I think it was Neil Gaiman who recommended it on his blog years ago, but I was going through my wishlist on Amazon when I came across this book.

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A used copy wasn’t very much. Not the 1.95 that appears on the cover but something like 3 or 4 dollar. I started browsing through early this morning and decided to share some gems with you. Warning, some of them are indeed, as the title says, vulgar but in a strange archaic way. Some of them are still kind of gross.

Apple Dumplin Shop – a woman’s bosom

Banbury story of a cock and a bull – a round about, nonsensical story.

Barrel Fever – he died of barrel fever; he killed himself drinking.

Cackling Farts – Eggs.

Covey – A collection of whores. What a fine covey here is, if the devil would but throw his net!

Death’s head upon a mop stick – A poor miserable, emaciated fellow.

Dicked in the nob – Silly. Crazed.

Eternity Box – Coffin.

To Flash the Hash – To vomit.

Frenchified – Infected with the venereal disease. (Even in the 18th Century France was the butt of jokes.)

Gap Stopper – A whoremaster. (So many of these words are about prostitution in some way. I haven’t even touch the precipice of how many words there are about whores.

Hobberdehoy – Half a man and a half a boy; a lad between both.

Jerrycummumble – To shake, towzle, or tumble about.

Indorser – A sodomite.

King’s Pictures – Coin, money.

Laced Mutton – A prostitute. (That one is especially vulgar.)

Line of the Old Author – A dram of brandy.

Member Mug – A chamber pot.

Nimgimmer – A physician or surgeon, particularly those who cured venereal disease.

Occupy – To occupy a woman; to have carnal knowledge of her.

I think that’s enough. Going through this now I am getting a theme of 18th century England slang. It involved a lot of words for having sex, prostitutes, brothels and venereal disease. I mean what I posted here was just me going in alphabetical order randomly picking words by placing my finger on the page, and I still got words along the sex with prostitutes and spread of diseases theme.  Maybe P – Z is just filled with words about how happy they are in 18th Century England, but I doubt it.