Such Language, Part 31

More wordly wonderment and wackiness, with some help from the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. What's your favorite word this week?

Hugger-mugger: By stealth, privately, without making an appearance. (Lady Alice Lonesley is so shy that she only wanted to invite three people to her come-out ball, but the marchioness would not hold such a hugger-mugger affair.)

Sneaksby: A mean-spirited fellow, a sneaking cur. (Never invite Sir James Haynoose to dine when it’s raining; he’s such a sneaksby that you’ll find your umbrella stand is empty after he’s left.)

Clapper claw: To scold, to abuse, or claw off with the tongue. (The last time he did that, though, Mama so clapper-clawed him that he didn’t appear in public on cloudy days for an entire month.)

Jobation: A reproof. (He richly deserved that jobation, for he also absconded with my French silk parasol.)

Pickle: An arch, waggish fellow. (My aunt always buys jolly Uncle Frederick green waistcoats because he’s such a pickle.)

High water: To have plenty of money. (As he frequently loses buttons from laughing too hard, it is good that it is high water with them.)

Sparkish: Fine, cheerful. (But with buttons or without, we love the sparkish old gentleman.)

Also sparkish is some recent happy writing-related news: What Lies Beneath, my World War I young adult fantasy, is a finalist in the North Texas RWA chapter’s Carolyn Readers Choice Award, in the Specialized category (along with one of my first writing friends, Janet Raye Stevens, and her time travel mystery-romance Beryl Blue, Time Cop.) Very excited!

And also, if you have a moment, do stop in at Lady Catherine's Salon on Facebook, a group for lovers of Regency romance, where I'm guest-hostessing this week. So far we're talking about being history lovers, what we collect, Regency fashions, and more. Come say hello!