Glossary

For readers new to Regency historicals, I’ve assembled a collection of words and phrases that you are likely to encounter in my books. I will continue to add to this list as time permits.

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

Abigail - a lady's maid.

Affair of honor - a duel.

Agog - in a state of activity or restless expectation.

Airs - to be conceited or arrogant in behavior.

All the go - genuine

Apoplexy - a stroke.

Apothecary - among medical men, the lowest ranking socially. They sold drugs, and unlike chemists and druggists, they sometimes made house calls and gave advice.

Articles - breeches.

Assemblies - were large-scale evening gatherings for the quality, and popular in the early part of the nineteenth century. The most famous was Almack's.

Balderdash - nonsense; a jumble of words.

Bamboozle - a hoax; to deceive.

Banbury story - silly chatter.

Beau ideal - highest concievable type; finest specimen.

Blue devils - low spirits.

Blue stocking - a literary or learned lady (generally contemptuous); derived from the intriguing fact the early literary ladies liked to wear blue wool stockings.

Blunt - (slang) cash; ready money.

Bounder - cad

Brass farthing - small amount, one fourth of a penny. A thing of little worth.

Breeches - a word used during the first part of the 19th century to mean pants that descended only to the knee and were worn with stockings.

Buckskins - made originally from deerskin and very fashionable in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Cad - ill-bred; a vulgar fellow.

Caper merchant - a dancing instructor.

Cast yourself into the briars - get into trouble.

Cheval glass - a large mirror swinging in a frame.

Claret - a type of red wine, originally from France.

Coffee room - the term for a dining room, especially in a large hotel or inn.

Coquet - a jilt.

Country dance - an old fashioned, often vigorous dance popular in the first half of the nineteenth century.