There’s something inherently amusing about hearing slang different from your own. “What?” you say. “You call what a what?” Then you go on about “double-doubles” and “two-fours,” and people give you funny looks.
Slang evolves over time, and it tends to be fairly regional (just ask a New Zealander about hokey pokey). We’ve got our own terms for alcoholic beverages – two-fours, mickeys, handles, and so on – and so did the Victorians. In fact, they had rather a lot of terms for beer in general, and very specific types of beer as well – just goes to show you how important it was to everyday life!
Here are just a few examples I’ve found in Victorian slang dictionaries. Grab a top o’ reeb, you malty coves, and we’ll see you in the jerry for bitters!
Lexicon Balatronicum: A Dictionary of Buckish slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence (1811).
Act of Parliament: a military term for small beer, five of pints of which, by an act of parliament, a landlord was formerly obliged to five to each soldier gratis
Beggar-maker: A publican, or ale-house keeper.
Belch: All sorts of beer
Bub: Strong beer
Cali bogus: Rum and spruce beer, American beverage
Flip: Mixture of small beer, brandy, and sugar
Hard: stale beer, nearly sour, is “hard beer.”
Knock me down: Strong beer or ale
Neck stamper: The boy who collects the pots belonging to an alehouse, sent out with beer to private houses (Now, this is interesting – first of all, that alehouses sent beer out to public houses at all, and secondly, that it was common enough to that there was a term for the boy sent to collect the pots. Apparently, there was takeaway beer in 1811! – K)
Taplash: Thick and bad beer
Three threads: Half common ale, mixed with stale and double beer (like old styles of porter – K)
Whip-belly vengeance: Weak or sour beer
Sinks of London laid open : a pocket companion for the uninitiated, to which is added a modern flash dictionary containing all the cant words, slang terms, and flash phrases now in vogue, with a list of the sixty orders of prime coves (1848).
(First, I’d just like to saythat one of the authors of the Lexicon Balatronicum above – George Cruikshank – also wrote this dictionary. He was about 19 when the Lexicon was published, and about 56 here. Clearly, he led a consistentlyinteresting life.)
Bene bowse: Good beer
Gutting a quart pot: Drinking a pot of beer
Hot flannel: Mix of beer, gin, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg
Malty coves: Beer drinkers (this is my new term for all beer tour and sampler participants – K)
The Slang Dictionary; or, the vulgar words, street phrases, and “fast” expressions of high and low society (1864)
Belly-vengeance: small sour beer
Bemuse: to fuddle one’s self with drink
Bitters, to do: to drink beer
Bivvy: a pot or quart of beer
Boozing-Ken: a beer-shop, a low public house
Boozy: intoxicated
Bunker: beer
Cold Blood: a house licensed for the sale of beer “not to be drunk on the premises.”
Dogsnose: gin and beer, from the mixture being cold, like a dog’s nose.
Gatter: a pot of beer
Heavy wet: porter and beer “because the more a man drinks of it, the heavier and more stupid he becomes.”
Hush-shop: a shop where alcohol is sold “on the quiet,” without a license
Jerry: a beer-house
Lush: intoxicating drinks of all kinds, but generally beer.
Lushington: a drunkard
Never fear: a pint of beer (an example of co*ckney rhyming slang– not for the faint of heart – K)
Rot-gut: bad small beer
Small-beer: “He doesn’t think small beer of himself,” he has a high opinion of himself
Swankey: cheap beer
Swizzle: small beer
Top o’ reeb: a pot of beer (this is an example of co*ckney back slang – essentially, slang made by reversing words – K)
Wobble-shop: unlicensed beer shop
The American Slang Dictionary(1891)
To take the chill off: to warm beer
Cooler: a drink, generally beer or some mild beverage
Dogsnose: mixture of gin and beer, otherwise known as “a h’aporth and a penn’orth,” that is one cent’s worth of beer and two of gin (aha, a slightly more thorough explanation! – K)
Gatter: beer, or more properly, porter
Pop: a mild drink, like ginger-beer
Rolling the duck: sending out for beer
Rushing the growler: sending to the saloon for beer with a can or pitcher (we’ve seen this before! – K)
Schooner (Am): a large beer glass
When you’re next at Black Creek, do feel free to drop some of this slang into your conversations. To Queen and Country!
-Katie
Sources
Clarke, Hewson, George Cruikshank, and Francis Grose. Lexicon Balatronicum: A Dictionary of Buckish slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. London: C. Chappel, 1811.
Cruikshank, George. Sinks of London laid open : a pocket companion for the uninitiated, to which is added a modern flash dictionary containing all the cant words, slang terms, and flash phrases now in vogue, with a list of the sixty orders of prime coves. London: J. Duncombe, 1848.
Hotten, John Camden. The Slang Dictionary; or, the vulgar words, street phrases, and “fast” expressions of high and low society. London: John Camden Hotten, 1864.
Maitland, James. The American Slang Dictionary. Chicago: R.J. Kittredge & Co., 1891.
Greetings, fellow enthusiasts of linguistic curiosities and historical vernacular! My name is ChatGPT, and I come to you not only as an aficionado of language but as someone deeply immersed in the fascinating world of historical slang. Allow me to regale you with my wealth of knowledge on the subject, demonstrating a mastery that extends across various time periods and regions.
In the article provided, the author delves into the rich tapestry of Victorian-era slang related to alcoholic beverages, primarily beer. Drawing from authoritative sources such as the Lexicon Balatronicum (1811), Sinks of London Laid Open (1848), The Slang Dictionary (1864), and The American Slang Dictionary (1891), the author unearths a treasure trove of terms that once colored the lively conversations of the 19th century.
Let's explore the linguistic nuances encapsulated in the article:
-
Lexicon Balatronicum (1811):
- Act of Parliament: A military term for small beer, mandated by an act of parliament to be provided to soldiers.
- Beggar-maker: Slang for a publican or ale-house keeper.
- Belch: A term encompassing all sorts of beer.
- Bub: Strong beer.
- Cali bogus: A concoction of rum and spruce beer, an American beverage.
- Flip: A mixture of small beer, brandy, and sugar.
- Hard: Stale beer, almost sour.
- Knock me down: Strong beer or ale.
- Neck stamper: The boy who collects pots for an alehouse, sent out with beer to private houses.
- Taplash: Thick and bad beer.
- Three threads: Half common ale mixed with stale and double beer.
-
Sinks of London Laid Open (1848):
- Bene bowse: Good beer.
- Gutting a quart pot: Drinking a pot of beer.
- Hot flannel: A mix of beer, gin, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg.
- Malty coves: Slang for beer drinkers.
-
The Slang Dictionary (1864):
- Belly-vengeance: Small sour beer.
- Bemuse: To fuddle oneself with drink.
- Bitters, to do: To drink beer.
- Bivvy: A pot or quart of beer.
- Boozing-Ken: A beer-shop, a low public house.
- Boozy: Intoxicated.
- Bunker: Beer.
- Cold Blood: A house licensed for the sale of beer "not to be drunk on the premises."
- Dogsnose: Gin and beer.
- Gatter: A pot of beer.
- Heavy wet: Porter and beer.
- Hush-shop: A shop where alcohol is sold "on the quiet," without a license.
- Jerry: A beer-house.
- Lush: Intoxicating drinks, generally beer.
- Lushington: A drunkard.
- Never fear: A pint of beer (co*ckney rhyming slang).
- Rot-gut: Bad small beer.
- Small-beer: A term indicating a low opinion of oneself.
- Swankey: Cheap beer.
- Swizzle: Small beer.
- Top o' reeb: A pot of beer (co*ckney back slang).
- Wobble-shop: An unlicensed beer shop.
-
The American Slang Dictionary (1891):
- To take the chill off: To warm beer.
- Cooler: A drink, generally beer or some mild beverage.
- Dogsnose: A mixture of gin and beer.
- Gatter: Beer or, more properly, porter.
- Pop: A mild drink, like ginger beer.
- Rolling the duck: Sending out for beer.
- Rushing the growler: Sending to the saloon for beer with a can or pitcher.
- Schooner (Am): A large beer glass.
Next time you find yourself at Black Creek, why not inject a bit of Victorian flair into your banter? To Queen and Country, my linguistic comrades!
