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The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue dates from 1811 and this is probably the only full, uncensored and searchable
version of this dictionary on the internet. All the original crudities have been restored and it offers an
interesting perspective on Common English from the time of the Regency and Jane Austen.
Select a letter or type a word and click Find. Searches are automatically wild-carded and clicking on words in the first column will look for all occurrences of that word, or related word.
Example:You click A and one of the results is ARSE. If you now click on ARSE the full list of related content will be displayed.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Select a letter or type a word and click Find. Searches are automatically wild-carded and clicking on words in the first column will look for all occurrences of that word, or related word.
Example:You click A and one of the results is ARSE. If you now click on ARSE the full list of related content will be displayed.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Entries releated to NICK
| BALLOCKS | The testicles of a man or beast; also a vulgar nick name for a parson. His brains are in his ballocks, a cant saying to designate a fool. | |
| BANG STRAW | A nick name for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer. | |
| BARNACLE | A good job, or snack easily got: also shellfish growing at the bottoms of ships; a bird of the goose kind; an instrument like a pair of pincers, to fix on the noses of vicious horses whilst shoeing; a nick name for spectacles, and also for the gratuity given to grooms by the buyers and sellers of horses. | |
| BLACK GUARD | A shabby, mean fellow; a term said to be derived from a number of dirty, tattered roguish boys, who attended at the Horse Guards, and Parade in St. James's Park, to black the boots and shoes of the soldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. These, from their constant attendance about the time of guard mounting, were nick-named the black-guards. | |
| BLACK JACK | A nick name given to the Recorder by the Thieves. | |
| BOLUS | A nick name for an apothecary. | |
| BORACHIO | A skin for holding wine, commonly a goat's; also a nick name for a drunkard. | |
| BOTCH | A nick name for a taylor. | |
| BUG | A nick name given by the Irish to Englishmen; bugs having, as it is said, been introduced into Ireland by the English. | |
| CATERPILLAR | A nick name for a soldier. In the year 1745, a soldier quartered at a house near Derby, was desired by his landlord to call upon him, whenever he came that way; for, added he, soldiers are the pillars of the nation. The rebellion being finished, it happened the same regiment was quartered in Derbyshire, when the soldier resolved to accept of his landlord's invitation, and accordingly obtained leave to go to him: but, on his arrival, he was greatly surprised to find a very cold reception; whereupon expostulating with his landlord, he reminded him of his invitation, and the circumstance of his having said, soldiers were the pillars of the nation. If I did, answered the host, I meant CATERpiliars. | |
| CHIPS | A nick name for a carpenter. | |
| CLYSTER PIPE | A nick name for an apothecary. | |
| COCKNEY | A nick name given to the citizens of London, or persons born within the sound of Bow bell, derived from the following story: A citizen of London, being in the country, and hearing a horse neigh, exclaimed, Lord! how that horse laughs! A by-stander telling him that noise was called NEIGHING, the next morning, when the cock crowed, the citizen to shew he had not forgot what was told him, cried out, Do you hear how the COCK NEIGHS? The king of the cockneys is mentioned among the regulations for the sports and shows formerly held in the Middle Temple on Childermas Day, where he had his officers, a marshal, constable, butler, etc. See DUGDALE'S ORIGINES JURIDICIALES, p. 247. - Ray says, the interpretation of the word Cockney, is, a young person coaxed or conquered, made wanton; or a nestle cock, delicately bred and brought up, so as, when arrived a man's estate, to be unable to bear the least hardship. Whatever may be the origin of this appellation, we learn from the following verses, attributed to Hugh Bigot, Earl of Norfolk, that it was in use. in the time of king Henry II. Was I in my castle at Bungay, Fast by the river Waveney, I would not care for the king of Cockney; ie: the king of London. | |
| CODS | The scrotum. Also a nick name for a curate: a rude fellow meeting a curate, mistook him for the rector, and accosted him with the vulgar appellation of Bol - ks the rector, No, Sir, answered he; only Cods the curate, at your service. | |
| CROCUS, or CROCUS METALLORUM | A nick name for a surgeon of the army and navy. | |
| CROOK SHANKS | A nickname for a man with bandy legs. He buys his boots in Crooked Lane, and his stockings in Bandy-legged Walk; his legs grew in the night, therefore could not see to grow straight; jeering sayings of men with crooked legs. | |
| CROP | A nick name for a presbyterian: from their cropping their hair, which they trimmed close to a bowl-dish, placed as a guide on their heads; whence they were likewise called roundheads. See ROUNDHEADS. | |
| FOGEY | Old Fogey. A nickname for an invalid soldier: derived from the French word fougeux, fierce or fiery. | |
| GALLIPOT | A nick namefor an apothecary, | |
| GLASS EYES | A nick name for one wearing spectacles. | |
| GYLES, or GILES | Hopping Giles; a nick name for a lame person: St. Giles was the tutelar saint of cripples. | |
| KNACK SHOP | A toy-shop, a nick-nack-atory. | |
| LATITAT | A nick-name for an attorney; from the name of a writ. | |
| LOBLOLLEY BOY | A nick name for the surgeon's servant on board a man of war, sometimes for the surgeon himself: from the water gruel prescribed to the sick, which is called loblolley. | |
| LOBSTER | A nick name for a soldier, from the colour of his clothes. To boil one's lobster, for a churchman to become a soldier: lobsters, which are of a bluish black, being made red by boiling. I will not make a lobster kettle of my cunt, a reply frequently made by the nymphs of the Point at Portsmouth, when requested by a soldier to grant him a favour. | |
| MITE | A nick name for a cheesemonger: from the small insect of that name found in cheese. | |
| NICK | To win at dice, to hit the mark just in the nick of time, or at the critical moment. | |
| NICK | Old nick; the Devil. | |
| NICK NINNY | A simpleton. | |
| NICKIN, NIKEY or NIZEY | A soft simple fellow; also a diminutive of Isaac. | |
| NICKNACKS | Toys, baubles, or curiosities. | |
| NICKNAME | A name given in ridicule or contempt: from the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing. | |
| NICKUMPOOP, or NINCUMPOOP | A foolish fellow; also one who never saw his wife's cunt. | |
| NIP CHEESE | A nick name for the purser of a ship: from those gentlemen being supposed sometimes to nip, or diminish, the allowance of the seamen, in that and every other article. It is also applied to stingy persons in general. | |
| NORFOLK DUMPLING | A nick name, or term of jocular reproach to a Norfolk man; dumplings being a favourite food in that county. | |
| OLD HARRY | A composition used by vintners to adulterate their wines; also the nick-name for the devil. | |
| OLD NICK | The Devil: from NEKEN, the evil spirit of the north. | |
| PEEPING TOM | A nick name for a curious prying fellow; derived from an old legendary tale, told of a taylor of Coventry, who, when Godiva countess of Chester rode at noon quite naked through that town, in order to procure certain immunities for the inhabitants, (notwithstanding the rest of the people shut up their houses) shly peeped out of his window, for which he was miraculously struck blind. His figure, peeping out of a window, is still kept up in remembrance of the transaction. | |
| ROAST AND BOILED | A nick name for the Life Guards, who are mostly substantial house-keepers; and eat daily of roast and boiled. | |
| SAWNY or SANDY | A general nick-name for a Scotchman, as Paddy is for an Irishman, or Taffy for a Welchman; Sawny or Sandy being the familiar abbreviation or diminution of Alexander, a very favourite name among the Scottish nation. | |
| SMUG | A nick name for a blacksmith; also neat and spruce. | |
| SNICKER | A glandered horse. | |
| SNICKER, or SNIGGER | To laugh privately, or in one's sleeve. | |
| SNOB | A nick name for a shoemaker. | |
| SPLIT IRON | The nick-name for a smith. | |
| STITCH | A nick name for a taylor: also a term for lying with a woman. | |
| STOP HOLE ABBEY | The nick name of the chief rendzvous of the canting crew of beggars, gypsies, cheats, thieves, etc. etc. | |
| TRINKETS | Toys, bawbles, or nicknacks. | |
| WHEELBAND IN THE NICK | Regular drinking over the left thumb. | |