Almack's: Assembly rooms on King Street in London. Private, very exclusive subscription balls were held there each Wednesday night of the Season. Its important patronesses (in 1814 they were Lady Castlereigh, Lady Jersey, Lady Cowper, Lady Sefton, Mrs. Drummond-Burrell, Princess Esterhazy, and Countess Lieven) determined who was allowed to purchase subscription vouchers. Captain Gronow called Almack's "the seventh heaven of the fashionable world," and said, "The gates were guarded by the lady patronesses whose smiles or frowns consigned men and women to happiness or despair. --- In Miss Lacey's Last Fling, Rosie scandalized the patronesses by dancing the waltz without permission, as was thereafter barred from admittance.

Apoplexy: A stroke.

Barouche: A four-wheeled carriage with two facing seats, the forward facing seat having a collapsible hood. It had a driver's box seat in front and could be pulled by two or four horses. The barouche was the preferred carriage for aristocratic ladies (it was an expensive vehicle) during good weather when the hood could be pushed down.

Batman: An orderly assigned to a military officer.

Bluestocking: A woman with unfashionably intellectual and literary interests. The term is explained in Boswell's "Life of Dr. Johnson", as deriving from the name given to meetings held by certain ladies in the 18th century, for conversation with distinguished literary men. A frequent attendee was a Mr. Stillingfleet, who always wore his everyday blue worsted stockings because he could not afford silk stockings. He was so much distinguished for his conversational powers that his absence at any time was felt to be a great loss, and so it was often remarked, "We can do nothing without the blue stockings." Admiral Boscawan, husband of one of the most successful hostesses of such gatherings, derisively dubbed them 'The Blue Stocking Society'. Although both men and women, some of them eminent literary and learned figures of the day, attended these meetings, the term 'bluestocking' became attached exclusively, and often contemptuously, to women. This was partly because women were instrumental in organizing the evenings, but also because they were seen as encroaching on matters thought not to be their concern. --- In Once a Scoundrel, Edwina's uncle refers to her as a bluestocking.

Bow Street Runner: The precursor of the metropilitan police, the Bow Street Runners were established in the mid-18th century by the magistrate of the Bow Street court, who happened to be the novelist Henry Fielding at that time. The runners were professional detectives who pursued felons across the country. They could also be hired by private individuals if the magistrate approved and could spare them.

NEW! Chariot: A traveling chariot was a small privately owned vehicle, the equivalent of the rented post chaise. [See definition of Post Chaise, below, for details.] --- In Once a Dreamer, Simon and Eleanor use his traveling chariot in their chase across the country after her runaway niece.

Curricle: A fashionable open-air two-wheeled sporting vehicle designed for a pair of horses and seating for two (ie the Regency equivalent of a two-seater convertible sports car). See illustration below with the definition of "tiger." --- In Miss Lacey's Last Fling, Rosie drives the brand new curricle of one of her suitors with reckless abandon.

Cut direct: A deliberate and public snub.

Demi-monde: Literally "half world"; a class outside of proper Society. Generally used to refer to those of questionable reputation.

Hackney: A coach for hire. The Regency equivalent of a taxi-cab. --- In Once a Gentleman, Prudence and Nick often take hackneys about town because they have no carriage of their own.

Hell (ie gaming hell): A gambling establishment. Sort of a casino without all the neon lights and loud music. A young "pigeon" was more likely to fall victim to a dishonorable "shark" at a hell than at an elite gentleman's club. --- In Once a Scoundrel, Edwina's brother has no trouble tracking down Tony, a notorious gambler, at a gaming hell. In Miss Lacey's Last Fling, Rosie dresses as a young man to gain entry to a hell.

Jarvey: The driver of a hackney coach.

Jointure: A financial provision for a widow. Typically the amount is negotiated based on the portion she brought to the marriage, and is generally established as part of the marriage settlement.
--- In Her Scandalous Affair, Isabel's widowed grandmother is forced to live modestly due to the small jointure provided by her late husband.

Phaeton: A fashionable open-air four-wheeled sporting vehicle with seating for two. A popular version was the high-perch phaeton (see example at right) with its exaggerated elevation. Phaetons could accommodate two or four horses.

NEW! Pianoforte: An early incarnation of the piano, developed in about 1730. Keyboard instruments prior to that time could be played with precision but without variation of volume. The pianoforte allowed more versatility by producing notes at different volumes depending on the amount of force used to press the keys. It could be played softly (piano) or loudly (forte) -- the full Italian term for the original instrument was gravicèmbalo col piano e forte (literally harpsicord with soft and loud). --- In Once a Gentleman, Prudence is given the gift of a new Broadwood pianoforte. The English firm of Broadwood was the first to make a 5-octave pianoforte, and was considered one of the best instruments of the time.

Post Chaise: The post chaise or traveling chariot was a small carriage pulled by two or four horses, and was owned or hired by those wishing to travel privately, that is not on a large public conveyance like a stage coach or mail coach. Hired post chaises were most often traveling chariots that had been discarded by gentlemen -- sort of like a fleet of used rental cars. The hired chaises were generally painted yellow, hence the nickname Yellow Bounder. They were quite small, usually with only one forward seat facing a large glass window. There was often an outside bench seat in the back, over the rear wheel, where servants rode. Luggage was carried on a little forward platform between the front springs, and could also be strapped on the roof. The post chaise was "steered" by postillions, or post boys, seated upon the horses. There was no seat for a driver, and none was needed. One post boy was engaged to drive each pair of horses, ie a team of four horses was driven by two post boys, a lead-boy and a wheel-boy. Each rode on the left side of a pair, and wore iron guards on his right leg and foot to protect against injury from the center pole. The wheel-boy was generally the more experienced of the two. New post boys were trained by riding the lead team with the wheel-boy calling out instructions from behind. When the horses were changed along the route, new post boys were hired with them. Boys in name only, these riders were generally small, hardy little men, like jockeys, and were often colorful characters nattily dressed in "uniforms" associated with specific posting inns. They almost always wore white leather breeches and short jackets with large brass buttons, and tall beaver hats in which they kept their possessions. Private postillions were kept by those who traveled frequently and used their own traveling chariots. But these drivers often posted only to the first stop on a long journey, driving the owner's team back home after new horses and post boys were hired.

Rake: This is a somewhat subjective term often used in historical romances to describe the hero. Webster defines a rake as "a dissolute person; a libertine" -- in other words, not a very nice character. In romance novels, however, a rake seldom exhibits behavior that puts him beyond the pale. The term "rake" is most often used in the same way as "playboy" or "womanizer" but without the other implications of drinking, debauchery, and general lechery which inform the literal definition. A typical rakish hero will often have a number of women in his past, but the love of one special woman will cause him to give up the field forever, eg Jack in A Change of Heart or Tony in Once a Scoundrel.

Rout: A crowded party, akin to a modern cocktail party. An American visitor to London in 1810 described it like this: "Great assemblies are called routs or parties ... The house in which this takes place is frequently stripped from top to bottom; beds, drawers, and all but ornamental furniture is carried out of sight to make room for a crowd of well-dressed people, received at the door of the principal apartment by the mistress of the house, who smiles at every new comer with a look of acquaintance. Nobody sits; there is no conversation, no cards, no music; only elbowing, turning, and winding from room to room; then, at the end of a quarter of an hour, escaping to the hall door to wait for the carriage, spending more time upon the threshold among footmen than you had done above stairs with their masters. From this rout you drive to another where, after waiting your turn to arrive at the door, perhaps half an hour, the street being full of carriages, you alight, begin the same round, and end it in the same manner." --- In Her Scandalous Affair, Isabel runs into Richard at a rout the day after she had stolen her brooch back from him.

NEW! Season: The social "Season" is generally described as beginning in early spring and lasting until the end of June. The season had some relation to the sitting of Parliament. It convened each January, so those involved in the goverment would head back to town at that time. No doubt their ladies spent the next couple of months updating their wardrobes and planning their social calendars for the spring. As for the term "Little Season", supposedly in the fall -- I have never seen any mention of a Little Season anywhere in a primary source. Only in books by Georgette Heyer and other writers of fiction. It makes sense that there might have been such a thing, as the upper classes who had left London for the seaside or the country might have returned to town in the fall, especially those involved in Parliament, which was still in sesssion until November. But I have never come across the term Little Season anywhere outside of novels.

Special License: A license obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury or his office in Doctor's Commons in London, that granted the right to marry at any convenient time or place. They were valid for 3 months. Without a special license, marriages could only take place between 8:00am and noon in a parish in which one of the parties has resided for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Tiger: A liveried groom, generally small, generally young. An owner-driven curricle or phaeton typically had a groom's seat between the springs on which the tiger sat. (See the illustration at right.) The single-horse cabriolet had a platform at the rear on which the tiger stood. He also managed the horses when his master ascended to or descended from the seat, and sometimes took the reins to exercise the horses while his master temporarily left the vehicle. A small, lightweight tiger was preferred in order to maintain the proper balance. In fact, it was something of a status symbol to have the smallest possible tiger. --- In Once a Scoundrel, Tony's tiger frequently takes the reins to exercise the horses while Tony visits Edwina.

Titles: The British peerage, in order of precedence is: duke/duchess, marquess/marchioness, earl/countess, viscount/viscountess, baron/baroness. The next two ranks, baronet and knight, are not peers. For details on each rank as well as correct forms of address, this site is recommended: http://laura.chinet.com//html/titles02.html

Ton: Fashionable Society, or the fashion. From the French bon ton, meaning good form, ie good manners, good breeding, etc. A person could be a member of the ton, attend ton events, or be said to have good ton (or bad ton).

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Affair of honor: A duel.

Ape-leader: An old maid or spinster. Their punishment after death for failing to procreate, it was said, would be to lead apes in hell.
--- Lady Mary in A Change of Heart is referred to as an ape-leader.

Banbury Tale: a nonsensical story.

Barking irons: Pistols.

Blunt: Money; ready cash.

Caper merchant: Dancing instructor.

Chit: A young girl

Cit: A contemptuous term for a member of the merchant class, one who works in or lives in the City of London, ie the central business area of London.

Cock up one's toes: To die.

Come up to scratch: make an offer of marriage. Diligent mamas are often hoping their daughters can bring a certain gentleman up to scratch.

Corinthian: Fashionable man about town, generally a sportsman.
--- In Once a Dreamer, Simon and Eleanor encounter a group of "high-spirited Corinthians" gathered for a prize fight.

NEW! Dandy: A gentleman who is fastidious about his appearance, especially his clothing. He is not, as is often believed, a flashy or even flamboyant dresser, as was his 18th century predecessor, the Macaroni. George "Beau" Brummell eptomized the Dandy. He was concerned with perfect tailoring and fabrics, cleanliness, and simplicity of dress. He believed that good fashion should be understated and elegant, not eye-catching.

Darken one's daylights: To give a black eye.

Diamond of the first water: A very beautiful young woman. The phrase comes from a technical term used to describe diamonds. The degree of brilliance in a diamond is called its "water", so a "diamond of the first water" is an exceptionally fine diamond. --- In Once a Dreamer, Simon's brother refers to the runaway Belinda Chadwick as a diamond of the first water.

Dun territory: Lacking funds; in debt.

Foxed: Drunk; inebriated.

Handle the ribbons: to drive a coach or carriage. --- In Miss Lacey's Last Fling, Rosie asks to take the ribbons of her suitor's new curricle.

High in the instep: Arrogant; snobbish; overly proud.

Hoyden: A girl who is boisterous, carefree, or tomboyish in her behavior. -- In The Best Intentions, Hannah's sister scolds her for behaving like a hoyden.

In one's black books: Out of favor. --- In Once a Scoundrel, Tony had long been in his father's black books.

Leg-shackled: Married.

Light skirt: Prostitute.

Mill: A boxing match. The term can also be used to refer to a less formal bout, ie a barroom brawl or fist-fight. --- In Once a Dreamer, Simon's brother arrives in Buxton to see a mill, ie a prize fight.

Missish: Squeamish, prim, prudish, ie behavior befitting a young miss.

Mushroom: A person suddenly come into wealth; an upstart; an allusion to the fungus that starts up in the night. --- In A Proper Companion, Robert's future mother-in-law is considered to be an encroaching mushroom, ie a presumptuous social-climber.

On dit: French phrase meaning, "It is said" or "One says". In Regency slang, it meant gossip, eg "the latest on dit."

On the shelf: Beyond marriageable age; no longer wanted. Used in reference to a spinster, never a man who, one assumes was always wanted, regardless of age.

NEW! Pink of the Ton: Also Pink of Fashion. The term is generally applied only to males and refers to a man at the height of fashion. A dandy. Per the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: "the top of the mode."

Plant a facer: To hit someone in the face. --- In Once a Dreamer, Simon's brother was stunned to see his bookish sibling walk up to Eleanor's accoster and plant the man a facer.

Spanish coin: False flattery. --- In A Change of Heart, Mary believes all of Jack's compliments are nothing more than Spanish coin.

Toad eater: Flatterer; toady.

Under the hatches: Without funds; in debt.

Vowels: An IOU. --- In Once a Scoundrel, Tony would rather have taken Victor Croyden's vowels than the magazine business that was staked instead of cash.

Yard of tin: The horn, generally a yard or so long, used by the guard of a mail coach or stage coach to warn of approach and departure. --- In Once a Dreamer, Eleanor and Simon are having breakfast at an inn when they hear the coachman blow his yard of tin, alerting the passengers that the coach is about to depart.

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Bandeau: A narrow band of (usually) stiffened fabric worn on the head to confine the hair.

Banyan: A loose-skirted coat worn by men as a dressing gown. --- In A Change of Heart, Jack's uncle is seen wearing a particularly flamboyant banyan at breakfast.

Bombazine: A twilled fabric with a very dull finish.   It was commonly dyed black, making it an ideal fabric for mourning garments.

Busk: A flat length of wood, bone, whalebone, or steel used to stiffen the front of a bodice. Generally the busk was inserted into a busk sheath down the front of a corset. Sometimes a busk was carved with emblems or romantic symbols and presented as a love token. Sailors, for example, often carved whale bone busks to give their sweethearts back home.

Cambric: A very fine, thin linen.

Capote

Capote: A transitional form between a cap (soft, unstructured) and a bonnet (rigid, shaped). The brim is made of stiffened fabric, but the crown is of soft fabric shaped into a sort of pouch. The capote first made an appearance in the 1790s and continued throughout the 19th century, with the brim or poke becoming larger over time. It was meant for outdoor wear, though in the early years of the 19th century evening capotes were occasionally worn, though the brims would have been abbreviated. --- In Once a Scoundrel Edwina writes fashion commentary for her magazine, in which she describes an evening capote seen at the Opera.

Chatelaine

Chatelaine: A set of decorative and useful items hung at the waist, recreating the concept of the medieval chatelaine or lady of the castle wearing her keys at her waist. Keys were still a part of a housekeeper's utilitarian chatelaine, but they were also worn for strictly decorative purposes by fashionable ladies, and might include a watch and watch key, various etuis holding sewing or writing implements, vinaigrettes, pens, ivory leaves for notes, seals, and tiny coin purses. They were usually held at the waist with a chain, like a watch chain. Also referred to as waist-hung equipages. (Despite the Oxford English Dictionary implying that use of the term chatelaine for a fashion accessory is first recorded in 1851, there are several examples of the term in ladies' magazine and trade cards of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.)

Chemise: A loose-fitting, long, straight shirt with short sleeves worn under the corset as an undergarment. The term shift is also used for this garment, though it was considered a somewhat vulgar term.

Chemisette: A sleeveless shirt, much like a dickey, used to fill in the neckline of a gown.  

Domino: A short hooded cloak usually worn with a mask at masquerades. It wasworn over evening attire by both men and women. --- Max dons a domino for the Opera House masquerade in Miss Lacey's Last Fling.

Fichu: A length of fabric, usually triangular, worn around the neck and shoulders. Sometimes tucked inside the neckline of the bodice, sometimes crossed over the bodice. See the image at right in which all three women are wearing fichus of the late 18th century type. This "pouter pigeon" style of fichu fell out of fashion during the Regency years, though the term was resurrected c.1816 to refer to various sorts of bodice tuckers. --- Edwina in Once a Scoundrel (set in 1801) and Prudence in Once a Gentleman (set in 1802) are frequently described as wearing fichus.

Flounce: An ornamental row of decorative trim at the edge of a skirt.

Gypsy Hat

Fustian: A coarsely textured cotton fabric imitating the more expensive silk velvet.

Gypsy hat: A wide-brimmed straw hat with ribbons passing from the crown over the brim and tied in a bow under the chin or at the back of the neck.
--- In Once a Scoundrel, Edwina wears a gypsy hat while she works in her garden.

Habit shirt: A short linen or muslin shirt, originally part of a riding costume, it was also worn to fill in a wide-necked bodice for day wear. Sometimes with a stand-up collar or ruff. Also called a chemisette. --- In Once a Gentleman, Prudence sometimes wears a habit shirt to fill in her bodice.

Hessians

Hessians: A style of man's riding boot that is calf-length in the back and curves up in front to a point just below the knee, from which point hangs a tassel. (See illustration at right.) Generally made of black leather, they sometimes had a narrow border at the top in a different color, eg white-topped Hessians.

Inexpressibles: A man's very tight (and very revealing) trousers or breeches. See the Hessian-wearing gent at right, whose inexpressibles leave little to the imagination. Also called unmentionables.

Mantle

NEW! Lappets: Two long strips of material, most often lace, that hang down from the top of the head. They can be extensions of a cap band. Lappets were a required element of female court dress. (See the Court Dress collections article.)

NEW! Mantle: A short cloak.

NEW! Mitts: Also mittens. Gloves with open fingers and thumbs. Though gloves were removed during meals, mitts could be worn for informal meals like tea.

NEW! Modiste: A dress-maker or fashion designer. Always female.

NEW! Nankeen: A corruption of "Nanking." A yellowish brown sturdy cotton fabric used for men's work breeches or children's play clothes.

Pelisse: An outdoor coat-like garment worn over a dress. Ankle-length or ¾-length.

Pantaloons: In reference to male fashion, pantaloons are close-fitting tights or leggings that end just below the calf. They were typically worn with boots, as in the picture at right showing Hessians.

Pocket

NEW! Pocket: A flat, slitted pouch or bag worn beneath the dress, tied sround the waist with tapes. Generally about 12" or more long. They were accessed via a pocket slit in the side seam of a skirt. Common during the 18th century before reticules (purses) came into popularity, pockets fell out of use when the skirts narrowed during the Regency. However, muslin gowns c1805 in the collection of the Museum of Costume in Bath include pocket slits, so they did continue in use for the early years of the new century, but must have been reduced in size to avoid a bulky look.

Quizzing glass: A monocle dangling from a neck chain or ribbon, worn as a fashionable accessory by both men and women. See the collection of quizzing glasses for examples. --- In Miss Lacey's Last Fling, Max discomposes Rosie when they first meet by glaring at her through his quizzing glass.

Reticule: A lady's purse. More properly called a ridicule, probably because it seemed a ridiculous notion in the late 18th/early 19th century to carry outside the dress those personal belongings formerly kept in large pockets beneath the dress. When waists rose and skirts narrowed, bulky pockets could no longer be accommodated without spoiling the line of the the dress, and so the ridicule became an essential accessory. The term "reticule" seems to have come into use around the mid-19th century. It is used often in Candice's books as the more familiar, if less accurate, term. --- In A Proper Companion, the dowager carries a pistol in her reticule.

Round gown: A dress with the bodice and skirt joined in a single garment(during the Regency and earlier, these pieces were generally separate), with the skirt closed all around, ie not opened to expose an underskirt.

Spencer

Sarsnet: A twilled fabric which uses different colors in the warp and weft, thus allowing the fabric to subtly change colors as the fabric moves. Though it is sometimes spelled sarsenet or sarcenet, the fahsion magazines of the time almost always use the spelling sarsnet.

Spencer: A short, waist-length jacket, with or without sleeves. Generally an outdoor garment worn in the morning or afternoon, but could also be part of an evening ensemble. See example at right.

Tippet

Stays: A corset.

NEW! Tippet: An abbreviated cape. Similar to what might today be called a stole or a boa.

Vandyke: Named after the painter Anthony Van Dyke (1599-1641), a style of collar or trimming with a dentate (ie sawtooth) border in lace or fabric.

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