Haney's Pub - Elizabethan Language Lexicon

A

Acatharsy

n 1: a puss filled bandage, 2: can be used as an insult, as in "Thou art an acatharsy upon the face of the earth."

Afore

adv 1: before, in front of

Agone

adj (or adv) 1: ago

Ague

n 1: a cold or fever

Ajax

n 1: privy or outhouse 2: can be used to describe a smelly person as in, "He did reek of an ajax."

Alarum

n 1: a call to arms, to an attack, as in, "anon his beating heart, alarum striking, gives the hot charge." vt 1: to call to arms, to the combat, as in "he saw my best alarum'd spirits roused to the encouter."

Allottery

n 1: a share, portion granted, as in, "give me the poor allottery my father left me."

Amain

adv 1: with full force; with full spead, as in, "He did run amain towards his foe"

Amourous

adj 1: pertaining to love, as in, "Hear my amourous tale." 2: fond, in love, as in, "He doth grow more amourous with each passing day."

Annoyous

adj 1: annoying, irritating, vexing, as in, "Cease thine annouyous prattling."

Anon

adv 1: at once: IMMEDIATELY 2: soon, presently 3: at another time, later as in, "I shall see thee anon." vt. 1: in answer to a call, substitute for "Coming!"

Antic also spelled Antick

adj 1: odd, fantastic, foolish, as in, "to put an antic disposition on." n. 1: odd, fantastic appearance, as in "there appears quick-shifting antics" 2: a buffoon, practising odd gesticulations, as in "there appears witless antics" vi. 1: to make appear like a buffoon, as in, the alarum did almost anitc us all"

Anywhen

adv 1: at any time, as in, "my master will come anywhen"

A-pieces

adv 1: in, or to pieces, as in, "he did rend the bill a-pieces."

Aroint

v imper. 1: stand off, or begone, as in, "aroint thee, witch!"

Arras

n 1: a tapestry

Art

n 1: skill; the application of such skills as medicine, painting, design, etc.

Artificial

adj 1: pertaining to artistic skills, displaying superior technique or workmanship; displaying quality education or training; cunning and skillful in deceit

Astonied

adj 1: substitute for "astonished."

Astrologaster

n 1: false astrologer, as in, "the astrologaster did relieve the gull of 14 pence before he new it"

Avaunt

v imper. 1: exclamation of contempt or of abhorrence, uttered to drive one away, as in, "rogues, hence, avaunt!" 2: Substantively: to give her the avaunt = to send her away

Axwaddle

n 1: lazy person, as in, "Arise, thou axwaddle! There is much work to be done!"

Ay, also spelled, Aye (pronounced "eye")

adv 1: yes, as in, "Is this not true? Ay, sir, it is." 2: also used to add emphasis, "every inch of woman in the world, ay, every dram of woman's flesh is false"

B

Baconbrains

fat head

Bandy

give and take, to fight

Bane

cause of death

Bardlet or Bardling

bad or false poet

Bare-bone

lean person

Base

low, lowly born

Baubling

trifling, no account

Baudstrot

one with a sexy walk

Bawcock

fine lusty man

Beauteous

beautiful

Bedlam

madhouse, madness

Bedswerver

adulterer or adulteress

Befall

become of

Beef-witted

brainless as an ox

Beetle-headed

stupid

Befortune

happen to

Beggary

meanness

Belswager

swaggering bully, a pimp

Bemadding

maddening

Betimes

quickly, soon

Betumbled

disordered

Beslubber

smear, or daub

Bespeak

speak to, address

Blowen

wench

Blowze

beggar's wench

Blubbered

swolen by weeping

Blushet

shy maiden

Boggard, Bogshop, Boggish

all terms for the John, Ajax, or Jakes

Bonoroba

"good robe," showy wench, wanton

Brache

female dog as in "Thou art a son of a brache."

C

Candlewaster

fool. One who wasted candles by reading late at night without gain.

Caper

leap or frisk about

Carouse

make merry, revel

Carriwithet

bad pun

Catharan

puritan who constantly boasted of his purity

Certes

for sure, definitely

Chapman

itinerant peddler, a carnie or boothie

Chatmate

close friend

Clew

rope

Clodpate

blockhead

Clumperton

silly fellow

Constable

local law official

Cony

rabbit, also an intimate term for a woman's private parts

Cony Catcher

con artist

Countenance

a face, a facial expression

Cousin; coz'

close friend

Cozen

cheat, con

Cozener

cheater, con artist

Crack Halter

rogue or gallows bird. One who will someday crack the halter by which he is being hanged. Aslo, "Crack Rope."

Cupshot, Cupshotten

drunk, or "In his cups."

Cutpurse

theif, pickpocket

D

Daft

stupid

Divers

various

Doxy

wench, mistress

Drayer

cart driver

Drossel

slut

Drumble

inert, sluggish fellow

E

Enow

enough

Ere

before

F

Farthing

1/4 penny coin

Flag Fallen

unemployed, usually an actor

Flibbertigibbet

woman who is prone to gossip, or is frivilous

G

Gaffer

old man, grandfather

Gammer

old woman, grandmother

Giglot

wanton woman, or unusually destitute man

Gixy

lively lass, or wench

Gned

miserly

Goatish

lustful, lascivious

Good-faced

pretty, handsome

Gor-bellied

fat paunched

Great-bellied

very pregnant

Grief-shot

stricken with sorrow

Grimalkin

cat

Gripe

grasp painfully

Groat

4 penny coin

Groom

male servant

Groundling

uncultured person

Growtnoll

blockhead

Gruntle

snout of a pig, disrespectfully - a person's face

Gull

dupe or fool

H

Hag-seed

hag's offspring

Halloo

shout or holler

Harlot

rougue, rascal, knave (male or female

Haskard

man of low degree

Haviour

behavior, manner

Headbourough

parish constable

Hearken

listen, seek

hedge-born

of low birth

Hedgepriest

illiterate priest, contemptuous term

Heigh-ho

joyful exclamation

Helding

useless man

Here-approach

arrival

Hindermate

spouse who is a hindrance

History

tale, story

over here

Hodge-pudding

made from many things

Holar

fornicator

Hurly-burly

commotion, tumult

I

Idle-headed

silly, crazy

Impiteous

pitiless

Indrenched

immersed, drowned

Infectious

diseased

Infirmity

illness, disease

Iron-witted

harsh, unfeeling

Issue

outcome, product

J

Jack-an-apes

ape-ish person

Jakes

privy (toilet)

Jarvel

rascal

Jest

joke, prank

Justice

judge

K

Kayleigh

(n.)party

Kicksy wicky

wife, lower class slang

Killcow

swashbuckler, a person who thinks he's important

Knave

lowly male servant

Knavery

roguish tricks

Knotty-pated

thick-headed

L

Laborsome

laborious, elaborate

Lading

cargo

Lag-end

latter part

Land-damn

berate sharply

Lavender

washerwoman

Lean-witted

poor in intelect

Leaping house

brothel

Leechcraft

the art of healing

Lightskirt

woman of easy virtue

M

Maiden; maid

a girl; virgin

Make-peace

a peace maker

Malmsey

a strong sweet wine

Mayhap

maybe or could be

Meet

proper, fitting

Meetly

fairly good

Melancholy

depressed

Mercer

dealer in textiles

Merry

pleasant, funny

Meschant

wicked, wretched, a wretch, a villain

Milky

timid and weak

Minimus

tiny or insignificant creature

Mirth

fun, merriment

Mislike

dislike, aversion

Monger

peddler, dealer

Moonling

simpleton

Mountebank

itinerant quack

Mousehunt

woman-chaser, a wolf

Mumblecrust

toothless person, a beggar

Mumble-news

tale bearer, gossip

Mystery

secret; craft, skill

N

Narrow-prying

closely watching

Naughty

wicked, worthless

Nay

no

Neighbored

closely associated

New

recently, lately

O

Ob

ha'penny (1/2 penny)

Onion-eyed

tearful, weepy

Ort

scrap of food

Otherwhere

elsewhere

Outbrag

exceed in virtue

Outbrave

surpass in valor

Outfacing

bold, swaggering

Outsleep

sleep past a time

Outsport

revel more than

P

Parnel

priest's mistress, wanton woman

Partlet

hen, a woman

Past-proportion

beyond measure

Patch

fool, dolt

Pathetical

pathetic, moving

Peagoos

simpleton, a ninny

Pennyworth

small amount

Perchance

maybe, possibly

Perforce

by necessity or force

Physic

medicine, cure

Piepowder

itinerant or a traveling peddler

Pigeon-livered

meek, gentle

Pillicock

man's private parts

Pissing-while

a very short time

Pitchy

very dark

Pizzle

penis of an animal as in "Thou bull's pizzle!"

Ploughman

farmer

Plumpy

plump

Poesy

Poesy

poetry, a poem

Popinjay

one who dresses gaudy

Prating

babbling

Pray

please, or to ask as in "Pray pardon!"

Prithee

please, Lit. "I pray thee."

Prive

prove

Privy

water closet, see also "Ajax"

Punk

prostitute, a harlot

Q

Quick

living, alive

Quicken

make alive, or make lively

R

Ragman

devil

Rogue

dishonest rascal

Roister

revel wildly

Rudesby

rude person

S

Scold

noisy, arguing person

Shamefaced

ashamed

Shilling

12 penny coin

Simpkin

simpleton

Small beer

inferior beer; persons or matters of no importance

Smellfeast

parasite, moucher

Smite

strike, hit

Smith

metalworker

Sodiares

armed men in any group

Somewhen

at an indefinite time

Soother

flatterer, yes-man

Spado

eunuch

Spintry

male, homosexual prostitute

Starve lackey

miserly pretentious gallant

Stone

unit of 14 lbs. weight

Swag

big blustering man

T

Tapster

keeper of an ale house

Tassel

noble gentleman

Tester

6 penny coin

Thick-eared

unwilling to listen

Thither

over there

Thruppence

3 pence

Tod

fox, crafty person

Tosspot

alcoholic person

Trencherman

hearty eater

Trittle trattle

idle talk, gossip

Tryfuller

liar

Tuppence

2 pence

Twigger

prolific breeder, a lascivious person

U

Uglisome

ugly

Uttermost

farthest

V

Verily

truly

W

Wanton

playfully wild, someone who is playfully wild

Wherefore

to what end? why?

Whither

to whatever place

Worthy

valuable person

X

Y

Yaud

old worn out mare, a strumpet

Yaudson

son of a whore

Yea

yes

Yon

over there

Z

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