A glossary of old-fashioned words in The Lizzie Borden Story, from ‘powfagged’ to ‘flapdoodle’

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is full of old-fashioned words, and nobody knows what they mean, so here’s a full glossary that explains each of them, from “powfagged” to “flapdoodle”. 

Ryan Murphy’s latest Monster series follows the real-life 17th-century story of American woman Lizzie Borden, who was accused of killing her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892. She was acquitted of the murders in court and continued living a normal life for many years after. 

Legally, Borden didn’t do it, but theories have long been speculated about whether she did or not. The Netflix series explores a storyline where she did kill her parents to gain freedom from the oppression she lived under, and how she lives afterwards with this huge secret. 

If you were confused by some of the terminology, you’re not the only one. It’s set in the late 1800s and uses old-fashioned language that doesn’t exist today, so here’s what all the words mean. 

Credit: Netflix

Caterwauling 

While Lizzie is speaking to her stepmother Abby, her father Andrew shouts at them angrily: “Will you stop your caterwauling?” That’s a high-pitched, unpleasant noise that originally referred to the wailing sounds made by cats, but later began being applied to people. 

Powfagged

In the same scene, Lizzie says she is “powfagged,” which basically means exhausted. “Pow” is an old regional version of poll, meaning head and fagged means tired, so it’s a combination of both. 

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Flapdoodle

At one point, Abby says the word “flapdoodle,” which is an old-fashioned way of saying foolish talk, nonsense or silly behaviour. For example, you could say: “I have no time for all that flapdoodle.”

Earbobs

The word “earbobs” has confused a lot of people after it was said in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story too, but that’s literally just an old term for earrings, particularly dangling or drop styles.  

Diluvian

In the first episode, Abby describes Lizzie’s menstrual cycle as “deluvian,” which means “a great flood”. “Heavy doesn’t quite describe it. Diluvian is a more apt descriptor. She’s a true freak of nature,” she says. 

Menses

Abby doesn’t use the word period or menstruation, though. She says “menses,” which is the proper medical term for a menstrual period. 

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