To "Out" Something or Someone, Regency Style

"I am sure I was in the greatest fright in the world t'other day when Edward's name was mentioned by Sir John, lest she out with it all."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 22

To Do More Harm Than Good

"[S]he does me a great deal more harm than good..."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 22

To Put Up With Something or Someone

[A]nd Mrs. Jennings's attempts at consolation were therefore unfortunately founded when she advised her daughter not to care about their being so fashionable because they were all cousins and must put up with one another.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 21

"Hello" in Regency Usage

She came hallooing to the window.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 19

In General

"[A] young man of eighteen is not in general so earnestly bent on being busy as to resist the solicitations of his friends to do nothing."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 19

To Be Bent On Something

"[A] young man of eighteen is not in general so earnestly bent on being busy as to resist the solicitations of his friends to do nothing."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 19

To Forego Something

[W]hen Willoughby called the same day, Elinor heard her express her disappointment to him in a low voice, on being obliged to forego the acceptance of his present.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 12

Mutual Consent

[T]hey were sitting down together by mutual consent while the others were dancing.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 11

Out of the Question

Will0ughby was out of the question.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 11

A "Hop"

Perhaps some older relations of yours have spoken about dancing at "hops" while they were in high school in the 1950s or 1960s, and perhaps you thought the word "hop" was the product of that era. Actually, the term far predates middle 20th century usage, as seen in this passage from Vol. 1, Chapter 9 of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811: "I remember last Christmas, at a little hop in the park, he danced from eight o'clock till four without once sitting down."

To Find Out Something

[S]he soon found out that of all manly dresses a shooting-jacket was the most becoming.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 9

To Be Sick of Something or Someone

"Twice every year these annuities were to be paid; and then there was the trouble of getting it to them; and then one of them was said to have died, and afterwards it turned out to be no such thing. My mother was quite sick of it."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 2

Carried Away

But in sorrow she must be equally carried away by her fancy, and as far beyond consolation as in pleasure she was beyond alloy.
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 2

To Be Off Somewhere

"My father is gone to London, and Jane has written to beg my uncle's immediate assistance; and we shall be off, I hope, in half-an-hour."
--Elizabeth to Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 46

Shocked

"I am grieved indeed," cried Darcy; "grieved--shocked."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane austen, 1813), Chapter 46

Express Mail

"An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Forster, to inform us that [Lydia] was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers..."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 46

To Be Something

They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment, she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 43

At Any Rate

"At any rate, she cannot grow many degrees worse, without authorising us to lock her up for the rest of her life."
--Mr. Bennet speaking about Elizabeth's sister Lydia, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 41

As Usual

[S]he entered the house with the wish of appearing cheerful as usual...
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 37

To Make Something Clear

She could not think of Darcy's leaving Kent without remembering that his cousin was to go with him; but Colonel Fitzwilliam had made it clear that he had no intentions at all...
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 34

Being the Case

"[T]hat being the case, I cannot consider your situation with much compassion."
--Elizabeth to Jane, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 21

To Be on One's Guard

"What do you think of this sentence, my dear Lizzy?" said Jane as she finished [the letter]. "Is it not clear enough? Does it not expressly declare that Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that she is perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference; and that if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard?"
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 21

Oddity

"He must be an oddity, I think."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 13

The Order of the Day

"I should like balls infinitely better," [Miss Bingley] replied, "if they were carried on in a different manner; but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting. It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing were made the order of the day."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 11

To Get Rid of Someone

Miss Bingley saw, or suspected enough to be jealous; and her great anxiety for the recovery of her dear friend Jane received some assistance from her desire of getting rid of Elizabeth.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 10

Lydia's intention of walking to Meryton was not forgotten; every sister except Mary agreed to go with her; and Mr. Collins was to attend them, at the request of Mr. Bennet, who was most anxious to get rid of him...
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 15

Cars

So many Conquerors' cars were daily driven...
--The Vision of Judgement (Lord Byron, 1820), Line 35

Shocking

The sisters repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 8

"It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed," replied Elizsabeth, with tears in her eyes, "that a sister's sense of decency and virtue in such a point should admit of doubt."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 47

To Hold in Contempt

That she [Elizabeth] should have walked three miles so early in the day, in such dirty weather and by herself, was almost incredible to Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley; and Elizabeth was convinced that they held her in contempt for it.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 7

Really

"[S]he is not often really merry."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 17

"But you really do admit the justice of what I have said in his defence?"
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 15.

Elinor, though she felt really interested in the welfare of Colonel Brandon, could not bestow all the wonder of his going so suddenly away...
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 14

But whatever might really be its limits, it was enough when perveived by his sister to make her uneasy...
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 4

"And you really are not engaged to him!"
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 4

"What brother on earth would do half so much for his sisters, even if really his sisters!"
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter 2

"At present I know him so well that I think him really handsome; or, at least, almost so."
--Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen, 1811), Vol. 1, Chapter4

Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined to go to her [sister].
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 7

"[Y]ou are really proud of your defects in writing..."
--Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 10

[Jane and Elizabeth] were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming, and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble, and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 12

"Certain it is, that the living became vacant two years ago, exactly as I was of an age to hold it, and that it was given to another man; and no less certain is it, that I cannot accuse myself of having really done anything to deserve to lose it."
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 15

Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed really glad to see them; anything was a welcome relief to him at Rosings; and Mrs. Collins's pretty friend had moreover caught his fancy very much.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 31

"I have told Miss Bennet several times that she will never play really well unless she practises more..."
--Lady Catherine to Mr. Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 31

"I shall not say you are mistaken," he replied, "because you could not really believe me to entertain any design of alarming you..."
--Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth, in Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 31

He [Mr. Darcy] seldom appeared really animated.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 31

[S]he must own that she was tired of sseeing great houses; after going over so many, she really had no pleasure in fine carpets or satin curtains.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813), Chapter 42

[I]t was gratifying to know that his resentment had made him think really ill of her.
--Pride and Prejudice (Jane austen, 1813), Chapter 43

It's Austen's Fault!

I blame Jane Austen for this blog: While reading Pride & Prejudice, it occurred to me that Austen is really fond of a particular adverb that writers today are really encouraged not to use. And, really, if they do use it, they should use it as really little as possible.

Yes, let there be no mistaking it: the really lowly, really cliched adverb in question is really. Really!

So it got me thinking: For all the Regency words and idioms we need a glossary for, what was used back then that has survived to this day, thanks to not just the English language, but to thinking in English? So I determined to gather examples of those words and idioms, along with their Regency sources, in this blog, which I decided to call--surprise!--Really Regency.

Enjoy!