1811 ~ Alternate Historical Names for Clothing Togs ~ Clothes Articles or Inexpressibles ~ Underthings, sometimes Breeches Farting crackers or Galligaskins ~ Breeches Buntlings ~ Petticoats Fallalls ~ Ornaments, chiefly woman’s, such as ribands, necklaces, etc. India wipe ~ A silk handkerchief Specked whiper ~ A coloured handkerchief Knuckle-dabd, or knuckle-confounders ~ Ruffles Brogue ~ […]
Jul102015
Alternate Historical Names for Clothing in the Victorian Era
Jul62015
Victorian Slang Pertaining to Cohabitation (and it’s consequences)
1811 Slang Pertaining to Cohabitation Heavy baggage ~ Women and children. She wears the breeches ~ The wife governs her husband. Butcher’s dog. i.e. lie by the beef without touching it ~ A simile often applicable to married men. To join giblets ~ Said of a man and woman who cohabit as husband and wife, […]
Jun32015
Weird Victorian Recipe Moment: Sweet Macaroni Pudding
Just because, Gentle Reader. And really, I am so going to try and make this at some point. 2-1/2 oz. of macaroni 2 pints of milk rind of 1/2 lemon 3 eggs sugar to taste grated nutmeg to taste 2 tablespoons brandy Put the macaroni, with a pint of the milk, into a saucepan with […]
Apr62015
Custard Protocol Extras: Fun Research Tidbits for Prudence
While I was writing Prudence, I collected some fun and key images for significant scenes. Here are a few that I thought you might enjoy, Gentle Reader. via Saladin Ahmed on Twitter (@saladinahmed) Now you can look out for them as you read… and some quotes, because I’m honored by the warm reception this […]
Mar272015
Prudence Extras 1890s India Research
Gentle Reader, is some insight into the research behind Prudence’s first fateful adventure. While I was writing this first installment in the Custard Protocol series, I did a lot of research and jotted down a number of things about India in 1895 that didn’t make it into the book. I also collected some fun […]
Mar232015
Primrose’s Packing List for Fashionable Victorian Dirigible Travel
One of my favorite early scenes of the Custard Protocol series in Prudence is when Primrose and all her trunks come on board the Spotted Custard. If was fun to write and it was really fun to research. I adore books about how people traveled in the past, possibly because I do so much traveling […]
Jan232015
Food! 1864 Etiquette & Victorian Food Euphemisms + Gail’s 9 Favorite Dishes
Something a little different today, Gentle Reader. As many of you know I am a bit of a glutton, I love me my food. Hence the reason food always gets into my books. One of my favorite compliments is when someone tells me that reading my book made them hungry. So I’m a Bay Area […]
Oct272014
Victorian Slang for Sophronia in Waistcoats & Weaponry
1811 Slang for Sophronia Taradiddle ~ A fib, or falsity. Quirks and quillets ~ Tricks and devices. To milk the pigeon ~ To endeavor at impossibilities. Sacheverel ~ The iron door, or blower, to the mouth of a stove. Grumbletonian ~ A discontented person. Jerrycummumble ~ To shake, towzle, or tumble about. Rum ogles ~ […]
Sep82014
Sophronia’s Moors in the Finishing School Series
While I was in England I trotted down to Devon to visit my family and childhood stomping grounds but also to rove about Dartmoor. As you know, Gentle Reader, the Finishing School books partly take place in Dartmoor. (Or should I say: floating above it?) I thought you would like to see what the moor […]
Jul112014
Mostly Dead in Translation: Hilarious Times With Foreign Editions
I had the most fascinating conversation with a translator, Gentle Reader. I have blogged a bit before about how much I enjoy chatting with those who translate my words. It forces me to think about language differently, and how I apply it. Such a discussion started recently with the phrase “mostly dead. A translator emailed […]
Jul12014
Victorian Slang for Alexia & Trade Release Heartless & Timeless
Today trade paperbacks release of the final two Parasol Protectorate books, Heartless and Timeless. New trade covers. These books are larger in size than the mass market editions, also the print is larger and easier to read. The backgrounds are a more pail color. Content is unchanged, apart from the sample chapters at the back […]
Jun202014
Victorian Pregnancy Research for Heartless
July 1, 2014 Heartless and Timeless released in trade paperback size to the US market. At that juncture the mass market editions have been discontinued. If you have already read the Parasol Protectorate series, read on! (Or if you don’t mind spoilers.) Otherwise, just skip today’s blog post, OK? It should come as no surprise […]