{"id":4717,"date":"2018-04-04T03:34:24","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T03:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/?p=4717"},"modified":"2018-04-04T03:36:13","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T03:36:13","slug":"10-old-english-swear-words-that-should-make-a-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/10-old-english-swear-words-that-should-make-a-comeback\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Old English Swear Words that Should Make a Comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

We may pretend to not use swear words (or even know any) when around Grandma and Grandpa, but these types of words and phrases probably form a bigger part of your daily language than you realise. But, as shocking as it may sound, Granny probably once swore too, and perhaps even with different swear words! There\u2019s a lot of interesting facts about swear words,\u00a0but nothing is quite as fascinating as looking back at the swear words of yore. Read on to discover 8 fantastic English swear words that, I think we can all agree, should definitely make a huge comeback to our daily lexicons!<\/p>\n

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Photo via Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

1. Death\u2019s head upon a mop-stick<\/b><\/p>\n

Okay, I nearly snorted coffee through my nose just reading this phrase. The definition is actually pretty accurate to the phrase itself, and let me explain why: d<\/em>eath\u2019s head upon a mop-stick <\/i>was used to refer to someone who is emaciated, too thin and, in general, miserable. Imagine a gaunt face on a mop-stick thin body and you\u2019ve got a d<\/em>eath\u2019s head upon a mop-stick.<\/i><\/p>\n

2. Duke of limbs<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty hard to obtain a royal title in the U.K. (unless you\u2019re as awesome as Ian McKellen<\/a> or Elton John<\/a>), but in this case all you need to do to become a Duke of limbs <\/i>is to be a tall, awkward individual with limbs for miles. I knew being gangly would come in handy one day.<\/p>\n

3. Blowse\/Blowsbella<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re constantly running out of the house with your hair all askew, leaving your phone forgotten on the kitchen table, and forgetting your keys, you might be a blowse <\/i>or a blowsbella. <\/i>In Ye Olde England a blowse <\/i>actually referred almost solely to an unkempt woman, but I think in our modern times we can apply it to anyone!<\/p>\n

4. Thingumbob<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve heard the word thingamajiggy, <\/i>or use it to refer to something whose name you can\u2019t recall, then you may be assuming that thingumbob <\/i>meant something similar back in the day. Actually, thingumbob <\/i>is a little more vulgar than that as it can be used to refer to a man\u2019s testicles, or as a vulgar way to reference someone when you don\u2019t know their name. Now that I\u2019ve learned that, I may start rethinking using thingamajiggy <\/i>too.<\/p>\n

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Photo via Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

5. Addle Pate<\/b><\/p>\n

Next time you meet someone for whom the word jerk<\/i> just seems too nice, try calling them an addle pate. <\/i>This phrase refers to a person who is inconsiderate and foolish. Feel free to cackle evilly when you see a look of confusion cross their face at the strange new phrase you\u2019re calling them.<\/p>\n

6. Villain, I have done thy mother<\/b><\/p>\n

Apparently \u2018your mama\u2019 jokes and insults were just as popular in old England as they are now. Why we always have to drag our poor mothers into everything is beyond me, but this would be a pretty harsh insult which I\u2019m sure you can guess the meaning of. On that note, this should remind you to call your mom to tell her you love her!<\/p>\n

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Photo via Flickr<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

7. Whiffle-whaffle<\/b><\/p>\n

If you were to travel back to 16th century Britain you might hear this phrase used to refer to someone who is a time-waster. Of course, if you use whiffle-whaffle <\/i>these days you\u2019ll probably just make people hungry for waffles, but it\u2019s still fun to say anyway.<\/p>\n

8. Jelly-belly<\/b><\/p>\n

In Victorian England people were rumoured to consume many more calories on a daily basis than we do today. Despite this, and due to being more active, working class people still stayed pretty trim and obesity was rare. For this reason, jelly-belly <\/i>was reserved primarily for the upper class, like dukes, aristocrats, and royalty. If you hung out with the likes of these, you\u2019d probably see more than one jelly-belly <\/i>at your standard upper class dinner table.<\/p>\n

9. Fussock<\/b><\/p>\n

They sure didn\u2019t go easy on the female-themed insults back in the day, and this is another one that is aimed as an insult to women. Basically, a fussock <\/i>is a woman who is fat or lazy, or just a scruffy-looking old lady. Maybe it\u2019s better to leave this one to the history books.<\/p>\n

10. Saddle-goose<\/b><\/p>\n

Have you ever tried saddling a goose? Probably not because this sounds absolutely ridiculous! That\u2019s the point of this insulting phrase though, because it means fool. <\/i>As in, only a saddle-goose <\/i>would be foolish enough to attempt something as silly as saddling a goose.<\/p>\n

Which are your favourite\u00a0old swear words? Which ones do you think should make a comeback?<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We may pretend to not use swear words (or even know any) when around Grandma and Grandpa, but these types of words and phrases probably form a bigger part of your daily language than you realise. But, as shocking as it may sound, Granny probably once swore too, and perhaps even with different swear words!(\u2026)<\/p>\n

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\n\t \t\t\t\tCONTINUE READING »<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":4721,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[820,823,822,59,825,690,178,532,819,824,821],"class_list":["post-4717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning","tag-cursing","tag-cuss-words","tag-cussing","tag-english","tag-etymology","tag-language-change","tag-language-evolution","tag-old-english","tag-profanity","tag-swear-words","tag-swearing"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Old English Swear Words that Should Make a Comeback<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join us for a walk through the swear words of yesteryear and discover 8 fantastic English swear words that should definitely make a comeback to our lexicons!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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