Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 121

The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

Finger Post

This is one of the dictionary’s wry observations on life, with particular reference to the church at the time. The definition is “a parson: so called, because he points out a way to others which he never goes himself. Like the finger post, he points out a way he has never been, and probably will never go, ie, the way to heaven”. There’s not much to be added to this definition, probably reflecting Grose’s views to a degree, although there were questions about the morality of church officials at this time.