Since starting to read historical romance novels I've run into a lot of terms I'd never heard before. Most I've figured out in context, such as the ton- which I had actually never heard of until reading historicals! Right now I've run into "cit", can anyone give me a definition? Trying to look it up online didn't help.

If anyone else runs into terms maybe we can have this thread to cliarify terms? :)

This site might be helpful--it's called Good Ton.  There's a link to a Regency Lexicon, a sort of dictionary for terms found in Regency romances.

According to it, "Cit" is "A resident of the City, the area of London where banks and businesses are located. The term is used for members of the middle or merchant class, often in a derogatory manner."

Hope that helps!

That is a great site. I did not know  ton was pronounced like tone. Sadly I will still read it like ton(2000 lb) instead because I can't change habits now. oh well.

Jessie I'm with on calling ton like that too..LOL glad to know that I'm not the only one..LOL

Fedora that some great sites ypu posted. I love historical romance and have been read for while now but even then sometimes I will get stuck in a word that I have no idea what it means so I look at in the dictorary and sometimes I don't even full understand defintion..LOL

I've used the regency lexicon myself on several occasions.  It seems like regencies in particular have their own little set of rules, terms & phrases, and you need to be somewhat savvy to them to really appreciate a regency:P  I never want to be one of those contextual purist readers who jumps on every miniscule error and then has fits all over the internet writing bad reviews & complaining about them.  I think a book can contain a certain amount of contextual errors and still be good; it really just depends on whether or not the individual reader notices or catches them, or even cares if they do.

geez I've been calling 'ton' like in wonton!

Susanna, me too.

Great site! Most of those words I've learned from context but I still didn't know the meaning of a few (brown, I thought ciscibeo was actually lover not 'admirer' and a few more!)

You know, after all the years of reading historicals I find out that I have been reading ton incorrectly!  But like you said, Jessie, it is too late to change it now! :)

I am glad someone has finally explained the pronunciation of "ton". I couldn't imagine that it was pronouced like the weight becase it is, well, not quite toney. 

Now I can stop mentally skipping that pervasive word.

I always pronounced it tawn (like dawn).  Learned something new today, but don't know if I'll be able to pronounce it correctly after all this time. LOL.  Pat