Recently I found this gem of a book in my local Agnes & Robertsons. It is a dictionary, originally writted in the 1790s by Sir Francis Grose. It was written in response to Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, into which Mr Johnson refused to place any 'slang' or 'vulgar' terms. Sir Frasncis Grose, though a gentleman, felt that this error should be rectified, and so he collected every filthy term he could think of. In doing so he left us a legacy of etymology. Anyone interested in the natural evolution of language should read this book. T is fascinating hyow many of the terms we still use today, how many we don't, and how some have become misconstrued over time. For example, did you know that 'rascal' originally referred to a castrated man? Or that 'honeymoon', while retaining it's exact meaning, was about the most vulgar term for a post-wedding holiday that one could utter?
It's also nice to see that some hings never change, too. In 1790, if a man laid with a woman who had recently lain with another man, he was said to be enjoying a 'buttered bun'. Alternatively, a man's rectum was generally known as 'the windward passage'.
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