General Victorian Slang Words
You might’ve heard terms like “balderdash,” “lollygag,” or “scuttlebutt” before, and it turns out they come from Victorian-era slang! Explore those words, their meanings, and more in this collection of general Victorian slang words: Academy headache - A headache acquired at an art gallery (or somewhere similar) Balderdash - Something preposterous or untrue Batty-fang - To thrash thoroughly (a London phrase, though possibly originating from “battre à fin” in French) Benjo - A noisy, riotous holiday Collie shangles - Arguments and quarrels Daddles - Hands (originating from boxing terms) Drumsticks - A person’s legs Evening wheezes - False or made-up news Fake a poke - Pickpocketing Kruger-spoof - Lying Lollygag - Wasting time or dawdling Major Macfluffer - A theater phrase for a lapse of memory Mouth-pie - Scolding, usually by a woman Nanty narking - A tavern term that means having almost too much fun; it may originate from the Welsh word “nant,” or stream, and the term “narking,” which means annoying Parish pick-axe - A large or pronounced nose Powdering hair - A tavern term for getting drunk Rain napper - An umbrella Sauce box - The mouth Scuttlebutt - Exchanging news and gossip; the term originates from sailors who’d “scuttle” (cut a hole) in a “butt,” or cask, of water and chat while doing so Tickety-boo - In good order or condition
Victorian Slang Insults & Curses
Are you looking for some funny new words to insult your friends with playfully? Or maybe you want something new to say in place of modern-day curses. Either way, you’ll find them here; people in Victorian times used some colorful slang to swear and insult one another! Blazes - A curse meaning “hell” or referring to the Devil Bubble around - Any kind of verbal attack Damfino - A contraction of “damned if I know” Dratted - A Victorian swear used the way “damn” is today Foozler - Someone who messes things up or is clumsy Gorblimey - A contraction of “God blind me” Meater - A street term for someone cowardly Muffin-walloper - An unmarried woman who gossips with friends Mutton shunter - A rude term for a police officer Skilamalink - Someone dishonest, underhanded, or resourceful Tarnation - A Victorian alternative to saying “damnation”
Victorian Slang Words for People
Victorian slang features a number of different terms that describe specific kinds of people, from people with a penchant for gossip to people who just don’t have great singing skills! See if you recognize any of these terms: Basket of oranges - A pretty woman Beer bottle - A stout, red-faced man Chuckaboo - A close friend Church bell - A chatty woman (who talks so much her voice is reminiscent of church bells) Coffee-sisters - Gossipy people Dancing dogs - A satirical term for men dancing Dollymop - A woman dabbling in sex work Escop - A cockney term for a police officer Gal-sneaker - A man who tries to seduce every woman he meets Jammiest bits of jam - Perfect, gorgeous young ladies Mollisher - The female companion of a criminal or villain Revolveress - A woman with excellent shooting skills Whooperups - Noisy (and poor) singers Wooden spoon - Someone not very smart or self-aware
Victorian Slang Sayings & Expressions
Unsurprisingly, Victorian slang has many whimsical sayings—some fairly straightforward and others a little more obscure. Luckily, we’ll explain all of them in our list of phrases and expressions below: Bang up to the elephant - Perfect, complete, or unapproachable Barking at a knot - Doing something pointless or wasting your time Butter upon bacon - Over-the-top extravagance Can’t you feel the shrimps? - Cockney for “smell the sea” Cheese and crust - Lower-class alternative to “Jesus Christ” Cop a mouse - Getting a black eye Cut a finger - To cause (or be the source of) a bad odor Do a stamp - Take a walk Do tell - A phrase meaning “you don’t say” or inviting someone to share their news Don’t sell me a dog - A slang phrase meaning “don’t lie to me” Foot and mouth disease - Swearing followed by kicking Grinning at the daisy roots - Indicates that someone has died and been buried Got the morbs - Feeling melancholy or miserable Keep that dry - A request to keep something secret Kill the canary - Finding an excuse to skip work (like pretending to be sick) Make a stuffed bird laugh - Doing something absolutely absurd Mind the grease - A phrase meaning “Let me pass, please” when walking around people Not up to dick - Not feeling well Nursing the hoe-handle - Being lazy Raked fore and aft - A mariner’s term for someone desperately in love Shake a flannin - A slang expression for going to fight Shoot into the brown - To fail at something (referring to missing the target while shooting a rifle) Shoot your cuff - Having the best possible personal appearance Sponge it out - Forget it Take the egg - To win at something
Descriptive Victorian Slang Words
If you’re looking for an unusual term to describe something (or someone), there might just be a colorful piece of Victorian slang that’ll fit what you’re looking for. Check out this list of descriptive Victorian slang words, from “bricky” to “gigglemug.” Afternoonified - Anything posh (Referring to the “posh” practice of tea time in the afternoons) Arfarfan'arf - A figure of speech meaning drunk Bricky - Someone brave and fearless Champagne weather - Bad, rainy weather Cheek-ache - Blushing or turning red due to someone else’s rudeness Crushed - Being in love or besotted with someone (like having a crush in modern terms) Dizzy age - Elderly Doing the bear - A style of courting that involved hugging Door-knocker - A beard style with shaved cheeks and chin, leaving hair under the chin and on each side of the mouth connected by a mustache Eat vinegar with a fork - Someone extremely well-spoken who has a sharp way with words Enthuzimuzzy - A sarcastic word for “enthusiasm” Firkytoodling - Kissing and cuddling Fly rink - A polished, bald head Gas pipes - Very tight pants Gigglemug - A perpetually smiling face Half rats - Being partially intoxicated Mad as hops - Someone very excitable Mafficking - Getting rowdy out in the streets Orf chump - Having no appetite Poked up - Feeling embarrassed Some pumpkins - Something really awesome or impressive Up the pole - Being so drunk you have to hold onto a pole to stay upright Worry the dog - A bully, someone so off-putting they even upset the house dog
Victorian Slang Words for Food & Drink
Victorian slang also features a few terms specifically referring to food and drink, particularly meat (like sausages) and tea, coffee, or alcoholic beverages. Here’s a short list of Victorian food and drink terms: Bags o’ mystery - Sausages Bow wow mutton - Extremely bad meat Cat lap - Tea and coffee (used scornfully by London beer and liquor drinkers) Smothering a parrot - Drinking a glass of absinthe neat Powdering hair - Getting drunk
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