Authentic insults? (as stated in the comm info :p)

[mjkt_]

Yup, I've been wondering what offensive and vulgar words would mostly fit into the mouths of the PotC characters --

Comments

[rexluscus]

'Fuck you' always sounds a little bit funny to me in POTC fic but I'm not sure it's actually anachronistic. All I know is that cursing back then was much more of the religious than the sexual variety. So 'damn' was a much nastier word. We find the religious curses kinda mild now, so it's kinda gotten inverted, I think

[rexluscus]

Addendum:

The OED says 'fuck you' (or just generally 'fuck [somebody/thing]') is totally 20th century! Huh. 'Fucking' as an intensifier goes back several centuries though. 'Frigging' seems to have been just as common in that sense. So there ya go.

[mjkt_]

Yeah, I wasn't really intending to make Jack yell "fuck you", lol, it just doesn't... fit.

But, thanks, this was very helpful. I understand the logic of Deadwood -- in our ears "damn" is something almost a kindergarten kid might say when "fuck"...

But... "dick" and "tramp" -- now I have to figure out replacements for those ;) (funny thing, I would've imagined "tramp" was older...)

[rexluscus]

Well, there are a gazillion old-fashioned words for 'whore' - 'strumpet' seems to be a favorite of Jack's. 'Trollop' maybe? 'Drab'? 'Piece' was a common fairly insulting word for a woman, I think. Yes, the eighteenth century was overflowing with unpleasant words for women. :)

[justawench]

You could use the site I posted before to make some entertaining insults. How about "burnt nag?" (Venereal disease infested penis)

I found this site: http://www.drbilllong.com/More2006/Insults.html
Too bad we don't have this book: http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780802714282-2

I'd say cunt, slut, trollop, or strumpet would be fair game for women. I can't think of any off the top of my head for men other than bastard.

[mjkt_]

Ah, thanks for the links! I was thinking I saw something along these lines in some post/comm before but couldn't for the life of me remember where...

Yup, "cunt" and "slut" are fine, though I have to admit that "trollop" or "strumpet" sound too 'funny' to my years to really work as insults :p (their way of writing is too close to some words of my native language with completely different meanings)

[elessil]

Actually, 'fuck' IS period, if not used NEARLY as often as it is today. However, it was actually considered a 'milder' insult then, whereas "damn you" would've been worse. (I had a comprehensive post on this memorised, but I can't find it at the moment.)

Prick and cock are actually very much period for penis - 16th century. Dick, however, you are right, is very much too modern.

[mjkt_]

Heheh, yeah, nowadays "fuck" is used as the replacement for comma and period, at least its equivalent in my language :p

I would've thought "dick" to be an older term too, but seems I have to find a replacement for that, then...

Thanks!

[elessil]

Etymonline says "1891 in British army slang" for dick, so while location is good, period isn't ;)

Mind, English isn't my first language either, but as for 'prick', I'm absolutely confident it's a period proper word, since Rochester used that, and he's just the perfect time period, actually even a bit earlier than POTC.

Me, I let James always curse with "Bloody hell!" It's just so very British.

[mjkt_]

Oh yes, Rochester is a good source ;) Too bad Marquis de Sade was a tad too late, his creative products surely contain a plethora of vulgarities too ;)

[_varda]

Actually, one of the insults Jack uses in the movies - git - is not an 18th century insult at all. It's way more modern than that, yet I don't really mind when people use it, for it's movie canon.

Fuck indeed suits the period we write in, as does bugger, of course.

An insult for men that could be used as far as I know is plonker. It can be either a man who's constantly drunk, an idiot, or even another word for penis.

Another word that comes to mind for women is twat. It was used as a not-so-courteous word for vagina, but I'm sure it was used as an insult as well, just like cunt.

[_varda]

And a link a came across that might be useful:
http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-1865.html

[mjkt_]

Ah, the good ol' "twat" -- I had forgotten that but it fits just perfectly into my story ;)

I think I've heard "plonker" somewhere too... Though of course, the risk with 'too' authentic insults is that the majority of the readers won't understand how 'serious' they really are so instead of indicating something really derogative they end up sounding just mildly funny :p

Thanks for this link!

[elessil]

Of course, the problem with "fuck" and "bugger" is that my Muse ALWAYS takes them as imperative. "You rang?"

[p0wdermonkey]

And let us not forget "lummox".

Also, the Shakespearean Insulter (bit early, I know) is fun to play with:
http://www.pangloss.com/seidel/Shaker/index.html?