9 old-school English words to tell your crush that you like them
- Flirt your way through your next date with these archaic words that used to be common in the English language
- Show your jammiest bits of jam how chucked all of a heap you are about them
Check out these old English words for flirting with someone who's caught your eyeFeeling like “loml” or “bae” is too unoriginal to tell your crush how you feel about them? Well, we’ve got a list of nine old English words you can use instead.
But you should probably use these words in a DM, since the person on the other end of the message will need to use Google to look up what these words mean – and we really don’t recommend screaming “You’re such a cowfyne!” across the street without giving some context.
16 old English words to insult (or compliment) someone without them knowing
1 Blepharon: This is used to compliment someone with good, strong eyebrows. Think of this as the old English way of telling someone their eyebrows are on fleek.
2 Chucked all of a heap: This might sound like what you’d say when you toss something in the trash, but in the late 1800s, people used this to say they were fascinated or infatuated by someone.
3 Cowfyne: Although calling your crush a cow might not be the best idea, you can explain that “cowfyne” is actually used to describe a true sweetheart.
4 Fæger: An old English word that describes someone beautiful. The modern day version of this word is “fair”, but we think “fæger” is much more unique.
5 Jammiest bits of jam: In Victorian times, this phrase was used to tell a woman she was lovely, and if your crush has a sweet tooth, this compliment could go over well with them too.
6 Leman: In early Middle English, this referred to a beloved sweetheart. Though it took on a negative connotation in the 14th century, it might be time to return to its original positive definition.
Help! How do I tell my friend that I have a crush on them?
7 Myn Lykyng: Refers to your crush. It literally translates to “the one I delight in”.
8 Pippin: While this was first used to describe a crisp tart apple, it was later used to describe a special and admirable person.
9 Snoutfair: While we use “snout” nowadays to describe the nose and mouths of animals, “snoutfair” actually refers to someone with a handsome face.