Mar 2, 2021
Allow Me to Clear Up Some Misunderstandings About the Bridgerton Lexicon
Regency-speak for beginners
I’ve witnessed so much confusion regarding the Regency period terminology! It has been paining me greatly, so I have procured this guide for your delectation. Pray don’t pull your caps with me, I am merely trying to make you all the crack before you find yourself in a situation that has been brought to Point Non Plus. Without further ado, please study the following terms to educate yourself.
Cotillion
We start with something that, dash it, you should already know. A cotillion is a dance, it is not a large amount of money shared by two people.
Gammon
Whoever told you that Gammon was a board game, indeed a board game where you only move in a forward direction, was jesting. To avoid looking green, please remember that Gammon actually means a falsehood.
Havey Cavey
It is no use falling into the sullens because I am correcting you! These are things you should know! Havey Cavey is not where Snagglepuss lives. It is a term for suspicious business.
Calf clingers
Though I have never been in a cow pasture —shudder the thought —I can assure you that Calf Clingers are Pantaloons and certainly not sticky cow pats. Additionally, Cattle refers to horses and not to cattle.
A Regular Out and Outer
This is someone who is much admired, and not an outie belly button. And of course one should never talk about ones belly button or anything else in the pudding-house region.
Quadrille
Quadrille is another type of dance (perhaps one that you could expect to enjoy at the assembly room). Please note that it is not an attachment for towing one’s ATV.
Civil Whiskers
Partaking in small talk is called Civil Whiskers and has nothing to do with polite cats. Why don’t you try having some Civil Whiskers with a person with an excellent vocabulary, then you can extend your own, but do try to avoid making a cake of yourself.
Pudding-House
I have already mentioned several times that a Pudding House is your stomach, and it is not where Kozy Shack is made. Please don’t make me go over this again, the thought of Kozy Shack pudding in my own pudding-house is making me as queer as Dick’s hatband.
Cucumberish
No, no, no! This is not another name for a zucchini/courgette. It is, naturally, when someone is without funds. If you believe being cucumberish and being a courgette are the same thing, then I fear you becoming a greenhead.
To Draw Someone’s Cork
This is to give someone a bloody nose, not do a small still life painting for them. A pretty bit of business muddling those terms would be!
Ratafia
Ratafia, my dear, is a sweet drink, not a phobia of rodents and on the topic of furred creatures, make sure you never drink so much ratafia that you become foxed. No, it’s not the same as being called a “fox” you poor child.
A Bag of Moonshine
It’s a phrase that means “a lot of nonsense” — it is not prison wine (and remember that one does not mention prison wine in polite company, or in any company unless you are in the iron doublet).
A Barque of Frailty:
A Barque of Frailty is not a poorly built french ship, it is a Bit of Muslin. Haymarket Ware. A Bird of Paradise. No? Nothing? Heaven’s child! A Barque of Frailty is a lady of easy virtue. You are putting me to blush for merely thinking of it! Where are my salts? No, that’s coke.
Top Sawyer:
No, Top Sawyer is not Tom’s father. A Top Sawyer is a person with excellent horsemanship. Just like dearest Papa.
Again my dears, I am not trying to set up your bristles. I am only telling you these things so that you can conduct yourself with propriety when in society. Now I must go, thinking of dear Papa has totally overset me. He’s good at horse-related things but the man will not adhere to proper dinner dress protocol. As you can imagine, things are pretty tense at home.
