Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, April 5, 1890

A lively collection of late‑Victorian satire, this volume stitches together mock‑serious dictionaries of journalistic, social and auctioneer language, turning the era’s buzzwords into punchy jokes. The entries walk the reader through the absurdities of newspaper phrasing, art‑world pretensions and the pretentious chatter of everyday life, all rendered in the unmistakable, sharply observational tone of the period. It feels like flipping through a mischievous guide to how the city talked to itself, with each definition a compact vignette of wit.

Among the most charming sketches is a domestic scene in a modest vicarage, where a family debates the merits of a new‑fangled “photographic” curates’ market. Mothers and daughters pore over tiny portraits, reading tongue‑in‑cheek qualifications that range from “very musical voice” to “won’t preach longer than fifteen minutes.” The humor springs from their earnest yet absurd deliberations, offering a glimpse into the quirks of social customs without ever venturing beyond the bright, comic first act.