NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): NEB, or NIB. The bill of a bird, and the slit of a pen. Figuratively, the face and mouth of a woman; as, She holds up her neb: she holds up her mouth to be kissed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

GAGE. A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. CANT.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GAGE. A quart pot, or a pint; also a pipe. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis predicts this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/brywillis634737/p/language-insufficiency-meets-generative?r=pvxh5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
#philosophy #language #midjourney #images #rendering #communication #vectors #ai #genai #generativeai #languageinsufficiency

Finally finished A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis, this post is about my philosophical influences. If you follow me, they'll be obvious, almost self-evident. I've likely forgotten some. I also reveal the ones I have little use for.
https://philosophics.blog/2025/12/05/philosophic-influences/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

#philosophy #blog #podcast #nietzsche #foucault #Derrida #thinking #logic #reason #language #languagemodels #books #amwriting #writing #personal #story #composition #news #update

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treemap

AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

COLT VEAL. Coarse red veal, more like the flesh of a colt than that of a calf.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): COLT VEAL. Coarse red veal, more like the flesh of a colt than that of a calf. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

In a post from 2024, I made a point on the insufficiency of language to faithfully render an image from a prompt. In this example, I wanted it to depict a specific woman and dog oriented to a tree in a forest. Although me endeavour was unsuccessful, it made my point.
https://philosophics.blog/2024/11/08/the-insufficiency-of-language-meets-generative-ai/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lih
#philosophy #language #llm #genai #ai #image #translation #interpretation #cognition #consciousness #perspective #mediation #representation #blog #history #instruction #art

STRAW. A good woman in the straw; a lying-in woman. His eyes draw straw; his eyes are almost shut, or he is almost asleep: one eye draws straw, and t'other serves the thatcher.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): STRAW. A good woman in the straw; a lying-in woman. His eyes draw straw; his eyes are almost shut, or he is almost asleep: one eye draws straw, and t'other serves the thatcher. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

I've finally published my essay resolving the Frege–Geach problem.

https://philosophics.blog/2026/04/04/when-syntax-is-asked-to-bear-too-much-v1-2/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

Or have I? You tell me. I had worked to dissolve the problem in February, but I wasn't satisfied. I revised the manuscript in March, but I wasn't satisfied because I felt I could go further – and so I did.

#philosophy #language #expressivism #essay #blog #semantic #identity #morals #ethics #emotivism #categoryerror #syntax

JANIZARIES. The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JANIZARIES. The mob, sometimes so called; also bailiffs, their setters, and followers. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot-bag and soot.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot-bag and soot. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

MARINE OFFICER. An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): MARINE OFFICER. An empty bottle: marine officers being held useless by the seamen. SEA WIT. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

BOH. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BOH. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

SMUG LAY. Persons who pretend to be smugglers of lace and valuable articles; these men borrow money of publicans by depositing these goods in their hands; they decamp, and the publican discovers that he has been duped; on opening the treasure, he finds articles of no value.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): SMUG LAY. Persons who pretend to be smugglers of lace and valuable articles; these men borrow money of publicans by depositing these goods in their hands; they decamp, and the publican discovers that he has been duped; on opening the treasure, he finds articles of no value. 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

LIGHT-HEELED. Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): LIGHT-HEELED. Swift in running. A light-heeled wench; one who is apt, by the flying up of her heels, to fall flat on her back, a willing wench. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

PORRIDGE ISLAND. An alley leading from St. Martin's church-yard to Round-court, chiefly inhabited by cooks, who cut off ready-dressed meat of all sorts, and also sell soup.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): PORRIDGE ISLAND. An alley leading from St. Martin's church-yard to Round-court, chiefly inhabited by cooks, who cut off ready-dressed meat of all sorts, and also sell soup. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A sodomite.

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

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

After another 'AI Detected' flag, I resorted to Gemini to lay it out.

https://philosophics.blog/2026/03/31/this-post-is-almost-entirely-ai-read-it-anyway/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

Gemini produced an entire blog post. It did offer me tips to dumb down my writing, but I declined. I also had NotebookLM create a podcast, cuz that's how I roll.

#philosophy #writing #ai #aidetectors #statistics #falsepositives #aipolice #bollox #blog #podcast #academicessays #lexicaldensity #LLMs #ontologicalgrammar #Parfit #perception #syntacticregularity #critique #Gemini #Kant #language #pooh

AMINADAB. A jeering name for a Quaker.

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

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

DOT AND GO ONE. To waddle: generally applied to persons who have one leg shorter than the other, and who, as the sea phrase is, go upon an uneven keel. Also a jeering appellation for an inferior writing-master, or teacher of arithmetic.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DOT AND GO ONE. To waddle: generally applied to persons who have one leg shorter than the other, and who, as the sea phrase is, go upon an uneven keel. Also a jeering appellation for an inferior writing-master, or teacher of arithmetic. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

CITY COLLEGE. Newgate.

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

The Nano Banana API comments on blog posts? Is this a thing?

https://philosophics.blog/2024/11/01/midjourney-pirates/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

I noticed a comment awaiting approval on my Philosophics Blog. It was from the API commenting on a Midjourney 6.1 post I published in November 2024. It also reminds us of how far image generation has improved in just over a year. It obviously read the content, given the comment…

#ai #generativeai #nanobanana #blog #images #midjourney #progress #api #commenting #workflow #advert #language #philosophy

BLACK FLY. The greatest drawback on the farmer is the black fly, i.e. the parson who takes tithe of the harvest.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BLACK FLY. The greatest drawback on the farmer is the black fly, i.e. the parson who takes tithe of the harvest. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

CAUDGE-PAWED. Left-handed.

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

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

CIRCUMBENDIBUS. A roundabout way, or story. He took such a circumbendibus; he took such a circuit.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CIRCUMBENDIBUS. A roundabout way, or story. He took such a circumbendibus; he took such a circuit. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

FLASH MAN. A bully to a bawdy house. A whore's bully.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): FLASH MAN. A bully to a bawdy house. A whore's bully. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

MAWKES. A vulgar slattern.

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

BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE. They cursed him with bell, book, and candle; an allusion to the popish form of excommunicating and anathematizing persons who had offended the church.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE. They cursed him with bell, book, and candle; an allusion to the popish form of excommunicating and anathematizing persons who had offended the church. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

FUNK. To smoke; figuratively, to smoke or stink through fear. I was in a cursed funk.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): FUNK. To smoke; figuratively, to smoke or stink through fear. I was in a cursed funk. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/resolving-frege-geach

#journal #language #morality #perception, #philosophy #writing #essay #ethics #history #debate #argument

DANDY GREY RUSSET. A dirty brown. His coat's dandy grey russet, the colour of the Devil's nutting bag.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DANDY GREY RUSSET. A dirty brown. His coat's dandy grey russet, the colour of the Devil's nutting bag. 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

GALIMAUFREY. A hodgepodge made up of the remnants and scraps of the larder.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): GALIMAUFREY. A hodgepodge made up of the remnants and scraps of the larder. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

IRISH TOYLES. Thieves who carry about pins, laces, and other pedlars wares, and under the pretence of offering their goods to sale, rob houses, or pilfer any thing they can lay hold of.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): IRISH TOYLES. Thieves who carry about pins, laces, and other pedlars wares, and under the pretence of offering their goods to sale, rob houses, or pilfer any thing they can lay hold of. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

Although I am easily distracted, it is never for nought. Today, I've been thinking of the orthography and morphology of Parsifal whilst trying to decide which version to run with.

https://open.substack.com/pub/brywillis634737/p/parsifals-drifting-name?r=pvxh5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

My first 'real' encounter with Perceval was Chrétien de Troyes' unfinished version, but Wagner's version seems to have stuck with me.

#bliog #philosophy #language #spelling #variation #substack #writing #linguistics #orthography #morphology #Parsifal #FisherKing

TO NAP. To cheat at dice by securing one chance. Also to catch the venereal disease. You've napt it; you are infected.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): TO NAP. To cheat at dice by securing one chance. Also to catch the venereal disease. You've napt it; you are infected. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

The deeper I get into thinking about this essay, the more I realise my perspective as an outsider drew me to it and shapes it.

https://philosophics.blog/2026/03/23/whom-do-you-serve-wip/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

As a management consultant, I was often cautioned not to ask 'that' question, or at least not to 'that' executive. Stop telling them they have no strategy when they say they have one.

#philosophy #management #power #silence #language #permission #blog #podcast #writing #essay #reading #classics #psychology #culture #society #filters #anecdotes

NECK WEED. Hemp.

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

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

Day 5 of #30DayMapChallenge: Journey
The fruit #apricot 🍑 took an incredible journey around the Mediterranean: starting from #Latin, it traveled to #Greek, then made its way into #Arabic, was later adopted by #Catalan, and finally borrowed into #English. What a traveller!

https://mapologies.com/fruits/

#etymology #language #etymologymap #fruit #europe #map #persian #albercoc #aprikose #abricot #albicocca

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etymology map of apricot

DUTCHESS. A woman enjoyed with her pattens on, or by a man-in boots, is said to be made a dutchess.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): DUTCHESS. A woman enjoyed with her pattens on, or by a man-in boots, is said to be made a dutchess. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

CRAB. To catch a crab; to fall backwards by missing one's stroke in rowing.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): CRAB. To catch a crab; to fall backwards by missing one's stroke in rowing. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

Read a high-level summary of the chapters in The Architecture of Encounter.

https://open.substack.com/pub/brywillis634737/p/the-architecture-of-encounter?r=pvxh5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

When we're not writing, we may be performing ancillary activities like promotion and awareness. You are a witness. Video to follow. Do I need a new headshot?

#writing #philosophy #books #script #contents #ontology #logic #epistemoloogy #mediation #subjecthood #perception #language #socialontology #realism #normativity #SharingIsCaring #substack

JACK PUDDING. The merry andrew, zany, or jester to a mountebank.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): JACK PUDDING. The merry andrew, zany, or jester to a mountebank. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

FLYER. To take a flyer; to enjoy a woman with her clothes on, or without going to bed.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): FLYER. To take a flyer; to enjoy a woman with her clothes on, or without going to bed. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

PIGEON. A weak silly fellow easily imposed on. To pigeon; to cheat. To milk the pigeon; to attempt impossibilities, to be put to shifts for want of money. To fly a blue pigeon; to steal lead off a church.

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

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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): PIGEON. A weak silly fellow easily imposed on. To pigeon; to cheat. To milk the pigeon; to attempt impossibilities, to be put to shifts for want of money. To fly a blue pigeon; to steal lead off a church. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

What if the biggest trick language played on you is convincing you that the world is made of things?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQD2n6cL-4
#philosophy #language #psychology #cognition #books #ontology #consciousness #minds #mediation #architecture #history #paradox #constraint #grammar #self #identity #video #youtube #meow #heuristics #reality

STRETCH. A yard. The cove was lagged for prigging a peter with several stretch of dobbin from a drag; the fellow was transported for stealing a trunk, containing several yards of ribband, from a waggon.

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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Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): STRETCH. A yard. The cove was lagged for prigging a peter with several stretch of dobbin from a drag; the fellow was transported for stealing a trunk, containing several yards of ribband, from a waggon. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)