Colonial America

/fawr-SOOTH/

Truly; indeed

Origin: Middle English 'forsoth' (in truth)

"Forsooth, the harvest hath been bountiful."

/PRITH-ee/

Pray thee; please

Origin: Contraction of 'pray thee'

"Prithee, fetch me a tankard of cider."

/huh-ZAH/

Exclamation of joy or triumph

Origin: 17th c. sailors' cheer

"Huzzah for the new governor!"

/gad-ZOOKS/

Mild oath of surprise

Origin: Euphemism for 'God's hooks' (the nails of the cross)

"Gadzooks! The musket misfired again."

/GOOD-man/

Polite address for a man below gentry

Origin: Old English 'god mann'

"Greetings, Goodman Bradford."

/wench/

Young woman; serving maid (not pejorative then)

Origin: Middle English 'wenchel' (child)

"The wench brought us stew."

/VER-uh-lee/

Truly; certainly

Origin: Old French 'verai' (true)

"Verily, I say to thee, the parson is wroth."

/nayv/

Dishonest or tricky fellow

Origin: Old English 'cnafa' (boy)

"That knave shorted my measure of grain."

/KUP-shot-un/

To be visibly intoxicated or drunk.

Origin: 17th-century English compound of 'cup' and 'shot' (exhausted).

"He spent the night at the tavern and is now feeling quite cup-shotten."

/MOON-kur-sur/

A link-boy or criminal who prefers dark nights without a moon to commit crimes.

Origin: 17th-century underworld cant, implying they 'curse' the moonlight.

"Stay away from that moon-curser unless you wish to be robbed of your purse."

/SLOH-bak/

A lazy person or an idler.

Origin: Early 17th-century British slang brought to the colonies.

"The local blacksmith is a proper slow-back who never finishes his work on time."

/KOHL/

A slang term for money or cash.

Origin: 16th-century cant used through the late 18th century.

"Pay the man a bit of cole and he will let us pass the bridge."

/WIP-stur/

A slight, insignificant, or contemptible person; often a young upstart.

Origin: Late 16th-century English, used frequently in the 1700s.

"He is a mere whipster who thinks he can command a ship."

/TAY-king/

A state of great distress, agitation, or sorrow.

Origin: Late 16th-century usage, common in colonial diaries.

"The widow and her children are in a sad taking after the barn burned."

/PINGK of FASH-un/

The very peak or highest point of excellence or style.

Origin: Derived from the flower 'pink' (Dianthus), synonymous with perfection.

"That gown is quite the pink of fashion in Philadelphia this season."

/LIK-spit-ul/

A fawning flatterer or a parasite.

Origin: Mid-17th century, referring to someone so subservient they would lick spit.

"The mayor's son is a lick-spittle who follows the governor everywhere."

/SNEE-kur/

A small bowl or vessel used for drinking alcoholic beverages.

Origin: Commonly used in New England drinking culture, mid-18th century.

"I shall go to the tavern for a sneaker of punch before I head home."

/NITE of the ROHD/

A humorous or ironic term for a highway robber.

Origin: Euphemistic term arising in the late 17th century.

"The highwayman is a real knight of the road, though he'll still take your watch."

/GIB-ul GAB-ul/

Senseless or unintelligible chatter; nonsense.

Origin: Onomatopoeic formation from the early 17th century.

"I cannot understand a word of that gibble-gabble they speak at the docks."

/BLOH-un/

A showy woman, a mistress, or a prostitute.

Origin: Early 18th-century cant of unknown origin, possibly Germanic.

"She is a blowen whom many men admire, yet she has a sharp tongue."

/TIK/

A very brief moment of time; a second.

Origin: Mid-17th century, referring to the tick of a clock.

"Wait a tick, I forgot my hat in the parlor."

/RUM DOOK/

A queer, odd, or eccentric fellow.

Origin: 'Rum' (meaning odd/fine) and 'Duke' (person) from 17th-century cant.

"The local parson is quite a rum duke when he has had a few ales."

/BAM-ber-ee/

Nonsense, humbug, or a silly story.

Origin: Lower-class English slang that migrated to the colonies in the 1700s.

"The dinner theater was absolute bamberry, I want my shillings back."

/NIN-ee-ham-ur/

A simpleton, a fool, or a silly person.

Origin: Late 16th-century English, popular in colonial New England.

"The merchant is a total ninnihammer for believing that investment would pay."

/by my WIS-kurz/

An exclamation used to express surprise or emphasize a point.

Origin: Common 18th-century mild oath referring to facial hair.

"By my whiskers, that is the largest pumpkin I have ever seen!"

/KIK-shawz/

Fancy, delicate articles of clothing or small, elegant food items.

Origin: Corruption of the French 'quelque chose' (something).

"Take care not to get your kickshaws dirty in the mud."

/LOH-livd/

Vile, mean, or lacking in social standing and morals.

Origin: Early 18th-century Americanism describing the 'lower' classes.

"He made away with my pocket-book, the low-lived scoundrel!"

/GIG/

Fun, frolic, or a joke; general merriment.

Origin: 18th-century slang, predating the modern musical meaning.

"The soldiers are looking for a bit of gig after the long march."

/BROWNZ/

Copper coins, such as pennies or half-pennies.

Origin: 18th-century slang referring to the color of copper currency.

"I gave the porter a few browns for his trouble."

/MUR-in/

A plague or a curse, literally referring to a plague on cattle.

Origin: Medieval term that survived as common slang/insult through the 1700s.

"A murrain on your house for the way you treated my sister!"

/KLOD-pohl/

A stupid person or a blockhead.

Origin: 16th-century, combining 'clod' (dirt) and 'poll' (head).

"He is a mere clod-poll who doesn't know which end of the plow is which."

/JIG-urd/

To be surprised, confounded, or damned (a mild oath).

Origin: 18th-century nautical slang, later entering general use.

"I'll be jiggered if I’m going out in this blizzard to fetch wood."

/PUK-ur/

A state of confusion, flurry, or irritation.

Origin: Late 17th-century usage, often associated with a 'wrinkled' brow.

"The cook is in a pucker because the roast is burnt."

/FUS-tee-lugz/

A big, fat, gross, or messy person.

Origin: Early 17th-century English compound word.

"Stop being such a fustilugs and give some of that pie to your brother."

/LARK/

A spree or a frolic; acting in a mischievous or fun-loving way.

Origin: Early 18th-century, likely from the bird 'lark' known for high spirits.

"They went for a lark in the woods instead of doing their chores."

/DRY-boots/

A sly, humorous person or someone who is reserved but witty.

Origin: 17th-century slang for a 'dry' wit.

"The new schoolmaster is a bit of a dry-boots, don't you think?"

/BOB-tayl/

Anything short or cut off; also used for people of low social standing.

Origin: 17th-century, originally referring to a horse with a docked tail.

"That is a bob-tail ship and will likely tip in a high wind."

/uh-BLAK-ber-ee-ing/

To go wandering or idling when one should be working.

Origin: 18th-century Americanism derived from the casual pace of berry picking.

"I'm afraid he has gone a-blackberrying and won't return until nightfall."

/MUM-bul-MAT-inz/

Someone who speaks in a low, indistinct voice (originally a lazy priest).

Origin: 16th-century term that persisted in colonial vernacular.

"Do not be a mumble-matins and speak up so we can hear you!"

/KIL-dev-ul/

High-proof rum, known for its potency.

Origin: 17th-century term used in Barbados and the American colonies.

"Fetch me a dram of kill-devil to warm my bones."

/SAW-see/

Impertinent, bold, or cheekily disrespectful.

Origin: 16th-century English, extremely common in everyday colonial talk.

"She gave me a saucy look before turning her back."

/UP-ur BEN-juh-min/

A great-coat or outer coat.

Origin: Late 18th-century slang, named after a famous London tailor.

"Wait, I need to adjust my upper-benjamin before we leave."

/FLAM/

A lie, a trick, or a deceptive story.

Origin: 17th-century, likely a contraction of 'flamfew' (a trifle).

"The entire story was a mere flam to get us to pay for the drinks."

/TOP-ing/

Fine, excellent, or first-rate.

Origin: Common 18th-century adjective of approval.

"That is a topping horse you have purchased for the voyage."

/HUR-lee BUR-lee/

Uproar, confusion, or a noisy commotion.

Origin: Mid-16th-century reduplication of 'hurly' (commotion).

"The kitchen was all in a hurly-burly as the guests arrived."

/FLUM-er-ee/

Empty compliments or nonsense; also a type of bland dessert.

Origin: Welsh 'llymru' (a sour oatmeal), used figuratively from the 1740s.

"His speech about the taxes was absolute flummery."

/WOOD-kok/

A dupe or a gullible person, often one who is easily cheated.

Origin: 17th-century, named after the bird which was easy to catch in a snare.

"The woodcock is out tonight, so watch your purse near the tavern."

/MUMP-ur/

A professional beggar or a traveler who survives on charity.

Origin: 17th-century slang from the verb 'mump' (to cheat or beg).

"The old beggar is a mumper whom we see every Tuesday."