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"Peerless paramour" -

Originating in the Middle Ages, to say someone is your "peerless paramour" is to say they have your unbeatable affection.

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"Truepenny" -

In the Victorian era, honesty and integrity were especially highly admirable traits. Telling someone they were a "truepenny" was a testament to their strong character.

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"Bawcock" -

A term used to describe a gentleman of character and integrity, it's credited to the one and only William Shakespeare.

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"Wag" -

After your funniest friend earns a particularly big laugh, compliment them as the group’s beloved wag.

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"Your virtues have so strangely taken up my thoughts" -

Want to compliment your significant other? Then use this phrase from 'The New Academy of Compliments,' a dating handbook published in 1799.

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"You’re butter upon bacon" -

Apparently Victorians loved butter and bacon, because this was the ultimate compliment back then!

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"They're cooking with helium" -

Back when the jitterbug, swing, and the Lindy Hop were all the rage, this was how you complimented someone's dancing!

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"Takes the egg" -

If you wanted to tell someone in the 1880s that something was the best, you’d tell them it "takes the egg." For example, "Your hat takes the egg."

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"Flutter bum" -

Even though it doesn't sound that way, this 1950s slang means someone's particularly handsome!

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"Bricky" -

In the late 1800s, "bricky" meant someone was strong, brave, and fearless, just like a brick, apparently.

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"You’ve got it made in the shade" -

While throwing shade today is slang for subtly insulting someone, back in the '50s shade was a good thing. Telling someone they had it "made in the shade" meant they’d achieved a really nice life.

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"Swell bird" -

This 1940s compliment meant that you were calling a woman amazing. "She's a swell bird!"

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"Butter and egg fly" -

This 1930s compliment was a generic term for an attractive woman, especially one with a certain allure and flirtatiousness.

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"Cute as a bug’s ear" -

Originating in the 1930s, this compliment represents a sweet, miniature sort of cuteness.

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"I’m dizzy with that dame" -

A man in the 1920s proclaiming he was dizzy meant he was head-over-heels in love with a dame, or classy woman.

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"Follow-me-lads" -

"Follow-me-lads" was a 1800s term for the curls that lay over a lady's shoulders. One could compliment a woman by saying, "Your follow-me-lads look great!"

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"Minikin" -

This 1800s compliment meant someone or something was tiny and cute, much like the Japanese slang word kawaii today.

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"Oyster" -

Calling someone an "oyster" in the 1800s meant they were an excellent person of amazing quality.

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"Saucebox" -

If someone is witty and sassy, then they're definitely a saucebox. And yes, it's another compliment from the 1800s.

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"Wonder-wench" -

While it might sound a bit crass, calling someone a "wonder-wench" actually means "sweetheart."

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"Buck" -

Dating back to Edwardian England, a "buck" was a fancily-dressed person, usually a man. "What a buck!"

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"Pippin" -

In Edwardian England, a "pippin" was a good person with high morals.

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"Gorger" -

Originally a class statement, this compliment from the 1800s meant a gentleman or somebody of high station was well-dressed.

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"The jammiest bits of jam" -

Sounds like how you'd compliment a piece of toast, but this old-school phrase means "perfect young females." Maybe we can leave this one in the past...

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"A gas" -

In the 1970s, calling someone or something "a gas" meant it/they was/were light and a lot of fun!

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"Outta sight" -

In the '60s, saying anything was "outta sight" meant that it was amazing. For example, "That show was outta sight!"

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"The bee’s knees" -

Telling someone they're "the bee's knees" means they're really cute. This sweet compliment became popular in the 1920s.

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"Dreamboat" -

Back in the 1950s, calling someone a "dreamboat" meant you were calling them beautiful or hunky.

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"Killer" -

Saying something is "killer" is definitely a compliment even today. It comes from the 1940s-era slang for fantastic or amazing.

Sources: (Bustle) (Mental Floss) (Reader's Digest)

See also: The nicest compliments you can give someone

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