Victorian English Slang, Familiar or Not Quiz

Answer: Deceive, make fun of or cheat a person

The Online Etymology Dictionary traces it back to 1703, from either a Scottish or French origin. It was definitely slang, though. George Campbell, a Scottish professor writing on rhetoric in 1840, suggested not using words that betrayed "frivolous humour" in their origin, such as "transmogrify, bamboozle, topsyturvey," etc.

Answer: Vomiting

Casting up one's accounts, meaning to add them up, is a regular part of bookkeeping. For example, from an 1836 "Concise Treatise on Commercial Book-keeping":"Posting from the Journal into the Ledger, and casting up the Ledger accounts..." A description of vomiting could begin "casting up" (meaning tossing or throwing up) and end "one's breakfast," or whatever.

In this case, an unexpected ending from another context with another meaning of casting is attached because, well, just because it's funny.

Answer: Steal it

Apparently there's nothing Biblical behind the saying. According to the "Dictionary of Modern Slang," cross is a joke because it's "the opposite of square. 'To get anything on the Cross' is to obtain it surreptitiously." The Online Etymology Dictionary traces the use of square to mean "fairly, honestly" back to the 1570s. A carpenter's square was useful to make corners true and square, so such a slang meaning seems logical. Cross as the opposite of square doesn't seem quite so obvious, but apparently it made a good joke at the time.

Answer: Naughty boy

I think of a varment as a genuinely wicked and useless adult who won't leave the area, but the "Dictionary of Modern Slang" explains with an example: "'You young varment, you!' you bad or naughty boy. Corruption of vermin." Either spelling, varment or varmint, seems to show up frequently in 19th century writing. Dictionary.com says the origin of varmint goes back to 1530-40 and agrees that it's a variant of vermin. There seems to be a dictionary distinction between vermin, referring to little bugs, and varmints, referring to animals or people, but none of them are what one wants around.

Answer: Be fired from work

This is another one that sounds modern to me, but an 1823 London slang dictionary by John Badcock also says it means "a discharge from a regiment or employment." The Online Etymology Dictionary dates it to 1825, but says it's possibly earlier in French and Dutch, and suggests it has to do with handing the workman a sack to carry away his tools. How final and sad!

Answer: A purchaser of stolen goods

The "Dictionary of Modern Slang" mentions it's "old cant" even in 1859, yet it seems so modern to me. The Online Etymology Dictionary says it goes back to 1700 or before, and uses the meaning "of such transactions taking place under defense of secrecy." An 1823 London slang dictionary by John Badcock's 1823 slang dictionary says a fence receives "stolen goods, stolen Bank-notes, &c.; giving about 15s. in the pound for the latter, or less for larger sums, and small payments for other property." Both genders took part and sold their goods as far away as Holland. Sellers were said to be "off to the fence" or "gone a fencing."

Answer: Shams for profane oaths

These were sounding childish when I was growing up, though I think profane oaths in general were losing their punch, compared to scatalogical and sexual ones. The Online Etymology Dictionay says "golly" goes as far back as 1775: "In Gilbert White's journal; he refers to it as 'a sort of jolly kind of oath, or asseveration much in use among our carters, & the lowest people.'"

Answer: An effeminate man

I'm familiar with the word meaning to spoil or over-indulge someone. The "Dictionary of Modern Slang" says it means "a man who caudles amongst the women, or does their work." Caudles? Seems to mean to treat tenderly, according to Jane Austin, or is also a warm drink for the sick. I get the general gist: a mollycoddle likes the gentleness of women rather than the rowdiness of men.

A story in "The Poor Churchman's Quarterly," 1837, has a young girl complain of the cold, and her older brother encouragers her on by saying, "Don't be a Molly-coddle." So I guess a woman could be effeminate too.

Answer: The mouth

Seems straight forward: the mouth is good for trapping potatoes. The "Dictionary of Modern Slang" adds that it's "a Hibernicism," or in other words an Irish witticism. Either that's merely explaining the geographical source of the joke, or is a mean jab at the Irish and their dependence on potatoes for nutrition, especially not funny right after the famine in 1845-1852 when the potato crop failed.

Not sure which, but I suspect it's the meaner interpretation, knowing how the Irish were treated.

Answer: A thief's warning when he hears footsteps

This would seem to be based on hearing the sound of shoe leather on the floor or road approaching, though it could possibly imply using shoe leather to escape, or a little of both. It was apparently common. In a French dictionary of slang by Albert Barrere, 1889, he translated "Donnez-la" to English as "look out! 'shoe leather!'"