Urdu lexicography of the yesteryears had some specific traits which may seem odd when seen against the backdrop of modern lexicographic principles. One of them is the tendency among the compilers of Urdu dictionaries in the last two centuries to look down upon the vocabulary and usage of the common speakers of Urdu and they invariably mentioned such usages, pronunciations and coinages as 'substandard', 'taboo', 'vulgar' and 'uncouth'. The article quotes from a number of standard Urdu dictionaries citing the examples of such prescriptive trends of Urdu lexicography in the 19th and 20th centuries. This dismissive attitude towards the parlance of the common people also extended to the vocabulary used specifically by women as well.