Antique language isn’t necessarily “big words” or curious sentence structure. Try these. (Note that “an” means “if”.)
| Instead Of… | Say… |
|---|---|
| Okay | Very well, ‘Tis done, As you will, Marry shall I |
| Wow! | Marry! ‘Zounds (God’s wounds, pron: ZOONDS) I’faith! Hey-ho! God’s Death! What ho! |
| Excuse me | Forgive me, Pray pardon, I crave your forgiveness, By your leave |
| Please | Prithee (I pray thee), If you please, An thou likest, An it please you, By your leave, An thou wilt, An you will |
| Thank you | Gramercy, I thank thee, My thanks, God reward thee |
| Gesundheit! | God Save You! |
| Air head | Lightminded, Airling |
| Bottom line | In the end, At bottom, In the main, Finally, In the final analysis |
| Bathroom | Privy, Jakes, Ajax, Little room of office |
| Certainly! | Certes! (sir-tees) Usage Note: Certes means certainly, not certain. Do not say “I am certes that I paid that account.” And never use it to replace “sure” as in “They will be married for certes.” |
| Nay not | Nay, I shall not. Nay, it is not so. (Just say nay.) |
Strange but True, Dept.:
Hello is not actually a period greeting but an exclamation of surprise.
- You can say instead:
- Good day
- Good morrow
- God ye good den (or just, Good den)
- God save you, sweet mistress
- How now, Sir Toby Belch
- From: A Compendium of Common Knowledge: 1558-1603
