Regency Slang Glossary

Slang and expressions used by fashionable high society during the Regency period (1811–1820). For use in NPC dialogue, handouts, and in-game flavour.

A–C

• Abbess — The mistress of a brothel
• Apoplexy — Extreme anger or shock
• Bang-up — Excellent, first-rate
• Beau Monde — The fashionable world, high society
• Blue Ruin — Gin, often of poor quality
• Bodkin — A narrow person, or one squeezed into a tight space
• Bore — A tiresome person or conversation
• Brangle — A quarrel or dispute
• Bucks and Blades — Fashionable young men, often with a wild streak
• By-blow — An illegitimate child

D–F

• Dash it! — Mild expletive, equivalent to “Damn it!”
• Dicked in the nob — Eccentric or slightly mad
• Dun territory — Being pursued by creditors
• Duke of Limbs — A tall, awkward man
• Fie! — Exclamation of disapproval or mild scandal
• Fustian — Pompous, overwrought speech
• Foxed — Drunk

G–K

• Gammon — Nonsense, trickery
• Gudgeon — A gullible person, easily deceived
• Hector — A bully or braggart
• High Rantipole — A riotous, boisterous young woman
• In His Cups — Drunk
• Kick up a Bobbery — To make a loud disturbance

L–O

• Laced Mutton — A prostitute
• Lord Paramount — Someone overly full of themselves
• Mackerel — A procuress or matchmaker
• Mutton Dressed as Lamb — An older woman trying to appear much younger
• Nabob — A very wealthy man, particularly one who made his fortune in India
• Nose in the Manger — Someone refusing to enjoy themselves at a party
• On Dit — Gossip or rumour

P–S

• Pinking Dindies — Duelling
• Prigging — Stealing
• Rag-mannered — Ill-bred, rude
• Rum Duke — A queer or strange fellow
• Sapskull — A fool
• Scapegrace — A reckless, dissolute man
• Swell — A gentleman of fashion

T–Z

• Tickle on the Hoof — Pickpocketing
• Tomfool’s Errand — A pointless journey or task
• Tulip of Fashion — A trendsetter, someone highly fashionable
• Vastly — Exaggerated approval: “Vastly amusing!”
• Waggish — Playfully mischievous or witty
• Whipt Syllabub — Empty chatter or a frivolous person
• Zounds! — Mild oath or exclamation of surprise