You think vulgarity is a modern trend? Think again.

This year's US presidential election has provided multiple examples of undesirable public behaviour – and that was just the candidates. But cutting up in company, alas, is not new. In fact, around 1800, there were even dictionaries to explain all the carrying on. Answer these questions about some historical misbehavior.

Multiple choice.

1. In the Regency Period around 1800, 'hunting the squirrel' was a term for:
   
   • Playing chicken with carriages
   • Chasing women through Vauxhall Gardens
   • Hiding tokens in the ice cream at Almack's
   • Hunting actual squirrels on horseback
2. In the 17th and 18 centuries, Abram men were a public nuisance. What did they pretend?
   
   • To be missionaries or preachers
   • To be doctors
   • To be insane
   • To be psychic
3. Soldiers were often a source of bad public behaviour. Around 1800, what did a soldier mean by demanding his 'Act of Parliament'?
   
   • He wanted the right to sleep in your barn
   • He wanted free transportation
   • He wanted the right to kiss your girlfriend
   • He wanted his free pint of beer
4. Conversational bullies were around even before Faux News. What kind of conversation-grabbing technique was called 'firing a gun'?
   
   • Threatening to fire a gun unless people listened to your jokes
   • Pretending to hear a gun in order to introduce a story about a gun
   • Actually firing a gun to get attention
   • Leaving Chekhov's gun lying around
5. We know people from the US are often called 'yankees'. In the US South, people from the North are called 'yankees'. But 'yankey' was a real insult in the 18th Century. What did it mean?
   
   • A fashion-obsessed man
   • A country bumpkin
   • An unsuccessful fisherman
   • A teller of bad jokes
6. Irish jokes may be revenge for something. In the 18th Century, some Irish called the English 'bugs'. What were they implying?
   
   • The English smelled bad
   • The English were stupid
   • The English bugged them
   • The English brought insects to Ireland
7. Criminality is certainly bad behaviour. What did a 'pad borrower' do that was illegal?
   
   • Staged home invasions
   • Ripped off your writing materials
   • Stole your horse
   • Stole ladies' underclothing
8. Back in the 19th Century, people might have described some of these political ideas as being 'as queer as. . . ':
   
   • Fresh fish
   • 2legs
   • Dick's hatband
   • Liza's knitting needles
9. Politicians this year have called each other many names. We will not repeat them here. But if one called the other a 'napper of naps', what would the politician be accused of?
   
   • Sleeping on the job
   • Stealing sheep
   • Molesting sheep in some way other than stealing them
   • Ruining your carpet
10. Fashion victims: unfortunate public behaviour of great antiquity. In the 1790s, if a male personage showed up sporting a 'Nazakene foretop', what exactly was on his head?
    
    • A wig that was supposed to make him look like Jesus
    • A really large hat
    • A hat that looked like a sailing ship
    • A mullet-like wig

Whew. You never knew people could get up to so much that wasn't even on Twitter. Click the picture for some translation help.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

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