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Half-crown–2 1/2 shillings, A hind coachwheel, a half-bull, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Half Pay–A military officer who was not on active duty received half his usual pay.
Half Seas Over–Almost drunk.
Half-Sovereign–10 shillings, (approx $1000).
Half-Sprung–Tipsy, not fully drunk.
Hamlet–A high constable. (Cant)
Hams, or Hamcases–Breeches.
Hand–A sailor. We lost a hand; we lost a sailor. Bear a hand; make haste. Hand to fist; opposite: the same as tete-a-tete, or cheek by joul.
Hand and Pocket Shop–An eating house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Hand Basket Portion–A woman whose husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is said to have a hand-basket portion.
Handle–To know how to handle one’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing. The cove flashes a rare handle to his physog; the fellow has a large nose.
Handle The Ribbons–To drive a coach or carriage.
Handsome–He is a handsome-bodied man in the face; a jeering commendation of an ugly fellow. Handsome is that handsome does: a proverb frequently cited by ugly women.
Handsome Reward–This, in advertisements, means a horse-whipping.
To Hang an Arse–To hang back, to hesitate.
Hang Gallows Look–A thievish, or villainous appearance.
Hang In Chains–A vile, desperate fellow. Persons guilty of murder, or other atrocious crimes, are frequently, after execution, hanged on a gibbet, to which they are fastened by iron bandages; the gibbet is commonly placed on or near the place where the crime was committed.
Hang It Up–Score it up: speaking of a reckoning.
Hang On Someone’s Sleeve–To let self be supported financially.
Hang Out–The traps scavey where we hang out; the officers know where we live.
Hanger On–A dependant.
Hangman’s Wages–Thirteen pence halfpenny; which, according to the vulgar tradition, was thus allotted: one shilling for the executioner, and three halfpence for the rope,—N. B. This refers to former times; the hangmen of the present day having, like other artificers, raised their prices. The true state of this matter is, that a Scottish mark was the fee allowed for an execution, and the value of that piece was settled by a proclamation of James I. at thirteen pence halfpenny.
Hank–He has a hank on him; i.e. an ascendancy over him, or a hold upon him. A Smithfield hank; an ox, rendered furious by overdriving and barbarous treatment. See Bull Hank.
Hanker–To hanker after any thing; to have a longing after or for it.
Hans in Kelder–Jack in the cellar, i.e. the child in the womb: a health frequently drank to breeding women or their husbands.
Ha’penny, H’pence–1/2 of a penny. (approx. $4)
Hard–Stale beer, nearly sour, is said to be hard. Hard also means severe: as, hard fate, a hard master.
Hard at His Arse–Close after him.
Hare–He has swallowed a hare; he is drunk; more probably a HAIR, which requires washing down,
Hark-Ye-Ing–Whispering on one side to borrow money.
Harman–A constable. (Cant)
Harman Beck–A beadle. (Cant)
Harmans–The stocks. (Cant)
Harp–To harp upon; to dwell upon a subject. Have among you, my blind harpers; an expression used in throwing or shooting at random among the crowd. Harp is also the Irish expression for woman, or tail, used in tossing up in Ireland: from Hibernia, being represented with a harp on the reverse of the copper coins of that country; for which it is, in hoisting the copper, i.e. tossing up, sometimes likewise called music.
Harridan–A bad-tempered, disreputable old woman–Probably from the French word “haridelle” meaning a worn-out horse.
Harry–A country fellow. (Cant)—Old Harry; the Devil.
Harum Scarum–He was running harum scarum; said of any one running or walking hastily, and in a hurry, after they know not what.
Hash–To flash the hash; to vomit. (Cant)
Hasty–Precipitate, passionate. He is none of the Hastings sort; a saying of a slow, loitering fellow: an allusion to the Hastings pea, which is the first in season.
Hasty Pudding–Oatmeal and milk boiled to a moderate thickness, and eaten with sugar and butter. Figuratively, a wet, muddy road: as, The way through Wandsworth is quite a hasty pudding. To eat hot hasty pudding for a laced hat, or some other prize, is a common feat at wakes and fairs.
Hat–Old hat; a woman’s privities: because frequently felt.
Hatches–Under the hatches; in trouble, distress, or debt.
Hatchet Face–A long thin face.
Haven’t A Sixpence To Scratch With–Have no money.
Havey-Cavey Business–Suspicious goings-on.
Havil–A sheep. (Cant)
Havy Cavy–Wavering, doubtful, shilly shally.
Hawk–Ware hawk; the word to look sharp, a bye-word when a bailiff passes. Hawk also signifies a sharper, in opposition to pigeon. See Pigeon. See Ware Hawk.
Hawkers–Licensed itinerant retailers of different commodities, called also pedlars; likewise the sellers of news-papers. Hawking; an effort to spit up the thick phlegm, called Oysters: whence it is wit upon record, to ask the person so doing
Haymarket Ware–Low class prostitutes.
To Hazel Gild–To beat any one with a hazel stick.
Head Cully of the Pass, or Passage Bank–The top tilter of that gang throughout the whole army, who demands and receives contribution from all the pass banks in the camp.
Head Rails–Teeth. Sea Phrase.
Hearing Cheats–Ears. (Cant)
Heart’s Ease–Gin.
Hearty Choaks–He will have a hearty choak and caper sauce for breakfast; i.e. he will be hanged.
Heathen Philosopher–One whose breech may be seen through his pocket-hole: this saying arose from the old philosophers, many of whom depised the vanity of dress to such a point, as often to fall into the opposite extreme.
To Heave–To rob. To heave a case; to rob a house. To heave a bough; to rob a booth. (Cant)
Heaver–The breast. (Cant)
Heavers–Thieves who make it their business to steal tradesmen’s shop-books. (Cant)
Hector–bully, a swaggering coward. To hector; to bully, probably from such persons affecting the valour of Hector, the Trojan hero.
Hedge–To make a hedge; to secure a bet, or wager, laid on one side, by taking the odds on the other, so that, let what will happen, a certain gain is secured, or hedged in, by the person who takes this precaution; who is then said to be on velvet.
Hedge Alehouse–A small obscure alehouse.
Hedge Creeper–A robber of hedges.
Hedge Priest–An illiterate unbeneficed curate, a patrico.
Hedge Whore–An itinerant harlot, who bilks the bagnios and bawdy-houses, by disposing of her favours on the wayside, under a hedge; a low beggarly prostitute.
Heels–To he laid by the heels; to be confined, or put in prison. Out at heels; worn, or diminished: his estate or affairs are out at heels. To turn up his heels; to turn up the knave of trumps at the game of all-fours.
Hell Tap–A peg in the heel of a shoe, taken out when it is finished. A person leaving any liquor in his glass, is frequently called upon by the toast-master to take off his heel-tap.
Hell (I.e. Gaming Hell)–A gambling establishment–Sort of a casino without all the neon lights and loud music–A young “pigeon” was more likely to fall victim to a dishonorable “shark” at a hell than at an elite gentleman’s club.
Hell–A taylor’s repository for his stolen goods, called cabbage: see Cabbage. Little hell; a small dark covered passage, leading from London-wall to Bell-alley.
Hell-Born Babe–A lewd graceless youth, one naturally of a wicked disposition.
Hell Cat–A termagant, a vixen, a furious scolding woman. See Termagant and Vixen.
Hell Hound–A wicked abandoned fellow.
Hell Fire Dick–The Cambridge driver of the Telegraph. The favorite companion of the University fashionables, and the only tutor to whose precepts they attend.
Helter Skelter–To run helter skelter, hand over head, in defiance of order.
Hemp–Young hemp; an appellation for a graceless boy.
Hempen Fever–A man who was hanged is said to have died of a hempen fever; and, in Dorsetshire, to have been stabbed with a Bridport dagger; Bridport being a place famous for manufacturing hemp into cords.
Hempen Widow–One whose husband was hanged.
Hen-Hearted–Cowardly.
Hen House–A house where the woman rules; called also a She House, and Hen Frigate: the latter a sea phrase, originally applied to a ship, the captain of which had his wife on board, supposed to command him.
Henpecked–A husband governed by his wife, is said to be henpecked.
Hen–A woman. A cock and hen club; a club composed of men and women.
Here and Thereian–One who has no settled place of residence.
Herring–The devil a barrel the better herring; all equally bad.
Herring Gutted–Thin, as a shotten hering.
Herring Pond–The sea. To cross the herring pond at the king’s expence; to be transported.
Hertfordshire Kindness–Drinking twice to the same person.
Hessians–A style of man’s riding boot that is calf-length in the back and curves up in front to a point just below the knee, from which point hangs a tassel–Generally made of black leather, they sometimes had a narrow border at the top in a different color.
Hick–A country hick; an ignorant clown. (Cant)
Hickenbothom–Mr. Hickenbothom; a ludicrous name for an unknown person, similar to that of Mr. Thingambob. Hickenbothom, i.e. a corruption of the German word ickenbaum, i.e. oak tree.
Hickey–Tipsey; quasi, hickupping.
Hide and Seek–A childish game. He plays at hide and seek; a saying of one who is in fear of being arrested for debt, or apprehended for some crime, and therefore does not chuse to appear in public, but secretly skulks up and down. See Skulk.
Hidebound–Stingy, hard of delivery; a poet poor in invention, is said to have a hidebound muse.
Higgledy Piggledy–Confusedly mixed.
High Eating–To eat skylarks in a garret.
High Flyers–Tories, Jacobites.
High In The Instep–Arrogant; snobbish; overly proud; haughty.
High Jinks–A gambler at dice, who, having a strong head, drinks to intoxicate his adversary, or pigeon.
High Living–To lodge in a garret, or cockloft
High Pad–A highwayman. (Cant)
High Ropes–To be on the high ropes; to be in a passion.
High Shoon, or Clouted Shoon–A country clown.
High Water–It is high water, with him; he is full of money.
Highgate–Sworn at Highgate—a ridiculous custom formerly prevailed at the public-houses in Highgate, to administer a ludicrous oath to all travellers of the middling rank who stopped there. The party was sworn on a pair of horns, fastened on a stick: the substance of the oath was, never to kiss the maid when he could kiss the mistress, never to drink small beer when he could get strong, with many other injunctions of the like kind; to all which was added the saving cause of “unless you like it best.” The person administering the oath was always to be called father by the juror; and he, in return, was to style him son, under the penalty of a bottle.
Hike–To hike off; to run away. (Cant)
Hind Coachwheel–2 1/2 shillings, a half-bull, two and a kick, (approx $250).
Hind Leg–To kick out a hind leg; to make a rustic bow.
Hinney, My Honey–A north country hinney, particularly a Northumbrian: in that county, hinney is the general term of endearment.
History of the Four Kings, or Child’s Best Guide to the Gallows–A pack of cards. He studies the history of the four kings assiduously; he plays much at cards.
Hoaxing–Bantering, ridiculing. Hoaxing a quiz; joking an odd fellow. University Wit.
Hob, or Hobbinol–a clown.
Hob or Nob–Will you hob or nob with me? a question formerly in fashion at polite tables, signifying a request or challenge to drink a glass of wine with the proposer: if the party challenged answered Nob, they were to chuse whether white or red. This foolish custom is said to have originated in the days of good queen Bess, thus: when great chimnies were in fashion, there was at each corner of the hearth, or grate, a small elevated projection, called the hob; and behind it a seat. In winter time the beer was placed on the hob to warm: and the cold beer was set on a small table, said to have been called the nob; so that the question, Will you have hob or nob? seems only to have meant, Will you have warm or cold beer? i.e. beer from the hob, or beer from the nob.
Hobberdehoy–Half a man and half a boy, a lad between both.
Hobble–As in to be in a hobble or a predicament.
Hobbled–Impeded, interrupted, puzzled. To hobble; to walk lamely.
Hobbledygee–A pace between a walk and a run, a dog-trot.
Hobby–Sir Posthumous’s hobby; one nice or whimsical in his clothes.
Hobby Horse–A man’s favourite amusement, or study, is called his hobby horse. It also means a particular kind of small Irish horse: and also a wooden one, such as is given to children.
Hobby Horsical–A man who is a great keeper or rider of hobby horses; one that is apt to be strongly attached to his systems of amusement.
Hobnail–A country clodhopper: from the shoes of country farmers and ploughmen being commonly stuck full of hob-nails, and even often clouted, or tipped with iron. The Devil ran over his face with hobnails in his shoes; said of one pitted With the small pox.
Hobson’s Choice–That or none; from old Hobson, a famous carrier of Cambridge, who used to let horses to the students; but never permitted them to chuse, always allotting each man the horse he thought properest for his manner of riding and treatment.
Hoby–A popular gentleman’s bootmaker.
Hocks–vulgar appellation for the feet. You have left the marks of your dirty hocks on my clean stairs; a frequent complaint from a mop squeezer to a footman.
Hockey–Drunk with strong stale beer, called old hock. See Hickey.
Hocking, or Houghing–A piece of cruelty practised by the butchers of Dublin, on soldiers, by cutting the tendon of Achilles; this has been by law made felony.
Hocus Pocus–Nonsensical words used by jugglers, previous to their deceptions, as a kind of charm, or incantation. A celebrated writer supposes it to be a ludicrous corruption of the words hoc est corpus, used by the popish priests in consecrating the host. Also Hell Hocus is used to express drunkenness: as, he is quite hocus; he is quite drunk.
Hod–Brother Hod; a familiar name for a bricklayer’s labourer: from the hod which is used for carrying bricks and mortar.
Hoddy Doddy, All Arse and No Body–A short clumsy person, either male or female.
Hodge–An abbreviation of Roger: a general name for a country booby.
Hodge Podge–An irregular mixture of numerous things.
Hodmandods–Snails in their shells.
Hog–12 pence, (approx $100). To drive one’s hogs; to snore: the noise made by some persons in snoring, being not much unlike the notes of that animal. He has brought his hogs to a fine market; a saying of any one who has been remarkably successful in his affairs, and is spoken ironically to signify the contrary. A hog in armour; an awkward or mean looking man or woman, finely dressed, is said to look like a hog in armour. To hog a horse’s mane; to cut it short, so that the ends of the hair stick up like hog’s bristles. Jonian hogs; an appellation given to the members of St. John’s College, Cambridge.
Hog Grubber–A mean stingy fellow.
Hoggish–Rude, unmannerly, filthy.
Hogo–Corruption of haut goust, high taste, or flavour; commonly said of flesh somewhat tainted. It has a confounded hogo; it stinks confoundedly.
Hoist–To go upon the hoist; to get into windows accidentally left open: this is done by the assistance of a confederate, called the hoist, who leans his head against the wall, making his back a kind of step or ascent.
Hoisting–A ludicrous ceremony formerly performed on every soldier, the first time he appeared in the field after being married; it was thus managed: As soon as the regiment, or company, had grounded their arms to rest a while, three or four men of the same company to which the bridegroom belonged, seized upon him, and putting a couple of bayonets out of the two corners of his hat, to represent horns, it was placed on his head, the back part foremost. He was then hoisted on the shoulders of two strong fellows, and carried round the arms, a drum and fife beating and playing the pioneers call, named Round Heads and Cuckolds, but on this occasion styled the Cuckold’s March; in passing the colours, he was to take off his hat: this, in some regiments, was practiced by the officers on their brethren, Hoisting, among pickpockets, is, setting a man on his head, that his money, watch, &c. may fall out of his pockets; these they pick up, and hold to be no robbery. See Reversed.
Hoity-Toity–A hoity-toity wench; a giddy, thoughtless, romping girl.
Holburn Hill–To ride backwards up Holborn hill; to go to the gallows: the way to Tyburn, the place of execution for criminals condemned in London, was up that hill. Criminals going to suffer, always ride backwards, as some conceive to increase the ignominy, but more probably to prevent them being shocked with a distant view of the gallows; as, in amputations, surgeons conceal the instruments with which they are going to operate. The last execution at Tyburn, and consequently of this procession, was in the year 1784, since which the criminals have been executed near Newgate
Holiday–A holiday bowler; a bad bowler. Blind man’s holiday; darkness, night. A holiday is any part of a ship’s bottom, left uncovered in paying it. Sea Term. It is all holiday; See All Holiday.
Holy Father–A butcher’s boy of St. Patrick’s Market, Dublin, or other Irish blackguard; among whom the exclamation, or oath, by the Holy Father (meaning the Pope), is common.
Holy Lamb–A thorough-paced villain. Irish.
Holy Water–He loves him as the Devil loves holy water, i.e. hates him mortally. Holy water, according to the Roman Catholics, having the virtue to chase away the Devil and his imps.
Hollow–It was quiet a hollow thing; i.e. a certainty, or decided business.
Honest Man–A term frequently used by superiors to inferiors. As honest a man as any in the cards when all the kings are out; i.e. a knave. I dare not call thee rogue for fear of the law, said a quaker to an attorney; but I wil give thee five pounds, if thou canst find any creditable person who wilt say thou art an honest man.
Honest Woman–To marry a woman with whom one has cohabitated as a mistress, is termed, making an honest woman of her.
Honey Moon–The first month after marriage. A poor honey; a harmless, foolish, goodnatured fellow. It is all honey or a t—d with them; said of persons who are either in the extremity of friendship or enmity, either kissing or fighting.
Hood-Winked–Blindfolded by a handkerchief, or other ligature, bound over the eyes.
Hoof–To beat the hoof; to travel on foot. He hoofed it or beat the hoof, every step of the way from Chester to London.
Hook and Snivey, with Nix the Buffer–This rig consists in feeding a man and a dog for nothing, and is carried on thus: Three men, one of who pretends to be sick and unable to eat, go to a public house: the two well men make a bargain with the landlord for their dinner, and when he is out of sight, feed their pretended sick companion and dog gratis.
Hookee Walker–An expression signifying that the story is not true, or that the thing will not occur.
Hooked–Over-reached, tricked, caught: a simile taken from fishing. **** hooks; fingers.
Hookers–See Anglers.
Hoop–To run the hoop; an ancient marine custom. Four or more boys having their left hands tied fast to an iron hoop, and each of them a rope, called a nettle, in their right, being naked to the waist, wait the signal to begin: this being made by a stroke with a cat of nine tails, given by the boatswain to one of the boys, he strikes the boy before him, and every one does the same: at first the blows are but gently administered; but each irritated by the strokes from the boy behind him, at length lays it on in earnest. This was anciently practised when a ship was wind-bound.
To Hoop–To beat. I’ll well hoop his or her barrel, I’ll beat him or her soundly.
To Hop the Twig–To run away. (Cant)
Hop Merchant–A dancing master. See Caper Merchant.
Hop-O-My-Thumb–A diminutive person, man or woman. She was such a-hop-o-my thumb, that a pigeon, sitting on her shoulder, might pick a pea out of her a-se.
Hopkins–Mr. Hopkins; a ludicrous address to a lame or limping man, being a pun on the word hop.
Hopping Giles–A jeering appellation given to any person who limps, or is lame; St. Giles was the patron of cripples, lepers, &c. Churches dedicated to that saint commonly stand out of town, many of them having been chapels to hospitals. See Gyles.
Hopper-Arsed–Having large projecting buttocks: from their resemblance to a small basket, called a hopper or hoppet, worn by husbandmen for containing seed corn, when they sow the land.
Horns–To draw in one’s horns; to retract an assertion through fear: metaphor borrowed from a snail, who on the apprehension of danger, draws in his horns, and retires to his shell.
Horn Colic–A temporary priapism.
Horn Fair–An annual fair held at Charlton, in Kent, on St. Luke’s day, the 18th of October. It consists of a riotous mob, who after a printed summons dispersed through the adjacent towns, meet at Cuckold’s Point, near Deptford, and march from thence in procession, through that town and Greenwich, to Charlton, with horns of different kinds upon their heads; and at the fair there are sold rams horns, and every sort of toy made of horn; even the gingerbread figures have horns, The vulgar tradition gives the following history of the origin of this fair; King John, or some other of our ancient kings, being at the palace of Eltham, in this neighbourhood, and having been out a hunting one day, rambled from his company to this place, then a mean hamlet; when entering a cottage to inquire his way, he was struck with the beauty of the mistress, whom he found alone; and having prevailed over her modesty, the husband returning suddenly, surprised them together; and threatening to kill them both, the king was obliged to discover himself, and to compound for his safety by a purse of gold, and a grant of the land from this place to Cuckold’s Point, besides making the husband master of the hamlet. It is added that, in memory of this grant, and the occasion of it, this fair was established, for the sale of horns, and all sorts of goods made with that material. A sermon is preached at Charlton church on the fair day.
Horn Mad–A person extremely jealous of his wife, is said to be horn mad. Also a cuckold, who does not cut or breed his horns easily.
Horn Work–Cuckold-making.
Hornified–Cuckolded.
Horse Buss–A kiss with a loud smack; also a bite.
Horse Coser–A dealer in horses: vulgarly and corruptly pronounced Horse Courser. The verb To Cose was used by the Scots, in the sense of bartering or exchanging.
Horse Godmother–A large masculine woman, a gentlemanlike kind of a lady.
Horse Ladder–A piece of Wiltshire wit, which consists in sending some raw lad, or simpleton, to a neighbouring farm house, to borrow a horse ladder, in order to get up the horses, to finish a hay-mow.
Horse’s Meal–A meal without drinking.
Hosteler–i.e. oat stealer. Hosteler was originally the name for an inn-keeper; inns being in old English styled hostels, from the French signifying the same.
Hot Pot–Ale and brandy made hot.
Hot Stomach–He has so hot a stomach, that he burns all the clothes off his back; said of one who pawns his clothes to purchase liquor.
House, or Tenemenrt, To Let–A widow’s weeds; also an atchievement marking the death of a husband, set up on the outside of a mansion: both supposed to indicate that the dolorous widow wants a male comforter.
Hoyden–A tomboy; a girl who behaves in a boisterous and unladylike manner. A romping girl.
Hubble-Bubble–Confusion. A hubble-bubble fellow; a man of confused ideas, or one thick of speech, whose words sound like water bubbling out of a bottle. Also an instrument used for smoaking through water in the East Indies, called likewise a caloon, and hooker.
Hubble de Shuff–Confusedly. To fire hubble de shuff, to fire quick and irregularly. Old Military Term.
Hubbub–A noise, riot, or disturbance.
Huckle my Buff–Beer, egg, and brandy, made hot.
Hucksters–Itinerant retailers of provisions. He is in hucksters hands; he is in a bad way.
To Hue–To lash. The cove was hued in the naskin; the rogue was soundly lashed in bridewell. (Cant)
To Huff–To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house.
Hug–To hug brown bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier. He hugs it as the Devil hugs a witch: said of one who holds any thing as if he was afraid of losing it.
Hugger Mugger–By stealth, privately, without making an appearance. They spent their money in a hugger mugger way.
HugotonTheOnbiquiffinarians–A society existing in 1748.
Hulky, or Hulking–A great hulky fellow; an over-grown clumsy lout, or fellow.
Hulver-Headed–Having a hard impenetrable head; hulver, in the Norfolk dialect, signifying holly, a hard and solid wood.
To Hum, or Humbug–To deceive, or impose on one by some story or device. A humbug; a jocular imposition, or deception. To hum and haw; to hesitate in speech, also to delay, or be with difficulty brought to consent to any matter or business,
Hums–Persons at church. There is a great number of hums in the autem; there is a great congregation in the church.
Hum Box–A pulpit.
Hum Cap–Very old and strong beer, called also stingo. See Stingo.
Hum Drum–A hum drum fellow; a dull tedious narrator, a bore; also a set of gentlemen, who (Bailey says) used to meet near the Charter House, or at the King’s Head in St. John’s-street, who had more of pleasantry, and less of mystery, than the free masons.
Hum Durgeon–An imaginary illness. He has got the humdurgeon, the thickest part of his thigh is nearest his a-se; i.e. nothing ails him except low spirits.
Humbugs–The brethren of the venerable society of humbugs was held at brother Hallam’s, in Goodman’s Fields.
Hummer–A great lye, a rapper. See Rapper.
Humming Liquor–Double ale, stout pharaoh. See Pharaoh.
Hummums–A bagnio, or bathing house.
Hum Trum–A musical instrument made of a mopstick, a bladder, and some packthread, thence also called a bladder and string, and hurdy gurdy; it is played on like a violin, which is sometimes ludicrously called a humstrum; sometimes, instead of a bladder, a tin canister is used.
Hump–To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation.
Humpty Dumpty–A little humpty dumpty man or woman; a short clumsy person of either sex: also ale boiled with brandy.
To Hunch–To jostle, or thrust.
Hunch-Backed–Hump-backed.
Hung Beef–A dried bull’s pizzle. How the dubber served the cull with hung beef; how the turnkey beat the fellow with a bull’s pizzle.
Hunks–A covetous miserable fellow, a miser; also the name of a famous bear mentioned by Ben Jonson.
Hunt’s Dog–He is like Hunt’s dog, will neither go to church nor stay at home. One Hunt, a labouring man at a small town in Shropshire, kept a mastiff, who on being shut up on Sundays, whilst his master went to church, howled so terribly as to disturb the whole village; wherefore his master resolved to take him to church with him: but when he came to the church door, the dog having perhaps formerly been whipped out by the sexton, refused to enter; whereupon Hunt exclaimed loudly against his dog’s obstinacy, who would neither go to church nor stay at home. This shortly became a bye-word for discontented and whimsical persons.
Hunting–Drawing in unwary persons to play or game. (Cant)
Hunting the Squirrel–An amusement practiced by postboys and stage-coachmen, which consists in following a one-horse chaise, and driving it before them, passing close to it, so as to brush the wheel, and by other means terrifying any woman or person that may be in it. A man whose turn comes for him to drink, before he has emptied his former glass, is said to be hunted.
Huntsup–The reveillier of huntsmen, sounded on the French horn, or other instrument.
Hurdy Gurdy–A kind of fiddle, originally made perhaps out of a gourd. See Humstrum.
Hurly Burly–A rout, riot, bustle or confusion.
Hush–Hush the cull; murder the fellow.
Hush Money–Money given to hush up or conceal a robbery, theft, or any other offence, or to take off the evidence from appearing against a criminal.
Huskylour–A guinea, or job. (Cant)
Hussy–An abbreviation of housewife, but now always used as a term of reproach; as, How now, hussy? or She is a light hussy.
Huzza–Said to have been originally the cry of the huzzars or Hungarian light horse; but now the national shout of the English, both civil and military, in the sea phrase termed a cheer; to give three cheers being to huzza thrice.
Hyp, or Hip–A mode of calling to one passing by. Hip, Michael, your head’s on fire; a piece of vulgar wit to a red haired man.
Hyp–The hypochondriac: low spirits. He is hypped; he has got the blue devils, &c.
Regency Era Giveaway winner and results for Regency Research
REGENCY RESEARCH Giveaway
Our Giveaway is now over
We had a great deal of viewers, but not too many entrants.
Several new ideas were proposed.
As those who follow us know. We are finishing up the Regency Prime Ministers, adding more years to the Regency Timeline and then will work on the Edwardian timeline. And also continue with the Regency Lexicon bringing in the words of the Cant dictionary.
After that I will also delve into Regency Personages. Generals, Admirals, Royalty, other important figures (Poets captured a lot of attention. Beau Brummels, etc…)
Here though is our winner.
Marilyn who wanted to know more about the lives of Vicars (which of course Jane Austen’s father was), and who is a RAPscallion! (I entered all our contestant’s in a random number generator in my spreadsheet program…)
There will be giveaways in the future so please keep in touch.
Here is the original Regency Research Giveaway post if you should want to visit to the website and see what research is available to you currently:
My Blog might actually be reaching the next level. People are now following this blog and perhaps it is the research on the Regency Era that I have been doing. (There is a GIVEAWAY, read and see below)
Of course I write on more than just the Regency Era. I have shown excerpts of all my styles of writing. Currently I have started the third book in my first Fantasy Trilogy that I ever wrote. I call the series Born to Grace and the third book is tentatively titled Crown in Jeopardy. It will end the story of our hero, Caradoc MacLaughlin. We see him rise from squire to Duke, the most powerful man in the realm behind his best friend who becomes king.
Caradoc though a hero, did start with a silver spoon. He is the third son of a Duke, and was squire to his friend’s father, the former king. He spent a lot of hours on the training field to become a competent warrior. His skills are that he is a good leader as well. And this emerges during a very troubled time in the history of the land he lives in. There is a coup, that is funded by the priests of the evil god (or what the Father God, Good God, thinks of the ‘Me’ god, the opposite of altruism.)
That is just an illustration that I do write other works. And that this Blog will talk of them. That it will post excerpts as well.
Right now, I am looking for help on our mainstay, the Regency Era.
(I always need readers of my first draft material so if you would like to help there, that is always needed)
But I need some feedback.
Those who are following The Things That Catch My Eye blog know we have been doing a lot of Regency Era Research
The research is presented at this blog, and hosted permanently at the Regency Assembly Press Site. (Are you a RAPper, or a RAPScallion?)
We have:
The Regency Era Prime Ministers
The Regency Era Lexicon
Regency Era Money
Regency Era Dance Instruction
The Regency Era TimelineRegency Era Squares of London
Regency Gentleman’s Clubs
and I will be adding
The Regency Era Parliamentary Sessions
What Else would anyone like to see?
That is my question.
July 8, 2012
A Regency Era Lexicon IX The Letter G
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research 
there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next letter of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term.
Gab, or Gob–The mouth. Gift of the gab; a facility of speech, nimble tongued eloquence. To blow the gab; to confess, or peach.
Gab, or Gob, String–A bridle.
Gabby–A foolish fellow.
Gabster–Person who talks a lot.
Gad-So–An exclamation said to be derived from the Italian word cazzo.
Gadd–A fair. The drop coves maced the joskins at the gaff; the ring-droppers cheated the countryman at the fair.
To Gaff–To game by tossing up halfpence.
Gag–An instrument used chiefly by housebreakers and thieves, for propping open the mouth of a person robbed, thereby to prevent his calling out for assistance.
Gage–A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. (Cant)
Gage, or Fogus–A pipe of tobacco.
Gaggers–High and Low. Cheats, who by sham pretences, and wonderful stories of their sufferings, impose on the credulity of well meaning people. See Rum Gagger.
Galimaufrey–A hodgepodge made up of the remnants and scraps of the larder.
Gall–His gall is not yet broken; a saying used in prisons of a man just brought in, who appears dejected.
Galley–Building the galley; a game formerly used at sea, in order to put a trick upon a landsman, or fresh-water sailor. It being agreed to play at that game, one sailor personates the builder, and another the merchant or contractor: the builder first begins by laying the keel, which consists of a number of men laid all along on their backs, one after another, that is, head to foot; he next puts in the ribs or knees, by making a number of men sit feet to feet, at right angles to, and on each side of, the keel: he now fixing on the person intended to be the object of the joke, observes he is a fierce-looking fellow, and fit for the lion; he accordingly places him at the head, his arms being held or locked in by the two persons next to him, representing the ribs. After several other dispositions, the builder delivers over the galley to the contractor as complete: but he, among other faults and objections, observes the lion is not gilt, on which the builder or one of his assistants, runs to the head, and dipping a mop in the excrement, thrusts it into the face of the lion.
Galley Foist–A city barge, used formerly on the lord mayor’s day, when he was sworn in at Westminster.
Gallied–Hurried, vexed, over-fatigued, perhaps like a galley slave.
Galligaskins–Breeches.
Gallipot–A nick namefor an apothecary,
Gallore, or Golore–Plenty.
Galloper–A blood horse. A hunter. The toby gill clapped his bleeders to his galloper and tipped the straps the double. The highwayman spurred his horse and got away from the officers.
Gallows Bird–A grief, or pickpocket; also one that associates with them.
Games–Thin, ill-shapped legs: a corruption of the French word jambes. Fancy gambs; sore or swelled legs.
Gambadoes–Leathern cases of stiff leather, used in Devonshire instead of boots; they are fastened to the saddle, and admit the leg, shoe and all: the name was at first jocularly given.
Gambler–A sharper, of tricking, gamester.
Game–Any mode of robbing. The toby is now a queer game; to rob on the highway is now a bad mode of acting. This observation is frequently made by thieves; the roads being now so well guarded by the horse patrole; and gentlemen travel with little cash in their pockets.
Game–Bubbles or pigeons drawn in to be cheated. Also, at bawdy-houses, lewd women. Mother have you any game; mother, have you any girls? To die game; to suffer at the gallows without shewing any signs of fear or repentance. Game pullet; a young whore, or forward girl in the way of becoming one.
Gamon, Gammon–Nonsense, humbug (noun)–To deceive, to tell lies, trick (verb). What rum gamon the old file pitched to the flat; how finely the knowing old fellow humbugged the fool.
Gamon and Patter–Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c.
Gan–The mouth or lips. (Cant)
Gander Month–That month in which a man’s wife-lies in: wherefore, during that time, husbands plead a sort of indulgence in matters of gallantry.
Gang–A company of men, a body of sailors, a knot of thieves, pickpockets, &c. A gang of sheep trotters; the four feet of a sheep.
Gaoler’s Coach–A hurdle: traitors being usually conveyed from the gaol, to the place of execution, on a hurdle or sledge.
Gap Stopper–A whoremaster.
Gapeseed–Sights; any thing to feed the eye. I am come abroad for a little gapeseed.
Garnish–An entrance fee demanded by the old prisoners of one just committed to gaol.
Garret, or Upper Story–The head. His garret, or upper story, is empty, or unfurnished; i.e. he has no brains, he is a fool.
Garret Election–A ludicrous ceremony, practiced every new parliament: it consists of a mock election of two members to represent the borough of Garret (a few straggling cottages near Wandsworth in Surry); the qualification of a voter is, having enjoyed a woman in the open air within that district: the candidates are commonly fellows of low humour, who dress themselves up in a ridiculous manner. As this brings a prodigious concourse of people to Wandsworth, the publicans of that place jointly contribute to the expense, which is sometimes considerable.
Gawkey–A tall, thin, awkward young man or woman.
Gaying Instrument–The penis.
Gazebo–An elevated observatory or summer-house.
Gee–It won’t gee; it won’t hit or do, it does not suit or fit.
Gelding–An eunuch.
Gelt–Money, German. Yiddish.—Also, castrated.
Gentle Craft–The art of shoemaking. One of the gentle craft: a shoemaker: so called because once practiced by St. Crispin.
Gentleman Commoner–An empty bottle; an university joke, gentlemen commoners not being deemed over full of learning.
Gentleman’s Companion–A louse.
Gentleman’s Master–A highway robber, because he makes a gentleman obey his commands, i.e. stand and deliver.
Gentleman of Three Ins–In debt, in gaol, and in danger of remaining there for life: or, in gaol, indicted, and in danger of being hanged in chains.
Gentleman of Three Outs–That is, without money, without wit, and without manners: some add another out, i.e. without credit.
Gentry Cove–A gentleman. (Cant)
Gentry Cove Ken–A gentleman’s house. (Cant)
Gentry Mort–A gentlewoman.
George–Yellow George; a guinea. 1 pound 1 shilling, yellow boy, (approx $2100) Brown George: an ammunition loaf.
German Duck–Haifa sheep’s head boiled with onions.
Get–One of his get; one of his offspring, or begetting.
Gib Cat–A northern name for a he cat, there commonly called Gilbert. As melancholy as a gib cat; as melancholy as a he cat who has been caterwauling, whence they always return scratched, hungry, and out of spirits. Aristotle says;
Omne animal post coitum est triste;
to which an anonymous author has given the following exception,
preter gallum gallinaceum, et sucerdotem gratis fornicantem.
Gibberish–The cant language of thieves and gypsies, called Pedlars’ French, and St. Giles’s Greek: see St. Giles’s Greek. Also the mystic language of Geber, used by chymists. Gibberish likewise means a sort of disguised language, formed by inserting any consonant between each syllable of an English word; in which case it is called the gibberish of the letter inserted: if F, it is the F gibberish; if G, the G gibberish; as in the sentence How do you do? Howg dog youg dog.
Gibbe–A horse that shrinks from the collar and will not draw.
Giblets–To join giblets; said of a man and woman who cohabit as husband and wife, without being married; also to copulate.
Gibson, or Sir John Gibson–A two-legged stool, used to support the body of a coach whilst finishing.
Gifts–Small white specks under the finger nails, said to portend gifts or presents. A stingy man is said to be as full of gifts as a brazen horse of his farts.
Gift of the Gab–A facility of speech.
Gig–A light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage especially used in the country.
Gigg–A nose. Snitchel his gigg; fillip his nose. Grunter’s gigg; a hog’s snout. Gigg is also a high one-horse chaise, and a woman’s privities. To gigg a Smithfield hank; to hamstring an over-drove ox, vulgarly called a mad bullock.
Gigger–A latch, or door. Dub the gigger; open the door. Gigger dubber; the turnkey of a jaol.
To Giggle–To suppress a laugh. Gigglers; wanton women.
Giles’s or St. Giles’s Breed–Fat, ragged, and saucy; Newton and Dyot streets, the grand head-quarters-of most of the thieves and pickpockets about London, are in St. Giles’s parish. St. Giles’s Greek; the cant language, called also Slang, Pedlars’ French, and Flash.
Gilflurt–A proud minks, a vain capricious woman,
Gill–The abbreviation of Gillian, figuratively used for woman. Every jack has his gill; i.e. every jack has his gillian, or female mate.
Gills–The cheeks. To look rosy about the gills; to have a fresh complexion. To look merry about the gills: to appear cheerful.
Gilly Gaupus–A Scotch term for a tall awkward fellow.
Gilt, or Rum Dubber–A thief who picks locks, so called from the gilt or picklock key: many of them are so expert, that, from the lock of a church door to that of the smallest cabinet, they will find means to open it; these go into reputable public houses, where, pretending business, they contrive to get into private rooms, up stairs, where they open any bureaus or trunks they happen to find there.
Gmiblet-Eyed–Squinting, either in man or woman.
Gimcrack, or Jimcrack–A spruce wench; a gimcrack also means a person who has a turn for mechanical contrivances.
Gin Spinner–A distiller.
Gingambobs–Toys, bawbles; also a man’s privities. See Thingambobs.
Ginger-Pated, or Ginger-Hackled–Red haired: a term borrowed from the cockpit, where red cocks are called gingers.
Gingerbread–Money. A cake made of treacle, flour, and grated ginger; also money. He has the gingerbread; he is rich.
Gingerbread Work–Gilding and carving: these terms are particularly applied by seamen on board Newcastle colliers, to the decorations of the sterns and quarters of West-Indiamen, which they have the greatest joy in defacing.
Gingerly–Softly, gently, tenderly. To go gingerly to work: to attempt a thing gently, or cautiously.
Ginny–An instrument to lift up a great, in order to steal what is in the window. (Cant)
Gip from gups a Wolf–A servant at college.
Girds–Quips, taunts, severe or biting reflections.
Gizzard–To grumble in the gizzard; to be secretly displeased.
Glass Eyes–A nick name for one wearing spectacles.
Glaymore–A Highland broad-sword; from the Erse Glay, or Glaive, a sword; and More, great.
Glaze–A window.
Glazier–One who breaks windows and shew-glasses, to steal goods exposed for sale. Glaziers; eyes. (Cant)—Is your father a glazier; a question asked of a lad or young man, who stands between the speaker and the candle, or fire. If it is answered in the negative, the rejoinder is—I wish he was, that he might make a window through your body, to enable us to see the fire or light.
Glib–Smooth, slippery. Glib tongued; talkative.
Glim–A candle, or dark lantern, used in housebreaking; also fire. To glim; to burn in the hand. (Cant)
Glimfenders–Andirons. (Cant)
Glimflashy–Angry, or in a passion. (Cant)
Glim Jack–A link-boy. (Cant)
Glimmer–Fire. (Cant)
Glimmerers–Persons begging with sham licences, pretending losses by fire.
Glimms–Eyes.
Glimstick–A candlestick. (Cant)
Globe–Pewter. (Cant)
Gloves–To give any one a pair of gloves; to make them a present or bribe. To win a pair of gloves; to kiss a man whilst he sleeps: for this a pair of gloves is due to any lady who will thus earn them.
Gluepot–A parson: from joining men and women together in matrimony.
Glum–Sullen.
Glutton–A term used by bruisers to signify a man who will bear a great deal of beating.
Glybe–A writing. (Cant)
Gnarler–A little dog that by his barking alarms the family when any person is breaking into the house.
Go, The–The dash. The mode. He is quite the go, he is quite varment, he is prime, he is bang up, are synonymous expressions.
Go Between–A pimp or bawd.
Go by the Ground–A little short person, man or woman.
Go Shop–The Queen’s Head in Duke’s court, Bow street, Covent Garden; frequented by the under players: where gin and water was sold in three-halfpenny bowls, called Goes; the gin was called Arrack. The go, the fashion; as, large hats are all the go.
Goads–Those who wheedle in chapmen for horse-dealers.
Goat–A lascivious person. Goats jigg; making the beast with two backs, copulation.
Gob–The mouth; also a bit or morsel: whence gobbets. Gift of the gob; wide-mouthed, or one who speaks fluently, or sings well.
Gob String–A bridle.
Gobble-Cock, Gobbler–Turkey (less important than a Duke.)
Goblin–20 shillings, a sovereign, (approx $2000).
Go-by–Driving Term, allow another carriage to pass in a narrow place.
Godfather–He who pays the reckoning, or answers for the rest of the company: as, Will you stand godfather, and we will take care of the brat; i.e. repay you another time. Jurymen are also called godfathers, because they name the crime the prisoner before them has been guilty of, whether felony, petit larceny, &c.
Gog–All-a-gog; impatient, anxious, or desirous of a thing.
Gog and Magog–Two giants, whose effigies stand on each side of the clock in Guildhall, London; of whom there is a tradition, that, when they hear the clock strike one, on the first of April, they will walk down from their places.
Goggles–Eyes: see Ogles. Goggle eyes; large prominent eyes. To goggle; to stare.
Going Upon the Dub–Going out to break open, or pick the locks of, houses.
Gold Droppers–Sharpers who drop a piece of gold, which they pick up in the presence of some unexperienced person, for whom the trap is laid, this they pretend to have found, and, as he saw them pick it up, they invite him to a public house to partake of it: when there, two or three of their comrades drop in, as if by accident, and propose cards, or some other game, when they seldom fail of stripping their prey.
Gold Finder–One whose employment is to empty necessary houses; called also a tom-turd-man, and night-man: the latter, from that business being always performed in the night.
Goldfinch–One who has commonly a purse full of gold. Goldfinches; guineas.
Golgotha or the Place of Sculls–Part of the Theatre at Oxford, where the heads of houses sit; those gentlemen being by the wits of the university called sculls.
Gollumpus–A large, clumsy fellow.
Goloshes, i.e–Goliah’s shoes. Large leathern clogs, worn by invalids over their ordinary shoes.
Good Man–A word of various imports, according to the place where it is spoken: in the city it means a rich man; at Hockley in the Hole, or St. Giles’s, an expert boxer; at a bagnio in Covent Garden, a vigorous fornicator; at an alehouse or tavern, one who loves his pot or bottle; and sometimes, though but rarely, a virtuous man
Good Woman–A nondescript, represented on a famous sign in St. Giles’s, in the form of a common woman, but without a head.
Goodyer’s Pig–Like Goodyer’s pig; never well but when in mischief.
Goose–A taylor’s goose; a smoothing iron used to press down the seams, for which purpose it must be heated: hence it is a jocular saying, that a taylor, be he ever so poor, is always sure to have a goose at his fire. He cannot say boh to a goose; a saying of a bashful or sheepish fellow.
Goose Riding–A goose, whose neck is greased, being suspended by the legs to a cord tied to two trees or high posts, a number of men on horseback, riding full speed, attempt to pull off the head: which if they effect, the goose is their prize. This has been practised in Derbyshire within the memory of persons now living.
Gooseberry–He played up old gooseberry among them; said of a person who, by force or threats, suddenly puts an end to a riot or disturbance.
Gooseberry-Eyed–One with dull grey eyes, like boiled gooseberries.
Gooseberry Wig–A large frizzled wig: perhaps from a supposed likeness to a gooseberry bush.
Goosecap–A silly fellow or woman.
Gorger–A gentleman. A well dressed man. Mung kiddey. Mung the gorger; beg child beg, of the gentleman.
Gospel Shop–A church.
Goree–Money, chiefly gold: perhaps from the traffic carried on at that place, which is chiefly for gold dust. (Cant)
Gormagon–A monster with six eyes, three mouths, four arms, eight legs, live on one side and three on the other, three arses, two tarses, and a *** upon its back; a man on horseback, with a woman behind him.
Gotch-Gutted–Pot bellied: a gotch in Norfolk signifying a pitcher, or large round jug.
To Gouge–To squeeze out a man’s eye with the thumb: a cruel practice used by the Bostonians in America.
To Grabble–To seize. To grabble the bit; to seize any one’s money. (Cant)
Grafted–Cuckolded, i.e. having horns grafted on his head.
To Grab–To seize a man. The pigs grabbed the kiddey for a crack: the officers, seized the youth for a burglary.
Grannam–Corn.
Grannum’s Gold–Hoarded money: supposed to have belonged to the grandmother of the possessor.
Granny–An abbreviation of grandmother; also the name of an idiot, famous for licking, her eye, who died Nov. 14, 1719. Go teach your granny to suck eggs; said to such as would instruct any one in a matter he knows better than themselves.
Grapple The Rails–A cant name used in Ireland for whiskey.
Grappling Irons–Handcuffs.
Grave Digger–Like a grave digger; up to the a-se in business, and don’t know which way to turn.
Gravy-Eyed–Blear-eyed, one whose eyes have a running humour.
To Grease–To bribe. To grease a man in the fist; to bribe him. To grease a fat sow in the a-se; to give to a rich man. Greasy chin; a treat given to parish officers in part of commutation for a bastard: called also, Eating a child.
Grease Someone In The Fist–Bribe them.
Greatcoat–An outdoor overcoat usually with one or several capes around the shoulders.
Great Intimate–As great as shirt and shitten a-se.
Great Joseph–A surtout. (Cant)
Greedy Guts–A covetous or voracious person.
Greek–St. Giles’s Greek; the slang lingo, cant, or gibberish.
Greeks–Gambling cheat.
Green–Doctor Green; i.e. grass: a physician, or rather medicine, found very successful in curing most disorders to which horses are liable. My horse is not well, I shall send him to Doctor Green.
Green–Young, inexperienced, unacquainted; ignorant. How green the cull was not to stag how the old file planted the books. How ignorant the booby was not to perceive how the old sharper placed the cards in such a manner as to insure the game.
Green Bag–An attorney: those gentlemen carry their clients’ deeds in a green bag; and, it is said, when they have no deeds to carry, frequently fill them with an old pair of breeches, or any other trumpery, to give themselves the appearance of business.
Green Girl–A young, inexperienced girl.
Green Gown–To give a girl a green gown; to tumble her on the grass.
Green Sickness–The disease of maids occasioned by celibacy.
Greenhead–An inexperienced young man.
Greenhorn–A novice on the town, an undebauched young fellow, just initiated into the society of bucks and bloods.
Greenwich Barbers–Retailers of sand from the pits at and about Greenwich, in Kent: perhaps they are styled barbers, from their constant shaving the sandbanks.
Greenwich Goose–A pensioner of Greenwich Hospital.
Gregorian Tree–The gallows: so named from Gregory Brandon, a famous finisher of the law; to whom Sir William Segar, garter king of arms (being imposed on by Brooke, a herald), granted a coat of arms.
Gretna Green–A town in Scotland just over the border from England where couples would elope–A marriage could be obtained without a license, a clergyman, a waiting period, or parental consent–The couple simply had to declare their intention to marry in front of witnesses–Blacksmiths often served as witnesses, hence the phrase “married over the anvil.”
Grey BEARD–Earthen jugs formerly used in public house for drawing ale: they had the figure of a man with a large beard stamped on them; whence probably they took the name: see Ben Jonson’s Plays, Bartholomew Fair, &c. &c. Dutch earthen jugs, used for smuggling gin on the coasts of Essex and Suffolk, are at this time called grey beards.
Grey Mare–The grey mare is the better horse; said of a woman who governs her husband.
Grey Parson–A farmer who rents the tithes of the rector or vicar.
Grig–A farthing, 1/4 of a pence (approx $2).
Grigs–Merry As Grigs–A grig is a young eel. Possibly an allusion to their liveliness–There was also a class of vagabond dancers and tumblers who visited ale-houses called grigs.
Grim–Old Mr. Grim; death.
Grimalkin–A cat: mawkin signifies a hare in Scotland.
Grin–To grin in a glass case; to be anatomized for murder: the skeletons of many criminals are preserved in glass cases, at Surgeons’ hall.
Grinagog, The Cat’s Uncle–A foolish grinning fellow, one who grins without reason.
Grinders–Teeth. Gooseberry grinder; the breech. Ask bogey, the gooseberry grinder; ask mine a-se.
To Grind–To have carnal knowledge of a woman.
Groat–An old English silver coin worth fourpence; a very small sum–”I don’t care a groat” = “I don’t care at all.” (Approximately $34).
Groats–To save his groats; to come off handsomely: at the universities, nine groats are deposited in the hands of an academic officer, by every person standing for a degree; which if the depositor obtains with honour, the groats are returned to him.
Grog–Rum and water. Grog was first introduced into the navy about the year 1740, by Admiral Vernon, to prevent the sailors intoxicating themselves with their allowance of rum, or spirits. Groggy, or groggified; drunk.
Grog-Blossom–A carbuncle, or pimple in the face, caused by drinking.
Grogged–A grogged horse; a foundered horse.
Grogham–A horse. (Cant)
Gropers–Blind men; also midwives.
Ground Sweat–A grave.
Ground Squirrel–A hog, or pig. Sea Term.
Grub–Victuals. To grub; to dine.
Grub Street–A street near Moorfields, formerly the supposed habitation of many persons who wrote for the booksellers: hence a Grub-street writer means a hackney author, who manufactures booss for the booksellers.
Grub Street News–Lying intelligence.
To Grubshite–To make foul or dirty.
Grumble–To grumble in the gizzard; to murmur or repine. He grumbled like a bear with a sore head.
Grumbletonian–A discontented person; one who is always railing at the times or ministry.
Grunter–A hog; to grunt; to groan, or complain of sickness.
Grunter’s Gig–A smoaked hog’s face.
Grunting Peck–Pork, bacon, or any kind of hog’s flesh.
Gruts–Tea.
Gudgeon–One who is easily imposed on or taken in–From the fish of that name, which is easily caught.
Guinea–1 pound 1 shilling, yellow boy, yellow George, (approx $2100)
Gull, Gulled–A person who is easily cheated (noun)–Deceived, cheated, imposed on (verb).
Gullgropers–Usurers who lend money to the gamesters.
Gum–Abusive language. Come, let us have no more of your gum.
Gummy–Clumsy: particularly applied to the ankles of men or women, and the legs of horses.
Gumption, or Rum Gumption–Docility, comprehension, capacity.
Gun–He is in the gun; he is drunk: perhaps from an allusion to a vessel called a gun, used for ale in the universities.
Gundigits–A fat, pursy fellow.
Gunner’s Daughter–To kiss the gunner’s daughter; to be tied to a gun and flogged on the posteriors; a mode of punishing boys on board a ship of war.
Gunpowder–An old Woman. (Cant)
Guts–My great guts are ready to eat my little ones; my guts begin to think my throat’s cut; my guts curse my teeth: all expressions signifying the party is extremely hungry.
Guts and Garbage–A very fat man or woman. More guts than brains; a silly fellow. He has plenty of guts, but no bowels: said of a hard, merciless, unfeeling person.
Gutfoundered–Exceeding hungry.
Gut Scrapper, or Tormenter of Catgut–A fiddler.
Gutter Lane–The throat, the swallow, the red lane. See Red Lane.
Gutting a Quart Pot–Taking out the lining of it: i. e. drinking it off. Gutting an oyster; eating it. Gutting a house; clearing it of its furniture. See Poulterer.
Guy–A dark lanthorn: an allusion to Guy Faux, the principal actor in the gunpowder plot. Stow the guy: conceal the lanthorn.
Guzzle–Liquor. To guzzle; to drink greedily.
Guzzle Guts–One greedy of liquor.
Gybe, or Hybe–Any writing or pass with a seal.
Gybing–Jeering or ridiculing.
Gyles, or Giles–Hopping Giles; a nick name for a lame person: St. Giles was the tutelar saint of cripples.
Gyp–A college runner or errand-boy at Cambridge, called at Oxford a scout. See Scout.
Gypsies–A set of vagrants, who, to the great disgrace of our police, are suffered to wander about the country.
Gypsy Hat–A wide-brimmed straw hat with ribbons passing from the crown over the brim and tied in a bow under the chin or at the back of the neck.
July 7, 2012
A Regency Era Lexicon VIII (F once more) & Last chance for Giveaway
Regency Research
For well over twenty years since I first started my infatuation with the Regency Era, I have maintained a lexicon to help me decipher Georgette Heyer (follow the link to Frederica, my favorite of her books), and others. Then as I began to write in the genre in the years 2000, I put more emphasis on it.
I have seen a few others on the web, but I have not seen any as complete as the one maintained at Regency Assembly Press that I have contributed to.
With the emphasis that has been placed recently on Research 
there, with not only the Lexicon, but the Timelines, lives of the Prime Ministers, Dance Instruction and Regency Era Money, it is a growing resource for all Regency readers and writers. I urge everyone to have a look as it continues to grow.
I also provide here the next few letters of the alphabet to entice you to visit that page. Or even bookmark it for when you need to look up a particular Regency term. In the last few weeks since I first posted this, I found and am incorporating a new resource to the list. It is greatly expanded the main list and now I present again the letter F.
Do you know about our Giveaway this week? If you answer in the comments there, that you have an idea, or just comment (not just a HI, but which research track you like and why) I am giving away an eBook in your favorite format, ePub, Mobi, or PDF, etc. You can choose from 
The End of the World, 
The Shattered Mirror, 
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Correspondence, or the one I think you will enjoy the most, 
Jane Austen and Ghosts. (And if you want to ready the 
Trolling books instead, just mention that.
The giveaway will last through Sunday the 8th, at which time I will pick a winner and announce your feedback and what it all means for future posting, as well as the winner on the following Monday.
And then,
Are you A RAPper or a RAPscallion?
Face-Making–Begetting children. To face it out; to persist in a falsity. No face but his own: a saying of one who has no money in his pocket or no court cards in his hand.
Facer–A bumper, a glass filled so full as to leave no room for the lip. Also a violent blow on the face.
Facings–Material of a different color that shows when the cuffs and collar are folded over–In the military, different colored facings implied different regiments.
Fadge–It won’t fadge; it won’t do. A farthing.
To Fag–To beat. Fag the bloss; beat the wench; (Cant) A fag also means a boy of an inferior form or class, who acts as a servant to one of a superior, who is said to fag him, he is my fag; whence, perhaps, fagged out, for jaded or tired. To stand a good fag; not to be soon tired.
Fagged To Death–Exhausted, tired.
Fagger–A little boy put in at a window to rob the house.
Faggot–A man hired at a muster to appear as a soldier. To faggot in the canting sense, means to bind: an allusion to the faggots made up by the woodmen, which are all bound. Faggot the culls; bind the men.
Faithful–One of the faithful; a taylor who gives long credit. His faith has made him unwhole; i.e. trusting too much, broke him.
Fair–A set of subterraneous rooms in the Fleet Prison.
Fair Gutfounded–Very hungry.
Fairly Flush In The Pockets–Quite rich.
Fakement–A counterfeit signature. A forgery. Tell the macers to mind their fakements; desire the swindlers to be careful not to forge another person’s signature.
Fallalls–Ornaments, chiefly women’s, such as ribands, necklaces, &c.
Fallen Away From a Horse Load To a Cart Load–A saying on one grown fat.
Family Man–A thief or receiver of stolen goods.
Fam Lay–Going into a goldsmith’s shop, under pretence of buying a wedding ring, and palming one or two, by daubing the hand with some viscous matter.
Fams, or Fambles–Hands. Famble cheats; rings or gloves. (Cant)
To Famgrasp–To shake bands: figuratively, to agree or make up a difference. Famgrasp the cove; shake hands with the fellow. (Cant)
Family of Love–Lewd women; also, a religious sect.
Fancy Man–A man kept by a lady for secret services.
To Fan–To beat any one. I fanned him sweetly; I beat him heartily.
Fantastically Dressed–With more rags than ribands.
Faradiddle–Variation of “taradiddle” – a falsehood or lie.
Faro–A card game in which players bet on the order that cards will appear when dealt from the bottom of the deck.
Fart–He has let a brewer’s fart, grains and all; said of one who has bewrayed his breeches.
Piss and fart.
Sound at heart.
Mingere cum bumbis,
Res saluberrima est lumbis.
I dare not trust my a-se with a fart: said by a person troubled with a looseness.
Fart Catcher–A valet or footman from his walking behind his master or mistress.
Farthing–1/4th of a penny
Farting Crackers–Breeches.
Fartleberries–Excrement hanging about the anus.
Fastner–A warrant.
Fastnesses–Bogs.
Fat–The last landed, inned, or stowed, of any sort of merchandise: so called by the water-side porters, carmen, &c. All the fat is in the fire; that is, it is all over with us: a saying used in case of any miscarriage or disappointment in an undertaking; an allusion to overturning the frying pan into the fire. Fat, among printers, means void spaces.
As Fat as a Hen in the Forehead–A saying of a meagre person.
Fat Cull–A rich fellow.
Fat Headed–Stupid.
Faulkner–A tumbler, juggler, or shewer of tricks; perhaps because they lure the people, as a faulconer does his hawks–(Cant)
Faytors, or Fators–Fortune tellers.
Fawney Rig–A common fraud, thus practised: A fellow drops a brass ring, double gilt, which he picks up before the party meant to be cheated, and to whom he disposes of it for less than its supposed, and ten times more than its real, value. See Money Dropper.
Fawney–A ring.
Feague–To feague a horse; to put ginger up a horse’s fundament, and formerly, as it is said, a live eel, to make him lively and carry his tail well; it is said, a forfeit is incurred by any horse-dealer’s servant, who shall shew a horse without first feaguing him. Feague is used, figuratively, for encouraging or spiriting one up.
Feak–The fundament.
To Feather One’s Nest–To enrich one’s self.
Feather-Bed Lane–A rough or stony lane.
Featheredge a corner–Driving Term, turn a sharp bend, or in a small space.
Fee, Faw, Fum–Nonsensical words, supposed in childish story-books to be spoken by giants. I am not to be frighted by fee, faw, fum; I am not to be scared by nonsense.
Feeder–A spoon. To nab the feeder; to steal a spoon.
Feet–To make feet for children’s stockings; to beget children. An officer of feet; a jocular title for an officer of infantry.
Feint–A sham attack on one part, when a real one is meant at another.
Fellow Commoner–An empty bottle: so called at the university of Cambridge, where fellow commoners are not in general considered as over full of learning. At Oxford an empty bottle is called a gentleman commoner for the same reason. They pay at Cambridge 250 l. a year for the privilege of wearing a gold or silver tassel to their caps. The younger branches of the nobility have the privilege of wearing a hat, and from thence are denominated HAT Fellow Commoners.
Fen–A bawd, or common prostitute. (Cant)
To Fence–To pawn or sell to a receiver of stolen goods. The kiddey fenced his thimble for three quids; the young fellow pawned his watch for three guineas. To fence invariably means to pawn or sell goods to a receiver.
Fencing Ken–The magazine, or warehouse, where stolen goods are secreted.
Ferme–A hole. (Cant)
Fermerdy Beggars–All those who have not the sham sores or clymes.
Ferrara–Andrea Ferrara; the name of a famous sword-cutler: most of the Highland broad-swords are marked with his name; whence an Andrea Ferrara has become the common name for the glaymore or Highland broad-sword. See Claymore.
Ferret–A tradesman who sells goods to youug unthrift heirs, at excessive rates, and then continually duns them for the debt. To ferret; to search out or expel any one from his hiding-place, as a ferret drives out rabbits; also to cheat. Ferret-eyed; red-eyed: ferrets have red eyes.
Fetch–A trick, wheedle, or invention to deceive.
Feuterer–A dog-keeper: from the French vautrier, or vaultrier, one that leads a lime hound for the chase.
To Fib–To beat. Fib the cove’s quarron in the rumpad for the lour in his bung; beat the fellow in the highway for the money in his purse. (Cant)—A fib is also a tiny lie.
Fice, or Foyse–A small windy escape backwards, more obvious to the nose than ears; frequently by old ladies charged on their lap-dogs. See Fizzle.
Fichu–A length of fabric, usually triangular, worn around the neck and shoulders–Sometimes tucked inside the neckline of the bodice, sometimes crossed over the bodice–
Fiddle–6 pence, (approx $50).
Fid of Tobacco–A quid, from the small pieces of tow with which the vent or touch hole of a cannon is stopped. Sea Term.
Fiddle Faddle–Trifling discourse, nonsense. A mere fiddle faddle fellow; a trifier.
Fiddlestick’s End–Nothing; the end of the ancient fiddlesticks ending in a point; hence metaphorically used to express a thing terminating in nothing.
Fidgets–He has got the fidgets; said of one that cannot sit long in a place.
Fidlam Ben–General thieves; called also St. Peter’s sons, having every finger a fish-hook. (Cant)
Fiddlers MOney–All sixpences: sixpence being the usual sum paid by each couple, for music at country wakes and hops. Fiddler’s fare; meat, drink, and money. Fiddler’s pay; thanks and wine.
Field Lane Duck–A baked sheep’s head.
Fiend Seize It–Damn it.
Fieri Facias–A red-faced man is said to have been served with a writ of fieri facias.
Figdean–To kill.
Figger–A little boy put in at a window to hand out goods to the diver. See Diver.
Figging Law–The art of picking pockets. (Cant)
Figure Dancer–One who alters figures on bank notes, converting tens to hundreds.
Filch, or Filel–A beggar’s staff, with an iron hook at the end, to pluck clothes from an hedge, or any thing out of a casement. Filcher; the same as angler. Filching cove; a man thief. Filching mort; a woman thief.
File, File Cloy, or Bungnipper–A pick pocket. To file; to rob or cheat. The file, or bungnipper, goes generally in company with two assistants, the adam tiler, and another called the bulk or bulker, Whose business it is to jostle the person they intend to rob, and push him against the wall, while the file picks his pocket, and gives’the booty to the adam tiler, who scours off with it. (Cant)
Fin–An arm. A one finned fellow; a man who has lost an arm. Sea Phrase.
Find Oneself On The Rocks–To have no money, be in debt.
Find Self At A Stand–To have no money.
Fine–Fine as five pence. Fine as a cow-t—d stuck with primroses.
Fine–A man imprisoned for any offence. A fine of eighty-four months; a transportation for seven years.
Finger in Eye–To put finger in eye; to weep: commonly applied to women. The more you cry the less you’ll p-ss; a consolatory speech used by sailors to their doxies. It is as great a pity to see a woman cry, as to see a goose walk barefoot; another of the same kind.
Finger Post–A parson: so called, because he points out a way to others which he never goes himself. Like the finger post, he points out a way he has never been, and probably will never go, i.e. the way to heaven.
Finish–The finish; a small coffee-house in Coven Garden, market, opposite Russel-street, open very early in the morning, and therefore resorted to by debauchees shut out of every other house: it is also called Carpenter’s coffee-house.
Firing a Gun–Introducing a story by head and shoulders. A man wanting to tell a particular story, said to the company, Hark! did you not hear a gun?—but now we are talking of a gun, I will tell you the story of one.
To Fire a Slug–To drink a dram.
Fire Priggers–Villains who rob at fires under pretence of assisting in removing the goods.
Fire Ship–A wench who has the venereal disease.
Fire Shovel–He or she when young, was fed with a fire shovel; a saying of persons with wide mouths.
First rate fiddler–Driving Term, best type of driver.
Fish–A seaman. A scaly fish; a rough, blunt tar. To have other fish to fry; to have other matters to mind, something else to do.
Fit–Suitable. It won’t fit; It will not suit or do.
Fit Of The Blue-Devils–Depressed.
Five Shillings–The sign of five shillings, i.e. the crown. Fifteen shillings; the sign of the three crowns.
Fizzle–An escape backward,
Flabagasted–Confounded.
Flabby–Relaxed, flaccid, not firm or solid.
Flag–A groat. (Cant)—The flag of defiance, or bloody flag is out; signifying the man is drunk, and alluding to the redness of his face. Sea Phrase.
Flam–A lie, or sham story: also a single stroke on a drum. To flam; to hum, to amuse, to deceive. Flim flams; idle stories.
Flap Draggon–A clap, or pox.
To Flare–To blaze, shine or glare.
Flash–Knowing. Understanding another’s meaning. The swell was flash, so I could not draw his fogle. The gentleman saw what I was about, and therefore I could not pick his pocket of his silk handkerchief. To patter flash, to speak the slang language. See Patter.
Flash Of Lightning–Gin.
Flash Panneys–Houses to which thieves and prostitutes resort.
Next for his favourite Mot (Girl) the Kiddey (Youth) looks
about, And if she’s in a Flash Panney (Brothel) he swears he’ll have
her out; So he Fences (Pawns) all his Togs (Cloathes) to buy her Duds,
(Wearing Apparel) and then He Frisks (Robs) his master’s Lob (Till) to take her from the
bawdy Ken (House).
Flash Song.
Flash–A periwig. Rum flash; a fine long wig. Queer flash; a miserable weather-beaten caxon.
To Flash–To shew ostentatiously. To flash one’s ivory; to laugh and shew one’s teeth. Don’t flash your ivory, but shut your potatoe trap, and keep your guts warm; the Devil loves hot tripes.
To Flash the Hash–To vomit. (Cant)
Flash Ken–A house that harbours thieves.
Flash Lingo–The canting or slang language.
Flash Man–A bully to a bawdy house. A whore’s bully.
Flat–Person, able to be tricked. A bubble, gull, or silly fellow.
Flat Cock–A female.
Flawd–Drunk.
Flaybottomist–A bum-brusher, or schoolmaster.
To Flay, or Flea, the Fox–To vomit.
Flea Cite–A trifling injury. To send any one away with a flea in his ear; to give any one a hearty scolding.
To Fleece–To rob, cheat, or plunder.
Fleet Prison, Fleet Marriages–Fleet Prison was a prison for debtors–Fleet marriages were clandestine marriages that were performed at the prison without the need for licenses or banns during the 17th and 18th centuries–The practice was ended with the Marriage Act of 1753.
Flemish Account–A losing, or bad account.
Flesh Broker–A match-maker, a bawd.
Flicker–A drinking glass. (Cant)
Flickering–Grinning or laughing in a man’s face.
Flicking–Cutting. Flick me some panam and caffan; cut me some bread and cheese. Flick the peter; cut off the cloak-bag, or portmanteau.
To Fling–To trick or cheat. He flung me fairly out of it: he cheated me out of it.
Flints–Journeymen taylors, who on a late occasion refused to work for the wages settled by law. Those who submitted, were by the mutineers styled dungs, i.e. dunghills.
Flip–Small beer, brandy, and sugar: this mixture, with the addition of a lemon, was by sailors, formerly called Sir Cloudsly, in memory of Sir Cloudsly Shovel, who used frequently to regale himself with it.
Floating Academy–See Campbell’s Academy.
Floating Hell–The hulks.
To Flog–To whip.
Flogger–A horsewhip. (Cant)
Flogging Cully–A debilitated lecher, commonly an old one.
Flogging Cove–The beadle, or whipper, in Bridewell.
Flogging Stake–The whipping-post.
To Floor–To knock down. Floor the pig; knock down the officer.
Florin–2 shillings, (approx $200).
Flounce–An ornamental row of decorative trim at the edge of a skirt.
Flourish–To take a flourish; to enjoy a woman in a hasty manner, to take a flyer. See FLYER.
To Flout–To jeer, to ridicule.
Flummery–Oatmeal and water boiled to a jelly; also compliments, neither of which are over-nourishing.
Flush in the Pocket–Full of money. The cull is flush in the fob. The fellow is full of money.
Flustered–Drunk.
Flute–The recorder of a corporation; a recorder was an antient musical instrument.
To Flux–To cheat, cozen, or over-reach; also to salivate. To flux a wig; to put it up in curl, and bake it.
Fly–Knowing. Acquainted with another’s meaning or proceeding. The rattling cove is fly; the coachman knows what we are about.
Fly–A waggon. (Cant)
Fly A Kite–Raise money.
Fly-By-Night–You old fly-by-night; an ancient term of reproach to an old woman, signifying that she was a witch, and alluding to the nocturnal excursions attributed to witches, who were supposed to fly abroad to their meetings, mounted on brooms.
Fly Slicers–Life-guard men, from their sitting on horseback, under an arch, where they are frequently observed to drive away flies with their swords.
Fly To The Time Of Day–Wise to the ways of the world.
Flyer–To take a flyer; to enjoy a woman with her clothes on, or without going to bed.
Flyers–Shoes.
Fly-Flapped–Whipt in the stocks, or at the cart’s tail.
Flying Camps–Beggars plying in a body at funerals.
Flying Giggers–Turnpike gates.
Flying House–A lock in wrestling, by which he who uses it throws his adversary over his head.
Flying One’s Colours–Blushing.
Flying Pasty–Sirreverence wrapped in paper and thrown over a neighbour’s wall.
Flying Porters–Cheats who obtain money by pretending to persons who have been lately robbed, that they may come from a place or party where, and from whom, they may receive information respecting the goods stolen from them, and demand payment as porters.
Flying Stationers–Ballad-singers and hawkers of penny histories.
Flymsey–A bank note.
Fob–A cheat, trick, or contrivance, I will not be fobbed off so; I will not be thus deceived with false pretences. The fob is also a small breeches pocket for holding a watch.
Fog–Smoke. (Cant)
Fogey–Old Fogey. A nickname for an invalid soldier: derived from the French word fougeux, fierce or fiery.
Fogle–A silk handkerchief,
Fogram–An old fogram; a fusty old fellow.
Fogus–Tobacco. Tip me a gage of fogus; give me a pipe of tobacco. (Cant)
Fool–A fool at the end of a stick; a fool at one end, and a maggot at the other; gibes on an angler.
Fool Finder–A bailiff.
Foolish–An expression among impures, signifying the cully who pays, in opposition to a flash man. Is he foolish or flash?
Foolscap–Writing paper–The Term refers to the size of the paper (17 by 13½ inches, which was typically folded, and sometimes cut, in half ) and not the quality or weight–The standard foolscap size was in use since the 15th century, and the name derives from the watermark in the shape of a jester’s hat that was once used to identify it.
Footpads or Low Pads–Rogues who rob on foot. Thieves in the streets, muggers.
Foot Wabbler–A contemptuous appellation for a foot soldier, commonly used by the cavalry.
Footman’s Mawnd–An artificial sore made with unslaked lime, soap, and the rust of old iron, on the back of a beggar’s hand, as if hurt by the bite or kick of a horse.
Footy Despicable–A footy fellow, a despicable fellow; from the French foutue.
Fop–A gentleman who dresses in excessively elaborate clothes and has affected manners.
Forefoot, or Paw–Give us your fore foot; give us your hand.
Foreman of the Jury–One who engrosses all the talk to himself, or speaks for the rest of the company.
Fork–A pickpocket. Let us fork him; let us pick his pocket.—’The newest and most dexterous way, which is, to thrust the fingers strait, stiff, open, and very quick, into the pocket, and so closing them, hook what can be held between them.’ N.B. This was taken from a book written many years ago: doubtless the art of picking pockets, like all others, must have been much improved since that time.
Forlorn Hope–A gamester’s last stake.
Fortune Hunters–Indigent men, seeking to enrich themselves by marrying a woman of fortune.
Fortune Teller, or Cunning Man–A judge, who tells every prisoner his fortune, lot or doom. To go before the fortune teller, lambskin men, or conjuror; to be tried at an assize. See Lambskin Men.
Foul–To foul a plate with a man, to take a dinner with him.
Foul-Mouthed–Abusive.
Foundling–A child dropped in the streets, and found, and educated at the parish expence.
Four Horse Club–Also the Four-in-Hand Club, Barouche Club, the Whip Club–For excellent carriage drivers, there was a uniform; A drab coat that reached to the ankles with three tiers of pockets and mother of pearl buttons as large as five shilling pieces–The waistcoat was blue with yellow stripes an inch wide, the breeches of plush with strings and rosettes to each knee–It was fashionable that the hat should be 3 1/2 inches deep in the crown–Members also were to have barouches should be yellow bodied with ‘dickies’, the horses should be Bays, with rosettes at their heads and the harnesses should be silver-mounted.
Four-In-Hand–Driving a carriage pulled by four horses, an exercise requiring skill–The Four-in-Hand Club was a notable club for gentlemen who were excellent drivers.
Fousil–The name of a public house, where the Eccentrics assemble in May’s Buildings, St. Martin’s Lane.
Fox. A sharp, cunning fellow. Also an old term for a sword, probably a rusty one, or else from its being dyed red with blood; some say this name alluded to certain swords of remarkable good temper, or metal, marked with the figure of a fox, probably the sign, or rebus, of the maker.
Fox’s Paw–The vulgar pronunciation of the French words faux pas. He made a confounded fox’s paw.
Foxed–Inebriated, drunk.
Foxey–Rank. Stinking.
Foxing a Boot–Mending the foot by capping it.
Foyst–A pickpocket, cheat, or rogue. See Wotton’s Gang.
To Foyst–To pick a pocket.
Foysted In–Words or passages surreptitiously interpolated or inserted into a book or writing.
Frank–A Member of Parliament, including peers in the House of Lords, could frank letters — mail them free of charge — by affixing his personal seal along with the word “frank” or “free.” This practice continued until 1840, when cheap postal rates were introduced.
Free-Traders–Smugglers.
Fraters–Vagabonds who beg with sham patents, or briefs, for hospitals, fires, inundations, &c.
Free–Free of fumblers hall; a saying of one who cannot get his wife with child.
Free and Easy Johns–A society which meet at the Hole in the Wall, Fleet-street, to tipple porter, and sing bawdry.
Freebooters–A person who robs and plunderers, especially pirates and smugglers–From the Dutch “vrijbuiter” and the German “freibeuter,” meaning to rove freely. Lawless robbers and plunderers: originally soldiers who served without pay, for the privilege of plundering the enemy.
Freeholder–He whose wife accompanies him to the alehouse.
Freeman’s Quay–Free of expence. To lush at Freeman’s Quay; to drink at another’s cost.
Freeze–A thin, small, hard cider, much used by vintners and coopers in parting their wines, to lower the price of them, and to advance their gain. A freezing vintner; a vintner who balderdashes his wine.
French Cream–Brandy; so called by the old tabbies and dowagers when drank in their tea.
French Disease–The venereal disease, said to have been imported from France. French gout; the same. He suffered by a blow over the snout with a French faggot-stick; i.e. he lost his nose by the pox.
French Leave–To take French leave is to go off without taking leave of the company: a saying frequently applied to persons who have run away from their creditors.The allusion is to the French soldiers, who in their invasions take what they require, and never wait to ask permission of the owners or pay any price for what they take.
Frenchified–Infected with the venereal disease. The mort is Frenchified: the wench is infected.
Fresh Milk–Cambridge new comers to the university.
Freshman–One just entered a member of the university.
Fribble–An effeminate fop; a name borrowed from a celebrated character of that kind, in the play Miss in her Teens (1746) by David Garrick.
Friday-Faced–A dismal countenance. Before, and even long after the Reformation, Friday was a day of abstinence, or jour maigre. Immediately after the restoration of king Charles II. a proclamation was issued, prohibiting all publicans from dressing any suppers on a Friday.
To Frig–Figuratively used for trifling.
Frig Pig–A trifling, fiddle-faddle fellow.
Frigate–A well-rigged frigate; a well-dressed wench.
Frisk–To dance the Paddington frisk; to be hanged.
To Frisk–Used by thieves to signify searching a person whom they have robbed. Blast his eyes! frisk him.
Froe, or Vroe–A woman, wife, or mistress. Brush to your froe, or bloss, and wheedle for crop; run to your mistress, and sooth and coax her out of some money. Dutch.
Froglander–A Dutchman.
Frosty Face–One pitted with the small pox.
Frog’s Wine–Gin.
Fruitful Vine–A woman’s private parts, i.e. that has Flowers every month, and bears fruit in nine months.
Frummagemmed–Choaked, strangled, suffocated, or hanged. (Cant)
Fubsey–Plump. A fubsey wench; a plump, healthy wench.
Fuddle–Drunk. This is rum fuddle; this is excellent tipple, or drink. Fuddle; drunk. Fuddle cap; a drunkard.
A Fudge–False rumor. Nonsense.
Fulhams–Load dice used in gambling, first made in the town of Fulham or from that place being the resort of sharpers..
Full of Emptiness–Jocular term for empty.
Full Of Juice–Very rich. Full March. The Scotch Greys are in full march by the crown office; the lice are crawling down his head.
Fumbler–An old or impotent man. To fumble, also means to go awkwardly about any work, or manual operation.
Fun–A cheat, or trick. Do you think to fun me out of it? Do you think to cheat me?—Also the breech, perhaps from being the abbreviation of fundament. I’ll kick your fun. (Cant)
Funds–Government securities that could be purchased by investors–See also consols.
To Funk–To use an unfair motion of the hand in plumping at taw. Schoolboy’s Term.
Funk–To smoke; figuratively, to smoke or stink through fear. I was in a cursed funk. To funk the cobler; a schoolboy’s trick, performed with assafoettida and cotton, which are stuffed into a pipe: the cotton being lighted, and the bowl of the pipe covered with a coarse handkerchief, the smoke is blown out at the small end, through the crannies of a cobler’s stall.
Furmen–Aldermen.
Furmity, or Fromenty–Wheat boiled up to a jelly. To simper like a furmity kettle: to smile, or look merry about the gills.
Fuss–A confusion, a hurry, an unnecessary to do about trifles.
Fussock–A lazy fat woman. An old fussock; a frowsy old woman.
Fustian–Bombast; made up of pompous, high-sounding language–Also a coarse, heavy cloth made of cotton and flax. Red fustian; port wine.
Fustian Nonsense–Rubbish.
Fusty Luggs–A beastly, sluttish woman.
To Fuzz–To shuffle cards minutely: also, to change the pack.
