A country farmer, or ploughman.

Wikipedia

A tedious, troublesome man or woman, one who bores the ears of his hearers with an uninteresting tale; a term much in fashion about the years 1780 and 1781.

Merriam-Webster

One that causes boredom: as a tiresome person or something that is devoid of interest.

Not to be confused with boor - a rude or insensitive person.

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A wench. A prime article. A handsome girl. She’s a prime article (whip slang), she’s a devilish good piece, a hell of a goer.

Merriam-Webster

A thing of a particular and distinctive kind
.

Additionally…

That construction worker who whistles at you thinks you are a prime article.

Not really a Regency thing, but this holiday used to always make me scratch my head in Medievals.

Merriam-Webster

mɪkəlməs
September 29 celebrated as the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel.

Wikipedia

Michaelmas (pronounced /’mɪkəlməs/) or the Feast of Ss. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is a day in the Christian calendar, taking place on 29 September. It is one of the English and Welsh and Irish quarter days.
…
During the Middle Ages, Michaelmas was a great religious feast and many popular traditions grew up around the day, which coincided with the harvest in much of western Europe. In England it was the custom to eat a goose on Michaelmas, which was supposed to protect against financial need for the next year. In Ireland, finding a ring hidden in a Michaelmas pie meant that one would soon be married.

Ever heard of Boxing Day and wondered what the heck it is and where the name originated?

Merriam-Webster

The first weekday after Christmas observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations and marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (as postal workers).

Additional Information

Also referred to as St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day was created in Britain during the middle ages, but the origins and intentions of Boxing Day are disputed. Some say that the distribution of the alms boxes to the poor the day after Christmas gave it its name, others claim it the day when employers would give gifts (or alternately coins in boxes) to their employees (or lords to their servants). Regardless, many of the claims center around Boxing Day originally as the day when gifts were given to employees, the lower classes or those less fortunate (whereas Christmas was a gift exchange between people of equal class). I read more than one claim in my research that Boxing Day used to be about preserving class lines.

Do you have any facts or info about Boxing Day you’d like to share? Please feel free to post and correct me if I’ve omitted something or made an error.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or just plain Happy Sunday! May your day be filled with good food, family and cheer.

For that matter, may your week be filled with more of the same!

Slang for a mistress. “She is his convenient.”

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A foolish fellow.

Additionally…

To make a cake of oneself. You may read about the heroine of a romance novel making a cake of herself or warning someone not to do so.

Here is an unpaid product placement for the holiday season. I just figured that since I had so much difficulty deciding on a new camera, maybe I could help someone else who is also having trouble.

I am the proud new owner of a Canon SD400 digital camera. I love it. LOVE it. It is a 5 megapixel camera, and while I had considered the SD550 (its big brother with 7.1 megapixels), during our store trials this one stood on top with its ease of use and small size. It also helped to have two sets of friends who had the camera and loved it.

I figured that even if I buy a digital SLR or big fancy camera in a few years, I still won’t be “replacing” this one. This one will continue to be a complement, as I can carry it everywhere and take nice pictures (although anyone that likes manual controls will need to stay far away from this one…this is an automatic picture taker’s dream). Of course, in a few years we will probably have 20 megapixel - 12 optical zoom cameras in the end of a pen, but hey, I needed to make a decision now. This whole shopping with a gazillion options thing is the pits.

Since my lovely little SD400 purchase a few days ago I have been snapping shots like mad. So far the pictures have been crisp, clear and nicely colored. It was expressed that I should get a camera bag, but I am waiting for the right one (and I may try to sew up a sleeve for my purse or pocket ala an ipod sock). Until then, this puppy will inhabit an ankle sized SmartWool sock inside my pint-sized purse. Yes, you read that right. An ankle sock. Did I mention that I love this camera?

To sum up, the Canon SD400 is highly recommended for the camera-needing person on your list.

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A citizen of London.

1811 Vulgar Tongue

A riotous disorderly fellow.

Merriam-Webster

A showy foppish man : rake

*Interesting definition combo — fop and rake together? Not in my romance.