Obsolete words

[ASMO]

Was bored and i just had a look at some words no longer used in Enlgish, some of these should be revived

• Groak – it means to watch someone silently as they eat, in the hope that you will be invited to join them

• Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

• Snoutfair – No, it doesn’t refer to a festival of cute pigs with lovely looking snouts. It actually refers to a good-looking person and comes from the 1500s

• Jollux ­– even in the 1780s they had slang and “jollux” was a term to refer to a fat person.

• Beef-witted – some of today’s reality shows are totally beef-witted! The 1590’s word refers to something stupid.

• Wonder-wench – have you told your wonder-wench how much you love her today? No, not your mother-in-law, your sweetheart, according to this word

• Quockerwodger – from the 1850s, this funny-sounding English term referred to a wooden puppet that was controlled by strings. She can’t think for herself, she’s such a quockerwodger!

[Happyhooker]

Susie dent's twitter feed is good for this type of thing. And often quite barbed

[Kawazaki]

Was bored and i just had a look at some words no longer used in Enlgish, some of these should be revived

• Groak – it means to watch someone silently as they eat, in the hope that you will be invited to join them

• Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

• Snoutfair – No, it doesn’t refer to a festival of cute pigs with lovely looking snouts. It actually refers to a good-looking person and comes from the 1500s

• Jollux ­– even in the 1780s they had slang and “jollux” was a term to refer to a fat person.

• Beef-witted – some of today’s reality shows are totally beef-witted! The 1590’s word refers to something stupid.

• Wonder-wench – have you told your wonder-wench how much you love her today? No, not your mother-in-law, your sweetheart, according to this word

• Quockerwodger – from the 1850s, this funny-sounding English term referred to a wooden puppet that was controlled by strings. She can’t think for herself, she’s such a quockerwodger!

Boris Johnson uses all these virtually every week.

[sturginho]

Was bored and i just had a look at some words no longer used in Enlgish, some of these should be revived

• Groak – it means to watch someone silently as they eat, in the hope that you will be invited to join them

• Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

• Snoutfair – No, it doesn’t refer to a festival of cute pigs with lovely looking snouts. It actually refers to a good-looking person and comes from the 1500s

• Jollux ­– even in the 1780s they had slang and “jollux” was a term to refer to a fat person.

• Beef-witted – some of today’s reality shows are totally beef-witted! The 1590’s word refers to something stupid.

• Wonder-wench – have you told your wonder-wench how much you love her today? No, not your mother-in-law, your sweetheart, according to this word

• Quockerwodger – from the 1850s, this funny-sounding English term referred to a wooden puppet that was controlled by strings. She can’t think for herself, she’s such a quockerwodger!

Boris Johnson uses all these virtually every week.

A beef-witted jollux if ever there was one

[HighKingLeinster]

Sounds like some filthy cockney geezer. I quockerwogered my wonder-wench's beef witters with my jollux . Then i cockalorumed my grout all over her snoutfair

[The sun god]

Was bored and i just had a look at some words no longer used in Enlgish, some of these should be revived

• Groak – it means to watch someone silently as they eat, in the hope that you will be invited to join them

• Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

• Snoutfair – No, it doesn’t refer to a festival of cute pigs with lovely looking snouts. It actually refers to a good-looking person and comes from the 1500s

• Jollux ­– even in the 1780s they had slang and “jollux” was a term to refer to a fat person.

• Beef-witted – some of today’s reality shows are totally beef-witted! The 1590’s word refers to something stupid.

• Wonder-wench – have you told your wonder-wench how much you love her today? No, not your mother-in-law, your sweetheart, according to this word

• Quockerwodger – from the 1850s, this funny-sounding English term referred to a wooden puppet that was controlled by strings. She can’t think for herself, she’s such a quockerwodger!

Boris Johnson uses all these virtually every week.

A beef-witted jollux if ever there was one

[sturginho]

Sounds like some filthy cockney geezer. I quockerwogered my wonder-wench's beef witters with my jollux . Then i cockalorumed my grout all over her snoutfair

you've been watching too much eastenders

[The sun god]

+Fizgig...... a silly or flirtatious young woman. I have met plenty of fizgigs in my time !!

+Pouncet-box..... a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

+Rapscallion ...... a mischievous person

+Scaramouch...... a boastful but cowardly person

[Tichtheid]

Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

There is a song about the Jacobite risings that uses that term for one of the Marquises of Huntly, as the leader of the Gordon Clans they were also called Cock O' The North

[Happyhooker]

+Fizgig...... a silly or flirtatious young woman. I have met plenty of fizgigs in my time !!

+Pouncet-box..... a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

+Rapscallion ...... a mischievous person

+Scaramouch...... a boastful but cowardly person

Rapscallion has certainly been used in my lifetime although it is archaic

I thought a scaramouch was a C16 italian clown?

[The sun god]

+Fizgig...... a silly or flirtatious young woman. I have met plenty of fizgigs in my time !!

+Pouncet-box..... a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

+Rapscallion ...... a mischievous person

+Scaramouch...... a boastful but cowardly person

Rapscallion has certainly been used in my lifetime although it is archaic

I thought a scaramouch was a C16 italian clown?

He was but I believe the word became popular based on his character as being a cowardly rascal.

[tabascoboy]

Ninnyhammer - a foolish person
Poltroon - an utter coward
Scobberlotcher - someone who never works hard
Lunting: walking while smoking a pipe.

[ASMO]

I think there are definately some posters who could change their names to some of these

[Kawazaki]

I think there are definately some posters who could change their names to some of these

A portmanteau works too...

Ninnylotcher - lazy and foolish!

[The sun god]

Ninnyhammer - a foolish person
Poltroon - an utter coward
Scobberlotcher - someone who never works hard
Lunting: walking while smoking a pipe.

Definitely shared the same office building as a few 'Scobberlotchers' in my time.

[Slick]

+Fizgig...... a silly or flirtatious young woman. I have met plenty of fizgigs in my time !!

+Pouncet-box..... a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

+Rapscallion ...... a mischievous person

+Scaramouch...... a boastful but cowardly person

Rapscallion has certainly been used in my lifetime although it is archaic

I thought a scaramouch was a C16 italian clown?

Yes, I’ve used rapscallion on occasion!

[Grandpa]

Sounds like some filthy cockney geezer. I quockerwogered my wonder-wench's beef witters with my jollux . Then i cockalorumed my grout all over her snoutfair

Brilliantly Rapscallion!

[Niegs]

If you're a true nerd about this sort of thing, are you already listening to this? https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/

[troglodiet]

• Cockalorum – coming straight out of the 1710s, this word refers to a little man who has a high opinion

Isn't this where the term "cocky" comes from?

Synonym: scrum-half

[tabascoboy]

Perfect for current needs!

Snollygoster: a shrewd, unprincipled person especially a politician

[Uncle fester]

+Fizgig...... a silly or flirtatious young woman. I have met plenty of fizgigs in my time !!

+Pouncet-box..... a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

+Rapscallion ...... a mischievous person

+Scaramouch...... a boastful but cowardly person

Rapscallion has certainly been used in my lifetime although it is archaic

I thought a scaramouch was a C16 italian clown?

He was but I believe the word became popular based on his character as being a cowardly rascal.

It's great that we have some old folks around to guide us in usage of archaic language.

[Farva]

Ninnyhammer - a foolish person
Poltroon - an utter coward
Scobberlotcher - someone who never works hard
Lunting: walking while smoking a pipe.

Definitely shared the same office building as a few 'Scobberlotchers' in my time.

To be a Scobberlotcher is a long term dream of mine.

[Uncle fester]

Ninnyhammer - a foolish person
Poltroon - an utter coward
Scobberlotcher - someone who never works hard
Lunting: walking while smoking a pipe.

Definitely shared the same office building as a few 'Scobberlotchers' in my time.

To be a Scobberlotcher is a long term dream of mine.

Amen.
Picked wrong career for it though.

[Mr Bungle]

Rapscallion is certainly not an obsolete word. Not used in everyday use, but you read it and hear it occasionally. It’s not unknown/forgotten like the vast majority posted on this thread.

[Stranger]

It is where scally comes from

[SaintK]

It is where scally comes from

Thought thaqt was scallywag?

[Stranger]

Ah, maybe?

[Happyhooker]

Ah, maybe?

Yea, it's just an abbreviation

[TB63]

Same way as thievingfuckingbastard was shortened to Scouse?..

[Woddy]

Poltroon gets aired from time to time. A favoured insult used by Cpt Haddock and about Harry Flashman (by himself).

I put it in the same linguistic bucket as cad, bounder, nincompoop and tomfoolery.