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CLASSICAL -
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DICTIONARY
OF THE
VULGAR TONGUE.
THE SECOND EDITION,
CORRECTED AND ENLARGED.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR S. HOOPER, N°. 212, HIGH HOLBORN.
FACING n LOO MS BURT SQUARE*
M. DCC.LXXXVIU*
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HISTOBICAL
mebical
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PREFACE
TO THE
SECOND EDITION.
HE favourable reception with which
this Book was honoured by the Pub- lic, has encouraged the Editor to prefent a fecond edition, more corredly arranged, and
explanations in the former edition having been pointed out as rather indecent or indeli- cate, though to be found in Le Roux, and other Gloflaries of the like kind, thefe have been either omitted, foftened, or their ex- planations taken from books long fandioned with general approbation, and admitted into the feminaries for the education of youth — fuch as Bailey’s, Miege’s, or Philips’s Dic- tionaries ; fo that it is hoped this work will now be found as little oftenfive to delicacy as the nature of it would admit.
A lift is here added of fuch books as have been confulted for the additions.
b
very confiderably enlarged. Some words and
A CA-
\
IV PREFACE TO THE
■» 5
A
CAVE A T
FOR
COMMON CURSETORS,
VULGARLY CALLED
VAGABONES;
SET FORTH BY
THOMAS HARMA N, Es<juier,
FOR THE
Utilitie and Proffyt of hys Naturall Countrey*
Newly Augmented and Imprinted, Anno Domini
M.D.LXVII.
\
Viewed, Examined, and Allowed according un- to the Oueen’s Majeftye’s Injunctions.
Imprinted at London, in Flete-ftreet, at the Signe of the Faulcon, by William Gryffith; and are to be folde at his i hoppe in Saynt Dunilone’s Churche y arde, in the W eit.
SECONp EDITION.
V
THE
CANTING ACADEMY*
o R,
VILLANIES DISCOVERED:
I
WHEREIN ARE SHEWN
The Myfterious and V illanous Practices of that Wickei Crew, commonly known by the Names of
HECTORS, TRAPANNERS, GILTS,
With feveral NEW CATCHES and SONGS.
ALSO A
COMPLEAT CANTING DICTIONARY,
BOTH OF
Old Words , and fuch as are now moft in life.
A Book very ufeful and neceifary (to be known, but not pradlifed) for all People.
, ’ t
THE SECOND EDITIO N. LONDON:
*
Printed by F. Leach, for Mat. Drew ; and are to be
fold by the Bookfellers.
Ar. B. 'The Dedication is figned^ R. Head.
Vi
PREFACE TO THE
HELL upon EARTH;
OR THE MOST PLEASANT AND DELECTABLE
HISTORY
O F
WHITTINGTON’S COLLEDGE,
OTHERWISE (VULGARLY) CALLED
NEWGATE.
%
Giving: an Account of the Humours of thofe Col- legians who are ftridtly examined at the Old Baily, and take their higheft Degrees near Hyde Park Corner.
Being very ufeful to all Perfons, either Gentle or Simple, in fhewing them the Manner of the Robberies and Cheats committed hy Villains on the Nation; whereby they may be the more careful of being wronged by them for the future.
LONDON:
? Pv I N T E D IN THE YEAR 1 yOg *
SECOND EDITION*
VII
THE
SCOUNDRELS DICTIONARY 5
OR, AN
i
EXPLANATION
OF THE
CANT WORDS ufed by THIEVES, HOUSE- BREAKERS, STREET ROBBERS, and PICKPOCKETS about Town.
TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED
Some Curious Dissertations on the ART
of WHEEDLING,
AND A
Collection of their FLASH SONGS, with a PROPER GLOSSARY.
The whole printed from a Copy taken on one of their Gang , in the late Scuffle between the Watchmen and a Party of them on Clerkenwell Green ; which Copy is now in the Cuilody of one of the Conftables of that Parifli.
LONDON:
Printed for j. Brownnell, in Pater nofter-row*
M . D C C . L I V .
Trice Sixpence.]
PREFACE
\
TO THE
— N
FIRST EDITION,
T‘ H E great approbation with which fo polite a nation as France has received the Satirical and Burlefque Dictionary of Monfieur Le Roux, teftified by the feveral editions it has gone through, will, it is hoped, apologize for an attempt to compile an Eng- lifh Dictionary on a fimilar plan ; our lan- guage being at leafl as copious as the French , and as capable of the witty equivoque : be- iides which, the freedom of thought and fpeech arifing from, and privileged by, our conftitution, gives a force and poignancy to the expreffions of our common people, not to be found under arbitrary governments, where the ebullitions of vulgar wit are checked by the fear of the baflinado, or of a lodging during pleafure in fome gaol or caftle.
The many vulgar allufions and cant ex- preflions that fo frequently occur in our com-
mon
PREFACE, &CY
IX
mon converfation and periodical publications* make a work of this kind extremely ufeful, if not abfolutely neceflary, not only to fo- reigners, but even to natives refident at a dif- tance from the Metropolis, or who do not mix in the bufy world 2 without fome fuch help, they might hunt through all the ordi- nary Dictionaries, from Alpha to Omega, in fearch of the words, 44 black legs, lame 44 duck, a plumb, maling£ror, nip cheefe, 44 darbies, and the new drop,” although thefe are all terms of well-known import at Newmarket, Exchange-alley, the City, the Parade, Wapping, and Newgate.
The fashionable words, or favourite ex- prelTions of the day, alfo find their way into our political and theatrical compofitions : thefe, as they generally originate from fome trifling event, or temporary circumftance, on falling into difufe, or being fuperfeded by new ones, vanifh without leaving a trace behind. Such were the late fafhionable words, a bore and a twaddle , among the great vul- gar ; maccaroni and the barber , among the fmall : thefe, too, are here carefully regif- tered.
The
X
PREFACE TO THE
The Vulgar Tongue confifts of two parts r the firft is the Cant Language, called fome- times Pedlars French, or St. Giles's Greek; the fecond, thofe burlefque phrafes, quaint allufions, and nick-names for perfons, things, and places, which, from long uninterrupted ^ ufage, are made clafiical by prefcription.
RefpeCting the firft, that is, the canting language, take the account given of its origin, and the cataftrophe of its inftitutor, from Mr. H arrifcn’s Defcription of England, pre- fixed to Hollingihead's Chronicle ; where, treating of beggars, gypfies, &c, he fays. It is not yet fifty years nth this trade be- gan : but now it hath profpered fithens “ that time, it is eaiy to judge; for they are tc now fuppofed, of one fexe and another, “ to amount unto above ten thoufand per- “ fons, as I have harde reported. More- ** over, in counterfeiting the Egyptian roges,
• f
“ they nave devifed a language *imong them- “ felves, which they name Canting, but “ others Pedlars French, a fpeache compact “ thirty yreares fince of Englilh, and a great number of odde wordes of their own de- vifing, without all order or reafon ; and ‘‘ yet fuch it is, as none but themfelves are * able
FIRST EDITION. xi
ffc able to underftand. The firft devifer u thereof was hanged by the neck, as a juit 44 reward, no doubt, for ins defartes, and a 44 common end to all of that profeffion.
44 A gentleman (Mr. Thomas Harman) 44 alfo of late hath taken great paines to 44 fearch out the fecret practizes of this un- 44 gracious rabble ; and, among other things, 44 he fetteth down and defcribeth twenty-two 44 forts of them, whofe names it (hall not 44 be amiffb to remember, whereby each one 44 may gather what wicked people they are,
44 and what viilany remaineth in them.”
\
For this lift fee the word Cr ew.— This was the origin of the cant language ; its terms have been collected from the follow- ing Treatifes :
\
The Bellman of London, bringing to light the moil notorious villanies that are now practifed in the kingdom. Profitable for gentlemen, lawyers, merchants, citizens, far- mers, mailers of houfeholds, and all forts of fervants, to marke, and delightfull for men to reade. — Lege, Perlege, Relege. —
1 6^8.
C 2
Thieves
SCU PREFACE TO THE
Thieves falling out, true men ccme by their goods.— -1615.
1
EngliJJj Villaniesp leven feverall times prcft to death by the printers ; but (ftill reviving againe) are now the eighth time (as the firft) .difcovered by lanthome and candle-light : and the helpe of a new cryer, called O-per-fe O ; whole loud voyce proclaimes, to all that will heare him, another confpiracy of abufes lately plotting together, to hurt the peace of the kingdom ; which the bell-man (becaufe he ther went ftumbling i’ths dark) could never fee till now ; and becaufe a company of rogues, cunning canting gyplies, and all the fcumme of our nation, fight under their tattered colours. At the end is a canting dictionary to teach their language, with canting fongs. A bcoke to make gentlemen merry, citizens warie, countrymen carefull ; fit for juftices to reade over, becaufe it is a pilot by whom they may make ftrange dii- coveries.— London, 1638.
j . ..
Bailey’s, and the new Canting Dictionary, have alfo been confulted, with the Hiftory of Bamfield More Carew, the Seflions Papers, and other modern authorities. As
many
FIRST EDITION. XJU
many of thefe terms are (till profefllonally ufed by our prefent race of free-booters of different denominations, who feem to have eftablilhed a fyftematical manner of carrying on their buiinefs, a knowledge of them may therefore be ufefui to gentlemen in the com- million of the peace.
The fecond part, or burlefque terms, have been drawn from the moll clailical authori- ties ; fuch as foldiers on the long march, feamen at the capftern, ladies difpoling of their fiffi, and the colloquies of a Gravelend boat.
* * * •’
Many heroic fentences, expreffing and in- culcating a contempt of death, have been caught from the mouths of the applauding populace, attending thofe triumphant pro- ceflions up Holborn-hill, with which many an unfortunate hero till lately finifhed his courfe : and various choice flowers have been, collected at executions, as well thofe autho- rized by the fcntence of the law, and per- formed under the direction of the fheriff, as thofe inflicted under the authority and in- ipection of that impartial and fummary tribunal, called the Mob, upon the pick- pockets.
x*v
PREFACE TO THE
pockets, informers, or other unpopular cri«* minals. ~ <
In the courfe of this work many ludicrous games and cuftoms are explained, which are not to be met with in any other book : the fucceffion of the finilhers of the law, the abolition of the triumph or ovation of Hot- born Hill, with the introduction of the pre- fent mode cf execution at Newgate, are chronologically afcertained ; points of great importance to both the prefent and future compilers of the Tyburn Chronicle.
i
To prevent any charge of immorality be- ing brought againft this work, the Editor begs Have to obferve, that when an indeli- cate or immodeft word has obtruded itielf for explanation, he has endeavoured to get rid of it in the molt decent manner poihble ; and none have been admitted but fuch as either coaid not be left out without render- ing the work incomplete, or in fome mea- fure compenfate by their wit for the trefpafs committed on decorum. Indeed, refpedting this matter, he can with great truth make the fame defence that Falftaff ludicroul'Iy urges in behalf of one engaged in rebellion,
viz.
XV
FIRST EDITION*.
>
viz. that he did not leek them, but that, like rebellion in the cafe inilanced, they lay in iiis way, and he found them.
The Editor likewise begs leave to add, that if he has had the misfortune to run foul of the dignity of any body of men, profeffion, or trade, it is totally contrary to his inten- tion $ and he hopes the interpretations given to any particular terms that* may feem. to bear hard upon them* will not be conlidered as his fentiments, but as the fentiments of the perions by whom fuch terms were firft: in« vented, or thofe by whom they are ufed.
»
A
CL ASSICAL
DICTIONARY
• - *«, ' • - 1 ^
OF THE
VULGAR TONGUE.
A.
A C A
ABBESS, or Lady Abbess. A bawd, the miftrefs of a brothel.
Abel-wackets. Blows given on the palm of the hand with a twilled handkerchief, inftead of a ferula ; a jocular punifli- ment among feamen, who fometimes play at cards for wac- kets, the lofer buffering as many ftrakcs as he has loft games* Abigail. A lady’s v/aiting maid.
Abram. Naked. Cant .
Abram Cove. A cant word among thieves, ftgnifying a naked or poor man ; alfo a lufty, ftrong rogue.
Abram Men. Pretended mad men.
To sham Abram. To pretend flcknefs.
Academy, or Pus hi no School. A brothel. — The Float- ing Academy ; the lighters on board of which thofe perfons are confined; who by a late regulation are condemned to hard Jabour, inftead of tranfportation. — Campbell’s Academy ; the
A famej
A G R
lame, from a gentleman of that name, who had the contraft * for finding and victualling the hulks or lighters.
Accounts. To caft up one’s accounts ; to vOmit.
Acorn. You will ride a horfe foaled by a^i acorn; i. e. the gallows, called alfo the Wooden and Three-legged Mare. Y ou will be hanged. — See Three legged mare.
Actof Parliament. A military term for fmall beer, five pints of which, by an a Ci of parliament, a landlord was for- merly obliged to give to each foldier gratis.
Act eon. A cuckold, from the horns planted on thejhead of Afteon by Diana.
Adam’s Ale. Water.
Adam Tiler. A pickpocket’s alTociate, who receives the ftolen goods, and runs off with them. Cant .
Adams. The moft ancient, honourable, and venerable fociety of the name of Adams, A. D. 1750, held their meetings at the Royal Swan, Kingfiand Road, kept by George Adams.
Addle Pate. An inconfiderate foolilh fellow.
Addle Plot. A fpoil-fport, a mar-all.
Admiral of the Blue, who carries his flag on the main- mall. A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the ctiftom among gentlemen of that vocation.
Admiral of the Narrow Seas. One who from drunken- nefs vomits into the lap of the perfon fitting oppofite to him. Sea phrafe.
Adrift. Loofe, turned adrift, difeharged. Sea phrafe*
Affidavit Men. Knights of the poll, orfaKe witneffes, faid to attend Weftminfter Hall, and other courts of juftice, ready to fwear any thing for hire ; difiinguilhcd by having draw •{luck in the heels of their Ihoes.
After-Clap. A demand after the firft given-in has been difeharged, a charge for pretended omifiions.
Against the Grain. Unwilling. It went much againft the grain with him, i. e. it was much againft his inclination, Qr againft his pluck.
Agog, All-a-gog. Anxious, eager, impatient: from the Italian agog are, to deft re eagerly.
Aground. Stuck, faft, flopped, atalofs, ruined; lifceaboat or velfcl aground,
Aif.
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Its
A M B
Air A n£> Exercise. He has had air imd exercifq, i. e. he has been whipped at the cart’s tail ; or, as it is generally , though more vulgarly, expreftcd, at the cart s a — fe.
Alderman. A roafted turkey gamiflied with faufages ; the lat- ter are fuppofed to reprefent the gold chain worn by thofe ma- giftrates.
Ale Draper. An alehoufe keeper.
Ale Post. A may-pole.
All-a-mort, Struck dumb, confounded-.
Algate. A draught on the pump at Algate ; a bad bill of ex- change, drawn on perfons who have no effects of the drawer.
All Holiday. It is all holiday at Peckham, or it is all holi- day with him ; a faying fignifying that it is all over with the bufinefs orperfon fpoken of or alluded to.
All hollow. He was beat all hollow, i. e. he had no chance of conquering ; it was all hollow, or a hollow thing ; it was a decided thing from the beginning. See Hollow.
All Nations. A compofition of all the different fpirits fold in a dram fhop, colle&ed in a veffel, into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.
Alls, The five alls is a country fign, reprefenting five human figures, each having a motto under him. The fir ft is a king in his regalia ; his motto* I govern all : the fecorrd a biftiop in pontificals ; motto, I pray for all : third, a lawyer in his gown ; motto, I plead for all : fourth, a foldier in his regi- mentals, fully accoutred ; motto, I fight for all : fifth, a poor countryman with his fcythe and rake ; motto, I pay for all.
Alsasia the Higher. White Friars, once a place privi- leged from arrefts for debt, as was alfo the Mint, but fup- preffed on account of the notorious abufes committed there.
Alsasia the Lower. The Mint in Southwark.
Alsasians The inhabitants of White Fryers or the MintH
Altamel. A verbal or lump account, without particulars, fuch as is commonly produced at bawdy houfes, fpunging houfes, &c. Vide Dutch Reckoning.
Altitudes. The man is in his altitudes, i. e. he is drunk.
Ambassador. A trick to duck fome ignorant fellow or land!-* man, frequently played on board flips in the warm latitudes. It is thus managed : a large tub is filled with water, and two
A z ftoois
ANT
Itools placed on each fide of it. Over the whole is thrown 1 tarpawlin, or old fail : this is kept tight by two perfons, who are to reprefent the king and queen of a foreign country, and are feated on the dools. The perfon intended to be ducked plays the ambaffador, and after repeating a ridiculous fpeech dilated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and feated between the king and queen, who rifing fuddenly as foon as he is feated, he falls backwards into the tub of water.
Ambidexter. A lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and defendant, or that goes fnacks with both parties in gaming.
Amen Curler. A pari fh clerk.
A me n . lie faid Yes and Amen to every thing ; he agreed to every dung.
Aminidab. A jeering name for a quaker.
Ames Ace. Withiri, ames ace ; nearly, very near.
To amuse. To fling dull or fnulf in the eyes of the perfon in- tended to be robbed; alia to invent fome plauiible tale, to de- lude fhopkeepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard. Cant .
Am users. Rogues who carried fnuff or dull in their pockets, which they threw into the eyes of any perfon they intended to rob; and running away (their accomplices pretending to affid and pity the half-blinded perfon), took that opportunity of plundering him.
Anabaptist. A pickpocket caught in the fadi, and punifh- ed with the difcipline of the pump or horfe-pond.
Anchor. Bring your a-fe to an anchor, i. e. fit down. *1 o let go an anchor to the windward of the law ; to keep within the letter of the law. Sea Wit*
Anglers. Pilferers, or petty thieves, who, with a flick having a hook at the end, flcal goods out of {hop windows, grates, &c ; alio thofe who draw in or entice unwary perfons to prick at the belt, or fuch like devices.
A ngling forFart h i n g s . Begging out of a prifon window w*ith a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long firing.
Ankle. A girl who is got with child, is faid to have fp rained
her ankle.
Anodyne Necklace. A hdlter.
Anthony or Tan tony pig. The favourite or (mailed pig
- - in
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APR
in tlie litter. — To follow like a tantony pig, i. e. St. Anthony's pig; to follow clofe at one’s heels. St. Anthony the hermit was a fwine herd, and is always reprefented with a fwine ’s bell and a pig. Some derive this faying from a privilege en- joyed by the friars of certain convents in England and France (fons of St. Anthony) whofe fwine *vere permitted to feed in the ftreets. Thefe fwine would follow any one having greens or other proviiions, till they obtained fume of them.
To knock Anthony. Said of an inkneed perfon, or one whofe knees knock together ; to cuff Jonas. See Jo-n*a s.
Ape Leader. An old maid : their punilhment after death, for neglecting to increafe and multiply, will be, it is faid, leading apes in hell.
Apostles. To manoeuvre the apoftles ; i. e. rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.
Apothecary. To talk like an apothecary; to talk non- fenfe : from the a fumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of that profeffion, who are commonly but fuperhcial in their learning.
Apothecary’s Bill. A lone bill.
- O
Apothecary’s orLAw Latin, Barbarous Latin, vulgarly called Dog Latin, in Ireland Bog Latin.
Apple Cart. Down with his apple-cart; knock or throw him down.
Apple Dumplin Shop, A woman’s bofom.
Apple-pye Bed. A bed made apple-pye fafnion, like what is called a turnover apple-pye, where the iheets are fo doubled as to prevent any one from getting at his length between them : a common trick played by froliefome country laffes on their fweethearts, male relations, or vifitors.
April Iool. Any one iinpofed on, or fent on ajbootlefs er- rand, on the firll of April.; on which day it, the cuftom among the lower people, children, and fervant3, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up, fending perfons on abfurd meffages, and fuch like contrivances, to impofe on every one
the> can, and then to falute them with the title of April - Fool.
Apron String Hold. An eftate held by a man during his wife’s life.
A qjj A
ART
A qu a 'P u m p a g i n i s . Pump water. Apothecaries Lalitu Arrbor Vitje. A man’s penis.
Arch Duke. A comical or eccentric fellow.
Arch Rogue, or Dimber Damber Upright Man, The chief of a gang of thieves or gyplies.
Arch Dell, or Arch Doxy, fignifies the fame in rank among the female canters or gypfies.
Ard. Hot. Cant.
Aristippus. A diet drink, or decodion of farfaparilla, chi- na, See. fold at certain, coffec-houfes, and drank as tea. Armour. In his armour, pot valiant ; to light in armour, to make ufeof Mrs. Philips’s ware. See C— d — m.
Ark. A boat or wherry. Let us take an Ark and winns $ let US take a fculler. Cant.
Ark Ruffians. Rogues who, in ccmjundion with water- men, robbed, and fometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the paflengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, {tripping, and throwing them overboard. See. A fpecies of badgers. Cant.
A rrah now. Aii unmeaning expletive, frequently ufed by the vulgar Irilh.
ArsMusica. A bum-fiddle.
Ars';. To hang an arle } to haftg back, to be afraid to ad» vance. He would lend his a--e, -and lh-te through his ribs ; a faying of any one who lends his money inconfiderately. He would lofe his a--e if it was loole ; faid of a carelefs perfon. A— e about ; turn round.
Arsy varsey. To fall arfy varfey, i. e. head over heels. Arthur; King Arthur. A game ufed at fea, when near the line, or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus : a man who is 'to xeprefent king Arthur, ridiculoufly dreifed, having a large wig made out of oakum, or fome old fwabs, is feated on the fide, or over a large vefiel of water. Every perfon in his turn is to be ceremonioufly introduced to him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying. Hail, king Arthur ! It during this ceremony the perfon introduced laughs or fmiles -(to which his majefty endeavours to excite him, by all forts of ridiculous gefticulations', he changes place with, and then
becomes.
K
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A U T
becomes, king Arthur, till relieved by fome brother tar, who has as little command over his mufcles as himfelf.
Articles. Breeches; coat, waiftcoat, and articles.
Ask or Ax my A— e. A common reply to any queftion ; Hill deemed wit at Tea, and formerly at court, under the de- nomination of felling bargains. See Bargain.
Assig. An aflignation.
Athanasian wench, or Quicunqjje vult. A for- ward girl, ready to oblige every man that fhall a Ik her.
Aunt. Mine aunt ; a bawd or procurefs ; a title of eminence for the fenior dells, who ferve for inftru&reffes, midwives, &c* for the dells. Cant . — See Dells.
Avoir du pois Lay. Stealing brafs weights off the coun- ters of Ihops. Cant .
Autem. A church.
Autem bawler. A parfon. Cant,
AUTEM CACKLERS. l^rr . c j • .* n
> Diffenters of every denomination. Cant ,
Autem prickears. 3
Autem Cackle Tub, A conventicle or meeting houfe for diffenters. Cant .
AutemDippers. Anabaptifts. Cant.
Autem Divers. Pickpockets who pra&ife in churches ; alfo churchwardens and overfeers of the poor. Cant.
Autem Goglers. Pretended French prophets. Cant,
Autem Mort. A married woman; alfo a female beggar with feveral children hired or borrowed to excite charity. Cant .
Autem Quakers. .Quakers.
AvtemQuaverTvb. A Quakers meeting-houfe. Cant ,
B,
B
A O.
Babss in’ the Wood. Rogues in the flocks, or pil- lory.
y
Rabble. Confufed, unintelligible talk, fuch as was ufed at the building the Tower of Bable.
Rack Biter. One who (landers another behind his back, i. e. in his abfence. His bofom friends are become his back biterss faid of a loufy man.
Backed. Dead. He wilhes to have the fenior, or old fquare- toes, backed: he longs to have his father on fix men's (houl- ders; that is, carrying to the grave.
Back up. His back is up, i. e. he is offended or angry : an expreffion or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always railing its back. An allufion alfo fometimes ufed to jeer a crooked man; as. So, Sir, I fee fomebody has offend- ed you, for your back is up.
Bacon. He has faved his bacon ; he has efcaped. He has a good voice to beg bacon ; a faying in ridicule of a bad voice.
Bacon faced. Full faced.
♦ * »
Bacon fed. Fat, greafy.
Back Gammon Player. A fodomite.
Back Door (Usher or Gentle man.of the). The fame.
Bad Bargain. One of his majefty’s bad bargains ; a worth- lefs fcldier, a malingeror. See Malingeror.
Badge. A term ufed for one burned in the hand. He has got his badge, and piked ; he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty. Cant .
Badge Coves. Parifh penfioners. Cant.
Badgers. A crew of defperate villains who robbed near ri- vers, into which they threw the bodies of thofe they murder- ed. Cant .
To Badger. To confound, perplex, or teize.
Bag. He gave them the bag ; i. e. left them.
Bag
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Bag of Nails. He fquints like a bag of nails; i. e. hi# eyes are directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails. The old Bag of Nails at Pimlico ; originally the Bacchanals.
Baggage. Heavy baggage ; women and children. Alfo a familiar epithet for a woman ; as, canning baggage, wan- ton baggage, &c.
Bakers Dozen. Fourteen; that number of rolls being al- lowed to the purchafers of a dozen.
Baker-knee’d. One whole knees knock together in walk- ing, as if kneading dough.
Balderdash. Adulterated wine.
Ballocks. The teflicles of a man or beak ; alfo a vulgar nick name for a parion.
Ballum Rancum. A hop or dance, where the women are all proftitutes. N.B. The company dance in their birth- day fuits.
Balsam. Money.
Bam. A jocular impofition, the fame as a humbug. See Humbug.
To Bam. To impofe on any one by a fallity ; alfo to jeer or make fun of any one.
To Bamboozle. To make a fool of any one, to humbug or impofe on him.
Banaghan. He beats Banaghan ; an Irifh faying of one who tells wonderful ftories. Perhaps Banaghan was a min- flrel famous for dealing in the marvellous.
Bandbox. Mine a — fe on a bandbox; an anfwer to the offer of any thing inadequate to the purpofe for which it is proffered, like offering a bandbox for a feat.
Banbury Story of a Cock and a Bull. A round- about, nonfenfical ilory.
Bandog. A bailiff or his follower ; alfo a very fierce maftiff; likewife, a bandbox. Cant.
Bandore. A widow’s mourning peak ; alfo a mufical in- ftrument.
To Bang. To beat.
Banging. Great: a fine banging boy,
B
Bang
BAR
Bang Straw. A nick name for a threlher, but applied to all the fervants of a farmer.
Bankrupt Cart. A one-horfe chaife, faid to be fo called by a Lord Chief Jultice, from their being fo frequently
ufed on Sunday jaunts by extravagant Ihopkeepers and tradefmen.
Banks s Dorse. A hoife famous for playing tricks, the property of one Banks. It is mentioned in Sir Walter Ra- leigh’s Hid. of the World, p. 178; alfo by Sir Kenelm Digby and Ben Jonfon.
Bantling. Ayoungchjld.
Banyan Day. A fea term for thofe days on which no meat is allowed to the failors : the term is borrowed from the Banyans in the Eafl Indies, a call that eat nothing that had life.
Baptised, or Ch rist £ned. Rum, brandy, or any other fpirits, that have been lowered with water.
Barber. That’s the barber; a ridiculous and unmeaning
b
phrafe, in the mouths of the common people about the year 1760, fignifying their approbation of any a&ion, meafure, or thing.
Barber’s Chair. She is as common as a barber’s chair, in which a whole parifh fit to be trimmed ; faid of a prof- titute.
Barber’s Sign. A Handing pole and two walk- balls.
Bargain. To fell a bargain; a fpecies of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who fays the maids of honour often amufed themfelves with it. It con- fined in the feller naming his or her hinder parts, in an- fwer to the quehion. What ? which the buyer was artfully led to afk. As a fpecimen, take the following inftance : A lady would come into a room full of company, apparently in a fright, crying out. It is white, and follows me ! On any of the company alking. What ?^lhe fold him the bargain, by faying, Mine a — e.
Barker. The Ihopman of a bow-wow Di op, or dealer in fecond-hand clothes, particularly about Monmouth-ftreet,
who
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who walks before his maker’s door, and deafens every paf- fenger with his cries of— Clothes, coats, or gowns — whatd’ye want, gemmen ? — what d’ye buy? See Bow-wow Shop,
Barkshire. A member or candidate for Barkfhire; faid of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly ih led barking.
Barking Irons. Piftols, from their explodon refembling the bow-wow or barking of a dog. Jr ijb ■
Barn. A parfon’s barn ; never fo full but there is dill room for more. Bit by a barn moufe ; tipfey, probably from an allufion to barley.
Barnaby. An old dance to a quick movement. See Cot- ton, in his Virgil Travedi ; where, fpeaking of Eolus, he has thefe lines :
Bounce cry the port holes, out they fly,
And make the world dance Barnaby.
Barnacle. A good job, or fnack eafily got ; alfo (hell fifh growing at the bottoms of fhips ; a bird of the goofe kind ; an inftrument like a pair of pincers, to fix on the nofes of vicious horfes whilft fhoeing ; a nick name for fpeftacles, and alfo for the gratuity given to grooms by the buyers and fellers of holies.
Bartholomew Baey. A perfon dreffed up in a tawdry manner, like the dolls or babies fold at Bartholomew fair.
Bar Wig. A wig between a Dalmahoy and a double cauli- flower or full bottom. See Dalmahoy.
Basket. An exclamation frequently made ufe of in cock pits, at cock fightings, where perfons refufing or unable to pay their lofings, are adjudged by that refpe&able af- fembly to be put into a bafket fufpended over the pit, there to remain during that day’s diverfion : on the lead demur to pay abet, Bafket ! is vociferated in terrorem. He grins like a bafket of chips ; a faying of one who is on the broad grin.
Basket-making. The good old trade of bafket-making ; copulation, or making feet for children’s dockings.
Bastard. The child of an unmarried woman.
Bastardly Gullion. A badard’s badard.
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To baste. To beat. Til give him his baitings ; I’ll beat him heartily.
Basting. A beating.
Bastonading. Beating any one with a flick; from baton, a ftick, formerly fpelt barton.
Batch. We had a pretty batch of it lart night ; we had a hearty dofe of liquor. Batch originally means the whole quantity of bread baked at one time in an oven.
Battner. An cx : beef being apt to batten or fatten thofe that eat it. The cove has hulked the battner; i. e. ha# killed the ox.
Batchelors Fare. Bread and cheefe and kiffes.
Batchelor’s Son. A bartard.
Battle-royal. A battle or bout at cudgels or firty-cuffs, wherein more than two perfons are engaged : perhaps from its refcmblance, in that particular, to more ferious engage- ments fought to fettle royal difputes.
Baudrans. A cat. Scotch.
Bawbee. A halfpenny. Scotch.
Baweels or Bawbles. Trinkets, a man’s tefticles.
Bawd. A female procurefs.
Bawdy Basket. The twenty-third rank of canters, who carry pins, tape, ballads, and obfcene books to fell, but live moftly by rtealing. Cant.
Bawdy-house Bottle. A very fmall bottle ; fhort mea- fure being among the many means ufed by the keepers of thofe houfes, to gain what they call an honert livelihood : indeed this is one of the Ieail reprehenfible ; the lefs they give a man of their infernal beverages for his money, the kinder they behave to him.
Bay Windows. Old projecting windows,
Bayard of Ten Toes. To ride bayard of ten toes, is to walk on foot. Bayard was a horfe famous in old ro- mances.
Bear. One who contrails to deliver a certain quantity or
fum of flock in the public funds, on a future day, and at a
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BEE
fore the bear was killed. As the bear fells the Hock he is not poffeffed of, fo the bull purchafes what he has not mo- ney to pay for ; but in cafe of any alteration in the price- agreed on, either party pays or receives the difference. Ex- change Alley .
Bear-garden Jaw or Discourse. Rude, vulgar lan- guage, fuch as was ufed at the bear gardens
Bear Leader. A travelling tutor.
Beard Splitter. A man much given to wenching.
Bearings. I’ll bring him to his bearings ; Ell bring him to reafon. Sea term .
Beast. To drink like a beaH, i. e. only when thirHy.
Beast with Two Backs. A man and woman in the ail of copulation. Shakefpeare in Othello .
Beater Cases. Boots. Cant .
Beau-nasty. A flovenly fop ; one finely dreffed, but dirty.
Beau Trap. A loofe Hone in a pavement, under which water lodges, and, on being trod upon, fquirts it up, to the great damage of white Hockirtgs ; alfo a fharper neatly dreffed, lying in wait for raw country fqui-res, or ignorant fops.
Becalmed. A piece of fea wit, fported in hot weather. I am becalmed, the fail flicks to the maH ; that is, my fhirt Hicks to my back.
Beck. A beadle. See Hermanbeck.
Bed. Put to bed with a mattock, and tucked up with a fpade; faid of one that is dead and buried. You will go up a ladder to bed, i. e. you will be hanged. In many country places, perfons hanged are made to mount up a ladder, which is afterwards turned round or taken away; whence the term, “ Turned off.”
Bedawbed all over with Lace. Vulgar fayingof any one dreffed in clothes richly laced.
Bedfordshire. Iam for Bed/ordihire, i. e. for going to bod.
Bedizened. Dreffed out, over dreffed, or aukwardly or- namented.
Beef. To cry beef; to give the alarm. They have cried beef on us. Cant.—* To be in a man’s beef ; to wound him
with
BEL
with a (Word. To be in a woman’s beef; to have carnal knowledge of her. Say you bought your beef of me; a jo- cular requeft from a butcher to a fat man, implying that he - credits the butcher who ferves him.
Beef Eater. A yeoman of the guards, inflituted by Hen- ry VII. Their office was to Hand near the bouffet, or cup- board, thence called Bouffetiers, fince corrupted to Beef Eaters. Others fupppfe they obtained this name from the fize of their perfons, and the eafinefs of their duty, as hav- ing fcarce more to do than to eat the king’s beef.
Beetle-browed. One having thick projecting eyebrows.
Beetle-headed. Dull, flupid.
Beggar Maker. A publican, or ale-houfe keeper.
Beggars Bullets. Stones. The beggars bullets began to fly, 1. e. they began to throw Hones.
Beiley’s Ball. He will dance at Beilby’s ball, where the fhenffi pays the mufick; he will be hanged. Who Mr. Beilby was, or why that ceremony was fo called, remains with the quadrature of the circle, the difeovery of the phi- lofopher’s Hone, and divers other defiderata yet undif- covered.
Belch. All forts of beer; that liquor being apt to caufe eruCtation.
Bell, Book, and Candle. They curfed him with bell, book, and candle; an allufion to the popifh form of ex- communicating and anathematizing perfons who had ofFend* cd the church.
To Bear the Bell. To excel or furpafs all competitors, to be the principal in a body or fociety ; an allufion to the fore horfe or leader of a team, whofe harnefs is commonly ornamented with a bell or bells. Some fuppofe it a term borrowed from an ancient tournament, where the victori- ous knight bore away the belle or fair lady . Others derive it from a horfe race, or other rural contentions, where bells where frequently given as prizes.
Bellows. The lungs.
Bellower. The town crier.
Belly. His eye was bigger than his belly ; a faying of a per- fonat a table, who takes more on his plate than he can eat.
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Bellyfull. A hearty beating, fufficient to make a man yield or give out. A woman with child is alfo faid to have got her belly full.
Belly Cheat. An apron.
Belly Plea. The plea of pregnancy, generally adduced by female felons capitally convidted, which they take care to provide for, previous to their trials ; every gaol having, as the Beggar’s Opera informs us, one or more child getters, who qualify the ladies for that expedient ta procure a refpite.
Belly Timber. Food of all forts.
Bell Swagger. A noify bullying fellow.
Sell Wether. The chief or leader of a mob : an idea taken from a flock of fheep, where the wether has a bell about his neck.
Bene. Good. — Benar. Better. Cant.
Bene Bowse. Good beer, or other flrong liquor. Cant.
Bene Cove. A good fellow. Cant.
Bene Dark mans. Good night. Cant.
Bene Feakers. Counterfeiters of bills. Cant.
Bene Feakers of Gybes. Counterfeiters of pafles. Cant .
Beneshiply. Worlhipfully. Ca?it.
Ben. A fool. Cant.
Benish. Foolilh.,
, Be nison. The beggar’s benifon ; May your ***** and purfe never fail you.
Bermudas. A cant name for certain places in London, privileged againft arrefts, like the Mint in Southwark. Bin yonfon.
Bess, or Betty. A fmall inftrument ufed by houfe-break- ers to force Open doors. Bring befs and glym ; bring the inftrument to force the door, and the dark lanthorn. Small flafks like thofe for Florence wine, are alfo called betties.
Bess. See Brown Bess.
Bet hlehemites. Chriftmas carol fingers. Cant.
Best. To the befl: in Chriflendom, i. e. the bed**** in Chriftendom ; a health formerly much in vogue.
Bet. A wager. — To Bet. To lay a wager.
Betty Martin. That’s my eye, Betty Martin ; an anfwer to s;;y one that attempts to impofe or humbug.
Betwat-
B I N
Betwattled. Surprifed, confounded, out of one’s fenfes ; alfo bewrayed.
Bever. An afternoon’s luncheon; alfo a fine hat, bevers fur making the befl hats.
Beverage. Garnifh money, or money for drink, demanded of any one having a new fuit of clothes.
Bible. A boatfwain’s gre&t axe. Sea term.
Bible Oath. SuppoJed by the vulgar to be more binding than an oath taken on the Teflament only, as being the bigger book, and generally containing both the Old and New Teflamentr
Biddy, or Chick-a-biddy. A chicken, and figuratively a young wench.
Bidet, commonly pronounced Biddy. A kind of tub, con- trived for ladies to wafli themfclves, for which purpofe they beftride it like a little French poney, or pofl-horfe, called in France bidets.
Bienly. Excellently. She wheedled fo bienly ; fhe coaxed or flattered fo cleverly. French.
Bilboa. A fword. Bilboa in Spain was once famous for well-tempered blades : thefe are quoted by Falflaff, where he deferibes the manner in which he lay in the buck baf- ket. The Bilboas ; the flocks. Cant.
ToBilr. To cheat. Let us bilk the rattling cove; let us cheat the hackney coachman of his fare. Cant . — Bilk- ing a coachman, a box keeper, and a poor whore, were formerly, among men of the town, thought gallant ac- tions.
Bill of Sale. A widow’s weeds. See House to let.
Billingsgate Language. Foul language, or abufe. Billingfgate is the market where the fifh women afleinble to purchafe fifh ; and where, in their dealings and difputes, they are fomewhat apt to leave decency and good manners a little on the left hand.
Bing Togo. Cant. — Bing avail ; get you gone. Binged avail in a darkmans ; ftole away in the night. Bing we to Rumeviile ? fhaU we go to London ?
Bingo. Brandy or other fpirituous liquor. Cant.
Bii go Boy. A dram drinker. Cant.
Bingo P4ort. A female dram drinker. Cant.
Binnacle
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Binnacle Word. A fine or affe&ed word, which Tailors jeeringly offer to chalk up on the binnacle.
Bird and Baby. The fign of the eagle and child. Bird-witted. Inconfiderate, thoughtlefs, eafily impofed on. Birds of a Feather. Rogues of the fame gang. Birth-Day Suit. He was in his birth-day fuit, that is, ftark naked.
Bi shop. A mixture of wine and water, into which is put a roafted orange. Alfo one of the largeff of Mrs. Phillips’s purfes, ufed to contain the others.
Eishopped, or To bishop. A term among horfe dealers, for burning the mark into a horfe’s tooth, after he has loll it by age; by bilhopping, a horfe is made to appear younger than he is. It is a common faying of milk that is burnt to^ that the bifhop has fet his foot in it. For- merly, when a bifhop palled through a village, all the in- habitants ran out of their houfesto folicit his bleffing, even leaving their milk, &c. on the fire, to take its chance; which, when burnt to, was faid to be bifhopped.
Bit. Money. He grappled the cull’s bit; he feized the man’s money. A bit is alfo the fmalleft current coin in Jaimaica, equal to about fixpence llerling.
Bitch. A Ihe dog, or doggefs ; the mofb offenfive appella- tion that can be given to an Englifh woman, even more provoking than that of whore, as may be gathered from the regular Billingfgate or St. Giles’s anfvver— I may be “ a whore, but can’t be a bitch.”
To Bitch. To yield, or give up an attempt through fear. To ftand bitch ; to make tea, or do the honours of the tea table, performing a female part: bitch there Handing for woman, fpecies for genus.
Bitch Booby. A country wench. Military term.
Biter. A wench whofe **** is ready to bite her a fe *
a lafeivious, rampant wench*
Bite. A cheat ; alfo a woman’s privities. The cull wape
the mort’s bite; the fellow enjoyed the wench heartily. Cant.
To Bite. To over-reach, orimpofe; alfo to ffeal. Cant . — Biting was once effeemed a kind of wit, fimilar to the
C humbug.
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humbug. An inftance of it is given in the Spe&ator : A man under fentence of death having fold his body to a fur-
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gcon rather below the market price, on receiving the mo- ney, cried, A bite ! I am to be hanged in chains. — To bite the roger ; to heal a portmanteau. To bite the wiper ; to heal a handkerchief. To bite on the bridle ; to be pinched or reduced to difficulties. Haik ye, friend, whe- ther do they bite in the collar or the cod -piece ? Water nvit to anglers.
Blab. A tell-tale, or one incapable of keeping a fecret.
Black and white. In writing. I have it in black and white ; J have written evidence.
Black Art. The art of picking a lock. Cant .
Black A-se. A copper or kettle. The pot calls the kettle black a-fe. Cant .
Black Book. He is down in the black book, i. e. has a hain in his character. A black book is kept in molt regi- ments, wherein the names of all perlbns fentenced to pu- nifhment are recorded.
Black Box. A lawyer. Cant .
Black Eye. We gave the bottle a black eye, i. e. drank italmoh up. He cannot fay black is the white of my eye > he cannot point out a blot in my character.
Black Fly. The greateh drawback on the farmer is the black fly, i. e. the parfon who takes tythe of the harvelt.
Black-guard. A ffiabby, dirty fellow; a term faid to be derived from a number of dirty, tattered, and roguilh boys, who attended at the Florfe Guards, and Parade in St. James’s Park, to black the boots and flioes of the foldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. Thefe, from their con- flant attendance about the time of guard mounting, were . nick-named the black-guards.
Black Jack. A jug to drink out of, made of jacked lea- ther.
Black Joke. A popular tune to a fong, having for the bur- then, “ Her black joke and belly fo white figuratively the black joke fignifies the monofyllable. See Monosyl- lable.
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Black Indies. Newcaltle in Northumberland, whofe rich coal mines prove an Indies to the proprietors.
Black Legs. A gambler or {harper on the turf or in the cock-pit: fo called, perhaps, from their appearing generally in boots; or elfe from game cocks, whofe legs are always black.
Black Monday. The firit Monday after the fchool-boys holidays, or breaking up, when they are to go to fchool, and produce or repeat the talks fet them.
Black Muns. Hoods and fcarves of alamode luteftring. Black Psalm. To fing the black pfalm ; to cry; a faying ufed to children.
Black Spy. The Devil.
Black Strap. Bene Carlo wine ; alfo port. A talk of la- bour impofed on foldiers at Gibraltar, as a punifhment for fmall offences.
Blank. To look blank; to appear difappointed or con- founded.
Blarney. He has licked the Blarney Hone; he deals in the wonderful, or tips us the traveller. The blarney Hone is a triangular ilone on the very top of an an- cient caftle of that name, in the county of Cork in Ire- land, extremely difficult of accefs ; fo that to haveafcended
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to it, was confidered as a proof of perfeverance, courage, and agility, whereof many are fuppofed to claim the ho- nour, who never achieved the adventure : and to tip the blarney, is figuratively ufed for telling a marvellous flory, orfalfity; and alfo fometimes to exprefs flattery. Irijh.
A blasted Fellow or Brimstone. An abandoned rogue or proftitute. Cant-,
To Blast. Tocurfe.
Blater. A Calf. Cant .
Bleached Mort. A fair-complexioned wench.
Bleaters. Thofe cheated by Jack in a box. Cant,-~ See Jack in a Box.
Bleating Cheat. A fheep. Cant.
Bleating Rig. Sheep Healing. Cant.
Bleeding Cully. One who parts eafily with his money, or bleeds freely.
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Bleeding new. A metaphor borrowed from fifh, which
. will not bleed when ftale.
Blessing. A fmall quantity over and above the meafure, ufually given by huckfters dealing in peafe, beans, and other vegetables.
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Blew John. Afli or after- wort.
Blind. A feint, pretence, or fhift.
Blind Cheeks. The breech. Bufs blind cheeks; kifs mine a-fe.
Blind Excuse. A poor or infufficient excufe. A blind alehoufe, lane, or alley ; an obfcure, or little-known or frequented alehoufe, lane, or alley.
Elind Harpers. Beggars counterfeiting blindnefs, play- ing on fiddles. &c.
Blindman’s Buff. A play u fed by children, where one being blinded by a handkerchief bound over his eyes, at- tempts to feize any one of the company, who all endeavour to avoid him ; the perfon caught mull be blinded in his * Head.
Blindman’s Holiday. Night, darknefs.
Block Houses. Prifons, houfes of corre&ion. Sec.
Blood. A riotous diforderly fellow.
Blood for Blood. A term ufed by tradefmen for barter- ing the different commodities in which they deal. Thus a hatter furnifhing a hofier with a hat, and taking payment in ftockings, is faid to deal blood for blood.
Bloody Back. A jeering appellation for a foldier, allude ing to his fcarlet coat.
Eloss. The pretended wife of a bully, or fhop lifter.
Cant.
To Blot the Skrip and jark it. To Hand engaged or bound for any one. Cant.
Blow. He has bit the blow, i. e. he has Helen the goods.
Cant.
Blower orBLOwEN, A miflrefs or whore of a gentleman of the fcamp.
To Blow the Grounsils. To lie with a woman on the floor. Cant»
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ToE low the Gab. To confefs, or impeach a confederate.
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Blow-up. A difcovery, or the confufion occafioned by one.
A Blowse, or Blowsaeella. A woman whofe hair i$ difhevelled, and hanging about her face ; a flattern.
Blubber. The mouth. — I have flopped the cuii’s blubber; I have flopped the fellow’s mouth : meant either by gag- ging or murdering him.
To Blubber. To cry.
To Sport Blube e r. Said of a large coarfe woman, who expofes her bofom.
Blubber Cheeks. Large flaccid cheeks, hanging like the fat or blubber of a whale.
Blue. To look blue; to be confounded, terrified, or difir appointed. Blue as a razor ; perhaps, blue as azure.
Blue Boar. A venereal bubo.
Blue Devils. Low fpirits.
Blue Flag. He has hoifled the Wile flag; he has com- menced publican, or taken a public houfe ; an allufion to the blue aprons worn by publicans. See Admiral op- the Blue.
Blue and Orange. Thisfocietj, flyling themfelves Loyal and Friendly, met, 1742, at Kouli Kahn’s head, Leicefter- fields.
Blue Pidgeon Fliers,' Thieves who Heal lead off houfes and churches. Cant .
Blue Plumb. A bullet. — Surfeited with a blue plumb; wounded with a bullet. Afortment of George R — ’s blue plumbs; a volley of ball, (hot from foidiers firelocks.
Blue Skin. A perfon begotten on a black woman by a white man. One of the blue fquadren ; any one having a crofs of the black breed, or, as it is termed, a lick of the tar brufh.
Blue Tape, or Sky Blue. Gin. i
Bluff. Fierce, furly. He looked as bluff as bull beef.
Eluffer. An inn-keeper. Cant.
Blunderbuss. A fhort gun, with a wide bore, for carrying flugs ; alfo a flupid, blundering fellow.
Blunt. Money. Cant.
To Bluster. To talk big, to hedor or bully.
Boarding
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Boarding School. Bridewell, Newgate, or any other prifon, or houfe of correttion.
Bob. A fhoplifter’s afliftant, or one that receives and carries off ftolen goods. All is bob, all is fafe. Cant .
Bobbed. Cheated, tricked, difappointed.
Bobbish. Smart, clever, fpruce.
Bob-stay. A rope which holds the bowfprit to the Hem or cutwater. Figuratively, the frenum of a man’s yard.
Bob Tail. A lewd woman, or one that plays with her tail ; alfo an impotent man, or an eunuch. Tag, rag, and bob- tail ; a mob of all forts of low people. To drift one’s bob ; to move off, or go away. To bear a bob, to join in chorus with any fingers.
Bodies. The foot guards, or king’s body guards.
Body Snatchers. Bum bailiff's.
Body of Divinity bound in Black Calf. A parfon.
Bog Lander. An Irifhman ; Ireland being famous for its large bogs, which furnifh the chief fuel in many parts of that kingdom.
Bog Trotter. The fame.
Bog House. The neceffary houfe.
Bog Latin. Barbarous Latin. lrijb%~~ See Dog Latin and Apothecaries Latin.
Bogy. Afk bogy, i. e. afk minea-fe. Sea wit.
Boh. Said to be the name of a Danifh general, who fo ter- rified his opponent Foi, that he caufed him to bewray him- felf. Whence, when we fmell a dink, it is cudomary to exclaim, Foh ! i. e. I fmell general Foh. He cannot fay Boh to a goofe ; i. e. he is a cowardly or fheepifh fellow.
Bold. Bold as a miller’s fhirt, which every day takes a rogue by the collar.
Bolt, A blunt arrow.
Bolt Upright. As erefl, or flraight up, as an arrow fet on its end.
To Bolt. To run fuddenly out of one’s houfe, or hiding place, through fear; a term borrowed from a rabbit warren, where the rabbits are made to bolt, by fending ferrets into their burrows : we fet the houfe on fire, and made him bolt. To bolt, alfo means to fwallow meat without chew- ing ;
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Ing: the farmers fervants in Kent are famous for bolting large quantities of pickled pork. |g|
Bolter of White Friars, or the Mint. One that peeps out, but dares not venture abroad for fear of arrefts.
Bone Box. The mouth. Shut your bone box ; fliutyour mouth.
Boned. Seized, apprehended, taken up by a con liable. Cant .
Bolus. A nick-name for an apothecary.
Bone Setter. A hard-trotting horfe.
Booby, or Dog Booby. An aukvvard lout, clodhopper, or country fellow. See Clodhopper and Lout. — A bitch booby; a country wench.
Booby Hutch. A one-horfe chaife, noddy, buggy, or leathern bottle.
Book-keeper. One who never returns borrowed books. Out of one’s books; out of one’s favour.
Boot Catcher. The fervant at an inn whofe bufinefs it is to clean the boots of the guefls.
Boots. The youngeft officer in a regimental mefs, whofe duty it is to fkink, that is, to ftir the fire, fnuff the candles, and ring the bell. See Skink. — To ride in any one’s old boots ; to marry or keep his caft-off mifirefs.
Booty. To play booty ; cheating play, where the player purpofely avoids winning.
Bo-peep. One who fometimes hides himfelf, and fome- times appears publicly abroad, is faid to play at bo-peep. Alfo one who lies perdue, or on the watch.
Borachio. A fitin for holding wine, commonly a goat’i ; alfo a nick name for a drunkard.
Borde. A lhilling. A half borde ; fixpence.
Bordello. A bawdy houfe.
Bore. A tedious, troublefome man or woman, one who bores the ears of his hearers with an uninterefling tale : a term much in faffiion about the years 1780 and 1781.
Born under a Threepenny Halfpenny Planet, ne- ver to ee worth a Groat. Said of any perfon re- markably unfucccfsful in their attempts or profeffion.
Botch.
BOX
Botch. A nick name for a taylor.
Bothered, or Both-eared. Talked to at both ears by different perfons at the fame time, confounded, confufed.
Irijh phrafe . . .
Bother a ms. A convivial fociety.
Bottle-headed. Void of wit.
Bottom. A polite term for the pofteriors. Alfo, in the {porting fenfe, ftrength and fpirits to fupport fatigue ; as, a bottomed horfe. Among bruifers it is uied. to exprefs a hardy fellow who will bear a good beating. The bottom
of a woman 5 tu .quoque ; the crown of her head.
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Bottomless Pit. The monofyllable.
Boughs. Ife is up in the boughs ; he is in a paffion.
To Bounce. To brag or he&or ; alfo to tell an improbable dory.
Bouncer. A large man or woman ; alfo a great lye.
Bouncing Cheat. A bottle; from the explolion in draw-
ing the cork. Cant .
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Boung. A purfe. Cant .
houNG Nipper. A cut purfe. Cant , — Formerly purfes were worn at the girdle, from whence they were cut.
Boose, or Bou se. Drink.
Booset. Drunk.
Bowsing Ken. An alehoufe or ginfhop.
Bowsprit. The nofe, from its being the moll: projecting part of the human face, as the bowfprit is of a fhip.
Bow-wow. The childifh name for a dog ; alfo a jeering ap- pellation for a man born at Bodon in America.
Bow-wow Mutton. Dog’s flelh.
Bow-wow Shop. A falefman’s Ihop in Monmouth dreet ; fo called becaufe the fervant barks, and the mailer bites. See Barker.
Bowyer. Qne that draws a long bow, a dealer in the marvellous, a teller of improbable dories, a liar : per- haps from the wonderful fhots frequently boalled of by archers.
To Box the Compass. To fay or repeat the mariner’s compafs, not only backwards or forwards, but alfo to be
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able to anfwer any and all queftions refpe&ing Its divisions. Sea term .
ToBox the Jesuit, and get Cock Roaches. A Tea term for mafturbation ; a crime, it is faid, much pra&iled by the reverend fathers of that fociety.
Brace. The brace tavern ; a room in the S. E. corner of the King’s Bench, where, for the convenience of prifoners refiding thereabouts, beer purchafed at the tap houfe was retailed at a halfpenny per pot advance. It was kept by two brothers of the name of Partridge, and thence called the Brace.
Bracket-faced. Ugly, hard-featured.
Brag get. Mead and ale fweetened with honey.
Braggadocio. A vain-glorious fellow, a boailcr.
Brains, if you had as much brains as guts, what a clever fellow you would be ! a faying to a llupid fat fellow.
Bran-faced. Freckled. Fie was chriltened by a baker, he carries the bran in his face.
Brandy-faced. Red-faced, as if from drinking brandy.
Brat. A child or infant.
Bray. A vicar of Bray; one who frequently changes his principles, always Tiding with the ftrongefl: party : an
allufion to a vicar of Bray, in Berkfhire, commemo- rated in a well-known ballad for the pliability of his con- feience.
Brazen-faced. Bold-faced, lhamelefs, impudent.
Bread and Butter Fashion. One dice upon the other. John and his maid were caught lying bread and butter faffiion. — To quarrel with one’s bread and butter ; to a& contrary to one’s intereft. To know on w-hich fide one’s bread is buttered ; to know one’s intereft, or what is bell for one. It is no bread and butter of mine ; I have no bu- finefs with it.
Bread and Butter Warehouse. Ranelagh.
Break-teeth Words. Hard words, difficult to pro- nounce.
Breaking Shins. Borrowing money ; perhaps from the figurative operation being, like the real one, extremely dif- agreeable to the patient.
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Bread.
B R O
Bread. Employment. Out of bread ; out of employ-* ment. In bad bread ; in a difagreeable fcrape, or fitua- tion.
Bread Basket. The flomach ; a term’ufed by boxers. I took him a punch in his bread baficet ; i. e. I gave him a blow in the flomach.
Breast Fleet. He or die belongs to the bread fleet ; L e. is a Roman catholic ; an appellation derived from their cufiom of beating their breads in the confeflion of their fins.
Breeches. To wear the breeches ; a woman who governs her hufband is faid to wear the breeches.
Breeches Bible. An edition of the Bible printed in 1598, wherein it is faid that Adam and Eve fewed fig leaves to- gether, and made themfelves breeches.
Breeze. To kick up a breeze ; to breed a didurbance.
Bridge. To make a bridge of any one’s nofe j to pufli the bottle pad him, fo as to deprive him of his turn of filling his glafs ; to pafs one over.
Brim. (Abbreviation of Brimdone.) An abandoned woman ; perhaps originally only a paflionate or irafcible woman, compared to brimdone for its inflammability.
Brisket Beater. A Roman catholic. See Briast Fleet, and Craw Thumper.
Bristol Milk. A Spanifh wine called fherry, much drank at that place, particularly in the morning.
Brogan eer. One who has a drong Irifli pronunciation or accent.
Brogue. A particular kind of dice without a heel, worn in Ireland, and figuratively ufed to fgnify the Irifli ac- cent.
fBLA de. A foldier. Buskin. A player. Eukg. A brewer.
Brother of the ^
' Coif. A ferjeant at law. Gusset. A pimp. Quill. An author. g * String. A fiddler. ^Whit. A coachman.
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Brother Starling. One who lies with the fame wo- man, that is, builds in the fame neft.
Broughtoni an. A boxer ; a difcipfe of Broughton, who was a beef eater, and once the bell boxer of his day.
Erown Biss. A foldier’s firelock. To hug Brown Befs * to carry a firelock, or ferve as a private foldier.
Brown George. An ammunition loaf.
Brown Madam, or Miss Brown. The monofyllable.
Brown Study. Said of one abfent, in a reverie, or thoughtful.
Bruiser. A boxer, one Ikilled in the art of boxing; alfo an inferior workman among chafers.
Bruising, or rather Bre wising, the Bed. Bewraying the bed; from
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Brewes, or Browes. Oatmeal boiled in the pot with fait beef.
To Brush. To run away. Let us buy a brulh and lope ; let us go away or off. To have a brulh with a woman ; to lie with her. To have a brufh with a man ; to fight with him.
Brusher. A bumper, a full glafs. See Bumper.
Bub. Strongbeer.
Bubber. A drinking bowl ; alfo a great drinker ; a thief that fieals plate from public houfes. Cant .
The Bubble. The party cheated, perhaps from his being like an air bubble, filled with words, which are only wind, inflead of real property.
To Bubble. To cheat.
To Bar the Eubble. To except againfi: the general rule, that he who lays the odds mull: always be adjudged the lofer : this is reftrifted to betts laid for liquor.
Bubbly Jock, A turkey cock. Scotch.
Bubble and Sqjjeak. Beef and cabbage fried together. It is fo called from its bubbling up and fqueaking whilft over the fire.
Eube. The venereal difeafe.
Buck. A blind horfe ; alfo a gay debauchee.
To run a Buck. To poll a bad vote at an election. Irijh term.
Buck Bail. Bail given by a lharper for one of the gang-
D 2 A Buck
BUG
A Buck of the first Head. One who In debauchery furpafles the reft of his companions, a blood or choice fpi- rit. There arc in London divers lodges or focieties of Bucks, formed in imitation of the Free Mafons: one was held at the Rofe, in Monkvvcll-ftreet, about the year 1750. The prefldent is ftyled the Grand Buck.— A buck fome- times flgnifles a cuckold.
Buckeen. A bully. Irijh.
Bucket. To kick the bucket ; to die.
Buck Fitch. A leaclierous old fellow.
Buck’s Face. A cuckold.
Buckincer’s Boot. The monofyllable. Matthew Buc- kinger was born without hands and legs ; notwithftanding which he drew oats of arms very neatly, and could write the Lord's Prayer within the compafs of a fhilling : he was married to a tall handfome woman, and traverfed the coun- try, {hewing himfedf for money.
Budge, or Sneaking Budge. One that flips into houfes in the dark, to Ileal cloaks or other clothes. Alfo lambs fur formerly ufed for dodfors robes, whence they were called budge dodlors. Standing budge; a thief fs fcout or fpy.
To Budge. To move, or quit one’s flation. Don’t budge from hence ; i. e. don t move from hence, flay here.
Budget. A wallet. To open the budget; a term ufed to flgnify the notification of the taxes required by the mini- fter for the expences of the enfuing year ; as, Tomorrow the minifler will go to the Houfe, and open the budget.
Bufe. A dog. Bufe’s nob ; adog’shead. Cant .
Eufe Nabeer. A dog dealer. Cant.
Buff. All in buff; flript to the fkin, ftark naked.
Buff. To hand buff; to ftand the brunt.
Buffer. One that fteals and kills horfes and dogs for their {kins ; alfo an inn-keeper : in Ireland it flgnifles a boxer.
PiUFFLE-H e aded. Confufcd, flupid.
Bug. A nick name given by the Irilh to Englifhmen.; bugs 7 having, as it is faid, been introduced into Ireland by the Englilh.
To Bug. A cant word among journeymen hatters, flgnify- ing the exchanging fome of the deareft materials of which a bat is made for others of lefs value. Iiats are compofed
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B U L
of the furs and wools of diverfe animals, among which is a fmall portion of bevers fur. Bugging, is dealing the be- ver, and fubdituting in lieu thereof an equal weight of fome cheaper ingredient.— Bailiffs who take money to poftpone or refrain the ferving of a writ, are faid to bug the writ.
Bug-hunter. An upholderer.
Bugaboo. A fcare-babe, or bully-beggar.
Bugaroch. Comely, handfome. Irijb.
Buggy. A one-horfe chaife.
Bucher. A little yelping dog.
Bulk and File. Two pickpockets; the bulk jollies the party to be robbed, and the file does the bufinefs.
Bulker. One who lodges all night on a bulk or proje&ion before old*fafnioned fhop windows.
Bull. An Exchange Alley term for one who buys Hock on fpeculation for time, i. e. agrees with the feller, called a Bear, to take a certain fum of dock at a future day, at a dated price : if at that day dock fetches more than the price agreed cn, he receives the difference ; if it falls or is cheaper, he either pays it, or becomes a lame duck, and waddles out of the AlLey. See Lame Duck and Bear.
Bull. A blunder: from one Obadiah Bull, a blundering
O
lawyer of London, who lived in the reign of Henry VII, ? by a bull, is now always meant a blunder made by an Irilhman. A bull was alfo the name of falfe hair for- merly much worn by women. To look like bull beef, or as bluff as bull beef; to look fierce or furly. Town bull, a great wiioremader.
Bull Beggar, or Bully Beggar. An imaginary being with which children are threatened by fervants and nurfes, like raw head and bloody bones.
Bull Calf. A great hulkey or clumfy fellow. See Hulke Y.
Bull Chin. A fat chubby child.
Bull Dogs. Pidols.
Bull’s Eye. A crown piece.
Bull’s Feather. A horn : he wears the bull’s feather; he is a cuckold.
To bullock, To he&or, bounce, or bully.
Bully,
BUM
Bully. A cowardly fellow, who gives himfelf airs of great bravery. A bully huff cap ; a he&or. See Hector.
Bully Back. A bully to a bawdy houfe ; one who is kept in pay, to oblige the frequenters of the houfe to fubmit to the impofitions of the mother abbefs, or bawd ; and who alfo fometimes pretends to be the hufband of one of the ladies, and under that pretence extorts money from green- horns, or ignorant young men, whom he finds with her. See Greenhorn.
Bully Cock. One who foments quarrels in order to rob the perfons quarrelling.
Bully Ruffians. Highwaymen who attack paffengers with oaths and imprecations.
Bully Trap. A brave man with a mild or effeminate ap- pearance, by whom bullies are frequently taken in.
Bum. The breech, or backfide.
Bum Bailiff. A fheriff’s officer, who arrefts debtors; fo called perhaps from following his prey, and being at their bums, or, as the vulgar phrafe is, hard at their a-fes. Blackftone fays, it is a corruption of bound bailiff, from their being obliged to give bond for their good behaviour.
Bum Br usher. A fchoolmafter.
Bum Boat. A boat attending fhips to retail greens, drams, &c. commonly rowed by a woman ; a kind of floating chandler’s fhop.
Bum Fodder. Soft paper for the neceffary houfe or tor- checul.
Bumfiddle. The backfide, the breech. See Ars Musi-*
CA.
Bumbo. Erandy, water, andfugar; alfo the negro name for the private parts of a woman.
Bum kin. A raw country fellow.
Bummed. Arrefted.
Bumper. A full glafs ; in all likelihood from its convexity or bump at the top : fome derive it from a full glafs for- merly drank to the health of the pope — au bon pere.
Bumping. A ceremony performed on boys perambulating the bounds of the parifh on Whitmonday ; when they have their pofteriors bumped againft the flones marking the boundaries, in order to fix them in their memory.
Bun.
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Bun. A common name for a rabbit, alfo for the monofylla- ble. To touch bun for luck; a pradice obferved among failors going on a cruife.
Bundling. A man and woman keeping in the fame bed, he with his fmall clothes, and flic with her petticoats on ; an expedient pradifed in America on a fcarcity of beds, where, on fuch an occafion, hulhands and parents frequent- ly permitted travellers to bundle with their wives and daughters.
Bung upwards. Said of a perfon lying on his face.
Bung your Eye. Drink a dram ; kridly fpeaking, to drink till one’s eye is bunged up orclofed.
Bunt. An apron.
To Bunt. To run againft, orjokle.
Bun ter. A low dirty prokitute, half whore and half beggar.
Buntlings. Petticoats. Cant .
Burn Crust. A jocular name for a baker.
'Burn the Ken. Strollers living in an alehoufe without paying their quarters, are faid to burn the ken. Cant .
Burning the Parade. Warning more men for a guard than were neceffary, and excufing the fupernumeraries for money. This was a pradice formerly winked at in molt garrifons, and was a very confiderable perquifite to the adjutants and ferjeant majors ; the pretence for it was, to purchafe coal and candle for the guard, whence it was called burning the parade.
Burning Shame. A lighted candle Buck into the parts of a woman, certainly not intended by nature for a candle- kick.
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Burner. He is no burner of navigable rivers ; i. e. he is no conjurer, or man of extraordinary abilities ; or rather, he is but a fimple fellow. See Thames.
Burnt. Poxed or clapped. He was fent out a facrifice, and came home a burnt offering ; a faying of feamen who have caught the venereal difeafe abroad. He has burnt his fin- gers ; he has fuffered by meddling.
Eurr. A hanger on, or dependant; an allufion to the field burrs, which are not eafily got rid of. Alfo the Northum- brian pronunciation: the people cf that country, but chief-
h
BUT
ly about Nevvcaftle and Morpeth, are far'd to have a burr in their throats, particularly called the Nevvcaftle burr.
Bushel Bubby. A full-breafted woman.
Busk. A piece of whalebone or ivory, formerly worn by women, to ftiffen the fore part of their flays : hence the toaft — Both ends oft the bulk.
Buss Beggar. An old fuperannuated fumbler, whom none but beggars will fufter to kifs them.
Bus-napper. A conftable. Cant.
Bus-napper’s Kenchin. A watchman. Cant.
Busy. As bufy as the devil in a high wind ; as bufy as a hen with one chick.
Butcher. A jocular exclamation ufed at fca, or by foldiers on a march, when one of their comrades falls down ; and means — Butcher! butcher! where are you ? here is a calf that has the flaggers, and wants bleeding.
Butcher’s Dog. To be like a butcher’s dog, i. e. lie by the beef without touching it ; a fimile often applicable to married men.
Butcher’s Meat. Meat taken up on truft, which con- tinues the butcher’s till paid for.
Butcher’s Horse. That mull have been a butcher’s horfe, by his carrying a calf fo well; a vulgar joke on an aukward rider.
Butt. A dependant, poor relation, or fimpleton, on whom all kinds of practical jokes are played oft’ ; and who ferves as. a butt for all the ihafts of wit and ridicule.
Butter. A butter ; in inch of butter, that commodity be- ing fold at Cambridge by the yard, in rolls of about an inch diameter. The word is ufed plurally, as — Send me a roll and two butters.
Butter Box. A Dutchman, from the great quantity of butter eaten by the people of that country.
To Butter a Bet. To double or treble it.
Buttered Bun. One lying with a woman that has juft lain with another man, is faid to have a buttered bun.
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Butter Teeth. Large broad fore teeth.
Butter and Eggs Trot. A kind of fhort jogg trot, fuch as is ufed by women going to market, with butter
and
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and eggs. — She looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth, yet I warrant you cheefe would not choak her ; a faying of a demure-looking woman, of fufpe&ed cha- racter. Don’t make butter dear ; a gird at the patient angler.
Buttock. A whore. Cant:
Buttock Broker. A bawd, or match maker. Cant .
BcttockBall. The amorous congrefs. Cant.
Buttock and File. A common whore and a pickpocket. Cant .
Buttock and Twang, or A Down Buttock and Sham File. A common whore, but no pickpocket.
Button. A bad fhilling, among coiners. His a-fe makes buttons; he is ready to bewray himfelf through Cant.
Buzman. A pickpocket; Cant.
Buzza. To buzza one, is to challenge him to pour out all the wine in the bottle into his glafs, undertaking to drink it, fhould it prove more than the glafs will hold ; it is commonly faid to one who hefitates to empty a bottle that is nearly out. Some derive it from bouze all , i. e. drink it all.
Buzzard. A limple fellow. A blind buzzard ; apurbliud man or woman.
Bye Blow. A baftard.
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CAB
(^/ABALLARIANS. The very honourable order of Caballarians was held at the Magpye Tavern, without Bilhopfgate.
Cabbage. Cloth, duff, or filk purloined by taylors from
E }heir
CAL
their employers, which they depofit in a place called hell, or their eye: from the fir If, when taxed with their knavery, they equivocally fwear, that if they have taken any, they wifh they may find it in hell ; or, alluding to the fecond proteft, that what they have over and above is not more than they could put in their eye.— When the ferotum is relaxed or whiffled, it is faid they will not cabbage.
Cacafeugo. Afh-ue fire, a furious braggadocio or bullv huff.
Cackle. To blab, or difcover fecrets. The cull is leaky, and cackles ; the rogue tells all. Cant,— See Leaky.
Cacklers Ken. A hen roofL Cant .
Cackling Cheats; Fowls. Cant .
Cackling Farts. Eggs. Cant .
Caff an. Checfe. Cant.
Cagg. To cagg; a military term ufed by the private fol* diers, fignifying a foleran vow or refolution not to ge* drunk for a certain time,' or, as the term is, till their cagg is out; which vow is commonly obferved with the drifted: exaftnefs. Ex. I have cagg’d myfelf for fix months. Ex- cufe me this time, and I will cagg myfelf for a year. This term is alfo ufed in the fame fenfe among the common people of Scotland, where it is performed with diverfe ce- remonies.
Cagg Maggs. Old Lincolnfhire geefe, which having been plucked ten or twelve years, are fent up to London to feafir the cockneys.
Cake, or Cakey. A foolifh fellow.
Calf-skin' Fiddle. A drum. — To fmack calf rs fkin ; to kifs the book in taking an oath. It is held by the St, Giles*'* cafuills, that by killing one’s thumb inltead of fmacking calf’s Ikin, the guilt of taking a falfe oath is avoided.
Calves. His calves are gone to grafs ; a faying of a mau with ilender legs without calves. Veal will be cheap, calves fall ; faid of a man whofe calves fall away.
Calves Head Club. A club inflituted by the Indepen- dents and Prefbyterians, to commemorate the decapitation of King Charles I. Their chief fare was calves heads ; and ' they drank their wine and ale out of calves fculls.
Cal i bogus.
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CAN
Calibogus. Rsm and fpruce beer, an American beve- rage.
Calle. A cloak or gown. Cant .
Came ridge Fortune. A wind mill and a water mill; ufed to iignify a woman without any but perfonal endow- ments.
Cambridge Oak. A willow.
Camerade. A chamber fellow : a Spanilh military term.
Soldiers were in that country divided into chambers, live men making a chamber, whence it was generally ufed to fignify companion.
Camesa. A fhirt or Ihift. Canty Spanijb.
Camp Candlestick. A bottle, or foldier’s bayonet.
Campbell’s Academy. The hulks or lighters, on board of which felons are condemned to hard labour. Mr. Camp- bell was the firft dire&or of them. See Academy and Floating Academy.
Canary Bird. A jail bird, a perfon ufed to be kept in a
cage ; alfo, in the canting fenfe, guineas. J'Cisfi/J- hv^'
Candlesticks. Bad, fmall, or untunable bells. Hark! how the candlelticks rattle.
Candy. Drunk. Irijb .
Cane. To lay Cane upon Abel ; to beat any one with a cane or Hick.
Cank. Dumb.
Canniken. A fmall can ; alfo, in the canting fenfe, the plague.
Cant. An hypocrite, a double-tongued pallavering fellow.
See Pallaver.
Cant. To cant; to tofs or throw : as. Cant a Hug into your bread room ; drink a dram. Ssa <wit.
Canticle. A parilh clerk.
Canting. Preaching with a whining, affe&cd tone, per- haps a corruption of chaunting ; fome derive it from Andrew Cant, a famous Scotch preacher, who ufed that whining manner of expreflion. Alfo a kind of gibberifti
ufed by thieves and gyplies, called like wile pedlars French, the Hang, &c. &c.
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CAP
Canters, or The Canting Crew. Thieves, beggars, and gypfies, or any others ufing the canting lingo. See Lingo.
Canterbury Story. A long roundabout tale.
To Cap. To take one’s oath. I will cap downright; I will fwear home. Cant .
To Cap. To take off one’s hat or cap. To cap the quadrangle ; a leffon of humility, or rather fervility, taught undergra- duates at the univerfity, where they are obliged to crofs the area of the college cap in hand, in reverence to the Fellows who fometimes walk there. The fame ceremony isobferved on coming on the quarter deck of ihips of war, although no officer Ihould be on it.
Cap Acquaintance. Perfons flightly acquainted, of only fo far as mutually to falute with the hat on meeting. A woman who endeavours to attradl the notice of any parti- cular man, is faid to fet her cap at him.
Caper Merchant. A dancing mailer, or hop merchant; marchand des capriolles. French term. — To cut capers; tQ heap or jump in danciog. See Hop Merchant.
Capping Verses. Repeating Latin verfes in turn, be- ginning with the letter with which the lad fpeaker left off.
Capon. A callrated cock, alfo an eunuch.
Catricor nifi e d. Cuckolded, hornified.
Capsize. To overturn or reverie. He took his broth till he capfized ; he drank till he fell out of his chair. Sea
term ,
Captain. Led captain ; an humble dependant in a great family, who for a precarious fubfillence, and diftant hopes of preferment, fuffers every kind of indignity, and is the butt of every fpecies of joke or ill humour. The fmall provifion made for officers of the army and navy in time of peace, obliges many in both fervices to occupy this wretched Hation. The idea of the appellation is taken from a led horfe, many of which for magnificence appear in the retinues of great perfondges on folemn occalions, fuch 2s proceffions, &c.
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The Captain is come, or at home. The catamenia are come down.
Captain Copperthorne’s Crew. ' All officers; a fay- ing of a company where every one ftrives to rule.
Captain Hackum. A Muttering bully.
Captain Lieutenant. Meat between veal and beef, the flefli of an old calf ; a military fimile, drawn from the officer of that denomination, who has only the pay of a lieutenant, with the rank of captain; and fo is not entirely one or the other, but between both.
Captain Podd. A celebrated matter of a puppet-fhew, in Ben Jonfon’s time, vvhofe name became a comm,on one to fignify any of that fraternity.
Captain Queernabs. A lhabby ill-drefled fellow.
Captain Sharp. A cheating bully, or one in a fet of gamblers, whofe office it is to bully any pigeon, who, fuf- pedling roguery, refutes to pay what he has lott. Cant.
Captain Tom. The leader of a mob ; alfo the mob itfelf.
Caravan. A large fum of money ; alfo, a perfon cheated of fuch fum. Cant .
Carbuncle Face. A red face, full of pimples.
Cardinal. A cloak in fattiion about the year 1760. The cardinal is come ; fee The Captain, &c.
To Carouse. To drink freely or deep: from the German word expreffing all out .
Carriers. A fet of rogues who are employed to look out and watch upon the roads, at inns. See, in order to car- ry information, to their refpe&ive gangs, of a booty in profped.
Carrier Pigeons. Sharpers who attend the drawing of the lottery in Guildhall, and, as foon as a number or two are drawn, write them on a card, and run with them to a confederate, who is waiting near at hand, ready mounted : with thefe numbers he rides full fpeed to fome dittant in- surance office, before fixed on, where there is another of the gang, commonly a decent looking woman, wiio takee care to be at the office before the hour of drawing: to her he fe- cretly gives the number, which fhe infures for a confidera- ble fum ; thus biting the biter.
Carrion
CAT
Carrion Hunter. An undertaker; called alfo a cold cook, and death hunter. See Cold Cook and Death Hunter.
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Carrots. Red hair.
Carrotty-pated. Ginger-hackled, red-haired. See Ginger-hackled.
Carry Witchet. A fort of conundrum, puzzlewit, or riddle. *
Cart. To put the cart before the horfe ; to mention the laft part of a ftory firft. To be hogged at the cart’s a-fe or tail ; perfons guilty of petty larceny are frequently fentenced to be tied to the tail of a cart, and whipped by the common executioner, for a certain diftance : the degree of feverity in the execution is left to the diferetion of the executioner, who, it is faid, has cats of nine tails of all prices.
Carting. The punilhment formerly infli&ed on bawds, who were placed in a tumbrel or cart, and led through a town, that their perfons might be known.
Carvel’s Ring. The private parts of a woman. Hans Carvel, a jealous old dodlor, being in bed with his wife, dreamed that the Devil gave him a ring, which, fo long as he had it on his finger, would prevent his being made a cuckold : waking, he found he had got his finger the Lord knows where.
To Cascade. To vomit.
Case. A houfe ; perhaps from the Italian cafa. In the canting lingo it meant ftore or ware houfe, as well as dwel- ling houfe. Tout that cafe; mark or obferve that houfe. It is all bob, now let’s dub the gigg of the cafe ; now the coafi: is clear, let us break open the door of the honfe. >
A Case Vrow. A proftitute attached to a particular bawdy houfe.
Cash, or Caff an. Cheefe. See Caf f an.
Caster. A cloak. Cant.
Casting up one’s Accounts. Vomiting.
Cat. A eommon proftitute. An old cat ; a crofs old wo-* man.
To Cat, or Shoot the Cat. To vomit from drunk- ennefs.
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Cat and Bagpipean Society. A foclety which met at their office in the great weftern road : in their fummons, publifhed in the daily papers, it was added, that tht kittens might come with the old cats without being Scratched.
Cat Call. A kind of whittle, chiefly ufed at theatres, to interrupt the a&ors, and damn a new piece. It derives its name from one of its founds, which greatly refembles the modulations of an intriguing boar cat.
Cat-harping Fashion. Drinking crofs ways, and not, as ufual , over the left thumb. Sea term.
Cat in Pan. To turn cat in pan, to change fides or par- ties fuppofed originally to have been to turn cats or cake in pan.
Cat’s Foot. To live under the cat's foot ; to be under the dominion of a wife, hen-pecked. To live like dog and cat ; fpoken of married perfons who live unhappily toge- ther. As many lives as a cat ; cats, according to vulgar na- tura-lifts, have nine lives, that is, one lefs than a woman. No more (hare than a cat in hell without claws ; faid of one who enters into a difpute or quarrel with one greatly above his match. ' '
Cat Lap. Tea, called alfo fcandal broth. See Scandal Broth.
Cat Match. When a rook or cully is engaged amongft bad bowlers.
Cat of nine Tails. A fcourge ccmpofed of nine firings, of whipcord, each firing having nine nots.
Cat’s Paw. To be made a cat’s paw of ; to be made a too! or inftrument to apcomplifli the purpofe of another : an allufion to the flory of a monkey, who made ufe of a cat’s paw to fcratch a roafled cheftnut out of the Are.
Cat’s Slebp. Counterfeit fleep : cats often counterfeit- ing fleep, to decoy their prey near them, and then fud- denly fpring on them.
Cat Sticks. Thin legs, compared to fticks with which boys play at cat. See Trapsticks.
Cat whipping, or Whipping the Cat. A trick often praftifed on ignorant country fellows, vain of their
flrength.
CAT
ftrength, by laying a wager with them that they may be pulled through a pond by a cat. The bet being made, a rope is fixed round the waifi: of the party to be catted, and the end thrown acrofs the pond, to which the cat is alfo fattened by a packthread, and three or four tturdy fellows are appointed to lead and whip the cat; thefe, on a fignal given, feize the end of the cord, and pretending to whip the cat, haul the attonifhed booby through the water. — To whip the cat, is alfo a term among taylors for working jobs at private houfes, as pra&ifed in the country.
C a tam aram. An old fcraggy woman ; from a kind of float made of fpars and yards lafhed together, for faving fhip- wrecked perfons.
Catch Club. A member of the catch club ; a bum bailiff.
Catch Fart. A foot boy; fo called from fuch fervants commonly following elofe behind their matter or miftrefs.
Catch Penny. Any temporary contrivance to raife a con- tribution on the public.
Catch Pole. A bum bailiff, or fherilPs officer.
Catching Harvest. A dangerous time for a robbery, when many perfons are on the road, on account of a horfe race, fair, or fome other public meeting.
Cater Cousins. Good friends. He and I are not cater coufins, i. e. we are not even coufins in the fourth degree, or four times removed; that is, we have not the leaft friend- ly connection.
Caterpillar. A nick name for a foldier. In the year 1745, a foldier quartered at a houfe near Derby, was de- fired by his landlord to call upon him, whenever he came that way; for, added he, foldiers are the pillars of the na- tion. The rebellion being finifhed, it happened the fame regiment was quartered in Derbyfhire, when the foldier re- folved to accept of his landlord’s invitation, and according- ly obtained leave to go to him : but, on his arrival, he was greatly furprifed to find a very cold reception ; whereupon cxpottulating with his landlord, he reminded him of his in- vitation, and the circumttance of his having faid, foldiers
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Were the pillars of the nation. If I did, anfwered the hoft, I meant caterpillars.
Caterwauling. Going out in the night in fearch of intrigues, like a cat in the gutters.
Cathedral. Old-falhioned. An old cathedral bedfiead,
chair, &c.
Cattle. Sad cattle; whores or gypfies. Black cattle; lice. Cant,
Cavaulting School. A bawdy houfe.
Caudge-pawed. Left-handed.
Cauliflower. A large white wig, fuch as is commonly worn by the dignified clergy, and was formerly by phyfi- cians. Alfo the private parts of a woman ; the reafoa for which appellation is given in the following ftory : A woman, who was giving evidence in a caufe wherein it was necef- fary to exprefs thofe parts, made ufe of the term cauli- flower ; for which the judge on the bench, a peevifli old fellow, reproved her, faying fhe might as well call it arti- choke. Not fo, my lord, replied fhe ; for an artichoke has a bottom, but a **** and a cauliflower have none.
Cautions. The four cautions: — I. Beware of a wo- man before.— -II. Beware of a horfe behind.— III. Be- ware of a cart fide ways. — IV. Beware of a priefl every way.
Caw-handed, or caw-pawed. Aukward, not dexterous, ready, or nimble.
Caxon. An old weatherbeaten wig.
Celtiberi ans. A fociety of the brethren of this moft an- cient and honourable brotherhood was held at the Swan and Rummer, Fleet-flreet.
Cent per Cent. An ufurer.
Chafed. Well beaten ; from chauffc, warmed.
Chalkers. Men of wit, in Ireland, who in the night amufe themfelves with cutting inoffenfive pafiengers acrofs the face with a knife. They are fomewhat like thofe face- tious gentlemen fome time ago known in England by the title of Sweaters and Mohocks.
Chalking. The amufement above deferibed.
Chap. A fellow. An odd chap ; a ftrange fellow.
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Chaperon. The cicifbeo, or gentleman ufher, to a lady; from the French.
Chapt. Dry or thirfty.
Char actered, or Lettered. Burnt in the hand. They have palmed the character upon him ; they have burned him in the hand. Cant. — See Lettered.
Charm. A picklock. Cant .
Charren. The fmoke of Charren — his eyes water from the fmoke of Charren ; a man of that place coming out of his houfe weeping, becaufe his wife had beat him, told his neighbours the fmoke had made his eyes water.
Chatter Box. Onewhofe tongue runs twelve fcore to the dozen, a chattering man or woman.
Chatter Broth. Tea. SeeC'AT Lap and Scandal Broth.
Chatts. Lice: perhaps an abbreviation of chattels, lice
being the chief live Hock or chattels of beggars, gypfies, and the reft of the canting crew. Cant. — Alfo, accord- ing to the canting academy, the gallows.
Ciiatl8. The gallows. Cant.
C haunter Culls. Grub-ftreet writers, who compofe longs, carrols, &c. for ballad fingers. Cant.
G ft B a r s 1 d E< He came at it by way of Cheapfide ; he gave little or nothing for it, he bought it cheap.
Cheats. Sham Beeves to put over a dirty Ihirt or Ihift. See Shams.
Cheek by Jowl. Side by fide, hand to filL
Cheeks. Aik cheeks near cunnyborough ; the repartee of a St. Giles’s fair one, who bids you alk her backfide, anglice her a-fe. A like anfvver is current in France : any one afking the road or diftance to Macon, a city near Lyons, would be anfwered by a French lady of eafy virtue, • Met- * tez votre nez dans mon cul. Sc vous ferrez dans les faux- ‘ bourgs.’
Cheese Toast er^ A fword.
Chelsea. A village near London, famous for the military hofpital. To get Chelfea ; to obtain the benefit of that hofpital. Dead Chelfea, by G-d ! an exclamation utter- ed by a grenadier at Fontenoy, on having his leg carried away by a cannon ball.
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Cherry-coloured Cat. A black cat, there being black cherries as well as red.
Cherueims. Peevilh children, becaufe cherubims and fera- phims continually do cry.
Cheshire Cat. He grins like a Chcfhire cat ; faid of any one who fhews his teeth and gums in laughing.
Chick-a-biddy, A chicken, fo called to and by little children.
Chicken- breasted. Said of a woman with fcarce any breads.
Chicken Butcher. A poulterer.
Chicken-hammed. Perl'ons whofe legs and thighs are bent or arched outwards.
Chicken-hearted. Fearful, cowardlv.
Chicken Nabob. One returned from the Ead Indies with but a moderate fortune of fifty or fixty thoufand pounds, a diminutive nabob : a term borrowed from the chicken turtle.
Child. To eat a child ; to partake of a treat given to the parifh officers, in part of commutation for a badard child : the common price was formerly ten pounds and a greafy chin. See Greasy Chin.
Chimney Chops. An abufive appellation for a negro.
Chink. Money.
Chip. A child. A chip of the old block ; a child who either in perfon or fentiments refembles its father or mother.
Chips. A nick name for a carpenter.
Chirping merry. Exhilarated with liquor. Chirping glafs ; a cheerful glafs, that makes *the company chirp like birds in fpring.
Chit. An infant or baby.
Chitterlins. The bowels. There is a rumpus among my chitterlins; i. e. I have the cholick.
Chitty-f aced. Baby-faced; faid of one who has a childifh look.
Chive, or Chife. A knife, file, or law. To chive the dar- bies ; to file off the irons or fetters. To chive the bourig# of the frows ; to cut off women’s pockets.
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CIjivey.
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Chivey. I gave him a good chivey ; I gave him a hearty fcolding.
Chiving Lay. Cutting the braces of coaches behind, on which the coachman quitting the box, an accomplice robs the boot ; alfo, formerly, cutting the back of the coach to fteal the line large wigs then worn.
Choak. Choak away, the church yard’s near ; a jocular faying to a perfon taken with a violent fit of coughing, or who has fwallowed any thing, as it is called, the wrong way. Choak, chicken, more are hatching ; a like confolation.
Choak Pear. Figuratively, an unanfwerable obje&ion : alfo a machine formerly ufed in Holland by robbers; it was of iron, fhaped like a pear ; this they forced into the mouths of perfons from whom they intended to extort money ; and, on turn- ing a key, certain interior fprings thruft forth a number of points, in all diredlions, which fo enlarged it, that it could not be taken out of the mouth; and the iron, being cafe- hardened, could not be filed: the only methods of getting rid of it, were either by cutting the mouth, or advertifinga reward for the key, Thefe pears were alfo called pears of agony.
Chocolate. To give chocolate without fug^r ; to reprover
Military term .
Choice Spirit. A tiioughtlefs, laughing, finging, drunken
fellow.
Chop. A blow. Boxing term.
To Chop and Change. To exchange backwards and for- wards To ch^p, in the canting fenfe, means making dif- patch, or hurrying over any bufinefs : ex. The autem bawler will foon quit the bums , for he chops up the whiners ; the parfon will foon quit the pulpit, for he hurries over the prayers. See Autem Bawler, Hvms, and Whiners^
Chop Churches. Simoniacal dealers in livings, or other ecclefiaftical preferments.
Chopping. Lufty. A chopping boy or girl; a lufly child.
Chops. The mouth. I gave him a wherrit or a foufe acrofs the chops ; I gave him a blow over the mouth. See Wherrit.
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Chosen Pells. Highwaymen who rob in pairs, in theftreets and fquares of London : to prevent being followed by the found of their horfes flioes on the ftones, they fhoe them with leather.
Chouder. A fea difh, compofed of frefh fifh, fait pork, herbs, and fea bifcuits, laid in different layers, and hewed together.
To Chouse. To cheat or trick: he choufed me out of it. Choufe is alfo the term for a game like chuck far- thing.
Christ-cross Row. The alphabet in a horn book: called Chrift-crofs Row, from having, as an Irilhman obferved, Chrift’s crol's prefixed before and after the twenty-four letters.
Christening. Erafing the name of the true maker from a ftolen watch, and engraving a fictitious one in its place.
Christian Poney, A chairman.
Christ mass Compliments. A cough, kibed heels, and a fnotty nofe.
Chub. He is a young chub, oramerechub; i. e. a foolilh fellow, eafily impofed on : an allufion to a fifh of that name, eafily taken,
Chubby. Round-faced, plump.-
Chuck. My chuck ; a term of endearment.
Chuck Farthing. A parilh clerk.
Chuckle- headed. Stupid, thick-headed.
Chuffy. Round-faced, chubby.
Chum. A chamber fellow, particularly at the univerfities and in prifons.
Chummage. Money paid by the richer fart of prifongrs in the Fleet and King’s Bench, to the poorer, for their fhare of a room. When prifons are very full, which is too often the cafe, particularly on the eve of an infolvent a£t, two or three perfons are obliged to deep in a room. A prifoner who can pay for being alone, chufes two poor chums, who for a ftipulated price, called chummage, give up their (hare of the room, and deep on the flairs, or, as the term is, ruff it,
Chunk.
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Chunk. Among printers, a journeyman who refufes to work for legal wages ; the fame as a flint among .taylors. See Flint.
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ChurchWarden. A Su flex name for a fhag, or cormo- rant, probably from its voiacity.
Church Work. Said of any work that advances flowly.
Churchyard Cough. A cough that is likely to termi- nate in death,
Churk. The udder.
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Churl. Originally, a labourer or hufoandman ; figuratively, a rude, furly, boorifh fellow. To put a churl upon a gen- tleman ; to drink malt liquor immediately after having drank wine.
Cinder Garbler. A fervant maid, from her bufinefs of fifting the afhes from the cinders. Cujiom-houfe wit.
Circumbendibus. A round-about way, or ftory. He took fuch a circumbendibus ; he took fuch a circuit.
Cit. A citizen of London.
Civility Money. A reward claimed by bailiffs, for exe- cuting their office with civility.
Civil Reception. A houfe of civil reception, a bawdy houfe, or nanny houfe. See Nanny House.
Clack. A tongue, chiefly applied to women ; a fimile drawn from the clack of a water mill.
Clack-loft. A pulpit, fo called 'by orator Henley.
Clammed. Starved.
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Clan. A family’s tribe or brotherhood : a word much ufed
in Scotland. The head of the clan; the chief : an alluflon to a flory of a Scotchman, who, when a very large loufe crept down his arm, put him back ^gain, faying he was the head of the clan, and that, if injured, all the reft would refent it.
Clank. A fllver tankard. Cant.
Clank Napper. A fllver tankard ftealer. See Rum Bub^ bek.
Clanker. A great lye.
Clap. A venereal taint. He went out by Had’em, and cai»e round by Clapham home ; i. e. he went out a wench- ing, and got a clap.
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Clap on the Shoulder. An arreft for debt ; whence 2 bum bailiff is called a Ihoulder clapper.
Cl at per. The tongue of a bell, and figuratively of a man or woman.
Clapper Claw. To fcold, to abufe, or claw off' with the tongue.
Cl apper dog eon. A beggar born. Cant.
Claret. French red wine ; figuratively, blood. I tapped his claret; I broke his head, and made the blood run. Claret-faced; red-faced.
Clawed off. Severely beaten or whipped; alfo fmartly poxed or clapped.
Clear. Very drunk. The cull is clear, let’s bite him ;
the fellow is very drunk, let’s cheat him. Cant. Cleaver. One that will cleave ; ufedof a forward or wan- ton woman.
Clerked. Soothed, funned, impofed on. The cull will not be clerked ; i. c. the fellow will not be impofed on by fair words. 1
Cleymes. Artificial fores, made by beggars to excite charity.
Click. A blow. A click in the muns ; a blow or knock in the face. Cant.
To Click. To fnatch. To click a nab; to fnatch a hat. Cant.
Clicker. A falefman’s fervant ; alfo, one who proportions out the different fhares of the booty among thieves. Clicket. Copulation of foxes ; and thence ufed, in a cant- ing fenfe, for that of men and women : as, th^ cull and the mort are at clicket in the dyke ; the man and woman are copulating in the ditch.
Clickman Toad. A watch ; alfo an appellation for a Weft- country man, faid to have arifen from the following ftory :
A V eft-country man, who had never feen a watch, found
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Climb,
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Climb. To climb the three trees with a ladder ; to a U cend the gallows.
Clinch. A pun, or quibble. To clinch, or to clinch the nail ; to confirm an improbable ftory by another : as, A man fwore he drove a tenpenny nail through the moon ; a byftander faid it was true, for he was on the other fide and clinched it.
Clink. A place in the Borough of Southwark, formerly privileged from arrefts ; and inhabited by lawlefs vaga- bonds of every denomination, called, from the place of their refidence, clinkers. Alfo a gaol, from the clinking of the prifoners chains or fetters : he is gone to clink.
Clinkers. A kind of fmall Dutch bricks; alfo irons worn by prifoners ; a crafty fellow.
To Clip. To hug or embrace: to clip and cling. To clip the coin ; to diminifh the current coin. To clip the king’s Englifti; to be unable to fpeak plain through drunken* nefs.
Cloak Twitchers. Rogues who lurk about the entrances into dark allies, and bye lanes, to fnatch cloaks from the fhoulders of paffengers.
Clod Hopper. A country farmer, or ploughman.
Clod Pate. A dull, heavy booby.
Clod Pole. The fame.
Close. As clofe as God’s curfe to a whore’s a-fe : clofe as
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Close-fisted. Covetous or ftingy.
Closh. A general name given by the mobility 'to Dutch feamen, being a corruption of Claus , the abbreviation of Nicholas, a name very common among the men of that nation.
Cloth Market. He is juft come from the cloth mar- ket, i. e. from between the fiieets, he is juft rifen from bed.
Cloud. Tobacco. Under a cloud; in adverfity.
Cloven, Cleave, or Cleft. A term ufed for a woman who pafles for a maid, but is not one.
Cloven Foot. To fpy the cloven foot in any bulinefs ; to
difcover fome roguery or fomething bad in it : a faying
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Climb. To climb the three trees with a ladder ; to a f* cend the gallows.
Clinch. A pun, or quibble. To clinch, or to clinch the nail ; to confirm an improbable ftory by another : as, A man fwore he drove a tenpenny nail through the moon; a byftander faid it was true, for he was on the other fide and clinched it.
Clink. A place in the Eorough of Southwark, formerly privileged from arrefts ; and inhabited by lawlefs vaga- bonds of every denomination, called, from the place of their refidence, clinkers. Alfo a gaol, from the clinking of the prifoners chains or fetters : he is gone to clink.
Clinkers. A kind of fmall Dutch bricks; alfo irons worn by prifoners ; a crafty fellow.
To Clip. To hug or embrace : to clip and cling. To clip the coin ; to diminish the current coin. To clip the king’s Englifh; to be unable to fpeak plain through drunken* nefs.
Cloak Twitchers. Rogues who lurk about the entrances into dark allies, and bye lanes, to fnatch cloaks from the fhoulders of paftengers.
Clod Hopper. A country farmer, or ploughman.
Clod Pate. A dull, heavy booby.
Clod Pole. The fame.
Close. As clofe as God’s curfe to a whore’s a-fe : clofe as
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Close-fisted. Covetous or dingy.
Closh. A general name given by the mobility 'to Dutch feamen, being a corruption of Claus , the abbreviation of Nicholas, a name very common among the men of that
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nation.
Cloth Market. He is juil come from the cloth mar- ket, i. e. from between the ilieets, he is juft rifen from bed.
Cloud. Tobacco. Under a cloud ; in adverfity.
Cloven, Cleave, or Cleft. A term ufed for a woman who pafies for a maid, but is not one.
Cloven Foot. To fpy the cloven foot in any bufinefs ; to difcover fome roguery or fomething bad in it : a faying
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that alludes to a piece of vulgar fupeidition, which is, that let the Devil transform himfelf into what Iliape he will, he cannot hide his cloven foot.
To Chuck. To fhew a propenfity for a man. The mort chucks ; the wench wants to be doing.
Clout. A blow. I’ll give you a clout on your jolly nob; I’ll give you a blow on the head. It alfo means a handkerchief. Cant.
Clouted Si-ioon. Shoes tipped with iron.
Clouting Lay. Picking pockets of handkerchiefs.
Clover. To be, or live, in clover; to live luxurioufly. Clover is the moil; defirable food for cattle.
Clowes. Rogues.
Cloy. To Heal. To cloy the clout ; to ileal the handker- chief. To cloy the lour ; to ileal money. Cant .
Cloyes. Thieves, robbers, &c.
Clue. A meeting, or aifociation, where each man is to fpend an equal and dated furrt, called his club.
Club Law. Argumentum bacculinum, in which an oaken Hick is a better plea than an act of parliament.
Clump. A lump. Clumpiih ; lumpiih, ilupid.
Clunch. An aukward clowniih fellow.
To Clutch the Fist. To clench or ihut the hand. Clutch- filed ; covetous, dingy. Se.e Close-fisted.
Clutches. Hands, gripe, power.
Clutter. A ilir, noife, .or racket: what a confounded clutter here is ! ,
Cly. Money; alfo a pocket. He has filed the cly; he has picked a pocket. Cant.
Cly the Jerk. To be whipped. Cant.
Clyster Pipe. A nick name for an apothecary.
Coach Wheel. A half crown piece is a fore coach wheel, and a crown piece a hind coach wheel ; the fore wheels of a coach being lefs than the hind ones.
To Coax. To fondle, or wheedle. To coax a pair of dockings ; to pull down the part foiled into the fhoes, fo as to give a dirty pair of dockings the appearance of clean ones. Coaxing is alfo ufed, indead of darning, to hide the holes about the ancles.
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Cob,
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Coe. A Spanifh dollar.
Cob, or Cobbinc. A punifliment ufed by the Teamen for petty obences, or irregularities, among themfelves : if confifts in babonadoing the ofFender on the poberiors with a cobbing hick, or pipe baff; the number uTually inflicted is a dozen. At the flrb broke the executioner repeats the word watch, on which all perfons prefent are to take off their hats, on pain of like punifhment: the lab broke is always given as hard as pobible, and is called the purfe . Afhore, among foldiers, where this punifhment is fome- times adopted, watch and the purfe are not included in the number, but given over and above, or, in the vulgar phrafe, free gratis for nothing. This piece of difcipline is alfo infli&ed in Ireland, by the fchool boys, on perfons coming into the fchool without taking off their hats ; it is there called fchool butter.
Cobble. A kind of boat.
To Cobble. To mend, or patch ; likewife to do a thing in a bungling manner.
Cobble Colter. A turkey.
Cobler. A mender of fhoes, an improver of the under- bandings of his cubomers ; a tranflator.
Coblers Punch. Treacle, vinegar, gin, and water.
Cock, or Chief Cock, of the Walk. The leading man in any fociety or body, the beb boxer in a village or dibrift.
Cock Ale. A provocative drink.
Cock Alley, or Cock Lane. The private parts of a
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Cock and a Bull Story. A roundabout bory without head or tail, i. e. beginning or ending.
Cock- a-whoof. Elevated, in high fpirits, tranfported with joy.
Cock Bawd. A male keeper of a bawdy houfe.
Cock Hoist. A crofs buttock.
Cockish. Wanton, forward. A cockibi wench ; a forward coming girl.
Cockles. To cry cockles; to be hanged: perhaps from the noife made whilb brangling. Cant . — This will rejoice
the
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the cockles of one’s heart ; a faying in praife of wine, ale, or fpirituous liquor.
Cock Pimp. The fuppofed hufband of a bawd.
Cock RcIbin. A foft eafy feliow.
Cock-sure. Certain : a metaphor borrowed from the cock of a firelock, as being much more certain to fire than the
match.
Cock’s Tooth. I live at the fign of the cock’s tooth and head-ach ; an anfwer to an impertinent perfon, who afks where one lives.
Cock your Eye. Shut one eye : thus tranflated into apo-
thecaries Latin — Gcillus tuus ego .
Cocker. One fond of the diverfion of cock-fighting.
Cockney. A nick name given to the citizens of London, or per Tons born within the found of Bcw bell, derived from the following flory : A citizen of London being in the country, and hearing a horfe neigh, exclaimed. Lord ! how that horfe laughs ! A by-flander telling him that noife was called neighing , the next morning, when the cock crowed, the citizen, to fhew he had not forgot what was told him, cried out, Do you hear how the cock neighs ? The king of the Cockneys is mentioned among the re- gulations for the fports and (hows formerly held in the Middle Temple on Childermas Day, where he had his officers, a marfhall, conftable, butler, &c. See Dug- dale’s Origines Juridiciales, p. 247. — Ray fays, the in- terpretation of the word Cockney, is, a young perfon coaxed or coquered, made wanton; or a neitle cock, deli- cately bred and brought up, fo as, when arrived at man’s eflate, to be unable to bear the leak hardfhip. Whatever may be the origin of this appellation, we learn from the following verfes, attributed to Hugh Bigot, Earl of Nor- folk, that it was in ufe in the time of king Henry II.:
Was I in my caftle at Bungay,
Faftby the river Waveney,
I would not care for the king of Cockney :
i. e. the king of London.
Cockshut Time. The evening, when fowls go to rooft. Cod. A cod of money ; a good fum of money.
Codders. Perlons employed by the gardeners to gather peafe.
. G 2 Codger,
COL
Cadger. An old codger ; an old fellow.
Con Piece. The fore flap of a man’s breeches. Do they bite, mafter ? where, in the cod piece or collar ? — a jocular attack on a patient angler by watermen, &c.
Cons. r] he ferotum. Alfo a nick name for a curate : a rude fellow meeting a curate, miftook him for the redlor, and accofled him with the vulgar appellation of Bol — ks the rector. No, Sir, anfwered he; only Cods the curate, at your fervice.
Cod’s PL: ad. A flupid fellow.
Cods Heads. A fociety who met in London.
Coffee House. A neceflary houfe. To make a coifee- ho'ife of a woman’s ****; to go in and out and fpend no- thing.
Cog. T he money, or whatfoever the fweeteners drop to draw in a bubble.
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To Cog. Io cheat with dice; alfo to coax or wheedle. To cog a die ; to conceal or fecure a die. To cog a din- ner ; to wheedle one out of a dinner.
Cogue. A dram of any fpirituous liquor.
Coker. A lye.
Cokes. The fool in the play or Bartholomew fair : per- haps a cbntraftion of the word coxcomb.
Col c a nk on. Potatoes and cabbage pounded together in a mortar, and then Hewed with butter: an Irifh difli.
Cold. You will catch cold at that ; a vulgar threat or advice to defifl from an attempt. He caught cold by lying in bed barefoot ; a faying of anyone extremely tender or careful of himfelf.
Cold Burning. A punifhment infiidled by private foldiers on their comrades for trifling offences, or breach of their mefs laws ; it is adminiflered in the following manner: The prifoner is fet againft the wall, with the arm which is to be burned tied as high above his head as pofliLe. The executioner then afeends a flool, and having a bottle of cold water, pours it flowiy down the fleeve of the delin- quent, patting him, and leading the water gently down his body, till it runs out at his breeches knees : this is repeated to the other arm, if he is fentenced to be burned in both.
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Cold Cook. An undertaker of funerals, or carrion hun- ter. See Carrion Hunter.
Cold Iron. A fvvord, or any other weapon for cutting or tabbing. I gave him two inches of cold iron into his beef.
Cold Meat. A dead wife is the belt cold meat in a man's houfe.
Cold Pig. To give cold pig, is a punifhment inHi&ed on iluggards who lie too long in bed : it confifts in pulling off all the bed clothes from them, and expofing them naked to the cold.
Cold Pudding. This is faid to fettle one’s love.
Cole. Money. Poll the cole; pay down the money.
Coliander or Coriander Seeds. Money.
Collar Day. Execution day.
College. Newgate, or any other prifon. New College ; the Royal Exchange.
Collegiates. Prifoners of the one, and fhopkeepers of the other of thofe places.
Collector. A highwayman.
To Collogue. To wheedle or coax.
Cook Ruffian, who roafted the devil in his feathers. A bad cook.
Cool v rape. A fhroud,
Coole*r. A woman.
Cool Lady. A female follower of the camp who fells
brandy.
Cool Nants. Brandy.
Cool Tankard. Wine and water, with lemon, fugar, and burrage.
Colquarron. A man’s neck. His colquarron is juft about to be twilled ; he is juft going to be hanged. Cant .
Colt. One who lets horfes to highwaymen ; alfo a boy newly initiated into roguery ; a grand or petty juryman on his firft afiize. Cant.
Coltage. A fine or beverage paid by colts on their firft entering into their offices.
Colt Bowl. Laid fhort of the jack by a colt bowler; i. e. a perfon raw or unexperienced in the art of bowling.
Colt’s
CON
Colt’s Tooth. An old fellow who marries, or keeps a y°ung girl, is faid to have a colt’s tooth in his head.
Colt Veal. Coarfe red veal, more like the fielh of a colt than that of a calf.
Columbrarians. The brethren of this honourable fociety affembled, A. D. 1743, at the Bull-Inn, in Bifliopfgate- ftreet.
Comb. To comb one’s head ; to clapperclaw, or fcold any one ; a woman who le&ures her hulband, is faid to comb his head. She combed his head with a joint ftool ; fhe threw a ftool at him.
Come. To come ; to lend. Has he come it? has he lent it? To come over anyone; to cheat or over-reach him. C oming wqpch ; a forward wench, alfo a breeding woman.
Coming ! so is Christmas. Said of a perfon who has long been called, and at length anfvvers. Coming 1 Comfortable Importance. A wife.
Commission. A fhirt. Cant.
Commode. A woman’s head drefs.
Commodity. A woman’s commodity ; the private parts of a model! woman, and the public parts of a profti- tute.
Commons. The houfe of commons; the necelTar.y houfe. Company. To fee company ; to enter into a courfe of prof* titution.
Compliments. See Christmas.
Co mu=.’s Court. A focial meeting formerly held at the Half Moon tavern, Cheapfide.
Confect. Counterfeited.
Conger. To conger ; the agreement of a fet or knot of' bookfellers of London, that whofoever of them fhall buy a good copy, the reft fhall take off fuch a particular num- ber, in quires, at a ftated price ; alfo bookfellers joining to buy either a confiderable or dangerous copy.
Congo. Will you lap your congo with me ? will you drink
tea with n e ?
Con ny Wabble. Eggs and brandy beat up together,
Jrijb .
Conscience
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Conscience Keeper.”’ A fuperior, who by his influence mokes his dependents aft as he pleafes.
Content. The cull’s content; the man is part complaining: a faying of a pcrfon murdered for refilling the robbers. Cant .
Content. A thick liquor, in imitation of chocolate, made of milk nd gingerbread.
Contra Dance. A dance where the dancers of the diffe- rent fexes Hand oppofite each other, inftead of fide by fide as in the minuet, regadoon, louvre, &c. and now corruptly called a country dance.
Conundrums. Enigmatical conceits.
Convenient. A miltrefs. Cant .
Cony, or Tom Cony. A filly fellow.
Cooped up. Imprifoned, confined like a fowl in a coop.
Coqjjet. A jilt.
Corinth. A bawdy houfe. Cant .
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Corinthians. Frequenters of brothels. Alfo an impudent, brazen-faced fellow, perhaps from the Corinthian brafs.
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Cork-brained. Light-headed, foolifh.
Corned. Drunk.
Cornelian Tub. The fweating tub, formerly u fed for the cure of the venereal difeafe.
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Cornish Hug. A particular lock in wrellling, peculiar to the people of that country.
Corny-faced. A very red pimpled face.
Corporal. To mount a corporal and four ; to be guilty of onanifm : the thumb is the corporal, the four fingers the privates.
Corporation. A large belly. He has a glorious copora- tion ; he has a very prominent belly.
Corporation. The magiftrates, &c. of a corporate town. Corpus fine rati one. Freeman of a corporation’s work ;
neither ftrong nor handfome.
Cosset. A foundling. Cofiet colt or lamb; a colt or Iamb brought up by hand.
Costard. The head. I’ll fmite your coflard ; I’ll give you a knock on the head.
Costard
C O V
Costard Monger. A dealer in fruit, particularly ap* pies.
Cot, or Q^uot. A man who meddles with women’s houfe- hold bufinefs, particularly in the kitchen. The punifh- ment commonly inflided on a quot, is pinning a greafy difhc'.out to the fkirts of his coat.
Cot tlrel. Sir James Cotter, or Cotterel’s fallad ; hemp.
Sir James Cotterel was condemned foT a rape. Irijh . Cotswould Lion. A fheep. Cotfvvould in Gloucefter- fhire is famous for its breed of fheep.
Cove. A man, a fellow, a rogue. The cove was bit; the rogue was outwitted. The cove has bit the cole ; the rogue has got the money. Cant.
Covent, or Convent Gar den, vulgarly called Common Garden. Anciently, the garden belonging to a diffolved monaftery ; now famous for being the chief market iri London for fruit, flowers, and herbs. The two theatres are fituated near it. In its environs are many brothels ; and, not long ago, the lodgings of the fecond order of ladies of eafy virtue were either there, or in the purlieus of Drury Lane.
Co vent Garden Abbess. A bawd.
Covent Garden Ague. The venereal difeafe. He broke
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his fhins againfl Covent Garden rails ; he' caught the vene- real diforder.
Covent Garden Nun. A proflitute.
Coventry. To fend one to Coventry ; a punifhment in- flided by officers of the army on fuch of their brethren as are tefly or have been guilty of improper behaviour, not worthy the cognizance of a court martial. The per- fon fent to Coventry is coniidered as abfent ; no one muft fpeak to or anfwer any queflion he afks, except rela- tive to duty, under penalty of being alfo fent to the fame place. On a proper fubmiffion, the penitent is recalled, and welcomed by the mefs, as juft returned from a journey to Coventry.
Covey. A colledion of whores. What a fine covey here is, if the Devil would but throw his net !
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C R A
To Couch a Hogshead. To lie down to deep. Cant,
Counterfeit Crank. A general cheat, a (Turning all forts of characters ; one counterfeiting the falling ficknefs.
Country Harry. A waggoner. Cant *
Country Put. An ignorant country fellow.
Court Card. A gay fluttering coxcomb.
Court Holy Water* } Fair fpeeches and promifes, with-
Court Promises. S out performance.
Court of Assistants. A court often applied to by young women who marry old men.
Court of Nul Tiel Record. A fociety held, A. D. 1756, at the One Tun, in the Strand*
Cow. To deep like a cow, i. e. with a **** at one’s a-fe ; faid of a married man ; married men being fuppofed to fieep with their backs towards their wives, according to the following proclamation :
All you that in your beds do liet
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And when that you have done your befl,
' Turn a-fe to a-fe , and take your ref .
Cows’s Baby. A calf*
Cow’s Courant. Gallop and fh — e.
Cow-handed. Aukvvard.
Cow-hearted. Fearful.
Cow Itch. The product of a fort of bean, which excites an infufferable itching, ufed chiefly for playing tricks.
Cow’s Stouse. A bull.
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Cow’s Thumb. Done to a cow’s thumb ; done exa&ly.
Coxcomb. Anciently, a fool. Fools, in great families, wore a cap with bells, on the top of which was a piece of red cloth, in the flrape of a cock’s comb. At prefent, coxcomb dig- nifies a fop, or vain lelf-conceited fellow.
Crab. To catch a crab; to fall backwards by mifling one’s Itroke in rowing.
Crab La nt horn. A peevifh fellow.
Crab Louse. A fpecies of loufe peculiar to the human body ; the male is denominated a cock, the female a hen.
Crab Shells. Shoes. Irifh .
Crabs. A lofing throw to the main at hazard.
Crabbed. Sour, ill-tempered, difficult.
H
Crack.
C R £
Crack. A whore.
To Crack. To boaft or brag; alfo to break. I cracked his napper; I broke his head.
The Crack, or All the Crack. The fafhionable theme, the go. I he Crack Lay, of late is ufed, in the cant lan- guage, to fignify the art and myftery of houfe-breaking.
Cracker. Cruft, fea bifcuit, or ammunition loaf; alfo the backfide. Farting crackers; breeches.
Crack is h. Whorifh.
Crackmans. Hedges. The cull thought to have loped by breaking through the crackmans, but we fetched him back by a nope on the coftard, which Hopped his jaw ; the man thought to have efcaped by breaking through the hedge, but we brought him back by a great blow on the head, which laid him fpeechlefs.
Crag. The neck.
Cramp Rings. Bolts, fhackles, or fetters. Cant.
Cramp Words. Sentence of death pafted on a criminal by a judge. He has juft undergone the cramp word; fentence has juft been pafted on him. Cant.
CraVk. Gin and water; alfo, brifk, pert.
Crank. The falling ficknefs. Cant.
Crap, or Crop. Money.
Crapped. Hanged. Cant.
To Crash. To kill. Craft) that cull ; kill that fellow. Cant.
Crashing Cheats. Teeth.
Craw Thumpers. Roman catholics; fo called from their beating their breafts in the confeflion of their fins. See Brisket Beater, and Breast Fleet.
Cream-pot Love. Such as young fellows pretend to dairy maids, to get cream and other good things from them.
To Creeme. To ftip or Hide any thing into the hands of another. Cant.
Creepers. Gentlemen’s companions, lice.
Crew. A knot or gang; alfo, a boat or Blip's company. The canting crew are thus divided into twenty-three orders, which fee under the different words :
M E N.
i Ruffters 3 Hookers or Angles
Upright Me# 4 Rogues
5 Wild
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5 Wild Rogues
6 Triggers of Prancers
7 Palliardes
8 Fraters
9 Jarkmen, or Patri- coes
W O M
10 Frefh Water Mariners,
or Whip Jackets
11 Drummerers
12 Drunken Tinkers
13 Swaddcrs, or Pedlars
14 Abrams
E N.
x Demanders for Glim- 5 Walking Morts mer or Fire 6 Doxies
2 Bawdy Ba&ets 7 Delies
3 Morts 8 Kindling Morts
4 Autem Morts 9 Kinching Coes.
To Crib. To purloin, or appropriate to one’s own ufe, part of any thing intruded to one’s care.
To fight a Crib. To make a fham fight. Bear Gar- den term.
Cribbage-faced. Marked with the fmall pox, the pits bearing a kind of refemblance to the holes in a cribbage board.
Cribbeys, or Cribby Islands. Blind allies, courts, or bye ways ; perhaps from the houfes built there being cribbed out of the common way or paffage ; and iflands, from the fimilarity of found to the Caribbee Iflands.
Crim. Con. Money. Damages diredled by ajury to be paid by a convidled adulterer to the injured hufband, for crimi- nal converfation with his wife.
Crimp. A broker or fadtor, as a coal crimp, who difpofes of the cargoes of the Newcaftle coal fhips ; alfo perfons employed to trapan or kidnap recruits for the Eaft Indian and African companies. To crimp, or play crimp ; to play foul or booty ; alfo a cruel manner of cutting up fifh alive, pradtifed by the London iifhinongers, in order to make it eat firm ; cod, and other crimped fifh, being a fa- vourite difh among voluptuaries and epicures.
Crinkum Crankum. A woman’s commodity. See Spectator.
Crinkums. The foul or venereal difeafe.
Cripple. Six pence, that piece being commonly much bent and diftorted.
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Crispin.
C R O
Crispin. A fhoemaker : from a romance, wherein a prince of that name is faid to have exercifed the art and my- ilery of a fhoemaker, thence called the gentle craft : or
rather from the faints Crifpinus and Crifpianus, w'ho, ac- cording to the legend, were brethren born at Rome, from whenc* they travelled to Soi/Tons in France, about the year 303, to prop, ate the Chriftian religion ; but, becaufe they would not be chargeable to others for their mainte- nance, they exercifed the trade of fhcemakers : the go- vernor of the town uifcovering them to be Chriflians, or- de: "d them to be beheaded, about the year 303 ; from which, time they have been the tutelar faints of the fhoe- makers.
Crispin’s Holiday. Every Monday throughout the year, but molt particularly the 25th of O&ober, being the an- niverlary of Crifpinus and Crifpianus.
C r 1 pin’s Lance. A n a w 1 .
Cri aker. One who is always foretelling fome accident or misfortune: an allufion to the croaking of a raven, fup-
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Croakumshitie. Northumberland, from the particular croaking in the pronunciation of the people of that county, efpecially about Newcaflle and Morpeth, where they are faid to be born with a burr in their throats, which prevents their pronouncing the letter r.
Crockers. Foreflallers, called alfo Kidders and Tranters,
Crocodile’s Tears. The tears of a hypocrite. Croco- diles are fabuloufly reported to fhed tears over their prey before they devour it.
Croc s, or Crocus Metallorum. A nick name for a furgeon of the army and navy.
Croker. A groat, or four pence.
Crone. An old ewe whofe teeth are worn out : figurative- ly, a toothlefs old beldam.
Crony. An intimate companion, a cnmerade ; alfo, a con- federate in a robbery.
Crook Back. Six-pence : for the reafon of this name,
fee Crip tle.
^ftooK your Elbqw. To crook one s elbow, and wifh it
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mny never come draight, if the fa£t then affirmed is not true — according to the cafuids of Bow Street and St. Giles’s, adds great weight and efficacy to an oath.
Crook Shanks. A nick name for a man with bandy legs. He buys his boots in Crooked Lane, and his dockings in Bandy-legged Walk ; his legs grew in the night, therefore could not fee to grow draight : jeering fayings of men with crooked legs.
Crop. A nick name for a prelbyterian : from their cropping their hair, which they trimmed clofe to a bowl difli, placed as a gaide on their heads ; whence they were likewife called roundheads. See Roundheads.
Crop. Money. See Crap. Cant .
Crop the Conjuror. Jeering appellation of one with fhort hair.
Cropping Drums. Drummers of the foot guards, or Chelfea hofpital, who find out weddings, and beat a point of war to ferenade the new-married couple, and thereby obtain money.
Cropphn. The tail. The croppen of the rotan ; the tail of the cart. Croppen ken ; the neceffiary houfe. Cant .
Crops i ck. Sicknefs in the domach, arifing from drunken-
nefs.
Cross. To come home by weeping crofs ; to repent at the conclufion.
Cross B-ite. One who combines with a {harper to draw in a friend ; alfo, to counteract or difappoint. Cant.
Cross Buttock. A particular lock or fall in the Brough- tonian art, which, as Mr. Fielding obferves, conveyed more pleafant fenfations to the fpedlators than the patient.
Cross Patch. A peevidi boy or girl.
ToC row. To brag, boad, or triumph. To crow over any one; to keep him in fubje&ion : an image drawn from a cock, who crows over a vanquifhed enemy. To pluck a crow ; to reprove any one for a fault committed, to fettle a difpute. To drut like a crow in a gutter ; to walk proudly, or with an air of confequence.
Crowd. A fiddle: probably from crootb, the Welch name for that indrument.
Crowdero*
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Crovvdero. A fuller.
Crowd y. Oatmeal and water, or milk : a mefs much eaten in the north.
Crow Fair. A vifitation of the clergy. See Review of the Black Cuirassers.
Crown Office. The head.
Cruisers. Beggars, or highway fpies, who traverfe the road, to give intelligence of a booty ; alfo, rogues ready to fnap up any booty that may oiTer, like privateers or pirates on a cruife.
Crummy. Fat, flcfhy. A fine crummy dame ; afat woman. He has picked up his crumbs finely of late ; he has grown very fat, or rich, of late.
Cr ump. One who helps folicitors to affidavit men, or falfe witneffes. — f I wifh you had, Mrs. Crump;’ a Glouceder- ihire faying, in anfvver to a wilh for any thing ; implying, you mud not expert any affidance from the fpeaker. It is faid to have originated from the following incident : One Mrs. Crump, the wife of a fubdantial farmer, dining with the old Lady Coventry, who was extremely deaf, faid to one of the footmen, waiting at table, ‘I wifh I had * a draught of fmall beer,’ her modefly not permitting her to defire fo fine a gentleman to bring it: the fellow, con- feious that his midrefs could not hear either the requed or anfvver, replied, without moving, ‘ I wifh you had, Mrs. c Crump.’ Thefe wifhes being again repeated by both par- ties, Mrs. Crump got up from the table to fetch it herfelf; and being afked by my Lady where fhe was going, related what had palled. The dory being told abroad, the expref- fion became proverbial.
Crump-e acke d. Hump-backed.
Crusty Beau. One that ufes paint and cofmetics, to ob- tain a fine complexion.
Crusty Fellow. A furly fellow.
Cub. An unlicked cub ; an unformed, ill-educated young man, a young nobleman or gentleman on his travels : an allufion to the dory of the bear, faid to bring its cub into form by licking. Alfo, a new gameder.
Cuckold. The hufband of an incontinent wife : cuckolds,
however.
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however, arc Chridians, as we learn by the following {lory : An old woman hearing a man call his dog Cuckold, re- proved him lharply, faying, 4 Sirrah, are not you afhamed ‘ to call a dog by a chridian’s name?’ To cuckold the par- fon ; to bed with one’s wife before fie has been churched.
Cucumbers. Taylors, who are jocularly faid tofubfill, dur- ing the fummer, chiefly on cucumbers.
Cuff. An old cuff ; an old man. To cuff Jonas ; laid of one who is knock-kneed, or who beats his lides to keep
himfelf warm in frody weather; called alfo Beating the
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Booby.
Cuffin, A man.
Cull. A man, honed or otherwife. A bob cull ; a good- natured, quiet fellow. Cant.
Cull ability. A difpofition liable to be cheated, an un- fufpefling nature, open to impofition.
Cully. A fop or fool ; alfo, a dupe to women : from the Italian word coglione , a blockhead.
Culp. A kick or blow : from the words inca culpa , being that part of the popilh liturgy at which the people beat their breads ; or, as the vulgar term is^thump their craws.
Cundum. The dried gut of a flieep, worn by men in the aft of coition, to prevent venereal infection ; faid to have been invented by one colonel Cundum. Thefe machines were long prepared and fold by a matron of the name of Philips, at the Green Canider, in Half-moon dreet, in the Strand. That good lady having acquired a fortune, re- tired from bufinefs ; but learning that the town was not well ferved by her fucceffors, fne, out of a patriotic zeal for the public welfare, returned to her occupation; of which fhe gave notice by diverfe hand bills, in circula- tion in the year 1776. Alfo a falfe fcabbard over afword, and the oil-lkin cafe for holding the colours of a regiment.
Cunningham. A punning appellation for a fimple fel- low.
Cunning Man. A cheat, who pretends by his /kill in adrology to aflid perfons in recovering dolen goods ; and alfo to tell them their fortunes, and when, how often, and to whom they {hall be married ; likewife anfwers all lawful
queftions,
CUR
quefticns, both by Tea and land. This profeffion is fre- quently occupied by ladies.
Cunning Shaver. A fharp fellow, one that trims clofe, i. e. cheats ingenioully.
Cunny-thumbed. To double one’s fill with the thumb inwards, like a woman.
C * * T • The xovvoq of the Greek, and the cunnus of the La- tin diflionaries ; a natty name for a nafly thing: un con. Miegc .
Cup of the Creature. A cap of good liquor.
Cup-shot. Drunk.
Cupboard Love. Pretended love to the cook, or any other perfon, for the fake of a meal. My guts cry cup- board; i. e. I am hungry.
Cupid, Blind Cupid. A jeering name for an ugly blind man : Cupid, the god of love, being frequently painted blind.
Cur. A cut or curtailed dog. According to the foreft laws, a man who had no right to the privilege of the chace, was obliged to cut or law his dog : among other modes of difabling him from difturbing the game, one was by depriving him of his tail : a dog fo cut was called a cut or curtailed dog, and by contraftion a cur. A cur is figuratively ufed to fignify a furly fellow.
Curbing Law. The att of hooking goods out of windows : the curber is the thief, the curb the hook. Cant.
Cure A-se. A dyachilon plaitter, applied to the parts gall- ed by riding.
Curjew. The vulgar feamen’s pronunciation of the Cou- ragieux fhip of war.
Curle. Clippings of money, which curls up in the opera- tion. Cant.
Curmudgeon. A covetous old fellow, derived, according to fome, from the French term cceur mechant .
Curry. To curry favour; to obtain the favour of a perfon by coaxing, or fervility. To curry any one’s hide; to beat him.
Curse of Scotland. The nine of diamonds : diamonds,
.it is Did, imply royalty, being ornaments to the imperial
crown ;
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crown ; and every ninth king of Scotland lias been ob- ferved, for many ages, to be a tyrant and acurfe to that country. Others fay it is from its fimilarity to the arms of Argyle ; the Duke of Argyle having been very inftrumen- tal in bringing about the union, which, by fome Scotch patriots, has been confidered as detrimental to their coun- try.
Curs i tors. Broken pettyfogging attornies, or Newgate folicitors. Cant .
Curtails. Thieves who cut off pieces of fluff hanging out of fliop windows, the tails of women’s gowns, &c. ; alfo thieves wearing fliort jackets.
Curtain Lecture. A woman who fcolds her hufband when in bed, is faid to read him a curtain ledlure.
Curtezan. A proftitute.
Cushion. He has deferved the culhion ; a faying of one whofe wife is brought to bed of a boy : implying, that hav- ing done his buiinefs effectually, he may now indulge or repofe himfelf.
Cushion Thumper, or Duster. A parfon ; many of whom, in the fury of their eloquence, heartily belabour their cufhions.
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Custard Cap. The cap worn by the fword-bearer of the City of London, made hollow at the top like a cuflard.
Custom-house Goods. The flock in trade of a proftitute, becaufe fairly entered.
Cut. Drunk. A little cut over the head ; flightly intoxi- cated. To cut ; to leave a perfon or company. To cut up well ; to die rich.
To Cut bene. To fpeak gently. To cut bene whiddes to give good words. To cut queer whiddes ; to give foul language. To cut a bofli, or a flafh ; to make a figure. Cant.
To Cutty-eye. To look out of the corners of one’s eyes, to leer, to look afkance. The cull cutty-eyed at us; the fellow looked fufpicious at us.
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D.
DAM
D A B. An adept; a dab at any feat or exercife. Dab, quoth Dawkins, when he hit his wife on the a-fe with a pound of butter.
Dace. Twopence. Tip me a dace; lend me two pence. Cant .
Daddles. Hands. Tip us your daddle ; give me your hand. Cant .
Daddy. Father. Old daddy ; a familiar addrefs to an old man. To beat daddy mammy ; the firfl: rudiments of drum beating, being the elements of the roll.
Daggers. They are at daggers drawing ; i. e. at enmity, ready to fight.
Dairy. A woman's breafls, particularly one that give* fuck. She fported her dairy ; die pulled out her bread.
Daisy Cutter. A jockey term for a horfe that does not lift up his legs fufficiently, or goes too near the ground, and is therefore apt to Bumble.
Daisy Kickers. Hoftlers at great inns.
Dalmahoy. A Dalmahoy wig ; a particular kind of buihy bob wig, firfl worn by a chymifl of that name, and afterr wards adopted by tradefmen, apothecaries. See.
Dam. A fmall Indian coin, mentioned in the Gentoo codev of laws: hence etymologies' may, if they pleafe, derive the common expreflion, I do not care a dam, i. e. Ido uo| care half a farthing for it.
Damber. A rafeal. SeeDiMBER.
Damme Boy. A roaring, mad, bluflering fejlow, a fcouret of the llreets, or kicker up of a breeze.
Damned Soul. A clerk in a counting-houfe, whofe foie bufinefs it is to clear or fwear off merchandize at the cuf- tom-houfe ; and who, it is faid, guards againfl the crime of perjury, by taking a previous oath, never to fwear truly on thofe occafions.
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Damper. A luncheon, or fnap before dinner: fo called from its damping, or allaying, the appetite ; eating and drinking being, as the proverb wifely obferves, apt to take away the appetite.
Dancers. Stairs.
Dandy. That's the dandy ; i. e. the ton, the clever thing : an expreflion of fimilar import to “ That’s the barber.” See Barber.
Dandy grey Russet. A dirty brown. His coat’s dandy grey ruflet, the colour of the Devil’s nutting bag.
Dandy Prat. An infignificant or trifling fellow.
To Dangle. To follow a woman without afking the queftion. Alfo, to be hanged : I fhall fee you dangle in the fheriff’s pi&ure frame ; I fhall fee you hanging on the gallows.
Dangler. One who follows women in general, without any particular attachment.
Dapper Fellow. A fmart, well-made, little man:
Darbies. Fetters. Cant.
Darby. Ready money. Cant.
Dark Cully. A married man that keeps amiflrefs, whom he viflts only at night, for fear of difcovery.
Darkmans. The night. Cant.
D arkmans Budge. One that Aides into a houfe in the dark of the evening, and hides himfelf, in order to let fome of the gang in at night to rob it.
Dart. A ftraight-armed blow in boxing.
Dash. A tavern drawer. To cut a dafh : to make a figure.
David Jones. The devil, the fpirit of the fea : called Neken in the north countries, fuch as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
David Jones’s Locker. The fea.
David’s Sow. As drunk as David’s fow ; a common fay- ing, which took its rife from the following circumflance : One David Lloyd, a Welchman, who kept an alehoufe at Hereford, had a living fow with fix legs, which was greatly reforted to by the curious : he had alfo a wife much addicted to drunkennefs, for which he ufed fometimes to give her due corre&ion. One day David’s wife having
I- z taken
DEE
taken a cup too much, and being fearful of the confe- rences, turned out the fow, and lay down to deep her- felf fober in the dye. A company coming in to fee the fow, David ufhered them into the dye, exclaiming. There is a fow 1 01 you ! dia any of you ever lee fuch another? all the while fuppofing the fow had really been there ; to which fome of the company, feeing the date the woman was in, replied, it was the drunkened fow they had ever
beheld; whence the woman was ever after called David’s
Sow.
Da\\. I 11 take my davy of it; vulgar abbreviation of
adidavit.
IoDawb. To bribe. The cull was fcragged becaufe he could not dawb ; the rogue was hanged becaufe he could not bribe. All bedawbed with lace ; all over lace.
oay Lights. Eyes. To darken his day lights, or few up his fees; to clofe up a man’s eyes in boxing.
Dead Cargo. A term ufed by thieves, when they are dif- appointed in the value of their booty.
Dead Horse. To work for the dead horfe ; to work for wages already paid.
Dead-louse. Vulgar pronunciation of the Dedalus fliip of war.
Dead Men. A cant word among journeymen bakers, for loaves falfely charged to their mader’s cudomers ; alfo empty bottles.
Deadly Nevergreen, that bears fruit all the year round. The gallows, or three-legged mare. See Three-legged M are.
Dear Joys. Iriflimen: from their frequently making ufe of that expredion.
Death Hunter. An undertaker, one who furnifhes the necedarv articles for funerals. See Carrion Hunter.
Death’s Head upon a Mop-stick. A poor, miferable, emaciated fellow ; one quite an otomy. See Otomy.— » He looked as pleafant as the pains. of death.
Decus. A crown piece.
Deep-one. A thorough-paced rogue, a dy defigning fel- low ; in oppofxtion to a ihallow or foolidi one.
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Deft Fellow. A neat little man.
Degen, or Dagen. A fword. Nim the degen ; Heal the fword. Dagen Dutch for a fword. Cant.
Dells. Young buxom wenches, ripe and prone to venery, but who haye not loft their virginity, which the upright man claims by virtue of his prerogative ; after which they become free for any of the fraternity. Alfo a common ftrumpet. Cant.
Demure. As demure as an old .whore at a chriften- ing.
Demy-rep. Abbreviation of demy-reputation; a woman of doubtful character.
Derick. The name of the ftnifher of the law, or hangman, about the year 1608. — ‘ For he rides his circuit with the
* Devil, and Derrick muit be his hoft, and Tiburne the
* innc at which he will lighted Vide Bellman of London, in art. Prigging Law. — ‘At the gallows, where I leave
* them, as to the haven at which they muft all call anchor,
‘ if Derrick’s cables do but hold.’ Ibid.
Devil. A printer’s errand boy. Alfo a fmall thread in the king’s ropes and cables, whereby they may be diftinguifh- ed from all others. The Devil himfelf ; a fmall ftreak of blue thread in the king’s fails. The Devil may dance in his pocket; i. e. he has no money : the crofs on our ancient coins being jocularly fuppofed to prevent him from vifiting that place, for fear, as it is faid, of breaking his fhins againft it. To hold a candle to the Devil ; to be civil to, any one out of fear : in allufion to the ftory of the old wo* man, who fet a wax taper before the image of St. Mi- chael, and another before the Devil, whom that faint is, commonly reprefented as trampling under his feet : being reproved for paying fuch honour to Satan, Ihe anfwered, as it was uncertain which place Ihe Ihould go to, heaven or hell, Ihe chofe to fecure a friend in both places. That will be when the Devil is blind, and he has not got fore eyes yet; faid of any thing unlikely to happen. It rains whilft the fun Ihines, the Devil is beating his wife with a Ihoul- der of mutton ; this phenomenon is alfo faid to denote that cuckolds are going to heaven ; on being informed of this,
a loving,
D E U
a loving wife cried out with great vehemence, ' Run, huf- * band, run !*
The Devil wasfick, the Devil a monk would he ;
The Devil was well , the devil a monk was he. a proverb fignifying that we are apt to forget promifes made in times of diftrefs. To pull the Devil by the tail ; to be reduced to one s fhifts. The Devil go with vou and
4ix-pence, and then you will have both money and com- pany.
Devil. The gizzard of a turkey or fowl, fcored, peppered, falted, and broiled : it derives its appellation from being hot in the mouth.
Devil’s Books. Cards.
Devil Catcher, or Devil Driver. A parfon. See Snub Devil.
Devil’s Daug hter . It is faid of one who has a terma- gant for a wife, that he has married the Devil’s daughter, and lives with the old folks.
Devi l’s D aug hter’s Portion.
Deal, Dover, and Harwich ,
^ loe Devil gave with his daughter in marriage ;
And, by a codicil to his will.
He added Helvoet and the Brill : a faying occafioned by the lhameful impolitions prac- ticed by the inhabitants of thofe places, on failors and travellers.
Devil Drawer. A mifcrable painter.
Devil’s Dung. Aflafcetida.
Devil’s Guts. A furveyor’s chain : fo called by farmers, who do not like their land Ihould be meafured by their landlords.
Devilish. Very: an epithet which in the Englifh vulgar language is made to agree with every quality or thing ; as, devililh bad, devililh good ; devililh lick, devilifh well ; devilifh fweet, devililh four ; devililh hot, devililh cold.
Sc c. &c.
Deusea Ville. The country. Cant .
Dei/sea Ville Stampers. Country carriers. Cant,
Dew
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Dew Beaters. Feet. Cant.
Dews Wins, or Deux Wins. Two-pence. Cant.
Dewitt ed. l orn to pieces by a mob, as that great Hatcf- man John de Wit was in Holland, anno 1672.
Dice. The names of falfe dice:
A bale of bard cinque deuces A bale of flat cinque deuces A bale of flat fice aces A bale of bard cater traes A bale of flat cater traes A bale of fulhams A bale of light graniers A bale of langrets contrary to the ventage A bale of gordes, with as many highmen as lowmen, for paflage A bale of demies
A bale of long dice for even and odd A bale of briftles A bale of direft contraries.
Dick. That happened in the reign of queen Dick, i. e. never ; faid of any abfurd old Aory. I am as queer as Dick’s hatband; that is, out of fpirits, or don’t know what' ails me.
Dickey. A woman’s under petticoat.
Diddeys. A woman’s breads or bubbles.
Diddle. Gin.
Diggers. Spurs. Cant.
Dildo. [From the Italian diletto , q. d. a woman’s delight ; or from our word dally, q. d. a thing to play withal.] Penis Succedaneus, called in Lombardy Paflb Tempo. Baily .
Diligent, Double diligent, like the Devil’s apothecary i faid of one affe&edly diligent.
Dilly. [An abbreviation of the word diligence.] A public voiture or flage, commonly a poft chaife, carrying three perfons : the name is taken from the public flage vehicles in France and Flanders. The Dillies firft began to run in England about the year 1779.
'Dimber. Pretty. A dimber cove ; a pretty fellow. Dimbos mort ; a pretty wench. Cant.
Dimbea
D I S
Dimber Damber. A top man, or prince, among the cant- ing crew ; alfo the chief rogue of the gang, or the com- pletert cheat. Cant.
Ding. To knock down. To ding it in one’s ears ; to re- proach or tell one fomething one is not defirous of hear- ing. Alfo to throw away or hide : thus a highwayman who throws away or hides any thing with which he robbed, to prevent being known or detected, is, in the canting lin- go, ftyled a Dinger.
Ding Bov. A rogue, a hedlor, a bully, or Sharper. Cant.
Ding Dong. Helter fkelter, in a harty diforderly manner.
Dingey Christian. A mulatto ; or any one who has, as the Welt Indian term is, a lick of the tar brufh, that is, fome negro blood in him.
Dining Room Post. A mode of rtealinor in houfes that
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let lodgings, by rogues pretending to be portmen, who fend up (ham letters to the lodgers, and, whilft waiting in the entry for the portage, go into the firrt room they fee open, and rob it.
Dip. To dip for a wig. Formerly, in Middle Row, Hol- born, wigs of different forts were, it is faid, put into a clofe-rtool box, into which, for three-pence, any one might dip, or thruft in his hand, and take out the firrt; wig he laid hold of ; if he was diffatisfied with his prize, he might, on paying three halfpence, return it and dip again.
The Dip. A cook’s fliop, under Furnivals Inn, where many attornies clerks, and other inferior limbs of the law, take out the wrinkles from their bellies. Dip is alfo a pun- ning name for a tallow-chandler.
Dippers. Anabaptirts.
Dipt. Pawned or mortgaged.
Dirty Puzzle. A nafty Hut.
D isgUised. Drunk.
Disgruntled. Offended, difobliged.
Dished up. He is completely difhed up ; he is totally ru-
• ined. To throw a thing in one’s dilh; to reproach or twit one with any particular matter.
Dish clout. A dirty, greafy woman. He has made a nap-> kin of his diflislout ; a faying of one who has married his
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cook maid. To pin a difhclout to a man’s tail ; a punish- ment often threatened by the female lervants in a kitchen, to a man who pnes too minutely into t lie fecrets oi that place.
Dismal Ditty. The pfalm fung by the felons at the gal- lows, juft before they are turned oft'.
Dispatches. A mittimus, or juftice of the peace’s war- rant, for the commitment of a rogue.
Dive. To d ive ; to pick a pocket. To dive for a dinner ; to go down into a cellar to dinner. A dive, is a thief who Hands ready to receive goods thrown out to him by a little boy put in at a window. Cant.
Diver. A pickpocket; alfo one who lives in a cellar.
Divide. To divide the houfe with one’s wife ; to give her the outftde, and to keep all the inftde to one’s l'elf, i. e. to turn her into the ftreet.
Do. To do any one ; to rob or cheat him. I have done him ; I have robbed him. Alfo to overcome in a boxing match : witnefs thofe laconic lines written on the field of battle, by Humphreys to his patron — * Sir, I have done f the Jew.’
To Do over. Carries the fame meaning, but is not fo brief- ly exprefted ; the former having received the polilh of the prefent times.
Doash. A cloak. Cant.
Dobin Rig. Stealing ribbands from haberdafhers early in the morning, or late at night ; generally pra&ifed by wo- men in the difguife of maid fervants.
To Dock. To lie with a woman. The cull docked the dell all the darkmans ; the fellow lay with the wench all night. Docked fmack Imooth; one who has fuft'ered an amputation of his penis, from a venereal complaint. He muft go into dock ; a fea phrafe, fignifying that the perfon fpoken of muft undergo a falivation. Docking is alfo a punilh- ment inflicted by failors on the proftitutes who have in- fected them with the venereal difeafe ; it confiits in cut- ting off all their clothes, petticoats, fhift and all, clofe to their ftays, and then turning them into the ftreet/
K Doctor.
D O L
Doctor. Milk and water, with a little rum, and Tome nutmeg : alfo the name of a compofition ufed by diftillers, to make fpirits appear Wronger than they really are, or, in theij- phrafe, better proof.
Doctors. Loaded dice, that will run but two or three chances. They put the do&ors upon him; they cheated him with loaded dice.
Dodsey. A woman : perhaps a corruption of Doxey. Cant .
Doc. An old dog at it ; expert or accuftomed to any thing. Dog in a manger; one who would prevent another from enjoying what he himfelf does not want: an allufion to the well-known fable. The dogs have not dined ; a com- mon faying to any one vvhofe fhirt hangs out behind. To dog, or dodge; to follow at a diftance. To blufh like a blue dog ; i. e. not at all. To walk the black dog on any one ; a punifhment inflifted in the night on a frefh prifoner, by his comrades, in cafe of his refufal to pay the ufuai footing or garnifh.
Dog Buffers. Dog dealers, who kill thofe dogs nort ad- vertifed for, fell their Ikins, and feed the remaining dogs with their flelh.
Dog Latin. Barbarous Latin, fuch as was formerly ufed by the lawyers in their pleadings.
Dog’s Portion. A lick and a fmell. He comes in for only a dog’s portion ; a faying of one who is a dillant admirer or dangler after women. See Dangler.
Dog’s Rig. To copulate till you are tired, and then turn tail to it.
Dog’s Soup. Rain water.
Dog Vane. A cockade. Sea term.
Dogged. Surly.
Dog g ess. Dog’s Wife or Lady, Puppy’s Mamma. Jo- cular ways of calling a woman a bitch.
Doll. Bartholomew doll ; a tawdry, over-dreft woman, like one of the children’s dolls fold at Bartholomew Fair. To mill doll ; to beat hemp at Bridewell, or any other houle of correflion.
Dolly. A Yorklhire dolly; a contrivance for wa filing, by means of a kind of wheel fixed in a tub, which being
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turned about, agitates and cleanfes the linen put into it, with foap and water.
Domine Do little. An impotent old fellow.
Domineer. To reprove or command in an infolent or haughty manner. Don’t think as how you fhall domineer here.
Dom merer. A beggar pretending that his tongue has been cut out by the Algerines, or cruel and blooa-thirfty Turks, or elfe that he was born deaf and dumb. Cant.
Done, or Done over. Robbed; alfo, con vidled or hanged. Cant. — See Do.
Done up. Ruined by gaming and extravagances. Modern term.
Donkey, Donkey Dick. A he,orjack afs : called donkey, perhaps, from the Spanifh or don-like gravity of that ani- mal, in titled alfo the king of Spain’s trumpeter.
Doodle. A filly fellow, or noodle: fee Noodle. Alfo a child’s penis. Doodle doo, or Cock a doodle doo; a childifh appellation for a cock, in imitation of its note when crowing.
Doodle Sack. A bagpipe. Dutch . — Alfo the private parts of a woman.
Dopey. A beggar’s trulb
Dose. Burglary. He was call for felon and dofe ; he was found guilty of felony and burglary. Cant .
Dot and go one. To waddle: generally applied to perfons who have one leg fhorter than the other, and who, as the fea phrafe is, go upon an uneven keel. Alfo a jeering appellation' for an inferior writing mailer, or teacher of arithmetic.
Double. To tip any one the double ; to run away in his or her debt.
Double Jugg. A man’s backfide. Cotton's Virgil.
Dove-tail. A fpecies of regular anfwer, which fits in to the fubjedt, like the contrivance whence it takes its name : ex. Who owns this ? The dovetail is. Not you by your afking.
Douglas. Roby Douglas, with one eye and a flinking breath; the breech. Sea wY.
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Dowdy.
D R A
Dowdy. A coarfe, vulgar-looking woman.
Powdying. A local joke formerly pradtifed at Salisbury, on large companies, or perfons boafting of their courage. It was performed by one Pearce, who had the knack of perfonating madnefs, and who, by the direction of fome of the company, would burft into a room, in a molt furi- ous manner, as if jult broke loofe from his keeper, to the great terror of thofe not in the fecret. Dowdying became fo much the falhion of the place, that it was exhibited before his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, father of ou’- prefent fov^reign. Pearce obtained the name of Dow- dy, from a long he ufed to fing, which had for its burthen the words dorJo de donv.
Down Hills. Dice that run low.
To Dowse. To take down : as, Dcvvfe the pendant. Dowfe your dog vane ; take the cockade out of your hat. Dowfe the glim ; put out the candle.
Dowse on the Chops. A blow in the face.
Dowser. Vulgar pronounciation of douceur .
Doxies. She beggars, wenches, whores.
Drab. A natty, fluttilh whore.
Drag. To go on the drag ; to follow a cart or waggon, in order to rob it. Cant.
Draggletail, or Daggletail. One whofe garments are befpattered with dag or dew: generally applied to the female fex, to fignify a llattern.
Dragooning it, A man who occupies two branches of one profettion, is laid todragoonit; becaufe, like the foldier of that denomination, he ferves in a double capacity. Such is a phyttcian who furnilhes the medicines, and com- pounds his own preferiptions.
Dram. A glafs or fmall meainre of any fpirituous liquors, which, being originally fold by apothecaries, wc?e ettimated by drams, ounces, &c, Dog’s dram ; to fpit in his mouth, and clap his back.
Dram -a-tick. A dram ferved upon credit.
Draper. An ale draper; an alehoufe keeper.
Draught, or Bill, on the Pump at Aldgate, A b^d or falfe bill of exchange. See Aldgate.
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Draw Latches. Robbers of houfes whofe doors are only fattened with latches. Cant.
Drawers. Stockings. Cant .
Drawing the King’s Picture. Coining. Cant .
To Dress. To beat. I’ll drefs his hide neatly; I’ll beat him foundly.
Dribble. A method of pouring out, as it were, the dice from the box, gently, by which an old pra&itioner is en- abled to cog one of them with his fore finger.
Dripper. A gleet.
Dromedary. A heavy, bungling thief or rogue. A purple dromedary ; a bungler in the art and myflery of thieving. Cant .
Drommerars. See Domerars.
Drop. The new drop; a contrivance for executing felons at
Newgate, by means of a platform, whichdrops from under
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them : this is alfo called the lad drop. See Leaf.
Drop a Cog. To let fall, with defign, a piece of gold or filver, in order to draw in and cheat the perfon who fees it picked up ; the piece fo dropt is called a dropt cog.
Drop in the Eye. Almoft drunk.
To Drub. To beat any one with a flick, or rope?s end: perhaps a contra&ion of dry rub. It is alfo ufed to fignify a good beating with any indrument.
Drumbelo. A dull, heavy fellow.
Drummer. A jockey term for a horfe that throws about his fore legs irregularly : the idea is taken from a kettle drummer, who in beating makes many flourifhes with his drumflicks.
Drunk. Drunk as a wheel-barrow. Drunk as Davids fow : fee David’s Sow.
Drury Lane Ague. The venereal diforder.
Drury Lane Vestal. A woman of the town, or profli- tute: Drury-lane, and its environs, were formerly the re- fidence of many of thofe ladies.
Dry Bob. A fmart repartee: alfo copulation without emif- fion ; in law Latin, Jiccus robertulus.
Dry Boots. A fly humorous fellow.
Dub. A picklock, or matter-key. Cant.
Dub
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D U K
Dub Lay. Robbing houfes by picking the locks.
Dub the Gigger. Open the door. Cant .
Dub o’ th’ Hick. A lick on the head.
Dubber. A picker of locks. Cant.
Duce. Two-pence.
D uck. A lame duck; an Exchange-alley phrafe for a dock jobber, who either cannot or will not pay his Ioffes, or differences, in which cafe he is laid to waddle out of the alley , as he cannot appear there again till his debts are fettled and paid ; Ihould he attempt it, he would be huftled out by the fraternity.
D ucks and Drakes. To make ducks and drakes; a fchool boy’s amufetnent, practifed with pieces of tile, ©yfter-fhells, or flat ti fh llones, which being fkimmed along the furface of a pond, or dill river, rebound many times. To make ducks and drakes of one’s money; to throw it idly away.
Duck F-ck-r. The man who has the care of the poultry on board a lhip of war.
Duck Legs. Shortlcgs.
Pudders, of Whispering Dudders. Cheats who travel the country pretending to fell fmuggled goods: they ac- coft their intended dupes in a whifper. The goods they have for fale are old (hop-keepers, or damaged; purchafed by them of large manufactories. See Duffer.
Dud dering Rake. A thundering rake, a buck of the fird head, one extremely lewd.
Dudgeon. Anger.
Duds. Clothes.
Duffers. Cheats who ply in different parts of the town, particularly about Water-lane, oppofite St. Clement’s Church in the Strand, and pretend to deal in fmuggled goods, flopping all country people, or fuch as they think they can impofe on ; which they frequently do, by felling them Spital-fields goods at double their current price.
Duke, or Rum Duke. A queer unaccountable fellow.
Duke of Limbs. A tall, aukward, ill-made fellow.
Duke Humphrey. To dine with Duke Humphrey ; to fail. Humphrey, Duke of Gloucefler, furnamed the Good,
was
DUN
was famous for his voluntary mortifications, particularly frequent falling.
Dull Swift. A fiupid, fluggilh fellow, one long going on an errand.
Dumb A r m . A lam e arm .
Dumb-founded. Silenced, alfo foundly beateiv.
Dumb Glutton. A woman’s privities.
Dumb Watch. A venereal bubo in the groin.
Dumplin. A ihort thick man or woman. Norfolk dump- lin ; a jeering appellation of a Norfolk man, dumplins being a favourite kind of food in that country.
Dumps. Down in the dumps; low-fpirited, melancholy: jocularly faid to be derived from Dumpos, a king of Egypt, who died of melancholy. Dumps are alfo fmall pieces of lead, call by fchool boys in the lhape of money.
Dun. An importunate creditor. Dunny, in the provincial dialed of feveral counties, fignifies deaf ; to dun, then, perhaps may mean to deafen with importunate demands : lome derive it from the word donnex, which fignifies give* But the true original meaning of the word, owes its birth to one Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of the town of Lincoln, fo extremely aclive, and fo dexterous in his bufinefs, that it became a proverb, when a man refufed to pay. Why do
s
not you Dun him ? that is. Why do not you fet Dun to ar- xed him ? Hence it became a cant word, and is now as old as fince the days of Henry VII. Dun was alfo the general name for the hangman, before that of Jack Ketch.
And prefently a halter got,
Made of the bef frong hempen teer.
And ere a cat could lick her ear ,
Had tied it up with as much art ,
As DUN himfelf could do for ’s heart.
Cotton s Virgil <Tracv. book iv. Dun aker. A ftealer q f cows and calves.
Dunghill. A coward: a cockpit phrafe, all but game cocks being ftyled dunghills. To die dunghill ; to repent, or Ihew any figns of contrition, at the gallows. Moving dunghill ; a dirty, filthy man or woman. Dung, an abbre- viation of dunghill, alfo means a journeyman taylor who
fubmits
fubmits to the law for regulating journeymen taylors wages, therefore deemed by the flints a coward. See Flints.
Dun nock. A cow. Cant.
ToDup. To open a door : a contraction of do cpe or open. See Dub.
Durgen. A little trifling fellow.
Durham Man. Knocker-kneed, he grinds muftard with his knees : Durham is famous for its mullard.
Dust. Money. Down with your dull ; depolit the money. To raife or kick up a dull ; to make a dilturbance or riot : fee Breeze. Dull it away ; drink about.
Dustman. A dead man : your father is a duflman.
Dutch Comfort. Thank God it is noworfe.
Dutch Concert. Where every one plays or fmgs a dif- ferent tune.
Dutch Feast. Where the entertainer gets drunk before his guefts.
Dutch Reckoning, or Alle-mal. A verbal or lump account, without particulars, as brought at fpunging or bawdy houfes.
Dutchess. A woman enjoyed with her pattens on, or by a man in boots, is faid to be made a dutchefs.
Dye hard, or game. To dye hard, is to Ihew no figns of fear or contrition at the gallows ; not to whiddle- or fqueak. This advice is frequently given to felons going to fuffer the law, by their old comrades, anxious for the honour of the gang.
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ENG
EaRNEST. A depofit in part of payment, to bind a bargain.
Easy. Make the cull eafy, or quiet; gagg or kill him. As eafy as pilling the bed.
Easy Virtue. A lady of eafy virtue; an impure, or prof- titute.
Eat. To eat like a beggar man, and wag his under jaw; a jocular reproach to a proud man. To eat one’s words ; to retract what one has faid.
To Edge. To llimulate or provoke, or, as it is vulgarly called, to egg a man on. Fall back, fall edge ; i. e. let what will happen. Some derive to egg on, from the Latin word, age, age.
Eight Eyes. I will knock out two of your eight eyes ; a common Billingfgate threat from one fiffi nymph to ano- ther: every woman, according to the naturalilts of that fo- ciety, having eight eyes ; viz. two feeing eyes, two bub- eyes, a bell-eye, two popes-eyes, and a ***-eye. He has fallen down and trod upon his eye ; faid of one who has a black eye.
Elbow Grease. Labour. Elbow greafe will make an oak table Ihine.
Elbow Room. Sufficient fpace to aft in. Out at elbows; faid of an eftate that is mortgaged.
Elbow Shaker. A gamefter, one who rattles Saint Hugh’s bones, i. e. the dice.
Elf. A fairy or hobgoblin, a little man or woman.
Elizabeths. A fociety for commemorating the anniver- fary of queen Elizabeth, who met at the fign of her head, Hicks’s Hall, in the room faid to be that wherein fhe re- ceived her juvenile education. ■
English Burgundy. Porter.
h
Ejjsign
EYE
Ensign Bearer. A drunken man, who looks red in the face, or hoifts his colours in his drink.
Eqjjipt. Rich; alfo, having new clothes. Wellequipt; full of 'money, or well drefied. The cull equipped me with a brace of meggs ; the gentleman furnilhed me with a couple of guineas.
Eriffs. Rogues juft initiated, and beginning to pra&ice.
Essex Lion. A calf : Eftex being famous for calves, a’nd. chiefly fupplying the London markets.
Essex Stile. A ditch : great part of Eftex is low marftiy ground, in which there are more ditches than ftiles. Eternity Box. A coffin.
Evans. Mrs Evans ; a name frequently given to a Ihe cat : owing, as it is faid, to a witch of the name of Evans, who frequently aftumed the appearance of a cat.*u<f# a /T+r*-
Eves. Hen roofts.
Eve’s Custom-house, where Adam made his firft entry. The monofyllable.
Eves Dropper. One that lurks about to rob hen roofts ; alfo a liftener at doors and windows, to hear private con- verfation.
Evil. A halter. Cant.
Ewe. A white ewe ; a beautiful woman. An old ewe, dreft lamb falhion ; an old woman, dreft like a young girl.
Execution Day, Walking day.
Expended. Killed : alluding to the gunner’s accounts, wherein the articles confumed are charged under the title of Expended. Sea pkrafe.
Eyes and Limbs. The foot guards were formerly fo called by the marching regiments, from a favourite execration in ufe among them, which was, damning their eyes, limbs, and blue breeches.
Eye Sore. A difagreeable objett. It will be an eye fore as long as ftie lives ; faid by a man whofe wife was cut for 3 fiftula in ano, *
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ACE MAKING. Begetting children. To face it out $ to perfiff in a falfity. No face