Glossary: Separated by Act
Act I
Actaeon - A hunter turned into a stag and killed by his own hounds for having seen Artemis bathing
Anno Domini - In the year of our Lord, Jesus Christ – after death
Blessings of Providence - By God (miracles; touch of grace)
Canting - Talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something
Chilblains - A painful, itching swelling on the skin, typically on a hand or foot, caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold
Counterscarp - The outer wall of a ditch in a fortification
Dram - A small drink of whiskey or other spirits (often used in humorous imitation of Scottish speech)
Durst - Archaic or regional past of dare
Epicures - A person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink
Fain - Pleased or willing under the circumstances; with pleasure; gladly
Farthing - A former monetary unit and coin of the UK, withdrawn in 1961, equal to a quarter of an old penny; the least possible amount
Fricasseed - Poultry or meat cut into pieces and stewed in gravy
Handsome - (Of a number, sum of money, or margin) substantial; (of a man) good-looking
Impudence - Failing to show proper respect and courtesy; very rude
Iniquity - Immoral or grossly unfair behavior
Maxim - A short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct
Minx - An impudent, cunning, or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman.
Ostler - A man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn
Periwig - A highly styled wig worn formerly as a fashionable headdress by both women and men
Plaguy - Troublesome; annoying
Rogue - A dishonest or unprincipled man
Sappho’s singing - A female poet of Ancient Greece, who mainly wrote about love and human relationships – rather than God
Sup - Take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls; a sip of liquid
Tympanies - A resonant sound heard in percussion (as of the abdomen)
Usquebaugh - Whiskey
Actaeon - A hunter turned into a stag and killed by his own hounds for having seen Artemis bathing
Anno Domini - In the year of our Lord, Jesus Christ – after death
Blessings of Providence - By God (miracles; touch of grace)
Canting - Talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something
Chilblains - A painful, itching swelling on the skin, typically on a hand or foot, caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold
Counterscarp - The outer wall of a ditch in a fortification
Dram - A small drink of whiskey or other spirits (often used in humorous imitation of Scottish speech)
Durst - Archaic or regional past of dare
Epicures - A person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink
Fain - Pleased or willing under the circumstances; with pleasure; gladly
Farthing - A former monetary unit and coin of the UK, withdrawn in 1961, equal to a quarter of an old penny; the least possible amount
Fricasseed - Poultry or meat cut into pieces and stewed in gravy
Handsome - (Of a number, sum of money, or margin) substantial; (of a man) good-looking
Impudence - Failing to show proper respect and courtesy; very rude
Iniquity - Immoral or grossly unfair behavior
Maxim - A short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct
Minx - An impudent, cunning, or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman.
Ostler - A man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn
Periwig - A highly styled wig worn formerly as a fashionable headdress by both women and men
Plaguy - Troublesome; annoying
Rogue - A dishonest or unprincipled man
Sappho’s singing - A female poet of Ancient Greece, who mainly wrote about love and human relationships – rather than God
Sup - Take (drink or liquid food) by sips or spoonfuls; a sip of liquid
Tympanies - A resonant sound heard in percussion (as of the abdomen)
Usquebaugh - Whiskey
Act II
Allows [you] a maintenance – giving financial support
Blazing-star – a type of wildflower (see image 1)
Blockhead – a stupid person
Brute – a savagely violent person
By Jupiter! – “By God!” or “Dear God!” – reference to Jupiter, the supreme Roman god in mythology
Catechise – put questions to or interrogate someone
Censorious mob – severely critical people (in regards to others)
Coronet – a small or relatively simple crown, especially as worn by lesser royalty and peers or peeresses (see image 2)
Cuckold – husband with an adulterous wife
Dram – a drink
D’ye – do you
Egad – Oh God
Forsooth – indeed
Hark’ee – an attention-grabber; synonymous with “look” or “mind” or “hark”
Inveterate – having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
Jade – a woman regarded as promiscuous; an outgoing, often flirtatious girl
Je ne sais quoi – a pleasant quality that is hard to describe
Livery – special uniform worn by a servant or official
Marksman – a person skilled in shooting
Mourning rings – ring worn in memory of someone who has died
Naught (“You were very naught last night”) – worthless; useless; lost; ruined
Playing at whisk – a card game that was popular in the 18th and 19th century; the popularization of this can be compared to playing bridge today
Racks and torments! – an exclamation of discomfort or displeasure based on the idea of torture (racks were medieval torture devices)
‘Sdeath – expressing anger or astonishment
Sharpers – swindlers
Silver-hilted sword – sword with a hilt (handle) made of silver (see image 3)
Simony – the buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges such as pardons/benefices
Snuff-box – small box meant to hold tobacco (see image 4)
Sot/sottish – a habitual drunkard; drunk
Spoil [your] sport – spoiling someone’s fun or enjoyment
Spreading of plasters – a paste applied to the skin for purposes both healing and cosmetic
Stiles – a series of steps or rungs by means of which a person may pass over a wall or fence that remains a barrier to animals like sheep and cattle
Stilling rosemary-water – creating an herb-infused water meant for various remedies
Tea-table – a small table meant for serving, presenting and drinking tea; usually a sign of wealth (see image 5)
Vexatious – causing annoyance, frustration or worry
Venison-pasty – a dishless pie filled with venison (see image 6)
Vapour(s) – emanation; influence
Wheedling – coax or persuade someone into doing something
Images:
Allows [you] a maintenance – giving financial support
Blazing-star – a type of wildflower (see image 1)
Blockhead – a stupid person
Brute – a savagely violent person
By Jupiter! – “By God!” or “Dear God!” – reference to Jupiter, the supreme Roman god in mythology
Catechise – put questions to or interrogate someone
Censorious mob – severely critical people (in regards to others)
Coronet – a small or relatively simple crown, especially as worn by lesser royalty and peers or peeresses (see image 2)
Cuckold – husband with an adulterous wife
Dram – a drink
D’ye – do you
Egad – Oh God
Forsooth – indeed
Hark’ee – an attention-grabber; synonymous with “look” or “mind” or “hark”
Inveterate – having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
Jade – a woman regarded as promiscuous; an outgoing, often flirtatious girl
Je ne sais quoi – a pleasant quality that is hard to describe
Livery – special uniform worn by a servant or official
Marksman – a person skilled in shooting
Mourning rings – ring worn in memory of someone who has died
Naught (“You were very naught last night”) – worthless; useless; lost; ruined
Playing at whisk – a card game that was popular in the 18th and 19th century; the popularization of this can be compared to playing bridge today
Racks and torments! – an exclamation of discomfort or displeasure based on the idea of torture (racks were medieval torture devices)
‘Sdeath – expressing anger or astonishment
Sharpers – swindlers
Silver-hilted sword – sword with a hilt (handle) made of silver (see image 3)
Simony – the buying or selling of ecclesiastical privileges such as pardons/benefices
Snuff-box – small box meant to hold tobacco (see image 4)
Sot/sottish – a habitual drunkard; drunk
Spoil [your] sport – spoiling someone’s fun or enjoyment
Spreading of plasters – a paste applied to the skin for purposes both healing and cosmetic
Stiles – a series of steps or rungs by means of which a person may pass over a wall or fence that remains a barrier to animals like sheep and cattle
Stilling rosemary-water – creating an herb-infused water meant for various remedies
Tea-table – a small table meant for serving, presenting and drinking tea; usually a sign of wealth (see image 5)
Vexatious – causing annoyance, frustration or worry
Venison-pasty – a dishless pie filled with venison (see image 6)
Vapour(s) – emanation; influence
Wheedling – coax or persuade someone into doing something
Images:
Act III
Baise-Mains - respects, compliments
Coquet - behave flirtatiously; flirt.
Livery - special uniform worn by a servant or official.
Mirth - amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.
Mountebank - a person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan.
Pshaw - an expression of contempt or impatience.
‘Sdeath - used as a mild oath/interjection
Surmises - suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
Tankard - a tall beer mug, typically made of silver or pewter, with a handle and sometimes a hinged lid.
Teague - Honor
Viscount - a British nobleman ranking above a baron and below an earl.
Whetting - sharpening a blade/tool
Baise-Mains - respects, compliments
Coquet - behave flirtatiously; flirt.
Livery - special uniform worn by a servant or official.
Mirth - amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.
Mountebank - a person who deceives others, especially in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan.
Pshaw - an expression of contempt or impatience.
‘Sdeath - used as a mild oath/interjection
Surmises - suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
Tankard - a tall beer mug, typically made of silver or pewter, with a handle and sometimes a hinged lid.
Teague - Honor
Viscount - a British nobleman ranking above a baron and below an earl.
Whetting - sharpening a blade/tool
Act IV
Assizes - a court that formerly sat at intervals in each county of England and Wales to administer the civil and criminal law
Ay - yes
Bog-trotter - English often referred to the Irish
Breadth - breath
Brogue - a marked accent, especially Irish or Scottish, when speaking English
Brooding - appearing darkly menacing
Burgomaster - chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council, usually of a sub-national level of administration
Closhet - closet
Cussen - cousin
Dat - that
Dere - there
Diseashe - disease
Drabs - a prostitute
Drest/Undrest - simple past tense and past participle of dress
Durst - dared
D'ye - do you
Equipage - a carriage and horses with attendants
Evidensh - evidence
Fader - father
Flambeaux - a flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax
Foster-moder - foster mother
Gallows - a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or as a means of torture before execution
Gaol - jail
Guinea - a coin of approximately one quarter ounce of gold
Hartshorn - ammonium carbonate
Hither - to or towards this place
Imps - a mythological being similar to a fairy or goblin
In't - in it
Leda - [Greek mythology] daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of king Tyndareus of Sparta
Logice - logic
Louidores - monetary unit
On't - on it
Ovid - a Roman poet, living during the reign of Augustus, and a contemporary of Virgil and Horace
Plaash - splash
Plenipotentiaries - a person, especially a diplomat, invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of their government, typically in a foreign country
Prattle - foolish or inconsequential talk
Purgatory - restrict (someone) in the amount of something (especially money) given or permitted
Relashion - relation
Saam - same
Sauntering - walk in a slow, relaxed manner, without hurry or effort
'Sdeath - God's death; an expression
Shentlemens - gentlemen
Shew - show
Shillings - a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence
Shister - sister
Shoul - soul
Sirrah - a term of address for a man or boy, especially one younger or of lower status than the speaker
Stinted - restrict (someone) in the amount of something (especially money) given or permitted
Tankard - form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle
Tauk - take
'Tis - it is
Togeder - together
To't - to it
T'other - the other
T'ye - to you
Vil - will
Whilst - while
Wid - with
Yourshelf - yourself
Assizes - a court that formerly sat at intervals in each county of England and Wales to administer the civil and criminal law
Ay - yes
Bog-trotter - English often referred to the Irish
Breadth - breath
Brogue - a marked accent, especially Irish or Scottish, when speaking English
Brooding - appearing darkly menacing
Burgomaster - chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council, usually of a sub-national level of administration
Closhet - closet
Cussen - cousin
Dat - that
Dere - there
Diseashe - disease
Drabs - a prostitute
Drest/Undrest - simple past tense and past participle of dress
Durst - dared
D'ye - do you
Equipage - a carriage and horses with attendants
Evidensh - evidence
Fader - father
Flambeaux - a flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax
Foster-moder - foster mother
Gallows - a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or as a means of torture before execution
Gaol - jail
Guinea - a coin of approximately one quarter ounce of gold
Hartshorn - ammonium carbonate
Hither - to or towards this place
Imps - a mythological being similar to a fairy or goblin
In't - in it
Leda - [Greek mythology] daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of king Tyndareus of Sparta
Logice - logic
Louidores - monetary unit
On't - on it
Ovid - a Roman poet, living during the reign of Augustus, and a contemporary of Virgil and Horace
Plaash - splash
Plenipotentiaries - a person, especially a diplomat, invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of their government, typically in a foreign country
Prattle - foolish or inconsequential talk
Purgatory - restrict (someone) in the amount of something (especially money) given or permitted
Relashion - relation
Saam - same
Sauntering - walk in a slow, relaxed manner, without hurry or effort
'Sdeath - God's death; an expression
Shentlemens - gentlemen
Shew - show
Shillings - a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twentieth of a pound or twelve pence
Shister - sister
Shoul - soul
Sirrah - a term of address for a man or boy, especially one younger or of lower status than the speaker
Stinted - restrict (someone) in the amount of something (especially money) given or permitted
Tankard - form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle
Tauk - take
'Tis - it is
Togeder - together
To't - to it
T'other - the other
T'ye - to you
Vil - will
Whilst - while
Wid - with
Yourshelf - yourself
Act V
Abed - to be in bed, to be confined in a bed
As the saying is - used to introduce or append an expression, drawing attention to its status as a saying or as not part of one's normal language.
Constable - a peace officer with limited policing authority, typically in a small town.Squire- a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself. a man of high social standing who owns and lives on an estate in a rural area, especially the chief landowner in such an area.
“Do you take me for an atheist or a rake?” rake - rake hell; hell raiser
D’ye - do you
E'en - even
Eddystone - A rocky islet of southwest England in the English Channel south of Plymouth.
Excisemen - an official responsible for collecting excise tax and preventing infringement of the excise laws (especially by smuggling).
Hybla - sites in ancient Sicily
O ‘gad - to hurry rush about, to move from one location to another in an apparently random and frivolous manner
On’t - on it
Oon’s - one’s
Popery - the doctrines, practices, and ceremonies associated with the pope or the papal system; Roman Catholicism
Souse - oak or drench in liquid
Stratagem - strategy
Venison pasty - English pastry filled with meat
Abed - to be in bed, to be confined in a bed
As the saying is - used to introduce or append an expression, drawing attention to its status as a saying or as not part of one's normal language.
Constable - a peace officer with limited policing authority, typically in a small town.Squire- a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself. a man of high social standing who owns and lives on an estate in a rural area, especially the chief landowner in such an area.
“Do you take me for an atheist or a rake?” rake - rake hell; hell raiser
D’ye - do you
E'en - even
Eddystone - A rocky islet of southwest England in the English Channel south of Plymouth.
Excisemen - an official responsible for collecting excise tax and preventing infringement of the excise laws (especially by smuggling).
Hybla - sites in ancient Sicily
O ‘gad - to hurry rush about, to move from one location to another in an apparently random and frivolous manner
On’t - on it
Oon’s - one’s
Popery - the doctrines, practices, and ceremonies associated with the pope or the papal system; Roman Catholicism
Souse - oak or drench in liquid
Stratagem - strategy
Venison pasty - English pastry filled with meat