Baveux, m. (popular), one who does not know what he is talking about.

Bayafe, m. (thieves’), pistol, “barking iron,” or “barker.”

Bayafer (thieves’), to shoot.

Bazar, m. (military), house of ill-fame, “flash drum;” (servants’) house where the master is particular, “crib;” (popular) any house; (prostitutes) furniture, “marbles;” (students) college or school, “shop.”

Bazarder (popular), to sell off anything, especially one’s furniture; to barter; (military) to pillage a house; to wreck it.

Bazenne, f. (thieves’), tinder.

Bé, m. (popular), wicker-basket which rag-pickers sling to their shoulders.

Béar, adj. (popular), laisser quelqu’un ——, to leave one in the lurch.

Beau, m., old term for swell; ex-——, superannuated swell.

Beau blond (thieves’), a poetical appellation for the sun.

Beauce, f. (thieves’), plume de ——, straw, or “strommel.”

Beauce, m., beauceresse, f., second-hand clothes-dealers of the Quartier du Temple.

Beauge, m. (thieves’), belly, “guts.”

Beausse, m. (thieves’), wealthy man, “rag-splawger,” or one who is “well-breeched.”

Bébé, m. (popular), stunted man; female dancer at fancy public balls in the dress of an infant; the dress itself; term of endearment. Mon gros ——! darling! ducky!

Bec, m. (popular), mouth, “maw;” —— salé, a thirsty mortal. Claquer du ——, to be fasting, “to be bandied.” Rincer le —— à quelqu’un, to treat one to some drink. Se rincer le ——, to wet one’s whistle. Tortiller du ——, to eat, “to peck.” Casser du ——, to have an offensive breath. Avoir la rue du —— mal pavée, to have an irregular set of teeth. Ourler son ——, to finish one’s work. (Sailors’) Se calfater le ——, to eat or drink, “to splice the mainbrace.” (Thieves’) Bec de gaz, bourrique, flique, cierge, arnif, peste, laune, vache, police-officer or detective, “pig,” “crusher,” “copper,” “cossack,” “nark,” &c.

Bécane, f. (popular), steam engine, “puffing billy;” small printing machine.

Bécarre is the latest title for Parisian dandies; and the term is also used to replace the now well-worn expression “chic.” The “bécarre” must be grave and sedate after the English model, with short hair, high collar, small moustache and whiskers, but no beard. He must always look thirty years of age; must neither dance nor affect the frivolity of a floral button-hole nor any jewellery; must shake hands simply with ladies and gravely bend his head to gentlemen. “Bécarre—being translated—is ‘natural’ in a musical sense.”—Graphic, Jan. 2, 1886. The French dandy goes also by the appellations of “cocodès, petit crevé, pschutteux,” &c. See Gommeux.

Bécasse, f. (popular), female guy.

Eh! va donc, grande bécasse!

Becfigue de cordonnier, m. (popular), goose.

Bêchage, m. (familiar), sharp criticism.

Bêcher (familiar), to criticize, to run down; (popular) to beat, “to bash.” Se ——, to fight, “to have a mill.”

Bêcheur, m. (thieves’), beggar, “mumper;” juge d’instruction, a magistrate whose functions are to make out a case, and examine a prisoner before he is sent up for trial. Avocat ——, public prosecutor.

Bêcheuse, f. (thieves’), female thief.

Bécot, m. (popular), mouth, “kisser;” kiss, “bus.”

Bécoter (popular), to kiss; to fondle, “to firkytoodle.”

Becquant, m. (thieves’), chicken, “cackling cheat,” or “beaker.”

Becquetance, f. (popular), food, “grub.”

Becqueter (popular), to eat, “to peck.”

Dis-donc! viens-tu becqueter? Arrive clampin! Je paie un canon de la bouteille.—Zola.

Bedon, m. (popular), belly, “tripes,” or “the corporation.”

Bédouin, m. (popular), harsh man, or “Tartar;” one of the card-sharper tribe.

Beek (Breton), wolf. Gwelet an euz ar beek is equivalent to elle a vu le loup, that is, she has lost her maidenhead.

Beffeur, m., beffeuse, f. (popular), deceiver, one who “puts on.”

Bègue, f. (thieves’), oats; also abbreviation of bézigue, a certain game of cards.

Béguin, m. (popular), head, “nut;” a fancy. Avoir un —— pour quelqu’un, “to fancy someone, “to cotton on to one.”

Beigne, f. (popular), cuff or blow, “bang.”

Bêlant, m. (thieves’), sheep, “wool-bird.”

Belêt, m. (horse-dealers’), sorry horse, “screw.”

Belette, f. (popular), fifty-centime piece.

Belge, f. (popular), Belgian clay-pipe.

Belgique (familiar), filer sur ——, to abscond with contents of cash-box, is said also of absconding fraudulent bankrupts, who generally put the Belgian frontier between the police and their own persons.

Bélier, m. (cads’), cuckold.

Bellander (tramps’), to beg, “to cadge.”

Belle, f. (popular and familiar), attendre sa ——, to wait one’s opportunity. Jouer la ——, to play a third and decisive game. La perdre ——, to lose a game which was considered as good as won; to lose an opportunity. (Thieves’) Etre servi de ——, to be imprisoned through mistaken identity; to be the victim of a false accusation. (Popular) Belle à la chandelle, f., ugly; —— de nuit, female habituée of balls and cafés; (familiar) —— petite, a young lady of the demi-monde, a “pretty horse-breaker.”

Bénard, m. (popular), breeches, “kicks,” or “sit-upons.”

Bénef, m., for bénéfice, profit.

Bénévole, m. (popular), young doctor in hospitals.

Béni-coco (military), être de la tribu des ——, to be a fool.

Béni-Mouffetard (popular), dweller of the Quartier Mouffetard, the abode of rag-pickers.

Bénir (popular), bas, to kick one in the lower part of the back, “to toe one’s bum,” “to root,” or “to land a kick;” (popular and thieves’) —— des pieds, to be hanged, “to cut caper-sauce,” or “to be scragged.”

Bénisseur, m. (familiar), one who puts on a dignified and solemn air, as if about to give his blessing, and who delivers platitudes on virtue, &c.; one who makes fine but empty promises; political man who professes to believe, and seeks to make others believe, that everything is for the best. An historical illustration of this is General Changarnier thus addressing the House on the very eve of the Coup d’Etat which was to throw most of its members into prison, “Représentants du peuple, délibérez en paix!”

Benoît, m. (popular), woman’s bully, “ponce.” See Poisson.

Benoîton, m., benoîtonne, f., people eccentric in their ways and style of dress. From a play of Sardou’s, La Famille Benoîton.

Benoîtonner, to live and dress after the style of the Benoîtons (which see).

Benoîtonnerie, f., style and ways of the Benoîtons.

Beq, m. (engravers’), work.

Béquet, m. (shoemakers’), patch of leather sewn on a boot; (wood engravers’) small block; (printers’) a composition of a few lines; paper prop placed under a forme.

Béqueter (popular), to eat, “to peck,” or “to grub.”

Béquillard, m. (popular), old man, old “codger;” (thieves’) executioner.

Béquillarde, f. (thieves’), guillotine.

Béquille, f. (thieves’), gallows, “scrag.” Properly crutch.

Béquillé, m. (thieves’), hanged person, one who has “cut caper sauce.”

Béquiller (popular), to hang; to eat, “to grub.”

Béquilleur, m. (thieves’), executioner; man who eats.

Berce. Cheval qui se ——, horse which rocks from side to side when trotting, which “wobbles.”

Berdouillard (popular), man with a fat paunch, “forty guts.”

Berdouille, f. (popular), belly, “tripes.”

T’as bouffé des haricots que t’as la berdouille gonfle.—Richepin, Le Pavé.

Berge, f., or longe (thieves’), year; one year’s imprisonment, “stretch.”

Bergère, f. (popular), sweetheart, “poll;” last card in a pack.

Béribono, béricain (thieves’), silly fellow easily deceived, a “flat,” a “go along.”

Berlauder (popular), to lounge about, “to mike;” to go the round of all the wine-shops in the neighbourhood.

Berline de commerce, f. (thieves’), tradesman’s clerk.

Berlu, m. (thieves’), blind, or “hoodman.” From avoir la berlue, to see double.

Berlue, f. (thieves’), blanket, “woolly.”

Bernard, m. (popular), aller voir ——, or aller voir comment se porte madame ——, to ease oneself, “to go to Mrs. Jones.”

Bernards, m. pl. (popular), posteriors, “cheeks.”

Berniquer (popular), to go away with the intention of not returning.

Berri, m. (popular), rag-picker’s basket.

Berry, m. (Ecole Polytechnique), fatigue tunic.

Bertelo, m. (thieves’), one-franc piece.

Bertrand, m. (familiar), a swindler who is swindled by his confederates, who acts as a cat’s-paw of other rogues.

Berzélius, m. (college), watch.

Besoin, m. (popular), autel de ——, house of ill-fame, or “nanny-shop.”

Besouille, f. (thieves’), belt. From bezzi, Italian, small coin kept in a belt.

Bessons, m. pl. (popular), the breasts, “dairies.” Properly twins.

Bestiasse, f. (popular), arrant fool; dullard, “buffle-head.”

Bête, f. and adj. (thieves’), confederate in a swindle at billiards. See Bachotter. (Popular) —— à bon Dieu, harmless person (properly lady-bird); —— à cornes, fork; lithographic press; —— à deux fins, walking-stick; —— à pain, a man; also a man who keeps a woman; —— comme ses pieds, arrant fool; —— comme chou, extremely stupid; very easy; —— épaulée, girl who has lost her maidenhead (this expression has passed into the language). Une —— rouge, an advanced Republican, a Radical. Thus termed by the Conservatives. Called also “démoc-soc.”

Bêtises, f. pl. (popular), questionable, or “blue,” talk.

Bettander (thieves’), to beg, “to mump,” or “cadge.”

Betterave, f. (popular), drunkard’s nose, a nose with “grog blossoms,” or a “copper nose,” such as is possessed by an “admiral of the red.”

Beuglant, m. (familiar), low music hall; music hall.

Beugler (popular), to weep, “to nap one’s bib.”

Beugne, f. (popular), blow, “clout,” “bang,” or “wipe.”

Beurloquin, m. (popular), proprietor of boot warehouse of a very inferior sort.

Beurlot, m. (popular), shoemaker in a small way.

Beurre, m. (familiar), coin, “oof;” more or less lawful gains. Faire son ——, to make considerable profits. Mettre du —— dans ses épinards, to add to one’s means. Y aller de son ——, to make a large outlay of money in some business. C’est un ——, it is excellent, “nobby.” Avoir l’assiette au Beurre. See Avoir. Au prix où est le ——. See Au. Avoir du —— sur la tête. See Avoir.

Beurre demi-sel, m. (popular), girl or woman already tainted, in a fair way of becoming a prostitute.

Beurrier, m. (thieves’), banker, “rag-shop cove.”

Bézef (popular), much. From the Arabic.

Biard (thieves’), side. Probably from biais.

Bibard, m. (popular), drunkard, or “mop;” debauchee, or “sad dog.”

Bibarder (popular), to grow old.

Bibarderie, f. (popular), old age.

Bibasse, birbasse, adj. and subst., f. (popular), old; old woman.

Bibasserie. See Bibarderie.

Bibassier, m. (popular), sulky grumbler; over-particular man; drunkard, “bubber,” or “lushington.”

Bibelot (familiar), any object; (soldiers’) belongings; knapsack or portmanteau; (printers’) sundry small jobs. Properly any small articles of artistic workmanship; knick-knacks.

Bibeloter (popular), to sell one’s belongings, one’s “traps;” —— une affaire, to do some piece of business. Se ——, to make oneself comfortable; to do something to one’s best advantage.

Bibeloteur, m. (familiar), a lover of knick-knacks; one who collects knick-knacks.

Bibelotier, m., printers’ man who works at sundry small jobs.

Bibi, m. (popular), term of endearment generally addressed to young boys; woman’s bonnet out of fashion. C’est pour ——, that’s for me, for “number one.” La Muse à ——, the title of a collection of poems by Gill, literally my own muse. A ——! (printers’) to Bedlam! abbreviation of Bicêtre, Paris depôt for lunatics. (Thieves’) Bibi, skeleton key, or “betty;” (military) infantry soldier, “mud-crusher,” “wobbler,” or “beetle-crusher.”

Bibine, f., the name given by rag-pickers to a wine-shop, or “boozing-ken.”

Biboire, f., (schoolboys’), small leather or india-rubber cup.

Bibon, m. (popular), disreputable old man.

Bicarré, m. (college), fourth year pupil in the class for higher mathematics.

Biceps, m. (familiar), avoir du ——, to be strong. Tâter le ——, to try and insinuate oneself into a person’s good graces, “to suck up.”

Bich, kornik, or kubik (Breton), devil.

Biche, f. (familiar), term of endearment, “ducky!”; girl leading a gay life, or “pretty horse-breaker.”

Bicheganego (Breton), potatoes.

Bicher (popular), to kiss. (Rodfishers’) Ça biche, there’s a bite; and in popular language, all right.

Bicherie, f. (familiar), the world of “biches” or “cocottes.” Haute ——, the world of fashionable prostitutes.

C’est là où ... on voit défiler avec un frou-frou de soie, la haute et la basse bicherie en quête d’une proie, quærens quem devoret.—Frébault, La Vie à Paris.

Bichon, m., term of endearment. Mon ——! darling. (Popular) Un ——, a Sodomist.

Bichonner coco (soldiers’), to groom one’s horse.

Bichons, m. pl. (popular), shoes with bows.

Bichot, m. (thieves’), bishop. Probably from the English.

Bidache, f. See Bidoche.

Bidard, m. (popular), lucky.

Bidet, m. (convicts’), string which is contrived so as to enable prisoners to send a letter, and receive the answer by the same means.

Bidoche, or barbaque, f. (popular), meat, “bull;” (military) piece of meat.

Bidon de zinc, m. (military), blockhead. Properly a can, flask.

Bidonner (popular), to drink freely, “to swig;” (sailors’) —— à la cambuse, to drink at the canteen, “to splice the mainbrace.”

Bie (Breton cant), beer; water.

Bien (popular), pansé, intoxicated, “screwed.” Mon ——, my husband, or “old man;” my wife, or “old woman.” Etre du dernier —— avec, to be on the most intimate terms with. Etre ——, to be tipsy, “screwed.” Etre en train de —— faire, to be eating. Un homme ——, une femme ——, means a person of the middle class; well-dressed people.

Bienséant, m. (popular), the behind, or “tochas.” See Vasistas.

Bier (thieves’), to go.

Ils entrent dans le creux, doublent de la batouze, des limes, de l’artie et puis doucement happent le taillis et bient attendre ceux qui se portaient sur le grand trimar.—Le Jargon de l’Argot.

Bière, f. (popular), domino box.

Biffe, f. (popular), rag-pickers’ trade.

Biffer (popular), to ply the rag-pickers’ trade; to eat greedily, “to wolf.”

Biffeton, m. (thieves’), letter, “screeve,” or “stiff;” (popular) counter-mark at theatres. Donner sur le ——, to read an indictment; to give information as to the prisoner’s character.

Biffin, or bifin, m. (popular), rag-picker, or “bone-grubber;” a foot soldier, or “wobbler,” his knapsack being assimilated to a rag-picker’s basket.

Biffre, m. (popular), food, “grub.” Passer à ——, to eat. Passer à —— à train express, to bolt down one’s food, “to guzzle.”

Bifteck, m. (popular), à maquart, filthy, “chatty” individual (Maquart is the name of a knacker); —— de chamareuse, flat sausage (chamareuse, a working girl); —— de grisette, flat sausage. Faire du ——, to strike, “to clump;” to ride a hard trotting horse, which sometimes makes one’s breech raw.

Bifteckifère, adj., that which procures one’s living, one’s “bread and cheese.”

Bifurqué. At the colleges of the University students may, after the course of “troisième,” take up science and mathematics instead of continuing the classics. This is called bifurcation.

Bigard, m. (thieves’), hole.

Bigardé (thieves’), pierced.

Bige, bigeois, bigeot, m. (thieves’), blockhead, “go along;” dupe, or “gull.”

Bigorne, m. (thieves’), jaspiner or rouscailler ——, to talk cant, “to patter flash.”

Bigorneau, m. (popular), police officer, or “crusher;” marine, or “jolly.”

Bigorniau, m. (popular), native of Auvergne.

Bigornion, m. (popular), falsehood, “swack up.”

Bigoter (thieves’), to play the religious hypocrite.

Bigoteur, m. (thieves’), devout person.

Bigotter, (popular), to pray.

Bigrement (familiar), a forcible expression, extremely, “awfully.”

Bijou, m. (popular), broken victuals, or “manablins;” (freemasons’) badge; —— de loge, badge worn on the left side; —— de l’ordre, emblem.

Bijouter (thieves’), to steal jewels.

Bijouterie, f. (popular), money advanced on wages, “dead-horse.”

Bijoutier, m., bijoutière, f. (popular), retailer of “arlequins” (which see); bijoutier sur le genou, en cuir, shoemaker, or “snob.”

Bilboquet, m. (popular), person with a large head; man who is made fun of; a laughing-stock; a litre bottle of wine. Bilboquet, properly cup and ball. (Printers’) sundry small jobs.

Billancer (thieves’), to serve one’s full term of imprisonment.

Billancher (popular), to pay, “to fork out,” “to shell out.”

Billard, m. (popular), dévisser son, to die, or “to kick the bucket.”

Bille, f. (thieves), money, or “pieces” (from billon); (popular) head, “tibby,” “block,” “nut,” “canister,” “chump,” “costard,” “attic,” &c.; —— à châtaigne, grotesque head (it is the practice in France to carve chestnuts into grotesque heads); —— de billard, bald pate, “bladder of lard;” —— de bœuf, chitterling.

Billemon, billemont, m. (thieves’), bank-note, “soft,” “rag,” or “flimsy.”

Billeoz (Breton), money.

Billeozi (Breton), to pay.

Biller (thieves’), to pay, “to dub.”

Billet, m. (popular), direct pour Charenton, absinthe taken neat. Prendre un —— de parterre, to fall, “to come a cropper.” Je vous en fous or fiche mon ——, I assure you it is a fact, “on my Davy,” “’pon my sivvy,” or “no flies.”

Billez (Breton), girl; peasant woman.

Bince, m. (thieves’), knife, “chive.”

Binelle, f. (popular), bankruptcy.

Binellier, m. (popular), bankrupt, “brosier.”

Binellophe, f. (popular), fraudulent bankruptcy.

Binette, f. (familiar), face, “phiz;” —— à la désastre, gloomy face. Prendre la —— à quelqu’un, to take one’s portrait. Quelle sale ——, what an ugly face! a regular “knocker face.” Une drôle de ——, queer face.

Binômes, chums working together at the Ecole Polytechnique. It is customary for students to pair off for work.

Binwio (Breton), male organs of generation. Literally tools.

Bique, f. (popular), old horse; —— et bouque, hermaphrodite (equivalent to “chèvre et bouc”).

Birbade, birbasse, birbe, birbette, birbon, m. and adj. (thieves’ and popular), old; old man; old woman.

Birbassier. See Bibassier.

Birbe (popular), old man, old “codger;” (thieves’) —— dab, grandfather.

Birbette, m. (popular), a very old man.

Biribi, m. (thieves’), short crowbar used by housebreakers, “James,” “the stick,” or “jemmy.” Termed also “pince monseigneur, rigolo, l’enfant, Jacques, sucre de pomme, dauphin.”

Birlibi, m. (thieves’), game played by swindling gamblers with walnut shells and dice.

Birmingham (familiar), rasoir de —— (superlative of rasoir), bore.

Bisard, m. (thieves’), bellows (from bise, wind).

Biscaye (thieves’), Bicêtre, a prison.

Biscayen (thieves’), madman, one who is “balmy.” (Bicêtre has a dépôt for lunatics.)

Bischoff, m. drink prepared with white wine, lemon, and sugar.

Biscope, or viscope, f. (cads’), cap.

Biser (familiar), to kiss.

Bismarck, couleur ——, brown colour; —— en colère, —— malade, are various shades of brown.

Bismarcker (gamesters’), to mark twice; to appropriate by fair or foul means. It is to be presumed this is an allusion to Bismarck’s alleged summary ways of getting possession of divers territories.

Bisquant, adj. (popular), provoking, annoying.

Bissard, m. (popular), brown bread.

Bistourné, m. (popular), hunting horn.

Bistro, bistrot, m. (popular), landlord of wine-shop.

Bitte et bosse (sailors’), carousing exclamation.

Laisse arriver! voiles largues, et remplissez les boujarons, vous autres! Tout à la noce! Bitte et bosse!—Richepin, La Glu.

Bitter cuirassé, m. (familiar), mixture of bitters and curaçoa.

Bitume, m. foot-pavement. Demoiselle du ——, street-walker. Faire le ——, to walk the street. Fouler, or polir le ——, to saunter on the boulevard.

Bitumer is said of women who walk the streets.

Biture, f. (familiar), excessive indulgence in food or drink, “scorf.”

Biturer (popular), se ——, to indulge in a “biture” (which see).

Blackboulage, m. (familiar), blackballing.

Blackbouler (familiar), to blackball. The expression has now a wider range, and is used specially in reference to unreturned candidates to Parliament. Un blackboulé du suffrage universel, an unreturned candidate.

Blafard (cads’), silver coin.