There are some fairly rude words in this post so those of a nervous disposition should look away now. You have been warned.
I mined the terms below from Captain Groce’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811)1 as I was interested in Regency language used to commodify women’s bodies. Not surprisingly, “commodity” was a term used for vagina, a reminder, as if we needed one, of the closes and frequent association of commerce and sex during this period.
There are plenty of words for breasts and vagina but it was interesting that cunt is not mentioned except as ****.2
Strangely MONOSYLLABLE was a euphemism for cunt. I had never come across this before (I have lived a sheltered life, obviously) but it appears still to be in use, as it is listed in the online Urban Dictionary.
See also Terms for women
APPLE DUMPLIN SHOP. A woman’s bosom.
BITE. A cheat; also a woman’s privities. The cull wapt the mort’s bite; the fellow enjoyed the wench heartily. Cant.
TO SPORT BLUBBER. Said of a large coarse woman, who exposes her bosom.
BUMBO. Brandy, water, and sugar; also the negro name for the private parts of a woman.
CARVEL’S RING. The private parts of a woman. Ham Carvel, a jealous old doctor, being in bed with his wife, dreamed that the Devil gave him a ring, which, so long as he had it on his finger, would prevent his being made a cuckold: waking he found he had got his finger the Lord knows where. See Rabelais, and Prior’s versification of the story.
CAT-HEADS. A Woman’s breasts. SEA PHRASE.
CAULIFLOWER. A large white wig, such as is commonly worn by the dignified clergy, and was formerly by physicians. Also the private parts of a woman; the reason for which appellation is given in the following story: A woman, who was giving evidence in a cause wherein it was necessary to express those parts, made use of the term cauliflower; for which the judge on the bench, a peevish old fellow, reproved her, saying she might as well call it artichoke. Not so, my lord, replied she; for an artichoke has a bottom, but a **** and a cauliflower have none.
COCK ALLEY or COCK LANE. The private parts of a woman.
COFFEE HOUSE. A necessary house. To make a coffee-house of a woman’s ****; to go in and out and spend nothing.
COOLER. The backside. Kiss my cooler. Kiss my a-se. It is principally used to signify a woman’s posteriors.
COMMODITY. A woman’s commodity; the private parts of a modest woman, and the public parts of a prostitute.
CRINKUM CRANKUM. A woman’s commodity. See SPECTATOR.
DAIRY. A woman’s breasts, particularly one that gives suck. She sported her dairy; she pulled out her breast.
DIDDEYS. A woman’s breasts or bubbies.
DOODLE SACK. A bagpipe. Dutch.—Also the private parts of a woman.
DUGS. A woman’s breasts.
DUMB GLUTTON. A woman’s privities.
FRUITFUL VINE. A woman’s private parts, i.e. that has FLOWERS every month, and bears fruit in nine months.
GIGG. A nose. Snitchel his gigg; fillip his nose. Grunter’s gigg; a hog’s snout. Gigg is also a high one-horse chaise, and a woman’s privities.
HAT. Old hat; a woman’s privities: because frequently felt.
KETTLEDRUMS. Cupid’s kettle drums; a woman’s breasts, called by sailors chest and bedding.
MADGE. The private parts of a woman.
MAN TRAP. A woman’s commodity.
MONEY. A girl’s private parts, commonly applied to little children: as, Take care, Miss, or you will shew your money.
MONOSYLLABLE. A woman’s commodity.
MUFF. The private parts of a woman. To the well wearing of your muff, mort; to the happy consummation of your marriage, girl; a health.
NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed.
NOTCH. The private parts of a woman.
PITCHER. The miraculous pitcher, that holds water with the mouth downwards: a woman’s commodity. She has crack’d her pitcher or pipkin; she has lost her maidenhead.
QUAIL-PIPE. A woman’s tongue; also a device to take birds of that name by imitating their call. Quail pipe boots; boots resembling a quail pipe, from the number of plaits; they were much worn in the reign of Charles II.
QUIM. The private parts of a woman: perhaps from the Spanish quemar, to burn. (CAMBRIDGE) A piece’s furbelow.
SCUT. The tail of a hare or rabbit; also that of a woman.
WARE. A woman’s ware; her commodity.
WATER-MILL. A woman’s private parts.
This entry intrigued me.
BRISTOL MAN. The son of an Irish thief and a Welch whore.
Based on personal animus, no doubt.
- Francis Groce, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. A dictionary of buckish slang, university wit, and pickpocket eloquence London, 1811
- “DUNNOCK. A cow. CUNT.” is given but I think it is a typographical error – for CANT – in the Gutenberg edition. There is no discrete entry for cunt itself.
Sarah Waldock says
It is a typo on Dunnock, I checked in my print copy, which has been transcribed by hand not by scanning. The author coyly avoids using any forthright description in his explanations of even quite forthright words…