Copyright crap: The author of this thingy retains full copyright of the
material, while hereby granting full permission for it to be reprinted
in any format whatsoever, with the provisos that his name be forever
attached to it, the text of the document be forever unaltered, and if
anyone manages to figure out how to make big bucks off of it, the above
mentioned author wants a cut. Oh, yes, and lest I forget, this notice
must remain attached to the main text.
I. Marc Carlson
IMC@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU
26 January 1994
***************************************************************************
British Slang -- Lower Class and Underworld
19th Century
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
c = Cant
cb = (Cockney) Back-slang
cr = (Cockney) Rhyming slang
sh = Shelta, or Tinker
r = Romany (n.b., not true Rom, but linguistically descended from
it)
b = Boxing
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbess Female brothel keeper. A Madame.
Abbot The husband, or preferred man of an Abbess.
Alderman Half-Crown
Area The below-ground servant's entrance in the front
of many London town-houses. (Not underworld slang)
Area Diving A method of theft that necessitates sneaking down area
steps, and stealing from the lower rooms of houses.
Bacca-pipes Whiskers curled in small, close ringlets.
Barkers, Guns. Pistols, esp. Revolvers.
(Barking Irons)
Beak Magistrate
Beak-hunting Poultry stealing
Bearer up Person that robs men who have been decoyed by a woman
accomplice.
Beef (v) Raise hue-and-cry
Beef Thief. (cr) = Hot Beef! = Stop Thief!
Bend Waistcoat, vest
Betty A type of lockpick
Billy Handkerchief (often silk)
Bit Faker A coiner. A counterfeiter of coins.
Blackleg A person who will work, contrary to a strike. In the
Colonies they are called Scabs.
Blag To steal or snatch, usually a theft, often by
smash-and-grab
Blob, on the Begging by telling hardluck stories.
(Blab)
Blooming, Bloody, are forms of profanity not heard in polite
(Blasted, etc.) company (Today they've been replaced in prestige with
"Fucking", which is really too bad.)
Blow Inform.
Blower Informer. Also a disrepectful term for a girl.
Bludger A violent criminal; one who is apt to use a bludgeon.
Blue Bottle A policeman
Boat, get the; To be sentanced to transportation (obs.). To
(Boated) receive a particularly harsh sentence.
Bone, Bene (Pronounced Bone and Benneh?) Good or profitable.
Bonnet A covert assistant to a Sharp
Broad Arrow The arrow-like markings on a prison convict's uniform.
"Wearing the broad arrow" = In prison.
Broads Playing cards. Ex. "Spreading the broads" = playing a
game of cards)
Broading Cheating at cards
Broadsman A card Sharper
Bruiser A Boxer (b)
Buck Cabbie A dishonest cab driver
Bug hunting Robbing, or cheating drunks. Esp. at night.
Bull Five shillings
Buor A woman
Buttoner A sharper's assistant who entices dupes.
Buzzing Stealing, esp. Picking Pockets.
Candle to the devil,
To hold a To be evil
Cant A present; a free meal or quantity of some article.
Also the creole and jargon spoken by thieves and the
"surplus population."
Cant of togs A gift of clothing.
Caper A criminal act, dodge or device.
Cash Carrier A pimp, ponce or whore's minder.
Chapel, the Whitechapel.
Chat a Louse (a singluar of Lice).
Chaunting Singing; also informing
Chaunting lay Street singing (hopefully for money)
Chavy Child
Chink Money
Chiv, shiv Knife, razor or sharpened stick (r)
Choker Clergyman. "Gull a choker"
Christen To remove identifying marks from, to make like new
again. "Christen a watch."
Church To remove identifying marks from, to make like new
again. "Church a watch."
Cly faking To pick a pocket, especially of its handkerchief
(for which there was a ready market)
Cockchafer An especially build treadmill in the 'Steel
Coiner A coin counterfeiter
Cokum (n & adj) Opportunity, advantage, shrewd, cunning.
Cool Look, look at this/it. (cb)
Coopered Wornout, useless
Coopered Ken A bad place for a stick up.
Cop, Copper A policeman
Couter Pound (money)
Cove A man
Crabshells Shoes
Cracksman A Burgler, a safecracker. One who clracks of
breaks locks. A whole genre of thief.
Crapped hung, hanged.
Crib A building, house or lodging. The location of a gaol.
Crimping shop A waterfron lodging house, esp. one associated with
the forcable impressment of seamen.
Crooked cross,
to play the To betray, swindle or cheat.
Crow A lookout. A doctor.
Crusher A policeman
Dab bed (cb). "To dab it up with_____" = to engage in
carnal acts with ___.
Dabeno Bad
Daffy A small measure, esp. of spiritous liquers.
Deadlurk Empty premises.
Deaner A shilling. (Etymologially descended from the
Dinarious, or ancient silver penny of Britain...)
Deb Bed (cb)
Demander One who gains monies through menace.
Derbies (Pronounced Darbies). Handcuffed
Device Tuppence
Deuce Hog 2 shillings
(Duce Hog)
Devil's claws The broad arrows on a convict's prison uniform.
Dewskitch A beating
Didikko Gypsies; half breed gypsies (r). (From Didikai, a
Rom contraction of Dik akai, or "look here")
Dillo Old (cb)
Dimmick A base coin, counterfeit
Ding (v & n) Throw away, pass on. Any object that has been so
treated. Ex. "Knap the ding" or to take something
that has been thrown out.
Dipper Pickpocket
Dispatches Loaded dice
Dobbin Ribbon
Dollymop A prostitute, often an amateur or a part-time street
girl; a midinette.
Dollyshop A low, unlicenced loan shop or pawn shop.
Don A distinguished/expert/clever person; a leader
Dookin Palmistry
Down Suspicion.
"To put down on someone" means to inform on that
person's plans. While "To take the down of a ticker"
means to Christen a watch.
Do Down To beat someone badly, punishing them with your fists.
(b)
Downer Sixpence.
Downy Cunning, false.
Drag (1) A three month gaol sentence.
Drag (2) A street
Dragsman A thief who steals from carriages.
Drum A building, house or lodging; the location of a gaol.
Dub (1) Bad (cb)
Dub (2) Key, lockpick
Duce Tuppence
Duckett A street hawker or vendor's licence.
Duffer A seller of supposedly stolen goods. Also a Cheating
Vendor or hawker.
Dumplin A swindling game played with skittles
Dumps Buttons and other Hawkers small wares.
Dunnage Clothes
E.O. A fairground gambling game
Escop Policeman (cb)
(Esclop, Eslop)
Fadge Farthing
Fakement a Device or pretence (especially a notice or
certificate to facilitate begging).
Family, the The criminal Underworld, also Family People.
Fan To delicately feel someone's clothing, while it is
still being worn, to search for valuables.
Fancy, the The brethren of the boxing ring.
Fawney Ring
Fawney-dropping A ruse whereby the villian pretends to find a ring
(which is actually worthless) and sells it as a
Possibly valuable article at a low price.
Fine wirer A highly skilled pickpocket
Finny Five pound note
Flag An apron
Flam A lie
Flash (v & adj) Show, Showy (as in "Show-off," or "Flashy"); smart;
something special.
Flash house A public house patronized by criminals.
Flash notes Paper that looks, at a glance, like bank-notes
Flat A person who is flat is easily deceived.
Flatch Ha'penny
Flats Playing cards, syn. Broads.
Flimp A snatch pickpocket. Snatch stealing in a crowd.
Flue Faker Chimney sweep
Flummut Dangerous
Fly, on the Something done quickly.
Flying the Blue
Pidgeon Stealing roof lead.
Flying the Mags The game of "Pitch and Toss"
Fogle A silk handkerchief
Fushme Five shillings
Gaff Show, exhibition, fair
"Penny Gaff" - Low, or vulgar theatre.
Gallies Boots
Gammon Deceive
Gammy False, undependable, hostile
Garret Fob pocket in a waistcoat
Garrote (v & n) A misplaced piano wire, and how it was misplaced.
Gatter Beer
Gattering A public house
Gegor Begger
Gen Shilling
Glim (1) Light or fire. (2) Begging by depicting oneself
as having been burnt out of one's home. (3) Venereal
Disease.
Glock Half-wit
Glocky Half-witted
Gonoph A minor thief, or small time criminal
Granny Understand or recognize
Gravney A Ring
Grey, Gray A coin with two identical faces
Griddling Begging, peddling, or scrounging
Growler A four wheeled cab
Gulpy Gullible, easily duped.
Half inch Steal (From pinch) (cr)
Hammered for life Married
Hard up Tobacco
Haybag Woman
Haymarket Hector Pimp, ponce or whore's minder; especially around the
areas of Haymarket and Leicester Squares.
Hoisting Shoplifting
Holywater sprinkler A cudgel spiked with nails.
Huey, Hughey A town or village.
Huntley,
to take the Syn. To take the Cake or to take the Biscuit.
Also to be most excellent, as in Huntley and Palmer's
biscuits.
Hykey Pride.
Irons Guns esp. Pistols or revolvers.
Jack Detective
Jemmy (1) Smart (2) of Superior class (3) an housebreaker's
tool.
Jerry A Watch
Jerryshop Pawnbrokers
Joey A fourpence piece
Jolly Disturbance or Fracas
Judy A woman, specifically a prostitute
Jug loops Locks of hair brought over the temples and curled (a
hairstyle that thankfully died out later in the period).
Julking Singing (as of caged songbirds)
Jump A ground floor window, or a burglary committed through
such a window.
Kanurd Drunk
Kecks Trousers
Ken House or other place, esp. a lodging or public house.
Kennetseeno Bad, stinking, putrid -- Malodorous.
Kennuck Penny
Kidsman An organizer of child thieves
Kife Bed
Kinchen-lay Stealing from children
(Kynchen-lay)
Kingsman A coloured or black handkerchief.
Knap To steal, take or receive
Knapped Pregnant
Knob "Over and under" a fairground game used for swindling.
Know life, to To be knowledgable in criminal ways
Lackin, Lakin Wife
Ladybird A Prostitute
Lag A convict or Ticket-of-leave man; To be sentenced to
transportation or penal servitude.
Lamps Eyes
Laycock, Miss Female sexual organs
(or Lady)
Lavender, in (1) To be hidden from the police, (2) to be pawned,
(2) to be put away, (3) to be dead.
Lay A method, system or plan
Leg A dishonest person, a sporting cheat or tout.
Lill Pocketbook
London Particular Thick London "Pea Soup" fog
Long-Tailed A banknote worth more than 5 pounds is said to be
"long tailed"
Luggers Ear rings
Lumber (1) Unused, or second-hand furniture (2) To pawn
(3) To go into seclusion (4) To be in lumber is
to be in gaol.
Lump Hotel Work House
Lurk (1) A place of resorting to or concealment in
(2) A scheme or method
Lurker A criminal of all work, esp. a begger, or someone
who uses a beggar's disguise.
Lush An alcoholic drink.
Lushery A place where a lush may be had. A low public house
or drinking den.
Lushing Ken See Lushery
Lushington A drunkard
Macer A cheat
Mag Ha'pence
Magflying Pitch and toss
Magsman An inferior cheat
Maltooler A pickpocket who steals while riding an omnibus, esp.
from women.
Mandrake a Homosexual
Mark The victim
Mary Blaine Railway Train (cr); to meet a train or to travel via
railway.
Mauley Handwriting, signature
Mecks Wine or spirits
Milltag Shirt
Miltonian Policeman
Min Steal
Mitting Shirt
Mizzle Quit, Steal, or Vanish
Mobsman A swindler or pickpocket, usually well-dressed.
Originally one of the "Swell Mob"
Mollisher A woman, often a villain's mistress
Monkery the Country
Monniker Signature
Mot Woman, esp. the proprietress of a lodging or public
house
Moucher, Moocher A rural vagrant. A gentleman of the road.
Mouth (1) Blabber (2) A Fool
Mug-hunter A street robber or footpad. Hence the modern "Mugger"
Mumper Begger or scrounger
Mutcher A thief who steals from drunks
Muck Snipe A person who is "down and out"
Nail Steal
Nancy Buttocks
Nebuchadnezzar Male sexual organs; "to put Nebuchadnezzar out to
grass" means to engage in sexual intercourse.
Neddy Cosh
Nemmo Woman (cb)
Nethers Lodging charges, rent
Newgate Knockers Heavily greased side whiskers curling back to, or
over the ears
Netherskens Low lodging houses, flophouses
Nibbed Arrested
Nickey Simple in the head
Nobble The inflicting of grievious bodily harm
Nobbler (1) One who inflicts grevious bodily harm
(2) A sharper's confederate
Nommus! Get away! Quick!
Nose Informer or Spy
Nubbiken A sessions courthouse
On the fly While in motion or quickly
Onion A watch seal
Out of twig Unrecognized or in disquise
Outsider An instrument, resembling needle nosed pliers, used
for turning a key in a lock from the wrong side.
Pack A night's lodging for the very poor
Paddingken A tramp's lodging house
Pall Detect
Palmer Shoplifter
Patterer Someone who earns by recitation or hawker's sales
talk, esp. by hawking newspapers
Peter A box, trunk or safe.
Pidgeon A victim
Pig A policeman, usually a detective
Pit Inside front coat pocket
Plant A victim
Pogue A purse or prize
Prad Horse
Prater A bogus itinerate preacher
Prig (1) A thief (2) To steal
Puckering Speaking in a manner that is incomprehensible to
spectators
Punishers Superior nobblers. Men employed to give severe
beatings
Push Money
Racket Illicit occupation or tricks
Rampsman or Ramper A tearaway or hoodlum
Randy, on the On the Spree or otherwise looking for companionship
Rasher-wagon Frying pan
Ray 1/6 (one and six-pence)
Reader Pocketbook or wallet
Ream Superior, real, genuine, good.
Ream Flash Pull A significant heist
Ream Swag Highly valuable stolen articles
Reeb Beer (cb)
Roller A thief who robs drunks or a prostitute who steals
from a her clientele.
Rook A type of jemmy
Rookery Slum or ghetto
Rothschild, to come to the To brag and pretend to be rich.
Rozzers Policemen
Ruffles Handcuffs
Saddle Loaf
St. Peter's Needle Severe discipline
Salt Box The Condemned Cell
Sawney Bacon
Scaldrum dodge Begging by means of feigned, or self-inflicted wounds
Scran Food
Scratch an itch (cr) Bitch
Screever A writer of fake testimonials; a forger
Srew Skeleton Key
Screwing A sub-genre of Cracking; burglary by means of skeleton
keys, waxing keys, or picking locks.
Screwsman A burglar versed in screwing
Scroby Flogging in gaol
Scurf An exploitive employer or gang-leader
Servant's lurk A lodging or public house used by shady or dismissed
servants.
Shake lurk Begging under the pretence of being a shipwrecked
seaman.
Shallow, work the Begging while half naked.
Shant A pot or tumbler
Sharp A (card) swindler
Shevis A shift, a type of garment.
Shinscraper The Treadmill
Shirkster A layabout
Shiver and shake (cr) A cake
Shivering Jemmy A half naked begger
Shoful (1) Bad or counterfeit (2) An hansom cab
Shofulman A coiner or passer of bad money.
Skipper One who sleeps in hedges and outhouses
Skyrocket (cr) Pocket (rarely used)
Slang cove A showman
Slap-Bang Job A night cellar (pub) frequented by thieves, and where
no credit is given.
Slum (1) False, sham, a faked document, etc. (2) To cheat
(3) To pass bad money.
Smasher Someone who passes bad money.
Smatter Hauling Stealing Handkerchiefs
Snakesman A slightly built (boy) criminal used in burglary and
housebreaking.
Snells A hawker's wares
Snide Counterfeit; counterfeit coins or jewels.
Snide pinching Passing bad money
Snoozer A thief that specializes in robbing hotel rooms with
sleeping guests.
Snowing Stealing linen, clothes, etc, that have been hung out
to dry.
Soft Paper money (i.e., "to do some soft" means to pass
bad paper money.)
Speeler Cheat or a gambler
Spike Workhouse
Sprat Six pence
Spreading the
Broads Three card monte.
Square rigged Soberly and respectfully dressed.
Swell An elegantly, or stylishly dressed gentleman.
Tail Prostitute
Tatts Dice, False Dice
Tea Leaf Thief (cr)
Terrier Crop Short, bristly haircut (denoting a recent stay in
a prison or a workhouse)
Teviss Shilling
Thicker A Sovereign or a Pound
Thick 'Un A Sovereign
Tightener A meal. "To do a Tightener" to take a Meal.
Titfer/Titfertat Hat (cr)
Toff An elegantly, or stylishly dressed gentleman.
Toffer A superior whore.
Toffken A house containing well-to-do occupants.
Toke Bread
Tol Lot (cb), a Share.
Toolers Pickpockets
Tooling Skilled Pickpocket
Toper Road
Topped Hung
Topping A hanging
Translators Secondhand apparel, especially Boots.
Trasseno An evil person
Tuppeny Head (cr. from Loaf of Bread)
(Tuppeny Loaf)
Twirls Keys, esp skeleton keys.
Twist Girl (cr)
(Twist and Twirl)
Under and Over A fairground game that's easy to swindle people
with.
Vamp To Steal or Pawn. "In for a vamp" to be jailed
for stealing
Voker Speak (r)
Voker Romeny? "Pardon me, but do you speak Thieve's Cant?"
Weeping Willow Pillow (cr)
Whistle and Flute Suit (cr)
Work Capitol Commit a crime punishable by death.
Yack A watch
Yennap A Penny.
The Unquiet Grave, Cyril Connolly.
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All my own material is Copyright (c)
by David Crowhurst 1995, 1996
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the original authors
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