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Victorian Victorian Slang

Victorian Slang of the Week – Ream

So Joey Essex claims to have invented the word “reem”, does he? Well in the 1865 Slang Dictionary here, we have “ream”.

Spelt slightly differently, but meaning “good or genuine” which is pretty much what I imagine TOWIE mean by it. And there’s also “ream bloak” meaning “good man”.

It comes from “rum”, in the days when “rum” meant “good”, before it meant “bad” or “suspect”. Confusing this slang business, sometimes.

By Estelle

I am Estelle, a small person who lives in Liverpool. I love all books apart from "The World According to Clarkson". Also very keen on comedy, cooking, octopods and other small people.