Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
Poet involved
What happened
In 1785, Francis Grose published A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue in London, a compendium of slang and colloquial expressions that Samuel Johnson had deemed too vulgar for his dictionary. Grose, a militia captain and antiquary, collected his materials through nocturnal excursions into the slums and docks of London, documenting the language of criminals, sailors, and the urban poor. This work is considered a founding text of obscene lexicography and a valuable record of eighteenth-century cant.
Literary impact
Grose's dictionary provided poets and writers with a rich source of slang and colloquial language, enabling them to depict the lives of ordinary people with greater authenticity. Its influence can be seen in the works of poets like Robert Burns, who was a friend of Grose and penned a poem about him. The dictionary also contributed to the growing interest in the language of the common people, a theme that would become central to Romantic poetry.
Source: Wikipedia
