Regency Slang

Some favorites or useful words from http://www.regrom.com/regency-lingo/

This lingo was already listed. I figured it might be useful to have a dictionary that had been edited at least once for sexism/sex shaming/body shaming, etc.

(genders edited to be more inclusive with the original intended gender marked (f) or (m) where needed.)

Accounts, to cast up one’s: To vomit.

Adventuress: Euphemism for prostitute or wild woman

Amiable: having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner

Apoplexy: unconsciousness or incapacity resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke

Bamboozle: To cheat or deceive.

Barking irons: pistols

Beau: (m) a person with presence, and often vain, good looking, and a notable fashion icon

Beau monde: fashionable world or fashionable people.

Bilk: to swindle or cheat.

Blade: (m) dashing younger person of fashion, meant to imply youth and maybe a bit of immaturity or impetuousness

Blazes: Euphemism for hell or the devil

Bloody: Difficult to define etymology or definition, it was an extremely common oath as early as the 18th century and continued into the 19th century.

Blue-deviled: Affected with the blue devils; depressed, melancholy, low-spirited.

Bluestocking: (f) an intellectual or literary person. Originally a member of the 18th-century Blue Stockings Society from England led by the hostess and critic Elizabeth Montagu,

Bond Street Beau: (m) a well dressed person who liked to shop in and around Bond Street, but in particularly liked to go on the stroll on Bond Street

Bouncer: A barefaced lie

Buck: (m) A popular, fashionable person who pursued pleasure, blood or sporting type

Claptrap: absurd or nonsensical talk or ideas

Corinthian: (m) athletes, sportsfolx who excelled in most sporting activities of the day including fencing, boxing, hunting, shooting, driving and riding in addition to be always well dressed and mannered gentlefolx

Costermonger: a person who sells goods, especially fruit and vegetables, from a handcart in the street.

Countenance: a person’s face or facial expression; support.

Courses: Menstrual period.

Cravat: a short, wide strip of fabric worn by men around the neck and tucked inside an open-necked shirt. These could be tied in a variety of styles:

Cucumberish: To be broke or in debt.

Dandy: (m) A person of fashion, charm and wit. The preferred subdued, carefully curated looks that reflected a “studied masculinity” with dark colors, no perfume, and artful accessories. This term came into prevalence in 1813.

Dicked in the nob: Silly; crazed.

Dudgeon: a feeling of offense or resentment; anger

Fortnight: A fortnight is a unit of time equal to 14 days (2 weeks).

Fudge: lies, nonsense

Fustian: a thick cotton and flax (linen) woven fabric. When used as slang, it means b.s. or laying it on thick. This may be a Heyerism.

Grand: one thousand pounds (GBP)

Groat: four pence

Hot flannel: Beer, gin, eggs, sugar and nutmeg mixed as warm drink.

Hunt the Squirrel: (genders preserved to avoid confusion of original game. You could change this easily) A woman flies while the man pursues her, but as soon as she turns, he runs away and she must follow. This was a considered a naughty game.

Hunting the Squirrel: A game usually played by post-boys and stage coachmen, whereby the coach would follow a one horse chaise and then pass it, brushing the wheels and frightening the people inside the chaise.

Incomparable: (f) a person of the ton without rival, match or peer.

Mawkish: Excessively and objectionably sentimental; sickening or insipid in taste

Merry Andrew: A buffoon, fool, or someone who clowns

Nonesuch or Nonpareil: (m) similar to Incomparable. Excelling at most things, including sports, driving, and the cut of their jib, they were a person to be aped

Pink of the Ton (Pink of Fashion): (m) Height of fashion or top of the mode.

Pony: 25 pounds Sterling (Cant)

River Tick: To have no money; be in debt

Sennight: A week

Swell: Wealthy, elegant person; fashionably dressed or equipped; puffed-up, pompous behavior

Tanner: sixpence

Tiger: (m) A smartly-liveried youth acting as groom or footman; formerly often provided with standing-room on a small platform behind the carriage, and a strap to hold on by; less strictly, an outdoor youth-servant. This term didn’t appear to be in popular usage until 1817.

Ton, the: High society, including the aristocracy and gentry, and sometimes well to do others or influencers. See also Upper Ten Thousand.

Town: London, when the T is capitalized.

Town bronze or town polish: acquiring the culture/manners of Town.

Quiz : a riddle or enigma one who quizzes another; an odd fellow; to puzzle to banter or make sport of; to examine narrowly and with an air of mockery; to practise derisive joking

Under the hatches: broke or in debt (Cant).

Upper Orders: High society. See also Ton, the.

Upper Ten Thousand: Thought to be a Heyerism, meant to imply the Ton. The term was actually coined in the 1840s to describe wealthiest residents of New York.

Whipper snapper: A small fellow

Yest: A contraction of yesterday

Yoked: Married

Zany: A poor, stupid fellow.