56 Quick Slang Phrases From Victorian England That We Should Start Using Again
1. Afternoonified – smart, for society people.
2. Arfarfan’arf – what we’d call a drunk man.
3. “Bags o’ mystery” – sausages (naturally).
4. Bootlicker – ass-licker.
5. “Bow bow mutton” – very bad meat, so much so that “it might be dog flesh.” i.e. a McDonald’s hamburger.
6. “Butter upon bacon” – extravagance, luxury.
7. Chuckaboo – your BFF.
8. Collie Shangles – squabbles or quarrels.
9. “Doing the bear” – flirting with someone via hugging, or how a dude with little game might court a woman.
10. “Don’t sell me a dog!” – “Don’t lie to me!”
11. Fly rink – “a polished bald head.” Think: Moby.
12. Gal-sneakers – men “devoted to seduction.” I don’t believe they make those anymore.
13. Gigglemug – Constantly smiling. Like the current-day “meanmug,” minus the mean, plus the giggle.
14. “Jammiest bits of jam” – “Absolutely perfect young females,” or the Victorian era’s version of Beyonce’s “Flawless.”
15. Mafficking – To get rowdy in the streets.
16. “Mind the grease” – “Excuse me! Coming through!”
17. Mutton shunter – A policeman.
18. “Not up to dick” – “Not feeling well.”
19. Podsnappery – Someone who ignores the objectionable, while assuming an air of superiority. Basically, an asshole.
20. “Powdering hair” – “Getting crunk.”
21. “Shake a flannin” – “To fight.”
22. Skilamalink – shady or dubious.
23. Umble-cum-stumble – thoroughly understood.
24. “To be ran-tan” – “To be black-out.”
25. “Bang up to the elephant” – “Perfect, complete, and unapproachable.”
26. “A basket of oranges” – “A pretty woman.”
27. Barn-stormers – shitty actors who play in barns, or the modern-day Real Housewife of Beverly Hills.
28. “Bit o’ pooh” – “Flattery—generally said of courtship—obtained very oddly.”
29. Bo-peep – fun!
30. “To establish a funk” – “To panic.”
31. “Hang up the ladle” – “To marry,” or to do what all of my Facebook friends are currently doing.
32. Klondyke – mad; a nut.
33. Lickfinger/lick-spittle – kiss-ass.
34. “Mewling quim” – literally translates to “a whimpering vagina.” Or, what we’d call a wuss.
35. “Nark the titter” – “Watch the woman.” “Titter” was apparently a derogatory term for women.
36. “Nice joint” – “Charming, if over-pronounced, young person.”
37. “Orf his chump” – “Mad, cranky.”
38. Physic-bottle – “A doctor.”
39. Pickled dog – what one might call a cheating ex-boyfriend.
40. Popsy wopsy – a smiling, doll-like, and pretty girl.
41. ‘Pon my life – a wife.
42. Quim – literally translates to vagina fluids.
43. “Screaming gin and ignorance” – “Bad newspaper writing.”
44. Schlemozzle – a riot, quarrel, or noise of any kind.
45. Scrunging – stealing unripe apples and pears.
46. Senal pervitude – penal servitude.
47. Shant of bivvy – a pint of beer.
48. “Shake a flannin” – “To fight.”
49. “Sling a slobber” – [the greatest definition ever] “To kiss, or rather sling a kiss—the salute itself being the slobber.”
50. “Slosh the burick” – “Beating the wife.”
51. Strumpet – whore
52. “To snuff a bloke’s candle” – “To murder a man.”
53. Thames butter – very bad butter.
54. “Toast your blooming eyebrows” – a nice way of telling a man to go fuck himself.
55. Tiddle-a-wink – a drink.
56. “Tot-hunting” – “Scouring the streets in search of pretty girls.” 