Lord Noel Remembers

Whatto! Pepys.... 

Making a stuffed bird laugh!

If I said to you "I was out with my chuckaboo, smothering a parrot until I was half-rats and she was turning into a church bell when I suggested we get hold of some bags o' mystery but she was orf  chuck!" you may not make sense of it all but these were very popular phrases back in the 19th century.
In 1909, writing under the pseudonym James Redding Ware, British writer Andrew Forrester published 'Passing English of the Victorian era'; a dictionary of heterodox English, slang and phrase. "Thousands of words and phrases in existence in 1870 have drifted away, or changed their forms, or been absorbed, while as many have been added or are being added," he writes in the book's introduction. 
"‘Passing English’ ripples from countless sources, forming a river of new language which has its tide and its ebb, while its current brings down new ideas and carries away those that have dribbled out of fashion." Forrester chronicles many hilarious and delightful words in Passing English; I don't know how these phrases ever fell out of fashion, but maybe I could propose bringing some of them back?

1. Afternoonified
A society word meaning “smart.” Forrester demonstrates the usage: "The goods are not 'afternoonified' enough for me." This reminds me having an idea that 'would never see the light of day'.
 
2. Arfarfan'arf
A figure of speech used to describe drunken men. “He’s very arf’arf’an’arf," Forrester writes, "meaning he has had many ‘arfs,’” or half-pints of booze.
 
3. Back slang it
Thieves used this term to indicate that they wanted “to go out the back way.” We still use 'Sling yer hook' as a way of asking someone impolitely to leave.
 
4. Bags o’ Mystery
An 1850 term for sausages, “because no man but the maker knows what is in them. ... The 'bag' refers to the gut which contained the dubious chopped meat.”
 
5. Bang up to the elephant
This phrase originated in London in 1882, and means “perfect, complete, unapproachable.” I wonder if this originated from the courageously defiant stance one was expected to adopt against any threatening elephants?
 
6. Batty-fang
Low London phrase meaning “to thrash thoroughly,” possibly from the French battre a fin.
 
7. Benjo
Nineteenth century sailor slang for “A riotous holiday, a noisy day in the streets.”
 
8. Bow wow mutton
A naval term referring to meat that was so bad “it might be dog flesh.”
 
9. Bricky
Brave or fearless. “Adroit after the manner of a brick," Forrester writes, " said even of the other sex, 'What a bricky girl she is.'” Which may be related somehow to the 'brick outhouse' or even 'brick shit house' phrases commonly used now to refer to someone of strong stature?
 
10. Bubble Around
A brilliant description of a verbal attack, generally made via the press. Forrester cites The Golden Butterfly: "I will back a first-class British subject for bubbling around against all humanity."
 
11. Butter Upon Bacon
Extravagance. Too much extravagance. “Are you going to put lace over the feather, isn't that rather butter upon bacon?” I suppose this was a variation of 'guilding the Lily'?
 
12. Cat-lap
A London society term for tea and coffee “used scornfully by drinkers of beer and strong waters ... in club-life is one of the more ignominious names given to champagne by men who prefer stronger liquors.” Of course! The Cats always get the cream!
 
13. Church-bell
A talkative woman. Always ringing!
 
14. Chuckaboo
An affectionate nickname given to a close friend.
 
15. Collie shangles
Quarrels. A term from Queen Victoria’s journal, More Leaves, published in 1884: “At five minutes to eleven rode off with Beatrice, good Sharp going with us, and having occasional collie shangles (a Scottish word for quarrels or rows, but taken from fights between dogs) with collies when we came near cottages.”
 
16. Cop a Mouse
To get a black eye. "Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer," Forrester writes, "while the colour of the obligation at its worst suggests the colour and size of the innocent animal named."
 
17. Daddles
A delightful way to refer to one's rather ordinary hands.
 
18. Damfino
This creative cuss is a fine contraction of “damned if I know.”
 
19. Dizzy Age
A phrase meaning "elderly," because it "makes the spectator giddy to think of the victim's years." The term is usually refers to "a maiden or other woman canvassed by other maiden ladies or others." Still used in the phrase 'Dizzy Blonde'
 
20. Doing the Bear
Describes perfectly any "Courting that involves hugging."
 
21. Don’t sell me a dog
Popular until 1870, this phrase meant “Don’t lie to me!” Apparently, people who sold dogs back in the day were prone to trying to pass off mutts as purebreds.
 
22. Door-knocker
A type of beard "formed by the cheeks and chin being shaved leaving a chain of hair under the chin, and upon each side of mouth forming with moustache something like a door-knocker."
 
23. Enthuzimuzzy
"Satirical reference to enthusiasm." Created by Braham the terror, whoever that was.
 
24. Fifteen puzzle
Not the game you might be familiar with, but a term meaning complete and absolute confusion.
 
25. Fly rink
An excellent 1875 term for a highly polished bald head.
 
26. Gal-sneaker
An 1870 term for "a man devoted to seduction.”
 
27. Gas-Pipes
A term for "especially tight pants" which reminds me of the subsequently used phrase 'drain pipes' for the tight trousers of the Teddyboy era..
 
28. Gigglemug
Clearly describing “An habitually smiling face.”
 
29. Got the morbs
Use of this 1880 phrase indicated temporary melancholy. Probably meaning 'Got the Morbids?'
 
30. Half-rats
Means "Partially intoxicated". 'Rat-assed' is still used in England to describe being very drunk.
 
31. Jammiest bits of jam
Describing “Absolutely perfect young females,” circa 1883.
 
32. Kruger-spoof
Lying, from 1896. Possibly derived from the golden Krugerand coin and any forgeries made to pass them off as originals to fool people?
 
33. Mad as Hops
Excitable. We still use the phrase 'Hopping Mad' which I always thought of as an excellent description of a March hare.
 
34. Mafficking
An excellent word that means getting rowdy in the streets. Maybe a combination of 'Mad' and 'trafficking'?
 
35. Make a stuffed bird laugh
Clearly anything which that effect was “Absolutely preposterous.”
 
36. Meater
A street term meaning coward.
 
37. 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. I would certainly make way for anyone I thought was greasy or carrying grease!
 
38. Mutton Shunter
As with so many 'pig' references this 1883 term is for a policeman - but so much more polite.
 
39. Nanty Narking
A tavern term, popular from 1800 to 1840, that meant great fun.
 
40. Nose bagger
Someone who takes a day trip to the beach but brings his own provisions and doesn’t contribute at all to the resort he’s visiting.
 
41. Not up to Dick
Not well. A reference to not being well enough for sex?
 
42. Orf chump
Anyone who was off his chump steak clearly had 'No appetite'.
 
43. Parish Pick-Axe
A prominent nose.
 
44. Podsnappery
This term, Forrester writers, describes a person with a “wilful determination to ignore the objectionable or inconvenient, at the same time assuming airs of superior virtue and noble resignation.”
 
45. Poked Up
Embarrassed.
 
46. Powdering Hair
An 18th century tavern term that means “getting drunk.” Whereas nowadays "powdering my nose" originally meant politely excusing yourself without having to openly mention that you were going to the toilet but today increasingly "going to do a line"!
 
47. Rain Napper
An excellent description of an umbrella.
 
48. Sauce-box
The mouth. Sauce goes in - and comes out! Saucy Devil!
 
49. Shake a flannin
Why say you're going to fight when you could say you're going to shake a flannin instead?
 
50. Shoot into the brown
To fail. According to Forrester, "The phrase takes its rise from rifle practice, where the queer shot misses the black and white target altogether, and shoots into the brown i.e., the earth butt." Very similar to our 'Sinking the pink' and 'sinking the brown' snooker references.
 
51. Skilamalink
Secret, shady, doubtful.
 
52. Smothering a Parrot
Drinking a glass of absinthe neat; named for the green colour of the booze.
 
53. Suggestionize
A legal term from 1889 meaning “to prompt.”
 
54. Take the Egg
Meaning 'to win'. How unlike our 'Egg on your face' meaning embarassment!
 
55. Umble-cum-stumble
According to Forrester, this low class phrase means "thoroughly understood."
 
56. Whooperups
A term meaning "inferior, noisy singers" that could be used liberally today during karaoke sessions... whooping the night away!



Tallyho!

Best Wishes - Lord Noel