Anachronistic Phrases that Appear in Downton Abbey the Series



In the course of the series, many phrases are used which are anachronisms, something that belongs to another time, specifically a later time period than the early 20th century in which Downton Abbey takes place.

Phrases that are Anachronistic
Season 2, episode 1 New maid Ethel remarks that at her last position she was head maid. It is pointed out that this was in a smaller house that only had two maids. She replies, "I'm just saying. The use of this phrase alone to soften previous remarks, rather than an opening to precede following remarks, has only been a practice since the later half of the 1900's not late 1916.

Season 2, episode 3 Lord Robert tells Branson the chauffeur that he is running late and they will have to "step on it". Remarking about stepping on the accelerator to make the car go fast was used in America in 1910's with phrases like "step on her" or step on her tail", but this did not become common in England until much later than 1917.

Season 2, episode 4 Isobel Crawley is off the join the Red Cross in France during the fighting of the First World War. She says, "I will try to contact Captain Crawley". Later, Robert wants to send word to her about Matthew, but he says, "I don't know how to contact her." This episode takes place in early 1918. The word contact, used in reference to communicating with someone, is an Americanism that was documented in 1927 and was used in England in the 1930-40's.

Thomas is given an order by Lord Robert. O'Brien asked him why he bothered and Thomas asks her, "What did you want me to do, tell him to get knotted?" The term "get knotted" was a synonymous with the phrase "go to hell" was documented in 1944. It has been wrongly thought to be a slang term in the British navy in the 19th century.

Season 2, episode 5 Thomas defends someone as being working class just as he is and says, "I get fed up seeing how our lot always get shafted." The earliest use of this term to mean "being treated unfairly" is in a 1951 American Spillane novel.

Vera Bates also refers to Anna as John Bates's "floozy". This term for a promiscuous woman was used in the 1910's in America, but only documented as being used in England by Horace Annesley Vachell who had spent many years in the US.

The episode takes place in mid-1918.

Season 2, episode 7 Cook, Mrs. Patmore, is asked whether she will miss the extra staff. She replies, "When push comes to shove, I'd rather do it myself." This phrases has been found as far back as 1898, but only in African-American newspapers and sources, until the latter half of the century. So it unlikely that Mrs. Patmore was familiar with it in early 1919.

Season 3, episode 1 Robert Crawley has just told his wife that he has lost their fortune. She tells him that she will be alright and that she is an American, "Have gun, will travel". The phrase "Have _, will travel" was in existence in the early part of the century. However, the specific phrases "Have gun, will travel" was popularized by the 1950-60's TV show of the same title, in which Richard Boone (gun for hire in multiple functions) advertised his services this way. Therefore, it would not have been in use in the 1920's.

Phrases that are Not Anachronistic
In a jiffy.

Taking logic pills - as it is not a common phrase (S2 E4)

Everything is rosy in our garden - In England in the 1920's (S2 E5)