Confused by the language and dialect found in Discovering Caroline? Here you will find a list of the most common words and phrases used in the novel and their origin.
Published in 1785, Frances Grouse broke new ground in collecting slang words and phrases used by both the polite and the not so polite. I relied upon the colorful language found in this book, but what is most amusing, is that many of the words are still in use today!
Note: not all of the words listed below came from this source.
Blackguard – a scoundrel or unprincipled person. (pronounced blagerd.)
Bubbly Jock – a turkey.
Buck Fitch – an old, lecherous man.
Cackling prigger – chicken thief.
Chuck Farthing – the parish clerk.
Clunch – an oaf.
Cobbed – a form of punishment used by seamen – involves beating the offender with a stick.
Cuckquean – a woman whose husband is unfaithful to her.
Gaol – jail
Gentry Mort – a gentlewoman.
Glimflashy – angered.
Gudgeon – a fool. One who is easily taken advantage of.
Hog Grubber – a callous, stingy person.
Mopsqueezer – a maidservant.
Mud Lark – a hog.
Odds Fish – a shortened euphemism for God’s face – a minced oath often used by Charles II.
Ordinary – as in Marot’s Ordinary in Williamsburg – ordinaries were basically taverns (restaurants,) that also let rooms to travelers.
Prigger – thief
Royster – a hound that follows a false scent.
Whoresbird – a depraved, debauched man.
Yestereve – last night
Yestersun – yesterday
Scottish Words:
- aa oot – indeed
- aback – behind
- Ach/Och – expletive to express exasperation
- agin – against
- an’ aa that – and all/and all that
- afore – before
- anywey – before
- baccie – Tobacco
- bairn – baby, small child
- bastart – (I think you know this one!)
- besouth – southward/south of
- Bi Chrivens – Christ defend us
- Bi fegs – by my faith
- bonnie – pretty/handsome
- bubblyjock – turkey
- Buckskin – a Virginian
- canna – cannot
- carnaptious – difficult/quarralsome
- couldna – could not
- daurnae/daurna – dare not
- daursay – dare say
- didna – did not
- dinna – do not/don’t
- didna – did not
- doon – down
- durst – dared
- ee(s) – eye/eyes
- eehole(s) – eyehole/eyeholes
- feckless – cowardly
- fur – for
- gawpus – an oaf
- gloamin – twightlight
- hallan – cabin/small house
- hasna – has not
- haud – hold
- Haud yer wheest! – Shut up!
- hissel – himself
- hoose – house
- I dinna ken – I don’t know
- ken – know
- Losh – Lord save us
- menseless – stupid, foolish
- midden – a dung heap
- naebody – no body
- nochtie – a good for nothing
- no – not
- noo – now
- oor – our
- oot – out
- plaid – tartan
- shouldna – shouldn’t
- stramash – uproar
- unnerstan – understand
- verra – very
- werena – weren’t
- wey – way
- willna – will not
- withoot – without
- ye – you
- yer – your
- ye’re – you are
- yersel/yerself – yourself
Some of the Scottish words and expressions in Discovering Caroline were familiar to me from reading historical novels, but the more colorful ones were found at: https://mudcat.org/scots/display_all.cfm – an indispensable resource on all things Scotland.
Atley Books 