WEDDING. The emptying of a necessary-house, particularly in London. You have been at an Irish wedding, where black eyes are given instead of favours; saying to one who has a black eye.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
WHORE-MONGER. A man who keeps more than one mistress. A gentleman who kept a female friend, being styled a whore-monger by a parson, asked whether he had a cheese in his house; and being answered in the affirmative, said 'Pray, does that one cheese make you a cheese-monger?'
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BREAD AND BUTTER FASHION. One slice upon the other. John and his maid were caught lying bread and butter fashion. It is no bread and butter of mine; I have no business with it; or rather, I won't intermeddle, because I shall get nothing by it.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
While I'm on "origin stories", I previously found a video on where gold comes from (see previous post). Now, how about money as a concept? Where did that start? Here is an article on that: https://mastodon.social/@theconversationau/112552257174870177
JAPANNED. Ordained. To be japanned; to enter into holy orders, to become a clergyman, to put on the black cloth: from the colour of the japan ware, which is black.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
HEDGE WHORE. An itinerant harlot, who bilks the bagnios and bawdy-houses, by disposing of her favours on the wayside, under a hedge; a low beggarly prostitute.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
TOMMY. Soft Tommy, or white Tommy; bread is so called by sailors, to distinguish it from biscuit. Brown Tommy: ammunition bread for soldiers; or brown bread given to convicts at the hulks.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
DUKE HUMPHREY. To dine with Duke Humphrey; to fast. In old St. Paul's church was an aisle called Duke Humphrey's walk, and persons who walked there, while others were at dinner, were said to dine with Duke Humphrey.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
HUBBLE-BUBBLE. Confusion. A hubble-bubble fellow; a man of confused ideas, or one thick of speech, whose words sound like water bubbling out of a bottle. Also an instrument used for smoaking through water in the East Indies, called likewise a caloon, and hooker.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
He was unable to find a single instance where communities that had been hit by catastrophic events lapsed into sustained panic, much less, anything approaching anarchy. If anything, he found that social bonds were reinforced during disasters and that people overwhelmingly devoted their energies toward the good of the community rather than just themselves.