Clatterfart, Loobies and Fat Cull
Dr Vernon Coleman
Here are twelve old English words and phrases to enliven your vocabulary. These are all taken from the book called `Vernon Coleman’s Dictionary of Old English Words and Phrases’.
Clatterfart = gossip
Chucklehead = stupid person
Bloviate = say a great deal without saying anything
Loobies = ignorant, rather pathetic men
Muckender = handkerchief
Cads on Casters = cyclists (considered a hazard to pedestrians)
Mrs Philip’s Ware = a condom (in the 1700s a Mrs Philip sold condoms made of skins or bladders)
Mountebank = someone who deliberately deceives others
Ergophobia = fear of work
Fat Cull = rich man
Fandangle = something useless; ornamental at best
Scandal Broth = a cup of tea (scandals were often shared over a cup of tea)
The words above are all taken from Vernon Coleman’s Dictionary of Old English Words and Phrases. For details of how to obtain a copy CLICK HERE
Copyright Vernon Coleman November 2025
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