Afternoonified A society word meaning “smart.” Forrester demonstrates the usage: “The goods are not ‘afternoonified’ enough for me.”
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.
Back slang it Thieves used this term to indicate that they wanted “to go out the back way.”
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 chopped meat.”
Bang up to the elephant This phrase originated in London in 1882, and means “perfect, complete, unapproachable.”
Batty-fang Low London phrase meaning “to thrash thoroughly,” possibly from the French battre a fin.
Benjo Nineteenth century sailor slang for “A riotous holiday, a noisy day in the streets.”
Bow wow mutton A naval term referring to meat so bad “it might be dog flesh.”
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.’”
Bubble Around 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.”
Butter Upon Bacon Extravagance. Too much extravagance. “Are you going to put lace over the feather, isn’t that rather butter upon bacon?”
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.”
Church-bell A talkative woman.
Chuckaboo A nickname given to a close friend.
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 Scotch word for quarrels or rows, but taken from fights between dogs) with collies when we came near cottages.”
Cop a Mouse To get a black eye. “Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer,” Forrester writers, “while the colour of the obligation at its worst suggests the colour and size of the innocent animal named.”
Daddles A delightful way to refer to your rather boring hands.
Damfino This creative cuss is a contraction of “damned if I know.”
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.”
Doing the Bear “Courting that involves hugging.”
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.
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.”
Enthuzimuzzy “Satirical reference to enthusiasm.” Created by Braham the terror, whoever that is.
Fifteen puzzle Not the game you might be familiar with, but a term meaning complete and absolute confusion.
Fly rink An 1875 term for a polished bald head.
Gal-sneaker An 1870 term for “a man devoted to seduction.”
Gas-Pipes A term for especially tight pants.
Gigglemug “An habitually smiling face.”
Got the morbs Use of this 1880 phrase indicated temporary melancholy.
Half-rats Partially intoxicated.
Jammiest bits of jam “Absolutely perfect young females,” circa 1883.
Kruger-spoof Lying, from 1896.
Mad as Hops Excitable.
Mafficking An excellent word that means getting rowdy in the streets.
Make a stuffed bird laugh “Absolutely preposterous.”
Meater A street term meaning coward.
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.
Mutton Shunter This 1883 term for a policeman is so much better than “pig.”
Nanty Narking A tavern term, popular from 1800 to 1840, that meant great fun.
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.
Not up to Dick Not well.
Orf chump No appetite.
Parish Pick-Axe A prominent nose.
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.”
Poked Up Embarrassed.
Powdering Hair An 18th century tavern term that means “getting drunk.”
Rain Napper An umbrella.
Sauce-box The mouth.
Shake a flannin Why say you’re going to fight when you could say you’re going to shake a flannin instead?
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.”
Skilamalink Secret, shady, doubtful.
Smothering a Parrot Drinking a glass of absinthe neat; named for the green color of the booze.
Suggestionize A legal term from 1889 meaning “to prompt.”
Take the Egg To win.
Umble-cum-stumble According to Forrester, this low class phrase means “thoroughly understood.”
Whooperups A term meaning “inferior, noisy singers” that could be used liberally today during karaoke sessions.
