Under the tutelage of the esteemed Mr Grose, Behind The Past has once again delved into the murky depths of the Buckish world. This time focussng on slang which relates to food, we have compiled here a list of some sure-fire success-making words, to aid you in ingratiating yourself with your fellows Bucks.

• Adam’s Ale – Water
• Alderman – Roast turkey with sausages
• Aqua Pumpaginis – Pump water
• Beef – To raise/shout an alarm
• Bread – Employment
• Bread Basket – The stomach
• Cackler – A hen
• Cackling Farts – Eggs
• Caffan – Cheese
• Chatter Broth – Tea
• Duck Legs – Short legs
• Field Land Duck – A baked sheep’s head
• Kettle of fish – to make a mess of something
• Mower – A cow
• Muffling Cheat – a napkin
• Porridge – I.e. To keep one’s breath to cool one’s porridge
• Slop – Tea
• Slush Bucket – A person who eats a lot a greasy, fatty foods.

So, let us now put our new words and phrases into practice…

• “I’ll have some cackling farts for breakfast, please.”
• “I need to refill my bread basket.”
• “He’s making a kettle of fish of that pie. Someone should give him a muffling cheat.”
• “There’s nothing quite like a good cup of slop.”

If you haven’t already, you can also take a look our other lessons on Buckish slang here and here, or some of the best Regency phrases and expressions.

References

‘A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence (and now considerably altered and enlarged, with the modern changes and improvements, by a member of the whip club)’, London, C. Chapel, 1811 [1785].