NPR

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm**

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!

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:37 pm**

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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:40 pm**

ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm 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.

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:42 pm**

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:40 pm
ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm 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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:49 pm**

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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:53 pm**

sturginho wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:42 pm
Kawazaki wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:40 pm
ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm 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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:00 pm**

HighKingLeinster wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:49 pm 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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm**

+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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:05 pm**

ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm 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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:07 pm**

The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm +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?

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:14 pm**

Happyhooker wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:07 pm
The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm +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.

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm**

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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:27 pm**

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

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:29 pm**

ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:27 pm I think there are definately some posters who could change their names to some of these

A portmanteau works too...

Ninnylotcher - lazy and foolish!

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:36 pm**

tabascoboy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm 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.

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:52 pm**

Happyhooker wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:07 pm
The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm +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!

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:46 pm**

HighKingLeinster wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:49 pm 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!

Posted: **Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:01 pm**

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

Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:20 pm**

ASMO wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:16 pm
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

Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:14 pm**

Perfect for current needs!

Snollygoster: a shrewd, unprincipled person especially a politician

Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:37 pm**

The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:14 pm
Happyhooker wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:07 pm
The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:03 pm +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.

Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:37 pm**

The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:36 pm
tabascoboy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm 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.

Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:48 pm**

Farva wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 10:37 pm
The sun god wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:36 pm
tabascoboy wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:24 pm 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.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:52 am**

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.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:47 am**

It is where scally comes from

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:01 pm**

Stranger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:47 am It is where scally comes from

Thought thaqt was scallywag?

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 pm**

Ah, maybe?

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:43 pm**

Stranger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:29 pmAh, maybe?

Yea, it's just an abbreviation

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 10:17 pm**

Same way as thievingfuckingbastard was shortened to Scouse?..

Posted: **Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:02 am**

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.

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