The Victorians are often imagined as stuffy, formal, and linguistically restrained. Nothing could be further from the truth. Victorian Britain, particularly its working classes, produced some of the most creative, colorful, and expressive slang in English history. Much of it has vanished, replaced by modern equivalents or simply forgotten. But many Victorian terms are too good to leave in the past. Here are Victorian slang words that deserve revival—terms that could enrich contemporary speech if we’d only bring them back.
Expressions of Appreciation
“Bully!”
Meaning: Excellent, wonderful, first-rate. Used as an exclamation of approval.
Why it deserves comeback: Modern English has “awesome,” “amazing,” and “brilliant,” but “Bully!” has a punch that none of them match. Imagine responding to good news with an enthusiastic “Bully!” It’s surprising, distinctive, and genuinely expressive.
“Topping”
Meaning: Excellent, superb, wonderful.
Why it deserves comeback: “That’s absolutely topping!” has a cheerful energy that “great” or “excellent” lack. The word survives in “topping” as best-quality but lost its standalone exclamatory use.
“Corking”
Meaning: Excellent, first-rate.
Why it deserves comeback: “A corking good time” suggests champagne celebration—something that “really good” doesn’t capture.
Descriptions of People
“Mutton Shunter”
Meaning: A police officer.
Why it deserves comeback: Modern slang has “copper,” “bobby,” “filth,” and various crude terms. “Mutton shunter” is distinctive and mysterious—why mutton? What’s being shunted? It demands explanation and conversation.
“Gigglemug”
Meaning: Someone who is always smiling, a habitually cheerful person.
Why it deserves comeback: We have no good word for this. “Happy person” is bland. “Always smiling” is a phrase, not a word. “Gigglemug” captures a specific type perfectly—you can picture them immediately.
“Afternoonified”
Meaning: Smart, cultured, having refined tastes. Someone who takes afternoon tea properly.
Why it deserves comeback: It perfectly describes a type of person—elegant, leisured, slightly pretentious perhaps—in one distinctive word.
“Daddles”
Meaning: Hands.
Why it deserves comeback: “Get your daddles off that” sounds playful rather than aggressive. It’s a friendly word for an everyday body part.
“Cupboard Love”
Meaning: Affection shown toward someone to get something from them, particularly food.
Why it survives partially: The phrase exists but isn’t common. It perfectly describes children (and pets) who suddenly become affectionate around dinner time.
Expressions of Disapproval
“Sauce-Box”
Meaning: Someone who is impudent, cheeky, or disrespectful.
Why it deserves comeback: Calling someone a “sauce-box” acknowledges their cheekiness without being cruel. It’s almost affectionate in its disapproval.
“Gal-Sneaker”
Meaning: A man who devotes himself to seducing women.
Why it deserves comeback: Modern equivalents are either clinical (womanizer), crude, or American (player). “Gal-sneaker” has old-fashioned charm while being clearly disapproving.
“Mind the Grease”
Meaning: Excuse me, let me pass, make way.
Why it deserves comeback: More interesting than “excuse me.” It implies urgency and importance—something greasy and potentially ruinous is coming through.
States of Being
“Arfarfan’arf”
Meaning: Drunk. (From the half-pints of beer consumed.)
Why it deserves comeback: The Victorians had hundreds of words for drunk. This one is my favorite—it sounds like drunk speech itself, slightly incomprehensible and repetitive.
“Podsnappery”
Meaning: Willful, self-satisfied ignorance; British insularity; refusal to acknowledge unpleasant truths.
Why it deserves comeback: From Dickens’ “Our Mutual Friend,” this describes a particularly British form of denial. We need this word; it describes a common attitude with no good modern equivalent.
“Morbs”
Meaning: Temporary melancholy, feeling down.
Why it deserves comeback: “I’ve got the morbs” is more evocative than “I’m feeling a bit down.” It acknowledges the mood without making it too serious.
“Dizzy Age”
Meaning: The elderly; old age.
Why it deserves comeback: A gentler, more humorous way to refer to aging than our clinical terms.
“Got the Mulligrubs”
Meaning: Feeling down, depressed, or having intestinal distress.
Why it deserves comeback: “I’ve got the mulligrubs” acknowledges malaise without wallowing. The silly word lightens the mood.
Social Situations
“Bags O’ Mystery”
Meaning: Sausages (because you never knew what was in them).
Why it deserves comeback: This is more honest than “sausages.” Victorian sausages were notoriously dubious; the name acknowledged this cheerfully.
“Bricky”
Meaning: A brave or fearless person.
Why it deserves comeback: “She’s a bricky” is more interesting than “she’s brave.” It suggests solidity, reliability, the dependability of bricks.
“Parish Pick-Axe”
Meaning: A prominent nose.
Why it deserves comeback: It’s cruel but creative. Every era mocks physical features; the Victorians at least did it with verbal flair.
“Suggestionize”
Meaning: To prompt or lead someone toward an idea.
Why it deserves comeback: We have “suggest,” but “suggestionize” implies more manipulation—making someone think an idea is their own.
Work and Money
“Fly Rink”
Meaning: A glossy silk hat (where flies would land and slide off).
Why it deserves comeback: The image is perfect. You understand immediately. Modern slang rarely achieves this visual precision.
“Nanty Narking”
Meaning: Great fun, particularly good entertainment.
Why it deserves comeback: “That party was nanty narking!” No one would know what you meant, but they’d want to.
“Orf Chump”
Meaning: Unwell, not feeling oneself.
Why it deserves comeback: Less clinical than “feeling unwell,” more specific than “under the weather.” You’re off your chump—not functioning as you should.
“Skilamalink”
Meaning: Secret, clandestine, underhand.
Why it deserves comeback: Any word with this many syllables and this much mystery deserves continued use. “Something skilamalink is going on.”
How to Revive Victorian Slang
Using these words requires some courage:
Start with friends: Introduce terms in casual conversation where confusion will produce amusement rather than awkwardness.
Explain when asked: Victorian slang provides great conversation starters. “What does ‘gigglemug’ mean?” opens delightful discussions.
Use consistently: A word you use once is a curiosity. A word you use regularly becomes part of your vocabulary, and possibly others’.
Social media: Platforms reward distinctive language. Victorian slang stands out.
Writing: Creative writers, bloggers, and novelists can introduce Victorian terms to readers.
Why Victorian Slang Was Special
The Victorians produced exceptional slang for several reasons:
Massive urbanization: Cities crammed people together, accelerating slang creation and spread.
Class stratification: Each class developed its own vocabulary, creating linguistic diversity.
Literacy growth: More people could read and write, recording slang that might otherwise vanish.
Moral contrast: Victorian public morality coexisted with huge private vice, creating rich vocabulary for transgression.
Imperial reach: Contact with languages worldwide influenced British slang.
Conclusion
Victorian slang wasn’t just colorful—it was often more precise, more evocative, and more fun than what replaced it. A “gigglemug” is more specific than “happy person.” “Arfarfan’arf” captures drunkenness better than “wasted.” “Podsnappery” describes an attitude we need to name.
Language evolves, and old words die. But revival is possible. Gay recovered its original meaning of “happy” in some contexts. “Awesome” shifted from religious awe to casual approval. Words can change direction.
So next time something wonderful happens, try “Bully!” When someone’s annoyingly cheerful, call them a gigglemug. If you’re feeling melancholy, announce you’ve got the morbs.
Victorian slang is too good to stay in the past. Let’s bring it back.
