Some slang words have gone by the wayside over the years. But in 1909, a British writer recorded thousands of Victorian slang words to make sure they were never forgotten.
I will tell you right now. We should bring some of them back. The world just needs these things, I think.
But first, here is a bit about the guy. His name was James Redding Ware, and he lived from 1832 until 1909. He mostly worked under the pseudonym Andrew Forrester. But to the core, he was a British writer, novelist, and playwright. And get this. He created one of the first female detectives in fiction. But his last known work was a dictionary. This one, I think.
Anyway, for some reason, he wanted to capture the language of the Victorian era. Many people don’t put two and two together, but the Victorian era refers to the period of British history during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Of course, this makes perfect sense. She reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901. The era itself is known for its significant cultural, political, industrial, and scientific changes in Britain.
However, during that era, there was a strict social hierarchy. The world also saw rapid industrialization and technological advancements. On the uptick, it had a flourishing of arts, literature, and sciences. But through it all, a staunch set of moral values shaped that society.
Back to James Ware and his words.
As I mentioned, some slang words should stick around.
Back in my day, I used to tell people something was “Hard Cheese.” They knew what I meant. Now, when I say something is “Hard Cheese,” I get a glassy-eyed stare.
Anyway. Here are a few of Ware’s entries.
1 Gigglemug — Definition: A habitually smiling face
2 Fly Rink — A polished bald head
3 Juggins-Hunting — Definition: Looking for a man who will pay for liquor
4 Sauce-box — Definition: The mouth
5 Bags o’ Mystery — Definition: A satirical term for sausages, because no man but the maker knows what is in them
6 Gas Pipes — Definition: Name given to trousers when tight
7 Pumblechook — Definition: Human ass
Etymology: From Uncle Pumblechook, a character in Dickens’ Great Expectations described as “that basest of swindlers”; greedy, pompous and piggish.
If you dissect each one of these, it becomes easy to see where they came from. I particularly like the “fly rink” and the “sauce box.”
But the thing that mostly comes through? Words shape our world.
It is true. Words are important because they are the primary means through which we communicate. It is how we share our ideas, our emotions, our information.
They have the power to shape our thoughts, influence our actions, and connect us with others. Words can be good. They might inspire, motivate, heal, or comfort. On the other hand, they can harm, confuse, or mislead. And another thing. We pass our world onto others through our stories. Words are the building blocks of these stories.
But you all know this. Words carry meaning and can hold incredible power, no matter where we are in this world and in life.
Whether they are slang or straight-up, we must use our words wisely.
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“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” — Rita Mae Brown
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“Language is the dress of thought.” — Samuel Johnson
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“Language is the source of misunderstandings.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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(AND. To see this whole big book of slang? It was captured in a wonderful scanning project. Browse James Redding Ware’s Passing English of The Victorian Era, available for free via archive.org.)
https://archive.org/details/passingenglishof00wareuoft/page/n5/mode/2up
https://dn790005.ca.archive.org/0/items/passingenglishof00wareuoft/passingenglishof00wareuoft.pdf
