Contact Information
I welcome suggestions and feedback and will consider interesting guest posts. If you would like to email please click on the picture to view contact details.
Category Archives: Language
Tip us your Daddle
Snippets 130. Francis Grose (1731-1791) was a noted antiquarian who wrote a series of books about medieval antiquities. Financial difficulties inspired him to branch out into other areas of writing, and in 1785 his A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, Books, Britain, History, Humor, Humour, Language, Snippets
Tagged Francis Grose, Slang
Leave a comment
Funiculì, Funiculà? “One-an-threppence”
Snippets 128. When the first funicular cable car on Mount Vesuvius opened in 1880, renowned Neapolitan journalist Peppino Turco came up with the idea of a commemorative song and made the suggestion to composer Luigi Denza that he could put … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century, 20th Century, Britain, England, History, Humor, Humour, Language, London, Snippets, Travel
Tagged Naples, Slang, Thomas Rees
Leave a comment
You Carbuncle Faced Crusty Beau!
Snippets 107. Way back in Snippets 66 we looked at A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, by Francis Grose, first published in 1785. Grose (1731-1791) was a noted antiquarian who wrote a series of books about medieval antiquities. Financial … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, Books, Britain, England, History, Humor, Humour, Language, Snippets
Tagged Dictionaries, Francis Grose, Slang
Leave a comment
Old Devonshire Dialect
Snippets 80. In the mid 18th Century Mary Palmer wrote Devonshire Dialect, a work of fiction that is highly significant from an historical perspective as it offers such a valuable insight into the language of the county at the time. … Continue reading
A Todd of Wool
Snippets 75. The following quote is taken from The New British Jewel, or Complete Housewife’s Best Companion, published in 1788. It is a collection of cookery and other practical advice. Life seems very simple now in comparison with the following … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, Books, Britain, History, Language, Snippets
Tagged Weights and Measures
2 Comments
The First Slang Dictionary
Snippets 73. If you try to find out what was the first ever English slang dictionary, the answer you will probably find (e.g. on Wikipedia) will be The Canting Academy, written in 1673 by Richard Head. He also wrote The … Continue reading
Posted in 16th Century, Books, Britain, England, History, Language, Snippets
Tagged Dictionaries, Richard Head, Slang, Thomas Harman
4 Comments
Lookeedezee the Grizzledemundy?
Snippets 70. In the mid 18th Century Mary Palmer wrote Devonshire Dialect, a work of fiction that is highly significant from an historical perspective as it offers such a valuable insight into the language of the county at the time. … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, 19th Century, Books, Britain, England, History, Language, Local History, Snippets
Tagged Devon, Dialects, Mary Palmer
4 Comments
