I need help making sure I have some curse words best suited for back in time, like hundreds of years. I'm writing some back story scenes of my paranormal romance and want to make sure I'm writing appropriately for that time. I need it for basically way back during the Mayflower times, during the first villages that sprouted from the people who came from England to the Americas. I'm thinking of words that are good for "what the fuck?" and "ah, shit." I think those are a bit modern for that day and time. What would sound better for that time?
I'd stick with the moderns. Virtually every book/movie uses shit and fuck to avoid looking ridiculous. Deadwood on HBO famously declined to use period swears like "Golly!" and "Dagnabbit!" because it would have sounded silly to hear a gunfighter exclaim that after being shot in the balls.
I think "fuck" and "shit" and whatnot are still going to be your best bets. If I were writing it, I'd avoid the phrases surrounding those words that sound like they came from the last few decades. For instance, and I can't be sure of this, but I think it was more recently that "fuck" replaced certain words in phrases like "What the hell?" and "For God's sake!" turning them into "What the fuck?" and "For fuck's sake!" Some combos are apparently newer. Kurt Vonnegut said in Slaughterhouse Five that he was a soldier in World War II the first time he heard the term "motherfucker" and was confused because he'd never fucked anyone's mother. Still, if you can weave your curse words into period speech and make it sound natural, I think you're good with most of the classics: bitch, bastard, shit, fuck, cock, cunt, etc. And if you're not sure, just tell anyone who asks, "It makes total sense. My character was just the first person to say that ever."
You can't go far wrong in a community of religious nutjobs people with "Damn you!" or variations thereof.
I saw a discussion just recently (like within the last week or two I think)—was it here? Seems like it was. I remember somebody mentioning Jupiter's Balls (was that you @Homer Potvin ?) I think there were a lot of sayings like that in previous times. Just did a search and the only thread coming up is this one. Of course if you're dealing with pilgrims, most of them were religious refugees like Quakers and Puritans. Not people who are going to take their lord's name in vain or use certain kinds of curse words. Though they might have used terms like "By Clovenfoot's hairy backside!" (Clovenfoot being of course a name for Satan. There were a lot of them).
Found an extremely interesting podcast: Chaucer’s Vulgar Tongue Not only did the word vulgar just mean common, but I also happen to know the word profane originally meant much the same. There were two different worlds—the sacred and the profane (or ordinary). You entered the sacred world when you went into a church or when you prayed, and you'd want to clear your mind of all vulgar thoughts before doing that. Originally there would have been purification rituals. Like maybe washing your hands at the font before entering the curch? I'm not sure. Plus, Vulgate Latin was what could also be called low or common or vulgar Latin, meaning it was spoken by the common people, who tended to swear and curse a lot.
If you want to get a feel for how Pilgrims comported themselves and how deeply religious they were, you should watch The Crucible and The Witch (those are both links). The movies might also show how they tended to curse, I don't remember (but most likely they do).
Vulcan's Dick, technically. But close enough. There was probably somebody's Balls in there somewhere. "Juno's Cunt" was another they used frequently.
You might find some good terms to use in The Slang Dictionary, originally published in 1873 - a compendium of slang used 17th - 19th century. You can read it for free online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42108/42108-h/42108-h.htm
I just spent a little bit of time scrolling through The Slang Dictionary (1873) (linked above) and came up with a few: Instead of “Bullshit!” – “Fudge!” or “Giffle-gaffle!” or “Ipsal dixal!” Instead of, “Well, I’ll be fucked.” – “Well, I be gormed.” or “Well, I’ll be hobbled.” Instead of “This sucks!” – “Humbug!” … Instead of “You freeloader/flunkie/mooch!” – “You humbug!” Instead of “I’m pissed.” – “I’m humped up.” Instead of “He’s a shit-disturber.” – “He’s kicking up.” Or “He’s kicksy.” Instead of “Fuck it.” – “Knife it.” Here are the entries from The Slang Dictionary (1873): Fudge, nonsense, stupidity. Giffle-gaffle, or gibble-gabble, nonsense. Gormed, a Norfolk corruption of a profane oath. So used by Mr. Peggotty in David Copperfield. Hobble, trouble of any kind. Humbug, an imposition, or a person who imposes upon others. (Humbug has a rather lengthy entry, and it’s an interesting read) Hump up, “to have one’s hump up,” to be cross or ill-tempered Ipsal dixal, Cockney corruption of ipse dixit—said of one’s simple uncorroborated assertion. Kick up, “to kick up a row,” to create a tumult. Kicksy, troublesome, disagreeable Knife it, “cut it,” cease, stop, don’t proceed.
Ah, I didn't think about the pilgrims of that time. They were more strictly religious back then. But since it's just a small background scene and one character is from a main village, while the other is from a native tribe, I'm not focusing too much on them. I just need a few words whether they are more slang or actual curses to fit the scene. I'll definitely look up that dictionary, and the ones mentioned by Louanne also look decent too. Thank you all!
Swear words tend to act along the fissures in society. In highly religious times, the swearing was religiously based. We have quite a few of those left in English, but they've really lost their sting: damn!; Jesus!; and bloody hell! are examples. Those would have been shocking back then, and religious people would, in general, avoid them. On the other hand, they were a rural society, and quite blunt; kestrels were called windfuckers. It's during urbanisation that many of the words that we consider swear words today appeared. It's notable how many of those relate to bodily functions or body parts and the like; living close together meant that people because more prudish. I suspect these words wouldn't have been swear words in the period you're talking about.
It seems that at least 2-3 words have been around since mediaeval times. So using the F or S word are period correct, all the way to modern day. https://www.interesly.com/medieval-swearing/
"Eff" used to be a good one. It's self-explanatory. A lot of them sound silly nowadays. Zounds and gadzooks would never work now, but they worked then. I guess you could spell them out to "God's wounds" and "God's hooks." That might have more impact.
Makes me think of Jackie Gleason and Ralph Kramden. I prefer Archie Bunker, but you can't say that shit on TV anymore, 50 years later.
"Fiddle-faddle". Honestly, it all depends on the setting for your story. It's easy enough to look (on dictionary.com) when a certain expression came into popular usage, and compare it against your setting. (For instance, I looked up the expression fiddle-faddle, and learned that people first used it about 1570-1580). So if -- just as an example -- your story is set in the 1920s, then using (say) the expression "You suck!" would be absurd. That expression wasn't around in the 1920s. It would be as absurd as, say, someone using the expression "Far out, man!" today ... or writing a story set in the Middle Ages and having a peasant say to a Duchess "Hello, Caroline. I have such a bad hair day -- ROFL!" They are simply things that would never, ever happen. If you include them in your book, you're saying to your readers one of two things: 1. "I know this will never happen, but I'm willing to bet that you don't, because you are stupid"; OR 2. "I didn't know this will never happen, because I did no research, because I am stupid." And all your readers will say "Forget this!" A much better idea is to try and figure out when certain slang came into usage, and use an expression only if it fits within your story's timeline. Of course, this might not be possible, especially if your story is set (say) during the Roman Republic (509 to 34 BC). But if you use common sense and the earliest slang you're aware of, you wouldn't be far wrong. Good luck!
