Language Resources

While we don't have the sort of time or resources to delve deeply into Victorian sounding language for our festival, we can all certainly try to pepper the way that we speak with words that aren't normally heard today. This will help you feel like you are in a different time, and it will help the guests to also feel that they have been transported. Even picking only one or two words to use for a whole festival day will make a big difference!


For Characters of the Upper Class (characters of the merchant class may also choose to use this, as they would want to present themselves as civilized as possible). This includes the various dignitaries (or superpeople, as the case may be), finishing school girls, temperance leaguers. Perhaps the Crachits, as Bob does have a job in a counting house...

How to Speak Proper(ly)



For the Criminal members of the Lower Class, here is a very comprehensive word list. People of the upper class would not comprehend this slang, it was a dialect within itself. pickpockets, the chimney sweep, perhaps the constables (who do spend a great deal of time handling the criminal element). There are many useful terms here, but PLEASE be advised that the content of this site does contain a few instances of profanity, as well as anatomical terms, so...

Young pickpockets, you must have your parents go through this site with you!!!

Lower Class and Underworld