So Much To Say

by Tess St. John

While doing research for my first historical romance, I wanted to use words and phrases from the Regency period. I was astounded at how the sayings I found revealed so much about what was happening in England at that time. The social classes were distinctly defined and for the rich, excesses awaited at every corner. And for the poor, there wasn’t much hope.

I couldn’t believe how many sayings there were for being drunk.

A trifle disguised – slightly drunk

Ape drunk – very drunk

Be with malt above water – be drunk

Bosky – drunk

Dipping rather deep – drinking quite heavily

Drunk as a wheelbarrow – very drunk

Eaten Hull cheese – drunk

Elbow-crooker - drinker

Foxed – drunk

Half-sprung - tipsy

Jug-Bitten – drunk

Making indentures – drinking

On the cut – On a drinking binge

Properly shot in the neck – drunk

Tap-hackled – drunk

Top-heavy – drunk

Even gin had many delineations. Blue ruin, Flash of lightning, Old Tom, and Stark Naked (did they mean you’d be stark naked after you drank the gin?)

I couldn't believe all the different terms used for money, or lack thereof.

Bleed very freely – gives money

Blunt – money

Cleaned out – has no money

Cucumberish – to have no money

Damned low water with me – have no money, be in debt

Dibs not in tune – to be in a poor financial state

Drawing the bustie too freely – spending too much money

Dun territory – debt

Fairly flush in the pockets – quite rich

Find oneself on the rocks – to have no money, be in debt

Find self at a stand – have no money

Fly a kite – raise money

Full of juice – very rich

Gingerbread – money

Hang on someone’s sleeve – to be supported financially

Haven’t a sixpence to scratch with – have no money

In quite deep – in debt

Never a feather to fly with – to have no money

Pockets to let – has no money

Rolled-up – to have no money

Run quite off one’s legs – have no money

Swimming in lard – very rich

Try to break someone’s shins – borrow money

Well-inlaid – rich

Windmill dwindled to a nutshell – to lose one’s money

If you’ll notice, there are a ton more words for lack of money than abundance…very telling.

And last, but not least, are the terms for women. And what a glimpse this gives us for what was going on at the time.

Barque of frailty – woman of easy virtue

Bird of Paradise – woman of easy virtue

Bit of muslin – woman of easy virtue

Bluestocking – academic female

Convenients – women of easy virtue

Cythereans – mistresses

Haymarket ware – low class prostitutes

Incognitas – higher class prostitutes

Lady-bird – woman of easy virtue

Light o’ love – mistress

Light-skirts – women of easy virtue

Paphians – women of easy virtue

Peculiar – woman of easy virtue

Prime articles – women of easy virtue

Started in the petticoat line – associating with women of easy virtue

Tempting armful – attractive female

Trollops – women of easy virtue

Wanton – woman of easy virtue

I’m not sure about you, but to me, there are a lot of words and phrases for women of easy virtue!

I want to finish with just a couple that made me laugh out loud!

Civil whiskers – polite small talk

Cut up my peace – disturb me (I think I’m going to start using this one)

Fit of the blue-devils – depressed

In the suds – to be in trouble (I love this one…can’t you just see someone surrounded by suds and sinking into them)

Not a mean bit yet – still attractive (I totally don’t get this one, but love it)

Not give a tinker’s damn – not care (I used this one in my book Second Chances)

Pudding house – stomach (I have to wonder if this was only for women)

Riveted – married

Screw – not a very good horse (btw, there were a bunch of phrases about horses)

Shine everyone else down – be the most attractive

Tie one’s garter in public - do something extremely shocking (Oh my)

Do you know any others?

You can find these and many more saying at

http://rhemalda.com/2010/07/abcs-regency-slang/

http://www.thenonesuch.com/lexicon.html

https://sites.google.com/site/regencymurdermystery/slang

Thanks for stopping by!

To learn more about Tess St. John and her books please visit http://www.TessStJohn.com