What new words have you learned reading romance books?Or what word or term have you read that still puzzles you?

The one that puzzles me is how much does a stone weigh? I see it all the time in regencies but I have yet to figure out what that means exactly.

The other one that I have tried to figure out is what is a kipper?Catherine Coulter has her characters eating these for breakfast all the time.

Do you mean a stone as a unit of weight?

The stone is a unit of weight and mass. It is part of the Imperial system of weights and measures used in the British Isles, and formerly used in most Commonwealth countries. It is equal to 14 pounds avoirdupois, and to 6.35029318 kg.

Kippers are  fish.  Usually cold smoked.  (according to Wikipedia)

Fish for breakfast?? Ewwwww! lol

I learned that a sennight is a week and a fortnight is two weeks.

I know there are more, but those were the ones that came right to mind.

Katrina

I read a Johanna Lindsey a while back that had the Scottish in it and she kept using the terms 'reaving' & 'reaver" and I had no idea what it meant! I finally looked it up and found out it meant 'thief' or 'stealing'. Sheesh, the word was all over the first chapter and I was so confused!

I learned that "ken" means knowing or knows, basically.  "Sassenach" is a term for an English person if you are a Scot. 

Sherri

I suppose eating kippers for breakfast would be similar to eating bagels/cream cheese and lox (not that I eat fish at anytime of the day....lol)

foolscap is a type of plain writing paper (very large sheets) used in 1800's.  name comes from the watermark of a fool's cap.

Yes I was trying to figure out the Brittish weight. Hmmm 14 pounds. Fish for breakfast does sound pretty bad. I had heard so many different things but fish are the worst.

I just ran across a word that I had to look up in the past. Cacophony (we really need spell check) is a lound bunch of noises all at once.

Ok speaking of Regency era romances.  Is it pronounced Marquess (mar-kee) or is it pronounced Mar-kwess?  I always thought is was the former.  Mar-kee just sounds better to me.  But on an audio book the reader kept saying mar-kwess. 

I had to look up Romance .... haven't had any in so long, forgot what it meant...lol

I read an article by Jo Beverley about titles (of nobility).  She mentioned that marquess is pronounced Mar-Kwess, just like your reader pronounced it Mary.  I think it sounds better the other way too, but oh well....

OMG....hold on...gotta catch my breathe...I started a giggling fit. 

Okay...I am so sorry to have to admit this Rebecca....must be the Romance section is getting to me or something.  Have you ever looked at a word and saw something different?!?!  I saw your ID name on this and something else jumped out at me instead of Purr Kitties. 

Am I the only one or did anyone else have that crossbrain thing happen here?

The French nobility pronounce marquess as 'mar KEE.

The British pronounce it as MAR kwiss.

I misspelled marquess.  It should be marquis!