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Search results for tag #literature

[?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
@gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

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.

theconversation.com/beatrix-po

Books by Beatrix Potter at PG:
gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/292

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).

Alt...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).

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.

Alt...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.

    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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    Christopher Marlowe: alienated skeptic, government spy, counterfeiter, dead at 29. Shakespeare's debt to the man was simply inestimable.

    By Brooke Allen

    hudsonreview.com/2026/07/renai

    Books by Christopher Marlowe at PG:
    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/410

    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

    Alt...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

      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

      NOTE. He changed his note; he told another sort of a story.

      A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

      --
      @histodons

      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): NOTE. He changed his note; he told another sort of a story. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): NOTE. He changed his note; he told another sort of a story. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

        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)

        --
        @histodons

        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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          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

          aeon.co/essays/uncovering-a-gl

          Books about Ancient World at PG:
          gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

          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.

          Alt...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.

            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

            JARVIS. A hackney coachman.

            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

            --
            @histodons

            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JARVIS. A hackney coachman. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JARVIS. A hackney coachman. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

              [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
              @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

              DOWSER. Vulgar pronunciation of DOUCEUR.

              A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

              --
              @histodons

              Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DOWSER. Vulgar pronunciation of DOUCEUR. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

              Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DOWSER. Vulgar pronunciation of DOUCEUR. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                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

                daily.jstor.org/the-secret-liv

                La vie des abeilles & The Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck
                gutenberg.org/ebooks/38527
                gutenberg.org/ebooks/4511

                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.

                Alt...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.

                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                  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

                  lithub.com/on-the-duplicitous-

                  No Name by Wilkie Collins at PG:
                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/1438

                  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.

                  Alt...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.

                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                    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)

                    --
                    @histodons

                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                      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)

                      --
                      @histodons

                      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                        [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                        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.

                        thecollector.com/famous-women-

                        6 of these writers are at PG:

                        gutenberg.org/

                        George Eliot

                        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.

                        Alt...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.

                          [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                          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)

                          lithub.com/an-integral-part-of

                          Books in Short Stories at PG:
                          gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf

                          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.

                          Alt...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.

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                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                            CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron.

                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                            --
                            @histodons

                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                              @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                              BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine arse.

                              A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              --
                              @histodons

                              Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine arse. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                              Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine arse. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                muddle 🥣 boosted

                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                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

                                lithub.com/how-jane-austen-ble

                                "Emma" at PG:

                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/158

                                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"

                                Alt...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"

                                  [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                  Homer Haunted, by Henry Power

                                  Splendid literary criticism, dull politics

                                  by Henry Oliver

                                  commonreader.co.uk/p/homer-hau

                                  The Iliad by Homer at PG:
                                  gutenberg.org/ebooks/6130

                                  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.

                                  Alt...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.

                                    Daniel Johnson boosted

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                                    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

                                    lareviewofbooks.org/article/wo

                                    Books by Carolyn Keene and Agatha Christie at PG:
                                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/58
                                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/451

                                    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.

                                    Alt...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.

                                      [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                      @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                      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)

                                      --
                                      @histodons

                                      Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                      Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                        GLIMMER. Fire. CANT.

                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                        --
                                        @histodons

                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GLIMMER. Fire. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GLIMMER. Fire. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

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                                          Choice Notes on History from Notes and Queries (1858)

                                          publicdomainreview.org/collect

                                          Issues of the journal "Notes and Queries" at PG:

                                          gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                          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

                                          Alt...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

                                            [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                            Who was Homer, author of the Odyssey?

                                            by Tom Hercules Davies

                                            theconversation.com/who-was-ho

                                            The Odyssey by Homer at PG:
                                            gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727

                                            Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica by Hesiod at PG:
                                            gutenberg.org/ebooks/348

                                            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

                                            Alt...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

                                              [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                              @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                              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)

                                              --
                                              @histodons

                                              Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                              Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                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)

                                                --
                                                @histodons

                                                Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                  [?]Matters of Interpretation » 🌐
                                                  @hermeneutrix.com@hermeneutrix.com

                                                  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]

                                                    [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
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                                                    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.

                                                    thecollector.com/henry-james-m

                                                    James at PG:

                                                    gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/113

                                                    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.

                                                    Alt...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.

                                                      Lightfighter boosted

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                                                      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

                                                      lithub.com/how-medical-racism-

                                                      Books by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston at PG:
                                                      gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/86
                                                      gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/63

                                                      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.

                                                      Alt...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.

                                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                        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)

                                                        --
                                                        @histodons

                                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                          [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                          @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                          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.]

                                                          Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                                          Alt...Montage of dictionary items posted by this account

                                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                            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)

                                                            --
                                                            @histodons

                                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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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                                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                              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

                                                              theparisreview.org/blog/2026/0

                                                              Books by Charles Brockden Brown (including Wieland) at PG:
                                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/416

                                                              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.

                                                              Alt...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.

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                                                                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

                                                                medievalists.net/2026/07/the-l

                                                                Letters of Heloise at PG:
                                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                                                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.

                                                                Alt...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.

                                                                  [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                  @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                  BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely.

                                                                  A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  --
                                                                  @histodons

                                                                  Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                  Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                    [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                    @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                    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)

                                                                    --
                                                                    @histodons

                                                                    Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                                    Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): 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)

                                                                      [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                      @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                      ‘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

                                                                      theguardian.com/books/2026/jul

                                                                      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.

                                                                      Alt...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.

                                                                        oheso boosted

                                                                        [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                        @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                        BELLOWS. The lungs.

                                                                        A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        --
                                                                        @histodons

                                                                        Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BELLOWS. The lungs. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                        Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BELLOWS. The lungs. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                          [?]דער קערפער פֿון השם » 🌐
                                                                          @dukepaaron@babka.social

                                                                          “ is the last great of ,” said , ’s artistic director. “His form a rich body of work that echoes the , , and as well as . A with a humanist sensibility and profound knowledge, he has experimented with genres such as and adventure while retaining his own identity and voice. Celebrating James at the Locarno Festival means paying tribute to a unique and unmistakable , a filmmaker who speaks the language of and knows how to pass it on to future generations.”

                                                                          hollywoodreporter.com/movies/m

                                                                            [?]The Vulgar Tongue » 🤖 🌐
                                                                            @TheVulgarTongue@zirk.us

                                                                            ACTIVE CITIZEN. A louse.

                                                                            A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                            --
                                                                            @histodons

                                                                            Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): ACTIVE CITIZEN. A louse. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                            Alt...Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): ACTIVE CITIZEN. A louse. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

                                                                              [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                              @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                              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.”

                                                                              lithub.com/this-week-in-litera

                                                                              O. Henry at PG:

                                                                              gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/634

                                                                              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.

                                                                              Alt...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.

                                                                                [?]Project Gutenberg » 🌐
                                                                                @gutenberg_org@mastodon.social

                                                                                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.

                                                                                theconversation.com/the-worlds

                                                                                Books about Madame Récamier at PG:
                                                                                gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?q

                                                                                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.

                                                                                Alt...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.

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