Talk the Talk
We want you to “hawk” your merchandise using one or two choice phrases when interacting with others. You won't have to memorize hundreds of lines. In order to perform more effectively and take your fellow fair goers and audience back in time, all you need is to adopt a few phrases and or words and use them appropriately. Everyone who spoke early English has been dead for at least four hundred years, so nobody is going to critique you.
Types of Greetings: These are the most important and most commonly used phrases. Good Day, Good Even, Good Morrow, Save Thee, What ho! (What's up), How fare'st thou? (How are you), Where hail ye from? (Where are you from), Tarry and feast (Stay and eat), Fare thee well (goodbye), How stands the hour? (What time is it?), What be thy pleasure? (What would you like), Tarry and sit thee down (stay and sit), I thank thee. (Thank you), Gramercy (thank you), What ails thee? (What's the matter), what be thy title? (What's your name?), God bid thee good den (have a good day)
Forms of address: Sir and Mistress were forms used for just about any male or female. Madame is for a married woman of middle class. My Lord and My Lady are to be used to address nobility. Monarchs are to be addressed as Your Majesty or Your Grace. A peasant is Goodman or Goodwife. It is also proper to address someone by their trade, that is, Goodman Blacksmith or Master Tailor, or Goodwife Weaver, etc.
Using Thou, Thee, and Thine: Thou and thee were used when speaking to people you knew well; family, friends, and God. You was reserved for nobility. Thine is possessive, showing that "it" belongs to the person you are addressing (sort of like "y'all".) Ye was used in addressing a crowd, in smaller groups. Thy was used with a noun, that is, Thy Book, Thy Life, Thy cup. More examples: Thou art beautiful; I love thee; Where is thy man/woman? Thine efforts shall be rewarded. Ye is plural of thou. That is, Ye say ye are the children of Abraham. Nay is no. Examples: Nay, I know him not. Aye (pronounced EYE) is yes.
Insults: (Who knows how these might come in handy?)
"A Pox on thee"
"God's teeth"
"Thou art a scurvy knave" (to a man you want to insult)
"Thou pox ridden doxy" (to a female you don't like)
"Thou liftskirt" (to a female you don't like)
"Thou misbegotten son of Beelzebub"
"Thou milksop" (Wimp)
"Thou Popinjay" (Clotheshorse)
"I give not a tinker's damn" (I don't care)
"God's wounds"
"She's no better than she should be!" (A woman of easy virtue)
Compliments
"Thou art wondrous fair, Milady"
"Thou art a most stalwart lad"
"Thou art a right comely wench"
"She be a right buxom dame/lass" (well endowed)
"My gentle servant" (The words a lady would use to her lover)
Other Tidbits
Laced Mutton - A Prostitute
Flemish Drunkard - The Flemings were noted for having the national pastime of drinking.
Red Lattice - In Elizabeth's day red lattices at the doors and windows of a building denoted an alehouse.
Potatoes - In these days, potatoes were supposed to be strong provocatives or aphrodisiacs
Kissing comfits - Sugar-plums
Winchester goose – Prostitute
Doxy - A woman of easy virtue
Strumpet - A woman of easy virtue.
Malkin - Old hag
Elf-locks – Dreadlocks
Side sleeves - over sleeves of garments which hang loose
Lovelock - A single lock of hair hanging long which was a foppish custom for young men