Word Wenches

Hold That Wine!

Due to a possible scheduling conflict, Jo's 5/14 guest, Bibiana Behrendt, may be moved to another day.  The operative word here is "may."  Bibiana is an expert on classy wines and spirits, and we're really looking forward to her visit with us. Here’s the link to her book on cognac.

So stay tuned, folks.  If we can't get the schedule squared away by Wednesday, we'll bring Bibiana in at a later date. 

Wenches Rock!

Where to start?  Lots of good news on the Wench front.

Pat - Mystic Guardian
Pat's book cover is a finalist in the Cover Cafe annual book cover contest. The covers aren't up yet, but they plan to have the contest up and running by early May, so you should be able to view the finalists then. 

Jo - A Lady's Secret
Jo's book has moved up on the New York Times bestseller list and is now #10! Way to go, Jo! You better lay in a big supply of champagne. 

Loretta - Your Scandalous Ways
Loretta's book received a great review over at Publishers Weekly.  Well done, Loretta!

Mary Jo and Pat - Pioneers of Romance
Both Mary Jo and Pat attended the Romantic Times convention in Pittsburgh April 16-20 and each came away with a lovely award ("a big chunk of glass" according to Mary Jo!)  for being pioneers of romance.

Sneak Previews
Be sure to stop by on Sundays when we post announcements!  And just to give you a sneak preview, in May Jo will be interviewing a wines and spirits expert, which we'll announce in more detail next month.  In addition, Susan/Miranda will be doing a two-part interview of Loretta the end of May in connection with the release of Your Scandalous Ways. In June we're bringing back costume historian Kalen Hughes to talk about Georgian dress.

Book Reminder
Wenches have books coming out in the next few months.  In May, Mary Jo's A Distant Magic will be reprinted.  In June, two Wenches have books out:  Edith - His Dark and Dangerous Ways, and Loretta - Your Scandalous Ways. In July, two more Wenches have books out:  Pat - Mystic Rider, and Susan Holloway Scott - The King's Favorite.

So, we have some busy months coming up, and we don't want you to miss the fun.  Drop in early and often!

And the Wiener is ...

Debbie Jay, you're the lucky winner of The Stolen Princess by Anne Gracie!  Please send your mailing address to me and I'll pass it on to Anne.  Congratulations, Debbie, and thanks for visiting the Word Wenches. 

We hope to see more of you in the future, Debbie.  Be sure to stop by on 2/25 and 2/27 when Susan/Miranda interviews Susan/Sarah in connection with the release of Lady Macbeth: A Novel, by Susan Fraser King.

And now, check out the announcement below, elevating Anne Gracie to the status of an Honorary Word Wench!

Wieners & Wenches - John Dierdorf & RfP

The Wenches thank our first Honorary male Wench, John Dierdorf -- and what a spendid and popular guest he was. We know you all enjoyed his post and comments.

In typical grand generosity, we have a special gift for John:  Duke Humphrey’s Library, Bodleian, Oxford University, England. (Photo credit)

From Wikipedia:

"Whilst the Bodleian Library, in its current incarnation, has a continuous history dating back to 1602, its roots date back even further. The first purpose-built library known to have existed in Oxford was founded in the fourteenth century by Thomas Cobham, Bishop of Worcester. This small collection of chained books was situated above the north side of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin on the High Street. This collection continued to grow steadily, but when, between 1435 and 1437 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (brother of Henry V of England), donated a great collection of manuscripts, the space was deemed insufficient and a larger building was required. A suitable room was finally built above the Divinity School, and completed in 1489. This room continues to be known as Duke Humfrey’s Library."

There, John, that should keep you busy for a while, and I don't suppose the Bodleian will really miss it.

And speaking of books, John and I have chosen a winner for the ARC of Lovers and Ladies. It's RfP (ReadForPleasure.com) for her delightful translation of John's challenge. RfP, please contact me or Sherrie with your mailing address.  (And congratulations!)

~ Jo

The Words, They are a-Changing

Pirate Billie (you'll see the relevance later) and I are delighted to bring you John Dierdorf as a guest. I've know John for a long time through our mutual admiration of Dorothy Dunnett, but he's also a reader of historical romance who's been entertaining my chat list for years with his interest in the meanings and derivation of words, especially in a historical context. If you think that sound dry, boy are you wrong.

So, heeeeeeeeeeeers John! In his own words. *G*

The Words, They are a-Changing

The Regency was only 200 years ago, and we tend to think that the English language of 1800 was more or less like ours — certainly nothing like the changes from Shakespeare's time, let alone Chaucer's. A surprising number of our words didn't exist in 1800, however; I have a whole list of them on my web page. Some are very innocent-looking: "switch", for example. It is railroad slang from the 1830's and had no
meaning except a slender wooden branch before then. Several color words are from 1850 or later — magenta, tangerine, ecru, beige. The first use of "sex" to mean "sexual relations" — have sex, great sex, and so on — was in the 1920's. (Not surprisingly, the first recorded user of this sense was D.H. Lawrence.)  Intransigent is from 1880. Flamboyant, 1870. There were no orphanages until about 1850; before that they were orphan asylums or foundling homes.

Amusingly, some common words and phrases in Regency Romances have evidently never existed in English.  Georgette Heyer was not above making up a plausibly archaic expression now and then, and some of her coinages are now part of what Jo calls "Prinnyworld". For example, "town bronze", "barque of frailty", "bit of muslin", and "first stare" [of fashion] were unknown before Heyer's books. "Delope" in a Georgian or Regency also is due to Heyer; it was recorded once in about 1830 and then not until her novels in the 1950's. "Widgeon" has the opposite history. The last recorded instance of calling a silly person a widgeon was in 1741; the word was completely unknown in Georgian and Regency speech. Heyer used it frequently, though.

(Jo: A widgeon is actually a bird, though whether it's stupid or not as birds go, I don't know. I borrowed this image from this page. Another bird there is a coot, which could be a male widgeon, perhaps?)

Even more insidiously, quite a few words have changed meaning, so that a phrase could be perfectly correct in its historical context but make a modern reader get the wrong idea. Here are a few examples of sentences from a hypothetical 19th-century novel which would cause most present-day readers to jump.

• Lord Redstart was so fastidious he would only drink wine which had been defecated by his butler.
(It meant to purify or remove sediment.) 

• The governess reported to Lady Redstart that her four-year-old daughter had a spectacular orgasm that morning.
(Until the 20th century it meant "fit of passion" with no sexual  connotation. In modern terms the little girl threw a tantrum.)

• Everyone knows that Prime Minister Disraeli and Cardinal Newman are perverts.
(A pervert was a religious apostate — a convert seen from the rear.)

• Sir Walter Scott wrote stirring romances about the Albanians.
(No, Loretta, you were not the first. :) Well into the 1800's, an Albanian meant either a resident of Scotland (Albion, Latin Alba) or of the Adriatic country. A romance was an adventure novel until  about 1920.)

• Lady Redstart has extremely enormous eyes.
(It meant "unusual" — she had mismatched eyes, one emerald green and one brown.)

• In the parlor, Miss Andrews performed a song which consisted mainly of expletives.
(An expletive is a filler word — tra, la, la and so on. She was  singing "Deck the Halls".)

• The vicar's sermon was on one of the most improper passages of the Bible.
(Improper meant metaphorical; the text was the 23rd Psalm. Pilgrim's  Progress is an extremely improper novel.)

• The governess informed the countess that she had very measly  children.
(You got it — they had the measles.)

• Lord Redstart threatened the highwayman with his dick.
(You have a very dirty mind; it meant a riding whip until about 1900.)

• Lady Redstart's head protruded from an embroidered velvet toilet while her maid dressed her hair.
(A toilet was a small decorative cloth; it's more recognizable if  spelled "towelette".)

• The noted sportsman Sir S------ was killed by an enraged bugle. He  had been distracted by several muskets flying overhead.
(A bugle was a wild ox, while a musket was a small hawk.)

• The countess was horrified to see a midget sitting in the parlor and  ordered a footman to kill it.
(Until the late 19th century, it was a small fly -- a midge-ette.)

• Viscount C----- is no longer admitted to polite society for having demoralized a girl he met at Almack's. It is even rumored he is an amphibian.
(In Regency times, demoralize didn't mean lower the morale, it meant lower the morals; to debauch or corrupt. Amphibious is straight Greek for "double life", and the implication was that he was  bisexual.)

• Miss Andrews looked delicate, but she could tackle a horse.
(It meant to saddle; c.f. "tack".)

Over time, I have built up a book-length web page on English word origins. Click here to visit. You are welcome  to check it out if only to find out how "porcelain" comes from a Latin obscenity connected to pigs, how pencil is the same word as penicillin, and how Guinevere came to share a syllable with a penguin.

'll finish up this little essay with the following quote, which I leave as an exercise for the reader to translate into modern English. It looks like the start of a Monty Python routine, but I promise it is a perfectly serious sentence:

"The terrific pirate brandished a naked brown sable he had withdrawn from his vagina, while the rest of his bloodthirsty tangerines advertised their pernicious trombones."

Jo: Thank you, John. That's wonderful.

Now, have a go at that paragraph, folks. Those of you from my list can't play, because you know the translation, but please do participate in all other ways.

Have you come across words in historicals and wondered if they were appropriate for the time and place? Or simply wondered about the origins of a odd one. Here's your chance to find out. As a reader, how important is it for writers to get the words right, or do you prefer language that's more comfortable for you? Would you, for example, rather have characters talk about having sex, even though it's  an anachronism, or have them mention  carnal intimacy, or use terms like swiving or tupping?

I'm offering a book as prize to the most interesting or entertaining comment to John's blog. This will be a completely subjective decision made by John and me late tomorrow -- Thursday-- night. The prize will be an Advance Reading copy of the April reissue of two of my traditional regency romances -- The Fortune Hunter and Deirdre and Don Juan. I'm sure they're jam-packed with anachronisms and such. I know so much more now. Enough to terrify a writer, really.

You can read excerpts on my web page. For links, Read my newsletter here.

Jo

 

More Happenings at the Word Wenches

On Wednesday, 2/6, John Dierdorf will be Jo's guest.  John loves the copy of the Oxford English Dictionary that lives on his computer. You know, the gazillion volume one that gives all the nuances of words and when they were first used, and where, and by whom? Through this lens, reading historical fiction takes on a new dimension--and writing it, a new challenge. But it's fun. Can that Regency duke drive a car? Can his lady wish him a cheery "hello"? Join in, find out, take some challenges, and have a chance to win an Advance Reading Copy of Jo's book, LOVERS AND LADIES. (details in the monthly newsletter which you've all signed up for, right?) This time the winner won't be a random pick, but John and Jo's selection of the person who enhanced John's visit most.

On Monday, 2/25 and Wednesday, 2/27, we'll have a two-part interview of Susan Fraser King in connection  with the release of Lady Macbeth: A Novel.  This is what we call a “two-fer” in the U.S.  It’s a two-part interview, and you also get two Susans for the price of one--Susan/Miranda will be the interviewer, and Susan/Sarah will be the interviewee. Such a deal!

P.S.  If you are Lynda Tisdell, be sure to read the announcement, below!

Thank you to Julia Quinn!

The Wenches thank Julia for visiting and answering the many questions. We'e happy to present her with a virtual gift suited to a lady of such talents -- a jeweled heart set with "diamonds of the first water."

The three winners of books from JulieQ are:
Moose in the Kitchen, Judy Dawe, and Keri Kaeding. Congratulations. Please e-mail jo@jobev.com about this.

Upcoming Events

Back by popular demand!  Dr. Josh will be returning Friday, December 7, to blog about old time medicine, including a potpourri of common historical ailments like gout, lead poisoning, consumption, and more.

Jo will be doing a booksigning with other romance authors at Chapters on Douglas Street in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on Saturday, December 8 from 1-3 p.m.  If you live in the area, stop by Jo's table and say "Hi!"

Mary Jo will be signing books Sunday, December 9 at the "Read Between the Wines” benefit for Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, 2-5 p.m. in the Atrium of Lowes Annapolis hotel. Now there's a great combination:  books and wine!

You've heard of "business casual."  Well, this month we've declared December Casual!  We'll be taking a relaxed approach to blogging, with riffs on holiday food, family traditions, recipe sharing, and anything else that strikes our fancy.  We'll each be giving away a book (that's 7 books!), chosen from those who leave comments, so be sure to put in your two cents worth!

And remember, if you'd like to see us blog about a particular subject, send a message to our Whipster, Sherrie, at sholmes@holmesedit.com.  If your suggestion is chosen, you'll win an autographed book!

Margaret Evans Porter Here Friday!

Have we got a treat in store for you!  This Friday, Margaret Evans Porter will be visiting the Word  Wenches.  "Following in Celia’s Footsteps: A Traveller’s Tale" will be the subject of her blog.   Margaret is an experienced blogger and all around interesting person, so you won't want to miss Friday!  Mark your calendars, set your alarm clocks, boot up your computers!  Friday's the day - November 9.  Come on over!

Undressing Your Hero

Susan/Miranda, stepping up to the podium to make an introduction....

Sometimes here at WordWenches, we have historical experts (like Dr. Josh King) as guests.  Sometimes we have other historical authors (like too many to list) come visit us.  Today we're fortunate to welcome a guest who combines both qualities, as well as being a frequent visitor to post.

Kalen Hughes is the author of the acclaimed LORD SIN, which landed her on Amazon's "Hot New Releases" list as a first-time author. Her next book, LORD SCANDAL, will be released in June, '08.  For  more about Kalen the author as well as her books, please stop by her site: www.Kalenhughes.com.

But today it's Kalen Hughes, specialist in historical dress, who's our guest-blogger.  Since the age of three, she has been involved in various living history events from the Middle Ages to the Roaring 20s, and is an expert historical seamstress as well as a scholar of fashion and clothing.  We're delighted to have her as a resource here this Wednesday, and next Wednesday, too.   Let the questions begin!

I was extremely excited and honored when the Wenches invited me over to talk about historical clothing. As many of you already know, historical costuming is a major hobby of mine. I spend oodles of time both studying and recreating (and sometimes wearing) the clothing of past eras.

While my own novels are set in the late 18^th century, today we’re going to take a look at the layers of clothing a gentleman would have worn c. 1812 (note, the layers are the same for the entire extended Regency era, roughly 1790-1830). To the right we have a fashion plate of just such a man. He's wearing the most fashionable hat of the day, pantaloons, top boots, and an open dress coat over a double-breasted wasitcoat.

Please feel free to ask about other eras if you’re curious. In picking the garments for our hero I’m going to go with the most common versions, not the exceptions (but if you have questions about exceptions just ask!).

Let’s start from the skin out. Our hero’s “underwear” consists of a shirt, stockings, and drawers. The shirt is going to be of white linen. It is not much longer than a modern shirt, but it is considerably fuller in both the body and the sleeves. One very important thing to note: it does not open all the way down the front (regardless of what is depicted on countless romance novel covers)! It has a partial neck-opening from the collar to about mid-chest. So the shirt had to be pulled on/off over the head. It buttons closed at the throat, though this is hidden by the cravat. The cuffs are wide (2”-3”) and button closed in an overlapping fashion (like a modern dress shirt, not like a French cuff)

Drawers are not universally worn (there are reports that some men simply tucked their shirt tails over   and under), but they certainly existed. JP Ryan describes the extant pair of drawers she based her pattern on thusly: “In design, these under drawers are like a separate lining for men’s breeches. The drawers have a shaped waistband with an open front fly. The waistband is fastened with two buttons, and is laced closed in the back. The seat is full, the legs tight, with sufficient fullness through the crotch for full freedom of movement. The fly front rise is short, with the waistband fitting around the hips and stomach. The knee-bands are designed for ties.”

Our hero is most likely wearing a relatively thick pair of stockings (most likely of cotton or wool). The curator at the Costume Museum in Bath says that for dress occasions they wore a cotton stocking under the silk stocking to hide their leg hair.

Coats come in several varieties, and the terminology is confusing, and sometimes contradictory (esp. as the Victorians messed them all about). On most of the coats in our period (shooting coats excepted) the pocket flap is for decoration only. The actual  pocket (if there is one) is inside the coat, usually in the tail (as with the extant example on display at the Jane Austen Center in Bath). This pocket was sometimes reached from the outside of the coat, and sometimes from the inside (which seems inconvenient, to say the least). Information on when the breast pocket appeared varies. I’ve heard that Brummell invented them in 1813, but J. P. Ryan says she’s seen them on extant 18^th century coats.

Our hero is most likely in a dress coats (also called a tail coat). It has a cutaway front and tails in the back. It could be single or double breasted, and while most are made of wool (usually in a dark colour), extant examples in other fabrications (such as plaid linen) do exist. Blue coats are invariably shown with brass/gold buttons, all others with self fabric covered buttons.

As for our hero’s “unmentionables”, let us put him into buckskin breeches. Though breeches, by the Regency, are considered old fashioned, buff leather ones are still commonly worn for “morning” or “country” attire. These are the jeans of their era. Most have a front fall, a flap that covers the front opening. This fall goes only from about hip-bone to hip-bone. The waistband buttoned, usually with 2-3 buttons, then the fall closed like a bib over the otherwise open front area of the pants. Belts were not worn. Pants of all types would have been held up by “X” crossed braces (suspenders).

Waistcoats all button up the front. They could be single or double breasted (like coats) All the examples I’ve seen have a method of tightening at the back. Some have ties, some have buckles and straps. The front is the fancy, decorative part, with the back (and sleeves on some 18^th century examples) being plain (just like a modern day suit vest). The interesting thing to note for Regency-ear examples is that they are square/flat across the bottom.

Cravats are simply long rectangles of material that are tied around the neck. Mostly they were white, but colors were not uncommon among the working classes and the sporting and dandy sets. Though Brummell made the starched cravat fashionable, it wasn't jut starch that was responsible for the stiff nature of the Regency cravat: there is a horse hair pad hidden inside! The “Belcher” neckcloth (named after the man who made them fashionable, the famous pugilist Jem Belcher). These colorful cravats were also called peacock eyed. They are the origin of the cowboy bandana. I think our hero might be just enough of a Corinthian dandy to sport one of these, don’t you?

Boots were the sneaker of the Regency era. Previously they had been worn only for riding, hunting, etc. Now, they’re part of proper morning (informal) attire. They come in many forms for men, There was the top boot (also called the English, John Bull, Jockey, or tall boot), Hessians (also called the Austrian or Hess boot). Some reach the knee, other examples only come up to the calf. Both lengths of boot are worn with pantaloons of varying length, and with breeches, sometimes exposing a good deal of stockinged calf.

Our hero would complete his ensemble with gloves (most likely of a yellow/buff or brown) and an beaver hat (what we would call a top hat, or an opera hat). So that's it. He's dressed. I know we said "undressing", but now you can picture it in reverse. *grin*