The First English Dictionary of Slang, 1699

quillink:

The first dictionary of slang, out of print for 300 years, is being published by the Bodleian Library from a rare copy unearthed in its collections.

[…]

With over 4,000 entries, the dictionary contains many words which are now part of everyday parlance, such as ‘Chitchat’ and ‘Eyesore’ as well as a great many which have become obsolete, such as the delightful ‘Dandyprat’ and ‘Fizzle’. Remarkably, this landmark of English from 1699 was compiled and published anonymously, by an author who has left us only his initials – ‘B.E. Gent [gentleman]’.

[…]

B.E.’s dictionary is a lost gem. It offers real insight into life during the period and bristles with humorous and eminently quotable definitions, many of which reveal the earthier side of seventeenth-century London. Now available to the general reader, this book offers a tantalising glimpse of the linguistic richness of English, at a time when slang was being codified.

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Simply amazing. I love entries such as Grumbletonians, Lantern-jaw’d and Princock.

(via this tweet by @angeldominguez)