Part of the fun of becoming a "Playtron" at any Faire is to learn the language spoken within your local shire. Folks who speak this language refer to it as Basic Faire Accent (BFA) or as we refer to it here, Ren Speak.
Ren Speak is something you should gradually learn. If the Faire bug has bitten you, then you've probably already started to collect books and movies about the Renaissance just for garb ideas! Watch those movies and read those books and try to speak aloud those Elizabethan phrases and then listen to how the castmembers of Faire interract. With a little practice, you'll be speaking Ren Speak like a pro!

Glossary of Terms
Below is an alphabetical listing of terms used at most Renaissance Festivals or Faires and is admittingly, an ever-growing list. If you buy chance see a word or phrase used often at the faire that is medieval/gaelic/renaissance/elizabethan, please email Sir Black Fox and he'll add it to this page.
Please note that these words and terms were pulled from several sites on the internet (sources listed at the bottom of this page), from experienced playtrons, books, magazines, and a few movies! Some of these terms refer to just Faire and others are general RenFaire vocabulary.

A
A.F.R. - The online newsgroup alt.fairs.renaissance which was the first online place for Ren Folks to meet.
Ale - Beer!
Anon - RenSpeak for "Goodbye," See you later," or "Until we meet again"
Apothecary - A Druggist or someone who provided some slight medical treatment (not to be confused with a Barber who also performed Surgery) i.e. Apothecary at Faire is the First Aid Station.
Armorer - A tradesman who makes and repairs armor.
Aye - RenSpeak for "Yes"


B
Bar - A vendor who dispenses ale, wine, cider, or meade. (see pub & tavern)
Barnacle - PyrateSpeak for "You're slowing me down."
Bat Sweat - Lemonade mixed with salt. Used by performers to replace minerals and protect against dehydration. (Lemonade and salt can be substituted with Gatorade)
Bawdy - RenSpeak for "PG13 - R rated".
Beef-witted - RenSpeak for "Dumb as a cow."
Beer Is In The Pickup Truck - RenSpeak for "Faire is over for the day, it's time to revert to the 21st century" (to be most effective, should be said with a broad Deep South accent)
BeeSting - An intoxication comprised of Meade mixed with Hard Cider.
B.F.A. - Basic Faire Accent.
Bit - a bit of acting, a skit, or a starting point for improvisation in character.
Boothie - RenSpeak for Someone that works for/in a booth selling games or merchandise at Faire.
By your leave - RenSpeak for "pardon me," or "excuse me."


C
Carouse - RenSpeak for "Party!"
Chide - RenSpeak for "Scold or nag."
Clouted - RenSpeak for "Hit over the head."
Codpiece - A protective leather, maile, or metal piece hung over an man's crotch. (The medieval version of the "cup.")
Cutpurse - RenSpeak for "Thief."


D
Dragon Piss - Lemonade mixed with salt. Used by performers to replace minerals and protect against dehydration. (Lemonade and salt can be substituted with Gatorade)


E
e'en - RenSpeak for "even," or "evening."
Enow - RenSpeak for "Enough."
Elizabethan - Typically the Tudor period during the lifetime of Elizabeth I (1533-1603).
Eminence - The proper addressing of any Cardinal. (Not the bird.)


F
Fare thee well; I must away! - RenSpeak for "Goodbye, I gotta go!." (Used mostly when an entertainer needs to break from a group of paytrons and get to a stage.)
Falconer - Those who are skillful with Falcons.
Fewterer - Those who maintain the royal Greyhounds.
Flanders - Literally the Netherlands, but RenSpeak for "anywhere far away where they have strange customs." (i.e. using 21th Century customs in front of a street performer at Faire.)
Flemish painter - RenSpeak for a camera.
Fare thee well - RenSpeak for "Goodbye." (Use if you think you won't see that person again, it's a final term. If you will see the person again, use the term "anon.")
Fie - RenSpeak for the "F" word. You can use as "Fie upon ye" but never "Oh, Fie YOU." (Mother Fie-er does not work either.)
Forsooth - RenSpeak for "Why?"


G
Gaffer - RenSpeak for Grandfather.
Gamers - RenSpeak for vendors who offer you games of chance at Faire.
Grace - The way you properly address an Archbishop or Duke.
Garb - RenSpeak for clothes you wear to Faire (never, ever call them "costumes.")
Gate Shift - Time that an Faire castmember must spend at the front gate greeting people.
Good Morrow - RenSpeak for "good day" or "Hello."
Good Lady or Good Mother or Good Wife - The correct way to address a Woman of Mature Years.
God save thee - RenSpeak for "God Bless You." (Used after a sneeze.)
God's Blood - RenSpeak for "Unbelievable!"
God's Teeth - RenSpeak used to curse someone under your breath.
Goths - Those folks who come to Faire in what we refer to as "early-Victorian-depression." You will find them very light of skin and black of costume." Grammercy - RenSpeak for "Thank you."
Green Man - A man of the wood, usually in a green leafy mask, who represents nature and its incredible energy.
Guild - A group of folks who share an identifying cultural source.


H
Highness - The proper way to address either a Prince or Princess.
Haggard - RenSpeak for "run down" or "shabby."
Hark - RenSpeak for "Attention!" or "Listen Up."
Hawker - RenSpeak for street vendors that try to bring customers into their booth to buy something.
Hail and well met! - RenSpeak for "Hello, nice to see you!"
Himbo - RenSpeak for male flirt. (male form of bimbo.)
hither - RenSpeak for "here."
Holiness - The proper way to address the Pope.
How stands the hour? - RenSpeak for "What time is it?"
HUZZAH! - RenSpeak for "Hooooray!"


I
In Faith - RenSpeak for "In truth."
In sooth? - RenSpeak for "Really?"


J
John Barleycorn - RenSpeak for being drunk to the point of passing out.


K
knave - RenSpeak for a non-gentlemanly gentleman.
Kilt Check - The act of one or more wenches sliding their hands up the inside of a man's kilt to verify he wears the kilt in regimental style.


L
Lad - RenSpeak for "boy."
Landskchnecht - The historically-correct German soldiers who protect the monarchy at Faire.
Lass - RenSpeak for "girl."
Lout - RenSpeak for a loudmouth or a bully.
Lundegaard - The place where most playtron guilds reside and get their materials from.


M
Majesty - word used to correctly address a King or Queen.
maiden - RenSpeak for "teenage girl."
Mayhap - RenSpeak for "Perhaps." (Note there is no plural for mayhap)
Mead - A medieval wine made from honey
Milady - RenSpeak for "Dear Lady."
Milord - RenSpeak for "Dear Sir."
Moriss Dancers - Faire lads who dance in Autumn in order to promote the harvest of the crops. They also dance at faires to celebrate the seasons.
Morrow - RenSpeak for "Days" or "tomorrow."
Mundane - RenSpeak for those folks who show up at Faire in their 21st century clothing.
Mundanes - RenSpeak for "21st century clothing."
maile - Interlocking bits of chain which create metal cloth.


N
Nay - RenSpeak for "No."
N'er - RenSpeak for "Never."
Not a whit - RenSpeak for "Not one bit."


O
Oft - RenSpeak for "Often."


P
Privateer - A Pirate or Pyrate in the Privateer's Guilde.
Plundering - PrivateerSpeak for the gathering of privateers to pray upon a selected victim, offering up small gifts to the victim from trinkets to drinks.
Paytron - Any Faire customer who comes throught gates.
Perchance - RenSpeak for "Maybe or Possibly."
Plague - Brought on by infected fleas that spread from harbor rats "imported" from the east, this disease wiped out over 1/3 of Europe in several bouts lasting years.
Playtron - Any Faire customer who wears garb, speaks in BFA, and interracts with the cast.
poppet - RenSpeak for "small child" or "babydoll."
Proctor - Anyone who acts as arbitrator or judge. This word can also be used to designate someone who questions, such as a teacher or professor.
Pray pardon me - RenSpeak for "Excuse me."
Pray tell - RenSpeak for "Please tell me."
Prithee, attend me! - RenSpeak for "Pay attention!"
privy - RenSpeak for those claustrophobic blue "portapots" at Faire.
privy duty - Faire castmembers who take turns showing people that the green label on the privy dial means it's friggin' empty and open for the next "visitor."
Privy Monster - a creature that inhabits the privy and eats small children.
pub - Bar where you can sit when drinking. (see Tavern)
pubcrawl - RenSpeak for a group of guildmembers (usually Nik-Thil, Privateers, or Wenches) who travel from pub to pub and drink heavilly.
Pub Sing - The last major event of every Faire evening and not to be missed.
progress - RenSpeak for the parade royalty make through your local shire.
Pox upon you - RenSpeak for "I hope you contract a horrible incurable disease and die." (i.e. plague)


Q


R
rapscallion - RenSpeak for "rascal."
Regimental Style - RenSpeak for wearing nothing under your kilt.
Rennie - A person who goes from Faire to Faire performing and/or working as a vendor.
Ren Rat - RenSpeak for someone whose grown up in and around Faire.
your local shire - The village name of Faire.
Rogue - A Calvalier.
Roguing - When a group of rogues surround a lady and attemt to curry her favor with roses.


S
SCRIBE - The online "know-all see-all be-all" of Renaissance Faire history in the U.S. (our databank).
shanÕt - RenSpeak for "shall not or will not."
Shire - RenSpeak for "a mythical English locality where the Faire is set." (i.e. your local shire)
Sire - How to address your better.
Skulker - RenSpeak for a member of the Skulk of the Black Fox.
Sliding - RenSpeak for a group of Renfolks who take over the slides at Faire.
Smith or Smithee - RenSpeak for blacksmith.
Stay - RenSpeak for "Stop" or "wait."
Strumpet - RenSpeak for a woman who is a bit more bawdy than a wench but less than a whore.


T
tavern - A pub where you can sit while drinking and offers food.
Tosspot - RenSpeak for a Drunkard.
Tudor - For Faire, it's the period covering the marriages of King Henry VIII but actually extended from the reign of his father through Elizabeth I (his daughter).
Thee/Thou - RenSpeak for "You."

Ôtis - RenSpeak for "it's" or "it is."
Ôtwas - RenSpeak for "it was."
Ôtwould - RenSpeak for "it would."
Ôtwill - RenSpeak for "it will."
Ôtwere - RenSpeak for "it were."


U


V
Varlot - RenSpeak for someone who is a bit more criminal than a Rogue.
Verily - RenSpeak for "Truly" or "Truthfully"
victuals - RenSpeak for Food.


W
wench - Usually a single woman who flaunts her "wares."
Wenching - When more than one wench surrounds a male victem and proceedes to kiss his face and head.
Wench Walk - The walk of wenches heading for a wenching or other wenchie activity.
Wherefore - RenSpeak for "Why?"
Wondrous Well! - RenSpeak for "That's Great!"


X


Y
Yon - RenSpeak for "There" or "Over there."


Z
Internet "RenSpeak" Links