Dude: a fastidious man; fop or clotheshorse. Although users will most likely disagree about this, calling someone a whore's son in 1800 was legally good enough to challenge someone to a duel to defend their honor. Panhandle: to beg. Boston Spectator and Ladies Album, 21 Apr. I heerd one slick-cheeked chap, what was sitting behind me, singing as they were playing. "Political corruption if the clergy only keep to that topic, Lincoln will be Chicagoed!" Here are an even dozen, pretty much forgotten slanglike words or sayings from the 19th century, rediscovered while delving in the archives and with added guidance from James Maitman's 1891 American Slang Dictionary: 1) Too high for his nut beyond someone's reach. A dialect word for someone who not only talks a lot, but who seems to constantly swear. United States Telegraph (Washington, D.C.), 6 Oct. 1831, Definition: having a projecting lower jaw. I don't think we will ever know. Have heard or read most of these. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Come along for the ride! I don't think so. Privacy Policy Contact Us Also, when asking this question, it is important to know which class of individuals you are speaking of. Kathleen, what an interesting collection of terms! That was a polite way of calling someone a low life. Someone who only seems able to speak by shouting. He made an ordinary fight look like a prayer meetin'. Clydesdale: A big all-American boy. In you lived in a country town in Colonial-era New England and . Spirit of the Times, 2 Feb. 1839, Definition: something that settles a matter : a decisive blow or answer. An old Irish word for a nosy, prying person who likes to interfere in other peoples business. A bespawler is a slobbering person, who spits when he talks. Compared to modern "standards" this is mild, however in the 1800s the swearing part would have been "God damned," not "fool." Vacations in the Soviet Union were hardly idylls spent with ones dearest. For history buffs and word nerds, You jerk just doesn't have the same ring as You unlicked cub, an insult from Georgian England. or "I hear masters know their servants where you come from." Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated December 2022. It means his penis doesn't work. ), Podcast #858: The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings, How to Fight Entitlement and Develop Gratitude in Your Kids, How and Why to Hold a Weekly Marriage Meeting, You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, Sunday Firesides: Climb the Ladder of Love, Podcast #865: How to Win Friends and Influence People in the 21st Century, Podcast #863: Key Insights From the Longest Study on Happiness, Podcast #875: Authority Is More Important Than Social Skills, Podcast #874: Throw a 2-Hour Cocktail Party That Can Change Your Life, 9 Mental Distortions That Are Sabotaging Your Social Life, Skill of the Week: Shuffle a Deck of Cards, Skill of the Week: Start a Fire in the Rain, Skill of the Week: Remove a Fish Hook From Your Finger, Podcast #883: The Naturalists Art of Animal Encounters, Lets Bring Back: The Lost Language Edition, Sunday Firesides: Bring Back the Kids Table, Sunday Firesides: A Man of 50 Is Responsible for His Face, The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Gifts Under $50, Being who belongs to the cult of non-virility, A mind that functions at six guinea-pig power, Well-meaning, pinheaded, anarchistic crank. 79. Adding EV Charger (100A) in secondary panel (100A) fed off main (200A). flattered himself he was decidedly 'some pumpkins,' it was a horse-trade. When Im done with you, there wont be enough left of you to snore. But Mr. Croswell does not believe Mr. Adams word. One whose buttocks may be seen through his pocket-hole; this saying arose from the old philosophers, many of whom despised the vanity of dress to such a point as often to fall into the opposite extreme. A mean-spirited fellow; a sneaking, cowardly man. 12) Wake snakes get into mischief. Example: "Hey man, sorry I'm late. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot. 1. Some total church bell on the street wouldn't stop lecturing me about Scientology. He didnt have manners enough to carry guts to a bear. Are there religious swear words in English the way there are in French-speaking Qubec (like Clisse!)? Absquatulate - To leave or disappear. So the nervous servant who tells Macbeth his castle is under attack is dismissed as a cream-faced loon. Oswald in King Lear isnt just a useless idiot, hes a whoreson zed, an unnecessary letter. Lears ungrateful daughter Goneril is a plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood. And when Falstaff doubts something Mistress Quickly has said in Henry IV: Part 1, he claims, theres no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune. (And theres a good chance he didnt intend stewed prune to mean dried fruit.) Bigmouth: a person who talks too much, usually about something another doesnt want discussed. "That north show window of Shute & Haskell's is a 'lally-cooler,' " the Jan. 4, 1890, Salina, Kan., Republican noted. An ill-dressed shabby fellow; also, a mean-spirited person. Some say "yes" assuming that people were just as vulgar in "the good ole' days." Tenderfoot: newcomer; inexperienced person. He was so mean, he'd fight a rattler and give him the first bite. Someone who lives beyond their means, or seems to spend extravagantly. So, in my opinion, trying to look to Google Ngrams for hints at swearing only shows trends in censorship. crazy, appeared about 1898; nut as a substitute for crazy person didnt arrive until 1903. In some cases, however, where words have died, no equally worthy substitutes have risen in their places. The term originated in New York City c. 1880-1885; antecedents uncertain. Arose American west c. 1875 as a reference to some species of rattlesnakes peculiar lateral movement.. Below are the definitions for these Victorian insults, plus 14 more rude words that . His lip hangs down like a blacksmiths apron. High-binder: swindler, confidence man, cheat (especially of the political variety). Alexandria (Virginia) Gazette, 11 Sept. 1830. It's what you'd use to refer to a person who's short and tiny and kawaii, but whom you don't want to insult by pinching their cheeks or cooing at . It is common in historical discussions to portray farmers, sailors, soldiers, etc as the swearing types and upper crust as more reserved. Any EU reaction force would be hamstrung by member nations' military weakness. You fustilarian! I prefer my late-night hosts to have weak chins. So he looked up at me slantindicler, and I looked down on him slantindiclerhe took out a chor o tobaccer and, says he I dont vallee you tantamount to that! and then the varmint flapped his wings and crowed like a cock. 4 (Oct., 1948), pp. A discontented person; one who is always railing at the times. From 1846, based on an earlier (1785) expression be nuts upon (to be very fond of), which itself arose from the use of nuts for any source of pleasure (c. 1610). His heterodox Christianity also raised charges of atheism. Informal words and expressions that popped up in popular parlance, especially in the 19th century, says Lynne Murphy an American linguist who teaches at the University of Sussex in England are "going to stay fairly local, and so there can be a lot of variation not just between countries, but between cities, between social classes, et cetera. Political attacks were common. These old-fashioned put-downs have a flair that modern insults lack theyre clever, nuanced, descriptive, and quite amusing (at least to the issuer and those who overhear, if not to the receiver!). Loco: Borrowed from Spanish about 1844, the word has the same meaning in both languages: insane. Loco-weed, meaning a species of plants that make cattle behave strangely, arose about 1877. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. "A lady of the shoddyocracy of Des Moines found, on returning from a walk, some call cards on her table," observed the Harrisburg, Pa., Telegraph of June 30, 1870. Nincompoop A fool. Verbal critics; and also, persons who use hard words in common discourse. Zoilus was a Greek grammarian who became known as one of the most vitriolic critics of Homer, author of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Probably a shortened form of lunkhead, which arose in the U.S. about 1852. It was no different in 1800s America. But you dont have to rely just on Shakespeare to spice up your vocabulary. In 1800, the American . But a quick grab in the insult bag for a vulgarity was certainly done. Understanding the probability of measurement w.r.t. Grass-bellied: disparaging term for the prosperous (especially those whose prosperity had gone to their waist); originally applied to cattle whose stomachs were dangerously distended due to eating too much green grass. And Florida? His voice sounded like someone forgot to grease the wagon. An 18th-century northern English word for someone who only ever seems to complain. Someone who turns up uninvited at a meal or party and expects to be fed. The word heel took on that very meaning in 1810. One of the better-known portmanteaus (or portmanteaux) is smog, which is a blend of smoke and fog. This staggeringly beautiful location has long captured the imagination. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. How dare you called me a ninnyhammer you pillock! : What's your problem . He's no ratbag, but feel free to use that word on your least favorite neighbor. This years election season has been called personal, vitriolic, and angry in an unprecedented way. Jimberjawed (also occasionally found as gimberjawed, jibberjawed, jiggerjawed, jimmiejawed, among other variations) is thought to be a variant of gimbal-jawed, which means much the same thing (a gimbal is a device that allows a suspended body to incline freely in any direction). Arose about 1808 in the southern U.S. We also might hear someone say that they resemble female or male anatomysame as we do nowadays. Two of the loafers, we understand, were yesterday taken and committed to prison; the other has absquatulated. ", A second-rate singer who produces noise rather than music, Example: "Get that whooperup belting Celine Dion off the stage! ITHAKA. Can you believe that? What does "ratchet" mean and when was it first used? In the 1680s, the word meant lowest sill of a house. In March 1858, it entered American politics when James M. Hammond of South Carolina used the term derogatorily during a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate. All Rights Reserved. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), any Union sympathizer, especially a Union soldier. Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. He was so ugly he had to sneak up on a dipper to get a drink of water. High yellow: offensive term for light-skinned person of mixed white and black ancestry. He couldnt hit the ground with his hat in three throws. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. The 1800 election saw America's first contested presidential campaigns: Thomas Jefferson vs. John Adams. The story of how the mount came to be a great Christian pilgrimage site dates back to the early 8th . We asked Lynne Murphy to comment on a few items in the list above. 2) Bottom fact an undisputed fact. density matrix, "Signpost" puzzle from Tatham's collection. An old Scots word for a swindling businessman, or someone who gets into debt and then flees. He couldnt track a bed-wagon through a bog hole. In your question, you mention lack of education. Union soldiers also were called blueskins, after the color of their uniforms. There is the expression "To cuss like a sailor" which clearly indicates that sailors used "colorful language" to express themselves. Ill tickle your catastrophe, Falstaff exclaims. Take the election of 1800, which featured a cast of characters willing to take on the mantle left by the death of George Washington, who was able to unify a young, rambunctious nation. Americanism c. 1849 as a derogatory comparison of a beggars outstretched hand to a pans handle. hide caption. Era: The 1800s. ", A promiscuous woman or prostitute; less commonly, a dissolute man, Example: "That dude who hangs out around the hotel late at night is a wagtail. Insults most likely took the form of questions or statements. I'm looking forward to the answers to this one. Hustler: in 1825, a thief, especially one who roughed up his victims. The words may change (and you can look them up yourself) but the idea is always the same. The word first became tied to lawyers especially of the slimy variety in 1857. Amy Sussman/Getty Images. Wow, what a fun list! Burials at the cemetery began in 1896, when a Civil War veterans organization spent $8.80 to buy a 150- by 100-foot plot from Fresno County in what is now the 1800 block of West Belmont Avenue. He looked like the hindquarters of bad luck. The term is widely used in Latin America and Caribbean usually without suggesting any insult. While writing our first book, The Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man, we decided to throw a few old-time 19th century slang words into the text just for fun. As much as this seems to describe our present-day presidential contests, it actually describes an election more than two hundred years past. While anything is possible, we must caution readers that the majority of popular etymologies that have a charming and fanciful origin story are little-rooted in fact. The work appears to have remained unpublished (perhaps the title had something to do with this), but in reporting on the words contained in the books nascent form the article provides early written evidence of a number of 19th century Americanisms. Though Greeley wasnt there hed a hand Thanks for an interesting post. Heeler: unscrupulous political lackey. Can I connect multiple USB 2.0 females to a MEAN WELL 5V 10A power supply? From about 1850, a pretentious, opinionated person. Voters instead marked their preferences with candidates for state legislatures, who then selected electors. Hes grinnin like a jack ass eatin cactus. Brutal Insults From the 1800s That Demand a Comeback. 77. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.
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