Monday, November 30, 2009

Catcal:

A Squeaking instrument, used in the playhouse to condemn plays.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Clapperclaw

To tongue-beat; to scold.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Protervity

Peevishness; petulance

Friday, November 27, 2009

Bespawl:

To daub with spittle.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Obstupefaction

The act of inducing stupidity, interruption of the mental powers.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Convince

To convict; to prove guilty of.

"O seek not to convince me of a crime,
Which I can ne'er repent, nor can you pardon"

Dryden

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mucker

To mucker:

To scramble for money; to hoard up; to get or save meanly: a word used by Chaucer, and still retained in conversation

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Meacock

An uxorius or effeminate man.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Buzzard

A degenerate or mean species of hawk.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Illaqueate

To entangle, to entrap; to ensare.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Expletive

Something used only to take up room; something of which the use is only to prevent a vacancy.

"Oft the ear the open vowels tire, While expletives their feeble aid do join."

Pope: Essay on Criticism

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Grum

Sour; surly; severe. A low word

Monday, November 16, 2009

Lown

A scoundrel; a rascal:

"King Stephen was a worthy peer,
His breeches cost him but a crown,
He thought them six pence all too dear,
And therefore call'd the taylor lown".

-Shakespear

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Bear-Garden

A word used in familiar or low phrase for rude or turbulent: as, a bear-garden fellow; that is, a man rude enough to be a proper frequenter of the bear-garden. Bear-garden sport, is used for gross inelegant entertainment.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Craber

The poor fish have enemies enough, besides such unnatural fisherman; as otters, the cormorant, and the craber, which some call the water-rat.

Walton's Angler

Friday, November 13, 2009

Hop

A place where meaner people dance.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Policy

A warrant for money in the publick funds.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Fatigate

to fatigate:

To weary; to fatigue; to tire; to exhaust with labour; to oppress with lassitude

Monday, November 9, 2009

Bit

As much meat as is put into the mouth at once.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Lorel

An abandoned scoundrel.

Obsolete

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Finesse

Artiface; strategem: an unnecessary word which is creeping into the language.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Case

In ludicrous language, a condition with regard to leanness, or health.

"For if the sire be faint, or out of case,
He will be copy'd in his famish'd race"

Dryden's Virgil.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Conundrum

A low jest; a quibble; a mean conceit: a cant word.

"Mean time he smoaks, and laughs at a merry tale,
Or pun ambiguous, or conundrum quaint.

-Phillips

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Stickle

(1) To take part with one side or other.

(2) To contest; to altercate; to contend rather with obstinancy than vehemence.

(3)To trim; to play fast and loose; to act a part between opposites.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Demure

Grave; affectedly modest: it is now generally taken in a sense of contempt.

"So cat, transfrom'd, sat gravely and demure
"Till mouse appear'd, and thought himself secure.

-Dryden

Monday, November 2, 2009

Cant:

(1) A corrupt dialect used by beggars and vagabonds.

(2) A particular form of speaking peculiar to some certain class or body of men.
"I write not always in the proper terms of navigation, land service, or in the cant of any profession.
-Dryden.

(3) A whining pretension to goodness, in formal and affected terms.

(4) Barbarous jargon.

(5) Auction.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Bilingsgate

(A cant word, borrowed from Bilingsgate in London, a place where there is always a crowd of low people, and frequent brawls and foul language.) Ribaldry; foul language.

"There stript, fair rhet'rick languish'd on the ground, and shameful bilingsgate her robes adorn."

-Dunciad b. iv.