blither
»If he was to _blither_, it was only fair that she should bleat back.»
(T. T. T. 22. 21.)
_The author. Conversation between ladies and gentlemen._
»Don’t believe these _blithering_ idiots have ever seen a girl before.»
(Tommy and Co. 229. 12.)
_A young journalist._
= _to talk volubly and nonsensically_.
The original form of the word is probably _blather_ (Icelandic _bladhra_,
Swed. _pladdra_), _blether_ a Scottish form, while _blither_ seems to be
the modern vulgar form.
(Cf. _Bletherskate_: a boaster, a noisy talker.)
the blues
»It gave me _the blues_ for a day or two—that bit of news.» (T. T. T.
146. 20.)
_A waiter._
»Nobody likes a fit of _the blues_.» (The Idle Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow
27. 3.)
A shortened form of _blue devils_ = despondency, depression of spirits.
Cf. _the dismals_.
bob, tanner, quid
»A rise of two _bob_ a week.» (T. T. T. 156. 18.)
_Uneducated young man._
»—a _bob_ or a _tanner_ as the case might be.» (T. T. T. 125. 2.)
_A waiter._
»His tie must have cost fifty _quid_.» (T. T. T. 131. 21.)
_The same._
Terms for, respectively, _shilling_, _sixpence_, and _sovereign_.
The expressions are vulgar, no doubt, but in common use among all
classes—among the more educated and refined only in intimate talk, of
course.
chap
»A palefaced nervous sort of _chap_.» (T. T. T. 130. 4.)
_A waiter._
»A wonderful talent for swallowing, these newspaper _chaps_ has, some of
’em.» (T. T. T. 135. 3.)
_The same._
»The _chap_ who was nabbed at Birmingham.» (T. T. T. 163. 6.)
_Uncultivated young man._
»The _chap_ I am telling you about.» (T. T. T. 206. 20.)
_A waiter._
»One day she fetched ’im round to one of them revivalist _chaps_.»
(Sketches 201. 2.)
_Uncultivated old woman._
= _fellow_, _man_.
The term seems to originate in an obsolete word _chap_ (abbr. of
_chapman_: Swed. köpman) = merchant.
chuck
»His first move was to _chuck_ his berth.» (T. T. T. 212. 9.)
_A waiter._
»Why not _chuck_ the money.» (T. T. T. 145. 10.)
_The same._
»It will ‘_chuck_’ the whole business.» (Three Men On The Bummel 44. 11.)
= _abandon_, _give up_.
_Chuck_ is a vivid word for _throw_, standing on about the same level as
_shy_ in its literal meaning, but as used here, metaphorically, it is
vulgar—although used by educated people.
cotton
»’E don’t _cotton_ much _to_ them as ain’t found grace.» (Sketches 199.
28.)
_Old woman of the working class._
= _stick to them like cotton_: _agree with_, _like_.
dotty
»He’s just a bit _dotty_, same as you or I might get with nothing to do.»
(Tommy And Co. 61. 28.)
_A journalist with a special liking for vulgarisms._
= _feeble_, _dizzy_, _idiotic_ (Cf. _dotty in the crumpet_: weak in the
head). The term is probably derived from the verb _dot_: dotted > dotty.
gal, gell
»A _gal_ was at the bottom of it.» (T. T. T. 170. 14.)
_An elderly waiter._
»smutty-faced _servant-gals_.» (T. T. T. 157. 3.)
_The same._
»I’m fond enough of the _gell_.» (T. T. T. 137. 5.)
_Uneducated Londoner._
»One of the _gals_ was ill.» (Tommy And Co. 16. 12.)
_The same._
»I tell ’im it’s a fine _gell_.» (Sketches 195. 11.)
_The same._
The ordinary vulgar pronunciation of »girl», but not confined to
»vulgus»; in fact quite the correct pronunciation in the middle classes
of the mid-Victorian age.
When the author wants to indicate an affected pron. of the word, he
writes »_gearl_».
gent, gents
»_The old gent_ said he’d see Joe.» (T. T. T. 172. 18.)
_A waiter._
»He sits down and stares at _the old gent_.» (T. T. T. 174. 16.)
_The same._
»_Commercial gents._» (T. T. T. 184. 18.)
_The same._
»It was an odd question to put to a waiter, but coming from _a gent_
there was nothing to be alarmed about.» (T. T. T. 188. 9.)
_The same._
»if you don’t want to waste your time on a rabbit-skin coat and a paste
ring, and give the burnt sole to the real _gent_.» (T. T. T. 216. 2.)
_The same._
A common vulgar corruption of _gentleman_; esp. _the old gent_.
gone on
»That he was regular _gone on_ her anyone could see with half an eye.»
(T. T. T. 128. 5.)
_An elderly waiter._
= _in love with_, _fond of_.
Originally vulgar, but much used with humorous intent in mid-Victorian
middle-class English.
Cf. _spoony on_, _mashed on_.