Next time you want to shag your man, try telling him you want to engage in “amorous congress” and see what he says. (Optional: Using a Downton Abbey–inspired accent to make your point.) Mental Floss recently shared a roundup of lewd 19th-century language that’s laughable now, but no less tawdry, really.
Here are our favorite terms:
Brush
“Yeah, we had a brush once.” The emphasis here is on brevity; just a fling, no big deal.
Clicket
“They left together, so they’re probably at clicket.” This was originally used only for foxes, but became less specific as more and more phrases for doing it were needed.
Green gown
Giving a girl a green gown can only happen in the grass.
Let’s all try to bring back “brush” in everyday conversation, shall we?
Read the rest of the list here!
