Fourth Installation: J-K-L
J
jackanapes - a rude or mischievous person, a knave.
japanning - a suitable hobby for a young lady who enjoyed
arts and crafts, it involved applying a hard, dark, shiny lacquer
“in the Japanese style” to small wooden items such as
decorative jewelry boxes or desk-top book stands
jarvey - slang term for a hackney coach driver.
John Bull - a fictional character coined in 1712 by John Arbuthnot,
who appeared in political cartoons throughout the Georgian era and
represented England’s “Everyman” or England itself,
in the same way that “Uncle Sam” stands for the U.S.
John Bull was depicted as a fat, cheerful country squire with a
large brood of children and a fat, bossy wife. He was practical
and hardworking, a bit gullible, unsophisticated and slightly dim,
but often showing more common sense than the political leaders or
notable figures of the day. In contemporary cartoons, this character
“spoke” for what average people thought about things
going on in the world at the time.
K
King's Bench - the arm of the superior court of the common
law system responsible for hearing criminal (as opposed to civil or
Chancery) cases. It sat in Westminster Hall.
knight of the green baize highway - slang term for a gambler.
knight of the thimble - slang for a tailor.
L
La Belle Assemblée - a snooty fashion magazine of the
Regency period, dedicated to the upper crust. (Translated from the
French, it means “the beautiful gathering.”) It told ladies
throughout England what was in fashion each month in London. Curiously,
many of the contributors to the magazine were not part of the ton,
and had little or no access to the aristocratic elegantes who set
the styles, so they had to spy on them in public places and quickly
make notes on their outfits!
ladybird - a man’s lover or kept mistress.
landau - a four-wheeled fancy carriage with a hood in two
pieces that could be fastened overhead or opened up like a convertible,
which made it a favorite for warm weather. With a raised seat in
front for the coachman, it accommodated four passengers with double
seats facing each other. The landau was usually pulled by four horses,
but two could be used.
laudanum - a tincture of opium used as a painkiller and sedative.
A few drops were taken in a glass of wine or other beverage. Laudanum
was prescribed for many ailments during the Regency, such as headaches
or insomnia. As a result, many people became addicted (including
ladies, similar to the 1970's stereotype of housewives on valium).
Despite the fact that we think of opium today as the chief ingredient
of powerful narcotics like heroin, it was viewed during the 19th
century not as an illegal substance, but as an important and legitimate
source of medicine and a staple of commercial trade, imported with
great profit from arid regions like the Ottoman Empire.
Little Season, the - supposedly this was the autumn social
season, coinciding with Parliament returning to work after the summer.
It’s debatable whether or not it really existed before the
Victorian period, but it has become an established convention of
Regency novels.
livery - male servant’s uniform modeled on the formal
wear of the earlier part of the Georgian period, including: frock
coat, knee breeches, white stockings, and pumps (shoes), along with
a powdered wig. Grooms attending carriages also wore livery, topped
it off with a tricorne hat. Each household had its signature colors.
liveried footman - a footman wearing livery.
livery stable - a stable where one could rent carriage horses.
You could also board your horses at a livery stable in London or,
less commonly, rent a horse there to ride. This could be big business.
One livery stable posted along a busy stagecoach route might have
as many as a thousand horses.
longcase clock - a grandfather
or grandmother clock.
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