A CLASSICAL DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE
Third edition, later issue, of Grose's classic slang dictionary of 18th-century colloquial and ungentlemanly nouns and verbs.
Very good.
Price: $750.00
A CLASSICAL DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE
"The Vulgar Tongue consists of two parts: the first is the Cant Language, called sometimes Pedlars French, or St. Giles's Greek; the second, those burlesque phrases, quaint allusions, and nick-names for persons, things, and places, which, from long uninterrupted usage, are made classical by prescription."<br /><br />
Invaluable sourcebook for the historian, historical novelist, and curious layperson alike, whether they be a Captain Hackum, a Death's Head Upon a Mop-Stick, or Grinagog, the Cat's Uncle. Entries include such terms as "Yellow Cat" (a noted brothel in the Strand), "Wrinkle" (a woman who has borne "any number of bastards"), "Gunner's Daughter,"* "Boxing the Jesuit"* and many similarly illuminating words and phrases. Grose happily and frankly explains any number of depraved words, only stopping short of defining The Monosyllable; the lamp of Antiquity casts a warm light of charm over even the filthiest of euphemisms. (*Decorum forbids elucidation.) This copy of the 1796 third edition is "corrected and enlarged, published one year after the first edition. It is bound in original boards with ads from the early 19th century, likely issued just before or simultaneously with the work's resurrection with the 1811 edition, published under the new title Lexicon Balatronicum.
The Object
London: Hooper and Co, 1796 [but circa 1810]. Octavo bound in fours. 8.75'' x 5.5''. Original boards with brown spine, printed paper spine label. Leaves uncut and unopened. Publisher's advertisements (from Sherwood, Neely and Jones) bound in, including a notice for Barrington's Voyage to New South Wales with a history of the settlement "to the present period of 1810". vii, Moderate wear and light chipping to edges of boards. Considerable chipping to paper over spine, revealing sections of scrap paper underneath; printed label intact. Pages faintly toned.
The Fine Print
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Priority. International orders over $500 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
