Anne here. I'm at the RWA conference in San Antonio in Texas, where I'm looking forward to a wenchly meet-up with Mary Jo and Jo and Nicola. My first time in San Antonio and it's such a pretty and friendly place. Here's where I ate tonight. I'll post pics from the conference on my FB page if you want to follow that.
But because I feared I'd be jet-lagged and might forget (or be unable to post for some technical travel-glitch reason) to post a blog today, I decided to get organized and put up a post in advance — a quiz.
A lot of people enjoyed the first Regency Slang Quiz I created, so, since there's no shortage of regency slang, here, for a little bit of fun, is Regency Slang Quiz No. 2. You'll need paper and pen to note your answers, then check them by clicking on the link at the end.
1) To darken someone's daylights means:
a) to draw the curtains
b) to give someone a black eye
c) to ruin someone's reputation
d) to put coins on the eyelids of a corpse
2) Done to a cow's thumb means:
a) perfectly cooked
b) thoroughly swindled
c) to get every bit of use from an animal
d) exhausted, almost to fainting point
3) A domino is:
a) a hooded cloak worn at a masquerade
b) a black and white spotted waistcoat
c) a prostitute who likes to use the whip
d) a gigolo
4) Displays to advantage means:
a) wears fashion with flair
b) a term for the language of fans
c) a window dresser
d) To fight or box well
5) A caper merchant is:
a) a seller of herbs and specialty goods
b) a dancing instructor
c) a talented thief
d) a crooked businessman
6) Barking irons are:
a) fire screens
b) chains for a dog
c) pistols
d) restraints for lunatics
7) A diamond of the first water is:
a) a very beautiful young woman
b) a fake diamond
c) a star of the stage
d) an impostor
8) Someone who is high in the instep is:
a) a noted dancer
b) a person with an odd, mincing walk
c) arrogant, snobbish and very much aware of social rank
d) a social climber
9) To come up to scratch means:
a) to make an offer of marriage
b) to cross a line
c) to run out of money
d) to make something out of nothing
10) To handle the ribbons means:
a) having a talent for refurbishing hats
b) to drive a coach or carriage
c) to dress hair
d) to juggle several financial threads
You'll find the answers here. Check your score, then come back and tell us how you did, and whether any answer surprised you. Then read on.
One of the things I most enjoy about making up these quizzes is coming up with fun, plausible alternative definitions for each term. So, here's an added extra competition — come up with a creative and funny alternative definition for this piece of Regency slang; calf-clingers (which was the slang term for pantaloons) The writer of the best alternative definition will win a book.