Slang in the letters

[Kattrup]

I came across A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon and Cant by Albert Barrere and Charles Leland, two vols. 1889-90.

Some well-known expressions:

Down on:


Fix:



Buckled:


Codding:


Double event:

Cold meat:


Jolly:

Boss:

[Gary Barnett]

Thanks for that, Kattrup.

We touched on the use of boss in this short thread about the music hall artist Bessie Bellwood a while back.

https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/pers...essie-bellwood

[Debra Arif]

And if I may...this earlier thread along the same lines about 'Boss' being used by Whitechapel costers, which I link to in the thread Gary just posted a link to
https://www.jtrforums.com/forum/lett...t=17896&page=4

[Debra Arif]

I've heard people here in Yorkshire still using the word 'codding' meaning to 'have someone on'

[Gary Barnett]

I've heard people here in Yorkshire still using the word 'codding' meaning to 'have someone on'

Presumably cod/codding and kid/kidding are variations of the same usage?

[Debra Arif]

Presumably cod/codding and kid/kidding are variations of the same usage?

Yes. Kidding someone is the same thing.

[Gary Barnett]

Yes. Kidding someone is the same thing.

It’s a term I use all the time, although I prefer ‘you’re ‘avin’ a giraffe’ to ‘you’re kidding me’.

Of course, the correct response to the giraffe enquiry is, ‘I kid ye not’.

I wonder if that gives us a clue as to the pronunciation of cod? Was it pronounced more like could than cod?

[Gary Barnett]

I think the interesting thing on the BB thread is the 1886 piece by Andrew Lang. That shows the use of boss to mean master was in fairly frequent use prior to 1888.