(Thieves’ and police) Ficelle, chain or strap. (Police) Pousser de la ——, to watch a thief; to give him a “roasting.” (Sporting) Un cheval ——, a horse of very slender build.
Ficellier, m. (popular), a tricky person who lives by his wits, “an artful dodger.”
Fichaise, f. (general), a worthless thing, “not worth a curse.”
Fichant, adj. (popular), annoying; tiresome; disappointing.
Fichard, m. (popular), va t’en au ——! go to the deuce!
Fiche (familiar), va te faire ——! go to the deuce! Expressive also of disappointment. Je croyais réussir, mais va te faire fiche! I thought I should succeed, but no such thing.
Je t’en ——! nonsense! nothing of the kind! Il croit réussir je t’en ——! Vous croyez qu’il a tenu sa promesse? Je t’en ——! Fiche-moi le camp et plus vite que ça, be off in double quick time, “sling your hook.”
Ficher (thieves’), to yawn; —— la colle, to tell plausible falsehoods; —— la colle gourdement, to be an artful beggar; (popular) —— la misère par quartiers, to live in poverty; —— la paresse, to be idle.
Je fiche la paresse, je me dorlote.—Zola.
Se —— un coup de tampon, to fight. Se —— de la fiole, or de la bobine de quelqu’un, to laugh at one; to seek to make a fool of him. (Military) Se —— un coup de latte, to fight a duel with cavalry swords.
Fichtrement (general), very; awfully.
Fichu, adj. (general), put; given. Il l’a —— à la porte, he turned him out of doors; he has given him the “sack.” Fichu comme l’as de pique, comme un paquet de linge sale, badly dressed; clumsily built. Fichu, capable. Il est —— de ne pas venir, he is quite capable of not coming at all.
Fichumacer (popular), for ficher, to do. Qu’est-ce que tu fichumaces? what are you up to?
Fidibus, m. (familiar), pipe-light; spill. Lorédan Larchey says:—
Une communication de M. Fey assigne à ce mot une origine allemande. Dans les universités de ce pays, les admonestations officielles commencent par les mots: fidibus (pour fidelibus) discipulis universitatis, &c. Les délinquants qui allument par forfanterie leurs pipes avec le papier de l’admonestation, lui ont donné pour nom le premier mot de sa première ligne.—Dict. Hist. d’Argot.
Fiérot, m. (popular), stuck-up, “uppish.”
Fièvre, f. (thieves’), accès de —— cérébrale, accusation on the capital charge; sentence of death. Redoublement de ——, aggravating circumstances or new charge made against a prisoner who is already on his trial.
La Cigogne a la digestion difficile, surtout en fait de redoublement de fièvre (révélation d’un nouveau fait à charge).—Balzac.
Fiferlin, m. (popular), soldier, “swaddy,” or “wobbler.” From fifre, fife.
Fifi, m. and f. (popular), un ——, a scavenger employed at emptying cesspools, a “gold finder;” scavenger’s cask in which the contents of cesspools are carried away. Une ——, a thin, skinny girl.
Les plantureuses et les fifis, les grands carcans et les bassets ... les rosières comme aussi les enragées qu’ont donné des arrhes à son promis.—Trublot, Le Cri du Peuple, Sept., 1886.
Fifi-lolo, m. (popular), one who plays the fool.
Fifloche, m. (popular), one more skilful than the rest, who leads the quadrille at a dancing hall.
Fiflot, m. (military), infantry soldier, “beetle-crusher,” “grabby.”
Figariste, m. (familiar). Properly a contributor to the Figaro newspaper, and figuratively term of contempt applied to unscrupulous journalists.
Fignard, m., figne, f. (popular), the breech, or “one-eyed cheek.” See Vasistas.
Fignolade, f. (theatrical), prolonged trilling.
Fignole, f. adj. (thieves’), pretty, “dimber.”
Figuration, f. (theatrical), staff of supernumeraries, or “sups.”
Figure, f. (popular), the breech, see Vasistas; sheep’s head. Ma ——, myself, “No. 1.”
Figurer (thieves’), to be in irons.
Fil, m. (thieves’), de soie, thief, “prig.” See Grinche. (Popular) Avoir le ——, or connaître le ——, to know what one is about, “to be up to a dodge or two.” N’avoir pas inventé le —— à couper le beurre is said of one who is not particularly bright, who is “no conjurer.” N’avoir plus de —— sur la bobine, to be bald, or “stag-faced.” Prendre un ——, to have a dram of spirits, a drop of “something damp,” or a “drain.” Un verre de ——, a glass of brandy. Une langue qui a le ——, a sharp tongue.
Filage, m. (card-sharpers’), handling cards in such a manner that trumps will turn up; juggling away a card as in the three-card trick, “slipping;” (thieves’) tracking one.
Filasse, f. (popular), mattress, bed, “doss;” a piece of roast beef. Se fourrer dans la ——, to go to bed, to get into the “kip.”
Filature, f. (thieves’), following stealthily a person. Faire la ——, or lâcher de la —— à quelqu’un, to follow a person stealthily, to track one, “to nose.” Prendre en —— un voleur, to follow and watch a thief. (Familiar) Filature de poivrots, spirit-shop patronized by confirmed drunkards.
Filendèche, m. (thieves’), one of the vagabond tribe.
Lorsque j’occupais mon poste de commissaire de police dans ce dangereux quartier, les habitants sans patente des carrières d’Amérique formaient quatre catégories distinctes: les Hirondelles, les Romanichels, les Filendèches et les Enfants de la loupe.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.
Fil-en-double, m. (popular), wine.
Fil-en-trois, fil-en-quatre, fil-en-six, m. (popular), spirits.
Allons ... un petit verre de fil en quatre, histoire de se velouter et de se rebomber le torse.—Th. Gautier.
Filer (thieves’), to steal. See Grinchir. Filer la comète, or la sorgue, to sleep in the open air; —— le luctrème, to open a door by means of a picklock, “to screw;” —— une pelure, to steal a coat; —— un sinve, to dog a man, “to nose;” —— une condition, to watch a house and get acquainted with the ins and outs in view of a burglary.
From a song composed by Clément, a burglar (quoted by Pierre Delcourt, Paris Voleur, 1886). This poet of the “family men” was indiscreet enough, some days after the burglary described, to sing his production at a wine-shop frequented by thieves, and, unfortunately, by detectives also, with the result that he was sent over the water and given leisure time to commune with the Muses. (Sailors’ and popular) Filer son nœud, or son câble, to go away; to run away, “to cut the cable and run before the wind.” See Patatrot. Filer un nœud, to spin a yarn. File ton nœud, go on with your story or your discourse, “pay away.” With regard to the latter expression the Slang Dictionary says:—
Pay-away ... from the nautical phrase pay-away, meaning to allow a rope to run out of a vessel. When the hearer considers the story quite long enough, he, carrying out the same metaphor, exclaims, “hold on!”
(General) Filer quelqu’un, to follow one stealthily so as to watch his movements; (popular) —— la mousse, to ease oneself. See Mouscailler. Filer le Plato, to love in a platonic manner; —— une poussée, to hustle, “to ramp;” —— des coups de tronche, to butt at one’s adversary with the head; —— une ratisse, to thrash, “to tan.” See Voie. (Theatrical) Filer une scène, to skilfully bring a scene to its climax; (card-sharpers’) —— la carte, to dexterously substitute a card for another, to “slip” a card.
Une fois le saut de coupe fait, le grec a le soin d’y glisser une carte large, point de repère marquant l’endroit où il doit faire sauter la coupe au mieux de ses intérêts... Il file la carte, c’est à dire il change une carte pour une autre.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.
Filet de vinaigre, m. (theatrical), shrill voice, one that sets the teeth on edge.
Fileur, m. (police), man who dogs one, a “nose;” (card-sharpers’) one who dexterously substitutes a card for another, who “slips” a card; (thieves’) confederate of the floueurs and emporteurs (which see), who levies a percentage on the proceeds of a card-sharping swindle; person who follows thieves and extorts money from them by threats of disclosures; detective; (familiar) —— de Plato, platonic lover.
Fillaudier, m. (popular), one who is fond of the fair sex, “molrower.”
Fille, f. (familiar and popular), de maison, or —— de tourneur, prostitute in a brothel; harlot; —— en carte, street-walker whose name is in the police books as a registered prostitute. See Gadoue. Grande ——, bottle of wine. (Familiar) Fille de marbre, a cold-hearted courtesan; —— de plâtre, harlot, “mot.” For list of over 140 synonyms see Gadoue.
Fillette, f. (popular), half a bottle of wine.
Filoche, f. (thieves’), purse, “skin,” or “poge.” Avoir sa —— à jeun, to be penniless, “hard up.”
Filou, adj. (popular), wily, “up to a dodge or two.”
Filsange, f. (thieves’), floss silk.
Fin, f. (thieves’), de la soupe, guillotine. See Voyante. (Familiar) Faire une ——, to get married, “spliced,” or “hitched” (Americanism).
Fine, f. and adj. (popular), excrement, or “quaker,” abbreviation of “fine moutarde;” (familiar) abbreviation of “fine champagne,” best quality of brandy. (Thieves’) Etre en —— pégrène, to be in great danger; to be in an “awful fix.”
La raille (la police) est là.... Je joue la mislocq (la comédie) pour un fanandel en fine pégrène (un camarade à toute extrémité).—Balzac.
Finette, f. (card-sharpers’), a pocket wherein are secreted certain cards.
Il a sous son habit, au dos de son pantalon, une poche dite finette, dans laquelle il place les cartes non biseautées qu’il doit substituer aux siennes.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.
Fiole, f. (familiar), bottle of wine; (popular) head, or “tibby;” face, or “mug.” J’ai soupé de ta ——, I have had enough of you; I will have nothing more to do with you. Se ficher de la —— à quelqu’un, to laugh at one.
Pour la —— à quelqu’un, for one.
Songez qu’ ça s’ra l’plus beau jour d’la carrière d’Truiru, toujours sur la brèche, qui s’donne tant d’mal pour vos fioles.—Trublot, Le Cri du Peuple, 1886.
Sur la —— à quelqu’un, about one, concerning one. Il fagaut ne pas dégueularder sur leur ——, we must say nothing about them.
Fioler (familiar and popular), to drink; —— le rogome, to drink brandy. (Thieves’) Fioler, to stare at one.
Fioleur, m. (familiar and popular), one who is too fond of the bottle, “a lushington.”
Fion, coup de ——. See Coup. (Cads’ and thieves’) Dire ——, to apologize, to beg one’s pardon.
Fionner (familiar and popular), to play the dandy.
Fionneur, m. (familiar and popular), one who plays the dandy.
Fiquer (thieves’), to strike; to stab, “to chive.”
Fiques, f. pl. (thieves’), clothes, or “clobber.”
Fiscal, adj. (familiar), elegant.
Fish, m. (familiar), women’s bully, or “ponce,” generally called “maquereau,” mackerel. For list of synonyms see Poisson.
Fissure, f. (popular), avoir une ——, to be slightly crazy, “to be a little bit balmy in one’s crumpet.”
Fiston, m. (popular), term of endearment. Mon ——, my son, sonny. Mon vieux ——, old fellow.
Flac, m. (thieves’), sack; —— d’al, money-bag; bed, or “kip.”
Flache, f. (popular). See Flanche.
Flacons, m. (popular), shoes, “trotter cases.” See Ripatons. Déboucher ses ——, to take off one’s shoes.
Flacul, m. (thieves’), bed, or “kip;” money-bag.
Le vioque a des flaculs pleins de bille; s’il va à Niort, il faut lui riffauder les paturons.—Vidocq. (The old man has bagfuls of money; if he denies it, we’ll burn his feet.)
Flafla, m. (familiar and popular), great showing off. Faire du ——, to show off; to flaunt.
Flageolet, m. (obsolete), called by Horace cauda salax.
Flageolets, m. (popular), legs, “pegs.” Termed also “fumerons, guibes, guibolles.”
Flambant, m. and adj. (military), artillery man, “son of a gun;” (familiar and popular) magnificent, “slap up, clipping, nap.”
Flambard, m. (thieves’), dagger. Formerly termed “cheery;” (familiar and popular) one who has dash; one who shows off.
Flambarde, f. (popular), pipe. Termed “dudeen” by the Irish; (thieves’) candle, or “glim.”
Flambe, f. (thieves’), sword, or “poker.” Petite ——, knife, or “chive.” From Flamberge, name given by Renaud de Montauban (one of the four sons of Aymon who revolted against Charlemagne, and who have been made, together with their one charger Bayard, the heroes of chivalry legends), to his sword, and now used in the expression, Mettre flamberge au vent, to draw.
Flamber (mountebanks’), to perform; (familiar and popular) to make a show; to shine.
Ils voulaient flamber avec l’argent volé, ils achetaient des défroques d’hasard.—E. Sue.
Flambert, m. (thieves’), dagger. Termed “cheery” in the old English cant.
Flambotter aux rottins (card-sharpers’), kind of swindling game at cards.
Flamsick, flamsique, m. (thieves’), Flemish.
Flan, m. (thieves’), c’est du ——, it is excellent. Au ——, it is true. A la ——, at random, at “happy go lucky.” (Popular) Du ——! an ejaculation expressive of refusal. See Nèfles.
Flanchard, flancheur, m. (thieves’), cunning player; one who hesitates, who backs out.
Flanche, m. (thieves’), game of cards; theft; plant. Grande ——, roulette or trente et un. Un —— mûr, preconcerted robbery or crime for the perpetration of which the time has come. (Popular) Flanche, dodge; contrivance; affair; job. Il connaît le ——, he knows the dodge. Foutu ——! a bad job! C’est ——! it is all right.
Toujours des injustices; mais attendons; c’est point fini c’flanche là.—Trublot, Le Cri du Peuple, March, 1886.
(Thieves’ and cads’) Je n’entrave pas ton ——, I don’t understand your game, “I do not twig,” or, as the Americans say, “I don’t catch on.” Nib du ——, on t’exhibe! stop your game, they are looking at you! Si tu es enfilé et si le curieux veut t’entamer, n’entrave pas et nib de tous les flanches, if you are caught and the magistrate tries to pump you, do not fall into the snare, and keep all the “jobs” dark.
Flancher (thieves’), to play cards; (popular) to laugh at; to back out; to hesitate; to dilly-dally, “to make danger” (sixteenth century).
Flanchet, m. (thieves’), share; participation in a theft. Foutu ——, bad job.
Flancheur, m. (thieves’), an informer, a “nark;” one who backs out; a player; (popular) —— de gadin, one who takes part in a game played with a cork, topped by a pile of halfpence, which the players try to knock off by aiming at it with a penny. (Popular and thieves’) Enfonceur de —— de gadin, poor wretch who makes a scanty living by robbing of their halfpence the players at the game described above. He places his foot on the scattered coins, and works it about in such a manner that they find a receptacle in the interstices of his tattered soles.
Flâne, f. (popular), laziness.
Flanelle, f. (prostitutes’), one who does not pay. (General) Faire ——, to visit a house of ill-fame with platonic intentions.
Flanocher (popular), to be lazy; to saunter lazily about, “to shool.”
Flanquage, m. (popular), à la porte, dismissal, “the sack.”
Flanque. See Flanche.
Flanquer une tatouille (general), to thrash, “to wallop.” See Voie.
Flaquadin, m. (popular), poltroon, or “cow’s babe.”
Flaque, f. (cads’ and thieves’), lady’s reticule; lump of excrement, or “quaker.”
Flaquer (popular), to tell a falsehood; to ease oneself, “to bury a quaker.” See Mouscailler.
Flaquet, m. (thieves’), fob. Avoir de la dalle au ——, to have well-filled pockets.
Flaquot, m. (thieves’), cash-box, or “peter.”
Flasquer (thieves’), to ease oneself. See Mouscailler. Flasquer du poivre à quelqu’un, to avoid one; to fly from one. J’ai flasqué du poivre à la rousse, I fled from the police.
Flatar, m. (thieves’), four-wheeler, or “growler.”
Flaupée, flopée, f. (popular), mass of anything; crowd. Une —— de, much, or “neddy.”
Flauper (popular), to thrash, “to wallop.” See Voie.
Flèche, rottin, or pélot, m. (thieves’ and cads’), five-centime coin, or sou.
Flémard, m. (general), lazy or “Mondayish” individual; poltroon, or “cow’s babe.”
Flème, or flemme (general), fear; laziness. Lorédan Larchey says: “Flemme est une forme ancienne de notre flegme. Ce n’est pas douteux quand on voit dire en Berri flême pour manque d’énergie; en Normandie et en Suisse fleume; en provençal et en italien, flemma. Sans compter le Trésor de Brunetto Latini qui dit dès le xiiiᵉ siècle: ‘Flemme est froide et moiste.’” Avoir la ——, to be afraid.
Ça fiche joliment la flème de penser qu’il faut remonter là-haut ... et jouer!—E. Monteil.
Avoir la ——, to be disinclined for work.
Aujourd’hui, c’est pas qu’j’ai la flemme. Je jure mes grands dieux non qu’j’ai point c’maudit poil dans la main qu’on m’accuse d’temps en temps d’avoir.—Trublot, Le Cri du Peuple, Sept., 1886.
Battre sa ——, to be idling, or “shooling.”
Fleur, f. (popular), de macadam, street-walker. See Gadoue. Fleur de mai, de mari, virginity. (Card-sharpers’) Verre en fleurs, a swindling dodge at cards. See Verre.
Le coup de cartes par lequel ces messieurs se concilient la fortune, est ce qu’on appelle le verre en fleurs.—Vidocq.
Fleurant, m. (thieves’), nosegay; (popular) the behind. See Vasistas.
Flibocheuse, f. (popular), fast or “gay” girl, “shoful pullet.”
Flic-flac, or fric-frac (thieves’), faire le ——, to pick a lock, “to screw,” “to strike a jigger.”
Fligadier, m. (thieves’), sou.
Flingot, m. (general), butcher’s steel; musket. Termed formerly “baston à feu.”
Flingue, f. (nautical), musket.
Flippe, f. (popular), bad company.
Fliquadard, m. (popular), police officer, “bobby,” or “blue-bottle.” Concerning the latter expression the Slang Dictionary says:—“This well-known slang term for a London constable is used by Shakespeare. In Part II. of King Henry IV., act v., scene 4, Doll Tearsheet calls the beadle who is dragging her in, a ‘thin man in a censer, a blue-bottle rogue.’ This may at first seem singular, but the reason is obvious. The beadles of Bridewell, whose duty it was to whip the women prisoners, were clad in blue.” For synonyms of fliquadard see Pot-à-tabac.
Flique, m. (popular), commissaire de police, or petty police magistrate; police officer, or “bobby.” For synonyms see Pot-à-tabac.
Flopée. See Flaupée.
Floquot, m. (thieves’), drawer.
Flottant, m. (thieves’), fish; (popular) ball patronized by women’s bullies. Literally a company of “poissons,” or bullies.
Flottard, m. (students’), student preparing for the naval school.
Flotte, f. (students’), monthly allowance. A boy’s weekly allowance is termed “allow” at Harrow School. (Popular) Etre de la ——, to be one of a company. Des flottes, many; much, “neddy.” (Thieves’) La ——, a gang of swindlers and murderers which existed towards 1825.
La Flotte était composée de membres fameux ... ces membres de la haute pègre travaillaient par bandes séparées: Tavacoli l’Italien était un tireur de première force (voleur de poche).... Cancan, Requin et Pisse-Vinaigre étaient des assassins, des surineurs d’élite.... Lacenaire fréquentait la Flotte sans jamais dire son véritable nom qu’il gardait, en public.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.
Vendre la ——, to inform against accomplices, “to turn snitch.”
Flotter (popular), to bathe. Termed at the R. M. Academy “to tosh;” to swim. (Popular and thieves’) Faire ——, to drown.
Nous l’avons fait flotter après lui avoir grinchi la négresse qu’elle portait sous le bras.—E. Sue.
Flotteur, m. (popular), swimmer.
Flou (thieves’), abbreviation of floutière, nothing. J’ai fait le ——, I found nothing to steal.
Flouant, m. (thieves’), game (flouer, to swindle). Grand ——, high play.
Flouchipe, m. (popular), swindler, or “shark.” From flouer and chiper, to swindle and to prig.
Floue, f. (thieves’), crowd, “push or scuff.” The anagram of foule, crowd, or else from flouer, to swindle, through an association of ideas.
Floué, adj. (general), swindled, taken in, “sold,” “done brown.”
Alors, en deux mots, il leur raconte la scène, le traité brûlé, l’affaire flambée ...—Ah! la drogue ... je suis flouée ... dit Séphora.—A. Daudet.
Flouer, f. (general), to cheat, “to do,” “to bilk;” (thieves’) to play cards, playing being, with thieves, synonymous of cheating.
S’il y avait des brèmes on pourrait flouer.—Vidocq.
Flouerie, f. (general), swindle, “take in,” or “bilk.”
La flouerie est au vol ce que la course est à la marche: c’est le progrès, le perfectionnement scientifique.—Philipon.
Floueur, m. (thieves’), card-sharper who entices country folks or strangers into a café where, aided by confederates, he robs them at a swindling game of cards.
Floume, f. (thieves’), woman, “muslin,” or “hay bag.”
Floutière (thieves’), nothing.
C’est qu’un de ces luisans, un marcandier alla demander la thune à un pipet et le rupin ne lui ficha que floutière.—Le Jargon de l’Argot. (One day a mendicant went to ask for alms at a mansion, and the master gave him nothing.)
Flu (Breton), thrashing.
Flubart, m. (thieves’), fear, “funk.” N’avoir pas le ——, to be fearless.
Flume, adj. and m. (popular), être ——, to be phlegmatic; slow.
Flûte, f. (familiar and popular), bottle of wine; glass of beer; syringe. Flûte! go to the deuce!
Ah! flûte!—Ah! tu vois bien que je t’embête!—Pourquoi? Tu m’as dit “flûte!”—Oui, flûte! zut! tout ce que tu voudras; mais fiche-moi la paix.—E. Monteil, Cornebois.
Joueur de ——, hospital assistant. An allusion to his functions concerning the administering of clysters. (Military) Flûte, cannon. Termed also “brutal, sifflet.”
Flûtencul, m. (popular), an apothecary, or “clyster pipe.” Spelt formerly flutencu. The Dictionnaire Comique has the following:—
Peste soit du courteau de boutique et du flutencu.—Pièces Comiques.
Flûter (familiar and popular), to drink. See Rincer. Flûter, to give a clyster. The Dictionnaire Comique (1635) has the phrase, Se faire —— au derrière, “façon de parler burlesque, pour dire, se faire donner un lavement.” Envoyer ——, to send to the deuce. C’est comme si vous flûtiez, it is no use talking.
Flûtes, f. pl. (popular), legs, or “pegs.” Termed also flûtes à café.