The Obsolete-Antiquated English Language Thread

[PalazioVecchio]

Terms and expressions now gone from our streets. Either from the 1180s or the 1980's. Ideally with a relevant source to quote. Ideally with a modern translation.

a) must have been reasonably popular, back in the day. So not an obscure creation that never got out of a book and onto the street - many in the link below. Anything else....fair diddums.

For openers......

tis evermore his prologue to his sleep, he'll watch the horologue a doubleset if drink rock not his cradle" Iago, Othello. = he's a P1.sshead

Egyptians = a Victorian expression for what we now call 'Travellers'.

What Others ? feel free to trawl Emily Bronte, Charles Dickens or Chaucer.

Words Shakespeare used that are no longer common

Some of the more common English words and meanings in Shakespeare that are no longer common (in 2016 in the north-eastern US): afore – in front. alack – oh no! alarum – call to ar…

abagond.wordpress.com

 

[Teddy Eagle]

My Granddad would always refer to anything dark as being "black as Newgate's knocker".

 

[Willo]

I am often accused of using terminology from a bygone era.
In the final analysis I am not some 'Whippersnapper' or 'Wet behind the ears', I am in my 70s and in the dusk of life.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

"Oompah oompah stick it up your jumper".

 

[Badger11]

"Hoisted by his own Petard". Referred to in Hamlet.

Meaning: Doing yourself in as in being the cause of your own misfortune.

A Petard is a medieval siege weapon (a bomb). Often it was attached to a long pole with a spike. You lit the fuse ran like a pole vaulter dodged the arrows / boiling oil / rocks and planted the spike in the castle door and then got the hell out of there.

As you can imagine it was a thankless task, often the bomb would explode before you reached the door or on impact or you were cut down by the defenders so I'm guessing not many volunteers.

Anyway always loved the expression which can be applied to most politicians at some point in their careers.

 

[doi209]

Kicky-wicky. An affectionate term for wife ( mine is not too keen ). Shakespeare.

 

[Palace Old Geezer]

Wherefore art thou? - Doesn't mean 'where are you', but 'why are you?'

Thanks to my English teacher in 1962 or thereabouts for explaining Shakespeare's use of this phrase in Romeo and Juliet. Our language continues to evolve, not always for the better.

 

[mr. apollo]

 

[PalazioVecchio]

"Hoisted by his own Petard". Referred to in Hamlet.

sorry Eagle. Its a good effort. but Not obsolete enough. If it appears on 'Better call Saul', the Sopranos, or The Office...then its not really obsolete. Funny enough, the Sherlock Holmes movie seems to have brought back the verb 'to discombobulate'

It's "hoist with his own petard. "

The Simpsons (1989) - S19E08 Comedy clip with quote It's "hoist with his own petard. " Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

www.getyarn.io

try something like this..........

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/2597/bodkins-and-bodkin-same-word-different-context

 

[Forest Hillbilly]

I was always fond of thru'penny's. Curses to decimalisation.

 

[Stirlingsays]

Jammy dodger.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

I was always fond of thru'penny's. Curses to decimalisation.

Still am FH. Custom has not withered their infinite variety.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

"have at you"

 

[BromleyMonkey]

My Granddad would always refer to anything dark as being "black as Newgate's knocker".

Same, well my nan more 🤣

As you’ve reminded me and I obviously didnt have google in the 1970’s I’ve just googled it

“a specific hairstyle and a Cockney phrase referring to the door knocker of Newgate Prison”

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Where my nan and grandad lived on a certain estate in Orpington, they used to have a problem with what they used to call “Diddycoys” occasionally pitching up on the green opposite their house. What we now know as Pykies or travellers

 

[mars]

Fred Karno’s circus
(A farcical situation)

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

My Granddad would always refer to anything dark as being "black as Newgate's knocker".

Did you know that the Old Bailey is built on the site of where Newgate Prison was, not a lot of people know that.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Did you know that the Old Bailey is built on the site of where Newgate Prison was, not a lot of people know that.

Having just googled newgates knocker, I obviously didn’t read that far because I didn’t know that 😁

 

[mezzer]

Not quite on topic but I've often wondered what they called a photographic memory before the 1850s

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

Having just googled newgates knocker, I obviously didn’t read that far because I didn’t know that 😁

Here's another one, the Connaught rooms, a home for many Freemason gatherings, was built on the site of the original, Freemasons arms public house 😵