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Notes on
the text of Sense and Sensibility
Learn what those weird words and phrases mean here! I've tried to explain anything I thought wasn't clear for a modern audience, but if you think I've missed anything, please let me know.
For use only with the text version of Sense and Sensibility found on this site. These notes are copyright © Austen for Beginners 2006 and may not be reproduced without permission.
Sussex
County in the south of England. These days it is divided into two parts, East Sussex and West Sussex.
to supply her loss
To replace her, compensate for the loss of her presence.
legal inheritor
Next in line to inherit; in the absence of a will dictating otherwise, Henry Dashwood would inherit his uncle's estate.
fortune of his mother
Any money (dowry) that a wife brought to her marriage was generally settled on her children i.e. they inherited it at a later time, either when they came of age (reached the age of twenty one) or married. In this case, Henry Dashwood's son got half of his mother's money when he came of age, and would inherit the remaining half on the death of his father. His father could invest the money, and draw interest from it, but could not actually spend it.
moiety
Half; one of two parts.
life-interest
The use of it for his life only; when he died, it went to his son.
to his son, and to his son's son, a child of four years old, it was secured
The estate was left to Henry Dashwood for his lifetime only, to be inherited by his son and grandson in turn. Henry himself could not therefore sell any part of the estate or leave any of the money or property to his second wife or to his daughters. As he had nothing else of much value to leave to them, their income after his death was likely to be very small.
ungracious behaviour
Mrs John Dashwood would not have been expected to attend the funeral of her father-in-law (ladies in general did not attend funerals at this period), but to arrive at her mother-in-law's house without telling her, even though it was technically now her own, would then as now be considered extremely rude.
your sisters will marry, and it will be gone for ever
Any money a woman had, either in her own right or as part of her mother's marriage settlement, would pass to her husband on marriage. See above.
annuity
Annual income, a bit like a pension.
worth half that purchase
Here, meaning 'half that long.' John Dashwood is suggesting that Mrs Dashwood could not possibly survive half of fifteen years. A bit pessimistic, even then, considering she is only in her early forties.
superannuated
Retired.
rent day
Day fixed each year for the payment of rent to the landlord of the estate. For convenience, also the day when any such regular payments by the landlord elsewhere would also be made, such as annuity payments. A bit like the end of the financial year in modern terms.
Stanhill
The Dashwoods' residence before moving to Norland.
china, plate and linen
China = crockery, different sets for different meals. Plate = silver or pewter, plates, cutlery/flatware etc. Linen = bedclothes, other household fabrics.
7000 l
Old-fashioned way of writing 7000 pounds. "l" stands for "livres", the French for pounds.
barouche
A barouche was a four-wheeled carriage, seating four people inside.
on very easy terms
The terms referred to here are financial; the meaning is that the rent was very reasonable.
Devonshire
County in the south-west of England, about 150 miles from Sussex.
household
Here means the servants which would make up the household.
court
Garden or yard. Here, clearly just a patch of grass.
demesne
Old English word meaning estate or property. Pronounced 'domain'.
as a cottage it was defective
The word 'cottage' implies a picturesque and probably ancient country dwelling with walls slightly slanting, a thatched roof and the other characteristics described in the next few lines of the text. Of course it was often used (and still is) to describe a perfectly ordinary small house in either town or country.
garrets
Attics.
downs
Grasscovered hills.
sportsman
The sports referred to here are country sports such as fox hunting and game shooting. These only took place in the autumn and winter.
piqued herself
Prided herself.
fifteen
Fifteen was the earliest age at which young ladies might first start to be allowed out to balls and other such adult parties. The 'insatiable appetite' referred to is for going out in the evening as an adult.
manor
Estate, property.
instrument
In this context, means a piano (known by its full name as a pianoforte in those days).
jointure
Widow's income left to her in the will of her husband.
shooting-jacket
Jacket or coat worn when game shooting.
pointer
Breed of dog often used as a retriever when shooting.
hop
Dance.
ride to covert
Go fox-hunting (always done on horseback).
setting your cap at him
Flirting with him with the intent of marrying him.
nabobs
Europeans who became rich in the East, usually India.
mohrs
The dictionary definition of a mohr is a West African gazelle. I am not entirely convinced that this is what Jane Austen meant here, so if anyone knows any different meaning, do let me know!
palanquins
Litter carrying one person, carried on poles.
curricle
A two-wheeled carriage, normally drawn by two horses. The modern analogy would be to a sports car.
Somersetshire
Neighbouring county to the east of Devonshire.
addressing her sister by her Christian name alone
To address a young lady by her first (Christian) name alone, without preceding it by 'Miss', indicated a high level of intimacy. To be addressed like this by a young man unrelated to the family would suggest an engagement to be married or at the very least the imminent expectation of such an announcement.
town
London.
guineas
A guinea was a golden coin worth 21 shillings (a pound was 20 shillings).
Honiton
Town in Devon, then an important one on the main road to London. More details.
post
To go 'post' meant to travel in a carriage and change horses at posting inns along the route as required. Even if you used your own carriage instead of a hired one, it was still an expensive way to travel. The various servants had to be given tips along the way, and it was considered advisable for ladies to have a gentleman escort them, or at the very least a servant or some sort.
natural daughter
Illegitimate daughter.
woman
Here, 'woman' means Mrs Jennings' personal maid.
groom
Servant who worked in a gentleman's stables looking after the horses. A personal groom would often ride in or on a carriage, ready to look after the horses whenever the carriage stopped.
Allenham
The estate which Mr Willoughby is to inherit from Mrs Smith.
bowling-green
Area of grass kept smooth for playing the game of bowls. More details.
Thomson, Cowper, Scott
James Thomson was an eighteeth century author who wrote plays and poetry. William Cowper was a poet who also wrote hymns. Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist and poet whose novels are still read to this day and include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy and Waverley.
banditti
Bandits, or armed robbers, often thought of as gipsies. The picturesque landscape movement, which is the subject of discussion here, was popular at the time. Marianne is presented as a girl who fully embraced this thinking - gothic landscapes were in vogue and many paintings of the period are in this style.
Columella's
Spanish native who spent most of his life in Italy and was an expert on all aspects of agriculture and horticulture.
Hanover-square
Square just off Bond Street and in the heart of the fashionable area of London.
billiard room
Room containing a billiard table, similar to a pool table but larger. Billiards is a different game to pool or snooker, using only the red and white balls.
whip hand
The upper hand - the advantage.
work-bags
Bags in which a lady kept all the various items needed for whatever work she was doing at the time - embroidery, knitting and so on.
consequences
Word game.
round game
Card game.
fillagree
Also spelt filigree; quills of paper were rolled, painted and glued onto an article to decorate it (in this case, a basket).
working candles
Larger, longer lasting candles which gave greater light for working in the evening.
Casino
Card game.
cut out
Only four people could play cards at one table at a time - as there were five ladies there, they drew cards to decide who should sit out the first round. The lady with the lowest card would cut out i.e. not play the hand.
rolling her papers
Rolling quills of paper for fillagree work.
festival
Here meaning Christmas.
Portman Square
Square just north of Oxford Street, not far from Bond Street.
coach
Here, meaning stagecoach. Mrs Jennings is proposing to send her maid to London by that means so that there will be room for everyone else in her private carriage.
chaise
Carriage.
frosts
Once the ground was frozen, hunting would stop, as it was too dangerous for the horses. If it was very cold, shooting also came to a halt.
card
Calling card - a visitor would leave his or her card at a house if the occupants were not at home. It would be polite on returning to London to call on one's friends and acquaintances, to let them know that you had returned.
hartshorn
"Hartshorn, made from the shavings of deers' antlers, was boiled down to produce a form of ammonia. It would have brought little benefit when taken internally but might have some effect as an ingredient in pungent smelling salts." From Jane Austen - A Companion by Josephine Ross.
'prenticed out
Apprenticed to some trade, such as dressmaking.
turnpike-road
The turnpike was the main road, requiring the payment of a toll to pass.
One shoulder of mutton, you know, drives another down
Old saying meaning that something may be got over with the distraction of something else.
Constantia wine
Sweet Muscat wine that came from South Africa.
Scotland
Favoured destination for runaway marriages, since the ceremony could be performed there even if the bride or groom (or both) were under twenty-one and did not have their parents' consent to the marriage. The most well-known town in Scotland for this was Gretna Green since it is just over the border between England and Scotland. More information about Gretna Green weddings
spunging-house
House where those in debt were held until the debt was paid. Not exactly a prison - similar to house arrest. If the debt wasn't paid quickly, the person was liable to end up in prison for real.
consumption
Tuberculosis.
met by appointment
They fought a duel. This was illegal, but still went on in secret.
Exeter Exchange
Building on the Strand in London, with a menagerie of wild animals housed there as a tourist attraction. Closed in 1829 and some of the animals sent to London Zoo. The site is now the Strand Palace Hotel.
a low way
In an inferior fashion; in other words, instead of inheriting money or earning it by investment, Mrs Jennings' husband got his money by being in business or trade.
withdrew to the drawing room after dinner
Convention dictated that the ladies would leave the gentlemen in the dining room after dinner, to drink their port and have whatever conversation they wished which might perhaps be unsuitable for the ears of ladies. Meanwhile the ladies would entertain themselves in the drawing room until coffee or tea was served, at which point the gentlemen would join them.
screens
Fire screens placed before a fireplace to prevent the occupants of a room from getting too hot. Usually embroidery/tapestry, or painted.
public school
In spite of its name, actually a private school attended only by children of the well-off. Eton and Harrow were two of the most famous; Robert Ferrars attended Westminster School in central London.
needle book
'Book' made of fabric, in which different types of sewing needle were inserted.
red gum
Disease common in infants, consisting of a spotty rash especially on the face, neck and arms. Also known as strophulus, probably viral or fungal in origin.
carpet-work
Some sort of tapestry or tatting work.
steward
The steward of an estate was an important person who took care of all the business dealings together with the owner. Often had a training in the law and effectively managed an estate whenever the owner was absent. Later known as a land agent.
Kensington Gardens
Large public gardens in London, immediately west of Hyde Park. More information
orders
To go into orders means to be ordained as a priest.
curacy
A curacy is the post of assistant (curate) to the parish priest. It was very poorly paid and curates were notoriously penniless unless they had some other form of private income.
living
The post of parish priest. It was often funded by the parish priest and they decided who to appoint to the post.
housewifes
Here meaning the books of needles given to the Misses Steele by Mrs John Dashwood.
bout
A rather inelegant way of saying that Miss Steele did not expect Lady Middleton to have her and her sister to stay again during the current Season.
preferment
Here meaning an appointment to a living.
ennui
Boredom.
sang-froid
Literally, means 'cold blood'; to behave with sang-froid means to act calmly as if nothing was the matter.
200l
Two hundred pounds.
surplice
White overgarment worn as part of the costume of a priest.
publishing the banns of marriage
A marriage in the Church of England is carried out either by banns (usually) or by licence (relatively rare). Publishing the banns is the announcement of the imminent marriage by the parish priest to the congregation on 3 successive Sundays before the marriage takes place, and inviting anyone present who knows of any reason why the marriage should not take place, to say so. Once the banns have been published or 'called' three times with no objection, the marriage can take place.
forenoon
Morning.
pleasure-grounds
Garden.
Reading
Town about fifty miles west of London on the main road. Pronounced "Redding".
Epicurism
The love of the good life, especially food and drink.
piquet
Card game for two people.
cordials
Medicines.
porter
Strong dark beer.
Marlborough
Town about a hundred miles west of London on the main road.
nuncheon
Midday meal. Often not eaten at all, since breakfast was late and dinner early compared to modern thinking, and if it was, more of a snack than a meal.
Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
dressing-room
Small room next to a bedroom where clothes might be kept. Often like a small sitting room where visitors could be entertained.
cut
Ignore deliberately, take no notice of.
Learn what those weird words and phrases mean here! I've tried to explain anything I thought wasn't clear for a modern audience, but if you think I've missed anything, please let me know.
For use only with the text version of Sense and Sensibility found on this site. These notes are copyright © Austen for Beginners 2006 and may not be reproduced without permission.
Sussex
County in the south of England. These days it is divided into two parts, East Sussex and West Sussex.
to supply her loss
To replace her, compensate for the loss of her presence.
legal inheritor
Next in line to inherit; in the absence of a will dictating otherwise, Henry Dashwood would inherit his uncle's estate.
fortune of his mother
Any money (dowry) that a wife brought to her marriage was generally settled on her children i.e. they inherited it at a later time, either when they came of age (reached the age of twenty one) or married. In this case, Henry Dashwood's son got half of his mother's money when he came of age, and would inherit the remaining half on the death of his father. His father could invest the money, and draw interest from it, but could not actually spend it.
moiety
Half; one of two parts.
life-interest
The use of it for his life only; when he died, it went to his son.
to his son, and to his son's son, a child of four years old, it was secured
The estate was left to Henry Dashwood for his lifetime only, to be inherited by his son and grandson in turn. Henry himself could not therefore sell any part of the estate or leave any of the money or property to his second wife or to his daughters. As he had nothing else of much value to leave to them, their income after his death was likely to be very small.
ungracious behaviour
Mrs John Dashwood would not have been expected to attend the funeral of her father-in-law (ladies in general did not attend funerals at this period), but to arrive at her mother-in-law's house without telling her, even though it was technically now her own, would then as now be considered extremely rude.
your sisters will marry, and it will be gone for ever
Any money a woman had, either in her own right or as part of her mother's marriage settlement, would pass to her husband on marriage. See above.
annuity
Annual income, a bit like a pension.
worth half that purchase
Here, meaning 'half that long.' John Dashwood is suggesting that Mrs Dashwood could not possibly survive half of fifteen years. A bit pessimistic, even then, considering she is only in her early forties.
superannuated
Retired.
rent day
Day fixed each year for the payment of rent to the landlord of the estate. For convenience, also the day when any such regular payments by the landlord elsewhere would also be made, such as annuity payments. A bit like the end of the financial year in modern terms.
Stanhill
The Dashwoods' residence before moving to Norland.
china, plate and linen
China = crockery, different sets for different meals. Plate = silver or pewter, plates, cutlery/flatware etc. Linen = bedclothes, other household fabrics.
7000 l
Old-fashioned way of writing 7000 pounds. "l" stands for "livres", the French for pounds.
barouche
A barouche was a four-wheeled carriage, seating four people inside.
on very easy terms
The terms referred to here are financial; the meaning is that the rent was very reasonable.
Devonshire
County in the south-west of England, about 150 miles from Sussex.
household
Here means the servants which would make up the household.
court
Garden or yard. Here, clearly just a patch of grass.
demesne
Old English word meaning estate or property. Pronounced 'domain'.
as a cottage it was defective
The word 'cottage' implies a picturesque and probably ancient country dwelling with walls slightly slanting, a thatched roof and the other characteristics described in the next few lines of the text. Of course it was often used (and still is) to describe a perfectly ordinary small house in either town or country.
garrets
Attics.
downs
Grasscovered hills.
sportsman
The sports referred to here are country sports such as fox hunting and game shooting. These only took place in the autumn and winter.
piqued herself
Prided herself.
fifteen
Fifteen was the earliest age at which young ladies might first start to be allowed out to balls and other such adult parties. The 'insatiable appetite' referred to is for going out in the evening as an adult.
manor
Estate, property.
instrument
In this context, means a piano (known by its full name as a pianoforte in those days).
jointure
Widow's income left to her in the will of her husband.
shooting-jacket
Jacket or coat worn when game shooting.
pointer
Breed of dog often used as a retriever when shooting.
hop
Dance.
ride to covert
Go fox-hunting (always done on horseback).
setting your cap at him
Flirting with him with the intent of marrying him.
nabobs
Europeans who became rich in the East, usually India.
mohrs
The dictionary definition of a mohr is a West African gazelle. I am not entirely convinced that this is what Jane Austen meant here, so if anyone knows any different meaning, do let me know!
palanquins
Litter carrying one person, carried on poles.
curricle
A two-wheeled carriage, normally drawn by two horses. The modern analogy would be to a sports car.
Somersetshire
Neighbouring county to the east of Devonshire.
addressing her sister by her Christian name alone
To address a young lady by her first (Christian) name alone, without preceding it by 'Miss', indicated a high level of intimacy. To be addressed like this by a young man unrelated to the family would suggest an engagement to be married or at the very least the imminent expectation of such an announcement.
town
London.
guineas
A guinea was a golden coin worth 21 shillings (a pound was 20 shillings).
Honiton
Town in Devon, then an important one on the main road to London. More details.
post
To go 'post' meant to travel in a carriage and change horses at posting inns along the route as required. Even if you used your own carriage instead of a hired one, it was still an expensive way to travel. The various servants had to be given tips along the way, and it was considered advisable for ladies to have a gentleman escort them, or at the very least a servant or some sort.
natural daughter
Illegitimate daughter.
woman
Here, 'woman' means Mrs Jennings' personal maid.
groom
Servant who worked in a gentleman's stables looking after the horses. A personal groom would often ride in or on a carriage, ready to look after the horses whenever the carriage stopped.
Allenham
The estate which Mr Willoughby is to inherit from Mrs Smith.
bowling-green
Area of grass kept smooth for playing the game of bowls. More details.
Thomson, Cowper, Scott
James Thomson was an eighteeth century author who wrote plays and poetry. William Cowper was a poet who also wrote hymns. Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist and poet whose novels are still read to this day and include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy and Waverley.
banditti
Bandits, or armed robbers, often thought of as gipsies. The picturesque landscape movement, which is the subject of discussion here, was popular at the time. Marianne is presented as a girl who fully embraced this thinking - gothic landscapes were in vogue and many paintings of the period are in this style.
Columella's
Spanish native who spent most of his life in Italy and was an expert on all aspects of agriculture and horticulture.
Hanover-square
Square just off Bond Street and in the heart of the fashionable area of London.
billiard room
Room containing a billiard table, similar to a pool table but larger. Billiards is a different game to pool or snooker, using only the red and white balls.
whip hand
The upper hand - the advantage.
work-bags
Bags in which a lady kept all the various items needed for whatever work she was doing at the time - embroidery, knitting and so on.
consequences
Word game.
round game
Card game.
fillagree
Also spelt filigree; quills of paper were rolled, painted and glued onto an article to decorate it (in this case, a basket).
working candles
Larger, longer lasting candles which gave greater light for working in the evening.
Casino
Card game.
cut out
Only four people could play cards at one table at a time - as there were five ladies there, they drew cards to decide who should sit out the first round. The lady with the lowest card would cut out i.e. not play the hand.
rolling her papers
Rolling quills of paper for fillagree work.
festival
Here meaning Christmas.
Portman Square
Square just north of Oxford Street, not far from Bond Street.
coach
Here, meaning stagecoach. Mrs Jennings is proposing to send her maid to London by that means so that there will be room for everyone else in her private carriage.
chaise
Carriage.
frosts
Once the ground was frozen, hunting would stop, as it was too dangerous for the horses. If it was very cold, shooting also came to a halt.
card
Calling card - a visitor would leave his or her card at a house if the occupants were not at home. It would be polite on returning to London to call on one's friends and acquaintances, to let them know that you had returned.
hartshorn
"Hartshorn, made from the shavings of deers' antlers, was boiled down to produce a form of ammonia. It would have brought little benefit when taken internally but might have some effect as an ingredient in pungent smelling salts." From Jane Austen - A Companion by Josephine Ross.
'prenticed out
Apprenticed to some trade, such as dressmaking.
turnpike-road
The turnpike was the main road, requiring the payment of a toll to pass.
One shoulder of mutton, you know, drives another down
Old saying meaning that something may be got over with the distraction of something else.
Constantia wine
Sweet Muscat wine that came from South Africa.
Scotland
Favoured destination for runaway marriages, since the ceremony could be performed there even if the bride or groom (or both) were under twenty-one and did not have their parents' consent to the marriage. The most well-known town in Scotland for this was Gretna Green since it is just over the border between England and Scotland. More information about Gretna Green weddings
spunging-house
House where those in debt were held until the debt was paid. Not exactly a prison - similar to house arrest. If the debt wasn't paid quickly, the person was liable to end up in prison for real.
consumption
Tuberculosis.
met by appointment
They fought a duel. This was illegal, but still went on in secret.
Exeter Exchange
Building on the Strand in London, with a menagerie of wild animals housed there as a tourist attraction. Closed in 1829 and some of the animals sent to London Zoo. The site is now the Strand Palace Hotel.
a low way
In an inferior fashion; in other words, instead of inheriting money or earning it by investment, Mrs Jennings' husband got his money by being in business or trade.
withdrew to the drawing room after dinner
Convention dictated that the ladies would leave the gentlemen in the dining room after dinner, to drink their port and have whatever conversation they wished which might perhaps be unsuitable for the ears of ladies. Meanwhile the ladies would entertain themselves in the drawing room until coffee or tea was served, at which point the gentlemen would join them.
screens
Fire screens placed before a fireplace to prevent the occupants of a room from getting too hot. Usually embroidery/tapestry, or painted.
public school
In spite of its name, actually a private school attended only by children of the well-off. Eton and Harrow were two of the most famous; Robert Ferrars attended Westminster School in central London.
needle book
'Book' made of fabric, in which different types of sewing needle were inserted.
red gum
Disease common in infants, consisting of a spotty rash especially on the face, neck and arms. Also known as strophulus, probably viral or fungal in origin.
carpet-work
Some sort of tapestry or tatting work.
steward
The steward of an estate was an important person who took care of all the business dealings together with the owner. Often had a training in the law and effectively managed an estate whenever the owner was absent. Later known as a land agent.
Kensington Gardens
Large public gardens in London, immediately west of Hyde Park. More information
orders
To go into orders means to be ordained as a priest.
curacy
A curacy is the post of assistant (curate) to the parish priest. It was very poorly paid and curates were notoriously penniless unless they had some other form of private income.
living
The post of parish priest. It was often funded by the parish priest and they decided who to appoint to the post.
housewifes
Here meaning the books of needles given to the Misses Steele by Mrs John Dashwood.
bout
A rather inelegant way of saying that Miss Steele did not expect Lady Middleton to have her and her sister to stay again during the current Season.
preferment
Here meaning an appointment to a living.
ennui
Boredom.
sang-froid
Literally, means 'cold blood'; to behave with sang-froid means to act calmly as if nothing was the matter.
200l
Two hundred pounds.
surplice
White overgarment worn as part of the costume of a priest.
publishing the banns of marriage
A marriage in the Church of England is carried out either by banns (usually) or by licence (relatively rare). Publishing the banns is the announcement of the imminent marriage by the parish priest to the congregation on 3 successive Sundays before the marriage takes place, and inviting anyone present who knows of any reason why the marriage should not take place, to say so. Once the banns have been published or 'called' three times with no objection, the marriage can take place.
forenoon
Morning.
pleasure-grounds
Garden.
Reading
Town about fifty miles west of London on the main road. Pronounced "Redding".
Epicurism
The love of the good life, especially food and drink.
piquet
Card game for two people.
cordials
Medicines.
porter
Strong dark beer.
Marlborough
Town about a hundred miles west of London on the main road.
nuncheon
Midday meal. Often not eaten at all, since breakfast was late and dinner early compared to modern thinking, and if it was, more of a snack than a meal.
Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
dressing-room
Small room next to a bedroom where clothes might be kept. Often like a small sitting room where visitors could be entertained.
cut
Ignore deliberately, take no notice of.
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for Beginners 2008