Victorian Slang Part Three · 2:15pm Sep 29th, 2020
Victorian Slang Part Three
Did you know that there were many other slang words used in the Victorian era? These are some more slang words that were used.
1. GAL-SNEAKER
An 1870 term for "a man devoted to seduction.”
2. GAS-PIPES
A term for especially tight pants.
3. GIGGLEMUG
"An habitually smiling face.”
4. GOT THE MORBS
Use of this 1880 phrase indicated temporary melancholy.
5. HALF-RATS
Partially intoxicated.
6. JAMMIEST BITS OF JAM
"Absolutely perfect youthful females,” circa 1883.
7. KRUGER-SPOOF
Lying, from 1896.
8. LOBBYGOW
An errand-boy (someone who waits in the lobby to go run errands). This was suggested by TheJediMasterEd.
9. LOBSTER TRICK
A newspaperman's term for the night watch (lobsters are more active at night). This was suggested by TheJediMasterEd.
10. MAD AS HOPS
Excitable.
11. MAFFICKING
An excellent word that means getting rowdy in the streets. To dance around with wild abandon in celebration. e.g To maffick about. Originates from celebrating civilians in the town of Mafeking in Cape Colony, South Africa, after a British flying column under Colonel Mahon lifted a 217 day siege by Transvaal and Orange Free State Boers, during the 1899-1902 conflict. This was suggested by Blade Star.
12. MAKE A STUFFED BIRD LAUGH
"Absolutely preposterous.”
13. MEATER
A street term meaning coward.
14. MIND THE GREASE
When walking or otherwise getting around, you could ask people to let you pass, please. Or you could ask them to mind the grease, which meant the same thing to Victorians.
15. MUTTON DRESSED AS A LAMB
"An older person (usually a woman) dressed in fashions clearly meant for the young." And thus ridiculous.
The basis of the phrase is a pun on the verb "dress," which can mean both "to put on clothes" and "to cut away unwanted bits of a large piece of meat."
This is a reference to a Victorian trick of the butcher's trade. Back then you could only get lamb in the spring and it was expensive and hard to find. Unscrupulous shopkeepers would get bigger mutton chops from older animals and trim them down--"dress" them--until they looked like dainty little lamb chops. But it was still tough gamey mutton.
Thank you to TheJediMasterEd for supplying me with this term to add to the list.
16. MUTTON SHUNTER
This 1883 term for a policeman is so much better than "pig."
17. NANTY NARKING
A tavern term, popular from 1800 to 1840, that meant great fun.
18. NOSE BAGGER
Someone who takes a day trip to the beach. He brings his own provisions and doesn't contribute at all to the resort he's visiting.
19. NOT UP TO DICK
Not well.
20. ORF CHUMP
No appetite.
You can also read more about this by clicking this article here: https://theweek.com/articles/567412/56-delightful-victorian-slang-terms-should-using
Haha, can you just see, like, a protester today video-bombing a reporter by jumping into frame, pointing at the cops in the background trying to disperse the crowd, and screaming, "MUTTON SHUNTERS!" at the top of their lungs?
'Cause I totally can and I think I would die laughing and that's why we need to bring this back!
5366800 I agree! I'd love to see all of these terms make a comeback. XD
Hopefully, that means someone who moves sheep around.
Not someone who fancies sheep a bit too much.
After checking out these terms, I realize that I would be confused if I went back to the Victorian age.
5368422 Language has evolved a lot over time. Even if we went back to the Middle Ages or different eras of history where a form of English was used, we probably wouldn't be able to understand what was being said since the English language has evolved a lot since those time periods.
Mutton dressed as lamb is still a common saying in the UK! Fun to know it's such an old saying though
5369458 It's interesting how a lot of old terms from different eras of history have carried over and are still being used.