Miss Fanshawe's Fortune - Linore Rose Burkard Page 0,99
leader: an old maid; based on a strange myth that single women who never bore children would end up leading apes in hell.
ague: (Pronounced ah-gyoo) Originally, malaria and the chills that went with it. Later, any respiratory infection such as a cold, fever or chills.
assembly, assemblies: Large gatherings held in the evening for gentry or the aristocracy, usually including a ball and supper. Almack’s in London was the ultimate Assembly in the early part of the 19th century. A handful of high-standing society hostesses had autocratic power of attendance as they alone could issue the highly prized vouchers, or tickets. . Competition to get in was fierce. The Duke of Wellington was once famously turned away—for being late.
B
ball: A large dance requiring full dress. Refreshments were available, and sometimes a supper. Public balls required tickets; private ones, an invitation.
Banbury tale: A story with no basis in fact; A rumour; Nonsense.
banns: Banns of marriage were a public announcement in a parish church that two people intended to get married. They had to be read three consecutive weeks in a row, and in the home church of both parties. After each reading, (and this was their purpose) the audience was asked to give knowledge of any legal impediment to the marriage. If there was none, after three weeks, the couple were legally able to wed. To bypass the banns, a couple could try to get a marriage license instead. Without banns or a license, the marriage would be illegal. (null)
beau monde, the: The aristocracy and the rich upperclass. The fashionable elite. In practice, anyone accepted into their circle, ie., a celebrity or an “original.”.
Carlton House: Given to the Prince of Wales by George III upon reaching his majority, Carlton House was in a state of disrepair (for a royal, at any rate). The house consequently underwent enormous alterations and changes, and was the London palace for the Regent. He spent a great deal of time there but eventually came to favour the palace at Brighton—an even larger extravagance. The Brighton “Pavilion” is today a museum, but Carlton House, unfortunately, no longer exists.
chamber: A private room in a house, such as a bedroom, as opposed to the parlour or dining room.
chaperon: The servant, mother, or married female relative or family friend who supervised eligible young girls in public.
chemise: A woman’s long undergarment which served as a slip beneath her gown. Also, a nightdress. (Previously, the chemise was called a ‘shift’.)
chintz: Patterned cloth, usually floral, with a pleasant satiny “shine” for texture.
chit: A young girl.
clubs: The great refuge of the middle and upper-class man in 18th and 19th century London. Originating as coffeehouses in the 17th century, clubs became more exclusive, acquiring prime real estate on Pall Mall and St. James’s Street. Membership was often by invitation only. Among the more prominent were Boodle’s, White’s and Brooke’s. Crockford’s began to dominate in the very late Regency.
consumption: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)
corset: A precursor of the modern bra, usually meant to constrict the waist to a fashionable measurement, as well as support the high bust required for a Regency gown. It consisted of two parts,reinforced with whalebone that got hooked together in front and then laced up in the back.The garment could also be referred to as ‘the stays.’
countess: The wife of an earl in England. When ‘shires’ were changed to ‘counties,’ an earl retained the Norman title of earl; his wife, however, became a countess.
cravat: (pronounced as kruh-vaht, with the accent on the second syllable). A loose cloth that was tied around the neck in a bow. Throughout the Regency, a fashionable gentleman might labour much over this one detail of his appearance, hoping to achieve a number of different, much-coveted effects.
curricle: Two-wheeled carriage that was popular in the early 1800s. It was pulled by two horses, and deemed rather sporty by the younger set.
curtsey: The acceptable mode of greeting or showing respect by a female. By mid-century the curtsey was less in evidence except for social inferiors like maids to their betters, or by any woman presented at court.
cut: An effective means of social discouragement that involved pretending not to know or see a person who was trying to be acknowledged. A woman might use this technique to discourage unwelcome attentions from a gentleman; but many others ‘cut’ people, too. Getting the ‘cut direct’ from a social superior was vastly humiliating.
D
Debrett’s: A published guide to the peerage, often called