News A history of Scottish insults THERE is something unique about the Scottish tongue when it comes to insults. Gadzooks! And some swear by the Devil, such is their blindness.” Tales of London low-life in the Elizabethan period (1558–1603) resound to ‘Mercy God’ and by the ‘Mary Mass’. She passed away a few weeks ago, and I miss her. Even in the 18th century, most of the "commoners" of the Campbell (the most pro-Lowland Highland clan) spoke Gaelic as a mother tongue. 3. Bedswerver. A British slang word for “cheater,” invented by William Shakespeare himself. Realistic language is a must in historical fiction and my most used resource for my novel A White Room was The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800s by Marc McCutcheon. SCOTS in the 18th century would have little trouble recognising most of the words on this list, but sadly the passage of time has made nearly all of them extinct. But what do we actually know about the fine swear words (and other insults) bantered about on our shores during the 17th and 18th centuries? So to celebrate this must-have resource, I have used it to compile what I think are the ten most awesome Victorian swear words. After reading Robinson Crusoe, which was written by Daniel Defoe and published in 1719, I am wondering what kind of swear words would be commonplace during this time period. The worst swear word I ever heard her utter would be "Holy Cats!" https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61819/42-old-english-insults A Victorian word for “penis.” 2. So here are some of the words and phrases that might help you understand what everyone's saying. The early 20th century, 19th century, 18th century and even beyond that? Awa' n … Amazingly enough, a man by the name of Francis Grose (he was an English antiquary and lexicographer) wrote a book in 1785 called A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Gadsbudlikins! Obscene Language (swearing/ "curse words") used in Britain in the early 18th century? Are they still in use or have they lost meaning? The swear ban is enough to make anyone curse – and human rights campaigners have branded the council’s plan “a staggering misuse of power”. Meaning: “God’s body.” A variant of “God’s hooks,” this old curse dates back as far as the 17th century, even though it sounds like it was invented for a 1940’s Batman comic. 4. From the worst, the most shocking words a person could utter, they became mild expletives, only slightly more offensive than “um” or “uh”. e: punctuation is important. but she never let strong language or violence stop her from enjoying a good story. So, historians, what were some notable or widely used "curse words" from older times. Mr. Spoiler: there are a lot of words for "idiot" and "dirty." , and I miss her early 18th century must-have resource, I used... 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