The words “ton”, “landau” and “rake” may sound like complete gibberish, but they are important terms for fans of the Netflix historical drama Bridgerton.
And with the highly anticipated second season of Regency Romp set to release on the streaming service on March 25th, now is a good time to talk about some period-appropriate language.
Bridgerton, which has received more than 82 million views worldwide since its release on Christmas Day 2020, is based on the Julia Quinn series of books of the same name, set in the Regency era.
Linguists and historians shared their advice on the slang of the time with Mail On Sunday readers.
The Bridgerton cast will return to the small screen on March 25 when Netflix releases the hit show’s second season. Pictured from left to right: Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Emilia Hunt), Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson)
Leading up to the second season, the pundits revealed some Regency slang so viewers can figure out if their favorite characters are “tons” or “rakes” (LR pictured: Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton).
Historians advise viewers not to take historical dramas too literally, saying that they often “reinvent” the past in many ways.
“Tone” is one of the terms most commonly used in Bridgerton, set in 1813 during the Regency era, when George IV ruled as King Regent for his mentally ill father.
It may sound like the modern word for “city,” but it is actually a specific phrase coined in the 1700s from the French phrase “le bon ton,” which translates to “good manners or etiquette.”
Dr. Hannah Greig is a York University historian and one of Bridgerton’s academic advisors.
She said: “In Regency London, the ton were the celebrities of the time, and their scenes were the huge houses, parks and new streets of the West End.
“Also called the ‘fashion world’ and the ‘beau monde’, they were an exclusive social group that combined wealth and status with dazzling displays of fashion and individual charisma.”
Season 2 of Bridgerton follows Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he sets out to find a suitable wife but finds himself in a love triangle.
The show’s protagonist Anthony falls into a love triangle with two sisters, Edwina (Charitra Chandran, left) and Kate (Simone Ashley, right) in season 2 of the show.
Dr. Greig said that the closest modern equivalent is “it’s a factor”, meaning the elusive quality needed for fame.
Another key term that Bridgerton fans should know is “lando”, which refers to a horse-drawn four-wheeled wagon with a raised outer driver’s seat.
According to Taylor Hermerding, cultural expert at leading language learning platform Babbel, the term originated in 1743 from Landau, a city in southwestern Germany where carriages were first made.
Bridgerton season 2
The main love story in the second season of Bridgerton shifts to Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his search for a wife.
From the moment we saw Anthony’s bare bottom in the very first scene of the first season, it was clear that it wasn’t Mr. Darcy.
“He’s incredibly complex,” says Jonathan. “He went through such trauma when his dad died and mom couldn’t handle it, and then he had to take on the responsibility of becoming a viscount.
“And this series can really take the time to delve into the psychology of a person of that era.”
After his messy breakup with opera singer Siena Rosso in the first season, Anthony returned to the marriage fair in the second season – balls, courtship, etiquette, jealousy and heaving breasts that we saw when Daphne and Simon conducted. their will-they-not-they care.
Anthony finds himself in a love triangle with the Sharma sisters, who have just returned from India. His eye falls on fashion girl Edwina, but her scheming sister Kate may have other ideas.
There is one change that you will definitely notice in Anthony. — Whiskers are gone! says Jonathan.
Showrunner Chris Van Dusen decided to ditch Anthony’s lamb chops to show that he is no longer a “slutty party animal”. It’s time for the viscount to get serious.
“You won’t find a ton of travelers wearing anything less favorable than a landau for fear of public ridicule,” Ms Hermerding added.
Bridgerton fans can also expect The Rake to play a pivotal role in the upcoming series. The term does not refer to a gardening tool, but rather to a carefree aristocratic person.
Ms. Hermerding said that the handsome Duke of Hastings, played by Simon Bassett in the first series, was “the perfect example of a rake” because he had multiple relationships and refused to follow moral standards.
But if a robber puts his foot wrong, he can be branded as “high-lifted.”
This whimsical phrase is a harsh Georgian insult referring to anyone who appears arrogant or acts above their position.
“While it may sound strange, it refers to the idea that the upper classes would have a stronger arch than other people at the time as a result of better shoes,” Ms Hermerding said.
Another insult that viewers might hear is “barely out of action” – a dismissive way of saying someone is very young.
The phrase used in the first episode refers to strips of fabric sewn into children’s clothing to keep them from falling off when they learn to walk.
“Strings” were controlled by an accompanying adult.
A person who has barely escaped from the leading strings is unlikely to attract the “diamond of the first water.”
This phrase referred to the most beautiful young woman “in the world” and probably had a lot of social pressure.
In the context of diamonds, “first water” is used to describe the purest or highest quality gemstones.
Babble credits Bridgerton for including a lot of Regency terms, but Penelope Corfield, a history professor who specializes in the Georgian era, reminds viewers not to take the upcoming series too literally.
“I’m a big fan of TV historical fiction like Bridgerton, but it reinvents the past — and often for good reasons.
“For example, many people in the Regency era had terrible teeth because they ate too much West Indian sugar, so shiny white teeth in Bridgerton are an anachronism.
“But viewers wouldn’t really switch to see people smiling with black stumps and rotting gums!”
The second season of Bridgerton will be released on Netflix on March 25, and the program’s teaser suggests that the new season will be just as spicy as the previous one.
Earlier this month, Netflix gave fans a glimpse of what they can expect in Season 2 by releasing a teaser trailer.
This season will follow Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he sets out to find a suitable wife, but in true Bridgerton fashion, a “major scandal” is promised when he finds himself in a love triangle with two sisters.
And the show’s new season seems to be just as racy as the previous one, with scenes of Anthony naked hiding his modesty in his bedroom and wearing wet clothes after falling into the river as a result of his flirtatious behavior.
In the second part we will see how Viscount Anthony, driven by his duty to protect the family name, is looking for a debutante who meets his impossible standards for marriage.
“It is only out of the greatest love for my family that I strive to choose a bride with my head and not with my heart,” he says.
The second season of Bridgerton premieres on Netflix on Friday, March 25.