Admiral of the Red - A person whose very red face evinces a fondness for strong potations. Afternoonified - a society word meaning "smart", as in, "The goods are not 'afternoonified' enough for me." Anointing - A good beating. A case for the application of salve Arfarfan'arf - a figure of speech used to describe drunken men. “He’s very arf’arf’an’arf," Forrester writes, "meaning he has had many ‘arfs,’” or half-pints of booze. Back slang it - Thieves used this term to indicate that they wanted "to go out the back way." Bags o' Mystery - An 1850 term for sausages, “because no man but the maker knows what is in them. ... The 'bag' refers to the gut which contained the chopped meat.” Bang up to the elephant - This phrase originated in London in 1882, and means “perfect, complete, unapproachable.” Barking-Iron, or Barker - A pistol. Term used by footpads and thieves generally. Batty-fang - Low London phrase meaning “to thrash thoroughly,” possibly from the French battre a fin. Bellows - The lungs. Bellowser, a blow in the ” wind,” or pit of the stomach, taking one’s breath away. Bellows to Mend - A person out of breath; especially a pugilist is said to be “bellows to mend” when winded. Blind Monkeys - An imaginary collection at the Zoological Gardens, which are supposed to receive care and attention from persons fitted by nature for such office and for little else. An idle and useless person is often told that he is only fit to lead the blind monkeys to evacuate. Bricky - Brave or fearless. “Adroit after the manner of a brick," Forrester writes, "said even of the other sex, 'What a bricky girl she is.'” Bully Trap - A brave man with a mild or effeminate appearance, by whom the bullies are frequently taken in. Bunch of fives - the fist. Pugilistic. Butter upon bacon - Extravagance. Too much extravagance. “Are you going to put lace over the feather, isn't that rather butter upon bacon?” Chuckaboo - a nickname given to a close friend. Church bell - a talkative woman Cold Coffee - Misfortune; sometimes varied to cold gruel. An unpleasant return for a proffered kindness is sometimes called cold coffee. Collie shangles - Quarrels. A term from Queen Victoria’s journal, More Leaves, published in 1884: “At five minutes to eleven rode off with Beatrice, good Sharp going with us, and having occasional collie shangles (a Scottish word for quarrels or rows, but taken from fights between dogs) with collies when we came near cottages.” Colt’s Tooth - Elderly persons of juvenile tastes are said to have a colt’s tooth, i.e., a desire to shed their teeth once more, to live life over again. Cop a Mouse - To get a black eye. “Cop in this sense is to catch or suffer," Forrester writers, "while the colour of the obligation at its worst suggests the colour and size of the innocent animal named.” Crab - To prevent the perfection or execution of any intended matter of business, by saying anything offensive or unpleasant, is called crabbing it, or throwing a crab. Daddles - hands Damfino - This creative cuss is a contraction of “damned if I know.” Dash-fire - Vigor, manliness. Dizzy Age - A phrase meaning "elderly," because it "makes the spectator giddy to think of the victim's years." The term is usually refers to "a maiden or other woman canvassed by other maiden ladies or others.” Doing the Bear - "Courting that involves hugging." Don’t sell me a dog - Popular until 1870, this phrase meant “Don’t lie to me!” Apparently, people who sold dogs back in the day were prone to trying to pass off mutts as purebreds. Earth Bath - A grave. Enthuzimuzzy - "Satirical reference to enthusiasm." Created by Braham the terror, whoever that is. Eternity Box - A coffin. Fimble-famble - a lame, prevaricating excuse Fizzing - first-rate, very good, excellent Flapdoodle - a sexually incompetent man, who is either too young to have had sex or one who is too old to attempt it ("flapdoodle" also referred to nonsense or rubbish and ladyparts in the same time period) Fly rink - an 1875 term for a polished bald head. Foozler - a bungler, or one who does things clumsily Gal-sneaker - an 1870 term for "a man devoted to seduction.” Gas-Pipes - A term for especially tight pants. Gentleman of Four Outs - When a vulgar, blustering fellow asserts that he is a gentleman, the retort generally is, “Yes, a gentleman of four outs,” that is, without wit, without money, without credit, and without manners. Gibface - an ugly person, especially one with a heavy lower jaw Gigglemug - “An habitually smiling face.” Got the morbs - Use of this 1880 phrase indicated temporary melancholy. Half-rats - partially intoxicated Hedge-creeper - a prostitute (who presumably works in the countryside) Holy Water - “He loves him as the Devil likes holy water”; i.e. hates him mortally. Hornswoggler - a fraud or cheat Hugger-mugger - Underhand, sneaking. Also, “in a state of hugger-mugger” means to be muddled. Jollocks - a fat person Kruger-spoof - lying Lay Down the Knife and Fork - To die. Compare “pegging-out,” “hopping the twig,” and similar flippancies. Mad as hops - excitable Mafficking - An excellent word that means getting rowdy in the streets. Make a stuffed bird laugh - "absolutely preposterous" Malmsey nose - a heavily acned nose (the assumption here was that the acned nose was the result of drinking too much malmsey wine) Meater - a coward Mind the Grease - When walking or otherwise getting around, you could ask people to let you pass, please. Or you could ask them to mind the grease, which meant the same thing to Victorians. Mumbling cove - a shabby person or an unpleasant, deceitful landlord Mutton shunter - a policeman, especially one tasked with harrying street prostitutes Not up to Dick - not well Off One’s Chump - To be crazy is to be off one’s chump; this is varied by the word “chumpy.” A mild kind of lunatic is also said to be “off his head,” which means of course exactly the same as the first phrase. Orf chump - no appetite Parish pick-axe - prominent nose Pigeon-livered - cowardly Pocket - To put up with. A man who does not resent an affront is said to pocket it. Podsnappery - This term, Forrester writers, describes a person with a “wilful determination to ignore the objectionable or inconvenient, at the same time assuming airs of superior virtue and noble resignation.” Poked up - embarrassed Rain napper - umbrella Ratbag - a general term of abuse; a rogue or an eccentric Sauce-box - the mouth Shoot into the brown - to fail (esp. to miss a shot) Skilamalink - Secret, shady, doubtful Take the egg - to win Vazey - stupid Wagtail - a promiscuous woman or prostitute; less commonly, a dissolute man Whooperup - a second-rate singer who produces noise rather than music