Naughty Victorian Words

June 8, 2009 by suzannelazear

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?~

Posted in victorian sexuality, Victorian slang | Tagged naughty victorian words, sexual victorian euphemisms, suzanne lazear, Victorian euphemisms, victorian sexuality, Victorian slang | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on June 8, 2009 at 4:54 pm lynne Marshall

Love the – Night Flower term, but man, they could have done better with the breasts! Sheesh.

8 ->
on June 8, 2009 at 11:16 pm Maree Anderson

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!
on June 9, 2009 at 2:32 am Alison D

I’m guessing that eventually “mollisher” was just shortened to “moll” – ganster’s moll, etc.

Very cool.

Am tagging on delicious for future reference. 😉
on June 9, 2009 at 2:41 pm Helen

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.
on June 9, 2009 at 3:22 pm Isabel Roman

Breasts are dugs? What? I love Dark Cully, I don’t know why that makes me laugh but it does.
on June 9, 2009 at 7:32 pm Susan Macatee

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!!
on June 10, 2009 at 2:44 am Suzanne

@ 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….
on June 11, 2009 at 3:51 am Elizabeth Darvill

those are fabulous!! I personally love “whore pipe” great list! Thanks!
on June 12, 2009 at 10:40 am Liane Gentry Skye

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! 🙂
on June 12, 2009 at 5:34 pm suzannelazear

@Elizabeth–that’s a good one, isn’t it!

@Liane–welcome to the steampunk party, where everyone parties like it’s 1899!
on June 15, 2009 at 6:04 pm Chellesie B Dancer

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!
on June 15, 2009 at 9:18 pm suzannelazear

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…
on September 30, 2009 at 5:56 am Robert Brown

Any colorful words from the beginning of the Renaissance?
- on September 30, 2009 at 4:43 pm suzannelazear
  
  I’m sorry, I have researched that period yet…but I’m sure someone has. Try googling it or scouring forums…
  
  Good luck!
on April 6, 2010 at 4:15 pm Tiffany

These are great!
on February 2, 2011 at 4:40 pm DearTuffy

Quivering Quim – female genitalia
Ever Throbbing Doodle – male genitalia

from My Secret Life by Anonymous