Etre à la ——, to be amusing oneself. Coup de ——, lively song. Enfilé à la ——, dissolute fellow. Rigolage is used with the same signification in Le Roman de la Rose, by Guillaume de Lorris and Jehan de Meung.
Rigolbochade, f. (popular), droll action; amusement, “spree;” much eating and drinking.
Rigolboche, adj. (popular), amusing; funny.
Parfait!... Très rigolo!... rigolboche! répondait le petit sénateur.—Dubut de Laforest.
Une ——, female habituée of public dancing-halls. From the name of a female who made herself celebrated at such places.
Un ——, a feast, “a tightener.”
On va trimbaler sa blonde, mon vieux; nous irons lichoter un rigolboche à la Place Pinel.—Huysmans.
Rigolbocher (popular), to have a feast, or drinking revels.
Tu seras de nos tournées, et après la représentation, nous rigolbocherons.—E. Monteil.
Rigolbocheur, adj. and m. (popular), funny; licentious.
Un ——, one fond of fun, of amusement, of revelling.
Rigole, f. (thieves’), good cheer.
Rigoler (familiar and popular), to amuse oneself. From rigouller.
Et là sus l’herbe drue dansarent au son des joyeux flageolets, et doulces cornemuses, tant baudement que c’estoit passetemps céleste les voir ainsi soi rigouller.—Rabelais, Gargantua.
Also to laugh.
Rigoler comme une tourte, to laugh like a fool.
Rigolette, f. (popular), female habituée of low dancing saloons.
Rigoleur, m. (popular), one joyously disposed and fond of the bottle, a “jolly dog.”
Rigolo, m. and adj. (gamblers’), a swindle, explained by quotation:—
Il n’avait plus qu’à surveiller les mains de cet aimable banquier pour voir ... s’il ne ferait pas passer de sa main droite dans sa main gauche une portée préparée à l’avance—un “cataplasme,” si cette portée était épaisse; un “rigolo” si elle était mince.—Hector Malot, Baccara.
An allusion to the mustard plasters of Rigolo. (Popular) Rigolo, amusing, funny.
Moi j’emmène mes deux exotiques chez Coquet, au cimetière Montmartre. C’est rigolo en diable.—P. Mahalin.
Il est rien ——! he is so amusing! Rigolo pain de seigle, or pain de sucre, extremely amusing.
Retour des choses d’ici-bas.—Rigolo pain de sucre, ça par exemple!—E. Monteil.
Rigolo, short crowbar used by housebreakers. Termed also “biribi, l’enfant, sucre de pommes, or Jacques,” and, in the English slang, “James, Jemmy, the stick.” Also a revolver. Acresto, rigolo! Be on your guard! he’s got a revolver.
Rigouillard, m. (printers’), funny, amusing fellow.
Rigri, m. (popular), over-particular man; stingy man, “hunks.”
Riguinguette, f. (popular), cigarette. Griller une ——, to smoke a cigarette.
Rince-crochets, m. (military), extra ration of coffee.
Rincée, f. (popular), thrashing, “walloping.” See Voie.
Rincer (popular), to thrash; to worst one at a game; —— la poche, to ease one of his money.
Dans les cours il y en a qui achèvent de se griser, de bons jeunes gens qu’elles lâchent après avoir rincé leurs poches.—P. Mahalin.
Se —— l’œil, to look on with pleasure. Se —— l’avaloir, le bec, le bocal, la gargoine, la corne, la cornemuse, le cornet, la dalle, la dalle du cou, la dent, le fusil, le goulot, le gaviot, le sifflet, le tube, la trente-deuxième, la gargarousse, to drink. The synonyms to describe the act in various kinds of slang are: “se passer un glacis, s’arroser le jabot, s’affûter le sifflet, se gargariser le rossignolet, se laver le gésier, sabler, sucer, licher, se rafraîchir les barres, se suiver, pitancher, picter, siffler le guindal, graisser les roues, pier, fioler, écoper, enfler, se calfater le bec, se blinder, s’humecter l’amygdale or le pavillon, siffler, flûter, renifler, pomper, siroter, biturer, étouffer, asphyxier, se rafraîchir les barbes, s’arroser le lampas, se pousser dans le battant, pictonner, soiffer;” and in the English slang: “to wet one’s whistle, to have a gargle, a quencher, a drain, something damp, to moisten one’s chaffer, to sluice one’s gob, to swig, to guzzle, to tiff, to lush, to liquor up.” The Americans to describe the act use the terms, “to see a man, to smile.” Se faire rincer, to lose all one’s money at a game, to “blew” it. Se faire —— la dalle, to get oneself treated to drink. Rincer la dent, to treat one to drink.
Rincette, f. (familiar), brandy taken after coffee.
Rinceur de cambriole, m. (thieves’), housebreaker, or “buster.”
Le voleur à la tire, le rinceur de cambriole, ceux qui font la grande soulasse sur les trimards, mènent une vie charmante en comparaison.—Th. Gautier.
Rincleux, m. (popular), miserly man, “hunks.”
Ringuer (sporting), to be a bookmaker. From the English word ring, used by French bookmakers to denote their place of meeting.
Ringueur, m. (sporting), bookmaker.
Riole, or riolle, f. (popular and thieves’), river; brook; (popular) joy; amusement. Etre en ——, to be out “on the spree.”
Ouvriers en riolle, soldats en bordées, bourgeois en goguette et journalistes en cours d’observations.—P. Mahalin.
Etre un brin en ——, to be slightly tipsy, “elevated”
(Thieves’) Aquiger ——, to find amusement.
Ripa, or ripeur, m. (thieves’), river-thief.
Ripaton, or ripatin, m. (popular), foot, “crab, dew-beater, or everlasting shoe.” Also shoe.
La pittoresque échoppe du savetier ... où l’on voit, pêle-mêle entassés, le lourd ripaton du prolétaire, le rigadin éculé du voyou, la bottine claquée de la petite rentière.—Richepin, Le Pavé.
The synonyms are: “croqueneaux, bateaux, péniches, trottinets, trottins, cocos, pompes, bateaux-mouches, rigadins, escafignons, tartines, bichons, paffes, passants, paffiers, passes, bobelins, flacons, sorlots, passifs;” and in the English slang: “trotter-cases, hock-dockies, grabbers, daisy-roots, crab-shells, bowles.” Jouer des ripatons, to run. See Patatrot.
Ripatonner (popular), to patch up old shoes.
Riper (popular), to have connection.
Ripeur, m. (popular), libertine, “rip.”
Ripioulement, m. (thieves’), bedroom, “dossing-crib.”
Ripiouler (thieves’), to sleep, “to doss.”
Ripopée, or ripopette, f. (popular), worthless article; mixture of wine left in glasses, or which flows on the counter of a wine-retailer.
Riquiqui, m. (popular), brandy of inferior quality, see Tord-boyaux; thing badly done, or of inferior quality. Avoir l’air ——, is said of a woman attired in ridiculous style, who looks like a “guy.”
Rire (popular), comme une baleine, to open, when laughing, a mouth like a whale’s; —— comme un cul, to laugh with lips closed and cheeks puffed out; —— comme une tourte, to laugh like a fool. Entendre —— de l’argenterie, to ring a bell. Faire —— les carafes, to say such absurd things as to make the most sedate persons laugh. (Theatrical) Rire du ventre, to shake one’s sides as if in the act of laughing.
Risquer un verjus (popular), to discuss a glass of wine or brandy at the bar of a wine-shop.
Rivancher (thieves’), to make a sacrifice to Venus.
Termed formerly “river.”
Rive gauche, f., (students’), a part of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, wherein are situated the University higher colleges and schools, such as l’Ecole de Médecine, l’Ecole de Droit, la Sorbonne, le Collège de France, &c.
J’en viens de ce coin de Paris qu’on a appelé jadis le pays latin puis le quartier latin et ensuite le quartier des écoles et qui aujourd’hui s’intitule simplement la rive gauche.—Didier, Echo de Paris, 1886.
Rivette, f. (popular and thieves’), prostitute, or “punk.” See Gadoue. Also name given by Sodomites to wretches whom they plunder under threats of disclosures.
La rivette se récrie; le faux agent persiste, s’emporte, jure ... il finit par obtenir une somme d’argent.—Léo Taxil.
Riz-pain-sel, m. (military), anyone connected with the commissariat, a “mucker.”
Les deux hommes tenaient conseil. T’as entendu ce qu’a dit le colonel?—C’est pas un colonel, c’est un riz-pain-sel. Ça y fait rien.... Faut en finir avec nos deux particuliers. Nous allons leur brûler la gueule d’un coup de flingot.—Bonnetain, L’Opium.
Robaux, or roveaux, m. pl. (old cant), gendarmes. Attrimer les ——, to run away from gendarmes, to show them sport. The term seems a corruption of royaux.
Rober (thieves’), to steal; to steal a man’s clothes. This is the old form of dérober, which formerly signified to disrobe, and nowadays to purloin. Provençal raubar. Compare with the English to rob. See Grinchir.
Robignol, adj. (thieves’), extremely amusing; extremely good.
Robinson, or pépin, m. (popular), umbrella, “mush.”
Rochet, m. (thieves’), bishop; priest, or “devil-dodger.”
Rogne, adj. and f. (familiar and popular), être ——, to be in a rage, “to be shirty.” Avoir des rognes avec un gas, to have a quarrel. Flanquer la ——, to get one in a rage. Properly rogne signifies itch, mange, and it stands to reason that anyone suffering from the ailment would naturally be in anything but a good humour.
Les hôtes de la posada, intimidés et méfiants, nous prenant pour des bandits, “avaient la frousse” selon l’expression pittoresque de L. M. qui, mourant de faim, comme d’habitude, déclara furieux que cette réception lui “flanquait la rogne,” surtout lorsqu’il vit la vieille mégère, horrible compagnonne, faire signe à son mari de charger le tromblon.—Hector Franck, A Travers l’Espagne.
Avoir la ——, to be out of temper, or “riled.” A person is then said to have his “monkey up.” An allusion to the evil spirit which was supposed to be always present with a man, but more probably to the unenviable state of mind of a man who should have such a malevolent animal firmly established on his shoulders, comparable only to the maddening sensation expressed by “avoir un rat dans la trompe,” i.e., “to be riled,” to be badgered.
Rogner (thieves’), to guillotine. Literally to pare off. (Popular) Rogner, to be in a rage.
L’infirmier se fout à rogner, naturellement.—Comment, qu’y dit, vous osez dire ça.—G. Courteline.
Rogneur, m. (military), fourrier, or non-commissioned officer employed in the victualling department. Literally one who gives short commons, paring off part of the provisions.
Rognon, m. (popular), un sale ——, a lousy, or “chatty” person. Applied especially to a low woman. (Familiar) Rognon, facetious term applied to a man with a big sword across his loins. Literally un rognon brochette, broiled kidney.
La lame, sans fourreau, attachée dans le dos par une double chaîne pouvant se croiser sur la poitrine... Il entre et un spectateur l’assassine de ce mot: “Tiens, un rognon brochette! “—A. Germain, Le Voltaire.
Rognures, f. pl. (theatrical), inferior actors. See Fer-blanc.
Rogommier, m. (popular), a brandy-bibber.
Rogommiste, m. (popular), retailer of brandy.
Roi de la mer, m. (popular), prostitute’s bully, “ponce.” See Poisson.
Romagnol, or romagnon, m. (thieves’), hidden treasure.
Romain, m. (familiar), “claqueur,” or man paid to applaud at a theatre. An allusion to the practice of certain Roman emperors who had a kind of choir of official applauders.
Les Romains de Paris n’ont rien de commun avec les habitants de la ville aux sept collines.... Leur champ de bataille, c’est le parterre du théâtre ... en un mot les romains sont ces mêmes hommes que l’on nommait vulgairement autrefois des claqueurs.—Balzac.
Romaine, f. (popular), scolding. Also a mixture of rum and orgeat.
Romamitchel, romanitchel, or romanichel, m. (thieves’), gipsy. Romnichal in England, Spain, and Bohemia has the signification of gipsy man, and romne-chal, romaniche, is a gipsy woman. In England Romany is a gipsy, or the gipsy language—the speech of the Roma or Zincali Spanish gipsies, termed Gitanos. “Can you patter Romany?” i.e., Can you talk “black,” or gipsy “lingo.” See Filendèche.
Romance. See Camp.
Rome, f. (thieves’), aller, or passer à ——, to be reprimanded.
Romilly. See Insurgé.
Romture, or rousture, f. (thieves’), man under police supervision.
Ronchonner (popular), to grumble; to mutter between one’s teeth.
Ronchonneur, m., ronchonneuse, f. (popular), grumbler.
Elle m’en veut donc toujours la vieille ronchonneuse?—Zola.
Rond, m. and adj. (popular), a sou. Termed also “rotin.”
Avoir le ——, to have money; to be well off, or “well ballasted.” Pousser son ——, to ease oneself by evacuation. Rond, drunk, or “tight;” —— comme balle, comme une bourrique, or comme une boule, completely tipsy, or “sewed up.” See Pompette.
(Familiar) Un —— de cuir, employé; clerk, or “quill-driver.”
Rondache, f. (thieves’), ring, “fawney.”
Rondelets, m. pl. (obsolete), small breasts.
Rondement (obsolete), chier ——, not to hesitate, to act with resolution, without dilly-dallying.
Pardienne, mamselle, vous l’avez déjà fait. A quoi bon tant tortiller.... Il faut chier rondement, et ne pas faire les choses en rechignant.—Isabelle Double, 1756.
Rondier, m. (thieves’), watchman, or overseer at the hulks. From faire une ronde, to go one’s rounds.
Rondin, m. (popular), lump of excrement, or “quaker;” (popular and thieves’) five-franc coin.
—Et combien qu’ça coûte, ste bête?
—Un rondin, deux balles et dix Jacques.
—N... de D...! Sept livres dix sous!—Vidocq.
Rondin jaune, gold coin, “yellow boy;” —— jaune servi, gold coin stolen and then stowed away.
Ah! s’il voulait cromper ma sorbonne (sauver ma tête), quelle viocque (vie) je ferais avec mon fade de carle (ma part de fortune), et mes rondins jaunes servis (et l’or que je viens de cacher).—Balzac, La Dernière Incarnation de Vautrin.
Rondine, f. (thieves’), ring, or “fawney;” walking-stick; ball.
Rondiner (thieves’), to cudgel one; (popular) to spend money. From rond, a sou; —— des yeux, to stare.
Rondinet, m. (thieves’), ring, “fawney.”
Rond-point-des bergères, m. (roughs’), the Halles, or Paris market.
Rondqué, m. (popular), one sou.
Ronflant, adj. (thieves’), well-dressed. Is also said of one who has a well-filled purse.
Ronfle, f. (popular), jouer à la ——, to sleep soundly and to snore. (Thieves’) Ronfle, prostitute, or “punk;” woman, or “blowen;” —— à grippart, same meaning.
Ronfler (popular), faire —— Thomas, to ease oneself. (Thieves’) Une poche qui ronfle, a well-filled pocket, one “chockful of pieces.”
A cette époque, quand un voleur avait fait un coup, quand la poche ronflait, toute sa bande se rendait au Lapin Blanc, boire, manger, faire la noce aux frais du meg.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.
Ronfler à cri, to pretend to sleep.
Ronge-pattes, m. (popular), child, or “squeaker.”
Rongeur, m. (familiar), or ver rongeur, cab taken by the hour. Paris cabs generally go at a snail’s pace, with consequent increase of fare.
Roquille, f. (popular), one-fourth of a setier, or eighth part of a litre.
Rosbif de rat d’égout! m. (roughs’), insulting epithet. Might be rendered by “you skunk!”
Hé! dis donc, éclanche de bouledogue, rosbif de rat d’égout, tu vas te faire taper sur la réjouissance.—A. Scholl, L’Esprit du Boulevard.
Rose des vents, f. (popular), breech, “blind cheek” in the English slang.
Rosière de Saint-Laze, f. (popular), for Saint-Lazare, an inmate of the prison of Saint-Lazare, which serves for prostitutes and unfaithful wives. Properly une “rosière,” or rose queen, is a virtuous, well-behaved maiden. At Nanterre and other country places a maid is proclaimed rosière at a yearly ceremony in which the authorities play their part, the famous pompiers of the not less famous song being one of the most important factors in the pageant.
Rossaille, f. (horse-dealers’), worthless horse, “screw.”
Rossard, m. (familiar and popular), man with no heart for work, a “bummer.”
Rosse, f. (familiar and popular), lazy fellow. Etre ——, to be cantankerous, ill-natured.
Une ——, a peevish, stubborn, or lazy woman.
Rossignante, f. (old cant), flute.
Rossignol, m., or carouble, f. (thieves’), picklock, or “betty;” (familiar) any inferior article left unsold. The expression specially refers to books.
Rossignoler (thieves’), to sing, “to lip.”
Rossignoliser (familiar), to sell articles without any value, or soiled articles.
Rosto, m. (Ecole Polytechnique), gas-lamp. From the name of General Rostolan, who introduced the gas apparatus into the establishment.
Roter (popular), en ——, to be astounded. Literally to belch for astonishment.
En disant que ... les soldats n’étaient pas de la charcuterie, qu’on traitait les chiens mieux que ça; enfin, un boniment à ne pas s’y reconnaître. La sœur en rotait!—G. Courteline.
En —— le fond de son caleçon, superlative of “en roter,” to be “flabbergasted.” Je montrais à des touristes Américains toutes les merveilles de la ville, ils en rotaient le fond de leur caleçon. I showed some American tourists all the curiosities of the town; they were utterly astounded.
Rôti, m., formerly brand on convict’s shoulder.
Rotin, m. (popular), sou. Termed also “flèche, pélot.” (Card-sharpers’) Flamboter aux rotins, termed also “consolation anglaise,” variety of swindling card trick.
Rôtisseuse, f. (popular), roast chicken. Exhibe la ——, look at the chicken.
Rototo, m. (popular), coller du ——, to cudgel, “to larrup.” Rototo! expression of contempt or refusal.
Rouâtre, m. (thieves’), bacon, “sawney.” Jack speeled to the crib (went home) when he found Johnny Doyle had been pulling down sawney (bacon) for grub.
Roubignole, f. (card-sharpers’), small ball made of cork and used at a swindling game.
Roubignoleur, m. (card-sharpers’), swindler who plays at “roubignole” (which see).
Roublage, m. (thieves’), deposition of a witness.
Roublard, adj. and m. (thieves’), ugly; inferior, “rot;” “quyer,” in old English cant; police officer, or “reeler.” Soufflé par les roublards et ballonné à la pointue, taken by the police and imprisoned in the dépôt de la Préfecture. Un ——, a cunning fellow, “an artful dodger.”
(Prostitutes’) Roublard, rich man, one who possesses roubles, “rhino, fat.”
Roublardise, f. (familiar and popular), cunning; trickery.
Les roublardises de la politique la laissaient froide.—Hector France, La Pudique Albion.
Roubler (thieves’), to make a deposition; —— à la manque, to make a deposition against one, or a false one. A false witness is called by English thieves “a rapper.”
Roubleur, m. (thieves’), witness.
Rouchi, m. (familiar and popular), man of repugnant manners or morals; low cad, “rank outsider.”
Rouchie, m. (familiar and popular), low, abandoned girl or woman, “draggle-tail;” dirty, disgusting woman.
Roue, f. (popular and thieves’), de derrière, thune, or palet, silver five-franc piece. Le messière a dégaîné une roue de derrière, the gentleman has given a five-franc piece. In the English slang a crown is termed a “hind coach-wheel,” and half-a-crown a “fore coach-wheel.”
Ils ouvraient des quinquets grands comme des roues de derrière en nous reluquant d’un air épaté.—Richepin.
Roue de devant, two-franc piece.
Roué, m. (thieves’), juge d’instruction; (card-sharpers’) swindler who handles the cards at the three-card game, his confederate being termed “amorceur.”
Rouen, m. (obsolete), aller à ——, to be ruined, “to go a mucker.” A play on the word ruiner. Envoyer à ——, to ruin. Michel records the following expressions formed by a similar play on words: Aller à “Dourdan,” to be beaten (old word dourder, to beat); aller à “Versailles,” to be upset (from verser); aller en “Angoulême,” to eat (from en and gueule); aller à “Niort,” to deny (from nier, to deny); aller à “Patras,” to die (from ad patres); aller à “Cachan,” to conceal oneself (from cacher). To kill was expressed by envoyer à “Mortaigne.” It used to be said of a person conjugally deceived, that he travelled in “Cornouaille,” alluding to the horns. An ignorant man was said to have received his education at “Asnières” (âne). A threat of dismissal was made in the words “envoyer à l’abbaye de Vatan.” A madman was a native of “Lunel,” &c. (Theatrical) Aller à Rouen, to be hissed, “to get the big bird.”
Rouffier, m. (thieves’), soldier. The old English cant had the word “ruffler” to designate beggars pretending to be old or maimed soldiers, and who robbed or even murdered people. From the Italian ruffare, to seize.
Rouffion, m. (shopmen’s), shop-boy at a haberdasher’s. “Rouffionne,” shop-girl.
Rouffionner (popular), to break wind; —— sans dire fion, to do so without apologizing.
Rouffle, f. (thieves’), blow, “wipe.” Also a kick.
Roufflée, f. (military), a terrible thrashing, after which one is “knocked into a cocked hat.”
Rouflaquette, f. (familiar and popular), lock of hair worn twisted from the temple back towards the ear, “aggerewaters, or Newgate knockers.”