absentees those owning land or holding sinecures in Ireland but living for the most part in England
adapt (adj.), fit; suited
ale-wife a woman who keeps an alehouse
Anabaptists radical Protestant reformers who denied the validity of infant baptism and who rejected the doctrine of justification by faith alone, stressing instead the importance of good works based on free will
animadversion consideration; judicial or critical attention; censure
applotting apportioning
at jar ajar; in a state of discord or dissension
bagnio bath house; brothel
bamboozle a cant term that first appeared in usage around 1700, meaning to deceive by trickery or impose upon; to mystify or perplex (OED)
bang to beat violently; to defeat
Bartholomew Fair known for its raree-shows, low farces and other popular entertainments; located in Smithfield; started by royal charter in 1133 to celebrate St Bartholomew’s Day (24 August)
Bedlam the Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem, London’s asylum for the mentally deranged, where lunatics were displayed for the entertainment of spectators; figuratively, a scene of confusion or uproar
bell-man town-crier
belles-lettres lit. ‘fine letters’ (French); elegant or polite literature having a purely aesthetic function
besom (bezom) a broom made of twigs tied together around a handle; figuratively, any agent that cleanses, purifies or sweeps away things material or immaterial (OED)
bite hoax; trick; characterized as ‘a new-fashioned way of being witty’ in a 1703 letter by Swift
Black-a-moore (Black-a-more) a term commonly used in the eighteenth century for a black-skinned African, Ethiopian or other Negro, generally a member of the servant class
black-guard boy a street Arab; ‘Dirty, Nasty, Tatter’d Roguish Boys’ who clean shoes on street corners for a half-penny (CD); can also signify the lowest menial employed in a household
black-guards the lowest ranks in the army; camp-followers; also can refer to various lowly members of society, including servants, vagabonds and criminals
black money money made of brass; debased coinage
black-pudding a type of sausage made of blood and suet, sometimes with flour or meal added; a food associated with the lower classes
blade a gallant; a ‘fellow’ (often implying contempt); a spruce man or beau
blind obscure; hidden; a ‘blind alehouse’ is one without a sign, ‘fit to conceal a… hunted Villain’ (CD)
blow up put an end to; destroy
bob (v.), to rap or tap with a slight blow
bones dice
bookseller publisher
Bridewell a London house of correction founded in 1553, where lesser criminals such as prostitutes and vagrants were confined; portrayed in plate IV of Hogarth’s A Harlot’s Progress (1732)
brimmer a glass filled to the brim (with alcohol)
brogues rude shoes made of untanned hide, commonly worn by the poor in rural regions of Ireland
bubble anything fragile, empty or worthless; a deceptive show (OED); a fellow ‘fit to be imposed on, deluded, or cheated’ (CD); a financial swindle or deceptive scheme (e.g. ‘South Sea Bubble’)
bumper a cup or glass of wine (etc.) filled to the brim; usually poured for a toast
butter weight formerly eighteen or more ounces to the pound; figuratively, ‘for good measure’
Candlemas the candle-lit feast of the purification of the Virgin Mary, or presentation of Christ in the Temple; the date of this feast is 2 February
cant the ‘Cypher or Mysterious Language of Rogues, Gypsies, Beggars, Thieves, &c.’ (CD); phraseology used for fashion’s sake, without being a genuine expression of sentiment (OED); professional jargon
canting whining, or speaking in a sing-song tone; dividing up land into small parcels and setting them out to lease, usually for short periods of time
capite (as used in the phrase in capite), from the Latin for ‘head’; held immediately of the King or of the Crown, as lands held in a feudal tenure
carter the driver of a cart, carriage or chariot
chaffering buying and selling; dealing or haggling
chair often used to signify a sedan-chair (q.v.)
chairman one of the two men needed to carry persons in a sedan-chair (q.v.)
chapman dealer; merchant; trader
chargeable expensive; costly
chocolate-house an establishment purveying chocolate as a beverage; e.g. White’s on St James’s Street, London
chop-house an eating-house where mutton chops, beefsteaks and the like are supplied (OED); a house of entertainment, where provision ready dressed is sold (Johnson)
choqued shocked; the French spelling was common in the seventeenth century
circumvallation a rampart or entrenchment built around a place, especially in a siege situation
City (the) the business and commercial area of central London, originally located within the old walls
civilian one who studies, writes about or is an authority on the civil law
clap (v.), to infect with venereal disease; to take into custody or imprison without formality or delay, as in ‘to clap someone up’
closet a small private room or inner chamber used as a place for study, meditation, dressing, etc.
closeting making behind-the-scenes agreements or scheming in private; exerting undue influence or intimidation through secret meetings
clout a piece of cloth; a rag
club a contribution to defray the expense of an entertainment
Commissioners of the Revenue a board consisting of seven members— all Commissioners of Customs, five also Commissioners of Excise— who controlled a large patronage system of government functionaries
commonplace-books compilations of noteworthy passages garnered from reading and conversation, recorded under general headings for future reference or use; popular from the early sixteenth century on
condescension a ready willingness to please or oblige another; gracious or submissive deference shown towards another person; generally used without the pejorative connotations now attached to the term
Confederacy (the) England’s allies against France during the War of the Spanish Succession (q.v.)
confident (n.), eighteenth-century spelling of ‘confidant(e)’; one entrusted with private information
controlled refuted; contradicted; challenged
copple-crowned crested; peaked; term originally taken from the crest on a bird’s head
coss an Anglo-Indian term derived from the Hindi word kōs and the Sanskrit word krosa, signifying the distance at which a man’s call can be heard; also a measure between about 1¼ and 2½ miles (Hob-Job)
country put seventeenth-century slang for a bumpkin or lout
Court of Requests a court for the recovery of small debts, or claims of less than forty shillings
couzenage (cozenage) an act of deception; artifice; fraud
coxcomb a foolish, vain, ostentatiously conceited person; a fop; a superficial pretender to knowledge or accomplishments (Johnson); originally a cap shaped like a cock’s comb worn by professional fools
cully ‘a Fop, a Rogue, [or] a Fool… easily drawn in and cheated by Whores and Rogues’ (CD)
cup (v.), a surgical term meaning to bleed a patient by applying an open-mouthed glass vessel to the skin
daggled bespattered or bemired; also, as in ‘daggle-tailed’, having one’s skirts splashed by being trailed over wet ground; more generally, untidy or slatternly (OED)
dam a female parent of animals; a derogatory term for a (human) mother
Declaratory Act an Act (1720) asserting the right of the English Parliament to enact legislation binding on Ireland and to act as a final court of appeal in all Irish cases; based on Poynings’ Law of 1494
Deist one who adheres to a form of natural religion based on reason, which rejects the supernatural aspects of Christian belief, including mysteries, miracles and revelation
dignities persons of high rank or estate; those who make up ‘the quality’ of society
Dissenters members of various Low Church Protestant denominations who rejected episcopacy and separated themselves from the communion of the Church of England (and Church of Ireland)
doubt (v.), to think or believe; to suspect; to anticipate with apprehension
drab (n.), a dirty and untidy woman; a slut; a strumpet
draper (drapier) a dealer in cloth
Dutch reckoning a verbal or lump-sum account devoid of particulars and thus open to falsification
enthusiasm a vain belief of private revelation and divine favour (Johnson); ill-regulated or misdirected religious emotion; extravagance of religious speculation (OED); associated with Puritans and Dissenters
epiphonemas exclamatory or striking statements used to sum up or conclude a discourse, or a passage in the discourse; Swift (via Johnson): ‘a conclusive sentence not closely connected with the words foregoing’
equipages the appurtenances of rank, office or social position; that which is required to maintain an official establishment; also, carriages with horses and attendant servants (OED)
Exchange (the) a building in which merchants assemble for the purpose of transacting business
exploded hissed off the stage; rejected; held in contempt; out of fashion
extraordinaries extra expenses; fees or payments over and above what is usual
fain favourably disposed or inclined to; willing(ly); eager(ly)
fanatic(k) a religious zealot or enthusiast; usually equivalent to ‘Puritan’ in Swift’s usage
farthing a coin worth a quarter of a penny, which by the eighteenth century was made of copper alloys
fatal destined; decreed by fate
fee (v.), to hire; to engage for a sum of money
ferret to hunt down; to worry; to drive out
fiddle faddle(s) ‘meer silly Stuff, or Nonsense; idle, vain Discourse’ (CD)
filemot a corruption of the French word feuillemorte, signifying the colour of a dead or faded leaf; brown or yellowish brown (OED)
finical affectedly fastidious; overly precise in dress or manner; fine (in the worst sense)
fireball a round projectile filled with explosive or combustible material
fireship ‘a Pockey Whore’ (CD), i.e. a diseased prostitute
First Fruits and Twentieth Parts fees, also known as ‘Queen Anne’s Bounty’, paid to the Crown by the clergy; remitted to the Church of England in 1704 and to the Church of Ireland in 1711
flam a fanciful composition; a conceit
flambeau a (lighted) torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax
Flanders a former countship in Europe, comprised of parts of what are now Belgium, France and Holland; a hotly contested territory during the War of the Spanish Succession
fleering sneering; smiling obsequiously; laughing coarsely or scornfully (OED)
flummery a kind of food made by coagulation of wheat-flour or oatmeal
flux a morbid or excessive discharge; an abnormally copious flow of blood or excrement from certain bodily organs, especially the bowel; also an early name for dysentery
foot-boy a boy attendant; a pageboy
fox (v.), to get drunk; to befuddle; to delude
Freemasons a secret, all-male order founded in London in 1717 and brought to Ireland in 1725, which espoused the ‘mysteries’ of antiquity and claimed ancestry among the ancient Egyptians and Greeks
free-thinker one who invokes his right as a rational being to question accepted religious beliefs and authority; ‘a libertine; a contemner of religion’ (Johnson); in the eighteenth century it often referred to a Deist (q.v.)
fundament buttocks or anus; originally, foundation
funest deadly; disastrous; deplorable
fustian inflated or turgid language; jargon; gibberish; bombast; claptrap (OED)
galley-halfpence a silver coin putatively introduced into England by Genoese sailors; made illegal in the fifteenth century
gaming gambling; card-playing (etc.) for monetary stakes
gascon(n)ade extravagant boasting; vainglorious fiction; something wholly imaginary
gauming handling, especially in some improper fashion
generals generalities; statements or propositions lacking particulars
gibbet an upright post with a projecting arm from which the bodies of criminals were hung after execution
gill-ale ale served by the gill measure, which is one-fourth of a standard pint
Glorious Revolution (the) the bloodless change of government in 1688 in which the Catholic James II was replaced by William of Orange and his wife Mary, James’s daughter; restored the British Crown to Protestant hands and established the principle of a limited monarchy with a balanced Constitution
goody when placed before a surname, signifies a married woman of humble status; short for ‘goodwife’
Gothic(k) pertaining to the Germanic tribes that invaded Europe in the third and fourth centuries; used either to denote a type of barbarism antithetical to the civilized Classical world, or to evoke the body of common law (the ‘ancient constitution’) and the mixed form of government predating the Norman Conquest, on which the concept of English liberty is based
grandee a man of great rank, power or dignity (Johnson)
groat an English coin equal to four pence, first put into circulation at the beginning of the fourteenth century but ceasing to be issued in 1662; used figuratively to signify an insignificant sum
Grub Street professional writers (named for the street in London they inhabited) who exploited the new print culture for gain; viewed by Tory satirists as hired ‘hacks’ appealing to the worst in popular taste
guinea an English coin first issued in 1663 and valued at 20 (later 21) shillings
hackney-coach a carriage kept for hire, used as a common mode of transportation in eighteenth-century London
halfporth, an abbreviated form of ‘halfpennyworth’
Hampton Court located along the Thames about 15 miles west of London; the site of Cardinal Wolsey’s palace (1514); later a favourite residence of William and Mary, who hired Christopher Wren to rebuild the Tudor structures; under Queen Anne it became as much the resort of wits as the home of statesmen
Hanoverians members or followers of the House of Hanover, which the Act of Settlement (1701) designated to supply the heir to the English throne in default of issue from Queen Anne
hawker one who sells his goods by crying them in the street; a common eighteenth-century urban figure
health (a) a toast in someone’s honour
heart-burnings heated and embittered states of mind; rankling resentments or grudges
hedge(-) used as an adjunct of contempt; hence the phrase, ‘by hedge or by stile’, meaning ‘by Hook or by Crook’ (CD); a ‘hedge-press’ was a press operated clandestinely, implying inferiority or meanness
heydukes (heyducks) originally a term for robbers, marauders or brigands; in Hungary, a special body of foot-soldiers that attained the rank of nobility in the early seventeenth century; in Poland, attendants of the nobles
high-flyer one who has a high-flown or extravagant notion on some question of polity; used at this time to signify a High Church proponent or a Tory who supported extreme claims for the authority of the Church
hogshead a large caskful of liquor; a liquid measure containing 63 old wine-gallons, equal to 52½ imperial gallons (OED)
howdees salutations that enquire into the health of a person; an abbreviated form of ‘how-d’ye-do’
hue and cry a legal term signifying a call raised by a constable or aggrieved party for the pursuit of a felon, or a proclamation for the capture of a criminal (OED)
humoursome fanciful; capricious; odd; tending to humour or indulge anyone; peevish or petulant
huzza a hurrah or cheer uttered by a large group in unison
incidents incidental charges or expenses
Independent a type of Protestant Dissenter, often associated with Congregationalism
Indian herb a now-obsolete term for ‘tobacco’ (OED)
ink-horn a small portable vessel made of animal horn for holding writing-ink
intellectuals intellectual faculties; mental powers
jack a machine for turning the spit in roasting meat
jackanapes a tame ape; an impertinent fellow who puts on airs; ‘a little sorry Whipper-snapper’ (CD)
Jacobites those, generally of Tory and High Church affiliation, who refused to accept the Revolution Settlement of 1689 and desired the restoration of the Stuart line (the offspring of James II) to the throne
jargon a medley or ‘babel’ of sounds (OED); meaningless words; the cant of a class, sect or profession
jordan chamber pot
journeyman a hireling; one who drudges for another; also a person who, having served his apprenticeship to a trade, is able to work for day-wages
junket (v.), to feast; to make merry with good cheer
kennel the surface drain of a street; the gutter; usually associated with an accumulation of foul matter; cf. Swift’s ‘Filth of all Hues and Odours’, attributed to London’s ‘swelling Kennels’ in ‘A Description of a City Shower’
Kensington in Swift’s day a largely rural area to the west of London proper, site of Kensington Palace, the favoured retreat of Queen Anne; its gravel pits made it a noted health resort for well-to-do Londoners
Kit-Cat Club a club founded in London at the end of the seventeenth century, made up of prominent writers, artists and public figures for the purpose of promoting Whig political and aesthetic principles
lace (v.), to thrash or beat; to ensnare or catch, as in a noose (OED)
lanthorn variant spelling of ‘lantern’
levee a reception of visitors upon rising from bed; a morning assembly held by a person of high rank
literature general acquaintance with ‘letters’ or books; polite or humane learning
Lord-Lieutenant the chief governor of Ireland from 1700 onward, appointed by and representing the Crown, whose primary duty was to defend British interests in Ireland
lurry hubbub; confusion; ‘babel’
Maintenon (a la) a way of preparing meat, named after the Marquise de Maintenon, who secretly married Louis XIV in 1685
Mall (the) a site first laid out at the time of the Restoration, running along the northern edge of St James’s Park and providing a fashionable avenue for walking and socializing
malster a malt master or brewer of malt liquor
mamaluke (mameluke) a member of the military body, originally composed of Caucasian slaves, that became the ruling class in Egypt in the mid-thirteenth century; could also signify a slave in Mohammedan countries, or fig. a ‘fighting slave’ of the Pope (OED)
March beer a strong beer brewed in March
mareschal(l) obsolete form of ‘marshal’; a military commander or general
masquerades a fashionable and popular form of masked entertainment, first organized by the Swiss promoter John James Heidegger in 1717 at the King’s Theatre, Haymarket; later included the masked balls at public assembly rooms and pleasure gardens (e.g. Ranelagh)
Ménière’s disease or syndrome a disorder of the membranous labyrinth of the ear that causes recurring attacks of deafness, vertigo and nausea; Swift suffered from a severe form of this illness
mercer a dealer in textile fabrics, especially silks; also a small-ware dealer
mess a small group of persons (usually four) who sat together at a banquet and were served from the same dishes; gave rise to the meaning of ‘mess’ as a place where soldiers eat their meals (Brewer/Evans)
Michaelmas the feast of St Michael, one of the quarter days in England, Wales and Ireland; the date of this feast is 29 September
ministry a body charged with the administration of a country or state; roughly speaking, the political Cabinet governing England, headed by a Secretary of State and a Lord High Treasurer
mobbed (adj.), hooded or in a ‘mob-cap’; wearing flimsy or careless attire; in a state of semi-undress
mounseer an antiquated Anglicized pronunciation of ‘monsieur’, generally appearing in print as a vulgarism, a representation of illiterate speech, or a derisive comment on English anti-French prejudice
mountebanks charlatans; itinerant quacks selling fake cures from elevated platforms, often enhancing their audience appeal with juggling acts, storytelling, magic tricks and professional fools or clowns
mumble to bite with toothless gums
mummy a pulpy substance or mass
mumping grimacing; hinting through facial expression
Muscovy eighteenth-century name for the principality of Moscow, though it generally applied to all of Russia as well, and could on occasion refer specifically to Tsar Peter the Great
mute (v.), to defecate
natural parts native ability; talents that are inborn rather than acquired by learning
neat (n.), an ox or cow
Newgate London’s principal prison from the thirteenth century onwards, notorious for its fetid and inhumane conditions; also Dublin’s main prison, located in the old Cornmarket north-east of St Patrick’s cathedral
Nonconformist a catch-all term for any member of a Protestant denomination or sect separated from the Church of England; often used interchangeably with ‘Dissenter’
October a type of strong ale, which got its name from the month in which it was brewed
odso minced form of ‘Godso’; an exclamation of surprise, emphatic assertion or solemn declaration
œconomist a manager of a household; a housekeeper; one who manages expenses effectively
ombre a Spanish card game (from ‘hombre’, or ‘man’) brought over to England in 1660; enormously popular among the fashionable set over the next six decades; played by three hands with a forty-card deck lacking eights, nines and tens, the three highest trumps being (in descending order) the ace of spades (‘Spadille’), the black 2 or red 7 (‘Manille’) and the ace of clubs (‘Basto’)
ordinaries public eating-houses; ‘gaming ordinaries’ specialized in gambling as well as food
original(s) origins; beginnings; earliest stages
ostler (hostler) a stableman or groom; one who takes care of horses at an inn
packet (paquet) a boat plying a regular route between two ports, conveying mail, goods and passengers
Pale (the) an enclosed area safeguarded from outside intrusions; more specifically, a territory within determined bounds and subject to a specific jurisdiction, such as the ‘English pale’ in Ireland
palisado (palisade) a pointed wooden stake used for military fortification
palming cheating at a game, or performing a conjuring trick, by hiding something in the palm of the hand
palsy water medicinal water prescribed for the cure of palsy, made primarily from cowslip or palsy-wort
parts abilities or talents, as in ‘a man of parts’
pasty a pie, usually made of a mixture of meat and vegetables
pedant a private tutor; a schoolmaster or pedagogue; ‘a Man that has been brought up among Books, and is able to talk of nothing else’ (Addison; cited in OED)
penny-post an organization that conveyed letters or packets at an ordinary charge of a penny each, established c. 1680 for London and its environs within a 10-mile radius (OED)
periwig a wig worn in the eighteenth century by both men and women as a fashionable headdress
perspective an optical instrument for viewing objects, related to the telescope and spyglass; Spectator, No. 250 recommends it as a useful new tool for observers who want to avoid ‘the Impertinence of Staring’
peruke a term that from the sixteenth century onwards became largely interchangeable with ‘periwig’ (q.v.)
philomaths lovers of learning; students of mathematics, natural philosophy and the like; a term commonly used in the eighteenth century for astrologers and prognosticators
physick medicine
picktooth a toothpick
pigeon sweetheart
pistole an old Spanish gold piece equivalent to four pieces of eight or Spanish dollars, worth between sixteen and eighteen shillings
places government offices or appointments; posts held in the service of the Crown or state
plaguy a colloquial term meaning confoundedly or exceedingly; vexatiously
play (n.), gambling
politeness polish; refinement; culture; generally used by Swift in an ironic or pejorative sense, to indicate the corrupt values of fashionable society
porridge a soup made with stewed vegetables and sometimes meat, often thickened with barley
porringer a small vessel made of metal, earthenware or wood, used for eating soup, broth and porridge
pose (v.), to puzzle, confuse or nonplus; to place in a difficult position by asking a question
pot-herb a herb grown for boiling in the pot, usually cultivated in a kitchen garden
pot-hooks curved or hooked strokes made in writing; scrawls; one of the elementary forms in learning to write; used by Swift (as in ‘pot-hooks and hangers’) to suggest bogus astrological symbols
poticary a variant of ‘pothecary’, which is itself an aphetic form of ‘apothecary’ (OED)
potshaws ‘pashas’, or Turkish officers of high rank (e.g. military commanders and provincial governors)
powder-horn a case used for carrying gunpowder, usually made of the horn of an ox or cow
pox venereal disease; syphilis
prebendary a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church who receives a stipend (or ‘prebend’) granted out of the church’s estate in exchange for officiating in the church at specified times
preferment a political or ecclesiastical appointment offering social and financial rewards
premunire (præmunire) a penalty or liability; from the legal term praemunire facias, designating a writ against any person accused of prosecuting in a foreign court a suit cognizable by the law of England, or of asserting papal jurisdiction in England, thus denying the ecclesiastical supremacy of the sovereign (OED)
prerogative the special pre-eminence which the sovereign has over all other persons and out of the course of the common law (OED)
presently without delay; immediately; forthwith
pretend to profess or claim; to allege; to put forward as an assertion or statement of fact
Privy Council in England, a large body functioning as a Cabinet, with ceremonial duties such as declaring war and ratifying peace treaties; in Ireland, a body of about twenty bishops and principal office-holders, whose duties included the issuance of proclamations and the preparation and transmission of government bills to the English Privy Council before they could proceed as bills through the Irish Parliament
probationer a novice; one who is qualifying for some position
projectors those who form ‘wild impracticable schemes’ (Johnson); ‘Busybodies in new Inventions and Discoveries’ (CD); attacked by Swift as economic speculators, mad scientists, etc.
prorogue to defer or postpone; to discontinue the meetings of a legislative body (e.g. the British Parliament) without actually dissolving it; to dismiss by authority until the next session
pure fine; splendid
quibbler punster
rack (v.), to raise rents above a fair or reasonable amount; to subject a person to the payment of ‘rack-rent’, or a very high rent (nearly) equal to the full value of the land
rap (n.), a counterfeit coin, worth about half a farthing, which passed current for a half-penny in eighteenth-century Ireland owing to the scarcity of genuine money
ravished (from) robbed; plundered; seized
receipt (receit) recipe; prescription
refinement fineness of feeling, taste or thought; elegance of manners; a piece of subtle reasoning (OED); usually used by Swift in a pejorative way, to suggest excessive subtlety or sophistication, manipulative use of flattery, extravagance of compliment or any form of expression intended to impose upon the hearer
remembrancer one appointed to remind others; a certain official of the Court of Exchequer (OED)
rent income; revenue
repetition-day a day devoted to students’ recitation of pieces learned by heart
republic of letters the collective body of those engaged in literary pursuits; the field of literature itself; the earliest example cited in the OED is Joseph Addison’s use of it in 1702
reversion the right of succession to an office after the death or retirement of the holder, often to be exercised specifically ‘during pleasure [of the Crown]’
revolt (to) to change sides; to shift one’s allegiance to
rug a thick woollen cloak or mantle
St James’s Park originally a deer park adjoining Henry VIII’s new palace; later laid out as pleasure grounds for Charles II, who opened most of it to the public; in Swift’s time a fashionable London meeting place as well as a site for less reputable activities
St Stephen’s Green an ancient common in Dublin, established in the reign of Charles I as a park for the use of citizens to take the open air; during the Restoration, seventeen acres were kept as a public park while the rest were sold for upscale development; in the last years of Swift’s life became completely enclosed
screwing the act of extorting money, especially from tenants; oppressing tenants with unfair exactions
scrivener one who receives money to place out at interest, and who supplies those who want to raise money on security (OED); also, a public copyist, scribe or clerk
scrophulous affected with or of the nature of scrofula, a disease caused by the enlargement and degeneration of the lymph glands, and marked by sores and swellings on the skin; fig. morally corrupt
scrupule obsolete form of ‘scruple’
scullion the lowest-ranked domestic servant in a household, responsible for washing pots, dishes and utensils in the kitchen (or ‘scullery’); fig. a low or mean person
scurvy worthless; contemptible
Scythians an ancient nomadic people originating from areas of European and Asiatic Russia, often linked to the Irish as a way of characterizing the latter’s supposed primitiveness or barbarism
sectaries members of a schismatic religious sect; in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Protestant Dissenters
sedan-chair a chair connected on top to a pole and carried by two men, used as a common mode of conveyance in eighteenth-century London
sennight (se’enight) a week (lit. ‘seven nights’); depending on the context can also mean ‘seven days old’ or ‘a week ago’.
sessions (the) i.e. the ‘sessions of the peace’, or the periodic assemblies of justices of the peace
setter an abettor of swindlers, robbers or murderers, used as a lure, decoy or spy on intended victims
shambles a place where meat is sold or where animals are butchered for food; a slaughter-house
sharper ‘a Cheat, one that lives by his Wits’ (CD); often, a fraudulent gamester
sideling moving sideways; in a sideward direction
sightly handsome; pleasing to look at
sink to make away with; to appropriate (money, etc.) for one’s own use (OED)
sirrah a term of address asserting the speaker’s authority, usually directed at men or boys
skipkennel any menial servant whose regular duties require him to jump over ‘kennels’, or gutters
small-beer beer of a weak or inferior quality; fig. a small thing or a trifle
Smithfield bargain a sharp or roguish bargain in which the purchaser is taken in; often a marriage contract based solely on financial interest; a term derived from the practices of the markets at Smithfield
smoak (smoke) to discover or suspect (a plot, hoax, etc.); to take note of; a favourite word of Swift’s
smock (v.), to consort with women; to fornicate; (n.), a woman’s undergarment; in allusive and hyphenated terms, suggestive of loose conduct or immorality with regard to women
snuff the portion of a drink left at the bottom of a cup; odour or scent
Society (the) also known as the Brothers Club (1711), comprised of ‘men of wit’ aiming ‘to advance conversation and friendship, and to reward deserving persons with our interest and recommendation’ (JS); the Tories’ ‘answer’ to the Kit-Cat Club (q.v.)
Socinians a sect that denied the tenets of the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the proposition that man’s nature is inherently sinful, and that stressed the central role of human reason in interpreting the Bible
soldier’s bottle an extra-large bottle
sollary (sallary) celery, a plant indigenous to parts of England in its wild form
sophisters students in their second or third year at Cambridge University
sorites in logic, a series of propositions in which the predicate of each is the subject of the next, the conclusion being formed of the first subject and the last predicate; suggests sophistical argumentation
sottish foolish; stupid
souse (sowce) (v.), to steep in a pickling liquid for purposes of food preservation or preparation; to drench or soak with water; to strike or beat severely
South Sea Company a joint-stock company created in 1711 as a Tory alternative to the Bank of England; designed to take over the country’s national debt through its acquisition of a monopoly of Britain’s trade with Spanish America; culminated in a major stock-market crash known as the ‘South Sea Bubble’ (1720)
spade a eunuch
span-farthing a game in which the object of one player is to throw his farthings so close to those of his opponent that the distance between them could be spanned with the hand (OED)
spark one who affects to be elegant or fashionable in dress and manners; a fop or dandy
spiriting infusing life or energy into; animating or encouraging
spleen signifies a number of traits such as moroseness, hypochondria (‘vapours’ in women), peevishness and depression of spirits; cf. the descent into ‘the gloomy Cave of Spleen’ (Pope’s Rape of the Lock, IV)
spunging-house a house kept by a bailiff to confine debtors before they are sent to prison
squall (v.), to utter or sing in a loud discordant tone (OED)
stay-lace a string or cord that draws together the opposite edges of an under-bodice, or corset, by being passed in and out of eyelet holes and pulled tight
stickler an active partisan or instigator; one who stirs up strife; a meddler or busybody (OED)
stock-jobber one who engages in the speculative dealing of stocks and shares; ‘a low wretch who gets money by buying and selling shares in the funds’ (Johnson, citing Swift); a recurring target of Swift’s
stocks an instrument of punishment, consisting of two planks framed between posts, set edgewise one over the other, the upper plank being capable of sliding up and down, with holes at the edges of the planks used to confine the ankles (and sometimes wrists); also a jocular term for tight boots
strangury a disease of the urinary organs resulting in slow and painful urination
strol(l)ing wandering from place to place without having any fixed abode, as with beggars and vagabonds
stuff(s) woollen fabric(s); manufactured goods
superscribe to address a letter (to)
surfeit a sickness arising from excess; disgust; nausea
swingeing huge; immense
swolks a meaningless perversion of ‘swounds’, or ‘God’s wounds’ (OED)
tack in parliamentary parlance, an extraneous clause attached as a rider to another piece of legislation, especially a money bill, in an effort to secure the former’s passage
Test Act an Act passed in England in 1673 (extended to Ireland in 1704), which made the taking of Communion according to the rites of the Anglican Church a prerequisite for holding public office
threating archaic form of ‘threatening’, rare even in Swift’s time
tincture a tinge, trace or smattering; a hue or dye; a taste or flavour; usually used by Swift in a pejorative sense, to suggest a stain, blemish or taint
tip intoxicating liquor; a draught of liquor (OED)
Tories members of a political party that originated in the Exclusion Crisis of 1679, when it opposed excluding the Catholic Duke of York from succession to the throne; later associated with High Church sentiments, support of strong monarchical authority, opposition to standing armies and the favouring of country and landed interests over the interests of the new moneyed class
towardly promising; well-favoured; quick to learn (especially with reference to young persons)
transported sent to the American colonies for a period of indentured servitude in lieu of imprisonment or hanging; a common punishment in the eighteenth century
trumpery deceit; fraud; trickery
uncontrollable (uncontrolled) irrefutable; not subject to dispute
underswearer one who supports another by oath (OED)
undertakers those dedicated to pursuing or promoting a particular scheme or business enterprise; also, local politicians who undertook to manage the Irish Parliament for the government, or the ‘English interest’, in exchange for a share of official patronage and political influence
Union (the) the Act of 1707 which united the governments of England and Scotland at Westminster, creating the new political entity ‘Great Britain’; also, the entity thus created
uppish in high spirits; proud; arrogant; a ‘low word’ for Johnson; used by Swift to describe the Whigs
vails (vales) gratuities given to servants, especially by guests departing from a host’s house
vapours (the) a morbid condition attributed to bodily exhalations, manifested by depression, hypochondria, hysteria and other nervous disorders; identified as a specifically female malady
varsal an illiterate abbreviation for ‘universal’; ‘in the varsal world’ means ‘in the whole wide world’
viceroy the governor of a region, acting in the name of the king; in Ireland, the Lord-Lieutenant (q.v.)
vicious diseased; noxious; depraved
victualler a purveyor of food and drink; an innkeeper
vogue (the) the general report or opinion
wainscot fine imported oak used to panel an interior wall
War of the Spanish Succession a European conflict (1702–13) for control of the Spanish Empire after the death of Charles II of Spain in 1700, with England and its allies (notably the Dutch) supporting the claim of the Austrian Emperor Leopold, while France backed the claim of Philip of Anjou, son of Louis XIV’s heir; ended by the Treaty of Utrecht, which stipulated that the French and Spanish crowns would never be united, and gave England the monopoly (‘the Asiento’) of supplying slaves to Spanish America
Whigs members of a political party that originated in the Exclusion Crisis of 1679, when it supported excluding the Catholic Duke of York from succession to the throne; strong backers of the Revolution principles of 1688; associated with religious toleration for Dissenters, limits to royal prerogative and a policy of containing the French threat abroad and the perceived Catholic threat at home
whinge whine
Whitefriars a theatre and brothel district of London, bounded by Fleet Street, the Temple walls and the Thames; as a ‘liberty’ it enjoyed certain legal privileges and exemptions that made it a sanctuary for those fleeing the law
wholesomes wholesome things; ‘good for the wholesomes’ is a dialectal phrase meaning ‘wholesome’
wicket a small gate (usually beside a large one) for foot-passengers, as at the entrance of a field
worrier a brutal harasser; a tormentor