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Curses and Expressions
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To our contemporary ears a lot of these curses strange and not very strong. Call it the curse inflation. Blasphemy in the 17th century was truly shocking. A lot of the curses try to hide the fact their blasphemous. To be clear: taking the Lords name in vain is not recommended.
Curses and Exclamations
- Odd's fish
- exclamation, from "God's flesh", fav. oath of Charles II
- Begad
- exclamation, from "By God", compare By Jove
- In Faith! or I' Faith!
- exclamation, usually of surprise or for emphasis. "In Faith, I would never do such a thing!"
- God's Blood or s'Blood (polite)
- exclamation, variant of God's Flesh
- By God's Holy-day !
- By God's light !
- Fie or Fie on it
- French negative exclamation (adopted by English), similar to modern 'Damn it'
- Damn!
- Same meaning, first started being used as an interjection in the 17th century
- Lud
- exclamation, from "Lord"
- Lud love you
- exclamation, from "The Lord loves you"
- La!
- dainty exclamation
- By Jove
- exclamation, from "By Jehovah", compare Begad
- Zounds or Zouterkins
- exclamation, from "God's Wounds" and "By God ! God's Death !"
- Dastardly
- A very insult adjective applied to someone implying cowardly and despicable
- Bloody
- exclamation, from "By Our Lady"
- Odd's life
- exclamation, from "God's Life"
- Baggage
- impudent woman
- Ballers
- ruffians, hoods, rakes in packs
- Doxy
- whore
- Hector
- street bully
- Meschants
- villains
- Twattlers
- those that tell tales
- Scurvy
- contemptible
- to Wipe
- to insult
- On the word of a gentleman !
- The Devil take me!
- Strike me dumb !
- Split my windpipe !
- Strike me ugly !
- Stap my vitals !
- Sun, burn me !
- Curse, catch me !
- Stap my breath !
- Let me blood !
- Run me through !
- Knock me down !
Specifically Catholic
- Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
- Catholic exclamation
- Saints Preserve Us!
- Catholic exclamation
- By St. Bride of Douglas !
- By God and His Mother !
- Ventre Saint Gris ! are you dumb, man?
- By the light of our Lady's brow !
- By the bones of St. Becket !
- By the holy face of Lucca !
- By St. Peter's tomb !
- Diable m'emporte!) - the Devil take me!
Common Expressions
Most expressions are based on 17th century reality: the use of pigeons to send letters, the riding of horses as a form of transport, using cups not glasses to drink wine from etc.
- Act the Pigeon
- to be a coward
- All the world does ride me
- everything is against me
- Break One's Mind
- to disclose one's thoughts
- Consult my pillow
- sleep on it
- Draw the lemon
- to get a bad deal
- Have cups, be in one's cups
- to be drunk
- Salve up the matter
- Smooth things over
- Roisting
- loudness, bawdiness
- Swiving
- to have sex, compare fuck
- To Pull a Crow
- to quarrel
