In April, I’m posting 26 blogs, one for every letter of the alphabet. I write historical romance set in Regency England, and I’m offering a brief lexicon of words to help you understand the story world of my Regency characters. Follow the links for more in depth information.

T is for Tattersall’s:

Gentlemen went to Tattersall’s to buy horses and to meet up with other men interested in horses, horse racing, and betting.

Tattersall’s, London

And T is for Tiger:

We are not talking about large cats here, but servants. A tiger was a groom who rode on the back of a phaeton or curricle, ready to jump down and hold the horses when his master or mistress ran into a shop.

I believe this is a gig in this illustration, since there’s only one horse in use. Note the servant standing in back–for our Regency world, a servant of smaller stature, and one with a surly attitude, like the misogynist Henry in Heyer’s Regency Buck, would be preferred.

Here’s Henry, commenting upon the hero handing the reins to the heroine:

Miss Taverner gave her horses the office to start, and said imperatively: “Stand away from their heads! If you are afraid, await us here.”

The tiger let go the wheelers and made a dash for his perch. As he scrambled up into it he said with strong emotion: “I’ve sat behind you sober, guv’nor, and I’ve sat behind you foxed, and I’ve sat behind you when you raced Sir John to Brighton, and never made no complaint, but I ain’t never sat behind you mad afore!” with which he folded his arms, nodded darkly, and relapsed into a disapproving silence. 

Questions? Comments? Visit Monday for the letter U!

Images: badge, a-to-zchallenge.com; all others, Wikimedia