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Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue from 1811 becomes online hit
Daily Telegraph (UK) ^
| 2-25-2012
Posted on 02/25/2012 7:40:35 AM PST by Renfield
It was first available when Britain was under threat from Napoleon but it has now been re-published for free at the Project Gutenberg online digital library.
The book includes gems suchs as 'ace of spades' for a widow, 'all-a-mort' to be struck dumb, and 'angling for farthings', which means to beg out of a prison window with a cap or box.
The dictionary has already become an online hit. A selection of words can be found here.
Explaining the book in the preface at the time, the author writes "The merit of Captain Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue has been long and universally acknowledged....
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
TOPICS: History; Humor; Reference
KEYWORDS: dictionary; england; godsgravesglyphs; hoipolloi; vulgarities
"To sport an Upper Benjamin, and to swear with a good grace, are qualifications easily attainable by their cockney imitators; but without the aid of our additional definitions, neither the cits of Fish-street, nor the boors of Brentford would be able to attain the language of whippism..."
1
posted on
02/25/2012 7:40:39 AM PST
by
Renfield
To: SunkenCiv
Victorian Vulgarity ping...
2
posted on
02/25/2012 7:41:08 AM PST
by
Renfield
(Turning apples into venison since 1999!)
To: Renfield
3
posted on
02/25/2012 7:41:37 AM PST
by
ClearCase_guy
("And the public gets what the public wants" -- The Jam)
To: Renfield; SunkenCiv
“Learn to curse like your 3rd great-grandfather” bump.
4
posted on
02/25/2012 7:55:21 AM PST
by
NonValueAdded
(Limbaugh: Tim Tebow miracle: "He had atheists praying to God that he would lose.")
To: Renfield
5
posted on
02/25/2012 8:03:01 AM PST
by
Hatteras
To: Renfield
Thanks for posting. Those were fun to read.
6
posted on
02/25/2012 8:05:54 AM PST
by
keats5
(Not all of us are hypnotized.)
To: Renfield
7
posted on
02/25/2012 8:17:23 AM PST
by
JoeProBono
(A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas gerit ;-{)
To: Renfield
6704 d/l's for book that Gutenberg published a year ago is "a hit"?
Not sure exactly how they tally (since a refresh didn't include my d/l), but still...
To: JoeProBono
9
posted on
02/25/2012 9:04:53 AM PST
by
Squantos
(Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
To: Renfield
“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimbal in the wave ...”
10
posted on
02/25/2012 9:06:53 AM PST
by
Fast Moving Angel
(Newt's not a perfect candidate but Jesus isn't running this year. - shoff)
To: Renfield
“It was a runaway success when published in 1811 by soldier Francis Grose...”
Wonder if that’s where the expression “that’s gross” comes from?
11
posted on
02/25/2012 9:16:13 AM PST
by
WKUHilltopper
(And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
To: Renfield
Look for these words and phrases to turn up in future period pieces and fantasy stories.
12
posted on
02/25/2012 9:25:23 AM PST
by
Tanniker Smith
(I didn't know she was a liberal when I married her.)
To: Renfield
Look for these words and phrases to turn up in future period pieces and fantasy stories.
13
posted on
02/25/2012 9:25:23 AM PST
by
Tanniker Smith
(I didn't know she was a liberal when I married her.)
To: NonValueAdded
14
posted on
02/25/2012 10:07:52 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: reed13k
15
posted on
02/25/2012 10:39:15 AM PST
by
reed13k
(For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
To: Renfield
16
posted on
02/25/2012 11:29:54 AM PST
by
Oztrich Boy
(Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in religion -Sup. Chalmers)
To: Renfield
17
posted on
02/25/2012 11:32:43 AM PST
by
Liberty Valance
(Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
To: Renfield
Whoops! And thank you, Renfield! I feel like a jack-a-napes for missing that.
18
posted on
02/26/2012 7:08:11 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
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