Victorian Slang - Wordsmith.org

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Considering the nature of my post one might judge it a rather inauspicious foray at the heart of this group.

What the Hades, right?

Hello!

I read recently that the term "pure" was used in Victorian England to describe dog turds.

Does anyone know of it's usage anywhere? For that matter does anyone know of a book that collects Victorian slang?

N. Otter.

Nightotter. Hello! Cute picture!

By pure chance I recently bought a little book: 'The vulgar Tongue.'
(subtitel :Buckish Slang and Pickpocket Eloquence) by Francis Grose, published 1785.
Pure coincidence.

In this dictionary I found under the word PURE : 'A harlot, or lady of easy virtue'. (!)
Quick conclusion is that over the following centuries, the word step by step has been lowered to ground level.

In the times of the French revolution it still had legs to
go on. The Victorians sent it to its final resting place.

But maybe there is more to it.

Jackie always says 'Welcome' but while she is sleeping I'll take the liberty to do so.
'Welcome!'

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In this dictionary I found under the word PURE : 'A harlot, or lady of easy virtue'. (!)

Puts a whole new spin on that line from Nessun dorma - "tu pure, o principessa".

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Puts a whole new spin on that line from Nessun dorma - "tu pure, o principessa".

Dunno that I'd be listening to anyone says you can't sleep on Sunday.

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Puts a whole new spin on that line from Nessun dorma - "tu pure, o principessa".

Dunno that I'd be listening to anyone says you can't sleep on Sunday.

I don't know about it saying you can't sleep on Sunday, but I've often heard sung by Sunday.

not necessarily slang, but period usage..

5. [Cf. PURE v. 1b.] Tanning. Dogs' dung or other substance used as an alkaline lye for steeping hides. Also in Comb. as pure-collector, -finder, -finding. (Also spelt pewer, puer.)
1845 G. DODD Brit. Manuf. V. ix. 189 A solution called the �pure� or the �pewer� is prepared in a large vessel, and into this the skins are immersed. 1851 MAYHEW Lond. Labour II. 142 Dogs'-dung is called �Pure�, from its cleansing and purifying properties. Ibid., The name of �Pure-finders�..has been applied to the men engaged in collecting dogs'-dung from the..streets. Ibid., There are about 30 tanyards..and these all have their regular Pure collectors. 1858 SIMMONDS Dict. Trade, Puer, a tanner's name for dogs' dung. Ibid., Pure, Pewer. 1946 Thorpe's Dict. Appl. Chem. (ed. 4) VII. 264/2 Modern artificial bates have replaced almost completely the older �dung bate� or puer, an infusion of dog- or, less often, pigeon-dung. -OED2

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Puts a whole new spin on that line from Nessun dorma - "tu pure, o principessa".

Dunno that I'd be listening to anyone says you can't sleep on Sunday.

I don't know about it saying you can't sleep on Sunday, but I've often heard sung by Sunday.

C'mon. Ne = not; Sun = Sunday; Dorma = sleep. It's as obvious as the face on your nose.

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Puts a whole new spin on that line from Nessun dorma - "tu pure, o principessa".

Dunno that I'd be listening to anyone says you can't sleep on Sunday.

I don't know about it saying you can't sleep on Sunday, but I've often heard sung by Sunday.

C'mon. Ne = not; Sun = Sunday; Dorma = sleep. It's as obvious as the face on your nose.

You're right. My excuse is that it's Monday here, and I got fixated on Placido Domingo.

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By pure chance I recently bought a little book: 'The vulgar Tongue.'
(subtitel :Buckish Slang and Pickpocket Eloquence) by Francis Grose, published 1785.

Looks like an interesting book BranShea and thank you for the welcome.

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*snip* Dogs'-dung is called �Pure�, from its cleansing and purifying properties. Ibid., The name of �Pure-finders�..has been applied to the men engaged in collecting dogs'-dung from the..streets. Ibid.,...

That about covers it.

The book I was reading indicated that people were employed to take care of dog droppings. The place was Lambeth Marsh in London. Pure-Finders in my neighborhood tend to be the owners these days.

N.O

p.s (edit) - owner? now that got me thinking (can you smell the burning). who would be the owner of a dog turd, the dog or it's master?

Hey Nightotter; get your kicks on route sickly-six.
And not on this forum where people care little about turds.

theMilum said

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Hey Nightotter; get your kicks on route sickly-six.
And not on this forum where people care little about turds.

What-ho! What gives old scout? Sensitive type? Re-examine the evidence Milum, you silly thing. Considering the vastness of the English language and all its glorious gritty nastiness, turd is hardly among the most notorious, what?

I was interested in PURE being used as a word for dog refuse. A little irony came my way when I first read of its Victorian usage because I usually use the word in a very different way. When input was given by those who were not as police-minded as you we discovered and we learned.

And, I feel, that my 'p.s' was also on-topic for this forum. The word "owner" is the point, not turd. If one were writing a serious (legal) paper on the rights of pets and their masters and how they interact with the general public, WORDING would be very important. I'm sorry that I didn't sanitize, what now seems to be, the offensive word.

Can you at least point out how I used the word gratuitously?

If this subject has offended the majority of you, I will decamp and leave you to your wordy forum (abridged edition).

pip pip

The Hon. N Otter.

NO:

Don't go! Just think about what you have stirred up with this new (at least to me) definition of pure. Consider just one advertisement that will never be seen the same again: Ivory Soap-- 99 and 44/100ths percent PURE!

Indeed TEd. If one considers the unkind association now levied upon the Orange Juice market, I am guilty as charged. I have made pure, impure, and visa-versa. I can see how one's moral trinitrotoluol might be touched off by this fancy-pants exchange of definitions.

(my hyphen has run amok!)

N. Otter, Esq.

Oh, pooh. There's no need to leave.

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Oh, pooh. There's no need to leave.

tsk tsk, zed. Pooh isn't an otter, he's a bear. (unless things are different in Canada!

)

Night, pay you no mind to themilum. He just needs getting used to -- took me several years. Stick around: have you voted in Hogwash yet?

I have, thank you.