Boston slang

Have you tried the Historical Dictionary of American Slang?

gypsyscarlett said:

Thank you!
I just checked the dictionary. It started in 1980s- so obviously I can't use it in this WIP.

Click to expand...

I heard that term in the 1960s in Maine.


eta: But I realize that doesn't help any. Sorry.

gypsyscarlett said:

Thank you!
I just checked the dictionary. It started in 1980s- so obviously I can't use it in this WIP.

Click to expand...

I grew up in a suburb of Boston.

My friends and I used to say "wicked good" back in the late 1950's,
early 60's.

I'll be interested to know what source you find for
1890's Boston slang.

Here's something that might be fun. It's not regionally specific, but it might help you out some.

http://web.archive.org/web/20061128043317/www.campchase.com/Slang/Slang-A-F.htm

For researching 19th century New England slang in general, here are a couple books written in the 19th century about American slang.

Americanisms; the English of the New World, 1872

Or if you're in an earlier period, Dictionary of Americanisms, 1848

Another option is to try a google books search constrained by date, within a few decades of your era, if you can think of a search string that would make the hits relevant. For example, "wicked" would give a zillion hits, but something like "wicked good" shouldn't make you sort through too many non-useful ones.

There's also the option of looking for the works online of a dialect writer from your time and place, either at google books or elsewhere, and searching within his works. One that comes to mind would be the Sam Slick books by Thomas Chandler Haliburton.