Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 214

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….

Mousetrap

This phrase was used primarily in the eighteenth century, although was first recorded at the end of the seventeenth century. It is defined by Grose as “the parson’s mousetrap, the state of matrimony”. It seems that the trap snaps shut at the moment that the parson confirms that a couple are married. What a lovely way to think of the marriage ceremony….