Overview

Originally published in 1785, the Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was one of the first lexicons of English slang, compiled by a militia captain who collected the terms he overheard in London’s slums, dockyards, and taverns. Some of the terms have found their place in today’s common English as idioms (e.g., “birthday suit” for nakedness). Others, not so much, which is a shame. This handy pocket-sized edition gathers the most amusing and useful terms and phrases from the dictionary and helpfully presents them for easy modern-day deployment. Also included are topical lists of words (for money, drunkenness, the amorous congress, and more) and many spot illustrations. Portable and powerful, it is just the thing for handling an “addle-pate” in want of a “nope” to his “blind cupid.”

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9781452184609

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Captain Francis Grose (1731–1791) was an English lexicographer with a special interest in documenting the language as it was actually spoken in London’s dockyards, taverns, and underworld.

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