Colloquialisms: Dialect, Slang, and Idioms

Tom Sawyer Glossary

Colloquialisms: dialect, slang, and idioms

Compiled 9/08 by Clark Kirby

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Chapter I: Tom Plays, Fights, and Hides

Roundabout – a short, close fitting, jacket popular for boys of the nineteenth century;

Truck – worthless junk, rubbish;

Lick/Licks – a blow; or to beat;

“Spile” – colloquialism for the word: “spoil” meaning to give in to a child;

Good Book – the Holy Bible;

Old Scratch – archaic name for the devil;

“Obleeged” – colloquialism for the words: “obliged” or “obligated”;

Kindlings – firewood cut into small, thin pieces used to start a fire in kitchen stove or in the fireplace;

Middling – colloquialism for the word “medium” (as in the answer to how are you: “fair to middling”);

Pumped – archaic colloquialism meaning that the person pumped the well head handle to force water up and through the spout; Tom pumped water over his head in order to cool off;

Sagacity – wisdom, discerning understanding;

“Geeminy” – archaic oath (swear word) originating from the word “Jesus”;

Natty – archaic colloquialism meaning neat or well-dressed;

Pantaloons – archaic term for men’s or boy’s trousers;

‘Low/’Lowed – archaic colloquialism for the words: “allow” or “allowed”;

Suck Eggs – archaic idiomatic insult; dogs and other low creatures “suck eggs”;

Jingo – archaic idiomatic oath (swear word) used for emphasis; originating from the name “Jesus”;

‘Nuff! –colloquialism for the word: “enough”, indicating that the combatant has had “enough” punishment;

High Feather – archaic idiomatic term for “with pride”;

Lay – archaic colloquial term for delaying punishment or waiting until later to punish someone;

Ambuscade – archaic term for an ambush;

Adamantine – inflexible; unyielding;

Chapter 2: The Glorious Whitewasher

Whitewash – a mixture of powdered lime, water, glue, and other substances used as a type of white paint; commonly used on homes and fences in the nineteenth century;

Whitewasher – a painter using whitewash;

Melancholy – reflective (thinking) sadness;

Mulatto – archaic term for a person of mixed race, usually of white and black parents;

Skylarking – frolicking; playing;

Mars – colloquialism for the word “Master”, used as a sign of respect;

Ole Missis/Missus –colloquialism for “Old Miss”, a middle-aged or older unmarried woman;

“Spec’” – colloquialism for the word “expect” or “suspects”;

“Gwine” – v colloquialism for the word: “going”;

“Ax” – colloquialism for the word: “ask”;

“Tar de head off’n me” – colloquialism used by Jim, meaning “to tear my head off” (punish him);

Thimble – a small metal cup when fitted on the end of a finger, used in sewing, to push the needle through fabric;

Marvel – a wonderful thing;

Alley – a large marble used in shooting, during a game of marbles;

Bully – archaic term for splendid or wonderful;

Taw – the name of a game of marbles; also, another word for an “alley”, defined above;

Gay – in the 19th century, the word meant “cheerful” or “happy”;

Straitened – archaic term for “confined” or “imprisoned”; as in the term for “strait jacket” used for the mentally ill;

Means – term for property;

Hove – nautical (naval) term for “appeared”, as in “the ship hove into sight [of us]”;

Pomp & Circumstance – term meaning a great deal of fuss and ceremony;

[The] Big Missouri – name for a riverboat, in this case a side-wheel paddleboat;

Drawing nine feet of water – a nautical phrase for the draft of the riverboat, the minimum water under the boat’s waterline that the boat needs to keep from hitting the bottom of the river; Phrase could indicate that the riverboat was fully loaded (heavy), making it settle into the water nine feet deep at that time;

Engine-Bells – the system of signals, in this case mechanical bells, that the boat’s captain would use to communicate with a remote space in the boat, such as the engine room, telling the engineer how to use the engines; the “ting-a-ling-ling” the author uses to describe the sound of the engine bells; Bells are easier to hear over the loud noises made by steam engines;

Hurricane Deck – the uppermost (highest) deck or level of a riverboat; the captain would usually be in a small shelter, called the “pilot house”, set atop the hurricane deck from which the boat was steered;

Headway – ship’s or boat’s movement through the water after the engines have stopped; the residual speed, as in coasting to a stop (there are no brakes on a boat/ship);

Stabbord – nautical colloquialism for the starboard or right side of a ship or boat;

Wheel – the boat’s forty-foot diameter paddle wheel used for propulsion (movement); in this case, one of two, one being on each side of the riverboat;

Labbord – nautical colloquialism for “larboard” or the left side of a ship/boat; archaic naval term, replaced by the word “port” in the mid- 19th century navies;

Head-Line – nautical term for a mooring (tying up) rope at the bow (front) of the boat;

Spring-Line – nautical term for a mooring rope at the stern (rear) of the boat;

Bight – nautical term for a loop in a rope (line);

S’h’t! Sh’t! – the author’s attempt with words to recreate the sound of live steam escaping from the steam monitoring gauges in a riverboat;

Up a stump – archaic idiom used to indicate that the person is being punished, such as when forced to stand “up on a stump” for hours;

Wheeled – term for turning around;

Druther – colloquialism for the word: “rather”;

Altered – changed; as used in the words from the novel: “but he altered his mind:”;

Afeared –colloquialism for the word: “fearful”;

Alacrity – eagerness;

Fagged out – archaic idiom meaning to be tired or exhausted; same as the term “played out”;

Played out – archaic idiom meaning tired or exhausted; same as the term “fagged out”;

Jew’s Harp – small musical instrument popular with boys in the 10th century; played by placing the metal device on the lips and humming while strumming (moving) the movable spring;

Rolling Tenpins – archaic colloquialism for the game of bowling;

Head-quarters – military term for the main office; in this chapter, the term is used as a metaphor for his home;

Chapter 3: Busy at War and Love

Intrepid – fearless

Tan – archaic idiomatic term for spank/spanking, a common form of childhood punishment during the 19th century;

Hooked – archaic idiomatic euphemism for stealing something;

Clods – term used to describe chunks of soil or dirt, just the right size for throwing at someone despised;

Condescend – dealing with another person as if they are inferior;

Eminence – a high spot, such as a hill where a person may see more;

Aides-de-camp – French military term commonly used to denote lesser-ranked officers who work as secretaries or messengers for a higher-ranking officer;

Evanescent – vaporous;

Furtive – secretive;

Furtive Eye – an archaic idiomatic expression meaning that one person looks secretively at another person, so as the one being examined will not notice;

Tarry – archaic idiom for delay;

Pansy – type of plant commonly seen in home flower beds;

Pliant – flexible;

Anatomy – the study of the human body (its various parts, organ locations and their functions);

Strode – archaic idiom meaning walked;

Visions – thoughts; images in one’s mind;

Spirits – in this chapter (3), the meaning is Tom’s mood;

Rapped – struck;

Whack – hit;

Torment – painful action;

Immunity – resistance to something’s effect, in this chapter: Sid reaches for the forbidden sugar bowl knowing that he will not be punished;

Glorying over – an archaic idiomatic term meaning “triumphant rejoicing”;

Well-nigh – archaic idiomatic expression for “almost”;

Pet model – archaic idiomatic expression for a “favorite”, perhaps bragged about;

“Catch it” – archaic idiomatic expression for “receiving punishment”;

Brim full – a brim is the top edge of a vessel such as a cup; this expression means full almost to overflowing;

Amiss – usually means “wrong”; in this chapter (3), the term means “mistakenly”;

Reckon – archaic term for think, as in “I reckon that I will walk to town.”;

Audacious – bold;

Reproached – criticized;

Construed – interpreted or understood;

Troubled heart – idiomatic term for someone feeling distressed;

Sulked – silent protest;

Exalted – inflated;

Woes – misfortunes;

Morosely gratified – gloomily satisfied;

Consciousness – moral awareness;

Hang out no signals – idiomatic expression meaning “to fail to display his emotions”;

Yearning – heartfelt desire;

Film of tears – metaphor for sadness;

Beseeching – requesting;

Sore heart – archaic idiomatic expression for “hurt feelings”.

Pathos – sorrow;

Petting of his sorrows – archaic idiomatic expression for self-soothing of his feelings;

Grating delight – archaic idiomatic expression for lesser happiness;

Clouds and darkness – archaic idiomatic expression for sadness and hopelessness;

Song and sunshine – archaic idiomatic expression for happiness and hope;

Haunts – places frequented by Tom;

Desolate – deserted;

“Uncomfortable routine devised by nature.” – a painful, unnatural death, such as drowning, that Tom was contemplating;

Felicity – happiness;

New and varied lights – archaic expression meaning “different ways”;

Threadbare – literal expression meaning worn out fabric; in this case, it is an idiomatic expression meaning “wore it out”;

Adored Unknown – metaphor for Becky Thatcher, her name at this time being unknown to Tom; the expression means “the unknown loved one”;

Sacred Presence – metaphor for Becky Thatcher, her name at this time being unknown to Tom; the expression means “Holy image (in his mind)”;

Stealthy – quietly, unobserved;

Breast – in this chapter in describing Tom’s placement of his hands on his “breast”, it means his chest;

Death-damps – archaic phrase for death that damps out (puts out) a persons fire of life;

Great agony – metaphor for Tom’s image of his own death;

Blighted – destroyed of hope;

“Untimely cut down” – Tom’s image of his youthful death;

Discordant – harsh;

“Profaned the holy calm” – metaphor for the maid-servant’s noise; means that the servant abused the great peace and quiet;

Water – euphemism for liquid body waste (urine) suggested by Tom’s subsequent violent actions after being doused; however, due to Tom’s aversion (hatred) for washing, the author could also just mean “water”;

HISTORICAL NOTE: it was common in the period when there was no indoor plumbing, for a servant to dispose of the “night soil” by emptying the contents of the “chamber pot” (bedside toilet) out the window; Instead of the longed-for tears from Becky, he received something much worse;

“Prone martyr’s remains” – metaphor for the image that Tom had of his dead body lying on the ground outside Becky’s window; literal meaning of the phrase: the fallen body of the one who died for a great cause;

Tallow dip – an oil lamp; animal fat (tallow) was saved by the matron of the house to use for such purposes as lighting the home; A fabric wick would be placed in a shallow bowl of tallow or other oil and lit, causing a dim yellow glow;

“Danger in Tom’s eye” – metaphor for the anger and humiliation felt by Tom after his drenching and discovered by Sid, later; the danger in Tom was for anyone who asked questions;

Vexation – annoyance;

Omission – neglect;

HISTORICAL NOTE: it was customary in the period for people, before they got into bed, to kneel beside their bed, clasp their hands together, and say their prayer out loud; Sid took notice of Tom’s “omission” of his daily prayers;

Chapter 4: Showing Off in Sunday School

Benediction - blessing;

Mosaic Law – archaic term for Moses’ Ten Commandments;

“Girded up his loins” – a biblical idiomatic expression for preparing for battle or something else;

“Get his verses” – archaic idiomatic expression meaning to learn his Bible verses; it was the custom of the period for children to spend a great deal of time memorizing the Bible at Sunday School;

Vague – unclear;

Traversing – traveling in the sense of crossing something; in this case it is used as a metaphor describing Tom’s wandering mind, as if it is literally traveling;

Recreations – fun activities;

“Find his way through the fog” – metaphor for the difficult time Tom has in being “lost” in the fog of the verses he is supposed to be memorizing;

“Tackle it again” – idiomatic expression meaning to try it again;

Prospective gain – likely acquisition (property);

Barlow Knife – a two-bladed pocketknife made by a company in England, owned by two brothers named Barlow; during the 19th century, a Barlow was prized for its quality;

Convulsion – violent turmoil;

Foundations – deepest feelings;

Inconceivable grandeur – Tom’s thoughts about receiving the Barlow knife: he thought unlikely to ever have such a magnificent thing;

Counterfeited – illegal copies made of an object; the author seems to be alluding (suggesting) that this type of knife was being made in the Western United States, perhaps illegally by calling a “Barlow”;

Contrived – to plan with cleverness;

Scarify – to make cuts into something, in this case, Aunt Polly’s kitchen cupboard (cabinets);

Bureau – archaic term for a type of bedroom furniture, a dresser, or more likely, a chest of drawers (without an attached mirror);

Trifle disconcerted – slightly embarrassed; what Tom felt when Mary discovered that Tom failed to use the soap and water properly;

Resolution – determination; resolve;

“Honorable testimony of suds and water” – literally means that there was truthful evidence that soap and water was used; metaphor for Tom’s proper washing;

Clean territory – metaphor for Tom’s face, specifically the area of cleanliness;

Unirrigated soil – literal meaning is dry dirt; metaphor for Tom’s dirty face;

“A man and a brother” – metaphor for Tom becoming a different boy when clean;

Effeminate – term used for men who are lady-like (excessively refined) in their manner;

Galled – an archaic term for exasperation;

HISTORICAL NOTE: it was the custom in the 19th century to rub leather shoes/boots with bacon grease in order to make them shine; There are period caricatures/drawings of a multitude of dogs following the shoe wearer in public places and licking off the grease;

Snarling – growling; grumbling;

Edifice – building;

Accosted – to aggressively approach;

“Yaller” – colloquialism for the color “yellow”;

“Lickrish” – colloquialism for licorice, a black anise-flavored type of stick candy;

Interfered – came between two people;

Reprimand – scolding; verbal correction;

“Of a pattern” – idiomatic military supply term for “all the same type”;

Pupil – archaic term for a student;

Dore’ Bible – name of an elaborately-bound expensive Holy Bible, with religious lithographs (printed pictures) reproduced from the artistry of Frenchman, Gustave Dore’ (1832-1883);

“Little better than an idiot” – humorous metaphor used to describe the negative effect to a boy who recited 3,000 Bible verses; this was possibly an unfair conclusion by someone like Tom who hated anything that was proper;

Superintendent –a person with the authority to direct the work of others;

“Spread himself” – archaic idiomatic term for showing off his talent;

Conspicuous – attracting attention by being unusual;

E’clat – conspicuous (obvious) success;

Leaves – used in this instance to refer to pages in a Bible;

Customary – usual;

Sufferer – humorous metaphor for those who are making Tom uncomfortable in church; Tom would be the “sufferee” in this case;

Sandy - light yellowish brown, referring to hair color;

Goatee – a man’s style of beard, one that is on the chin, only; this style was popular during the mid-19th century;

A fence –humorous metaphor for a man’s large shirt collar that keeps him confined;

Spreading cravat – archaic term for the large necktie worn by the church superintendent, Mr. Walters;

Earnest of mien – seriousness of his appearance;

Intonation – pitch or melodious sound of a person’s voice;

Fidgetings – squirming;

Incorruptible rocks – metaphor for Sid and Mary in church; means that they are unspoiled masses of stability and dependability, unlike Tom;

Subsidence – sinking; in the case of Mr. Walters, his voice was trailing off at the end of his speech;

Repinings – depression; feelings of unworthiness;

Smitten – deeply affected;

Brook – tolerate;

Exaltation – intense happiness;

Alloy – mixture; in this casea metaphor for the mixed feelings that Tom had from the humiliation he experienced when he was doused under Becky Thatcher’s window;

“Record in sand” – a metaphor for Tom’s memory of a particular incident; footprints in sand are temporary until the waves wash them away forever;

“Fast washing out, under the waves of happiness” – metaphor using tide/waves/water to describe the fact that Tom’s humiliating memory is disappearing;