The 1909 book Passing English of the Victorian Era: A Dictionary of Heterodox English Slang … See more

Cop a mouse was a Victorian-era phrase that meant “get a black eye.” As Passing English explains, “Copin this sense is to catch or suffer, while the colour of the obligation a… See more

A door-knockerwas a type of beard, “shaved leaving hair under the chin, and upon each side of the mouth forming with moustache something like a door-knocker.” See more

Here’s a multi-purpose bit of slang, according to the 1967 Dictionary of American Slang: Pretzel-bendercan mean a peculiar person, a player of the French horn, a wre… See more

So what happens when a pretzel-bender drinks too much? That’s when you’d need to use some old slang terms for being drunk. Like having your flag out, or being soapy-eyed… See more