Learn the Lingo
Captain Grose's Word of the Week
Being a Weekly Word (or Phrase)
from
A Classical Dictionary of
the Vulgar Tongue
by
Captain Francis Grose
For the Week of June 13, 2004
Fire ship.
A wench who has the venereal disease.
For the Week of June 6, 2004
Dram-a-tick.
A dram served upon credit.
For the Week of May 30, 2004
Scratch Land.
Scotland.
For the Week of May 23, 2004
Old Mr Glory.
A piece of gold.
For the Week of May 16, 2004
Rag Fair.
An inspection of the linen and necessaries of a company of soldiers,
commonly made by their officers on Mondays or Saturdays.
For the Week of May 9, 2004
Hatches.
Under the hatches; in trouble, distress, or debt.
For the Week of May 2, 2004
Cracker.
Crust, sea biscuit, or ammunition loaf;
also the backside. Farting crackers; breeches.
For the Week of April 25, 2004
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.
For the Week of April 18, 2004
Bible.
A bosun's great axe. Sea term.
For the Week of April 11, 2004
Toddy.
Originally the juice of the cocoa tree, and afterwards rum, water,
sugar, and nutmeg. [I.e. the coco-nut tree.]
For the Week of April 4, 2004
Top Lights.
The eyes. Blast you top lights.
For the Week of March 28, 2004
Spliced.
Married: an allusion to joining two ropes ends by splicing. Sea
term.
For the Week of March 21, 2004
Easy Virtue.
A lady of easy virtue; an impure or prostitute.
For the Week of March 14, 2004
Velvet.
To tip the velvet; to put one's tongue into a woman's mouth.
To be upon velvet; to have the best of a bet or match.
To the little gentleman in velvet, i.e. the mole that threw up the
hill that caused Crop (King William's horse) to stumble; a
toast frequently drank by the tories and catholics in Ireland.
For the Week of March 7, 2004
Grim.
Old Mr Grim; death.
For the Week of February 29, 2004
Smash.
Leg of mutton and smash; a leg of mutton and mashed turnips. Sea
term.
For the Week of February 22, 2004
Grey Beard.
Earthen jugs formerly used in public houses, for drawing ale; they
had the
figure of a man with a large beard stumped on them; whence probably
they
took their name; see Ben Jonson's Plays, Bartholomew Fair,
&c, &c.
For the Week of February 15, 2004
Valentine.
The first woman seen by a man, or man seen by a woman on St Valentine's
Day,
the 14th of February, when it is said every bird chuses his mate for
the ensuing year.
For the Week of February 8, 2004
Cant.
To cant; to toss or throw: as, Cant a slug into your bread room; drink
a dram. Sea wit.
For the Week of February 1, 2004
Davy.
I'll take my davy of it; vulgar abbreviation of affidavit.
For the Week of January 25, 2004
Cup of the Creature.
A good cup of liquor.
For the Week of January 18, 2004
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.
For the Week of January 11, 2004
Sawny (or Sandy).
A general nickname for a Scotchman, as Paddy is for an Irishman
or Taffy for a Welshman; Sawny or Sandy being the familiar abbreviation
or diminutive of Alexander, a very favorite name among the Scottish
nation.