History Visits

Dealing with children?

• How now children, will you not rise to day? (substitute ‘children’ for name of tardy person)

• Children, go play: But take heed that you hurt not one another[, nor any other.]

• Do so, that we hear no complaints on ye.  (i.e. be on your best behaviour)

• Come I pray you, lest you be beaten.

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Asking the time

• What ist a clock?

• What is it of the clock?

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Expressing Belief/Disbelief

• I believe you not

• You will jest

• You jest I believe

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Insults

• Truly you are but a wagge, which looks but for the death of the day! (‘wagge’ commonly used to describe a mischievous boy, a rascal, or a joker.)

• Now you are a good wench.  (can mean anything from ‘an unmarried girl’ to ‘a serving maid’ to ‘strumpet’!)

 

When asked for something

• Here be them.

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Advice

• Better it is to have a bad excuse, than none at all.

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Expressing disappointment

• It is (or 'tis) not well done.

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Giving thanks

• I thank ye (Ser, maister, my friend)

• I thank you

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Asking where things are

• What did you with all?

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Agreeing / disagreeing

• Yes truly

• You say true/well

• No truly

• This like me not

• Indeed

• Be it so

• It is a most true saying

• Yes forsooth

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Greetings

• Good morrow (cosen, neighbour) [name]

• How do (you)? (became ‘how do you do’)

• How is it with you?

• Here ye, fair maid

• Good even (Maister, my friend)

• God save you Ser

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When asked if you can do something/supply something

• Yes forsooth I can

• It shall be done.

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General questions and comments

• From whence come you? (where have you come from/where are you from)

• Whether go you? (where are you going now)

• You shall find me as reasonable, or more, as any other.

• Hold (instead of ‘hang on’ or ‘wait a sec’, etc)

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To encourage/engage with the public

• Come hether Ser

• Well come Ser.

• Come in, if you please.

• What news?  (‘what is new’ - a shortening of ‘new things’ from the French nouvelles)

• What do you lack? (instead of ‘what do you want’ or ‘how can I help’)

• What seek ye?

• What is your pleasure?

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When someone asks you for something

• You shall have it

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When asked where someone is

• She is gone forth

• She is gone to market [or wherever]

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Talking to traders

• What do we/I owe?

• What have we/I to pay?

• Let us/me have a reckoning:

• What is to pay?

• How sell you them?

• How much?

• It is too much.

• You are too dear.

• You hold your wares too high.

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Saying goodbye

• God be wy my friends, at your commandment. (short for ‘God be with you’ – which became ‘goodbye’)

• God be wy Ser

• Well come Ser, at your commandment.

• Fare ye well (Ser, then)

• God be wy Syr, at your commandment.

• Good even, mistress/maister, Ser

• I bid you the good night

• God bless you Syr

• Fare you well, at your commandment.

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Some back and forth
God save you Ser

And you also my friend

Good morrow (cosen, neighbour) [name]

And to you also (cosen, neighbour) [name]

How is it with you?

Well, thanks be to God
So so

Good even Syr

God give you good night

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