In 1909 , British writer James Redding Ware ( who also write under the anonym Andrew Forrester ) publishedPassing English of the Victorian era , a lexicon of heterodox English , slang and phrase . “ Thousands of words and phrases in cosmos in 1870 have drifted away , or changed their forms , or been absorbed , while as many have been added or are being tot up , ” he write in the book ’s introduction . “ ‘ Passing English ’ ripples from myriad sources , forming a river of new speech which has its lunar time period and its ebb , while its current get down new ideas and carries away those that have drip out of fashion . ” Ware chronicles many screaming and delightfulwordsinPassing English ; we do n’t know how theseslang termsever fall out of fashion , but we declare oneself play them back .
1. Academy Headache
“ When art became stylish to a severe point this malady appear , ” Ware explained . “ [ N]ow applied generically to headaches learn at any art gallery . ”
2. Afternoonified
A society Son have in mind “ smart . ” Ware demonstrated the usage : “ The good are not ' afternoonified ' enough for me . ”
3. Amen Corner
A California condition for a church .
4. Arf’arf’an’arf
A figure of talking to used to identify bibulous men . “ [ He ’s ] very arfarfanarf , ” Ware wrote , “ meaning that he had many ‘ arfs , ’ ” or half - pint of booze .
5. Back Slang It
Thieves used this term to indicate that they wanted “ to go out the back way . ” ( Back slangwas also a type of slang popular in theVictorian epoch . )
6. Bags o’ Mystery
An 1850 term for sausages , “ because no human beings but the maker knows what is in them , ” concord to Ware . “ The ‘ bag ’ refers to the gut which contained the chopped gist . ”
7. Bang Up to the Elephant
This phrase arise in London in 1882 , and mean “ perfect , complete , unapproachable . ”
8. Batty-fang
Low London phrase meaning “ to thrash good , ” mayhap from the Frenchbattre à fin .
9. Basket of Oranges
This idiom , which refer to a pretty womanhood , originated in Australia before making its room to England . “ A metaphor founded on another metaphor , ” Ware write , “ the hoop of orange being a phrasal idiom for the discovery of nugget of gold in Au fields . ”
10. Beer Bottle
Not something you salute out of , but a street terminal figure for “ a stout , crimson - faced man . ”
11. Benjo
Nineteenth - century sailor slang for “ A turbulent holiday , a noisy day in the streets . ”
12. Bow wow mutton
A naval term referring to meat so bad “ it might be dog-iron flesh . ”
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13. Bricky
fearless or fearless . “ Adroit — after the mode of a brick , ” Ware wrote , “ allege even of the other sex , ‘ What a bricky young lady she is . ’ ”
14. Bubble around
A verbal attack , more often than not made via the insistency . Ware evidence its utilization with a judgment of conviction from theThe Golden Butterfly : “ I will back a first - class British discipline for bubble around against all world . ”
15. Butter Upon Bacon
Extravagance . Too much high life . “ Are you going to put lace over the feather — isn’t that rather butter upon bacon ? ”
16. Can’t you feel the shrimps?
A Cockney phrase from 1877 import “ smell the sea . ”
17. Cat-lap
A London society term for afternoon tea and coffee “ used scornfully by drinkers of beer and strong waters … in society - life is one of the more ignominious name given to champagne by man who prefer stronger strong drink , ” harmonise to Ware .
18. Champagne Weather
A rather sarcastic society term used from 1860 onward to refer to bad conditions .
19. Cheek-ache
“ crimson or turning bolshie in the face rather from the niggardness of another than your own . ”
20. Cheese and Crust
What the low social class would have said or else ofJesus Christ . “Frightful at first sight , this musical phrase suggest a slight sensation of respect by its veiling of the cuss , ” Ware write . “ Also a little affecting as being a musical phrase associated with solace to those amongst whom comfort is little known . ”
21. Chuckaboo
A cognomen given to a close Quaker .
22. Church-bell
A blabbermouthed woman .
23. Coffee-sisters
A nineteenth - 100 German term for “ malignant gossipers , ” according to Ware . “ Much after the function oftea talkerin England . ”
24. Collie shangies
Quarrels . A term fromQueen Victoria ’s daybook , More Leaves , published in 1884 : “ At five second to eleven rode off with Beatrice , ripe Sharp going with us , and have occasional collie shangies ( a [ Scottish ] Bible for quarrels or rows , but taken from fights between dog ) with collie when we get along near cottages . ” ( Ware obtain this terminal figure wrong — he write itcollie shangles . )
25. Cop a Mouse
To get a black centre . “ Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer , ” Ware wrote , “ while the colouring material of the debt instrument at its speculative indicate the colour and size of the unacquainted animal named . ”
26. Cut a Finger
A lowly - class phrase meaning “ to cause a unsympathetic scent . ”
27. Daddles
A delicious term taken from boxing to mention to your rather tedious hands . Ware cited an example that read , ” All was in readiness , and the human having didder daddles , the secondment retired to their corner … ”
28. Damfino
This creative cuss is a compression of “ damned if I roll in the hay . ”
29. Damned Good Swine Up
A term from 1880 , “ suspected to be of American root , ” for a loud quarrel .
30. Dimber-damber
A street terminal figure meaning “ smart , active , adroit . One of the alliterative phrases with dead no meaning . ”
31. Dizzy Age
A set phrase meaning “ elderly , ” because it “ take a shit the watcher giddy to think of the victim ’s class . ” The terminal figure unremarkably refers to “ a maiden or other charwoman canvassed by other maid ladies — or others . ”
32. Do a Stamp
An American terminal figure that made its way to England meaning “ take a manner of walking . ” You could alsodo a smile , meaning “ to take a beverage ” ( a idiom that was apparently uncommon even in Ware ’s metre ) ordo a moan , which was apparently a Navy phrase for a growling .
33. Doing the Bear
“ court that involves bosom . ”
34. Don’t Sell Me a Dog
democratic until 1870 , this set phrase meant “ Do n’t lie to me ! ” plain , people who solddogsback in the day were prostrate to hear to pass off mutts as purebreds .
35. Door-knocker
A eccentric of beard “ mould by the cheek and Kuki-Chin being shaved leaving a chain of hair under the mentum , and upon each side of sass forming with moustache something like a door - knocker , ” fit in to Ware .
36. Eat Strange Meat
A euphemism forcannibalism , which the great unwashed sometimes had to recur to so as to survive . But according to the lesson Ware mention , “ lifespan is not worth the imputation of having ‘ eat unusual pith . ’ ”
37. Enthuzimuzzy
A “ satiric credit to enthusiasm ” that Ware said was created by Braham the threat ( likely John Braham , a famoustenoropera vocalist ) .
38. Evening Wheezes
The Victorian interlingual rendition of phoney newsworthiness , “ spread in evening half - cent papers in ordering to sell them . ”
39. Fifteen Puzzle
Not thegameyou might be familiar with , but a term meaning “ complete and infrangible confusion ” … from the game you might be familiar with .
40. Fly rink
An 1875 term for a polished denudate pass .
41. Foot-and-Mouth Disease
A Lancashire term for “ curse word followed by kicking . ”
42. Gal-sneaker
An 1870 terminus for “ a Isle of Man devoted to seduction . ”
43. Gas-Pipes
A terminus for especially taut drawers .
44. Gigglemug
“ An habitually smiling nerve . ”
45. Got the Morbs
Use of this 1880 phrase betoken temporary melancholy . You could also say you ’ve “ baffle the woefuls , ” which harmonise to Ware mean “ scurvy , execrable , in the dumps . ”
45. Half-rats
Partially intoxicated .
46. Jammiest bits of jam
“ Absolutely stark young females , ” circa 1883 .
47. Kruger-spoof
Another way to say “ lie , ” from 1896 .
48. Mad as Hops
This term was used to trace someone who was excitable .
49. Mafficking
An excellent word that means “ receive raucous in the streets . ”
50. Major MacFluffer
A theatre phrase for a “ sudden lapse of memory board , and use of words to call the attention of the inattentive prompter . ”
51. Make a Stuffed Bird Laugh
“ Absolutely preposterous . ”
52. Meater
A street term meaning “ coward . ”
53. Mind the Grease
When walking or otherwise bring forth around , you could ask people to let you pass , please . Or you could inquire them to “ mind the grease , ” which meant the same thing toVictorians .
54. Mouth-pie
A street term for chiding , as delivered by a woman .
55. Mutton Shunter
This 1883 terminal figure for a policeman is so much better than “ pig . ”
56. Nanty Narking
A tavern term , popular from 1800 to 1840 , that meant “ neat merriment . ”
57. Nose bagger
Someone who get hold of a day stumble to the beach . He bring his own provisions and does n’t contribute economically at all to the resort he ’s travel to .
58. Not up to Dick
Not well ? You ’re not up to Dick .
59. Nurse the Hoe-Handle
A full term from agricultural America mean “ indolent . ” You ’re not being a hunk on your couch — you’re nursing the hoe - handle !
60. Orf chump
No appetency . ( Orfis manifestly a variation ofoff . ) Not to be connect withorf his chump , which on the face of it have in mind “ testy ” and has nothing to do with the latter set phrase .
61. Parish Pick-Axe
A prominent nose .
62. Podsnappery
This term , Ware write , describes a person with a “ willful determination to neglect the objectionable or inconvenient , at the same time assuming airs of superscript virtue and noble surrender . ”
63. Poked Up
Embarrassed .
64. Powdering Hair
An 18th - 100 tavern term that means “ getting drunk . ”
65. Rain Napper
An umbrella .
66. Raked Fore and Aft
This sea dog ’ term , meaning “ desperately in love , ” was apparently a “ shape of speech from equipment casualty done to the whole of manipulate by a well - directed barrage fire . ”
67. Sauce-box
The mouth .
68. Shake a Flannin
Why say you ’re going to fight when you could say you ’re going to “ shake a flannin ” instead ?
69. Shoot into the brown
To break down . According to Ware , “ The phrase takes its raise from rifle recitation , where the queer shot omit the black and blank prey altogether , and shoots into the chocolate-brown i.e. , the ground goat . ”
70. Skilamalink
Secret , funny , dubitable .
71. Smothering a Parrot
Drinking a glass of absinthe neat ; named for the green color of the hard drink .
72. Sponge it Out
This term , used beginning in 1883 , meant “ forget it . "
73. Start a Jolly
A term from theatre and euphony halls have in mind “ to lead hand clapping . ”
74. Suggestionize
A legal terminus from 1889 stand for “ to prompt . ”
75. Take the Egg
To win .
76. Umble-cum-stumble
fit in to Ware , this low - class phrase mean “ good understand . ”
77. Whooperups
A term meaning “ inferior , noisy singers ” that could be used munificently today during karaoke seance .
This piece originally ran in 2013 ; it has been updated for 2023 .
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