So to celebrate my return from the @#A$# storm, I have prepared for you a list of the Top Ten Victorian Swear Words, which I've selected from the must-have research guide The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s by Marc McCutcheon.
One of my readers asked the question in the comments whether this is American or English, which is a very important difference for research, so I just want to point out that this book is focused on America in the 1800s. In the comments I also included a list of chapters so you can see exactly what else is covered in the book.
WARNING: This blog post contains SWEAR WORDS!!! Probably not suitable for children.
Just so you know, I'm going for historically unique, but for clarification pruposes let me say that words like fuck, bitch, cunt, and shit were all used back then too. Only problem is I don't know if you readers will believe it.
Top Ten Swear Words
1. Balls - shortened from ballocks
2. Bootlicker - same as ass-licker
3. Cherry - vulgar term for a young woman
4. Quim - female genitalia
5. Strumpet - a whore
6. Blazes - hell or the devil
7. Cussed - cursed or mean
8. Dratted - expletive or used for damned
9. Lickfinger/Lick-spittle - kiss-ass
10. Tarnation/Nation - used for damnation
BONUS: Top Five Surprisingly Naughty Words
1. Bull - taboo word because it was associated with sexual potency so polite people said cow brute, a gentleman cow, a top cow, or a seed ox.
2. Dad - euphamism for God as in dad-blame it.
3. Dickens - devil as in what the Dickens are you doing?
4. Inexpressibles - a euphamism for pants or trousers. This was due to the fact that the legs were considered extremly private. People usually said limb instead of the word leg. Also very awkward to use in your writing without explaining and even more awkward for your character to stop and explain it. Have to admit I tried to avoid it in my novel.
5. Mary - homosexual.
Want to know more commonly used words or see some real examples of how these words were used? Check out The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s by Marc McCutcheon. He's also written another one The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition to World War II by Marc McCutcheon.
Show me you're out there and leave a comment! Anyone know any other intersting naughty historical words they can share? Or good books for such research? Feel free to shoot me some questions too!
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| photo credit: brizzle born and bred via photopin cc |
Just so you know, I'm going for historically unique, but for clarification pruposes let me say that words like fuck, bitch, cunt, and shit were all used back then too. Only problem is I don't know if you readers will believe it.
Top Ten Swear Words
1. Balls - shortened from ballocks
2. Bootlicker - same as ass-licker
3. Cherry - vulgar term for a young woman
4. Quim - female genitalia
5. Strumpet - a whore
6. Blazes - hell or the devil
7. Cussed - cursed or mean
8. Dratted - expletive or used for damned
9. Lickfinger/Lick-spittle - kiss-ass
10. Tarnation/Nation - used for damnation
BONUS: Top Five Surprisingly Naughty Words
1. Bull - taboo word because it was associated with sexual potency so polite people said cow brute, a gentleman cow, a top cow, or a seed ox.
2. Dad - euphamism for God as in dad-blame it.
3. Dickens - devil as in what the Dickens are you doing?
4. Inexpressibles - a euphamism for pants or trousers. This was due to the fact that the legs were considered extremly private. People usually said limb instead of the word leg. Also very awkward to use in your writing without explaining and even more awkward for your character to stop and explain it. Have to admit I tried to avoid it in my novel.
5. Mary - homosexual.
Want to know more commonly used words or see some real examples of how these words were used? Check out The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s by Marc McCutcheon. He's also written another one The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition to World War II by Marc McCutcheon.
Show me you're out there and leave a comment! Anyone know any other intersting naughty historical words they can share? Or good books for such research? Feel free to shoot me some questions too!
Great post, Stephanie, but are we talking USA or English Speaking World? Good to see you're back to blogging. I rely on my weekly visit!
ReplyDeleteThanks Malcolm for the welcome back! It means the world to me to me to know that you look forward to my weekly posts! Yay! =)
ReplyDeleteAlso thanks for the question US vs. English! That's an important difference. The book "The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s," where I pulled the words from, is about America in the 1800s. I’ll make sure to go back and clarify that in the blog post itself too.
Related to your questions - the book does a good job of showing how some American slang words derived from the British - for example people would use the "balls" as a shortened version of the British word "ballocks."
Several chapters are specific to America including Money and Coinage, Slavery and Black Plantation Culture, Out on the Range, and The Civil War, which includes customs, practices, language of the armies of the North and South, Music, Weaponry, Uniforms, Rations, and Battlefield Health and Medicine. I would definitely recommend seeking out a different book for European 1800s. They were ahead of America is some ways, like fashion, they outlawed slavery earlier, and obvious language and money was different.
For anyone who is now curious about all the chapters, here is a listing:
1. Slang and Everyday Speech
2. Getting Around (transportation)
3. Around the House
4. Clothing and Fashion
5. Occupations
6. Money and Coinage
7. Health, Medicine and Hygiene
8. Food, Drink and Tobacco
9. Amusement
10. Countship and Marriage
11. Slavery and Black Planation Culture
12. The Civil War
13 Out on the Range
13. Crime
The Appendices include:
Chronology of Events
Chronology of Noted Books and Novels
Chronology of Selected Magazines
Chronology of Innovations
Chronology of Popular Songs
References