You’ve got to love Victorian slang. Who doesn’t love the idea of calling a leg “a limb”?
Recently I was trying to find out the racier slide of Victorian slang for a work-in-progress and thought I’d share a few of my favorite “naughty” Victorian slang and euphemisms. Some of these are phrases that could be used between loving couples, others were used by polite gentleman looking for a romp separate from marriage, others were used by the lower class—who were much freer with their sexuality.
Prostitutes—dollymop (an amateur or part-time prostitute), dancer, actress, entertainer, tail, great horizontal (high-class prostitute to the rich), night flower, harlot, toffer (posh prostitute), femme galante, covey (a collection of them), three-penny-upright (cheap and up againt a wall)
Woman of dubious moral virtue/forward girl— mollisher ( a villain/gangster’s woman), tart, bobtail/bangtail/wagtail, dirty puzzle (nasty slut), athanasian wench, quicunque vult, cockish wench, biter, cleaver
Mistress—one’s convenient, tackle, sweet heart (also a girl’s lover), wife in water colors (engagement easily dissolved), left-handed wife
Madam—Abbess, dame de maison, Aunt
Brothel— maison de tolérance, bordello, coffee house, cab
Man who cheats—Abbot (favorite client of an Abbess), Corinthian (man who frequents brothels), Dark Cully (keeps a mistress and only visits her in the dark of night)
A woman’s privates—bite, cock alley/cock lane, fruitful vine, (old) hat (frequently felt), laycock (miss or lady), madge, muff, quim
Breasts—dairy, dugs, kettle drums
A man’s privates— arbor vitae, ballocks, bawbels/bawbles, lobcock (large and relaxed), plugtail, tallywag, tools, whore pipe
Backside—blind cupid, cooler, nancy
Sexual acts—beast with two backs (couple in the act), bedfordshire (going to bed), to dock, dog’s rig (to copulate until you’re tired then turn in), melting moments (a large couple engaged in sexual congress), prigging, roger, to ride rantipole (to do it with a tart), wap, tip the velvet (go down on a woman)
~What are your favorite historial slang words? I have another tiara to give out to one lucky poster. Who doesn’t need a sparkly tiara?~
Love the – Night Flower term, but man, they could have done better with the breasts! Sheesh.
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These are fascinating! And I’d like to add the following from Georgette Heyer’s Regency World by Jennifer Kloester:
Loose in the haft – a man of easy virtue and few morals
Paphian – a woman of easy virtue
A slip on the shoulder – to seduce a woman, seduction
A petticoat-pensioner – one who lives off a woman’s ill-gotten earnings, a whoremonger
A game-pullet – a young prostitute or girl likely to become a whore
My favorite is the first: Loose in the haft!
I’m guessing that eventually “mollisher” was just shortened to “moll” – ganster’s moll, etc.
Very cool.
Am tagging on delicious for future reference. 😉
Great list! Thanks! I can use some of these in my 1888 work-in-progress.
I’ve read a three-penny-upright act was also called a “knee trembler.”
My favorite: a covey, as in a covey of night flowers.
Breasts are dugs? What? I love Dark Cully, I don’t know why that makes me laugh but it does.
A brothel was called a coffee house? LOL.
And a woman’s privates, a fruitful vine? It makes me wonder about those who made fun of colorful euphemisms used in historical romances of the past.
Could it be those authors were simply being historically accurate?
Great post!!
@ Lynne — ya know? Those crazy victorians certainly could do better. I’m sure there are more out there someplace, lol
@Marree– LOL, love “loose in the haft”, I think we all know a few men like that
@Alison–That sounds about right, “mollisher” is a mouthful, lol
@Helen– a covey of nightflowers, love it, i could so see that in a historical…
@Isabel — Dark Covey makes me laugh too
@Susan– fruitful vine made me giggle, (aparently it’s because she flowers monthly and bears fruit). It does make you wonder about those euphemisms….
those are fabulous!! I personally love “whore pipe” great list! Thanks!
All the good slang is taken! Love loose in the haft…know I’ll be using that one. Love the blog. Will def. be back since I seem to have been infected with the steampunk bug!🙂
@Elizabeth–that’s a good one, isn’t it!
@Liane–welcome to the steampunk party, where everyone parties like it’s 1899!
These are terrific! I’ve also heard “frequently felt” used as well.
Question: Was “athanasian wench” refering to Athens? Especially since Corinthian clearly is a cultural slur.
Thanks!
I’m not sure if athanasian wench is referring to Athens…I do know it’s synomous with “Quicumque vult”which is actually the opening of the Athanasian Creed/Quicumque vult, (a Christian statement of belief). In latin the title is taken from the opening words Quicumque vult — Whosoever wishes…
Hopefully this helps…
Any colorful words from the beginning of the Renaissance?
I’m sorry, I have researched that period yet…but I’m sure someone has. Try googling it or scouring forums…
Good luck!
These are great!
Quivering Quim – female genitalia
Ever Throbbing Doodle – male genitalia
from My Secret Life by Anonymous