Work among the fallen as seen in the prison cell

[The Baron]

In Victorian England ‘Unfortunate’ was an accepted euphemism for prostitute.

Prompt regression!

In the Victorian era the term ‘Unfortunate’ meant prostitute and nothing but prostitute. This has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

And you have been proved wrong, beyond a shadow of a doupt.



The Baron

[Herlock Sholmes]

In Victorian England ‘Unfortunate’ was an accepted euphemism for prostitute.

[The Baron]

“ Good old man," said Amorassan in a dejected tone, "I am an unfortunate! I am an outcast from society, bereft of all my friends, persecuted by many enemies: but I swear to you, that I am innocent, if he dares call himself so, who has murmured against the dispensations of Heaven, and quarrelled with the impérfections of man, I have no resting place on earth, no roof to shelter my head from the tempest."


Romantic Tales, 1808

By M.G. Lewis


Another example of the use of "unfortunate" as a noun from 1808.



The Baron

[Debra A]

Someone was asking about Elizabeth's Stride record in 1884 earlier. I found that Elizabeth Stride was picked up by police in 1880 for some reason.

I started a new thread about this with a couple of questions if anyone can help.
The workhouse as a place of remand-Elizabeth Stride at Bromley

[Mark J D]

... we're absolute mugs to keep falling for it.

A troll is an energy vampire, that's all.
It's the easiest thing in the world to defeat.
Yet the Third Law of the Internet is: 'Troll. Always. Wins.'
Because all people have to do when faced with an energy vampire is *walk away* ... and *they can't*...

M.

[PaulB]

All that matters is that when a woman was described as "an unfortunate" or described herself as "an unfortunate" it meant that she was a prostitute. If it was used in the context of someone who had suffered a misfortune, it didn't mean prostitute, it simply meant unfortunate. Everything else is just diversionary and we're absolute mugs to keep falling for it.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Unless, of course, the horse, of course, was the famous Mr Ed. These people yakkity-yak a streak and waste your time of day, you'd be better off not to speak unless there is something to say..! In other words, it's probably best to let this drop until these good folk understand what the discussion is all about. This is just moving further and further off topic.

At least you can teach a horse a few simple things Paul. We have two here for whom the only questions can be - do they genuinely not understand the obvious or are they just arguing for the sake of it? For one of them at least I suspect that I know the answer. It beggars belief that they continue to argue against a mountain of proper evidence then produce the 2 most obviously inappropriate examples that you could possibly come up with.

Some people need a lesson in the English language before joining a discussion.

[PaulB]

I'd be happy to. If I was wrong. The "unfortunates" to which Weimar belonged were the wealthy people unfitted to cope with a disaster. The author used an 's' because it was more than one. Irrespective of that, it did not use an upper case "U" as had Herlock, and was in any case utterly irrelevant because it was using the word in the context of unlucky (or in this case, unluckier), which was obviously not a meaning anyone had denied the word had. That the word had multiple meanings, one of which meant prostitute, particularly when prefaced by "an" and often used with a capital "U", is not a concept too difficult to understand, and it is abundantly clear that Ms Budden used "unfortunates" to describe a group who had suffered misfortune, a usage nobody had denied.

[The Baron]

I noted the "s" in your example as denoting more than one, hence a group or class of people, as clear from the text:- "But there was one class of sufferers, whom compassion could soothe, but whom bounty could not reach—the class of wealthy land-owners...". To this group of suffererS, land-ownerS, unfortunateS, Weimar belonged. He belonged to a group of people least able to deal with the destruction of a devastating flood.

Admit you were wrong and move on.



The Baron

[PaulB]

Take note of the "s" in "unfortunates" in my example, it has been also used as a noun.


You and Herlock have been proved wrong.




The Baron

I noted the "s" in your example as denoting more than one, hence a group or class of people, as clear from the text:- "But there was one class of sufferers, whom compassion could soothe, but whom bounty could not reach—the class of wealthy land-owners...". To this group of suffererS, land-ownerS, unfortunateS, Weimar belonged. He belonged to a group of people least able to deal with the destruction of a devastating flood.

[PaulB]

How can anyone not understand this? It’s like trying to teach a horse to play chess.

Unless, of course, the horse, of course, was the famous Mr Ed. These people yakkity-yak a streak and waste your time of day, you'd be better off not to speak unless there is something to say..! In other words, it's probably best to let this drop until these good folk understand what the discussion is all about. This is just moving further and further off topic.

[The Baron]

take note of the upper case "U" and the consistent assertion that "unfortunate" be used as a noun.

Take note of the "s" in "unfortunates" in my example, it has been also used as a noun.


You and Herlock have been proved wrong.




The Baron

[Herlock Sholmes]

Titter away, but take note of the upper case "U" and the consistent assertion that "unfortunate" be used as a noun.

How can anyone not understand this? It’s like trying to teach a horse to play chess.

[Herlock Sholmes]

We’ve done The Old Bailey so now a few newspaper articles.

York Herald 4 December, 1888 - Headline "A FRACAS WITH AN UNFORTUNATE IN LONDON".

According to Harry, this could mean anything including a male pauper but the article makes clear that it's about an attempt to murder a prostitute.

Aberdeen Express, 22 October 1889 - Headline "JOHN BURNS AS CHAMPION OF "UNFORTUNATES"".

Again the article makes clear that Burns was talking about prostitution and "these poor women".

Oxford Journal, 30 June 1900 - Headline "AN "UNFORTUNATE" FOUND DROWNED".

In this article the coroner is reported as saying, "He believed the woman was an "unfortunate", or prostitute". So that's very clear!

John Bull, 12 April 1924 - Says "On the streets! An unfortunate - a prostitute - so the moral outcast is flippantly designated".

Makes v. clear what unfortunate means.

So the phrase was still in use up to the 1920’s at least.

[PaulB]

The Baron

Titter away, but take note of the upper case "U" and the consistent assertion that "unfortunate" be used as a noun.