MACE, to mace a shopkeeper, or give it to him upon the mace, is to obtain goods on credit, which you never mean to pay for; to run up a score with the same intention, or to spunge upon your acquaintance, by continually begging or borrowing from them, is termed maceing, or striking the mace.
MACE-GLOAK, a man who lives upon the mace.
MAG, a halfpenny.
MANCHESTER, the tongue.
MANG, to speak or talk.
MAULEY, the hand.
MAX, gin or hollands.
MILESTONE, a country booby.
MILL, to fight. To mill a person is to beat him.
MILL A GLAZE, to break a window.
MILL-DOLL, an obsolete name for Bridewell house of correction, in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, London.
MILLING-COVE, a pugilist.
MITTS, gloves.
MITTENS, the hands.
MIZZLE, to quit or go away from any place or company; to elope, or run away.
MOLLISHER, a woman.
MONKEY, a padlock.
MONKERY, the country parts of England are called The Monkery.
MONTRA, a watch.
MORNING-SNEAK, going out early to rob private houses or shops by slipping in at the door unperceived, while the servant or shopman is employed in cleaning the steps, windows, &c.
MOTT, a blowen, or woman of the town.
MOUNT, to swear, or give evidence falsely for the sake of a gratuity. To mount for a person is also synonymous with bonnetting for him.
MOUNTER, a man who lives by mounting, or perjury, who is always ready for a guinea or two to swear whatever is proposed to him.
MOUTH, a foolish silly person; a man who does a very imprudent act, is said to be a rank mouth.
MOVE, any action or operation in life; the secret spring by which any project is conducted, as, There is move in that business which you are not down to. To be flash to every move upon the board, is to have a general knowledge of the world, and all its numerous deceptions.
Mr. KNAP. See Knap.
Mr. NASH. See Nash.
Mr. PALMER. See Palm.
Mr. PULLEN. See Pull or Pull up.
MUFF, an epithet synonymous with mouth.
MUG, the face; a queer mug is an ugly face.
MURPHY’s COUNTENANCE, a pig’s face.
MYNABS, me, myself.
NAIL, to nail a person, is to over-reach, or take advantage of him in the course of trade or traffic; also, to rob, or steal; as, I nail’d him for (or of) his reader, I robbed him of his pocket-book; I nail’d the swell’s montra in the push, I picked the gentleman’s pocket of his watch in the crowd, &c. A person of an over-reaching, imposing disposition, is called a nail, a dead nail, a nailing rascal, a rank needle, or a needle pointer.
NANCY, the posteriors.
NAP the BIB, to cry; as, the mollisher nap’d her bib, the woman fell a crying.
NASH, to go away from, or quit, any place or company; speaking of a person who is gone, they say, he is nash’d, or Mr. Nash is concerned.
NE-DASH, nothing.
NEEDLE, (see Nail) to needle a person, is to haggle with him in making a bargain, and, if possible, take advantage of him, though in the most trifling article.
NEEDLE-POINTER. See Nail.
NEEDY-MIZZLER, a poor ragged object of either sex; a shabby-looking person.
NIB, a gentleman, or person of the higher order. People who affect gentility or consequence, without any real pretensions thereto, are from hence vulgarly called Half-nibs or Half-swells; and, indeed, persons of low minds, who conceive money to be the only criterion of gentility, are too apt to stigmatize with the before-mentioned epithets any man, who, however well-bred and educated, may be reduced to a shabby external, but still preserves a sense of decorum in his manners, and avoids associating with the vagabonds among whom he may unfortunately be doomed to exist.
NIBB’D, taken in custody.
NIBBLE, to pilfer trifling articles, not having spirit to touch any thing of consequence.
NIBBLER, a pilferer or petty thief.
NIX, or NIX MY DOLL, nothing.
NOB IT, to act with such prudence and knowledge of the world, as to prosper and become independent without any labour or bodily exertion; this is termed nobbing it, or fighting nob work. To effect any purpose, or obtain any thing, by means of good judgment and sagacity, is called nobbing it for such a thing.
NOB-PITCHERS, a general term for those sharpers who attend at fairs, races, &c., to take in the flats at prick in the garter, cups and balls, and other similar artifices.
NO DOWN. See Fake away, &c.
NOSE, a thief who becomes an evidence against his accomplices; also, a person who seeing one or more suspicious characters in the streets, makes a point of watching them in order to frustrate any attempt they may make, or to cause their apprehension; also, a spy or informer of any description.
NOSE, to nose, is to pry into any person’s proceedings in an impertinent manner. To nose upon any one, is to tell of any thing he has said or done with a view to injure him, or to benefit yourself.
NULLING-COVE, a pugilist.
NUT, to please a person by any little act of assiduity, by a present, or by flattering words, is called nutting him; as the present, &c., by which you have gratified them, is termed a nut.
NUTS UPON IT, to be very much pleased or gratified with any object, adventure, or overture; so a person who conceives a strong inclination for another of the opposite sex, is said to be quite nutty, or nuts upon him or her.
NUTS UPON YOURSELF, a man who is much gratified with any bargain he has made, narrow escape he has had, or other event in which he is interested, will express his self-satisfaction or gladness by declaring that he is, or was, quite nuts upon himself.
OFFICE, a hint, signal, or private intimation, from one person to another; this is termed officeing him, or giving him the office; to take the office, is to understand and profit by the hint given.
OLD LAG, a man or woman who has been transported, is so called on returning home, by those who are acquainted with the secret. See Lag.
OLIVER, the moon.
OLIVER IS IN TOWN, a phrase signifying that the nights are moonlight, and consequently unfavourable to depredation.
OLIVER’S UP, the moon has risen.
OLIVER WHIDDLES, the moon shines.
ONE UPON YOUR TAW, a person who takes offence at the conduct of another, or conceives himself injured by the latter, will say, never mind, I’ll be one upon your taw; or, I’ll be a marble on your taw; meaning, I’ll be even with you some time.
ONION, a watch-seal, a bunch of onions, is several seals worn upon one ring.
ORDER-RACKET, obtaining goods from a shopkeeper, by means of a forged order or false pretence.
OUT-AND-OUT, quite; completely; effectually. See Serve and Fake.
OUT-AND-OUTER, a person of a resolute determined spirit, who pursues his object without regard to danger or difficulties; also an incorrigible depredator, who will rob friend or stranger indiscriminately, being possessed of neither honour nor principle.
OUT OF FLASH. See Flash.
OUT OF THE WAY, a thief who knows that he is sought after by the traps on some information, and consequently goes out of town, or otherwise conceals himself, is said by his palls to be out of the way for so and so, naming the particular offence he stands charged with. See Wanted.
OUT OF TWIG, to put yourself out of twig, is to disguise your dress and appearance, to avoid being recognised, on some particular account; a man reduced by poverty to wear a shabby dress is said by his acquaintance to be out of twig; to put any article out of twig, as a stolen coat, cloak, &c., is to alter it in such a way that it cannot be identified.
PALL, a partner; companion; associate; or accomplice.
PALM, to bribe, or give money, for the attainment of any object or indulgence; and it is then said that the party who receives it is palmed, or that Mr. Palmer is concerned.
PALMING-RACKET, secreting money in the palm of the hand, a game at which some are very expert.
PANNY, a house.
PANNUM, bread.
PARK. See Bushy-Park.
PATTER, to talk; as, He patters good flash, &c.
PATTER’D, tried in a court of justice; a man who has undergone this ordeal, is said to have stood the patter.
PEAR-MAKING, inlisting in various regiments, taking the bounty, and then deserting.
PENSIONER, a mean-spirited fellow who lives with a woman of the town, and suffers her to maintain him in idleness in the character of her fancy-man.
PETER, a parcel or bundle, whether large or small; but most properly it signifies a trunk or box.
PETER-HUNTING, traversing the streets or roads for the purpose of cutting away trunks, &c., from travelling carriages; persons who follow this game, are from thence called peter-hunters, whereas the drag more properly applies to robbing carts or waggons.
PETER-HUNTING-JEMMY, a small iron crow, particularly adapted for breaking the patent chain, with which the luggage is of late years secured to gentlemen’s carriages; and which, being of steel, case-hardened, is fallaciously supposed to be proof against the attempts of thieves.
PETER-THAT, synonymous with Stow-that.
PICK-UP, to accost, or enter into conversation with any person, for the purpose of executing some design upon his personal property; thus, among gamblers, it is called picking up a flat, or a mouth: sharpers, who are daily on the look-out for some unwary countryman or stranger, use the same phrase; and among drop-coves, and others who act in concert, this task is allotted to one of the gang, duly qualified, who is thence termed the picker-up; and he having performed his part, his associates proceed systematically in cleaning out the flat. To pick up a cull, is a term used by blowens in their vocation of street-walking. To pick a person up, in a general sense, is to impose upon, or take advantage of him, in a contract or bargain.
PIGS, or GRUNTERS, police runners.
PINS, the legs.
PINCH, to purloin small articles of value in the shops of jewellers, &c., while pretending to purchase or bespeak some trinket. This game is called the pinch—I pinch’d him for a fawney, signifies I purloined a ring from him; Did you pinch any thing in that crib? did you succeed in secreting any thing in that shop? This game is a branch of shop-lifting; but when the hoist is spoken of, it commonly applies to stealing articles of a larger, though less valuable, kind, as pieces of muslin, or silk handkerchiefs, printed cotton, &c. See Hoist.
PINCH-GLOAK, a man who works upon the pinch.
PIPES, boots.
PIT, the bosom pocket in a coat.
PIT-MAN, a pocket-book worn in the bosom-pocket.
PITCHER. Newgate in London is called by various names, as the pitcher, the stone pitcher, the start, and the stone jug, according to the humour of the speaker.
PLANT. To hide, or conceal any person or thing, is termed planting him, or it; and any thing hid is called, the plant, when alluded to in conversation; such article is said to be in plant; the place of concealment is sometimes called the plant, as, I know of a fine plant; that is, a secure hiding-place. To spring a plant, is to find any thing that has been concealed by another. To rise the plant, is to take up and remove any thing that has been hid, whether by yourself or another. A person’s money, or valuables, secreted about his house, or person, is called his plant. To plant upon a man, is to set somebody to watch his motions; also to place any thing purposely in his way, that he may steal it and be immediately detected.
PLAY ACROSS. What is commonly termed playing booty, that is, purposely losing the game, or match, in order to take in the flats who have backed you, (see Bridge) while the sharps divide the spoil, in which you have a share. This sort of treachery extends to boxing, racing, and every other species of sport, on which bets are laid; sometimes a sham match is made for the purpose of inducing strangers to bet, which is decided in such a manner that the latter will inevitably lose. Across signifies generally any collusion or unfair dealing between several parties.
PLUMMY. Right; very good; as it should be; expressing your approbation of any act, or event, you will say, That’s plummy, or It’s all plummy; meaning it is all right.
POGUE. A bag, (probably a corruption of poke.)
POPS. Pistols; an obsolete term.
POST, or POST THE PONEY. To stake, or lay down the money, as on laying a bet, or concluding a bargain.
POUNDABLE. Any event which is considered certain or inevitable, is declared to be poundable, as the issue of a game, the success of a bet, &c.
POUND IT. To ensure or make a certainty of any thing; thus, a man will say, I’ll pound it to be so; taken, probably from the custom of laying, or rather offering ten pounds to a crown at a cock-match, in which case, if no person takes this extravagant odds, the battle is at an end. This is termed pounding a cock.
PRAD. A horse.
PRADBACK. Horseback.
PRIG. A thief.
PRIG. To steal; to go out a-prigging, is to go a-thieving.
PRIME. In a general sense, synonymous with plummy; any thing very good of its kind, is called a prime article. Any thing executed in a stylish or masterly manner, is said to be done in prime twig. See Fakement, and Gammon the twelve.
PULL. An important advantage possessed by one party over another; as in gaming, you may by some slight, unknown to your adversary, or by a knowledge of the cards, &c., have the odds of winning considerably on your side; you are then said to have a great pull. To have the power of injuring a person, by the knowledge of any thing erroneous in his conduct, which leaves his character or personal safety at your mercy, is also termed having a pull upon him, that is (to use a vulgar phrase) that you have him under your thumb. A person speaking of any intricate affair, or feat of ingenuity, which he cannot comprehend, will say, There is some pull at the bottom of it, that I’m not fly to.
PULL, or PULL UP, to accost; stop; apprehend; or take into custody; as to pull up a Jack, is to stop a post-chaise on the highway. To pull a man, or have him pulled, is to cause his apprehension for some offence; and it is then said, that Mr. Pullen is concerned.
PULLED, PULLED UP, or IN PULL. Taken in custody; in confinement.
PUSH, a crowd or concourse of people, either in the streets, or at any public place of amusement, &c., when any particular scene of crowding is alluded to, they say, the push, as the push, at the spell doors; the push at the stooping-match, &c.
PUT DOWN. See Down.
PUT FLASH. See Flash.
PUT FLY. See Fly.
PUT UP, to suggest to another, the means of committing a depredation, or effecting any other business, is termed, putting him up to it.
PUT UP AFFAIR, any preconcerted plan or scheme to effect a robbery, &c., undertaken at the suggestion of another person, who possessing a knowledge of the premises, is competent to advise the principal how best to proceed.
PUTTER UP, the projector or planner of a put-up affair, as a servant in a gentleman’s family, who proposes to a gang of housebreakers the robbery of his master’s house, and informs them where the plate, &c., is deposited, (instances of which are frequent in London) is termed the putter up, and usually shares equally in the booty with the parties executing, although the former may lie dormant, and take no part in the actual commission of the fact.
PUZZLING-STICKS, the triangles to which culprits are tied up, for the purpose of undergoing flagellation.
Q. See Letter Q.
QUEER, bad; counterfeit; false; unwell in health.
QUEER, or QUEER-BIT, base money.
QUEER SCREENS, forged Bank-notes.
QUEER IT, to spoil it, which see.
QUEER-BAIL, Persons of no repute, hired to bail a prisoner in any bailable case; these men are to be had in London for a trifling sum, and are called Broomsticks.
QUID, a guinea.
QUOD, a gaol. To quod a person is to send him to gaol. In quod, is in gaol.
QUOD-COVE, the keeper of a gaol.
QUODDING-DUES. See Dues.
RACKET, some particular kinds of fraud and robbery are so termed, when called by their flash titles, and others Rig; as, the Letter-racket, the Order-racket; the Kid-rig; the Cat and Kitten-rig, &c., but all these terms depend upon the fancy of the speaker. In fact, any game may be termed a rig, racket, suit, slum, &c., by prefixing thereto the particular branch of depredation or fraud in question, many examples of which occur in this work.
RAG, money.
RAG-GORGY, a rich or monied man, but generally used in conversation when a particular gentleman, or person high in office, is hinted at; instead of mentioning his name, they say, the Rag-gorgy, knowing themselves to be understood by those they are addressing. See Cove, and Swell.
RAMP, to rob any person or place by open violence or suddenly snatching at something and running off with it, as, I ramp’d him of his montra; why did you not ramp his castor? &c. A man convicted of this offence, is said to have been done for a ramp. This audacious game, is called by prigs, the ramp, and is nearly similar to the Rush, which see.
RANK, complete; absolute, downright, an emphatical manner of describing persons or characters, as a rank nose, a rank swell, &c. &c.
RATTLER, a coach.
READER, a pocket-book.
READER-HUNTERS. See Dummy-hunters.
REGULARS, one’s due share of a booty, &c. on a division taking place. Give me my regulars, that is, give me my dividend.
REIGN, the length or continuance of a man’s career in a system of wickedness, which when he is ultimately bowled out, is said to have been a long, or a short reign, according to its duration.
RESURRECTION-COVE, a stealer of dead bodies.
RIBBAND, money in general.
RIDGE, gold, whether in coin or any other shape, as a ridge-montra, a gold watch; a cly-full of ridge, a pocket full of gold.
RIG. See Racket.
RINGING, or RINGING-IN, to ring is to exchange; ringing the changes, is a fraud practised by smashers, who when they receive good money in change of a guinea, &c., ring-in one or more pieces of base with great dexterity, and then request the party to change them.
RINGING CASTORS, signifies frequenting churches and other public assemblies, for the purpose of changing hats, by taking away a good, and leaving a shabby one in its place; a petty game now seldom practised.
RISE THE PLANT. See Plant.
ROCK’D, superannuated, forgetful, absent in mind; old lags are commonly said to be thus affected, probably caused by the sufferings they have undergone.
ROLLERS, horse and foot patrole, who parade the roads round about London during the night, for the prevention of robberies.
ROMANY, a gypsy; to patter romany, is to talk the gypsy flash.
ROOK, a small iron crow.
ROUGH-FAM, or ROUGH-FAMMY, the waistcoat pocket.
ROW IN THE BOAT, to go snacks, or have a share in the benefit arising from any transaction to which you are privy. To let a person row with you, is to admit him to a share.
RUFFLES. Handcuffs.
RUGGINS’S, to go to bed, is called going to Ruggins’s.
RUM, good, in opposition to queer.
RUMBLE-TUMBLE, a stage-coach.
RUMP’D, flogged or scourged.
RUMPUS, a masquerade.
RUSH, the rush, is nearly synonymous with the ramp; but the latter often applies to snatching at a single article, as a silk cloak, for instance, from a milliner’s shop-door; whereas a rush may signify a forcible entry by several men into a detached dwelling-house for the purpose of robbing its owners of their money, &c. A sudden and violent effort to get into any place, or vice versâ to effect your exit, as from a place of confinement, &c., is called rushing them, or giving it to ’em upon the rush.
RUSSIAN COFFEE-HOUSE, a name given by some punster of the family, to the Brown Bear public-house in Bow-street, Covent-garden.
SACK, a pocket; to sack any thing is to pocket it.
SALT-BOXES, the condemned cells in Newgate are so called.
SALT-BOX-CLY, the outside coat-pocket, with a flap.
SAND, moist sugar.
SAWNEY, bacon.
SCAMP, the game of highway robbery is called the scamp. To scamp a person is to rob him on the highway. Done for a scamp signifies convicted of a highway robbery.
SCAMP, or SCAMPSMAN, a highwayman.
SCHOOL, a party of persons met together for the purpose of gambling.
SCOT, a person of an irritable temper, who is easily put in a passion, which is often done by the company he is with, to create fun; such a one is declared to be a fine scot. This diversion is called getting him out, or getting him round the corner, from these terms being used by bull-hankers, with whom also a scot is a bullock of a particular breed, which affords superior diversion when hunted.
SCOTTISH, fiery, irritable, easily provoked.
SCOUT, a watchman.
SCOUT-KEN, a watch-house.
SCRAG’D, hang’d.
SCRAGGING-POST, the gallows.
SCREEN, a bank-note.
SCREEVE, a letter, or written paper.
SCREW, a skeleton or false key. To screw a place is to enter it by false keys; this game is called the screw. Any robbery effected by such means is termed a screw.
SCREWSMAN, a thief who goes out a screwing.
SCURF’D, taken in custody.
SEEDY, poor, ragged in appearance, shabby.
SELL, to sell a man is to betray him, by giving information against him, or otherwise to injure him clandestinely for the sake of interest, nearly the same as bridgeing him. (See Bridge.) A man who falls a victim to any treachery of this kind, is said to have been sold like a bullock in Smithfield.
SERVE, to serve a person, or place, is to rob them; as, I serv’d him for his thimble, I rob’d him of his watch; that crib has been served before, that shop has been already robbed, &c. To serve a man, also sometimes signifies to maim, wound, or do him some bodily hurt; and to serve him out and out, is to kill him.
SHAKE, to steal, or rob; as, I shook a chest of slop, I stole a chest of tea; I’ve been shook of my skin, I have been robbed of my purse. A thief, whose pall has been into any place for the purpose of robbery, will say on his coming out, Well, is it all right, have you shook? meaning, did you succeed in getting any thing? When two persons rob in company, it is generally the province, or part, of one to shake, (that is, obtain the swagg), and the other to carry, (that is, bear it to a place of safety).
SHALLOW, a hat.
SHAN, counterfeit money in general.
SHARP, a gambler, or person, professed in all the arts of play; a cheat, or swindler; any cross-cove, in general, is called a sharp, in opposition to a flat, or square-cove; but this is only in a comparative sense in the course of conversation.
SHARPING, swindling and cheating in all their various forms, including the arts of fraud at play.
SHIFTER, an alarm, or intimation, given by a thief to his pall, signifying that there is a down, or that some one is approaching, and that he had, therefore, better desist from what he is about.
SHINER, a looking-glass.
SHOOK, synonymous with rock’d.
SHOVE-UP, nothing.
SHUTTER-RACKET, the practice of robbing houses, or shops, by boring a hole in the window shutter, and taking out a pane of glass.
SINGLE-HANDED, robbery by yourself, without a pall.
SIR SYDNEY, a clasp knife.
SKIN, a purse, or money bag.
SKIN, to strip a man of all his money at play, is termed skinning him.
SLANG, a watch chain, a chain of any kind; also a warrant, license to travel, or other official instrument.
SLANG, to defraud a person of any part of his due, is called slanging him; also to cheat by false weights or measures, or other unfair means.
SLANG WEIGHTS, or MEASURES, unjust, or defective ones.
SLANGING-DUES, when a man suspects that he has been curtailed, or cheated, of any portion of his just right, he will say, there has been slanging-dues concerned.
SLANG’D, fettered.
SLANGS, fetters, or chains of any kind used about prisoners; body-slangs are body-irons used on some occasions.
SLAVEY, a servant of either sex.
SLIP, the slash pocket in the skirt of a coat behind.
SLOP, tea.
SLOP-FEEDER, a tea-spoon.
SLOUR, to lock, secure, or fasten; to slour up is also to button up; as one’s coat, pocket, &c.
SLOUR’D, or SLOUR’D UP, locked, fastened, buttoned, &c.
SLUM, a room.
SLUM. See Racket and Lodging-slum.
SLY. Any business transacted, or intimation given, privately, or under the rose, is said to be done upon the sly.
SMASHER, a man or woman who follows the game of smashing.
SMASHING, uttering counterfeit money; smashing of queer screens, signifies uttering forged bank notes. To smash a guinea, note, or other money, is, in a common sense, to procure, or give, change for it.
SMISH, a shirt.
SMUT, a copper boiler, or furnace.
SNEAK. The sneak is the practice of robbing houses or shops, by slipping in unperceived, and taking whatever may lay most convenient; this is commonly the first branch of thieving, in which young boys are initiated, who, from their size and activity, appear well adapted for it. To sneak a place, is to rob it upon the sneak. A sneak is a robbery effected in the above manner. One or more prisoners having escaped from their confinement by stealth, without using any violence, or alarming their keepers, are said to have sneak’d ’em, or given it to ’em upon the sneak. See Rush.
SNEAKSMAN, a man or boy who goes upon the sneak.
SNEEZER, or SNEEZING-COFER, a snuff-box.
SNITCH; to impeach, or betray your accomplices, is termed snitching upon them. A person who becomes king’s evidence on such an occasion, is said to have turned snitch; an informer, or tale-bearer, in general, is called a snitch, or a snitching rascal, in which sense snitching is synonymous with nosing, or coming it.
SNIPES, scissors.
SNIV, an expression synonymous with bender, and used in the same manner.
SNOW, clean linen from the washerwoman’s hands, whether it be wet or dry, is termed snow.
SNOOZE, to sleep; a snooze sometimes means a lodging; as, Where can I get a snooze for this darky instead of saying a bed.
SNUFFING, going into a shop on some pretence, watching an opportunity to throw a handful of snuff in the eyes of the shopkeeper, and then running off with any valuable article you can lay hands on; this is called snuffing him, or giving it to him upon the snuff racket.
SOLD. See Sell.
SOUND, to sound a person, means generally to draw from him, in an artful manner, any particulars you want to be acquainted with; as, to sound a kid, porter, &c. is to pump out of him the purport of his errand, the contents of his bundle, or load, &c., that your pall may know how to accost him, in order to draw the swag. See Draw and Kid-rig. To sound a cly, is to touch a person’s pocket gently on the outside, in order to ascertain the nature of its contents.
SPANGLE, a seven-shilling piece.
SPANK, to spank a glaze, is to break a pane of glass in a shop window, and make a sudden snatch at some article of value within your reach, having previously tied the shop-door with a strong cord on the outside, so as to prevent the shopman from getting out, till you have had full time to escape with your booty; to spank a place, is to rob it upon the spank; a spank is a robbery effected by the above means.
SPEAK, committing any robbery, is called making a speak; and if it has been productive, you are said to have made a rum speak.
SPEAK TO, to speak to a person or place is to rob them, and to speak to any article, is to steal it; as, I spoke to the cove for his montra; I robb’d the gentleman of his watch. I spoke to that crib for all the wedge; I robb’d that house of all the plate. I spoke to a chest of slop; I stole a chest of tea. A thief will say to his pall who has been attempting any robbery, “Well, did you speak? or, have you spoke?” meaning, did you get any thing?
SPELL, the play-house.
SPICE, the spice is the game of footpad robbery; describing an exploit of this nature; a rogue will say, I spiced a swell of so much, naming the booty obtained. A spice is a footpad robbery.
SPICE GLOAK, a footpad robber.
SPIN A YARN. See Yarn.
SPLIT, to split upon a person, or turn split, is synonymous with nosing, snitching, or turning nose. To split signifies generally to tell of any thing you hear, or see transacted.
SPOIL IT, to throw some obstacle in the way of any project or undertaking, so as to cause its failure, is termed spoiling it. In like manner, to prevent another person from succeeding in his object, either by a wilful obstruction, or by some act of imprudence on your part, subjects you to the charge of having spoiled him. Speaking of some particular species of fraud or robbery, which after a long series of success, is now become stale or impracticable from the public being guarded against it, the family will say, that game is spoiled at last. So having attempted the robbery of any particular house or shop, and by miscarrying caused such an alarm as to render a second attempt dangerous or impolitic, they will say, that place is spoil’d, it is useless to try it on any more.
SPOKE TO, alluding to any person or place that has been already robbed, they say, that place, or person, has been spoke to before. A family man on discovering that he has been robbed, will exclaim, I have been spoke to; and perhaps will add, for such a thing, naming what he has lost. Spoke to upon the screw, crack, sneak, hoist, buz, &c. &c., means robbed upon either of those particular suits or games. Upon any great misfortune befalling a man, as being apprehended on a very serious charge, receiving a wound supposed to be mortal, &c., his friends will say, Poor fellow, I believe he’s spoke to, meaning it is all over with him.
SPOONY, foolish, half-witted, nonsensical; a man who has been drinking till he becomes disgusting by his very ridiculous behaviour, is said to be spoony drunk; and, from hence it is usual to call a very prating shallow fellow, a rank spoon.
SPOUT, to pledge any property at a pawnbroker’s is termed spouting it, or shoving it up the spout.
SPREAD, butter.
SPRING THE PLANT. See Plant.
SQUARE, all fair, upright, and honest practices, are called the square, in opposition to the cross. Any thing you have bought, or acquired honestly, is termed a square article; and any transaction which is fairly and equitably conducted, is said to be a square concern. A tradesman or other person who is considered by the world to be an honest man, and who is unacquainted with family people, and their system of operations, is by the latter emphatically styled a square cove, whereas an old thief who has acquired an independence, and now confines himself to square practices, is still called by his old palls a flash cove, who has tyed up prigging. See Cross and Flat. In making a bargain or contract, any overture considered to be really fair and reasonable, is declared to be a square thing, or to be upon the square. To be upon the square with any person, is to have mutually settled all accompts between you both up to that moment. To threaten another that you will be upon the square with him some time, signifies that you’ll be even with him for some supposed injury, &c.
SQUARE-COVE. See Square.
SQUARE-CRIB, a respectable house, of good repute, whose inmates, their mode of life and connexions, are all perfectly on the square. See Cross-crib.
SQUEEZE, the neck.
STAG, to turn stag was formerly synonymous with turning nose, or snitching, but the phrase is now exploded.
STAG, to stag any object or person, is to look at, observe, or take notice of them.
STAINES, a man who is in pecuniary distress is said to be at Staines, or at the Bush, alluding to the Bush inn at that town. See Bush’d.
STAKE, a booty acquired by robbery, or a sum of money won at play, is called a stake, and if considerable, a prime stake, or a heavy stake. A person alluding to any thing difficult to be procured, or which he obtains as a great favour, and is therefore comparatively invaluable, would say, I consider it a stake to get it at all; a valuable or acceptable acquisition of any kind, is emphatically called a stake, meaning a great prize.
STALL, a violent pressure in a crowd, made by pickpockets for the more easily effecting their depredatory purposes; this is called making a rum stall in the push.
STALL OFF, a term variously applied; generally it means a pretence, excuse, or prevarication—as a person charged with any fault, entering into some plausible story, to excuse himself, his hearers or accusers would say, O yes, that’s a good stall off, or, Aye, aye, stall it off that way if you can. To extricate a person from any dilemma, or save him from disgrace, is called stalling him off; as an accomplice of your’s being detected in a robbery, &c., and about to be given up to justice, you will step up as a stranger, interfere in his behalf, and either by vouching for his innocence, recommending lenity, or some other artifice, persuade his accusers to forego their intention, and let the prisoner escape; you will then boast of having stalled him off in prime twig. To avoid or escape any impending evil or punishment by means of artifice, submission, bribe, or otherwise, is also called stalling it off. A man walking the streets, and passing a particular shop, or encountering a certain person, which or whom he has reasons for wishing to avoid, will say to any friend who may be with him, I wish you’d stall me off from that crib, (or from that cove, as the case may be) meaning, walk in such a way as to cover or obscure me from notice, until we are past the shop or person in question.
STALL UP. To stall a person up, (a term used by pickpockets,) is to surround him in a crowd, or violent pressure, and even sometimes in the open street, while walking along, and by violence force his arms up, and keep them in that position while others of the gang rifle his pockets at pleasure, the cove being unable to help or defend himself; this is what the newspapers denominate hustling, and is universally practised at the doors of public theatres, at boxing matches, ship-launches, and other places where the general anxiety of all ranks, either to push forward, or to obtain a view of the scene before them, forms a pretext for jostling, and every other advantage which the strength or numbers of one party gives them over a weaker one, or a single person. It is not unusual for the buz-coves, on particular occasions, to procure a formidable squad of stout fellows of the lower class, who, though not expert at knuckling, render essential service by violently pushing and squeezing in the crowd, and, in the confusion excited by this conduct, the unconcerned prigs reap a plentiful harvest, and the stallers up are gratified with such part of the gains acquired, as the liberality of the knuckling gentlemen may prompt them to bestow. This coup de guêrre is termed making a regular stall at such a place, naming the scene of their operations. See Stall.
STAMPS, shoes.
STAND THE PATTER. See Patter’d.
STAR. The star is a game chiefly practised by young boys, often under ten years of age, although the offence is capital. It consists of cutting a pane of glass in a shop-window, by a peculiar operation called starring the glaze, which is performed very effectually by a common penknife; the depredators then take out such articles of value as lie within reach of their arm, which if they are not interrupted, sometimes includes half the contents of the window. A person convicted of this offence is said to have been done for a star.
START. See Pitcher.
STASH. To stash any practice, habit, or proceeding, signifies to put an end to, relinquish, or quash the same; thus, a thief determined to leave off his vicious courses will declare that he means to stash (or stow) prigging. A man in custody for felony, will endeavour, by offering money, or other means, to induce his prosecutor’s forbearance, and compromise the matter, so as to obtain his liberation; this is called stashing the business. To stash drinking, card-playing, or any other employment you may be engaged in, for the time present, signifies to stow it, knife it, cheese it, or cut it, which are all synonymous, that is, to desist or leave off. See Wanted.
STASH IT. See Stow it, which has the same meaning.
STAUNCH, a resolute faithful associate, in whom one may place implicit confidence, is said by his palls to be a staunch cove.
STEAMER, a tobacco-pipe.
STEVEN, money.
STICK, a pistol.
STICKS, household furniture.
STING, to rob or defraud a person or place is called stinging them, as, that cove is too fly; he has been stung before; meaning that man is upon his guard; he has already been trick’d.
STINK. When any robbery of moment has been committed, which causes much alarm, or of which much is said in the daily papers, the family people will say, there is a great stink about it. See Wanted.
STONE-JUG; STONE-PITCHER. See Pitcher.
STOOP, the pillory is called the stoop; to be stoop’d, is to be set on the pillory.
STOOPING-MATCH, the exhibition of one or more persons on the pillory. See Push.
STOW, to stow any business, employment, or mode of life, is the same as to stash it, &c. See Stash.
STOW, STOW IT; or STOW FAKING, an intimation from a thief to his pall, to desist from what he is about, on the occasion of some alarm, &c. See Awake.
STOW, or STOW-MANGING, an intimation from one flash-cove to another in a mixed company to be silent, or drop the subject, he was upon. See Mang.
STOW THAT. When a person advances any assertion which his auditor believes to be false, or spoken in jest, or wishes the former to recant, the latter will say, stow that, if you please, or, cheese that; meaning don’t say so, or that’s out of the question.
STRETCH. Five or ten stretch, signifies five or ten yards, &c.; so in dealing for any article, as linen, &c., I will give you three hog a stretch, means, I’ll give three shillings a yard. See Hog.
STRING. See Line.
STRUMMEL, the hair of the head. To get your strummel faked in twig, is to have your hair dressed in style.
STUBBS, nothing.
SUIT, in general synonymous with game; as, what suit did you give it to ’em upon? in what manner did you rob them, or upon what pretence, &c., did you defraud them? One species of imposition is said to be a prime suit, another a queer suit: a man describing the pretext he used to obtain money from another, would say, I draw’d him of a quid upon the suit of so and so, naming the ground of his application. See Draw. A person having engaged with another on very advantageous terms to serve or work for him, will declare that he is upon a good suit. To use great submission and respect in asking any favour of another, is called giving it to him upon the humble suit.
SWAG, a bundle, parcel, or package; as a swag of snow, &c. The swag, is a term used in speaking of any booty you have lately obtained, be it of what kind it may, except money, as Where did you lumber the swag? that is, where did you deposit the stolen property? To carry the swag is to be the bearer of the stolen goods to a place of safety. A swag of any thing, signifies emphatically a great deal. To have knap’d a good swag, is to have got a good booty.
SWAG. Wearing-apparel, linen, piece-goods, &c., are all comprehended under the name of swag, when describing any speak lately made, &c., in order to distinguish them from plate, jewellery, or other more portable articles.
SWELL, a gentleman; but any well-dressed person is emphatically termed a swell, or a rank swell. A family man who appears to have plenty of money, and makes a genteel figure, is said by his associates to be in swell street. Any thing remarkable for its beauty or elegance, is called a swell article; so a swell crib, is a genteel house; a swell mollisher, an elegantly-dressed woman, &c. Sometimes, in alluding to a particular gentleman, whose name is not requisite, he is styled, the swell, meaning the person who is the object of your discourse, or attention; and whether he is called the swell, the cove, or the gory, is immaterial, as in the following (in addition to many other) examples:—I was turned up at China-street, because the swell would not appear; meaning, of course, the prosecutor: again, speaking of a person whom you were on the point of robbing, but who has taken the alarm, and is therefore on his guard, you will say to your pall, It’s of no use, the cove is as down as a hammer; or, We may as well stow it, the gory’s leary. See Cove and Down.
SWIMMER, a guard-ship, or tender; a thief who escapes prosecution, when before a magistrate, on condition of being sent on board the receiving-ship, to serve His Majesty, is said by his palls to be swimmered.
SWISH’D, married.
SWODDY, or SWOD-GILL, a soldier.
TANNER, a sixpence. Three and a tanner, is three and sixpence, &c.
TAT, to flog or scourge.
TATTS, dice.
TATT-BOX, a dice-box.
TATS AND ALL, an expression used out of flash, in the same manner as the word bender; and has a similar meaning.
TEAZE, to flog, or whip.
THIMBLE, a watch.
THIMBLED, having, or wearing a watch.
THRUMS, THRUMBUSKINS, or a THRUM-MOP, three pence.
THROUGH IT, or THROUGH THE PIECE, getting acquitted on an indictment, or surmounting any other trouble, or difficulty, is called getting through it, or thro’ the piece; so, to get a man through it, &c., is to extricate him by virtue of your counsel and friendly assistance; sometimes called pulling him through it.
THROW OFF, to talk in a sarcastical strain, so as to convey offensive allusions under the mask of pleasantry, or innocent freedom; but, perhaps, secretly venting that abuse which you would not dare to give in direct terms; this is called throwing off, a practice at which the flash ladies are very expert, when any little jealousies arise among them. To begin to talk flash, and speak freely of robberies past, or in contemplation, when in company with family people, is also termed throwing off; meaning to banish all reserve, none but friends being present; also, to sing when called on by the company present. See Chaunt.
TILBURY, a sixpence.
TINNY, a fire; a conflagration.
TINNY-HUNTERS, persons whose practice it is to attend fires, for the purpose of plundering the unfortunate sufferers, under pretence of assisting them to remove their property.
TIP, to give, pay, or bribe. To take the tip, is to receive a bribe in any shape; and they say of a person who is known to be corruptible, that he will stand the tip. The tip is a term frequently used to signify the money concerned in any dealings or contract existing between parties; synonymous with the dues. See Dues.
TITTER, a young woman or girl.
TOBY, to toby a man, is to rob him on the highway; a person convicted of this offence, is said to be done for a toby. The toby applies exclusively to robbing on horseback; the practice of footpad robbery being properly called the spice, though it is common to distinguish the former by the title of high-toby, and the latter of low-toby.
TOBY-GILL, or TOBY-MAN, properly signifies a highwayman.
TODDLE, to walk slowly, either from infirmity or choice. Come, let us toddle, is a familiar phrase, signifying, let us be going.
TODDLER, an infirm elderly person, or a child not yet perfect in walking.
TOG, a coat; to tog, is to dress or put on clothes; to tog a person, is also to supply them with apparel, and they are said to be well or queerly tog’d, according to their appearance.
TOG’D OUT TO THE NINES, a fanciful phrase, meaning simply, that a person is well or gaily dressed.
TOGS, or TOGGERY, wearing-apparel in general.
TOM BRAY’S BILK, laying out ace and deuce at cribbage.
TOM BROWN, twelve in hand, or crib.
TOOLS, implements for house-breaking, picklocks, pistols, &c., are indiscriminately called the tools. A thief, convicted on the police act, of having illegal instruments or weapons about him, is said to be fined for the tools.
TOP, to top a clout or other article (among pickpockets) is to draw the corner or end of it to the top of a person’s pocket, in readiness for shaking or drawing, that is, taking out, when a favourable moment occurs, which latter operation is frequently done by a second person.
TOP’D, hanged.
TO THE NINES; or, TO THE RUFFIAN. These terms are synonymous, and imply an extreme of any kind, or the superlative degree.
TOUT, to tout a person, is to watch his motions; to keep tout, is to look out, or watch, while your pall is effecting any private purpose. A strong tout, is a strict observation, or eye, upon any proceedings, or person.
TOW; or, TOW-LINE. See Line. To tow a person out; that is, from his premises, or post: is to decoy him therefrom by some fictitious story, or other artifice, while your pall seizes the opportunity of his absence, to rob the place he has imprudently quitted.
TRAPS, police officers, or runners, are properly so called; but it is common to include constables of any description under this title.
TRICK. See Do the Trick.
TRIG, a bit of stick, paper, &c., placed by thieves in the keyhole of, or elsewhere about, the door of a house, which they suspect to be uninhabited; if the trig remains unmoved the following day, it is a proof that no person sleeps in the house, on which the gang enter it the ensuing night upon the screw, and frequently meet with a good booty, such as beds, carpets, &c., the family being probably out of town. This operation is called trigging the jigger.
TRY IT ON, to make any attempt, or essay, where success is doubtful. So to try it on with a woman, signifies to attempt her chastity.
TURN UP, to desist from, or relinquish, any particular habit or mode of life, or the further pursuit of any object you had in view, is called turning it up. To turn up a mistress, or a male acquaintance, is to drop all intercourse, or correspondence, with them. To turn up a particular house, or shop, you have been accustomed to use, or deal at, signifies to withdraw your patronage, or custom, and visit it no more. To quit a person suddenly in the street, whether secretly or openly, is called turning him up. To turn a man up sweet, is to get rid of him effectually, but yet to leave him in perfect good humour, and free from any suspicion or discontent; this piece of finesse often affords a field for the exercise of consummate address, as in the case of turning up a flat, after having stript him of all his money at play, or a shopkeeper, whom you have just robbed before his face of something valuable, upon the pinch, or the hoist.
TURNED UP, a person acquitted by a jury, or discharged by a magistrate for want of evidence, &c., is said to be turned up. See Swell.
TURNIPS, to give any body turnips signifies to turn him or her up, and the party so turned up, is said to have knap’d turnips.
TURN UP A TRUMP, to be fortunate in getting a good stake, or by any other means improving your finances.
TWIG, any thing accomplished cleverly, or as it should be, is said to be done in twig, in good twig, or in prime twig. A person well dress’d is said to be in twig. See Drop, Gammon the Twelve, and Out of Twig.
TWISTED, hanged.
TWO POLL ONE. See Bridge.
TYE IT UP, to tye up any particular custom, practice, or habit, is synonymous with knifeing, stowing, turning it up, or stashing it. To tye it up is a phrase, which, used emphatically, is generally understood to mean quitting a course of depredation and wickedness. See Square, and Do the Trick.