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English ManufactureĪ euphemism for “ale, beer, or cider.” 17. Ebb-WaterĪn allusion to the receding waters of a tide, ebb-water is a lack of money. “A slovenly fellow, yet pretending to beauishness.” Or, in other words, a man acting or dressing more prim and proper than he really is. Cramp-Wordsĭifficult or obscure words are cramp-words. put it, “very pleasant over a glass of good liquor.” 13. Chirping-Merryįeeling in a good mood because you’re having a drink with friends? You’re chirping-merry-or, as B.E. Chameleon Dietīecause chameleons move so slowly, they were once believed to get all the nutriment they need from the air-and as a result, a chameleon diet was a missed meal or a particularly meager diet. A brother of the blade was a swordsman or soldier, and a brother of the string was a musician.

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Brother of the QuillĪ professional writer.

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BorachioĪ drunkard, so called because this was originally a word for an animal skin used to hold wine. According to etymological folklore, this was the original “cock and bull” story (it’s also called the Banbury story of a cock and bull)-so called because of two pubs with those names close to the village of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England-but just how true that theory is remains debatable. Banbury StoryĪ ridiculous story, or a tale that rambles on without going anywhere, is a Banbury story or Banbury tale. One explanation is that dispensing chemists always held a lot of cash, but according to slang lexicographer Eric Partridge, it’s more likely this alluded to the “healing properties” of being wealthy. Not a particularly complimentary nickname for “a little diminutive fellow.” 5. But if you’re an ambidexter, you’re “one that goes snacks in gaming with both parties”-or, put another way, an untrustworthy double-dealer.

If you’re ambidextrous, you’re able to use both hands equally well. But in modern terms, an addle-plot is someone who spoils or ruins the progress of any undertaking-a spoilsport. defined this as a “Martin Mar-All,” and in doing so, name-checked the title character of a 1667 comedy by John Dryden that would have been popular at the time. So if you’ve ever wanted to talk like a 17th-century swindler, now’s your chance: Here are 30 choice entries from B.E.’s groundbreaking collection.

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As a result, it remained the standard reference work for English slang and jargon for almost another century.Īccording to its full title, the dictionary was intended to be “useful for all sorts of people (especially foreigners) to secure their money and preserve their lives.” Clearly, B.E.’s intention was that anyone unfamiliar with the cryptic language used by “beggars, thieves, cheats, &c.” to outsmart their targets could educate themselves accordingly-although he added to the subtitle that the collection was also intended merely to be “very diverting and entertaining” too. Although shorter word lists and glossaries of slang terminology had been published previously, A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew listed over 4000 words and phrases, and is credited with being the first such publication resembling a modern dictionary. E., Gent.” published the first comprehensive dictionary of non-standard English. In 1699, an anonymous lexicographer known only as “B.