Humour
Henry Brown: A Slave Who Mailed Himself to Freedom
Henry Brown was a slave who at the age of 33 mailed himself to freedom. He placed himself in a baize-lined wooden crate that had been addressed to an abolitionist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of his clever plan he acquired the nickname of “Box” at a Boston antislavery convention in May 1849 and thereafter called…
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Goody Two Shoes: Its History in the 1700 and 1800s
The History of Goody Two Shoes (with or without a hyphen) was a children’s story written anonymously in 1765, published by John Newbery, and a variation of the story of Cinderella. Goody Two Shoes was the nickname of a poor orphan named Margery Meanwell who goes through life with one shoe until a rich gentleman…
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New Year’s Resolutions from Punch in 1889: Humorous and Cheeky
The idea of New Year’s resolutions and resolving to do better began long ago but exactly when is unknown, although the suggestion has been that it began as far back as when man first became conscious. Everyone, such as the Princesse de Lamballe, Eliza de Feuillide, or Madame Tussaud likely made private New Year’s resolutions.…
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George Cruikshank the Caricature Artist and Humorist
George Cruikshank, the caricature artist and humorist, was born in London on a Thursday on 27 September. His mother was Mary Macnaughten and his father, Isaac Cruikshank, a leading caricaturist of the late 1790s. Mary and Isaac had five children: two died in infancy and then there was artist Isaac Robert born in 1789, George…
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A Georgian Farting Club and Its Odoriferous Humor
Georgians had numerous clubs that included the Jockey Club, the Kit-Cat or Kit-Kat Club, and the Sublime Society of Beef Steaks or the Beefsteak Club. However, one of the more ridiculous clubs was a club known as the “Farting Club.” One person said of it, “of all the fantastical Clubs that ever took Pains to…
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Humorous Clauses Proposed for The Marriage Act of 1753
The Marriage Act of 1753 was enacted to require a formal ceremony of marriage because clandestine marriages achieved by crossing over the Scottish border and marrying in Gretna Green caused disputes as to their validity. The Ballyshannnon Herald claimed that a newspaper article in 1753 proposed some humorous clauses be added to the Marriage Act.…
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Slang, Euphemisms, and Terms of the 1700 and 1800s – Letter M
The following are slang, euphemisms, and terms for the letter M and are primarily taken from Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue published in 1811.
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Slang, Euphemisms, and Terms of the 1700 and 1800s – Letters E and F
The following historical slang, euphemisms, and terms for the letter e and f are primarily taken from Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue published in 1811. Here they are:
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