Search results for tag #literature
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Black Achilles
The Greeks didn’t have modern ideas of race. Did they see themselves as white, black – or as something else altogether?
by Tim Whitmarsh
Books about Achilles at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=achilles
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Ajax carries off the body of Achilles, Attic black-figure lekythos from Sicily, c. 510 BCE (Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich).
A terracotta amphora fragment showing two helmeted warriors in black-figure style carrying the body of a fallen soldier. Large round shields decorated with serpent motifs dominate the scene.
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TO CROW. To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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TO CROW. To brag, boast, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in subjection: an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquished enemy. To strut like a crow in a gutter; to walk proudly, or with an air of consequence.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
GOBBLER. A turkey cock.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GOBBLER. A turkey cock.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
How JD Salinger’s Experience of WWII Suffused All of His Writing, Even Catcher in the Rye
Jasper Craven Explores the Role of War in Influencing American Literary Masculinity
Books about American fiction -- 20th century at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/5104
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Portrait of American author J. D. Salinger photographed by Lotte at Atelier Jacobi in New York City, October 11, 1950 (source: Fine Books & Collections). The photo was used as an author portrait on the first-edition dust jacket of Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. It was removed from subsequent editions of the novel at the author's request.
This is a black-and-white photograph of J.D. Salinger, shown with dark slicked-back hair, wearing a tweed jacket, white collared shirt, and tie, with a slight, subtle smile.
GAMON AND PATTER. Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GAMON AND PATTER. Common place talk of any profession; as the gamon and patter of a horse-dealer, sailor, &c.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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HERE AND THEREIAN. One who has no settled place of residence.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Kafka's Screwball Tragedy: Investigations of a Philosophical Dog
"Investigations of a Dog" is a funny and deeply philosophical tale of a lone, maladjusted dog who defies scientific dogma and pioneers an original research program in pursuit of the mysteries of his self and his world.
By: Aaron Schuster (from the archives)
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/kafkas-screwball-tragedy-investigations-of-a-philosophical-dog/
Books by Kafka at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1735
#books #literature #literaryCriticism
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Albrecht Dürer, "A greyhound," 1501.
A detailed pen-and-ink sketch showing a slender greyhound in profile, head raised alertly.
HUMP. To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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HUMP. To hump; once a fashionable word for copulation.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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"A bumper crop of new kids’ #books about the #HighHolidays is hitting shelves in 2026, surprising close observers of #Jewish children’s #literature.
“It is unusual for multiple #Sukkot books to be #published in the same year, especially of consistently high quality. It’s very exciting,” said #HeidiRabinowitz, a Jewish #librarian and host of the #Book of Life #podcast, which describes itself as “a podcast about Jewish #kidlit (mostly).”
#Rabinowitz noted with appreciation that one of the books was coming from a mainstream secular press, rather than from the smaller boutique presses that tend to release books about Jewish holidays.
She offered a possible explanation for the surging interest in the harvest holiday in particular: “Sukkot is family- and environmentally friendly, and I think that is a big part of its appeal.”
But the new books showcase a wide range of Jewish traditions and values..."
TO HUFF. To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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TO HUFF. To reprove, or scold at any one; also to bluster, bounce, ding, or swagger. A captain huff; a noted bully. To stand the huff; to be answerable for the reckoning in a public house.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Science, religion, and political omens: the meaning of eclipses in ancient Rome
by Javier Andreu Pintado
Romans could predict eclipses, but still interpreted them as signs from the gods.
Books about eclipses (next eclipse will take place on August 12) at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=eclipses
#books #literature #astronomy #history
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Two philosophers watching an eclipse, etching by Pierre Brébiette.
It is showing two robed, bearded figures gesturing dramatically toward the sky where a solar eclipse is depicted, with an armillary sphere at their feet and classical architecture in the background. The Latin inscription reads "Aut Deus naturae patitur, aut mundi machina dissoluetur" ("Either God suffers in nature, or the machine of the world will be dissolved").
MAGGOTTY. Whimsical, capricious.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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MAGGOTTY. Whimsical, capricious.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
HORN COLIC. A temporary priapism.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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HORN COLIC. A temporary priapism.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
9 Supernatural Creatures in the Works of Oscar Wilde
Mermaids, giants, and witches are some of the supernatural characters readers encounter in the words of the brilliant writer Oscar Wilde.
https://www.thecollector.com/supernatural-creatures-oscar-wilde/
Wilde at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/111
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This photograph of Oscar Wilde in a dramatic pose, taken by Napoleon Sarony around 1882, shows him standing and facing slightly to the left. Wilde has medium-length wavy hair and wears a wide-brimmed fedora-style hat. He has a large dark cape over his shoulders and a light-colored cravat or neck scarf tied in a big bow. His right hand is lifted near his chest, holding the cape in place.
Who were the Luddites? Their legacy ripples through politics, cultural commentary and literature
by Brian Lewis
Books about Luddites at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=Luddites
#books #literature #IndustrialRevolution
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Ned is questioned by the justices.
Title: Through the Fray: A Tale of the Luddite Riots
Author: G. A. Henty
It is showing a young man standing before a table where several older, formally dressed men are seated, questioning him in what appears to be a courtroom or inquiry scene.
How storytelling can help us grasp climate change
As glaciers melt, a writer considers what stories can do that data cannot
by Adam Loften, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
More information about Vatnajökull:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatnaj%C3%B6kull
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Ascending Icy Mountains.
Title: Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899
a narrative of the voyage of the "Belgica" among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the south pole
Author: Frederick Albert Cook
A photograph showing polar expedition members in heavy fur-lined coats, gathered in deep snow with sledges and equipment, including what appears to be snowshoes on a stand.
VALENTINE. The first woman seen by a man, or man seen by a woman, on St. Valentine's day, the 14th of February, when it is said every bird chuses his mate for the ensuing year.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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VALENTINE. The first woman seen by a man, or man seen by a woman, on St. Valentine's day, the 14th of February, when it is said every bird chuses his mate for the ensuing year.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CURE ARSE. A dyachilon plaister, applied to the parts galled by riding.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CURE ARSE. A dyachilon plaister, applied to the parts galled by riding.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air."
Witches, Scene I
This Week in Literary History: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is Performed for the First Time (Probably)
Toil and Trouble
Macbeth by William Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1533
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The title page of Macbeth, printed in the Second Folio of 1632.
It is showing the opening scenes with the three witches and King Duncan receiving news of battle, printed in early modern typography with decorative header ornamentation, on page 151.
The Case for Aesthetic Education
Why Friedrich Schiller believed art belongs at the heart of education—and why it matters for equal opportunity today.
By: Marco Elvis Joven Domínguez
https://daily.jstor.org/the-case-for-aesthetic-education/
Books by Friedrich Schiller at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/289
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Still Life with Apples by Paul Cézanne.
A green ceramic jar, a wine bottle wrapped in wicker, a wicker-wrapped jug, a small floral-patterned sugar bowl, and a bowl of red and yellow apples, all arranged on a table draped with a patterned blue cloth and white fabric.
BLIND HARPERS. Beggars counterfeiting blindness, playing on fiddles, &c.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BLIND HARPERS. Beggars counterfeiting blindness, playing on fiddles, &c.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
DUMMEE. A pocket book. A dummee hunter. A pick-pocket, who lurks about to steal pocket books out of gentlemen's pockets. Frisk the dummee of the screens; take all the bank notes out of the pocket book.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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DUMMEE. A pocket book. A dummee hunter. A pick-pocket, who lurks about to steal pocket books out of gentlemen's pockets. Frisk the dummee of the screens; take all the bank notes out of the pocket book.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
“Funes the Memorious" and Other Cases of Extraordinary Memory
In Jorge Luis Borges's story of barely 12 pages, the celebrated writer plays with the infinite in a context of vast labyrinths of memory and the consequences of having an unlimited capacity to remember.
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/borges-memory-funes-the-memorious/
Books by Pliny, the Elder at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/50041
#books #literature #neuroscience
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Title page of the first volume of a 1669 edition of Pliny’s “Naturalis historia.”
It includes commentary by various classical scholars and features an ornate printer's emblem with an eagle in the center, surrounded by decorative floral engravings.
POT-WABBLERS. Persons entitled to vote for members of parliament in certain boroughs, from having boiled their pots therein. These boroughs are called pot-wabbling boroughs.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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POT-WABBLERS. Persons entitled to vote for members of parliament in certain boroughs, from having boiled their pots therein. These boroughs are called pot-wabbling boroughs.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.
[18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]
#FollowFriday #books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #crime #language #slang #18thCentury
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Montage of dictionary items posted by this account
MUMMER. The mouth.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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MUMMER. The mouth.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
How Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” Defined Old English Literature
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales have come to define Old English literature and offer a unique window into life in medieval England.
https://www.thecollector.com/chaucer-canterbury-tales/
Chaucer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=+The+Canterbury+Tales
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Walter Appleton Clark created this illustration in 1904 for Percy MacKaye’s modern version of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The image shows a group of medieval pilgrims riding together on horseback. In the center, a heavy-set pilgrim wears a thick purple hooded habit with white trim and rides a large brown horse. To his right, a woman in a dark hat and a white wimple over a mauve dress rides alongside him. Next to her, a broad-faced man in dark clothes looks her way. On the left edge, someone in a bright yellow tunic and a large blue headwrap looks ahead. On the far right, a monk or friar rides with another companion.
GOLD DROPPERS. Who drop a piece of gold, which they pick up in the presence of some unexperienced person, this they pretend to have found, and they invite him to a public house to partake of it: when there, comrades drop in, and propose cards, or some other game.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GOLD DROPPERS. Who drop a piece of gold, which they pick up in the presence of some unexperienced person, this they pretend to have found, and they invite him to a public house to partake of it: when there, comrades drop in, and propose cards, or some other game.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
SNOOZING KEN. A brothel. The swell was spiced in a snoozing ken of his screens; the gentleman was robbed of his bank notes in a brothel.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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SNOOZING KEN. A brothel. The swell was spiced in a snoozing ken of his screens; the gentleman was robbed of his bank notes in a brothel.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Ernest Hemingway’s Personal Library Contained Thousands of Books—Here Are Some of the Authors
From Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf, these are just a few of the legendary writers that lined Hemingway's bookshelves.
All of these authors are at PG:
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This photo shows Ernest Hemingway in 1950. He appears older, with short gray hair and a white beard and mustache. A curved scar or scratch is visible on his forehead. He is dressed in a dark shirt and a burgundy vest or jacket.
Jules Verne’s Empty Dream of Spaceflight
In “From the Earth to the Moon,” scientific advancement is treated as destiny — but no one quite asks why.
By: Malka Older
https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/jules-vernes-empty-dream-of-spaceflight/
From the Earth to the Moon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/83
#books #literature #ScienceFiction
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An original illustration by Henri de Montaut from the 1868 edition of Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon."
Illustration depicting a segmented, cylindrical spacecraft/projectile traveling through starry space toward the Moon, which looms large in the upper left with detailed craters visible.
Marvelous Marbled Paper
What is marbling? Marbling involves floating paints or pigments on a liquid bath and moving the paint around to create designs before laying down paper to pick up the patterns.
by Allison Rein
#books #literature #MarbledMonday
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Endpaper from a book published in Scotland in 1842. Encyclopedia Britannica 7th edition.
A traditional marbled paper, featuring swirling patterns of red, gold, dark green, and blue-gray with white speckled dots throughout, created using the technique of floating colored inks/paints on water and transferring the pattern to paper.
RING. A circle formed for boxers, wrestlers, and cudgel-players, by a man styled Vinegar; who goes round the circle, striking at random with his whip to prevent the populace from crowding in.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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RING. A circle formed for boxers, wrestlers, and cudgel-players, by a man styled Vinegar; who goes round the circle, striking at random with his whip to prevent the populace from crowding in.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CRANK. Gin and water; also, brisk, pert.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CRANK. Gin and water; also, brisk, pert.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
5 Timeless Historical Fiction Books to Read After the ‘Odyssey’
These classic tales of fictionalized history are able to stand the test of time.
"A Tale of Two Cities"
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/98
"Les Misérables"
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/135
"War and Peace"
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600
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This illustration by François-Louis Schmied was created for Homer's "Odyssey." It shows Odysseus meeting the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa on the shore of Scheria. Odysseus is naked and kneeling, holding an olive branch in his right hand and raising his left hand. Nausicaa stands in the center with a tall staff or walking spear. She appears unafraid of Odysseus, while three of her maids stand close behind her.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Blue House in Coyoacán Was a Refuge for Leon Trotsky... Until It Wasn‘t
H. Keith Melton and Nigel West on Trotsky and Kahlo‘s Simmering Affair Amidst Political Turmoil
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Kahlo with husband Diego Rivera in 1932
by Carl Van Vechten
Kahlo is shown wearing a chunky beaded necklace and traditional-style dress, while Rivera stands beside her smiling, dressed in a dark suit.
Beatrix Potter's 160 years of Lake District legacy
For many readers, Beatrix Potter's classic children's books provide their very first introduction to this iconic landscape. Marking 160 years since her birth, her enduring legacy in her beloved Cumbria continues to be celebrated.
by Federica Bedendo, Mike Zeller, and Joshua Steer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk52ln0k87o
Books by Beatrix Potter at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/292
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Beatrix Potter in 1913.
This is a photograph of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, shown standing outside near a stone doorway and window, dressed in a long dark skirt, jacket, and holding a wide-brimmed hat in her hands.
BEVER. An afternoon's luncheon; also a fine hat; beaver's fur making the best hats.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BEVER. An afternoon's luncheon; also a fine hat; beaver's fur making the best hats.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BEGGAR MAKER. A publican, or ale-house keeper.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BEGGAR MAKER. A publican, or ale-house keeper.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CHIMNEY CHOPS. An abusive appellation for a negro.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CHIMNEY CHOPS. An abusive appellation for a negro.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
GRINAGOG, THE CAT'S UNCLE. A foolish grinning fellow, one who grins without reason.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GRINAGOG, THE CAT'S UNCLE. A foolish grinning fellow, one who grins without reason.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
GO, THE. The dash. The mode. He is quite the go, he is quite varment, he is prime, he is bang up, are synonimous expressions.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GO, THE. The dash. The mode. He is quite the go, he is quite varment, he is prime, he is bang up, are synonimous expressions.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
FINGER IN EYE. To put finger in eye; to weep: commonly applied to women. The more you cry the less you'll p-ss; a consolatory speech used by sailors to their doxies. It is as great a pity to see a woman cry, as to see a goose walk barefoot; another of the same kind.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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FINGER IN EYE. To put finger in eye; to weep: commonly applied to women. The more you cry the less you'll p-ss; a consolatory speech used by sailors to their doxies. It is as great a pity to see a woman cry, as to see a goose walk barefoot; another of the same kind.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
How Shakespeare and his contemporaries used music to rouse emotions
by Shirley Bell
Shakespeare used music in a multitude of ways to delight, amuse, relax, confuse and frighten his audiences.
Books by Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/65
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The Chandos portrait, likely depicting Shakespeare, c. 1611
It shows Shakespeare with a receding hairline, dark curly hair, a gold hoop earring, mustache and small beard, wearing a black doublet with a white collar against a dark background.
DNA and Archeological Research Reveal the Overlooked History of Japan’s Women Warriors
By Sage Helene
Books about Japanese fiction at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/36794
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"Hangakujo". The female warrior samurai Hangaku Gozen by Yoshitoshi (1839-1892). From the series "Yoshitoshi mushaburui: A series of warriors by Yoshitoshi." Published in "The Floating world of Ukiyo-e," essays by Sandy Kita, New York, 2001, no. 72, p. 135. Exhibited at "The Floating world of Ukiyo-e: shadows, dreams and substances," organized by the Library of Congress, 2001.
A woodblock print depicting an onna-musha (female samurai warrior) mounted on a rearing white horse. She wears red and black lacquered armor with a quiver of arrows on her back, and holds a bow.
BULLY. A cowardly fellow, who gives himself airs of great bravery. A bully huff cap; a hector. See HECTOR.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BULLY. A cowardly fellow, who gives himself airs of great bravery. A bully huff cap; a hector. See HECTOR.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CUR. A cut or curtailed dog. According to the forest laws, a man who had no right to the privilege of the chase, was obliged to cut or law his dog: among other modes of disabling him, one was by depriving him of his tail: a dog so cut was called a cut or curtailed dog.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CUR. A cut or curtailed dog. According to the forest laws, a man who had no right to the privilege of the chase, was obliged to cut or law his dog: among other modes of disabling him, one was by depriving him of his tail: a dog so cut was called a cut or curtailed dog.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
The 32 Most Iconic Poems in the English Language
Plus Some Bonus Poems, Because We Love You
by Emily Temple (from the archives)
Books in Poetry at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/637
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Title: Poetry of the Supernatural
Author: Various
A black-and-white pen-and-ink illustration, showing two robed, ghostly or tree-spirit-like figures standing among gnarled trees in a dark forest.
FAM LAY. Going into a goldsmith's shop, under pretence of buying a wedding ring, and palming one or two, by daubing the hand with some viscous matter.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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FAM LAY. Going into a goldsmith's shop, under pretence of buying a wedding ring, and palming one or two, by daubing the hand with some viscous matter.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.
[18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]
#FollowFriday #books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #crime #language #slang #18thCentury
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Montage of dictionary items posted by this account
TO LEAK. To make water.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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TO LEAK. To make water.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Beatrix Potter was obsessed with fungi – and she was quite the naturalist
by Joni Wildman
Her illustrations remain beautiful works of art, but they also show how the best natural history drawings make us notice things we might otherwise miss.
Books by Beatrix Potter at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/292
#books #literature #bookillustration
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Title: The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
Author: Beatrix Potter
Illustration showing an anthropomorphic mouse dressed in a pink-and-white striped garment, peeking out from a small doorway surrounded by round green leaves (like nasturtiums).
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Title: The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Author: Beatrix Potter
Illustration showing a small brown field mouse standing upright, nibbling on a bit of foliage beside a large ripe strawberry that appears sliced open, with more strawberries and greenery in the background.
Christopher Marlowe: alienated skeptic, government spy, counterfeiter, dead at 29. Shakespeare's debt to the man was simply inestimable.
By Brooke Allen
https://hudsonreview.com/2026/07/renaissance-men/
Books by Christopher Marlowe at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/410
#books #literature #literaryCriticism
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Anonymous portrait, possibly of Marlowe, at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Marlowe is shown with long, wavy auburn hair, a white ruffled collar, and an ornate black doublet with gold buttons and slashed orange-red decoration. The Latin motto "Quod me nutrit me destruit" ("That which nourishes me destroys me") appears in the upper left corner
NOTE. He changed his note; he told another sort of a story.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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NOTE. He changed his note; he told another sort of a story.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BELCHER. A red silk handkerchief, intermixed with yellow and a little black. The kiddey flashes his belcher; the young fellow wears a silk handkerchief round his neck.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BELCHER. A red silk handkerchief, intermixed with yellow and a little black. The kiddey flashes his belcher; the young fellow wears a silk handkerchief round his neck.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Beyond Greece and Rome
A dramatic shift in perspective is producing a much bigger, broader and more exciting view of ‘the ancient world’
by Carlos Noreña
Books about Ancient World at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=ancient+world
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Myths of Greece and Rome
Author: H. A. Guerber
This is an old historical map of ancient Greece and the surrounding Aegean region, showing Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace, the Greek mainland, and various islands (including Crete at the bottom), bordered by the Mediterranean and Euxine (Black) Sea. It includes an inset map showing the "Vicinity of Rome" in the lower left corner.
JARVIS. A hackney coachman.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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JARVIS. A hackney coachman.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
DOWSER. Vulgar pronunciation of DOUCEUR.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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DOWSER. Vulgar pronunciation of DOUCEUR.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
The Secret Lives of Insects
Can fruit flies have dialects? Can dung beetles navigate by the stars? Find surprising answers in this collection of stories about bugs and people.
By: The Editors
La vie des abeilles & The Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38527
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4511
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Locusts in the fifteenth century
Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle, by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514)
It shows several large, stylized flying locusts with detailed wings and legs, colored in green, gold, and gray tones, hovering over grassy terrain.
On the Duplicitous Heroine in Wilkie Collins’s No Name
Is Magdalen Vanstone a Detective Using Her Acting Skills or, by Victorian Standards,... a Criminal?
by Olivia Rutigliano
https://lithub.com/on-the-duplicitous-heroine-in-wilkie-collinss-no-name/
No Name by Wilkie Collins at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1438
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Charles Sillem Lidderdale - A Girl's Head
A Victorian portrait of a young woman in profile, wearing a light bonnet trimmed with blue ribbon and lace, a gold drop earring, and a black cloak over a floral-patterned blue dress, set against a soft woodland background.
TO CLIP. To hug or embrace: to clip and cling. To clip the coin; to diminish the current coin. To clip the king's English; to be unable to speak plain through drunkenness.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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TO CLIP. To hug or embrace: to clip and cling. To clip the coin; to diminish the current coin. To clip the king's English; to be unable to speak plain through drunkenness.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
USED UP. Killed: a military saying, originating from a message sent by the late General Guise, on the expedition at Carthagena, where he desired the commander in chief to order him some more grenadiers, for those he had were all used up.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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USED UP. Killed: a military saying, originating from a message sent by the late General Guise, on the expedition at Carthagena, where he desired the commander in chief to order him some more grenadiers, for those he had were all used up.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
8 Famous Women Writers Who Wrote Under Male Pseudonyms
Historically, female writers have faced barriers to publication and prejudicial attitudes, leading some to adopt male pseudonyms.
https://www.thecollector.com/famous-women-writers-male-pseudonyms/
6 of these writers are at PG:
George Eliot
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This painting by François d'Albert-Durade shows George Eliot from the waist up, her body turned slightly to the right. She has a long nose and blue eyes. Her brown hair is parted in the middle and covers her ears. She wears a dark black jacket or coat with a criss-cross pattern over a white frilly blouse.
An Integral Part of the Story: A Short History of Short Fiction by American Women
Arielle Zibrak Explores the Diverse Literary Landscape of 19th- and Early 20th-Century Female Writers in the United States (from the archives)
Books in Short Stories at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/69
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Cover image of Five Minute Stories
Author: Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards
Illustrator: Etheldred B. Barry
Albertine Randall Wheelan
It is showing an illustration of a woman in a dark flowing dress sitting beside a child in a nightgown standing at a crib, set against a green fleur-de-lis patterned background.
CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine arse.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine arse.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
How Jane Austen Blew a Hole Through the Romance Genre She Created
Catherine Cliff on Austen‘s Third Model of Spinsterhood: Being a Self-Made Woman
https://lithub.com/how-jane-austen-blew-a-hole-through-the-romance-genre-she-created/
"Emma" at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/158
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Illustration for the Macmillan edition of Jane Austen's "Emma," Volume 2, Chapter 1. Emma and Harriet visit Miss Bates, who is delighted to read them the letter she has just received from her niece, Miss Fairfax, announcing that she is coming to spend some time at Highbury. "We had a letter this very morning"
Homer Haunted, by Henry Power
Splendid literary criticism, dull politics
by Henry Oliver
https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/homer-haunted-by-henry-power
The Iliad by Homer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6130
#books #literature #literaryCriticism
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This is an ornate vintage book cover for "Homer's Iliad," featuring decorative gold leaf swirl designs on a brown leather-textured background, with the title "ILIAD" displayed in an illuminated-style banner at the top.
Who Owns Women Detectives?
Now that Miss Marple and Nancy Drew’s early novels are entering the public domain, what comes next for them?
By Ellen O’Connell Whittet
Books by Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/58985
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/451
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Book cover for "The Secret of the Old Clock," a Nancy Drew Mystery Story by Carolyn Keene, showing Nancy in a blue outfit walking through a wooded area with a tan bag over her shoulder.
BRUISER. A boxer; one skilled in the art of boxing - also an inferior workman among chasers.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BRUISER. A boxer; one skilled in the art of boxing - also an inferior workman among chasers.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
GLIMMER. Fire. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GLIMMER. Fire. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Choice Notes on History from Notes and Queries (1858)
https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/choice-notes-from-notes-and-queries/
Issues of the journal "Notes and Queries" at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=notes+and+queries&sort_order=downloads
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The 1st page of "Notes and Queries" from Saturday, November 3, 1849. Its header says: "NOTES AND QUERIES: A Medium of Inter-Communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc. "When found, make a note of." - Captain Cuttle
Who was Homer, author of the Odyssey?
by Tom Hercules Davies
https://theconversation.com/who-was-homer-author-of-the-odyssey-287969
The Odyssey by Homer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727
Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica by Hesiod at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/348
#books #literature #literaryCriticism
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This is a book cover for "Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica," featuring an image of an ancient Greek red-figure pottery design showing a ship with dolphins, set against a black background with the title in white text at top.
Title: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
Author: Hesiod
Translator: Hugh G. Evelyn-White
AUTEM MORT. A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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AUTEM MORT. A married woman; also a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
PIN. In or to a merry pin; almost drunk: allusion to a sort of tankard, used in the north, having silver pegs or pins set at equal distances from the top to the bottom:every person drinking out of one of these tankards, was to swallow the quantity contained between two pins.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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PIN. In or to a merry pin; almost drunk: allusion to a sort of tankard, used in the north, having silver pegs or pins set at equal distances from the top to the bottom:every person drinking out of one of these tankards, was to swallow the quantity contained between two pins.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
![[?]](https://hermeneutrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cropped-prochazka-still-life-512.jpg)
A thought on beauty and meaning
I had a thought about literary structure and its relationship to meaning, prompted by the texts we studied this week for Bible study (John 2:1-5 and John 19:25-27).
Sometimes, it seems, a literary feature like a chiasm or an inclusio or alliteration or something of that kind doesn’t have any meaning beyond itself. It’s there just because it’s beautiful, and that beauty is good and pleasing in itself.
But sometimes these literary devices do mean something, in the sense that they communicate something to us beyond what’s being said directly, said in so many words. And it struck me that the “bookends” created by the appearance of “the mother of Jesus” in John 2 and John 19 are one of those times.
Those bookends seem to point us toward the idea that the task of “the mother of Jesus” is to bring Jesus into the world. Practically and physically, obviously, but also over and over again, pragmatically and spiritually. In John 2, she brings Jesus into the world by prompting his doing of his first sign. Then, in John 19, she brings Jesus into the world by accepting the role of mother to the nascent body of Christ, the new community created in Jesus’ redefinition of mother-child relationship from the cross.
The literary bookends are beautiful, yes. But more beauty emerges in the unfolding of this meaning, which is also … beautiful.
Image: “Duomo Mandorla 13,” Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons [cropped]
#John192527 #John215 #literature #Mary #theology
6 Masterpieces by Henry James That Defined Modern Literature
Why is Henry James known as the Master? Discover six of the novelist's greatest works, each laden with psychological complexity and tightly wrought prose.
https://www.thecollector.com/henry-james-masterpieces/
James at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/113
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This 1922 painting by Annie Swynnerton shows Henry James from the waist up, turned to the left. He appears as a mature, bald man dressed in a high-collared white shirt, a dark necktie or cravat, and a black coat or waistcoat.
How Medical Racism Impacted the Work of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston
Jesse Waggoner on the Harlem Renaissance's Contributions to Modern Disability Rights
Books by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/8670
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6368
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Langston Hughes at Tuskegee Institute with Jessie Fauset (left) and Zora Neale Hurston, 1927.
Langston Hughes stands with writers Jessie Fauset (left) and Zora Neale Hurston (right) at Tuskegee Institute, in front of the Booker T. Washington statue, one year after Hughes published his first book. Black-and-white photo, all three dressed formally.
NICKNAME. A name given in ridicule or contempt: from the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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NICKNAME. A name given in ridicule or contempt: from the French nom de niqne. Niqne is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.
[18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]
#FollowFriday #books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #crime #language #slang #18thCentury
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LEFT-HANDED WIFE. A concubine; an allusion to an ancient German custom, according to which, when a man married his concubine, or a woman greatly his inferior, he gave her his left hand.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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LEFT-HANDED WIFE. A concubine; an allusion to an ancient German custom, according to which, when a man married his concubine, or a woman greatly his inferior, he gave her his left hand.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Charles Brockden Brown Declares Independence
Ed Simon explores Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland; or, The Transformation: An American Tale, often considered the first American Gothic novel.
By Ed Simon
Books by Charles Brockden Brown (including Wieland) at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/416
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Engraving of American writer Charles Brockden Brown. From The Life of Charles Brockden Brown by William Dunlap. Published by James P. Parke, 1815.
This is an engraving portrait of Charles Brockden Brown, an early American novelist, shown wearing early 19th-century formal attire with a large white cravat and dark coat, set against a draped curtain background.
The Letters of Heloise: Love, Learning, and Life as a Medieval Woman
Heloise’s letters reveal a medieval woman caught between enduring love, religious duty, and the expectations of her age. Andrea Maraschi explores how they also showcase her remarkable learning and her willingness to express thoughts and emotions rarely preserved in medieval women’s writing.
By Andrea Maraschi
Letters of Heloise at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Letters+of+Heloise
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Abelard and Héloïse in a manuscript of the Roman de la Rose (14th century).
It is showing a man in a pink/orange robe kneeling and gesturing toward a woman in black nun's habit, both with raised hands in a conversational or devotional pose, set against a decorative patterned background with fleur-de-lis motifs.
BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CROSS BUTTOCK. A particular lock or fall in the Broughtonian art, which, as Mr. Fielding observes, conveyed more pleasant sensations to the spectators than the patient.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CROSS BUTTOCK. A particular lock or fall in the Broughtonian art, which, as Mr. Fielding observes, conveyed more pleasant sensations to the spectators than the patient.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
‘I felt Holden was talking to me alone’: The Catcher in the Rye at 75
JD Salinger’s wry, subversive classic inspired novelist Joseph O’Connor to be a writer. He reflects on why this story of a disaffected teenager remains as fresh and transgressive as ever
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First-edition cover of The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by the American author J. D. Salinger.
IThis cover is featuring a stylized red carousel horse illustration against a city skyline, with bold red and cream coloring.
BELLOWS. The lungs.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BELLOWS. The lungs.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
“#JamesGray is the last great #novelist of #American #cinema,” said #GionaANazzaro, #Locarno’s artistic director. “His #films form a rich body of work that echoes the #Jewish #diaspora, #filmnoir, and #Russian as well as #NorthAmerican #literature. A #filmmaker with a humanist sensibility and profound #cinephile knowledge, he has experimented with genres such as #sciencefiction and adventure while retaining his own #artistic identity and voice. Celebrating James #Gray at the Locarno #Film Festival means paying tribute to a unique and unmistakable #artist, a filmmaker who speaks the language of #cinema and knows how to pass it on to future generations.”
ACTIVE CITIZEN. A louse.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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ACTIVE CITIZEN. A louse.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
This Week in Literary History:
O. Henry is Released from Prison
“If he had simply gone back to Austin when he was summoned to stand trial, he would have been acquitted.”
https://lithub.com/this-week-in-literary-history-o-henry-is-released-from-prison/
O. Henry at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/634
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O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) appears from the chest up in the photograph. He leans slightly to the right, resting his head on his right hand. His hair is short, wavy, and parted in the middle, with a handlebar mustache. He wears a dark, textured three-piece suit with a vest and matching jacket. Underneath, he has a white dress shirt with a tall wing collar. His dark necktie is held by a decorative stickpin just below the collar.
The world’s first influencers were French and they emerged after the Revolution
by Emma Schwak
Influencer culture is not a thing of the past, and yet the movers and shakers of post-revolutionary France are proof that writing lifestyle columns and trending is a centuries-old pursuit.
Books about Madame Récamier at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Madame+R%C3%A9camier
#books #literature #WomenInHistory
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A painting by Jacques-Louis David of French socialite and Neoclassical icon Madame Récamier whose salon in Paris attracted leading literary and political circles in the early 19th-century.
A famous 1800 portrait of Madame Récamier, reclining on a Neoclassical daybed in a simple white empire-waist gown, with a bronze floor lamp beside her.
How a forgotten Toronto story shows Hemingway beginning to invent himself as a fiction writer
During his four years with the Toronto Star, Hemingway produced nearly 200 pieces, 170 under his own name plus around 30 with verified pseudonym bylines.
by Irene Gammel
Books by Hemingway
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/50533
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Hemingway´s wood-cut from portrait by henry strater.
Title: In our time
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Editor: Ezra Pound
Illustrator: Henry Strater
A stylized woodcut portrait of a bearded man, rendered with bold cross-hatching and line textures
WHIFFLERS. Ancient name for fifers; also persons at the universities who examine candidates for degrees. A whiffling cur, a small yelping cur.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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WHIFFLERS. Ancient name for fifers; also persons at the universities who examine candidates for degrees. A whiffling cur, a small yelping cur.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
COVENT GARDEN ABBESS. A bawd.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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COVENT GARDEN ABBESS. A bawd.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BARREL FEVER. He died of the barrel fever; he killed himself by drinking.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BARREL FEVER. He died of the barrel fever; he killed himself by drinking.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CLANK NAPPER. A silver tankard stealer. See RUM BUBBER.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CLANK NAPPER. A silver tankard stealer. See RUM BUBBER.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
#OTD in 1811, William Makepeace Thackeray is born. He "was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of British society, and the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon, which was adapted for a 1975 film by Stanley Kubrick."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Makepeace_Thackeray
Thackeray at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/313
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This 1855 daguerreotype by Jesse Harrison Whitehurst shows William Makepeace Thackeray from the chest up, looking directly at the camera. He has light, wavy hair parted to the side and noticeable sideburns. He wears round, thin-rimmed glasses, a dark jacket or overcoat over a dark vest, a white-collared shirt, and a dark cravat or bow tie. His expression is serious.
Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote a Work of Fiction That Seemed So Real That It Changed the History of the Country
To fight against slavery, the author collected true stories then picked up a pen and distilled them into “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
by Geraldine Brooks
Uncle Tom's Cabin at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/203
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Eliza comes to tell Uncle Tom that he is sold, and that she is running away to save her child.
Title: Uncle Tom's Cabin
Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
A 19th-century engraving depicting a rural scene: a woman in a shawl carrying an infant walks with a dog beside her, encountering two men on a path near a hedgerow. One man appears to be blowing or playing something held in cupped hands, while the other gestures toward her. A house is visible in the distant background.
NORTHUMBERLAND. Lord Northumberland's arms; a black eye: so called in the last century.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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NORTHUMBERLAND. Lord Northumberland's arms; a black eye: so called in the last century.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
BUTTOCK BROKER. A bawd, or match-maker. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
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BUTTOCK BROKER. A bawd, or match-maker. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
CROSS DISHONEST. A cross cove; any person who lives by stealing or in a dishonest manner.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CROSS DISHONEST. A cross cove; any person who lives by stealing or in a dishonest manner.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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Honestly, I think we are both emerging from our own personal Château d'Ifs.
#literature #reading #classiclit #countofmontecristo #bookish
#bookclub #ebook #publicdomain
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A public domain image of the James brothers posing for a Kodak in matching coats and hats in hand. Meme text reads,"When bro and you are reading the same old book."
HARK-YE-ING. Whispering on one side to borrow money.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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HARK-YE-ING. Whispering on one side to borrow money.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
10 Small Towns for Bookworms in the United States
The United States has many must-visit small towns for all bookworms, aspiring writers, and lovers of literature alike.
https://www.thecollector.com/small-towns-bookworms-united-states/
Many of these authors are at PG:
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Emily Dickinson’s house in Amherst, Massachusetts, is now a museum. The building features Federal-style or Greek Revival architecture and is made of yellow brick. Its windows have dark green wooden shutters, and three narrow arched windows sit at the top. The front porch is covered and supported by white columns, while a second porch is on the right side. Two light-colored chimneys rise from the roof. The house stands on a grassy lawn with trees behind it.
GOOSE RIDING. A goose, whose neck is greased, being suspended by the legs to a cord tied to two trees or high posts, a number of men on horseback, riding full speed, attempt to pull off the head: which if they effect, the goose is their prize.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GOOSE RIDING. A goose, whose neck is greased, being suspended by the legs to a cord tied to two trees or high posts, a number of men on horseback, riding full speed, attempt to pull off the head: which if they effect, the goose is their prize.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Hi!, I'm a bot posting selections from Francis Grose’s 1785 “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue”, a compilation of slang terms, the coded language of the underclass and the demi-monde.
[18th-century-content warning: possible racism, animal cruelty, homophobia, sexism, slut-shaming. Let me know of any problems.]
#FollowFriday #books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #crime #language #slang #18thCentury
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Montage of dictionary items posted by this account
HABERDASHER OF PRONOUNS. A schoolmaster, or usher.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
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HABERDASHER OF PRONOUNS. A schoolmaster, or usher.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human
by Wintre Foxworth Johnson, Brooke Harris Garad, Jennifer D. Turner, Tiffany D. Meadows
Books in Children´s Literature at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/20
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“SHE SAW A WHOLE TROOP OF SPRIGGANS HOLDING AN ELFIN FAIR”
Title: The Book of Elves and Fairies for Story-Telling and Reading Aloud and for the Children's Own Reading
Author: Frances Jenkins Olcott
Illustrator: Milo Winter
A fairy-tale illustration by Milo Winter showing a tall witch-like old woman in a black top hat, plaid shawl, and red cloak with a basket on her arm, bending down to greet a group of tiny, elegantly dressed courtly figures gathered around a ribboned maypole amid tulips and toadstools.
DAISY KICKERS. Ostlers at great inns.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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DAISY KICKERS. Ostlers at great inns.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
TO CREEME. To slip or slide any thing into the hands of another. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
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TO CREEME. To slip or slide any thing into the hands of another. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
The Odyssey is about sons questing for their fathers.
by Henry Oliver (from the archives)
Ahead of the new movie, I am reposting this essay about the Odyssey as a son’s quest for his father, which I wrote when the recent Mendelsohn translation was released last year.
https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/the-odyssey-is-about-sons-questing
The Odyssey by Homer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727
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15th-century manuscript of Book I written by scribe John Rhosos (British Museum)
A manuscript page opening Homer's "Odyssey" in Greek, featuring an illuminated initial "A" (for "Ἄνδρα," the poem's first word) decorated with gold leaf, blue and red flowers, green leaves, and a small human face motif. The Greek text is written in a cursive hand, with red annotations (scholia) in the margins.
CARBUNCLE FACE. A red face, full of pimples.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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CARBUNCLE FACE. A red face, full of pimples.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
PISS-PROUD. Having a false erection. That old fellow thought he had an erection, but his--was only piss-proud; said of any old fellow who marries a young wife.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons
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PISS-PROUD. Having a false erection. That old fellow thought he had an erection, but his--was only piss-proud; said of any old fellow who marries a young wife.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
Rereading the classics: Why John Steinbeck’s ‘East of Eden’ has always been controversial
The author openly advocates a need to ‘fight against any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual’.
by Paul Giles
#books #literature #literaryCriticism
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First-edition dust jacket cover of East of Eden (1952) by the American author John Steinbeck.
The 1952 first edition dust jacket of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden," featuring bold purple serif type on a blue-to-cream gradient sky, with an illustrated Salinas Valley landscape of rolling hills, farmland, and a winding river at the bottom.
BLUE FLAG. He has hoisted the blue flag; he has commenced publican, or taken a public house, an allusion to the blue aprons worn by publicans. See ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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BLUE FLAG. He has hoisted the blue flag; he has commenced publican, or taken a public house, an allusion to the blue aprons worn by publicans. See ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
SHERIFF'S BALL. An execution. To dance at the sheriff's ball, and loll out one's tongue at the company; to be hanged, or go to rest in a horse's night-cap, i.e. a halter.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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SHERIFF'S BALL. An execution. To dance at the sheriff's ball, and loll out one's tongue at the company; to be hanged, or go to rest in a horse's night-cap, i.e. a halter.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
The Satire and Style of Vanity Fair is as Relevant as Ever
Roshan Sethi on William Makepeace Thackeray’s Famous Novel
Vanity Fair at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/599
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The title page of the 1848 first edition of Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero.
William Makepeace Thackeray (author/artist) - Houghton Library
The banner-style title hangs between two poles at the top, and below it an illustration shows a jester or fool-like figure reclining on the ground, holding up a mirror, with a town skyline in the background.
Émilie du Châtelet (1706–1749), mathematician, physicist & translator
By Marie Lebert
Books by Émilie du Châtelet at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/56975
#books #literature #translators #WomeninStem
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Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, marquise du Châtelet (1706-1749), mathématicienne, femme de lettres et physicienne française.
Anonyme, graveur
Loir, Marianne (Paris, vers 1715 - en 1769), auteur du modèle Chéreau, Jacques-Simon fils (veuve) (avant 1770 - vers 1820), marchand d'estampes
An 18th-century engraved portrait of Émilie du Châtelet, shown in an oval frame with an armillary sphere beside her. Below the portrait is an inscribed pedestal with her name and titles, flanked by a coat of arms.
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A Brief Exposition of the System of the World According to the Principles of Sir Isaac Newton by Émilie du Châtelet.
A manuscript page (two facing sheets) of Émilie du Châtelet's "Exposition Abrégée du Système du Monde Selon les Principes de M. Newton" — a handwritten French draft with the title and "Introduction" heading visible on the left page, discussing Pythagoras and heliocentric theory.
KATE. A picklock. 'Tis a rum kate; it is a clever picklock. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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KATE. A picklock. 'Tis a rum kate; it is a clever picklock. CANT.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
What Is The Meaning Of Humpty Dumpty? Inside The Origins Of The Popular Nursery Rhyme, From Rude Slang Words To King Richard III
By Kaleena Fraga
The meaning of Humpty Dumpty has remained mysterious for centuries, but there are some possible historical explanations for the nursery rhyme.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/humpty-dumpty-meaning
Humpty Dumpty at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Humpty+Dumpty+
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A cover of the book "Denslow's Humpty Dumpty," adapted and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. G. W. Dillingham Co., Publishers, New York.
A large, egg-shaped Humpty Dumpty character stands in a dancing pose. He has clown-like red facial markings, a joyful expression, and wears a small, pointed white hat with a red brim. His body is covered in a white-and-red polka-dot pattern.
He dances on a wall made partly of bricks.
![[?]](https://files.mastodon.social/accounts/avatars/116/374/382/279/644/562/original/362b29fef04189ab.png)
Hell is often depicted as a place of punishment in various religions. It is frequently described as fiery and eternal. Cultural interpretations vary across history and literature
GOODYER'S PIG. Like Goodyer's pig; never well but when in mischief.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
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GOODYER'S PIG. Like Goodyer's pig; never well but when in mischief.
A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)