MASTER LISTS FOR WRITERS: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More (12 page)

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS FROM VICTORIAN ENGLAND

Most of these words and phrases are used today, but far less frequently. To create this list, I worked from the dialogue in the novels of Charlotte and Emily Bront
ë
, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as
Passing English of the Victorian Era,
published in 1909. I haven’t included much street slang or any Cockney rhyming slang, delightful as it is, because their application is so specific and because so many excellent resources for them exist online.

Characters in British Victorian novels use more adverbs than in contemporary ones, particularly in negative contexts: “a beastly country,” “cruelly unjust,” “dreadfully poor,” and so on. Even if you are accustomed to eschewing adverbs in your writing, you may want to make some use of them in historical conversations.

Reading a few Victorian novels will give you an ear for the dialogue. Sentence constructions, in particular, are different and more elaborate in Victorian conversations than in present-day speech.

a good deal/a great deal (“a lot”)

a small matter/no matter (“no big deal”)

abominable

agreeable (may describe not only a person but also a situation)

amiable

at your peril (“at your own risk”)

away (lower class usage: a euphemism for “in prison”)

Bah! (an expression of disgust)

bang up to the elephant (“perfect” – this later got shortened to “bang up,” as in “doing a bang-up job”)

barmy (“crazy,” “mad”)

beast (used as an insult)

before you can say Jack Robinson (“in no time”)

between the Devil and the deep blue sea (similar to “between a rock and a hard place”)

blackguard

bless my soul

bootlicker (“sycophant”)

butter upon bacon (“more than enough”)

by George

by Jove

by-the-bye (“by the way”)

capital (“excellent,” as in “a capital idea”)

chafed (annoyed: “you are a little chafed”)

charming

clever

Cock of the Walk (a leader, or a confident, domineering man)

coming a cropper (failing, or having a stroke of very bad luck)

confound it/confound you (“damn it”/“damn you”)

contrivance (may mean an invention or a scheme)

cordial

costermonger (someone who sells fruits and vegetables, usually from a cart on the street)

countenance

creature (used of people: “dear creature,” “poor creature,” “be a reasonable creature”)

cross (as in “grumpy”)

cruel (frequently used in the same way contemporary North Americans use “mean”)

dash it all (a more polite version of “damn it all”)

dear me

delightful

detestable

devilish (used to modify an adjective, such as “devilish good-natured”)

disgraceful

distressing

diverting

double-dealing (“backstabbing,” “treacherous”)

doubtless

dreadful

drunk as a lord (a middle and lower class expression)

dull as ditchwater (this is the original expression, possibly coined by Dickens, which later changed to “dull as dishwater”)

everything is nice in your garden (a mildly reproachful response to a boast)

extraordinary

falsehood

feeling low (a common way to say “sad”; also, “low in spirits”)

fellows (frequently, the way a man refers to other men)

a fine fellow

in fine fettle (in good shape, or well organized)

fond

folly

fool/foolish

foolish fancy (a silly idea or notion)

for shame (used as a reproach)

frightful/frightfully

ghastly

glad to hear of it (“I am glad to hear of it;” “I hope he will be glad to hear of it”)

gloomy

good God

good gracious/good gracious me

good-humored

grand (“Isn’t that a grand idea?”)

grieved (not only used in reference to death: bad news or bad luck may leave someone “grieved”)

grouse (“grumble”)

hang it all (used in the same way as “damn it,” to express frustration)

hard (used in the same way as “mean,” as in, “you say such hard things”)

hard as nails

haste (“make haste” means “hurry,” and “hasty” means “quick”)

he worships the golden calf (“he only cares about profit”)

heaven and earth (used in the same way as, “for heaven’s sake”)

hindrance

hoodwinked

horrid

hungry as a hunter

I assure you (“most assuredly,” “most assuredly not,” and “most assuredly so” are also commonly used)

I can’t give over (“I can’t let it go”)

I dare say

I entreat you

I give you my sacred honour that (“I promise you that”)

I say... (a common beginning of a sentence)

I wonder that... (“I’m surprised that...”)

idleness

if I may inquire

if you please

I’ll be bound (“I bet”)

I’m sure (sometimes used at the end of sentences: “I don’t know, I’m sure.” “I’m certain” is used in the same way.)

ill-bred

impertinence

in a twinkling (“in a moment”)

insolence

Indeed? (“Really?”)

it is just the thing (“it is popular”; “it is commonly done”)

jolly

let me bear you company (“let me keep you company”)

loathsome

Love bless you/Lord love you

lucky dog (a lucky man)

madness (like “lunacy,” often used to describe plans and situations)

mamma (used by many children and adult women to address and refer to their mothers)

mean (used as a synonym of “stingy”)

minx (mischievous girl or young woman)

monstrous

my blood is up (“I’m upset”)

my dear boy/fellow/girl/sir/lady/child

my good sir/my worthy sir

naughty

no use flogging a willing horse

nor did I (“neither did I”)

not a matter of much consequence

not to be endured

oh, dear/oh, dear me

oh, my stars

odious

on the square (“honest”)

palaver (idle or pointless discussion)

paltry

papa (used by many children and adult women to address and refer to their fathers)

peevish

perfect lady (used satirically on the streets, to describe someone who’s anything but)

pitiful

pleasant (“a pleasant journey,” “a pleasant evening”)

Pooh! Pooh! (a dismissive expression)

portionless (without a regular allowance)

provoking (“irritating”)

Pshaw! (an expression of disparagement)

quarrelsome

queer (“strange”)

quite right (“absolutely”; “quite correct” is also used often)

scarcely

sick at heart (“very upset”)

speak plainly

spruce (neat or stylish)

stupified

that won’t answer (“that won’t work”)

throw him over (“abandon him”)

scoundrel

scuttler (a tough young person of the streets)

silent as the tomb

splendid

suitable

sulky

that is nothing to the purpose (“that doesn’t matter”)

thrashed (“beaten”)

to be sure

trifle

Tut, tut! (an expression of admonishment)

uncivil

uncommonly

unfeeling

ungenerous

unjust

unmanly

unwell

up to the scratch (“sufficient,” “good enough”)

upon my life

upon my word

vainglorious

vexed

victuals (food; provisions)

vulgar (often used the same way as “tacky” or “trashy,” to describe both things and people)

was desirous of (“wanted”)

well-bred

What can you mean?/Whatever can you mean? (“What do you mean?”)

What next? (a common response to an unbelievable statement)

What the deuce...? (“What the heck...?”)

What the devil...? (“What the devil do you mean?” “What the devil’s the use?”)

woeful

wickedness

with all my heart

Would you be good enough to...? (used when asking a favour; also, “Could you have the goodness to...?”)

wretched

you are very good/you are very kind

you do me honour

your obedient servant (a popular closing for a letter; also, “your humble servant”)

6. CHARACTER NAMES

Some of us take forever to figure out what to call the people in our stories—and with good reason. Often, one of the first things our reader learns about a character is his or her name. For a novel, the names of the main characters are right there in the blurb or on the back cover.

If the names sound too fake, that can turn people off, although there is a lot of leeway in speculative genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal romance. When the character names of a historical story are too modern, readers will roll their eyes. Bad character names can even keep people from buying a book in the first place.

Getting the right names for characters is a passion of mine, and I’m going to share a few suggestions to make your choices reader-friendly. It’s only my opinion, so see what works for you.

1. Whenever possible, choose names that most readers will be able to pronounce in their heads, at least for your main characters. Granted, this may be a challenge for some time periods and places.

2. If you pick an unusual first name, you might want to go with a normal surname (“Indiana Jones” is a great example.) Conversely, if you have a common first name, you might want a more evocative last name to give your character some flair (“Mary Poppins,” for instance.) Then again, you might want the character to sound like a very average person...even if it turns out she’s anything but.

3. Avoid writing a conversation where the character explains why she is named what she is (“Actually, my full name is Andromeda. My mother is an astronomer, you see...”) It’s overdone. If the name is so weird that it absolutely requires explaining, pick a more believable one.

4. If you are writing a fantasy or science fiction story, the characters from the same culture should have a similar logic to their names. For instance, don’t name one elf Silverleaf and another elf Bob.

5. Make sure all of your characters don’t have names that start with the same letter, or else your reader will have a terrible time keeping them straight. Giving siblings names that start with the same letter is fine, because it reminds the reader that they are related.

6. Avoid having the same number of syllables in everyone’s first and last names. Mix it up a little.

7. Use nicknames to convey relationships. For instance, the first time one of your character shortens the name of another one—calling her “Ro” instead of “Rosemary,” for instance—it can be an exciting signal to the reader that they’ve become closer. Family members and old friends may have childhood nicknames for your character that nobody else uses in her adult life. In some communities, everyone may go by nicknames.

Okay, enough advice. On to the lists!

NAMES FROM VIKING-ERA SCANDINAVIA

I found most of the names on this list in Norse sagas that describe the Viking age in the 900s and early 1000s. I also looked at historical documents dating from around that time.

This list includes Anglicized names, and I have excluded many names that I felt would befuddle most English-speaking readers. Some of these names may still be difficult, or sound odd—in fact, one of the men’s names is literally Odd—but they will give your Viking historical novel or romance an authentic feel.

I’ve also listed last names that people earned, such as Sweyn Forkbeard and Erik the Red. You could have a lot of fun making up surnames like this for your characters. Some of the ones here seem kind of mean, but if you’ve ever read any of the sagas, this will not surprise you.

WOMEN

Agata

Ádisa

Alfifa

Arnfasta

Arnóra

Ása

Asgerd

Aslaug

Asny

Astrid

Astrior

Asvor

Atla

Aud

Bera

Bergthóra

Bersa

Birna

Borga

Brynhild

Dagmar

Dalla

Droplaug

Edda

Elfdisa

Eyfura

Folka

Freydis

Frigg

Geirrid

Gerd

Grima

Grimhild

Gróa

Gudrid

Gudrun

Gudny

Gunnhildr

Hadda

Haldora

Halla

Hallbera

Hallgerda

Hallkatla

Helga

Herbord

Herdís

Hilda

Holmkel

Hungerd

Ingibiorg

Idun

Jódís

Jofrid

Jórunn

Katla

Kol

Kolfrosta

Kolga

Kristrún

Luta

Nál

Nauma

Olof

Osk

Randalin

Ragnhild

Rannveig

Ríkví

Sága

Saldís

Sif

Signy

Sigrid

Skaga

Svala

Svanhild

Steingerd

Swala

Thora

Thorbera

Thorbjörg

Thordis

Thorgerd

Thurid

Ulfrún

Unna

Valka

Vigdis

MEN

Alfarin

Asmund

Asolf

Atli

Audolf

Bard

Bearne

Bergfinn

Björn

Bodvar

Bolli

Bork

Bran

Brand

Dofri

Egil

Einar

Eldearn

Erik

Eyjolf

Eywind

Finnbogi

Gestr

Gisli

Glum

Grettir

Grimr

Grímur

Gunnar

Gunnbjorn

Gunnlaug

Hafgrim

Haldor

Hagbard

Harald

Heimir

Helgi

Hermund

Illugi

Ingimundur

Ivar

Jofrid

Jokul

Jorund

Ketil

Leif

Odd

Ofeig

Olaf

Olvir

Ogmund

Önundur

Ondott

Orund

Ossur

Raknar

Randwer

Raven

Rerir

Rolf

Sigi

Sigurd

Skuli

Snorri

Solvi

Soti

Steinolf

Stymir

Sweyn

Thrand

Thoralf

Thorarin

Thorfinn

Thorgrim

Thorgunna

Thorir

Thorkel

Thorsteinn

Thorvald

Thrond

Ufeig

Uspak

Vali

Vestein

Vestmar

Viglund

Wolf