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Argot  and  slang 


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Argot  and  Slang 

A   NEW 
FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH  DICTIONARY 


CANT  WORDS,  QUAINT  EXPRESSIONS,  SLANG 
TERMS  AND  FLASH  PHRASES 

USED    IN   THE   HIGH  AND    LOW   LIFE   OF   OLD 
AND   NEW   PARIS 


ALBERT  BARRERE 

OFFICIER  DE  l'iNSTRUCTION   PUBLIQUE 


NEW  AND  REVISED  EDITION 


LONDON 

WHITTAKER   AND    CO.,   WHITE  HART   STREET 

PATERNOSTER  SQUARE 

1889 

0 


RMELL 

,UNfVERSlTYi 
-^LIBRARY 


PREFACE. 

The  publication  of  a  dictionary  of  French  cant  and  slang 
demands  some  explanation  from  the  author.  During  a  long 
course  of  philological  studies,  extending  over  many  years,  I 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  putting  on  record,  for  my  own 
edification,  a'  large  number  of  those  cant  and  slang  terms 
and  quaint  expressions  of  which  the  English  and  French 
tongues  furnish  an  abundant  harvest.  Whatever  of  this 
nature  I  heard  from  the  lips  of  persons  to  whom  they  are 
familiar,  or  gleaned  from  the  perusal  of  modern  works  and 
newspapers,  I  carefully  noted  down,  until  my  note-book  had 
assumed  such  dimensions  that  the  idea  of  completing  a 
collection  already  considerable  was  suggested.  It  was 
pointed  out  to  me,  as  an  inducement  to  venture  on  so 
arduous  an  undertaking,  that  it  must  prove,  from  its  very 
nature,  not  only  an  object  of  curiosity  and  interest  to  the 
loyer  of  philological  studies  and  the  public  at  large,  but  also 
one  of  utility  to  the  English  reader  of  modern  French  works 
of  fiction.  The  fact  is  not  to  be  ignored  that  the  chief  works 
of  the  so-called  Naturalistic  School  do  certainly  find  their  way 
to  this  country,  where  they  command  a  large  number  of  readers. 


iv  Preface. 

These  productions  of  modern  French  fiction  dwell  with  com 
plaisance  on  the  vices  of  society,  dissect  them  patiently,  ofter 
with  power  and  talent,  and  too  often  exaggerate  them.  It  is  nol 
within  my  province  to  pass  a  judgment  upon  their  analytical 
study  of  all  that  is  gross  in  human  nature.  But,  from  a 
philological  point  of  view,  the  men  and  women  whom  thej 
place  as  actors  on  the  stage  of  their  human  comedy  are 
interesting,  whatever  they  may  be  in  other  respects.  Some  oi 
them  belong  to  the  very  dregs  of  society,  possessing  a  language 
of  their  own,  forcible,  picturesque,  and  graphic.  This  language 
sometimes  embodies  in  a  single  word  a  whole  train  of  philo- 
sophical ideas,  and  is  dashed  with  a  grim  huniour,  with  a  species 
of  wit  which  not  often  misses  the  mark.  Moreover,  these 
labourers,  roughs,  street  arabs,  thieves,  and  worse  than  thieves 
— these  Coupeaus,  Bec-Salds,  Mes-Bottes,  Lantiers — are  not  the 
sole  possessors  of  a  vernacular  which,  to  a  certain  extent,  is  the 
exponent  of  their  idiosyncrasies.  Slang  has  invaded  all  classes 
of  society,  and  is  often  used  for  want  of  terms  suflSciently  strong 
or  pointed  to  convey  the  speaker's  real  feelings.  It  seems  to 
be  resorted  to  in  order  to  make  up  for  the  shortcomings  of 
a  well-balanced  and  polished  tongue,  which  will  not  lend  itself 
to  exaggeration  and  violence  of  utterance.  Journalists  artists 
politicians,  men  of  fashion,  soldiers,  even  women  talk  armt 
sometimes  unawares,  and  these  as  well  as  the  lower  classes  are 
depicted  in  the  Naturalistic  novel.  Now,  although  the  study  of 
French  is  daily  acquiring  more  and  more  importance  in  Eng- 
land, the  professors  of  that  language  do  not  as  a  rule  initiate 
their  pupils — and  very  naturally  so — into  the  mysteries  of  the 
vernacular  of  the  highest  and  lowest  strata  of  society  into  the 
cynical  but  pithy  and  humorous  jargon  of  the  voyou  from  the 
heights  of  Montmartre  or  Mdnilmontant,  nor  even  into  thel' 


Preface.  y 

ing  twaddle  of  the  languid  gommeux  who  lolls  on  the  Boulevard 
des  Italiens.  Hence  English  readers  of  JO Assommoir  and  other 
similar  works  find  themselves  puzzled  at  every  line,  and  turn 
in  vain  for  assistance  to  their  dictionaries.  The  present  volume 
aims  at  filling  the  vacant  space  on  the  shelves  of  all  who  read 
for  something  besides  the  passing  of  an  idle  hour.  An  English 
slang  equivalent  of  the  English  rendering  has  been  inserted 
whenever  that  was  possible,  and  because  the  meaning  of  a 
term  is  better  conveyed  by  examples,  as  many  quotations  as 
the  limits  of  the  Dictionary  would  admit  have  been  reproduced 
from  different  authors. 

A  few  words  on  the  manner  in  which  the  work  has  been 
compiled  are  due  to  the  reader.  In  order  to  complete  my  own 
private  information,  specially  with  reference  to  old  cant,  I  have 
drawn  as  freely  as  seemed  to  me  legitimate  on  works  of  a  similar 
character — Michel's,  Delvau's,  Rigaud's,  Lor^dan  Larchey's 
excellent  Dictionnaire  Historique  d' Argot,  Vilatte's  Parisismen,  a 
very  complete  work  on  French  argot  rendered  into  German. 
But  by  far  the  most  important  portion  of  my  collection  has 
been  gathered  from  Vidocq's  productions,  Balzac's  works.  The 
Memoirs  of  Monsieur  Clatcde,  formerly  superintendent  of  the 
detective  department  in  Paris,  and  from  other  works  to  be  men- 
tioned hereafter.  To  an  inspector  of  the  detective  force  in 
Paris,  Monsieur  Lagaillarde,  I  am  indebted  for  many  of  the 
terms  of  the  phraseology  used  by  the  worthies  with  whom  his 
functions  have  brought  him  in  contact. 

Again,  newspapers  of  both  countries  have  also  brought  in 
their  contingent,  but  the  most  interesting  sources  of  information, 
as  being  the  most  original,  have  been  workpeople,  soldiers, 
pickpockets,  and  other  malefactors  having  done  their  "  time,"  or 
likely  to  be   "  wanted "  at  a  short  notice.     The  members  of 


vi  '  Preface. 

the  light-fingered  gentry  were  not  easily  to  be  got  at,  as  their 
natural  suspicions  precluded  their  realizing  at  once  my  object, 
and  it  required  some  diplomacy  and  pains  to  succeed  in  en- 
listing their  services.  In  one  particular  instance  I  was  deprived 
of  my  informants  in  a  rather  summary  manner.  Two  brothers, 
members  of  a  family  which  strongly  reminded  one  of  E.  Sue's 
Martials,  inasmuch  as  the  father  had  mounted  the  scaffold,  the 
mother  was  in  prison,  and  other  members  had  met  with  similar 
accidents,  had  volunteered  to  become  my  collaborators,  and 
were  willing  to  furnish  information  the  more  valuable,  it  seemed 
to  me,  as  coming  from  such  distinguished  individuals.  Un- 
fortunately for  the  Dictionary  the  brothers  were  apprehended 
when  coming  to  my  rendez-vous,  and  are  now,  I  believe,  far  on 
their  way  to  the  penal  settlement  of  New  Caledonia. 

I  have  to  thank  numerous  correspondents,  French  and 
English  officers,  journalists,  and  artists,  for  coming  to  my 
assistance  and  furnishing  me  with  valuable  information.  My 
best  thanks  are  due  also  to  M.  Godefroy  Durand  for  his 
admirable  etching. 

As  regards  the  English  part,  I  am  considerably  indebted  to 
the  Slang  Dictionary  pubHshed  by  Messrs.  Chatto  and  Windus, 
to  the  History  and  Curious  Adventures  of  Bampfy Me- Moore 
Carew,  King  of  the  Mendicants,  as  well  as  to  the  various  journals 
of  the  day,  and  to  verbal  inquiries  among  all  classes  of  people. 

I  have  not  attempted,  except  in  a  few  cases,  to  trace  the 
origin  of  words,  as  an  etymological  history  of  cant  would  be 
the  work  of  a  lifetime. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  know  exactly  where  to  draw  the 
line,  and  to  decide  whether  a  word  belongs  to  slang  or  should 
be  rejected.  I  have  been  guided  on  this  point  by  Littre',  and 
any  terms  mentioned  by  him  as  having  passed  into  the  language 


Preface.  vii 

I  have  discarded.  I  have  introduced  a  small  number  of  what 
might  be  termed  eccentricities  of  language,  which,  though  not 
strictly  slang,  deserve  recording  on  account  of  their  quaintness. 
To  the  English  reader  I  need  not,  I  trust,  apologize  for  not 
having  recoiled,  in  my  desire  for  completeness,  before  certain 
unsavoury  terms,  and  for  having  thus  acted  upon  Victor  Hugo's 
recommendation,  "  Quand  la  chose  est,  dites  le  mot." 


AUTHORITIES 
CONSULTED   AND   QUOTED. 


About  (Edmond).      Trente  et  Qua- 

rante.     Paris. 
Almanack  Chantant,  1869. 
Amusemens    d    la    Grecque  ou  les 

Soirees  de  la  Halle  par  un  ami 

de  feu  Vade.     Paris,  1764. 
Amusemens rapsodi-pokiques.   lITi- 
Apothicaire  (/')  empoisonnS,  dans  les 

Maistresd'HostelauxHalles.  1671. 
Audebrand  (Philibert).     Petits  Me- 

moires  d'une  Stalle  d'Orchestre. 

Paris,  1885. 
Bahac  (Honore  de).     La  Cousine 

Bette. — La   demiere  Incarnation 

de  Vautrin. — La  Physiologie  du 

Mariage.  —  Les   Chouans.  —  Le 

Pere  Goriot.     Paris,  1884. 
Banville  (Theodore  de).     La  Cui- 

siniere  poetique. 
Bonnetain  (Paul).  L'Opium.  Paris, 

1886.— Au  Tonkin.    Paris,  1885. 
Boutmy  (Eugtee).    Dictionnaire  de 

I'Argot  des  Typographes.     Paris, 

1883. 
Brantome    (Pierre  de).      Vie   des 

Dames  galantes.     Paris,  1822. 
Canler.     Memoires.     Paris. 
Caylus  (Comte  de).    Les  Ecosseuses 

ou  les  CEufs  de  Paques.      1739- 


Champjleury.     La  Mascarade  de  la 

Vie  parisienne. 
Ckatillon  (Auguste  de).      Poesies. 

Paris,  1866. 
Cim  (Albert).     Institution  de  De- 
moiselles.    Paris,  1887. 
Citrons  (les)  de  Javotte.     Histoire 

de  Carnaval.     Amsterdam,  1756. 
Claude.     Memoires.     Paris. 
Courteline  (Georges).     Les  Gaites 

de  I'Escadron.     Paris,  N.  D. 
'  Daudet  (Alphonse).     Les  Rois  en 

Exil.     Paris,  .1886. 
Dehans  (Camille).     Histoire  de  tous 

les  Diables.     Paris,  1882. 
Delcourt  (Pierre).      Paris    Voleur. 

Paris,  1887. 
Delvau.    La  Langue  Verte.    Paris. 
Drapeau  (le)  de  la  mire  Duchesne 

centre  les  facheux  et  les  intrigants. 

Paris,  1792. 
Dubut   de    Laforest.       Le    Gaga. 

Paris,  1886. 
France  (Hector).      Le   Roman  du 

Cure.  Bruxelles,i877. — L'Homme 

qui  tue.     Bruxelles,  1878. — Pri- 

face    de     Par     devant    Notaire. 

Bruxelles,     1880. — L'Amour    au 

Pays  Bleu.     Londres,  1885. — Le 


Authorities  Consulted  and  Quoted. 


Peche  de  SoeurCunegonde.  Paris, 

N.  D. — Marie  -  Queue  -de  -  Vache. 

Paris,  N.  D.  —  Les  Va-nu-pieds 

de   Londres.      Paris,    1885. — La 

Pudique  Albion.     Paris,   1885. — 

Les  Nuits  de  Londres.  Paris,  1885. 

— Sous  le  Burnous.     Paris,  1886. 

— Preface  du  Pays  des  Broaillards. 

Paris,     1886. — Londres    illustre. 

Paris,     1886.  —  La    Pucelle    de 

Tebessa.    Paris,  1887. — L'Armee 

de  John  Bull.     Paris,    1887.— A 

Travers  I'Espagne.     Paris,  1887. 
Fribault  (Elie).     La  Vie  de  Paris  : 

guide  pittoresque  et  pratique  du 

visiteur.     Paris,  1878. 
Prison   (Gustave).      Aventures    du 

Colonel  Ronchonot..   Paris,  1886. 
Gaboriau  (Emile).  Monsieur  Lecoq. 

Paris,  1885. 
Gautier  (Theophile).      Les  Jeune- 

France.     Paris,  1885. 
Gavarni.    Les  Gens  de  Paris.  Paris. 
Ghtin  (F.).      Recreations   philolo- 

giques.     Paris,  1858. 
Gennes  (Charles   Dubois   de).     Le 

Troupier  tel  qu'il   est   k  cheval. 

Paris,  1862. 
Gill  (Andre).      La  Muse   a   Bibi. 

Paris,  N.  D. 
Goncourt  (E.  de).     La  Fille  Elisa. 

Paris. 
Grandval.     Le  Vice  puni  ou  Car- 
touche. 
Gyp.      Le  plus   heureux   de   tous. 

Paris,  1886. 
Hugo  (Victor).      Le    dernier  Jour 

d'un  C  ondamne. — Les  Miserables. 

— Claude  Gueux. 
Humbert  (A. ).     Mon  Bagne. 
Hiiysmans.      Les     Soeurs    Vatard. 

Marthe.     Paris. 


JCapp  (E.).     La  Joie  des  Pauvres. 

Paris,  1887. 
Larchey    (Loredan).       Dictionnaire 

Historique      d'Argot.         Paris, 

1881. 
Laurin  (A.).      Le  Million  de  I'Ou- 

vriere.     Paris,  1887. 
Le  Jargon  ou  Langage  de  V Argot 

riformi.     Epinal,  N.  D. 
Le  Roux  (Philibert  Joseph).     Dic- 
tionnaire     comique,      satyrique, 

critique,  burlesque  et  proverbial. 

Lyon,  1735. 
Leroy    (Charles).       Guibollard    et 

RamoUot.     Paris,  N.  D. 
Ijs  Premiires  CEuvres  Poetiques  du 

Capitaine  Lasphrise.     1599. 
Mace  (G.).      Mon  premier  Crime. 

Paris,  1886. 
Mahalin    (Paul).      Mesdames    de 

Coeur- Volant.     Paris,  1886. 
Malot  (Hector).     Baccara.     Paris, 

i886. 
Merlin  (Leon).  La  Langue  Verte  du 

Troupier.     Paris,  1886. 
jl/iV,4«/(Francisque).    Diet.  d'Argot 

ou  Etudes  de  Philologie  comparee 

sur  I'Argot.     Paris,  1856. 
Michel   (Louise).       Les    Microbes 

humains.     Paris,  1886. 
Molih-e   (Jean   Baptiste    Poquelin). 

CEuvres.     Paris. 
Monnier  (Henri).     L'Execution. 
Montaigjie  (Michel  de).     GEuvres. 

1825. 

.M7«to7  (Edgar).  Cornebois.   Paris, 

1884. 
Montluc  (Adrien  de).     La  Comedie 

des  proverbes.     1633. 
Mouillon  (F.).  Declaration  d'amour 

d'un  imprimeur  typographe  a  une 

jeune  brocheuse.     Paris,  1886. 


Authorities  Consulted  and  Quoted. 


XI 


Nadavd  (Gustave).  Chansons  popu- 
laires.     Paris,  1876. 

Nisard  (Charles).  De  quelques 
Parisianismes  populaires  et  autres 
Locutions.  Paris,  1876. — Curio- 
sites  de  rEtymologie  franjaise. 
Paris,  1863. 

Nodier  (Charles).     CEuvres. 

Poissardiana  [le).    1756. 

Poulot  (Denis).     Le  Sublime. 

QttellienCi^.).  L'argot  des  Nomades 
de  la  Basse  -  Bretagne.  Paris, 
1886. 

Jiabelais  (Yicaxu^oSs).  CEuvres.  Paris. 

Raccoletirs  (les).     Paris,  1756. 

Riche-en-gueuh  ou  le  nouveau  Vade. 
Paris,  1821. 

Richepin  (Jean).  La  Chanson  des 
Gueux.  Paris,  N.  D. — Le  Pave. 
Paris,  1886. — LaGlu.  Paris,  N.D. 
—  La  Mer.  Paris,  1886. — Les 
Morts  bizarres.  Paris,  N.  D. — 
Braves  Gens.     Paris. 

Rigaud  (Lucien).  Dictionnaire 
d'Argot  moderne.     Paris,  1881. 

Rigolboche.     Memoires. 


Scarron  (Paul).  Gigantomachie. 
Paris,  1737. 

Scholl  (Aurelien).  L'Esprit  du 
Boulevard.     Paris,  1887. 

Sennet  (Julien).  Una  Cabotine. 
Paris,  1886. 

Sirven  (Alfred).  Au  Pays  des 
Roublards.     Paris,  1886. 

Sue  (Eugene).  Les  Mysteres  de 
Paris.     Paris,  N.  D. 

Tallemant  des  RSaux.  Historiettes. 
Paris,  1835. 

Tardieu.  Etude  medico-legale  sur 
les  attentats  aux  moeurs. 

Taxil  (Leo).  Histoire  de  la  Prosti- 
tution.    Paris,  N.  D. 

Theo-Critt.  Nos  Farces  i  Saumur. 
Paris,  1884. 

Vidocq.  Memoires.  Paris,  1829. — 
Les  Voleurs. — Les  vrais  Mysteres 
de  Paris. 

Villon  (Fran9ois).  CEuvres  com- 
pletes.    Paris,  N.  D. 

Zola  (Emile).  Nana. — L'Assommoir. 
— Au  Bonheur  des  Dames.  Paris, 
1885.— La  Terre.     Paris,  1887. 


Ainsworth  (W.  Harrison).  Rook- 
wood. — Jack  Sheppard. 

Bampfylde-Moore  Carew  (The  His- 
tory and  Curious  Adventures  of) . 
London,  N.D. 

Brome  (Richard).  Joviall  Crew;  or. 
The  Merry  Beggars.     1652. 

Chatto  and  Windus.  The  Slang 
Dictionary.     London,  1885. 

Davies  (T.  Lewis  O.).  A  Supple- 
mentary English  Glossary.  Lon- 
don, 18S1. 


Dickens  (Charles).     Works. 
Fielding  (Henry).      Amelia. — The 

History  of  the  Life  of  the  late 

Mr.  Jonathan  Wild   the  Great. 

1886. 
Greenwood  (James).       The    Seven 

Curses  of  London. — Dick  Temple. 

—Odd  People. 
Ilarman     (Thomas).       Caveat    or 

Warening  for  Common  Cursetors. 

London,  156S. 


xu 


Authorities  Consulted  and  Quoted. 


Horsley  (Rev.  J.  W.).  Autobio- 
graphy of  a  Thief,  Macmillan's 
Magazine,  1879. — ^Jottings  from 
Jail.      1887. 

KtngsUy  (Charles).  Westward  Ho  ! 
18-55. — Two  Years  Ago. 


Lytton  (Henry  Buhver).  Paul 
Clifford. — Ernest  Maltravers. 

Pascoe  (C.  E.).  Every-day  Life  in 
our  Public  Schools.  London,  N.D. 

Sims  (Q.  '&.).  Rogues  and,  Vaga- 
bonds. 


La  Marotte. 

La  Nation. 

La  Vie  Pansienne. 

La  Vie  Populaire. 

Le  Clairon. 

Le  Cri  du  Peuple. 

VEcho  de  Paris. 

V  Evinemetit. 

Le  Figaro. 

Le  Gaulois. 

Le  Gil  Bias. 


L'Iniermediaire  des    Chercketirs  et 

Curieux. 
Le  Journal  Amusant. 
Le  Ph-e  Duchene.     1793. 
Le  Petit  Journal. 
Le  Petit  Journal  pour  lire. 
Le  Radical. 
Le  Tam-Tam. 
Le  Voltaire. 
Paris. 
Paris  Journal. 


Punch, 
Pun. 

The  Globe, 
Funny  Folks, 


Jttiiy. 

The  Bird  0'  Freedom. 
The  Sporting  Tinus. 
Fvening  News, 


Popular  Songs  and  Pieces  of  Poetry. 


Barrire  (Pierre).  Le  Boeuf  rouge  et 
le  Bceuf  blanc. 

Baumaine  et  Blondelet.  Les  Locu- 
tions vicieuses. 

Ben  et  dHerville.  Ou's  qu'est  ma 
Pip'lette. 

Bois  (E.  du).  C'est  Pitanchard. 
— De  la  Bastille  k  Montparnasse. 

Burani  et  Buquet,  La  Chanson  du 
Gavroche. 

Carrl.     J'ai  mon  Coup  d'feu. 

CUment.     Chanson. 


Dans  la  chambre  de  nos  abbes. 
Denneville.  UneTourneedeLurons. 
Garnier  (L.).      Y   a   plus    moyen 

d'rigoler. 
La  Chanson  du  Bataillon  d'Afrique. 
Lamentations  du  portier  d'en  face. 
Maginn  (Dr.).     Vidocq's  Song. 
Ouvrard.     J'suis  Fantassin. 
Queyriaiix.     Va   done,    eh,    Four- 

neau  ! 
The  Leary  Man. 
The  Sandman's  iVeddin  <r. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Argot  pervades  the  whole  of  French  society.  It  may  be  heard 
everywhere,  and  it  is  now  difficult  to  peruse  a  newspaper  or  open  a 
new  novel  without  meeting  with  a  sprinkling  of  some  of  the  jargon 
dialects  of  the  day.  These  take  their  rise  in  the  slums,  on  the 
boulevards,  in  workshops,  barracks,  and  studios,  and  even  in  the 
lobbies  of  the  Houses  of  Legislature.  From  the  beggar  to  the 
diplomatist,  every  class  possesses  its  own  vernacular,  borrowed 
more  or  less  from  its  special  avocations.  The  language  of  the 
dangerous  classes,  which  so  often  savours  of  evil  or  bloody  deeds, 
of  human  suffering,  and  also  of  the  anguish  and  fears  of  the  ever- 
tracked  and  ever-watchful  criminal,  though  often  disguised  under 
a  would-be  humorous  garb,  cannot  but  be  interesting  to  the  philo- 
sopher. "  Everybody,"  says  Charles  Nodier,  "  must  feel  that  there 
is  more  ingenuity  in  argot  than  in  algebra  itself,  and  that  this 
quality  is  due  to  the  power  it  possesses  of  making  language  figura- 
tive and  graphic.  With  algebra,  only  calculations  can  be  achieved ; 
with  argot,  however  ignoble  and  impure  its  source,  a  nation  and 
society  might  be  renovated.  .  .  .  Argot  is  generally  formed  with 
ability  because  it  is  the  outcome  of  the  urgent  necessities  of  a  class 
of  men  not  lacking  in  brains.  .  .  .  The  jargon  of  the  lower  classes, 
which  is  due  to  the  inventive  genius  of  thieves,  is  redundant  with 
sparkling  wit,  and  gives  evidence  of  wonderfully  imaginative 
powers." 

If  criminals  are  odious,  they  are  not  always  vulgar,  and  a  study  of 


Introduction. 


their  mode  of  expression  possesses  certain  features  of  interest.  The 
ordinary  slang  of  the  higher  strata  of  French  society,  as  compared 
with  that  of  the  lower  classes,  being  based  often  on  mere  distortion 
of  words  or  misappropriation  of  meaning,  is  in  many  cases  vulgar 
and  silly  ;  it  casts  a  stain  over  a  language  which  has  already 
suffered  so  much  at  the  hands  of  the  lesser  stars  of  the  Naturalistic 
School.  A  coarse  sentiment,  a  craving  for  more  violent  sensations, 
will  find  expression  in  the  jargon  of  the  day.  People  are  no  longer 
content  with  being  astonished,  they  must  be  crushed  or  flattened 
(dpatds),  or  knocked  over  (renversds),  and  so  forth ;  and  the  silly 
"  on  dirait  du  veau,"  repeated  ad  nauseam,  seldom  fails  to  raise  a 
laugh.  Our  English  neighbours  do  not  seem  to  be  better  off.  "  So 
universal,"  says  a  writer  in  Household  Words,  September  24,  1853, 
"  has  the  use  of  slang  terms  become,  that  in  all  societies  they  are 
substituted  for,  and  have  almost  usurped  the  place  of  wit.  An 
audience  will  sit  in  a  theatre  and  listen  to  a  string  of  brilliant 
witticisms  with  perfect  immobility,  but  let  some  fellow  rush  for- 
ward and  roar  out  '  It's  all  serene,'  or  '  catch  'em  alive,  oh  ! ' 
(this  last  is  sure  to  take),  pit,  boxes,  and  gallery  roar  with  laughter." 
It  must  be  said,  however,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  slang  term  is 
often  much  more  expressive  than  its  corresponding  synonym  in  the 
ordinary  language.  Moreover,  it  is  often  witty,  and  capable  of  sug- 
gesting a  humorous  idea  with  singular  felicity. 

Argot  is  but  a  bastard  tongue  grafted  on  the  mother  stem,  and 
though  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  coin  a  word  that  shall  remain  and 
take  rank  among  those  of  any  language,  yet  the  field  of  argot, 
already  so  extensive,  is  ever  pushing  back  its  boundaries,  the  addi- 
tions surging  in  together  with  new  ideas,  novel  fashions,  but 
especially  through  the  necessities  of  that  class  of  people  whose 
primary  interest  it  is  to  make  themselves  unintelligible  to  their  vic- 
tims, the  public,  and  their  enemies,  the  police.  "  Argot,"  again 
quoting  Nodier's  words,  "is  an  artificial,  unsettled  tongue,  without 
a  syntax  properly  so  called,  of  which  the  only  object  is  to  disguise 
under  conventional  metaphors  ideas  which  are  intended  to  be  con- 
veyed to  adepts.  Consequently  its  vocabulary  must  needs  change 
whenever  it  has  become  familiar  to  outsiders,  and  we  find  in  Le 
Jargon  de  I' Argot  R^formd  cmvioxxs  traces  of  a  like  revolution.  In 
every  country  the  men  who  speak  a  cant  language  belong  to  the 


Introduction.  xv 


lowest,  most  contemptible  stratum  of  society,  but  its  study,  if 
looked  upon  as  an  outcome  of  the  intellect,  presents  important 
features,  and  synoptic  tables  of  its  synonyms  might  prove  interesting 
to  the  linguist." 

The  use  of  argot  in  works  of  any  literary  pretensions  is  of  modern 
introduction.  However,  Villon,  the  famous  poet  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  a  vaurien  whose  misdeeds  had  wellnigh  brought  him  to 
the  gallows,  as  he  informs  us  : — 

Je  suis  Frangois,  dont  ce  me  poise, 
N^  de  Paris  empr^s  Ponthoise, 
Or,  d'une  corde  d'une  toise, 
Saura  mon  col  que  mon  cul  poise — 

Villon  himself  has  given,  under  the  title  oi  Jargon  oujobelin  de 
Maistre  Francois  Villon,  a  series  of  short  poems  worded  in  the 
iargon  of  the  vagabonds  and  thieves  his  boon  companions,  now 
almost  unintelligible. 

In  our  days  Eugene  Sue,  Balzac,  and  Victor  Hugo  have  intro- 
duced argot  in  some  of  their  works,  taking,  no  doubt,  Vidocq  as  an 
authority  on  the  subject ;  while  more  recently  M.  Jean  Richepin,  in 
his  Chanson  des  Gueux,  rhymes  in  the  lingo  of  roughs,  bullies, 
vagabonds,  and  thieves  ;  and  many  others  have  followed  suit. 
Ualzac  thus  expresses  his  admiration  for  argot :  "  People  will  per- 
haps be  astonished  if  we  venture  to  assert  that  no  tongue  is  more 
energetic,  more  picturesque  than  the  tongue  of  that  subterranean 
world  which  since  the  birth  of  capitals  grovels  in  cellars,  in  sinks  of 
vice,  in  the  lowest  stage  floors  of  societies.  For  is  not  the  world  a 
theatre  ?  The  lowest  stage  floor  is  the  ground  basement  under  the 
stage  of  the  opera  house  where  the  machinery,  the  phantoms,  the 
devils,  w-hen  not  in  use,  are  stowed  away.  Each  word  of  the  lan- 
guage recalls  a  brutal  image,  either  ingenious  or  terrible.  In  the 
jargon  one  does  not  sleep,  '  on  pionce.'  Notice  with  what  energy 
that  word  expresses  the  uneasy  slumbers  of  the  tracked,  tired, 
suspicious  animal  called  thief,  which,  as  soon  as  it  is  in  safety, 
sinks  down  and  rolls  into  the  abysses  of  deep  and  necessary  sleep, 
with  the  powerful  wings  of  suspicion  constantly  spread  over  it — 
an  awful  repose,  comparable  to  that  of  the  wild  beast,  which  sleeps 
and   snores,  but  whose   ears   nevertheless   remain   ever  watchful. 


xvi  Introduction. 

Everything  is  fierce  in  this  idiom.  The  initial  or  final  syllables 
of  words,  the  words  themselves,  are  harsh  and  astounding.  A 
woman  is  a  largiie.  And  what  poetry  !  Straw  is  '  la  plume  de 
Beauce.'  The  word  midnight  is  rendered  by  douze  plombes  cr assent. 
Does  not  that  make  one  shudder  ?" 

Victor  Hugo,  after  Balzac,  has  devoted  a  whole  chapter  to  argot 
in  his  Misirables,  and  both  these  great  authors  have  left  little  to  be 
said  on  the  subject.  Victor  Hugo,  dealing  with  its  Protean  character, 
writes  :  "  Argot  being  the  idiom  of  corruption,  is  quickly  corrupted. 
Besides,  as  it  always  seeks  secrecy,  so  soon  as  it  feels  itself  under- 
stood it  transforms  itself.  .  .  .  For  this  reason  argot  is  subject  to 
perpetual  transformation — a  secret  and  rapid  work  which  ever  goes 
on.  It  makes  more  progress  in  ten  years  than  the  regular  language 
in  ten  centuries.'' 

In  spite  of  the  successive  revolutions  referred  to,  a  number  of 
old  cant  words  are  still  used  in  their  original  form.  Some  have 
been,  besides,  more  or  less  distorted  by  different  processes,  the 
results  of  these  alterations  being  subjected  in  their  turn  to  fresh 
disguises.     As  for  slang  proper,  it  is  mostly  metaphoric. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  vocabulary  of  argot  is  to  be  traced  to 
the  early  Romance  idiom,  or  to  some  of  our  country  patois,  the  off- 
springs of  the  ancient  Langue  d'oc  and  Langue  d'oil.  Some  of  the 
terms  draw  their  origin  from  the  Italian  language  and  jargon,  and 
were  imported  by  Italian  quacks  and  sharpers.  Such  are  lime 
{shirt),  fourline  {thief),  macaronner  {to  inform  against),  rabouin 
{devil),  rif  {fire),  escarpe  {thief,  murderer),  respectively  from  lima, 
forlano,  macaronare,  rabuino,  ruffo,  Scarpa,  some  of  which  belono- 
to  the  Romany,  as  lima.  The  German  schlafen  has  given  schloffer, 
and  the  Latin  fur  has  provided  us  with  the  verb  affurer.  Several 
are  of  Greek  parentage  :  arton  {bread),  from  the  accusative  oprov  ; 
ornie  {fowl),  from  opvte ;  pier  {to  drink),  pioUe  {tavern),  pion 
{drunk),  from  ■wiCiv. 

The  word  argot  itself,  formerly  a  cant  word,  but  which  has  now 
gained  admittance  into  the  Dictionnaire  de  P Acad^mie  is  but  the 
corruption  of  jargon,  called  by  the  Italians  "  lingua  gero-a  "  abbre- 
viated into  "  gergo,"  from  which  the  French  word  sprang, gergo 

itself  being  derived,  according  to   Salvini,  from  the  Greek  Ispdc 
{sacred).     Hence  lingua  gerga,  sacred  laiiguage,  only  known  to  the 


Introduction.  xvii 


initiated.  M.  Gdnin  thus  traces  the  origin  of  argot  :  lingua  hiera, 
then  lingua  gerga,  il  gergo  ;  hence  jergon  or  jargon,  finally  argot. 
Other  philologists  have  suggested  that  it  comes  from  the  Greek 
apyoc,  idler ;  and  this  learned  derivation  is  not  improbable,  as, 
among  the  members  of  the  "  argot " — originally  the  corporation  of 
pedlars  and  vagabonds — were  scholars  like  Villon  (though  there 
exists  no  evidence  of  the  word  having  been  used  in  his  time),  and 
runaway  priests  who  had,  as  the  French  say,  "  thrown  the  cassock 
to  the  nettles."  M.  Nisard,  however,  rejects  these  derivations,  and 
believes  that  argot  comes  from  argutus,  pointed,  cunning.  It 
seems,  in  any  case,  an  indubitable  fact  that  the  term  argot  at  first 
was  applied  only  to  the  confraternity  of  vagabonds  or  "argotiers," 
and  there  is  no  evidence  of  its  having  been  used  before  1698  as  an 
appellation  for  their  language,  which  till  then  had  been  known  as 
"jargon  du  matois"  or  "jargon  de  I'argot."  Grandval,  in  his 
Vice  puni  ou  Cartouche,  offers  the  following  derivation,  which  must 
be  taken  for  what  it  is  worth. 

Mais  Si  propos  d'argot,  dit  alors  Limosin, 
Ne  m'apprendrez-vous  pas,  vous  qui  parlez  latin, 
D'ou  cette  belle  langue  a  pris  son  origine? 
—  De  la  ville  d'Argos,  et  je  I'ai  lu  dans  Pline, 
R^pondit  Balagny.    Le  grand  Agamemnon 
Fit  fleurir  dans  Argos  cet  floquent  jargon. 


—  Tu  dis  vrai,  Balagny,  reprit  alors  Cartouche  ; 
Mais  cette  langue  sort  d'une  plus  vieille  souche, 
Et  j'ai  lu  quelque  part,  dans  un  certain  bouquia 
D'argot  traduit  en  grec,  de  grec  mis  en  latin, 
Et  depuis  en  frangois,  que  Jason  et  Th&^e, 
Herculc,  Philoctcte,  Admete,  Hylas,  Lync^e, 
Castor,  Pollux,  Orphde  et  tant  d'autres  h£ros 
Qui  trimirent  pincer  la  toison  k  Colchos, 
Dans  le  navire  Argt?,  pendant  leur  long  voyage, 
Inventerent  entre  eux  ce  sublime  langage 
Afin  de  mieux  tromper  le  roi  Colchidien 
Et  que  de  leur  projet  il  ne  soup^onnat  rien, 

Enfin  tons  les  doubleurs  de  la  riche  toison, 
De  leur  navire  Argo  lui  donnferent  le  nom. 
Amis,  voici  quelle  est  son  dtymologie. 

A  certain  number  of  slang  terms  proceed  from  uniform  and 
systematic  alterations  in  the  body  of  the  French  word,  but  these 
methods  do  not  seem  to  have  produced  many  expressions  holding 
a  permanent  place  in  the  dialect.    Such  is  the  "  langage  en  lem," 


xviii  Introduction. 


much  used  by  butchers  some  forty  years  ago,  but  now  only  know 
to  a  few.  But  a  very  small  number  of  words  thus  coined  hav 
passed  into  the  main  body  of  the  lingo,  as  being  too  lengthy 
and  because  argot  has  a  general  tendency  to  brevity. 

The  more  usual  suffixes  used  are  mar,  anche,  inche,  in,  ingue,  c 
orgue,  aille,  ifere,  muche,  mon,  mont,  oque,  fegue,  igue,  which  giv 
such  terms  as — 


^picemar         for  Spicier, 
boutanche        —  boutique, 
aminceminche  —  ami, 

burlin 
burlingue  . 
camaro 

—  bureau, 

—  camarade, 

bonorgue 
vouzaille 

—  bon, 

—  vous, 

mdzifere 

—  me. 

petmuche 
cabermon 

-pet, 
—  cabaret, 

gilmont 
loufoque 
chamfegue 
m^zigue 

—  gilet, 

—  fou, 

—  cbameau, 

—  me. 

The  army  has  furnished  a  large  contingent  to  slang,  and  has  pro- 
vided us  with  such  words  as  colon  {colonel)  ;  petit  colon  {lieutenant- 
colonel)  ;  la  femme  du  regiment  {big  drum) ;  la  malle  {prison) ;  un 
bleu  {recruit) ;  poulet  d'Inde  {steed),  and  the  humorous  expression, 
sortir  sur  les  jambes  d'un  autre  {to  be  confined  to  barracks,  or  to 
the  giiard-room). 

Much-maligned  animals  have  been  put  into  requisition,  the  fish 
tribe  serving  to  denominate  the  Paris  bully,  that  plague  of  certain 
quarters. 

With  the  parts  of  the  body  might  be  formed  a  complete  or- 
chestra. Thus  "guitare"  stands  for  the  head;  "flfites"  for  legs- 
"grosse  caisse"for  the  body;  "trompette"  does  duty  for  the 
face,  "mirliton"  for  the  nose,  and  "  sifflet"  for  the  throat. 

The  study  of  the  slang  jargon  of  a  nation— a  language  which  is 
not  the  expression  of  conventional  ideas,  but  the  unvarnished  and 


Introduction. 


XIX 


rude  expression  of  life  in  its  true  aspects — may  give  us  an  insight 
into  the  foibles  and  predominant  vices  of  those  who  use  it. 

Now  though  the  French  as  a  nation  are  not  hard  drinkers,  yet  we 
must  come  to  the  conclusion — in  the  face  of  the  many  synonyms  of 
the  single  word  drunk,  whilst  there  is  not  one  for  the  word  sober — 
that  Parisian  workmen  have  either  a  lively  imagination,  or  that 
they  would  scarcely  prove  eligible  for  recruits  in  the  Blue  Ribbon 
Army.  Intoxication — from  a  state  of  gentle  inebriation,  when  one 
is  "allumd,"  or  "elevated,"  to  the  helpless  state  when  the  "poivrot," 
or  "  lushington,"  is  "  asphyxi^"  or  "  regularly  scammered,"  when  he 
can't  "  see  a  hole  in  a  ladder,"  or  when  he  "  laps  the  gutter  " — has  no 
less  than  eighty  synonyms. 

The  French  possess  comparatively  few  terms  for  the  word 
money  ;  but,  in  spite  of  the  well-worn  saying,  "I'or  est  une  chimfere," 
or  the  insincere  exclamation,  "  Tor,  ce  vil  m^tal ! "  the  argot  vocabu- 
lary shows  as  many  as  fifty-four  synonyms  for  the  "  needful."  The 
English  are  still  richer,  for  Her  Majesty's  coin  is  known  by  more  than 
one  hundred  and  thirty  slang  words,  from  the  humble  "  brown " 
(halfpenny)  to  the  "  long-tailed  one  "  (bank-note). 

Though  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  social  evil  has  a  greater 
hold  on  Paris  than  on  London  or  Berlin,  yet  the  Parisians  have  no 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  distinct  slang  synonyms  to  indicate 
the  different  varieties  of  "  unfortunates,"  many  being  borrowed  from 
the  names  of  animals,  such  as  "  vache,"  "  chameau,"  "  biche,"  &c. 
Some  of  the  other  terms  are  highly  suggestive  and  appropriate. 
So  we  have  "  omnibus,"  "  fleur  de  macadam,''  "  demoiselle  du 
bitume,"  "  autel  de  besoin,''  the  dismal  "  pompe  funfebre,"  the 
ignoble  "  paillasse  de  corps  de  garde,"  and  the  "  grenier  a  coups 
de  sabre,"  which  reflects  on  the  brutality  of  soldiers  towards  the 
fallen  ones. 

For  the  head  the  French  jargon  can  boast  of  about  fifty  represen- 
tative slang  terms,  some  of  which  have  been  borrowed  from  the 
vegetable  kingdom.  Homage  is  rendered  to  its  superior  or  govern- 
ing powers  by  such  epithets  as  "  boussole  "  and  "  Sorbonne,"  and 
a  compliment  is  paid  to  its  inventive  genius  by  the  term,  "  la  boite 
2.  surprises,"  which  is,  however,  degraded  into  "  la  tronche  "  when 
it  has  rolled  into  the  executioner's  basket.  But  it  is  treated  with 
still  more  iiTCverence  when  deprived  of  its  natural  ornament, — so 


XX  Introduction. 


that  a  man  with  a  bald  pate  is  described  as  having  no  more  "  pail- 
lasson  k  la  porte,"  or  "  mouron  sur  la  cage."  He  is  also  said  some- 
times to  sport  a  "  tSte  da  veau." 

Grim  humour  is  displayed  in  the  long  list  of  metaphors  to  describe 
death,  the  promoters  of  the  slang  expressions  having  borrowed 
from  the  technical  vocabulary  of  their  craft.  Thus  soldiers  describe 
it  as  "  d^filer  la  parade,"  for  which  English  military  men  have  the 
equivalent,  "  to  lose  the  number  of  one's  mess  ; "  "  passer  I'arme  k 
gauche ; "  "  descendre  la  garde,"  after  which  the  soldier  will  never  be 
called  again  on  sentry  duty ;  "recevoir  son  ddcompte,"  or  deferred 
pay.  People  who  are  habitual  sufferers  from  toothache  have  no 
doubt  contributed  the  expression,  "n'avoir  plus  mal  aux  dents;" 
sailors,  "casser  son  cable"  and  "ddralinguer;"  coachmen,  "casser 
son  fouet ; "  drummers,  "  avaler  ses  baguettes,"  their  sticks  being 
henceforth  useless  to  them  ;  billiard-players  are  responsible  for 
"  d^visser  son  billard  ; "  servants  for  "  ddchirer  son  tablier."  Then 
what  horrible  philosophy  in  the  expression,  "  mettre  la  table  pour 
les  asticots  ! " 

A  person  of  sound  mind  finds  no  place  in  the  argot  vocabulary  ; 
but  madness,  from  the  mild  state  which  scarcely  goes  beyond 
eccentricity  to  the  confirmed  lunatic,  has  found  many  definitions,  the 
single  expression  "  to  be  cracked  "  being  represented  by  a  number  of 
comical  synonyms,  many  of  them  referring  to  the  presence  of  some 
troublesome  animal  in  the  brain,  such  as  "  un  moustique  dans  la 
boite  au  sel "  or  "  un  hanneton  dans  le  plafond." 

Courage  has  but  one  or  two  equivalents,  but  the  act  of  the  coward 
who  vanishes,  or  the  thief  who  seeks  to  escape  the  clutches  of  the 
police,  has  received  due  attention  from  the  promoters  of  argot. 
Thus  we  have  the  highly  picturesque  expressions,  "  faire  patatrot," 
which  gives  an  impression  of  the  patter  of  the  runaway's  feet ;  "se 
faire  une  paire  de  mains  courantes,"  literally  to  make  for  oneself  a 
pair  of  running  hands  ;  "  se  ddguiser  en  cerf,"  to  imitate  that  swift 
animal  the  deer;  "fusilier  le  plancher,"  which  reminds  one  of  the 
quick  rat-tat  of  feet  on  the  boards. 

To  show  kindness  to  one,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  notice,  is 
not  represented,  but  the  act  of  doing  bodily  injury,  or  fighting,  has 
furnished  the  slang  vocabulary  with  a  rich  contingent,  the  least 
forcible  of  which  is  certainly  not  the  amiable  invitation  expressed 


Introduction.  xxi 


in  the  words  of  the  Paris  rough,  "  viens  que  j'te  mange  le  nez  ! "  or 
"  numdrote  tes  abattis  que  j'te  ddmolisse  ! " 

What  ingenuity  and  precision  of  simile  some  of  these  vagaries  of 
language  offer  !  The  man  who  is  annoyed,  badgered,  is  compared 
to  an  elephant  with  a  small  tormentor  in  a  part  of  his  body  by  which 
he  can  be  effectually  driven  to  despair,  whilst  deprived  of  all  means 
of  retaliation — he  is  then  said  to  have  "  un  rat  dans  la  trompe  !  " 
He  who  gets  drunk  carves  out  for  himself  a  wooden  face,  and  "  se 
sculpter  une  g^eule  de  bois  "  certainly  evokes  the  sight  of  the  stolid, 
stupid  features  of  the  "  lushington,"  with  half-open  mouth  and  lack- 
lustre eyes. 

The  career  of  an  unlucky  criminal  may  thus  be  described  in  his 
own  picturesque  but  awful  language.  The  "  pfegre  "  (thief),  or  "  es- 
carpe  "  [murderer),  who  has  been  imprudent  enough  to  allow  him- 
self to  be  "  paum^  marron  "  {caught  in  the  act)  whilst  busy  effecting 
a  "  choppin  "  (theft),  or  committing  the  more  serious  offence  of 
"  faire  un  gas  k  la  dure "  (to  rob  with  violence),  using  the  knife 
when  "  lavant  son  linge  dans  la  saignante  "  (murdering),  of  yet  the 
summary  process  of  breaking  into  a  house  and  killing  all  the  in- 
mates, "  faire  une  maison  enti&re,"  will  probably  be  taken  by  "  la 
rousse"  (police),  first  of  all  before  the  ''  quart  d'oeil "  (police  magis- 
trate), from  whose  office  he  will  be  conveyed  to  the  ddpot  in  the 
"  panier  k  salade "  (prison  van),  having  perhaps  in  the  meanwhile 
spent  a  night  in  the  "  violon  "  (cells  at  the  police  station).  In  due 
time  he  will  be  brought  into  the  presence  of  a  very  inquisitive  person, 
the  "  curieux,"  who  will  do  his  utmost  to  pump  him, "  entraver  dans 
ses  flanches,"  or  make  him  reveal  his  accomplices,  "manger  le 
morceau,"  or,  again,  to  say  all  he  knows  about  the  affair,  "  ddbiner  le 
true."  From  two  to  six  months  after  this  preliminary  examination, 
he  will  be  brought  into  the  awful  presence  of  the  "  l^on  "  (president 
of  assize  court),  at  the  "  carr^  des  gerbes,"  where  he  sits  in  his  red 
robes,  administering  justice.  Now,  suffering  from  a  violent  attack 
of  "  fievre  "  (charge),  the  prisoner  puts  all  his  hopes  in  his  "  par- 
rains  d'alt^que"  (witnesses  for  the  defence),  and  in  his  "m^decin" 
(counsel),  who  will  try  whether  a  "  purgation  "  (speech for  the  defence) 
will  not  cure  him  of  his  ailment,  especially  should  he  have  an  attack 
of  "redoublement  de  fi&vre"  (new  charge).  Should  the  medicine 
be  ineffectual,  and  the  "hdsiteurs  opinants"  (jurymen)  have  pro- 


xxii  Introduction. 


nounced  against  him,  he  leaves  the  "  planche  au  pain  "  {bar)  to  re- 
turn whence  he  came,  to  the  "  h6pital "  {prison),  which  he  will  only 
leave  when  "  gudri "  {free).  But  should  he  be  "  un  cheval  de  re- 
tour  "  {old  offender),  he  will  probably  be  given  a  free  passage  to  go 
"  se  laver  les  pieds  dans  le  grand  pr^  "  {be  transported)  to  "  La 
Nouvelle "  {New  Caledonia),  or  "  Cayenne  les  Eaux  ; "  or,  worse 
still,  he  may  be  left  for  some  time  in  the  "  boite  au  sel "  {condemned 
cell)  at  La  Roquette,  attired  in  a  "  ligotante  de  rifle  "  {strait  waist- 
coat), attended  by  a  "  mouton  "  {spy),  who  tries  to  get  at  his  secrets, 
and  now  and  then  receiving  the  exhortations  of  the  "  ratichon " 
{priest).  At  an  early  hour  one  morning  he  is  apprised  by  the 
"  maugrde "  {director)  that  he  is  to  suffer  the  penalty  of  the  law. 
After  "  la  toilette  "  by  "  Chariot "  {cutting  off  the  hair  by  the  execu- 
tioner), he  is  assisted  to  the  "  Abbaye  de  Monte-k-regret "  {guillotine), 
where,  after  the  ''  sanglier  "  {priest)  has  given  him  a  final  embrace 
the  "  soubrettes  de  Chariot"  {executionet's  assistants)  seize  him,  and 
make  him  play  "  k  la  main  chaude  "  {hot  cockles).  Chariot  pulls 
a  string,  when  the  criminal  is  turned  into  "un  boeuf "  {is  executed) 
by  being  made  to  "  dternuer  dans  le  son "  {guillotined).  His 
"  machab^e  "  {remains)  is  then  taken  to  the  "  champ  de  navets " 
{cemetery). 

For  the  following  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the  Rev.  J.  W. 
Horsley,  Chaplain  to  H.  M.  Prison,  Clerkenwell,  who,  in  his  highly 
interesting  Prison  Notes  makes  the  following  remarks  on  thieves' 
slang  :  "  It  has  its  antiquity,  as  well  as  its  vitality  and  power  of 
growth  and  development  by  constant  accretion  ;  in  it  are  preserved 
many  words  interesting  to  the  student  of  language,  and  from  it  have 
passed  not  a  few  words  into  the  ordinary  stock  of  the  Queen's 
English.  Of  multifold  origin,  it  is  yet  mainly  derived  from  Romany 
or  gipsy  talk,  and  thereby  contains  a  large  Eastern  element,  in  which 
old  Sanscrit  roots  may  readily  be  traced.  Many  of  these  words 
would  be  unintelligible  to  ordinary  folk,  but  some  have  passed  into 
common  speech.  For  instance,  the  words  bamboozle,  daddy,  pal 
(companion  or  firiend),  mull  (to  make  a  mull  or  mess  of  a  thing), 
bosh  (from  the  Persian),  are  pure  gipsy  words,  but  have  found  some 
lodging,  if  not  a  home,  in  our  vernacular.  Then  there  are  survivals 
(not  always  of  the  fittest)  from  the  tongue  of  our  Teutonic  ancestors 
so  that  Dr.  Latham,  the  philologist,  says  :  '  The  thieves  of  London ' 


Introduction.  xxiii 


(and  he  might  still  more  have  said  the  professional  tramps) '  are 
the  conservators  of  Anglo-Saxonisms.'  Next,  there  are  the  cosmo- 
politan absorptions  from  many  a  tongue.  From  the  French  bouilli 
we  probably  get  the  prison  slang  term  '  bull '  for  a  ration  of  meat. 
Chat,  thieves'  slang  for  house,  is  obviously  chdteau.  Steel,  the 
familiar  name  for  Coldbath  Fields  Prison,  is  an  appropriation  and 
abbreviation  of  Bastille  ;  and  he  who  '  does  a  tray '  (serves  three 
months'  imprisonment)  therein,  borrows  his  word  from  our  Gallican 
neighbours.  So  from  the  Italian  we  get  casa  for  house,  filly  {Jiglia) 
for  daughter,  donny  {donna)  for  woman,  and  omee  {uomo)  for  man. 
The  Spanish  gives  us  don,  which  the  universities  have  not  despised 
as  a  useful  term.  From  the  German  we  get  durrynacker,  for  a 
female  hawker,  from  dorf,  '  a  village,'  and  nachgehen,  '  to  run 
after.'  From  Scotland  we  borrow  duds,  for  clothes,  and  from  the 
Hebrew  shoful,  for  base  coin. 

"  Considering  that  in  the  manufacture  of  the  domestic  and  social 
slang  of  nicknames  or  pet  names  not  a  little  humour  or  wit  is  com- 
monly found,  it  might  be  imagined  that  thieves'  slang  would  be 
a  great  treasure-house  of  humorous  expression.  That  this  is  not 
the  case  arises  from  the  fact  that  there  is  very  Kttle  glitter  even  in 
what  they  take  for  gold,  and  that  their  life  is  mainly  one  of 
miserable  anxiety,  suspicion,  and  fear  ;  forced  and  gin-inspired  is 
their  merriment,  and  dismal,  for  the  most  part,  are  their  faces  when 
not  assimiing  an  air  of  bravado,  which  deceives  not  even  their  com- 
panions. Some  traces  of  humour  are  to  be  found  in  certain  euphe- 
misms, such  as  the  delicate  expression  '  fingersmith ',  as  descriptive 
of  a  trade  which  a  blunt  world  might  call  that  of  a  pickpocket.  Or, 
again,  to  get  three  months'  hard  labour  is  more  pleasantly  described 
as  getting  thirteen  clean  shirts,  one  being  served  out  in  prison  each 
week.  The  tread-wheel,  again,  is  more  poUtely  called  the  ever- 
lasting staircase,  or  the  wheel  of  life,  or  the  vertical  case-grinder. 
Penal  servitude  is  dignified  with  the  appellation  of  serving  Her 
Majesty  for  nothing  ;  and  even  an  attempt  is  made  to  lighten  the 
horror  of  the  climax  of  a  criminal  career  by  speaking  of  dying  in  a 
horse's  nightcap,  i.e.,  a  halter." 

The  EngUsh  public  schools,  but  especially  the  military  establish- 
ments, seem  to  be  not  unimportant  manufacturing  centres  for  slang. 
Only  a  small  proportion,  however,  of  the  expressions  coined  there 


xxiv  Introduction. 


appear  to  have  been  adopted  by  the  general  slang-talking  public,  as 
most  are  local  terms,  and  can  only  be  used  at  their  own  birthplace. 
The  same  expressions  in  some  cases  have  a  totally  different  signifi- 
cation according  to  the  places  where  they  are  in  vogue.  Thus 
gentlemen  cadets  at  the  "  Shop,"  i.e.,  the  Royal  Military  Academy, 
will  talk  of  the  doctor  as  being  the  "  skipper,"  whereas  elsewhere 
"  skipper"  has  the  signification  of  master,  head  of  an  establishment. 
The  expression  "tosh,"  meaning  bath,  seems  to  have  been  imported 
by  students  from  Eton,  Harrow,  and  Charterhouse,  to  the  "  Shop," 
where  "to  tosh"  means  to  bathe,  to  wash,  but  also  to  toss  an 
obnoxious  individual  into  a  cold  bath,  advantage  being  taken  of 
his  being  in  full  uniform.  Another  expression  connected  with  the 
forced  application  of  cold  water  at  the  above  establishment  is 
termed  "  chamber  singing  "  at  Eton,  a  penalty  enforced  on  the  new 
boys  of  singing  a  song  in  public,  with  the  alternative  (according  to 
the  Everyday  Life  in  our  Public  Schools  of  C.  E.  Pascoe)  of 
drinking  a  nauseous  mixture  of  salt  and  beer  ;  the  corresponding 
penalty  on  the  occasion  of  the  arrival  of  unfortunate  "  snookers  "  at 
the  R.  M.  Academy  used  to  consist  some  few  years  ago  of  splashing 
them  with  cold  water  and  throwing  wet  sponges  at  their  heads, 
when  they  could  not  or  would  not  contribute  some  ditty  or  other  to 
the  musical  entertainment. 

"  Extra  "  at  Harrow  is  a  punishment  which  consists  of  writing  out 
grammar  for  two  and  a  half  hours  under  the  supervision  of  a  master. 
The  word  extra  at  the  "  Shop  "  already  mentioned  is  corrupted  into 
"  hoxter."  The  hoxter  consists  in  the  painful  ordeal  of  being  com- 
pelled to  turn  out  of  bed  at  an  early  hour,  and  march  up  and 
down  with  full  equipment  under  the  watchful  eye  of  a  corporal. 
Again,  we  have  here  the  suggestive  terms  :  "  greasers,"  for  fried 
potatoes  ;  "  squish,"  for  marmalade;  "whales," for  sardines;  "vase- 
line," for  honey;  "grass,"  for  vegetables  ;  and  to  be  "roosted" 
is  to  be  placed  under  arrest ;  whilst  "to  q."  means  to  qualify  at  the 
term  examination.  Here  a  man  who  is  vexed  or  angry  "  loses  his 
shirt"  or  his  "hair  ;"  at  Shrewsbury  he  is  "in  a  swot ;"  and  at 
Winchester  "front."  At  the  latter  school  a  clique  or  party  they 
term  a  "pitch  up  ;"  the  word  "Johnnies"  (newly  joined  at  Sand- 
hurst, termed  also  "Johns,")  being  sometimes  used  with  a  like 
signification  by  young  officers,  and  the  inquiry  may  occasionally 
be  heard,  "  I  say,  old  fellow,  any  more  Johnnies  coming?" 


Cant,  Fifteenth  Century. 


XXV 


Fifteenth  Century. 

LE  JARGON   OU  JOBELIN   DE   MAISTRE 
FRANCOIS  VILLON. 

BALLADE  III. 


Sp^licans, 

Qui,  en  tous  temps, 
Avancez  dedans  le  pogois 

Gourde  piarde, 

Et  sur  la  tarde, 
Desboursez  les  povres  nyois, 
Et  pour  soustenir  vostre  pois, 
Les  duppes  sont  privez  de  caire, 

Sans  faire  haire, 

Ne  hault  braiere, 
Mais  plantez  ils  sont  comme  joncz, 
Pour  les  sires  qui  sont  si  longs. 

Souvent  aux  arques 

A  leurs  marques, 
Se  laissent  tous  desbouser 

Pour  ruer, 

Et  enterver 
Pour  leur  centre,  que  lors  faisons 
La  fee  aux  arques  respons. 
Vous  ruez  deux  coups,  ou  bien  troys, 

Aux  gallois. 

Deux,  ou  troys 


Mineront  trestout  aux  frontz. 
Pour  les  sires  qui  sont  si  longs. 

Et  pource,  benars 

Coquillars, 
Rebecquez  vous  de  la  Montjoye 

Qui  desvoye 

Votre  proye, 
Et  vous  fera  de  tout  brouer. 
Pour  joncher  et  enterver. 
Qui  est  aux  pigeons  bien  cher ; 

Pour  rifler 

Et  placquer 
Les  angels,  de  mal  tous  rondz 
Pour  les  sires  qui  sont  si  longs. 

Envoi. 

De  paour  des  hurmes 

Et  des  grumes, 
Rassurez  vous  en  droguerie 

Et  faerie, 
Et  ne  soyez  plus  sur  les  joncz. 
Pour  les  sires  qui  sont  si  longs. 


TRANSLATION. 

Police  spies,  who  at  all  times  drink  good  wine  at  the  tavern,  and  at  night  empty  poor 
simpletons'  purses,  and  to  provide  for  your  extortions  silly  thieves  have  to  part  with  their 
money,  without  complaining  or  clamouring,  yet  they  are  planted  in  jail,  like  so  many 
reeds,  to  be  plucked  by  the  gaunt  hangmen. 

Oftentimes  at  the  cashboxes,  at  places  marked  out  for  plunder,  they  allow  themselves 
to  be  despoiled,  when  fighting  and  resisting  to  save  their  confederate,  while  we  are 


xxvi  Canty  Sixteenth  Century. 

practising  our  arts  on  the  hidden  coffers.  You  make  two  or  three  onsets  on  the  boon 
companions.    Two  or  three  will  mark  them  all  for  the  gallows. 

Hence,  ye  simple-minded  vagabonds,  turn  away  from  the  gallows,  which  gives  you  the 
colic  and  will  deprive  you  of  all,  that  you  may  deceive  and  steal  what  is  of  so  much  value 
to  the  dupes,  that  you  may  outwit  and  thrash  the  police,  so  eager  to  bring  you  to  the 
scaffold. 

For  fear  of  the  gibbet  and  the  beam,  exert  more  cunning  and  be  more  wily,  and  be  no 
longer  in  prison,  thence  to  be  brought  to  the  scaffold. 


Sixteenth  Century. 

SONNET  EN   AUTHENTIQUE   LANGAGE 
SOUDARDANT.' 

(Extrait  des  Premiires  CEuvres  Poetiques  du  Capitaine  Lasphrise.) 

AcciPANT  ^  du  marpaut '  la  galiere  *  pourrie, 
Grivolant '  porte-flambe  "  enfile  le  trimart.'' 
Mais  en  despit  de  Gille,'  6  geux,  ton  Girouart," 
A  la  mette  "  on  lura '^  ta  biotte  "  conie." 

Tu  peux  gourd  pioUer  '*  me  credant  ^'  et  morfie  '' 
De  rornion,^'  du  morne  i^"  et  de  I'oygnan''  criart, 
De  I'artois  blanchemin.'"   Que  ton  riflant  chouart" 
Ne  rive^^  du  Courrier  I'andrumelle  gaudie.^' 

Ne  ronce  point  du  sabre  '^  au  mion  "  du  taudis, 

1  Langage  soudardant,  soldiers'  lingo.  14  Gourd  pioller,  drink  heavily. 

2  Accipant,/<;>-  recevant.  15  Me  credant,/i»-  me  croyant. 

3  Marpaut,  host.  16  Morfie,  eat. 

i  Galiere,  mare.  17  Omion,  capon. 

s  Grivolant,  name  for  a  soldier.  18  Morne,  mutton. 

6  Flambe,  sword.  19  Oygnan,>r  oignon. 

1  Trimart,  road.  20  Artois  blanchemin,  white  bread. 

8  Gille,  name  for  a  runaway.  21  Riflant  Aa^^axt,  fiery  penis. 

9  Girouart,>a<ro».  22  Rive,  refers  to  coition. 

10  Mette,  wine-shop;  morning;  thieves'  23  Andrumelle  gSMdie,  jolly  girl 
meeting-place.  24  Ne  ronce  point  du  sabre,  do  not  lay 

11  Lura,  TO!7/«e.  the  stick  on. 

12  Biotte,  steed.  25  Mion,  boy,  waiter. 
1"  Conie,  dead. 


Cant,  Sixteenth  Century.  xxvii 

Qui  n'aille  au  Gaulfarault,'  gergonant  de  tesis,^ 
Que  son  journal'  o  flus  *  n'empoupe  ta  fouillouse.' 

N'embiant"  on  rouillarde,'  et  de  noir  roupillant," 
Sur  la  gourde  fretille,  °  et  sur  le  gourd  volant," 
Ainsi  tu  ne  luras  I'accolante  tortouse,  '^ 


Sixteenth  Century. 

DIALOGUE  BETWEEN  A  HEADMAN  IN  THE 
CANTING  CREW  AND  A  VAGABOND. 

{From  Thomas  Harmat^s  Caveat  or  Wareningfor  Common  Cursetors, 
vulgarly  called  Vagabones,  1568.) 

Upright  Man.  Bene  Lightmans"  to  thy  quarromes,"  in  what  lipken^* 
hast  thou  lypped"  in  this  darkemans,"  whether  in  a  lybbege"  or  in  the 
strummel  ?  ^' 

Roge.     I  couched  a  hogshead"  in  a  Skypper""  this  darkemans. 

Man.  I  towre"'  the  strummel  trine"  upon  thy  nachbet^'  and  Tog- 
man." 

Soge.  I  saye  by  the  Salomon^'  I  will  lage  it  of  "  with  a  gage  of  bene 
bouse ; "  then  cut  to  my  nose  watch.  ^' 

Man.     Why,  hast  thou  any  lowre  '°  in  thy  bonge '°  to  bouse  ?  '^ 

1  Gaulfarault,  master  of  a  hawdy  house.  l'  Lybbege,  bed. 

2  Gergonant  de  tesis,  complaining  of  18  Strummel,  strxw. 

fjigg^  IS  CouchtAsi.\iogshK^i^  lay dowftio sleep. 

8  Journal,  pocket-book.  20  Skypper,  barn. 

4  O  flus,  or  pack  of  cards.  ^^  I  towre,  /  see. 

5  N'empoupe  tafouUIouse,^//Mj'/o<;*<'-  "'  Trine,  hang. 

6  N'embiant,  not  travelling.  ^  Nachbet,  cap. 

7  Rouillarde,  drinks.  ^  Togman,  coat. 

8  De  noir  roupillant,  sleeping  at  night.  '"'  Salomon,  mass. 

9  Gourde  fretille,  thick  straw.  ">  Lage  it  of,  wipe  it  off. 

10  Volant,  cloak.  ^'  Gage  of  bone  bouse,  quart  of  good 

11  Tortouse,  rope.  drink. 

12  Bene  Lightmans,  good  day.  ''  Cut  to  my  nose  watch,  say  what  you 
^^  Qwxnomcs,  body.  will  to  me. 

U  Lipken,  house.  '■^  Lowre,  money. 

15  Lypped,  slept.  ^  ^o^ge,  purse. 

16  Darkemans,  night.  "'  To  bouse,  to  drink. 


XXVUl 


Cant,  Sixteenth  Century. 


Roge.     But  a  flagge/  a  wyn,'  and  a  make.^ 

Man.     Why,  where  is  the  kene  *  that  hath  the  ben  bouse  ? 

Roge.     A  bene  mort '  hereby  at  the  signe  of  the  prauncer.' 

Man.     I  cutt  it  is  quyer'  bouse,  I  bousd  a  flagge  the  last  darkmans. 

Roge.  But  bouse  there  a  bord,"  and  thou  shall  haue  beneship.'  Tower 
ye  yander  is  the  kene,  dup  the  gygger,'"  and  maund  "  that  is  bene  shyp. 

Man.  This  bouse  is  as  benship  as  rome  bouse.''  Now  I  tower  that 
ben  bouse  makes  nase  nabes. "  Maunde  of  this  morte  what  ben  pecke  '*  is 
in  her  ken. 

Roge.  She  has  o.  Cacling  chete,''  a  grunting  chete,''  rufif  Pecke,''' 
Cassan,'°  and  poplarr  of  yarum." 

Man.  That  is  benship  to  our  watclie.'"  Now  we  haue  well  bousd,  let 
vs  strike  some  chete."'  Yonder  dwelleth  a  quyer  cuffen,"'  it  were  benship 
to  myll  ^'  hym. 

Roge.  Now  bynge  we  a  waste  "  to  the  hygh  pad,^'  the  ruffmanes  '' 
is  by. 

Man.  So  may  we  happen  on  the  Harmanes,*'  and  cly  the  Tarke,"  or 
to  the  quyerken  "  and  skower  quyaer  crampings,'"  and  so  to  tryning  on  the 
<:hates.''    Gerry  gan,^"  the  ruffian ''  clye  the.'* 

Roge.  What,  stowe  your  bene,''  cofe,"  and  sut  benat  wydds,'^  and 
byng  we  to  rome  vyle,''  to  nyp  a  bonge ; "  so  shall  we  haue  lowre  for  the 
bousing  ken,*°  and  when  we  byng  back  to  the  deuseauyel,*'  we  wyll  fylche 
some  duddes*'  of  the  Ruffemans,*'  or  myll  the  ken  for  a  lagge  of  dudes." 


1  Flagge,  ^«?a;. 

2  Vfyn,  penny. 

s  Make,  halfpenny. 

A  Kene,  house. 

5  Bene  mort,  good  woman, 

*  Prauncer,  horse. 

7  Quyer,  bad. 

8  Bord,  shilling. 

9  Beneship,  excellent. 

10  Dup  the  gygger,  open  the  door. 

11  Maund,  ask. 

12  Rome  bouse,  wine. 

13  Nase  nabes,  drutiken  head, 

14  Pecke,  meat, 

15  Cacling  chx.tt,/owl. 

16  Grunting  chete,  pig. 

17  Ruff  pecke,  bacon. 

18  Cassan,  cheese. 

19  Poplarr  of  yarum,  milk  porridge. 

20  To  our  watche,y&r  us. 

21  Strike  some  chete,  steal  something. 

22  Quyer  cuffen,  magistrate. 

23  Myll,  rob. 


2*  Bynge  we  a  waste,  let  us  away. 

25  Pad,  road. 

26  Ruffmanes,  wood. 

27  Harmanes,  stocks. 

28  Cly  the  Tarke,  be  whipped. 

29  Quyerken, /rwo». 

SO  Skower  quyaercrampings,  besJtackled 
with  bolts  and  fetters. 
'1  Chates,  gallows. 

32  Gerry  gan,  hold  your  tongue. 

33  Ruffian,  devil. 

3*  Clye  the,  take  thee. 

35  Stowe  your  bene,  hold  your  peace. 

36  Cofe,  good  fellow. 

37  Sut  benat  wydds,  speak  better  words. 

38  Rome  vyle,  London. 

39  Nyp  a  bonge,  cut  a  purse. 
*0  Bousing  ken,  alehouse. 

41  Deuseauyel,  country. 

4-  Duddes,  linen  clothes. 

^  Ruffemans,  hedges. 

■'■'  i^^ss^  oH^ies,  parcel  of  clotlies. 


Cant,  Seventeenth  Century.  xxix 


Seventeenth  Century, 
DIALOGUE  DE  DEUX  ARGOTIERS.i 

I-'UN   POLISSON"  ET  l'aUTRE  MALINGREUX,'  QUI   SE   RENCONTRENT 
JUSTE  A  LA  LOURDE*   D'UNE   VERGNE." 

[fixtrait  du  Jargon  de  I' Argot.) 

Le  Malingreux.     La  haute  °  t'aquige ''  en  chenastre  "  sante. 

Le  Polisson.     Et  teziere  °  aussi,  fanandel ; "  ovi  trimardes  ^'-tu  ? 

Le  Malingreux.  En  ce  pasquelin  ^"  de  Berry,  on  m'a  rouscaille  "  que 
trucher  '*  etait  chenastre  ;  et  en  cette  vergne  fiche-t-on  la  thune  *'  gourde- 
ment  ? '° 

Le  Polisson.     Quelque  peu,  pas  gu^re. 

Le  Malingreux.     La  rousse  '''  y  est-elle  chenastre  ? 

Le  Polisson.  Nenni ;  c'est  ce  qui  me  fait  ambler  "  hors  de  cette  vergne  ; 
car  si  je  n'eusse  eu  du  michon,^'  je  fusse  cosni'°  de  faim. 

1  Argotieis,  meitibers  of  the  "canting  11  Trimardes,  going, 
crew."  12  Pasquelin,  country. 

2  FoHsson,  half-naked  beggar.  13  Rouscaille,  told. 
S  Malingreux,  maimed  or  sick  beggar.  1*  Trucher,  to  beg. 

*  IjOMtAc.  gate.  Ifi  Fiche-t-on  la  thune,  </(?  ^^j'^V*  a/wj, 

S  Vergne,  town.  1^  Gourdement,  muck. 

8  La  haute,  the  Almighty.  "  La  rousse,  the  police. 

1  Aquige,  keep.  18  Ambier,  go. 

8  Chenastre,  good.  1'  Michon,  fnoney. 

»  T&iire,  thee.  20  Cosni,  died. 
10  Fanandel,  comrade. 


XXX  Cant,  Seventeenth  Century. 

Le  Malingreux.     Y  a-t-il  un  castu  ^  dans  cette  vergne. 

Le  Polisson,     Jaspin.' 

Le  MalingrMX.     Est-il  chenu  ?  ' 

Le  Polisson.     Pas  guere  ;  les  pioles' ne  sont  que  de  fretille.'  .  .  . 

Zi  Malingreux.  Veux-tu  venir  prendre  de  la  morfe  ^  et  piausser ''  avec 
meziere  '  en  une  des  pioles  que  tu  m'as  rouscaillees  ? 

Le  Polisson.  II  n'y  a  ni  ronds,°  ni  herplis,'"  en  ma  felouse ;  '"■  je  vais 
piausser  en  quelque  grenasse.'" 

Le  Malingreux.  Encore  que  n'y  ayez  du  michon,  ne  laissez  pas  de  venir, 
car  il  y  a  deux  menees  ^'  de  ronds  en  ma  henne,  '*  et  deux  ornies  "en  mon 
gueulard,'°  que  j'ai  egraillees'^  sur  le  trimar  ;^'  bions  "  les  faire  riffoder,^" 
veux-tu  ? 

Le  Polisson.  Girole,"'  et  b&i  soit  le  grand  havre, '"'  qui  m'a  fait  rencontrer 
si  chenastre  occasion  ;  je  vais  me  rejouir  et  chanter  une  petite  chanson.  .  .  . 

Le  Malingreux.  Si  tu  veux  trimer  ''  de  compagnie  avec  meziere,  nous 
aquigerons  grande  chere,^*  je  sais  bien  aquiger  les  luques,^'  engrailler  I'omie, 
casser  la  hane  aux  fremions,''  pom:  epouser  la  fourcandiere,"  si  quelques 
rovaux  ^''  me  mouchaillent.^' 

Le  Polisson.  Ah  !  le  havre  garde  meziere,  je  ne  fus  jamais  ni  fourgue '° 
ni  doubleux.^' 

Le  Malingreux.  Ni  meziere  non  plus,  je  rouscaille  '^  tous  les  luisans '' 
au  grand  havre  de  I'oraison. 

1  Castu,  hos^tal.  ^^  Bions,  let  us  go. 

'^  Jaspin,  yes.  ^^  RifFoder,  cook. 

3  Chenu,  good.  21  Girole,  so  he  it. 

4  Pioles,  rooms.  22  Havre,  God. 

5  Fretille,  straw.  23  Trimer,  to  walk. 

6  yiori^i/ood.  24  Aquigerons  grande  chfere,  will  live 
"  Piausser,  to  sleep.                                        'well. 

8  Mezifere,  me.  25  Aquiger  les  luques,  prejiare  pictures. 

9  Ronds,  halfpence.  26  Casser  la  hane  aux  fremions,   steal 

10  HerpHsj^r^AzM^f.  purses  at  fairs. 

11  VAo\isfi,  pocket.  27  Epouser   la  fourcandifere,  to  throw 

12  Grenasse,  bam.  away  the  stolen  property. 

13  Menkes,  dozen.  28  Rovaux,  police. 

14  Henne,  purse.  29  Monchaillent,  see. 

15  Ornies,  A«»l.  30  Fourgue,  receiver  of  stolen  property. 

16  Gueulard,  wallet.  31  Doubleux,  thief. 

17  EgrailWes,  hooked,  32  j^  rouscaille,  I  pray. 

18  Trimar,  road.  33  Tous  les  luisans,  every  day. 


Cant,  Seventeenth  Century.  xxxi 

Seventeenth  Century. 
ENGLISH   GIPSIES'   OATH. 

(Extract  from  Bampfylde-Moore  Carew,  King  of  the  Mendicants.') 

When  a  fresh  recruit  is  admitted  into  this  fraternity,  he  is  to  take  the 
following  oath,  administered  by  the  principal  maunder,'  after  going  through 
the  annexed  form  : — 

First  a  new  name  is  given  him,  by  which  he  is  ever  after  to  be  called  ; 
then,  standing  up  in  the  middle  of  the  assembly,  and  directing  his  face  to 
the  dimber  damber,  or  principal  man  of  the  gang,  he  repeats  the  following 
oath,  which  is  dictated  to  him  by  some  experienced  member  of  the 
fraternity : — 

"  I,  Crank  Cuffin,  do  swear  to  be  a  true  brother,  and  that  I  will  in  all 
things  obey  the  commands  of  the  great  tawny  prince,'' keep  his  counsel,  and 
not  divulge  the  secrets  of  my  brethren. 

"  I  will  never  leave  or  forsake  the  company,  but  observe  and  keep  all 
the  times  of  appointment,  either  by  day  or  by  night,  in  every  place 
whatever. 

"  I  will  not  teach  anyone  to  cant ;  nor  will  I  disclose  any  of  our 
mysteries  to  them. 

"  I  will  take  my  prince's  part  against  all  that  shall  oppose  him,  or  any  of 
us,  according  to  the  utmost  of  my  ability  ;  nor  will  I  suffer  him,  or  anyone 
belonging  to  us,  to  be  abased  by  any  strange  abrams,'  rufifies,*  hookers,' 
palliardes,^  swaddlers,'  Irish  toyles,*  swigmen,'  whip  "Jacks,"  Jarkmen,'' 
bawdy  baskets,"  dommerars,"  clapper  dogeons,'*  patricoes,'^  or  cur- 
tails ;'*  but  I  will  defend  him,  or  them,  as  much  as  I  can,  against  all  other 
outliers  whatever.     I  will  not  conceal  aught  I  win  out  of  libkins,''  or  from 

1  Maunder,  beggar.  *  Swigmen,  beggars. 

2  Tawny  prince,  Prince  Prig,  the  head  10  Whip  Jacks,  beggars  who  sham  the 
ef  the  gipsies.  shipwrecked  sailor. 

3  Ahrams,  Aalf-ttaked  beggars.  ^  Jarkmen,  learned  beggars,  begging- 

4  Ruffiea,  beggars  who  sham  the  old  letter  impostors. 

soldier.  1^  Bawdy  baskets,  prostitutes. 

6  Hookers,  thieves  who  beg  in  the  day-  13  Dommerars,  dumb  beggars, 

time  and  steal  at  night  from  shops  with  "  Clapper  dogeons,  beggars  by  birth. 

^  ^„^_  15  Patricoes,   those    who  perform    the 

e  Palliardes,  ragged  beggars.  marriage  ceremony. 

1  Swaddlers,   Irish  Roman   Catholics  1^  Curtails,  second  in  command,  with 

who  pretend  conversion.  short  cloak. 

8  Toyles,  beggars  with  pedlaf't  pack.  i'  Libkins,  lodgings, 


xxxii  Cant,  Eighteenth  Century. 

the  ruffmans, '  but  will  preserve  it  for  the  use  of  the  company.  Lastly,  I 
will  cleave  to  my  doxy,"  wap^  stiffly,  and  will  bring  her  duds,*  mar- 
gery  praters,"  gobblers,"  grunting  cheats,'  or  tibs  of  the  buttery,'  or  any- 
thing else  I  can  come  at,  as  winnings  for  her  wappings."' 


Eighteenth  Century. 
JERRY  JUNIPER'S   CHANT. 

(From  Ainsworih's  Kookwood.) 

In  a  box'"  of  the  stone  jug"  I  was  bom. 
Of  a  hempen  widow'"  the  kid"  forlorn, 

Fake  away ! 
And  my  father,  as  I've  heard  say. 

Fake  away ! 
Was  a  merchant  of  capers  gay, 
Who  cut  his  last  fling  with  great  applause, 
Nix  my  doll  pals,  fake  away  !  '* 
To  the  tune  of  hearty  choke  with  caper  sauce. 

Fake  away  ! 
The  knucks'"  in  quod'*  did  my  schoolmen"  play, 

Fake  away ! 
And  put  me  up  to  the  time  of  day," 
Until  at  last  there  was  none  so  knowing, 
No  such  sneaksman"  or  buzgloak'"  going. 

Fake  away  ! 

1  Ruffmans,  bushes  or  "woods.  13  Kid,  child. 

2  Doxy,  mistress.  "  Nix  my  doll  pals,  fake  away  !  never 

3  Wap,  to  lie  with  a  woman.  mi«d,/riends,  work  away! 
<  Duds,  clothes.  IS  Knucks,  thinies. 

5  Margery  praters,  hens.  18  Quod,  prison. 

6  Gobblers,  rfKC*j.  17  Samo\mai,/ellcws  o/ihe  gang. 

1  Grunting  cheats,  figs.  18  Put  me  up  to  the  time  of  day,  made  a 

8  Tibs  of  the  buttery,  geese.  knewing  one  of  me,  taught  me  thieving. 

9  Wappings,  coition.  19  Sneaksman,  shofli/ier. 

10  Box,  cell.  20  Buzgloak,  pickpocket. 

11  Stone  jug,  Newgate. 

1*  Hempen  widow,  woman  whose  hus. 
band  has  been  hanged. 


Cant,  Eighteenth  Century. 


XXXlll 


Fogies  '•  and  fawnies  "  soon  Went  their  way, 

Fake  away ! 
To  the  spout  ^  with  the  sneezers  *  in  grand  array, 
No  dummy  hunter'  had  forks  so  fly,° 
No  knuckler  so  deftly  could  fake  a  cly,' 

Fake  away  ! 
No  slourd  hoxter  "  my  snipes  '  could  stay. 

Fake  away  ! 
None  knap  a  reader  "  like  me  in  the  lay.'' 
Soon  then  I  mounted  in  swell  rtreet-high, 
Nix  my  doll  pals,  fake  away  ! 
Soon  then  I  mounted  in  swell  street-high, 
And  sported  my  ilashest  toggery,'^ 

Fake  away ! 
Fainly  resolved  I  would  make  my  hay. 

Fake  away  ! 
While  Mercury's  star  shed  a  single  ray ; 
And  ne'er  was  there  seen  such  a  dashing  prig,'' 
Nix  my  doll  pals,  fake  away  ! 
And  ne'er  was  there  seen  such  a  dashing  prig. 
With  my  strummel  faked'*  in  the  newest  twig," 

Fake  away  ! 
With  my  fawnied  famms  "  and  my  onions  gay," 

Fake  away ! 
My  thimble  of  ridge,'"  and  my  driz  kemesa," 
All  my  togs'"  were  so  niblike"  and  plash. ^' 
Readily  the  queer  screens  °'  I  then  could  smash."* 

Fake  away  ! 
But  my  nuttiest  blowen,''  one  fine  day. 

Fake  away ! 


■1  Fogies,  silk  handkerchiefs. 

2  Fawnies,  ritigs. 

3  %■^Q^3^.,pa'alnhroker's, 

4  Sneezers,  snuff-hoxes. 

5  'Q\inmi^\iU'!\\xx,  stealer  of  pocket  looks. 

6  Forks  so  fly,  such  nimlle  fingers. 

1  No  knuckler  so  deftly  could  fake  a 
cly,  no  pickpocket  so  skilfully  could  pick  a 
pocket. 

8  Slourd  hoxter,  inside  pocket  buttoned 
up. 

s  Snipes,  scissors. 
10  Knap  a  reader,  steal  a  pocket  hook. 

1'  Lay,  robbery  t  dodge. 


12  Flashest  toggery,  best  made  clothes. 

13  Prig,  thief. 

1*  Strummel  faked,  hair  dressed. 

15  'YvA^,  fashion. 

16  Fawnied  famms,  hands  bejewelled. 

17  Onions,  seals. 

18  Thimble  of  ridge,  gold  watch, 

18  Driz  kemesa,  shirt  with  lace  frill. 

20  Togs,  clothes. 

21  TA'^ViSufi^fashionable. 

22  Pla5h,>««. 

23  Q^it^r  s/:.T^&T:is,  forged  notes. 
2*  Smash, /ojf. 

25  Nuttiest  blowen,^P(7«r?Vtf^V/. 


xxxiv  Cant,  Eighteenth  Century. 

To  the  beaks  ^  did  her  fanqr  man  betray, 
And  thus  was  I  bowled  at  last, 
And  into  the  jug  for  a  lay  was  cast. 

Fake  away  I 
But  I  slipped  my  darbies^  one  morn  in  May, 
And  gave  to  the  dubsman'  a  holiday. 
And  here  I  am,  pals,  merry  and  free, 
A  regular  rollicking  romany.* 


Eighteenth  Century. 
CHANSON. 

{Exirait  du  Vice  Puni  ou  Cartouche,  1725.) 

Fanandels'  en  cette  Piolle^ 
On  vit  chenument ;'' 
Arton,  Pivois  et  Criolle' 
On  a  gourdement.' 
Pitanchons,  faisons  rioUe '" 
jusqu'au  Jugement. 

Icicaille  "  est  le  Theatre 
Du  Petit  Dardant;"^ 
Fongons  a  ce  Mion"  folatre 
Notre  Palpitant.'* 
Pitanchons  Pivois  chenitre" 
Jusques  au  Luisant.'^ 

1  Beaks,  magistrates.  10  Pitanchons,  faisons  riolle,  Ut  us  drixk, 

2  Darbies,  handcuffs.  amuse  ourselves. 

3  Dubsman,  turnkey.  11  icicaille,  here. 

i  Romany,  gi^sjy.  12  Petit  Dardant,  Cupid. 

5  Fanandels,  comrades.  u  Fonjons  a  ce  Mion,  let  us  give  thii 

*>  PioUe,  house,  tavern.  ^j,« 

1  Chenument,  well.  u  Palpitant.  heaH. 

8  Arton,  pivois  et  criolle,  bread,  wine,  15  Chenatre  good 
and  meat.  16  Luisant,  rfoy.  ' 

9  Gourdement,  in  plenty. 


Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century.       xxxv 


Beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century. 
VIDOCQ'S  SLANG  SONG. 

En  Toulant  de  vergne  en  vergne^ 
Pour  apprendre  a  goupiner,  ^ 
J'ai  rencontre  la  mercandiere,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Qui  du  pivois  solisait,* 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

J'ai  rencontre  la  mercandi^re 
Qui  du  pivois  solisait ; 
Je  lui  jaspine  en  bigome ; " 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Qu'as  tu  done  a  morfiller  ?  ° 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Je  lui  jaspine  en  bigome ; 
Qu'as  tu  done  ^  morfiller  ? 
J'ai  du  chenu''  pivois  sans  lance.' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  du  larton  savonne ' 
Lonfa  malura  dond^. 


1  Vergne,  town.  ^  Morfiller,  io  eat  and  drink* 

2  Goupiner,  to  steal.  '  Chenu,  good. 
'  MercandiSre,  tradeswomen.  8  Lance,  water. 

<  Du  pivois  solisait,  sold  wine.  '  Larton  savonn^,  white  Iread. 
^  Jaspine  en  bigome,  say  in  cant. 


xxxvi       Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century. 


J'ai  du  chenu  pivois  sans  lance 
Et  du  larton  savonne, 
Une  lourde  '  et  une  tournante,'' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  un  pieu '  pour  roupiller  * 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Une  lourde,  une  tournante 
Et  un  pieu  pour  roupiller. 
J'enquille '  dans  sa  cambriole, ' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Esperant  de  rentifler,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondd 

J'enquille  dans  sa  cambriole 
Esperant  de  I'entifler ; 
Je  rembroque  '  au  coin  du  rifle,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Un  messiire '"  qui  pionjait,^' 
Lonfa  malura  dond^. 

Je  rembroque  au  coin  du  rifle 
Un  messiere  qui  pionyait ; 
J'ai  sonde  dans  ses  vallades,'^ 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine. 
Son  carle ''  j'ai  pessigue,'* 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

J'ai  sonde  dans  ses  vallades. 
Son  carle  j'ai  pessigue, 
Son  carle  et  sa  tocquante,'' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  ses  attaches  de  ce," 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Son  carle  et  sa  tocquante, 
Et  ses  attaches  de  ce. 


1  Louvde,  door. 

2  Tournante,  key. 

3  Pieu,  bed. 

*  Roupiller,  to  sleep, 
s  J'enquille,  I  enter. 

6  Cambriole,  room. 

7  Entifler,  to  marry. 
^  Rembroque,  see. 


9  Rifle,  yf«. 

10  Messiere,  man. 

11  Piongait,  utias  sleeping, 

12  VaS^iis,  pockets, 

13  Carle,  money, 

1*  Pessigu€,  taken, 

1*  Tocquante,  •watch. 

1«  Attaches  de  c«,  silver  luckles. 


Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century,     xxxvii 

Son  coulant '  et  sa  montante,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  son  combre  galuche '' 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Son  coulant  et  sa  montante 
Et  son  combre  galuche, 
Son  fru^que,*  aussi  sa  lisette,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  ses  tirants  brodanches," 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Son  frusque,  aussi  sa  lisette 
Et  ses  tirants  brodanches. 
Crompe,''  crompe,  mercandiire, 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine. 
Car  nous  serions  bequilles,' 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Crompe,  crompe,  mercandiere, 
Car  nous  serions  bequilles. 
Sur  la  placarde  de  vergne,' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
II  nous  faudrait  gambiller,'" 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

Sur  la  placarde  de  vergne 
II  nous  faudrait  gambiller, 
AUumes''-  de  toutes  ces  largues,'' 
Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Et  du  trepe  ^^  rassemble, 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 

AUumes  de  toutes  ces  largues 
Et  du  tr^pe  rassemble  ; 
Et  de  ces  chariots  bons  drilles,-" 


1  Coulant,  chain.  8  B^quill^s,  hanged. 

2  Montante,  ^wc^i.  '  Placarde  de  vergne, /«?«;//««. 

3  Combre  galuche,  laced  hat.  1°  Gambiller,  to  dance. 
*  Frusque,  coat.  ^^  AUumds,  stayed  at. 
5  Lisette,  •waistcoat.  ^^  Largues,  women. 

"  Tirants  brodanchft,  emiroidered stock-  1'  Tr^pe,  crowd. 


mgs. 
7  Crompe,  run  away. 


14  Chariots  bons  drilles,  jelly  thieves. 


xxxviii     Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century. 

Lonfa  malura  dondaine, 
Tous  aboulant'  goupiner. 
Lonfa  malura  donde. 


Beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century. 
THE  SAME  SONG  VERSIFIED  BY  WILLIAM  MAGINN. 

As  from  ken^  to  ken  I  was  going, 

Doing  a  bit  on  the  prigging  lay,* 

Who  should  I  meet  but  a  jolly  blowen,* 

Tol  lol,  lol  lol,  tol  derol  ay ; 
Who  should  I  meet  but  a  jolly  blowen, 
Who  was  fly'  to  the  time  o'  day  ?  ° 

Who  should  I  meet  but  a  jolly  blowen. 

Who  was  fly  to  the  time  of  day. 

I  pattered  in  flash, ^  like  a  covey'  knowing, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
"Ay,  bub  or  grubby,'  I  say.'' 

I  pattered  in  flash  like  a  covey  knowing, 

"  Ay,  bub  or  grubby,  I  say." 

"  Lots  of  gatter,"  "  quo'  she,  "  are  flowing, 

Tol  lol,  &c.. 
Lend  me  a  lift  in  the  family  way.'^ 

"  Lots  of  gatter,"  quo'  she,  "  are  flowing, 
Lend  me  a  lift  in  the  family  way. 
You  may  have  a  crib  '^  to  stow  in, 

Tol  lol,  &c.. 
Welcome,  my  pal,"  as  the  flowers  in  May." 

1  Aboulant  comins.  7  Pattered  in  flash,  spoke  in  slan^. 

a  Ken,  shop,  hmse.  8  Covey,  man 

3  Prigging  h.y  thUvinglusiness  9  Bub  and  grub,  drink  and  food. 

^  Blowen,  girl^  strumpet,  siveetheart.  10  Gatter  iorter 

5  Fly  (contraction  of  flash),  a^wake,  up  U  F^^Uy.  th,  kieves  in  generali  the 

iotractu^d,n  i^^^\y^^y.  the  thieving linf. 

o  Time  o   dav,  knowledge  of  business,  12  Crib  bed 

'"""'"^  ''  ^-< friend,  companion,  paramour. 


Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century,      xxxix 

"  You  may  have  a  crib  to  stow  in, 
Welcome,  my  pal,  as  the  flowers  in  May." 
To  her  ken  at  once  I  go  in, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
Where  in  a  comer  out  of  the  way ; 

To  her  ken  at  once  I  go  in, 
Where  in  a  corner  out  of  the  way. 
With  his  smeller '  a  trumpet  blowing, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
A  regular  swell  cove  '  lashy  '  lay. 

With  his  smeller  a  trumpet  blowing, 

A  regular  swell  cove  lushy  lay. 

To  his  dies  *  my  hooks '  I  throw  in, 

Tol  lol,  &c.. 
And  collar  his  dragons  °  clear  away. 

To  his  dies  my  hooks  I  throw  in. 
And  collar  his  dragons  clear  away. 
Then  his  ticker'  I  set  a-going, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
And  his  onions,'  chain  and  key. 

Then  his  ticker  I  set  a-going, 
With  his  onions,  chain  and  key  ; 
Next  slipt  off  his  bottom  clo'ing, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
And  his  ginger  head  topper  gay. 

Next  slipt  off  his  bottom  clo'ing, 
And  his  ginger  head  topper  gay. 
Then  his  other  toggery  *  stowing, 

Tol  lol,  &c.. 
All  with  the  swag  "  I  sneak  away. 

Then  his  other  toggery  stowing. 
All  with  the  swag  I  sneak  away, 

1  Smeller  ncse.  ^  Collar  his  dragons,  iahe  his  sffsereigns. 

2  Swell  cove,  gentleman,  dandy.  '  Ticker,  watch. 

3  Lnshy,  drunk.  '  Onions,  seals. 

*  Clies,><rfe<i.  '  Toggery,  cMhes. 

5  HooVs,  Jlngers.  ">  Swag,  >/7/W«r. 


xl  Cant,  beginning  of  Nineteenth  Century. 

Tramp  it,  tramp  it,  my  jolly  bio  wen, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
Or  be  grabbed '  by  the  beaks  '■'  we  may. 

Tramp  it,  tramp  it,  my  jolly  blowen. 
Or  be  grabbed  by  the  beaks  we  may. 
And  we  shall  caper  a-heel-and-toeing, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
A  Newgate  hornpipe  some  fine  day. 

And  we  shall  caper  a-heel-and-toeing, 
A  Newgate  hornpipe  some  fine  day, 
With  the  mots '  their  ogles  *  throwing, 

Tol  lol,  &c., 
And  old  Cotton*  humming  his  pray.' 

With  the  mots  their  ogles  throwing, 
And  old  Cotton  humming  his  pray. 
And  the  fogle-hunters ''  doing, 

Tol  lol,  &c.. 
Their  morning  fake  *  in  the  prigging  lay. 

1  Grabbed,  taken.  6  old  Cotton,  the  crdinary  of  NmgaU 

2  Beaks,  polke  officers.  C  Humming  his  pray,  saying  frayers. 

3  Mots,  girls.  1  ^ogX^-Ymnlers,  ■pickpockets. 

i  Ogles,  eyes.  8  Morning  fake,  morning  thieving. 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


xli 


Nineteenth  Century. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY   OF  A  THIEF   IN 
THIEVES'   LANGUAGE. 


By  J.  W.  HORSLEY, 

Chaplain  of  H.  M.  Prison, 

Clerkenwell. 

I  WAS  bom  in  1853  at  Stamford 
Hill,  Middlesex.  My  parents  re- 
moved from  there  to  Stoke  Ne wing- 
ton,  when  I  was  sent  to  an  infant 
school.  Some  time  afterwards  I  was 
taken  by  two  pals  (companions)  to 
an  orchard  to  cop  (steal)  some  fruit, 
me  being  a  mug  (inexperienced)  at 
the  game.  This  got  to  my  father's 
ears.  When  I  went  home  he  set 
about  me  with  a  strap  until  he  was 
tired.  He  thought  that  was  not 
enough,  but  tied  me  to  a -bedstead. 
You  may  be  sure  what  followed.  I 
got  loose,  tied  a  blanket  and  a  coun- 
terpane together,  fastened  it  to  the 
bedstead,  and  let  myself  out  of  the 
window,  and  did  not  go  home  that 


Translated 

INTO  THE  Language  of 

French  Thieves. 

Je  suis  n^  en  1853-^  Stamford  Hill, 
Middlesex.  Mes  parents,  de  lago, 
allerent  se  pioler  k  Stoke  Newington, 
at  Ton  m'envoya  a  une  ecole  mater- 
nelle.  Peu  de  temps  aprfe,  deux  de 
mes  fanandels  me  menerent  a  un 
verger  pour  grinchir  c'es  fraits,  mais 
je  n'etais  qu'un  sinve  a  ce  Jlancke. 
Mon  dab  apprit  la  chose,  et  quand 
je  rentolai  i  la  caginotte  il  me  refila 
une  purge  avec  une  coM.xroK^  jusqu^ it 
plus  soif.  Pensant  que  ce  n'etait  pas 
assez,  il  me  ligota  au  pieu.  Vous 
vous  doutez  de  ce  qui  arriva.  ]e 
me  debarrassai  des  ligotes,  attachai 
un  embarras  i  une  couverture  que 
je  fixai  a.-apieu,  et  je  me  laissai  glis- 
ser  par  la  vanterne.     Je  ne  rappli- 


xlii 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


night,  but  met  my  two  pals  and 
dossed  (slept)  in  a  haystack.  Early 
next  morning  my  pals  said  they 
knew  where  we  could  get  some  toke 
(food),  and  took  me  to  a  terrace. 
We  went  down  the  dancers  (steps) 
to  a  safe,  and  cleared  it  out.  Two 
or  three  days  after  I  met  my  mother, 
who  in  tears  begged  of  me  to  go 
home  ;  so  I  went  home.  My  parents 
moved  to  Clapton,  when  they  sent 
me  to  school.  My  pals  used  to  send 
stiffs  (notes)  to  the  schoolmaster, 
saying  that  I  was  wanted  at  home ; 
but  instead  of  that  we  used  to  go 
and  smug  snowy  (steal  linen)  that 
was  hung  out  to  dry,  or  rob  the 
bakers'  barrows.  Things  went  from 
bad  to  worse,  so  I  was  obliged  to 
leave  home  again.  This  time  I 
palled  in  with  some  older  hands  at 
the  game,  who  used  to  take  me  a 
parlour-jumping  (robbing  rooms), 
putting  me  in  where  the  windows 
was  open.  I  used  to  take  anything 
there  was  to  steal,  and  at  last  they 
told  me  all  about  wedge  (silver- 
plate),  how  I  should  know  it  by  the 
ramp  (hall-mark — rampant  lion  ?) ; 
we  used  to  break  it  up  in  small 
pieces  and  sell  it  to  watchmakers, 
and  afterwards  to  a  fence  down  the 
Lane  (Petticoat  Lane).  Two  or  three 
times  a  week  I  used  to  go  to  the 
Brit.  (Britannia  Theatre)  in  Hoxton, 
or  the  gaff  (penny  music-room)  in 
Shoreditch.  I  used  to  steal  anything 
to  make  money  to  go  to  these  places. 
.Some  nights  I  used  to  sleep  at  my 
pals'  houses,  sometimes  in  a  shed 
where  there  was  a  fire  kept  burning 
night  and  day.     All  this  time  I  had 


quai  fas  h  la  niche  cette  nogue-lci, 
mais  j'allai  retrouver  mes  deux 
fanandes  et  je  pioncai  dans  une 
meule  de  foin.  Au  matois  mes 
fanandels  me  bonnirent  qu'ils  cono- 
braUnt oxiinoxis,  pouvions  acquigeris 
la  tortillade  et  me  men^rent  &  une 
rang^e  AepioUs.  Nous  degringolons 
lesgrimpants.  Nous  embardons  dans 
un  garde-manger  et  nous  le  rinfons. 
Deux  ou  trois  reluis  apres,  je  me 
casse  le  mufle  sur  ma  dabuche,  qui,  en 
chialant,  me  supplie  de  rappliquerh 
la  niche,  ce  que  j'ai  fait.  Mes  parents 
alors  ont  demenage  et  sont  alles  a 
Clapton.  Alors  on  m'a  envoye  a 
I'ecole.  Mes  camerluches  balanfaient 
des  lasagnes  au  maltre  d'ecole  disant 
qu'on  me  demandait  a  la  niche,  mais 
au  lieu  de  cela  nous  allions  diflorer 
la  pictouse  ou  rincer  les  bagnoles  des 
lartonniers.  Les  choses  allerent  it 
mal  en  pis  et  je  fus  oblige  de  redl- 
carrer  de  la  niche.  Cette  fois  je  me 
mis  avec  des  fanandes  plus  affran- 
chis,  qui  me  menaient  avec  eux  rin- 
cer les  cambriolles,  me  faisant  enguil- 
ler  par  les  vanternes  ouvertes.  Je 
mettais  la  pogne  sur  toute  la  camelote 
bonne  a  grinchir,  et  enfin  ils  me 
firent  entraver  tout  le  true  de  la 
blanquette,  et  comment  je  la  rkono- 
brerais  par  la  marque ;  nous  la 
frangissions  en  petits  morceaux  et 
nous  la  fourgattions  chez'  des  bo- 
guistes  et  ensuite  chez  un  fourgue 
qui  demeurait  dans  la  Lane.  Deux 
ou  trois  fois  par  semaine  je  suis  alle ' 
au  Brit,  de  Hoxton  ou  au  beuglant 
de  Shoreditch.  Je  grinchissais  n'im- 
porte  quelle  camelote  pour  affurer 
de  la  thune  afin  d'aller  i  ces  endroits. 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


xliii 


escaped  the  hands  of  the  reelers 
(police),  but  one  day  I  was  taken 
for  robbing  a  baker's  cart,  and  got 
twenty-one  days.  While  there  I 
made  pals  with  another  one  who 
came  from  Shoreditch,  and  promised 
to  meet  him  when  we  got  out,  which 
I  did,  and  we  used  to  go  together, 
and  left  the  other  pals  at  Clapton. 


At  last  one  day  we  was  at  St. 
John's  Wood.  I  went  in  after  some 
wedge.  While  picking  some  up  off 
the  table  I  frightened  a  cat,  which 
upset  a  lot  of  plates  when  jumping 
out  of  the  window.  So  I  was  taken 
and  tried  at  Marylebone  Police 
Court  and  sent  to  Feltham  Industrial 
School.  I  had  not  been  there  a 
month  before  I  planned  with  another 
boy  to  guy  (run  away),  and  so  we 
did,  but  was  stopped  at  Brentford 
and  took  back  to  the  school,  for 
which  we  got  twelve  strokes  with 
the  birch.  I  thought  when  I  first 
went  there  that  I  knew  a  great  deal 
about  thieving,  but  I  found  there 
was  some  there  that  knew  more,  and 
I  used  to  pal  in  vrith  those  that 
knew  the  most.  One  day,  while 
talking  with  a  boy,  he  told  me 
he  was  going  home  in  a  day 
or  so.  He  said  his  friends  was  going 
to  claim  him  out  because  he  was 
more  than  sixteen  years  old.  When 
my  friends  came  to  see  me  I  told 
them  that  they  could  claim  me  out. 


Des  sorgues,  je  pionfais  dans  !es 
pioles  de  raes  Janantiels,  quelquefoia 
sous  un  hangar  ou  il  y  avait  un  rif 
qui  riffodait  jome  et  sorgue,  Ce- 
pendant,  j'avais  echappe  aux  pinces 
de  la  rijlette,  mais  un  reluis  j'ai  ete 
pomaqui  pour  avoir  rind  une  hag- 
nole  de  lartonnier  et  enflacqui  pen- 
dant vingt  et  un  reluis.  Lago  j'ai  eu 
pour  amarre  un  autre  qui  venait  de 
Shoreditch  et  je  lui  ai  promis  un 
rendez-vous  pour  quand  nous  serions 
defourailUs;  alors  noussommes  deve- 
nus  aman-es  d'attaques  et  nous  avons 
laisse  les  autres  zigues  h.  Clapton. 

Enfin,  un  jour  nous  nous  trouvions 
i  St.  John's  Wood  et  j'etais  a  soulever 
de  la  blanquette.  Pendant  que  je  met- 
tais  la  pogne  dessus,  je  coquai  le  taf  a 
un  greffier  qui  fit  degringoler  un  tas 
de  morjiantes  en  sautant  par  la  van- 
teme.  De  cette  fayon,  je  fus/c»M- 
que,  mis  en  gerbement  au  carre  des 
gerbes  de  Marylebone  et  envoye  au 
penitencier  de  Feltham.  Y  avait 
pas  une  marque  que  j'y  etais  que  je 
me  preparai  avec  un  autre  kfaire  la 
cavale.  Apres  avoir  dicarrl,  nous 
fumes  engraillls  a  Brentford  et  ren- 
Jlacqicis  au  penitencier  ou  I'on  nous 
donna  douze  coups  de  la  verge.  Je 
croyais,  quand  j'y  avais  ete  enfou- 
raille  tout  d'abord,  que  j'etais  un 
pigre  bien  affranchi,  mais  je  trouvai 
li  des  camerluches  qui  en  conobraient 
plus  que  mhigue  et  j'avais  pour 
amarres  ceux  qui  etaient  les  plus 
mariolles.  Un  reluis  en  jaspinant 
avec  un  gosselin,  il  me  jacte  que 
dans  un  luisant  ou  deux  il  allait 
rappliquer  a  la  niche.  ILme  bonnit 
que  ses  parents  allaient  le  reclamer 


xliv 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century, 


and  with  a  good  many  fair  promises 
that  I  would  lead  a  new  life  if  they . 
did  so.  They  got  me  out  of  the 
school.  When  I  got  home  I  found 
a  great  change  in  my  father,  who 
had  taken  to  drink,  and  he  did  not 
take  so  much  notice  of  what  I  done 
as  he  used.  I  went  on  all  straight 
the  first  few  moons  at  costering. 
One  day  there  was  a  "  f^te  "  at  Clap- 
ton, and  I  was  coming  home  with 
my  kipsy  (basket)  ;  I  had  just  sold 
all  my  goods  out.  I  just  stopped  to  ■ 
pipe  (see)  what  was  going  on,  when 
a  reeler  came  up  to  me  and  rapped 

(said),  "Now, ,  you  had  better 

go  away,  or  else  I  shall  give  you  a 
dr«g  (three  months  in  prison). "  So 
I  said  "all  right ;"  but  he  rapped, 
"  It  is  not  all  right ;  I  don't  want 
any  sauce  from  you  or  else  I  shall 
set  about  (beat)  you  myself. "  Sol 
said,  "What  for?  I  have  done 
nothing ;  do  you  want  to  get  it  up 
for  me  ?  "  Then  he  began  to  push 
me  about,  so  I  said  I  would  not  go 
at  all  if  he  put  his  dukes  (hands)  on 
rae.  Then  he  rammed  my  nut  (head) 
against  the  wall  and  shook  the  very 
life  out  of  me.  This  got  a  scuff 
(crowd)  round  us,  and  the  people 
ask  him  what  he  was  knocking  me 
about  for,  so  he  said,  "This  is  young 

just    come    home    from    a 

schooling  (a  term  in  a  reformatory)." 
So  he  did  not  touch  me  again ;  so 
I  went  home,  turned  into  kip  (bed) 
and  could  not  get  up  for  two  or  three 
days,  because  he  had  given  me  such 
a  shaking,  him  being  a  great  power- 
ful man,  and  me  only  a  little  fellow.  I 
still  went  on  all  straight  until  things 


parcequ'il  avait  plus  de  seize  bris- 
ques.      Quand    mes   parents    sont 
venus  me  voir  je  leur  bonnis  qu'ils 
pouvaient  me  faire  defourailler,  et 
leur  ayant  fait  de  belles  promesses 
de  rengracier  s'ils  y  consentaient  ils 
m'ont  fait  difourailler.     Quand  j'ai 
abouU  ^  la  kasbah,  j'ai  trouve  du 
changement  chez  mon  dab  qui  s'etait 
mis  a  se  poivrer,  et  il  n'a  pas  fait 
autant  d'attention  que  d'habitongue\ 
raesflatiches.  'Range des  voiiurespen- 
dant  les  premieres  marques  comme 
marchand  des  quatre  saisons.     Un 
reluis  il  y  avait  une  fete  i  Clapton  et 
je  rappliquais  avec  mon  panier.    Je 
venais  de  laver  toute  ma  camelote  et 
de  m'arreter  pour  rechasser  ce  qui  se 
passait  quand  un   roussin  aboule  a 
moi   et   me   bonnit,    "AUons,   de- 
campe  d'ici,  ou  je  te  mets  a  I'ombre 
pour  trois  marques."    Je  lui  bonnis 
"  c'est  bien;"    mais   il   me  jacte, 
"C'est  pas  tout  9a,  tSche  de  filer 
doux,  autrement  je  te  passe  i  tra- 
vers  tocquardement."      Que  je  lui 
bonnis,    "Pourquoi?    Je  n'ai  rien 
fait ;  c'est  une  querelle  d'allemand 
que  vous  me  cherchez  li."     Alors  il 
se  met  4  me  refiler  des  poussies  et  je 
lui   dis   que  je  ne  le  suivrais  pas 
s'il  me   harponnait.      Alors   il  me 
Sonne  la  tranche  centre  le  raur  et  me 
secoue    tocquardement.      Le    tripe 
s'assemble   autour   de   nouzailles  et 
les  gonces  lui  demandent  pourquoi  il 
mebouscule.  Alors, qu'il dit,  "C'est 

le  jeune qui  vient  de  sortir  du 

penitencier."  Puis,  il  me  laisse  tran- 
quille,  de  sorte  que  j'ai  rappliqiUk 
la  niche,  et  je  me  suis  mis  au  pucier 
oil  je  suis  reste  deux  ou  trois  reluis,  ■ 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


xlv 


got  very  dear  at  the  market.  I  had 
been  down  three  or  four  days  run- 
ning, and  could  not  buy  anything  to 
earn  a  deaner  (shilling)  out  of.  So  one 
morning  I  found  I  did  not  have  more 
than  a  caser  (five  shillings)  for  stock- 
pieces  (stock -money).  So  I  thought 
to  myself,  "What  shall  I  do?"  I 
said, ' '  I  know  what  I  will  do.  I  will 
go  to  London  Bridge  rattler  (rail- 
way) and  take  a  deaner  ride  and  go 
a  wedge-hunting  (stealing  plate)." 
So  I  took  a  ducat  (railway  ticket) 
for  Sutton  in  Surrey,  and  went  a 
wedge-hunting.  I  had  not  been  at 
Sutton  very  long  before  I  piped  a 
slavey  (servant)  come  out  of  a  chat 
(house),  so  when  she  had  got  a  little 
way  up  the  double  (turning),  I 
pratted  (went)  in  the  house.  When 
inside  I  could  not  see  any  wedge 
lying  about  the  kitchen,  so  I  screwed 
my  nut  in  the  washhouse  and  I 
piped  three  or  four  pair  of  daisy 
roots  (boots).  So  I  claimed  (stole) 
them,  and  took  off  the  lid  of  my 
kipsy  and  put  them  inside,  put  a 
cloth  over  them,  and  then  put  the 
lid  on  ^ain,  put  the  kipsy  on  my 
back  as  though  it  was  empty,  and 
guyed  to  the  rattler  and  took  a  brief 
(ticket)  to  London  Bridge,  and  took 
the  daisies  to  a  Sheney  (Jew)  down 
the  gaff,  and  done  (sold)  them  for 
thirty  blow  (shillings). 


The  next  day  I  took  the  rattler  to 
Forest  Hill,  and  touched  for  (suc- 


car  il  m'avait  harponni  tocquarde- 
ment,  lui  qui  ^tait  un  grand  balouf 
et  moi  un  pauvre  petit ^wj«/j».  Tout 
a  marche  chouettement  pendant 
quelque  temps  mais  la  camelote  est 
devenue  trfes  chere  au  marche.  Depuis 
trois  ou  quatre  reluis  je  n'avais  pas  Je 
moyen  d'abloquer  de  quoi  affurer  un 
shilling.  Alors  un  reluis  je  me  suis 
apergu  que  je  n'avais  pas  plus  de  cinq 
shillings  comme  fonds  de  commerce 
et  je  me  suis  demande:  quel  true  est- 
ce  que  je  vais  maquiller?  Je  me 
bonnis,  je  connais  bien  xaaaflanche. 
facquigerai  le  roulantvifAe  London 
Bridge  pour  un  shilling  et  je  ticherai 
de  mettre  la  pogne  sur  de  la  blan- 
quette.  Alors  je  prends  une  brlme 
pour  Sutton  en  Surrey  et  je  me 
mets  en  chasse  pour  la  blanquette. 
Y  avait  pas  longtemps  que  j'etais 
^  Sutton  quand  j'allume  une 
cambrousih-e  qui  dkarraii  d'une 
piole.  D^s  qu'elle  a  toume  le  coin 
de  la  rue,  i'embarde  dans  la  piole. 
Une  fois  dedans  je  n'ai  pas  re- 
mouchS  de  blanquette  dans  la  cui- 
sine, et,  passant  ma  sorbonne  dans 
I'arriere-cuisine,  j'ai  mouchailli  trois 
ou  quatre  paires  de  ripatons.  J'ai 
mis  la  pogne  dessus,  et  otant  le  cou- 
vercle  de  mon  panier,  je  les  y  ai 
plaquis  avec  une  piece  d'etoffe  par 
dessus  et  j'ai  remis  le  couvercle,  puis 
j  'ai  plaque  mon  panier  sur  mon  andosse 
comme  s'il  etait  vide,  et  je  me  suis 
cavali  jusqu'au  roulant  vif;  acquige 
un  billet  pour  London  Bridge,  porte 
les  ripatons  a  un  youtre  pres  du  beu- 
glant  et/ourgu^  pom  trente  shillings. 
Le  lendemain  j'ai  acquigJle  rou- 
lant w/jusqu'k  Forest  Hill,  etj'ai 


xlvi 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


ceeded  in  getting)  some  wedge  and  a 
kipsy  full  of  clobber  (clothes).     You 
may  be  sure  this  gave  me  a  little  pluck, 
so  I  kept  on  at  the  old  game,  only 
with  this  difference,  that  1  got  more 
pieces  for  the  wedge.     I  got  three 
and  a  sprat  (3J.  (sd. )  an  ounce.    But 
afterwards  I  got  3^.  <)d.,  and  then 
four  blow.     I  used  to  get  a  good 
many  pieces  about  this  time,  so  I 
used  to  clobber  myself  up  and  go  to 
the  concert.     But  though  I  used  to 
go  to  these  places  I  never  used  to 
drink  any  beer  for  some  time  after- 
wards.    It  was  while  using  one  of 
those  places  I  first  met  a  sparring 
bloke  (pugilist),  who  taught  me  how 
to  spar  and  showed  me  the  way  to 
put  my  dukes  up.     But  after  a  time 
I  gave  him  best  (left  him)  because 
he  used  to  want  to  bite  my  ear  (bor- 
row) too  often.     It  was  while  I  was 
with  him  that  I  got  in  company  with 
some  of  the  widest  (cleverest)  people 
in  London.     They  used  to  use   at 
(frequent)  a  pub  in  Shoreditch.  The 
following  people  used  to  go  in  there 
■ — toy-getters  (watch-stealers),  mags- 
men  (confidence-trick  men),  men  at 
the  mace  (sham  loan  offices),  broads- 
men  (card-sharpers),  peter-claimers 
(box-stealers),  busters   and   screws- 
men   (burglars),  snide-pitchers  (ut- 
terers  of  false  coin),  men  at  the  duff 
(passing   false   jewellery),    welshers 
(turf-swindlers),  and  skittle-sharps. 
Being  with  this  nice  mob  (gang)  you 
may  be  sure  what  I  learned.  I  went 
out  at  the  game  three  or  four  times 
a  week,  and  used  to  touch  almost 
every  time.     I  went  on  like  this  for 
very  near  a  stretch  (year)  without 


mis  la  pogne  sur  de  la  blanqitette  et 
un  panier  plein  Aefringues.     Bien 
slir,  celam'adonneunpeu  decourage, 
alors  j'ai  continue  le  meme  Jlanche 
avec  cette  difference  seulement,  que 
j'ai    affuri   plus    d^auber   pour    la 
blanquette.     On  m'en  a  foncl  trois 
shillings  sixpence  I'once.  Mais  apres 
j'en  ai  eu  trois  shillings  neuf  pence, 
et  puis  quatre  shillings.     J'a^j-air 
pas  mal  de  galtos  a  cette  epoque,  de 
sorte  que  je  raepeaussais  ckouettement 
pour   aller    au    beuglani.     Mais    si 
j'allais  a  ces  sortes  d'endroits,  je  ne 
piclais  jamais  de  moussante.     C'est 
ice  moment  et  dansun  de  ces  endroits 
que  j'ai   fait   la   connaissance  d'un 
lutteur  qui  m'a  appris  la  boxe  et  a 
me  servir  de  mes  touches.     Mais  pen 
apres,   je   I'ai  Idchi  parcequ'il   me 
coquait  trop  souvent  des  coups  de  fied 
dans  les  jambes.     C'est  en  sa  com- 
pagnie  que  j'ai  fait  la  comiaissance 
de  quelques-uns  des  pigres  les  plus 
mariolles    de     Londres.      lis   fre- 
quentaient  un  cabermon  de  Shore- 
ditch.     Ceux  qui  y  allaient  etaient 
des  grinchisseurs  de  bogues,  des  ami- 
ricains,  des  guinals  A,  la  manque, 
des  grecs,  des  valtreusiers,  des  grin- 
chisseurs au  fric-frac,  des  passeurs 
de  galette  d  la  manque,  des  voleurs 
(J  la  broquille,    des    bookmakers  ct 
la  manque,   et  des  grinches  joueurs 
de  quilles.    Etant  avec  cette  ^/Vawife 
gance,  vous  pouvez  imaginer  ce  que 
j'ai  appris.    J'allais  turbiner  tio\s  ou 
quatre  fois  par  quart  de  marque,  et 
je  reussissais  presque  toujours.    J'ai 
continue  ainsi  pendant  pres  d'une 
brisque  sans  gtre  enJiU.     Une  nogue 
que  j'etais  avec  les/anandes,  j'ai  et^ 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


xlvii 


being  smugged  (apprehended). 
One  night  I  was  with  the  mob,  I 
got  canon  (drunk),  this  being  the 
first  time.  After  this,  when  I  used 
to  go  to  concert-rooms,  I  used  to 
drink  beer.  It  was  at  one  of  these 
places  down  Whitechapel  I  palled 
in  with  a  trip  and  stayed  with  her 
until  I  got  smugged.  One  day  I 
was  at  Blackheath,  I  got  very  near 
canon,  and  when  I  went  into  a 
place  I  claimed  two  wedge  spoons, 
and  was  just  going  up  the  dancers,  a 
slavey  piped  the  spoons  sticking  out 
of  my  skyrocket  (pocket),  so  I  got 
smugged.  While  at  the  station  they 
asked  me  what  my  monarch  (name) 
was.  A  reeler  came  to  the  cell  and 
cross-kidded  (questioned)  me,  but  I 
was  too  wide  for  him.  I  was  tried 
at  Greenwich ;  they  ask  the  reeler  if 
I  was  known,  and  he  said  no.  So  I 
was  sent  to  Maidstone  Stir  (prison) 
for  two  moon.  When  I  came  out, 
the  trip  I  had  been  living  with  had 
sold  the  home  and  guyed  ;  that  did 
not  trouble  me  much.  The  only 
thing  that  spurred  (annoyed)  me 
was  me  being  such  a  flat  to  buy  the 
home.  The  mob  got  me  up  a  break 
(collection),  and  I  got  between  five  or 
six  foont  (sovereigns),  so  I  did  not 
go  out  at  the  game  for  about  a  moon. 
The  first  day  that  I  went  out  I 
went  to  Slough  and  touched  for  a 
wedge  kipsy  with  120  ounces  of 
wedge  in  it,  for  which  I  got  nineteen 
quid  (sovereigns).  Then  I  carried  on 
a  nice  game.  I  used  to  get  canon 
every  night.  I  done  things  now 
-what  I  should  have  been  ashamed 
to  do  before  I  took  to  that  accursed 


poivre  pour  la  premiere  fois.  Et 
apr^s  9a,  quand  j'ai  ete  au  beuglant, 
j  'ai  pitanchi  de  la  moussante.  C'est 
i  un  de  ces  endroits  dans  White- 
chapel que  je  me  suis  colU  avec  une 
largue,  et  jesuisreste  avecelle  jusqu'a 
ce  que  j'ai  ete  etifourailli.  Un  re- 
luis,  j'etais  a  Blackheath,  je  me  suis 
^xes,a;v.^  poivrotti,  et  embardant  dans 
une  piole,  j'ai  grinchi  deux  poches 
de  pl&tre.  Je  grimpais  le  Ikie-pieds, 
quand  une  cambrousih'e  a  remouchi 
les  cuillers  qui  sortaient  de  ma  pro- 
fonde,  c'est  comme  cela  que  j'ai  ete 
pomaqui.  Au  bloc,  on  m'a  de- 
mande  mon  centre.  Un  rousse  est 
venu  a  la  bolte  et  m'a  fait  la  jac- 
tance,  mais  j'ai  ete  trop  mariolle 
pour  entrcaier.  J'ai  ete  mis  en  sape- 
ment  a  Greenwich ;  on  a  demande 
au  rousse  s'il  me  conobrait  et  il  a  re- 
pondu  nibergae.  Alors  on  m'a  envoye 
a  la  motte  de  Maidstone  pour  deux 
marques.  Quand  j'ai  ete  difourailU, 
la  largue  avec  qui  je  vivais  avait  tout 
lavS  et  s'itait  fait  la  dibinette,  mais 
cela  m'etait  egal.  La  seule  chose 
qui  m'a  ennuye,  c'est  que  j'avais  ete 
assez  sinve  pour  abloquer  le  fourbi. 
'La.gance  m'a  fait  une  manche  et  j'ai 
eu  de  cinq  &  six  sigues,  de  sorte  que 
je  n'ai  pas  rappliqui  au  turhin  pour 
pris  d'une  marque. 

Le  premier  reluis  de  ma  guerison 
je  suis  alle  a  Slough  et  j'ai  soulevi 
un  panier,  qui  contenait  120  onces 
de  blanquette,  pour  lequel  j'ai  re9U 
dix-neuf  livres  sterling.  Alors 
j'etais  bien  d,  la  marre.  J'etais  pion 
toutes  les  sorgues,  J'ai  maquille  des 
flanches  alors  que  j'aurais  eu  honte 
de  faire  si  je  ne  m'etais  pas  mis 


xlviii 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


drink.  It  was  now  that  I  got  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  twirls 
(skeleton-keys). 

A  little  time  after  this  I  fell  (was 
taken  up)  again  at  St.  Mary  Cray 
for  being  found  at  the  back  of  a 
house,  and  got  two  moon  at  Bromley 
Petty  Sessions  as  a  rogue  and  vaga- 
bond ;  and  I  was  sent  to  Maidstone, 
this  being  the  second  time  within  a 
stretch.  When  I  fell  this  time  I  had 
between  four  and  five  quid  found  on 
me,  but  they  gave  it  me  back,  so  I 
was  landed  (was  all  right)  this  time 
without  them  getting  me  up  a  lead 
(a  collection). 

I  did  not  fall  again  for  a  stretch. 
This  time  I  got  two  moon  for  as- 
saulting the  reelers  when  canon.  For 
this  I  went  to  the  Steel  (Bastile— 
Coldbath  Fields  Prison),  having  a 
new  suit  of  clobber  on  me  and  about 
fifty  blow  in  my  brigh  (pocket). 
When  I  came  out  I  went  at  the 
same  old  game. 

One  day  I  went  to  Croydon  and 
touched  for  a  red  toy  (gold  watch) 
and  red  tackle  (gold  chain)  with  a 
large  locket.  So  I  took  the  rattler 
home  at  once.  When  I  got  into 
Shoreditch  I  met  one  or  two  of  the 
mob,  who  said,  "Hallo,  been  out 
to-day?  Did  you  touch?"  So  I 
said,  "  Usher  "  (yes).  So  I  took 
them  in,  and  we  all  got  canon. 
When  I  went  to  the  fence  he  bested 
(cheated)  me  because  I  was  drunk, 
and  only  gave  me  £%  loj.  for  the 
lot.  So  the  next  day  I  went  to  him, 
and  asked  him  if  he  was  not  going 
to  grease  my  duke  (put  money  into 
my    hand).     So    he    said,    "No." 


a  pitancher  gourdement.  C'est 
alors  que  j'ai  appris  le  true  des 
caroubles. 

Pen  apres  j'ai  ete  embalU  6,^  nou- 
veau  a  St.  Mary  Cray  pour  avoir  ete 
pigi  derrifere  une  fiole  et  j'ai  ete 
gerbi  b.  deux  marques  au  juste  de 
Bromley  comme  ferlampier  et  puro- 
tin,  puis  j'ai  ^te  envoye  a  Maidstone 
pour  la  seconde  fois  dans  la  brisque, 
Quand  j'ai  ^te  emballe,  j'avais  de 
quatre  ^  cinq  sigues  sur  mon  gniasse, 
mais  on  me  les  a  rendus,  de  sorte  que 
j'ai  pu  cette  fois  me  passer  de  la 
manche. 

Je  n'ai  pas  ete  emballe  pendant  une 
brisque.  Cette  fois,  j'ai  ete  safi  k 
deux  marques  pour  avoir  rejili  une 
vote  aux  rousses  pendant  que  j'etais 
pion.  On  m'a envoye,  pour  ce_/?a«ffe, 
a  la  Steel.  J'avais  des  fringues 
d'alteque  et  environ  cinquante  shil- 
lings dans  may5>«z//u«je.  Quand  j'ai 
decarr^  j'ni  rappliqxtl  au  true. 

Un  reluis,  je  suis  alle  a  Croydon 
et  j'aiyazVun  bogue  de  jonc  et  une 
bride  dejone  avec  un  gros  medaillon. 
Puis  j'ai  ac^«!;^i/ dare-dare  le  roulant 
vif.  Quandj'aiaio«// a  Shoreditch, 
je  suis  tombi  en  frime  avec  deux 
pigres  de  la  ganee  qui  m'ont  bonni, 
"Eh  bien,  tu  as  turhini  ce  luisant, 
as-tuyaifquelquechofc?"  Alorsqueje 
jacte,  "  Gy."  Puis  je  les  ai  emmenes 
et  nous  nous  sommes  tons  pique  le 
blaire.  Quand  je  suis  alle  chez  le 
Jourgat  il  m'a  refait  parceque  j'etais 
poivre  et  m'a  abouli  seulement 
£%  Ids.  pour  le  tout.  Alors  le  lende- 
main,  je  suis  alU  k  lui  et  lui  ai  de- 
mande  s'il  n'allait  pas  mefonecr  da 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


xlix 


Then  he  said,  "I  will  give  you 
another  half-a-quid ; "  and  said, 
"  Do  anybody,  but  mind  they  don't 
do  you."  So  I  thought  to  myself, 
"  All  right,  my  lad ;  you  will  find 
me  as  good  as  my  master,"  and  left 
him. 

Some  time  after  that  affair  with 
the  fence,  one  of  the  mob  said  to  me, 
"  I  have  got  a  place  cut  and  dried  ; 
will  you  come  and  do  it?"  So  I 
said,  "Yes;  what  tools  will  you 
want?"  And  he  said,  "We  shall 
want  some  twirls  and  the  stick 
(crowbar),  and  bring  a  neddie  (life 
preserver)  with  you."  And  he  said, 
"Now  don't  stick  me  up  (disap- 
point) ;  meet  me  at  six  to-night." 
At  six  I  was  in  the  meet  (trysting- 
place),  and  while  waiting  for  my 
pal  I  had  my  daisies  cleaned,  and  I 
piped  the  fence  that  bested  me  go 
along  with  his  old  woman  (wife) 
and  his  two  kids  (children),  so  I 
thought  of  his  own  words,  "Do  any- 
body, but  mind  they  don't  do  you." 
He  was  going  to  the  Surrey  Theatre, 
so  when  my  pal  came  up  I  told  him 
all  about  it.  So  we  went  and  screwed 
(broke  into)  his  place,  and  got  thirty- 
two  quid,  and  a  toy  and  tackle  which 
he  had  bought  on  the  crook.  We 
did  not  go  and  do  the  other  place 
after  that.  About  two  moon  after 
this  the  same  fence  fell  for  buying 
two  finns  (;f5  notes),  for  which  he 
got  a  stretch  and  a  half.  A  little 
while  after  this  I  fell  at  Isleworth 
for  being  found  in  a  conservatory  ad- 
joining a  parlour,  and  got  remanded 
at  the  Tench  (House  of  Detention) 


niichon.  Ilr^pond,  "Nibergue."  Puis 
il  ajoute, ' '  Je  vais  tefoncer  un  autre 
Aerax-sigtie,"  et  aussi,  "  Mbie  en  ba- 
teau les  sinves,  mais  ne  te  laisse  pas 
mener  en  bateau."  Je  me  suis  dit, 
"  Chouette,  ma  vieille  branche ;  tu 
me  trouveras  aussi  mariolle  que  mon 
mattre, "  et  je  I'ai  quitte. 

Quelque  temps  apres  ce  flancke 
avec  le  fottrgat  une  des  poisses  de  la 
gance  me  bonnit,  "  yai  nn  pouparci 
nourri,  veux-tu  en  etre?"  Que  je 
lui  bonnis,  "  Gy,  de  quelles  alines 
as-tu  besoin?"  II  me  jacte,  "11 
nouSifaut  des  rossignoU  et  \tsucrede 
fomme;  tu  apporteras  un  tourne- 
clef. "  II  me  bonnit, "  Ne  me  l&che  pas 
au  bon  moment,  nous  nous  rencon- 
trerons  a  six  plombes  cette  nogue. " 
Six  plombes  crossaient  quand  j'ai 
aboulizxL  rendez-vous,  etenattendant 
mon  fanande  je  faisais  cirer  mes 
ripatons,  quand  j'ai  motuhailli  le 
fourgue  qui  m'avait  refait  qui  se  bal- 
ladait  avec  sa  fesse  et  ses  deux 
mSmes.  Alors  j'ai  pense  a  ce  qu'il 
m'avait  bonni,  "  Mine  les  sinves  en 
bateau  mais  ne  laisse  pas  gourer 
tizigue."  II  allait  a  la  niisloque  de 
Surrey,  alors,  quand  mon  potedu 
aboule,  je  lui  digueularde  tout  le 
Jlanche.  Puis  noMsJilons  le  luctritne, 
nous  enquillons  dans  \&piole  et  nous 
vuttons  la  pogne  sur  trente-deux 
sigues,  sur  un  bogue  et  une  bride  que  le 
fourgue  avait  abloquis  h  la  manque. 
Nous  ne  sommes  pas  alles  aux  autres 
endroits  apres  cela.  Deux  marques 
apres,  ce  vaeme  fourgue  a  ete  poiss^ 
pour  avoir  abloqul  deux  fafiots  de 
cinq  livres  sterling,  et  sapi  k  une 
longe  et  six  marques.  Peu  de  temps 
d 


1 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Centtiry. 


for  nine  days,  but  neither  Snuffy 
(Reeves,  the  identifier)  nor  Mac 
(Macintyre)  knew  me,  so  I  got  a 
drag,  and  was  sent  to  the  Steel. 
While  I  was  in  there,  I  see  the 
fence  who  we  done,  and  he  held  his 
duke  at  me  as  much  as  to  say,  "I 
would  give  you  something,  if  I 
could  ; "  but  I  only  laughed  at  him. 
I  was  out  about  seven  moon,  when 
one  night  a  pal  of  mine  was  half 
drunk,  and  said  something  to  a 
copper  (policeman)  which  he  did 
not  like  ;  so  he  hit  my  pal,  and  I 
hit  him  in  return.  So  we  both  set 
about  him.  He  pulled  out  his  staff, 
and  hit  me  on  the  nut,  and  cut  it 
open.  Then  two  or  three  more 
coppers  came  up,  and  we  got 
smugged,  and  got  a  sixer  (six 
months)  each.  So  I  see  the  fence 
again  in  Stir. 


On  the  Boxing-day  after  I  came 
out  I  got  stabbed  in  the  chest  by  a 
pal  of  mine  who  had  done  a  school- 
ing. We  was  out  with  one  another 
all  the  day  getting  drunk,  so  he 
took  a  liberty  with  me,  and  I  landed 
him  one  on  the  conk  (nose) ;  so  we 
had  a,  fight,  and  he  put  the  chive 
(knive)  into  me.  This  made  me 
sober,so  I  asked  him  what  made  him 
such  a  coward.  He  said,  "  I  meant 
to  kill  you  ;  let  me  kiss  my  wife  and 
child,  and  then  smug  me."  But  I 
did  not  do  that.  This  made  me  a 
little  thoughtful  of  the  sort  of  life  I 
was  carrying  on.  I  thought,  "What 


apres  j'ai  ete  emballe  a  Isleworth 
pour  avoir  ete  pige  dans  une  serre 
voisine  d'un  parloir  et  remis  a  la 
Tench  pour  neuf  reluis,  mais  ni 
Snuffy  ni  Macne  me  conobraient,  de 
sorte  que  j'ai  ete  sape  i  trois 
marques  et  maladesX&motte.  Pendant 
que  j'y  etais,  j'ai  vu  le  fourgue  que 
nous  avions  refait,  et  il  a  tendu  la 
pince  de  nion  cote  comme  pour 
bonnir,  "  Je  te  refilerais  une  purge  si 
je  pouvais,"  maiscela  m'a  hJArigoler. 
J'etais  gueri  depuis  environ  sept 
marques  quand  une  sorgue,  un  de 
mes  fanandes,  qui  etait  poivre,  jatte 
quelque  chose  a  un  roiissin  qui  ne 
I'ayant  pas  a  la  bonne,  I'a  sonneei 
moi  j'ai  sonne  le  roussin  a  mon  tour. 
Tons  deux  alors  nous  lui  avons  tra- 
vaille  le  cadavre.  II  a  tire  son  baton, 
m'a  Sonne  le  citron  et  me  I'a  fendu, 
Alors  deux  ou  trois  roussins  sont 
arrives,  nous  ont  emballh  et  nous 
avons  ete  gerbes  a  six  marques.  De 
sorte  que  j'ai  revu  le  fourgue  au 
chdteau. 

Au  Boxing-day  apris  ma  gaeri- 
son,  un  de  mes  fanandes  m'a  refill 
un  coup  de  bince  dans  le  hari- 
cot. II  avait  ete  deja  enfourailli 
z-tx  college.  Nous  nous  etions  ballades 
tout  le  luisant  en  nous  poivrottant, 
de  sorte  que  m'ayant  manque  de  re- 
spect, je  lui  ai  colle  une  ch&taigne  sur 
le  morviau.  Nous  nous  sommes  em- 
poignis  et  il  a  joue  du  surin.  Cela 
m'a  degrise  et  je  lui  ai  demand^ 
pourquoi  il  s'etait  montre  aussi  lache. 
II  me  bonnit,  "Je  voulais  t'estourbir. ;' 
Laisse-moi  aller  sucer  la  pomme  i* 
ma  largue  et  mon  mSm^  et  fais-moi 
emballer."     Mais  je  n'ai  pas  voulu. 


Ca}tt,  Nineteenth  Century. 


li 


if  I  should  have  been  killed  then!" 
But  this,  like  other  things,  soon 
passed  away. 

After  the  place  got  well  where  I 
was  chived,  me  and  another  screwed 
a  place  at  Stoke  Newington,  and 
we  got  some  squeeze  (silk)  dresses, 
and  two  sealskin  jackets,  and  some 
other  things.  We  tied  them  in  a 
bundle,  and  got  on  a  tram.  It  ap- 
pears they  knew  my  pal,  and  some 
leelers  got  up  too.  So  when  I  piped 
them  pipe  the  bundle,  I  put  my 
dukes  on  the  rails  of  the  tram  and 
dropped  off,  and  guyed  down  a 
double  before  you  could  say  Jack 
Robinson.  It  was  a  good  job  I  did, 
or  else  I  should  have  got  lagged  (sent 
to  penal  servitude),  and  my  pal 
too,  because  I  had  the  James  (crow- 
bar) and  screws  (skeleton  keys)  on 
me.  My  pal  got  <x  stretch  and  a 
half.  A  day  or  two  after  this  I  met 
the  fence  who  I  done ;  so  he  said  to 
me,  "  We  have  met  at  last."  So  I 
said,  "  Well,  what  of  that  ?  "  So 
he  said,  ' '  What  did  you  want  to  do 
me  for  ?  "  Sol  said,  ' '  You  must 
remember  you  done  me  ;  and  when 
I  spoke  to  you  about  it  you  said, 
'  Do  anybody ;  mind  they  don't  do 
y()U.'  "    That  shut  him  upi 


One  day  I  went  to  Lewisham  and 
touched  for  a  lot  of  wedge.  I  tore 
up  my  madam  (handkerchief)  and 
tied  the  wedge  in  small  packets  and 
put  them  into  my  pockets.  At 
Bishopsgate  Street  I  left  my  kipsy 
at  a  barber's  shop,  where  I  always 


Cela  m'a  fait  reflechir  un  peu  au 
genre  de  vie  que  je  menais  et  je  me 
dis,  "J'aurais  \>\sa-px&\x&refroidi." 
Mais  bient&t  je  n'y  pensai  plus. 

Une  fois  gueri  du  coup  de  bince,  nous 
avons  refill  le  luctrhne  A'ane^iole  a 
Stoke  Newington,  et  nous  avons 
grinchi  des  robes  de  lyonnaise  et 
deux  jaquettes  de  peau  de  phoque  et 
d'autre  camelote.  Nous  en  avons 
fait  un  pacsin  et  nous  avons  pris  le 
tram.  On  conobrait  mo^  fanande, 
paralt-il,  et  des  rousses  y  montent 
avec  nouzailles.  Quandjevois  qu'ils 
remouchent  le  pacsin,  je  mets  mes 
agrafes  sur  le  pieu  d'appui.  du  tram, 
je  saute,  je  fais  patatrot  au  coin  de 
la  rue  et  je  cours  encore.  C'est 
bate  pour  moi  d'avoir  agi  ainsi 
autrement  j'aurais  eti  gerbeh  bachasse 
et  mon  fanande  aussi  parceque 
j'avais  \^  Jacques  et  les  caroubles  sur 
mhigue.  Mon  fiinande  a  ete  sapl  k 
une  longe  et  demie.  Un  reluis  ou 
deux  apres,  je  me  casse  le  mufle  sur 
\efourgat  que  j'avais  refait,  et  il  me 
jcute,  "Te  voila  enfin  !  "  Je  lui 
reponds,  "  Eh  bien,  etpuis  apres?  " 
"  Pourquoi  m'as-tu  refait  ?  "  dit- 
il.  Et  je  lui  reponds,  "Rappelle- 
toi  que  tu  as  refait  mon  gniasse,  et 
quand  je  t'en  aXjactein  m'as  ripondu, 
'  Mine  en  bateau  qui  tu  voudras, 
mais  ne  te  laisse  pas  enf oncer.''  "  Et 
cela  a  coupe  la  chique  a  shigue. 

Un  jour  je  vais  i  Lewisham  et  je 
grinchis  un  lot  de  blanquette.  Je 
dechire  mon  blavin,  je  fais  des  petits 
pacsins^eXi.  blanquette  etje  \esplaqtie 
dans  mes  profondes.  A  Bishopsgate 
St.  je  depose  mon  panier  dans  la  bou- 
togue  d'un  merlan  oi  je  le  laissai? 


lii 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


left  it  when  not  in  use.  I  was  going 
through  Sh'oreditch,  when  a  reeler 
/rem  Hackney,  who  knew  me  well, 
came  up  and  said,  "  I  am  going  to 
run  the  rule  over  (search)  you." 
You  could  have  knocked  me  down 
with  a  feather,  me  knowing  what  I 
had  about  me.  Then  he  said,  "  It's 
only  my  joke  ;  are  you  going  to 
treat  me?"  So  I  said  "Yes,"  and 
began  to  be  very  saucy,  saying  to 
him,  "What  catch  would  it.be  if 
you  was  to  turn  me  over?"  So  I 
took  him  into  a  pub  which  had  a 
back  way  out,  ai¥i  called  for  a  pint 
of  stout,  and  told  the  reeler  to  wait 
a  minute.  He  did  not  know  that 
there  was  an  entrance  at  the  back ; 
,  so  I  guyed  up  to  Hoxton  to  the  mob 
and  told  them  all  about  it.  Then  I 
went  and  done  the  wedge  fqr  five- 
and-twenty  quid. 

One  or  two  days  after  this  I  met 
the  reeler  at  Hackney,  and  he  said, 
"  What  made  you  guy  ?"  So  I  said 
that  I  did  not  want  my  pals  to  see 
me  with  him.  So  he  said  it  was  all 
right.  Some  of  the  mob  knew  him 
and  had  greased  his  duke. 

What  I  am  about  to  relate  now 
took  place  within  the  last  four  or 
five  moon  before  I  fell  for  this  stretch 
and  a  half.  One  day  I  went  to 
Surbiton.  I  see  a  reeler  giving  me 
a  roasting  (watching  me),  so  I  began 
to  count  my  pieces  for  a  jolly  (pre- 
tence), but  he  still  followed  me,  so 
at  last  I  rang  a  bell,  and  waited  till 
the  slavey  came,  and  the  reeler 
waited  till  I  came  out,  and  then  said, 
"  What  are  you  hawking  of  ?  "     So 


toujoursquandje  ne  m'en  servais  pas, 
Je  traversais  Shoreditch,  quand  un 
rousse  de  Hackney,  qui  me  conobrait 
bien,  aboule  et  jacte,  "  Je  vais  te 
rapioter."  J'avais  la  /rousse  en 
pensant  a  ce  que  j'avais  sur  mon 
gniasse.  Alors  il  me  bonnit,  "  C'est 
une  baiterie  douce  ;  est-ce  que  tu  ne 
vas  pas  me  rincer  les  crochets  ?  "  Je 
lui  Jac/e,  "  Gy,"  et  je  me  mets  a 
blaguer  avec  lui,  lui  disant,  "  Quelle 
bonne  prise,  si  vous  me  fouilliez?" 
Je  I'emmine  alors  dans  un  cabermon 
qui  avait  une  sortie  de  derri^re,  je 
demande  une  pinte  de  stout,  et  je 
dis  au  ?-o«w^d'attendre  une  broquilk. 
II  ne  conobrait  pas  la  lourde  de  der- 
riire ;  alors  je  me  la  tire  jusqu'a 
Hoxton  et  j'apprends  au^fanandes 
ce  qui  s'etait  passe.  Puis  je 
fourgue\a.  blanquette  pour  vingt-cinq 
livres. 

Un  ou  deux  rcluis  apres,  je  tomhe 
enfrinie  avec  la  riflette  k  Hackney, 
et  il  rae  jacte,  "Pourquoi  t'es-tu 
debinl  V  Et  je  lui  reponds  que  je  ne 
voulais  pas  que  rats  fanandcs  me  re- 
mouchentsnsa.coitvpa.gTae.  Quelques 
figres  de  \agance  le  conobraient  et  lui 
avaient^««'  du  michon. 

Ce  que  je  vais  raconter  mainte- 
nant  a  eu  lieu  dans  le  courant  des 
quatre  ou  cinq  marques  avant  mon 
sapement  k  une  longe  et  demie.  Un 
reluis  je  vais  a  Surbiton.  Je  re- 
mouche  une  riflette  qui  me  poireau- 
tait.  Je  fais  \afrime  de  compter  mon 
carle,  mais  il  me  prend  en  jilature. 
A  la  fin  je  tire  une  retentissante,  et 
j'attends  que  la  larbine  aboule,  le 
rousse  attend  que  je  decarre  et  me 
jacte,  "Qu'est-ce  que  vous  vendez 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


liii 


I  said,  "I  am  not  hawking  any- 
thing ;  I  am  buying  bottles. "  So  he 
said,  ' '  I  thought  you  were  hawking 
without  a  licence."  As  soon  as  he 
got  round  a  double,  I  guyed  away  to 
Maiden  and  touched  for  two  wedge 
teapots,  and  took  the  rattler  to 
Waterloo. 

One  day  I  took  the  rattler  from 
Broad  Street  to  Acton.  I  did  not 
touch  there,  but  worked  my  way  to 
Shepherd's  Bush ;  but  when  I  got 
there  I  found  it  so  hot  (dangerous), 
because  there  had  been  so  many 
tykes  (dogs)  poisoned,  that  there  was 
a  reeler  at  almost  every  double,  and 
bills  posted  up  about  it.  So  I  went 
to  the  Uxbridge  Road  Station,  and 
while  I  was  waiting  for  the  rattler 
I  took  a  religious  tract,  and  on  it 
was  written,  "  What  shall  it  profit  a 
man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and 
lose  his  own  soul  ?  "  So  I  thought 
to  myself,  What  good  has  the  money 
done  me  what  I  have  had  ?  So  in- 
stead of  getting  out  at  Brondesbury, 
I  rode  on  to  Broad  Street,  and  paid 
the  difference,  and  went  home,  and 
did  not  go  out  for  about  a  week. 


The  Sunday  following  when  I 
went  to  Uxbridge  Road,  I  w^ent 
down  a  lane  called  Mount  Pleasant, 
atOapton;  it  was  about  six  o'clock. 
Down  at  the  bottom  of  the  lane  you 
could  get  a  fine  view  of  Waltham- 
stow ;  so  while  I  was  leaning  against 
the  rails  I  felt  very  miserable.  I 
was  thinking  about  when  I  was  at 
Feltham.  I  thought  I  had  threw 
away  the  only  chance  I  had  of  doing 


done?"  Et  je  reponds,  "Je  ne 
vends  rien  ;  j 'achate  des  bouteilles." 
II  me  dit  alors,  "  Je  croyais  que  vous 
faisiez  le  commerce  sans  patente." 
Aussit&t  qu'il  n  toum^  le  coin,  je 
vais  k  Maiden  e.t\tfais deux  th^ieres 
de  pldtre,  puis  ]' acquire  le  roulant 
pour  Waterloo. 

Un  jour  '■^acquige  le  roulant  de 
Broad  Street  a  Acton.  Lago,  je  he 
fais  rien,  et  je  continue  ma  route 
jusqu'i  Shepherd's  Bush ;  mais 
quand  j'y  dhiale  je  trouve  qu'il  y 
avait  tant  &^pet  h.  cause  de  tous  les 
tambours  qu'on  avait  empoisonnes, 
qu'on  avait  mis  une  riflette  presque  \ 
chaque  coin  de  rue  et  des  babilles 
partout.  Alors  je  vais  i  la  station  du 
roulant  de  Uxbridge  Road,  et  pen- 
dant que  je  poireautais  pour  le  rou- 
lant \&  prendsune  brochure  religieuse 
et  il  y  avait  capi  dessus,  "A  quoi 
bon  acquerir  le  monde  entier  si  Ton 
doit  perdre  son  ame  ?  "  Et  je  me 
jacte,  A  quoi  m'a  seryi  le  carme  que 
j'ai  affuri?  Et  alors  au  lieu  de  de- 
scendre  a  Brondesbury,  je  continue 
jusqu'i  Broad  Street  et  ]'aboule  la 
difference.  Je  rapplique  k  la  caginotte 
d'oii  je  ne  dicarre  pas  d'un  quart  de 
marque. 

Le  dimanche  d'apris,  en  allant  k 
Uxbridge  Road,  je  degringole  une 
ruelle  appellee  Mount  Pleasant,  a 
Clapton;  il  etait  k  peu  prfe  six 
plombes.  Au  fond  de  la  ruelle  on 
avait  une  vue  magnifique  de  Wal- 
thamstow;  ■  done  pendant  que  je 
m'appuyais  contre  la  palissadej 'avals 
des  papillons  noirs  dans  la  sorbonne. 
Je  pensais  au  temps  oil  j'etais  k  Fel- 
tham.    Je  voyais  que  j 'avals  perdu 


liv 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


better  ;  and  as  I  stood  thinking,  the 
bells  of  St.  Matthew's  Church  began 
to  play  a  hymn-tune  I  had  heard  at 
Feltham.  This  brought  tears  to  my 
eyes  :  this  was  the  first  time  in  my 
life  that  I  thought  what  a  wretch  I 
was.  I  was  going  home  very  down- 
cast, when  I  met  some  pals,  who 
said,  "Why,  what  is  the  matter? 
you  look  miserable."  So  I  said, 
"I  don't  feel  very  well."  So  they 
said,  "Are  you  coming  to  have  some- 
thing to  drink  ? — that  will  liven  you 
up."  So  I  went  in  with  them,  and 
began  to  drink  very  hard  to  drown 
my  thoughts. 


Monday  morning  I  felt  just  the 
same  as  I  always  did  ;  I  felt  ready 
for  the  old  game  again.  So  I  went 
to  Hoxton,  and  some  of  the  mob 
said  to  me,  ' '  Why,  where  have  you 
been  the  last  week  or  so — we  thought 
you  had  fell?"  So  I  told  them  I 
had  been  ill. 

I  went  out  the  next  day  to  Maiden- 
head, and  touched  for  some  wedge 
and  a  poge  (purse),  with  over  five 
quid  in  it. 

A  little  while  after  this  I  went 
with  two  pals  to  the  Palace  at  Mus- 
well  Hill;  the  races  were  on.  So 
when  we  got  there,  there  was  some 
reelers  there  what  knew  me,  and  my 
pals  said,  "  You  had  better  get  away 
from  here ;  if  we  touch  you  will  take 
your  whack  (share)  just  the  same." 
Sol  went  and  laid  down  on  the  grass. 
While  laying  there  I  piped  a  reeler 
whom  I  knew ;   he  had  a  nark  (a 


la  seule  occasion  que  j'avais  de 
rengracier  et  etant  la  a  reflechir, 
les  retentissantes  de  la  rampante 
de  Saint-Matthew  se  mirent  a 
jouer  un  hymne  que  j'avais  entendu 
4  Feltham.  Ceci  me  fit  haver  des 
clignots :  pour  la  premiere  fois  de 
ma  vie  jeyWe  a  mizigue.  Quel  miser- 
able tu  es  !  Je  rappliqvais  d.  la  niche, 
en  faumant  mes  plumes,  quand  je 
tombs  en/rime  de  deun  fanandes  qui 
bonnissent,  "Eh  bien,  qu'est-ce qu'il 
ya;  Uxas.'wit sale bobinette?"  Alors 
}ejacie,  " Je sais tocquani."  "Alors 
viens  avec  nous  te  rincer  la  dalle,  5a 
te  ragaillardira. "  Je  suis  alle  avec 
eux,  et  j'ai  commence  a  picter  d'at- 
taque  pour  noyer  le  chagrin. 

Le  lundi  matin  d'apres,  je  me  suis 
senti  comme  dihabiiongue  et  pret  a 
rappliquer  au  turbin,  Je  suis  alle  a 
Hoxton,  et  quelques-uns  de  \^gance 
m'ont  fait  la  jactance,  "Eh  bien,  oil 
as-tu  ete  pendant  tons  ces  reluis — 
nous  pensions  que  tu  t'etais  fait  em- 
balleri  "  Je  leur  reponds  que  j'avais 
ete  tocquard. 

Le  lendemain  je  suis  alle  k  Maiden- 
head. ]'a.i/ait  de  la  blanquette  et  une 
filoche  qui  contenait  plus  de  cinq 
sigues. 

Peu  apres,  je  suis  alle  avec  deux 
fanandels  a  Muswell  Hill  oil  il  y 
avail  des  courses.  Quand  nousailles 
y  avons  devale,  il  y  avait  des  roussins 
qui  me  conobraient  et  msz  fanandes 
ratjactent,  "  Tu  ferais  mieux  de  te 
cavaler;  si  nous  rincons,  tu  auras  ton 
fade  tout  de  m6me."  Alors  j'allai 
me  plaquer  sur  I'herbe.  Pendant  que 
j'y  etais,  je  remouchexm  rousse  que  je 
conobrais.   II  etait  accompagne  d'une 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


Iv 


policeman's  spy)  with  him.  So  I 
went  and  looked  about  for  my  two 
pals  and  told  them  to  look  out  for 
S.  and  his  nark.  About  an  hour 
after  this  they  came  to  me  and  woke 
me  up,  and  they  said,  "  Come  on,  we 
have  had  a  lucky  touch  for  a  half 
century  in  pap  "  (^£,y)  in  paper,  i.e. 
notes).  I  thought  they  was  only 
kidding  fdeceiving)  at  first,  so  they 
said,  "  Let  us  guy  from  here,  and 
you  will  see  if  we  are  kidding  to 
you."  When  we  got  into  the  rattler 
they  showed  me  the  pap ;  yes,  there 
it  was,  fifty  quids  in  double  finns 
(;^lo  notes).  We  did  them  for 
£,()  loj.  each  to  a  fence. 

I  took  the  rattler  one  day  to  Rei- 
gate  and  worked  my  way  to  Red 
Hill.  So  I  went  into  a  place  and 
see  some  clobber  hanging  up,  so  I 
thoughi  to  myself,  I  will  have  it  and 
take  the  rattler  home  at  once;  it  will 
pay  all  expense.  So  while  I  was 
looking  about  I  piped  a  little  peter 
(parcel).  When  I  took  it  up  it  had 
an  address  on  it,  and  the  address 
was  to  the  vicarage  ;  so  I  came  out 
and  asked  a  boy  who  lived  there,  and 
he  said  "Yes,"  but  to  make  sure  of 
it  I  went  back  again.  This  time  I 
looked  to  the  clobber  more  closely, 
and  I  see  it  was  the  same  as  clergy- 
men wear,  so  I  left  it  where  it  was. 
I  always  made  it  a  rule  never  to  rob 
a  clergyman's  house  if  I  knew  one 
to  live  there.  I  could  have  robbed 
several  in  my  time,  but  I  would  not. 
So  I  took  the  rattler  to  Croydon  and 
touched  for  some  wedge,  and  come 
home.  I  used  to  go  to  Henley  most 
every  year  when  the  rowing  matches 


rijlette.  Je  cherche  alors  mes  deux 
fanandes eX.\e.\xx d\%,  "Acmto,  atten- 
tion a  S.  et  k  sa  riflelte  !  "  Vne/i/omie 
aprfes,  environ,  ils  aboulent  vers 
mezigue,  m'eveillent,  et  me  jactent, 
"Aboule,  nousavons  barbotS  schpille, 
nous  avons  acquigi  cinquante  livres 
eafaffes."  Je  croyais  qu'ils  me  col- 
laient  des  valines  mais  ils  me  jactent, 
" Devalons  d'icigo  et  tu  verras  sinous 
te  gonrrons."  Quand  nous  nous 
sommes  plaquh  dans  le  roulant  vif 
ils  m'ont  montre  les  faffes  ;  gy,  il  y 
avait  bien  cinquante  sigues  exi  faffes 
de  dix  livres.  Nous  les  avons  laves 
pourj^g  \os.  a  unfourgue. 

Je  prends  wnjornele  roulant  •pout 
Reigate  et  je  trimarde  jusqu'a  Red 
Hill.  'SvSs'^embarde  ea.-a.-a.&piole  tt 
je  remotiche  des  harnais  suspendus. 
'^&r£iRJacte,\^v2\s\sipegrere.\.acqtuger 
aussitdtleroa/rtK/ycelacouvriratoutes 
mes  depenses.  Alors  en  gaffinant 
par  ci  par  Ik  je  remouche  un  petit 
pacsin.  Je  mets  la  pogne  dessus  et  je 
reluque  une  adresse.  Celle  du  cure. 
Alors  je  dkarre  et  je  demande  4  un 
gosse  si  ce  n'estpas  unratichon  qui  de- 
mem&lagot  "^,"qu'ildit.  Maispour 
qu"il  n'y  ait  pa^  d'erreur,  je  retourne. 
Cette  fois,  je  gaffine  de  plus  pres  le 
harnais,  je  vols  que  c'etait  celui  d'un 
prtoe,  et  alors  je  I'ai  laisse  oil  il 
etait.  J'ai  toujours  eu  soin  de  ne 
jamais  barboter  tine  cambriolle  de 
pretre  quand  je  savais  que  e'en  etait 
une.  J'aurais  pu  en  barboter  mais  je 
n'ai  pas  voulu.  Alors  j'ai  pris  le 
roulant  vif  pour  Croydon,  j'ai  effa- 
rouchi  de  la  blanquette  et  rappliqui 
a  la    kasbah.      J'allais    a    Henley 


Ivi 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


was  on  which  used  to  represent  Ox- 
ford and  Cambridge,  only  it  used  to 
be  boys  instead  of  men.  The  day 
the  Prince  of  Wales  arrived  at  Ports- 
mouth when  he  came  home  from 
India,  me  and  two  pals  took  the 
rattler  from  Waterloo  at  about  half- 
past  six  in  the  morning.  When  we 
got  to  Portsmouth  we  found  it  was 
very  hot,  there  was  on  every  corner 
of  a  street  bills  stuck  up,  "  Beware  of 
pickpockets,  male  and  female,"  and 
on  the  tramcars  as  well.  So  one  of 
my  pals  said,  "There  is  a  reeler 
over  there  who  knows  me,  we  had 
better  split  out "  (separate).  Me 
and  the  other  one  went  by  ourselves  ; 
he  was  very  tricky  (clever)  at  getting 
a  poge  or  a  toy,  but  he  would  not 
touch  toys  because  we  was  afraid  of 
being  turned  over  (searched).  We 
done  very  well  at  poges ;  we  found 
after  we  knocked  off  we  had  between 
sixty  or  seventy  quid  to  cut  up 
(share),  but  our  other  pal  had  fell, 
and  was  kept  at  the  station  until  the 
last  rattler  went  to  London,  and 
then  they  sent  him  home  by  it. 
One  day  after  this  I  asked  a  screws- 
man  if  he  would  lend  me  some 
screws,  because  I  had  a  place  cut 
and  dried.  But  he  said,  "  If  I  lend 
you  them  I  shall  want  to  stand  in  " 
(have  a  share) ;  but  I  said,  "  I  can't 
stand  you  at  that ;  I  will  grease  your 
duke,  if  you  like."  But  he  said, 
"That  would  not  do;"  so  I  said, 
"We  will  work  together  then;" 
and  he  said,  "  Yes."  So  we  went 
and  done  the  place  for  fifty  -  five 
quid.  So  I  worked  with  him  until 
I  fell  for  this  stretch  and  a  half. 


presque  chaque  berge  pendant  les 
regattes  qui  etaient  comme  celles 
entre  Oxford  et  Cambridge,  seule- 
ment  c'etait  des  gosses  au  lieu  de 
gonces,  Le  rehiis  oil  le  linspri  de 
Galles  a  dSvall  a  Portsmouth  quand 
11  a  renquilli  des  Indes,  mezigue  et 
deux  fanandes,  nous  avons  acquigi 
le  roulant  vif  vers  six  plombes  et 
trente  broquilles  au  matois.  Quand 
nous  avons  divale  i  Portsmouth  nous 
avons  trouve  qu'ilfaisait  trfes  chaud;  . 
il  y  avait  aux  coins  des  trimes  des 
babilles,  "  Prenez  garde  aux  filous, 
males  et  femelles,"  et  aussi  sur  les 
trains  de  vache.  De  sorte  qu'un  de 
raes  fanandes  jade, "  II  y  a  un  roussin 
labago  qui  conobre  mon  gniasse,  et  il 
vaut  mieux  nous  separer."  Mezigue  et 
I'autre  nous  nous  debinbns  de  notre 
c6te  ;  il  n'etait  pas  trfes  mariolle  pour 
faire  vca^filoche  ou  un  bogue,  mais  il  ne 
voulait  pas  grinchir  de  bogues  parce- 
qu'il  avait  le  ^«/'d'etre  rapiote.  Nous 
avons  eu  de  la  bate  pour  les  mor- 
ningiies ;  nous  avons  trouve,  aprfe 
avoir  turbini,  que  nous  avions  de 
soixante  a  soixante-dix  sigues  s.fa:der, 
mais  notre  autre  fanande  avait  ete 
fige  et  garde  au  bloc  jusqu'au  dernier 
roulant  vif  pour  Londres,  puis  ren- 
voye  chez  lui  par  ce  roulant,  Un 
reluisaprhs  cejffancAe,  je  demande  a 
un  caroubleur  s'il  voulait  me  preter 
des  carouUes  parceque  j 'avals  un 
poupard nmtrri.  'M.sisiX  bonnit,  "Si 
jelesprete,jeveuxmon_/Wif.''  Queje 
reponds,  "  Ca  fait  nib  dans  mes  blots, 
mais  je  te  carmerai  tout  de  meme, 
i\\.vXashlabonne"  Maisqu'ilio»«iV, 
"  Ca  fait  nib  dans  mes  blots  aussi." 
Alors  je  yaffe,  "Nous  turbinerons 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


Ivii 


He  was  veiy  tricky  at  making  twirls, 
and  used  to  supply  them  all  with 
tools.  Me  and  the  screwsman  went 
to  Gravesend  and  I  found  a  dead  'un 
(uninhabited  house),  and  we  both 
went  and  turned  it  over  and  got 
things  out  of  it  which  fetched  us 
forty-three  quid.  We  went  one  day 
to  Erith  ;  I  went  in  a  place,  and 
when  I  opened  the  door  there  was 
a  great  tyke  (dog),  laying  in  front  of 
the  door,  so  I  pulled  out  a  piece  of 
pudding  (liver  prepared  to  silence 
dogs)  and  threw  it  to  him,  but  he 
did  not  move.  So  I  threw  a  piece 
more,  and  it  did  not  take  any  notice ; 
so  I  got  close  up  to  it,  and  found 
it  was  a  dead  dog,  being  stuffed,  so 
I  done  the  place  for  some  wedge 
and  three  overcoats  ;  one  I  put  on, 
and  the  other  two  in  my  kipsy.  We 
went  to  Harpenden  Races  to  see  if 
we  could  find  some  dead  'uns  ;  we 
went  on  the  course.  While  we  was 
there  we  saw  a  scuff,  it  was  a  flat 
that  had  been  welshed,  so  my  pal 
said,  "  Pipe  his  spark  prop  "  (dia- 
mond pin).  So  my  pal  said,  "Front 
me  (cover  me),  and  I  will  do  him 
for  it."  So  he  pulled  out  his  madam • 
and  done  him  for  it.  After  we  left 
the  course,  we  found  a  dead  'un  and 
got  a  peter  (cashbox)  with  very  near 
a  century  of  quids  in  it.  Then  I 
carried  on  a  nice  game,  what  with 
the  trips  and  the  drink  I  very  near 
went  balmy  (mad).  It  is  no  use  of 
me  telling  you  every  place  I  done, 
or  else  you  will  think  I  am  telling 
you  the  same  things  over  again. 


ensemble,"  et  il  me  reniasse  "gy." 
Alors  nous  avons  rind  la  piole  et 
acquigi  cinquante-cinq  sigues.  J'ai 
/»?•&"«/ ensuite  avec  lui  puis  j'ai  ete 
pigS  et  sapi  a  ces  dix-huit  marques. 
II  etait  tres  mariolk  pour  maquiller 
les  caroubles  et  il  fournissait  des 
alines  a  toute  la  gance.  Mhigue  et 
le  caroubleur  nous  sommes  alles  i. 
Gravesend  oi  nous  avons  trouve  une 
piole  vide.  Nous  avons  embardl 
dedans  et  I'avons  rincie  ce  qui  nous 
a  affurl  quarante-trois  sigues.  Nous 
sommes  alles  un  reluis  i  Erith. 
J'ai  enqmlU  dans  une  piole,  et  quand 
j'ai  dibdcU  la  lourde  il  y  avait  un 
gros  tambour  couche  devant,  de 
sorte  que  j'ai  tire  de  ma.  profonde  un 
morceau  de  bidocke  et  je  la  lui  ai 
balancie,  mais  il  n'a  pas  bouge.  Je 
lui  en  ai  jete  un  autre  morceau  mais 
il  est  reste  tranquille.  Alors  je 
m'approche  et  je  vois  que  c'etait  un 
cab  empaille.  J'ai  rind  la  piole  pour 
la  blcLnqttette  et  trois  temples,  j'en 
ai  peaussd  un  et  plaque  les  deux 
autres  dans  mon  panier.  Nous 
sommes  alles  ensuite  aux  courses  de 
Harpenden  pour  voir  sinous  pouvions 
trouver  des  pioles  sans  lonsgue  ;  nous 
allons  sur  la  piste.  Pendant  que 
nous  y  sommes,  nous  remouchons 
une  tigtie,  c'etait  un  gonsse  qui  venait 
d'etre  refait,  alors  mon  fanande  me 
jacte,  "  Chz^«?  son  epingle.  Couvre- 
moi,  et  je  vais  la  Xmfaire.^'  Alors 
il  tire  son  blavin  et  la  lui  poisse. 
Apres  avoir  quitt^  la  piste,  nous  trou- 
vons  uns  piole  vide  et  nous /aisons  un 
enfant  qui  contenait  une  centaine  de 
sigues.  A  partir  de  ce  jour  je  me 
suis  mis  a  la  rigolade  et  a  force 


Iviii 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


I  will  now  tell  you  what  happened 
the  day  before  I  fell  for  this  stretch 
and  a  half.  Me  and  the  screwsman 
went  to  Charlton.  From  there  we 
worked  our  way  to  Blackheath.  I 
went  in  a  place  and  touched  for  some 
wedge  which  we  done  for  three 
pounds  ten.  I  went  home  and 
wrung  myself  (changed  clothes),  and 
met  some  of  the  mob  and  got  very 
near  drunk.  Next  morning  I  got 
up  about  seven,  and  went  home  to 
change  my  clobber  and  put  on  the 
old  clobber  to  work  with  the  kipsy. 
When  I  got  home  my  mother  asked 
me  if  I  was  not  a  going  to  stop  to 
have  some  breakfast?  So  I  said, 
"No,  I  was  in  a  hurry."  I  had 
promised  to  meet  the  screwsman 
and  did  not  want  to  stick  him  up. 
We  went  to  Willesden  and  found  a 
dead  'un,  so  I  came  out  and  asked 
my  pal  to  lend  me  the  James  and 
some  twirls,  and  I  went  and  turned 
it  over.  I  could  not  find  any  wedge. 
I  found  a  poge  with  nineteen  shil- 
lings in  it.  I  turned  everything  over, 
but  could  not  find  anything  worth 
having,  so  I  came  out  and  gave  the 
tools  to  my  pal  and  told  him.  So 
he  said,  "Wasn't  there  any  clob- 
ber?" So  I  said,  "Yes,  there's  a 
cartload."  So  he  said,  "Go  and 
get  a  kipsy  full  of  it,  and  we  will 
guy  home."  So  I  went  back,  and 
as  I  was  going  down  the  garden, 
the  gardener  it  appears  had  been 


d'aller  avec  les  chamigues  et  A&pitan- 
cher,]e  suis  presque  devenu  louffoque. 
II  est  inutile  de  vous  raconter  toutes 
les  pioles  que  j'ai  rincies,  ce  serait 
toujours  la  meme  histoire. 

Je  vous  raconterai  maintenant  ce 
qui  est  arrive  juste  la  veille  du  reluis 
oil  j'ai  ete  enfourailli  pour  dix-huit 
marques.  Mhigue  et  le  caroubleur 
nous  allons  i  Charlton.  De  logo 
nous  trimardons  jusqu'a  Blackheath. 
Yenquille  en  une  piole  et  i'effarouche 
de  la  blanquette  que  nous  fourguons 
pour  trois  livres  dix.  Je  rapfliqve  h 
la  niche  et  je  change  de  fringues,  je 
rencontre  quelques  fanandes  de  la 
gance  et  je  me  poivrotte  presque.  Le 
lendemain  matin  je  me  leve  vers 
it^tplombes  pour  changer  &.tfringites 
et  je  me  peausse  du  vieux  hamais 
pour  aller  turbiner  avec  le  panier. 
Quand  je  rapplique  d,  la  niche  ma 
dabuche  laxe  jacte  de  rester  pour  la 
refaite  du  matois.  Je  bonnis,  "Non, 
j'az  ct  me patiner,^^  J'avais  promis  de 
rencontrer  le  grinchisseur  au  fric- 
frac  et  je  ne  voulais  pas  flancher. 
Nous  sommes  alles  a  Willesden  et 
j'ai  trouve  une^;o/if  sans  personne,  de 
sorte  que  j'en  suis  dicarre  et  j'ai  de- 
mande  a  raonfanandel  de  me  preter 
\e  Jacques  et  des  caroubles,  j'ai  ren- 
quille  et  j'ai  cherche  la  camelote. 
Je  n'ai  pas  trouve  de  blanquette. 
J'ai  trouve  une  filoche  avec  dix-neuf 
shillings.  J'ai  tout  retourne  mais  je 
n'ai  trouve  rien  de  schpille  de  sorte 
que  j'ai  dicarri. '  J'ai  refill  les  alines 
k  mon  fanandel  et  je  lui  ai  dit  le 
flanche.  Alors,  qu'il  jacte,  "  N'y 
avait-il  pas  i,&  fringues  ?  "  Et  je  lui 
reponds,  "  Gy,  il  y  en  a  une  char- 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


lix 


put  there  to  watch  the  house,  so  he 
said,  "What  do  you  want  here?" 
So  I  said,  "  Where  do  you  speak 
to  the  servants?"  So  he  said, 
"  There  is  not  anyone  at  home, 
they  are  all  out."  So  he  said, 
"What  do  you  want  with  them?" 
Sol  said,  "Do  you  know  if  they 
have  any  bottles  to  sell,  because  the 
servant  told  me  to  call  another  day  ?  " 
So  he  said,  "  I  do  not  know,  you 
had  better  call  another  time."  So 
I  said,  "  All  right,  and  good  day  to 
him."  I  had  hardly  got  outside 
when  he  came  nishing  out  like  a 
man  balmy,  and  said  to  me,  "  You 
must  come  back  with  me."  So  I 
said,  "All  right.  What  is  the 
matter?"  So  when  we  got  to  the 
door  he  said,  "  How  did  you  open 
this  door?"  So  I  said,  "My  good 
fellow,  you  are  mad  !  how  could  I 
Vpen  it?"  So  he  Said,  "  It  was  not 
open  half-an-hour  ago  because  I 
tried  it."  So  I  said,  "  Is  that  any 
reason  why  I  should  have  opened 
it  ?  "  So  he  said,  "  At  any  rate  you 
will  have  to  come  to  the  station  with 


The  station  was  not  a  stone's 
throw  from  the  place,  so  he  caught 
hold  of  me,  so  I  gave  a  twist  round 
and  brought  the  kipsy  in  his  face, 
and  gave  him  a  push  and  guyed. 
He  followed,  giving  me  hot  beef 
(calling  "Stop  thief").  My  pal 
came  along,   and  I  said   to  him, 


retee."  Alors,  qu'il  dit,  "  Acquiges- 
en  plein  un  panier  et  dibmons-norxs. " 
Je  retourne,  et  comme  je  devalais  le 
long  du  jaffier,  Varroseur  de  ver- 
douze  qui  paralt-il,  avait  kl  plaqiii 
logo  pour  faire  le  gaffe,  me  bonnit, 
"  Qu'est-ce  que  tn  maquilles  icigo  ?" 
Je  reponds,  "  Ou  peut-on  parler  aux 
larbins  ?  "  Et  il  dit,  "  II  n'y  a  per- 
sonne  a  la  maison,  ils  sont  tous 
sortis.  Que  leur  voulez-vous  ?  "  et 
je  lui  reponds,  "  Savez-vous  s'ils 
ont  des  bouteilles  a  vendre,  parce- 
que  la  servante  m'a  dit  de  revenir  ?" 
"Je  ne  sais  pas,  revenez  un  autre 
jour."  "  C'est  bien,"  que  je  lui  dis ; 
"je  vous  souhaite  le  bonjour." 
J'avais  a  peine  dicarri  qu'il  aboule 
comme  un  louffoque  et  me  jade, 
"  Vous  allez  revenir  avec  moi."  Je 
lui  dis,  "C'est  bien,  mon  brave; 
qu'est-ce  qu'il  y  a?"  Et  quand  nous 
aboulons  juxte  la  lourde  il  jacle, 
"  Comment  avez-vous  fait  pour 
ouvrir  cette  porte?"  "Mon  brave 
horame,"  lui  dis-je,  "vous  etes  fou, 
comment  aurais-je  fait?"  Alors  il 
jacte,  "  EUe  n'etait  pas  ouverte  il  y 
a  une  derai-heure,  car  je  I'ai  essayee 
pour  voir."  Alors  je  fo«KM,  "  Est- 
ce  une  raison  pour  que  je  I'aie 
ouverte?"  Et  il j'acie,  "  Dans  tous 
les  cas,  vous  allez  m'accompagner 
au  poste  de  police." 

Le  b/oc  etait  a  deux  pas,  alors  il 
me  met  la  louche  au  colas e.\.]^  pirou- 
ette en  lui  refilantxm  coup  de  panier 
sur  le  citron  ;  puis  je  lui  rejile  une 
pousse  et  \e  fais  patatrot.  II  me  suit 
en  gueulant  i  la  chienlit.  Mon 
fanande  me  suivait  et  je  lui  bonnis, 
"  Defends-moi  contre  ce  pante,  il 


Ix 


Cant,  Nineteenth  Century. 


' '  Make  this  man  leave  me  alone, 
he  is  knocking  me  ahout,"  and  I 
put  a  half-James  (half-sovereign)  in 
his  hand,  and  said,  "  Guy."  As  I 
was  running  round  a  comer  there 
was  a  reeler  talking  to  a  postman, 
and  I  rushed  by  him,  and  a  little 
while  after  the  gardener  came  up 
and  told  him  all  about  it.  So  he 
set  after  me  and  the  postman  too, 
all  the  three  giving  me  hot  beef. 
This  set  other  people  after  me,  and 
I  got  run  out.  So  I  got  run  in,  and 
was  tried  at  Marylebone  and  re- 
manded for  a  week,  and  then  fullied 
(fully  committed  for  trial),  and  got 
this  stretch  and  a  half.  Marylebone 
is  the  court  I  got  my  schooling 
from. — From  MacmUlaris  Maga- 
zine, October,  1879. 


rae passe  a  travers ;"  je  rejile  a  son 
gniasse  un  demi-souverain  dans  sa 
louche  et  je  lui  dis,  "  Crompe! 
crompeV  Comme je  tournais  le  coin, 
il  y  avait  un  flique  qui  jactait  avec 
un  facteur,  je  le  depasse  en  faisant 
la  paire,  et  peu  apres  Varrosetir  de 
verdouze  aboule  et  lui  debine  le  true. 
Alors,  11  me  cavale  avec  le  facteur, 
tons  les  trois  gueulant  h  la  chienlit. 
De  cette  fa9on,  d'autres  pontes  se 
mettent  a  me  refiler  et  je  suis  pigi. 
On  m'emballe,  on  me  met  sur  la 
planche  an  pain  a  Marylebone  et  on 
me  remet  k  huitaine,  alors  gerb^  a 
une  longe  et  six  viarques.  Maryle- 
bone est  le  carre  ou  j'ai  e.\.k  gerbi  au 
college. 


Abadie,abadis,/  (ihievts'),cnnvd, 
' '  push. "  According  to  Michel 
this  word  is  derived  from  the 
Italian  abbadia,  abbey. 

Pastiquant  sur  la  placarde,  j'^  rem- 
broqu6  un  abadis  du  raboin. — ViDOCQ. 
{When  crossings  the  public  square  I  saw  a 
devil  of  a  crowd.') 

Abajoues,  /.  pi.  (popular),  face, 
"  chops."     Properly  chaps. 

Abalobi  (popular),  astounded, 
abashed,  or  "  flabbergasted." 

Abasourdir  (thieves'),  to  kill.  Pro- 
perly to  astound. 

Abati  (obsolete),  killed  (Michel). 

On  a  trouv^  un  homme  horriblement 
mutil^  ...  on  avoie  attach^  sur  lui  une 
carte  portant  ci-git  X'XhaXy.^oumal  his- 
torique  et  anecdotiqite  du  regne  de 
Louis  XV. 

Abatis,  abattis,  m.  pi.  (popular), 
hands  and  feet.  Proper  sense, 
giblets. 

A  bas  les  pattes  !  Les  as-tu  propres, 
seulement,  tes  abattis,  pour  lacer  ce  corsage 

rose? — E.  ViLLARS. 

Avoir  les — cs.n2S&^5,  to  have  coarse, 
plebeian  hands  and  feet,  or  "beetle 
crushers  and  mutton  fists."  Nu- 
merote  tes  — ,  77/  break  every  bone 
in  your  body. 

Abat-jour,  m.  (popular),  peak  of  a 
cap  ;  —  des  quinquets,  eyelid. 

Abat-reluit  (thieves'),  shade  for  the 

eyes. 
Abattage,  m.  (popular),  much  work 

done;  work  quickly  dont ;  severe 


scolding,  or  "  bully-ragging ; "  ac- 
tion of  throwing  down  one's  cards 
at  baccarat  when  eight  or  nine  are 
scored.  Vente  a  1' — ,  sale  of  wares 
spread  out  on  the  pavement. 

Abattoir,  m.  (thieves'),  cell  at  the 
prison  of  La  Roquette  occupied  by 
prisoners  under  sentence  af  death  ; 
corresponds  to  the  Newgate  "salt- 
box."  It  has  also  the  meaning 
of  gaming-house,  or  "punting- 
shop."  Properly  a  slcujhter- 
house. 

Abattre  (familiar),  en  — ,  to  do  much 
work,  or  to  "  sweat. " 

Abbaye,  y!  (thieves'),  kiln  in  which 
thieves  and  vagrants  seek  a  refuge 
at  night ;  —  ruffante,  warm  kiln  ; 

—  de  Monte-a-regret,  the  scaffold. 

Mon  pfere  a  ^pousd  la  veuve,  moi  je  me 
retire  k  I'Abbaye  de  Monte-k-regret. — 
Victor  Hugo,  Le  dernier  Jour  d'uti 
Condatnni. 

Termed  formerly  "I'abbaye  de 
Monte-i-rebours ; "  (popular)  — de 
Saint-Pierre,  the  scaffold,  a  play  on 
the  words  "cinq-pierres,"  the 
guillotine  being  erected  on  five 
flagstones  in  front  of  La  Roquette ; 

—  de  sots  bougres  (obsolete),  a 
prison  ;  —  des  s'offre  i  tous,  house 
of  ill  fame,  or  "nanny-shop." 

Abbesse,  f.  (popular),  mistress  of 
a  house  of  ill-fame,  "  abbess." 

Abc^s,  pt.  (popular),  the  possessor 
of  a  bloated  f  cue. 


A  yiardiser — A  bsinthe. 


Ab^lardiser.  to  mutilate  a  man 
as  Chanoine  Fulbert  mutilated 
Abilard,  the  lover  of  his  daughter 
or  niece  Helo'ise.  The  operation 
is  termed  by  horse-trainers  "  add- 
ing one  to  the  list." 

Abequer  (popular),  to  feed.  Lite- 
rally to  give  a  billful. 

Abequeuse.y!  (popular),  wet  nurse; 
landlqdy  of  an  hotel. 

Abloquer,  abloquir  (thieves'),  to 
buy ;  to  acquire. 

Abonn6  (familiar),  etre  —  au 
guignon,  to  experience  a  run  of 
ill-luck.  Literally  to  be  a  sub- 
scriber to  ill-luck. 

Aborgner  (popular),  s' — ,  to  scruti- 
nize. Literally  to  make  oneself 
blind  of  one  eye  by  closing  or 
"cocking"  it. 

Abote  (popular),  clumsily  adjusted 
or  fitted,  "wobbly." 

Aboulage,     acre,    m.    (popular), 

plenty, 

Aboulee  (popular),  in  childbed, 
"in  the  straw." 

Aboulement,  m.  (popular),  ac- 
couchement, 

Abouler  (popular),  to  be  in  child- 
bed, "to  be  in  the  straw;"  to 
give,  to  hand  over,  to  "dub." 

Pfegres  et  barbots  aboulez  des  pipettes  . .  , 
Aboulez  tous  des  ronds  ou  des  liqueCtes 
Des  vieux  grimpants,  bricheton  ou  arle- 
quins. 

Le  Cridit  Peuple,  Feb.,  1886. 

To  come,  "to  crop  up." 

Et  si  t^zig  tient  &.  sa  boule, 
Fonceta  largue,  et  qu'elle  abouie 
Sans  limace  nous  cambrouser. 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux, 

Abour,  m.  (thieves'),  sieve, 

Aboyeur  (popular),  crier  or  sales- 
man at  public  or  private  sales ; 
man  employed  at  the  doors  of  puff- 


ing shops  or  theatrical  booths  to 
entice  people  in,  "  barker  ;  "  man 
who  is  constantly  clamouring  in 
words  or  writing  against  public 
men ;  man  in  a  prison  whose 
function  it  is  to  call  prisoners. 

Abracadabrant,  adj.  (familiar), 
marvellous,  or ' '  stunning. "  From 
Abracadabra,  a  magic  word  used 
as  a  spell  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

Abraqu£,ai^^  (sailors'),  tied;  spliced. 

Abreuvoir,  m.  (popular),  drinking- 
shop,  or  "  lush  -  crib  ;  "  —  a 
mouches,  bleeding  wound. 

Abruti,  m. ,  a  plodding  student  at 
the  Ecole  Polytechnique,  termed  a 
"  swat "  at  the  R.  M.  Academy ; 
stolid  and  stupid  man  ;  —  de 
Chaillot,  blockhead,  or  "cabbage-  ' 
head."  Chaillot,  in  the  suburbs 
of  Paris,  has  repeatedly  been  made 
the  butt  for  various  uncomplimen- 
tary hits. 

Abrutir  (familiar),  s'— ,  to  plod  at 
any  kind  of  work.  Literally  to 
make  oneself  silly. 

Abs,  abbreviation  of  absinthe. 

Absinthage,  m.  (familiar),  the 
drinking  or  mixing  of  absinthe. 

Absinthe,/  (familiar),  faire  son  — , 
to  mix  absinthe  with  water.  Ab- 
sinthe i  la  hussarde  is  prepared  by 
slowly  pouring  in  the  water; 
"I'amazone"  is  mixed  in  likeman- 
tier,  but  with  an  adjunction  of 
gum ;  "la  panachee "  is  absinthe 
with  a  dash  of  gum  or  anisette; 
"  la  puree  "  is  prepared  by  quickly 
pouring  in  the  water.  Faire  son- 
en  parlant,  to  spit  when  talking. 
Heure  de  1' — ,  the  hour  when  that 
beverage  is  discussed  in  the  cafes, 
generally  from  four  to  six  p.m. 
Avaler  son  — ,  see  Avaler. 

Absinthe,  adj.  (familiar),  intoxi- 
cated on  absinthe. 


A  bsinther^—A  char. 


Absinther  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  drink 
absinthe  ;  to  be  a  confirmed  tippler 
of  absinthe. 
Absintheur,ff2.  (familiar),  a(/W«A?J" 
of  absinthe  ;  one  who  makes  it  a 
practice  or  getting  drunk  on  ab- 
sinthe. 
Absinthier,   or  absintheur,    m., 

retailer  of  absinthe. 
Absinthisme,  m.  (familiar),  state 
of  body  and  mind  resulting  from 
excessive  drinking  of  absinthe. 
Absorber    (familiar),   to  eat   and 

drink  a  great  deal,  to  "guzzle." 
Absorption,/,  annual  ceremony  at 
the  Ecole  Polytechnique,   at    the 
close  ofwhiih  the  seniors,  or  "  an- 
ciens,"    are    entertained    by    the 
newly-joined,    termed  "melons" 
("  snookers  "  at  the  Royal  Mili- 
tary Academy). 
Acabit,   m.  (popular),  the  person  ; 
the  body ;  health  ;  temper.     Etre 
de  bon  — ,  to  enjoy  sound  health. 
Un  etrange  — ,  an  odd  humour, 
or  "strange  kidney." 
Acacias,  m.,  faire  ses — ,  to  walk 
or  drive,  according  to  the  custom 
of  fashionable   Parisians,   in  the 
"■Alice    des    Acacias"  from    the 
Porte-Maillot  to  La  Concorde. 
Acalifourchonner  (popular),  s' — , 

to  get  astride  anything. 
Accaparer  (familiar),  quelqu'un  — , 

to  monopolize  a  person. 
Accent  (thieves'),  signal  given  by 

spitting. 
Accentuer  (popular),  ses  gestes— , 
to  give  a  box  on  the  ear;  in  other 
terms,  "  to  warm  the  wax  of  one  s 
ear  ; "  to  give  a  blow,  or  ' '  bang,' 
Accessoires,  m.  pi.  (theatrical), 
stage  properties,  or  " -pro^s."  As 
a  qualificative  it  is  used  dispara- 
gingly, thus,  Viande  d'-.  ^ 
d'— ,  are  meat  and  wme  of  bad 
quality. 


Accoerer  (thieves'),  to  arrange. 

Accolade  (popular),  smart  box  on 
the  ear,  "buckhorse." 

Accommoder  (familiar),  quelqu'un 
a  la  sauce  piquante,  to  beat  severely, 
' '  to  double  up  ;  "  to  make  one 
smart  under  irony  or  reproaches. 
Might  be  rendered  by,  to  sit  upon 
one  with  a  vengeance  ; —  au  beurre 
noir,  to  beat  black  and  blue. 

Accordeon,  m.  (popular),  opera- 
hat. 

Accoufler  (popular),  s' — ,  to  squat. 
From  the  word  couffles,  cotton 
bales,  which  may  be  conveniently 
used  as  seats. 

Accroche-cceurs  (familiar).  Pro- 
perly small  curl  twisted  on  the 
;«»!//«,  or  "kiss-curl."  Cadsapply 
that  name  to  short,  crooked  whis- 
kers. 

Accrocher  (popular),  un  paletot, 
to  tell  a  falsehood,  or"swackup;" 
—  un  soldat,  to  confine  a  soldier  to 
barracks,  "  to  roost."  S' — ,  to 
come  to  blows,  "  to  come  to  logger- 
heads." (Familiar)  Accrocher,  i?d 
pawn,  "to  pop,  to  lumber,  to 
blue." 

Etes-vous  entriS  quelquefois  dans  unde 
ces  nombreux  bureaux  de  pret  qu  on  d<S- 
signe  aussi  sous  le  nom  de  ma  tante  T 
Non.  Tantmieuxpourvous.  Celaprouve- 
que  vous  n'avez  jamais  eu  besom  d  y  ac- 
crocher vos  bibelots  et  que  votre  montre 
n'a  jamais  retard^  de  cinquante  francs.— 
FBiBAULT,  La  Vie  de  Paris. 
Accrouer.     See  Accoufler. 

A  Chaillot !  (popular),  an  energetic 
invitation  to  make  oneself  scarce  ; 
an  expression  of  strong  disapproval 
coupled  with  a  desire  to  see  (me 
turned  out  of  doors. 

Achar  (popular),  d'-,  abbrevia- 
tion of  acharnement,  with  steadt- 
ness  of  purpose,  in  an  unrelenting 
manner. 


Acheter—Affres. 


Acheter  (popular),  quelqu'un  — , 
to  turn  one  into  ridicule,  to  make  a 
fool  of  one, 

Achetoir,  m.,  achetoires,  f.  pi. 
(popular),  money,  "  leaver." 

AcoEurer  (popular),  to  do  anything 
with  a  'Mill,  to  ' '  wire  in." 

Acoquiner  (popular),  s' — ,  used 
disparagingly,  to  keep  company, 
to  live  with  one. 

Acre  (thieves'),  strong,  "spry," 
violent;  silence!  "mum's  the 
word  !"  be  careful!  "shoe  lea- 
ther ! " 

Acree,  aerie,  m,  (thieves'),  mis- 
trust;—  done.!  hold  your  tongue  ! 
"  mum  your  dubber !  "  de  cau- 
tious.    From  acrimonie. 

Acteur  -  guitare  (theatrical  and 
journalistic),  actor  who  has.  only 
one  string  to  his  bow ;  actor  who 
elicits  applause  in  lachrymose  scenes 
only. 

Actionnaire,»«.  iyi.ter3.xy),credulous 
man  easily  deceived.  Proper  sense, 
shareholder. 

Adjectiver  (popular),  to  abuse,  to 
"slang." 

Adjoint  (thieves'),  executioner's 
assistant. 

Adjudant,  m.  (military),  tremper 
un  — ,  to  dip  a  piece  of  bread  in  the 
first,  and  consequently  the  more 
savoury  bro'h  yielded  by  the  "pot 
aufeu,"  a  practice  indulged  in  by 
cooks. 

Adjuger  (gamesters'),  une  banque 
aun  operateur,  to  cheat,  to  "bite," 
at  cards. 

Adroit,  adj.  (popular),  du  coude, 
fond  of  the  bottle,    or  skilful  in 

"  crooking  the  elbow." 
Aff,    affe,  /   (popular),    eau  d' — , 

lirandy,  or  "  French  cream."   See 

Tord-boyaux. 

La  v'lk  I'enfle'e,  c'est  de  I'eau  d'affe 
(eau-de-vie),  elle  est  toute  mouchique  celle- 
la. — ViDOCQ, 


XSa.iTe,f.{th\e\es'),projected  crime  ; 
projected  theft  or  swindle,  "plant ;" 

—  juteuse,  profitable  transaction; 

—  mvire,  preconcerted  crime  or 
theft  about  to  be  committed.  (Fami- 
liar) Avoir  son  — ,  to  have  re- 
ceived a  ' '  settler  ;  "  to  be  com- 
pletely drunk,  or  "hood man;"  to 
have  received  a  mortal  wound,  in 
other  words,  "^a  have  one's  goose 
cooked."      (Popular)    Avoir    une 

—  cachee  sous  la  peau,  to  be  preg-' 
nant,  or  ' '  lumpy. "  Faire  1' —  i 
quelqu'un,  to  kill,  "  to  do  for  one." 

Aifaler  (popular),  s' — ,  to  fall,  "to 
come  a  cropper. " 

T'es  rien  poivre,  tu  ne  dens  plus  sur  tes 
fumerons  .  .  .  .  tu  vas  t'affaler. — RicHE- 
PIN,  Le  Pavi, 

Affe.     See  Aff. 

AfiSstoler  (familiar),  to  arrange,  to 
dress.  Mai  affistole,  badly  done, 
badly  dressed. 

Affluer  (thieves'),  to  deceive,  to 
"  cram  ;"  to  cheat,  to  "  stick  ;"  to 
swindle,  to  "fox."  From  a  flouer. 

Affourcher  (sailors'),  sur  ses  ancres, 
to  retire  from  the  service.  Pro- 
perly to  moor  a  ship  each  way. 

Affranehi  (thieves'),  convict  who 
has  "  done  his  time  ;  "  one  who 
has  ceased  to  be  honest ;  one  ivho 
has  been  induced  to  be  an  accomplice 
in  a  crime. 

Affranehir  (gamesters'),  to  save  a 
certain  card  at  the  cost  of  another; 
to  initiate  one  into  the  tactics  of 
card-sharpers ;  (thieves')  to  cor- 
rupt ;  to  teach  one  dishonest  prac- 
tices ;  —  un  sinve  avec  de  I'auher, 
to  corrupt  a  man  by  dint  of  money  ; 

—  un  sinve  pour  grinchir,  to  put 
an  honest  man  up  to  thieving. 

ASres,  f  pi.  (popular),  upbraiding, 
"blowing  up."  Proper  sense, 
agonies. 


Affur — A  imant. 


5 


Affur,  affure,  m.  (thieves),  pro- 
ceeds, profits.  Avoir  de  i' — ,  to 
have  money. 

Quand  je  vois  mon  affure 

ie  suis  toujours  par^, 
>u  plus  grand  coeur  du  monde 
Je  vais  k  la  profonde 
Pour  vous  donner  du  frais. 

ViDOCQ. 

Affurage,  m.  (thieves'),  proceeds  of 
theft,  "regulars,"  or  "  swag." 

Affurer,  affflter  (thieves'),  to  de- 
ceive; to  make  profits  ;  to  procure; 
—  de  I'auber,  to  make  money. 

En  goupinant  comme  5a  on  n'affure  pas 
d'auber. — Vidocq. 

Affflt  (thieves'  and  popular),  etre 
d' — ,  to  be  able,  cunning,  or  "a 
downy  cove  ; "  to  be  wide  awake, 
or  "to  be  one  who  knows  what's 
o'clock.''     AT — ,  on  the  watch. 

Affflter  (thieves'),  to  deceive,  to 
snatch,  "to  click  ;"  to  whip  up, 
"  to  nip  ; "  to  viake  unlawful  pro- 
fits ;  —  ses  pincettes,  to  walk,  to 
"pad  the  hoof;  "  to  run,  to  "  leg 
it."  Proper  sense,  to  sharpen. 
S'— le  sifflet,  to  drink,  to  "whet 
one's  whistle. " 

Agaceur  (sporting),  one  who  sets  a 
thing  going,  "buttoner." 

Aganter  (popular),  to  take,  to  catch, 
"to  grab  ;  "  —  une  claque,  to  re- 
ceive a  box  on  the  ear,  "to  get 
one's  ear's  wax  warmed." 

Agate,/  (thieves'),  crockery. 

Agater  (popular),  to  be  thrashed, 
"  tanned  ;  "  to  be  caught, 
"  nabbed." 

Agenouillee,/.  (joumalists'),/wjft- 
tute  whose  specialite  is  best  described 
by  the  appellation  itself. 

Agobille  (thieves'),  implements, 
"jilts." 

Agonir  (popular),  to  abuse  vehe- 
mently, to  "bully-rag,"  or  "to 
haul  over  the  coals." 


Agout,  VI.  (thieves'),  drinking- 
water. 

Agrafe,  f  (popular),  hand, 
"picker,"  "dooks,"or  "  dukes." 

Agrafer  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to 
seize,  to  "  grab  ;  "  to  arrest,  "to 
pull  up,"  or  "  to  smug." 

Agrement,  m.  (theatrical ',  avoir  de 
r — ,  to  obtain  applause.  (Popular) 
Se  pousser  de  1' — ,  to  amuse  one- 

■  self. 

Agripper  (popular),  to  seize  secretly^ 
to  steal  quickly,  to"  livp."  S' — , 
to  come  to  blows,  "to  slip  into  one 
another." 

Aguicher  (popular),  to  allure,  de- 
coy, "  to  button  ;  "  to  quicken,  to 
excite. 

II  fallait    lui    faire  comprendre  qu'elle  . 

aguiche  la  soif  du  petit,,  en  I'empechant  de 

boire. — Richepin,  La-  Glu, 

Aguigner  (popular),  to  teaze,  "  to 
badger." 

Ahuri,  m.  (popular),  de  Chail- 
lot,  block-head,  "cabbage-head." 
See  Abruti. 

Aide-cargot,  canteen  servant. 

Aides.     See  Aller. 

Aie-a'ie,  m.  (popular),  omnibus. 

Aiguille,  /.  (military),  a  tricoter 
les  c&tes,  sword,  "toasting-fork  ;" 
(thieves')  key,  or  "screw;"  card 
made  to  protrude  from  a  pack  for 
cheating,  "  old  gentleman." 

Aiguiller(card -sharpers'),  la  breme, 
to  make  a  mark  ornotch  on  a  card. 

Aile,/, aileron,  m.  (popular),  arm, 
or  "bender." 

Aille,  iergue,  orgue,  uche,  suf- 
fixes used  to  disguise  any  word. 

Aille  (familiar),  fallait  pas  qu'y  — . 
it  is  all  his  own  fault,  he  has  no- 
body to  thank  for  it  hut  himself. 

Aimant,  m.  (popular),  faire  de 
l'_,  to  make  a  fussy  shffiv  of  af- 
fected friendliness  through  inte- 
rested motives. 


6 


Aimet — A  la  va-te-faire-ficlie. 


Aimer  (popular),  k  credit,  to  enjoy 
the  gratuitous  good  graces  of  a  kept 
•woman.  Aimer  comma  ses  petits 
boyaux,  to  doat  on  one,  ' '  to  love 
like  the  apple  of  one's  eye. " 

Air,  m.  (popular),  se  donner  de 
r — ,  se  pousser  de  1' — ,  jouer  la 
fiUe  de  r — ,  to  run  away,  to 
"  cut  and  run."     See  Patatrot. 

Airs,  m.  pi.  (popular),  ^tre  \  plu- 
sieurs  — ,  to  be  a  hypocrite,  double- 
faced  ferson,  "mawworm. " 

A  la  balade  (popular),  chanteurs — , 
itinerant  singers,  "chaunters." 

A  la  barque,  street  cry  of  mussel 
costermongers. 

A    la    bonne    (popular),    prendre 
quelquechose    — ,    to    take    any- 
thing good-humouredly.  Avoir  — , 
to  love,  to  like. 
Je  peste  contre  le  quart  d'oeil  de  mon 

quartier    qui   ne  m'a  pas  a   la  bonne. — 

ViDOCQ. 

A  la  carre  (thieves'),  degringoler 
— ,  to  steal  from  shops ;  kind  of 
theft  committed  principally  by 
■women  who  pretend  to  be  shopping; 
' '  shoplifting. " 

A  la  clef  (familiar),  an  expletive, 
Trop  de  zele  — ,  too  much  zeal  by 
half.  From  a  musical  term.  The 
expression  is  used  sometimes  with 
no  particular  meaning,  thus,  II  y 
aura  du  champagne  — ,  is  equiva- 
lent to,  II  y  aura  du  cham- 
pagne. 

A  la  corde  (popular),  logement 
— ,  low  lodging-house,  where  the 
lodgers  sleep  with  their  heads  on  a 
rope,  which  is  let  down  early  in  the 
morning.  In  some  of  these  the 
lodgers  leave  all  their  clothes  with 
the  keeper,  to  ensure  against  their 
being  stolen. 

A  la  coule  (popular),  6tre  — ,  to  be 
conversant  with. 
S'il  avail  €ti  au  courant,  k  la  coule,  il 

aiiraitsu^que  le  premier  true  du  camelot, 

c'est  de  s'tftablir  au  cceur  meme  de  la  foule. 

— RICHEPIN. 


Etre  — ,  to  be  happy  ;  at  one's  ease  ; 
comfortable.  Je  n'etais  pas  — ,  / 
felt  very  uncomfortable. 

A  la  flan,  h.  la  rencontre,  or  k 
la  dure  (thieves'),  fabriquer  un 
gas  — ,  to  attack  and  rob  a  ferson 
at  night,  "  to  jump  a  cove." 

A  la  grive !  (thieves'  and  cads'),  take 
care!  "shoe leather  !  "  Cribler — , 
to  callout  "police!  "  to  "  give  hot 
beef." 

Far  contretemps  ma  largue, 


Pour  gonfler  ses  valades, 
Encasque  dans  un  rade, 
Sert  des  sigues  k  foison  ; 
On  la  crible  a  la  grive, 
Je  m'ia  donne  et  m'esquive, 
£lle  est  pommde  maron. 

MStnoires  de  Vidocq. 

A  la  manque  (thieves'),  fafiols,  or 
fafelards  — ,  forged  bank  notes, 
"  queer  soft."  Avoir  du  pognon, 
or  de  la  galette  — ,  to  be  penniless. 
Etre  — ,  not  to  be  trustworthy;  to 
betray. 

Pas  un  de  nous  ne  sera  pour  le  dab  \  la 
manque. — Balzac. 

A  la  papa  (popular),  quietly,  slowly. 

A  la  petite  bonne  femme  (popu- 
lar), glisser  — ,  to  slitie  squatting 
on  one's  heels. 

Alarmiste  (thieves'),  watch-dog, 
"  tyke." 

A-la-six-quatre-deux  (popular), 
in  disorder,  "  all  at  sixes  nnd 
sevens  ;  "  anyhow,  "  helter-skel- 
ter." 

A  la  sonde  (cads'),  etre  — ,  to  he 
cunning,  wide  awake,  "  fly." 

Va,  la  m6m',  truque  et  n'fais  pas  four. 
Sois  rien  marioUe  et  k  la  sonde  ! 

RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Guevx. 

A  la  tienne  Etienne!  (popular), 
your  health  ! 

A  la  va-te-faire-fiche,  anyhow. 

Un  b^ret  nature,  carnp^  par  une  main 
paysanne,  k  la  va  te-faire-fiche,  sans  ar- 
riftre-pens^e  de  pittoresque. — RlCHEPlN, 
Le  Pa-ui. 


Alettes— A  Her i 


Alenes, ///.  (thieves'),  tools,  im- 
plements, "jilts."  Properly 
shoemakers^  awls. 

Alentoir,  m. ,  for  alentour  (thieves'), 
'    d,  vicinity. 


7 


A  I'esbrouffe  (thieves'),  faire  un 
coup  —  sur  un  pantre,  to  steal  a 
foeket-book  from  a  person  who  has 
been  seen  to  enter  a  bank,  or  other 
financial  establishment.  The  thief 
watches  his  opportunity  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  such  establish- 
ments, and  when  operating  keeps 
his  hand  concealed  under  an  over- 
coat which  he  bears  on  his  arm. 

Aligner  (freemasons'),  to  lay  the 
cloth.  S' — ,  in  soldiers'  language, 
to  fight  a  duel  with  swords.  The 
expression  is  used  also  by  civi- 
lians. 

Alinealiste,  m.  (literary),  writer 
who  is  fond  of  short  paragraphs. 

Allemand,  m.  (popular),  peigne 
d' — ,  the  four  fingers. 

Aller  (familiar),  a  Bougival,  in  lite- 
rary men's  parlance,  is  to  write  a 
newspaper  article  of  no  interest  for 
the  general  public  ;  —  a  la  cour 
des  aides  is  said  of  a  married 
woman  who  has  one  or  more  lovers  ; 
—  au  pot,  to  pick  up  dominoes 
from  those  which  remain  after  the 
proper  number  has  been  distributed 
to  the  players  ;  —  au  safran,  to 
spend  freely  on^s  capital,  an  allu- 
sion to  the  colour  of  gold  ;  —  en 
Belgique  is  said  of  a  cashier  who 
bolts  with  the  cash-box,  or  of  a 
financier  who  makes  off  with  the 
money  of  his  clients  ;  —  se  faire 
fiche,  to  go  to  the  deuce;  —  se 
faire  foutre  has  the  same  meaning, 
but  rcfet^s  to  a  rather  more  forcible 
invitation  yet ;  —  se  faire  lanlaire, 
to  go  to  the  deuce.  Allez  vous  faire 
fiche,  or  foutre  !  go  to  the  deuce,  or 
"  you  be  hanged  !  "    Je  lui  ai  dit 


d'—  se  faire  lanlaire,  /  sent  him 
about  his  business.  Aller  son  petit 
bonhomme  de  chemin,  to  do  any- 
thing without  any  hurry,  without 
heeding  interruptions  or  hin- 
drances. On  avail  beau  lui  crier 
d'arrSter,  il  allait  toujours  sonpetit 
bonhomme  de  chemin.  (Fami- 
liar and  popular)  Y  aller,  to  begin 
anything.  AUons-y !  let  us  begin  ! 
let  us  open  the  ball !  now  for  busi- 
ness. Y  aller  de  quelque  chose,  to 
contribute  ;  to  pay  ;  to  furnish, 
Y  —  de  son  argent,  to  pay,  "  to 
stump  up."  Y  —  d'une,  de  deuxv 
to  pay  for  one  or  two  bottles  of 
liquor.  Y  —  de  sa  larme,  to  shed 
u  tear,  to  show  emotion.  Y  — 
gaiment,  to  do  anythingwillingly, 
briskly.  Allons  y  gaiment  !  let  us 
look  alive!  (Popular)  Aller  a  la 
chasse  avec  un  fusil  de  toile,  to 
.go  a  begging,  "to  cadge."  An 
allusion  to  a  beggar's  canvas 
wallet.  Compare  this  with  the 
origin  of  the  word  "to  beg," 
which  is  derived  from  "  bag  ;  " 
—  i  I'arche,  to  fetch  money  ;  —  a 
niort,  to  deny,  a  play  on  the  words 
"Niort,"  name  of  a  town,  and 
"nier,"todeny ;  — a  ses  affaires, 
to  ease  oneself,  "  to  go  to  Mrs. 
Jones' ; "  —  au  persil  is  said  of 
street-walkers  who  ply  their  trade. 
This  expression  may  have  its 
origin  in  the  practice  sometimes 
followed  by  this  class  of  women 
of  carrying  a  small  basket  as  if 
going  to  the  fruiterer's  ;  —  au 
trot  is  said  of  a  prostitute  xvalk- 
ing  the  street  in  grand  attire,  or 
"full  fig;"  —  au  vice,  to  make 
one's  resort  of  places  where  immo- 
rality is  rife  ;  —  voir  defiler  les 
dragons,  to  go  without  dinner. 
The  English  have  the  expressions, 
"  to  dine  out,"  used  by  the  lower 
classes,  and  "  to  dine  with  Duke 
Humphrey,"  by  the  middle  and 
upper.     According  to  the  Slang 


8 


Allez  done — Allumette. 


Dictionary  the  reason  of  the  latter 
saying  is  as  follows  :  "  Some 
visitors  were  inspecting  the  abbey 
where  the  remains  of  Humphrey, 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  lie,  and  one  of 
them  was  unfortunately  shut  in, 
and  remained  there  solus  while  his 
companions  were  feasting  at  a 
neighbouring  hostelry.  He  was 
afterwards  said  to  have  dined 
with  Duke  Humphrey,  and  the 
saying  eventually  passed  into  a 
proverb."  AUer  aux  pruneaux  is 
said  of  the  victim  of  a  practical 
joke  played  in  hospitals  at  the  ex- 
pense of  a  new  patient,  who,  being 
sent  at  the  conclusion  of  a  meal  to 
request  another  patient  to  furnish 
him  with  the  customary  dessert, 
gets  bolstered  for  his  pains ;  — 
ou  le  roi  va  a  pied,  to  go  to  the 
'latrines,  or  "chapel  of  ease;" 
(printers')  —  en  galilee,  or  — 
en  germanie  (a  play  on  the  words 
"Je  remanie,"  I  overrun),  to  do 
some  overrunning  in  a  piece  of 
composition ;  (soldiers')  —  h. 
I'astic,  to  clean  one's  equipment ; 
(sporting)  —  pour  I'argent,  to  back 
on^s  07vn  horse;  (musicians')  — 
au  carreau,  to  seek  an  engage- 
ment. An  allusion  to  "la  Rue 
du  Petit  -  Carreau,"  a  meeting- 
place  for  musicians  of  the  lowest 
class,  and  musical  conductors. 
(Thieves')  AUer  a  comberge,  to  go 
to  confession  with  a  priest ;  —  a 
la  retape,  to  waylay  in  order  to 
murder;  —  chez  Fuald^s,  to 
share  the  booty,  ' '  to  nap  the  regu- 
lars." Fuald^s  was  a  rich  banker, 
who  was  murdered  in  circum- 
stances of  peculiar  atrocity. 

Allez  done  (familiar),  et  — ,  a  kind 
of  flourish  at  the  end  of  a  sentence 
to  emphasize  an  assertion.  Allez 
done  vous  laver  (popular),  be  off, 
go  to  "  pot ;  "  —  vous  asseoir, 
"shut  up  !" 


Alliances,  f.  pi.  (thieves'),  hand- 
cuffs, "  bracelets."  Properly 
wedding-rings. 

AUonger  (familiar),  to  pay,  to 
"  fork  out ; "  —  les  radis,  to  pay, 
"to  shell  out;"  (military)  — 
la  ficelle  or  la  courroie,  to  make 
an  addition  to  a  penalty.  S' — ,  to 
fall,  to  "  come  down  a  cropper." 

AUume,  m.,  confederate  who  makes 
sham  bids  at  auctions,  a  "button." 

Allum6  (thieves'),  stared  at. 

Sur  la  placarde  de  Vergne 
,     11  nous  faudrait  gambiller, 
AUumds  de  toutes  ces  largues 
Et  du  tr^pe  rassembl^. 

Mimoires  de  Vidocq. 

Allumer  (thieves'),  to  look,  "to 
st^,"  to  see,  or  "to  pipe;" 
to  keep  a  sharp  look-out,  to  watch, 
"to  nark." 

Si  le  Squelette  avail  eu  tant6t  una  largue 
comme  moi  pour  allumer,  il  n'aurait  pas 
^t£  mouchd  le  surin  dans  ravaloir  du 
grinche. — E.  Sue,  Mysteres  de  Paris. 

Allumer  le  miston,  to  scan  one's 
features  ;  —  ses  clairs,  to  look  at- 
tentively, "to  stag ;"  (prostitutes') 
—  son  petrole,  son  gaz,  toget  highly 
excited.  (Theatrical)  Allumer,  to 
awake  interest  or  enthusiasm 
among  an  audience  ;  (popular)  to 
allure  purchasers  at  fair  stalls,  or 
the  public  at  theatrical  booths  or 
"gaffs  "  by  glowing  accounts.  In 
.  coachmens'  parlance,  to  whip,  "to 
flush."  (Familiar)  S'— ,  to  be 
.  slightly  intoxicated,  "fresh  ;  "  ex- 
cited by  women's  allurements; 
brought  to  the  proper  pitch  of  in- 
terest by  card-sharpers  or  salesmen. 

Un  autre  compere  gagne  encore  un  coup 
de  dix  francs  cette  fois.  La  galerie  s'allume 
de  plus  en  plus. — Richepin,  Le  Pavi. 

Allumette,/  (popular),  avoir  son 
— ,  to  be  tipsy,  "screwed."  The 
successive  stages  of  this  degree  of 
intoxication  are  expressed  by  the 


A  llutnettes — Amazone. 


qualifying  terms,   "ronde,"   "de 
marchand   de  vin,"    "de    cain- 
pagne. " 
AUumettes,  f.pl.  (popular),  arms, 
"benders." 

AUumeur,  m.,  confederate  at  auc- 
tion rooms  (see  Allume) ;  thief 
who  gets  workmen  into  a  state  of 
intoxicatio7i  on  pay  day,  after 
which  they  are  seen  home,  and 
robbed  of  their  earnings  by  his  con- 
federaiis,  the  "  vieneuses"  and 
' '  travailleurs, "  or  "  bug  hunters ;" 
gambling  cheat  who  plays  as  if  he 
were  one  of  the  general  public,  and 
who  otherwise  sets  a  game  going, 
n  "  buttoner,"  or  "decoy-duck." 

AUumeurs,  m.  pi.  (military),  de 
gaz,  lancers.  An  allusion  to  their 
weapon,  which  has  some  resem- 
blance with  a  lamp-lighter's  rod. 

Allumeuse,  y;,  woman  who  seeks  to 
entice  passers-by  into  patronizing  a 
house  of  ill  fame. 

Almanacb,  m.  (popular),  des 
vingt-cinq  mille  adresses,  girl  or 
wojfian  of  dissolute  character, 
"  public  ledger."     See  Gadoue. 

Alpaga,  alpag,  m.  (popular),  coat, 
"tog,"  or  "Benjamin." 

Alpague  (popular),  clothing,  "tog- 
gery," coat,  "  Benjamin." 

Alphonse  (familiar),  man  who  pro- 
tects prostitutes,  ill-treats  them 
often,  and  lives  off  their  earnings, 
"pensioner."  These  worthies  go 
also  by  the  names  of  "  dos,  bar- 
beau,  chevalier  de  la  guiche, 
.marlou,"&c.     See  Poisson. 

Alphonsisme  (familiar),  the  calling 
of  an  Alphonse. 

Alpion  (gamesters'),  man  who  cheats 
at  cards,  one  who  "  bites." 

Alteque  (thieves'),  manly,  "  spry," 
handsome,  excellent,  "  nobby." 
From  altus. 


Amadou,      m.,      amadoue,     f. 

(thieves'  and  tramps'),  substance 

with  which  vagabonds  rub  their 

faces  to  give  themselves  a  sickly, 

wretched  appearance.    -' 

Les  cagous  emm^nent  avec  sezi^res  leurs 

apprentis  pour  leur/apprendre  \  exercer 

I'argot.    Premierement,  leur  enseignent  &. 

acquiger  de  Tainadoue  de  plusieurs  sortes. 

Tune  avec  de  I'herbe  qu'on  nomme  dclaire, 

pour  servir  aux  francs-mijoax. — Le  Jargon 

de  fA  rgoi. 

(Popular)     man     with     an    in- 
flammable heart. 
Aniadouage,    m.  (thieves'),  vtar- 

riage,  "buckling." 
Atnadouer,     s' —     (thieves'    and 

tramps'),   to  paint  or    otherwise 

make  up  one's  face  tvith  a  view  to 

deceiving  people. 
Amandes,   /   //.    (popular),    de 

pain  d'epice,  black  teeth,  few  and 
far  between. 

Amant  (prostitutes'),  de  carton, 
lover  of  no  importance,  a  poor  lover 
in  both  senses  /  —  de  coeur,  one 
who  enjoys  a  kept  woman^s  affec- 
tions gratis,  one  who  is  loved  for 
"  love"  not  money. 

Amar,  atnarre,  m.  (thieves'), 
friend,  "pal,"  or  "Ben  cull;" 
—  d'attaque,  staunch  friend. 

Amar-loer  (Breton  cant),  rope 
which  has  served  to  hang  one. 

Amarrer  (thieves'),  to  act  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  deceive,  to  lay  a 
"  plant."     Properly  to  moor. 

Amateur  (in  literary  men's  par- 
lance), writer  who  does  not  exact 
payment  for  his  productions  ;  (in 
officers'  slang)  a  civilian ;  an 
officer  who  gives  himself  little 
trouble  in  his  profession,  who  takes 
it  easy;  (familiar)  man  who 
makes  a  living  by  playing  at  cards 
.with  people  unable  to  leave  their 
homes. 

Amazone,/.  (thieves'),_/«OTa/ir  card- 
sharper. 


10 


A  mbassddenr-^A  ncien. 


Ambassadeur,  m.  (popular),  shoe- 
maker, "snob;"  (in  gay  girls' 
slang)  a  bully.     See  Poisson. 

Ambes,  f.  pi.  (thieves'),  legs, 
' '  gambs. " 

Ambier  (thieves'),  lo  flee,  "  to 
piUe."     See  Patatrot. 

£t  meziere  de  happer  le  taillis  et  ambier 
]e  plus  gourdement  possible. — Jnrgon  de 
t Argot,  i.1  got  off ^  and  ran  away  as  fast 
as  possible.) 

Ambrellin  (Breton  cant),  son. 

Ambulante,  f.    (thieves'),  female 

who  is  at  once  a  hawker,  a  thief, 

and  a  prostitute. 
Amendier,  m.  (theatrical),    fleuri, 

stage  manager ,  "daddy."  A  play 

on  the  word  amende,  a  fine,  the 

connection  being  obvious. 
Amener  (popular),  s' — ,  to  come,  to 

go  to.     Le  voila    qui    s'amine, 

here  he  comes. 

Am^ricain  (thieves'),  confederate  of 
a  thief,  who  goes  by  the  name  of 
Jardinier.  The  pair  induce  a 
simpleton  to  dig  at  the  foot  of  a 
tree  for  a  buried  treasure,  when 
they  rob  him  of  his  money  ;  a 
swindler  who  pretends  he  has  just 
returned  from  America  ;  (fa- 
miliar) a  drink,  something  be- 
tween grog  and  punch.  Faire 
I'oeil  — ,  to  scrutinize  with  search- 
ing glance.  Oeil  — ,  eye  loith  pur- 
posely amorous,  "killing,"  expres- 
sion ;  also  a  very  sharp  eye. 

Am^ricaine,  vol  a  1'  (see  Char- 
riage). 

Ami  (thieves'),  expert  thief,  "gon- 
nof ; "  —  de  coUige,  prison 
chum. 

Amicablement  (popular),  in  a 
friendly  manner,  affectionately. 

Aminche,  aminchemar,  amin- 
chemince,  m.  (thieves'),  priend, 
"ben  cull ; "  —  d'aff,  accomplice, 
"stallsman." 


Amis,  m.  pi.  (popular),  comme 
cochons,  "  thick  "friends. 

Amiteux,  adj.  (popular),  friendly, 
amiable,  gentle. 

Amocher  (popular),  to  bruise,  to 
ill-treat,  io  "manhandle."  S' — 
la  gueule,  to  maul  one  another's 
face,  to  "mug  "  one  another. 

AmorcS,  adj.  (popnlai),  furnished, 
garnished. 

V*la  qu'est  ricbement  amorc^,  j'en  suis 
moi-meme  dbaubi. — Richepin. 

Amoureux  (popular),  hunchback, 
or  ' '  lord  ; "  —  de  carSme,  a  timid 
lover.  Literally  a  "  Lent  lover. " 
(Printers')  Papier  — ,  paper  that 
blots. 

Ampafle,  m.  (thieves'),  cloth. 

Amphi,  m.  (students'),  abbreviation 
of  amphitheatre,  lecture  room. 

Amphibie  (typographers'),  typo- 
grapher who  is  at  the  same  time  a 
printer  and  reader,  "donkey." 

Amprefan  (Breton  cant),  a  lo7a, 
insulting  expression. 

Amusatif,  adj.  (popular),  amusing, 
funny. 

Amuser  (popular),  s' —  k  la  mou- 
tarde,  to  neglect  one's  duty  or  work 
for  trifles,  tomfooleries. 

An,  m.  (thieves'),  litre,  tneasurefor 
wine. 

Anarcho,  m.,  anarchist. 
Anastasie,  f,  literary  and  theatri- 
cal official  censorship. 

Anchois,  m.  (popular),  yeux  hordes 
d' — ,  eyes  with  inflamed  eyelids. 

Anchtibler  (thieves'),  to  appre- 
hend, to  "nab,"  or  "to  smug." 

Ancien,  ancienne  (peasants'), 
father,  mother.  "  Ancien  "  at 
the  military  schools  is  a  student 
who  has  been  through  the  twoyear^ 
course.  In  the  army,  a  soldier 
who  has  served  one  term  of  service 
at  least. 


A  nderlique — Anse. 


II 


AndeTlique,  m.  (popular),  a  dirty  or 
foul-mouthed  man.  Properly  a 
small  tub  used  by  scavengers, 

Andosse,  m.  (thieves'),  the  back. 

Alors  le  rupin  en  colere,  jura  que  s'il 
attrapalt  jamais  des  trucheurs  dans  son 
pipet  qu'il  leur  ficherait  cent  coups  de  sabre 
sur  landosse,— /rt?^(?M  de  V Argot, 

Andouille,  f.  (popular),  a  man 
devoid  of  energy ^  a  "muff," 
Properly  chitterlings.  Faire  1' — , 
to  play  the  fool.  Grand  depen- 
deur  d'andouilles,  one  who  prefers 
good  cheer  to  work. 

Viennent  aussi  des  batJa-flemme,  des  sans- 

douilles, 
Faineants,  suce-pots,  grands  dependeurs 

d'andouilles, 
Qui  dans  tous  les  cabarets  out  tud  leur  je 

dois, 
Et  qui  ne  font  jamais  ceuvre  de  leurs  dix 

doigts. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

(Cod-fishers')  Andouille,  wind 
blowing  to  sea-ward. 

Angauche,  or  angluce,  f. 
(thieves'),  goose.  Tortiller  de 
r — ,  to  eat  goose. 

Ange-gardien,  m.  (popular),  man 
whose  calling  is  to  see  drunkards 
home  ;  muslin  inside  a  chemisette. 

Anglais,  m..  (familiar),  creditor, 
"dun;"  man  who  keeps  a  mis- 
tress ;  a  carefully  made  up  dummy 
parcel  in  shops.  II  a  de  1" — ,  is 
said  of  a  horse  which  shows  blood. 
Anglais  a  prunes,  voyageurs  a 
prunes,  prudent  travellers,  who, 
being. aware  of  the  long  price  asked 
for  fruit  at  restaurants,  are  satisfied 
with  a  few  plums  ;  (cabmens')  — 
de  carton,  an  expression  of  con- 
tempt applied  to  a  stingy  "  fare." 

Anglaise,  f.  (mountebanks'),  the 
share  of  each  partner  in  the  busi- 
ness ;  the  expenses  of  each  guest  at 
a  meal.  (Popular)  Danser  i  1' — , 
a  practice  followed  by  girls  who 
pretend  to  go  to  the  ball  of  the  opera, 
and  stop  at  a  restaurant  where 


they  await  clients.  Faire  une  — , 
to  pay  one's  share  in  the  reckoning; 
also  a  favourite  game  of  loafers. 
One  of  the  players  tosses  all  the 
pence  of  the  party ;  those  which 
turn  up  heads,  or  tails  as  the  case 
may  be,  are  his ;  another  player 
adjudges  to  himself  the  tails,  and 
so  oh  with  the  rest.  Filer,  or 
pisser  i  1' — ,  to  give  the  slip,  to 
take  "  French  leave." 

Angluce,       or      angauche,     f 

(thieves'),  goose. 

AngoulSme,/  (thieves'),  themouth, 
"  muns."  From  "engouler,"  to 
swallow.  Se  caresser  1' — ,  to  eat 
and  drijtk,  to  take  "  grub  and 
bub."    See  Mastiquer. 

Anguille,/  (thieves'),  belt.  Pro- 
perly eel;  (familiar)  —  de  buisson, 
snake. 

Anis,  m.  (popular),  de  1' —  !  ex- 
clamation expressive  of  refusal, 
may  be  rendered  by  "  you  be 
hanged  !  "     See  Nfefles. 

Anisette,/  (popular),  de  barbillon, 
water,  or  "  Adam's  ale." 

Anjez  (Breton  cant),  father. 

Ann  doouzeg  abostol  (Breton 
cant),  twelve  o'clock.  Literally 
the  twelve  apostles. 

Annoncier,  m.  (printers'),  com- 
positor of  advertisements;  also 
man  who  belongs  to  an  advertising 
firm. 

Annuaire,  m.  (niilitary),  passer 
r —  sous  le  bras,  to  be  promoted 
according  to  seniority. 

Anonchali  (popular),  discouraged, 
cast  down,  ' '  down  in  the  mouth. " 

Anquilieuse,  /.  (thieves'),  female 
thief  who  conceals  stolen  property 
between  her  legs.  From  "  quilles," 
a  slang  term  for  legs. 

Anse,y!  (popular),  arm,  "  bender." 
Faire  le  panier  a  deux  anses,  to 


12 


Antif — Aquiger. 


walk  -with  a  woman  on  each  arm, 
to  flay  the  "  sandwich." 

Antif,  m.,  antiflfe,/  (thieves'),  act 
of  walking.  Battre  1' — ,  to  walk, 
to  "pad  the  hoof;"  to  deceive, 
"to  kid;"  to  dissemble;  to  spy,. 
to  "nark." 

Antiffer  (thieves'),  to  enter,  to  walk 
in  ;  to  walk,  "  to  pad  the  hoof." 

AntifBe  (thieves'),  church.  Battre 
r — ,  to  be  a  hypocrite,  "maw- 
worm." 

Antiffler  (thieves'),  to  be  married 
in  church,  "  to  be  buckled." 

Antilles,  y; /)/.  (thieves'),  testicles. 

Antipather   (popular),    to   abotni- 

nate. 
Antique,  student  of  the  Ecole  Poly- 
iechniqite  who  has  completed  the 
regular  course  ofsttidies.     . 
Antonne,  entonne,  f.    (thieves'), 
church. 
Au  matin  quand  nous  nous  levons, 
J'aime  la  croGte  de  parfond. 
Dans  les  entonnes  trimardons, 
Ou  aux  creux  de  ces  ratiehons. 

Chanson  de  V Argot. 

Antroler,  entroller  (thieves'),  to 
carry  away,  "  to  chuff." 

Un  de  ces  luisans,  un  marcandier  alia 
demander  la  thune  a  un  pipet,  et  le  rupin 
ne  lui  ficha  que  floutiere  :  il  mouchaiUa  des 
ornies  de  balle  qui  morfiaient  du  grenu  en 
la  cour :  alors  il  ficha  de  son  sabre  sur  la 
tronche  k  une,  il  I'abasourdit  la  met  dans 
son  gueulard  et  Tentrolle. — Le  Jargon  de 
I  Argot, 

Apascliner  (thieves'),  s' — ,  to  get 
used  to,  acclimatized. 

A  perpete  (thieves'), ^/-/z/^.  Gerbe 
a  — ,  to  be  sentenced  to  penal  servi- 
tude for  life,  to  be  a  "lifer." 

Apic  (thieves'),  ^a;-/zV;  eye,  "day- 
light, "glazier,"  or  "ogle." 

Aplatir  (familiar),  quelqu'un,  to 
thrash  soundly,  "  to  lick  ;  "  to  re- 
duce one's  arguments  to  nought, 
"  to  nonplus."  Properly  to 
flatten. 


Aplatisseur,  m.  (familiar),  d« 
'pieces  de  six  liards  — ,  one  whq 
is  over  particular ;  one  who  at- 
taches undue  importance  to  trifles. 

Aplomb,  m.  (popular),  gtre  d' — , 
to  be  strong,  sound,  "game." 
Reluquer  d' — ,  to  look  straight  in 
thejace. 

Aplomber  (thieves'),  to  abash  a  per- 
son by  one's  coolness. 

Aponiche  (popular),  seated. 

Apoplexie,  /  (popular),  de  tem- 
plier,  «  fit  of  apoplexy  brought  on 
by  excessive  drinking.  From  the 
saying,  Boire  comme  un  tem- 
plier. 

Apothicaire,  m.  (popular),  sans 
Sucre,  workman  with  but  few  tools; 
tradesman  with  an  insufficient 
stock  in  trade. 


Apotres 

"forks.' 


(thieves'),     fingers,     or 


Appeler  (theatrical),  azor,  to  hiss, 
or  "  to  goose."  Literally  to 
whistle  a  dog.  Azor,  a  common 
name  for  a  dog. 

Appuyer  (theatrical),  to  let  scenes 
down. 

Aquarium,  an  assembly  of  prosti- 
tutes' bullies,  or  "ponces."  From 
their  being  denominated  maque- 
reaux,  mackerels. 

Aquicher  (thieves'),  to  decoy,  al- 
lure. 

Aquiger,  quiger  (thieves'  and 
cads'),  to  steal,  "  to  lift  ; "  to 
wound;  to  beat,  "  to  wallop  ;"  to 
make,  or  "to  fake;"  —  les 
bremes,  to  mark  cards  for  cheating, 
or  to  "stock  broads."  It  means 
also  to  take,  to  procure,  to  find. 

Devalons  done  dans  cette  piole 

Oil  no  IS  aquigerons  riole, 

Et  sans  debrider  nos  pouchons 

RlCHKi'lN,  La  Chanson  des  Gwttx- 


A  guilm — A  rgot^. 


M 


Aquilin  (popular),  faire  son  — ,  to 
pout,  or  "  to  hang  one's  latch- 
pan  ; "  to  turn  up  one's  nose. 

Arabe,  nt.  (popular),  savage,  un- 
relenting fellow,  or  "tartar." 

Araig;nee,y;  (popular),  bicycle -with 
a  large  fly-wheel ;  —  de  bas- 
tringue,  female  habituee  of  low 
dancing  halls ;  —  de  comptoir, 
counter  jumper,  or  "  knight  of  the 
yard  ;"  —  de  trottoir,  dealer  at  a 
stall,  or  in  the  open  air.  Avoir 
une  —  dans  le  plafond,  to  be 
cracked,  to  have  "a  bee  in  one's 
bonnet."     See  Avoir. 

Arbalete,  f.  (thieves'),  neck-cross  ; 
—  d'antonne,  de  chique,  de 
priante,  church-cross. 

Arbi,  arbico,  m.  (army),  Arab. 

Arbif,  m.  (thieves'),  violent  man. 

Arcasien,  arcasineur,  m. 
(thieves'),  thief  who  employs  the 
arcat  (which  see);  a  beggar  who 
calls  on  people  ;  cunning  man. 

Arcat,  m.  (thieves'),  monter  un  — , 
to  write  a  letter  from  prison  to  a 
person  asking  for  an  advance  in 
cash  on  a  supposed  buried  treasure 
which,  later  on,  is  to  be  pointed 
out  to  the  donor.  From  arcane, 
mystery,  hidden  thing. 

Arcavot,  m.  (Jew  traders'),  false- 
hood. 

Arche,  f.  (popular),  aller  a  1' — ,  to 
fetch  money.  Fendre  1' — ,  to 
weary,  "to  bore." 

Archicube,  m.,  student  who  has 
completed  his  three  years'  course  of 
study  at  the  Ecole  Normale,  an 
institution  where  professors  are 
trained  for  university  professor- 
ships, and  which  holds  the  first 
rank  among  special  schools  in 
France. 

Archipointu,  m.  (thieves'),  a»a?r^- 
bishop. 


Archisuppot  de  I'argot  (old  cant), 
learned  thief,  arch-thief,^'  gonnof." 

Les  archisupp6t5  de  I'argot  sont  les  plus 
savants,  les  plus  habiles  marpeaiix  de  tou- 
time  I'argot,  qui  sont  des  ^coliers  debauches, 
et  quelques  ratichons,  de  ces  coureurs  qui 
enseignent  le  jargon  k  rouscailler  bigorne. 
— Le  Jargon  de  V Argot. 

Architecte  de  I'Univers  (free- 
masons'), the  Deity, 

Argon  (thieves'),  sign  of  recognition 
made  by  passing  the  thumb  down 
the  right  cheek  and  spitting  at  the 
same  time. 

Si  c'dtaient  des  amis  de  Pantin,  je  pour- 
rais  me  faire  reconnaitre  tnais  des  pantres 
nouvellement  afTranchis  (des  paysans  qui 
font  leurs  premieres  armes),  j'aurais  beau 
faire  Tarpon. — ViDOCQ. 

Argonner  (thieves'),  to  make  one 
speak  out;  to  speak,  or  "  to  patter. " 

Arcpincer,  arquepincer  (thieves' 
and  popular),  to  take,  or  "to 
collar ;  "  to  seize,  or  "  to  grab  ; " 
—  I'omnibus,  to  catch  the  'bus. 
Veuillez  —  mon  anse,  pray  take 
my  arm,, 

J'ai  promis  de  reconobrer  tons  les  grin- 
chisseurs  et  de  les  faire  arquepincer. — ■ 
ViDOCQ. 

Ardent,  m.  (thieves'),  candle,  or 
"  glim. "  Fauche-ardents,  snuffers. 

Ardents,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  eyes,  or 
' '  glaziers. "     See  Quinquets. 

Ardoise,  f.  (popular),  head,  oi 
' '  tibby  ;  "  hat,  or  ' '  tile. "  Avoir 
1'—,  to  have  credit,  or  "jawbone." 
An  allusion  to  the  slate  used  for 
drawing  up  the  reckoning. 

Arga,  m.  (thieves'),  shareof  booty,  or 
"  snaps." 

Arganeau,  m.  (thieves'),  a  link 
connecting  two  convicts'  irons. 

Argot,  m.  (thieves'),  animal ;  fool, 
or  "go  along;"  thieves'  brother- 
hood, or  "family  men." 

Argots  (thieves'),  one  who  lays 
claim  to  being  witty. 


14 


A  rgotier — A  rrangemaner. 


Argotier,  m.  (thieves'),  one  of  the 
brotherhood  of  thieves,  or  "family 
man." 

Argousin,  m  (popular),  foreman, 
or  "  boss." 

Arguche,  m.  (thieves'),  cant,  or 
"  flash  ; "  a  fool,  dunce,  or  "  go- 
along." 

Arguemine,/  (thieves'),  hand,  or 
"famm." 

Aricoteur,  jii.  (thieves'),  execu- 
tioner. 

Aristo,  m.  for  aristocrat  (popular), 
a  man  in  comfortable  circum- 
sta7ices, 

Aristocrate,  «.,  an  appellation 
given  by  prisoners  to  one  of  their 
number  whose  means  allow  him  to 
obtain  victuals  from  the  canteen. 

Arlequin  (popular),  broken  victuals 
of  every  description  mixed  up  and 
retailed  to  poor  people.     The  word 
has  passed  into  the  language. 
Autrefois  chez  Paul  Niquet 
Fumait  un  vaste  baquet 

Sur  la  devanture. 
Pour  un  ou  deux  sous,  je  crois, 
On  y  plongeait  les  deux  doigts 

Deux,  k  I'aventure. 
Les  mets  les  plus  diff^rents 
Etaient  1^,  melds,  errants, 

Sans  couleur,  sans  forme, 
Et  i'on  pSchait  sans  fouiller, 
Aussi  bien  un  vieux  Soulier 
Qu'une  truffe  dnorme. 

RicHEPiN,  La.  Chanson  des 
Giteux. 

Arme,  f.  (military),  passer  1' —  i 
gauche,  to  die,  "to  lose  the  number 
of  one's  mess."     See  Pipe. 

Armee  roulante,/.  (thieves'),  for- 
merly ^rr«^  of  convicts  chained  to- 
gether which  used  to  make  its  way 
by  road  to  the  hulks. 

Armoire,/  (popular),  i  glace,  the 
four  of  any  card  ;  ;*«■«(/ ;  (military) 
—  ^  poils,  soldiers'  knapsack,  or 
' '  scran  bag. "  An  allusion  to  the 
hairy  skin  that  covers  or  covered 
soldiers'  knapsacks. 


Arnac,  m.  (thieves'),  k  1' — ,  with 
premeditation. 

Arnache,^  (popular),  deceit ;  trea- 
chery. Etre  i  1' — ,  to  be  cunning, 
wide-awake,  a  "  deep  one  ;  "  to 
deceive,  and  not  allow  oneself  to  be 
deceived. 

Arnacq,  arnache,  m.  (thieves'), 
detective,  informer,  "nark." 

Arnaud,  m.  (popular),  avoir  son  — , 
6tre  — ,  to  be  in  a  bad  humour, 
to  be  "  nasty." 

Arnauder  (popular),  to  grumble. 

Arnelle  (thieves'),  the  town  of 
Rouen.  From  La  Renelle,  a 
small  river. 

Arnellerie,y;  (thieves'),  rouennerie, 
printed  cotton. 

Arnif,  m.  (thieves'),  policeman  or 
detective.  Also  denominated 
' '  bee  de  gaz,  bourrique,  cierge, 
flique,  laune,  peste,  vache."  In 
English  cant  or  slang  "crusher, 
pig,  copper,  cossack,  nark." 

Arpagar,  m.  (thieves'),  the  town  of 
Arpagon,  near  Paris. 

Arpette,  m.  (popular),  apprentice. 

Arpion,  m.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
foot,  "  trotter;"  toe. 

Moi,  d'marcher  5a  n'me  font  pas  I'trac. 
J'ai  I'arpion  plus  dur  que  des  clous. 

RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Giteux. 

Arpions.  m.  pi.  (thieves'  and  popu- 
lar), toes. 

Arquepincer.     See  Arcpincer. 

Arquer  (popular),  s' — ,  to  be  bent 
down  through  age. 

Arracher  (thieves'),  du  chien- 
dent,  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  a 
victim  (chiendent,  dogs'  grass); 
(popular)  —  son  copeau,  to  work, 
' '  to  grind  "  (copeau,  shaving). 

Arrangemaner  (thieves'),  to  cheat, 
or  "to  stick." 


A  rranger — A  rtilleur. 


IS 


Arranger  (swindlers'),  les  pantres, 
to  cheat  the  public  by  means  of  the 
three-card  trick  or  other  swindling 
dodges. 

Arrangeur,  m.  (gamesters'),  one 
■who  sets  a  game  going,  or  "but- 
tonner." 

ArrSter  (familiar),  les  frais,  to  put 
a  stop  to  any  proceedings.  (Les 
frais,  the  fee  for  a  game  of  billiards. ) 

Arrifere-train,  m.  (familiar),  the  be- 
hind, or  "tochas."  SeeVasistas. 

Arriver  premier  (sporting),  to  be 
the  winner.  Used  figuratively  to 
denote  superiority  of  any  kind  over 
others.  Arriver  bon  premier,  "  to 
beat  hoUowr." 

Arrondir  (popular),  se  faire  —  le 
globe,  to  become  pregnant,  or 
"lumpy." 

On  s'a  fait  arrondir  el'globe, 
On  a  sa  p'tit'  butte,  k  c'qu€  vois  .  .  .  .  ^ 
Eh  !  ben,  9a  prouv'  qu'on  n'est  pas  d^bois. 
Gill,  La.  Muse  &  Bibi. 

Arrondissement,  m.  (popular), 
chef-lieu  d' — ,  woman  in  an 
advanced  stage  of  pregnancy, 
"lumpy,"  or  with  a  "  white 
swelling." 

Arrosage,  m.  (popular),  action  of 
drinking,  ^"having  something 
damp. " 

Arroser  (gamesters'),  to  stake  re- 
peatedly on  the  same  card  ;  to  make 
repeated  sacrifices  in  money;  (mili- 
tary) —  ses  galons,  treating  one's 
comrades  on  being  made  a  non- 
commissioned officer,  "paying  for 
one's  footing  ;  "  (familiar)  —  un 
creancier,  to  settle  small  portion  of 
debt. 

Arroseur,  m.  (thieves'),  deverdouze, 
gardener,  or  "  master  of  the 
mint."    Verdouze,  for  verdure. 

Arrosoir,  m.  (thieves'),  coup  d' — , 
a  glass  of  wine;  a  watering-pot. 

Arsenal,  m.  (thieves'),  arsenic. 


Arsonner  (thieves'),  to  aierhaul 
pockets,  to  "frisk,"  or  "to  rule 
over." 

Arsouille,  m.  (familiar),  a  man 
foul  in  language,  a  low  cad,  a ' '  rank 
outsider."  The  expression  has 
passed  into  the  language.  Milor 
1' — ',  a  rich  man  with  eccentric, 
low  tastes.  The  appellation  was 
first  given  to  Lord  Seymour. 

Arsouiller  (popular),  synonymousol 
engueuler,  to  "jaw,"  to  "slang." 

Arthur,  m.,  a  would-be  lady-killer ; 
also  synonymous  of  Amant  de 
cceur,  which  see. 

Arthurine,  /   (popular),  a  girl  of 

indifferent  character,  a  "Poll." 
Artichaut,  m.  (popular),  cceur  d' — , 
fickle-hearted. 

....  Cceur  d'artichaut, 
C'est  mon  genre :    un'  feuille  pour  tout 

I'monde,  , 
Au  jour  d'aujourd'hui,  j'gobe  la  blonde  ; 
Apres^d'main,  c'est  la  brun',  qu'i  m'faut. 
Gill. 

Artiche,  »/.  (thieves'),  retirer  1' — , 
to  pick  the  pockets  of  a  drunkard. 

Article,  m.  (familiar),  faire  1' — ,  to 
puff  up,  "to  crack  up."  (Prin- 
ters') Payer  son  —  quatre,  to  pay 
for  on/s  footing.  An  allusion  to 
some  item  of  a  code  of  regula- 
tions. (Popular)  Porte  sur  1' — , 
one  of  an  amatory  disposition. 

Articlier,  m. ,  one  whose  spicialite  is 
writing  newspaper  articles. 

Artie,  artif,  artiffe,  lartie,  larton, 
m.  (thieves'),  bread ;  —  de  Meulan, 
white  bread  ;  — dugros  Guillaume. 
brown  bread;  —  de  guinaut, 
mouldy  bread. 

Ecoutez  marques  et  mions, 
J'aime  la  croOte  de  parfond, 
Taime  I'artie,  j'aime  la  crie, 
J'aim'e  la  croflte  de  parfond. 

Chanson  de  C Argot. 

Artilleur  (popular),  drunkard ;  one 
skilful  in  working  the  "canon," 
or  glass  of  wine  at  wine-shops ; 


i6 


Ariis — Asfic. 


— 'a  genoux,  or  de  la  piece  humide, 
a  military  hospital  orderly  ;  —  k 
I'aiguille,  tailor;  —  de  la  piece 
humide,  a  fireman ;  also,  one 
who  is  voiding  urine,  or  "  lag- 
ging-" 

Artis,  m.  (thieves'),  langage  de  1' — , 
cant,  or  "  flash." 

Artiste,  m.  (popular),  veterinary 
surgeon,  "  vet ;"  spendthrift  lead- 
ing a  careless  life  ;  sweeper ;  com- 
rade,  or  "pal." 

Arton.     See  Artie. 

Artoupan,  m.  (thieves'),  guard  or 
warder  at  a  penal  servitude  dep6t, 
or  "screw." 

Art  royal  (freemasons'),  free- 
masonry. 

As,  m.  (popular),  etre  li  1' — ,  to  be 
short  of  cash,  "  hard  up  ;"  at  a 
restaurant  or  cafe,  to  be  at  table, 
or  in  private  room  No.  I .  Un  —  de 
carreau,  soldier's  knapsack,  thus 
called  from  its  shape ;  a  town 
adjutant,  an  allusion  to  the  red 
facings  of  his  uniform.  (Thieves') 
As  de  carreau,  the  ribbon  of  the 
legion  of  Honour,  which  is  red. 
(Familiar)  Fichu  cOmme  1' —  de 
pique,  with  a  clumsily  built  form, 
badly  dressed.  As  de  pique  meant 
formerly  a  man  of  no  consequence, 
of  no  intellectual  worth. 

Asinver  (thieves'),  to  make  stupid. 

Asperge  montee,/.  (popular),  very- 
tall,  lanky  person  ;  **sky-scraper," 
or  "lamp-post." 

Asphalte,  m.  (familiar),  polir  1' — , 

to  lounge  on  the  Boulevards. 
Asphyxie,  ailj.  (popular),  dead- 
drunk,  or  "sewed-up." 
Asphyxier  (popular),  to  drink  ;  — 
le  perroquet,  to  drink  a  glass  of 
absinthe,  green,  like  a  parrot; 
—  un  pierrot,  to  drink  a  glass  of 
white  wine.  Pierrot,  a  panto- 
mimic character,  with  face  painted 
white,  and  costume  to  match. 


Aspic,  m.  (popular),  a  slanderer, 
an  allusion  to  "  as^ic,"  a  viper ; 
(thieves')  a  miser,  or  "  hunks." 

Aspiquerie,  /  (popular),  calumny. 

Asseoir  (popular);  s' — ,  to  fall. 
Envoyer  quelqu'un  s' — ,  to  throw 
one  dawn,  to  silence,  get  rid  of  one. 
Allez  vous  — ,  shut  up,  go  to 
"  pot "  (an  allusion  to  the  custp- 
mary  intimation  of  the  judge  to  a 
witness  whose  examination  is  con- 
cluded). S' —  sur  le  bouchori,  to 
sit  on  mother  earth.  S' —  sur 
quelqu'un,  to  silence  one,  sit  upon 
him.  S' —  sur  quelquechose,  to 
attach  but  slight  importance  to  a 
thing. 

Assesseur  (gamesters'),  player. 

Asseyez-vous  dessus  et  qii'  (a 
finisse  !  (familiar),  silence  him! 
sit  upon  him  ! 

Assiette.yC  (popular),  avoir  1' — au 
beurre,  to  be  lucky,  fortunate  in 
life. 

Assis,  m.  (literary),  clerks,  or  "quill 
drivers." 

Oh  !  c'est  alors  qu'il  faut  plaindre  .  .  . 
les  malheureux  qu'ua  travail  sedentaire 
courbe  sur  un  bureau  .  .  .  .  c'est  alors  qu'il 
convient  de  se  lamenter  sur  le  sort  des  assis. 
— RicHEPiN,  Le  PavS. 

Assister  (thieves'),  to  bring  victuals 
to  a  pHsoner  from  outside. 

Associee,  f.  (printers'),  mon  — , 
my  wife,  my  "  old  woman." 

Assommoir,  m.  (familiar),  name  of 
a  wine-shop  cU  Belleville,  and 
which  is  now  common  to  all 
low  drinking- s hops .  From  as- 
sommer,  to  knock  over  the  head. 

Astec,   m.  (familiar),   stunted  and 
■   weakly  person,  or  ' '  barber's  cat ; " 
(literary)  a  weak,  despicable  ad- 
versary.      An    allusion    to    the 
Mexican  dwarfs. 

Astic,  m.  (thieves'),  steel,  sword, 
or   "poker"  ^from  the  German 


Asticot — A  ttrapage. 


17 


stich)  ;  (soldiers')  a  mixture  of 
pipe-clay  for  the  furbishing  of  the 
brass  fixtures  of  equipment.  Aller 
a  1' — ,  to  clean  one's  equipment. 

Asticot,  m.  (popular),  ve^-micelli ; 
mistress  of  a  bully  or  thief,  "  mol- 
lisher ; "  —  de  cercueil,  glass  of 
beer  (a  play  on  the  words  "ver" 
and  "biere,"  asticot  being  2.  flesh- 

•WOltll). 

Astiquage  or  astique,  m.  (mili- 
tary), cleaning  the  equipments. 

Astiquer  (popular),  to  beat,  or  "to 
towel ;  "  to  tease.  Literally  to 
clean,  to  furbish.  S' — ,  to  have 
angry  words,  as  a  prelude  to  a  set 
tp ;  to  fight.  Literally  to  make 
oneself  neat,  or  "  smug." 

As-tu  fini,  or  as-tu  fini  tes 
mani^res  !  words  implying  that 
a  person's  endeavours  to  convince 
or  to  deceive  another  have  failed. 
The  expression  corresponds  in 
some  degree  to  "Walker!" 
"No  go  V'  "What  next?" 

A  table  (thieyes'),  se  mettre  — ,  or, 
casser  du  sucre,  to  confess  a  crime. 

Atelier  (freemasons'),  place  of  meet- 
ing. 

Atige,  adj.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
ill^ox  "laid up ;"  stricken,  ruined, 
or  "cracked  up." 

Atiger  (thieves'  and  popular),  to 
wound,  to  strike,  "  to  clump." 

Atomes  crochus, »«.//.  (familiar), 
mysterious  elements  of  viutual sym- 
pathy. 

Atouser  (convicts'),  to  encourage,  to 
urge,  "to  kid  on." 

Atout,  m.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
courage,  or  "wool;"  self-posses- 
sion ;  a  blow,  or  ' '  wipe ; "  stomach; 
money,  or  "rhino  ;  ability.  Pro- 
per meaning  trumps.  Avoir  de 
1' — ,  to  have  pluck,  ox  "spunk;" 
to  have  a  strong  arm. 


Tu  m*as  donn£  la  bonne  mesure,  tu  es 
un  cadet  qui  a  de  I'atout. — E.  Sue.  {You 
£ave  me  a  good  thrashing,  you  area  strong 
chap.) 

Le  plus  d' — ,  a  kind  of  siuindling 
game  played  at  low  cafh. 

Atout !  (popular),  exclamation  to  de- 
note that  a  blow  has  taken  efiect. 

Attache,  /,  love  tie. 

Attach  er  (thieves'),  un  bidon,  to 
inform  against  one,  "  to  blow 
the  gaff." 

Attaches,  f  pi.  (thieves'),  buckles  ; 
—  brillantes,  diamond  buckles ;  — 
de  gratousse,  lace  shirt -frill ;  — 
de  ces,  breeches  buckles. 

J'ai  fait  suer  un  chene, 
Son  auberg  j'ai  engant^. 
Son  auberg  et  sa  toquante, 
Et  ses  attach's  de  c^s. 

V.  Hugo,  Le  Dentierjour 
d^un  Condamni. 

Attaque,  d' — ,  resolutely,  smartly. 
Un  homme  d' — ,  a  resolute  man, 
one  who  is  game.  Etre  d' — ,  to  show 
energy,  resolution.  Y  aller  d' — ,  to 
set  about  anything  with  a  will, 
smartly,  as  if  one  meant  business. 
(Popular)  D'attaque,OTo/«»/,  severe. 

V'lan  !  v'lk  I'vent  qui  m'fiche  eun'claque. 
Fait  vraiment  un  froid  d'attaque. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Attelage,  m.  (cavalry),  un  bon  — , 
a  couple  of  good  friends. 

Attendrir  (familiar),  s'— ,  to  have 
reached  that  stage  of  intoxication 
when  one  is  "  maudlin." 

Attiger.     See  Atiger. 

Attignoles,/  //.  (popular),  tripe  i 
la  mode  de-  Caen  (tripe  stewed 
with  herbs  and  seasoning). 

N'importe  oil  nous  nous  empatons, 
D'arlequins,  d'briffe  et  d'rogatons, 
Que'qu'fois  d'saucisse  et  d'attignoles. 

RlCHEPlN. 

Attrapage,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), severe  scolding,  sharp  c>-«V«- 
cism,    quarrel,    fight,    "millj' 
C 


i8 


A  ttrape — A  uvergnat. 


(military)  —  du  premier  numero, 
serious  duel. 

Attrape  (popular),  a  te  rappeler, 
mind  you  remember  ! 

Attraper  (popular),  to  scold,  "  to 
jaw  ; "  —  roignon,  lo  receive  a 
blmv  intended  for  another ;  to 
have  to  pay  for  others''  reckoning. 
S' — ,  to  abuse,  to  "  slang  "  one 
another.  Se  faire — ,  to  get  scolded, 
abused,  "blown  up."  Attraper  le 
haricot,  or  la  feve,  to  have  to  pay 
for  others.  An  allusion  to  one 
who  finds  a  bean  in  his  share  of 
the  cake  at  the  "fele  des  rois,"  or 
Twelfth-night,  and  who,  being 
proclaimed  king,  has  to  treat  the 
other  guests.  (Journalists')  Attra- 
per, to  sharply  criticise  or  run  down 
a  persnn  or  literary  production  ; 
(theatrical)  to  hiss,  or  "goose  ;  " 
(actors')  —  le  lustre,  to  open  ivide 
one's  month  ;  to  make  a  fruitless 
attempt  to  give  emission  to  a  note. 

Attrape-science,  m.,  printer's  ap- 
prentice, or  "devil." 

Attrapeur,  m.  (literal^),  a  sharp  or 
scurrilous  critic. 

Attrimer  (thieves'),  to  take,  to 
"  nibble  ;  "  to  seize,  to  "  grab." 

Attriquer  (thieves'),  to  buy  ;  to  buy 
stolen  clothes. 

AttriqueuT,   m.,   attriqueuse,  / 

(thieves'),  receiver  of  stolen  clothes, 
"fence." 

Auber,  m.,  asumof  money,  "pile.'' 
A  play  on  the  word  "haubert,"' 
coat  of  mail,  an  assemblage  of 
"mailles,"  meaning  "meshes" 
or  "small  change."  Compare 
the  expression,  Sans  sou  ni 
maille. 

Aumone,/  (thieves'),  voler  a  1'—, 
stealing  from  a  jeweller,  who  is 
requeued  to  exhibit  small  trinkets, 
some  of  which,  being  purloined,  are 
transmitted  to  the  hand  of  a  con- 


federate outside  who  pretends  to  ask 
for  alms. 

Aumonier,  m.  (thieves'),  a  thief 
•who  operates  as  described  above. 

Au  prix  ou  est  le  beurre  (fami- 
liar), at  the  present  rate  of  prices 
of  things  in  general. 

Aure,  or  haure  (thieves'),  le  grand 
— ,  God. 

Avis,  m.  (sho-pmen's),  perplexed  pur- 
chaser mho  leaves  without  buying 
anything. 

Austo,  m.  (soldiers'),  guard-room, 
cells,  "  Irish  theatre,"  "  mill,"  or 
"jigger." 

Autan,  m.  (thieves'),  loft,  attics 
(old  word  hautain,  high). 

Autel  (freemasons'),  table  at  which 
the  master  sits  ;  (popular)  —  de 
hesom,  prostitute,  or '  'bed-fagot ; " 

—  de  plume,  bed,  "  doss." 

Auteur,  m.  (familiar),  father  or 
mother,  "governor,"oi  "mater;" 

—  beurrier,  unsuccessful  author 
whose  works  are  sold  as  wrapping- 
paper  for  tradesmen. 

Autor  (familiar  and  popular),  jouer 
d' — ,  to  play  cards  without  pro- 
posing. Travailler  d' —  et  d'achar, 

to  work  with  energy, 

Autor,  d' —  (thieves'),  in  a  peremp 
tory  manner ;  deliberately. 

Dis  done,  fourline,  la  premiere  fois  que 
noustrouveronslaPegriotte.fautl'einaiencr 
d'auEor.— Eugene  Sue. 

Autre,  adj.  (popular),  cet  —  chien, 
that  chap.  Etre  1' — ,  to  be  duped, 
or  "  bamboozled  ;"  to  be  the  Icruer ; 
the  mistress.  L' —  cote,  appella- 
tion given  by  Paris  students  to 
that  part  of  the  city  situated  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  Femme 
de  r —  cote,  woman  residing  in 
that  part  of  Paris, 

Auvergnat,  m,  (popular),  avaler 
1' — ,  to  take  co7!imunion. 


A  uverpin — A  voir. 


19 


Auverpin,  m.  (popular),  native  of 
Auvergne.  Appellation  given  to 
commissionnaires,  charcoal -dea- 
lers, water-carriers,  &c. ,  who  gene- 
rally hail  from  Auvergne. 

Et  li  seulement  vous  trouverez  les  bals- 
musette,  les  vrais,  tenus  par  deil  Auverpins 
k  la  fois  mastroquets  et  charbonniers,  hant^s 
par  des  Auverpins  aussi,  porteurs  d'eau, 
commissionnaires,  frotteurs,  cochers.  — 
RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

Auverpinches,  m.  pi.  (popular), 
clumsy  shoes  usually  tvorn  by 
Amiergnats. 

Aux  (popular),  petits  oignons,  in 
first-rate  style,  excellently.  Etre 
—  petits  oiseaux,  to  be  comfort- 
able, snug. 

Auxiliaire  [-^risa^a^),  prisoner  act- 
ing as  servant,  or  "fag." 

Avale  (popular),  avoir  —  le  pepin, 
to  be  pregnant,  or  "lumpy.'  An 
allusion  to  the  apple.  Avoir  — 
une  chaise  percee,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath.  Avoir  —  un 
sabre,  to  be  stiff,  "  to  have  swal- 
lowed a  poker."  Avoir  —  le  bon 
Dieu  en  culotte  de  velours,  to 
have  swallowed  some  excellent  food 
or  drink. 

Et  toujours  le  patron  doit  terminer  s_a 
lampde  par  un  hum  engageant  et  satisfait 
comme  s'll  avait  avalc  le  bon  Dieu  en  cu- 
lotte de  velours. — RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi, 

Avaler  (thieves'),  le  luron,  to 
receive  the  Host  at  communion. 
(Popular)  Avalersacuiller ;  safour- 
chette;  sa  gaffe;  sa  langue; 
ses  baguettes;  to  die.  In  other 
words,  "  to  lay  down  one's  knife 
and  fork ; "  "  to  kick  the  bucket ; " 
"to  croak;"  "to  stick  one's 
spoon  in  the  wall,"  &c. ;  —  son 
poussin,  to  be  dismissed,"  to  gst\he 
sack ;  — son  absinthe,  toputagood 
face  on  some  disagreeable  matter. 
(Familiar)  Avoir  I'air  de  vouloir 
tout  — ,  to  look  as  though  one  were 


going  to  do  mighty  things  ;  to  look 
savage  and  threatening. 

Avale-tout-cru,  m.  (popular), 
braggart,  or  "swashbuckler;" 
(thieves')  thief  who  conceals  jewels 
in  his  mouth. 

Avaloir,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
throat,  "peck  alley,"  or  "gutter 
lane." 

Avantages,  m.  pi.,  avant-coeur, 
m.,  avant-main,  /.,  avant- 
postes,  m.  pi.,  avant-scfenes, 
f.  pi.  (popular  and  familiar), 
bosoms,  "Charlies,"  "dairies," 
or  "bubbles." 

Avantageux,  adj.  (popular),  con- 
venient, roomy.  Des  souliers  — , 
easy  shoes. 

Avant-courrier,     m.      (thieves'), 

auger. 
Avaro,     m.     (popular),     damage. 

From  avarie. 

Avergot,  m.  (thieves'),  egg. 

Avertineux,  adj.  (popular),  of  a 
suspicious,  gruff  disposition  ;  of  a 
forbidding  aspect. 

Avocat  bficheur,  m.  (printers'), 
backbiter  ;  (thieves')  public  prose- 
cutor. 

Avoine,  /.  (military),  brandy. 
(Popular)  Avoir  encore  1' — ,  to 
have  still  one's  maidenhead. 
(Coachmens')  Donner  1'—,  to 
whip;  to  thrash,  or  "flush." 

Avoir  (popular),  i  la  bonne,  to 
like,  to  love,  "  to  be  sweet  upon ; " 

—  campo,  to  have  leave  to  go  out ; 

—  celui,  for  avoir  I'honneur  de  ; 

—  dans  le  nez,  to  have  a  strong 
dislike  for  a  person  or  thing; 
(familiar)  —  dans  le  ventre,  ce  que 
quelqu'un  a  dans  le  ventre,  what 
stuff  one  is  made  off;  (popular)  —- 
de  ce  qui  sonne,  to  be  well  off ;  in 


20 


Avoir. 


other  words,  to  have  plenty  of 
beans,  ballast,  rhino,  the  need- 
ful, blunt,  bustle,  dust,  coal,  oof, 
stumpy,  brass,  tin ;  —  de  la 
chance  au  batonnet,  to  be  unlucky. 
Le  jeu  de  batonnet  is  the.  game  of 
nap  the  cat ;  —  de  la  glu  aux 
mains,  to  steal,  "  to  nibble  ; "  — 
de  la  ligne,  to  have  a  nice  figure  ; 

—  de  I'anis  dans  une  ecope : 
tu  auras  — ,  don^t  you  wish  you 
may  get  it ;  —  de  I'as  de  Carreau 
dans  le  dos,  to  be  hujtifbacked  ;  — 
des  as  dans  son  jeu,  to  have  an 
advantage,  to  be  lucky,  to  have 
' '  cocura ; "  —  des  mots  avec  quel- 
qu'un,  to  fall  out  with  one,  to  have 
a  tiff  with  one  ;  —  des  mots  avec  la 
justice,  to  be  prosecuted ;  —  des 
mots  avec  les  sergots,  to  have  some 
disagreement  with  thepolice ;  —  des 
oeufs  sur  le  plat,  to  have  black  eyes, 
' '  to  have  one's  eyes  in  mourning ; " 

—  des  petits  pois  a  ecosser  en- 
semble, to  have  a  bone  to  pick  with 
one  ;  —  des  planches,  to  be  an  ex- 
perietwed  actor  ;  —  du  beurre  sur 
la  tete,  to  have  some  misdeed  on 
one's  conscience ;  —  du  chien,  to 
possess  dash, ' '  go ;" —  du  chien  dans 
le  ventre,  to  have  pluck,  endurance, 
or  "stay;"  —  du  pain  sur  la 
planche,  tohavea  competency  ; — du 
poll  au  cul,  to  possess  courage^  or 
' '  hackle,  "energy; — du  plomb  dans 
I'aile,  to  be  wounded ;  —  du  sable 
dans  les  yeux,  to  feel  sleepy ;  — 
du  toupet,  to  have  audacity,  cool 
impudence;  —  fume  dans  une 
pipe  neuve,  to  be  tipsy,  or  "ob- 
fuscated ; "  —  la  flem'me,  to  be 
afraid ;  to  feel  lazy,  or  "  Mon- 
dayish ; "  —  I'arche,  to  have  credit, 
or  "jawbone;"  —  I'assiette  au 
beurre,  to  he  fortunate  in  life  ;  — 
la  cuisse  gaie  is  said,  of  a  feviale 
of  lax  morals  ; —  le  pot  de  cham- 
bre  dans  la  commode,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath  ;  —  le  caillou  de- 
plume,  le  coco  deplume,    to  be 


bald,  to  have  "  a  bladder  of  lard  ; " 

—  le  casque,  to  fancy  a  man  ;  — 
le  compas  dans  I'oeil,  to'possess  a 
sharp  eye,  with  respect  to  judging 
of  distance  or  quantity  ;  —  le 
front  dans  le  cou,  to  be  bald,  or 
"stag-faced;"  —  le  nez  creux, 
to  be  clever  at  foreseeing,  guessing; 

—  le  pouce  long,  to  be  skilful,  to 
be  a  "  dab  "  at  something';  —  le 
trac,  to  be  afraid,  "funky;"  — 
les  calots  poches,  to  have  black 
eyes ;  —  les  cotes  en  long,  to  be 
lazy,  a  "  bummer  ;  " —  I'estomac 
dans  les  talons,  dans  les  mollets, 
to  be  ravenous,  very  "  peckish  ; " 

—  I'etrenne,  to  be  the  first  to  do, 
or  be  done  to,  to  have  the  "  wipe 
of ; "  —  le  sac,  to  be  wealthy,  or 
"  well  ballasted  ;  "  —  mal  au 
brechet,  to  have  the  stomach-ache,  or 
"  botts  ; "  —  mal  aux  cheveux,  to 
have  a  headache  caused  from  over- 
night potations ;  —  mange  de 
I'oseille,  to  be  sour  -  tempered, 
peevish,  or  "crusty;"  —  sa 
cotelette,  in  theatrical  language, 
to  obtain  great  applause ;  (popu- 
lar) ■ —  sa  pointe,  to  be  slightly 
tipsy,  "  fresh  ;  "  —  son  caillou, 
to  be  on  the  verge  of  intoxication, 
or  "muddled;"  —  son  coke,  to 
die;  —  son  cran,  to  be  angry, 
"  to  have  one's  monkey  up  ; "  — 
son  pain  cuit.  Properly  to  have 
an  income,  to  be  provided  for. 
The  expression  is  old. 

Vente,  gresle,  gelle,  j'ai  mon  pain  cuit 
Villon. 

(Also)  to  be  sentenced  to  death; 

—  son  sac  de  quelqu'un,  to  be 
tired  of  one  ;  —  un  coup  de  mar- 
teau,    to    be   cracked,    ' '  queer ; " 

—  un  federe  dans  la  casemate,  or 
un  polichinelle  dans  le  tiroir,  to 
be  pregnant,  or  "  lumpy  ;  "  —  un 
poil  dans  la  main,  to  feel  lazy  ;  — 
un  pot  de  chambre  sous  le  ntz,  to 
have  an  offensive  breath;  —  un 


Avoir — Azor. 


21 


rat  dans  la  trompe,  to  feel  irritated, 
provoked,  exasperated,  "  bad- 
gered ;  "  —  une  chambre  a  louer, 
to  be  eccentric,  even  to  insanity ; 
"to  have  apartments  to  let ;"  to 
be  mintis  one  tooth;  —  une  crampe 
au  pylore,  to  be  blessed  with  a  good 
appetite,  or  "  twist ;  "  —  une  table 
d'h&te  dans  I'estomac,  to  have  an 
extraordinary  appetite ;  —  vu  le 
loup  is  said  of  a  girl  who  has  been 
seduced.  En  —  la  farce,  to  be 
able  to  procure  a  thing.  Pour 
deux  sous  on  en  a  la  farce,  a  penny 
•will  get  it  for  you.  En  —  sa 
claque,  to  have  eaten  or  drunk  to 
excess,  to  have  had  a  "  tightener." 
Avoir  une  belle  presse  is  said  of 
an  actor  or  author  who  is  lauded 
by  the  press. 

Avoir  (popular  and  familiar),  la 
boule  detraquee  ;  le  coco  fele  ;  le 
trognon  detraque ;  un  asticot 
dans  la  noisette ;  un  boeuf  gras 
dans  le  char ;  un  cancrelat  dans 
la  boule  ;  un  hanneton  dans  le 
reservoir ;  un  hanneton  dans  le 
plafond ;  un  moustique  dans  la 
bolte  au  sel ;  un  voyageur  dans 
I'omnibus ;  une  araignee  dans  le 
plafond;  une  ecrevisse  dans  la 
tourte  ;  une  ecrevisse  dans  le  vol- 
au-vent ;  une  grenouille  dans 
I'aquarium ;  une  hirondelle  dans 
le  soliveau ;  une  Marseillaise  dans 
le  kiosque  ;  une  punaise  dans  le 
soufflet ;  une  sardine  dans  I'ar- 
moire  a  glace  ;  une  trichine  dans 
le  jambonneau ;  une  sauterelle 
dans  la  guitare — Parisian  expres- 
sions which  may  be  rendered  by 
to  bemad,  orcracked,  crazy,  touched, 
to  have  rats  in  the  upper  story,  a 
bee  in  one's  bonnet,  a  tile  loose,  to 
have  apartments  to  let,  to  be  wrong 
in  the  upper  storey,  to  be  off  one's 
chump,  &'c.,  Ss'c.      L' —  encore. 


Rigaud  says,  "Avoir  ce  qu'une 
jeune  fille  doit  perdre  seulement 
le  jour  de  son  mariage." 

Avoir,  n'— ,  pas  de  toupet,  to  show 
cool  impudence  ;  (popular)  —  pas 
invente  le  fil  k  couper  le  beurre  is 
said  of  a  man  of  poor  ability,  not 
likely  "to  set  the  Thames  on 
fire ; "  —  pas  le  cul  dans  une 
jupe,  to  be  manly,  or  ' '  spry  ;  "  — 
pas  sa  langue  dans  sa  poche,  to 
have  a  ready  tongue ;  —  rien  du 
c6te  gauche,  or  sous  le  teion 
gauche,  to  be  heartless ;  —  rien 
dans  le  ventre,  to  be  devoid  of  abi- 
lity,  to  be   made  of  poor  stuff; 

—  plus  sa  grille  d'egoflt,  —  plus 
sa  piice  de  dix  ronds  is  said  of 
Sodomites;  —  plus  de  chapelure 
sur  le  jambonneau,  —  plus  de 
crin  sur  la  brosse,  —  plus  de  fil  sur 
la  bobine,  —  plus  de  gazon  sur  le 
pr^,  —  plus  de  mousse  sur  le  cail- 
lou,  or  sur  la  plate-bande,  —  plus  ' 
de  paillasson  a  la  pone,  to  be  bald, 
or  "to  have  a.  bladder  of  lard," 
"to  be  stag-faced,  "&c. ;  (thieves') 

—  pas  la  trouille,  le  flubart,  or  le 
trac,  to  have  no  fear. 

Azor,  m.  (popular),  dog ;  (military) 
knapsack,  or  "scran-bag"  (an 
allusion  to  the  hairy  covering 
of  soldiers'  knapsacks).  Etre  a 
cheval  sur  — ,  to  shoulder  the 
knapsack.  Tenir  —  en  laisse  is 
said  of  a  discharged  soldier  who 
onleavingthe  barracks,  with  a  view 
to  showing  that  "  Azor "  is  no 
longer  his  master,  drags  him  ig- 
nominiously  along  the  ground  at- 
tached to  a  strap.  (Theatrical) 
Appeler,  or  siffler  — ,  to  hiss,  or 
"to  goose." 

Qu'est-ce  que  c'est  ?  Est-ce  qu'on  appelle 
Azor  t—Musie  Philiton. 


22 


Eaba  — Bachotteur. 


B 


Baba,  adj.  (popular),  dumb-founded, 
abashed,  "blue,"  or  "flabber- 
gasted."   From  ebahi,  astounded. 

Babillard,  m.  (thieves'),  confessor ; 
book  ;  newspaper.  Griffonneur  de 
— ,  journalist.  It  also  means  a 
petition. 

Ma  largue  part  pour  Versailles, 
Aux  pieds  d'sa  Majesty, 
Elle  lui  fonce  un  babillard 
Pour  m'faire  ddfourailler. 

V.  Hugo,  Dernier  your  i^un 
Cort-damn^. 

Babillarde,  /  (thieves'),  watch,  or 
"jerry;"  letter,  "  screeve,"  or 
"stiff." 


Babillaudier,  m. 

seller. 


(thieves'),  book- 


Babille,/.     See  Babillarde. 

Babiller  (thieves'),  to  read.  Pro- 
perly to  prattle,  to  chatter. 

Babines,  /.  pi.  (popular),  mouth, 
"muzzle."  S'endonner par les — , 
to  eat  voraciously,  "to  scorf." 
S'en  lecher  les — ,  to  enjoy  in  ima- 
gination any  kind  of  pleasure,  past 
or  in  store. 

Babouine,  /.  (popular),  mouth, 
"rattle-trap,"  "kisser,"  "dub- 
ber,"  or  "maw."     See  Plomb. 

Babouiner  (popular),  to  eat. 

Bac,  for  baccarat  or  baccalau- 
reat. 

Ce  serait  bien  le  diable  s'il  parvenait  & 
organiser  de  petits  bacs  k  la  raffinerie.— 
Vast-Ricouard,  Le  Tricot. 

Bacchantes  (thieves'),  the  beard; 
but  more  especially  the  whiskers. 


From  a  play  on  the  word  bache, 
an  awning,  covering, 

Baccon, m.  (thieves'), /z]^,  or  "sow's 
baby  ; "  pork,  or  "  sawney." 

Bachasse,y^  (thieves'),  hard  labour; 
convict  settlement. 

Bdche,  f.  (thieves'  and  cads'),  cap, 
or  "  tile ; "  stakes  ;  bed,  or  "doss." 
Se  mettre  dans  la  — ,  to  go  to  bed. 
Bache,  properly  a  cart  tilt  or  an 
awning. 

Bacheliere,  f,  female  associate  of 
students  at  the  Quartier  Latin, 
the  headquarters  of  the  University 
of  Frattce.  Herein  are  situated 
the  Sorbonne,  College  de  France, 
Ecole  de  Medecine,  Ecole  de 
Droit,  &c 

Bacher,  pagnotter,  or  percher 
(thieves'  and  popular).  Se  — ,  to 
go  to  bed. 

Bachot,  m.  (students'),  baccalau- 
riat,  or  examination  for  the  degree 
of  bachelor  of  arts  or  science  con- 
ferred by  the  University  of  France. 
Etre  — ,  to  be  a  bachelor.  Faire 
son  — ,  to  read  for  that  examina- 
tion. 

Bachotier,  m.  (students'),  tutor 
who  prepares  candidates  for  the 
baccalaureat,  a  "coach,"  ot  a 
"crammer." 

Bachotter  (sharpers'),  to  sioindle  at 
billiards. 

Bachotteur,  m.  (sharpers'),  a  con- 
federate of  blacklegs  at  a  four  game 
of  billiards.     The    "bachotteur" 


B&cler — Bagou. 


23 


arranges  the  game,  .  holds  the 
stakes,  &c.,  pretending  meanwhile 
to  he  much  interested  in  the  vic- 
tim, or  "  pigeon."  His  associates 
are  "l'emporteur,''or  "buttoner," 
whose  functions  consist  in  enter- 
ing into  conversation  with  the  in- 
tended victim  and  enticing  him 
into  playing,  and  "  la  bete,"  who 
feigns  to  be  a  loser  at  the  outset, 
so  as  to  encourage  the  pigeon. 

Bacler,  boucler  (thieves'),  to  shut, 
to  arrest.  Baclez  la  lourde  ! 
shut  the  door  !  "  dub  the  jigger." 
(Popular)  Bacler,  to  put,  to  place. 
Baclez- vous  la  \flaceyourself there! 

BacTeuse,  f.  (popular),  pocket. 
From  creuse,  deep. 

Badaudiere,_/;,  the  tribe  of  badatids, 
people  whose  interest  is  awakened 
by  the  most  trijling  events  or 
things,  and  who  stop  to  gape  won- 
deringly  at  such  events  or  things. 

Farmi  tous  les  badauds  de  la  grande 
badaudi^re  parisienne,  qui  est  le  pays  du 
monde  oil  Ton  en  trouve  le  plus,  parmi 
tous  les  flaneurs,  gacheurs  de  temps  .  .  . 
bayeurs  aux  grues. — Richepin,  Le  Favi. 

Badigeon,  m.  {popnlai), painting 0/ 
the  face;  paint  for  the  face,  "  slap." 
Se  coller  du  — ,  to  paint  one's 
face,  "  to  Slick  on  slap." 

Badigeonner,  la  femme  au  puits,  to 
lie,  "  to  cram."  An  allusion  to 
Truth  supposed  to  dwell  in  a  well. 
Se  — ,  to  paint  one's  face. 

Badigoinces,_/C//.  (popular),  lips, 
mouth,  "  maw."  Jouer  des  — , 
or  se  caler  les  — ,  to  eat,"  to  grub." 
S'en  coller  par  les  — ,  to  have  a 
good  fill,  "to  stodge."  See 
Mastiquer. 

Badinguiste,  badingSteux,  ba- 
dingouin,  badingueusard,  ba- 
dingouinard,  terms  of  contempt 
applied  to  Bonapartists.  "  Badin- 
guet, "  nickname  of  Napoleon  1 11 . , 
was  the  name  of  a  mason  who  lent 


him  his  clothes,  and  whose  cha- 
racter he  assumed  to  effect  his  es- 
cape from  Fort  Ham,  in  which  he 
was  confined  for  conspiracy  and 
rebellion  against  the  government 
of  King  Louis  Philippe. 

Badouillard,  m.,  badouillarde, 
f.  (popular),  male  and  female 
habitues  of  low  fancy  balls. 

Badouille,  f.  (popular),  henpecked 
husband,  or  "  stangey  ;  "  fool,  or 
"duffer." 

Badouiller  (popular),  to  frequent 
low  public  balls ;  to  wander  about 
without  a  settled  purpose,  "  to 
scamander  ;  "  to  have  drinking 
revels,  "  to  go  on  the  booze." 

Badouillerie,  f  (popular),  dissi- 
pated mode  of  living. 

Baffre,y".  (popular),  a  bloiv  in  the 
face  with  the  fist,  a  "  bang  in  the 
mug." 

Bafouiller,  (popular),  to  jabber; 
to  splutter  ;  to  sputter. 

Bafouilleur,  bafouilleux,  »*., 
bafouilleuse,/;,  one  who  sput- 
ters. 

Bagniole,  f  (popular),  carriage, 
"  trap,"  or  "cask." 

Bagnole,  f.  (popular),  diminutive 
of  bagne,  convict  settlement,  hulks ; 
wretchedrooviorhouse,  or  "crib  ;" 
costermonger's  hand  -  barrow, 
"  trolly,"  or  "shallow." 

La  maigre  salade  .  .  .  que  les  bonnes 
femmes  poussent  devant  elles  dans  leur 
bagnole  k  bras.— RiCHEriN,  Le  PavL 

Bagou,  bagofit,  m.  (familiar) 
(has  passed  into  the  language), 
facility  of  speech  (used  disparag- 
ingly). Quel  —  mes  amis  !  well,  he 
is  the  one  to  talk  !  Avoir  un  fier  — , 
to  have  plenty  of  jaw. 

On  se  laissa  bient6t  aller  i  la  joie  raviv^e 
sans  cesse  au  bagout  du  vieux,  qui  n'avait 
jamais  ct6  aiissi  bavard. — Richepin,  La 
Gill. 


24 


Bagoulard — Baissier. 


(Thieves')  Bagou,  name,  "mon- 
niker,"  "monarch." 

Bagoulard,  m.  (popular),  a  very 
talkative  man,  a  "  clack-box,"  or 
"  mouth-all-mighty."  C'est  un 
fameux  — ,  "  He's  the  bloke  to 
slam." 

Bagouler  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  prattle,  to  do  the  "Poll  Par- 
rot ;  "  to  give  one's  name,  or  "  dub 
one's  monniker." 

Hague,/;  (thieves'),  name,  "mon- 
niker," "monarch."' 

Baguenaude  (thieves' and  cads'), 
pocket,  "cly,"  "sky-rocket,"  or 
"  brigh  ;  "  —  i  sec,  empty  pocket ; 
—  ronflante,  pocket  full  of  money. 
Fairela  retourne  desbaguenaudes, 
to  rob  drunkards  who  go  to  sleep 
on  benches. 

,  ,  .  Une  bande  de  filous,  vauriens  ayant 
travaille  les  bagiienaudes  dans  la  foule. — 
RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

Baguenots,  m.  pi.  (popular),  faire 
les  — ,  to  pick  pockets,  "  to  fake  a 
cly." 

Baguettes,///.  Properly  rods,  or 
drum-sticks.  (Military)  Avaler  ses 
— ,  to  die.  (Familiar)  Baguettes  de 
tambour,  thin  legs,  spindle-shanks ; 
lank  hair. 

Bahut,  m.  (popular),  furniture, 
"marbles."  Properly largedresser, 
or  press  ;  (cadets')  —  special,  the 
military  school  of  Saint-  Cyr  ;  (stu- 
dents') —  Tpa.terne\,  paternal  house. 
Bahut,  a  crammer's  establishment ; 
college,  or  boarding-school. 
^  Eux,  les  isauvres  petits  gal^riens,  ils  con- 

tinuent  k  vivre  entre  les  murs  lepreux  du 

bahut. — RicHEPiN,  Le  Pave. 

Bahut6  (Saint-Cyr  cadets'),  ceci 
est  — ,  that  is  smart,  soldier-like. 
Une  tenue  bahutee,  smart  dress  or 
appearance. 

Bahuter  (Saint-Cyr  cadets'),  to 
create  a  disturbance,  "  to  kick  up 
a  row;  "  (schoolboys')  to  go  from 


one  educational  establishment  to 
another. 

Bahuteur,  m^.,  one  fond  of  u, 
"  row;"  unruly  scholar;  pupil  who 
patronizes,  willingly  or  not,  diffe- 
rent edtuational  establishments. 

Baigne-dans-le-beurre  (popu- 
lar), womens'  bully,  or  "  pen- 
sioner." An  allusion  to  "  raaque- 
reau,"  or  mackerel,  a  common  ap- 
pellation ior  such  creatures.  See 
Poisson. 

Baigneuse,  /  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
head,  or  "block,"  '  "canister," 
"nut."     See  Tronche. 

Baignoire  k  bon  Dieu,/  (cads'), 
chalice. 

Bailler  au  tableau  (theatrical),  to 
have  an  insignificant  part  in  a 
new  play. 

Terme  de  coulisses  qui  s'applique  k  un 
acteur,  qui  voit  au  tableau  la  mise  en 
repetition  d'une  p  ece  dans  laquel  e  il  n'a 
qu'un  bout  de  rOle. — A.  BoUk-HAKD,  La 
Langue  iltiatrale. 

Baimbain  (Breton  cant),  potatoes. 

Bain  de  pied  (familiar),  the  over- 
flow into  the  saucer  from  a  cup  of 
coffee  or  glass  of  brandy ;  third 
help  of  brandy  after  coffee,  those 
preceding  being  "  la  rincette  "  and 
"la  surrincette." 

Bain-Marie,  m.  (popular),  a  per- 
son with  a  mild,  namby-pamby 
disposition  allied  to  a  weakly  con- 
stitution, a  "  sa-ppy  "  fellow. 

Bain  qui  chauffe,  m.  (popular),  u 
rain  cloud  in  hot  weather. 

Baiser  (popular),  lacamarde,  todii, 
"  to  kick  the  bucket,"  "  to  snuff 
it;"  (gamesters')  —  le  cul  de  la 
vieille,  not  to  score,  to  remain  at 
"love." 

Baissier,  m.,  man  on  'Change  wlw 
speculates  for  a  fall  in  the  funds, 
"bear."     See  Haussler. 


Baite — Balayer. 


25 


Baite,  /  {thieves'),  house,  "crib." 

Bajaf,  m.  (popular),  a  stout,  pie- 
thoricman.  Gros — ,  "forty  guts." 

Bajoter  (popular),  to  chatter,  "to 
gabble."  i 

Bal,  m.  (military),  extra  rfW//(called 
a  "  hoxter  "  at  the  Royal  Military 
Academy). 

Baladage,  balladage,  m.  (popu- 
lar), chanteur  au  — ,  street  singer, 
' '  street  pitcher. " 

Balade,  ballade,  f.  (popular  and 
■  familiar),  walk,  stroll,  lounge, 
"miking."  Canot  de  — ,  plea- 
sure boat.  Faire  une  — ,  se  payer 
une  — ,  to  take  a  walk.  Chanteur 
a  la  — ,  itinerant  singer,  "  chaun- 
ter."  (Thieves')  Balade,  or  ballade, 
pocket ;sdsocai.led  "fouillouse,  pro- 
fonde,  valade,"  and  by  English 
rogues, "  sky-rocket,  cly,  orbrigh." 

Balader  (thieves'),  io  choose ;  to 
seek.  (Popular)  Se  — ,  to  take  a 
walk;  to  stroll;  "to  mike;"  to 
make  off :  to  run  away,  "to  cut 
one's  lucky."    See  Patatrot. 

Baladeur,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
takes  a  walk, 

Baladeuse,  /  (popular),  woman 
with  no  heart  for  work  and  who  is 
fond  of  idly  strolling  about. 

Balai,  m.  (hawkers'),  police  officer, 
or  gendarme,  "crusher;"  (mili- 
tary) —  a  plumes,  plumes  of 
shako.  (Popular)  Balai,  thelast'bus 
or  tramcar  at  night.  Donner  du 
—  a  quelqu'un,  to  drive  one 
away. 

Balancement,  m.  (clerks'),  dis- 
missal, "  the  sack." 

Balancer  (popular),  to  throw  at  a 
distance  ;  —  quelqu'un,  to  dismiss 
from  one's  employment,  "  to  give 


the  sack  ;"  to  get  rid  of  one ;  to 
make  fun  of  one  ;  to  hoax,  "  to 
bamboozle  ; "  (thieves')  —  la  rous- 
caillante,  to  speak,  or  "  to  rap  ;  " 

—  sa  canne  is  said  ^  a  vagrant 
who  takes  to  thieving,  of  a  convict 
who  makes  his  escape,  or  of  a  ticket- 
of-leave  man  who  breaks  bounds  ; 

—  sa  largue,  to  git  rid  of  one's  mis- 
tress, "to  bury  a  Moll;"  — .ses 
alines,  to  turn  honest;  to  forsake 
the  burglar's  implements  for  the 
murderer's  knife ;  —  ses  chasses, 
to  gaze  about,  "  to  stag ; "  —  son 
chiffon  rouge,  to  talk,  ' '  to  wag 
one's  red  rag ; "  —  une  lazagne, 
to  send  a  letter,  "  screeve,"  or 
"stiff." 

Balanceur,  m.  (thieves'),  de  braise, 
money  changer.  An  allusion  to 
the  practice  of  weighing  money. 

Balancier,  m.  (popular),  faire  le  — , 

to  wait  for  one. 
Balangoir,  balangon,  m.  (thieves'), 

window-bar. 

Balangoire,  /.  (familiar),  fib, 
"flam;"  nonsense;  stupid  joke. 
Envoyer  a  la  — ,  to  get  rid  of  one , 
to  invite  one  to  make  himself  scarce, 
or  to  send  one  to  the  deuce. 

Balatifon,  m.  (thieves'),  iron  ham- 
mer;  window-bar, 

Balandrin,  m.  (popular),  parcel 
made  up  in  canvas  ;  a  small  ped- 
lar's pack. 

Balauder  (tramps'),  to  beg,  "  to 
cadge." 

Balayage,  m.  Properly  yiveeping ; 
used  figuratively  wholesale  getting 
rid  of.  On  devrait  faire  un  ba- 
layage dans  celte  administration, 
there  ought  to  be  a  wholesale  dis- 
missal of  officials. 

Balayer  (theatrical),  les  planches, 
to  be  the  first  to  sing  at  a  con- 
^  cert. 


26 


Balayez-moi-qa — Balthazar. 


Balayez-moi-ga,  tn.  (popular),  wo- 
man! s  dress.  Literally  you  just 
sweep  that  away. 

Balcon,  m.  (popular),  il  y  a  du 
monde,  or  il  y  a  quelqu'un  au  — , 
an  allusion  to  well-developed 
breasts. 

Balconnier,  m.,  orator  who  makes 
a  practice  of  addressing  the  crowd 
from  a  balcony. 

Baleine,/;  (popular),  disreputable 
woman,  "bed-fagot."  Rire 
comme  une  — ,  to  laugh  in  a  silly 
?nanner  with  mouth  wide  open 
like  a  whale's. 

Baliverneur,  m.  (popular),  monger 
of  "  twaddle,"  of  tomfooleries,  of 
"blarney." 

Ballade,  f,  (popular),  aller  faire 
une  —  a  la  lune,  to  ease  oneself. 

Balle,  ^  (thieves'),  j«'>-«/;  affair; 
opportunity,  fa  fait  ma  — ,  that 
just  suits  me.  Manquer  sa  — ,  to 
miss  one's  opportunity.  Faire  — , 
to  be  fasting.  Faire  la  — ,  to  act 
according  to  instructions.  (Popu- 
lar) Balle,  one-franc  piece  ;  face, 
"mug;"  head,  "block."  II  a 
une  bonne — ,  he  has  a  good-na- 
tured looking  face,  or  a  grotesque 
face.  Rond  comme  — ,  is  said  of 
one  who  has  eaten  or  drunk  to 
excess ;  of  one  who  is  drunk,  or 
"tight."  Un  blafard  de  cinq 
balles,  afve-francpiece.  (Familiar) 
Enfant  dela — ,aclor's child;  actor; 
one  who  is  of  the  same  profession 
as  his  father.  (Prostitutes')  Balle 
d'amour,  handsome fcue.  Rude  — , 
energetic  countenance,  with  harsh 
features.  Balle  de  coton,  a  blow 
with  the  f St,  a  "bang,"  "wipe," 
"  one  on  the  mug,"  or  a  "cant  in 
the  gills." 

Ballomanie,  f.,maniafor  balloon- 
ing. 


Ballon,  m.  (popular),,  glass  of 
beer ;  the  behind,  or  "  tochas." 
Enlever  le  —  k  quelqu'un,  to 
kick  one  in  the  hinder  part  of  the 
body,  "to  toe  one's  bum,"  "to 
root,"  or  "  to  land  a  kick."  En 
— ,  in  prison,  "  in  quod."  Se 
donner  du  — ,  to  make  a  dress 
bulge  out.  .Se  lacher  du  — ,  to 
make  off  rapidly,  "to  brush." 

Ballonne,  adj.  (thieves'),  impri- 
soned, "  in  limbo." 

Ballot,  m.  (tailors'),  stoppage  of 
work. 

Balloter  (tailors'),  to  be  out  of  work, 
"  out  of  collar  ; "  (thieves')  to 
throw. 

Bal-musette,  m.,  dancing  place 
for  workpeople  in  the  suburbs, 

Les  bals-musette  au  plancher  de  bois 
qui  Sonne  comme  un  tympanon  sous  les 
talons  tambourinant  la  bourrde  montag- 
narde  ,  .  .  que  la  musette  remplit  de  son 
chant  agreste. — Richepin,  Le  Fave. 

Balochard,  balocheur,  m.  (popu- 
lar), one  who  idles  about  town  care- 
lessly and  merrily. 

Aussi  j'laisse  I'chic  et  les  cbars, 
Aux  feignants  et  aux  galupiei-s, 
Et  j'suis  I'roi  des  Balochards, 
Des  Balochards  qui  va-t-a  pieds. 

Richepin,  Gueux  de  Paris.  ■ 

Balocher,  (popular),  to  be  an 
kabitui  of  dancing  halls ;  to  be- 
stir otuself;  to  fish  in  troubled 
waters  ;  to  have  on  hand  any  un- 
lawful business  ;  to  move  things  ; 
to  hang  them  up ;  to  idle  about 
carelessly  and  merrily,  or  "to 
mike." 

Balots,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  lips.  Se 
graisser  les  — ,  to  eat,  "to  grub." 

Balouf  (popular),  very  strong, 
"  spry." 

Balthazar,  m.  (familiar),  aplentiful 
meal,  "  a  tightener." 


Baluchon — Banque. 


27 


Baluchon,  m.  (popular),  parcel,  or 
"peter." 

Bambino,  bambochino,  m.  (popu- 
lar), term  of  endearment  for  a 
child. 

Bamboche,  adj.  (popular),  etre  — , 
to  be  tipsy,  or  "  to  be  screwed." 

Banban,  m.  andf.  (popular),  lame 
persoti,  "  dot  and  go  one  ;  "  small 
stunted  person,  "Jack  Sprat." 

Banc,  m.  (convicts'),  camp  bed; 
(Parisians')  —  de  Terre-Neuve, 
that  part  of  the  Boulevard  between 
the  Madeleine  and  Porte  Saint- 
Denis.  Probably  an  allusion  to  the 
ladies  of  fishy  character,  termed 
"  morues,"  or  codfish,  who  cruise 
about  that  part  of  Paris,  and  a  play 
on  the  word  Terre-Neuve,  New- 
foundland, where  the  real  article 
is  fished  in  large  quantities. 
(Military)  Pied  de  — ,  sergeant. 
See  Pied. 

Bancal,    m.     (soldiers'),     cavalry 

STiJLWrd. 

Et,  je  me  sens  fier,  ingambe, 
D'un  plumet  sur  mon  colbac, 
D'un  bancal,  et  du  flic-flac 
De  ce  machin  sur  ma  jambe. 

A.  DE  Chatillon. 

Bande.  Properly  cushion  of  bil- 
liard table.  Coller  sous  — ,  to 
get  one  in  a  fix,  in  a  "  hole." 

Bande  d'air, /.  {theatvicaX),  frieze 
painted  blue  so  as  to  represent  the 
sky. 

Bande  noire,  /.,  a  gang  of  swind- 
lers who  procure  goods  on  false 
pretences  and  sell  them  below  their 
value,  "long  firm." 

La  Bande  Noire  comprises  four 
categories  of  swindlers  working 
jointly  :  "  le  courtier  a  la  mode," 
who,  by  means  of  false  references, 
gets  himself  appointed  as  agent  to 
important   firms,   generally   wine 


merchants,  jewellers,  provision 
dealers.  He  calls  on  some  small 
tradesmen  on  the  verge  of  bank- 
ruptcy, denominated  ' '  petits  fai- 
sans,"  or  "freres  de  la  c6te,"  and 
offers  them  atavery  low  price  mer- 
chandise which  they  are  to  dispose 
of,  allowing  him  a  share  in  the  pro- 
fits. The  next  step  to  be  taken  is 
to  bribe  a  clerk  of  some  private 
information  office,  who  is  thus  in- 
duced to  give  a  favourable  answer 
to  all  inquiries  regarding  the  sol- 
vency of  the  "  petit  faisan."  The 
courtier  a  la  mode  also  bribes 
with  a  like  object  the  doorkeeper 
of  his  clients.  At  length  the 
goods  are  delivered  by  the  victi- 
mized firms ;  now  steps  in  the 
"  fusilleur  "  or  "  gros  faisan,"  who 
obtains  the  merchandise  at  a  price 
much  below  value — a  cask  of  wine 
worth  170  francs,  for  instance, 
being  transferred  to  him  at  less 
than  half  that  sum —  the  sale  often 
taking  place  at  the  railway  goods 
station,  especially  when  the  "pe- 
tit faisan  "  is  an  imaginary  indi- 
vidual represented  byadoorkeeper 
in  confederacy  with  the  gang. — • 
Translated  from  the  "  Republique 
Fran^aise  "  newspaper,  February, 
1886. 

Bander  (popular),  la  caisse,  to  ab- 
scond with  the  cash-box.  Properly 
to  tighten  the  drum;  —  I'ergot, 
to  run  away,  "  to  crush." 

Bannette  (popular),  apron. 

Banni6re,y;  (familiar),  Stre  en  — , 
to  be  in  one's  shirt,  in  one's  "flesh 
bag." 

Banque,  /.  (popular),  falsehood, 
imposition,  "plant."  (Hawkers') 
La  — ;  the  puffing  up  of  goods  to 
allure  purchasers  ;  the  confrater- 
nity of  mountebanks.  (Showmens') 
True  de  — ,  passwordwhich  obtains 
admission  to  booths  or  raree-shows. 


28 


Banquet — Burbot. 


(Printers')  Banque,  fay.    La  —  a 
■     fouaille  expresses  that  pay  has  been 
deferred.     Etre  bloque  a  la  — ,  or 
faire  —  bleclie,  to  receive  no  pay. 

Banquet,  m.  (freemasons'),  dinner. 

Banquette,/,  (popular),  chin. 

Banquezingue,  m.  (thieves'),  ban- 
ker, "rag-shop  cove." 

Banquiste  (thieves'),  one  who  pre- 
pares a  swindling  operation. 

BaptSme,  m.  (popular),  head, 
"nut." 

Baquet,  m.  (popular),  washer- 
woman ;  —  insolent,  same  mean- 
ing (an  allusion  to  the  impudence 
of  Parisian  washerwomen)  ;  —  de 
science,  cobbler's  tub. 

Barant,  m.  (thieves'),  gutter,  brook. 
From  the  Celtic  baranton,  foun' 
tain. 

Baraque,  _/".,  disparaging  epithet 
for  a  house  or  establishment ; 
(servants')  a  house  where  masters 
are  strict  and  particular;  a 
"  shop  ; "  newspaper  of  which  the 
editor  is  strict  with  respect  to  the 
productions;  (schoolboys')  cup- 
board; (soldiers')  a  sei-vice  stripe  ; 
(sharpers')  a  kind  of  swindling 
game  of  pool. 

Barbaque,  or  bidoche,y!  (popular), 
tneat,  or  "carnish." 

Barbe,/.  (students'), //-zVa/?  coach- 
ing. (Popular)  Avoir  de  la  —  is 
said  of  anything  old,  stale.  (Thea- 
trical) Faire  sa  — ,  to  make  money. 
(Familiar)  Vieille  — ,  old-fashioned 
politician.  (Printers')  Barbe,  in- 
toxication, the  different  stages  of  the 
happy  state  being  "  le  coup  de  feu, " 
"la  barbe  simple,"  "la  barbe  in- 
digne."  Prendre  une — ,  to  get  in- 
toxicated, or  "screwed."  (Popular) 
Barbe,  women's  bully,  or  "pen- 
sioner." 


Barbe  k  poux,  m.,  an  insulting 
expression  especially  used  by  cab- 
bies, means  lousy  beard.  Also  a 
nickname  given  sometimes  to  the 
pioneers  in  the  French  army  on 
account  of  their  long  beards. 

Barbeau,  m.  (popular),  prostitute's 
bully.     Properly  a  barbel. 

Barbeaudier  (thieves'),  doorkeeper; 
turnkey,  "  dubsman,"  or  "jigger 
dubber;"  —  de  castu,  hospital 
overseer.  Concerning  this  ex- 
pression Michel  says  :  Cette  ex- 
pression, qui  nous  est  donnee  par 
le  Dictionnaire  Argotique  du  Jar- 
gon, a  ete  forraee  par  allusion  a  la 
tisane  que  Ton  boit  dans  les  h6pi- 
taux,  tisane  assimilee  ici  a  la  biere. 
En  effet,  barbaudier  avail  autrefois 
le  sens  de  brasseur,  si  Ton  peut  du 
moins  s'en  rapporter  i  Roquefort, 
qui  ne  cite  pas  d'exemple.  En 
voici  un,  malheureusement  peu 
concluant.  Tais-toi,  putain  de 
barbaudier :  Le  coup  d'oeil  purin. 

Barberot,  m.  (convicts'),  barber,  n 
"strap." 

Barbet,  m.  (thieves'),  the  devil, 
"old  scratch,"  or  "ruffin." 

Barbichon, w.(popular), monk.  An 
allusion  to  the  long  beard  generally 
sported  by  the  fraternity. 

Barbille,  barbillon,  m.,  girts 
bully,  young  hand  at  the  business, 

Barbillons,   m.  pi.   (popular),   de 
,    Beauce,   vegetables   (Beauce,   for- 
merly a  province) ;    —  de  Va- 
renne,  turnips. 

Barbot,  m.  (popular),  duck;  girts 
bully,  "-ponze.."     See  Poisson. 


Barbotage — Bassiner. 


29 


(Thieves')  Vol  au  — ^pocket-picking, 
or  "buz-faking."  Fairele  — ,  to 
pick  pockets,  "  to  buz,"  or  "  to 
fake  a  cly." 

iarbotage,  m.,  theft,  "  push." 
From  barboter,  to  dabble. 

Jarbote,  /.  (thieves'),  searching  of 
prisoners  on  their  arrival  at  the 
prison,   "  turning  over." 

Jarboter  (thieves'),  to  search  on  the 
person,  ' '  to  turn  over  ; "  to  steal, 
"  to  clift ; "  to  purloin  goods  and 
sell  them  ;  —  les  poches,  to  pick 
pockets,  "to buz;"  (familiar)  —  la 
caisse,  to  appropriate  the  contents 
of  a  cashbox. 

Barboteur,  m.  (thieves'),  de  cam- 
pagne,  night  thief. 

Barbotier,  m.,  searcher  at  prisons. 

Barbotin,  m.  (thieves'),  theft ;  pro- 
ceeds of  sale  of  stolen  goods, 
' '  swag. " 

Apres  mon  dernier  barbotin, 
J'ai  flasque  du  poivre  a  la  rousse. 

RlCHEPIN. 

Barbue,/.  (thieves), /«k. 

Bar-de-tire,  m.  (thieves'),  hose. 

Baril  de  moutarde  (cads'),  breech. 
See  Vasistas. 

Barka  (military),  enough  (from  the 
Arabic). 

Baron,  m.  (popular),  de  la  crasse, 
man  ill  at  ease  in  garments  which 
are  not  suited  to  his  station  in  life, 
and  which  in  consequence  give  him 
an  awkward  appearance. 

Barre,/  (thieves'),  needle;  (popu- 
lar) compter  a  la  — ,  primitive 
mode  of  reckoning  by  making  dashes 
on  a  slate, 

Barr6,  adj.  (popular),  dull-witted, 
"  cabbage-head." 

Barrer  (popular),  to  leave  off  work; 


to  relinquish  an  undertaking ;  to 
scold.  Se  — ,  to  make  off,  "to 
mizzle ;  "  to  conceal  oneself. 

'Baxres,f.  pi.  (popular), /amr.  Se 
rafraichir  les  — ,  to  drink,  "to  wet 
or  whet  one's  whistle. " 

Barrique,/.  (freemasons'),  decanter 
or  bottle. 

Bas  (popular),  de  buffet,  a  person 
or  thing  of  no  consequence  ;  —  de 
plafond,  —  du  cul,  short  person. 
Vieux  —  de  \mSe.t,  old  coquette. 

Basane,  or  bazane,  /.  (popular), 
skin,  or  "buff."  Tanner  la— ,  i'i' 
thrash, "  to  tan. "  (Military)  Tailler 
une  — ,isto  make  acertaincontemp- 
tuous  gesture  the  nature  ofwKich 
may  best  be  described  as  follows: — 

Un  tel,  quatre  jours  de  salle  de  police, 
ordre  du  Fous-of&cier  X  ...  a  r^pondu  k 
ce  sous-ofEicier  en  lui  taillant  une  bazane  : 
la  main  appliqu^e  sur  la  braguette  du  pan- 
talon,  et  lui  faisant  d^crire  une  conversion 
k  gauche,  avec  le  pouce  pour  pivot. — 
Quoted  by  L.  Merlin,  La  Langtte  Verte 
du  Troitpier. 

Bas-bleuisme,  m.  (literary),  mania 
for  writing.  Used  in  reference 
to  those  of  the  fair  sex. 

Bascule,/,  (popular),  guillotine. 

Basculer  (popular),  to  guillo- 
tine. 

Bas-off,  m.  (Polytechnic  School), 
under-offcer.  * 

'&a.%o-axd.it{\M\svt%\to knock  down ; 
to  stun  ;  to  kill,  "  to  give  one  his 
gruel."     See  Refroidir. 

Basse,/,  (thieves'),  the  earth. 

Bassin,  m.,  bassinoire,/.  (fami- 
liar), superlatively  dtill  person,  a 
bore. 

Bassinant,  adj.  (familiar),  dull, 
annoying,  boring. 

Bassiner  (familiar),  to  annoy,  to 
bore. 


3° 


Bassinoire — B&tons  de  chaise. 


Bassinoire,/,  large  watch,  "tur- 
nip."    See  Bassin. 

Basta  (popular),  enough  ;  no  more. 
From  the  Spanish. 

Bastimage  (thieves'),  work, 
"  graft." 

Bastringue,  m.  (popular),  low  dan- 
cing-hall ;  noise,  disturbance, 
' '  rumpus ; "  (prisoners')  a  fine  steel 
saw  used  by  prisoners  for  cutting 
through  iron  bars. 

Bastringueuse,  f.  (popular),  fe- 
male habituie  of  bastringues,  or 
low  dancing-saloons. 

Bataclan,  m.  (popular),  set  of  tools  ; 
(thieves')  house-breaking  imple- 
ments, or  "jilts." 

J'ai  d^jk  prdpard  tout  mon  bataclan,  les 
fausses  clefs  sont  essaydes. — ^Vidocq,  Mi- 
moires. 

Bataille,  y".  (military),  chapeau  en 
— ,  cocked  hat  "worn  crosswise. 
Chapeau  en  colonne,  the  opposite 
tf/'"enbataille." 

Batard,  m.  (popular),  heap  of  any- 
thing. 

Bate,/!  (popular),  Stre  de  la  — ,  to 
be  happy,  fortunate,  to  have 
"cocum." 

Bateau,  m.  (popular),  mener  en  — , 
to  swindle,  to  deceive.  Monter 
un  — ,  to  impose  upon  ;  to  attempt 
to  deceive. 

Bateaux,  m.  pi.  (popular),  shoes, 
"  carts  ;"  large  shoes ;  shoes  thdt 
let  in  water. 

Bateaux-mouches,  m.  pi.  (popu- 
lar), large  shoes. 

Batel6e,  /.  (popular),  concourse  of 
people. 

Bath,  or  bate  (popular), _^k«;  ex- 
cellent ;  tip-top  ;  very  well.  The 
origin  of  the  expression  is  as  fol- 
lows :  —  Towards  1848  some 
Bath  note-paper  of  superior  qua- 


lity was  hawked  about  in  the 
streets  of  Paris  and  sold  at  a  low 
price.  Thus  "  papier  bath  "  be- 
came synonymous  of  excellent 
paper.  In  a  short  time  the  qualify- 
ing term  alone  remained,  and  re- 
ceived a  general  application. 
Un  foulard  tout  neuf,  ce  qu'il  y  a  de  plus 
bath !— RiCHEPiN. 

C'est  rien  — ,  that  is  excellent, 
"fizzing."  C'est  —  auxpommes, 
it  is  delightful.  (Thieves')  Du  — , 
gold  or  silver.    Faire  — ,  to  arrest. 

Batiau,  m.  (printers'),  jour  du  — , 
day  on  which  the  compositor  makes 
out  his  account  for  the  week.  Par- 
ler  — ,  to  talk  shop, 

Batif,  m.  (thieves'),  bative,  bati- 
fonne,/.,  new  ;  pretty,  or  "  dim- 
ber."  La  fee  est  bative.  the  girl 
is  pretty,  she  is  a  "  dimber 
mort." 

Batimancho  (Breton),  wooden 
shoes. 

Batiment  (familiar),  etre  du  — , 
to  be  of  a  certain  profession. 

Batir  (popular),  sur  le  devant,  to 
have  a  large  stomach;  to  have 
something  hke  a  "corporation" 
growing  upon  one. 

Baton,  m.  (thieves'),  creux, 
musket,  or  "dagj"  —  de  cire, 
leg ;  —  de  reglisse,  police  officer, 
"  crusher, ""  copper,  "or  "  reeler;" 
/?-«>j-/,  or  "devildodger; "  (mounte- 
banks') —  de  tremplin,  leg.  Pro- 
perly tremplin,  a  spring  board; 
(familiar)  —  merdeux,  man  whom 
itisnot easy  todeal with,  who  cannot 
be  humoured;  (thieves')  —  rooipu, 
ticket-of-leave  convict  who  has  bro- 
ken bounds.  Termed  also  "canne, 
trique,  tricard,  fagot,  cheval  de 
retour. " 

Batons  de  chaise,  m.  pi.  (popu- 
lar), noce  de  — ,  grand  jollifica- 
tion, "  flare  up,"  or  "  break 
down. " 


Batonse — Baudrouiller . 


31 


Batouse,  batouze,  /  (thieves'), 
canvas ;   —  toute  battante,    new 

canvas. 

Batousier,  m.  (thieves'),  weaver. 

Battage  (popular),  lie,  "  gag  ;"  im- 
position ;  jcke;  humbug ;  damage 
to  any  article. 

Battant,  m.  (thieves'),  heart,  "pan- 
ter ; "  stomach ;  throat,  "  red 
lane;"  tongue,  "jibb."  Un  bon 
— ,  a  nimble  tongue.  Se  pousser 
dans  le  — ,  to  drink,  "to  lush." 
Faire  trimer  le  — ,  to  eat. 

Battante,  f.  (popular),  bell,  or 
"  ringer." 

Battaqua,  m.  (popular),  slatternly 
woman,  dowdy. 

Batterie,  f.  (popular),  action  of 
lying,  of  deceiving,  "  cram ; " 
the  teeth,  throat,  and  tongue  ;  — 
douce,  joke.  (Freemasons')  Bat- 
terie, applause. 

Batteur,  m,  (popular  and  thieves'), 
liar,  deceiver;  —  d'antif,  thief 
who  informs  another  of  a  likely 
"  job  ; "  —  de  beurre,  stockbroker; 
—  dedig  dig,  thief  who  feigns  to 
be  seized  with  an  apoplectic  fit  in  a 
shop  so  as  to  facilitate  «  confede- 
rate's operations  by  drawing  the 
attention  to  himself ;  (popular)  — 
de  flemme,  idler. 

Battoir,  m.  (popular),  hand,  "  flip- 
per ;  "  large  hand,  "  mutton  fist." 

Battre  (thieves'),  to  dissemble ;  to 
deceive ;  to  make  believe. 

Ne  t  inquiete  pas,  je  battrai  si  bien  que 
ie  defie  le  plus  malin  de  ne  pas  me  croire 
emballe  pour  de  bon. — Vidocq. 

Battre  a  la  Parisienne,  to  cheat, "  to 
do  ; "  —  k  mort,  to  deny ;  — 
comtois,  to  play  the  simpleton  ;  to 
act  in  confederacy  ;  —  de  roeil,  to 
be  dying ;  —  entifle,  to  be  a  confe- 
derate, or  "stallsman;"  —  Job, 
to  dissemble ;  —  I'antif,  to  walk, 
"to  pad  the  hoof;"  to  play  the 


spy,  "to  nark  ;"  —  morasse,  to 
call  out  "Slop  thief! "  "to  give  hot 
beef; "  —  en  ruine,  to  visit. 

Drilles  ou  narquois  sont  des  soldats  qui 
.  .  .  battent  en  ruine  les  entiffes  et  tons 
les  creux  des  vergnes. — Le  yargon  de 
V Argot. 

(Popular)  Battre  la  muraille,  to  be  so 
drunk  as  "  not  to  be  able  to  see  a 
hole  in  a  ladder,"  or  not  to  be  able 
"to  lie  down  without  holding 
on;"  —  la  semelle,  to  play  the 
vagrant ;  — le  beurre,  to  speculate 
on  'Change  ;  to  be"  fast ; "  to  dis- 
semble ;  —  le  briquet,  to  be  knock- 
kneed ;  —  sa  fl^me,  or  flemme,  to 
be  idle,  to  be  "  niggling  ; "  —  son 
quart  is  said  of  prostitutes  who 
walk  the  streets.  Des  yeux  qui  se 
battent  en  duel,  squinting  eyes,  or 
"  swivel-eyes."  S'enbattrel'ceil.la 
paupiere,  or  les  fesses,  not  to  care  a 
straw.  (Familiar)  Battre  son  plein, 
to  be  in  all  the  bloom  of  beauty  or 
talent,  "  in  full  blast ;  "  (military) 

—  la  couverte,  to  sleep ;  (sailors') 

—  un  quart,  to  invent  some  plau- 
sible story ;  (printers')  —  le  bri- 
quet, to  knock  the  type  against  the 
composing-stick  when  in  the  act  of 
placing  it  in. 

Batture.     See  Batterie. 

Bauce,bausse,OT.(popular),»zaj/^r, 
employer,  "boss  ;"  (thieves')  rich 
citizen, "  rag-splawger ; "  —  fondu, 
bankrupt  employer,  "  brosier." 

Bauceresse,  f.  (popular),  female 
employer, 

Baucher  (thieves'),  ss—,to  deride  ; 
to  make  fun  of. 

Baucoter  (thieves'),  to  teaze. 

Baude,  /.  (thieves'),  vefiereal  dis- 
ease. 

Baudrouillard,  m.  (thieves'), /z/^'- 
tive. 

Baudrouiller  (thieves'),  to  decamp, 
"  to  make  beef."     See  Patatrot. 


32 


Bmidrouiller — B^carre. 


Baudiouiller,     or    baudru,     ot. 

(thieves'),  whip. 

Bauge,  /  (thieves'),  hox,  chest,  or 
"peter;"  belly,  "tripes." 

Baume,  m.  (popular),  d'acier,  sur- 
geons' and  dentists'  instruments  ; 
—  de  porte-en-terre, /owff». 

Bausser  (popular),  to  work,  "to 
graft." 

Bavard,  m.  (popular),  barrister, 
lawyer,  "green  bag;"  (military) 
punishment  leaf  in  a  soldier's 
book. 

Bavarde,   /.     (thieves'),     mouth, 
"  muns,"  or  "  bone  box." 
Une  main  autour  de  son  colas  et  I'autre 

dans   sa  bavarde  pour  lui  arquepincer  le 

chiffon  rouge. — E.  Sue. 

Baver     (popular),     to    talk,     "to 
jaw  ; "   . —  des  clignots,  to  weep, 
"  to  nap   a  bib  ; "   —   sur  quel- 
qu'un,  to  speak  ill  of  one,  to  back- 
bite.    Baver,    also   to  chat.    The 
expression  is  old. 
Venez-y,  varletz,  chamberieres, 
Qui  s5avez  si  bien  les  manieres, 
En  disant  mainte  bonne  bave. 

Villon,  15th  century. 

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

Bayafe,  m-  (thieves'),/!J/o/,  "bark- 
ing iron,"  or  "barker." 

Bayafer  (thieves'),  to  shoot. 

Bazar,  m.  (military),  house  of  ill- 
fame,  "6ash  drum;"  (servants') 
house  where  the  master  is  par- 
ticular, "  crib  ;  "  (popular)  any 
house ;  (prostitutes')  furniture, 
"  marbles  ;  "  (students')  collegeor 
school,  "shop." 

Bazarder  (popular),  to  sell  off  any- 
thing, especially  one's  furniture  ; 
to  barter ;  (military)  to  pillage  a 
house  ;  to  wreck  it. 

Bazenne,/  (thieves'),  tinder. 

B6,  m.  (popular),  wicker-basket 
which  rag-pickers  sling  to  their 
shoulders. 


B^ar,  adj.  (popular),  laisser  quel- 
qu'un  — ,  to  leave  one  in  the  lurch. 

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

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

Beauce,/  (thieves'),  plume  de  — . 
straw,  or  "strommel." 

Beauce,  m.,  beauceresse,/,  se- 
cond-hand clothes-dealers  of  the 
Quartier  du  Temple. 

Beauge,  m.  (thieves'),  belly, 
"guts." 

Beausse,  m.  (thieves'),  wealthy 
man,  "  rag-splawger,"  or  one  who 
is  "  well-breeched." 

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

Bee, »/.  (popular),  mouth,  "maw;" 
—  sale,  a  thirsty  mortal.  Claquer 
du  — ,  to  be  fasting,  "to  be 
bandied."  Rincer  le  —  k  quel- 
qu'un,  to  treat  one  to  some  drink. 
Se  rincer  le  — ,  towel  one's  whistle. 
Tortiller  du  — ,  to  eat,  "  to  peck." 
Casser  du  — ,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath.  Avoir  la  rue  du  —  mal 
pavee,  to  have  an  irregular  set  of 
teeth.  Ourler  son  — ,  to  finish 
one's  work.  (Sailors')  Se  calfa- 
ter  le  ■ — ,  to  eat  or  drink,  "  to 
splice  the  mainbrace. "  (Thieves') 
Bee  de  gaz,  bourrique,  flique, 
cierge,  amif,  peste,  laune,  vache, 
police-of/icer  or  detective,  "pig," 
"crusher,"  "copper,"  "cossack," 
"  nark,"  &c. 

Becane,yi  (popular),  steam  engine, 
"puffing  billy;"  small  printing 
machine. 

Bicarre  is  the  latest  title  for  Pari- 
sian dandies;    and   tjie   term  is 


Bkcisse — Belle. 


3J 


also  used  to  replace  the  now  well- 
worn  expression ' '  chic. "  The  "  be- 
carre  "  must  be  grave  and  sedate 
after  the  English  model,  with 
short  hair,  high  collar,  small 
moustache  and  whiskers,  but  no 
beard.  He  must  always  look 
thirty  years  of  age  ;  must  neither 
dance  nor  affect  the  frivolity  of  a 
floral  button-hole  nor  any  jewel- 
lery ;  must  shake  hands  simply 
with  ladies  and  gravely  bend  his 
head  to  gentlemen.  "  Becarre — 
being  translated — is  ■'  natural '  in 
a  musical  sense." — Graphic,  Jan. 
2,  i886.  The  French  dandy  goes 
also  by  the  appellations  of  "  coco- 
.  des,  petit  creve,  pschutteux,"  &c. 
See  Gommeux. 

Becasse,/.  (popular),  ^mo/i?  ^j/. 
Eh  !  va  done,  grande  becasse  ! 

Becfigue  de  cordonnier,  m.  (popu- 
lar), goose. 

Bechage,  m.  (familiar),  sharp  cri- 
ticis7H. 

BScher  (familiar),  to  criticize,  to  run 
down;  (popular)  tobeat, "  to  bash." 
Se  — ,  to  fight,  "  to  have  a  mill." 

BScheur,  m.  (thieves'),  beggar, 
"  mumper ;  "  juge  d instruction,  a 
magistrate  whose  functions  are  to 
make  outacase,  and  examine  a  pri- 
soner before  he  is  sent  up  for  trial. 
Avocat  — ,  public  prosecutor. 

Becheuse,  /.  (thieves'),  female 
thief. 

Becot,  m.  (popular),  mouth,  "  kis- 
ser;"  hiss,  "  bus." 

Becoter  (popular),  to  kiss;  to 
fondle,  "  to  firkytoodle." 

Becquant,  m.  (thieves'),  chicken, 
"cackling  cheat,"  or  "beaker." 

Becquetance,  f.  (popular),  food, 
"grub." 


Becqueter  (popular),  to  eat,  "to 
peck." 

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

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

Bedouin,  m.  (popular),  harsh  man, 
or  "  Tartar  ;"  one  of  the  card- 
sharper  tribe. 

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

Beffeur,  m.,  beffeuse,y;  (popular), 
deceiver,  one  who  "  puts  on." 

Begue,  y;  (thieves'),  oats ;  also  ab- 
breviation of  bezigue,  a  certain 
game  of  cards. 

Beguin,  m.  (popular),  head, 
"  imt ;"  afancy.  Avoir  un — pour 
quelqu'un,  "  to  fancy  someone, 
"  to  cotton  on  to  one." 

Beigne,  f.  (popular),  cuff  or  blow, 
"bang." 

Belant,  m.  (thieves'),  sheep,  "wool- 
bird." 

Bel^t,  m.  (horse-dealers'),  sorry 
horse,  "screw." 

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

Beige,  /.  (popular),  Belgian  clay- 
pipe. 

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

Belief,  m.  (cads'),  cuckold. 

Bellander  (tramps'),  to  beg,  "  to 
cadge. " 

Belle,/,  (popular  and  familiar),  at- 
tendre  sa  — ,  to  wait  one's  oppor- 

D 


34 


B^nard — Berdouillard. 


tunity.  Jouer  la  — ,  to  play  a 
third  and  decisive  game.  La  per- 
dre  — ,  to  lose  a  game  which  was 
considered  as  good  as  won  ;  to  lose 
an  opportunity.  (Thieves')  Etre 
servi  de  — ,  to  be  imprisoned  through 
mistaken  identity ;  to  be  the  vic- 
tim of  a  false  accusation.  (Popu- 
lar) Belle  i  la  chandelle,  /.,  ugly  ; 
—  de  raixt,  female  habituee  of  balls 
and  cafes ;  (familiar)  —  petite,  a 
young  lady  of  the  demi-monde,  a 
"  pretty  horse-breaker." 

Benard,  m.  (popular),  breeches, 
"  kicks,"  or  "  sit-upons." 

B^nef,  m.,  for  benefice, /r^/. 

Ben^vole,  m.  (popular),  young  doc- 
tor in  hospitals, 

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

Beni-Mouffetard  {popu\!Lr),dweller 
of  the  Quartier  Mouffetard,  the 
abode  of  rag-pickers. 

Benir  (popular),  bas,  to  kick  one  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  bcuk,  "to  toe 
one's  bum,"  "  to  root,"  or  "  to 
land  a  kick;"  (popular  and 
thieves') — des  pieds,  to  be  hanged, 
"  to  cut  caper-sauce,"  or  "  to  be 
scragged." 

B^nisseur,  m.  (familiar),  one  who 
puts  on  a  dignified  and  solemn  air, 
as  if  about  to  give  his  blessing,  and 
who  delivers  platitudes  on  virtue, 
is'c. ;  one  who  makes  fine  but 
empty  promises  ;  political  man  who 
professes  to  believe,  and  seeks  to 
make  others  believe,  that  everything 
is  for  the  best.  An  historical  illus- 
tration of  this  is  General  Changar- 
nier  thus  addressing  the  House 
on  the  very  eve  of  the  Coup  d'Etat 
which  was  to  throw  most  of  its 
members  into  prison,  "  Repr^- 
sentants  du  peuple,  deliberez  en 
paix  I " 


Benoit,  m.  (popular),  woman's 
bully,  "ponce."    See  Poisson. 

La  vrai'  v^rit^, 
C'est  qu'  les  Benolts  toujours  lichent 
£t  s'graissent  les  balots. 
Vive  eur  bataillon  d'  la  guiche, 
C'est  nous  qu'est  les  dos. 

RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Benoiton,  OT. , benoit  onne,/.,/«)/& 
eccentric  in  their  ways  and  style  of 
dress.  From  a  play  of  Sardou's, 
La  Fa7nille  Benotton. 

Benoitonner,  to  live  and  dress  after 
the  style  of  the  Benottons  (which 
see). 

Benoitonnerie,  /,  style  and  ways 
of  the  Benottons. 

Beq,  m.  (engravers'),  work. 

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

Bequeter  (popular),  to  eat,  "to 
peck,"  or  "  to  grub." 

B6quillard,  m.  (popular),  old  man, 
old  "  codger j"  (thieves')  execu- 
tioner. 

B^quillarde,  /  (thieves'),  guillo- 
tine. 

Bfiquille,  /  (thieves'),  gallows, 
"  scrag."    Properly  crutch. 

B^quille,  m.  (thieves'),  hangedper- 
son,  one  who  has  "  cut  caper 
sauce." 

B6quiller  (popular),  to  hang;  to 
eat,  "  to  grub." 

B^quilleur,  m.  (thieves'),  execu- 
tioner ;  man  who  eats. 

B  erce.  Cheval  qui  se  — ,  horse  which 
rocks  from  side  to  side  when  trot- 
ting, which  "  wobbles." 

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


Berdouille — Beurlot. 


35 


Berdouille,  f.  (popular),  belly, 
"tripes." 

T'as  bouff£  des  haricots  que  t'as  la  ber- 
douille gonfle. — RlCHEPiN,  Le  Favi. 

Berge,  /.,  or  longe  (thieves'), 
year;  one  year's  imprisonment, 
"  stretch." 

Bergfere,  /.  (popular),  sweetheart, 
' '  poll ; "  last  card  in  a  pack. 

Bfeiibono,  b^ricain  (thieves'),  silly 
fellow  easily  deceived,  a  "flat,"  a 
"go  along." 

Berlauder  (popular),  to  lounge 
about,  "  to  mike  ;"  togotheround 
of  all  the  wine-shops  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

Berline  de  commerce,/",  (thieves'), 
tra/esman's  clerk. 

Berlu,  in.  (thieves'),  blind,  or 
' '  hoodman."  From  avoir  la  ber- 
lue,  to  see  double. 

Berlu e,  /.  (thieves'),  blanket, 
"  woolly." 

Bernard,  »z.(popular),  allervoir — , 
or  aller  voir  comment  se  porte 
madame  — ,  to  ease  oneself,  "  to  go 
to  Mrs.  Jones." 

Bernards,  m.  pi.  (popular),  poste- 
riors, "cheeks." 

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

Berri,  m.  (popular),  rag-picket's 
basket. 

Berry,  m.  (Ecole  I'olytechnique), 
fatigue  tunic. 

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

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

Berz61ius,  m.  (college),  watch. 

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


Besouille,/  (thieves'),  belt.  From 

bezzi,  Italian,  small  coin  kept  in 

a  belt. 
Bessons,    m.   pi.    (popular),   the 

breasts,      "  dairies."        Properly 

twins. 

Bestiasse,y°.  (popular),  arrant  fool; 
dullard,  "buffle-head." 

BSte,  f.  and  adj.  (thieves'),  confe- 
derate in  a  swindle  at  billiards. 
See  Bachotter.  (Popular)  —  a 
bon  Dieu,  harmless  person  i^xo- 
■penly  lady-bird) ;  — ^  cornts,  fork  ; 
lithographic  press  ;  —  a  deux  fins, 
walking-stick  ;  —  a  pain,  a  vian  ; 
also  a  man  who  keeps  a  woman  ; 

—  comme  ses  pieds,  arrant  fool ; 

—  comme  chou,  extremely  stupid  ; 
very  easy  ;  —  epaulee,  girl  who 
has  lost  her  maidenhead  (this 
expression  has  passed  into  the 
language).  Une  —  rouge,  an 
advanced  Republican,  a  Radical. 
Thus  termed  by  the  Conser- 
vatives. Called  also  "  democ- 
soc." 

BStises,  /.  //.  (popular),  question- 
able, or  "  blue,"  talk. 

Bettander  (thieves'),  to  beg,  "  to 
mump,"  or  "cadge." 

Betterave,/.  (popular),  drunkard's 
nose,  a  nose  with  "  grog  blossoms," 
or  a  "  copper  nose,"  suck  as  is 
possessed  by  an  "admiral  of  the 
red." 

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

Beugler  (popular),  to  weep,  "  to  nap 
one's  bib." 

Beugne,/  (popular),  W:;^,  "clout," 
"bang,"  or  "wipe." 

Beurloquin,  m.  (popular),  proprie- 
tor of  boot  warehouse  of  a  very  in- 
ferior sort. 

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


36- 


Beurrerr-Bicher. 


Beurre,  ni,.  (familiar),  coin,  "oof;" 
more  or  less  lawful  gains.  Faire 
son  — ,  to  make  considerable  pro- 
fits. Mettredu — danssesepinards, 
to  add  to  one's  means.  Y  aller  de 
son  — ,  to  make  a  large  outlay  of 
money  in  some  business.-  C'est 
un  — ,  it  is  excellent,  "nobby." 
Avoir  I'assiette  au  beurre.  See 
Avoir.  Au  prix  oil  est  le  — . 
See  Au.  Avoir  du  —  sur  la  t#te. 
See  Avoir. 

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

Beurrier,  m.  (thieves'),  banker, 
' '  rag-shop  cove. " 

Bezef  (popular),  much.  From  the 
Arabic. 

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

Bibard,  m.  (popular),  drunkard,  or 
"mop;"  aebauchee,  or  "sad 
dog." 

Bibarder  (popular),  to  grow  old. 

Bibarderie,/  (popular),  old  age. 

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

Moi  j'suis  birbass',  j'ai  b'soin  d'larton. 
RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Guettx. 

Bibasserie.     See  Bibarderie. 

Bibassier,  m.  (popular),  sulky 
grumbler;  over-particular  man; 
drunkard,  "  bubber,"  or  "lush- 
ington." 

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

Bibeloter  (popular),  to  sell  one's 
belongings,  one's  "  traps  ;"  —  une 
affaire,  to  do  some  piece  of  business. 


Se  — ,  to  make  oneself  comfortable  } . 
to  do  something  to  one's  best  advan- 
tage. 
Bibeloteur,  m.  (familiar),  a  lover 
of  knick-knacks  ;  one  who  collects 
knick-knacks, 

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

Bibi,  m.  (popular),  term  of  endear- 
ment generally  addressed  to  young 
boys ;  woman's  bonnet  out  of 
fashion.  C'est  pour  — ,  thafsfor 
me,  for  ' '  number  one. "  La  Muse 
k  — ,  the  title  of  a  collection  of 
poems  by  Gill,  literally  my  own 
muse.  A  — !  (printers')  to  Bed- 
lain  !  abbreviation  of  Bicetre, 
Paris  depbtfor  lunatics.  (Thieves') 
Bibi,  skeleton  key,  or  "  betty  ;  " 
(military)  infantry  soldier,  "mud- 
crusher,"  "  wobbler,"  or  "  beetle- 
crusher." 

Bibine,y!,  the  name  given  by  rag- 
pickers to  a  wine-shop,  or  ' '  booz- 
ing-ken. " 

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

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

Bicarre,  m.  (college),  fourth  year 
pupil  in  the  class  Jor  higher  mathe- 
viatics. 

Biceps,  m.  (familiar),  avoir  du  — , 
to  be  strong.  Tater  le  — ,  to  try 
and  insinuate  oneself  into  a  per^i 
son's  good  graces,  "  to  suck  up." 

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

Biche,/.  (familiar),  term  of  endear- 
ment, "Avj^yX";  girl  leading  a  gay 
life,  or  "pretty  horse-breaker." 

Bicheganego  (Breton),  potatoes. 

Bicher  (popular),  to  kiss.  (Rod-, 
fishers')  (pa  biche,  there's  a  bite; 
and  in  popular  language,  all  right. 


Bicherie — Bigard^. 


37 


Bicherie,  f.  (familiar),  the  world  of 
"  biches  "  or  "  cocottes. "  Haute 
— ,  the  world  of  fashionable  pros- 
titutes. 

C'est  Ik  oil  ...  on  voit  d^filer  avec  un 
frou-frou  de  sole,  la  haute  et  la  basse  bi- 
cherie en  quete  d'une  proie,  quairens  quern 
devoret. — Fk^bault,  La  Vie  d  Pan's. 

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

Bichonner  coco  (soldiers'),  to 
groom  on^s  horse, 

Bichon =,  m.  pi.  (popular),  shoes 
with  bo^us. 

Bichot,  tn.  (thieves'),  bishop.  Pro- 
bably from  the  English. 

Bidache,/.     See  Bidoche. 

Bidard,  m.  (popular),  lucky. 

Bidet,  m.  (convicts'),  stri7ig  which 
is  contrived  so  as  to  enable  pri- 
soners to  send  a  letter,  and  receive 
the  answer  by  the  same  means. 

Bidoche,  or  barbaque,/  (popu- 
lar), meat,  "bull;"  (military) 
piece  of  meat. 

Bidon  de  zinc,  m.  (military),  block- 
head.    Properly  a  can,  flask. 

Bidonner  (popular),  to  drink  freely, 
"to  swig;"  (sailors') —  a  la 
cambuse,  to  drink  at  the  canteen, 
"  to  splice  the  mainbrace." 

Bie  (Breton  cant),  beerj  water. 

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

Bienseant,  m.  (popular),  the  be- 
hind,  or  "tochas."  See  Vasistas. 


Bier  (thieves'),  to  go. 

lis  entrant  dans  le  creux,  doublent  de  la 
batouze,  des  limes,  de  I'artie  et  puis  douce- 
ment  happent  le  taillis  et  bient  attendre 
ceux  qui  se  portaient  sur  le  grand  trimar. 
— Le  Jargon  de  l^A  rgot, 

Biere,y".  (popular),  domino  box. 

Biffe,  /.  (popular),  rag-pickers' 
trade. 

Biffer  (popular),  to  ply  the  rag- 
pickers' trade ;  to  eat  greedily, 
"to  wolf." 

Biffeton,  m.  (thieves'),  letter, 
"screeve,"  or  "stiff;"  (popular) 
counter-mark  at  theatres.  Donuer 
sur  le  — ,  to  read  an  indictment ; 
to  give  infori)Latio7i  as  ,to  the 
prisoner's  character. 

BiSin,  or  bifin,  m.  (popular),  lag- 
picker,QY  "  bone-grubber  ;  "  afoot 
soldier,  or  "wobbler, "  his  Knap- 
sack being  assimilated  to  a.  rag- 
picker's basket. 

Biffre,  m.  (popular), /jo;/,  "grub." 
Passer  a  — ,  to  eat.  Passer  a  —  a 
train  express,  to  bolt  ■  own  one's 
food,  "to  guzzle. " 

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

Bifteckiffere,  adj.,  that  whith pro- 
cures one's  living,  one's  "bread 
and  cheese. " 

Bifurque.  At  the  colleges  of  the 
University  students  may,  after  the 
course  of  "  troisieme,"  take  up 
science  and  mathematics  instead 
of  continuing  the  classics.  This 
is  called  bifurcation. 

Bigard,  m.  (thieves'),  holt. 

Bigaide  (thieves'),  pierced. 


38 


Bige — Binwio. 


Bige,  bigeois,  bigeot,  m.  (thieves'), 
blockhead,  "go  along  ;"  </;<;>«,  or 
"gull." 

Bigorne,  m.  (thieves'),  jaspiner  or 
rouscailler  — ,  to  talk  cant,  "  to 
patter  flash." 

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

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

Bigornion,  m.  (popular),  falsehood, 
"swack  up." 

Bigoter  (thieves'),  to  play  the  re- 
ligious hypocrite. 

Bigoteur,  m.  (thieves'),  devout  per- 
son. 

Bigotter,  (popular),  to  pray. 

Bigrement  (familiar),  a  forcible  iyi- 
^lessicm,  extremely,  "awfully." 

Bijou, z«.  (popular),  brokenvictuals, 
or  "manablins;"  (freemasons') 
badge  ;  —  de  loge,  badge  worn  on 
the  left  side;  —  de  I'ordre, 
emblem. 

Bijouter  (thieves'),  to  steal  jewels. 

Bijouterie,/;  (popular),  money  ad- 
vanced on  wages,  "dead-horse." 

Bijoutier,  m.,  bijoutifere,  / 
(popular),  retailer  of  "  arlequins  " 
(which  see) ;  bijoutier surle  genou, 
en  cuir,  shoemaker,  or  "snob." 

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

Billancer  (thieves'),  to  serve  one's 

full  term  of  imprisonment. 
Billancher  (popular),  to  pay,  "to 

fork  out,"  "to  shell  out." 
Billard,  m.  (popular),  devisser  son, 

to  die,  or  "to  kick  the  bucket." 
Bille,    /      (thieves),     money,     or 

"pieces"    (from    billon);     (po- 


pular) head,  "tibby,"  "block,'" 
"nut,"  "canister,"  "chump,'" 
"costard,"  "attic,"  &c.  ;  —  4 
chataigne,  grotesque  head  (it  is 
the  practice  in  France  to  carve 
chestnuts  into  grotesque  beads);. 

—  de  billard,  bald  pate,  "bladder 
of  lard  ; "  —  de  boeuf,  chitterling. 

Billemon,  billemont,  m.  (thieves'), 
bank-note,  "soft,"  "rag,"  or 
"flimsy." 

Billeoz  (Breton),  money. 

Billeozi  (Breton),  to  pay. 

Biller  (thieves'),  to  pay,  "to  dub." 

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

Billez  (Breton),  girl ;  peasant  wo- 
man. 

Bince,  «. (thieves'),  knife,  "chive.'" 

Malheur  aux  pantres  de  province, 
Souvent  lard^  d'un  coup  de  bince, 
Le  micheton  nu  se  sauvait. 

RiCHEPiN,  Gtieujc  de  Paiis. 

Binelle,/.  (popular),  bankruptcy. 

Binellier,  m.  (popular),  bankrupt, 
"brosier." 

Binellophe,  /.  (popular),  fraudu- 
lent bankruptcy. 

Binette,/  (familiar), /a^^,  "phiz;" 

—  a  la  desastre,  gloomy  face. 
Prendre  la  —  4  quclqu'un,  to 
take  one's  portrait.  Quelle  sale 
— ,  what  an  ugly  face  !  a  regular 
"knocker  face."  Une  dr61e  de 
— ,  queer  face. 

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

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


Bique — Blafarde. 


39 


Bique,  f.  (popular),  old  horse;  — 
et  bouque,  hermaphrodite  (equiva- 
lent to  ' '  ch^vre  et  bouc  "). 

Birbade,  birbasse,  birbe,  bir- 
bette,  birbon,  m.  and  adj. 
(thieves'  and  popular),  old ;  old 
man  ;  old  woman. 

Birbassier.     See  Bibassier. 

Birbe  (popular),  old  man,  old  "  cod- 
ger ;"  (thieves')  —  dab,  grand- 
father. 

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

Biribi,  m.  (thieves'),  short  crowbar 
used  by  housebreakers,  "James," 
"  the  stick,"  or  "  jemmy." 
Termed  also  "pince  monseigneur, 
rigolo,  I'enfant,  Jacques,  Sucre  de 
pomme,  dauphin." 

Birlibi,  m.  (thieves'),  game  flayed 
by  swindling  gamblers  with  wal- 
nut shells  and  dice. 

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

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

Biscaye  (thieves'),  Bicltre,  a  prison. 

Biscayen  (thieves'),  madman,  one 
who  is  "  balmy."  (Bicetre  has  a 
depot  for  lunatics. ) 

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

Biscope.orviscope,/;  (cads'),  ca/. 

La  viscope  en  arriere  et  la  trombine  au  vent, 
L'oeil  marlou,  il  entra  chez  le  zingue. 

RjCHEPiN,  Gueux  de  Paris. 

Biser  Camiliar),  to  kiss. 

Bismarck,  couleur — ,brown  colour; 

en    colere,    —    malade,    are 

various  shades  of  brown. 

Bismarcker  (gamesters'),  to  mark 
twice ;  to  appropriate  by  fair  or 
foul  means.    It  is  to  be  presumed 


this  is  an  allusion  to  Bismarck's 
alleged  summary  ways  of  getting 
possession  of  divers  territories. 

Bisquant,  adj.  (popular),  provok- 
ing, annoying. 

Bissard,  m.  (popular),  brown  bread. 

Bistourne,  m.  (popular),  hunting 
horn. 

Bistro,  bistrot,  m.  (popular),  land- 
lord of  ivine-shop. 

Bitte  et  bosse  (sailors'),  carousing 
exclamation. 

L'aisse  arriver !  voiles  largues,  et  rem- 
plissez  les  boujarons,  vous  autres  !  Tout  a 
la  noce  !  Bitte  et  bosse  ! — Richepin,  La 
Glu. 

Bitter  cuirasse,  m.  (familiar),  mix- 
ture of  bitters  and  curafoa. 

Bitume,  m.  foot-pavement.  De- 
moiselle du  — ,  street-walker. 
Faire  le  — ,  to  walk  the  street. 
Fouler,  or  pplir  le  -r-,  to  saunter 
on  the  boulevard, 

Bitumer  is  said  of  women  who 
walk  the  streets. 

Biture,  f.  (familiar),  excessive  in- 
dulgence in  food  or  drink,  "  scorf." 

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

Blackboulage,  m.  (familiar),  black- 
balling. 

Blackbouler  (familiar),  to  blackball. 
The  expression  has  now  a  wider 
range,  and  is  used  specially  in  re- 
ference to  unreturned  candidates 
to  Parliament.  Un  blackboule 
du  suffrage  universel,  an  unre- 
turned candidate. 

Blafard  (cads'),  silver  coin. 

II  avait  vu  sauter  une  piSce  de  cent  sous, 
Se  cognant  au  trottoir  dans  un  bruit  de 

cymbales, 
Un  ^cu  flambant  neuf,  un  blafard  de.  cinq 

balles. 
RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Blafarde  (cads'),  death. 


40 


Blague — Blanchir. 


Blague,  /  Literally  facility  of 
speech,  not  of  a  very  high  order  ; 
talk  ;  humbug;  fib  ;  chaff;  joke. 
Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  have  a  ready 
tongue.  N'avoir  que  la  — ,  to  be 
a  facile  utterer  of  empty  words. 
Avoir  la  —  du  metier,  to  be  an 
adept  in  showing  off  knowledge  of 
things  relating  to  one' s  prof ession. 
Nous  avons  fait  deux  heures 
de  — ,  we  talked  together  for 
two  hours.  Pas  de  — !  none  of 
your  nonsense  ;  let  us  be  serious. 
Pousser  une  — ,  to  cram  up;  to 

joke.  Sans  — ,  /  am  not  joking. 
Une  bonne  — ,  a  good  joke  ;  a  good 
story.  Une  mauvaise  — ,  a  bad, 
ill  -  natured  joke ;  bad  trick. 
Quelle  — ,  what  humbug!  what  a 
story  !  Ne  faire  que  des  blagues  is 
said  of  a  literary  man  whose  pro- 
ductions are  of  no  importance. 
(Popular)  Blague  sous  I'aisselle ! 
no  more  humbugging!    I  am  not 

joking!  —  dans  le  coinl  joking 
apart ;  seriously. 

Blaguer  (familiar),  to  chat ;  to  talk; 
to  joke  ;  not  to  be  in  earnest ;  to 
draw  the  long-bow ;  to  quiz,  tochaff, 
to  humbug  one,  "  to  pull  the  leg;" 
to  make  a  jaunty  show  of  courage. 
Tu  blagues  tout  le  temps, ^ok  talk 
all  the  time.  II  avait  I'air  de 
blaguer  mais  il  n'etait  pas  ila  noce, 
he  made  a  show  of  bravery,  but  he 
was  far  from  being  comfortable. 

Blagues  k  tabac,  /  (popular), 
withered  bosoms. 

Blagueur,  blagueuse  (familiar), 
humbug;  story-teller;  one  who 
rails  at,  scoffer. 

Blaichard  (popular),  clerk,  or 
"  quill-driver." 

Et  les  ouvriers  en  vidant  ^  midi  une 
bonne  chopine,  la  trogne  allum^e,  les  re- 
gards souriants,  se  moquent  des  dtfjetes, 
des  blaichards. — Richepin,  Le  Pavi. 

Blair,  blaire,  m.  (popular),  nose, 
"boko,"  "smeller,"   "snorter," 


or  "conk."     Se  piquer  le  — ,  to 
get  tipsy.     See  Se  sculpter. 

Si  les  prop'  ^  rien  .  .  . 
Ont  rdroit  de  s'piquer  I'blaire, 
Moi  qu'ai  toujours  k  faire  .  .  . 
J'peux  boire  un  coup  d'bleu. 
RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Blaireaii,  m.  (military),  recruit,  or 
' '  Johnny  raw  ;"  a  broom  ;  foolish 
young  man  who  aspires  to  literary 
honours  and  who  squanders  his 
money  in  the  company  of  journa- 
listic Bohemians. 

Blanc,  m.  (popular),  street-walker ; 
white  wine  ;  white  brandy  ;  one- 
franc  piece.  (Printers')  Jeter  du 
— ,  to  interline.  (Thieves')  N'etre 
pas  — ,  to  have  a  misdeed  on  one's 
conscience;  to  be  liable  to  be 
"  wanted."  (Military)  Faire  faire 
—  ^  quelqu'un  de  sa  bourse,  to 
draw  freely  on  anothej^s  purse ; 
to  live  at  another's  expense  in  a 
mean  and  paltry  manner,  "  to 
spunge."  (Familiar)  Blanc,  one 
of  the  Legitimist  party.  The 
appellation  used  to  be  given  in 
1 85 1  to  Monarchists  or  Bona- 
partists. 

Enfin  pour  terminer  I'bistoire, 
De  mon  bceuf  blanc  ne  jsarlons  plus. 
Je  veux  le  mener  k  la  foire, 
A  qui  le  veut  pour  dix  £cus. 
De  quelque  sot  fait-il  I'affaire, 
Je  le  donne  pour  peu  d'argent, 
Car  je  sais  qu'en  France  on  pr^fSre 
Le  rouge  au  blanc. 

Pierre  Barrere,  1851. 

Blanchemont,  m.  (thieves'),  pivois 
de  — ,  white  wine. 

Blanches,  /  pi.  (printers').  The 
different  varieties  of  type  are: 
"  blanches,  grasses,  maigres,  al- 
longees,  noires,  larges,  ombrees, 
perlees,  I'Anglaise,  I'Americaine, 
la  grosse  Normande." 

Blanchi,  adj.  (popular),  mal  — , 
negro,  or  "  darkey." 

Blanchir  (journalists'),  to  make 
many  breaks  in  one's  manuscript, 
much  fresh-a-lining. 


Blanchisseur — Blonde. 


41 


Blanchisseur,  m.  (popular),  bar- 
rister;  (literary)  one  who  revises  a 
manuscript,  who  gives  it  the  proper 
literary  form. 

Blanchisseuse  de  tuyaux  de 
pipe  (popular),  variety  of  prosti- 
tute.    See  Gadoue. 

Blanc-partout,  m.  (popular), /aj- 
try-cook's  boy. 

Plus  g£neralement  connu  sous  le  nom 
de  gate-sauce,  design^  aussi  sous  le  nom 
de  blanc-partout,  le  patronnet  est  ce  petit 
bout  d'homme  que  Ton  rencontre  environ 
tous  les  cinq  cents  pas. — Richepin,  Le 
Pavf. 

Blancs,  m.  pi.  (familiar),  d'Eu, 
partisans  of  the  if  Orleans  family  ; 
—  d'Espagne,  Cariists. 

Blanc-vilain,  m.  (popular),  7nan 
whose  functions  consist  in  throwing 
poisoned  meat  to  ivandeHng  dogs. 

Blanquette,  f.  (thieves'),  silver 
coin;  sUver plate. 

II  lira  de  sa  poche  onze  converts  d'ar- 
gent  et  deux  montres  d'or  qu'il  posa  sur  le 
gueridon.  400  balles  tout  cela,  ce  n'est 
pas  cher,  les  bogues  d'Orient  et  la  blan- 
quette, allous  aboule  du  carle. — Vidocq, 
Mivtoires. 

Blanquetter  (thieves'),  to  silver. 

Blanquettier  (thieves'),  silverer. 

Blard,  or  blavard,  m.  (thieves'), 
shawl. 

Blase,  e,  adj.  (thieves'),  swollen. 
From  the  German  blasen,  to  blow. 

Blave,  blavin,  m.  (thieves'),  hand- 
kerchief, "  muckinger  "  (from  the 
old  word  blave,  blue) ;  necktie, 
"neckinger." 

Blavin,  m.  {\h.\tves,'),  pocket-pistol, 
"pops."  '  An  allusion  to  blavin, 
pocket-handkerchief. 

Blaviniste,  m.  {thieves'), pickpocket 
who  devotes  his  attention  to  hand- 
kerchiefs, ' '  stook  hauler. " 

B16,  ble  battu,  m.  (popular), 
money,  "loaver." 


Blfeche,  adj.,  middling ;  bad ;  ugly. 
Faire  banque  — ,  not  to  get  any 
pay.  Faire  — ,  to  make  a  "  bad  " 
at  a.  game,  such  as  the  game  of 
fives  for  instance. 

Bleu,  m.  (military),  recruit,  or 
"  Johnny  raw  ; "  new-comer  at  the 
cavalry  school  of  Saumur ; 
(thieves')  cloak;  also  name  given 
to  Republican  soldiers  by  the  Roya- 
list rebels  of  Brittany  in  1793. 
After  1815  the  Monarchists  gave 
the  appellation  to  Bonapartists. 
(Popular)  Petit  — ,  red  wine. 
Avoir  un  coup  d' — ,  to  be  slightly 
tipsy,  "elevated."  See  Pom- 
pette. 

Quandj'siffle  un  canon  .  .  . 

C'est  pas  pour  faire  I'pantre, 

C'est  qu'  j'ai  plus  d'coeur  au  ventre  .  .  . 

Aprfes  un  coup  d'bleu. 

RlCHEfiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

(Familiar)  Bleu,  adj.  astounding; 
hicredible ;  hard  to  stoviach.  En 
etre  — ;  en  bailler  tout  —  ;  en 
rester  tout  — ,  to  be  stupefied, 
miKh  annoyed  or  disappointed, 
"to  look  blue;"  to  be  suddenly 
in  u  great  rage.  (Theatrical) 
Etre  — ,  to  be  utterly  worthless. 

Bleue  (familiar),  elle  est  -^  celle-la; 
en  voilk  une  de  — ;  je  la  trouve  — , 
refers  to  anything  incredible,  dis- 
appointing, annoying,  hard  to 
stomach.  Une  colore  — ,  violent 
rage. 

Blezimarder  (theatrical),  to  inter- 
rupt an  actor. 

Bloc,  m.,  military  cell,  prison, 
"mill,"  "Irish theatre,"  "jigger." 

Blockaus,  m.  (military),  shako. 

Blond,  m.  (popular),  beau  — ,  man 
who  is  neither  fair  nor  handsome; 
(thieves')  the  sun. 

Blonde,  f.  (popular),  bottle  of  white 
•wine;  sweetheart,  or  "jomer;" 
glass  of  ale  at  certain  cafes, 
"  brune  "  being  the  denomination 
for  porter. 


42 


Bloqud — Bceuf. 


Bloqu^,  adj.  (printers'),  ^tre  —  & 
la  banque,  to  receive  no  fay. 

Bloquer  (military),  to  imprison, 
confine  ;  (popular)  to  sell,  to  for- 
sake ;  (printers')  to  replace  tem- 
porarily one  letter  by  another,  to 
use  a  "  turned  sort." 

Bloquir  (popular),  to  sell. 

Blot,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
price;  affair;  concern  in  anything; 
share,  or  "whack."  Ca  fait  mon 
— ,  that  suits  me.  Nib  dans  mes 
blots,  that  is  not  my  affair ;  that 
does  not  suit  me. 

L'turbin  c'est  boh  pour  qui  qu'est  mouche, 

A  moi,  il  fait  nib  dans  mes  blots. 

RiCHEFiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Bloumard,  m.,  bloume, /!  (popu- 
lar), hat,  "tile." 

Blouse,  f.  (familiar),  the  working 
classes.  Mettre  quelqu'un  dans  la 
— ,  to  imprison,  or  cause  one  to  fall 
into  a  snare.  Une  blouse  is 
properly  a  billiard  pocket. 

Blpusier,  m.  (familiar),  cad, 
"rank  outsider." 

Bobe,  m.  (thieves'),  watch,   "tat- 
tler." Fairele — ,toeaseadrunkard 
of  his  watch,  "  to  claim  a  canon's 
red  toy." 
BobSchon,    m.    (popular),    head, 
"nut."     Se  monter  le  — ,  to  be 
enthusiastic. 
Bobelins,  m.  pi.  (popular),  boots, 
"  hock-dockies,"    or    "trotter- 
cases."    See  Ripatons. 
Bobinasse,    /.    (popular),     head, 

"block." 
Bobine,/  (popular), ^^,  "mug" 
(old  word  bobe,  grimace).     Une 
sale  — ,  ugly  face.    Plus  de  fil  sur 
la  — .     See  Avoir.     Se  ficher  de 
la  —  ^  quelqu'un,  to  laugh  at  one. 
Un  cocher  passe,  je  I'appelle, 
Et  j'lui  dis  :  dites  done  I'ami ; 
Via  deux  francs,  j'prends  vot'  berline 
Conduisez-moi  Pare  Monceau. 
Deux  francs  !  tu  t'fiches  d'ma  bobine, 
Va  done,  eh  !  fourneau  ! 

Parisian  Song. 


Bobino.     See  Bobe. 

Bobonne,  for  bonne,  nursery- 
maid;  servant  girl,  or  "slavey." 

Bobosse,  /.  (popular),  humpback, 
"  lord." 

Bobottier,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
complains  apropos  of  nothing. 
From  bobo,  a  slight  ailment. 

Boo,  »2.  ('go^\Az.x),houseofillfa}ne, 
"  nanny -shop. " 

Bocal,  m.  (popular),  lodgings, 
' '  crib ; "  stomach,  "bread  basket. " 
Se  collar  quelque  chose  dans  le 
— ,  to  eat.  Se  rincer  le  — ,  to 
drink,  "to  wet  one's  whistle." 
(Thieves')  Bocal,  pane,  glass. 

Bocard,  m.  (popular),  cafe ;  house 
of  illfarru,  "  nanny-shop  ; "  — 
panne,  small  coffee-shop. 

Bocari,  m,  (thieves'),  the  toivn  of 
Seaucaire, 

Boche,  m.  (popular),  rake,  "  rip," 
"  molrower." or  "beard  splitter." 
Tete  de  — ,  an  expression-,  applied 
to  a  dull-witted  person.  Literally 
wooden  head.     Abo  a  German. 

Bocker  (familiar),  to  drink  bocks. 

Bocotter,  to  grumble ;   to  mutter. 

Literally  to  bleat  like  a  bocquotte, 

goat. 

Bocque,  bogue,  m.  (thieves'), 
watch,  "tattler." 

Bocson  (common),  house  of  ill- 
fame,  "nanny-shop;"  (thieves') 
lodgings,  "  dossing- ken." 

Montron  ouvre  ta  lourde. 
Si  tu  veux  que  j'aboule 
Kt  piausse  en  ton  bocson. 

ViDOCQ,  Memoires. 

Bceuf,  m.  (popular),  king  of  play- 
ing cards  ;  shoemaker's  workman, 
or  journeyman  tailor,  who  does 
rough  jobs.  Avoir  son  — ,  to  get 
"■"■gi^y,  "  to  nab  the  rust."  Etre 
le  — ,  to  work  without  profit.  Se 
mettre  dans  le  — ,  to  be  reduced  in 


Bceufier — Bolero. 


43 


circumstances,  an  allusion  to  boeuf 
bouilli,  very  plain  fare.  (Printers') 
Boeuf,  composition  of  a  few  lines 
done  for  an  absentee.  Boeuf,  adj. 
extraordinary, ' '  stunning ; "  enor- 
mous ;  synonymous  of  "chic  "  at 
the  Ecole  Saint-Cyr ;  (cads')  plea- 
sant. 

Bceufier,  m.  (popular),  man  of 
choleric  disposition,  one  prone  "to 
nab  his  rust. " 

Boffete,/.,  box  on  the  ear,  "buck- 
horse.  "  From  the  old  word  buffet. 

Bog,  or  bogue,^  (thieves'),  watch; 

—  en  jonc,  —  d'orient,  gold 
watch,  "  revl  'un,"  or  "  red  toy;" 

—  en  platre,  silver  watch,  "white 
■un." 

J'enflaque  sa  limace, 
Son  bogue,  ses  fiusques,  ses  passes. 
ViDOCQ. 

Boguiste  (thieves'),  watch-maker. 

Boire  (printers'),  de  I'encre  is  said 
of  one  who  on  joining  a  party  of 
boon  companions  finds  all  the 
liquor  has  been  disposed  of.  He 
will  then  probably  exclaim, 

Est-ce  que  vous  croyez  que  je  vais  boire 
de  I'encre? — BouTMY. 

(Familiar)  —  dans  la  grande  tasse, 
to  be  drowned  ;  (actors')  —  du  lait, 
to  obtain  applause  ;  —  une  goutte, 
to  be  hissed,  "  to  be  goosed." 

Bois,  m.  (cads'),  pourri,  tinder ; 
(thieves')  —  tortu,  vine.  (Thea- 
trical) Avoir  du  — ,  or  mettre  du 
— ,  to  have  friends  distributed  here 
and  there  among  the  spectators, 
whose  applause  excites  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  audience.  Literally 
to  put  on  fuel. 

Boisseau,  m.  (popular),  shako}  tall 
hat,  "chimneypot."  Forsynonyms 
see  Tubard ;  litre  wine  bottle. 


Boissonner  (popular),  to  drink 
heavily,  "  to  swill." 

Boissonneur  (popular),  assiduous 
frequenter  of  wine-shop,  3.  "lush- 
ington." 

Boissonnier  (popular),  one  who 
drinks  heavily,  a  "  lushington." 

Boite,  /.  (familiar  and  popular), 
mean  house,  lodging-house,  or  re- 
staurant ;  trading  establishment 
managed  in  an  unbusiness-like 
manner;  one's  employer'' s  establish- 
ment ;  workshop ;  crammer's  es- 
tablishment; disorderly  household; 
carriage,  or  "  trap  ;"  —  a  comes, 
hat  or  cap ;  —  a  dominos,  coffin, 
"  cold  meat  box  ;"  —  a  gaz,  sto- 
mach ;  —  h.  surprises,  the  head  of 
a  learned  man;  —  a  violon,  coffin; 

—  au  sel,  hedd,  "  tibby  ;"  —  aux 
cailloux,    prison,    "stone-jug;" 

—  d'echantillons,  latrine  tub; 
(thieves')  —  i  Pandore,  box  con- 
taining soft  wax  for  taking  im- 
prints of  keyholes ;  (military) 
guard-room,  "jigger;"  —  aux 
reflexions,  cells.  Boulotter  de 
la  — ,  coucher  k  la  — ,  to  get  fre- 
quenily  locked  up.  Grosse  — , 
prison.  (Printers')  ^oiis, printer's 
shop,  and  more  particularly  one  of 
the  inferior  sort. 

"  C'est  une  boite,"  dit  un  vieux  singe  ; 
"  il  y  a  toujours  mfeche,  mais  hasard  !  au 
bout  de  la  quinzaine,  banque  bleche." 

Faire  sa  — ,  to  distribute  into 
one's  case.  Pilleur  de  — ,  or 
fricoteur,  one  who  takes  on  the  sly 
type  from  fellow  cotnpositor' s  case. 

Boiter  (popular),  des  calots,  to 
squint,  to  be  "  boss-eyed  ;  " 
(thieves')  —  des  chasses,  to  squint, 
to  be  "  squinny-eyed." 

Bolero,  m.  (familiar),  a  kind  of 
lady's  hat,  Spanish  fashion. 


44 


Bolivar — Bonique. 


Bolivar,  m.  (popular),  hat,  "tile."       Bondieusardisme,/,  bigotry. 


Bombe,  /  (popular),  mine  measure, 
about  half  a  litre  ;  (military)  — 
de  vieux  oint,  bladder  of  lard. 
Gare  la  —  !  look  out  for  squalls  ! 

Bombe,  m.  (popular),  hunchback, 
"lord." 

Bon,  man  to  be  relied  on  in  any 
circumstance ; onewho  is  "game  ;" 
man  wanted  by  the  police.  Etre  le 
— ,  to  be  arrested,  or  the  right  man. 
Vous  Stes  —  vous  !  you  amuse 
me!  well,  thafs good !  (Printers') 
Bon,  proof  luhich  bears  the  author's 
intimation,  "  bon  a  tirer,"  for 
press.  Avoir  du  • — ,  to  have  some 
co7nposition  not  entered  in  one's 
account,  and  reserved  for  the  next. 
(Familiar)  Bon  jeune  homme, 
candid  young  man,  in  other  terms 
greenhorn;  (popular)  — pour  cadet 
is  said  of  a  dull  paper,  or  of  an 
tmpleasant  letter ;  —  sang  de  bon 
sang,  mild  oath  elicited  by  astonish- 
ment or  indignation.  (Popular 
and  familiar)  Etre  des  bons,  to  be 
all  right,  safe.  Nous  arrivons  a 
temps,  nous  sommes  des  bons. 
Le  —  endroit,  posteriors,  Donner 
un  coup  de  pied  juste  au  —  en- 
droit, to  kick  one's  behind,  to 
"hoof  one's  bum."  Arriver  — 
premier,  to  surpass  all  rivals, 
"to  beat  hollow." 

Bonbon,  m.  (popular),  pimple. 
Bonbonnifere,  f  (popular),  latrine 
tub  ;  —  a  filous,  omnibus. 

Bonde  (thieves'),  central  prison. 

Bon-Dieu  (soldiers'),^^^-^^.  (Popu- 
lar) II  n'y  a  pas  de  — ,  that  is, 
il  n'y  a  pas  de  • —  qui  puisse 
empecher  cela.  (Convicts')  Short 
diary  of  fatigue  parties  at  the 
hulks. 

Bondieusard, /«.  (familiar),  bigot ; 
dealer  in  articles  used  for  worship 
in  churches. 


Bondieuserie,  /,  article  used  for 
worship  ;  dealing  in  such  articles. 

Bonhomme,  m.  (thieves'),  saint. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Un  — ,  an 
individual,  a  "party."  Mon  — , 
my  good  fellow.  Petit  —  de  chemin, 
see  Alien 

Bonicard,      m.,     bonicarde,   / 

(thieves'),  old  man,  old  woman. 

Boniface,  m.  (popular),  simple- 
minded  man,  "flat,"  or  " green- 
horn." 

Bonifacement  (popular),  with 
simplicity. 

Boniment,  m.  (familiar),  puffing 
speech  of  quacks,  of  mountebanks, 
of  shopmen,  of  street  vendors,  of 
three-card-trick  sharpers,  and 
generally  clap-trap  speech  in  re- 
commendation or  explanation  of 
anything.  Richepin,  in  his 
Pavi,  gives  a  good  specimen  of 
the  "  boniment  "  of  a  "  maquil- 
leur  de  bremes,"  or  three-card- 
trick  sharper. 

Accroupi,  les  doigts  tnpotant  trois  cartes 
au  ras  du  sol,  le  pif  en  I'air,  les  yeux  dan- 
sants,  un  voyou  en  chapeau  melon  glapit 
son  boniment  d'une  voix  k  la  fois  tralnante 
et  volubile  :  .  .  .  .  C'est  moi  qui  perds. 
Tant  pire,  mon  p'tit  pfere  !  Ras^,  le  ban- 
quier  !  Encore  un  tour,  mon  amour.  V'lk 
le  coeur,  cochon  de  bonheurl  C'est  pour 
finir.  Mon  fond,  qui  se  fond.  Trifle  qui 
gagne.  Carreau,  c'est  le  bagne. .  Coeur, 
du  beurr^  pour  le  voyeur.  Trfefle,  c'est 
tabac !  'raoac  pour  papa.  Qui  qu'en 
veut  ?  Un  pen,  mon  neveu  !  La  v'lk.  Le 
trefle  gagne  !  Le  coeur  perd.  Le  car- 
reau perd.  Voyez  la  danse  !  Ca  recom- 
mence. Je  le  mets  Ik.  II  est  ici,  merci. 
Vous  allez  bien »  Moi  aussi.  EUe  passe. 
Elle  depasse.  C'est  moi  qui  trepasse, 
helas  !  .  .  .  Regardez  bien  !  C'est  le  coup 
de  chien.  Passd  !  C'est  assez  !  Enfoncf ! 
II  y  a  vingt-cinque  francs  au  jeu  !  &c. 

Bonique,  w.  (thieves'),  white-haired 
old  man. 


Bonir — Bordelier. 


45, 


Bonir  (thieves'),  to  talk  ;  to  say,  "  to 
patter  ;"  —  au  latichon,  to  con- 
fess to  a  priest. 

Le  dardant  rifTaudait  ses  lombes, 
Lubre  il  bonissait  aux  palombes, 
Vous  grublez  comine  un  guichemard. 
iiiCHEPiN,  Chansoit  des  Gueux. 

Bonisseur,  m.,  one  who  makes  a 
' '  boniment "  (which  see) ;  (thieves') 
barrister ;  —  de  la  bate,  witness 
for  the  defence. 

Bonjour  m.  (thieves'),  voleur  au  — , 
bonjourier,  or  chevalier  grimpant, 
thief  who,  at  an  early  hour,  enters 
a  house  or  hotel,  walks  into  a 
room,  and  appropriates  any  suit- 
able article.  If  the  person  in  bed 
wakes  up,  the  rogue  politely 
apologises  for  his  pretended  error. 
Other  thieves  of  the  same  descrip- 
tion commence  operations  at  din- 
ner-time. They  enter  a  dining- 
room,  and  seize  the  silver  plate 
laid  out  on  the  table.  This  is 
called  "goupiner  a  la  desserte." 

Bon  motif,  m.  (familar).  Faire  la 
cour  a  une  fiUe  pour  le  — ,  to 
make  laroe  to  a  girl  with  honourable 
intentions. 

Bonne,  adj.  (familiar),  amusing,  or 
the  reverse.  Elle  est  bien  — ,  what 
a  good  joke  !  what  a  joke  !  Elle  est 
< — ,  celle-la  !  well,  it  is  too  bad  ! 
what  next?  (Popular)  Etre  a  la — , 
to  be  loved.  Etre  de  la  — ,  to  be 
lucky.  Avoir  a  la  — ,  to  like. 
Bonne  fortanche,  female  sooth- 
sayer;  —  grace,  cloth  used  by 
tailors  as  wrappers. 

Bonnet,  m.,  secret  covenant  among 
printers. 

Espece  de  ligue  offensive  et  defensive 
que  'forment  quelques  compositeurs  em- 
ployes depuis  longtemps  dans  une  maison 
et  qui  ont  tous,  pour  ainsi  direla  tete  sous 
le  m@me  bonnet.  Rien  de  moins  fratemel 
que  le  bonnet.  II  fait  la  pluie  et  le  beau 
^mps,  dans  un  atelier,  distribue  les  mises 


en  page  et  les  travaux  les  plus  avantageux 
^  ceux  qui  en  font  partie. — E.  BouTMY, 
A  rgot  des  Typographes. 

(Thieves')  — czxxi,  judge,  or  "cove 
vpith  the  jazey  ;  "  ■ —  vert  a  per- 
pete,  one  sentenced  to  penal  servi- 
tude for  life,  or  "  lifer  ;"  (popular) 

—  de  coton,  lumbering,  weak  man, 
or  "  sappy ; "  mean  man,  or 
"scurf;"  — ■  de  nuit  sans  coiffe, 
man  of  a  melancholy  disposition, 
or  ' '  croaker ;"  —  d'ev^que,  rump 
of  a  fowl,  or  "parson's  nose." 
(Familiar)  Bonnet,  small  box  at 
theatres  ;  — ■  jaune,  twenty  franc 
coin ;  (military)  —  de  police, 
recruit,  or  "Johnny  raw." 

Bonneteau,  m.,  jeu  de  — ,  card- 
sharping  game ;  three-card  trick. 

Bonneteur,  m.,  card-sharper,  or 
"broadsman." 

Bonnichon,  m.  (popular),  working 
girl's  cap. 

Bono  (popular),  good,  middling. 

Bons,  m.  (military),  la  sonnerie  des 

—  de  tabac,  (iionical)  trumpet 
call  for  those  confined  to  barracks. 

Borde  (cocottes'),  Stre  — ,  to  have 
renounced  the  pleasures  of  love, 
^^ sua  sponte,"  or  otherwise.  Lite- 
rally to  be  lying  in  bed  with  the 
bed-clothes  tucked  in. 

Bordee,  /.  (familiar  and  popular), 
unlawful  absence.  Tirer  une  — , 
to  absent  oneself  for  some  amuse- 
nunt  of  a  questionable  character ; 
to  go  "on  the  booze." 

La  paie  de  grande  quinzaine  emplissait 
le  trottoir  d'une  bousculade  de  gouapeurs 
tirant  une  bordee. — Zola. 

Bordee  de  coups  de  poings,  rapid 
delivery  of  blows,  or  "  fibbing." 
Bordel,  m.  (popular),  small f aggot ; 
tools  ;  —  ambulant,  hackney  coach. 

Bordelier  (popular), /a^^?^/«f,  "mol- 
rower,"  or  "mutton-monger." 


46 


Borgne — Boucher. 


Borgne,  m.  (cads'),  breech,  or 
"blind   cheek;"    ace  of  cards ; 

—  de  cceur,  ace  of  hearts,  ' '  pig's 
eye." 

Borgner  (cads'),  to  look. 

Borgniat  (popular),  one-eyed  man, 
"  boss-eyed." 

Borne  de  vieux  oint,^  (popular), 
bladder  of  lard. 

Bos  (Breton),  well;  well  done! 

Bosco,  boscot,  boscotte,  stunted 
man  or  woman  ;  hunchback. 

Bosse.y;  (familiar),  excessive  eating 
and  drinking;  excess  of  any  kind. 
Se  donner,  se  flanquer  une  — ,  to 
get  a  good  fill,  "  a  tightener."  Se 
faire  des  bosses,  to  amuse  oneself 
amazingly.  Se  donner,  se  flanquer 
une  —  de  rire,  to  split  with 
laughter.  Rouler  sa  — ,  to  go 
along.  Tomber  sur  la  ■■ — ,  to 
attack,  to  "  pitch  into." 

Bosselard,  m.  (familiar),  silk  hat, 
"  tile." 

Bosser  (popular),  to  laugh;  ta 
amuse  oneself. 

Bossmar,  m.  (thieves'),  hunchback, 
"lord." 

Bossoirs,  m.  pi.  (sailors'),  bosoms. 
Gabarit  sans  — ,  tkim  breasts. 

Botte,  f.  (popular),  de  neuf  jours, 
or  en  gatte,  boot  out  at  the  sole. 
Jours,  literally  days,  chinks.  Du 
jus  de  — ,  kicks.    (Sailors')  Jus  de 

—  premier  brin,  rum.  of  the  first 
quality. 

Botter  (popular),  to  suit.  Ca  me 
botte,  that  just  suits  ?ne,  just  the 
thing  for  me.  Botter,  to  kick  one's 
breech,  or  "  to  toe  one's  bum," 
"  to  root,"  or  "  to  land  a  kick." 

Bottler  (popular),  one  who  is- fond 
of  kicking. 


Bouant,  m.  (cads'), /zjf,  or  "angel." 
From  boue,  mud. 

Boubane,/  (thieves'),  wig,  "peri- 
winkle." 

Boubouar  (Breton),  ox;  cattle  in 
general. 

Boubouerien  (Breton),  threshing 
machine. 

BoubouiUe  (popular),  bad  cookery. 

Bouc,  m.  (popular),  husband  whose 
wife  is  unfaithful  to  him,  a 
"cuckold."  Properly  he-goat; 
((amiliar)  beard  on  chin,  "goatee." 

Boucan,  m.,  great  uproar, 
"shindy." 

J'ai  ma  troupe,  je  distribue  les  r61es, 
j'org;anise  la  claque.  .  .  .  J 'Stablis  la  contre- 
partie  pour  les  interruptions  et  le  boucan. 
— Mac6. 

(Popular)  Donner  un  —  i  quel- 
qu'un,  to  give  a  blow  or  "  clout " 
to  one. 

Boucanade,  /  (thieves'),  bribing 
or  ' '  greasing  "  a  witness.  Coquer 
la  — ,  to  bribe.  Literally  to  treat 
to  drink.  In  Spain  wine  is  in- 
closed in  goatskins,  hence  the 
expression. 

Boucaner  (popular),  to  make  a 
great  uproar ;  to  stink. 

Boucaneur,  m.  (popular),  one  fond 
of  women,  who  goes  "raolrow- 
ing,"  or  a  "  mutton-monger." 

Boucani^re,  f.  (popular),  woman 
too  fond  of  men. 

Boucard,  m.  (thieves'),  shop, 
"chovey." 

Boucardier,  m.  (thieves'),  thief 
who  breaks  into  shops. 

Bouche-roeil,  m.  (prostitutes'),  a 
five,  ten,  or  twenty-fraru  piece. 

Boucher  (thieves'),  surgeon,  "  nim- 
gimmer ;  "  (familiar)  —  un  trou,  to 
pay  part  of  debt;  (popular)  — 
la  lumifere,  to  give  a  kick  in  the 


Bouche-trou — Bougre. 


47 


breech,  "  to  hoof  one's  bum,"  or 
"to  land  a  kick."  Lumi^re, 
properly  tottch-hole. 

Bouche-trou,  m.  The  best  scho- 
lars in  all  University  colleges  are 
allowed  to  compete  at  a  yearly 
examination  called  "grand  con- 
cours."  The  "bouche-trou"  is 
one  who  acts  as  a  substitute  for 
anyone  who  for  some  reason  or 
other  finds  himself  prevented 
from  competing.  (Literary)  Lite- 
rary production  used  as  a  make- 
shift;  (theatrical)  actor  whose 
functions  are  to  act  as  u  substi- 
tute in  a  case  of  emergency. 

Bouchon,  m.  (thieves'),  purse, 
"skin,"  or  "  poge  ; "  (popular)  a 
younger  brother ;  bottle  of  wine 
■zoith  a  waxed  cork  ;  quality,  kind, 
"kidney."  Etre  d'un  bon — ,  to 
be  an  amusing,  good-humoured 
fellow,  or  a  "brick."  S'asseoir 
sur  le  — ,  to  sit  on  the  bare  ground. 

Bouclage,  m.  (thieves'),  handcuffs, 
or  "bracelets;"  bonds ;  imprison- 
ment. 

Boucl6  (thieves'),  imprisoned,  or 
"slowed." 

Boucler  (thieves'),  to  shut,  "to 
dub ; "  to  imprison.  Bouclez  la 
iourde  !  shut  the  door! 

Boucle  zoze,  m.  (thieves'),  brown 
bread. 

Bouder  (literally  to  be  sulky)  is 
said  of  a  player  who  does  not  call 
for  fresh  dominoes  when  he  has 
the  option  of  doing  so  ;  (popular) 
—  a  I'ouvrage,  to  be  lazy ;  —  au 
feu,  to  show  fear ;  —  aux  dominos, 
to  be  minus  several  teeth. 

Boudin,      m.      (thieves'),      bolt; 

stomach. 
Boudine,  m.  (familiar),  swell,  or 
"masher."    At  the  time  the  ex- 
pression came  into  use,  dandies 
1        sported  tight  or   horsey-looking 
%        clothes,  which  imparted  to  the 


wearer  some  vague  resemblance 
with  a  boudin,  or  large  sausage. 
For  list  of  synonymous  expres- 
sions, see  Gommeux. 

Boudins,  m.  pi.  (popular),  fat 
fingers  and  hands. 

Boueux,  7n.  (popular),  scavenger. 

Bouffard,  m.  (popular),  smoker. 

Bouffarde,  /  (popular),  pipe,  or 
"cutty." 

BoufTarder  (popular),  to  smoke, 
to  "  blow  a  cloud." 

Bouffardi&re,  f.  (popular),  an 
estaminet,  that  is,  a  cafe  where 
smoking  is  allowed ;  chimney. 

Bouffe,y!  (popular),  box  on  the  ear, 

"buckhorse." 
Bouife-la-Balle,  m.,  gormandizer, 

or  "stodger;"  man  with  a  fat, 

puffed-up,  dumpling  face. 

Bouffer  (military),  la  botte,  to  be 
bamboozled  by  a  woman,  in  what 
circumstances  it  is  needless  to  say. 
(Popular)  Bouffer,  to  eat.  Se  — 
le  nez,  to  fight. 

Bouffeter  (popular),  to  chat. 

BouffeuT,  m.  (popular),  de  blanc, 
prostitute^s  bully,    "  pensioner ;  " 

—  de  kilometres,  a  nickname 
for  the  "  Chasseurs  de  Vin- 
cennes,"  a  picked  body  of  rifles 
who  do  duty  as  skirmishers  and 
scouts,  and  who  are  noted  for  their 
agility. 

Boufiiasse,  m.  (popular),  man  with 

fat,  puffed-up  cheeks. 
Bougie,/.  (•g<yg\C\3.x),walking-stick ; 

a  blind  man's  stick ;  —  grasse, 

candle. 
Bougre,  m.  (popular),  stalwart  and 

plucky  man,  one  who  is  "  spry ;  " 

—  k  poils,  dauntless,  resolute  man. 
Bon  — ,  a  good  fellow,  a  "brick." 
Mauvais  — ,  man  of  a  snarling, 
evil-minded  disposition.   The  word 


48 


Bougrement — Bo7ilendos. 


is  used  often  with  a  disparaging 
sense,  Bougre  de  cochon,  you 
dirty  pig ;  —  de  serin,  you  ass. 
Littre  derives  the  word  bougre 
from  Bulgarus,  Bulgarian.  The 
heretic  Albigeois,  who  shared  the 
religious  ideas  of  some  of  the  Bul- 
garians, received  the  name  of 
' '  bougres. " 

Bougrement  (popular),  extremely, 
C'est  —  difficile,  it  is  awfully 
hard. 

Boui,  m.  (popular),  house  of  ill- 
fame,  "nanny-shop." 

Bouiboui,  bouisbouis,  m.  puppet; 
small  theatre;  low  tnusic-hall ; 
gambling  place. 

Bouif,  m.  (popular),  conceited 
"priggish"  person;  bad  work- 
man. 

Bouillabaisse  (popular),  confused 
medley  of  things,  people,  or  ideas. 
Properly  a  Provencal  dish  made 
up  of  all  kinds  of  fish  boiled  toge- 
ther, with  spicy  seasoning,  garlic, 
&fc. 

Bouillante,/  (soldiers'),  soup. 

Bouillie,  /  (popular),  pour  les 
chats,  unsuccessful  undertaking. 
Faire  de  la  —  pour  les  chats, 
to  do  any  useless  thing. 

Bouillon,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), rain;  unsold  numbers  of  a 
book  or  newspaper ;  financial  or 
business  losses ;  —  aveugle,  thin 
broth  ;  —  de  canard,  water  ;  —  de 
veau,  mild  literature  ;  —  d'onze 
heures,  poison;  drowning;  — 
gras,  sulphuric  acid  (an  allusion 
to  a  case  of  vitriol-throwing  by  a 
woman  named  Gras)  ;  —  pointu, 
bayonet  thrust ;   clyster ;  —   qui 

chauiife,  rain-cloud.     Boire  le 

to  die.       (Fishermens')   Bouillon 
de  harengs,  shoal  of  herrings. 

Bouillonner    (popular),    to  suffer 
pecuniary  losses  consequent  on  the 


failure  of  an  undertaking  ;  to  havt 
a  bad  sale ;  to  eat  at  a  bouillon 
restaurant. 

Bouillonneuse,  /,  female  who 
prepares  bouillon  at  restaurants, 

Bouillote,  /  (popular),  vieille  — , 
old  fool,  "doddering  old  sheep's 
head." 

Bouis,  m.  (thieves'),  whip. 

Bouiser,  to  whip,  "to  flush." 

Boulage,  m.  (popular),  refusal; 
snub. 

Boulange,/,  for  boulangerie. 

Boulanger,  m.  (thieves'),  charcoal 
dealer ;  the  devil,  "old  scratch," 
or  "Ruffin."  Le  —  qui  met  les 
damnes  au  four,  the  devil.  Remer- 
cier  son  — ,-  to  die. 

Boulangers,     m.    pi.    (military), 
formerly    military     convicts    (an 
■  allusion    to  their  light-coloured 
vestments). 

Boule,/  (popular),  head,  "  block." 
Avoir  la  —  detraquee,  a  I'envers, 
to  be  crazy,  "wrong  in  the  upper 
storey."  Boule  de  jardin,  bald 
pctte,  "bladder  of  lard;"  —  de 
tiia.m,  grotesque  head  ; —  desinge, 
ugly  face.  Bonne — ,  queer  face, 
" rum  phiz."  Perdre  la  — ,  to  lose  ' 
one's  head.  Boule  de  neige,  negro; 
—  rouge,  guy  girl  of  the  Quar- 
iier  de  la  Boule' Rouge,  faubourg 
Montmartre.  Yeux  en  —  de  loto, 
goggle  eyes.  (Military)  Boule  de 
son,  locif,  bread.  (Thieves')  Boule, 
a  fair;  prison  loaf;  —  de  son 
etame,  white  bread;  —  jaune, 
pumpkin. 

Bouleau,  m.     See  Bflcherie. 

Boule-Miche,  ?«.,  abbreviation  of 
Boulevard  Saint-Michel. 

Boulendos,    m.    (boule  en   dosj, 
(popular),  humpback,  or  "lord." 


Bouler — Bourbon. 


49 


Bouler  (popular),  to  thrash,  "  to 
whop  ;"  to  beat  at  a  game,  to  de- 
ceive, to  take  in.  Envoyer  — ,  to 
send  to  the  deuce  (old  word 
bouler,  to  roll  along). 

Boulet,  m.  (popular),  bore;  —  a 
cotes,  a  queue,  melon ;  —  jaune, 
pumpkin. 

Boulette,  /  (popular),  de  poiv- 
rot,  bunch  of  grapes  (poivrot, 
slang  term  for  drunkard). 

Bouleur,  m.,  bouleuse,  f.  (thea- 
trical), actor  or  actress  who  takes 
the  part  of  absentees  in  the  per- 
formance. 

Bouleux,  m.  (popular),  skittle 
player. 

Boulevarder,  to  be  a  frequenter  of 
the  Boulevards. 

Boulevardier,  vi.,  one  who  fre- 
qiunts  the  Boulevards  ;  journalist 
who  is  a  frequenter  of  the  Boule- 
vard cafes.  Esprit  — ,  kind  of 
wit  peculiar  to  the  Boulevardiers. 

Boulevardiere,  /  (familiar),  pros- 
titute of  a  better  class  who  walks 
the  Boulevards. 

Depuis  cinq  heures  du  soir  la  Boulevar- 
diere va  du  grand  H6tel  a  Brabant  avec  la 
regularity  implacable  d'un  balancier  de 
pendule. — Paul  Mahalin. 

Boulin,  m.  (thieves'),  hole.  Caler 
des  boulins  aux  lourdes,  to  bore 
holes  in  the  doors. 

Bouline,y.  (swindlers'),  collection  of 
money,  "break,"  or  "lead." 

Bouliner  (thieves'),  to  bore  holes  ina 
wall  or  shutters  ;  to  steal  by  means 
of  the  aborue  process. 

Boulinguer  (thieves'),  to  tear; 
to  conduct  an  affair ;  to  manage. 
Se  — ,  to  know  how  to  conduct 
oneself ;  to  behave. 

Bouloire,  /,  (popular),  bowling- 
green. 


Boulon,  m.  (thieves'),  vol  au  — , 
theft  by  means  of  a  rod  and  hook 
passed  through  a  hole  in  the 
shutters. 

Boulonnaise  (popular),  girl  ofin- 
dfferent  character  who  walks  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne. 

Boulots,  m.  (popular),  round 
shaped  beans. 

Boulotter  (thieves'),  to  assist  a  com- 
rade; (popular)  to  be  in  good 
health  ;  to  be  prosperous ;  to  eat, 
"to  grub ;  "  —  de  la  galette,  to 
spend  money. 

Et  tout  le  monde  se  disperse,  vivement, 
except^  les  trois  comperes  et  le  monie,  qui 
rentrent  d'\m  pas  tranquille  dans  Paris, 
pour  y  fricoter  I'argent  des  imbeciles,  y 
boulotter  la  galette  des  sinves. — Richepin, 
Le  Pavi, 

Eh  !  bien,  ma  vieille  branche  ! 
comment  va  la  place  d'armes  ? 
Merci,  9a  boulotte.  Well,  old  cock, 
how  are  you  ?  Thanks,  I  am  all 
right. 

Bourn  !  a  high-sounding,  ringing 
word  bawled  out  in  a  grave  key  by 
cafe  waiters  in  order  to  emphasize 
their  call  for  coffee  to  the  attendant 
whose  special  duty  it  is  to  pour  it 
out.  Versez  a  I'as !  Bourn ! 
This  peculiar  call  was  brought 
into  fashion  by  a  waiter  of  the 
Cafe  de  la  Rotonde  at  the  Palais 
Royal,  whose  stentorian  voice 
made  the  fortune  of  the  establish- 
ment. 

Bouquet,  m.  (cads'),  gift,  present. 

Bouquine,yC,  beard  grown  on  the 
chin,  or  "goatee." 

Bourbe,_/:  (popular),  the  hospitalof 
"la  Maternite." 

Bourbon  (popular),  nose,  "boko." 
From  nez  a  la  Bourbon,  the 
members  of  that  dynasty  being 
distinguished  by  prominent  thick 
noses  verging  on  the  aquiline. 
E 


50 


Bourdon — Bourre^coquins. 


Bourdon,  m.  (thXeves'),  prosHtule, 
"  bunter  ;"  (printers')  words  left 
out  by  mistake  in  composing. 

Bourdonniste,  m.  (printers'),  one 
in  the  habit  of  making  bourdons 
(which  see). 

Bourgeois,  m.  (thieves'),  forbourg, 
a  large  village.  Literally  man  of 
the  middle  class.  The  peasants 
give  this  appellation  to  the  tovirns- 
people ;  a  coachman  to  his  '  'fare ;" 
workmen  and  servants  to  their 
employer  ;  workpeople  to  the 
master  of  a  house  ;  soldiers  to 
civilians  ;  artists  and  literary  men 
use  it  contemptuously  to  denote  a 
man  with  matter-of-fact,  unartistic 
tastes,  also  a  man  outside  their 
profession  ;  the  anarchists  apply 
the  epithet  to  one  who  does  not 
share  their  views.  (Popular)  Mon 
— ,  my  husband,  "my  old  man." 
Eh !  dites  done,  — ,  I  say,  gover- 
nor. (Officers')  Se  mettre  en  — , 
to  dress  in  plain  clothes,  in 
"mufti."  •  (Familiar)  C'est  bien 
— ,  it  is  vulgar,  devoid  of  taste. 

Bourgeoisade,  f,  anything,  whe- 
ther it  be  deed  or  thought,  which 
savours  of  the  bourgeois'  ways  ;  a 
vulgar  platitude.  The  bourgeois, 
in  the  disparaging  sense  of  the 
term  of  course,  is  a  man  of  a 
singularly  matter-of-fact,  selfish 
disposition,  and  one  incapable  of 
being  moved  by  higher  motives 
than  those  of  personal  interest. 
His  doings,  his  mode  of  life,  all 
his  surroundings  bear  the  stamp 
of  an  unrefined  idiosyncrasy. 
Though  a  staunch  Conservative 
at  heart,  he  is  fond  of  indulging 
in  a  timid,  mild  opposition  to 
Government,  yet  he  even  goes  so 
far  sometimes  as  to  send  to  Par- 
liament men  whose  views  are  at 
variance  with  his  own,  merely  to 
givehimselfthepleasureof  "teach- 
ing a  lesson  "  to  the  "  powers  that 


be."  A  man  of  Voltairian  ten- 
dencies, yet  he  allows  his  wife  and 
daughters  to  approach  the  perilous 
secrecy  and  the  allurements  of  the 
confessional.  When  he  happens 
to  be  a  Republican,  he  rants 
furiously  about ,  equality,  yet  he 
protests  that  it  is  a  shocking  state 
of  affairs  which  permits  of  his 
only  son  and  spoilt  child  being 
made  to  serve  in  the  ranks  by 
the  side  of  the  workman  or  clod- 
hopper. By  no  means  a  fire- 
eater,  he  is  withal  a  bloodthirsty 
mortal  and  a  loud-tongued  Chau- 
vinist, but  as  he  has  the  greatest 
respect  for  the  integrity  of  his 
person,  and  entertains  a  perfect 
horror  of  blows,  he  likes  to  see 
others  carry  out  for  him  his  pug- 
nacious aspirations  in  a  practical 
way. 

Bourgeoise,/.  (popular),  the  mis- 
tress of  a  house  or  establishment. 
Ma  — ,  my  wife,  "my  old 
woman. " 

Bourgeron,  m.  (popular),  small 
glass  of  brandy ;  (soldiers')  a 
civilian.  Properly  a  kind  of  short 
smockfrock. 

Bourguignon  (popular),  the  sun. 

Bourlingue,  ?«.  (popular)),  dis- 
missal, "  the  sack." 

Bourlinguer,  to  dismiss;  to  get 
en  with  difficulty  in  life.  From  a 
naval  term. 

Bourlingueur,  m.  (popular), OTOffer, 

' '  boss  ;  "  foreman. 
Bourrasque,  /.  (thieves'),  raid  by 

the  police. 

Bourreau  des  cranes,  m.  (mili- 
tary), bully,  f re-eater. 

Bourre-boyaux,  m.  (popular),  eat- 
ing-house, "grubbing  crib." 

Bourre-coquins,  m.  pi.  (popular), 
beans.  Beans  form  the  staple- 
food  of  convicts. 


Baurre-de-soie — Bout. 


?i 


Bourre-de-so'e,  f,    (cads'),    kept 

^^r/,  "poll." 
BoTiiree,    f.    (popular),    hustling, 

"hunch." 

Bourrer  (familiar),  en  —  une,  to 
smoke  a  pipe,  "  to  blow  a  cloud." 

Bourreur,  m,  (thieves'),  de 
pegres,  penal  code  ;  (printers')  — 
de  lignes,  compositor  of  the  body 
part  of  a  composition,  a  task 
generally  entrusted  to  unskilled 
compositors,  unable  to  deal  with 
more  intricate  work. 

Bourriche,  f.  (popular),  blockhead, 
"  cabbage  head. "  Properly 
hamper. 

Bourrichon,  m.  (popular),  heati. 
See  Tronche.  Se  monter,  or  se 
charpenterle  — ,  toentertain  strong 
illusions,  to  be  too  sanguine. 

B'ourricot  (popular),  c'est  — ,  that 
comes  to  the  same  thing;  it  is  all 
the  same  to  me. 

Bourrier,  m.  (popular),  dirt,  dung. 

Bourrique,  f.  (popular),  toumer 
en  — ,  to  become  stupid,  or  crazy. 
Faire  tourner  quelqu'un  en  — ,  to 
make  one  crazy  by  dint  of  badger- 
ing or  angering.  Cet  enfant  est 
toujours  a  me  tourmenter,  il  me 
fera  tourner  en  — ,  this  naughty 
childwill drivememad.  (Thieves') 
Bourrique,  informer,  "  nark  ;  " 
also  police  officer. 

Bourrique  a  Robespierre  (popu- 
lar), comme  la  — ,  corresponds 
to  the  simile  like  blazes.  Saoul 
comme  la  — ,  awfully  drunk. 

Bourser  (popular),  se  — ,  to  go  to 
bed,  to  get  into  the  "  doss." 

Boursicoter  (familiar),  to  speculate 
in  a  small  way  on  the  stocks. 

Boursicoteur,/,  boursicotier,  m. 

'  [familiar),  speculator  in  a  small 
way. 


Boursicotifirisme,  m.  (familiar), 
occupation  of  those  who  speculate 
on  'Change.  '■ 

BoursiUoiiner (popular), /o  "club'' 
far  expenses  by  each  contributing  a 
small  sum. 

Bouscaille,/.  (thieves'),  mud. 

Bouscailleur,  street-sweeper,  sca- 
venger. 

Bouse,  f  (popular),  de  vache, 
spinach. 

Bousiller  (popular),  to  work  rapidly 
but  carelessly  and  clumsily. 

Bousilleur  (popular),  careless, 
clumsy  workman. 

Bousilleuse  (popular),  woman  mho 
is  careless  of  her  belongings,  who  is 
the  reverse  of  thrifty. 

Bousin,  m.  (popular),  uproar,  dis- 
turbance, row,  "shindy;"  drink- 
ing-shop,  "lush-crib;"  house  of 
ill-fame,  "flash  drum." 

Bousineur  (popular),  an  adept  at 
creating  a  disturbance. 

Bousingot,  m.  (popular)  wine-shop, 
"lush -crib;"  Republican  or 
literary  Bohemian  in  the  earlier 
years  of  Lotiis  Philippe. 

Boussole,y.  (familiar),  head,  brains. 
Perdre  la  — ,  to  lose  one's  head, 
"to  be  at  sea  ;"  to  become  mad. 
(Popular)  Boussole  de  refroidi,  or 
de  singe,  a  Dutch  cheese. 

Boustifaille,  /  (familiar),  pro- 
viiions,  food,  "grub." 

BoustifaiUer,  to  eat  plentifully. 

Bout,  m.  (tailors'),  flanquer  son-^, 
to  dismiss  from  one's  employment. 
(Military)  Bout  de  cigare,  short 
man;  (popular) —  de  cul,  shortper- 
son,  or  "  forty  foot ;"  —  d'homme, 
de  femme,  undersized  person,  or 


52 


Boutanche — Brancard. 


"  hop  o'  my  thumb  ; "  —  coupe, 
iind  of  cheap  cigar  with  a  clipped 
end. 

Boutanche,  /.  (thieves'),  shop, 
"  chovey."  Courtaud  de  — ,  shop- 
man, a  "knight  of  the  yard." 

Bouteille,  /.  (popular),  nose, 
"boko."  Avoir  un  coup  de — ,(o 
6e tipsy.  C'estla  —  kVeacreissaid 
of  any  mysterious,  incomprehen- 
sible affair.  (Printers')  Une  —  h. 
encre,  a  printing  establishment, 
thus  called  on  account  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  drawing  up  accurate  ac- 
counts of  authors'  corrections. 

Bouterne,y!  (popular),  glazed  case 
containing  jewels  exhibited  as  prizes 
for  the  winners  at  a  game  of  dice. 
The  game  is  played  at  fairs  with 
eight  dice,  loaded  of  course. 

Boutemier,  m.,   bouternifere,  f, 

proprietor  of  a  bouterne  (which 
see). 

Boutique,  y;,  used  disparagingly  to 
denote onis  employer's  office;  news- 
paper offices  ;  disorderly  house  of 
business ;  clique.  Esprit  de  — , 
synonymous  of  esprit  de  corps,  but 
used  disparagingly.  Etre  de  la  — , 
to  be  one  of  to  belong  to  a  political 
clique  or  administration  of  any 
description.  Montrer  toute  sa  — , 
is  said  of  a  girl  or  woman  who 
accidentally  or  otherwise  exposes 
her  person.  Parler  — ,  to  talk 
shop. 

Boutiquer  (popular),  ^(/d  anything 
with  reluctance  ;  to  do  it  badly. 

Boutiquier,  m.  (familiar),  narrow- 
minrled  or  mean  man.  Literally 
shopkeeper:  * 

Boutogue,  /  (thieves'),  shop,  or 
"chovey." 

Bouton,  m.  (thieves'),  master  key  ; 
(popular)  twenty-franc  piece;  —  de 
^\x^tre,  five-franc  gold-piece  ;  —  de 
pieu,  bug,  or  "  German  duck." 


Boutonner  (familiar),  to  touchwilh 
the  foil ;  to  annoy,  to  bore. 

Bouture,  f.  (popular),  de  putain, 
low,  insulting  epithet,  which  may 
be  rendered  by  the  equally  low 
one,  son  of  a  bitch.  Bouture,  slip 
of  a  plant. 

Boxon,  m.  (popular),  brothel,  or 
"  nanny-shop." 

Boyau,  m.  (popular),  rouge,  hard 
drinker,  or  "  rare  lapper." 

Boye,  m.  (thieves'),  warder,  or 
"bloke;"  convict  who  performs 
the  functions  of  executioner  at  the 
convict  settlements  of  Cayenne  or 
New  Caledonia. 

Brae,  m.  (thieves'),  name,  "mon- 
niker,"  or  "monarch." 

Braconner  (gamesters'),  to  cheat, 
or  "to  bite."    Properly  to  poach.  . 

Brader  (popular),  to  sell  articles 
dirt  cheap. 

Braillande,  braillarde,/  (thieves'), 
drawers.  From  the  old  word 
braies,  breeches. 

Brainard,»z.  (popular),  J^rf«^j;«^«?', 
or  "street  pitcher."  According 
to  the  Slang  Dictionary,  the  latter 
term  applies  to  negro  minstrels, 
ballad -singers,  long-song  men, 
men  "  working  a  board  "  on  which 
has  been  painted  various  exciting 
scenes  in  some  terrible  drama,  &c. 

Braise,  /  (popular),  moiuy, 
"loaver."     See  Quibus. 

J'ai  pas  d'braise  pour  me  fend'  d'un  litre, 
Pas  meme  d'un  meuH  cass'  k  cinq. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Braiser  (popular),  to  pay,  "to 
dub." 

Braiseur  (popular),  man  who  is 
very  free  with  his  money. 

Brancard  (popular),  superannuated 
gay  woman. 


Brancards — Bricole. 


53 


Brancards,  m.pl.  (popular),  hands, 
or  "  flappers  ;"  legs,  or  "  pins  ;  " 
—  de  laine,  weak  or  lame  legs. 

XJn  poseur  qui  veut  me  la  faire  \  la  re- 
dresse,  que  ces  deux  flOtes  repech^es  par 
vous  dans  la  lance  du  puits  n'avaient  jamais 
porte  une  femme,  je  me  connais  en  bran- 
cards de  dames,  c'est  pas  ga  du  tout. — 
Mac6,  Mo7i  Premier  Crime. 

Branche,  f.  (popular),  friend, 
"mate."  Ma  vieille  — ,  old  fel- 
lowl  "old  cock!"  (Familiar) 
Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  have  elegance, 
"dash." 

Brancher  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to 
lodge,  "to  perch,"  or  "roost." 

Brandillante,  brandilleuse,  f, 
(thieves'),  bell,  or  "  ringer." 

Branlante,  f.  (popular),  watch,  or 
"  ticker." 

Branlantes,  f.  pi.  (popular),  old 
vien^s  teeth. 

Branque,    m.    (thieves'),    donkey, 

"  moke." 
Bras,  brasse,  adj.  (thieves'),  large. 

From  brasse,  a  fathom. 

Braser  (thieves'),  des  faffes,  to 
forge  documents,  to  "  screeve  fake- 
ments ;"  to  forge  bank-notes,  or  to 
"  fake  queer-soft." 

Brasset,  m.  (thieves'),  big,  stout 
man. 

Brave,  m.  (popular),  shoemaker,  or 
"snob." 

Brechet,  m.  (popular),  stomach, 

Brechetelles,y.,  a  kiiid of  German 

cakes  eaten  at  beershops. 

Breda-street,  the  quarter  of  Notre- 
Dame-de-Lorette  patronized  by 
women  of  the  demi-monde{i\ie'PaxiSi 
Pimlico,  or  St.  John's  Wood). 

Bredoche,/!  (popular),  centime. 

Bredouille,  /  (popular),  chevalier 
de  la  — ,  one  who  goes  out  shooting 


on  Sundays  in  the  purlieus  of 
Paris.  From  revenir  bredouille, 
to  return  with  an  empty  bag. 

Breloque,  /  (popular),  a  clock. 
Properly  watch  trinket. 

Brfeme,  m.  andf.  (popular),  vendor 
of  countermarks  at  the  door  of  thea- 
tres. Une  — ,/  (thieves'), //a_j/zK^ 
card,"  flat," or"broad"(breme  is  a 
&3.l{ish,the bream).  Une  —  depac- 
quelins,  geographical  map.  Ma- 
quiller  les  brfemes,  to  handle  cards, 
to  play  at  cards,  "to  fake  broads';'' 
to  tnark  cards  in  certain  ways,  to 
construct  them-  on  a  cheating  prin- 
ciple, "  to  stock  briefs."  Maquil- 
leur  de  brumes,  card-sharper,  or 
"  broadsman,"  generally  one 
whose  spkialite  is  the  three-card 
trick. 

Le  perdant,  bl&me,  crispe  ses  poings.  Les 
compferes  s'approchent  du  maquilleur  de 
bremes  (tripoteur  de  cartes),  qui  s'est  re- 
leve,  avec  un  Eclair  mauvais  dans  ses  yeux 
ternes  .  .  .  il  se  recule  et  siffle.  A  ce 
signal  arrive  un  gosse,  en  courant,  qui  crie 
d'une  voix  aigue  :  Pet !  v'lk  la  rousse  ! 
D^canillons  ! — Richepin,  Le  Pave. 

(Prostitutes')  Une  br^me,  card  de- 
livered by  the  police  to  registered 

prostitutes.    Fille  en  — ,  registered 

prostitute. 

Brfimeur,  m.  (thieves'),  cardplayer, 
"broad  faker." 

BrSmier,  m.  (thieves'),  matiufac- 
turer  of  playing  cards. 

Bresilien,  m.  (popular),  wealthy, 
generous  man,  "  rag-splawger. " 

Bricabracologie,  art  of  dealing  in 
or  collecting  bric-cl-brac  or  knick- 
knacks. 

Bricard,  m.  (popular),  staircase. 

Bricheton,  m.  (popular),  bread ; 
—  d'attaque,  four-pound  loaf. 

Bricole,  f.  (popular),  small,  odd 
jobs  that  only  procure  scanty  fro- 


54 


Bricoler — Brhidezinnte. 


Jits.  Properly  a  shotilder- strap  used 
by  costennongers  to  draw  their 
barrows. 

Bricoler  (popular),  to  make  an 
effort ;  to  give  a  good  pull ;  to  do 
anything  in  a  hurried  and  clumsy 
manner ;  to  carry  on  some  affair 
in  a  not  over  straightforward  way. 
Bricoleur,  m.  (popular),  man  who 
,  will  undertake  any  kind  of  work, 
any  sundry  Jobs. 

Bricul,  bricule,  m.  (thieves'), police 
inspector. 

Bridaukil  (thieves'),  gold  watch 
chain,  "  redge  slang,"  or  "red 
tackle." 

Bride,  f.  (thieves'),  watch  chain, 
' '  slang ; "  convict's  chain.  ( Popu- 
lar) Vieille  ■ — ,  worthless,  dis- 
carded object ;  term  of  contempt  for 
individuals. 

Bride  (thieves'),  shackled. 

Brider  (thieves'),  to  shut,  "to 
dub;"  to  fasten  on  a  fetter,  or 
"wife." 

Brif  (Breton),  bread. 

Briffe,  /  (popular),  food,  "  belly 
X\mhex ;"  bread,  "tommy.''  Fas- 
sera  — ,  to  eat,  ' '  to  grub.'' 

N'importe  ou  nous  nous  empatons 
D'arlequins,  d'briffe  et  d'rogatons. 
RlCHEPlN,  Chanson  den  Gueux. 

Briffer  (popular),  to  eat,  "to  grub." 

Brigadier,  m.  (popular),  baker's 
Joreman. 

Brigand,  m.  (popular),  term  of 
friendliness.  Vieux  — ,  you  old 
scamp  ! 

Brigant,  brigeant,  m.  (thieves'), 
hair,  or  "strommel." 

Brigante    or   bringeante,  f. 

(thieves'),  wig,  or  "periwinkle."" 
Brigeants  or  bringeants,  m.  pi. 
(thieves'), /5a2>,  "thatch."  Termed 
also  "  tifs,  douilles,  douillards." 


Brigeton,     bricheton    (popular), 
bread,  "tommy." 

Brig-fourre,   m.    (military),  briga- 
dier fourrier. 

Brignolet,    m.    (popular),    bread, 
"  tommy." 

Briller  (thieves'),  to  light. 

Brimade,  /  (military),  euphemism 
for  bid  lying;  practical  and  often 
cruel  Jokes  perpetrated  at  the  mili- 
tary school  of  Saint- Cyr  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  newly-Joined,  termed 
"melons"  ("snookers"  at  the 
R.  M.  Academy),  such  as  toss- 
ing one  in  a  blanket,  together 
with  boots,  spurs,  and  brushes, 
or  trying  him  by  a  mock  court- 
martial  for  some  supposed  offence. 
An  illustration  with  a  vengeance 
of  such  practical  joking  occurred 
some  years  ago  at  an  English 
garrison  town.  Some  young 
officers  packed  up  a  colleague's 
traps,  without  leaving  in  the 
rooms  a  particle  of  property,  , 
nailed  the  boxes  to  the  floor,  and 
laid  a  he-goat  in  the  bed.  On  the 
victim's  arrival  they  left  him  no 
time  to  give  vent  to  his  indignant 
feelings,  for  they  cast  him  into  a 
fisherman's  net  and  dragged  him 
downstairs,  with  the  result  that 
the  unfortunate  officer  barely 
escaped  with  his  life. 

Brimer,  to  indulge  in  brimades 
(which  see). 

Brinde,  /  (popular),  tall,  lanky 
woman  ;  landlord  of  a  wine  shop. 

Brindezingue,  m.  (thieves'),  tin 
case  of  very  small  diameter  con- 
taining implements,  such  as  u 
fine  steel  saw  or  a  'watch-spring, 
which  they  secrete  in  u  pectdiar 
manner.     Says  Uelvau : — 

Comment  arrivent-ils  k  soustraire  cet  in- 
strument de  delivrance  aux  investigationE 
les  plus  minutieuses  des  geoliers  ?  Cest  ce 


Brindezingues — Brodancher. 


SS 


qu'il  faut  demander  St  M.  le  docteur  Am- 
broise  Tardieu  qui  a  fait  une  ^tude  sp^ciale 
des  maladits  de  la  gaine  naturelle  de  cet 
^tui. 

(Mountebanks')  Etre  en  — ,  to  ht 
ruined,  a  bankrupt,  "  cracked 
up,"  or  "  gone  to  smash." 

Brindezingues,  »;.  //.  (popular), 
etre  dans  les  — ,  to  de  intoxicated. 
From  an  old  word  brinde,  toast. 

Bringue,  m.  (popular),  bread,  or 
"  soft  tommy. "  Mettre  en  — ,  to 
smash  up. 

Brio,  7«.  (familiar).  Properly  a  musi- 
cal term.  Figuratively,  Parler, 
ecrire  avec  — ,  to  speak  or  write 
with  spirit,  in  dashing  style, 

Biioches,/.pl.  (popular).  Literally 
gross  i/iistaie.  Figuratively,  Faire 
des  — ,  to  lead  a  disorderly  life, 

Briolet,  m.  (popular),  thin,  sour 
wine,  that  is,  "  vin  de  Brie." 

Briquemann,     briquetnon,     m, 

(military),  cavalry  sword. 

B  iquemon,  m.    (thieves'),   tinder 

box. 
Brisac,  m.  (popular),  careless  child 

who  tears  his  clothes, 
Brisacque,    m,    (popular),   noise; 

noisy  man. 

Brisant,  m.  .(thieves'),  the  wind. 

Briscard  or  brisque,  m,  (military), 
old  soldier  with  long- service  stripes, 

Biis-,  /  (sailors'),  a  faire  plier  le 
pouce,  violent  gale ;  —  a  gren- 
ouille,  west  wind, 

Briser  (printers'),  to  cease  working, 
(Popular)  Se  la  — ,  to  go  away, 
"  to  mizzle."     See  Patatrot. 

Briseur,  »>.  The  "briseurs"  (gens 
qui  se  la  brisent),  according  to 
Vidocq,  are  natives  of  Auvergne 
vfho  pass  themselves  off  for  trades- 
men.    They  at  first  gain  the  con- 


fidence of  manufacturers  or  whole- 
sale dealers  by  paying  in  cash  for 
a  few  insignificant  orders,  and 
swindle  them  afterwards  on  larger 
ones.  The  goods,  denominated 
"  bris^es,"  are  then  sold  much 
under  value,  and  the  unlawful 
proceeds  are  invested  in  Auvergne. 

Brisque,  /  (thieves'),  year,  or 
"stretch." 

Brisques, ///.  (gamblers'),  the  ace 
and  figures  in  a  pack  of  cards. 
When  a  player  possesses  all  these 
in  his  game  he  is  said  to  have  "la 
triomphe  ;  "  (military)  stripes. 

Ensure,  f.   (thieves'),    switidle,   or 
"plant;"    (printers')    temporary 
cessation   of  work,     Grande    — , 
total  stoppage  of  work. 
Au  Rappel,  la  pige  dure  six  heures  avec 

une  brisure  d'une  demi-heure  k  dix  heu^e^. 

—  BOUTMY. 

Brobeche,  m.  (popular),  centime. 

Brobuante,    /.     (thieves'),     ring, 

"fawney." 
Broc,    m.    (thieves'),  farthing,    or 

"  fadge." 
Brocante,  m.  (popular),  old  shoe. 

Brocanter  (familiar),  to  be  pottering 

about. 
Broche,_/;  (tradespeoples'),  note  of 

hand,  or  "  stiff." 
Broches,/  pi.  (popular),  teeth,  or 

"head  rails." 
Brochet,  w.   (popular),  pit  of  the 

stomach,    for   brechet ;    moments 

bully,  or  "ponce." 
Brocheton,   m.   (popular),  young 

bully. 
Brochure,  /.   (theatrical),  printed 

play. 
Brodage,  m.  (thieves'),  writing. 
Brodancher  (thieves'),   to  write; 

to  embroider.    Tirants  brodanches, 

embroidered  stockings. 


56 


Brodancheur — Brouteur  sombre. 


Brodancheur,  m.  (thieves'),  laW/^/-; 
—  en  cage,  scribe  who  for  a 
consideration  will  tindertake  to 
do  an  illiterate  pn-son's  corre- 
spondence (tennerl  ecrivain  pub- 
lic);—  a  la  plaque,  aux  macarons, 
or  a  la  cymbale,  notary  public  (an 
allusion  to  the  escutcheon  placed 
over  a  notary's  door). 

Brode,  in.  (thieves'),  melon. 

Broder  (thieves'),  to  write  ;  —  sur 
les  prets  is  said  of  a  gamester  who, 
having  lent  a  colleague  a  small 
snm  of  money,  claims  a  larger 
amount  than  is  due  to  hivi. 

Broderie,/  (thieves'),  writing. 

Pas  de  broderie,  par  exemple,  tu  con- 
nais  le  proverbe,  les  Merits  sont  des  males, 
et  les  paroles  sont  des  femelles. — Vidocq, 
Memoires. 

Brodeur,  m.  (thieves'),  writer ;  also 
a  gamester  who  claims  a  larger 
sztm  than  is  due  to  him. 

Broque,  m.  (thieves'),  farthitig. 
II  n'y  a  ni  ronds,  ni  heq^lis,  ni 
broque  en  ma  felouse.  /  haven't 
got  a  sou,  or  a  farthing,  in  my 
pocket. 

Broquillage,  m.  (thieves'),  theft 
which  consists  in  substituting  paste 
diamonds  for  the  genuine  article 
which  a  jeweller  displays  Jor  the 
supposed  purchaser's  mspection. 

Broquille,  /  (theatrical),  nothing. 
Used  in  the  expression,  Ne  pas 
dire  une  — ,  not  to  know  a  single 
word  of  one's  part;  (thieves') 
a  ring,  or  "  fawney  ;  "  a  minute. 

Broquilleur,  m.,  broquilleuse,  / 

(thieves'),  thief  who  robs  jewellers 
by  substituting  paste  diamonds  for 
the  genuine  which  are  shown  to 
iiim  as  to  a  bond-fide  purchaser. 

Brosse  (popular),  no  ;  nothing;  — 
pour  lui  !  he  shan't  have  any! 


Brosser  (familiar),  se  —  le  ventre, 
to  go  without  food,  and,  in  a  figura- 
tive sense,  to  be  compelled  to  do 
without  something. 

Brosseur,  ?«.  (artists'),  one  who 
paints  numerous  pictures  of  very 
large  dimensions.  Rubens  was  a 
"  brosseur  ; "  (military)  flatterer, 
one  who  "  sucks  up." 

Brouce,  /.  (popular),  thrashing, 
"whopping." 

Brouf,  jn.  (codfishers'),  wind  blow- 
ing fi-om  the  main. 

Brouillard,  m.  (popular),  chasser 
le  — ,  to  have  a  morning  drop  of 
spirits,  "dewdrop."  Etre  dans 
le  — ,  to  be  "  fuddled,"  or  tipsy. 
Faire  du  — ,  to  smoke,  "  to  blow 
a  cloud." 

Brouille,  f.,  series  of  pettifogging 
contrivances  which  a  lawyer  brings 
into  play  to  squeeze  as  much  profit 
as  he  can  out  of  a  law  affair. 

Brouille,  adj.  (familiar),  avec  la 
monnaie, /fBKz/Mj,  "hard  up;" 
—  avec  sa  blanchisseuse,  with 
linen  not  altogether  of  a  snow- 
white  appearance  ;  —  avec  I'ortho- 
graphe,  a  bad  speller. 

Broussailles,  /  //.  (popular), 
etre  dans  les  — ,  to  be  tipsy,  "  ob- 
fuscated."    See  Pompette, 

Brouta,  m.  (Saint-Cyi  school), 
speech.  From  tlie  name  of  a  pro- 
fessor who  was  a  good  elocu- 
tionist. 

Broute,  /  (popular),  bread, 
"tommy." 

Brouter    (popular),     to    eat,    "to 
grub. "  The  expression  is  used  by 
Villon,  and  is  scarcely  slang. 
Item,  a  Jean  Raguyer,  je  donne  .  .  . 
Tons  les  jours  une  talemouze  (cake), 
Pour  brouter  et  fourrer  sa  mouse. 

Brouteur  sombre,  m.  (popular), 
desponding,  melancholy  man, 
' '  croaker. " 


Broyeicr  de  noir  en  chambre — Bitcherie. 


57 


Broyeur   de    noir    en    chambre 

(familiar),     literary      man     who 
virites  on  melancholy  themes. 

Bruant  (Breton),  cock  ;  egg. 

Bruantez  (Breton),  hen. 

Bruge,  m.  (thieves'),  locksmith., 

Brugerie, _/;,  locksmith's  shop. 

Brtllage,  m.  (familiar),  the  cut  of 
being  ruined,  "  going  to  smash." 

Brdlant,  m.  (thieves'),  ^r«y  hearth. 

Brdle,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  ya!z7ay« 
of  an  undertaking ;  (familiar)  II 
doit  de  I'argent  partout  il  est  — 
dans  le  pays,  he  owes  77ioney  to 
everybody,  his  credit  is  gone.  C'est 
un  article  — ,  an  article  which  will 
no  longer  sell.  L'epicier  est  — , 
the  grocer  refitses  any  more  credit, 
Un  politicien  — ,  u  politician 
'whose  influence  is  gone.  Un  auteur 
— ,  an  author  who  has  spent  him- 
self, no  longer  in  vogue.  Une  fiUe 
br<ilee,  agirl  who  in  spiteof  assidu- 
ous attendance  at  balls,  dr'C.,  has 
failed  to  obtain  a  husband.  Une 
affaire  brulee,  an  unsuccessful  un- 
dertaking, or  spoilt  by  bad  manage- 
ment. L'n  acteur  — ,  an  cutor  who 
for  some  reason  or  other  can  no 
longer  find  favour  with  the  public. 

Brdlee,/!  (popular),  severe  thrash- 
ing ;  defeat ;  hurried  and  unlaw- 
ful auction  for  contracts. 

Brtller  (theatrical),  a  la  rampe 
is  said  of  an  actor  who  performs 
as  if  he  were  alone,  and  without 
regard  to  the  common  success  of 
the  play,  or  his  colleagues  ;  —  du 
Sucre,  to  obtain  applause.  (Popu- 
lar) Bruler,  abbreviation  of  bruler 
la  cervelle,  to  blow  one's  brains 
out.  Fais  le  mort  ou  je  te  brule, 
don't  budge,  or  I  blow  your  brains 
out.  En  —  une,  to  smoke,  "  to 
blow  a  cloud."  (Thieves')  BrAIer  le 


pegriot,  to  obliterate  all  traces  of  a 
theft  or  crime.  Ne  —  rien,  to 
suspect  1 


Brfileur,  m.  (theatrical),  de  plan- 
ches, spirited  actor. 

Brusquer  (gamesters'),  la  marque, 
to  mark  more  points  than  have 
been  scored,  when  playing  cards. 

Brutal,  m.  (familiar),  cannon. 

Brutifier  (popular),  to  make  one 
stupid  by  dint  of  upbraiding  or 
badgering  him. 

Brution,  m..  (students'),  cadet  of  the 
"Prytanee  Militaire  de  la  Flic  he, " 
a  Government  school  for  the  sons 
of  officers. 

Brutium,  m.,  " Prytanie  Militaire 
de  la  Flhhe. "  From  Brutus,  pro- 
bably on  account  of  the  strict 
discipline  in  that  establishment. 

Brutus,  m.  (thieves'),  Brittany. 

Bruyances,  /.  pi.  (familiar),  great 
puffing  up  in  newspapers  or  other- 
zvise, 

Bu,  adj.  (popular),  in  liquor, 
"tight."     See  Pompette. 

Eh  ben  !  oui,  j'suis  bu.     Et  puis,  quoi  ? 
Que    qu'vous    m'vouiez,   messieurs    d'la 

rousse  ? 
Est-c'que  vous  n'aimez  pas  comme  moi 
A  vous  rjncer  la  gargarousse  ? 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Guenx. 

Bflche,/  Literally /(7^;  (tailors') 
article  of  clothing.  Coller  sa  — 
au  grele,  to  remit  a  piece  of  work 
to  the  master.  Temps  de  — ,  work- 
time.  (Popular)  Buche,  lucifer 
match;  (thieves')  —  flambante, 
or  plombante,  lucifer  match. 

Bflcher  (familiar),  to  work  hard, 
' '  to  sweat ; "  to  belabour,  ' '  to 
lick."  (Popular)  Se  — ,  to  fght, 
"  to  slip  into  one  another." 

Bilcherie,  /.  (popular),  fght, 
"mill." 


58 


BAcheur — Buveur  d'encre. 


Bdcheur,  m.  (familiar),  one  who 
works  hard,  "  a  swat." 

Buen-retiro,  m.  (familiar),  private 
place  of  retirement ;  (ironically) 
lati-ines,  or  "West  Central." 

Buffet,  m.  (popular),  avoir  le  — 
garni,  to  have  had  a  hearty  meal ; 
—  vide,  to  be  fasting,  to  have 
nothing  in  the  "locker."  Bas  de 
— ,  see  Bas.  Remouleur  de  — , 
organ-grinder, 

Buif,  m.  (military),  shoemaker. 

Bull-Park,  m.  (students'),  BuUier's 
dancing-rooms,  situated  near  the 
Luxembourg,  patronized  by  the 
students  of  the  Quartier  Latin, 
but  invaded,  as  most  places  of  a 
similar  description  now  are,  by 
the  protectors  of  gay  girls. 

Buquer  (thieves'),  to  commit  a 
robbery  at  a  shop  under  pretence  of 
asking  for  change  :  (popular)  to 
strike,  a  corruption  of  the  slang 
term  bucher. 

Vous  avez  dit  dans  votre  interrogatoire 
devant  Monsieur  le  Juge  d'instrucLion  : 
J'ai  buqii^  avec  mon  marteau. — Gazette 
des  Tribunaux, 

Bureau  arabe,  m.  (soldiers'  in 
Algeria),  absinthe  mixed  with 
"  orgeat,"  a  kind  of  liquor  made 
with  almonds. 

Burettes,/,  pi.  (thieves'  and  popu- 
lar), pistols,  "barking  irons." 
Literally /^za/f. 

Burlin,  burlingue,  m.  (popular), 
office  ;  desk.     For  bureau. 

Chez  I'pfer'  Jacob  pour  le  jour  de  sa  fete, 
A  son  burlingue  il  voulait  renvoyer. 

Lfi  France. 


Busard,  m.,  buse,  f,  buson,  m. 
(familiar  and  popular),  dull,  slow, 
thick-witted  mcin,  "  blockhead." 

Bustingue  (thieves'),  lodging  house, 
"  dossing  ken." 

Bute,  butte,  or  bute  a  regret,  f. 
(thieves'),  guillotine.  Monter  a  la 
— ,  to  be  guillotined. 

Bute,  adj.  (thieves'),  guillotined; 
murdered.     See  Fauche. 

lis  I'ont  but^  a  coups  de  vingt-deux. — 

E.  Sue.      {They  kilted  him   by  stabbing 
him.) 

Buter  (thieves'),  to  kill,  to  guillotine ; 
to  execute. 

On  va  le  buter,  il  est  depuis  deux  mois 
gerbe  k  la  passe. —  Balzac.  {He  is  going 
to  be  executed,  he  'was  sentenced  to  deatk 
two  months  ago.) 

ButeuT  (thieves'),  murderer  ;  execu- 
tioner.    See  Taule. 

Butin,  m.  (soldiers'),  equipment. 

Butre  (thieves'),  dish. 

Buvailler  (popular),  to  drink  little 
or  slowly. 

Buvailleurorbuvaillon,  m.  (popu- 
lar), a  man  who  cannot  stand- 
drink. 

Buverie,/  (common),  a  beerhouse, 
termed  brasserie.  From  the  old 
word  beuverie. 

Buveur  d'encre,  m.  (soldiers'),  any 
military  man  connected  with  the 
administration  ;  clerk,  or  "  quill- 
driver." 

L'expression  de  buveurs  d'encre  ne 
s'applique  strictement  qu'au::  engagfe' 
volontaires  qu'on  emploie  dans  les  bureaux, 
ou  ils  ^chappent  aux  rigueurs  du  service, 
sous  prdtcxte  qu'ils  ont  une  main  superbe. — 

F.  deReiffenberg,  Z.a  Vie  de  Garnison. 


C — Cabot. 


59 


C,  m.  (popular),  etre  un  — ,  to  be  an 
arrant  fool.  Euphemism  for  a 
coarse  word  of  three  letters  with 
which  the  walls  are  often 
adorned  ;  —  comme  la  lune,  ex- 
tremely stupid. 

Ca  (popular),  etre  — ,  to  be  the  right 
sort.  C'est  un  peu  — ,  thats  excel- 
lent, "fizzing."  Avoir  de  — ,  to 
be  wealthy.  (Familiar)  Ca  manque 
de  panache,  it  lacks  finish  or  dash, 
Elle  a  de  — ,  she  has  a  full,  well- 
developed  figure. 

Cab,  m.  (abbreviation  of  cabotin), 
contemptuous  expression  applied 
to  actors ;  third-rate  actor,  or 
"  surf." 

Cab,  cabou  (thieves'  and  popu- 
lar), dog,  "tyke."  Le  — jaspine, 
the  dog  barks. 

Cabande,  f.  (popular),  candle,  or 
"  glim."  Estourbir  la  — ,  to  blow 
the  candle  out. 

Cabas,  ?«.  (popular),  i7/if/;4a!A  Une 
mere  — ,  rapacious  old  woman. 
Properly,  cabas,  a  woman's  bag. 

Cabasser  (popular),  to  chatter,  to 
gabble ;  to  delude,  or  ' '  bam- 
boozle;" to  steal,  "to  prig." 

Cabasseur,  m.  (popular),  scandal- 
monger;  thief,  "prig."  See 
Crinche. 

Cabe,  m.  (students'),  third  year 
student  at  the  Ecole  Normale,  a 
higher  training  school  for  pro- 
fessors, and  one  which  holds  the 
first  rank  among  Colleges  of  the 


University  of  France  ;    (popular) 
a  dog.    See  Cabo. 

Cabermon,  m.  (thieves'),  wine- 
shop, "lush-crib."  A  corruption 
of  cabaret. 

Cabestan,  m.  (thieves'),  police 
inspector  ;  police  officer,  "crusher, " 
"  P'g>"  "copper,"  or  "  reeler." 

Cabillot,  ?«.  (sailors'),  soldier, 
"  lobster." 

Cable  k  rimouque,  m.  (fisher- 
mens'),  tow-line. 

Souque  !    attrape    k    carguer  1     Pare    k 

I'amarre  !    Et  souque  ! 
C'est  le   coup  des  haleurs  et  du  cable  Si 

rimouque. 
La  oula  cull  oula  oula  tchalez  ! 
Hardi !  les  haleurs,  oh  !  les  haleurs,  halez  ! 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Cabo,  m.  (popular),  dog,  or  "buf- 
fer." Michel  derives  this  from 
clabaud,  a  worthless  dog,  and  L. 
Larchey  from  qui  aboie,  pro- 
nounced tju'aboie.  Le  —  du  com- 
missaire,  the  police  magistrate's 
secretary.  See  Chien.  (Military) 
Eleve  — ,  one  who  is  getting 
qualified  for  the  duties  of  a  cor- 
poral. 

Cabochon,  m.  (popular),  blow, 
"  prop,"   or  "bang. 

Cabonte,  or  camoufie,  /.  (mili- 
tary), candle. 

Cabot,  m.  (common),  third-rate 
actor,  or  "  surf;"  term  of  con- 
tempt applied  to  an  actor.  Abbre- 
viation of  cabotin.     Also  a  dog. 


6o 


Cabatihage — Cador. 


Cabotinage,  m.  (familiar),  life  of 
hardships  which  most  actors  have 
to  live  before  they  acquire  any  re- 
putation. 

Cabotine  (familiar),  bad  actress ; 
strolling  actress^  or  one  who  belongs 
to  a  troupe  of"  barn  stormers. " 

C^iboiiu&t  {Jz.rci\]\'ax)^tobe  a  strolling 
actor  ;  to  mix  with  cabotins ;  to  fall 
into  their  way  of  living,  wliich  is 
not  exactly  a  "proper  "  one. 

Caboulot,  m.  (familiar),  small  cafe 
where  customers  are  waited  upon 
by  girls ;  small  cafe  whej-e  the 
sp^cialite  is  the  retailing  of  cherry 
brandy,  absinthe,  and  sweet  li- 
quors;  best  sort  of  wine-shop. 

Cabriolet,  ;».,  short  rope  or  strap 
with  a  double  loop  affixed,  made 
fast  to  a  cHminafs  wrists,  the 
extremity  being  held  by  a,  police 
officer ;  small  box  for  labels ; 
woman^s  bonnet. 

Cabrion,  m.  (artists'),  painter  with- 
out talent,  or  "  dauber ;  "  practical 
joker.  In  the  Mystb-es  de  faris 
of  Eugene  Sue,  Cabrion,  a  painter, 
nearly  drives  the  doorkeeper 
Pipelet  mad  by  his  practical 
jokes. 

Cachalot,  m.  (sailors'),  old  sailor, 
old  ' '  tar. "  Properly  spermaceti 
whale. 

Cache-folie,  in.  (popular),  drawers ; 

false  hair. 
Cachemar,       cachemince,       m. 

(thieves'),  cell,  "clinch."      From 

cachot,  black  hole. 

Cachemire,  m.  (popular),  clout; 
,    —    d'osier,    rag-picker's     wicker 

basket. 

Voici  les  biffins  qui  passent,  le  crochet 
au  poing-  et  les  pauvres  lanternes  sont  re- 
cueillies  dans  le  cachemire  d'osier. — RicHE- 
PIN,  Le  Pave. 

Cache-misfere  (familiar),  coat  but- 
toned up  to  the  chin  to  conceal  the 
absence  of  linen. 


Cachemitte,  f.  (thieves'),  cell, 
"clinch." 

Cachemuche.     See  Cachemar. 

Cacher  (popular), /;;  ^a;f,  "to  grub." 

Cachet,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
de  la  Republique,  the  mark  of 
one's  heel  on  a  person's  face,  a 
kind  of  iaxevreW  indulged  in  by 
night  ruffians,  especially  when  the 
victim's  pockets  do  not  yield  a 
satisfactoiy  harvest.  (Familiar) 
Le  — ,  the  fashion,  "quite  the 
thing." 

Et  ce  n'est  pas  _  tui  qui  porterait  des 
gants  vert-pomme  si  le  cachet  dtait  de  les 
porter  sang  de  boeuf.  —  P.  Mahalin, 
Mesdames  de  Cceur  Volant. 

Cacique,  tk.,  head  scholar  in  a 
division  at  the  Ecole  Normale. 

Cadavre,  m..  (familiar  and  popular), 
body  ;  a  secret  misdeed,  ' '  a  skele- 
ton in  the  locker  ;  "  tangible  proof 
of  anything.  Grand  — ,  tall  man. 
Se  mettre  quelquechose  dans  le  — , 
to  eat.     See  Mastiquer. 

Cadenne,  /  (thieves'),  chain 
fastened  round  the  neck.  La 
grande  —  was  formerly  the  name 
give7i  to  the  gang  of  convicts  which 
went  from  Fans  to  the  hulks  at 
Toulon. 

Cadet,  m.  (thieves'),  crowbar,  or 
"Jemmy."  Termed  also  "I'en- 
fant,  Jacques,  sucre  de  pommes, 
biribi,  rigolo;"  (popular)  breech. 
Baiser  — ,  to  be  guilty  of  contemp- 
tible mean  actions  ;  to  be  u,  lick- 
spittle. Baise  —  !  you  be  hanged! 
Bon  pour  —  is  said  of  any 
worthless  object  or  unpleasant 
letter. 

Cadichon,  m.  (thieves'),  watch, 
"Jerry,"  or  "red  toy." 

Cador  (thieves'),  dog,  "tyke;"  — 
du  commissaire,  secretary  to  the 
"  commissaire  de  police,"  a  kind 
of  police  magistrate. 


Cadouille —  Caisson. 


6i. 


Cadouille,/!  (sailors'),  rattan. 

EfFar^s  de  ne  pas  recevoir  de  coups  de 
cadouille,  ils  s'dloignent  a  reculons,  et  leurs 
prosternations  ne  s'arretent  plus. — Bonne- 
tain,  Au  Tonkin, 

Cadran,  m.  (popular),  breech,  or 
"  bum  ;  "  —  lunaire,  sanie  mean- 
ing.    See  Vasistas. 

Cadratin,  m.  (printers'),  top  hat, 
or  "  stove  pipe ;"  (police)  staff  of 
detectives ;  (journalists')  apocry- 
phal letter. 

Cafard,  m.  (military),  officer  who 
makes  himself  unpleasant ;  a  busy- 
body. 

Cafarde,y!  (thieves'),  moon,  "parish 
lantern ; "  cup. 

Cafarder  (popular),  to  be  "  hypo- 
crite, a  "  mawworm." 

Cafe,  m.  C'est  un  peu  fort  de  — ,  it 
is  really  too  dad,  comingit  too  strong. 
Prendre  son  — ,  to  laugh  at. 

Cafetiere,  f.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
head,  "canister."  See  Tronche. 

Cafiot,  7n.,  weak  coffee, 

Cafouillade(boatmens'),iai/r(ra'iK^. 

Cafouilleux,  m.  (popular),  espece 
de  — !  blockhead!  "  bally  boun- 
der!" 

Cage,  f.  (popular),  workshop  with 
glass  roof ;  prison,  or  "stone  jug;" 
—  k  chapons,  monastery ;  —  a 
jacasses,  nunnery  ;  —  i  poulets, 
dirty,  narrow  room,  "  a  hole ;  " 
(printers')  workshop, 

Cageton,  m.  (thieves'),  may-bug, 

Cagne,/.  (popular),  wretched  horse, 
or  "  screw  ;  "  worthless  dog ;  lazy 
person  ; police  officer,  or  "  bobby." 

Cagnotte,y;  (familiar),  money-box  in 
which  is  deposited  each  player's  con- 
tribution to  the  expenses  of  a  game. 
Faire  une  — ,  to  deposit  in  a  money- 
box the  winnings  of  players  which 
are  to  be  invested  to  the  covimpn 
advantage  of  the  whole  party. 


Cagou,  m.  (thieves'),  rogue  who 
operates  single  ■  handed  ;  expert 
thief,  or  "gonnof,"  who  takes 
charge  of  the  education  of  the  un- 
initiated after  the  manner  of  the 
old  Jew  Fagin  (see  Oliver  Twist)  ; 
a  tutor  such  as  is  to  be  met  with  in 
a  "buz  napper's  academy,"  or 
training  school  for  thieves ;  in 
olden  times  a  lieutenant  of  the 
"  grand  Coere,"  or  king  of  rogues. 
The  kingdom  of  the  "grand 
Coere  "  was  divided  into  as  many 
districts  as  there  were  "provinces'' 
or  counties  in  France,  each  super- 
intended by  a  "cagou."  Says 
Le  Jargon  de  V Argot : — 

Le  cagou  du  pasquelin  d'Anjoii  resolut 
de  se  venger  de  lui  et  de  lui  jouer  quelque 
tour  chenatre. 

Cahua,  m.  (French  soldiers'  in  Al- 
geria), coffee.     Pousse  — ,  brandy.' 

Caillasse,_/^  (popular),  stones. 

Caille  (thieves'),  y?i,4. 

Caillou,  m.  (popular),  grotesque 
face  ;  head,  or  "  block  ;  "  nose,  or 
' '  boko ;  "  —  deplume,  bald  head, 
or  "bladder  of  lard."  N'avoir 
plus  de  mousse  sur  le  — ,  to  be  bald, 
"to  be  stag-faced." 

Cailloux,  m.  pi.  (popular),  petits 
— ,  diamonds. 

Caiman,  m.  (Ecole  Normale  school), 
usher. 

Caisse,  /.  (popular),  d'epargne, 
mouth,  or  "rattle-trap  ;  "  (fami- 
liar) —  des  reftiXsi,  fund  for  the 
bribing  of  foumalists ;  —  noire, 
secret  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Home  Secretary  and  Prefect  of 
Police,  Battre  la  — ,  to  puff  up. 
Sauver  la  — ,  to  appropriate  or  ab- 
scond with  the  contents  of  the  cash- 
box. 

Caisson,  m.  (familiar),  head,  "nut." 
Se  faire  sauter  le  — ,  to  blow  one's 
brains  out. 


62 


Calabre —  Calotin. 


Calabre,  m.  (thieves'),  scurf. 

Calain,  -m.  (thieves'),  vine-dresser. 

Calancher  (vagrants'),  to  die,  "to 
croak."     See  Pipe. 

Calande  (thieves'),  walk,  lounge. 

Calandriner  (popular),  le  sable,  to 
live  a  wretched,  poverty-stricken 
life. 

Cale,  f.  (sailors'),  se  lester  la  — ,  to 
eat  and  drink.     See  Mastiquer. 

Cale,  cal6e,  adj.,  properly  propped 
up;  ( popular) ro*//«^  "with plenty 
of  the  needful." 

Calebasse,  /  (popular),  head,  or 
"cocoa-nut."  Grande  — ,  tall, 
thin,  badly  attired  woman.  Vendre 
la  — ,  to  reveal  a  secret. 

Calebasses,/.  (popular),  large  soft 
breasts.     Literally  gourds. 

Calfege,/  (thieves'),  kept  woman. 

Calence,  f.  (popular),  dearth  of 
work. 

Caler  (popular),  to  do;  to  do  nothing; 
to  be  out  of  work,  or  "out  of  col- 
lar ;  "  to  strike  work  ;  —  I'ecole,  to 
play  the  truant.  Se  — ,  to  eat. 
Se —  les  amygdales,  to  eat,  "to 
grub."  (Thieves')  Caler  des 
boulins  aux  lourdes,  to  bore  holes 
in  doors. 

Caleter  (popular),  to  decamp,  "  to 
hook  it."     See  Patatrot. 

Caleur  (popular),  lazy  workman,  or 
"  shicer  ;  "  man  out  of  work  ;  but- 
ler ;  waiter  (from  the  German 
kellner). 

Calfater  (sailors'),  se  —  le  bee,  to 
eat.     Literally  to  caulk. 

Caliborgne.     See  Calorgne. 

Calicot,  m.  (i3.rD\\\a.r),  draper^ s  assis- 
tant, or  "counter  jumper." 

Calicote,  sweetheart,  or  "flame,'" 
of  a  "  knight  of  the  yard." 


Californien  (popular), rich,  "worth 
a  lot  of  tin.       See  Menaces. 

Calin,  m.,  small  tin  fountain  which 
the  retailers  of  coco  carry  on  their 
backs.  Coco  is  a  cooling  draught 
made  of  liquorice,  lemon,  and 
water. 

Caline,  m.  (familiar),  ninny ;  one 
capable  of  the  most  enormous 
"  bulls." 

Calinotade,/,  sayings  of  a  calino 
(which  see). 

Calinttes,  f.  (popular),  breeches, 
or  "hams,"  or  "  sit-upons." 

Callot,  m.  (thieves'),  scurvy. 

Callets,  m.  pi.  (old  cant),  variety 
of  tramps. 

Les  callots  sont  ceux  qui  sont  teigneux 
veritables  ou  contrefaits;  les  uns  et  les 
autres  truchent  tant  aux  entiifes  que  dans 
les  vergnes.— Ze  Jargon  de  V Argot. 

Caltne  et  inedere  (familiar),  etre 
— ,  to  assume  a  decorous  appear- 
ance. Soyez  — ,  behave  yourself 
with  decorum  ;  do  not  be  flurried. 

Calombe.     See  Cabande. 

Caloquet,  m.  (thieves'),  hat; 
crown.     See  Tubard. 

Calorgne,  adj.  (popular),  one-eyed, 
"boss-eyed,"  or  "seven-sided." 

Calot,  m.  (thieves'),  thimble;  wal- 
nut shell;  eye.  Properly  large 
marble.  Boiter  des  calots,  to 
squint.  Reluquer  des  calots,  to 
gaze,  "  to  stag. " 

J'ai  un  chouett'  moure. 

La  bouch'  plus  p'tit'  que  les  calots. 

RiCHEVIN. 

Calot,  clothier's  shopman,  or 
"counter-jumper ; "  over-particu- 
lar, troublesome  customer. 

Caletin,  m.  (familiar);  priest ;  one 
of  the  Clerical  party. 


Calotte — Camelot. 


63 


Calotte,  f.  (familiar),  clergy.  Le 
regiment  de  la  — ,  the  company  of 
the  Jesuits. 

Calottee,  f.  (rodfishers'),  worm- 
box. 

Calvigne,       or       clavigne,      / 

(thieves'),  ■vine. 

Calvin,  or   clavin,  m.   (thieves'), 

grapes. 
Calypso,  y;  (popular),  faire  sa  — , 

to  show  off,  to  pose. 

Cam,/,  (thieves'),  lampagne  de  — , 
country,  or  "  drum." 

Camarade,  m.  (popular),  depionce, 
bed-fellow;  (military)  regimental 
hair-dresser.  (Familiar)  Bon  petit 
—  is  said  ironically  of  a  col- 
league who  does  one  an  ill  turn, 
or  slanders  one. 

Camarde,  f.  (thieves'),  death. 
Baiser  la  — ,  to  die.     See  Pipe. 

Catoarder  (thieves'),  to  die. 

Camarluche,  m.  (popular),  com- 
rade, ' '  mate." 

Camaro,  m.  (popular),  comrade,  or 
"mate." 

Camboler  (popular),  to  fall  down. 

Cambouis,  m.  {m\lita.ry),  army  ser- 
vice corps.     Properly  cart  grease. 

Cambriau,  cambrieux,  m.  (popu- 
lar), hat,  or  "  tile."  See  Tubard. 

Cambriole,  f.  (thieves'),  room,  or 
"  crib ;  "  shop,  or  "  swag. 

Gy,  Marpaux,  gy  nous  remouchons 
Tes  rouillardes  et  la  cnole 
Qui  parfume  ta  cambriole. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Cambriole  de  milord,  sumptuous 
apartment.  Rincer  une  — ,  to 
plunder  a  room  or  shop. 

Cambrioleur,  m.  (thieves'),  thief 
who  operates  in  apartments ;  —  i 
la  flan,  thief  of  that  description  who 
operates  at  random,  or  on  "spec." 


Cambriot,  m.  (popular),  hat, 
"tile."     See  Tubard. 

Cambroniser,  euphemism  for  em- 
merder  (which  see). 

Cambronne  !  euphemism  for  a  low 
but  energetic  expression  of  refusal 
or  contempt,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  the  response  of  General 
Cambronne  at  Waterloo  when 
called  upon  to  surrender  (see  Les 
7l/wd';-rtWM,  by  V.  Hugo).  Sterne 
says,  in  his  Sentimental  Journey, 
that  "  the  French  have  three 
words  which  express  all  that  can 
be  desired — '  diable  ! '  '  peste  ! '  " 
The  third  he  has  not  mentioned, 
but  it  seems  pretty  certain  it  must 
be  the  one  spoken  of  above. 

Cambrouse,  f.  (popular),  a  taw- 
drily-dressed servant  girl ;  a  semi- 
professional  street-walker,  "dolly 
mop ;"  (thieves')  country,  suburbs. 

Cambrouser  (servants'),  to  get  en- 
gaged as  a  maid-servant. 

Cambrousien,  m.  (thieves'),  pea- 
sant, or  "joskin." 

Cambrousier,  m.  (thieves'),  £'o«K/?y 
thief. 

Cambroux,  m.  (thieves'),  servant ; 
waiter. 

Cambuse,  /.  (popular),  house,  or 
"crib;"  sailors^  canteen;  wine- 
shop. 

Cam61ia,  m.,Aept  woman  {La  Davie 
aux  Camelias,  by  A.  Dumas 
fils). 

Camelot,  m.  (popular),  tradesman  ; 
thief;  hawker  of  any  articles. 

Le  camelot,  c'est  le  Parisien  pur  sang  . .  . 
c'est  lui  qui  vend  les  questions,  les  jouets 
nouveaux,  les  drapeaux  aux  jours  de  fete, 
les  immortelles  aux  jours  de  deuil,  les  verres 
noircis  aux  jours  d'^clipse .  .  .  des  cartes 
transparentes  sur  le  Koulevard  et  des 
images  pieuses  sur  la  place  du  Pantheon. 
— RiCHEPIN,  Le  PavL 


64 


Camelote — Canard. 


Camelote,  f.  (popular),  prostitute 
of  the  lowest  class,  or  "draggle- 
tail  ;  "  (thieves')  —  grinchie, 
stolen  property.  Etre  pris  la  — 
en  pogne,  or  en  pied,  to  be  caught, 
•'flagrante  delicto,"  with  the  stolen 
property  in  one^ s possession.  Laver 
la  — ,  to  sell  stolen  property. 
Prendre  la  —  en  pogne,  to  steal 
from  a  person! s  hand. 

Cameloter  (popular),  to  sell;  to 
cheapen  ;  to  beg ;  to  tramp. 

Camerluche  or  camarluche,  m. 

(popular),  comrade,  or  "mate." 

Camionner  (popular),  to  conduct ; 
to  lead  about. 

Camisard,  m..  (military),  soldier  of 
the  " Bataillon  if  Afrique,"  a  corps 
composed  of  liberated  military 
convicts,  who,  after  having  under- 
gone their  sentence,  are  not  sent 
back  to  their  respective  regiments. 
They  are  incorporated  in  the  Ba- 
taillon  d'Afrique,  a  regiment  doing 
duty  in  Algeria  or  in  the  colonies, 
where  they  complete  their  term  of 
service  ;  —  en  bordee,  same 
meaning. 

Camisole,  f.  (popular),  waistcoat, 
or  "benjy." 

Camoufle,/  (thieves'),  description 
of  one^s  personal  appearance; 
dress ;  light  or  candle,  "glim." 
La  —  s'estourbe,  the  light  is  going 
out. 

Camouflement,  ni.  (thieves'),  dis- 
guise. 

Camoufler  (thieves'),  to  learn;  to 
adulterate.  Se  — ,  to  disguise  one- 
self 

Je  me  camoufle  en  pelican, 
J"ai_du  pellard  k  la  tignasse. 
Vive  la  lampagne  du  cam  ! 

RlCHBFIN. 

Camouflet,  m.  (thieves'),  candle- 
stick. 


Camp,  m.  (popular),  ficher  le  — ,  to 
decamp.  Lever  le  — ,to  strike  work. 
Piquer  une  romance  au  — ,  to 
sleep. 

Campagne,/.  (prostitutes'),  aller  4 
la  — ,  to  be  imprisoned  in  Saint- 
Lazare,adepSt for  p7-ostiitites  found 
by  the  police  without  a  registration 
card,  or  sent  there  for  sanitary 
motives.  (Thieves')  Barboteur  de 
— ,  night  thief.  Gardens  de  — ,  or, 
escarpes,  highwaymen  or  house- 
breakers who  pretend  to  be  pedlars. 

Campe,_;C  (ca.6s'),  flight ;  camping. 
Camper  (cads'),  to  flee,  "to  brush.'f 
Camperoux.     See  Cambroux. 
Camphre,  m.  (popular),  brandy. 
Camphrier,  m.   (popular),  retailer 

of  spirits  ;  one  who  habitually  gets 

dritnk  on  spirits. 

Campi  (cads'),  expletive.  Tant  pis 
—  !  so  much  the  worse  ! 

Camplouse,^  (thieves'),  country. 

Camuse,/  {'Cta.e.s^i'),  carp  ;  death; 
flat-nosed. 

Can,  m.  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
canon,  glass  of  wine.  Prendre 
un  —  sur  le  comp,  to  have  a  glass 
of  wine  at  the  bar. 

Canage,  m.  (popular),  death-throes. 

Canaillade,  /.  (popular),  offence 
against  the  law. 

J'ai  fait  beaucoup  de  folies  dans  ma 
jeunesse ;  mais  au  cours  d'une  existence 
accident^e  et  d^cousue,  je  n'ai  pas  i  me 
reprocher  une  seule  canaillade. — Mac6. 

Canaillon,  m.  (popular),  vieux  — , 
old  curmudgeon. 

Canard,  m.  (familiar),  newspaper; 
clarionet ;  (tramcar  drivers')  horse. 
(Popular)  Bouillon  de  — ,  water. 
(Thieves')  Canard  sans  plumes, 
hulPs  pizzle,  or  rattan  used  jot 
convicts. 


Canarder —  Cantonade. 


65 


Canarder  (popular),  to  take  in,  "  to 
bamboozle;"  to  guts,  "to  carry 
on." 

Canardier,  m.  (popular),  yoar- 
nalist ;vendoi' of  newspapers ;{^QVx- 
nalists')  one  who  concocts  "ca- 
nards, "  or  false  news  ;  (printers') 
newspaper  compositor. 

Canane,  m.  (popular),  simpleton,  or 
"flat." 

Canasson,  m.  (popular),  horse,  or 
"  gee  ;  "  old-fashioned  woman's 
bonnet.  Vieux — !  oldfelloiv!  "old 
cock  ! " 

Cancre,  m.  (fishermens'),  jus  de  — , 
landsman,  or  "  land-lubber." 
Cancre,  properly /<;<»■  devil. 

Cancrelat,  m.  (popular),  avoir  un 
— -  dans  la  boule,  to  be  crazy.  For 
other  kindred  expressions,  see 
Avoir.  Cancrelat,  properly  ka- 
kerlac,  or  American  cockroach. 

Cane,y.  (thieves'),  death. 

Canelle,/.   (thieves'),  tJie  town  of 

Caen. 
Caner  (thieves'),  la  pegrenne,   to 

starve.     Caner,  properly  to  shirk 

danger. 

Caneson,     See  Canasson. 

Caneton,  m.  (familiar),  insignifi- 
cant newspaper.  Termed  also 
"feuilledechou." 

Caneur,  m.  (popular),  poltroon,  or 
"  cow  babe." 

Caniche,  m.  {popn\a.r),  general  term 
for  a  dog.  Properly  poodle. 
Termed  also  "  cabgie,  cabot." 
It  also  has  the  signification  of 
spectacles,  an  allusion  to  the  dog, 
generally  a  poodle,  which  acts  as 
the  blind  man's  guide.  (Thieves') 
Caniche,  u.  bale  provided  with 
handles,  compared  to  a  poodle's  ■ 
ears. 

Canne,  /C  (police  and  thieves'),  sur- 
veillance exercised  by  the  police  on 


the  movements  of  liberated  convicts. 
Also  a  liberated  convict  who  has  a 
certain  town  assigned  him  as  a 
place  of  residence,  and  which  he  is 
not  at  liberty  to  leave.  Casser  sa 
— ,  to  break  bounds.  Une  vieille 
— ,  or  une  — ,  an  old  offender. 
(Literary)  Canne,  disjnissal,  the 
"  sack."  Offrir  une  — ,  to  dismiss 
from  one's  employment,  "to  give 
the  sack." 

Canon,  m.  (popular),  glass  of  wine 
drunk  at  the  bar  of  a  wine-shop. 
Grand  — ,  the  fifth  of  a  litre 
of  wine,  and  petit  — ,  half  that 
quantity.  Viens  prendre  un  -^ 
su'  r  zinc,  mon  vieux  zig,  /  say, 
old  fellow,  come  and  have  a  glass  at 
the  bar.  Se  bourrer  le  — ,  to  eat 
to  excess,  "to  scorf." 

Canonner  (popular),  to  drink 
•wine  at  a  wine-shop;  to  bean  habi- 
tual tippler.     . 

Canonneur,  m.  (popular),  tippler, 
a  wine  bibber, 

Canonnier  de  la  piece  humide, 
m.  (military),  hospital  orderly. 

Canonn'iere,  /.  (popular),  th£  be- 
hind, or  "tochas."  See  Vasis- 
tas.  Charger  la  — ,  to  eat,  "  to 
grub."  Gargousses  de  la  — , 
vegetables. 

Cant,  m.  (familiar),  show  of  false 
virtue.     From  the  English  word. 

Cantaloup,     m.    (popular),    fool, 
"duffer,"   or   "cull."     Properly 
a  kind  of  melon. 
Ah  5^  !  d'ou  sort-il  done  ce  cantaloup. 

RiCAKD. 

Cantique,  m.  (freemasons'),  bac- 
chanalian song. 

Canton,  m.    (thieves'),  prison,    or 

"stir."  For  synonyms  see  Motte. 

Comte  de — ,  jailer,  "dubsman," 

or  "jigger-dubber." 
Cantonade,/;  (literary),  ^crire  ila 

— ,  to  write  productions  which  arc 
F 


66 


Cantonnier —  Capstde. 


not  read  by  the  public.  From  a 
theatrical  expression,  Parler  a  la 
— ,  to  speak  to  an  invisible  person 
behind  the  scenes. 

Cantonnier,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner, 
one  in  "quod." 

Canulant,  adj.  (familiar),  tedious, 
tiresome,  "boring."  From  ca- 
nule,  a  clyster-pipe. 

Canularium,  m.  (Ecole  Normale), 
ordeal  which  new  pupils  have  to 
go  through,  such  as  passing  a  mock 
examination. 

Canule,y;  (popular),  tedious  man, 
bore.  Canule,  properly  speaking, 
is  a  clyster-pipe. 

Canuler  (popular),  to  annoy,  to 
bore. 

Canuleur.     See  Canule. 

Caoutchouc,  m.  (popular),  clown. 
Properly  india-rubber. 

Cap,  m.  (thieves'),  chief -warder  at 
the  hulks.  (Familiar)  Doubler  le 
— ,  logo  a  roundabout  way  in  order 
to  avoid  meeting  a^reditor,  or  pass- 
ing before  his  door.  Doubler  le 
—  des  tempetes,  to  clear  safely  the 
1st  or  l^th  of  the  month,  when-cer- 
tain payments  are  due.  Doubler 
le  —  du  terme,  to  be  able  to  pay 
one's  rent  when  due.  Doubler  un 
— ,  to  be  able  to  pay  a  note  of  hand 
when  it  falls  due. 

Capahut,  /  (thieves'),  voler  a  la 
— ,  to  murder  an  accomplice  so  as 
to  get  possession  of  his  share  of  the 
booty. 

Capahuter.     See  Capahut. 

Cape,/  (thieves'),  handwriting. 

Capet,  m.  (popular), /io/,  or  "  tile. " 
See  Tubard. 

Capine,/  (thieves'),  ««&/««(/. 

Capir  (thieves'),  to  write,  or  "to 
screeve." 


Capiston,  m.  (military),  captain; 
—  becheur,  an  officer  who  acts  as 
public  prosecutor  at  courts-martial. 
Termed  also  "capitaine becheur." 

Capitaine  (thieves'),  stock-jobber; 
financier;  (military)  — b&heur, 
see  Capiston;  —  de  la  soupe,  an 
officer  who  has  never  been  under 
fire. 

Capitainer  (thieves'),  to  be  a  stock- 
jobber. 

Capital,  m.  (popular),  maidenhead. 
Villon,  fifteenth  century,  terms  it 
"ceincture." 

Capitole,  m.  (schoolboys'),  formerly 
the  black  hole. 

Capitonnee,  adj.  (popular),  is  said 
of  a  stout  woman. 

Capitonner  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
grow  stout. 

Capitulard,  m.  (familiar  and  fty^yy- 
Iscr),  term  of  contempt  applied  during 
the  warofi%']o  to  those  who  were 
in  favour  of  surrender. 

Caporal,  m.,  tobacco  of  French  via- 
nufacture, 

Caporalisme,  m.  (familiar),  pipe- 
clayism. 

Capou,  m.  (popular),  a  scribe 
who  writes  letters  for  illiterate 
persons  in  return  for  a  fee. 

Capoul  (familiar),  bandeaux  a  la 
— ,  or  des  Capouls,  hair  brushed 
low  on  forehead,  fringe,  or  "toifs." 
From  the  name  of  a  celebrated 
tenor  vfho  some  twenty  years  ago 
was  a  great  favourite  of  the  public, 
especially  of  the  feminine  portion 
of  it. 

Caprice,  m.,  appellation  given  by 
ladies  of  the  demi-monde  to  their 
lovers  ;  —  serieux,  one  who  keeps 
a  girl. 

Capsule,/,  (popular),  hat  with  nar- 
row rim ;  infantry  shako.  See 
Tubard. 


Captif — Carer. 


67 


Captif,  m.  (popular),  abbreviation 
of  ballon  captif.  Enlever  le  — ,  to 
kick  one  in  the  hind  quarters,  ' '  to 
root." 

Capucin,  m.  (sportsmen's),  hare. 

Capucine,/.  (familiar  and  popular), 
jusqu'a  la  troisieme  — ,  completely, 
"awfully."  Etre  paf  jusqu'a  la 
troisieme  — ,  to  be  quite  drunk,  or 
"ploughed."  See  Pompette. 
S'ennuyer — ,  &c.,/()/^?/"awfully  " 
dull. 

Caquer  (popular),  to  ease  oneself. 
See  Mouscailler. 

Carabine,  f.  (popular),  sweetheart 
of  a  "  carabin,"  or  medical  stu- 
dent;  (military)  whip. 

Carabine,  adj.  (popular),  excessive, 
■violent.  Un  mal  de  tete  — ,  a 
violent  headache.  Une  plaisan- 
terie  carabinee,  a  spicy  joke. 

Carabiner  (military),  les  c6tes,  to 
thrash.     See  Vole. 

Carabinier,  m.  (popular),  de  la 
Faculte,  chemist. 

Caiafe, /.  (cads'),  throat,  or  "gut- 
ter lane;"  mouth,  or  "mug." 
Fouettcr  dela  — ,  to  have  an  offen- 
sive breath. 

Carambolage,  m.  (popular),  col- 
lision ;  general  set-to ;  coition,  or 
"chivalry."  Vto^iAy  cannoning 
at  billiards. 

Caramboler  (popular),  to  come  into 
collision  with  anything ;  to  strike 
two  persons  at  one  blow  ;  to  thrash 
a  person  or  several  persons.  Also 
corresponds  to  the  Latin  fvitiere. 
The  old  poet  Villon  termed  this 
"chevaulcher,"  or  "  faire  le  bas 
mestier,"  and  Rabelais  called  it, 
"faire  la  bete  a  deux  dos." 
Properly  ' '  caramboler  "  signifies 
to  make  a  cannon  at  billiards. 

Carant,  m.  (thieves'),  board ;  square 
piece  of  wood.  A  corruption  of 
carre,  square. 

Carante,/  (thieves'),  table. 


Carapata,  m.  {popvlax), pedestrian; 
bargee;  (cavalry)  recruit,  or 
"Johnny  raw." 

Carapater  (popular),  to  run,  ^'to 
brush."  Se — ,  to  run  away,  or 
"  to  slope."  Literally,  courir  k 
pattes.     See  Patatrot. 

Caravane,  f.  (popular),  travelling 
show,  or  "slang."  Des  cara- 
vanes,  love  adventures.  Termed 
also  "  cavalcades." 

Carbeluche,  m,  (thieves'),  galice, 
silk  hat. 

Carcagno,  or  carcagne,  m. 
(thieves'),  usurer. 

Carcagnotter  (thieves'),  to  be  a 
usurer. 

Ca.Tcan,m.{poT[)\i\3.r), worthless  horse, 
or  "screw  ;  "  opprobrious  epithet ; 
gaunt  woman ;  —  a  crinoline, 
street-walker.     See  Gadoue. 

Carcasse,  f.  (thieves'),  etats  de  — , 
loins.  Carcasse,  in  popular  lan- 
guage, body,  or  "  bacon."  Je  vais 
te  desosser  la  — ,  /'//  break  every 
bone  in  your  body. 

Carcassier,  m.  (theatrical),  clever 

playwright. 
Carder  (popular),  to  claw  one's  face. 

Properly  to  card. 

Cardinale,  f,   (thieves^,  moon,  or 

"  parish  lantern. " 
Cardinales,y!  //.  (popular),  menses. 

Cardinaliser  (familiar),  se  —  la 
figure,  to  blush,  or  to  get  flushed 
through  drinking. 

Care,  f.  (thieves'),  place  of  conceal- 
ment.   Vol  i  la  — ,  see  Careur. 

CarSme,  m.  (popular),  amoureux 
de  — ,  timid  or  platonic  lover. 
Literally  a  Lenten  lover,  one  who 
is  afraid  of  touching  flesh. 

Carer  (thieves'),  to  conceal ,  to  steal. 
See  Careur.,  Se — ,  to  seek  shelter 


68 


Careur—  Carreau. 


Careur,  or  voleur  k  la  care,  m. 

(thieves'),  thief  who  robs  a  money- 
changer under  pretence  of  offering 
old  coins  for  sale,  "  pincher," 

Carfouiller  (popular),  to  thrust 
deeply. 

11  ddlib^ra  .  .  .  pour  savoir  s'il  lui  car- 
fouillerait  le  cceur  avec  son  epee  ou  s'il  se 
bornerait  k  lui  crever  les  yeux.  — Figaro. 

Carge  (thieves'),  pack. 

Cargot,  »«.  (military),  <rffl«fe^«  OTOK. 

Carguer  (sailors'),  ses  voiles,  to 
retire  from  the  service.  Properly 
to  reef  sails. 

Caribener,  or  carer,  to  steal  "i 
la  care. "     See  Careur. 

Caristade,  f.  (printers'),  relief  in 
money  ;  charity. 

Carle,  m.  (thieves'),  money,  "lour,"' 
or  "piece.s. " 

Carline,/  (thieves'),  death. 

Carme,  »2.  (popular),  large  flat  loaf ; 
(thieves')  OTuwfj',  "pieces."  See 
Quibus.  On  lui  a  grinchi  tout 
le  —  de  son  morlingue,  the  con- 
tents of  his  purse  have  been  stolen. 
Carme  a  I'estorgue,  or  a  I'estoque, 
base  coin,  or  "  sheen." 

Carmer  (thieves'),  to  pay,  "  to  dub. " 

Carnaval,  m.  {populsLr),  ridiculously 
dressed  person,  *  *  guy. " 

Carne,/.  (popular),  worthless  horse, 
or  "screw  ;  "  opprobrious  epithet 
applied  to  a  woman,  strumpet; 
woman  of  disreputable  character, 
' '  bed-fagot, "  or  "  shake. "  Etre 
— ,  to  be  lazy. 

Carottage,  m.  (popular),  chouse. 

Carotte,  /  (military),  medical  in- 
spection ;  —  d'epaisseur,  great 
chouse.  (Familiar)  Tirer  une  — 
de  longueur,  to  concoct  a  far-fetched 
story  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
something  from  one,  as  money, 
leavi  of  absence,  &^c.     (Theatrical) 


Avoir  une  —  dans  le  plomb,  to. 
sing  out  of  tune,  or  with  a  cracked 
voice ;  (popular)  to  have  an  offen- 
sive breath.  Avoir  ses  carottes 
cuites,  to  be  dead.  (Thieves')  Tirer 
la  — ,  to  elicit  secrets  from  one, 
"  to  pump  "  one. 

II  s'agit  de  te  faire  arreter  pour  etre 
conduit  au  d^pdt  ou  tu  tireras  la  carotte 
^  un  grinche  que  nous  allons  emballer  ce 
soir. — ViDOcQ. 

Carotter  (familiar),  I'existence,  t(r 
live  a  wretched,  poverty-stricken 
life ;  —  a  la  Bourse,  to  speculate 
in  a  small  way  at  the  Stock  Ex- 
change;  (military)  —  le  service, 
to  shirk  one^s  military  duties. 

Caroublage,  m.  (thieves'),  picking 
ofd  lock. 

Carouble,/  (thieves'),  skeleton  key, 
"betty,"  or  "twirl." 

Caroubleur,  m.  (thieves'),  thief  who, 
uses  a  picklock,  or  ' '  screwsman  ;  " 
—  a  la  flan,  thief  of  this  description 
who  operates  at  haphazard ; —  au 
fric-frac,  housebreaker,  "  panny- 
man,"  "buster, "or "cracksman." 

Carquois,  m.  (popular),  d'osier,ra^- 
picker's  basket, 

Carre,  /.  (thieves'),  du  paquelin, 
the  Banque  de  France.  Mettre  a. 
la  — J  to  conceal. 

Carr6,  m.  (student^'),  second-year 
student  in  higher  mathematics ; 
(thieves')  room,  or  lodgings, 
"  diggings  ;  "  —  des  petites 
gerbes,  police  court ;  —  du  rebec- 
tage,  court  of  cassation,  a  tri- 
bunal which  revises  cases  already 
tried,  and  which  has  power  to 
quash  a  judgment. 

Carreau,  m.  (popular),  de  vitre, 
monocular  eyeglass.  AUer  au  — , 
see  Aller.  (Thieves'  and  cads'> 
Carreau,  eye,  or  "glazier;"  — 
brouille,  squinting  eye,  or  "boss- 
eye  ;  "  —  i  la  manque,  blind  eye. 
Aftranchir  le  — ,  to  open  one's  eye^ 


Carreaux  brouilUs — Cascaret. 


69 


Carreaux  brouilles,  m.  pi.  (popu- 
lar), house  of  ill-fame,  or  "nanny- 
shop."  Such  establishments  which 
are  under  the  surveillance  of  the 
police  authorities  have  white- 
washed window-panes  and  a  num- 
ber of  vast  dimensions  over  the 
street  entrance. 

Carree,/  (popular),  room,  "crib."' 

Carrefour,  m.  (popular),  des  ecra- 
ses,  a  crossing  of  the  faubourg 
Montmartre,  a  dangerous  one  on 
account  of  the  great  traffic. 

Carrer  (popular  and  thieves'),  se  — , 
to  conceal  oneself;  to  run  away, 
"to  brush  ;"  —  de  la  debine,  to 
improve  one's  circumstances. 

Carreur,  m.  (thieves'),  receiver  of 
stolen  goods,  "  fence."  Termed 
also  "fourgue." 

Cartaude,  /  (thieves'),  printer's 
shop. 

Cartaude  (thieves'),  printed. 

Cartauder  (thieves'),  to  print. 

Cartaudier  (thieves'),  printer. 

Carte,  /.  (popular),  femme  en  — , 
street-walker  whose  name  is  down 
in  the  books  of  the  police  as  a  regis- 
tered prostitute.  Revoir  la  — ,  to 
•vomit,  or  "to  cascade,"  "to cast 
up  accounts,"  "  to  shoot  the  cat." 
(Cardsharpers')  Maquiller  la  — , 
to  handle  cards ;  to  tamper  with 
cards,  or  "to  stock  broads." 

Carton,  m.  (gamesters'),  playing- 
card,  or  "  broad."  Manier, 
tripoter,  graisser,  travailler,  pati- 
ner  le  — ,  to  play  cards.  Ma- 
quiller le  — ,  to  handle  cards,  to 
tamper  with  cards,  or  "to stock 
broads. " 

Cartonnements,  m.  pi.  (literary), 
manuscripts  consigned  to  oblivion. 

Cartonner  (gamesters'),  to  play 
cards. 


Cartonneur,  m.,  one  fond  of  cards. 

Cartonnier,  m.  (popular),  clumsy 
worker ;  card-player. 

Cartouche,  /  (military),  avaler  sa 
— ,  to  die,  "  to  lose  the  number  of 
one's  mess."  Dechirer  la  — ,  to 
eat.    See  Mastiquer. 

Cartouchi^re  a  portees,  f,  pack 
cf  prepared  cards  which  swindlers 
keep  secreted  under  their  waistcoat, 
"books  of  briefs." 

Caruche,  f.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  Comte  de  la — ,  jailer, 
or"dubsman."    See  Motte. 

Carvel,  m.  (thieves'),  boat.  From 
the  Italian  caravella. 

Cas,  m.  (popular),  montrer  son  — , 
to  make  an  indecent  exhibition  of 
one^s  person, 

Casaquin,wi.  {popvi[a.r),human  body, 
or  "  apple  cart."  Avoir  quelque- 
chose  dans  le  — ,  to  be  uneasy ; 
ill  at  case  in  body  or  mind.  Tom- 
ber,  sauter  sur  le  —  ^  quelqu'un, 
to  give  one  a  beating,  "  to  give  one 
Jessie."  Crimper,  tanner,  travailler 
le  — ,  to  belabour,  "  to  tan."  See 
Voie. 

Cascader  (familiar),  interpolating 
by  an  cutor  of  matter  not  in  the 
play  ;  to  lead  a  fast  life. 

Cascades,  /  //.  (theatrical),  fcinci- 
ful  improvisations  ;  (familiar) 
eccentric  proceedings  ;  jokes.  Faire 
des  — ,  to  live  a  past  life. 

Cascadeur  (theatrical),  actor  who 
interpolates  in  his  part ;  (familiar) 
man  with  no  earnestness  of  pur- 
pose, and  who  consequently  can- 
not be  trusted;  fast  man. 

Cascadeuse,/  (familiSiT),  fast  girl 
or  woman. 

Cascaret,  m.  (thieves'),  two-franc 
coin. 


70 


Case — Casser. 


Case,  Carrie,  orpiole,/  (thieves'), 
room;  lodgings,  "diggings,"  or 
"hangs  out;"  (popular)  house; 
any  kind  of  lodgings,"  aVo.^'  Le 
patron  de  la  — ,  the  head  of  any 
establishment,  the  landlord,  the 
occupier  of  a  house  or  apartment, 
(Familiar)  N'avoir  pas  de  case 
judiciaire  ^  son  dossier  is  said  of 
one  who  has  never  been  convicted 
of  any  offence  against  the  law. 
The  "dossier"  is  a  record  of  a 
man's  social  standing,  containing 
details  concerning  his  age,  pro- 
fession, morality,  &c.  Every  Pa- 
risian, high  and  low,  has  his 
"dossier"  at  the  Prefecture  de 
Police. 

Casimir,  m.  (popular),  waistcoat, 
"benjy." 

Casin,  m.  (familiar),/ff(;/a/  billiards, 

Casinette,/  (popular),  habittiie  of 
the  Casino  Cadet,  a.  place  some- 
what similar  to  the  former  Argyle 
Rooms. 

Casoar,  m.,  flume  of  shako,  in 
the  slang  of  the  students  of  the 
Saint-Cyr  military  school,  the 
French  Sandhurst. 

Casque,  m.  (popular),  hat,  "file." 
See  Tubard.  Casque  aauvent,ffl/ 
with  a  peak ;  —  i  m^che,  cotton 
nightcap.  Avoir  du  — ,  to  have 
a  spirited,  persuasive  delivery  ;  to 
speak  with  a  quack's  coolness  and 
facility.  An  allusion  to  Mangin, 
a  celebrated  quack  in  warrior's 
attire,  with  a  large  helmet  and 
plumes.  This  man,  who  was 
always  attended  by  an  assistant 
who  went  by  the  name  of  Vert-de- 
gris,  made  a  fortune  by  selling 
pencils.  Avoir  le  — ,  to  have  a 
headache  caused  by  potations;  to 
have  a  fancy  for  a  man.  Avoir 
son  — ,  to  be  completely  tipsy.  See 
Pompette. 


Casquer  (popular),  /;;  pay,  or  "  to 
fork  out ;  "  to  fall  blindly  into  a 
snare  ;  to  mistake. 

Casquette,  /  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), money  lost  at  some  game  at  a 
cafe.  Une  —  i  trois  ponts,  a 
prostitute's  bully,  or  "ponce," 
thus  termed  on  account  of  the  tall 
silk  cap  sported  by  that  worthy. 
See  Poisson.  Etre — ,  to  be 
intoxicated.  See  Pompette.  (Fa- 
miliar) Etre  — ,  to  have  vulgar 
manners,  to  be  a  boor, "  roly-poly." 

Casqueur,  m.  (theatrical),  specta- 
tor who  is  not  on  the  free  list. 

Cassant,  m.  (thieves'),  walnut  tree; 
(sailors')  biscuit. 

Cassantes,/  pi.  (thieves'),  teeth, 
or  "  head-rails  ;  "  nuts  ;  walnuts. 

Casse,  /  (popular),  chippings  of 
pastry  sold  cheap.  Je  t'eu  — , 
that's  not  for  you. 

Casse-gueule,  m.  (popiilar),  sub- 
urban dancing-hall;  strong  spirits, 
or  "kill  devil." 

Cassement,  m.  (thieves'),  de 
porte,  housebreaking,  "  cracking  a 
crib." 

Casser,  (thieves'),  to  eat,  "to 
grub  ;  "  —  du  sucre,  or  se  mettre 
a  table,  to  confess  ;  —  du  sucre,  or 

—  du  Sucre  a  la  rousse,  to  peach, 
"  to  blow  the  gaff ;"  —  la  hane, 
to  steal  a  purse,  '^  to  buz  a 
skin  ;  "  —  sa  canne,  to  sleep,  or 
"  to  doss  ; "  to  be  veiy  ill;  as  a 
ticket  -  of-  leave  man,  to  break 
bounds ;  to  die ;  —  sa  ficelle,  to 
escape  from  the  convict  settlement; 
(popular)  —  un    mot,   to  talk; 

—  du  bee,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath  ;  —  du  grain,  to  do  nothing 
of  what  is  required ;  —  du  sucre 
sur  la  tete  de  quelqu'un,  to  talk 
ill  of  one  in  his  absence,  to  back- 
bite ;  —  la  croustille,  to  eat,  "to 
grub  ; "    —  la  gueule   a  une  ne- 


Casserolaze — Caiichemardant. 


71 


gresse,  to  drink  a  boltle  of  wine  ; 

—  lagueule  a  un  enfant  de  choeur, 
to  drink  u,  bottle  of  wine  (red- 
capped  like  a  chorister);  —  la  mar- 
niite,  to  quarrel  with  one's  bread 
and  cheese;  — le  cou  a  un  chat, 
to  eat  a  raibit  ste^v  ;  —  le  cou  a 
une  negresse,  to  discuss  u.  bottle  of 
■wine;  —  sa  pipe,  son  cable, 
son  crachoir,  or  son  fouet,  to  die, 
"to  kick  the  bucket,"  "to  croak." 
See  Pipe.  Casser  son  oeuf,  to  have 
a  miscarriage;  —  son  pif,  to 
sleep,  "  tohave  adose  of  balmy  ;" 

—  son  lacet,  to  break  off  one's  con- 
nection with  a  mistress,  "to  buiy 
a  moll ;  "  —  une  roue  de  derriere, 
to  spend  fart  of  a  fivefranc  piece. 
Se  la  — ,  to  get  away,  to  move  off, 
"to  hook  it."  See  Patatrot. 
N'avoir  pas  casse  la  patte  a  coco, 
to  be  dull-witted,  or  "  soft."  (Fa- 
miliar) A  tout  — ,  tremendous ; 
awful.  Une  noce  a  tout  — ,  a 
rare  jollification,  "  a  flare-up," 
or  "  break-down."  Un  potin  a 
tout  — ,  a  tremendous  row,  or 
"shindy." 

Casserolage,  m.  (thieves'),  inform- 
ing against  an  accomplice. 

Casserole,  /.  (thieves'),  informer, 
or  "buz-man;"  spy,  or  "nark  ;" 
police  officer.  Or  "copper."  See 
Pot-^-tabac.  Casserole,  prosti- 
tute, or  "bunter."  See  Gadoue. 
Coup  de  — ,  denunciation,  or 
■  "busting."  Passer  a-  — ,  to  be 
informed  against.  ( Popular)  Casse- 
role, name  given  to  the  Hdpital  du 
Midi.   Passer  a  — ,  see  Passer. 

Casseur,  m.  (thieves'),  de  portes, 
housebreaker, "  buster,  "or  "  sere  ws- 
man  ;  "  —  de  sucre  a  quatre  sous, 
military  convict  of  the  Algerian 
' '  compagnies  de  discipline, "  chiefly 
employed  at  stone-breaking.  The 
"compagnies  de  discipline,"  or 
punishment  companies,  consist  of 
all  the  riff-raff  of  the  army. 


Cassine,  f.  (popular),  properly 
small  country-house  ;  house  where 
the  master  is  strict ;  workshop  in 
which  the  work  is  severe. 

Cassolette,  f,  (popular),  chamber 
utensil,  or  "jerry;"  scavenger's 
cart ;  mouth,  or  ' '  gob. "  Plomber 
dela — ,  to  have  an  offensive  breath. 

Cassure,  f.  (theatrical),  jouer  une 
— ,  to  perform  in  the  character  of 
a  very  old  man. 

Castagnettes,  /  pi.  (^military), 
blows  with  the  fist. 

Caste,  f.  (old  cant),  de  charrue, 
one  fourth  of  a  crown. 

Castor,  or  castorin,  naval  officer 
who  shirks  going  out  to  sea,  or  one 
in  the  army  who  is  averse  to  leaving 
the  garrison. 

Castorin,  m.  (popular),  hat-maker. 

Castoriser  is  said  of  an  officer  who 
shirks  sea  duty,  or  who  likes  to 
make  a  long  stay  in  some  pleasant 
garrison  toivn. 

Castroz,  m.  (popular),  capon. 

Castu,  m.  (thieves'),  hospital.  Bar- 
beaudier  de  — ,  hospital  director. 

Castue,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  See  Motte.  Comte  de 
— ,  jailer,  or  "jigger-dubber." 

Cataplasme,  m.  (popular),  au  gras, 
spinach;  —  de  Venise,  blow, 
"  clout." 

Cataplasmier,  m.  (popular),  hos- 
pital attendant. 

Catapulteux,  catapulteuse,  adj. 
(popular),  beautiful ;  marvellous. 
Une  femme  — ,  a  magnificent  wo- 
man, a  "blooming  tart." 

Catiniser  (popular),  se  — ,  to  be  in 
a  fair  way  of  becoming  a  street- 
walker. 

C^uchemardant  (popular),  tire- 
some, annoying,  "boring." 


IT/ 


J2 


Cauchemarder —  Centrier. 


Cauchemarder  (popular),/^;  annoy, 

to  bore.     Se  — ,  to  fret. 
Cause,  y;  (familiar),  grasse,  case  in 

a  court  of  justice  offering  piquant 

details. 

Causotter  (familiar),  to  chat  fami- 
liarly in  a  small  circle. 

Cavalcade,  f.  (popular),  love  in- 
trigue. Avoir  vu  des  cavalcades 
is  said  of  a  woman  who  has  had 
many  lovers. 

Cavale,  f.  (popular),  flight.  Se 
payer  une  — ,  to  run  away,  or  "  to 
crush."  SeePatatrot.  (Thieves') 
Tortiller  une  — ,  to  farm  u  flan 
for  escaping  from  prison. 

Cavaler  (thieves'  and  cads'),  quel- 
qu'un,  to  annoy  one,  to  "  rile " 
him.  Se  — ,  to  make  off,  ' '  to 
guy."  For  list  of  synonyms  see 
Patatrot.  Se  —  au  rebectage, 
to  pray  for  a  new  trial  in  the 
"  Cour  de  Cassation."  This  court 
may  quash  a  judgment  for  the 
slightest  flaw  in  the  procedure, 
such  as,  for  instance,  the  fact  of  a 
witness  not  lifting  his  right  hand 
when  taking  the  oath.  Se  — 
cher  au  rebectage,  to  pray  for  a 
commutation  of  a  sentence. 

Cavalerie,/  (popular),  grosse — , 
man  who  works  in  the  sewers,  a 
"rake-kennel."  An  allusion  to 
his  high  boots. 

Cave,  OT.  (popular),  dupe,  or '  'gull ; " 
cafs-paw. 

Cavee,/;  (thieves'),  chiirch. 

Cayenne,  m.  (popular),  suburban 
cemetery;  suburban  factory ;  work- 
shop at  a  distance  from  Paris. 
Gibier  de  — ,  scamp,  jail-bird. 

Cayenne-les-eaux,  m.  (thieves'), 
the  Cayenne  dipot  for  transported 
convicts. 

Ce,  m.  (thieves'),  «7o^.  Attaches 
de  — ,  silver  buckles.     Bogue  de 


— ,  silver  watch,    "white  'un." 
Tout  de  — ,  very  well. 

Cela  me  gene  (theatrical),  words 
used  by  actors  to  denote  anything 
which  interferes  with  the  impres- 
sion they  seek  to  produce  by  certain 
tirades  or  by-play. 

Celui  (popular),  avoir  —  de  ..., 
stands  for  avoir  I'honneur  de  ..., 
to  have  the  honour  to  ...  . 

Censure,/  (thieves'),  passer  la  — ,' 
to  repeat  a  crime. 

Centiballe,  m.  (popular),  centime. 
Balle,  a  franc. 

Central,  m.  (familiar),  /;////  of  the 
"  Ecole  Centrale,"  a  public  engi- 
neering school ;  telegraph  office  of 
the  "  Place  de  la  Bourse." 

Centre,  m.  (thieves'),  name,  "  mo- 
narch or  monniker."  Also  a 
meeting-place  for  malefactors.  Un 
—  a  I'estorgue,  a  false  name,  or 
"  alias. "  Un  —  d'alteque,  a  real 
name.  Coquer  son  ■ — ,  to  give 
mie's  name.  (Familiar)  Le  —  de 
gravite,  the  behind,  or  "seat  of 
honour."  See  Vsnjistas.  Perdre 
son  — ,  to  be  tipsy,  "fuddled." 

C&aiTh,adj.  (T^o^u\xc),issaidofone 
who  has  failed  in  business,  "gone 
to  smash. " 

Centrier,  or  centripfete,  m.  (m\Y\- 
l3.ry),  foot  soldier,  "  beetle-crusher 
or  wobbler ;"  (familiar)  member  of 
the  "  Centre" party  (Conservative) 
of  the  House,  under  Louis  Philippe. 
The  House  is  now  divided  into 
"extreme  gauche"  (rabid  radi- 
cals) ;  "gauche "(advanced repub- 
licans) ;  "  centre-gauchers  "  (con- 
servative republicans) ;  "  centre  " 
(wavering  members) ;  "  centre 
droit "  (moderate  conservatives) ; 
"  droite  "  (monarchists  and  cleri- 
cals) ;  "  extreme  droite  "  (rabid 
monarchists  and  ultramontane 
clericals). 


Centriot — Chaises. 


n 


Centriot,  m.  (thieves'),  nickname. 

Cercle,  m.  (thieves'),  silver  coin. 
(Familiar)  Pincer  or  rattraper  au 
demi  — ,  to  come  upon  one  un- 
awares, to  catch,  "  to  nab " 
Aim.  From  an  expression  used 
in  fencing. 

Cercueil,  m.  (students'),  glass  of 
beer.  A  dismal  play  on  the  virord 
"  biere,"  which  has  both  signifi- 
cations of  beer  and  coffin. 

Cerf, »«.  (popular),  injured  husband, 
or  cuckold.  Se  deguiser  en  — ,  to 
decamp  ;  to  run  away  ;  to  be  off  in 
a  "jiffy."    See  Patatrot. 

Cerf-volant,  m.  (thieves'),  female 
thief  who  strips  children  at  play  in 
the  public  gardens  or  parks.  A 
play  on  the  vifords  "  cerf-volant," 
kite,  and  "  voler,"  to  steal. 

Cerise,  f.  (popular),  mason  of  the 
suburbs. 

Cerises.jC ^/.(military),  monter  en 
marchand  de  — ,  to  ride  badly, 
■with  toes  and  elbows  out,  and  all 
of  a  heap,  like  a  man  with  a  basket 
on  his  arm. 

Cerisier,  m.  (popular),  sorry  hoise. 
An  allusion  to  the  name  given  to 
small  horses  which  used  to  carry 
cherries  to  market. 

Cemeau,  m.  (literary),  young  girl. 
Tioperiy  fresh  walnut. 

Certificats,  m.  pi.  (military),  de 
betise,  long-service  stripes. 

C'est  (printers'),  a  cause  des 
mouches,  sneering  reply. 

Eh !  dis  done,  compagnon,  pourquoi 
n'es-tu  pas  venu  i  la  boite  ce  matin? 
L'autre  re'pond  par  ce  coq-a-l'Sne  :  C'est  k 
cause  des  mouches. — Boutmy. 

Cet  (popular),  aut'  chien,  thatfellert 

Chabannais,  m.  (popular),  noise; 
rffiv  ;  thrashing.  Ficher  un  — ,  to 
thrash,  "  to  wallop."     9ee  Voie. 

Cbabrol,  m.  (popular),  mixtiire  of 
broth  and  wine. 


Chacal,  m.  (military).  Zouave. 

Chaffourer  (popular),  se  — ,  toclaw 
one  another. 

Chafrioler  (popular),  se  —  \  quelque 
chose,  to  find  pleasure  in  some- 
thing. 

Chahut,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
eccentric  dance,  not  in  favour  in 
respectc^le  society,  and  in  which 
the  dancers'  toes  are  as  often  on  a 
level  with  the  faces  of  their  partners 
as  on  the  ground;  uproar,^ 
"  shindy,"  general  quarrel.  Faire 
du  — ,  to  make  a  noise,  a  distur- 
bance. 

Chahuter  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
dance  the  chahut  (which  see)  ;  to 
upset ;  to  shake;  to  rock  about. 
Nous  avons  ete  rudement  cha- 
hutes,  we  were  dreadfully  jolted. 
Ne  chahute  done  pas  comme  9a, 
keep  still,  don't  fidget  so. 

Chahuteur,  m.  (popular),  noisy, 
restless  fellow  ;  one  who  dances  the 
chahut  (which  see). 

Chahuteuse,  f.  (popular),  habitule 
of  low  dancing-saloons.  Also  a 
girl  leading  a  noisy,  fast  life. 

Chaillot  (popular),  k  — !  go  to  the 
deuce  .'a  —  les  g^neurs  !  to  the 
deuce  with  bores!  Ahuri  de  — , 
blockhead.  Envoyer  i  — ,  to  get 
rid  of  one ;  to  send  one  to  the 
deuce. 

Chatne,  f.  (popular),  d'oignons,  ten 
of  cards. 

Chainiste,  m.  (popular),  maker  of 
gold  chains. 

Chair,  /.    (cads'),    dure  !   hit  him. 

hard!  smash  him!    That  is,  Fais 
'  lui    la    chair     dure!      (Popular) 

Marchand  de  —  humaine,  keeper 

of  a  brothel. 
Chaises,  /  //.   (popular),  manquer 

de  —  dans  la  salle  a  manger,  to 

be  minus  several  teeth.     Noce  de 


74 


Chaleur — Chandelle. 


batons  de  — ,  grand  jollification, 
or  "flare-up." 

Chaleur !  (popular),  exclamation 
expressive  of  contempt,  disbelief, 
disappointment,  mock  admiration, 
&'c. 

Chaloupe,  /  (popular),  woman 
with  dress  bulging  out.  (Students') 
La  —  orageuse,  a  furious  sort  of 
cancan.  The  cancan  is  an  eccen- 
tric dance,  and  one  of  rather  ques- 
tionable character.    See  Chahut. 

Chalooper  (students'),  to  dance  the 


Chamailler  (popular),  des  dents,  to 

eat. 
Chambard,   m.    (Ecole    Polytech- 
nique),  act  of  smashing  the  iurni- 
ture  and  destroying  the  effects  of 
the  newly-joined  students, 

Chambardement,     m,     (sailors'), 

overthrow  ;  destruction, 

Chambarder  (sailors'),  to  hustle ; 
to  smash.  At  the  Ecole  Polytech- 
nique,  to  smash,  or  create  a  dis- 
turbance. 

Chamberlan,  m.  (popular),  work- 
man who  works  at  home. 

Chambert,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who 
talks  too  much;  one  who  lets  the 
cat  out  of  the  bag. 

Chamberter  (thieves'),  to  talk  in 
an  indiscreet  manner. 

Chambre,  f.  (thieves'),  de  surete, 
the  prison  of  La  Conciergerie.  La 
—  des  pairs,  that  part  of  the  depSt 
reserved  for  convicts  sentenced  to 
pen(il  servitude  for  life. 

Chambrer  (swindlers'),  to  lose ;  to 
steal;  to  "claim."  See  Grin- 
chir. 

Chambrillon,  m.,  small  servant ; 
young  "  slavey." 

Chameau,  m.  (popular),  cunning 
man  who  imposes  on  his  friends  ; 


girl  of  lax  morals  ;  prostitute  ;  — 
^  deux  bosses,  prostitute.  Ce  — 
de.  .  .,  insulting  expression  applied 
to  either  sex. 

Coupeau  apprit  de  la  patronne  que  Nana 
^tait  d^bauch^e  par  une  autre  ouvriere,  ce 
petit  chameau  de  Ldonie,  qui  venait  de 
]acher  les  fleurs  pour  faire  la  noce. — Zola, 
V  Assommoir. 

Chameliers,  m.pl.  (military), ««»?« 
formerly  given  to  the  old '  'guides. " 

Champ,  m.  (familiar),  champagne, 
"fiz,"  or  "boy;"  (popular)—* 
d'oignons,  cemetery  ;  —  de  navets, 
cemetery  where  executed  criminals 
are  interred. 

Champoreau,  m.  (military),  beve- 
rage concocted  with  coffee,  7nilk,  and 
some  alcoholic  liquor,  but  more 
generally  a  mixture  of  coffee  and 
spirits.  From  the  name  of  the  in- 
ventor. 

Le  douro,  je  ie  gardais  pr^cieusement, 
ayant  grand  soin  de  ne  pas  I'entamer. 
J'eusse  prefer^  jeuner  un  long  mois  de 
champoreau  et  d'absinthe.  —  Hector 
France,  Sous  ie  Burncnis. 

Chan9ard,  m.  (familiar),  lucky 
man, 

Chancellerie,  /  (popular),  mettre 
en  — ,  to  put  one  in  "chancery." 

Chancre,  z».  (popular),  man  with  a 
large  appetite,  a  "  grand  paunch." 

Chand,  chande  (popular),  abbre- 
viation of  marchand. 

Chandelier,  m.  (popular),  nose, 
"boko,"  "snorter,"  or  "smeller." 
For  synonyms  see  Morviau. 

Chandelle,  f.  (military),  infantry 
musket;  sentry.  Etre  conduit 
entre  quatre  chandelles,  to  be 
marched  off  to  the  guard-room  by 
four  men  and  a  corporal.  La  — 
brule,  it  is  time  to  go  home.  Faire 
fondre  une  — ,  to  drink  a  bottle  of 
wine.  Glisser  en  — ,  to  slide  with 
both  feet  close  together. 

Mon  galopin  file  comme  une  fl&che. 
Quelle  aisance  !  quelle  grdce  mcnie  !   Tan- 


Changer — Chargi. 


75 


tCt  les  p'leds  joints,  en  chandelle  :  tantfit 
accroupi,  faisant  la  petite  bonne  femme. — 
RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pave. 

Changer  (popular),  son  poisson 
d'eau,  or  ses  olives  d'eau,  to  void- 
urine.,  "  to  pump  ship."  See 
Lascailler. 

Changeur,  m.  (thieves'),  clothier 
uho  provides  thieves  with  a  dis- 
guise ;  rogue  who  appropriates  a 
new  overcoat  from  the  lobby  of  a 
house  or  club^  and  leaves  his  old 
one  in  exchange.  Also  thief  who 
steals  plate. 

Cbanoine,  m,,  chanoinesse,  f, 
(thieves'),  person  in  good  circum- 
stances, one  worth  robbing  ;  —  de 
Monte-a-regret,  one  sentenced  to 
death;  old  offender. 

Chantage,  m.  (familiar),  extorting 
money  by  threats  of  disclosures  con- 
cerning a  guilty  action  reed  or  sup- 
posed, "jobbery." 

Chanter  (familiar),  to  pay  money 
under  threat  of  being  exposed. 
Faire  —  quelqu'un,  to  extort 
money  from  one  under  threat  of 
exposure;  to  extort  "socket 
money."  (Popular)  Faire  —  une 
gamme,  to  thrash  one,  "  to  lead  a 
dance."     See  Voie. 

Chanteur,  m.  (thieves'),  juge  d'in- 
struction,  a  magistrate  who  inves- 
tigates a  case  before  trial ;  (fami- 
liar) man  who  seeks  to  extort  money 
by  threatening  people  withexposure. 
There  are  different  kinds  of  chan- 
teurs.  Vidocq  terms  "  chan- 
teurs "  the  journalists  who  prey 
on  actors  fearful  of  their  criticism ; 
those  who  demand  enormous 
prices  for  letters  containing  family 
secrets  ;  the  writers  of  biographi- 
cal notices  who  offer  theui  at  so 
much  a  line  ;  those  who  entice 
people  into  immoral  places  and  who 
exact  hush-money.  The  celebrated 
murderer  Lacenaire   was  one   of 


this  class.  Chanteurdela  Chapelle 
Sixtine,  «<««£■/«.  Maitre — ,  skil- 
ful Av&xAtvx  (which  see). 

Chantier,  m.  (popular),  embarrass- 
ment, "  fix." 

Chaparder  (military),  to  loot;  to 
steal,  "to  prig." 

Chapelle,  /.  (familiar),  cliqtce. 
Termed  also  "petite  chapelle;" 
(popular)  wine-shop,  or  "  lush- 
crib."  Faire  — ,  is  said  of  a  wo- 
man who  lifts  her  dress  to  warm 
her  limbs  by  the  fire.  Feter  des 
chapelles,  to  go  the  round  of  several 
wine-shops,  with  what  result  it  is 
needless  to  say. 

Chapelure,  f.  (popular),  n'avoir 
plus  de  —  sur  le  jambonneau,  to 
be  bald,  "  to  have  a  bladder  of 
lard."     See  Avoir. 

Chapi,  m.  (popular),  hat, or:  "tile." 
See  Tubard. 

Chapiteau,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"block."     SeeTronche. 

Chapon,  m.  (popular),  monk.  Cage 
a  chapons,  monastery.  Des  cha- 
pons  de  Limousin,  chestnuts. 

Chapska,  m.  (popular),  hat,  or 
"  tile."    See  Tubard. 

Char,  m.  (familiar),  numerote,  cab. 

Charcuter  (popular),  to  amputate, 

Charcutier  (popular),  clumsy  work- 
man ;  surgeon,  "sawbones." 

Chardonneret,  m.  (thieves'),  gen- 
darme. An  allusion  to  his  red, 
white,  and  yellow  uniform.  Pro- 
perly a  goldfinch. 

Charenton,  m.  (popular),  absinthe. 
The  depot  for  lunatics  being  at 
Charenton,  the  allusion  is  ob- 
vious, 

Charge,  adj.  (popular),  tipsy, 
"tight."  SeePompette.  (Coach- 
men's) Etre  — ,  to  have  a  "fare." 


76 


Charger —  Charrtage. 


Charger  (coachmen's),  to  take  up  a 
"fare ;  "  (prostitutes')  to  find  a 
client ;  (cavalry)  —  en  ville,  to  go 
to  town. 

Charier  (thieves'),  to  try  to  get  infor- 
mation, "  to  cross-kid. " 

Charieur  (thieves'),  he  who  seeks  to 
•worm  out  some  information. 

Charlemagne,  m.  (military),  sabre- 
bayonet. 

Chariot,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
the  executioner.  His  official  title 
is  "Monsieur  de  Paris."  Sou- 
brettes  de  — ,  the  executioner's  as- 
sistants, literally  his  lady's  maids. 
An  allusion  to  "la  toilette,"  or 
cropping  the  convict's  hair  and 
cutting  off  his  shirt  collar  a  few 
minutes  before  the  execution. 
(Thieves')  Chariot,  thief;  —  bon 
drille,  a  good-natured  thief.  See 
Grinche, 

Charmant,  adj.  (thieves'),  scabby. 

Charmante,/  (thieves'),  !Vf,4. 

Charmer  (popular),  les  puces,  to  get 
drunk.     See  Sculpter. 

Charogneux,  adj.  (familiar),  ro- 
man  — ,  filthy  navel. 

Charon,  charron,  m.  (thieves'). 
See  Charrieur. 

Charpenter  (playwrights'),  to  write 

the  scheme  of  a  play. 
Charpentier,  m.  (playwrights'),  he 

who  writes  the  scheme  of  a  play. 

Charretee,  /.  (popular),  en  avoir 
une  — ,  to  be  quite  drunk,  to  be 
"slewed."    See  Pompette. 

Charriage,  m.  (thieves'),  swindle ; 
—  i  I'Americaine  is  a  kind  of 
confidence  trick  swindle.  It  re- 
quires two  confederates,  one  called 
"  leveur"  or  "jardinier,"  whose 
functions  are  to  exercise  his  allure- 
ments upon  the  intended  victim 
without  awakening  his  suspicions. 
When  the  latter  is  fairly  hooked, 


the  pair  meet — by  chance  of  course 
— with  "  rAmericain,"a  confede- 
rate who  passes  himself  off  for  a 
native  of  America,  and  who  offers 
to  exchange  a  large  sum  of  gold 
for  a  smaller  amount  of  money. 
The  pigeon  gleefully  accepts  the 
proffered  gift,  and  discovers  later 
on  that  the  alleged  gold  coins  are 
nothing  but  base  metal.  This 
kind  of  swindle  goes  also  by  the 
names  of  "  vol  a  I'Americaine," 
"  vol  au  change."  Charriage  a  la 
mecanique,  or  vol  au  pfere  Fran- 
9ois,  takes  place  thus  :  a  robber 
throws  a  handkerchief  rounda  per- 
son's neck,  and  holds  him  fast  half- 
strangled  on  his  own  back  while 
a  confederate  rifles  the  victim's 
pockets.  Charriage  au  coffret : 
the  thief,  termed  "Americain," 
leaves  in  charge  of  a  barmaid  a 
small  box  filled  to  all  appearance 
with  gold  coin  ;  he  returns  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  but  suddenly 
finding  that  he  has  lost  the  key  of 
the  box,  he  asks  for  a  loan  of 
money  and  disappears,  leaving  the 
box  as  security.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  the  alleged  gold  coins 
are  nothing  more  than  brand-new 
farthings.  Charriage  au  pot,  an- 
other kind  of  the  confidence  trick 
dodge.  One  confederate  forms  an 
acquaintance  with  a  passer-by, 
and  both  meet  with  the  other 
confederate  styled  ' '  I'Americain, " 
who  offers  to  take  them  to  a  house 
of  ill-fame  and  defray  all  expenses, 
but  who,  being  fearful  of  getting 
robbed,  deposits  his  money  in  a  jug 
or  other  receptacle.  On  the  way 
he  suddenly  alters  his  mind,  and 
sends  the  victim  for  the  sum,  not 
without  having  exacted  bail- 
money  from  him  as  a  guarantee 
of  his  return,  after  which  both 
scamps  make  off  with  the  fool's 
money.  Swindlers  of  this  descrip- 
tion are  termed  "magsmen"  in 
the  English  slang. 


CJiarrier — Ck&teau-  Campkke. 


77 


Charrier  (thieves'),  to  switidle  one 
out  of  his  money  by  misleading 
statements.     See  Charriage. 

Charriear,  m.  (thieves'),  thief  who 
employs  the  mode  termed  charriage 
(which  see)  ;  confederate  who  pro- 
vides cardsharpers  with  pigeons ; 
—  de  ville,  a  robber  who  first 
makes  his  victims  insensible  by 
drugs,  and  then  plunders  them,  a 
"drummer;"  —  cambrousier, 
itinerant  quack  ;  clumsy  thief. 

Chartreuse,/,  (popular),  de  vidan- 
geur,  small  measure  of  wine. 

Chartron,  m.  (theatrical),  faire  le 
— ,  is  said  of  actors  who  place  them- 
selves in  a  row  in  front  of  the  foot- 
lights. 

Chason,  m.  (thieves'),  ring, 
"fawney." 

Chasse,/  (popular),  aller  a  la  — 
mSi's.x\y&on,togoa-fishing.  Foutre 
una  — ,  to  scold  vehemently,  ' '  to 
haul  over  the  coals." 

Chasse,/  (thieves'),  eye,  "glazier.'' 
Balancer,  boiter  des  chasses,  to  be 
one-eyed,  "boss-eyed;"  to  squint. 
Se  foutre  I'apotre  dans  la  — ,  to  be 
mistaken. 

.Chasse-brouillard  (popular),  a 
drop  of  spirits  ;  a  dram  to  keep  the 
damp  out,  a  "dewdrop." 

Chasse-coquin, ««.  (popular),  ^««- 
darme ;  beadle,  "bumble;"  bad 
wine. 

Chasselas,  m.  (popular),  wine. 

Chassemar,  m.  (popular),  for  chas- 
seur. 

Chasse-maree,»«.  (military),  c^aJ- 
seurs  d^Afrique,  a  body  of  light 
cavalry. 

Chasse-noble,  m.  (thieves'),  gen- 
darme. 

Chasser  (popular),  au  plat,  to  be  a 
parasite,  a  "quillerj"  —  des  re- 


luits,  to  weep,  "  to  nap  a  bib  ; " 

—  le  brouillard,  to  have  a  morning 
dram  of  spirits,  or  a  "dewdrop  ;" 

—  les  mouches,  to  be  dying.  See 
Pipe.  (Thieves'  and  cads') 
Chasser,  to  flee,  "  to  guy."  See 
Patatrot. 

Gn'a  du  pet,  interrompt  un  second  voyou 
qui  survient,  v'&  un  sergot  qui  s'amene  .  .  . 
chassons ! — Richepin. 

D'occase,  abbreviation  of  d'occa- 
sion,  secondhand. 

Chassis,  m.  (popular],  eyes,  or 
"peepers."  Fermer  les  — ,  to 
sleep. 

Chassue,/  (thieves'),  needle.  Chas, 
eye  of  a  needle. 

Chassure,/  (thieves'),  wine. 

Chasublard,  m^.  (popular),  priest, 
or  ' '  devil  dodger. " 

Vit-on  un  seul  royaliste,  un  seul  cagot, 
un  seul  chasublard,  prendre  les  armes  pour 
la  defense  du  tr6ne  et  de  I'autel  ? — G. 
Guillemot,  Le  Mot  eTOrdre,  Sept.  6, 
1877. 

Chat,  m.  (thieves'),  turnkey,  "dubs- 
man  ; "  (popular)  slater,  from  his 
spending  half  his  life  on  roofs  like 
cats.  Avoir  un  —  dans  la  gout- 
tiire,  to  be  hoarse. 

Chdtaigne,/  (popular),  box  on  the 
ear,  or  "buck-horse." 

Chataud,  chataude,  adj.  (popular), 
greedy. 

Chateau,  m.  (popular),  branlant, 
person  or  thing  always  in  motion. 
(Thieves')  Chateau,  prison;  — 
de  I'ombre,  convict  settlement.  Un 
eleve  du  — ,  a  prisoner. 

ChSteau-Campeche  (familiar  and 

popular),    derisive  appellation  for 

Chateau-CampSche  (familiar  and 

popular),  derisive  appellation  for 


78 


Chaton — Chaussonner. 


bad  wine,  of  which  the  ruby  colour 

is  often  due  to  an  adjunction  oj 

log^uood, 
Chaton,  m.  (popular),  nice  fellow  ; 

Sodofiiist. 
Chatouillage    au    roupillon,    m. 

(thieves'),     See  Vol  au  poivrier. 

Chatouiller  (theatrical),  le  public, 
to  indidge  in  drolleries  calculated 
to  excite  mirth  among  an  audience; 
(familiar)  —  les  cotes,  to  thrash, 
"to  lick." 

Chatouilleur  (familiar),  man  on 
'Change  who  by  divers  contrivances 
entices  the  public  into  buying 
shares,  a  "buttoner;"  (thieves') 
a  thief  who  tickles  a  person's  sides 
as  if  in  play,  and  meanwhile  picks 
his  pockets. 

Chatte,/!  (■papulzx),  five  franc  piece. 

Chaud,  adj.  andm.  (popular),  cun- 
ning;  greedy;  wide  awake,  or 
"fly;"  high-priced.  II  I'a  — , 
he  is  wide  awake  about  his  own 
interests,  Etre  — ,  to  look  with 
watchj'ul  eye.  (Familiar)  Un  • — , 
an  enthusiast;  energetic  man. 
II  fera  — ,  never,  "  when  the  devil 
is  blind."  Quand  vous  me  reverrez 
il  fera  — ,  you  will  never  see  me 
again.  Etre  —  de  la  pince,  to  be 
fond  of  women,  to  be  a  "  beard- 
splitter."  (Artists')  Faire  — ,  to 
employ  very  warm  tints  after  the 
style  of  Rembrandt  and  all  other 
colourists.  (Popular  and  thieves') 
Chaud  !  quick  !  on  ! 

Chaud,  chaud  !  pour  le  mangeur,  il  faut 
le  desosser. — E.  Sue. 

Chaudron,  m.  (familiar),  bad  piano. 
Taper  sur  le  — ,  to  play  on  the 
piano. 

Chaudronner  (popular),  to  buy 
secondhand  articles  and  sell  them 
as  new. 

Chaudronnier,  m.  (popular), 
secondhand  -  clothes  man  ;     (mili- 


tary)   cuirassier,   an    allusion    to 
his  breastplate. 

Chaufaillon  (popular),  stoker. 

Chauffi-la-couche  (familiar),  man 
who  loves  well  his  comfort ;  hen- 
pecked husband,  or  ' '  stangey." 

Chauffer  (popular),  le  four,  to  drink 
heavily,  "to guzzle."  .SeeRincer. 
(Familiar)  Chauffer  un  artiste,  une 
piece,  to  applaud  so  as  to  excite 
the  enthusiasm  of  an  audience  ;  — 
une  affaire,  to  push  briskly  an 
undertaking ;  —  une  place,  to  be 
canvassing  for  a  post.  Ca  va 
chauffer,  there  will  be  a  hot  fight. 
Chauffer  des  encheres,  to  encourage 
bidding  at  an  auction. 

Chauffeur,  m.  (popular),  man  who 
instills  life  into  conversation  or  in 
a  company  ;  formerly,  under  the 
Directoire,  one  of  a  gang  of  bri- 
gands who  extorted  money  from 
people  by  burning  the  feet  of  the 
victims. 

Chaumir  (thieves'),  to  lose. 

Chaussette  (thieves'),  ringfasiened 
as  a  distinctive  badge  to  the  leg  of 
a  convict  who  has  been  chained  up 
for  any  length  of  time  to  another 
convict,  a  punishment  termed 
"double  chaine." 

Chaussettes,  f.  pi.  (military), 
gloves  ;  —  russes,  wrapper  for  the 
feet  made  of  pieces  of  cloth  ;  (popu- 
lar) —  de  deux  paroisses,  odd 
socks. 

Chausson,  m,.  (popular),  o/^/rcjft- 
tute.  Putain  comme  — ,  regular 
whore.  (Ballet  girls')  Faire  son  — , 
to  put  on  and  arrange  on^s pumps. 

' '  Laissez-moi  done,  je  suis  en  retard .  J'ai 
encore  mon  mastic  et  raon  chausson  ^faire." 
Autrement,  pour  ceux  qui  ne  sent  pas  de 
la  boutique,  "  il  me  reste  encore k  m'habiller, 
k  me  chausser  et  k  me  faire  ma  tete." — 
Mahalin. 

Chaussonner  (popular),  to  kick. 


Chauvin  iste —  Cheval. 


79 


Chauviniste,  m.,  synonymous  of 
"  chauvin,"  one.  with  narrow- 
minded,  exaggerated  sentiments  of 
patriotism,  a  "Jingo." 

Chef,  m.  (military),  abbreviation  of 
mareclial-des-Iogis  chef,  quarter- 
master-sergeant in  the  cavalry. 
(Popular)  Chef  de  cuisine,y&r«Ha« 
in  a  brewery  ;  (thieves')  —  d'at- 
taque,  head  of  a  gang. 

Chelinguer  (popular),  to  stink. 
Termed  also  "  plomber,  trouilloter, 
casser,  danser,  repoxisser,  fouetter, 
vezouiller,  veziner." 

Cheminee,/  (popular),  hat,  "  chim- 
ney pot." 

Chemise,  f  (popular),  Stre  dans 
la  —  de  quelqu'un,  to  be  con- 
stantly with  one,  to  be  "  thick  as 
hops  "  with  one.  (Thieves')  Che- 
mise de  conseiller,  stolen  linen. 

Chemises,^  //.  (popular),  compter 
ses  — ,  to  vomit,  or  "  to  cascade." 
An  allusion  to  the  bending  pos- 
ture of  a  man  who  is  troubled 
with  the  ailment. 

Chenatre,  adj.  (thieves'),  good, 
excellent,  "  nobby. " 

lis  ont  de  quoi  faire  un  chenatre  banquet 
avec  des  rouillardes  pleines  de  piv  is  et  du 
plus  chenatre  qu'oQ  puisse  trouver. — Ae 
'jargon  de  V Argot. 

ChSne,  m.  (thieves'),  man,  or 
'  'cove ;  "  —  affranchi,  thief,  or 
"flash  cove."  For  synonyms 
see  Grinche.  Faire  suer  un  — , 
to  kill  a  man,  "  to  give  a  cove  his 
gruel." 

Chenillon,  m.  (popular),  ugly  girl. 

Chenique,  or  chnic,  m.  (popular), 
brandy,  ' '  French  cream. " 

Cheniqueur,  m.  (popular),  drinker 
of  brandy. 

Chenoc,  adj.  (thieves'),  had;  good- 
for-nothing  old  fellow. 


Chenu,  adj.  (thieves'),  excellent, 
"nobby."  Properly <;/'/,  whitened 
by  age  ;  — pivois,  excellent  ivine  ; 
— reluit,  good  morning;  —  sorgue, 
good  night. 

Je  lui  jaspine  en  bigorne, 
Qu'as-tu  done  k  morfi  let  ? 

J'ai  du  chenu  pivois  sans  lance, 
£t  du  larton  savonne. 

ViDOCQ. 

Chenument  (popular),  very  well; 
very  good. 

Cher  (thieves'),  se  cavaler  — ,  to 
decamp  quickly,  to  "guy."  See 
Patatrot. 

Cherance,y:  (thieves'),  etre  en  — ,  to 
be  intoxicated,  or  ' '  canon. " 

Cherche  (popular),  nothing,  or 
"love."  Etre  dix  a  — ,  to  be  ten 
to  love  at  billiards. 

Chercher  (popular),  la  gueulee, 
to  be  a  parasite,  a  "quiller." 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Chercher 
des  poux  a  la  tete  de  quelqu'un, 
to  find  fault  with  one  on  futile 
pretexts ;  to  try  and  fasten  on  u, 
quarrel. 

Cherez  !  (thieves'),  courage !  cheer 
up!  never  say  die!  Villon,  15th 
century,  has  "chfere  lye,"  a  joyous 
countenance. 

Chetard,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."     See  Motte. 

Chetif,  m.  (popular),  mason's  boy. 

Cheulard,  m.  (popular),  gorman- 
dizer, ' '  grand-paunch. " 

Cheval,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
de  retour,  old  offender ;  returned 
or  escaped  convict  sent  back  to  the 
convict  settlement.  Termed  also 
"  trique,  canne." 

Me  voila  done  cheval  de  retour,  on  me 
re'met  k  Toulon,  cette  fois  avec  les  bonnets 
verts.— V.  Hugo. 

(Military)  Cheval  de  I'adjudant, 
camp  bed  of  cell ;  (familiar)  — 
qui  la  connalt  dans  les  coins,  a 


8o 


Qievalier —  Chevronni. 


clever  horse.  Literally  skilful  at 
turning  the  comers.  (Popular) 
Faiie  son  —  de  corbillard,  to  put 
on  a  jaunty  look  ;  to  give  oneself 
conceited  airs ;  to  bluster,  or,  as 
the  Americans  say,  "  to  be  on  the 
tall  grass." 

Chevalier,  ?n.  (popular),  de  la 
courte  lance,  hospital  assistant ; — 
de  lagrippe,  ^y^!^  or  "prig."  See 
Grinche.  Chevalier  de  la  man- 
chette,  Sodomist ;  —  de  la  pedale, 
one  luho  works  a  card-printing 
machine ;  —  de  I'aune,  shopman, 
or  "knight  of  the  yard  ;  "  —  de 
salon,  de  tapis  vert,  gamester ;  — 
du  bidet,  wometis  bully,  or  "pen- 
sioner." See  Poisson.  Chevalier 
du  crochet,  rag-picker,  or  "  bone- 
grubber  ; "  —  du  lansquenet, 
gambling  cheat  luho  has  recourse 
to  the  card-sharping  trick  denomi- 
nated "  le  pont  "  (which  see)  ; 
—  du  lustre,  "  claqueur,"  that  is, 
one  ivho  is  paid  for  applauding  at 
theatres ;  —  du  printemps,  or  de 
I'ordre  du  printemps,  silly  fellow 
■who  flowers  his  button-hole  to  make 
it  appear  that  he  has  the  decoration 
of  the  "Legion  d'Honneur ;"  — 
grimpant,  see  Voleur  au  bon- 
jour. 

Chevau-leger,  m.  (familiar),  ultra- 
Consei'vative  of  the  Legitimist  and 
Clerical  party.  The  chevau-Iegers 
were  formerly  a  corps  of  house- 
hold cavalry. 

Chevaux,  m.  pi.  ^popular),  a 
doubles  semelles,  legs.  Compare 
the  English  expression,  "  to  ride 
Shank's  mare,  or  pony." 

Chevelu,  adj.  (familiar),  art  — , 
litterateur  — ,  poete  — ,  art,  lite- 
rary man,  poet  of  the  "  ecole  ro- 
mantique,"  of  which  the  chief  in 
literature  was  Victor  Hugo. 

Cheveu,  m.  (familiar),  difficulty ; 
trouble  ;  hindrance  ;  hitch.    Voilk 


le  — ,  ay,  there's  the  rub.  J'ai 
un  ^,  /  have  some  trouble  on  my 
mind,  reason  for  uneasiness.  II 
y  a  un  —  dans  son  bonheur, 
there  is  some  trouble  that  mars  his 
happiness.  (Popular)  Avoir  un  — 
pour  un  homme,  to  fancy  a  man. 
(Theatrical)  Cheveu,  unintentional 
jumbling  of  words  by  transposition 
of  syllables.  This  kind  of  mistake 
when  intentional  Rabelais  termed 
"  equivoquer. " 

En  I'aultre  deux  ou  trois  miroirs  ardents 
dont  il  fai-sait  enrager  aulcunes  fois  les 
hommes  et  les  femmes  et  leur  faisait  perdre 
concenance  a  I'ccclise.  Car  il  disait  qu'il 
n'y.avait  qu'une  antistrophe  entre  femme 

folle  k  la  messe  et  femme  moUe  b.  la  fesse. ' 

Rabelais,  Pantagniel. 

See  also  CEuvres  de  Rabelais 
(Garnier's  edition),  Pantagruel, 
page  159. 

Cheveux,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), avoir  mal  aux  — ,  to  have  a 
headcuhe  caused  by  overnight  po- 
tations. Faire  des  —  gris  a  quel- 
qu'un,  to  trouble  one,  to  give 
anxiety  to  one.  Se  faire  des  — 
blancs,  to  fret ;  to  feel  annoyed 
at  being  made  to  wait  a  long  time. 
Trouver  des  —  k  tout,  to  find  fault 
with  everything.  (Military)  Passer 
la  main  dans  les  — .  to  cut  onis 
hair. 

Chevillard,  m.  (popular),  butcher 
in  a  small  way, 

Chevilles,  /.  (popular),  fried  po- 
tatoes. Termed  ' '  greasers  "  at  the 
R.  M.  Academy. 

Chevinette,/  (popular),  darling. 

Chevre,  /  (popular),  gober  sa  — , 
to  get  angry,  to  bristle  up,  "  to  lose 
one's  shirt,"  "  to  get  one's  mon- 
key up." 

Chevron,  m.  (thieves'),  fresh  of- 
fence against  the  law.  Properly 
military  stripe. 

Chevronne,  m.  (thieves'),  old  of- 
fender, an  old  "jail-bird." 


Chevrotin — Chicmann. 


8i 


Chevrotin,  aJj.  (popular),  irritable, 
"cranky,"  "touchy." 

Chiade,  /  (schoolboys'),  hustling, 
pushing. 

Chialler  (thieves'),   to   squall;    to 

weep. 
Bon,  tu  chial' !  ah !   c'est  pas  palas. — 

RiCHEPIN. 

Chiarder  (schoolboys'),  to  work, 
"to  sweat." 

Chiasse,^  (popuhir),  avoir  la  — ,  to 
suffer  from  diarrhoea,  or  "jerry- 
go-nimble." 

Chibis,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  — ,  to 
escape  from  prison  ;  to  decamp,  "\.o 
guy."    See  Patatrot. 

J'ai  fait  chibis.    J'avais  la  frousse 
Des  pr^fectanciers  de  Pantin. 
A  Pantin.  mince  de  potin  ! 

On  y  connait  ma  gargarousse. 
RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Chic,  m.  (English  slang),  "tzing 
tzing,"or  "slapup."  Thewordhas 
almost  ceased  to  be  slang,  but  we 
thought  itwould  not  be  out  of  place 
in  a  work  of  this  kind.  (Familiar) 
Chic,finish;  elegance;  dash;  spirit. 
Une  femme  qui  a  du  — ,  une  robe 
qui  a  du  — ,  a  stylish  woman  or 
dress.  Cet  acteur  joue  avec  — , 
this  actor  plays  in  a  spirited 
manner.  Ca  manque  de  — ,  it 
wants  dash,  is  commonplace. 
Pourri  de  — ,  most  elegant, 
"nobby."  Chic,^Ka^^y  originality; 
manner.  II  a  le  — ,  he  has  the 
knack.  II  a  un  —  tout  particulier, 
he  has  a  manner  quite  his  own.  II 
a  le  —  militaire,  he  has  a  soldier- 
like appearance.  Peindre  de  — , 
faire  de  — ,  ecrire  de  • — ,  to  paint 
or  write  with  imaginative  power, 
but  without  much  regard  for  accu- 
racy. 

Vous  croyez  peut-etre  que  j'invente,  que 
je  brode  d'imagination  et  que  je  fais  de 
chic  cette  seconde  vie. — Richbpin. 

Chic,  chique,  adj.,  excellent,  "fizz- 
ing ; "  dashing,  stylish.    Un  pekin 


— ,  well-dressed,  rich  man.  Un 
homme  — ,  a  man  of  fashion,  a 
well-dressed  one,  a  well-to-do  man. 
Un  —  homme,  a  good,  excellent 
man. 

Chican,  m.  (thieves'),  hammer. 

Cbicandard.     See  Chicard. 

Chicander  (popular),  to  dance  the 
"  Chicard  step."    See  Chicard. 

Chicane,  /.  (thieves'),  grinchir  a 
la  — ,  stealing  the  purse  or  watch 
of  a  person  while  standing  in  front 
of  him,  but  with  the  back  turned 
towards  him — a  feat  which  re- 
quires no  ordinary  dexterity. 

Chicard,  m.  (popular),  buffoon  cha- 
racter of  the  carnival,  in  fashion 
from  1830  to  1850.  The  first  who 
impersonated  it  was  a  leather- 
seller,  who  invented  a  new  eccen- 
tric step,  considered  to  be  exceed- 
ingly "chic;"  hence  probably  his 
nickname  of  Chicard.  His  "get- 
up"  consisted  of  a  helmet  with 
high  plume,  jackboots,  a  flannel 
frock,  and  large  cavalry  gloves. 
Pas — ,  step  invented  by  M.  Chicard. 

Chicard,  chicancardo,  chican- 
&ax&,  adj.,  superlative  of  "  chic  " 
"  tip-top,"  "  out  and  out,"  "slap 
up,"  "tzing  tzing." 

Chicarder,  to  dance  the  Chicard 
step.     See  Chicard. 

Chic  et  centre,  warning  which 
mountebanks  address  to  one  an- 
other. 

Chiche  !  (popular),  an  exclamation 
expressive  of  defiance. 

Chickstrac,  m.  (military),  refuse, 
dung,  excrement.  Corvee  de  — , 
fatigue  duty  for  sweeping  away  the 
refuse,  and  especially  for  emptying 
cesspools, 

Chicmann,  m.  (popular),  tailor.  A 
gi-eat  many  tailors  in  Paris  bear 
Germanic  names ;  hence  the  ter- 
mination of  the  word. 

a 


82 


Chicoree^Chiffonnier. 


Chicor^e,  /  (popular),  c'est  fort 
de  — ,  it  is  really  too  bad  I  richer 
de  la  — ,  to  reprimand,  "  to  give 
a  wigging. "  Faire  sa  — ,  is  said 
of  a  person  with  affected  or 
".  high-falutin ''  airs.  Ne  fais 
done  pas  ta  — ,  don' t  give  yourself 
such  ciirs,  "  come  off  the  tall 
grass,"  as  the  Americans  have  it. 

Chie,  adj.  (popular),  tout  — ,  "as 
like  as  two  peas." 

Chie-dans-l'eau,    m.     (military), 

sailor. 

Chien,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  noye, 
sugar  soaked  in  coffee,     (journa- 
lists')  Un  —  perdu,  short  news- 
paper paragraph.     (Schoolboys') 
Un  —  de  cour,  school  usher,  or 
"bum  brusher."     (Militarj')  Un 
— de  compagnie,  a  sergeant  major, 
Un    —    de    regiment,    adjutant. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Le  —  du 
commissaire,   police    magistrates 
secretary.     The  commissaire  is  a 
police  functionary  and  petty  magis- 
trate.  He  examines  privately  cases 
brought    before    him,  sends   pri- 
soners for  trial,  or  dismisses  them 
at  once,  settles    then    and  there 
disputes  between  coachmen  and 
their   fares,   sometimes    between 
husbands  and  wives,  makes  per- 
quisitions.   He  possesses  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  discretionary  powers. 
Avoir  du  — ,  to  possess  dash,  go, 
' '  gameness."    II  faut  avoir  du  — 
dans  le  ventre  pour  resister,  one 
must     have     wonderful    staying 
powers  to  resist.    Avoir  un  —  pour 
un  homme,  to  be  infatuated  with 
a  man.     Faire  le  — ,  is  said  of  a 
servant  who  follows  with  a  basket 
in  the  wake  of  her  mistress  going  to 
market.    Rester  en  —  de  faience, 
to  remain  itnmovable,  like  a  block. 
Se  regarder  en  —  de  faience,  to 
look  at  one  another  without  utter- 
ing a  word.      Piquer  un  — ,  to 
take  a  nap.     Dormir  en  —  de 


fusil,  to  sleep  with  the  body  doubled 
up.  Une  coiffure  4  la  — ,  mode  of 
wearing  the  hair  loose  on  the  fore- 
head. (Military)  Un  ofEcier  — ,  a 
martinet. 

Chiendent,  w.,  arracherle — .  See 
Arracher. 

Chief  (popular),  coarse   word ;  

dans  la  vanette,  to  be  too  free  and 
easy  ;  —  de  petites  crottes,  to  earn 
little  money;  to  live  in  poverty ; 

—  des    carottes,    to   be    costive) 

—  des  chasses,  to  weep,  "to  nap 
a  bib  ; "  —  du  poivre,  to  fail  in 
keeping  one's  promise  ;  to  abscond  ; 
to  vanish  when  one's  services  or 
help  are  most  needed  ;  —  sur  I'ceil, 
to  laugh  at  one ;  —  sur,  to  show 
great  contempt  for ;  to  abandon. 
Ne  pas  —  de  grosses  crottes,  to 
have  had  a  bad  dinner,  or  no 
dinner  at  all.  Vous  me  faites  — , 
you  bore  me.  Un  gueuleton  a  — 
T^riow^,  a  grand  feast.  Une  mine  a 

—  dessus,  a  repulsive  countenance. 
(Printers')  Chier  dans  le  cassetin 
aux  apostrophes,  to  cease  to  be  a 
printer. 

Chieur,  m.  (popular),  d'encre, 
clerk,  or  "quill-driver." 

Chiffarde,  /.  (thieves'),  summons  ; 
pipe. 

Chiffe,  /.  (popular),  rag-picking; 
tongue,  "red  rag." 

Chifferlinde,  /  (popular),  boire 
une  — ,  to  drink  a  dram  of  spirits. 

Chifferton,  m.  (popular),  rag-picker, 
"bone-grubber," or  "tot-picker." 

Chiffon,  m.  (popular),  handkerchief, 
"  snottinger  ; "  — rouge,  tongue, 
' '  red  rag. "  Balancer  le  —  rouge, 
to  talk,  "  to  wag  the  red  rag." 

Chiffonnage,  ?«.  (popular),//a»i/i?r 
of  a  rag-picker, 

Chiffonnier,  m.  (thieves'),  pick- 
pocket who  devotes  his  attention  to 
handkerchiefs,     "  stook-hauler ; " 


Chifforjiion —  Chiqiiement. 


83 


man  of  disorderly  habits.  (Literary) 
Chiffonnier  de  la  double  coUine, 
bad  foet. 

Chiffornion,  m.  (popular),  silk 
handkerchief,  or  silk  ' '  wipe. " 

Chiffortin,  vi.  (popular),  rag-picker, 
"bone-grubber," or  "tot-picker." 

Chignard,  m.  (popular),  inveterate 
grumbler,  "rusty  guts." 

Chigner  (popular),  to  weep,  "  to 
nap  a  bib. " 

Chimique,  f.  (popular),  lucifer 
match. 

Chinage.     See  Chine.   Vol  au  — , 

selling  plated  trinkets  for  the 
genuine  article. 

Chincilla  (popular),  grey,  or  "pep- 
per and  salt "  hair. 

Chine.  AUer  a  la  — ,  to  ply  the 
trade  of  chineur  (which  see). 

Chiner  (military),  to  slander  one ; 
to  ridicule  one ;  (popular)  towork  ; 
to  go  in  quest  of  good  bargains  ;  to 
buy  furniture  at  sales  and  resell 
it;  to  follow  the  pursuit  of  an  old 
clothes  man  ;  to  hawk  ;  to  go  about 
the  country  buying  heads  of  hair 
from  peasant  girls. 

Chineur,  or  margoulin,  m. 
(thieves'),  one  who  goes  about  the 
country  buying  heads  of  hair  of 
peasant  girls.  (Military)  Chineur, 
slanderer;  (popular)  rabbit-skin 
man  ;  marine  store  dealer ;  worker  ; 
hawker  of  cheap  stuffs  or  silk 
handkerchiefs. 

En  argot,  chineur  signifie  travailleur,  et 
vient  du  verbe  chiner.  ,  .  .  Mais  ce  mot 
se  speciaHse  pour  designer  particulierement 
line  race  de  travailleurs  sui generis.  .  ,  . 

Elle  campe  en  deux  tribus  a  Paris.  L'une 
habite  le  pat^  de  maisons  qui  se  h^risse 
entre  la  place  Maubert  et  le  petit  bras  de 
la  Seine,  et  notamment  rue  des  Anglais. 
L'autre  niche  en  haut  de  Mdnilmontant,  et 
a  donn€  autrefois  son  nom  &  la  rue  de  la 
Chine,  .  .  . 

Les  chineurs  sent,  d'ailleurs,  des  colons 
et  non  des  Farisiens  de  naissance.  Chaque 


generation  vient  ici  chercher  fortune,  et 
s'en  retourne  ensuite  au  pays. — RrcHEPiN, 
Le  Favi, 

Chinois,  m.  (popular),  an  indi- 
vidual, a  "bloke,"  a  "cove;" 
proprietor  of  coffee-house  ;  (fami- 
liar) term  of  friendship  ;  (mili- 
tary) term  of  contempt  applied  to 
civilians,  hence  probably  the  ex- 
pression "-^^ton,"  civilian. 

Chinoiserie,  /.  (familiar),  quaint 
joke;  intricate  and  quaint  proce- 
dure or  contrivance. 

Chipe,/ (popular),/r/'§g'/«^.  From 
chiper,  to  purloin. 

Chipette,  f.  (popular),  trifle;  no- 
thing; Lesbian  woman,  that  is, 
one  with  unnatural  passions. 

Chipie,  f.  (familiar).  Literally^/?-/ 
or  -woman  with  a  testy  temper,  a. 
"brim."  Faire  sa  — ,  to  put  on 
an  air  of  supreme  disdain  or 
disgust. 

Chipoteuse,  f.    (popular),    capri- 
cious woman. 
Chiquandar.     See  Chicard. 
Chique.     See  Chic. 

Chique,/.  VroptAy  quid  of  tobacco. 
(Popular)  Avoir  sa  — ,  to  be  in  u 
bad  humour,  "to  be  crusty,"  or 
"cranky."  Avoir  une  — ,  to  be 
drunk,  or  "screwed."  See  Pom- 
pette.  Ca  te  coupe  la  — ,  that^s 
disappointing  for  you,  that  "cuts 
you  up."  CoUer  sa  — ,  to  bend 
one's  head.  Couper  la  —  a 
quinze  pas,  to  stink.  Poser  sa  — , 
to  die  ;  to  be  still.  Pose  ta  —  et 
fais  le  mort  !  be  still  1  shut  up  ! 
hold  your  row'.  (Thieves')  Chique, 
church. 

Chique  (artists'),  smartly  executed. 
Also  said  of  artistic  work  done 
quickly  without  previously  study- 
ing nature.  (Popular)  Bien  — , 
ivell  dressed. 

Chiquement,  with  chic(whichsee). 


84 


Chiquer —  Chouia. 


Chiquer  (familiar),  to  do  anything 
in  a  superior  manner  ;  to  do  artis- 
tic work  with  more  brilliancy  than 
.accuracy ;  (popular)  to  thrash, 
"  to  wallop,"  see  Vole  ;  to  eat, 
"  to  grub,"  see  Mastiquer. 
Se  — ,  to  fight,  "  to  drop  into  one 
another." 

Chiquer  centre  or  battre  k  niort 
(thieves'),  to  deny  one's  guilt. 

Chiqueur,  vi.  (popular),  glutton, 
"stodger;"  (artists')  an  artist 
who  paints  with  smartnesr,  or  one 
who  draws  or  paints  without  sttidy- 
ing  nature. 

Chirurgien,  m.  (popular),  en  vieux, 
cobbler. 

Chnic.     See  Chenique. 

Chocaillon,  m.  (popular),  female 
rag-picker ;  female  drunkard,  or 
"  lushington." 

Chocnoso,  chocnosof, .  chocno- 
sogue,  koscnoff,  excellent,  re- 
markable, brilliant,  ' '  crushing, " 
"  nobby,"  "  tip-top,"  "  fizzing." 

Chocotte,y!  (rag-pickers'),  m^irrow 
bone  ;  (thieves')  tooth. 

Cholera,  m.  (popular),  einc  orzinc- 
worker ;  bad  meat. 

Cholet,  m.  (popular),  white  bread 
of  superior  quality. 

Cholette,  /  (thieves'),  half  a  litre. 
Double  — ,  a  litre. 

Choper  (popular),  to  steal,  "to 
prig."  See  Grinchir.  Old  word 
choper,  to  touch  anything,  to  make 
it  fall.  Se  laisser  — ,  to  allow  one- 
self to  be  caught,  to  be^'  nabbed. " 

Chopin,  m..  (thieves'),  theft;  stolen 
object ;  blow.  Faire  un  — ,  to 
commit  a  theft. 

Chose,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular^, 
til  at  ease :  sad;  embarrassed.  II 
prit  un  air  — ,  he  looked  sad  or  em- 
barrassed. Je  me  sens  tout  — , 
I  feel  ill  at  ease;  queer. 


Chou  !  (thieves'  and  cads'),  a  warn- 
ing cry  to  intimate  that  the  police 
or  people  are  coming  up.  Termed 
also  "  Acresto  !" 

Choucarde,  f.  (military),  wlieeU 
barrow. 

Chouchouter  (familiar),  to  fondle, 
"to  firkytoodle  ;  "  to  spoil  one. 
From  chouchou,  darling. 

Chou  colossal,  m.  (familiar),  a 
scheme  for  swindling  the  public  by 
fabulous  accounts  of  future  profits. 

Choucroute,  /  (popular),  tete  or 
mangeur  de  — ,  a  German. 

Choucrouter(popular),  to  eatsauer- 
kraut ;  to  speak  German. 

Cboucrouteur,  choucroutmann, 
m.,  German. 

Chouette,  chouettard,  chouet- 
taud,  adj.,  good ;  fine ;  perfect, 
"chummy,"  "real  jam,"  "true 
marmalade."  C'est  rien  — ,  that's 
first-class  !  Quel  —  temps,  what 
splendid  weather!  Un  — •  regi- 
ment, a  crack  regiment.  (Dis- 
paragingly) Nous  sommes  — ,  we 
are  in  a  fine  pickle. 

Chouette,  /.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
6tre  — ,  to  be  caught.  Faire  une 
— ,  to  play  at  billiards  against  tWQ 
other  players. 

Chouettement  (popular),  finely ; 
perfectly. 

Chouez  (Breton),  house ;  —  doue, 
church. 

Choufflic  (popular),  bad  workman. 
In  the  German  schuflick,  cobbler. 

ChoufHiquer  (popular),  to  woi'k  in 
a  clumsy  manner. 

ChoufHiqueur,  m.  (popular),  bofl 
workman  ;  (military)  shoemaker, 
"snob." 

Choufretez(Breton),/««_)^?-OTafc^«i!. 

Chouia  (military),  gently.  Frofii 
the  Arabic.  > 


Ctwuil —  Ciutieme. 


Chouil  (Breton),  moi'k  ;  insect. 

Chouila  (Breton  cant),  to  work  ;  to 
b^get  many  children. 

Chouista  (Breton),  to  work  with  a 

will. 
Phoumaque  (popular),  shoemaker. 
"    From  the  German. 
Chourin,  for  surin  (thieves'),  knife, 

"chive." 

Si  j'ai-pas  I'rond,  mon  sarin  bouge. 
Moi,  c'est  dans  le  sang  qu' j'aurdis  truqu€. 
Mais  qiiand  on  fait  suer,  pomaqud  ! 
Mieux  vaut  bouffer  du  blanc  qu'  du  rouge. 
RlCHEPlN,  Chanson  des  Guettx. 

Chouriner,  for  suriner  (thieves'), 

to  knifi\  "  to  chive." 
Chourineur,     m.,     for     surineur 

(thieves'),  one  who  uses  the  knife  ; 

knacker.  "  Le  Chourineur  "  is  one 
.  of  the  characters  of  Eugene  Sue's 

Mystires  de  Paris. 

C'housa  (Breton),  to  eat. 

C'housach  (Breton), /»»</. 

Chretien,  adj.  (popular),  mixed 
with  water,  "baptized." 

Chretien,  m.  (popular),  viande  de 
— ,  human  flesh. 

Chrysalide,  /.  (popular),  old  co- 
quette. 

Chtibes,  /  fl.  (popular),  boots, 
"hock-dockies." 

Chybre,  m.  (popular),  see  Flageo- 
let ;  (artists')  member  of  the  In- 
stitut  de  France. 

Chyle,  m.  (familiar),  se  refaire  le 
— ,  to  have  a  good  meal,  a 
"tightener." 

Cibiche,  /  (popular),  cigarette. 

Cible,  /  (popular),  a  coups  de 
pieds,  breech.     See  Vasistas. 

Ciboule,  /  (popular),  head,  or 
"block."    See  Tronche. 

Cidre  elegant,  m.  (familiar),  cham- 
pagne, "  fiz,"  or  "boy." 


Ciel,  m.  (fishermens'),  le  —  plumant 
ses  poules,  clouds. 

Les  nuages,  c'^tait  leciel  plumant  ses  ponies, 
Et  la  foudre  en  ddats,  Michel  cassant  ses 

cenfs. 
II  appelait  le  vent  du  sud  cornemu-:euv, 
Celui  du  nord  cornard,  de  I'ouest  ba-e  k 

grenouille, 
Celui  de  suroit  I'brouf,  celui  de  terra  an- 

douille. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Cierge,  m.  (thieves'),  police  officer, 
or  "reeler."  P'or  synonyms  see 
Pot-^-tabac. 

Gig,  m.,  cigale,  or  sigue,  /. 
(thieves'),  gold  coin,  or  "yellow 
boy." 

Cigale,  f.  (popular),  female  street 
singer.  Properly  grasshopper ; 
also  cigar. 

Cigogne,/.  (thieves'),  the  "  Prefec- 
ture de  Police  "   in   Paris ;    the 
■  Palais  de  Justice  ;  court  of  justice. 
Le  dab  de  la  — ,  the  public  prose- 
cutor;  the  prefect  of  police. 

Je  monte  \  \3l  cigogne. 
On  me  gerbe  \  la  grotte, 
Au  tap,  et  pour  douze  ans. 

VlIJOCQ. 

Cigue,  f.  (thieves'),  abbreviation  of 
cigale,  twenty-franc  piece. 

Cimaise  (painters'),  faire  sa  —  sur 
quelqu'un,  to  show  up  one's  own 
good  qualities,  whether  real  or 
imaginary,  at  the  expense  of  an- 
other's failings,  in  other  words,  to 
preach  for  one's  own  chapel. 

Ciment,  m.  (freemasons'),  mustard. 

Cingler  (thieves'),  se  —  le  blair,  to 
get  drunk,  or  ' '  canon. " 

Cinq-i-sept,    ;«.,   a    kind  of  tea 

party  from  five  o'clock  to  seven  in 

the  fashionable  world. 
Cinq-centimadas,    m.    (ironical), 

one-sou  cigar. 
Cintifeme,  vi.  (popular),  high  cap 

generally  worn  by  women's  bullies, 

or  "  pensioners." 


86 


Cintrer — Claquer. 


Cintrer  (popular),  to  hold;  (thieves') 
—  en  pogne,  to  seize  hold  of;  to 
apprehend,  or  "to  smug."  See 
Piper. 

Cipal,  ni.  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
garde-municipal.  The  "  garde 
municipale  "  is  a  picked  body  of 
old  soldiers  who  furnish  guards 
and  perform  police  functions  at 
theatres,  official  ceremonies,  police 
courts,  &c.  It  consists  of  infantry 
and  cavalry,  and  is  in  the  pay  of 
the  Paris  municipal  authorities, 
most  of  the  men  having  been 
non-commissioned  officers  in  the 
army. 

Cirage,  m.  (popular),  praise,  "  soft 
sawder,"  "  buttei." 

Cire,y. ,  voleur  a  la  — ,  rogue  who 
steals  a  silver  fork  or  spoon  at  a 
restaurant,  and  makes  it  adhere 
under  the  table  by  means  of  a  piece 
of  soft  wax.  When  charged  with 
the  theft,  he  puts  on  an  air  of  in- 
jured innocence,  and  asks  to  be 
searched  ;  then  leaves  with  ample 
apologies  from  the  master  of  the 
restaurant.  Soon  after  a  confede- 
rate enters,  taking  his  friend's 
former  seat  at  the  table,  and 
pocketing  the  booty. 

Cire,  m.  (popular),  negro.  From 
cirer,  to  black  shoes.  Termed  also 
"  bolte  a  cirage,  bamboula,  boule 
de  neige,  bille  de  pot  au  feu." 

Cirer  (popular),  to  praise;  to  flatter, 

"to  butler." 

Cireux,  m.  (popular),  one  with  in- 
flamed  eyelids. 

Ciseaux,  m.  pi.  (literary),  travailler 
a  coups  de  — ,  to  compile. 

Cite,  f.  (popular),  d'amour,  gay 
girl,  "  bed-fagot." 

Je  I'ai  trait^e  comme  elle  le  miritait.  Je 
1  ai  appeMe  fei^nante,  cite  d'amour,  chenille, 
machine  ^  plaisir. — Mac6. 


Citron,  »t.  (theatrical),  squeaky 
note;  (thieves'  and  cads')  the  head, 
"nut,"  or  "chump."  Termed 
also  "  tronche,  sorbonne,  poire, 
eafetiere,  trognon,  citrouille." 

Citrouille,  /.,  citrouillard,  m. 
(military),  dragoon ;  (thieves') 
head,  "nut,"  or  "tibby." 

Civade,/  (thieves'),  oats. 

Civard,  m.  (popular),  pasture, 

Cive,  /  (popular),  grass. 

Clairs,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  eyes,  or 
"glaziers."  See  Mirettes. 
Soufflerses — ,  to  sleep,  to  "doss," 
or  to  have  a  "dose  of  the  balmy." 

Clairte,/  (popular),  light ;  beauty, 

Clampiner  (popular),  to  idle  about ; 
to  lounge  about  lazily,  "  to  mike." 

Clapoter  (popular),  to  eat,  "to 
grub."     See  Mastiquer. 

Claque,  m.  and  adj.  (popular), 
dead,  dead  man.  La  boite  aux 
claques,  the  Morgue,  or  Paris 
dead-house.  Lejardindes  claques, 
the  cemetery. 

Claquebosse,  m..  (popular),  house 
ofillfatne,  or  "nanny-shop." 

Claquedents,  m.  (popular),,  house 
of  ill -fame,  "  nanny  -  shop  ; " 
gaming-house,  or  "punting-shop;" 
low  eating  house. 

Claquefaim,  m.  (popular),  starving 
man. 

Claquepatins,  m.  (popular),  miser- 
able slipshod  person. 

Venez  k  moi,  claquepatin?;, 
Ldqueteux,  joueurs  de  musette, 
Clampins,  loupeurs,  voyous,  catins. 

RiCHEPIN. 

The  early  French  poet  Villon  uses 
the  word  "  cliquepatin  "  with  the 
same  signification. 

Claquer  (familiar),  to  die,  "  to 
croak  ; "  to  eat ;   to  sell ;  —  ses 


Claques —  Clous. 


87 


meubles,  to  sell  one' s  furniture  ; 

—  du  bee,  to  be  very  hungry 
without  any  means  of  satisfying 
one's  craving  for  food. 

Claques,^  pi.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), una  figure  i  — ,  face  with  an 
impudent  expression  that  invites 
punishment. 

Clarinette,  /.  (military),  de  cinq 
pieds,  musket,  formerly  "  Brown 
Bess." 

Classe,  f.  (popular),  un  —  diri- 
geant,  said  ironically  of  one  of  the 
upper  classes. 

Clavin,  m.  (thieves'),  nail ;  grapes. 

Clavine.y;  (thieves'),  vine. 

Claviner  (thieves'),  to  nail;  to 
gather  grapes. 

Clavineur,  m.  (thieves'),  vine- 
dresser. 

Clavinier,  m.  (thieves'),  nail- 
maker. 

Clef,  f.  (familiar),  a  la  — .  See  A 
la.  Perdre  sa  — ,  to  suffer  from 
colic,  or  "  botts."      (Military)  La 

—  du  champ  de  manoeuvre,  imagi- 
nary object  which  recruits  are  re- 
quested by  practical  jokers  to  go 
and  ask  of  the  sergeant. 

Cliabeau,  m.,  expression  used  by 
the  prisoners  of  Saiut-Lazare, 
doctor. 

Cliche,  /.  (popular),  diarrhcea,  or 
"  jerry-go-nimble. " 

Cliche,  m.  (familiar),  commonplace 
sentence  ready  made ;  common- 
place metaphor  ;  well-worn  plati- 
tude. (Printers')  Tirer  son  — ,  to  be 
always  repeating  the  same  thing. 

Client,  m.  (thieves'),  victim,  or  in- 
tended victim. 

Cligner  (military),  des  oeillets,  to 
squint,  to  be  "boss-eyed." 


Clignots,  m.  pi.  (popular),  eyes, 
"peepers."  Baver  des  — ,  to 
weep,  "to  nap  a  bib."  See 
Mirettes. 

Clipet,  m.  (thieves'),  voice. 

Clique,  f.  (popular),  scamp,  or 
"  bad  egg  ;  "  diarrhcea,  or  "jerry- 
go-nimble.  "  (Military)  La  — ,  the 
squad  of  drummers  and  buglers. 

Exempts  de  service,  ils  exercent  g^nd- 
ralement  une  profession  quelconque  (bar- 
bier,  tailleur,  ajusteur  de  guetres,  etc.)  qui 
leur  rapporte  quelques  b^n^fices.  Ayant 
ainsi  plus  de  temps  et  plus  d'argent  k  d^- 
penser  que  leurs  camarades,  ils  ont  une 
reputation,  assez  bien  justifiee  d'ailleurs, 
de  bambocheurs ;  de  Ik,  ce  nom  de  clique 
qu'on  leur  donne. — La  Langue  Verte  du 
Troupier. 

Cliquettes,  f.  pi.  (popular),  ears, 
or  "  wattles." 

Clodoche,  m.  (Tamiliar),  descrip- 
tion of  professional  comic  dancer 
with  extraordinarily  supple  legs, 
such  as  the  Girards  brothers,  of 
Alhambra  celebrity, 

Cloporte,  m.  (familiar),  door-keeper. 
Properly  wooalouse.  A  pun  on 
the  words  clot  porte. 

Clou,  m.  (military),  guard-room ; 
«//j,  "jigger  ;  "  bayonet.  CoUer 
au  — ,  to  imprison,  "to  roost." 
(Popular)  Clou,  bad  workman; 
pawnshop.  Mettre  au — ,  to  pawn, 
to  put  "  in  lug."  Clou  de  girofle, 
decayed  black  tooth.  (Theatrical 
and  literary)  Le  —  d'une  piece, 
d'un  roman,  the  chief  point  of 
interest  in  a  play  or  novel,  lite- 
rally a  nail  on  which  the  whole 
fabric  hangs. 

Clouer  (popular),  to  imprison,  "  to 
run  in;"  to  pawn,  "to  blue,  to 
spout,  to  lumber." 

Clous,  m.  pi.  (popular),  tools. 
(Printers')  Petits  — ,  type.  Lever 
les  petits  — ,  to  compose.  (Mili- 
tary) Clous,  foot-soldiers,  or  "  mud- 
crushers.  " 


88 


Coaguler — Cocotterie. 


Coaguler  (familiar),  se  — ,  to  get 
drunk.     See  Sculpter. 

Cobier,  m.,  heap  of  salt  in  salt- 
marshes, 

Cocanges,  /.  pi.  (thieves'),  wal- 
nut-shells. Jeu  de  — ,  game  of 
siuindlers  at  fairs. 

Cocangeur,  tn.  (\hit\es'),  swindler. 

See  Cocanges. 
Cocantin,    m.    (popular),    business 

agent  acting  as  a  medium  between 

a  debtor  and  a  creditor. 

Cocarde,  /.  (popular),  head.  Avoir 
sa  — ,  to  be  tipsy.  Taper  sur  la 
— ,  is  said  of  wine  which  gets  into 
the  head. 

Ma  joie  et  surtout  I'petit  bleu 
Ca  m'a  tapd  sur  la  cocarde  ! 

Parisian  Song. 

Cocarder  (popular),  se  — ■  to  get 
tipsy.     See  Sculpter. 

Tout  se  passait  trfes  gentiment,  on  £tait 
gai,  il  ne  fallait  pas  maintenant  se  cocarder 
cochonnement^  si  Ton  voulait  respecter  les 
dames. — Zola,  UAssoTnmoir. 

Cocardier,  m..  (military),  military 
man  passionately  fond  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

Cocasserie,  y.  (familiar),  strange  or 
grotesque  saying,  writing,  or  deed. 

Coche,  f.  (popular),  fat,  red-faced 
woman. 

Cochon,  m..  (popular),  de  bon- 
heur  !  (ironical)  no  luck  !  Ca  n'est 
pas  trop  • — ,  that's  not  so  bad. 
Cast  pas  —  du  tout,  that's  very 
nice.  Men  pauvre  — ,  je  ne  te 
dis  que  9a  !  my  poor  fellow,  you 
are  in  for  it!  Etre — ,  to  be  lewd. 
Se  conduire  comme  un  — ,  to  be- 
have in  a  mean,  despicable  way. 
Soigner  son  — ,  is  said  of  one  who 
lives  too  well.  Un  costume  — ,  a 
suggestive  dress. 

Cochonne,^  (popular),  lewd  girl. 
(Ironically)  EUe  n'est  pas  jolie, 
mais  elle  est  si  cochonne  ! 


Cochonnement,  adv.  (popular), 
in  a  disgusting  manner. 

Cochonnerie,  /.  (popular),  any 
article  of  food  having  pork  for  a 
basis, 

Cochonneries,  /  //.  (popular), 
indecent  talk  or  actions. 

Coco,  m.  (military),  horse.  La 
botte  a — ,  trumpet  call  for  stables  I 
(literally)  La  botte  de  foin  a  coco. 
(Popular)  Coco,  brandy;  head. 
See  Tronche.  Avoir  le  —  de- 
plume, to  be  bald,  or  to  have  a 
"  bladder  of  lard."  For  synony- 
mous expressions,  see  Avoir. 
Avoir  le  —  fele,  to  be  cracked, 
"  to  be  a  little  bit  balmy  in 
one's  crumpet."  For  synonyms 
see  Avoir.  CoUe-toi  9a  dans  le 
— ,  or  passe-toi  9a  par  le  — , 
eat  that  or  drink  that.  Devisser 
le  — ,  to  strangle.  Monter  le  — , 
to  excite.  Se  monter  le  — ,  to  get 
excited;  to  be  too  sanguine.  II  a 
graisse  la  patte  a  — ,  is  said  of  a 
man  who  has  bungled  over  some 
affair.  (Familiar)  Coco  epilep- 
tique,  champagne  wine,  "fiz," 
or  "boy." 

Cocodete,  /.  (familiar),  stylish 
woman  always  dressed  according 
to  the  latest  Jashion,  a  "  dasher." 

Cocons,  m.  pi.,  stands  for  co-con- 
scrits,  first-term  students  at  the 
Ecole  Polytechnique, 

Cocotte,  /.  (popular),  term  of  en- 
dearment to  horses.  Allons,  hue — ! 
pull  tip,  my  beauty  I  (Familiar 
and  popular)  Cocotte,  u.  more 
than  fast  girl  or  woman,  a 
"  pretty  horse  -  breaker, "  see 
Gadoue  ;  (theatrical)  addition 
made  by  singers  to  an  original 
theme. 

Cocotterie,/  (familiar),  the  world 
of  the  cocottes.     See  Cocotte. 


Cocovieille-s —  Collage. 


89 


Cocovieilles, /.//.,  name  given  by 
fashionable  young  ladies  of  the 
aristocracy  to  their  old-fashioned 
elders,  who  return  the  compliment 
by  dubbing  them  "  cocosottes." 

Cocufieur,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
cuckoos,  thai  is,  one  who  lays 
himself  open  to  being  called  to 
account  by  an  injured  husband  as 
the  co-respondent  in  the  divorce 
court. 

Coenne,  or  couenne,  /  (thieves'), 
de  lard,  brush,  (Familiar  and 
popular)  Couenne,  stupid  man, 
dunce. 

Coere,  m.  (thieves'),  le  grand  — , 
formerly  the  king  of  rogues. 

CoBur,  m.  (popular),  jeter  du  — 
sur  le  carreau,  to  vomit.  A  pun 
on  the  words  "hearts"  and  "dia- 
monds" of  cards  on  the  one  hand, 
avoir  mal  au  — ,  to  feel  sick,  and 
"  C3.T[e2i\x," flooring,  on  the  other. 
Valet  de  — ,  lover. 

Cceur  d'artichaut,  m.  (popular), 
man  or  woman  with  an  inflam- 
mable heart. 

Faillasson,  quoi !  coeur  d'artichaut, 

C'est  mon  genre ;   un'   feuille  pour    tout 

I'monde, 
Au  jour  d'aujourd'hui  j'gobe  la  blonde  ; 
Apres  d'main,  c'est  la  brun'  qu  i  m'faut. 
Gill,  La  Muse  d  Bibi. 

Coffier  (thieves'),  abbreviation  of 
escoffier,  to  kill,  "  to  cook  one's 
gruel." 

CoSin,  VI.,  peculiar  kind  of  desk  at 
the  Ecole  Polytechnique.  From 
the  inventor's  name.  General 
Coffinieres. 

Cognac,  m.  (thieves'),  gendarme  or 
police  officer,    "crusher,"    "cop- 


per," or  "reeler.' 
tabac. 


See  Pot-^- 


Cognade,  /,  or  cogne  (thieves'), 
gendarvieHe. 


Cognard,  m.,  or  cogne,  gendarme 
and  gendarmerie  ;  police  officer, 
"  copper." 

Cogne,  m.  and  f.  (thieves'),  la  — , 
the  police.  Un  — ,  a  police  officer, 
or  "reeler."  See  Pot-4-tabac. 
Also  brandy.  Un  noir  de  trois 
ronds  sans  — ,  a  three-halfpenny 
cup  of  coffee  without  brandy. 

Coiffer  (popular),  to  slap;  to  deceive 
one's  husband.  Se  —  de  quel- 
qu'un,  to  take  a  fancy  to  one. 

Coin,  m.  (popular),  c'est  un  —  sans 
i,  he  is  a  fool. 

Coire  (thieves'),  farm  ;  chief. 

Je  rencontrai  des  camarades  qui  avaient 
aussi  fait  leur  temps  ou  cdsse  leur  ficelle. 
Leur  coire  me  proposa  d'etre  des  leurs,  on 
faisait  la  grande  soulasse  sur  le  trimar. — 
V.  Hugo. 

Col,  m.  (familiar),  casse,  dandy, 
or  "  masher."  Se  pousser  du  — , 
to  assume  an  air  of  self-impor- 
tance or  conceit,  "to  look  gump- 
tious ;" /o /raw«  o«w«^  «/.  An 
allusion  to  the  motion  of  one's 
hand  under  the  chin  when  about 
to  make  an  important  statement. 

Colas,  colabre,  or  colin,  m. 
(thieves'),  neck,  or  "  scrag."  Faire 
suer  le  — ,  to  strangle.  Rafratchir 
le  — ,  to  guillotine.  Rafraichir 
means  to  trim  in  the  expression, 
"  Rafraichir  les  cheveux." 

Colback,  m.  (military),  raw  recruit, 
or  "Johnny  raw."  An  allusion 
to  his  unkempt  hair,  similar  to  a 
busby  or  bearskin  cap 

Colin.     See  Colas. 

Collabo,  m.  (literary),  abbreviation 

of  collaborateur. 
Collage,    m.    (familiar),    living  as 

husband  and  wife  in  an  unmarried 

state. 
L'une  aprfes  I'autre — en  camarade— 
C'est  rupin,  mais  1'  collage,  bon  DIeu  ! 
Toujours  la  mem'  chaufFeus'  de  pieu  ! 
M'en  parlez  pas  !     Ca  m'rend  malade. 

Gri-L,  La  Muse  A  Bibi. 


90 


Collant —  Coltiger. 


Un  —  d'argent,  the  action  of  a 
woman  who  lives  with  a  man  as 
his  wife  from  mercenary  motives. 

C'^'ait  selon  la  manie  de  ce  corrupteur 
de  mineures,  le  sceau  avec  lequel  il  cimen- 
tait  ce  que  Madame  Cornette  appelait,  en 
terme  du  metier,  ses  collages  d'argent ! 
Memeires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Collant,  m.  (familiar),  is  said  of  one 
not  easily  got  rid  of;  (military) 
drawers. 

Gollarde,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner, 
one  "  doing  time." 

Colle,  f  (students'),  weekly  or  other 
periodical  oral  examinations  to 
prepare  for  a  final  examination, 
or  to  make  up  the  marks  which 
pass  one  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

College,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  See  Motte.  Un  ami 
de  — ,  a  prison  chuvi,  Les-  col- 
leges de  Pantin,  the  Paris  prisons. 

Collegien,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner, 

Coller  (students'),  to  stop  one's  leave; 
to  orally  examine  at  periodical  ex- 
aminations. Se  faire  — ,  to  get 
plucked  or  "ploughed"  at  an  ex- 
amination. (Popular)  Coller,  to 
place  ;  to  put ;  to  give  ;  to  throw  ; 

—  au  bloc,  to  imprison,  "  to  run 
in  ;  "  — des  chataignes,  to  thrash, 
"  to  wallop."  See  Voie.  Se  — 
dans  le  pieu,  to  go  to  bed.  Se  — 
una  biture,  to  get  drunk,  or 
"screwed,"  See  Sculpter. 
Colle-toi  \^,  place  yourself  there. 
CoUe-toi  9a  dans  le  fusil,  eat  or 
drink  that.  Colle-toi  ca  dans  la 
coloquinte,  bear  that  in  mind. 
(Militaiy)  Coller  au  bloc,  to  send 
to  the  guard-room.  CoUez-moi  ce 
clampin-la  au  bloc,  take  that  lazy 
bones  to  the  guard-room.  (Familiar 
and  popular)  Se  — ,  to  live  as  man 
and  wife,  to  live  "a  tally."  Se 
faire  — ,  to  be  nonplussed.     S'en 

—  par  le  bee,  to  eat  to  excess,  "  to 
scorf."     S'en  —  pour,  to  go  to  the 


expense  of.  Je  m'en  suis  colle 
pour  dix  francs,  I  spent  ten  francs 
over  it. 

Colletiner  (thieves'),  to  collar,  to 
apprehend,  "to  smug."  See 
Piper. 

Colleur,  m.  (students'),  professor 
whose  functions  are  to  07-ally  ex- 
amine at  certain  periods  students 
at  private  or  public  establishments  ; 
man  who  gets  quickly  intimate  or 
"  thick  "  with  one,  who  "  cottons 
on  to  one." 

Collier,  or  coulant,  m.  (thieves'), 
cravat,  or  "  neckinger." 

Collignon,  m.  (popular),  cabby.  An 
allusion  to  ^  coachman  of  that 
name  who  murdered  his  fare.  The 
■  cry,  "  Ohe,  Collignon  !  "  is  about 
the  worst  insult  one  pan  offer  a 
Paris  coachman,  and  he  is  not 
slow  to  resent  it. 

Colombe,  f,  (players'),  queen  of 
cards. 

Colombe,  adj.  (thieves'),  known. 

Colon,  m.  (soldiers'),  colonel.  Pe- 
tit — ,  lieutenant-colonel. 

Co\oT\Tit,  f  (military),  chapeau  en 
— ,  see .  Bataille.  (Popular) 
N'avoir  pas  chie  la  — ,  to  be  devoid 
of  any  talent,  not  to  be  able  to  set 
the  Thajnes  on  fire.  Demolir  la 
— ,  to  void  urine,  "  to  lag." 

Coloquinte,  /  (popular  and 
thieves'),  head.  Avoir  une 
araignee  dans  la  — ,  to  be  cracked, 
or  "  to  have  a  bee  in  one's  bon- 
net." Chariot  va  jouer  a  la  boule 
avec  ta  — ,  Jack  Ketch  will  play 
skittles  with  your  canister. 

Coltiger  (thieves'),  to  arrest;  to 
seize,  to  "  smug. " 

C'est  dans  la  me  du  Mail 

Oil  j"ai  dt^  coltig^ 

Par  trois  cbquins  de  rallies. 

V.  Hugo,  Le  Dernier  Jour 
d'un  Condamni. 


Coltin —  Comprendre. 


91 


Coltin,  m.  (popular),  strength. 
Properly  shoulder-strap. 

Coltiner  (popular),  to  ply  the  trade 
of  a  porter ;  to  draw  a  hand-cart 
by  means  of  a  shoulder-strap. 

Coltineur,  in.  (popular),  man  who 
draws  a  hand-cart  with  a  shoulder- 
strap. 

Coltineuse  (popular),  female  who 
does  rough  work. 

Comberge,     combergeante,    / 

(thieves'),  confession. 

Combtrger  (thieves'),  toreckon  up; 
to  confess. 

Combergo  (thieves'),  confessional. 

Comblance,  /;  (thieves'),  par  — , 
into  the  bargain. 

J'ai'fait  par  comblance 
Giruiide  larguecape. 

ViDOCQ. 

Comble,  combre,  combriau, 
combrieu,  m.  (thieves'),  hat, 
"tile."     beeTubard. 

Combrje,   f.    (thieves'),   one-franc 

piece. 

Combrier,  m.  (thieves'),  hat-maker. 
Combrieu.     See  Comble, 

Combrousier,  /«.  (thieves'),  pea- 
sant, or  "  clod." 

Combustible,  m.  (popular),  du 
—  !  exclamation  used  to  urge  one 
on.  On  I  go  it ! 

Come,  m.  (thieves'),  formerly  a 
guard  on  board  the  galleys. 

Com^die,  f.  (popular),  envoyer  a 
la  — ,  to  dismiss  a  workman  for' 
want  of  work  to  give  him.  Etre 
^  la  — ,  to  be  otitofwork,  "  out  of 
collar." 

Comestaux,  m.  pi.  (popular),  for 
comestibles,  articles  of  food, 
"toke." 


Comete,  f.  (popular),  vagrant, 
tramp.  Filer  la  — ,  or  la  sorgue, 
to  sleep  in  the  open  air,  or  "to 
skipper  it." 

Comiques,  nu  pi.  (theatrical), 
jouer  les  —  habilles,  to  represent 
a  comic  character  in  modern  Cos- 
tume. 

Commander  (thieves'),  i  cuire, 
to  send  to  the  scaffold. 

Commandite,  /  (printers'),  asso- 
ciation of  workmen  who  join  to- 
gether for  the  performance  of  any 
work, 

Comme  if  (popular),  ironical  for 
comme  il  faut,  genteel.  T'as  rien 
I'air  —  !  What  u,  swell  you  look, 
oh  crikey  ! 

Commissaire,  m.  (popular),  pint 
or  pitcher  of  wine.  An  allusion 
to  the  black  robe  which  police 
magistrates  wore  formerly.  Le 
cabot  du  — ,  the  police  magistrate's 
secretary.     See  Chien. 

Commode,  f,  (thieves'),  chimney, 
(Popular)  Une  —  a  deux  ressorts,. 
a  vehicle,  or  "  trap," 

Communard,  or  communeux, 
m.,  one  of  the  insurgents  o/'iSyi. 

Communique,  m.  (familiar),  offi- 
cial communication  to  newspapers. 

Comp.     See  Can, 

Compas,  m.  (popular),  ouvrir  le  — , 
to  walk.  Allonger  le  — ,  to  walk 
briskly.  Fermer  le  — ,  to  stop 
walking. 

Complet,  adj.  (popular),  etre  — , 
to  be  quite  drunk,  or  "slewed." 
(Familiar)  Etre  — ,  to  be  perfectly 
ridiculous. 

Comprendre  (thieves'),  la  — ,  to 
steal,  "  to  claim."  See  Grin- 
chir. 


92 


Compte —  Conservatoire. 


Compte  (popular),  avoir  son  — ,  to 
be  tipsy,  or  "screwed  ;"  to  die, 
"to  snuff  it."  Son  —  est  bon, 
he  is  in  for  it. 

Compter  (musicians'),  des  payses, 
to  sleep  ;  ( popular)  —  ses  chemises, 
to  vomit,  "to  cast  up  accounts." 

Comte,  m.  (thieves'),  de  caruche, 
or  de  canton,  jailor,  or  "jigger 
dubber ;  "  —  de  castu,  hospital 
superintendent ;  —  de  gigot-fin, 
one  who  likes  to  live  well. 

Comtois,  adj.  (thieves'),  battre  — , 

to  dissetiible  ;  to  play  the  fool. 
Conasse,  or  conriasse,  f.  (prosti- 
tutes'), a  stupid  or  modest  woman. 
Elles  v:intent  leur  savoir-faire,  elles  re- 
prochent  a  leurs  camarades  leur  imp^ritie, 
et  leur  donnent  le  nom  de  conasse,  ex- 
pression par  laquelle  elles  designent  ordi- 
nairement  une  femme  honnele.  -  Parent- 
DucHATELET,  De  la  Prastituiion. 

Conde,  m.  (thieves'),  mayor ;  demi 
— ,  alderman  ;  grand  — ,  prefect ; 
—  franc,  corrupt  magistrate. 

Condice,/.  (thieves'),  cage  in  which 
convicts  are  confined  on  their  pas- 
sage to  the  convict  settlements. 

Condition,  /  (thieves'),  house, 
"diggings,"  or  "hangs  out." 
Faire  une  — ,  to  break  into  a 
house,  "  to  crack  a  crib."  Filer 
une  — ,  to  watch  a  house  in  view 
of  an  intended  burglary.  (Popu- 
lar) Acheter  une  — ,  to  lead  a  new 
mode  of  life,  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf 

Conduite,/  (popular),  faire  la  — , 
to  drive  away  and  thrash.  Faire 
la  —  de  Grenoble,  to  put  one  out 
of  doors. 

Cone,/  (thieves'),  death. 

Confirmer   (popular),  to  box  one's 

ears,  ' '  to  warm  the  wax  of  one's 

ears. " 

Confiture,  /  (popular),  excrement. 

Confiturier,  m.  (popular), j<raOT«^<?r, 
"rake-kennel." 


Confortable,  m.  (popular),  ^/axj «/" 

beer. 
Confrere,  m.  (popular),  de  la  lune, 

injured  husband. 

Coni,  adj.  (thieves'),  dead. 

Coniller  (popular),  to  seek  to  escape. 
Conil,  rabbit. 

Conir  (thieves'),  to  conceal ;  to  kill ; 

"  to  cook  one's  gruel."     See  Re- 

froidir. 
Connais  (popular),  je   la  — ,  no 

neuos  for  me  ;  do  you  see  any  green 

in  my  eye?    you   don't    take  an 

old  bird  with  chaff. 

Connaissance,/.  (popular),  ma — , 
my  mistress,  or  sweetheart,  my 
"  young  woman." 

Connaitre  (popular),  le  journal,  to 
be  well  informed ;  to  know  before- 
hand the  menu  of  a  dinner ;  —  le 
numero,  to  possess  experience  ;  — 
le  numero  de  quelqu'un,  to  be  ac- 
'quainted  with  one's  secrets,  one's 
habits.  1j3.  —  dans  les  coins,  to  be 
knowing,  to  kncro)  what's  o'clock. 
An  allusion  to  a  horse  clever  at 
turning  the  corners  in  the  riding 
school. 

Regardez-le  partir,    le  gavroche  qui  la 
conriait  dans  les  coins. — RlCHEPlN. 

Connerie,/  (popular),/>o/j>^  action 
or  thing.  From  an  obscene  word 
which  has  the  slang  signification 
oi  fool. 

Conobler  (thieves'),  to  recognize. 

Conobrer  (thieves'),  to  know. 

Conscience,/  (printers'),  homme 
de  — ,  typographer  paid  by  the 
day  or  by  the  hour. 

Conscrar,  cox\scnX,  m  ,  first-term 
student  at  the  "  Ecole  Normale," 
a  higher  training-school  for  univer- 
sity professors. 

Conservatoire,  m.  (popular),;>aa'»- 
shop.  El^ve  du  —  de  la  Villette, 
-wretched  singer.     La   Villette  is 


Conserves —  Coquage. 


93 


the  reverse  of  a  fashionable  quar- 
ter. 
Conserves, y;  (theatrical), o/i/Z/oyj. 
Also  fragments  of  human  flesh 
which  have  been  thrown  into  the 
servers  or  river  by  murderers,  and 
which,  when  found,  are  taken  to 
the  "  Morgue,"  or  Paris  dead- 
house. 

Je  viens  de  preparer  pour  lui  les  con- 
serves (les  morceaux  de  chair  humaine), 
I'os  de  I'egout  Jacob  et  la  cuisse  des  Saints- 
Peres  (I'os  retrouvd  dans  I'egout  de  la  Rue 
Jacob  et  la  cuisse  repech^e  au  pont  des 
Saints-Peres).  —  Mac^,  Mott  Premier 
Crime. 

Consigne,  f.  (military),  k  gros 
grains,  imprisonment  in  the  cells. 

Consolation,/,  (popular),  brandy; 
sivindling  game  played  by  card- 
sharpers,  by  means  of  a  green  cloth 
chalked  into  small  numbered  spaces, 
and  dice. 

Console,  f.  (thieves'),  game  flayed 
by  card-sharpers  or  "  broadimen  " 
at  races  and  fairs. 

Consoler  (popular),  son  cafe,  to 
add  brandy  to  one^s  coffee. 

Conter  (military).  Conte  cela  au 
perruquier  des  Zouaves,  /  do  not 
believe  you,  "tell  that  to  the 
Marines."  Le  perruquier  des 
Zouaves  is  an  imaginary  indi- 
vidual. 

Contre,  vi.  (popular),  playing  for 
drink  at  a  cafe. 

Contre-allumeur,  m.  (thieves'), 
spy  employed  by  thieves  to  baffle 
the  police  spies. 

Contrebasse,  f.  (popular),  breech. 
Sauter  sur  la  — ,  to  kick  one's  be- 
hind, "  to  toe  one's  bum,"  "  to 
root,"  or  "  to  land  a  kick." 

Contre-coup,  m.  (popular),  de  la 
\>o\le,  foreytuin,  or  "  boss." 

Contreficher  (popular),  s'en  — , 
to  care  not  a  straw,  not  a 
"  hang." 


Contre-marque,  /  (popular),  du 
Pere-Lachaise,  St.  Helena  medal. 
Those  vfho  vifear  the  medal  are 
old,  and  le  P^re-Lachaise  is  a 
cemetery  in  Paris. 

Controle,  m.  (thieves'),  formerly 
the  mark  on  the  shoulder  of  con- 
victs who  had  been  branded. 

Controler  (popular),  to  kick  one  in 
the  face. 

Convalescence,/,  (thieves'),  sur- 
veillance of  the  police  on  the  move- 
ments of  tichet-af-leccve  men. 

Cop,  /  (printers'),  for  "copie," 
7nanuscript. 

Copaille,  /  (cads'),  Sodomist. 
Termed  also  "tante,  coquine." 

Cope,  /.  (popular),  overcharge  for 
an  article  ;  action  of  "  shaving  a 
customer."  The  Slang  Dic- 
tionary says  that  in  England, 
when  the  master  sees  an  oppor- 
tunity of  doing  this,  he  strokes 
his  chin  as  a  signal  to  his  assis- 
tant who  is  serving  the  customer. 

Copeau,  m.  (popular),  artisan  in 
woodwork  (properly  copeaux, 
shavings)  ;  spittle,  or  "  gob." 
Arracher  son  — .  See  Arracher. 
Lever  son  — ,  to  talk,  "  to  jaw." 

Copeaux,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  house- 
breaking, "screwing  or  cracking 
a  crib."  An  allusion  to  the  splin- 
ters resulting  from  breaking  a 
door. 

Copie,  /.  (printers'),  de  chapelle, 
copy  of  a  work  given  as  a  present  to 
the  typographers.  (Figuratively) 
Faire  de  la  — ,  to  backbite.  Pisser 
de  la  — ,  to  be  a  prolific  writer. 
Pisseur  de  — ,  a  prolific  writer ; 
one  ivho  writes  lengthy,  diffuse 
newspaper  articles. 

Coquage,  m.  (thieves'),  informing 
against  one,  or  "  blowing  the 
gaff." 


94 


Coqiiard —  Cornant. 


Coquird,  m.  (thieves'),  eye,  or 
"glazier."  S'en  tamponner  le 
— ,  not  to  care  a  fig.  See  Mire'tte. 

Coquardeau,  m.  (popular),  hen- 
pecked husband,  or  "  stangey  ;" 
man  easily  duped,  or  "  gulpy." 

Coquer  (thieves'),  to  watch  one's 
movements ;  to  inform  against  one, 
"to  blow  the  gaff." 

Quand  on  en  aura  refroidi  quatre  ou 
cinq  dans  les  pr^aux  les  autres  tourneront 
leur  langue  deux  fois  avant  de  coquer  la 
pegre. — E.  Sue. 

Also  to  give  ;  to  put ;  —  la 
camoufle,  to  hand  the  candle,  ' '  to 
dub  the  glim  ;"  —  la  loffitude,  to 
give  absolution  y  —  le  poivre,  to 
poison,  "hocus;"  —  le  taf,  to 
frighten  ;  —  le  rifle,  to  set  fire  to. 

Coqueur,  m,  (thieves'),  informer 
who  warns  the  police  of  intended 
thefts.  He  may  be  at  liberty  or 
in  prison  ;  in  the  latter  case  he 
goes  by  the  appellation  of  "co- 
queur mouton  "  or  "  musicien." 
The  "  mouton  "  variety  is  an  in- 
mate of  a  prison  and  informs 
against  his  fellow-prisoners  ;  the 
"  musicien  "  betrays  his  accom- 
plices. Coqueur  de  bille,  man  who 
fitrnishes  funds. 

Coqueuse,  female  variety  of  the 
"  coqueur." 

Coquillard  (popular),  ?jj/«.  S'en  tam- 
ponner le  — ,  not  to  care  a  straw, 
"  not  to  care  a  hang. " 

Coquillards,  m.  pi.  (tramps'), 
tramps  who  in  olden  times  pre- 
tended to  be  pilgrims. 

Coquillards  sent  les  p^lerins  de  Saint- 
Jacques,  la  pjus  grande  partie  sent  veri- 
tables  et  en  viennent ;  mais  il  y  en  a  aussi 
qui  truchent  sur  le  coquiUard. — Le  Jargon 
deV  Argot. 

Coquillon,  m.  (popular),  louse; 
pilgrim. 

Coquin,  m.  (thieves'),  informer, 
"nark,"  or  "nose." 


Coquine,  /  (cads'),  Sodomist. 

Corbeau,  m.  (popular),  lay  brother 
of  "la  doctrine  chretienne," 
usually  styled  "  freres  ignoran- 
tins."  Tlie  brotherhood  had  fcr- 
merlychargeof  the  ragged  schools, 
and  were  conspicuous  by  their 
gross  ignoT3.nce ;  priest,  or  "devil 
dodger ;"  undertaker's  man. 

Corbeille,/;  (familiar),  enclosure  or 
ring  at  the  Bourse  where  official 
stockbrokers  transact  business. 

Corbillard,  m.  (popular),  k  deux 
roues,  dismal  man,  or  "  croaker ;" 
—  a  noeuds,  dirty  and  dissolute 
woman,  or  "draggle-tail  ;"  —  des 
loucherbem,  cart  which  collects 
tainted  meat  at  butcher's  stalls. 
Loucherbem  is  equivalent  to  bou- 
cher. 

Voici  passer  au  galop  le  corbillard  des 
loucherbem,  Timmonde  voiture  qui  vient 
ramasser  dans  les  boucheries  la  viande 
gatee.— RlCHEPlN,  Le  Pavi. 

Corbuche,  /.  (thieves'),  ulcer  ;  — 
lophe,  false  ulcer. 

Corde,  f.  (Iiterai7),  avoir  la  — ,  to 
find  true  expression  for  accurately 
describing  sentiments  or  passions. 
(Popular)  Dormir  a  la  — ,  is  said 
of  poor  people  who  sleep  i>i  certain 
lodgings  imth  their  heads  on  an  out- 
stretched rope  as  a  pillow.  This 
corresponds  to  the  English  "two- 
penny rope." 

Corder  (popular),  to  agree,  to  get  on 

"  swimmingly  "  together. 
Cordon,   m.    (popular),    s'il   vous 

plait  !   or   donnez-vous   la  peine 

d'entrer  !  large  knot  worn  in  the 

rear  of  ladies'  dresses. 

Cordonnier,  m.  (popular),  bec- 
figue  de  — ,  goose. 

Cornage,  m.  (thieves'),  bad  smell, 

Cornant,  »z.,  cornante,/ (thieves' 

and  tramps'),    ox    and   cow,   or 

"mooer." 


Cornard — Cosaque. 


Cornard,  m.  (students'),  faire  — ,  to 
hold  a  council  in  a  comer. 

Corne,yC  (popular),  stomach, 

Comemuseux,     m.    (codfishers'), 

the  south  wind.    . 

Corner  (thieves'),  to  breathe  heavily; 
to  stink.  La  crie  come,  the  meat 
smells. 

Comet,  m.  (popular),  throat,  "gut- 
ter-lane. "  CoUe-toi  9a  dans  1' — , 
swallow  that !  N'avoir  rien  dans 
le  — ,  to  be  fasting,  "to  be  ban- 
died, "  "  to  cry  cupboard. "  Cornet 
d'epices.  Capuchin. 

II  se  voulut  convertir ;  il  bia  trouver  un 
chenitre  comet  d'epice,  et  rouscailla  k 
s^zifere  qu'il  voulait  quitter  la  religion  pr^- 
tendue  pour  attrimer  la  catholique. — Le 
Jargon  de  V Argot, 

Corniche,  f.  (popular),  hat,  or 
"tile,"  see  Tubard  ;  (students') 
the  military  school  of  Saint-Cyr. 

Comicherie,/.  (popular),  nonsense; 
Joolish  action, 

Cornichon,  m.  (students'),  candi- 
date preparing  for  the  Ecole 
Militaire  de  Saint-Cyr,  Literally 
greenhorn, 

Corniere,^!  (thieves'),  caw-shed, 

Cornificetur,  m.  (popular),  injured 
husband. 

Corps  de  pompe,  m,,  staff  of  the 
Saint-Cyr  school,  and  that  of  the 
school  of  cavalry  of  Saumur, 
Saint-Cyr  is  the  French  Sand- 
hurst. Saumur  is  a  training-school 
where  the  best  riders  and  most 
vicious  horses  in  the  French  army 
are  sent. 

Correcteur,  m,  {ftiieve%'),  prisoner 
who  plays  the  spy,  or  "  nark." 

Correspondance,  f,  (popular),  a 
snack  taken  at  a  wine-shop  while 
watting  for  an  omnibus  '^corre- 
spondance. " 


Corridor,  m,  (familiar),  throat,  Se 
rincer  le  — ,  to  drink,  "to  vi^et 
one's  whistle."     See  Rincer. 

Corse,  adj,  (common),  ])roperly  ;> 
said  of  wine  with  full  body.  Un 
repas  — ,  1  plentiful  meal,  or  a 
"tightener." 

Corserie,/  (familiar),  a  set  of  Cor- 
sican  detectives  in  the  service  of 
Napoleon  III,  According  to  Mon- 
sieur Claude,  formerly  head  of  the 
detective  force  under  the  Empire, 
the  chief  members  of  this  secret 
bodyguard  were  Alessandri  and 
Griscelli.  Claude  mentions  in  his 
memoirs  the  murder  of  a  detec- 
tive who  had  formed  a  plot  for  the 
assassination  of  Napoleon  in  a 
mysterious  house  at  Auteuil,  where 
the  emperor  met  his  mistresses, 
and  to  which  he  often  used  to  re- 
pair disguised  as  a  lacquey,  and 
riding  behind  his  own  carriage. 
Griscelli  stabbed  his  fellow-detec- 
tivein  the  back  on  mere  suspicion, 
and  found  on  the  body  of  the  dead 
man  papers  which  gave  evidence 
of  the  plot.  In  reference  to  the 
mysterious  house.  Monsieur  C I  aude 
says  : — 

L'empereur  s'enflamma  si  bien  pour  cette 
nouvelle  Ninon  que  I'imperatrice  en  prit 
ombrage.  La  duchesse  alors  ....  loua 
ma  petite  maison  d'Auteuil  que  le  g^ndral 
Fleury  avait  choisie  pour  servir  de  rendez- 
vous clandestin  aux  amours  de  son  mattre. 
— Mimoires  de  Mottsieur  Ctaude. 

Corset,  m.  (popular),  pas  de  —  ! 
sweet  sixteen  ! 

Corvee,/  (prostitutes'),  aller  a  la 
— ,    to  walk  the   street,    une   — 
being  literally  an   arduous,    dis- 
agreeable work. 
Corvette,/  (thieves'),  a  kind  of  low, 

rascally  Alexis, 
Forraosum  pastor  Corydonardebat  Alexin, 
Delicias  domini 

Cosaque,  m.  (familiar),  stove. 


96 


Cosser — Coiiac. 


Cesser  (thieves'),  to  take;  —  la 
hane,  to  take  a  purse,  "  to  buz  a 
skin." 

Costel,  m.  (popular),  prostitute's 
bully,  "ponce."     See  Poisson. 

Costume,  m.  (theatrical),  faire 
un  — ,  to  applaud  an  actor  directly 
he  makes  his  appearance  on  the 
stage. 

Cote,/.  (lawyers'),  stolen  goods  or 
money ;  (sporting)  the  betting. 
Frere  de  la  — ,  stockbroker's  clerk. 
Play  on  C5te,  which  see.  La — G., 
purloining  of  articles  of  small  value 
by  notaries'  clerks  when  making  an 
inventory.     Literally,  la  cote  j'ai. 

Cote,  /  (thieves'),  de  boeuf, 
sword.  Frere  de  la  — ,  see 
Bande  noire.  (Familiar)  Etre  a 
la  — ,  to  be  in  needy  circumstances, 
"hardup."  (Sailors')  Vieux  frere 
la  — ,  old  chum,  mate. 

Cote,  m,  (theatrical),  cour,  Hght- 
hand  side  scenes ;  —  jardin,  left- 
hand  side  scenes.  (Familiar)  Cote 
des  caissiers,  the  station  of  the 
"Chemin  de  fer  du  Nord,"  at 
which  absconding  cashiers  some- 
times take  train. 

Cotelard,  m,  (popular),  melon. 

CStelette,  f,  (popular),  de  me- 
nuisier,  de  perruquier,  or  de  vache, 
piece  of  Brie  cheese,  (Theatrical) 
Avoir  sa  — ,  to  obtain  applause, 
Emporteur  ^  la  — ,  see  Em- 
porteur. 

Cute-nature,/  (familiar),  forcote- 
lette  au  naturel,  grilled  chop. 

Coterie,/  (popular),  f;4«7«.  Eh! 
dis  done,  la  —  !  I  say,  old  chum  1 
Coterie,  association  cf  workmen  ; 
company.  Vous  savez,  la  p'tite 
— ,  you  know,  chums  1 

Cotes,  /  //.  (popular),  avoir  les  — 
en  long,  to  be  lazy,  to  be  a  "  bum- 
mer. "     Literally  to  have  the  ribs 


lengthwise,  which  would  make  one 
lazy  at  turning  about.  Travailler 
les  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  thrash 
one,  to  give  one  a  ' '  hiding. "  See 
Voie. 

Cdtier,  m.  (popular),  extra  horse 
harnessed  to  an  omnibus  when 
going  up  hill ;  also  his  driver. 

Cotifere,  /  (gambling  cheats'),  a 
pocket  wherein  spare  cards  are 
secreted. 

Aussi  se  promit-il  de  faire  agir  avec  plus 
d'adresse,  plus  d'acharnement,  les  rois,  les 
atouts  et  les  as  qu'il  tenait  en  reserve  dans 
sa  c5ti&re.  — Memoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Cotillon,  m.  (popular),  crotte, 
prostitute,  "draggle-tail." 

11  ^taic  coureur  .  .  .  .  il  adorait  le  co- 
tillon, et  c'est  pour  moi  \m  cotillon  crotte 
qui  a  caus£  sa  perte. — Mac^,  Moit  Fre- 
Titter  Crime. 

Faire  danser  le  — ,  to  thrash  one's 
wife. 

Colon,  m.  (popular),  bread  or  food 
(allusion  to  the  cotton-wick  of 
lamp)  ;  quarrel ;  street-fight ; 
difp,culty.  II  y  aura  du  — ,  tlure 
will  be  a  fight ;  there  will  be  muck 
difficulty.  Le  courant  est  rapide, 
il  y  aura  du  — ,  the  stream  issiuft, 
we  shall  have  to  pull  with  a  luill, 

Cotret,  m.  (popular),  jus  de  — , 
thrashing  with  a  stick,  or  "lar- 
ruping ; "  might  be  rendered  by 
"stirrup  oil."  Des  cotrets,  legs. 
(Thieves')  Cotret,  convict  at  the 
hulks ;  returned  transport,  or 
"lag." 

Cotte,  /  (popular),  blue  canvas 
working  trousers. 

Cou,  m..  (popular),  avoir  le  front 
dans  le  — ,  to  be  bald,  or  to  have 
"a  bladder  of  lard."  See 
Avoir. 

Couac,  m.  (popular),  priest,  or 
"devil-dodger." 


Couche — Coup. 


97 


Couche  (popular),  a  quelle  heure 
qu'on  te  —  la  hint  to  one  to  make 
himself  scarce. 

Coucher  (popular),  k  la  corde,  to 
sleep  in  certain  law  lodging-houses 
with  the  head  resting  on  a  rope 
stretched  across  the  room,  a  ' '  two- 
penny rope ;"  —  dans  le  lit  aux 
pois  verts,  to  sleep  in  the  fields. 
Se  —  bredouille,  to  go  to  bed  with- 
out any  supper.  Se  —  en  chapon, 
to  go  to  bed  with  a  full  belly. 

Coucou,  m.  (popular),  watch. 

Coude,  m.  (popular),  lacher  le  — , 
to  leave  one,  generally  when  re- 
quested  to  do  so.  Lache  moi  le  — , 
be  off,  leave  me  alone.  Prendre  sa 
permission  sous  son  — ,  to  do  with- 
out permission. 

Couenne,  f.  (popular),  skin,  or 
"buff;"  fool,    or        "duffer;" 

—  de  lard,  brush.  Gratter,  racier, 
or  ratisser  la  — ,  to  shave.  Grat- 
ter la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  flatter 
one,  to  give  him  "soft  sawder;" 
to  thrash  one.  Est-il  —  !  what 
an. ass! 

Couennes,  f.  pi.  (popular),  flabby 
cheeks. 

Couille,  m.  (popular),  fool,  block- 
head, "cabbage-head." 

Couilles,  y;  ^/.  (popular),  avoir  des 

—  au  cul,  to  be  energetic,  manly, 
"  to  have  spunk." 

Couillon,  m.  (popular),  poltroon  ; 
foolish  with  the  sense  of  abashed, 
crestfallen.  11  resta  tout  — ,  he 
looked  foolish.  The  word  is  used 
also  in  a  friendly  or  jocular  man- 
ner. 

Couillonnade,yi  (popular),  ridicu- 
lous affair ;  nonsense. 

Couillonner  (popular),  to  show 
cowardice  ;  to  shirk  danger. 

Couillonnerie,_^  (popular),  cowar- 
dice;  nonsensical  affair  ;  take  in. 


Couiner  (popular),  to  whimper  ;  to 
hesitate. 

Coulage,  m.,  coule,/  (familiar), 
waste  ;  small  purloining  by  ser- 
vants, clerks,  Sr'c. 

Coulant,  m.  (thieves'),  milk. 

Coulante,  /  (thieves'),  lettuce. 
(Cads')  La  — ,  the  river  Seine. 

Coule,/  (popular),  etre  i  la  — ,  to 
have  mastered  the  routine  of  some 
business,  to  be  acquainted  with  all 
the  ins  and  outs;  to  be  comfoHable  ; 
to  be  clever  at  evading  difficulties  ; 
to  be  insinuating ;  to  connive  at. 
Mettre  quelqu'un  a  la  — ,  to  in- 
struct one  in,  to  viake  one  master 
of  the  routine  of  some  business. 

Couler  (popular),  en  — ,  to  lie, 
"  to  cram  one  up."  La  —  douce, 
to  live  comfortably.  Se  la  — 
douce,  to  take  it  easy. 

Couleur,  f.  (popular),  lie ;  box  on 
the  ear,  or  "buck-horse."  Mon- 
ter  la  — ,  to  deceive,  "to  bam- 
boozle. "  Etre  a  la  — ,  to  do  things 
well. 

Couleuvre,  f.  (popular),  pregnant 
or  "lumpy  "  woman. 

Coulisse,  /.  (familiar),  the  set  of 
coulissiers.     See  this  word. 

Coulissier,  m.  (familiar),  unofficial 
jobber  at  the  Bourse  or  Stock  Ex- 
change. As  an  adjective  it  has  the 
meaning  of  connected  ivith  the  back 
scenes,  as  in  the  phrase,  Des  in- 
trigues coulissiires,  back-scene  in- 
trigues. 

Couloir,  m,.  (popular),  mouth,  or 
"rattle-trap;"  throat,  or  "peck 
alley." 

Coup,  m.  (popular),  secret  process  ; 
knack;  dodge.  II  a  le  — ,  he  has 
the  knack,  he  is  a  dab  at.  II  a  un 
— ,  he  has  a  process  of  his  own. 
Un  —  d'arrosoir,  a  drink.  Se 
flanquer  un  —  d'arrosoir,  to  get 
tipsy,  or  "screwed  "    Un  —  de 

H 


98 


Coup. 


bouteille,  intoxication.   Avoir  son 

—  de  bouteille,  to  be  intoxicated, 
"to  be  boozy."  SeePompette. 
Coup  de  chancellerie,  action  of  get- 
tinganian' s head  "into  chancery," 
that  is,  to  get  an  opponent's  head 
firmly  under  one's  arm,  where  it 
can  be  pommelled  with  immense 
power,  and  without  any  possibility 
of  immediate  extrication.  Un  — 
de  chien,  a  tussle;  difficulty.     Un 

—  d'encensoir,  a  blow  on  the 
nose.  Un  —  de  feu,  a  slight  in- 
toxication. Un  —  de  feu  de  so- 
ciete,  complete  intoxication.     Un 

—  de  figure,  hearty  meal,  or 
"tightener."  Un  —  de  four- 
chette,  digging  two  fingers  into 
an  opponent's  eyes.  Un  —  de  gaz, 
a  glass  of  wine.  Un  —  de  gilquin, 
a  slap.  Un  —  de  pied  de  jument 
or  de  Venus,  a  venereal  disease. 
Un  —  de  Raguse,  action  of  leaving 
one  in  the  lurch ;  an  allusion  to 
Marshal  Marmont,  Due  de  Ra- 
guse, who  betrayed  Napoleon.  Un 

—  de  tampon,  a  blow,  or ' '  bang; " 
hard  shove  (tampon,  buffer).    Un 

—  de  temps,  an  accident ;  hitch. 
Un  —  de  torchon,  a  fight ;  re- 
volution. Le  —  du  lapin,  finish- 
ing blow  or  crowning  misfortune, 
the  straw  that  breciks  the  camel's 
bach  ;  treacherous  way  of  gripping 
in  a  fight. 

Coup  feroce  que  se  donnent  de  temps  en 
temj)5  les  ouyriers  dans  leurs  battures.  II 
consiste  a  saisir  son  adversaire,  d'une  main 
par  les  testicules,  de  1' autre  par  la  gorge, 
€t  k  tirer  dans  les  deux  sens  :  celui  qui  est 
saisi  et  tir^  ainsi  n'a  pas  meme  le  temps  de 
recommander  son  ame  &  Dieu. — Delvau. 

Coup  du  medecin,  glass  of  wine 
drunk  after  one  has  taken  soup. 
Un  —  dur,  unpleasantness,  un- 
foreseen impediment.  Attraper 
un  —  de  sirop,  to  get  tipsy.  Avoir 
son  —  de  chasselas,  de  feu,  de 
picton,  or  de  soleil,  to  be  half 
drunk,  "elevated."  See  Pom- 
pette.     Avoir  son  —  de  rifle,  to 


be  tipsy,  "screwed."    Donner  le 

—  de  pouce,  to  give  short  weight ; 
to  strangle.  Faire  le  — ,  or  monter 
le  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  deceive,  to 
take  in,  "  to  bamboozle"  one. 
Se  donner  un  —  de  tampon,  or 
de  torchon,  to  fight.  Se  monter 
le  — ,  to  be  too  sanguine,  to  form 
illusions.  Valoir  le  — ,  to  be  worth 
the  trouble  of  doing  or  robbing. 
Voir  le  — ,  to  foresee  an  event;  to 
see  the  dodge.  Le  —  de,  action  ef 
doing  anything.  Le  —  du  canot, 
going  otit  rowing.  Coup  de  bleu, 
draught    of  wine.       Avoir    sou 

—  de  bleu,  to  be  intoxicated,  or 
"screwed."  Pomper  un  —  de 
bleu,  to  drink. 

Faut  ben  du  charbon  ._  .  . 
Four  chauffer  la  machine, 
Au  va-nu-pieds  qui  chine  .  .  , 
Faut  son  p'tit  coup  d'bleu. 
RlCHEPlN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

(Thieves')  Coup  il'esbroufiesurun 
pantre.  See  Faire.  Un  —  d'acre, 
extreme  unction.  Le  —  d'Ana- 
tole,  or  du  pere  Fran9ois.  See 
Charriage  a  la  m6canique.  Un 

—  de  bas,  treachero7is  blow.      Le 

—  de  bonnet,  the  three-card  trick 
dodge.  Coup  de  cachet,  stabbing, 
then  drawing  the  knife  to  and  fro 
in  the  wound.  Un  —  de  casse- 
role, informing  against  one, 
"blowing  the  gaff."  Le  —  de 
manche,  calling  at  people's  houses 
in  order  to  beg.  Un  —  de  radin, 
furloinin-g  the  contents  of  a  shop- 
till,  generally  a  wine-shop,  "lob- 
sneaking.  "  Un  —  de  roulotte,  rob- 
bery of  luggage  or  other  property 

from  vehicles.  Un  —  de  vague,  a 
robbery  ;  action  of  robbing  at  ran- 
dom without  any  certainty  as  to  the 
profits  to  be  gained  thereby.  (Mili- 
tary) Coup  de  manchette,  certain 
dexterous  cut  of  the  sword  on  the 
wrist  which  puts  one  hors  de  com- 
bat. (Familiar)  Un  —  de  pied, 
borrowing  money,  or  "breaking 
shins."     English  thieves  call  it 


Coupaillon — Courbe. 


99 


"biting  the  ear."  Un  —  de 
pistolet,  some  noisy  or  scandalous 
proceeding  calculated  to  attract 
attention.  Le  —  de  fion,  finish- 
ing touch.  Se  donner  un  —  de 
fion,  to  get  oneself  tidy,  ship-shape. 

C'est  Ik  qu'on  se  donne  le  coup  de  fion. 
On  ressangle  les  chevaux,  on  arrange  les 
paquetages  et  les  turbans,  on  ^poussette 
ses  bottes.  on  retrousse  ses  moustaches  et 
on  drape  majestueusement  les  plis  de  son 
burnous. — H.  France,  VHomtne  guiive. 

(Servants')  Le  —  du  tablier, 
giving  notice. 

Coupaillon,  m.  (tailors'),  unskil- 
ful cutter. 

Coup  de  traversin,  m.  (popular), 
se  foutre  un  — ,  to  sleep. 

Trois  heures  qui  sonn'nt.    Faut  que  j'rap* 

plique, 
S'rait  pas  trop  tdt  que  j'pionce  un  brin  ; 
Cque  j'vas  m'fout'un  coup  d'traversin  ! 
Bonsoir. 

Gill,  La  Muse  d  Bibi. 

Coup  de  trottinet,  m.  (thieves' 
and  cads'),  kick.  Filer  un  —  dans 
I'oignon,  to  kick  one's  behind,  or 
"  to  toe  one's  bum,  "  to  root,"  or 
"to  land  a  kick." 

Coupe,/",  (thieves'),  poverty.  (Popu- 
lar) Tirer  sa  — ,  to  swim. 

Coup6,  adj.  (printers'),  to  be  with- 
out money. 

Coupe-ficelle,  m.  (military),  artil- 
lery artifiter. 

Coupe-file,  m.,  card  delivered  to 
functionaries,  which  enables  them 
to  cross  a  procession  in  a  crowd. 

Coupe-lard,  m.  (popular),  knife, 

Couper  (popular),  to  fall  into  a 
snare  ;  to  accept  as  correct  an  as- 
sertion which  is  not  so  ;  to  believe 
the  statement  of  more  or  less  likely 

facts  ;  —  dans  le  pont,  or  —  dans 
le  ceinturon,  to  swallow  a  fib,  to 

fall  into  a  snare. 

"Vidocq  dit  comme  5a  qu'il  vient  du  pr^. 


qu'il  voudrait  trouver  des  amis  pour  gou- 
piner.  Les  autres  coupent  dans  le  pont 
(donnent  dans  le  panneau). — ^Vidocq. 

Couper  la  chique,  to  disappoint ; 
to  abash;  —  la  gueule  k  quinze 
pas,  to  stink  ;  —  la  musette,  or  le 
sifflet,  to  cut  the  throat ;  —  le  trot- 
toir,  to  place  one  in  the  necessity  of 
leaving  the  pavement  by  walking 
as  if  there  were  no  one  in  the  way, 
or  when  walking  behind  a  person 
to  get  suddenly  in  front  of  him  ; 
(military)  —  I'alfa,  or  la  verte,  to 
drink  absinthe.  Ne  pas  y  — ,  not 
to  escape;  not  to  avoid ;  to  disbe- 
lieve, Vous  n'y  couperez  pas,  you 
will  not  escape  punishment.  Je 
n'y  coupe  pas,  /  don't  take  that  in. 
(Coachmens')  Couper  sa  miche,  to 
die.  See  Pipe.  (Gambling  cheats') 
Couper  dans  le  pont,  to  cut  a  pack 
of  cards  prepared  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  turn  up  the  card  required  by 
sharpers.  The  cards  are  bent  in 
a  peculiar  way,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  hand  of  the  player 
who  cuts  must  naturally  follow 
the  bend,  and  separate  the  pack 
at  the  desired  point.  This  cheat- 
ing trick  is  used  in  England  as 
well  as  France,  and  is  termed  in 
English  slang  the  "bridge." 

Coupe-sifflet,  m.  (thieves'),  knife, 
"chive."  Termed  also  " lingre, 
vingt-deux,  surin." 

Courant,  m.  (thieves'),  dodge.  Con- 
naltre  le  — ,  to  be  up  to  a  dodge. 

Courasson,  m.  (familiar),  one 
whose  bump  of  amativeness  is  well 
developed,  in  other  terms,  one  too 
fimd  of  the  fair  sex.  Vieux  — . 
old  debauchee,  old  "rip." 

Courbe,  f.  (thieves'),  shoulder  ; 
—  de  mame,  shoulder  of  mutton. 

Les  marquises  des  cagous  ont  soin  d*al- 
lumer  le  riffe  et  faire  riffoder  la  criolle  ;  les 
uns  fichent  une  courbe  de  morne,  d'autres 
un  morceau  de  cornant,  d'autres  une  dchine 
de  baccon,  les  autres  des  ornies  et  des  orni* 
chons. — Le  y argon  de  V Argot, 


lOO 


Coureur— Cracker. 


Coureur,  m.  (thieves'),  d'aveugles, 
a  wretch  who  robs  blind  men  of 
the  half-fence  given  them  by  cha- 
ritable people. 

Courir  (popular),  quelqu'un,  to  lore 
one.  Se  la  — ,  to  run,  to  run 
away,  "to  slope."  For  synonyms 
ste  Patatrot. 

Courrier,  m.  (thieves'),  de  la  pre- 
fecture, prison  van,  or  "black 
Maria." 

Court-a-pattes,  m.  (military), /ii;^ 
artilleryman. 

Courtaud,  m.  (thieves'),  shopman, 
or  "counter  jumper." 

Court-bouillon,  m.  (thieves'),  le 
grand  — ,  the  sea,  "briny,"  or 
"herring  pond."  Termed  by 
English  sailors  "Davy's  locker." 
Court-bouillon  properly  is  water 
with  different  kinds  of  herbs  in 
which  fish  is  boiled. 

Courtier,  m.  (thieves'),  &  la  mode. 
See  Bande  noire.  (Familiar) 
Courtier  marron,  kind  of  unofficial 
stockjobber,  an  outsider,  or  "  kerb- 
stone broker." 

Cousin,  m.  (thieves'),  cardsharper, 
or  "broadsman;"  —  de  Moise, 
husband  of  a  dissolute  woman. 

Cousine,  f.  (popular),  Sodomist ; 
—  de  vendange,  dissolute  ^rl fond 
of  the  wine- shop, 

Cousse,  f  (thieves'),  de  castu, 
hospital  attendant, 

Couteau,  m.  (military),  grand  — , 
cavalry  sword. 

Cottter  (popular),  cela  coute  une 
peuretuneenviedecourir,  nothing. 

Couturasse,  f.  (popular),  semp- 
stress ;  pock-marked  or  "cribbage- 
faced  "  woman. 

Couvent,  m.  (popular),  laitque, 
brothel,  or  "nanny-shop." 

Le  49  est  un  lupanar.   Ce  couvent  laTquft 
est  connu  dans  le  Quartier  Latin  sous  la 


denomination  de :  La  Botte  de  Faille. — 
Mac^,  MoJi  Premier  Crime. 

Couvercle,  m.  (popular),  hat,  or 
"tile."     SeeTubard. 

Couvert,  m.  (thieves'),  silver  fork 
and  spoon  from,  which  the  initials 
have  been  obliterated,  or  which 
have  been  "christened." 

Couverte,  f.  (military),  bittre  la 
— ,  to  sleep.  Faire  passer  a  la  — , 
to  toss  one  in  a  blanket. 

Couverture,  /.  (theatrical),  noise 
made  purposely  at  a  theatre  to  pre- 
vent the  public  from  noticing  some- 
thing wrong  in  the  delivery  of 
actors. 

Nous  appelons  couverture  le  bruit  que 
nous  faisons  dans  la  salle  pour  couvrir  un 
impair,  un  pataques,  une  faute  de  frau^ais, 
— P.  Mahalin. 

Couvrante,  f.  (popular),  cap,  or 
"tile."    SeeTubard. 

Couvre-amour,  m.  (military), 
shako. 

Couvreur,  m.  (freemasons'),  door- 
keeper. 

Couvrir  (freemasons'),  le  temple, 
to  shut  the  door. 

Couyon.     See  Couillon. 

Couyonnade,  f.     See  Couillon- 

nade. 
Couyonnerie,  f.     See  Couillon- 

nerie. 

Crabpsser  (popular),  to  crush  in  a 
hat. 

Crac.     See  Cric. 

Cracher  (popular),   to  speak  out; 

—  des  pieces  de  dix  sous,  to  he 
dry,  thirsty ;  —  dans  le  sac,  to  be 
guillotined,  to  die ;  —  ses  dou- 
blures,  to  be  consumptive.    Ne  pas 

—  sur  quelquechose,  not  to  ob- 
ject to  a  thing,  to  value  it,  "not 
to  sneeze  at."  (Musicians')  Cra- 
cher son  embouchure,  to  die.  See 
Pipe. 


Crachoir — Creux. 


lOI 


Crachoir,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
mouth,  or  "  bone-box."  See 
Plomb.  (General)  Jouer  du  — , 
to  speak,  "to  rap,"  "to  patter." 
Abuser  du  — ,  is  said  of  a  very 
talkative  person  who  engrosses  all 
the  conversation. 

Crampe,/.  (popular),  tirersa — ,  to 
flee,  "to  crush."  See  Patatrot. 
Tirer  sa  —  avec  la  veuve,  to  be 
guillotined. 

Cramper  (popular),  se  — .  to  run- 
away.    See  Patatrot. 

Crampon,  m.  (familiar),  bore ;  one 
not  easily  got  rid  of. 

Cramponne  toi  Gugusse  !  (popu- 
lar, ironical),  pirepare  to  be  as- 
tounded. 

Cramponner  (familiar),  to  force 
on^s  company  on  a  person  ;  to  bore. 

Cramser  (popular),  to  die. 

Cran,  m.  (popular),  avoir  son 
to  be  angry.  Faire  un  — ,  to  i 
a  note  of  something;  an  allusion  to 
the  custom  which  bakers  have  of 
reckoning  the  number  of  loaves 
furnished  by  cutting  notches  in  a 
piece  of  wood.  Lacher  d'un  — , 
to  leave  one  suddenly. 

CrSne,  adj.  (popular),  _/f«^. 

Cranement  (popular),  superla- 
tively. Je  suis  —  content,  I  am 
superlatively  happy. 

CrSner  (popular),  to  be  impudent, 
threatening.  Si  tu  crSnes,  je  te 
ramasse,  none  of  your  theek,  else 
I'll  gwe  you  a  thrashing. 

Crapaud,  m.  (thieves'),  padlock ; 
(military)  diminutive  man;  purse 
in  which  soldiers  store  up  their  sav- 
ings ;  —  serpenteux,  spiral  rocket, 
(Popular)  Crapaud,  child,  "kid." 

Ben,  moi,  c't'existence-l^  m'assomme ! 
T'voudrais  poss^der  un  chapeau. 
L'e^t  yraiment  temps  d'dev'nir  un  homme. 
J 'en  ai  plein  I'dos  d'etreun  crapaud. 

RlCHEPiN,  ChaTtson  des  Gveux. 


Crapoussin,  m.  (popular),  sviall 
man;  child,  or  "kid." 

Crapulos,  crapulados,  m.  (fami- 
liar and  popular),  one-sou  cigar, 

Craquelin,  m.  (popular),  liar.  From 
craque,  fib, 

Crasse,  f,  (familiar),  mean  or 
stingy  action.  Baron  de  la  — , 
see  Baron. 

Cravache,  /  (sporting),  ^tre  a  la 
— ,  to  be  at  a  whip's  distance, 

Cravate,  f.  (popular),  de  chanvre, 
noose,  or  "  hempen  cravat ; "  — 
de  couleur,  rainbow ;  —  verte, 
women's  bully,  "ponce."  See 
Poisson, 

Crayon,  m.,  stockbroker's  clerk.  The 
allusion  is  obvious. 

Creature,/,  (familiar),  strumpet. 

Creche,/  (cads'),  faire  une  tournee 
a  la  — ,  or  h.  la  chapelle,  is  said  of 
a  meeting  of  Sodomists, 

Credo,  m.  (thieves'),  the  gallows. 

Cripage,  m.  (popular),  a  fight ;  a 
tussle.  Un  —  de  chignons,  tussle 
between  two  females,  in  which  they 
seize  one  another  by  the  hair  and 
freely  use  their  nails. 

CrSpeT  (popular),  le  chignon,  or 
le  toupet,  to  thrash,  "  to  wallop." 
See  Voie.  Se  —  le  chignon,  le 
toupet,  to  have  a  set  to. 

Crepin,  m.    (popular),  shoemaker, 

or"  snob." 
Cr^pine,    /      (thieves'),     purse, 

"skin,"or  "poge." 

Crfes  (thieves'),  quickly. 

Crespiniere  (old  cant),  much. 

Creuse,/  (popular),  throat,  "gut- 
ter lane. " 

Creux,  m.  (thieves'),  house ;  lodg- 
ings,   "diggings,"     "ken,"     or 
"crib.''     (Popular)  Bon — ,  good  , 
voice.     Fichu  — ,  weak  voice. 


102 


Crevaison —  Criolle. 


Crevaison,  /    (popular),    death. 

Faire  sa  — ,  to  die.     Crever,  to 

die,    is   said    of  animals.      See 

Pipe. 
Crevant,  adj.  (swells'),  boring  to 

death  ;  very  amusing. 

Que  si  vous  les  interrogez  sur  lebal  de 
la  nuit,  ils  vousrdpondront  invariablement, 
C'^tait  crevant,  parole  d'honneur. — Ma- 

HALIN. 

Crevard  (popular),  stillborn  child. 
Crevfi  (popular),  dead.     (Familiar) 

Petit  — ,    swell,    or   "  masher." 

See  Gommeux. 

Crfeve-faim,  m.  (popular),  man 
who  volunteers  as  a  soldier. 

Crever  (popular),  to  dismiss  from 
one's  employment ;  to  v/ound ;  to 
kill ;  —  la  sorbonne,  to  break 
one's  head. 

Mais  c'qu'est  triste,  h^Ias  ! 
C'est  qu'  pour  crever  k  coups  d'botte 

Des  gens  pas  palas. 
On  vous  envoie  en  pdnicbe 

A  Cayenne-les-eaux. 
KlCHEPlN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Crever  la  piece  de  dix  sous  is 
said  of  the  practices  of  Sodomists  ; 
—  la  paillasse,  to  kill. 

Verger,  il  creva  la  paillasse 
A  Monseigneur  TArcheveque  de  Paris, 

The  above  quotation  is  from  a 
"complainte"  on  the  murder  of 
the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  Mon- 
seigneur Sibour,  in  the  church 
Sainte-Genevieve,  by  a  priest 
named  Verger.  A  complainte  is 
a  kind  of  carol,  or  dirge,  which 
has  for  a  theme  the  account  of  a 
murder  or  execution.  (Familiar) 
Crever  I'oeil  au  diable,  to  succeed  in 
spite  of  envious  people.  Tu  t'en 
ferais  — ,  expressive  of  ironical 
refusal.  It  may  be  translated  by, 
"  don't  you  wish  you  may  get 
it  ?  "  Se  — ,  to  eat  to  excess,  "  to 
scorf." 

Crever  k  (printers'),  to  stop  compos- 
ing at  such  and  such  a  line. 


Crevette,  f.  (popular),  prostitute, 

"mot." 
Criblage,  criblement,        m. 

(thieves'),  outcry,  uproar. 

Cribler  (thieves'),  to  cry  out ;  —  a 
la  grive,  to  give  a  warning  call ;  to 
call  out "  shoe-leather ! "  to  call  out 
"police!  thieves!"  "to  give  hot 
beef." 

On  la  crible  k  la  grive, 

Je  m'  la  donne  et  m'esquive, 

£lle  est  pommde  maron. 

ViDOCQ. 

Cribleur,  m.  (thieves'),  de  frusques, 
clothier;  —  de  lance,  water- 
carrier;  —  de  malades,  man 
whose  functions  are  to  call  prisoners 
to  a  room  where  they  may  speak 
to  visitors;  —  de  verdouze,  a 
fruiterer. 

Cric,  or  cricque,  m.  (popular), 
brandy,  called  "French  cream" 
in  English  slang.  Faire  — ,  to  run 
away,  "  to  guy."    See  Patatrot. 

Cric !  (military),  call  given  by  a 
soldier  about  to  spin  a  yarn  to  an 
auditory,  who  reply  by  a"  crac  ! " 
thtis  showing  they  are  still  awake. 
After  the  preliminary  cric  !  crac  ! 
has  been  bawled  out,  the  auditory 
repeat  all  together  as  an  introduc- 
tion to  the  yam  :  Cuiller  a  pot ! 
Sous-pieds  de  gultres  !  Pour  I'en- 
fant  a  nattre  !  On  pendra  la  cre- 
maillfere  !  Chez  la  meilleure  canti- 
niere  !  &c.,  &c. 

Cric-croc !  (thieves'),  your  health ! 

Crie,  or  crisrne,/  (thieves'),  meat, 
' '  carnish." 

Crin,  fn.  (familiar),  Stre  comme  un 
— ,  to  be  irritable  or  irritated,  to 
be  "  cranky,"  or  "  chumpish." 

Crinoline,  f.  (players'),  queen  of 
cards. 

Criolle,  /  (thieves'),  meat,  "car- 
nish." Morfiler  de  la  — ,  to  eat 
meat. 


Criollier —  Crottard. 


103 


Criollier,  m.  (thieves'),  butcher. 

Clique,  m.  and/,  [popolax) , brandy ; 
an  ejaculation,  Je  veux  bien  que 
la  —  me  croque  si  je  bois  une 
goutte  en  plus  de  quatre  litres 
par  jour!  mayIbe"]\ggexeA"ifI 
drink  more  than  four  litres  a  day  I 

Criquer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  run 
azeioy,  "to slope."   SeePatatrot. 

Cris  de  merluche,  m.pl.  (popular), 
frightful  howling;  loud  com- 
plaints. 

Cristalliser  (students'),  to  idle  about 
in  a  sunny  place. 

Croc,  abbreviation  of  escroc, 
swindler. 

Creche,  f.  (thieves'),  hand, 
"famble,"or"daddle." 

Crocher  (thieves'),  to  ring  ;  to  pick 
a  lock,  "to  screw."  (Popular) 
Se  — ,  to  fight. 

Crocodile,  m.  (familiar),  creditor, 
or  dun  ;  uswer  ;  foreign  student 
at  the  military  school  of  Saint- 
Cyr. 

Crocque,  m.  (popular),  sou. 
Crocs,    m.   pi.     (popular),    teeth, 
"grinders." 

Croire  (familiar),  que  c'est  arrive, 
to  believe  too  implicitly  that  a 
thing  exists  ;  to  have  too  good  an 
opinion  of  oneself. 

Croisant,  m.  (popular),  waistcoat, 
or  "benjy." 

Croissant,  vi.  (popular),  loger  rue 
du  — ,  to  be  an  injured  husband. 
An  allusion  to  the  horns. 

Croix,y;  (popular),  sixfranc  piece. 
An  allusion  to  the  cross  which 
certain  coins  formerly  bore.  Ac- 
cording to  Eugtee  Sue  the  old 
clothes  men  in  the  Temple  used 
the  following  denominations  for 
coins  :  pistoles,  ten  francs  ;  croix, 
six  francs;   la   demi-croix,  three 


francs ;  le  point,  one  franc ;  le 
demi-point,  half-a-franc  ;  le  rond, 
half-penny.  Croix  de  Dieu,  alpha- 
bet, on  account  of  the  cross  at  the 
beginning. 

Crome,  or  croume,  m.  (thieves' 
and  tramps'),  credit,  "jawbone," 
or  "day." 

Cromper  (thieves'),  to  save  ;  to  run 
away,  "  to  guy."  See  Patatrot. 
Cromper  sa  sorbonne,  to  save  one^s 
head. 

CtompiT,  potato.  From  the  German 
grundbirne. 

Crone,/,  (thieves'),  wooden  platter. 

Cr6n6e,  /  (\h\eyes'),  platter  full. 

Croquaillon,  m.  (popular),  bad 
sketch. 

Croque.     See  Crique. 

Croquemitaines,  m.  pi.  (military), 
soldiers  who  are  sent  to  the  punish- 
ment companies  in  Africa  for 
having  wilfully  maimed  themselves 
in  order  to  escape  military  service. 

Croqueneau,  m.  (popular),  new 
shoe  ;  —  verneau,  patent  leather 
shoe. 

Croquet  (popular),  irritable  man. 

Crosse,  f.  (thieves'),  receiver  of 
stolen  goods,  or  "  fence ;  "  public 
prosecutor. 

Grosser  (thieves'),  to  receive  stolen 
goods  ;  to  strike  the  hour. 

Quand  douze  plombes  crossent, 
Les  pegres  s'en  retournent, 
Au  tapis  de  Montron, 

ViDOCQ. 

Crosseur,  m.  (thieves'),  bell-ringer. 

Crossin.     See  Crosse. 

Crotal,  m.,  student  of  the  Ecole 
Polytechnique  holding  the  rank  of 
sergeant, 

Crottard,  m.  (popular),  foot  pave- 
ment. 


104 


Crotte  d'Ermite — Cutt. 


Crotte  d'Ermite,  /  (thieves'), 
baked  pear. 

Crottin,  m.  (military),  sergent  de 
— ,  non-commissioned  officer  at  the 
cavalry  school  of  Saumur.  Thus 
termed  because  he  is  often  in  the 
stables. 

Croumier  (horse-dealers'),  broker  or 
agent  of  questionable  honesty,  or 
one  who  is  "wanted  "  by  the  police. 

Croupionner  (popular),  to  twist 
one^s  loins  about  so  as  to  cause  one's 
dress  to  bulge  out. 

Croupir  (popular),  dans  le  battant 
is  said  of  undigested  food,  which 
inconveniences  one. 

Croustille,  /  (popular),  casser  un 
brin  de  — ,  to  have  a  snack. 

Croustiller  (popular),  to  eat,  "to 
grub."     See  Mastiquer. 

CroUte,  /.  (popular),  s'embeter 
comme  une  —  de  pain  derriere 
une  malle,  to  feel  desperately  dull. 

Crodteum,  vi.  (familiar),  collection 
of ' '  croutes, "  or  worthless  pictures. 

Cro<iton,  m.  (artists'), /oiKfe;-  de- 
void of  any  talent. 

Crofltonner  (artists'),  to  paint 
worthless  pictures,  daubs, 

Croyez  (popular),  9a  et  buvez  de 
I'eau,  expression  used  to  deride 
credulous  people.  Literally  be- 
lieve that  and  drink  water. 

Cru  (artists'),  faire — ,  see  Faire. 

Crucifier  (familiar),  to  grant  one 
the  decoration  of  the  Legion  of 
Honour.  The  expression  is 
meant  to  be  jocular. 

Crucifix,  or  crucifix  k  ressort,  tn. 
(thieves'),  pistol,  "  barking  iron." 

Cube,  m.,  student  of  the  third  year 
in  higher  mathematics  (math^- 
matiques  speciales) ;.  (familiar) 
a  regular  idiot. 


Cucurbitace,  m.  (familiar),  a 
dunce. 

Cueillir  (popular),  le  persil  is  said 
of  a  prostitute  walking  the  streets. 

Cuiller,  /  (popular),  hand,  or 
"  daddle." 

Cuir,  m.  (popular),  de  brouette, 
wood.  Escarpin  en  —  de  brouette, 
wooden  shoe.  Gants  en  —  de 
poule,  ladies'  gloves  made  of  fine 
skin.  Tanner  le  — ,  to  thrash, 
"  to  tan  one's  hide." 

Cuirass6,  m.  (popular),  urinals, 

Cuirasser  (popular),  to  make 
"cuirs,"  that  is,  in  conversation 
carrying  on  the  wrong  letter,  or 
one  which  does  not  form  part  of  a 
word,  to  the  next  word,  as,  for 
instance,  Donnez  moi  z'en,  je 
vais  t'y  m'amuser. 

Cuirassier,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
frequently  indulges  in  "cuirs." 
See  Cuirasser. 

Cuire  (popular),  se  faire  — ,  to  be 
arrested.     See  Piper. 

Cuisine,/  (thieves'),  the  Prefecture 
de  Police;  (literary) — de  journal, 
all  that  concerns  the  details  and 
routine  arrangement  of  the  matter 
for  a  newspaper.  (Popular)  Faire 
sa  —  i  I'alcool,  to  indulge  often  in 
brandy  drinking, 

Cuisiner  (literary),  to  do,  to  concoct 
some  inferior  literary  or  artistic 
work. 

Cuisinier,  m.  (thieves'),  spy,  or 
"nark;"  detective;  barrister; 
(literary)  newspaper  secretary. 

Cuisse,  f.  (familiar),  avoir  la  — 
gaie  is  said  of  a  woman  who  is 
too  fond  of  men. 

Cuit,  adj,  (thieves'),  sentenced, 
condemned,  or  "booked;"  done 
for. 


Cuite — Cymbale. 


los 


Cuite,  f.  (popular),  intoxication. 
Se  flanquer  une  — ,  to  get  drunk, 
or  "screwed." 

Cul,  m.  (popular),  stupid  fellow,  ot 
"duffer;  "  —  d'Sne,  blockhead ; 
—  de  plomb,  slow  man,  or  "  bum- 
mer;" clerk,  or  "quill-driver;" 
woman  who  awaits  clients  at  a 
cafi ;  —  goudronne,  sailor,  or 
"  tar ; "  —  leve,  ganu  ofkartSat 
which  two  players  are  in  league  to 
swindle  the  third ;  —  rouge,  sol- 
dier with  red  pants,  or  "cherry 
bum  ; "  —  terreux,  peasant,  clod- 
hopper. Montrer  son  — ,  to  be- 
come a  bankrupt,  or  "  brosier." 

Culasses,  f,  pi.  (military),  revue 
des  —  mobiles,  monthly  medical 
inspection.  Culasse,  properly  the 
breech  of  a  gun. 

Culbutant,  m.,  or  culbute,  f. 
(thieves'),  breeches,    or    "hams." 

■  Termed  also  "  fusil  i  deux  coups, 
grimpants."  Esbigner  le  chopin 
dans  sa  culbute,  to  conceal  stolen 
property  in  one's  breeches, 

Culbute,  /  (thieves'),  breeches. 
(Popular)  La  — ,  the  circus. 

Culeree,  f  (printers'),  composing 
stick  which  is  filled  tip. 

Culotte,  m.  (popular  and  familiar), 
money  losses  at  cards ;  excess  in 
anything,  especially  in  drink. 
Grosse  — ,  regular  drunkard. 
Donner  dans  la  —  rouge  is  said 
of  a  woman  who  is  too  fond  of 
soldiers'  attentions,  of  one  who  has 
an  attack  of  "  scarlet  fever."  Se 
flanquer  une  — ,  to  sustain  a  loss 
at  a  game  of  cards  ;  to  get  intoxi- 
cated. (Students')  Empoigner 
une  — ,  to  lose  at  a  game,  and  to 
have  in  consequence  to  stand  all 


round.  (Artists')  Faire  — ,  exag- 
geration of  Faire  chaud  (which 
see). 

Culotte,  adj.  (popular),  hardened ; 
soiled  ;  seedy;  red,  6^0.  Etre — , 
to  have  a  seedy  appearance.  Un 
nez  — ,  a  red  nose. 

Culotter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
tipsy ;  to  have  a  worn-out,  seedy 
appearance.  Se  —  de  la  tete  aux 
pieds,  to  get  completely  tipsy. 

Cumulard,  m.  (familiar),  official 
who  holds  several  posts  at  the  same 
time. 

Cupidon,  m.  (thieves'),  rag-picker, 
or  "  bone-grubber."  An  ironical 
allusion  to  his  hook  and  basket. 

Cure-dents  (familiar),  venir  en  — , 
to  come  to  an  evening  party  with- 
out having  been  invited  to  the 
dinner  that  precedes  it.  Termed 
also  "  venir  en  pastilles  de  Vichy." 

Curette,^  (military),  cavalry  sword. 
Manier  la  — ,  to  do  sword  exercise. 

Curieux,  m.  (thieves'),  magistrate, 
' '  beak,"  ,or  "  queer  cuffin. "  Also 
juge  d' instruction,  a  magistrate 
who  investigates  cases  before  they 
are  sent  up  for  trial.  Grand  — , 
chief  Judge  of  the  assize  court. 

Cyclope,  m.  (popular),  behind,  or 
"blind  cheek." 

Cylindre,  m.  (popular),  top  hat,  or 
"  stove-pipe  ; "  see  Tubard  ; 
body,  or  "apple  cart."  Tu  t'en 
ferais  peter  le  — ,  is  expressive  of 
ironical  refusal ;  "  don't  you  wish 
you  may  get  it." 

Cymbale,  f.  (thieves'),  moon,  or 
"  parish  lantern  ;  "  (popular) 
escutcheon  placed  over  the  door  of 
the  house  ^  a  notary. 


io6 


Da — Dale. 


D 


Da  (popular),  mon  — ,  my  father, 
"my  daddy. "  Ma  — ,  my  mother, 
"  my  mammy." 

'  Dab,  dabe,  m.    (thieves'),  father, 
or  "dade;"  master;  a  god. 

Mercure  seul  tu  adoreras, 
Comme  dabe  de  Tentrottement. 

ViDOCQ. 

Le  —  de  la  cigogne,  the  fro- 
cureur  giniral,  or  public  pro- 
secutor.    Grand  — ,  king. 

Ma  largue  ^art  pour  Versailles  .  . . 

Pour  m'faire  d^fourailler. 
Mais  grand  dab  qui  se  fache, 

Dit  par  mon  caloquet, 
J'li  ferai  danser  une  danse 
Oil  i  n'y  a  pas  d'plancher. 

V.  Hugo. 

Dabe,  m.  (popular),  d'argent,  spe- 
culmn.  (Prostitutes')  Cramper 
avec  le  —  d'argent,  to  be  subjected 
to  a  compulsory  medical  examina- 
tion of  a  peculiar  nature. 

Daberage,  m,  (popular),  talking, 
"jawing." 

Dab^rer   (popular),   to  talk,   "  to 

jaw." 
Dabesse,  f.    (thieves'),    mother ; 

queen. 

Dabicule,  m.  (thieves'),  M^  master's 
son. 

Dabot,  dabmuche,  m.  (thieves'), 
the  prefect  of  police,  or  head  of  the 
Paris  police ;  a  drudge.  Formerly 
it  signified  an  unlucky  player  who 
has  to  pay  all  his  opponents. 

Dabucal,  adj.  (thieves'),  royal. 

Dabuche,  f.  (thieves'),  mother ; 
grandmother,  or  "  mami ; "  nurse. 


Dabuchette,  /,  (thieves'),  young 
mother  ;  mother-in-law. 

Dabuchon,  m.  (popular),  father^ 
"  daddy." 

Dubuge,  /  (thieves'),  lady,  "  bu- 
rerk. " 

Dache,  m.  (thieves'),  devil,  "rufEn," 
or  "  black  spy  ;"  (military)  hair- 
dresser to  the  Zotiaves,  a  mythical 
individual.  Allez  done  raconter 
cela  a — ,  tell  that  to  the '  'Marines. " 

Dada,  m.  (military),  aller  a  — ,  to 
perform  the  act  of  coition,  or  "  chi- 
valry." The  old  poet  Villon 
termed  this  "  chevaulcher," 

Dail,  m.  (thieves'),  je  n'entrave  que 
le  — ,  /  do  not  understand. 

Daim,  m.  (popular),  swell,  or 
"  gorger,"  see  Gommeux  ;  fool, 
or  ' '  duffer  ; "  gullible  fellow, 
"gulpy;"  — huppe,  rich  man, 
one  with  plenty  ofim." 

Dale,  dalle,  f.  (thieves'),  money, 
"quids,"  or  "pieces,"seeQuibus. 

Faut  pas  aller  chez  Paul  Niquet, 
Ca  vous  consomme  tout  vot'  pauv'  dale. , 
P.  DuRAND. 

Five-franc  piece  ;  (popular)  ^^/-oa^, 
or  "  red  lane  ; "  —  du  cou,  mouth, 
"  rattle-trap."  Se  rincer,  or  s'ar- 
roser  la  — ,  to  drink,  ' '  to  have 
something  damp."    See  Rincer. 

J'ai  du  sable  k  I'amygdale. 
Ohd  !  ho  !  buvons  un  coup, 
XJne,  deux,  trois,  longtemps,  beaucoup  *. 
II  faut  s'arroser  la  dalle 
Du  cou. 

RicHEPiN,  Gueux  de  Paris. 


Dalzar — Dauffe. 


lOf 


Dalzar,  m.  (popular),  breeches, 
"  kicks,"  "  slt-upons,"  or 
"kicksies." 

H&me,/.  (popular),  blanche,  iotHe 
of  white  wine ;  —  du  lac,  woman 
of  indifferent  character  who  fre- 
quents the  purlieus  of  the  Grand 
Lac  at  the  Bois  de  Boulogne. 

Damer  (popular),  une  fille,  to  seduce 
a  girl,  to  make  a  woman  of  her. 

Danaides,  /.  (thieves'),  faire  jouer 
les  — ,  to  thrash  a  girl. 

Dandiller  (thieves'),  to  ring;  to 
chink.  Le  carme  dandille  dans 
sa  fouillouse,  the  money  chinks  in 


Dandinage,  m.,  dandinette,  / 
(popular),  thrashing,  "hiding." 

Dandine,/.  (popular),  blow,  "wipe, " 
"dout,"  "dig,"  "bang,"  or 
"cant."  Encaisser des  dandines, 
to  receive  blows. 

Dandiner  (popular),  to  thrash,  "to 
lick."    See  Voie. 

Dandinette.    See  Dandinage. 

Dankler  (Breton),  prostitute. 

Danse,/.  (familiar),  du  panier,  un- 
lawful profits  on  purchases.  Flan- 
querune  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  thrash 
or  "  lick  "  one.     See  Voie. 

Danser  (popular),  to  lose  money  ;  to 
pay,  "to  shell  out."  lll'adanseede 
vingt  balles,  he  had  to  pay  twenty 
francs.  Danser  devant  le  buffet, 
to  be  fasting,  "  to  cry  cupboard  ;" 
—  tout  seul,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath.  Faire  —  quelqu'un,  to 
make  one  stand  treat ;  to  make  one 
pay,  or  "fork  out;"  to  thrash, 
' '  to  wallop. "  See  Voie.  La  — , 
to  be  thrashed ;  to  be  dismissed  from 
onis  employment,  "  to  get  the 
sack." 

DanseUT,  m.  (popular),  turkey 
cock. 


Daidant,  m.  (thieves'),  love. 

Luysard  estampillait  six  plombes. 
Mezigo  roulait  le  tnmard, 
Et,  jusqu'au  fond  du  coquemart, 
Le  .dardant  riffaudait  ses  lombes. 

RlCHEPiN,  Gueux  de  Paris, 

DaTdelle,^;  (urchins'), /^Bwy  (gros. 
sou). 

Dariole,  f,  (popular),  slap  or  blow 
in  the  face,  "  clout,"  "  bang,"  or 
"  wipe."      Properly   a   kind  of 
pastry. 

Darioleur,  m.  (popular),  inferior 
sort  of  pastrycook. 

Daron,  m.  (thieves'),/aM^>-, ' '  dade, "' 
or  "  dadi ;  "  gentleman,  "  nib 
cove ; "  —  de  la  raille,  or  de  la 
rousse,  prefect  of  police,  head  of 
the  Paris  police. 

Daronne,/;  (thieves'),  mother ;  — 
du  dardant,  Venus;  —  du  grand 
Aure,  holy  Virgin  ;  —  du  mec  des. 
mecs,  mother  of  God. 

Dattes,  /.  pi.  (popular),  des  —  1 
contemptuous  expression  of  refusal  ,- 
might  be  rendered  by  "  you  be 
hanged!"    See  Nefles. 

EUe  se  rtoume,  lui  dit :  des  dattes  ! 
Tu  peux  t'fouiller  vieux  pruneau  ! 
Tu  n'tiens  plus  sur  tes  deux  pattes. 
Va  done,  eh  !  fourneau  ! 

Parisian  Song. 

Daube,/.  (popular),  cook,  or  "  drip- 
ping." 
Daubeur,  m.  (popular),  blacksmith. 

Dauche  (popular),  mon  — ,  my 
father;  ma — ,  my  mother;  "my 
old  man,  my  old  woman." 

Dauffe,  /.,  dauffin,  dauphin,  m. 
(thieves'),  short  crowbar.  Termed 
also  "  I'enfant,  Jacques,  biribi, 
Sucre  de  pommes,  rigolo,"  and: 
in  the  language  of  English  house- 
breakers, that  is,  the  "  busters  and 
screwsmen,"  "  the  stick,  James, 
Jemmy  '' 


io8 


Dauphin — D^border. 


Dauphin,  m.  (popular),  ^V-A  butty, 
"ponce," see  Poisson;  (thieves') 
shortcrowbarusedby  housebreakers, 
"jemmy." 

David,  m.  (popular),  silk  cap.  From 
the  maker's  name. 

Davone,  f.  (thieves'),  plum. 

De  (familiar),  se  pousser  du  — ,  to 
.place  the  word  "  de  "  before  one's 
name  to  make  it  appear  a  noble- 
man^s. 

De,  m.  (popular),  or  —  h.  boire, 
drinking  glass.  De  !  yes.  Pro- 
perly thimble. 

DihScle,/;  (thieves'),  accouchement. 
Properly  breaking  up,  collapse, 

Ddbacler  (thieves'  and  popular),  to 
open  ;  to  force  open  ;  —  la  lourde, 
open  the  door. 

D^bacleuse,y.  (thieves'  and  'gorpo.- 
hir),  midwife.  Termed  also  "  tate- 
minette,  Madame  Tire-monde." 

Debagouler  (popular),  to  speak,  "to 
jaw." 

Debalinchard,  m.  (popular),  one 
who  saunters  lazily  about. 

Deballage,  m.  (popular),  un- 
dress;  getting  out  of  bed ;  dirty 
linen.  Etre  floue  or  vole  au  — , 
to  be  grievously  disappointed  with 
a  woman' s  figure  when  she  divests 
herself  of  her  garments.  Gagner 
au  — ,  to  appear  to  better  advan- 
tage when  undressed. 

Deballer  (popular),  to  strip.  Se 
— ,  ta  undress  oneself. 

Debanquer  (gamesters'),  to  ruin  the 
gaming  bank. 

D6barbouiller  (popular),  4  la  po- 
tasse,  to  strike  one  in  the  face,  "  to 
give  one  a  bang  in  the  mug ;"  to 
clear  up  some  matter. 

D^bardeur,  m.,   d6bardeuse,  /. 

(familiar),  dancers  at  fancy  balls 
dnssed  as  a  debardeur  or  lumper. 


Debarquer  (popular),  se — ,  to  give 
up;  to  relinquish  anything  already 
undertaken,  to  "  cave  in." 

D6baucher  (popular),  to  dismiss. 
Etre  debauche,  to  get  the  sack. 
The  reverse  of  embaucher,  to  en- 
gorge. 

Debecqueter  (popular),  to  vomit, 
"  to  cast  up  accounts,"  "  to  shoot 
the  cat." 

Debectant  (popular),  annoying; 
tiresome;  dirty ;  disgusting. 

Debinage,  m.  (familiar),  slander- 
ing; running  down.  From  de- 
biner,  to  talk  ill,  to  depreciate. 

Debiner  (popular),  to  depreciate; 
—  le  true,  to  disclose  a  secret ;  to 
explode  a  dodge,  or  fraud. 

Parbleu  !  je  n'ignore  pas  ce  que  peuvent 
dire  les  blagueurs  pour  d^iner  le  true  de 
ces  fausses  paysannes.  —  Richepin,  Le 
PavS. 

Se  —  des  fumerons,  to  run  away, 
"  to  leg  it."  Se  — ,  to  abuse  one 
another,  "to  slang  one  another;" 
to  run  away,  "  to  brush,"  see 
Patatrot ;  to  grow  weak. 

Debineur,     m.,     debineuse,    /. 

(popular),  oize  who  talks  ill  of 
people;  one  who  depreciates  people 
or  things. 

D^blayer  (theatrical),  to  curtail 
portions  of  a  part;  to  hurry 
through  a  performance. 

A  rOpdra,  ce  soir  ....  on  deblaye  \ 
bras  raccourci :  vous  savez  que  d^blayer 
signifie  dcourter. — P.  Mahalin. 

D^bloquer  (military),  to  cancel  an 
order  of  arrest. 

Debonder  (popular),  to  ease  one- 
self;  to  go  to  "  West  Central,"  or 
to  the  "crapping  ken."  See 
Mouscailler. 

Deborder  (popular),  to  vomit,  "  to 
cast  up  accounts,"  or  "to  shoot 
the  cat." 


Ddboucler — Dicarrer. 


109 


Deboucler  (thieves'),  to  open;  to 
set  a  prisoner  at  liberty, 

D^boucleur,  m.  (thieves'),  de 
lourdes,  a  housebreaker,  ' '  bus- 
ter," or  "  screwsman." 

Debouler  (popular),  to  be  brought 
to  childbed,  "  to  be  in  the  straw  ;  " 
to  arrive,  or  "  to  crop  up." 

Diboulonne  (popular),  Stre  — ,  to 
be  dull-witted,  or  to  be  a  "dead- 
alive." 

Deboulonner  (popular),  la  co- 
lonne  i  quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one 
soundly,  "to  knock  one  into  a 
cocked  hat."     See  Voie. 

DebourrS  (horse-dealers'),  cheval 
— ,  horse  which  suddenly  loses  its 
fleshy  appearance  artificially  im- 
parted by  rascally  horse-dealers. 

Dibourrer  (popular),  to  edttcate 
one,  "  to  put  one  up  to  ;  ", —  sa 
pipe,  to  ease  oneself,  or  "to  go  to 
the  chapel  of  ease."  See  Mous- 
cailler.  Se  — ,  to  become  know- 
ing, "up  to  a  dodge  or  two,"  or 
>i"leary  bloke." 

Debouscailler  (popular),  to  black 
on^s  boots,  . 

Debouscailleur  (popular),  shoe- 
black, 

Debrider  (thieves'),  to  open  ;  —  les 
chasses,  to  open  one's  eyes;  (popu- 
lar) —  la  margoulette,  to  eat, 
"  to  grub."    See  Mastiquer. 

Debridoir,  m.{t'hieyes'),iey;  skeleton 
key,  "screw,"  or  "twirl." 

Debrouillard,  m.  (popular),  one 
who  has  a  mind  fertile  in  resource, 
in  contrivances  to  get  on  in  the 
world,  or  to  extricate  himself  out 
of  difficulties,  a  "rum  mizzler." 
Also  used  as  an  adjective.  Lite- 
rally one  who  gets  out  of  the  fog, 

D^brouiller  (theatrical),  un  r61e, 
to  make    oneself  thorottghly    ac- 


quainted with  the  nature  of  one's 
part  before  learning  it,  to  realize 
fully  the  character  otu  has  to  im- 
personate, 

D6cadener  (thieves'),  to  unchain. 

Decalitre,  m.  (popular),  top  hat, 
"stove-pipe."     See  Tubard. 

Decampiller  (popular),  to  decamp, 

"to  bunk." 
D6canailler   (popular),   se   — ,   to 

rise  from  a  state  of  abjection  and 

poverty. 

Decanillage,  m,  (popular),  depar- 
ture; moving  one' s  furniture  ;  — 
a  la  manque,  moving  after  mid- 
summer term.. 

En  juillet  le  ddm^nagement  est  une  fete. 
Mais  en  octobre,  n,  i,  ni,  c'est  fini  de  rire : 
le  d^mdnagement  est  funfebre  et  s'appelle 
le  decanillage  k  la  manque. — Richepin, 
LeFaT/i. 

Decarcasse,  adj.  (theatrical),  is 
said  of  a  bad  play. 

Dficarcasser  (popular),  quelqu'un, 
to  thrash  one  soundly,  "  to  knock 
one  into  a  cocked  hat."  See 
Voie.  Se  — ,  to  give  oneself 
much  trouble;  to  move  about 
actively,  fussily.  Decarcasse-toi 
done,  rossard !  look  alive,  you 
lazy  bones  !  Se  —  le  boisseau,  to 
torture  one's  brains;  to  fret 
grievously. 

Decarrade,  /  (thieves'),  general 
scampering  offi;  departure. 

Decarre,/  (thieves'),  release  from 

prison. 
D6carrement,    m.    (thieves'    and 

popular),  escape. 
Dicarrer  (thieves'),  to  leave  prison; 

to  run  away,    "to  guy."     See 

Patatrot. 

On  les  emmSne  tons  et  pendant  ce  temps- 
Ik  le  gueusard  decarre  avec  son  camarade. 

— ViDOCQ. 

Also  to  come  out. 


no 


D/cartonner — D^couvrir. 


Nous  allons  nous  cacher  dans  I'alMe  en 
■face,  nousverrons  ddcarrer  les  messieres. — 
E.  Sue. 

Decarrer  a  la  bate,  to  escape ;  — 
cher,  to  be  released  after  havingdone 
one's  "  time  ; "  —  de  belle,  to  be  re- 
leased without  trial;  —  de  la 
ge61e,  to  be  released  on  the  strength 
of  an  order  of  discharge. 

T)6cartonner  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
grow  old ;  to  grow  weak. 

Decati,  adj.  (popular),  no  longer 
young  or  handsome  ;  seedy,  faded. 
EUe  a  I'air  bien  — ,  she  has  a  faded, 
worn  appearance. 

Decatir  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
faded,  worn,  seedy. 

-Decavage,  m.  (familiar),  circum- 
stances of  a  gamester  who  has  lost 
all  his  money,  or  who  has 
"  blewed  "  it.  From  decave, 
ruined  gamester. 

Decembraillard,  m.,  opprobrious 
epithet  applied  to  Bonapartists.^ 
An  allusion  to  the  coup  d'etat  of 
the  2nd  December,  1851,  when 
Louis  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  then 
President  of  the  Republic,  threw 
-into  prison  dissentient  members 
^f  parliament  and  generals  who 
-refused  to  join  in  the  conspiracy, 
shelled  the  boulevards,  shot  down 
hundreds  of  harmless  loungers, 
and  transported  or  exiled  50,000 
republicans  or  monarchists. 

TiecembTisade,  f, an  act  similar  to 
the  coup  d'etat  of  2nd  December, 
1851.     See  Decembraillard; 

Dechanter  (popular),  to  recover 
from  an  error;  to  be  crestfallen 
after  one's  illusions  have  been  dis- 
pelled;  to  come  down  a  peg  or  two. 

Dechard,  m.  (popular),  needy;  man 
luho  is  "hard  up." 

JJeche,/.  (popular),  neediness.  Etre 
en  — ,  to  be  "  hard  up  "  for  cash  ; 
"  to  be  at  low  tide." 


Decheux,  m.  {popular),  needy  man, 
"quisby." 

D^chiree,  /  (popular),  elle  n'est 
pas  trop  — ,  is  said  of  a  woman  who 
is  yet  attractive  in  spite  of  years. 

Dechirer  (military),  de  la  toile,  to 
perform  platoon  firing;  — -  la 
cartouche,  to  eat.  See  Masti- 
quer.  (Popular)  Dechirer  son 
faux-col,  son  habit,  son  tablier, 
to  die.  (Ironical)  Ne  -pas  se  — , 
to  have  a  good  opinion  of  oneself 
and  to  show  it. 

Declaquer  (popular),  to  open  one's 
,=  heart ;  to  mdke  a  clean  breast  of. 

Declouer  (popular),  to  redeem  ob- 
jects from  pawn,  to  get  objects 
"out  of  lug." 

Decognoir,  m.  (popular),  nose, 
"  boko,"  or  "  smeller."  See 
Morviau. 

DecoUer  (popular),  to  leave  a  plate; 
to  leave  one's  employment ;  —  son 
\>S&3x&,  to  die.  See  Pipe.  Se — , 
to  fail ;  to  grow  old,  rickety ;  to 
die,  "  to  kick  the  bucket." 

Decompte,  m.  (military),  mortal 
wound.  Recevoir  son  — ,  to  die; 
see  Pipe  ;  "to  lose  the  number 
of  one's  mess." 

Decors,  m.pl.  (freemasons'),  orna- 
ments,  insignia. 

Decoucheur  (military),  soldier  who 
is  in  the  habit  of  stopping  away 
without  leave. 

Decoudre  (familiar),  en  — ,  to  fight 
either  in  a  duel  or  with  the  natural 
weapons. 

Ddcouvrir  (popular),  la  peau  de 
quelqu'un,  to  make  one  say  things 
which  he  would  rather  have  left 
unsaid;  "to  pump  one;"  "to 
worm  "  secrets  out  of  one. 


Decramponner — D^frimousser. 


Ill 


Decramponner  (familiar),  se  — . 
to  get  rid  of  a  troublesome  person. 

Pourquoi  ai-je  quitt^  Paris!  Pour  me 
d&ramponner  tout  k  fait  de  cet  imbdcile 
qui,  pann^,  d€cave,  commengait  Si  me  por- 
ter la  guigne.— RiCHEPiN,  La  Glu. 

Decrasser  (popular),  quelqu'un, 
to  corrupt  one,  "to  put  one  up 
to  snuff;"  (prostitutes')  —  un 
homme,  to  clean  a  man  out  of 
his  money,  and  in  thieves'  lan- 
guage, to  rob  a  man.  See  Grin- 
chir. 

Decravater  (popular),  ses  propos, 
to  use  language  of  an  objectionable 
character,  or  "blue  talk." 

Decrocher  (popular),  to  take  articles 
out  of  pawn,  or  ' '  out  of  lug  ;  " 
(military)  toshoot  down;  (thieves') 
to  steal  handkerchiefs,  "  to  haul 
stooks ; "  (popular)  —  un  enfant, 
to  bring  about  a  miscarriage; 
(familiar)  —  la  timballe,  to  be 
fortunate,  or,  as  the  Americans 
term  it,  "  to  get  the  cake,"  or 
"to  yank  the  bun."  An  allu- 
sion to  the  practice  of  hanging  a 
silver  cup  as  a  prize  at  the  top  of 
a  greasy  pole. 

Decrochez-moi-9a  (popular),  wo- 
man^ s  bonnet ;  old  clothes  dealer ; 
shop  were  secondhand  clothes,  or 
"hand-me-downs,"  are  sold. 

Decrotter  (popular),  tm  gigot,  to 
leave  nothing  of  a  leg  rf  mutton 
but  the  bare  bone. 

Deculotte,  m.  (popular),  bankrupt, 
"  brosier." 

Dedans  (familiar),  fourrer  or  met- 
tre  quelqu'un  — ,  to  lock  one  up  ; 
to  impose  upon  one,  "to  bam- 
boozle." Se  mettre  — ,  to  make  a 
mistake;  to  get  tipsy.  (Popular) 
Voir  en  — ,  to  be  tipsy,  applicable 
especially  to  those  who  hold  soli- 
loquies when  in  their  cups.  See 
Pompette, 


DSd^le,  f.  (popular),  mistress, 
"moU." 

D£dire  (thieves'),  se  —  cher,  to  be 
at  death's  door.  Properly  to  re- 
pent  one's  crimes. 

D6durailler  (thieves'),  to  remove 
prisoners'  irons, 

Defalquer  (popular),  to  ease  one- 
self; to  go  to  the  "crapping ken." 
See  Mouscailler, 

D6farguer  (thieves'),  to  grow  pale; 
to  be  acquitted. 

D^fargueur,  m.  (thieves'),  witness 
for  the  defence. 

Defendre  (popular),  sa  queue,  to 
defend  oneself. 

Deffardeur,  m.  (popular),  thief, 
"cross  cove."  SeeGrinche.  From 
de  and  fardeau,  literally  one  who 
eases  you  of  your  burden. 

Defiger  (popular),  ?i3wa;7».  From 
de  and  figer,  to  coagulate, 

Defiler  (popular),  aller  voir  —  les 
dragons,  to  go  without  a  dinner. 
See  Aller.  (Military)  Defiler  la 
parade,  to  die,  "to  lose  the  number 
of  one's  mess."  See  Pipe.  (Popu- 
lar) Se  — ,  to  run  away,  "  to  leg 
it."     See  Patatrot. 

Defleurir  (thieves'),  la  picouse,  to 
steal  linen  hung  out  to  dry,  "  to 
smug  snowy. " 

Ddformer  (popular),  to  break;  to 
put  out  of  gear.  Je  lui  ai  deforme 
une  quille,  /  broke  one  of  his  legs. 

Defouque.     See  Desfoux. 

Defourailler  (thieves'),  to  run,  "  to 
pad  the  hoof,"  or  "  to  guy  ;  " 
see  Patatrot ;  to  fall ;  to  be  re- 
leased from  jail. 

Defrimousser  (popular),  synony- 
mous with  devisager,  to  peer  into 
one's  face. 


112 


D^frusquer — Degrouper. 


D^frusquer,  defrusquiner  (popu- 
lar), to  strip  one  of  Ms  clothes.  Se 
— ,  to  undress. 

Degauchir  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "  to 
nim,"  "to  claiA."  See  Grin- 
chir. 

D^gazonner  (familiar),  se  — ,  to 
become  bald.  II  a  le  coco  tout 
degazonne,  he  is  quite  bald.  See 
Avoir. 

Degel,  m.  (popular),  death. 

DegeU  (popular),  corpse,  "  cold 
meat." 

D6gelee,  /  (popular),  thrashing, 
"walloping." 

Degeler  (popular),  se  — ,  to  die, 
' '  to  kick  the  bucket ;  "  see 
Pipe  ;  to  become  knowing.  (Fenc- 
ing) Degeler  son  jeu,  to  put  spirit 
into  one's  play. 

Deglinguer  (popular),  to  damage. 

Degobillade,/  (popular),  vomit; 
very  bad  liquor,  "swizzle." 

DSgommade,/.  (popular),  old  age  ; 
decrepit  state. 

Degommage,  m.  (popular),  dis- 
missal, "the  sack;"  ruin. 

D6gommer  (popular),  quelqu'un, 
to  excel  over  one.     Literally  to  dis- 
miss one  from  a  situation;  to  kill. 
Se  — ,  to  grow  old,  faded. 
Je  me  rouille,  je  me  d^gomme. 

Labiche. 
Degorger  (popular),  to  pay,    "  to 
fork  out. " 

Degottage,  m.  (popular),  action  of 
surpassing  one  ;  of  finding  or  dis- 
covering something. 

Degotter  (military),  to  kill;  (popu- 
lar) to  surpass  one ;  to  find ;  to 
discover. 

Tiens  !  quoi  done  que  j'd^gott"  dans  I'noir, 
Qu  est  ^  g'noux,  Ik-bas  su'  I'trottoir? 
Eh  1  ben,  la-bas,  eh  !  la  gonzesse. 

Gill,  La  Muse  &  BiU, 


Degouler  (popular),  to  take  away ; 
to  fall,  ' '  to  come  a  cropper. " 

Degoulinage,  m.  (popular),  in- 
ferior drink,  "swizzle." 

Degouliner  (popular),  to  drip  ; 

ce  qu'on  a  sur  le  coeur,  to  un- 
bosom. 

Degourdi,  m.  (popular),  ironical, 
clumsy  fellow,  "stick  in  the  mud." 
Properly  it  has  the  opposite  mean- 
ing. 

Degofitation,  /  (popular),  expres- 
sion ofdisptst.  Une  —  d'homme, 
a  disgusting  fellow.  The  expres- 
sion is  a  favourite  one  of  the  street- 
walking  tribe. 

Dego(lt6,  adj.  (popular),  ironical. 
N'etre  pas  — ,  is  said  of  one  who 
expresses  a  desire  of  obtaining  some- 
thing considered  by  others  to  be  too 
good  for  him;  also  of  one  who 
picks  out  for  himself  the  most  dainty 
bits. 

Degraisser  (popular),  to  steal,  "  to 
prig,"  see  Grinchir  ;  —  quel- 
qu'un, to  fleece  one.  Se  — ,  to 
grow  thin. 

Degrimoner  (popular),  se  — ,  to  be- 
stir   oneself ;    to    struggle  ;    to 


Degringiller  (popular),  to  come  out. 
DegringilloBS  de  la  carree,  let  us 
leave  the  room. 

Degringolade,  /  (thieves'),  theft 
in  a  shop  ;  —  i  la  flute,  robbery 
committed  by  a  street-walker. 

D^gtingoler  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "  to 
nim ;"  —  ^  la  carre,  to  steal  pro- 
perty fl-om  shops.  This  kind  of 
robbery  is  practised  principally  by 
women,  and  the  thief  is  called  a 
"  bouncer." 

D6grossir  (freemasons'),  to  carve. 

Degrouper  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
separate. 


D^gueularder — Demi-mondaine. 


113 


D6gueularder  (thieves'),  to  talk, 
to  say,  "  to  rap."  Ne  ddgueularde 
pas  sur  sa  fiole,  say  nothing  about 
him. 

Degueulas,  degueulatif,  adj. 
(popular),  antioying ;  disgusting. 

J'conobre  I'truc ;  '1  est  degueulas.  — 
RiCHEPiN.  {1  know  the  trade  ;  it  is  dis- 
gusting.) 

Degueulatoire,  adj.  (popular),  dis- 
gusting; repulsive. 

D6gueulbite,  dSgueulboche,  adj. 
(popular),  disgusting. 

Degueuler  (popular),  to  sing,  or 
"to  lip." 

Degueulis,  m.  (popular),  vomit. 

Deguis,  m.  (thieves'),  disguise. 

Deguiser  (popular),  se  —  en  cerf, 
to  make  off,  "to  brush," or  "to 
leg  it."     See  Patatrot. 

D6jete,  adj.  (popular),  weakly; 
ugly.  N'etre  pas  trop  — ,  to  be 
still  handsome. 

D6jeflner,  m.  and  verb  (popular), 
de  perroquet,  biscuit  dipped  in 
wine;  (military)  —  k  la  fourchette, 
tojight  a  duel. 

Dejosdphier  (popular),  to  educate, 
not  in  the  better  sense  of  the  word; 
"to  put  one  up  to  snuff."  An 
allusion  to  Madame  Potiphar's  at- 
tempts on  Joseph's  virtue. 

De  la  bourrache !  (popular),  ex- 
pressive of  refusal ;  might  be  ren- 
dered by  "no  go!"  "you  be 
blowed."     See  Nefles. 

D^lass.  Com.  (popular),  theatre  of 
the  Dilassements  Comiques, 

Delicat  et  blond  (popular),  is  said 
ironically  of  a  dandy  or  "Jemmy 
Jessamy;"  also  of  an  effemincUe 
fellow  who  cannot  bear  pain  or 
discomfort, 

Delicoquentieusement  (theatri- 
cal), marvellously. 


DSlige,  /  (popular),  for  diligence, 
public  coach. 

Demancher  (popular),  se  — ,  to  be- 
stir oneself;  to  give  oneself  muck 
trouble. 

D6maquiller  (thieves'),  to  undo. 

Demarger  (thieves'),  to  go  aavay ; 
to  make  off,  "  to  crush, ""  to  guy. " 
See  Patatrot.    • 

Demarquer  (literary),  to  pirate 
others'  productions,  or  to  alter  one's 
own  so  as  to  pass  them  off  as  ori- 
ginal. 

Demarqueur,  m.  (literary),  delinge, 
literary  pirate. 

Demenager  (popular),  to  become 
mad,  or  "balmy;"  to  die,  "to 
kick  the  bucket ; "  —  i  la  cloche 
de  bois,  de  zinc,  or  i  la  sonnette 
de  bois,  to  move  one's  furniture 
secretly,  the  street  door  bell  having 
been  m.uffled  so  as  to  give  no  more 
sound  than  a  wooden  one,  "  to 
shoot  the  moon ;  "  —  4  la  ficelle, 
to  remove  one's  furniture  through 
a  window  by  means  of  a  rope ; 
—  par  la  cheminee,  to  burn  one's 
furniture  on  receiving  notice  to 
quit,  so  as  to  cheat  the  landlord. 

Demi-aune,  f.  (popular),  arm, 
"bender."    Tendre  la  — ,  to  beg. 

Demi-cachemire,/.  (familiar),  kept 
woman  in  a  good  position,  but  who 
has  not  yet  reached  the  top  of  the 
ladder. 

Demi-castor,  f,  woman  of  the 
demi-monde,  a  "  pretty  horse- 
breaker,"  or  "tartlet."  See 
Gadoue. 

Demi-cercle,  pincer  au  — .  See 
Cercle. 

Demi  -  lune      (popular),      rump„ 

"cheek." 
Demi-mondaine,    f.     (familiar), 

woman  of  the  demi-monde.     See 

Gadoue. 

I 


114 


Demi-monde-^Dipucelenr. 


Demi-monde,  m.  (familiar),  the 
■world  of  the  hightr  class  of  kept 
K/(77««K,fl/'"pretty  horsebreakers. " 

Demi-sel,demi-poil,  demi-vertu, 

f.  (popular),  girl  who  has  lost  her 
maidenhead,  her  "  ceincture,"  as 
Villon  termed  it. 

Demi-stroc,  m.  (thieves'),  half  a 
"  setier,"  that  is,  one  fourth  of  a 
litre, 

Democ-soc,  m.  (familiar),  socialist. 
An  abbreviation  for  democrate- 
socialiste. 

Demoiselle,/,  (popular),  a  certain 
measure  for  wine,  half  a  "mon- 
sieur;" bottle  of  wine. 

Demoiselles,/  (familiar),  ces  — , 
euphemism  for  gay  ladies  ;  —  du 
bitume,  du  Pont  Neuf,  street- 
walkers. 

Demolir  (literary),  to  criticise  with 
harshness,  to  run  down  literary 
productions ;  (popular)  to  thrash 
soundly,  "  to  knock  into  a  cocked 
hat,"  see  Voie  ;  to  kill. 

Demolisseur,  m..  (literary),  sharp 
and  violent  critic. 

Demorfilage  (card-sharpers'),  set- 
ting right  again  cards  which  have 
been  marked. 

Demorfiler,  action  of  doing  demoi- 
filage  (which  see) ;  also  to  have 
one's  wounds  cured. 

Demorganer  (thieves'),  to  give  in  to 
one's  arguments. 

Demurger  (thieves'),  to  leave  a 
place  ;  to  be  set  at  liberty. 

Denaille,  m.  (thieves'),  Saint  — , 
Saint-Denis,  an  arrondissement  of 
Paris. 

Denicheur,  m.  (popular),  de  fau- 
vettes;  one  fond  of  women,  "mut- 
ton-monger." 

Dent,"/,  (popular),  avoir  de  la  — , 
to  have  preserved  one's  good  looks  ; 


to  be  still  young.  Mai  de  dents, 
love.  N'avoir  plus  mal  aux  dents, 
to  be  dead. 

Dentelle,  /  (thieves'),  hank  notes, 
"  rags,  flimsies,  screenes,  or  long- 
tailed  ones." 

Deparler  (popular),  to  cease  talking; 
to  talk  nonsense. 

D^partement,  m.  (popular),  du 
bas  rein,  breech.  See  Vasistas. 
A  play  on  the  word  Rhin. 

Dependeur,  m.  (popular),  d'an- 
douilles.     See  Andouilles. 

Depenser  (popular),  sa  salive,  to 
talk,  or  "to  jaw  away." 

Depiauter,  d6pioter  (popular),  to 
skin.  Se  — ,  to  break  one's  skin  ; 
to  undress,  "  to  peel. " 

Deplanquer  (thieves'),  to  remmie 
stolen  property  out  of  hiding-place  ; 
—  son  faux  centre,  to  be  convicted 
under  an  alias. 

Deplumer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
bald.  Avoir  le  coco  deplume,  to 
be  bald,  "to  have  a  bladder  of 
lard,"  or  "  to  be  stag-faced."  See 
N'avoir  plus. 

Deponer  (popular),  to  ease  oneself, 
"to  go  to  the  chapel  of  ease." 
See  Mouscailler. 

Deporter  (popular),  to  discharge 
from  a  situation,  "to  give  the 
sack." 

D6p6t,  m.  (popular),  depSt  de  la 
Prefecture  de  Police.  Caisse  des 
dep&ts  et  consignations,  place  of 
ease,  or  "  crapping  ken." 

D6potoir,  7n.  (thieves'),  confes- 
sional ;  (popular)  chamber  pot,  or 
"jerry;"  strong  box,  or  "peter;" 
house  of  ill-fame,  or  "  nanny- 
shop." 

Depuceleur,  m.  (popular),  denour- 
rices,  or  de  femmes  enceintes, 
ridiculous  Lovelace. 


D^puU — Dishabillage. 


IIS 


Depute,  m.  (theatrical),  free  ticket. 

De  quoi  (popular),  wealth;  what 
next  ?  what  do  you  mean  ? 

D^rager  (popular),  to  get  facified. 
Generally  used  in  the  negative. 
II  n'a  pas  encore  derage,  he  is  yet 
in  a  rage. 

Deraille,  m.  (familiar),  one  who  has 
lost  caste. 

D6railler  (familiar),  to  talk  nonsense, 
cock-and-bull-story  fashion. 

D^ralinguer  (sailors'),  to  die.  Pro- 
perly to  detach  from  the  bolt  ro^e. 
See  Pipe. 

Serondiner  (popular),  to  pay,  "  to 
shell  out."  Se  — ,  to  spend  or  give 
away  onis  money.  Ronds,  hcUf- 
pence. 

Derouler  (thieves'),  se  — ,  to  spend 
a  certain  time,  not  specified,  in 
prison,  "to  do  time." 

Derrifere,  m.  (popular),  roue  de  — , 
five  franc  piece.  Se  lever  le  —  le 
premier,  to  get  up  in  a  bad  hu- 
mour. Used  as  a  preposition : 
(Printers')  Derriire  le  poele  chez 
Cosson,  words  used  to  evade  re- 
plying to  an  inquiry. 

Desargente,  adj.  (thieves'),  in 
want  of  money. 

Quand  on  est  d&argentd  on  se  la  brosse 
«t  I'oa  ne  va  pas  se  taper  un  souper  k  I'oeil. 

— ^VlDOCQ. 

Desargot6,  adj.  (thieves'),  Stre  — , 
to  be  shrewd,  to  be  a  "  file,"  to  be 
"&y,"ora" leaiy  bloke. " 

Desargoter    (thieves'),  to    employ 

cunning. 
Desarrer    (thieves'),     to  flee,     to 

"  g"y>"  or  "  to  make  beef."    See 

Patatrot. 

Desatiller  (thieves'),  to  castrate. 
Horse-trainers  term  the  operation 
"  adding  one  to  the  list." 


D'esbrouffe,  or  d'esbrauf 
(thieves'),  by  force.  Pesciller  — , 
to  take  by  force.  Estourbir  — ,  to 
knock  over  the  head. 

Un  grand  messi^re  franc  •  ■  • 
Le  filant  sur  I'estrad^ 
D'esbrouf  je  I'estourbis. 

ViDOCQ. 

Descendre  (popular),  quelqu'un, 
to  shoot  one,  "  to  pot ; "  to  throw 
down  ;  —  le  crayon  sur  la  colonne, 
to  thrash,  see  Voie ;  —  la  garde, 
to  die,  see  Pipe.  (Theatrical) 
Descendre,  to  approach  the  foot- 
lights. (Sporting)  Un  cheval  qui 
descend,  horse  against  which  the 
cdds  are  decreasing, 

D^senbonnetdecotonner,  to  give 
elegance  to.  "  De,"  and  "  en  bon- 
net de  coton,"  a  nightcap. 

Desenflaquer  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
amuse  oneself.  (Thieves')  Se  — , 
to  get  out  of  prison  ;  to  get  out  of 

trouble^ 

Desenfrusquiner  (popular),  se  — , 
to  undress. 

D^sentiflage,  m.  (thieves'),  separa- 
tion; divorce. 

D6sentiileT  (thieves'),  to  separate ; 
to  divorce. 

Desfouque.     See  Desfoux. 

Desfoux,  /.  (popular),  silk  cap 
sported  by  women's  bullies.  From 
the  maker's  name. 

Desgenais,  a  charcu:ter  of  a  eomeiy 
by  Th.  Barriire.  Faire  son  —  ea 
chambre,  to  play  the  moralist. 

Desgrieux,  associate  of  prostitutes 
and  swindlers.  A  character  from 
Manon  Lescaut,  by  I'Abbe 
Prevost. 

D6shabillage,  m.  (literary),  ill- 
natured  criticism. 

Si  Ton  veut  passer  un  joli  quart  d'heure 
on  n'a  qu'k  faire  jaser  un  peintre  connu  sur 
un  autre  peintre  ^galement  connu.  Quel 
d^shabillage !  mes  amis. 


Ii6 


Dishabiller — D^valide. 


Deshabiller  (popular),  to  thrash, 
"  to  wallop."    See  Voie. 

Desoler  (thieves'),  to  thronv, 

D6sosse,  f,  (popular),  distress. 
Jouer  la — ,  to  be  ruined,  "cracked 
up,"  "  gone  to  smash." 

Desosse,  m.  (popular),  very  thin 
man  ;  ruined  man,  "  brosier." 

Desosser  (popular),  quelqu'un,  to 
pommel  one.     See  Voie, 

Dessalee,  /.  (popular),  prostitute, 
or  "bed-fagot."     See  Gadoue. 

Dessaler (thieves'),  ^(!i/>-ira'«.  (Popu- 
lar) Se  — ,  to  drink  a  morning 
glass  of  white  wine  ;  to  drink,  "  to 
moisten  one's  chaffer. " 

Dessous,  m.  (theatrical),  tomber 
dans  le  troisieme,  or  trente- 
sixi^me  — ,  the  expression  is  used 
to  denote  that  a  play  has  been  u 
complete Jiasco.  (Familiar)  Tomber 
dans  le  troisieme  — ,  to  fall  into 
utter  discredit.  (Thieves')  Des- 
sous, man  loved  for  "love,"  not 
for  money ;  a  bully. 

Dessus,  m.  (thieves'),  man  who 
keeps  a  woman,  the  dessous  being 
the  said  woman's  lover. 

Destuc  (thieves'),  etre  d'— ,  to  be 
partners  in  a  robbery  ;  to  be  in  a 
"push."  "I'm  in  this  push," 
is  the  notice  given  by  an  English 
thief  to  another  that  he  means  to 
"stand  in." 

D6tache,  adj.  (sporting),  cheval  — , 
horse  which  keeps  the  lead. 

Detach?!  (thieves'),  le  bouchon, 
to  steal  a  watch,  ' '  to  nick  a  jerry, " 
"  to  twist  a  thimble,"  or  "  to  get 
a  red  toy." 

Detaffer  (thieves'),  to  grew  bold. 
De  and  taf,  fear. 

X>6tailler  (theatrical),  le  couplet,  to 


sing  with  appropriate  expression 
the  different  parts  of  a  song;  — 
un  role,  to  bring  out  all  the  best 
points  of  apart. 

Ddtaroquer  (thieves'),  to  obliterate 
the  marking  of  linen. 

Deteindre  (popular),  to  die,  "to 
kick  the  bucket,"  or  "to  snuff" 
it."     See  Pipe. 

Deteler  (popular),  to  renounce  the 
pleasures  of  love, 

Detoce,  or  detosse,  /.  (thieves'), 
ill-luck  ;  poverty. 

Detourne,/  (thieves'),  vol  a  la — , 
robbery  in  a  shop,  or  from  the  shop- 
window,  generally  committed  by 
two  confederates,  the  one  engross- 
ing the  shopkeeper's  attention  while 
the  other  takes  possession  of  the 
property. 

Detourneur,  m.,  d6tourneuse,/, 

thief  who  operates  after  the  mantur 
described  under  the  heading  of 
"Vol  ala  detourne"  (which  see). 

Detraquer  (popular),  se  —  le  trog- 
non,  to  become  crazy,  to  become 
"balmy." 

Dette  (thieves'),  payer  une  — ,  to  be 
in  prison,  to  "do  time." 

Deuil,  m.  (popular),  demi  — ,  coffee 
without  brandy.  Grand  — ,  with 
brandy.  (Familiar)  II  y  a  du  — , 
things  are  going  on  badly.  Porter 
le  —  de  sa  blanchisseuse,  to  have 
dirty  linen. 

Deux  (popular),  les  —  soeurs,  the 
breech,  or  "cheeks."  See  Vasis- 
tas.  (Thieves')  Partir  pour  les 
— ,  to  set  out  for  the  convict  settle- 
ment, "  to  lump  the  lighter." 

Devalide,  adj.  (familiar),  synony- 
mous of  invalide,  unreturned  can- 
didate for  parliament. 


Devant — Disque. 


117 


Devant,  m.  (popular),  de  gilet, 
woman's  breasts,  "Charlies." 

Deveinard,  m.  (popular),  unlucky. 

Un  de  ces  ouvriers  deveinards,  un  de  ces 
inventeurs  en  chambre,  qui  ont  compt^  sur 
ie  coup  de  fortune  du  nouvel  an. — Kiche- 
f  IN,  Le  Pavi. 

Deveine,  f.  (popular),  constant  ill- 
Itick. 

D6vidage,OT.  (thieves'),  long  speech, 
or  yam ;  walk  in  prison  yard  ;  — 
a  I'estorgue,  lie,  "  ga^ ;  "  accusa- 
tion. Faire  des  devidages,  to 
make  revelations. 

Divider  (thieves'),  to  talk,  "to 
patter;"  —  a  I'estorgue,  to  lie; 
—  le  jars,  to  speak  the  cant  of 
thieves,  "  to  patter  flash ; "  —  une 
retentissanle,  to  break  a  bell; 
(popular)  —  son  peloton,  to  talk 
a  great  deal;  to  make  a  conjession. 

Devideur,  ?«.,  devideuse,  f. 
(thieves'),  chatterer,  "  clack-box." 

Devierger  (popular),    to  seduce  a 

maiden. 
Devirer  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to  turn 

rmnd, 

Devisser  (popular),  le  coco,  to 
strangle;  —  le  trognon  a  quel- 
qu'un,  to  wring  a  person's  neck. 
Se  — ,  to  go  away.  Se  ^  la 
petronille,  to  break  one's  head. 

Devisseur,  m.  (popular),  slanderer, 

backbiter. 
Devoir  (gay  girls'),  une  dette,  to 

have  promised  a  rendez-vous. 

DSvoye,  adj.  (thieves'),  acquitted. 

Diable,  m.  (thieves'),  instigator  in 
the  employ  of  the  police. 

Diamant,  m.  (theatrical),  voice  of  a 
fine  quality,  "like  a  bell;"  (popu- 
lar) paving  stone. 

Dibolata,  dibuni  (Breton  cant), 
to  fight,  to  thrash. 


Dictionnaire  Verdier,  m.  (prin- 
ters'), imaginary  dictionary  of 
which  the  name  is  shouted  loud 
whenever  one  speaks  or  spells  in- 
correctly. 

Dieu  (popular),  le  —  terme,  rent 
day,  II  n'y  a  pas  de  bon  — ,  see 
Bon. 

Difficult^,  /.  (sporting),  ^tre  en  — , 
is  said  of  a  horse  which  can  just 
keep  the  start  obtained  at  the  cost 
of  the  greatest  efforts. 

Difoara  (Breton  cant),  to  pay. 

Dig- dig,    or    digue  -  digue,    m. 
(thieves'),   epileptic  fit.      Batteur 
de  — ,  vagabond  who  pretends  to 
'  be  seized  with  a  fit. 

Digonneur,  m.  (popular),  ill-tem- 
pered man,  a  "  shirty"  one. 

Dijonnier   (popular),  mustard-pot. 

The  best  mustard  is  manufactured 

at  Dijon. 
Diligence,  /  (popular),  de  Rome, 

tongue,  or  "velvet." 

Dimanche  (popular),  or  —  apres 
la  grand'  messe,  never,  at  Dooms- 
day, or  when  the  devil  is  blind. 

Dindonner  (popular),   to   deceive; 
I        to  impose  upon,  "  to  bamboozle." 
From  dindon,  a  dupe,  a  fool. 

Dindomier,  m.  (thieves'),  hospital 
attendant. 

Diner  (popular),  en  ville,  to  dine  off 
a  small  roll  in  the  street.  A  philo- 
sophical way  of  putting  it. 

Dinguer  (theatrical),  to  be  out  of  the 
perpendicular;  (popular)  ^o wa/,4, 
to  lounge.  Envoyer  — ,  to  send  to 
the  deuce. 

Discussion,/  (popular),  avoir  une 
—  avec  le  pave,  to  fall  flat,  "to 
come  a  cropper."' 

Disque,  m.  (popular),  breech,  or 
"tochas,"  see  Vasistas;  also 
coin. 


Ii8 


Distingui — Donner. 


Distingud,  m.  (popular),  glass  of 
beer. 

Dix-huit  (popular),  shoe  made  up  of 
different  farts  of  old  ones,  A  play 
on  the  words  "deux  fois  neuf," 
twice  new,  or  eighteen, 

Dixi^me,  m.  (military),  passer  au 

—  regiment,  to  die.  See  Pipe. 
A  play  on  the  word  "  decimer," 
to  kill  one  in  ten. 

Doche,/  (thieves'),  fnother,   Bolte 

a  — ,  coffin. 

Doigt,  m.  (familiar),  se  fourrer  le 

—  dans  I'ceil,  or  le  —  dans  I'oeil 
jusqu'au  coude,  to  be  grossly  mis- 
taken. Etre  de  la  societe  du  — 
dans  I'oeil,  to  be  one  of  those  who 

form  ambitious  hopes  not  likely  to 
be  realized.  Name  given  after  the 
Commune  of  1871  to  a  group  of 
Communists  in  exile  who  had 
separated  from  the  rest,  and  had 
divided  among  themselves  all  the 
future  official  posts  of  their  future 
government — a  case  of  selling 
chickens,  &c.,  with  a  vengeance. 

Domange  (popular),  marmite  a  — , 
waggon  which  carries  away  the 
contents  of  cesspools.  Marmiton 
de  — ,  scavenger  employed  at  emp- 
tyingthe  cesspools.  Travaillerpour 
M.  — ,  to  eat.  See  Mastiquer. 
M.  Domange  is  the  name  of  a 
contractor  who  has,  or  had,  charge 
of  the  cleaning  of  all  Paris  cess- 
pools. 

Dome,  m.  (thieves').  Saint  — ,  or 
saindomme,  tobacco,  or  "  fogus." 

Dominer  (theatrical),  is  said  of  an 
actor  standing  behind  another  who 
is  nearer  to  the  footlights.  It  must 
be  said,  in  explanation,  that  the 
stage-floor  has  an  incline  from  the 
back  to  the  front  of  the  stage. 

Domino-culotte,  m.,  the  last  do- 
mino in  a  player's  hand. 


Dominos,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  jeu  de 
— ,  teeth.  Avoir  le  jeu  complet 
de  — ,  to  possess  onis  set  of  teeth 
complete.  Jouer  des  — ,  to  eat. 
See  Mastiquer. 

Comme  tu  jouesdes  dominos  (des  dents), 
^  te  voir,  on  croirait  que  tu  moriiles  (mords) 
dans  de  la  crignole  (viande). — Vidocq. 

Donne,/  (gambling  cheats'),  la — , 
the  cut  of  skilfully  shuffling  a  pack 
so  as  to  leave  underneath  certain 
cards  which  the  cheat  reserves  for 
himself. 

Donner  (thieves'),  to  look ;  to  see, 
"to  pipe;"  to  peach,  or  "  to  blow 
the  gaff;  "  —  a  la  Bourbonnaise, 
to  scowl  at  one  ;  —  du  chasse  a  la 
rousse,  to  be  on  the  look-out,  "to 
nark,"  or  "  to  nose ; "  —  du  flan, 
or  de  la  galette,  to  play  fairly; 

—  sur  le  buflfeton,  to  read  an  in- 
dictment ;  —  un  pont  a  faucher, 
to  lay  a  trap  ;  to  prepare  a  snare 

for  one  ;  to  deceive  one,  "to  kid;" 

—  une  affaire,  to  give  the  informa- 
tion required  for  the  perpetration 
of  a  robbery.  (Popular)  Donner 
de  la  salade,  to  give  one  something 
more  than  a  good  shaking,  see 
Voie  ;  —  du  cambouis  a  quel- 
qu'un,  to  make  fun  of  one ;  to 
play  a  trick;  —  du  dix-huit,  see 
Donner  cinq  et  quatre  ;  —  du 
vague,  to  seek  for  onis  living ;  —  . 
la  savate,  to  give  a  box  on  the  ear, 
or  "  buck-horse  ; "  —  son  bout, 
or  son  bout  de  iicelle,  to  dismiss; 
to  give  the  "sack;"  (ironical)  — 
des_  noms  d'oiseaux,  to  be  very 
loving ;  —  cinq  et  quatre,  to  slap 
one  with  the  palm,  then  with 
the  back  of  the  hand ;  —  un  coup 
de  poing  dont  on  ne  voit  que  la 
fumee,  to  give  a  terrific  blow  in  the 

face,  "a  thumper."  La  — ,  to 
sing,  "to  lip."  Se  —  de  I'air, 
to  go  out.  Se  la  — ,  to  be  off;  to 
run  away,  "  to  slope,"  see  Pata- 
trot;  2l\so  to  fight,  "to  pitch  into 
one  another."   (Familiar)  Donner 


Donneur — 'Douceur. 


119 


la  migraine  a  une  tete  de  bois,  to 
he  an  insufferable  bore;  —  son 
demier  bon  \  tirer,  to  die;  —  de 
la  grosse  caisse,  to  puff  up  a  book 
or  trade  article ;  —  du  baleii,  to 
dismiss;  (Saint-Cyr  cadets') — du 
vent,  to  bully. 

Donneur,  m.,  de  bonjour.  Se6 
Bonjour.  (Thieves')  Donneur 
d'affaires,  malefactor  of  an  inven- 
tive genius  who  suggests  to  others 
plans  of  robberies  or  "plants." 

Donnez-la  !  (thieves'),  look  out ! 
"  shoe  leather  ! "  Synonymous  of 
"chou !  "  "acresto  !  "  "  du  pet ! " 

Dorancher  (thieves'),  to  gild. 

Doimir  (popular),  en  chien  de  fusil, 
to  double  oneself  up  yWhen  sleeping, 
into  the  shape  ofanS;  —  en  gen- 
darme, to  sleep  with  one  eye  open  ; 
to  sleep  a  "fox's  sleep." 

Doma  (Breton),  to  get  drunk. 

Dorner  (Breton),  drunkard, 

Dort  dans  I'auge,  m.  (popular), 
lazy  individual,  "lazy  bones,"  or 
"bummer." 

Dort-en-chiant  (popular),  ex- 
tretruly  lazy  man,  mith  no  energy 
whatever,  with  no  heart  for  work, 

■    "a  bummer." 

-Dos,  m.  (general),  woman's  bully, 
I  "Sunday  man;"  — d'azur,  vert, 
same  meaning.  For  synonymous 
terms  see  Poisson.  Scier  le  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  importune ;  "to 
bore  "  one. 

Dose,  /.  (popular),  unpleasant 
thing. 

Dossi&re,  /  (thieves'),  prostitute, 
"bunter,"  see  Gadoue  ;  — de 
satte,  arm-chair. 

Douanier,  m.  (popular),  glass  of 
absinthe.     An  allusion  to  the  uni- 


form of  custom-house  ofiicers,- 
which,  like  absinthe,  is  green. 
Termed  also  "un  perroquet." 

Doublage,  double,  m.  (popular), 
robbery. 

Double,  m..  (military),  sergeant- 
major ;  (popular)  —  six,  neg7-o. 
Also  the  two  upper  front  teeth. 
(Thieves')  Gras  — ,  sheet  lead,  or 
"flap."  Termed  also  "  saucis- 
son." 

Doubler  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "  to 
claim,"  or  "  to  nick  ;  "  (familiar) 
—  un  cap,  to  avoid  passing  before 
a  creditor'' s  door ;  to  be  able  to 
settle  a  debt  or  pay  u  bill  when 
it  falls  due ;  —  le  cap  du  terme, 
to  be  able  to  pay  one's  rent  when 
it  becomes  due,  to  be  able  to  clear 
-the  dreaded  reef  of  rent  day. 

Poubleur,  doubleux,  m.,  dou- 
bleuse,/  (thieves'),  thief,  "prig," 
see  Grinche  ;  —  de  sorgue, 
night  thief. 

Doublin,  m.  (thieves'),  ten-centime 
piece. 

Doublure,/,  (theatrical),  actor  who 
at  a  moment's  notice  is  able  to  take 
the  part  of  another ;  (popular)  — 
de  la  piece,  breasts,  "Charlies." 

Douce,  f  (thieves'),  silk  or  satin 
stuff,  "squeeze."  (Popular)  A 
la  — ,  gently  ;  pretty  well.  Com- 
ment qu'fa  va  aujourd'hui  ?  mais, 
a  la  — ,  how  are  you  to-day  ?  pretty 
bobbish.  La  couler,  or  la  passer  a 
la  — ,  to  live  an  easy  life,  devoid  of 
cares. 

Doucette,/  (thieves'),  a  file.  An 
endearing  term  for  that  very  use- 
ful implement. 

Douceur,/  (thieves'),  faire  en  — , 
to  rob  from  the  person  without  any 
violence,  with  suavity,  so  to 
speak.  Le  mettre  en  — ,  to  extort 
property  by  dint  of  wheedling. 


120 


Douillard — Droguiste. 


Douillard,  m.  (thieves'  and  popu- 
lar), wealthy  man,  "rag-splawger," 
"rhinoceral,"  one  "well-bal- 
lasted." 

Douillards,  m.  (thieves'  and  popu 

lar),  hair. 
Viv'  la  gaitd  !    J'ai  pas  d'chaussettes  ; 
Mes  rigadins  font  des  risettes ; 
Mes  tas  d'douillards  m'servent  d'chapeau. 
RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux, 

Douille,  /.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
money,  "pieces."  See  Quibus. 
Aboule  la  — ,  "dub  the  pieces." 

Douiller  (thieves'),  to  pay,  "to 
dub ;  "  —  du  carme,  to  give  money, 
"to dub  pieces." 

Douilles,  /  (thieves'),  hair,  or 
"thatch;"  —  savonnees,  white 
hair.  Termed  also  "tifs,  douil- 
lards, plumes." 

Douillet,  m.,  douillette,  f. 
(thieves'),  hair,  "  thatch ; "  mane. 

Douillure,  /.  (thieves'),  head  of 
hair. 

Douleur,  f.  (popular),  avaler  or 
etrangler  la  — ,  to  drink  a  glass  of 
brandy,  the  great  comforter  it 
would  appear. 

Douloureuse,/  (popular),  reckon- 
ing at  an  eating-house.  The  term 
is  expressive  of  one's  sorrow  when 
comes  the  dreaded  "  quart  d'heure 
de  Rabelais." 

Dousse,/  (thieves'),  _;^«>-. 

Doussin,  m.  (thieves'),  lead, 
"bluey." 

Doussiner  (thieves'),  to  line  with 
lead. 

Doux,  m.  (popular),  du  — ,  some 
sweet  liquor  such  as  Chartreuse, 
Curasao. 

Dovergn  (Breton),  horse. 

Dragee,  /  (military),  bullet, 
"plum."  Dragee,  properly  sweet- 
meat. Gober  une  — ,  to  receive  a 
bullet. 


Dragons.   See  Aller  voir  defiler, 

Drague,  f.  and  m.  (popular),  une 
— ,  table,  implements  or  plant  of  a 
conjuror,  of  a  _  mountebank, 
(Thieves')  Un  — ,  'surgeon,  "  nim 
gimmer." 

Dragueur,  m.  (popular),  quack, 
"crocus;"  conjurer;  mounte- 
bank. 

Drap  (popular),  manger  du  — ,  to 
play  at  billiards,  to  play  "  i^oot" 

Drapeau,  m.  (freemasons'),  serviette. 
Grand  — ,  table-cloth. 

Drapeauz,  m.  (popular),  swaddling 
clothes, 

Dregneu,  parler  en  — ,  is  to  com- 
bine this  word  with  other  words, 
"Je  suis  pris,"  becomes  "Je 
dregue  suidriguis  pridriguis." 

Drille,  or  dringue,  /  (popular), 
diarrhcea,  "jerry -go -nimble;" 
{thieves')  fve-franc  piece. 

Drive  (sailors'),  Stre  en  — ,  to  be  out 
on  a  spree,  or  "  on  the  booze." 

Drogue,  /  (popular),  article  of  bad 
quality,  "Brummagem  article." 
Mauvaise  — ,  ill-natured  man  or 
wotnan.  Petite  — ,  wicked  girl; 
disreputable  girl,  ' '  strumpet. " 

Droguer  (popular),  to  wait  a  long 
time;  (thieves')  to  ask  for.  The 
term  seems  to  imply  that  asking 
for  is  a  tedious  process,  and  that 
it  is  preferable  to  help  oneself. 

Droguerie,/  (thieves'),  a  request. 
That  is,  an  unpleasant  task. 

Drogueur,  m.  (thieves'),  dela  haute, 
expert  thief  or  swindler,  "  gon- 
nof." 

Droguiste,  m.  (thieves'),  swindler; 
sharper,  "shark."  Termed  also, 
in  English  slang,  "hawk," in  op- 
position to  the  "pigeon"  or  vic- 
tim.    See  Grinche. 


Droitier — Dynamitard. 


121 


Droitier,  m.  (familiar),  member  of 
the  right,  or  monarchist  party  in 
parliament.     See  Centrier. 

Dromadaire,  m.  (popular),  prosti- 
tute, or  "mot."  Formerly  a 
veteran  of  the  Egypt  campaign. 

Drouillasse,^  (popular),  diarrhoea, 
"  jerry-go-nirable." 

Due,  m.  (familiar),  large  carriage 
which  holds  two  people  inside,  and 
has  room  for  two  servants  in  front 
and  two  behind;  — de  guiche,  turn- 
key, "  dubsman ;"  —  de  la  panne, 
needy  man;  —  d'en  face  (ironi- 
cal), an  allusion  to  an  insignifi- 
cant man  who  is  seeking  to  make 
a  show  of  undue  importance  or  to 
give  himself  grand  airs. 

Duce,  m.  (thieves'),  secret  signal 
agreed  upon  among  sharpers, 

Duch6ne  (popular),  passer  a  — ,  to 
get  a  tooth  extracted.  An  allusion 
to  the  name  of  a  famous  dentist. 

Duel,  m.  (popular),  des  yeux  qui  se 
battent  en  — ,  squinting  eyes,  or 
"swivel  eyes." 

Du  gas,  m.  (sailors'),  my  lad. 

Va  bien.    On  t'emplira,  du  gas, 

K^pond  le  capitaine. 

J*y  foumirai,  t'y  foumiras 

Moi  I'huile  k  ta  lanterne, 

Toi  ITiuil'  de  bras. 

RicHEPiN,  La  Mer. 


Dumanet  (familiar),  appellation 
given  to  a  private  soldier,  answers 
to  the  English  "  Thomas  Atkins." 
Dumanet  is  the  name  of  one  of 
the  characters  of  a  play. 

Dun,  parler  en  — ,  art  of  disguising 
words  by  means  of  the  syllable 
"dun."     The  letter  n  is  substi- 


tuted for  the  first  letter  of  the  word 
when  it  is  a  consonant,  added 
when  a  vowel.  The  last  syllable 
is  followed  by  du,  which  acts  as  a 
prefix  to  the  first.  Thus  "mai- 
son "  becomes  "naisondumai," 
"  Paris  "  becomes  "  Narisdupa." 

Dunik  (Breton),  mass. 

Dunon,  parler  en  — ,  process  simi- 
lar to  the  one  called  "  parler  en 
dun  "  (which  see). 

Dur,  adj.  and  m.  (popular),  a  la  de- 
tente, or  a  la  desserre,  stingy,  close- 
fisted;  manwhois  slow  inpaying  his 
debts.  Du  — ,  spirits.  (Printers') 
Etre  dans  son  — ,  to  be  working 
hard. 

Duraille,  /.  (thieves'),  stone ;  pre- 
cious stone,  *' spark." 

Dure,  f.  (thieves'),  stone ;  the  cen- 
tral prison ;  —  i  briquemon,  a 
rifle,  flint.  Voler  quelqu'un  i 
la  — ,  to  rob  a  man  with  violence, 
"to jump  a  cove." 

DurSme,  m,  (thieves'),  cheese. 

Durillon,  m.  (popular),  hump. 

Durin,  m.  (thieves'),  iron. 

Duriner  (thieves'),  to  tip  with  iron. 

Dusse.     See  Duce. 

Du  vent  (popular),  or  de  la  mousse, 
de  I'anis,  des  dattes,  des  navets, 
des  nMes,  du  flan,  derisive  expres- 
sions of  refusal ;  might  be  ren- 
dered by,  "  you  be  Mowed," 
"don't  you  wish  you  may  get  it," 
"you'll  get  it  in  a  hurry,"  &c. 

Dynamitard,  m.  (familiar),  dyna- 
miter, one  who  aims  at  regene- 
rating society  by  the  free  use  of 
dynamite. 


122 


Eau — Rchassier. 


E 


Eau,  /  (popular),  de  moule,  a 
mixture  of  a  little  absinthe  and 
a  great  deal  of  water.  Marchand 
d' —  chaude,  or  d' —  de  javelle, 
landlord  of  a  wineshop. 

Eau  d'af,  eau  d'affe,  /.  (popular 
and  thieves'),  brandy,  or  "  French 
cream,"  from  af,  life. 

As-tu  bu  I'eau  d'af  k  c'matin  ?  T'as  I'air 
tout  dr61e,  est-ce  que  t'es  malade,  ma  mfere  ? 
— Catichisme  Poissard. 

Eaux,/.//.  (popular),  etre  dans  les 
—  grasses,  to  hold  a  high  official 
position.  Les  —  sent  basses, 
funds  are  low,  funds  are  at  "low 
tide." 

Ebasir  (thieves'),  to  knock  down  ; 
to  murder,  "  to  cook  one's 
goose." 

Ebattre  (thieves'),  s' —  dans  la 
tigne,  to  try  and  pick  pockets  in  a 
crowd,  "  to  fake  a  cly  in  the 
push." 

Eb6no,  m.  (popular),  for  ebeniste, 
French  polisher. 

Ebouriffant,  adj.  (common),  ex- 
cessive, astounding.  Vous  etes 
ebouriffant,  you  are  "coming  it 
rather  too  strong." 

Ecafouiller  (popular),  to  squash. 

Ecaill^,  m.  (popular),  prostitute's 
bully,  or  "  Sunday  man."  Pro- 
perly one  with  scales  like  those  of 
a  fish.  An  allusion  to  maquereau. 
See  Poisson. 


Ecarbouiller  (popular),  s' — ,  to- 
run  away,  "  to  bunk." 

Ecart,  m.  (gambling  cheats'),  sleight 
of  hand  trick  by  which  the  cheat 
conceals  an  ace  under  his  wrist  to 
use  when  convenient. 

Ecarter  (familiar),  du  fusil,  or  de 
la  dragee,  to  spit  involuntarily 
when  talking. 

Echalas,  m.  (popular),  jus  d' — ,, 
wine.  (Thieves')  Echalas  d'om- 
nicroche,  coachman  of  an  om- 
nibus. 

Echalas,  m.  pi.  (popular),  thin 
legs,  "spindle-shanks." 

Joue  des  guibolles,  prends  tes  dcbalas  a 
ton  cou. — X.  MONT^PIN. 

Echapp6,  m.  (popular),  de  Charen- 
ton,  crazy  fellow  (Charenton  is 
the  Paris  depot  for  lunatics) ;  — 
d'Herode,  unsophisticated  man, 
or  "  greenhorn." 

Echarpiller  (popular),  se  faire  — , 
to  get  a  terrible  thrashing,  "  to 
get  knocked  into  a  cocked  hat." 
See  Voie. 

Echasses,  /.  //.  (popular),  thin 
legs,  "spindle-shanks." 

Echassier,  m.  (popular),  tall  man 
with  thin,  long  legs,  or  "spindle- 
shanks." 


Echaudi^Ecorner. 


123; 


Echaude  (popular),  etre  — ,  to  be 
overcharged ;  to  he  fleeced,  "to  be 
shaved." 

Echauder  (popular),  to  charge  more 
for  an  article  than  the  real  price, 
"  to  shave  a  customer. "  Properly 
to  scald.  According  to  the  Slang 
Dictionary  (Chatto  and  Windus, 
1885),  when  a  London  trades- 
man sees  an  opportunity  of  doing 
this,  he  strokes  his  chin  as  a  signal 
to  the  assistant  who  is  serving 
the  customer. 

Echelle,  /.  (popular),  monter  k 
V — ,  to  ascend  the  scaffold.  Faire 
monter  quelqu'un  a  1' — ,  to  get 
one  into  a  rage  by  teazing  or  bad- 
gering him,  "to  rile  one." 

Echiner  (familiar),  to  criticise 
sharply,  to  run  down.  Properly 
to  thrash  to  within  an  inch  of 
one's  life. 

Echineur,  m.  (familiar),  sharp 
critic. 

Echo,  m.  (popular) ,  an  encore  at  a 
place  of  entertainment. 

Echoppe, /.  (popular),  workshop. 

Echos,  m.  pi.  (journalists'),  reports 
on  topics  of  the  day. 

Echoter,  to  write  "  echos."  See 
that  word. 

Echotier,  m.  (familiar),  writer  of 
"^chos."     See  that  word. 

Inddpendamment  de  la  loge  de  Fauchery, 
il  y  a  Lelle  de  la  redaction,  de  la  direction  et 
de  radministration,  une  baignoire  pour  son 
soiriste,  une  autre  pour  son  Ichotier,  quatre 
fauteuils  pour  ses  reporters. — P.  Mahalin. 

Eclairage,  m.  (general),  money  laid 
dovm  on  a  gaming  table  as  stakes. 

Eclairer  (general),  to  pay,  "  to 
dub  ; "  to  exhibit  money  ;  (game- 
sters') —  le  tapis,  le  velours,  to 
stake ;  (prostitutes')  to  look  about 
in  quest  of  a  client. 

Eclaireur,  m.  (gamesters'),  confede- 
rate of  card-sharpers. 


Bclaireurs,  m.  pi.  (popular),  large 
protruding  breasts.  Properly 
scouts. 

Ecluser  (popular),  to  void  urine, 
"  to  lag.^' 

Ecluses,_^ //.  (popular),  lacher  les 
— ,  to  weep,  "  to  nap  a  bib  ;  "  to- 
void  urine,  "to  lag." 

Ecole  preparatoire  (thieves'), 
prison,  "jug."  A  kind  of  com- 
pulsory "Buz-napper's  Academy," 
or  school  in  which  young  thieves. 
are  trained. 

Ecopage,  m.  (popular),  blow, 
"prop,"  "bang,"  or  "wipe;" 
collision;  scolding,  "bully-rag- 
ging ; "  the  art  of  calling  on  one 
just  at  dinner  time,  so  as  to  get  an 
invitation. 

Ecoper  (popular),  to  drink.  See- 
Rincer.  Properly  to  bale  a  boat. 
Ecoper,  to  receive  a  thrashing,, 
"  to  get  a  walloping." 

Ecopeur,  ?«.  (popular),  artful  man 
who  manages  to  get  some  small 
advantages  out  of  people  without 
appearing  to  ask  for  them. 

Ecornage,  m.  (thieves'),  vol  \ 
1' — ,  mode  of  robbery  which  consists- 
in  cutting  out  a  sm^ll  portion  of  a 
pane  in  a  shop-window,  and  draw- 
ing out  articles  through  the  aper- 
ture by  means  of  a  rod  provided 
with  a  hook  at  one  of  its  ex- 
tremities. 

Ecom6,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner 
under  examination,  or  "  cross 
kid ; "  prisoner  charged  with  an 
offence,  "in  trouble." 

Ecorner  (popular),  to  slander ;  to- 
abuse,  "  to  bully  rag  ;"  (thieves'> 
to  break  into ;  —  une  boutanche, 
un  boucard,  to  break  into  a  shopy 
"  to  crack  a  swag." 

J'aimerais  mieux  faire  suer  le  chene  sur 
le  grand  trimar,  que  d'^corner  les  boucards- 

— ViDOCti. 


124 


Ecorneur — Effaroucher. 


Ecorneur,  m.  (thieves'),  public 
prosecutor. 

Ecornifler  (thieves'),  i  la  passe,  to 
shoot  down. 

Ecossais  (popular),  en  — ,  without 
breeches. 

Ecosseur,  m.,  secretary ;  one 
whose  functions  are  to  peruse  let- 
ters. Properly  shelter.  The  Pre- 
fecture de  Police  employs  twelve 
' '  ecosseurs, "  whose  duty  it  is  to 
open  the  daily  masses  of  corre- 
spondence conveying  real  or  sup- 
posed clues  to  crimes  committed. 
(Globe  Newspaper,  1886.) 

Ecoute,  /  and  verb  (thieves'),  ear, 
"wattle,"  or  "hearing  cheat." 
(Popular)  Je  t' — ,  je  vous  — , 
just  so  !  I  should  think  so  1 

Ecoute  s'il  pleut !  (popular),  be 
quiet  I  hold  your  "  row  ! " 

Ecoutilles,  f.  pi.  (sailors'),  ears. 
Ouvrir  ses  — ,  to  listen.  Properly 
hatchway. 

Y  es-tu,  ma  petite  pouliotte,  y  es-tu? 
As-tu  bien  ouvert  tes  Ecoutilles  ?  Te  rap- 
pelles-tu  tout  sa  et  encore  5a?— Richepin, 
Ld  Glu. 

Ecrache,  /.  (thieves'),  passport ; 
—  tarte,  or  k  I'estorgue,  forged 
passport. 

Ecracher  (thieves'),  to  exhibit  one's 
passport. 

Ecrasement,  m.  (thieves'),  crowd, 
"push,"  or  "scuff." 

Ecraser  (popular),  un  grain,  to 
have  a  glass  of  wine  at  a  wine- 
shop ;  —  une  bouteille,  to  drink  a 
bottle  of  wine. 

Je  viens  voir  k  present  si  n'y  aurait  pas 
moyen  d'Ecraser  ungrain  pendant  qu*i  sont 
tous  en  train  de  folichonner. — Trublot. 

Ecrevisse,  /.  (popular),  de  bou- 
langer,  hypocrite.  Avoir  une  — 
dans  la  tourte,  or  dans  le  vol-au- 
vent,  to  be  C7'azy,  "  to  have  apart- 


ments to  let.''  (Cavalry)  Ecre- 
visse de  rempart,  foot  soldier,  or 
"  beetle-crusher. "  (Theatrical) 
Quatorzieme  — ,  female  super- 
numerary. 
Ecrire  (popular),  k  un  juif,  to  ease 
oneself,  "to  go  to  the  crapping 
ken."     See  Mouscailler. 

Ecrivasser  (literary),  to  write  in  a 

desultory  manner. 
Ecuelle,  /  (popular),  plate. 

Ecume,  f.  (thieves'),  de  terre,  tin. 
Properly  foam. 

Ecumoire,  /.  (familiar),  pock- 
marked face,  "  cribbage  face." 
Properly  skimmer. 

Ecurer  (popular),  son  chaudron,  to 
go  to  confession.  Literally  to 
scour  one's  stewpan. 

Ecureuil,  m.  (popular),  man  or 
boy  whose  functions  consist  in  pro- 
pelling the  wheels  of  engineers  or 
turners. 

Edredon,  m.  (popular),  de  trois 
pieds,  truss  of  straw.  ( Prostitutes') 
Faire  1' — ,  to  find  a  rich  foreigner 
for  a  client. 

Vous  me  demanderez  peut-Stre  ce  que 
signifie,  faire  Tedredon.  .  .  .  L'eider  est 
un  oiseau  exotique  au  duvet  precieux.  .  .  . 
Avec  ce  duvet  on  se  fabrique  des  couches 
chaudes  et  moelleuses.  .  .  .  Les  etrangeis 
de  distinction,  qu'ils  viennent  du  Nord  ou 
du  Midi,  sont,  eux  aussi,  des  oiseaux  dont 
les  plumes  laissEes  entre  des  mains  adroites 
et  caressantes  n'ont  pas  moins  de  valeur 
que  le  duvet  de  l'eider. — P.  Mahalin. 

Ef,  m.  (prostitutes'),  abbreviation  of 
effet.  Faire  de  1' — ,  to  show 
oneself  to  advantage. 

Effacer  (popular),  to  eat  or  drink, 
see  Mastiquer;  —  un  plat,  i» 
polish  off  the  contents  of  a  dish  ;  — 
une  bouteille,  to  drink  off  a  bottle 
of  liquor. 

Effaroucher  (thieves'),  to  steal, 
"to  ease,"  or  "to  claim."  See 
Grinchir. 


Effet — Embander. 


125 


Effet  (theatrical),  by-flay,  or  those 
parts  of  a  play  which  are  intended 
to  proditce  an  impression  an  the 
audience.  Avoir  un  — ,  to  have 
to  say  or  do  something  which  will 
make  an  impression  on  the  spec- 
tators. Couper  un  — ,  to  spoil 
a  fellow-actor's  "effet"  by  dis- 
tracting the  attention  of  the  public 
from  him  to  oneself. 

Effets,  m.  pi.  (familiar),  faire  des 
—  de  biceps,  to  show  off  one's 
strength.  Faire  des  —  de  poche, 
to  make  a  show  of  possessing  much 
money  ;  to  pay.  Faire  des  —  de 
raanchette,  to  exhibit  one's  cuffs 
in  an  affected  manner  by  a  move- 
ment of  the  arm. 

Effondrer  quelqu'un  (popular),  to 
beat  one  to  a  jelly,  "  to  knock  one 
into  a  cocked  hat."     See  Voie. 

Egailler  les  brfemes  (gamestOTs'), 
to  spread  cards  out, 

Egard,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  1' — ,  to 
keep  the  proceeds  of  a  theft  to  one- 
self. 

Egayer  (theatrical),  to  hiss,  "to 
give  the  big  bird  ;  "  —  Tours,  to 
hiss  a  play.  Se  faire  — ,  to  get 
hissed,  "  to  get  the  big  bird." 

Eglisier,  m.  (popular),  bigot,  or 
"prayer  monger." 

Egnaffer  (popular),  to  astound. 

Egnolant  (popular),  astounding. 

Egnoler  (popular),  to  astound. 

Egout,  m.  (popular),  prima  donna 
d' — ,fe?nale  singer  at  low  music- 
halls,  or  "penny  gaffs." 

Egraffigner  (popular),  to  scratch. 

Egrailler  (popular),  to  take. 

Egratign6e.     See  D^chiree. 

Egren6,  m.  (journalists'),  a  kind 
of  newspaper  fag. 

Egrugeoir,  m.  (thieves'),  pulpit, 
"hum-box." 


Egruger  (thieves'),  to  plunder,  to 
rifle. 

Egyptien,  m.  (theatrical),  bad 
actor,  inferior  sort  of  "  cackling 
cove." 

Elbeuf,  m.  (familiar),  coat,  "tog.'' 
Electeur,  m.   (commercial  travel- 
lers'), client. 

Elements,  m.  pi.  (card-sharpers'), 
money,  or  "pieces."  See  Qui- 
bus. 

Elfeve,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'),  du 
ChSteau,  prisoner;  old  offender. 

Elfeve-martyr,  m.  (cavalry),  one 
who  is  training  to  be  a  corporal, 
and  who  in  consequence  has  to  go 
through  a  very  painful  ordeal, 
considering  that  French  non-com- 
missioned officers  have  the  iron 
hand  without  the  velvet  glove. 

Elixir,  m,  (popular),  de  hussard, 
brandy.     See  Tord-boyaux. 

Eltrisa  (Breton),  to  seek  for  on^s 
livelihood. 

Eltriz  (Breton),  bread. 

Emanciper  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  take 

undue  familiarities  xvith  women, 

"to  fiddle." 
Emballer  (thieves'  and  popular), 

to  apprehend,  "to  smug."      See 

Piper.       S' — ,    to    get    excited. 

Properly  is  said  of  a  horse  that 

runs  away. 
Emballes,    /    pi.    (prostitutes'), 

fussy,  showing  off.     Faire  des  — , 

to  make  a  fuss. 
Emballeur  (thieves'),  police-officer, 

"copper,"    or    "reeler."       See 

Pot-a-tabac.     Properly  packer. 

Emballeur  de    refroidis,    under- 
taker's man. 
Embaluchonner(popular),  to  make 

up  a  parcel ;  to  wrap  up. 
Embander  (thieves'),   to  take  by 

force. 


126 


Embarder — Emmilliarder. 


-Embarder    (popular),   to   wander 

from  one's  subject ;  to  prevaricate  ; 

to  make  a  mistake;  to  enter.    J'ai 

'      embarde  dans  la  carree,  /  entered 

the  room, 

Embarras,  m.  (thieves'),  bed  sheet. 
(Popular)  Mettre  une  fille  dans 
1' — ,  to  seduce  a  girl,  with  the 
natural  consequences, 

Embaum6,  m.  (popular),  viell 
— ,  old  fool;  old  curmudgeon, 
"  doddering  old  sheep's  head." 

Emberlificoteur,  m.  (popular), 
artful  man,  or  an  expert  at 
wheedling,  "  sly  blade." 

Embistrouiller  (popular),  to  em- 
barrass;  to  perplex,  "to  flum- 
mux. " 

Emblfeme,  m.  (thieves'),  deceit; 
falsehood,  or  "gag." 

,Emblemer  (thieves'),  to  deceive, 
"  to  stick." 

Emblfemes,  m.,  pi.  (popular),  des 
— ,  expression  of  disbelief ;  might 
be  rendered  by  "all  my  eye!" 
See  Nfefles. 

Emboiter  (theatrical),  to  abuse. 

-Embosser  (sailors'),  s' — ,  to  place 
oneself.  Properly  to  bring  the 
broadside  to  bear. 

Emboucaner  (popular),  to  stink. 
Termed  also  "casser,  plomber, 
chelinguer,  trouilloter. "  S' — , 
to  J  eel  dull,  out  of  sorts,  "to  have 
the  blue  devils." 

-Embrouillarder  (popular),  s' — ,  is 
said  of  a  person  in  that  state  of  in- 
cipient intoxication  that  if  he  took 
more  drink  the  effects  would  become 
evident.    See  Sculpter. 

Embroussaill6s,  adj.  (familiar), 
cheveux  — ,  matted  hair. 

Embusqu6,  adj.  (military),  soldier 
who  by  reason  of  certain  functions 
is  excused  from  military  duties. 


Emeche,  adj.  (familiar),  slightly 
intoxicated,  or  "elevated."  See 
Pompette. 

Em6cher  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  he  in  a 
fair  way  of  getting  tipsy.  See 
Sculpter. 

Em^rillonner  (popular),  s' — ,  to 
become  quite  cheerful,  or  "cock  a 
hoop,"  through  repeated  potations. 

E  migr^,  m.  (popular),  de  Gomorrhe, 
Soaomite. 

Emmailloter  (thieves'),  to  dupe, 
"  to  best ;  "  —  un  mome,  to  pre- 
pare a  theft  or  other  crime.  Sy- 
nonymous of  "engraisser  un  pou- 
part." 

Emmailloteur,  m.  (popular),  tailor, 
"  snip,"  "steel-bar  driver,"  "cab- 
bage contractor." 

Emmanche,   m.   (popular),  slow, 
.   clumsy  fellow,    "stick    in    the 
mud." 

Emmargouillis,  m.  (popular),  ob- 
scene talk,  or  "  blue  talk." 

Emmastoquer  (popular),  s'— ,  to 
live  well;  to  eat  to  excess,  "to 
stodge." 

Emmerdement,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  a  coarse  word;  great 
annoyance  ;  trouble. 

Emmerder  (general),  a  coarse 
word ;  to  annby ;  to  bore.  Also 
extremely  forcible  expression  of  con- 
tempt. Properly  to  cover  with 
excrement.  The  English  have  the 
word  "to  immerd,"  to  cover  with 
dung. 

J'emmerde  la  cour,  je  respects  messieuts 
lesjures. — V.  Hugo. 

Emmieller,  emmoutarder  (popu- 
lar), euphemism  for  Emmerder 
(which  see). 

Emmilliarder  (popular),  s'— ,  or 
s'emniillionner,  to  become  prodi- 
giously rich. 


Emos — Emporteu  r. 


127 


Emos,_/;  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
emotion. 

Emouver  (popular),  s' — ,  to  shift 
noisily  about;  to  hurry,  or  "to 
look  alive." 

Empaffer  (popular),  to  intoxicate. 
From  paf,  drunk.    See  Sculpter. 

Empaffes,  f.  //.  (thieves'),  bed- 
clothes. 

Empaille,  m.  (popular),  clumsy 
man  ;  slow  man,  lacking  energy, 
' '  stick  in  the  mud. " 

Empaler  (popular),  to  deceive  one 
by  false  representations,  ' '  to  bam- 
boozle. " 

Empaouter  (popular),  to  annoy;  to 
bore,  "to  spur." 

Empaum6,  adj.  (popular),  c'est — , 
ifs  done. 

Empaumer  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  apprehetid,  "to  smug."  See 
Piper. 

Empave,  f.  (thieves'),  crossway. 

EmpScheuT  (familiar),  de  danser 
en  rond,  dismal  man,  who  plays 
the  dog  in  the  manger,  "mar- 
joy." 

Empereur,  m.  (popular),  worn-out 
old  shoe. 

Empiergeonner  (popular),  s' — ,  to 
get  entangled. 

Margot  dans  sa  cotte  et  ses  bas 
S'empiergeonna  UL-bas,  Ik-bas. 

RiCHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Queux. 

Empiffrage,   m.,    empiffrerie,  f. 

{popnlsLv),  gluttony,  "stodging." 

Empilage,  m.,  or  empil  (popular). 


Empiler  (popular),  to  cheat  at  a 
game. 

Empioler  (thieves'),  to  lock  up,  "  to 
give  the  clinch." 


Emplanquer  (thieves'),  to  come  up; 
to  turn  up,  ' '  to  crop  up. " 

EmplStre,  m.  (card-sharpers'),  de 
Thapsia,  shirt  front  and  collar, 
(Popular)  Faire  un  — ,  to  arrange 
otu's  cards  ready  for  playing, 
(Thieves')  Emplatre,  wax  imprint 
taken  for  housebreaking  purposes, 

Emplatrer  (popular),  to  thrash, 
' '  to  wallop.  Si  tu  crSnes,  je  vais 
t'empldtrer,  none  of  your  cheek, 
else  I'll  give  you  a  beating.  See 
Voie.  S' — ,  to  encumber  one- 
self. 

Employ^,  adj,  (military),  dans  les 
eaux  grasses,  clerk  of  the  victual- 
ling department,  ' '  mucker. " 

Empltlcher  (thieves'),  to  pillage. 

Empoignade,/  (popular),  dispute, 
"row." 

Empoigner  (literary),  to  criticise 
vigorously;  (theatrical)  to  hiss, 
"  to  give  the  big  bird." 

Empoisonneur,  m.  (popular),  the 
landlord  of  wine-shop.  Termed 
also  "mastroquet,  troquet,  bis- 
trot." 

Empoivrer  (popular),  s' — ,  to  get 
drunk,  "to  get  screwed."  See 
Sculpter. 

Emporter  (thieves'),  to  swindle, 
"  to  stick ;  "  (popular)  —  le  chat, 
to  meddle  with  what  does  not  con- 
cern one,  and  to  get  abused  or 
thrashed  for  one's  pains.  To  act 
as  Monsieur  Robert  in  Moliere's 
Le  MJdecin  malgri  Lui,  when 
he  upbraids  Sganarelle  for  beat- 
ing {lis  spouse,  and  in  return  gets 
thrashed  by  both  husband  and 
wife. 

Emporteur,  m.,  swindler  who  gets 
into  conversation  with  a  stranger, 
gains  his  confidence,  and  takes  him 
to  a  cafi  where  two  confederates, 
"  le  bachotteur  "  and  "la  bet«," 


128 


Emposeur — Endos. 


await  him  (see  Bachotteur) ; 
—  a  la  cOtelette,  card-sharper  who 
operates  at  restaurants. 

Emposeur,  m.  (thieves'),  Sodomite. 

Empote,  m.  (familiar),  slaw,  clumsy 
man,  "stick  in  the  mud." 

Empousteur,  m.  (thieves'),  swin- 
dler who  sells  spurious  goods  to 
tradesmen  under  false  pretences. 

Emprunter  (popular),  un  pain  sur 
la  fournee,  to  beget  a  child  before 
marriage ;  —  un  qui  vaut  dix,  to 
conceal  one's  baldness  by  brushing 
the  hair  forward. 

Emu,  adj.  (popular),  slightly  in- 
toxicated, "  elevated. "  See  Pom- 
pette. 

En  (popular),  avoir  plein  ses  bottes, 
to  be  tired,  sick   of  a  person  or 


Enbohemer  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  get 
into  low  society. 

Enbonnetdecotonner,  s' — ,  to  be- 
come commonplace  in  manner  or 
way  of  thinking. 

Encaisser  (popular),  un  soufflet,  to 
receive  o  smack  in  the  face,  or 
' '  buck-horse. " 

Encarrade,  /.  (thieves'),  entrance. 
Lourde  d' — ■,  street  door. 

Encarrer  (thieves'),  to  enter,  "to 
prat." 

Encasquer  (thieves'),  to  enter,  oi 
"to  prat." 

Pour  gonfler  ses  valades 
Encasque  dans  un  rade, 
Sert  des  sigues  &  foison. 

ViDOCQ. 

Enceintrer  (popular),  to  make  a 
woman  big  with  child.  Abbrevia- 
tion of  enceinturer,  an  expression 
used  in  the  eighteenth  century. 

Enchetiber  (thieves'),  to  apprehend, 
"to  smug."    See  Piper. 


Encible  (thieves'),  together.  For 
ensemble. 

Enclou6,  m.  (popular),  Sodomist  ^ 
man  without  any  energy.  A  term 
expressive  of  utter  contempt,  and 
an  euphemism  for  a  veiy  coarse 
word.  The  literal  English  ren- 
dering may  be  heard  from  the 
mouths  of  English  workmen  at 
least  a  dozen  times  in  a  lapse  of  as 
many  minutes.  The  French  ex- 
pression might  be  rendered  in  less 
offensive  language  by  "a  snide 
bally  fool." 

Qu'est-ce  qu'il  a  k  m'emmoutarder  cet 
enclou^  de  singe  ?  cria  Bec-Sald. — Zola, 
L'A  ssommotr, 

Enclouer  (popular),  to  take  some 
article  to  the  pawnshop,  "to  put  in 
lug,"  "  to  blue,"  or  "to  lumber." 

Encoliflucheter  (popular),  s' — , 
to  feel  out  of  sorts ;  to  have  the 
"blue  devils.'' 

Encre,  f.  (familiar),  buveur  d' — , 
clerk,  or  "quill-driver." 

Encrotter  (popular),  to  bury, 
Crotte,  mud,  muck. 

Endecher  (popular),  to  get  one  into 
debt.     S' — ,  to  run  into  debt. 

Endormage,  m.  (thieves'),  vol  \ 
r — ,  robbing  a  person  who  has 
been  made  unconscious  by  means  of 
a  narcotic.  The  rogue  who  has 
recourse  to  this  mode  of  despoiling 
his  victim  is  termed  in  English 
slang  "a  drummer." 

Endormeur,  m.,  thief.  See  En- 
dormage. 

Endormi,  m.  (popular),  judge,  or 
"beak." 

Endormir  (thieves'),  to  kill,  "to 
give  one  his  gruel,"  "  to  cook  his 
goose."    See  Refroidir. 

Endos,  m.  (popular),  the  back. 


Endosse — Enganter. 


129 


Endosse,  or  andosse,/  (thieves'), 
shoulder ;  back.  Raboter  1' — ,  to 
beat  black  and  blue.  See  Voie. 
Tapis  d' — ,  shawl. 

Endroguer  (thieves'),  is  said  of  a 
rogue  who  goes  about  seeking  for  a 
"job,"  quserens  quern  devoret. 

Enfant,  m.  (thieves'),  short  crow- 
bar used  by  housebreakers.  Termed 
also  "  Jacques,  Sucre  de  pomme, 
ligolo,  biribi,  dauphin  ;  "  and  by 
English  rogues,  "the  slick,  James, 
jemmy  ;"  strong  box,  or  "peter  ; " 

—  de  la  matte,  one  of  the  confra- 
ternity of  thieves,  or  "family- 
man."  (Popular)  Un  —  de 
choeur,  sugar  loaf.  Un  —  de 
giberne,  soldier's  child.  Un  — 
de  trente-six  p^res,  a  prosti- 
tute's offspring.  (Familiar)  Un  — 
de  la  balle,  an  actor's  child,  or  one 
who  follows  the  same  calling  as  his 

father. 

Enfifre,  m.  (popular),  Sodomist , 
slow  ?iian,  or  "slow  coach." 

Enfigneur,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  Sodomist.  See  Gousse. 

Enfilage,  m.  (thieves'),  arrest. 

E,ii6leT  {popular),  totakered-handed; 
to  have  connection  ;  —  des  briques, 
to  be  fasting,  to  be  "bandied;" 

—  des  perles.     See  Perles.     Se 

-  faire  — ,  to  be  caught  in  the  act  of 
stealing. 
Enflammes,  m.  pi.  (military),  sol- 
diers under  arrest  whose  fondness 
for  the  fair  sex  has  caused  them  to 
delay  their  attendance  at  barracks 
more  than  is  consistent  with  their 
military  duties,  and  has  brought 
them  into  trouble. 

Enflaneller  (popular),  s' — ,  to  take 
a  grog,  "a  nightcap." 

Enflaquer  (thieves'),  to  seize;  to 
apprehend,  "to  smug."  See 
Piper.  J'ai  enflaque  le  bogue 
et  le  morningue  du  pante,  /  laid 


hands  on  the  "cove's "  watch  and 
purse. 

J'ai  nianqud  d'etre  enflaqu^  sur  le  boule- 
vard du  Temple. — Vidocq. 

S' — ,  to  be  ruining  oneself. 

Enfl6e,  /  (thieves'),  bladder;  skin 
which  contains  brandy  or  wine. 

Enfler  (popular),  to  diink,  "  to 
lush."     See  Rincer. 

Enfonce,  ad/,  (familiar),  ruined; 
outwitted,  "done  brown." 

Enfoncer  (familar),  to  outwit  one, 
"  to  do  one." 

Enfonceur,  m.  (familiar),  a  busi- 
ness man  or  financier  who  makes 
dupes;  harsh  critic;  (thieves') 
swindler,  or  "shark;"  —  de 
flancheurs  de  gadin,  rogue  who 
robs  of  their  halfpence  players  at 
the  game  called  "honchon"  (played 
with  a  cork  and  halfpence).  He 
treads  on  one  of  the  coins,  which, 
by  a  skilful  motion  of  the  foot,  re- 
mains in  the  interstices  of  his 
worn-out  shoe.  The  "  business  " 
is,  of  course,  not  a  very  profitable 
one. 

Enfourailler  (thieves'),  to  appre- 
hend, "  to  smug  ;  "  to  imprison, 
"  to  give  the  clinch. "   See  Piper. 

Enfourner  (popular),  to  imprison, 
"  to  give  the  clinch."   See  Piper. 

Enfritner  .^thieves'),  to  peer  into 
one's  face. 

Engage,  ad/,  (gamblers'),  etre  — , 
to  have  lost  heavily  at  some  game. 

Engager  (sporting),  to  enter  a  horse 
for  a  race. 

Engame,  adj.  (thieves'),  enraged ; 
rabid. 

E  nganter  (thieves'),/!?  seize;  to  steal, 
"to  nick."  En  etre  engante,  toiJif 
in  Icfve  with. 

J'ai  fait  par  comblance 
Gironde  larguecap^,  .  .  . 
Un  jour  k  la  Courtille, 
J'm'en  dtais  engant^. 

Vidocq. 


130 


Engerber — Ensecr^ter. 


Engerber  (thieves'),  to  apprehend, 
"  to  smug."  From  gerbe,  a  sheaf 
of  corn.     See  Piper. 

Engluer  (thieves'),  la  cheveche,  to 
arrest  a  gang  of  rogues. 

Engourdi,  m,  (thieves'),  corpse,  or 
"cold  meat." 

Engrailler  (thieves'),  to  catch,  to 
seize  ;  —  I'ornie,  to  catch  a  fowl, 
generally  by  means  of  u,  baited 
hook  (old  cant). 

Je  sais  bien  aquiger  les  luques,  engrailler 
I'ornie. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot.  (/  know 
how  to  prepare  pictures,  to  catch  a/owl.) 

Engrainer  (popular),  to  arnve, 
"  to  crop  up." 

Engraisser  (thieves'),  iin  poupart, 
to  make  preparations  for  a  theft  or 
murder.  Literally  to  fatten  a 
child. 

Engrouiller  (popular),  s' — ,  to  stick 
fast ;  to  be  inert,  without  energy. 

Engueulade,  engueulage,  syno- 
nymous of  Engueulement. 

Engueulement,  m.  (popular),  abuse 
in  any  but  choice  language.  Also 
insults  by  an  abusive  and  scurrilous 
journalist  who '  runs  down  public 
or  literary  men  in  expressions 
strongly  savouring  of  the  gutter. 
Fair  specimens  of  this  coarse  kind 
of  pen  warfare  may  be  found  daily 
in  at  least  one  notorious  Radical 
print,  which  would  be  thought  very 
tame  by  its  habitual  readers  if  it 
had  not  a  ready  stoclc  of  abuse  at 
its  disposal,  the  most  ordinary 
being  voleur,  bandit,  maquereau, 
scelerat,  pore,  traitre,  vendu,  ven- 
tru,  ventripotent,  jouisseur,  idiot, 
cretin,  gateux,  &c.,  &c. 

Enguirlander  (popular),  to  circum- 
vent. 

Enleve,  adj.  (familiar),  spirited. 
Un  article  — ,  un  discours  — , 
spirited  article  or  speech. 


Enlever  (theatrical),  to  play  with 
spirit ;  (general)  —  le  ballon  a 
quelqu'un,  to  kick  one,  "to  root," 
or  "to  land  a  kick."  (Thieves') 
S' — ,  to  be  famished. 

Enleveur  (theatrical),  aetor  who 
plays  in  dashing,  spirited  style. 

Enluminer  (popular),  s'— ,  to  be  in 
the  first  stage  of  intoxication,  or 
"elevated."     See  Sculpter. 

Enluminure,/  (popular),  state  of 
slight  intoxication.  See  Pom- 
pette. 

Ennuyer  (popular),  s'— ,  to  be  on 
the  point  of  death. 

Enplaque,  /  (thieves'),  police, 
"  the  reelers." 

Enquiller  (thieves'),  to  conceal;  — 
une  thune  de  camelotte,  to  secrete 
a  piece  of  cloth  under  one's  dress, 
or  between  one's  thighs.  Also 
to  enter,  ' '  to  prat. " 

J*enquille  dans  sa  cambriole 
Esp^rant  de  renlifler. 

ViDOCQ. 
Enquilleuse,  /,  female  thief  who 
conceals  stolen  property  under  her 
apron  or  between  her  legs.    From 
quille,  leg, 

Enquiquiner  (popular),  to  annoy, 
"to  spur."  Is  also  expressive  of 
scornful  feelings.  Je  vous  enqui- 
quine  !  a  hang  for  you  !  S' — ,  to 
feel  dull. 

Enrayer  (popular),  to  renounce  love 
and  its  pleasures. 

Enrhumer  (popular),  to  annoy  one, 
to  bore  one,  "to  spur."  Termed 
also  "courir  quelqu'un." 

Enrosser  (horse-dealers'),  to  conceal 
the  faults  of  a  horse.  (Popular) 
S' — ,  to  get  lazy,  or  "Mondayish." 

Ensecreter  (showmens'),  to  make  a 
puppet  ready  for  the  show  by  dress- 
ing it  up,  (s'c. 


Enseigne  de  cimetiire — Entrer. 


131 


Enseigne  de  cimetiire,  f, 
(thieves'),  priest,  or  "  devil 
dodger." 

Ensemble,  m.  (artists'),  un  modele 
qui  pose  1' — ,  a  model  who  sits 
pr  the  whole  figure,  that  is,  who 
j^oses  nude. 

Entablement,  m.  (popular),  shoul- 
ders. 

Entailler  (thieves'),  to  kill  one,  "to 
give  one  his  gruel."  See  Re- 
froidir. 

Entame,  f.  (popular),  i  toi  1' —  ! 
you  make  the  first  move  ! 

Entamer  (thieves'),  to  make  one 
speak  ;  to  worm  out  one's  secrets. 
Si  le  roue  veut  entamer  tezigue, 
nib  du  true,  if  the  magistrate 
tries  to  pump  you,  hold  your 
tongue. 

Entauler  (thieves'),  to  enter,  "  to 
prat." 

Entendre  (popular),  de  come,  to 
mistake  a  word  for  another.  N' — 
que  du  vent,  not  to  be  able  to 
make  head  or  tail  of  what  one 
hears. 

Enterrement,  m.  (popular),  apiece 
of  meat  placed  in  a  lump  of  bread, 
or  an  apology  for  a  sandwich  ; 
(familiar)  —  de  premiere  clasSe, 
grand,  but  dull  ceremjmy.  Is  said 
also  of  the  total  failure  of  a  lite- 
rary or  dramatic  production. 

Enterver,  or  entraver  (thieves'), 
to  listen  ;  to  hear ;  to  understand. 
Que  de  baux  la  muraille  enterve  ! 
take  care,  the  walls  have  ears  I  (old) 

Le  rupin  sortant  dehors  vit  cet  6cnt,  il 
le  lut,  mais  il  n'entervait  quefloutiere  ;  il 
demanda  au  ratichon  de  son  village  ce  que 
cela  voulait  dire  mais  il  n'entervait  pas 
mieux  que  sezifere. — I^e  Jargon  de  VA  rgot. 

Entieres,/  pi.  (thieves'),  lentils. 
Entiffer      (popular),      to      enter ; 
(thieves')  to  wheedle  ;  to  adorn. 


Ah  !  si  j'en  d^fouraille, 
Ma  lar^e  j'entiferai. 
J'li  f 'rai  porter  fontange, 
Et  souliers  galuch^s. 

V.  Hugo. 

EntifBe,/     See  Antiffle. 

Entiffler  (thieves'),  to  wheedle ;  to 
walk,  or  "to  pad  the  hooi-"  to 
steal,  "to  nick,"  or  "to  claim." 
See  Grinchir. 

Entonne,  f.  (thieves'),  church. 
Termed  also  "chique." 

Entonnoir,  m.  (popular),  throat,  or 
"  peck-alley  ;"  —  k.  patte,  drink- 
ing glass ;  —  de  zinc,  a  throat 
which  is  proof  against  the  strongest 
spirits. 

Entortille,  adj.  (popular),  clumsy, 
awkward,  gawky. 

Entravage,  m.  (thieves'),  hearing; 
understanding,  "  twigging." 

Entraver  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to 
understand,  "to  twig."  J'en- 
trave  pas  dans  tes  vannes,  /  don't 
take  thai  nonsense  in,  I  am  not  to 
be  humbugged,  "do  you  see  any 
green  in  my  eye  ?  "  J'entrave  pas 
ton  flanche,  /  can't  understand 
what  you  are  at. 

En  traverse,  f.  (thieves'),  at  the 
hulks. 

EntrecSte,  f.  (popular),  de  bro- 
deuse,  piece  of  Brie  cheese. 
(Thieves')  Entrecdte,  sword. 

Entree,  /  (popular),  de  Portugal, 
ridiculous  rider  ;  —  des  artistes, 
anus. 

Entrefilet,  m.  (journalists'),  short 
newspaper  paragraph. 

Entrelarde,  m.  (popular),  «  man 
who  is  neither  fat  nor  thin. 

Entrer  (popular),  aux  quinze- 
vingts,  to  fall  asleep.  Les  Quinze- 
vingts  is  a  government  hospital 
for  the  blind ;  —  dans  la  confrerie 


132 


Entripaill^^Epinards. 


de  Saint-Pris,  to  get  married,  or 
"  spliced  ;"  —  dans  I'infanterie,  to 
be  pregnant ;  — en  tempfite,  ^('_/?j' 
into  a  passion,  ' '  to  lose  one's 
shirt." 
EntTipaill£,  adj.  (popular),  stout, 
with  a  "  corporation  "  in  front. 

Entripailler    (popular),     s' — ,    to 

grow  stout. 

Entroler,  entroller   (thieves'),  to 
carry  away. 

II  mouchailla  des  ornies  de  balle  qui 
morfilaient  du  grenu  en  la  cour ;  alors  il 
ficha  de  son  sabre  sur  la  tronche  Si  une,  U 
I'abasourdit,  la  met  dans  son  gueulard  et 
I'entroUe. — Le  yargan  de  VArgot.  {He 
saw  some  turkey  cocks  which  were  pecking 
at  some  com  in  the  yard  ;  h£  then  cut  one 
over  the  head  with  his  sword,  killed  it, 
put  it  in  his  wallet,  and  carried  it  off.) 

Envelopper  (artists'),  to  draw  the 
sketch  of  a  painting. 

Envoye,  adj.  (familiar),  bien  — ,  u. 
good  hit  1  well  said  1 

Envoyer  (general),  a  la  balan9oire, 
k  loustaud,  i  I'ours,  dinguer,  a 
Chaillot,  to  send  to  the  deuce,  see 
Chaillot ;  —  en  paradis,  to  kill, 
"  to  give  one  his  gruel ;"  —  quel- 
qu'un  aux  pelotes,  to  send  one  to  the 
deuce.  (Thieves')  Envoyer  quel- 
qu'un  i  Niort,  to  say  no  to  one,  to 
refuse;  —  en  parade, /o^///.  (Popu- 
lar and  thieves')  Se  1' — ,  to  eat, 
"  to  grub."    See  Mastiquer. 

Epais,  m.  (players'),  five  and  six 
of  dominoes. 

Epargner  (thieves'),  n' —  le  poitou, 
to  be  careful. 

N'^pargnons  le  poitou, 
Poissons  avec  adresse, 
Messi^res  et  gonzesses. 
Sans  faire  de  regout. 

ViDOCQ. 

Epatage,  m.  (popular).  See 
Epatement. 

Epatamment  (popular),  wonder- 
fully, "stunningly." 


Epatant,  Spatarouflant,  adj. 
(general),  wonderful ;  wondrous, 
"  stunning,"  "  crushing." 

Epate,  /.  (general),  faire  de  1' — , 
to  show  off. 

Epatement,  m.  (general),  as- 
tonishment. 

Epater,  epataroufler  (general), 
quelqu'un,  to  astound  one,  to  make 
him  wonder  at  something  or  other. 

Epateur,  m.,  epateuse,  /.  (gene- 
ral), one  who  shows  off ;  one  who 
tries  to  astound  people  by  showing 
off. 

Epaule,  f.  (general),  changer  son 
fusii  d' — ,  to  alter  one's  opinion  ; 
to  cnange  one's  mind. 

Ep6e,  /  (popular),  de  Savoyard, 
fisticuffs. 

Epice,  adj.  (general),  at  an  exag- 
gerated price.  C'est  diablement 
— ,  it  is  a  long  price. 


Epicemar,  m.  (familiar),  grocer, 

Epicephale,  m.  (students'),  hat. 
See  Tubard. 

Epicer  (popular), /ff  ico^ a/;  to  de- 
ride. 

Epicerie,  /  (artists'),  the  world  of 
Philistines,  "non  digni  intrare." 

Epice-vinette,  m.  (thieves'), 
grocer. 

Epicier,  m.  (familiar),  man  devoid 
of  any  artistic  taste  ;  mean,  vulgar 
man;  termed  also ' '  commer9ant;" 
(students')  one  who  does  not  take 
up  classics  at  college, 

Epiler  (popular),  se  faire  —  la 
p6che,  to  get  shaved. 

Epinards  (artists'),  plat  d'— , 
painting  where  tones  of  crude 
green  predominate.  (Popular) 
AUer  aux  — ,  to  receive  money 
from  a  prostitute. 


Epmgle—Esbrouffeuse. 


133 


Epingle.y^  (popular),  avoir  une  — 
a  son  col,  to  have  a  glass  ofvnne 
waiting  ready  poured  out  for  one 
at  a  neighbouring  wine-shop,  and 
paid  for  by  a  friend. 

Epiploon,  m.  (students'),  necktie. 

Epitonner  (thieves'),  s' — ,  to  grieve, 

Epointer  (popular),  son  foret,  to 
die,  "to  kick  the  bucket,"  or 
"  to  snuiT  it."  See  Casser  sa 
pipe. 

Eponge,  f.  (general),  paramour; 
drunkard,  or  "lushington  ;"  — a 
%oVases,  gullible  man,  "gulpin;" 
—  d'or,  attorney,  or  ' '  green  bag. " 
An  alhision  to  the  long  bills  of 
lawyers. 

Epouifer  (thieves'),  to  pounce  on 
one. 

Epouse,/  (familiar),  edition  beige, 
mistress,  or  "  tartlet." 

Epouser  (thieves'),  la  camarde,  to 
die,  "to  croak;"  —  la  fourcan- 
diere,  or  la  fauconniere,  to  throw 
away  stolen  property  when  pur- 
sued;  —  la  veuve,  to  be  executed. 

Eprouve,  m.  (thieves'),  well-be- 
haved convict  who,  after  having 
"done  half  his  time,"  is  recom- 
mended for  a  ticket-of-leave. 

Equerre,/  (popular),  fendre  son — , 
to  run  away,  "to  make  tracks." 
See  Patatrot. 

Erailler  (thieves'),  to  kill  one,  "  to 
cook  his  goose."    See  Refroidir. 

Ereintement,  m.  (familiar),  J^?^, 
unfriendly  criticism. 

Ereinter  (familiar),  to  run  down  a 
literary  work  or  a  literary  man ; 
to  hiss  an  actor,  "  to  give  the  big 
bird." 

Ereinteur,  m.  (familiar),  scurrilout 
or  sharp  critic. 


Erene  (popular),  exhausted,  spent, 
done  lip,  "gruelled." 

Ergot,  m.  (popular),  se  fendre  1' — , 
to  run  away,  "to  make  tracks." 
See  Patatrot. 

Erlequin  (Breton),  frying-pan  fo// 
frying  pancakes. 

Ernest,  m.  (journalists'),  official 
communication  from  official  quar- 
ters to  the  press. 

Erreur,_/;  Y  a  pas  d' —  !  a  Parisian 
expression  used  in  support  of  an 
assertion. 

Y  a  pas  d'erreur,  va ;  j'suis  un  homme, 
Uq  chouett',  un  zig,  un  rigolo. 

Gill. 

Ervoanik  plouilio  (Breton),  death. 

Es,  m.  (popular),  for  escroc, 
swindler,  or  "shark." 

Esballonner(popular),^«  slip  away, 
"to  mizzle."     See  Patatrot. 

Esbigner  (popular),  s' — ,  to  slip 
away,  "to  mizzle."  See  Pata- 
trot. 

Esblinder  (popular),  to  astound. 

Esbloquant,  adj.  (popular),  as- 
tounding. 

Esbloquer  (popular),  to  astound, 
S' — ,  to  feel  astonished.  Ne  vous 
esbloquez  done  pas  comme  ca,  do 
not  be  so  astonished,  keep  coot. 

Esbrouf  (thieves'),  d' — ,  all  at 
once;  violently  ;  by  surprise. 

D'esbrouf  je  I'estourbis.— Vidocq.     (/ 
suddenly  knacked  him  over  the  head.) 

Esbroufe,  esbrouffe,  coup  i  1' — . 
See  A  I'esbrouife. 

EsbrouffeUT,  m.  (thieves'),  thief 
who  practises  the  kind  of  theft 
called"Vo\  k  l'esbrouffe''(which 
see). 

Esbrouffeuse,  /,  ^asA  girl  whc 
makes  much  fuss. 


134 


Escaff- — Esquinter. 


Escaff,  m.  (pcipular),  kick  in  the 
breech, 

Escaffer  (popular),  to  give  akick  in 
the  breech,  "  to  root,"  or  "  to  land 
a  kick." 

Escanne,  /  (thieves'),  \  1'—, 
away  !  and  the  devil  take  the  hind- 
most, 

E  scanner  (thieves'),  to  run  away, 
or  "  to  make  beef."  See  Pata- 
trot. 

Escarcher  (thieves'),  to  look  on, 
"to  pipe." 

Escare,yC  (thieves'),  impediment ; 
obstacle  ;  disappoiritment, 

E  scaler  (thieves'),  to  prevent. 

Escareur  (thieves'),  one  who  pre- 
vents. 

Escargot,  m.  (popular),  slow,  dull 
man,  or  "  stick  in  the  mud  ;" 
vagrant ;  —  de  trottoir,  police 
officer,  or  "  crusher."  See  Pot-4- 
tabac.  (Military)  Escargot,  man 
with  his  tent  when  campaigning, 

Escarpe,  m.  (thieves'),  thief  and 
murderer  ;  —  zezigue,  suicide, 

Escarper  (thieves'),  to  kill.  See 
Refroidir,  Escarper  un  zigue  k  la 
capahut,  to  kill  a  thief  in  order  to 
rob  him  of  his  booty, 

Escarpin,  m.  (popular),  de  Limou- 
sin, or  en  cuir  de  brouette, 
wooden  shoe ;  —  renifleur,  leaky 
shoe. 

Escarpiner  (popular),  s' — ,  to 
escape  nimbly  ;  to  give  the  slip. 

Escarpolette,/.  (theatrical),  prac- 
tical joke;  an  addition  made  to  a 
part, 

Escaver  (thieves').     See  Escarer. 

Esclot^  m.  (popular),  wooden  shoe. 

Escouade,  f.  (military),  envoyer 
chercher  le  parapluie  de  1' — ,  to 


get  rid  of  a  person  whose  presence 
is  not  desired  by  sending  him  on  a 
fool's  errand, 

Escoutes,  or  6coutes,  f  pi. 
(thieves'),  ears,  or  "hearing 
cheats." 

Escrime,  m.  (military),  clerk, 
"  quill-driver." 

Esganacer  (thieves'),  to  laugh. 

Esgard,  or  egard,  m.  (thieves'), 
faire  1' — ,  to  rob  an  accomplice  of 
his  share  of  the  plunder.  The 
author  of  this  kind  of  robbery  goes 
among  his  English  brethren  by 
the  name  of  "  Poll  thief." 

Esgour,  adj.  (thieves'),  lost. 

Esgourde,  esgouverne,  es- 
gourne,  /  (thieves'),  ear,  or 
"hearing  cheat."  Debrider  1' — , 
to  listen. 

Espagnol,  m.  (popular),  louse. 

Espalier,  m.  (theatrical),  a  number 
of  female  supernumeraries  drawn 
up  in  line. 

Espece,  f.  (familiar),  woman  of 
questionable  character. 

Esprit,  m.  (familiar),  des  braves, 
brandy. 

Esque,  m.     See  Esgaid. 

Esquinte,  m.  (thieves'),  abyss. 
Vol  ^  1' — ,  burglary,  "panny," 
"screwring,"  or  "busting." 

Esquintement,  m.  (general),  ex- 
cessive fatigue;  (thieves')  bur- 
glary, or  "busting." 

Esquinter  (familiar),  to  damage; 
to  fatigue  ;  (popular)  to  thrash; 
see  Voie;  (thieves')  to  kill; 
see  Refroidir;  to  break.  La 
carouble  s'est  esquintee  dans  la 
serrante,  the  key  has  been  broken  in 
the  lock.  (Familiar)  S' — ,  or  s'— 
le  temperament,  to  tire  oneself 
out. 


Esquinteur — Eteignoir. 


135 


Esquinteur  (thieves'),  .4o«««^?'OT,5«r, 


"panny-man, 
"buster." 


screwsman,    or 


Essayer  (theatrical),  le  tremplin, 
to  act  in  an  unimportant  play, 
which  is  given  as  a  preliminary  to 
a  more  important  one ;  to  be  the 
first  to  sing  at  a  concert.  (Sol- 
diers') Envoyer  —  une  chemise 
de  sapin,  to  kill. 

Essence,/;  (general),  de  parapluie, 

water. 
Esses  (popular),  faire  des   — ,   to 

reel  about. 
Essuyer  (familiar),  les  platres,  to 

kiss  the  face  of  a  female  xvhose 

cheeks  are  painted. 

Essuyeuse,/!  (familiar),  de  platres, 
street-walker.     See  Gadoue. 

Estable,/.  (thieves'), /oa//,  "bea- 
ker." 

Estaffier,  vt.  (familiar),  police 
officer;  (thieves')  cat. 

Estaffin,  7n.  (popular),  cat. 

Estafiion,  m.  (popular),  blow  on 
the  head,  "bang  on  the  nut;" 
(thieves')  cat, ' '  long-tailed  beggar. " 

Estafiler  (military),  la  frimousse, 
to  cut  one's  face  with  a  sword. 

Estafon,  m.  (old  cant),  capon. 

Estampiller  (thieves'),  to  mark; 
to  show  (in  reference  to  the  hour). 
Luysard  estampillait  six  plombes, 
it  was  six  o'clock  by  the  sun. 

Estaphe,/.  (popular),  slap. 

Estaphle,  /.  (thieves'),  fowl, 
"beaker,"  or  "cackling  cheat." 

Estime  (familiar),  succes  d' — ,  a 
douJitful  success. 

Estio,  estoc,  m.  (thieves'),  intellect, 
wit.  11  a  de  1'—,  he  is  clever,  or 
"wide." 


Estomac,  m.  (general),  courage, 
pluck,  ' '  wool. " 

Estomaque,  adj.  (popular),  as- 
tounded, "  flabbergasted." 

Estorgue,  estoque,  f.  (thieves'), 
falsehood.  Chasses  a  1' — ,  squint- 
ing eyes. 

Estourbir  (thieves'.),  to  sthn ;  to 
kill. 

Estourbisseur,  m.  (popular),  de 
clous  de  girofle,  dentist. 

Estrada,/;  (thieves'),  boulevard. 

Le  filant  sur  I'estrade 
D'esbrouf  je  I'estourbis. 

ViDOCQ. 

Estrangouillade,  /  (popular),  the 

act  of  strangling  or  gai-rotting  a 

man. 
Estrangouiller       (popular),       to 

strangle ;  —  un  litre,  to  drink  a 

litre  of  wine. 

Estropier  (popular),  to  eat,  "  to 
grub. "     Properly  to  maim. 

Estuque,  m.  (thieves'),  share  of 
booty,  or  ' '  regulars. " 

Estuquer  (popular),  to  thrash,  "  to 
wallop. " 

Etagfere,  f.  (general),  female  as- 
sistant at  restaurants  who  has  the 
charge  of  the  fruit,  Qi'c.  ;  bosom. 

Etal,  m.  (popular),  bosom. 

Etalage,  m.  (general),  vol  a  1' — , 


Etaler  (familiar),  sa  marchandise, 
to  wear  a  very  low  dress,  thus 
showing  what  ought  to  remain 
covered, 

Etame,  adj.  (thieves'),  old  offender. 

Boule  de  son  — ,  white  bread. 
Etanche,/  (popular),  avoir  le  gou- 

lot  en  — ,  to  be  thirsty,  or  dry. 
Eteignoir,     m.     (general),     large 

nose,  or  large  "  conk  ;  "  dull  ter- 


136 


Eteindre — Etre. 


son.  Ordre  de  1'—,  Ihe  order  of 
Jesuits.  (Thieves')  Eteignoir, 
prifecture  de  police,  falais  de  jus- 
tice, or  law  courts. 

Eteindre  (popular),  son  gaz,  to 
die,  "to  snufifit." 

Eternuer  (popular),  sur  una  ne- 
gresse,  to  drink  a  bottle  of  wine  ; 
(thieves')  —  dans  le  sac,  or  dans 
le  son,  to  be  guillotined. 

Pauvi-e  petit  Theodore  .  .  .  il  est  bien 
gentil.  C'est  dommage  d'etemuer  dans  le 
son  ^  son  ^ge. — Balzac. 

Etier,  m.,  a  kind  of  treruh  dug  by 
the  salt-marsh  workers. 

Et  le  pouce,  et  mfeche  (popular), 
and  the  rest!  Cette  dame  a 
quarante  ans.  Oui,  et  le  pouce  ! 
This  lady  is  forty  years  of  age. 
Yes,  and  the  rest ! 

Etoffes,  f.  pi.  (thieves'),  money, 
"pieces." 

Etouffage,  m.  (thieves'),  theft,  or 
"  push  ;  "  (popular),  concealment 
of  money  on  one' s  person  ;  stealing 
pa7-t  of  the  stakes  by  a  player  or 
looker-on. 

Etouffe,  m.  (thieves'),  clandestine 
gaming-house. 

Etouffer  (popular),  to  secrete  money 
about  one's  person  ;  —  un  enfant 
de  choeur,  une  negresse,  to  drink 
a  bottle  of  wine  ;  —  un  perroquet, 
to  drink  a  glass  of  absinthe. 

Etouffoir,  m.     See  Etouffe. 

Etourdir  (popular),  to  solicit;  to 
entreat.     Properly  to  make  giddy. 

Etourdissement,  ?«.  (popular),  so- 
liciting a  service, 

Etourdisseur,  m.  (popular),  one 
who  solicits,  who  asks  for  a  service. 

Etrangire,  /  (familiar),  piquer 
1' — ,  to  allow  one's  thoughts  to  wan- 


der from  a  subject,  "to  be  wool 
gathering."  Noble  — ,  silver five- 
f  rani  piece, 

Etrangler  (familiar),  un  perroquet, 
to  drink  a  glass  of  absinthe;  — 
une  dette,  to  pay  off  a  debt. 

Etre  (gay  girls'),  i  la  campagne,  to 
be  confined  at  the  p-ison  of  Saint- 
Lazare  (a  prisonfor  women,  mostly 
street-walkers).  (Popular)  Etre  a 
la  cascade,  to  be  joyous  ;  — al'en- 
terrement,  to  feel  dull ;  —  a  la 
manque,  to  deceive  ;  to  betray ;  — 
a  la  paille,  to  be  half  dead;  —  k 
I'ombre,  to  be  dead ;  to  be  in  pri- 
son; —  a  pot  et  i  feu  avec  quel- 
qu'un,  to  be  on  intimate  terms 
with  one;  —  argente,  to  have 
funds  ;  —  au  sac,  to  have  plenty 
of  mj)ney;  —  bien,  to  be  tipsy,  or 
"  to  be  hoodman ; "  —  bref,  to  be 
short  of  cash;  —  complet,  see 
CoTnplet ;  —  crotte,  to  be  penni- 
less ;  (familiar  and  popular)  — 
dans  le  troisi^me  dessous,  see  Des- 
sous  ;  —  dans  les  papiers  de 
quelqu'un,  to  be  in  one's  conjidence; 

—  dans  les  vignes,  or  dans  la  vigne 
du  Seigneur,  to  be  drunk  ;  —  dans 
ses  petits  souliers,  to  be  ill  at  ease; 

—  de  la  bonne,  to  be  lucky  ;  —  de 
la  fete,  to  be  happy,  lucky ;  —  de 
la  haute,  to  belong  to  the  aristocracy; 
to  be  a  swell ;  —  de  la  paroisse  de 
la  nigauderie,  to  be  simple-minded ; 

—  de  la  paroisse  de  Saint- Jean  le 
Rond,  to  be  drunk,  or  "  screwed ;" 

—  de  la  procession,  to  belong  to  a 
trade  or  profession  ;  —  de  I'F,  see 
F  ;  —  demate,  to  be  old;  —  ie&- 
iows,  to  be  drunk  ;  — duMtiment, 
to  belong  to  a  profession  mentioned  ; 

—  d'un  bon  suif,  to  be  ridiculous 
or  badly  dressed,  to  be  a  "  guy;" 

—  du  14'  benedictins,  to  be  a  fool ; 

—  en  train,  to  be  getting  tipsy,  see 
Sculpter ;  —  exproprie,  to  die, 
see  Casser  sa  pipe ;  —  fort  auba- 
tonnet,   see    Batonnet ;     —  le 


Etrenner — Expert. 


137 


boeuf,  see  Bceuf;  —  paf,  to  be 
drunk,  see  Pompette ;  —  pr^s 
de  ses  pieces,  to  be  hard  up  for 
cash  ;  (sailors')  —  pris  dans  la  ba- 
lancine,  to  be  in  a  fix,  ina^'  hole ; " 

—  vent  dessus  or  vent  dedans,  to 
bedrunk,  see  Pompette;  (thieves') 
^-  sur  la  planche,  to  be  had  up  be- 
fore the  magistrate ;  —  bien  por- 
tant,  to  be  at  large ;  —  dans  la 
puree,  —  fauche,  —  nolle,  to  be 
penniless;  (bullies')  —  sur  le  sable, 
to  be  without  means  of  existence, 
that  is,  without  a  mistress.  (Fami- 
liar) En  — ,  to  be  a  spy  or  detec- 
tive ;  to  be  a  Sodomist. 

Etrenner  (general),  to  receive  a 
thrashing,  "to  get  a  drubbing." 
See  Voie. 

Etriers,  m.  pi.  (cavalry),  avoir  les 

—  trop  courts  is  said  of  a  man 
with  bandy  legs. 

Etrillage,  m.  (popular),  loss  oj 
money. 

Etriller  (general),  to  fleece,  "  to 
shave." 

Etroite,  /  (popular),  faire  1' — ,  to 
be  affected,  or  "high  falutin  ;"  to 
play  the  prude. 

Etron  de  mouche,  m.  (thieves'), 
wax,  conveniently  used  for  taking 
the  impress  of  keyholes. 

Etjrusque,  adj.  (familiar),  old-fas- 
hioned. 

Et  ta  soeur  (popular),  expression  of 
refusal,  disbelief,  or  a  contemptuous 
reply  to  insulting  words. 

Une  fille  s'ftalt  enipoignie  avec  son 
amant,  ^  la  porte  d'un  bastringue,  Tappe- 
lant  sale  mufe  et  cochon  malade,  tandis  que 
I'amant  r^p^tait,  "  et  ta  sffiur?"  sans 
trouver  autre  chose. — Zola, 

Etudiant  de  la  grfeve,  m.  (popu- 
lar), mason. 

Etndiante,  /  (familiar),  student's 
mistress,  his  "  tartlet." 


Etui,  m.  (popular),  shin, or:  "huS;" 
—  k  lorgnette,  cojin.  (Soldiers') 
Etuis  de  mains  courantes,  boots. 

Evanouir  (popular),  s' — ,  to  make 
off,  or  "  to  bunk  ;"  to  die.  See 
Pipe. 

Evanouissement,  m.  (popular), 
flight. 

Evaporer  (popular),  to  steal  ad- 
roitly. S' — ,  to  vanish,  "  to  miz- 
zle." 

Eventail  k  bourrique,  m.  (popu- 
lar), stick,  or  "  toco." 

Eventrer  une  negresse  (popular), 
to  drink  a  bottle  of  wine. 

EvSque  de  catnpagne,  m.  (popu- 
lar), a  hanged- person.  From  the 
expression,  Benir  des  pieds,  to  be 
hanged,  and  properly  to  bless  with 
one's  feet. 

Ever  goad  he  vugale  (Breton), 
drunkard.  Literally  drinker  of 
his  children's  blood. 

Exbalancer  (thieves'),  to  send  one 
away  ;  to  dismiss  him. 

Excellent  bon,  m.  (familiar), 
young  dandy. 

Ex6cuter  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  comply 
with  a  request ;  to  fulfil  one' s  pro- 
mise ;  to  pay  unwillingly  rather 
than  otherwise. 

Exhiber  (cads'),  to  look  at,  "to 
pipe."  Nib  de  flanche,  on  t'ex- 
hibe,  stop  your  game,  they  are  look- 
ing at  you.  Exhiber  son  prussien, 
to  run  away. 

Exhum6,  m.  (familiar),  swell, 
"masher."  An  allusion  to  the 
cadaverous  appearance  of  most 
French  "mashers."  See  Gom- 
meux. 


138 


Expliquer — Facturier. 


Expliquer'  (military  and  popular), 
s' — ,  to  fight  a  duel ;  to  fight. 

Sauf  el'  bandeau 
Qu'a  s'coir  chaqu'  fois  su'  I'coin  d'la  hure, 
Apres  qu'  nous  nous  somm's  expliqu^s, 
C'est  pas  qu'  j'aim'  y  taper  dans  I'nez  ; 
J'hai  ga ;  c'est  cent'  ma  nature. 

Gill,  La  Muse  &  Bihi. 

Extra,  m.  (popular),  good  dinner ; 
guest  at  a  military  mess, 

Extrait   de  garni,  vi.    (popular), 
dirty  servant ;  slattern. 


Extravagant,  m.  (popular),  ^/sw  o/^ 
beer  of  unusual  size,  "  galopin  '^ 
being  the  appellation  for  a  small 
one.  The  latter  term  is  quite  re- 
cent as  used  with  the  above  signi- 
fication. According  to  the  Diet. 
Comique  it  meant  formerly  a  small 
measure  for  wine : — 

Galopin,  c'est  une  petite  mesure  de  vin,. 
ce  qu'on  appelle  k  Paris  un  demi-setier. — 
Le  Roux, 


F,  etre  de  1' —  (popular),  that  is,  etre 
fichu,  flambe,  foutu,  fricasse,  frit, 
fume,  to  be  lost,  ruined,  "  cracked 
up,"  "gone  to  smash." 

Fabricant,  m.  (popular),  de  cul- 
butes,  or  de  fourreaux,  tailor, 
"  rag-stabber."  Je  me  suis  carm^ 
d'une  bath  pelure  chez  le  —  de 
culbutes,  I  have  bought  a  fine  coat 
at  the  tailor's. 

Fabrication,/  (thieves'),  passer  i 
la  — ,  or  etre  fabrique,  to  be  appre- 
hended.    Faire  passer  i  la  — ,  to 


Fabriquer  (thieves'),  to  apprehend, 
"  to  smug ;"  to  steal,  "  to  claim  ;" 
—  un  gas  a  la  flan,  a  la  rencontre, 
or  ^  la  dure,  to  rob  from  the  person 
with  violence,  "  to  jump  ;"  —  un 
poivrot,  to  rob  a  drunkard. 

Fa9ade,  f.  (popular),  head,  or 
"  jmt ;"  face,  ot  "  mwg."  (Co- 
cottes'j  Se  faire  la  — ,  to  paint  one's 
face,  in  other  words,  "  to  stick 
slap  "  on  one's  face. 


Face,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'),  « 
sou. 

Je  ne_  donnerais  pas  une  face  de  ta  sor- 
bonne  si  Ton  tenait  I'argent.  —Balzac. 

Face  du  Grand  Turc,  the  behind. 

Face  !  an  exclamation  iised  when  a- 
smash  of  glass  or  crockery  is  heard, 
the  word  being  the  French  render- 
ing for  the  exclamation  "heads  !" 
at  pitch  and  toss. 

Facile  h.  la  detente  (popular),  is 
satd  of  one  who  readily  settles  ce 
debt,  or  opens  the  strings  of  his 
purse. 

Factionnaire,  m.  (popular),  poser 
un  — ,  to  ease  oneself.  Relever 
un  — ,  to  slip  out  of  a  workshop  in 
order  to  go  and  drink  u.  glass  of 
wine  kept  ready  by  a  comrade  at  a 
neighbouring  wine-shop. 

Facturier,  m.  (theatrical),  one  whose 
spkialitiis  to  produce  songs  termed 


Fadage — Fafiot. 


139- 


"  couplets  de  facture,  ^'  for  the  stage 
or  music  halls. 

Fadage,  m.  (thieves'),  the  act  of 
sharing  the  plunder,  or  "cutting 
it  up." 

Fadard,ai^'.a«(^»«.(popular),i/aK(^, 
or  "  gorger."  For  synonyms  see 
Gommeux. 

Fade,  m.  (popular),  a  fop  or  empty 
rwell,  a  "  dundreary  ; "  one^s  share 
in  the  reckoning,  or  "  shot ; "  a 
•workman's  wages.  Toucher  son 
— ,toreceiveone' swages.  (Thieves') 
7aie,arogue's  share  in  the  proceeds 
of  a  robbery,  or  ' '  whack ; "  money, 
or  "pieces." 

Fuisque  je  ne  I'ai  plus,  elle,  pas  plus  que 
je  n'ai  du  fade,  Chariot  peut  aiguiser  son 
couperet,  je  ne  regrette  plus  ma  tete. — 
Mimoires  de  Mtmsieur  Claude. 

Fade,  adj.  (popular),  drunk,  or 
"  screwed."  See  Pompette. 
Etre  bien  — ,  to  be  quite  drunk,  or 
"  scammered  ;"  to  have  received  a 
good  share ;  to  be  well  treated  by 
fate.  Is  used  also  ironically  or 
sorrowfully :  Me  voila  bien  —  ! 
a  bad  job  for  me  !  Here  I  am  in  a 
fine  plight!  (Thieves')  Etre  — , 
to  have  received  one's  share  of  ill- 
gotten  gains ;  to  have  had  on^s 
"whack." 

Fader  (thieves'),  to  divide  the  booty 
among  the  participators  in  d  rob- 
bery, "  to  nap  the  regulars,"  or 
"to  cut  up." 

Fadeurs,  f.  pi.  (popular),  des  —  ! 
nonsense!  "all  my  eye!"  Con- 
cerning this  English  rendering  the 
supplementary  English  Glossary 
says  :  "  All  my  eye,  nonsense,  un- 
true. Sometimes  'AU  my  eye 
and  Betty  Martin.'  The  explana- 
tion that  it  was  the  beginning  of  a 
prayer,  'O  mihi  beate  Martine,' 
will  not  hold  water.  Dr.  Butler, 
when  headmaster  of  Shrewsbury, 
.  .  .  told  his  boys  that  it  arose 


from  a  gipsy  woman  in  Shrews- 
bury named  Betty  Martin  giving 
a  black  eye  to  a  constable,  who 
was  chaffed  by  the  boys  accor- 
dingly. The  expression  must 
have  been  common  in  1837,  as. 
Dickens  gives  one  of  the  Brick 
Lane  Temperance  testimonials  as 
from  '  Betty  Martin,  widow,  one 
child,and  one  eye.' — Pickimck,t^. 
xxxiii." 

Fafelard,  m.  (thieves'),  passport  ;• 
bank  note,  or  ' '  soft ; "  —  a  la 
manque,  forged  note,  or  "  queer 
soft ; "  —  d'embaliage,  warrant 
of  arrest. 

Faffe,  m.  (thieves'),  paper ;  —  i. 
roulotter,  cigarette  paper ;  bank 
note,  or  "  soft." 

Fafiot,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
document,  or  "fakement;"  shoe,. 
or  "  trotter  case."  See  Ripaton. 
Fafiot,  bank  note,  or  "  soft." 

Fafiot !  n'entendez-vous  pas  le  bruisse- 
ment  du  papier  de  sole  ? — Balzac. 

Fafiot  garate,  banknote,  or  "  soft."' 
.  An  allusion  to  the  signature  of  the 
cashier  M.  Garat,  which  notes  of 
the  Banque  de  France  formerly 
bore. 

On  invente  les  billets  de  banque,  le  bagne 
les  appelle  des  fafiots  garates,  du  nom  de- 
Garat,  le  caissier  qui  les  signe. — Balzac. 

Un  —  en  bas  &ge,  a  one  hundred' 
franc  note.  Un  —  femelle,  a  five 
hundred  franc  note.  Un  —  lof,. 
a  false  begging  petition  ;  forged' 
certificate,  orfalse passport,  "fake- 
ment." Un  —  mSle,  a  one  thou- 
sand franc  note. 
Le  billet  de  mille  francs  est  un  fafiot. 

male,  le  billet  de  cinq  cents  francs  un  fafiot 

femelle. — Balzac. 

Un  —  sec,  a  genuine  certificate  or 
passport.      Fabriquer  des  fafiots, 

or  du  fafelard  i  la  manque,  to- 
forge  bank  notes,  "to  fake  queer 

soft." 


I40 


Fafioteur — Faire. 


Fafioteur,  m.  (thieves'),  paper 
manufacturer  or  merch  ant;  banker, 
"  rag-shop  boss  ;"  wraf^r;  (popu- 
lar) cobbler,  or  ' '  snob." 

Faflard.     See  Fafelard. 

Fagaut  (thieves'),  the  vi^ord  faut 
disguised.  II  ne  —  degueularder 
sur  sa  fiole,  we  must  say  nothing 
about  him. 

Fagot,  cotteret,  or  falourde,  m. 

(thieves'),  convict,  probably  from 
his  being  tied  up  like  a  bundle  of 
sticks.  Un  —  i  perte  de  vue, 
one  sentenced  to  penal  servitude  for 
life,  or  ' '  lifer. "  Un  —  affranchi, 
a  liberated  convict,  or  ' '  lag."  Un 
— encampe,  an  escaped  felon.  (Fa- 
miliar) Un  — ,  a  candidate  for  the 
Ecole  des  Eaux  et  Forks,  a  govern- 
ment training  school  for  surveyors 
of  State  forests  and  canals. 

Fagotin,  m.  (popular),  vagrant, 
tramp,  "  abraham  -  man, "  or 
"piky." 

Faiblard,  m.  (popular),  sicMy  look- 
ing, weak  person.  Called  in  Eng- 
lish slang  "  barber's  cat,"  a  term 
used  in  connection  with  an  expres- 
sion too  coarse  to  print,  according 
to  the  Slang  Dictionary. 

Faignant,  m.  (popular),  coward. 
A  corruption  of  faineant,  idle 
fellow. 

Failli  chien,  m.  (sailors'),  scamp. 
Un  —  de  terrien,  a  lubberly  lands- 
man. 

Le  bateau  va  comme  en  riviere  une  gabarre. 

Sans  personne  au  compas,  et  le  mousse  k  la 
barre, 

II  faudrait  n'Stre  qu'un  failli  chien  de  ter- 
rien, 

Pour  geindre  en  ce  moment  et  se  plaindre 
de  rien, 

RiCHEPIN,  La  Mer. 

Faine,y;  (popular),  a  sou. 
Fainin,  m.  (popular),  a  centime. 


Faire  (general),  to  steal,  "  to  prig.'' 
See  Grinchir. 

Non  qu'ils  d^oursent  rien  pour  entrer,  car 

lis  font 
Leur  contre-marque  aux   gens    qui   sor- 
tent.  .  .  . 
RlCHEPlM,  La  Chansoit  des  Gueux. 

Faire  son  nez,  to  look  crestfallen, 
to  look  "  glum  ;  "  -^  son  beurre, 
to  benefit  by ;  to  make  profits. 

II  m'a  assur^  que  le  gdn^ral  de  Carpen- 
tras  avait  plus  de  quatre  millions  de  rente, 
Je  ^agne  bien  de  I'argent,  moi,  mais  je 
ferais  bien  mon  beurre  avec  ga. — E.  Mon- 

TEIL. 

(Thieves')  Faire  banque,  to  kill, 
see  Refroidir ;  —  un  poivrot,  to 
pick  the  pockets  or  steal  the  clothes 
ofadrunken  »««■«,  "bug-hunting;" 

—  des  yeux  de  hareng,  to  put  a 
man's  eyes  out;  —  flotter  un  pante, 
to  drown  one;  —  du  ragoiit  or 
regout,  to  talk  about  another's  ac- 
tions, and  thus  to  awaken  the  sus- 
picions of  the  police. 

Ne  _  fais  pas  du  ragoflt  sur  ton  dab  ! 
(n'€veille  pas  les  soupcons  sur  ton  mahre !) 
dit  tout  bas  Jacques  Collin. — Balzac. 

Faire  la  balle  ^lastique,  to  go  with 
an  empty  belly,  "  to  be  bandied." 
Literally  to  be  as  light  as  an 
india-rubber  ball ;  —  la  console, 
or  consolation,  one  of  a  series  of 
card-sharping  games,  termed  as 
follows,  "  arranger  les  pantres," 
or  "  bonneteau,  '  "un  coup  de 
bonnet,"  or  "  parfaite,"  "  flam- 
botte  auxrotins,"  or  "anglaise  ;" 

—  la  bride,  to  steal  watch-guards, 
"  to  buz  slangs ; "  —  la  fuite,  la 
jat  jat,  la  paire,  le  patatrot,  faire 
eric,  faire  vite,  to  run  away,  "  to 
make  beef,  or  to  guy. "  See  Pata- 
trot. Faire  la  grande  soulasse  sur 
le  trimar,  to  murder  on  the  high- 
way ;  —  la  grece,  or  plumer  le 
pantre,  to  entice  a  traveller  from  a 
railway  station  into  a  cafe,  when 
he  is  robbed  of  his  money  at  a 
swindling  game  of  cards ;  —  la 
retourne  des  baguenaudes,  to  pick 


Faire. 


141 


ike  pockets  of  a  helpless  man,  "  to 
fake  a  cly  ; "  —  la  souris,  lo  rob 
stealthily,  "  to  nip  ; "  —  la  tire, 
to  pick  pockets,  generally  by  means 
of  a  pair  of  scissors  delicately  in- 
serted, or  a  double-bladed  pen- 
knife, "  to  fake  a  cly  ;  "  —  la  tire 
a  la  chicane,  explained  by  quota- 
tion : — 

lis  font  la  tire  i  la  chicane,  en  toumant 
ie  dos  a  celui  qu'ils  d^pouillent. — Du  Ca mp. 

Faire  la  tortue,  to  go  without  any 
food;  —  le  barbot  dans  une  cam- 
brioUe,  to  steal  property  from  a 
room,  "to  do  a  crib;"  — lebobe, 
to  steal  watches,  "  toy  getting  ;  " 
—  regard,  to  retain  for  oneself  the 
proceeds  of  a  robbery  ;  —  le  gaf, 
to  watch,  "to  nark,  to  give  a 
roasting,  to  nose,  to  lay,  or  to 
dick ; "  —  le  lezard,  to  decamp, 
"to  guy,"  see  Patatrot ;  —  le 
morlingue,  to  steal  a  purse,  "  to 
buz  a  skin  or  poge  ; "  —  le  mou- 
choir,  to  steal  pocket-handkerchiefs, 
called  "stook  hauling,  fogle  hunt- 
ing, or  drawing  the  wipe ;  "  —  le 
pantre,  to  play  the  fool ;  — le  ren- 
deme  or  rendemi,  to  swindle  a 
tradesman  by  picking  up  again 
from  his  counter  a  gold  coin  ten- 
dered for  payment,  and  making  off 
with  both  coin  and  change ;  — 
nonne  is  said  of  accomplices,  or 
"jollies,"  who  form  a  small  crowd 
so  as  to  facilitate  a  thief  s  opera- 
tions ;  —  la  balle  a  quelqu'un,  to 
carry  out  onis  instructions. 
Fais  sa  balle  !  (suis  ses  instructions),  dit 
Fil-de-Soie.— Balzac,  La  Demiere  Incar- 
nation de  Vautrin, 
Faire  son  temps,  to  undergo  a  full 
term  of  imprisonment ;  —  sauter 
la  coupe,  to  place,  by  dexterous 
manipulation,  the  cut  card  on  the 
top,  instead  of  at  the  bottom  of  the 
pack,  termed  by  English  card- 
sharpers  "  slipping  ; "  —  suer  un 
chene,  to  kill  a  man,  "  to  cook 
his  goose."   See  Refroidir.  Faire 


sur  I'orgue,  to  inform  against,  "  to 
blow  the  gaff;"  —  un  coup  a 
I'esbrouffe,  to  pick  a  person's 
pockets  while  hustling  him,  "  to 
flimp;"  —  un  coup  d'etal,  to 
steal  property  from  a  shop.  A 
shoplifter  is  termed  in  English 
cant  "buttock  and  file;"  — ira 
coup  de  fourchette,  to  pick  a  pocket 
by  delicately  inserting  two  fingers 
only;  —  coup  de  roulotte,  to 
steal  property  from  a  vehicle  ;  — 
un  rancart,  to procureinformation  ; 

—  une  maison  entiere,  to  break 
into  a  house  and  to  massacre  all 
the  inmates ;  (artists')  —  chaud, 
to  use  warm  tints  in  a  painting, 
after  the  style  of  Rembrandt  and 
other  colourists ;  —  culotte,  — 
roti,  comparative  and  superlative 
of  faire  chaud ;  —  cru,  to  use  crude 
tints  in  a  picture,  for  instance, 
to  use  blue  or  red  without  any  ad- 
junction of  another  colour ;  — 
cuire  sa  toile,  to  employ  very  warjn 
tints  in  the  painting  of  a  picture  ; 

—  transparent,  to  paint  in  clair 
obscur,  or  "chiaro  oscuro ;"  — 
lanteme,  to  exaggerate  the  "  chiaro 
oscuro;"  —  grenouillard  or 
croustillant,  to  paint  in  masterly, 
bold,  dashing  style,  with  "brio." 
The  expression  is  used  also  in 
reference  to  the  statuary  art.  The 
works  of  the  painter  Delacroix 
and  those  of  the  sculptor  Preault 
are  executed  in  that  style ;  —  sa 
cimaise  sur  quelqu'un.  See  Ci- 
maise.  Faire  un  petard,  <o /azW 
a  sensational  picture  for  the  Salon. 
The  Salomi  of  H.  Regnault,  his 
masterpiece,  may  be  termed  a 
"  petard  ; "  —  des  crepes,  to 
have  a  grand  jollification,  or 
"flare  up;"  (freemasons')  — 
feu,  to  drini ;  (theatrical)  — 
feu,  to  lay petuliar  stress  on  words; 
(mountebanks')  —  la  manche, 
to  make  a  collection  of  money  among 
the  public,  or  "  nobbing  ; "  (popu- 


T42 


Faire, 


lar)  —  k  la  redresse,  to  set  one 
right,  to  correct  one  ;  —  danser  un 
homrae  sur  une  pelle  k  feu  is  said 
of  a  woman  who  freely  spends  a 
man's  money;  (familiar  and 
popular)  —  brUIer  Moscou,  to 
mix  a  large  bowl  of  punch ;  — 
cabriolet,  to  drag  oneself  along  on 
one's  behind ;  —  cascader,  see 
Cascader ;  —  de  cent  sous 
quatre  francs,  to  squander  one's 
m.oney  ;  —  de  la  musique,  to  m.ake 
audible  remarks  about  a  game 
which  is  proceeding ;  —  de  la 
poussiere,  to  make  a  great  fuss,  to 
show  off;  —  de  I'epate,  to  show 
off_ 

Ces  jeunes  troupiers  font  de  I'epate,  des 
■^embarras  si  vous  aimez  mieux. — ^J,  No- 

■EIAC. 

Faire  du  lard,  to  sleep  ;  to  stay  in 
bed  late  in  the  morning;  —  du 
suif,  to  make  unlawful  profits,  such 
as  those  procured  by  trade  assistants 
who  cheat  their  employers ;  —  faire 
a  quelqu'un  blanc  de  sa  bourse,  to 
draw  freely  on  another's  purse,  to 
live  at  his  expense,  "  to  sponge  " 
on  him;  —  flanelle,  to  visit  a 
brothel  with  platonic  intentions ; 
—  godard,  to  be  starving;  —  la 
place  pour  las  paves  a  ressort,  to 

,  pretend  to  be  looking  for  employ- 
ment with  a  secret  hope  of  not  find- 
ing any  ;  —  la  retape,  or  le  trot- 
toir,  to  be  a  street-walker ;  — 
I'ecureuil,   to  give    oneself  much 

.  trouble  to  little  purpose;  —  le 
plongeon,  to  confess  when  on  the 

_foint  of  death  ;  to  be  ruined,  "to 
be  smashed  up ; "  —  mal,  to  excite 
contemptuous  pity.  Tiens,  tu  me 
fais  mal  !  well,  I  pity  you  !  I  am 
sorry  for  you  !  Faire  passer  le 
goftt  du  pain,  to  kill,  "  to  give 
one  his  gruel ; "  —  patrouille,  to 
go  on  night  revels  with  a  number 
of  boon  companions,  "  to  be  on  the 
tiles." 

Quatre  jours  en  patrouille,  pour  dire  en 
■lolies  bachiques.— Caia)-«^i  de  Paris. 


Faire  peau  neuvcj  to  get  new 
clothes ;  —  petite  chapelle  is  said 
of  a  woman  who  tucks  up  her 
clothes ;  —  pieds  neufs,  to  be  in 
childbed,  or  "in  the  straw;"  — 
pleurer  son  aveugle,  to  void  urine, 
"to  pump  ship. "  See  Lascailler. 
Faire  saluer  le  polichinelle,  to  be 
m.ore  successful  than  others.  An 
allusion  to  certain  games  at  fairs, 
when  a  successful  shy  brings  out 
a  puppet -head  like  a  Jack-in-the- 
box  ;  —  sa  Lucie,  or  sa  Sophie, 
to  play  the  prude,  to  give  oneself 
conceited  or  disdainful  airs  ;  —  sa 
merde,  or  sa  poire,  to  have  self- 
satisfied,  conceited  airs  ;  to  take  up 
an  arrogant  position  ;  assuming  an 
air  of  superiority ;  to  be  on  the 
"  high  jinks; "  —  sa  tata  is  said 
of  a  talkative  person,  or  of  one 
who  assumes  an  air  of  importance  ; 
of  a  girl,  for  example,  who  plays 
the  little  woman;  —  ses  petits 
paquets,  to  be  dying;  —  son  Cam- 
bronne,  an  euphemism  for  a  coarse 
expression,  "faire  sa  merde" 
(which  see) ;  —  son  lezard,  to 
be  dozing  during  the  daytime, 
like  a  lizard  basking  in  the  sun ; 
—  un  boeuf,  to  guillotine ;  to 
give  cards ;  —  suer,  to  annoy; 
to  disgust.  t 

Ainsi,  leur  politique  ext^rieure,  vrai !  5a 
fait  suer  depuis  quelque  temps. — Zola, 
JL'A  ssomtnoir. 

Faire  un  tassement,  or  un  trou, 
to  drink  spirits  in  the  course  of  a 
meal  for  the  purpose  of  getting  up 
a  fresh  appetite,  synonymous  of 
"  faire  le  trou  du  Normand;"  — 
une  femme,  to  succeed  in  finding 
a  woinan  willing  to  give  her 
favours;  —  son  fendant,  to 
bluster  ;  to  swagger ;  to  look  big. 
Ne  fais  done  pas  ton  fendant, 
"come  off  the  tall  grass!"  (an 
Americanism).  Faire  une  entree 
de  ballet,  to  enter  a  room  without 
bowing  to  the  company.  En  —  son 


Faire. 


143 


beurre,  to  put  to  good  use,  to  good 
profit. 

Et,  si  ton  monsieur  est  bien  nipp^,  d^- 
snande-lui  un  vieux  paletot,  j'en  ferai  mon 
beurre. — Zola,  JL^ AssoTnmozr. 

La  —  k  quelqu'un,  to  deceive, 
"  to  bamboozle  "  one.  Faut  pas 
m'la  faire  !  may  be  rendered  by 
"I  don't  take  that  in ; "  "  no  go  ; " 
"  not  for  Joe  ;  "  "do  you  see  any 
green  in  my  eye  ?  "  "  Walker  1" 

Vas-tu  t'  taire,  vas  tu  t*  taire, 
Ccile-lk  faudrait  pas  m'la  faire, 
As-tu  fini  tes  fa9ons  ?  _ 
Celle-lk  nous  la  connaissons  ! 

Parisian  Sonff. 

La  —  a,  to  seek  to  impose  upon  by 
an  affected  shffia  of  some  feigned 
sentiment.  La  —  a  la  pose,  to 
show  off;  to  pose. 

y  pense  malgr^  moi  k  la  gueule  d^gofitee 
que  f  rait  un  dicadent,  ou  un  pessimiste  au 
milieu  de  ce  m^li-melo.  .  - .  Y  nous  la  f 'rait 
diantrement  &  la  pose.— Truelot,  Cri  du 
Peuple,  Sept.,  1886. 

La  —  a  la  raideur,  to  put  on  a 
distant  manner,  to  look  ' '  uppish. " 
La  —  k  I'oseille,  to  treat  one  in 
an  off-hand  manner ;  to  annoy 
one,  or  "to  huff;"  to  play  a 
scurvy  trick ;  to  exaggerate,  "to 
come  it  too  strong."  According 
to  Delvau,  the  origin  of  the  ex- 
pression is  the  following : — A  cer- 
tain restaurant  keeper  used  to 
serve  up  to  her  clients  a  mess  of 
eggs  and  sorrel,  in  which  the 
sorrel  was  out  of  all  proportion 
to  the  quantity  of  eggs.  One  day 
one  of  the  guests  exclaimed  in 
disgust,  "Ah  !  cette  fois,  tu  nous 
la  fais  trop  a  I'oseille  ! "  (Popu- 
lar) Se  —  caramboler  is  said  of 
a  woman  who  gives  her  favours. 

Elle  sentit  tr&s  bien,  malgrf  son  ayachis- 
sement,  que  la  culbute  de  sa  petite,  en 
train  de  se  faire  caramboler,  I'enfongait 
davantage  .  .  .  oui,  ce  chameau  dt^naturd 
lui  emportait  le  dernier  morceau  de  son 
honnetete. — Zola,  L'Assomtjtoir. 


Se  —  relicher,  to  get  kissed. 

Ah  !_  bien  I  qu'elle  se  laiss^t  surprendre 
a  se  faire  relicher  dehors,  elle  dtait  siire  de 
son  affaire.  .  _.  .  Des  qu'elle  rentrait,  .  . .  il 
la  regardait  bien  en  face,  pour  deviner  si  elle 
ne  rap{}ortait  pas  une  souris  sur  I'oeil,  un  de 
ces  petits  baisers. — Zola,  L'Assommoir. 

S'en  —  eclater  le  piritoine,  or 
peter  la  sous-venlri^re,  to  eat 
or  drink  to  excess,  "to  scorf." 
Tu  t'en  ferais  peter  la  sous- 
ventrifere,  or  tu  t'en  ferais  mourir, 
expressive  of  ironical  refusal ;  don't 
you  wish  you  may  get  it?  or,  as 
the  Americans  have  it,  "  Yes,  in 
a  horn. "  Se  —  baiser,  or  choper, 
to  get  abused ;  to  be  apprehended. 
See  Piper.  Se  —  la  debinette,  to 
run  away,  "to  guy,"  "  to  slope.!' 
See  Patatrot.  La  —  belle,  to  be 
happy  ;  to  lead  a  happy  life.  Faire 
des  petits  pains,  du  plat,  or  du 
boniment,  to  eulogize ;  to  try  and 
persuade  one  into  complying  with 
one's  wishes  ;  (military)  —  Suisse, 
to  drink  all  by  oneself  at  a  cafe  or 
wine-shop.  'The  cavalry  maintain 
that  infantry  soldiers  alone  are 
capable  of  so  hideous  an  offence ; 
(printers')  —  banque  bleche,  to 
get  no  pay  ;  (Sodoraists')  —  de  la 
dentelle,  the  explanation  is  fur- 
nished by  the  following  quota- 
tion : — 

Tant6t  se  plagant  dans  une  foule,  .  .  . 
ils  provoquent  les  assistants  derriere  eux 
en  faisant  de  la  dentelle,  c'est  k  dire  en 
agitant  les  doigts  croisds  derriere  leur  dos, 
ou  ceux  qui  sont  devant  k  I'aide  de  la  pous- 
sette,  en  leur  faisant  sentir  un  corps  dur, 
le  plus  souvent  un  long  bouchon  qu'ils  ont 
disposd  dans  leur  pantalon,  de  manifere  il 
simuler  ce  qu'on  devine  et  k  exciter  ainsi 
les  sens  de  ceux  qu'ils  jugent  capables  de 
ccder  k  leur  appel. — Taruieu,  Etude  Me- 
dico-legate sur  les  Attentats  aitx  Mceurs. 

(Card-sharpers')  Faire  le  Saint- 
jean,  to  cough  and  spit  as  a  signal 
to  confederates. 

L'invitation  acceptde,  I'amorceur  fait  le 
Saint-Jean,  c'est-a-dire  qu'atteint  d'une 
toux  subite,  il  se  d^tourne  pour  expectorer 
bruyamment.    A  ce  signal  deux  complices 


144 


Fais — Fam  ilihes. 


se  hatent  de  se  rendre  k  I'endroit  convenu 
d'avance.— Pierre  Delcourt,  Paris  Ve- 
leur. 

Faire  le  saut  de  coupe,  by  dexte- 
rous manipulation  to  place  the  cut 
card  on  the  top,  instead  of  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pack,  "  to  slip  "  a 
card ;  ■ —  la  carte  large,  to  insert  a 
card  somewhat  larger  than  the  rest, 
and  easily  recognizable  for  sharpers' 
eyes,  this  card  being  called  by 
English  sharpers  "old  gentle- 
man ; "  —  le  pont,  cheating  trick 
at  cards,  by  which  any  particular 
card  is  cut  by  previously  curving 
it  by  the  pressure  of  the  hand, 
' '  bridge ;  "  —  le  filage,  to  substi- 
tute a  card  for  another,  ' '  to  slip  " 
it;  —  la  carte  a  I'oeil,  to  prepare 
a  card  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
shall  be  easily  recognized  by  the 
sharper.  English  card-sharpers 
arrange  cards  into  "  concaves 
and  convexes"  and  "longs  and 
snorts.  '■  By  cutting  in  a  peculiar 
manner,  a  "concave"  or  "con- 
vex" is  secured  at  will;  (thieves' 
and  cads')  —  la  jactance,  to  talk; 
to  question,  or  "cross-kid;"  — 
la  bourrique,  to  inform  against, 
"  to  blow  the  gaff."  Le  curieux 
lui  a  fait  la  jactance,  il  a  en- 
trave  et  fait  la  bourrique,  the 
judge  examined  him  ;  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  outwitted,  and 
peached.  Faire  le  saut,  to  leave 
without  paying  for  one's  reckoning. 
Se  —  enfiler,  to  be  apprehended, 
or  "smugged."  See  Piper.  Se 
—  enturer,  to  be  robbed,  sivindled ; 
to  lose  one's  money  at  a  game,  or 
"to  blew  it."  La  —  i  I'anguille, 
to  strike  one  with  an  eelskin  or 
handkerchief  filled  with  sand. 

Ah  !  gredins,  dit-il,  vous  me  I'avezfaite  ^ 
ranguille. .  .  .  L'anguille .  ._.  est  cette  arme 
terrible  des  rfideurs  de  barrifere  qui  ne  four- 
nit  aucune  piece  de  conviction,  une  fois 
qu'on  s'en  est  servi.  Elle  consiste  dans  un 
ttiouchoir  qu'on  roule  apr&s  I'avoir  rempli 
de  terre.  En  tenant  cette  sorte  de  fronde 
par  un  bout,  tout  le  poids  de  la  terre  va  & 


Tautre  extr^mitd  et  forme  une  ma-^se  re- 
doutable.  —  A.  Laurin,  Le  Million  de 
I'Ouvriere. 

Rabelais  has  the  expression  "  don- 
ner  I'anguillade,"  with  the  signi- 
fication of  to  strike.  (Military 
schools')  Faire  une  brimade,  or 
brimer,  to  ill-treat,  to  bully, 
termed  "  to  brock  "  at  Winchester 
School. 

Fais  (popular),  j'y  — ,  /  am  wil- 
ling ;  I  consent. 

Faisan,  m.     See  Bande  noire. 

Faisander  (popular),  se  — ,  of 
persons,  to  grow  old,  to  become 
rickety ;  of  things,  to  be  decayed, 
worn  out,  "  seedy. " 

Faisanderie,y:,  or  bande  noire, 
swindling  gang  composed  of  the 
' '  freres  de  la  c6te,  or  de  la  flotte, " 
denominated  respectively  ' '  grands 
faisans, "  "  petits  faisans,"  "fusil- 
leurs."     See  Bande  noire. 

Faiseur  d'oeil,  m.  (popular),  Love- 
lace. 

Faiseuse  d'anges,  f.  (familiar), 
woman  who  makes  a  living  by 
baby-farming,  or  one  who  procures 
a  miscarriage  by  unlawful  prac- 
tices. 

Faitre,  adj.  (thieves'),  lost;  safe 
for  a  conviction,  "booked,"  or 
"hobbled." 

Falot,  m.  (military),  military  cap. 

Falourde,  /  (thieves'),  a  returned 
transport,  a  "lag;"  (players') 
double  six  of  dominoes ;  (popu- 
lar) —  engourdie,  corpse,  ' '  cold 
meat." 

Falzar,  m.  (popular),  trousers, 
"  kicks,  sit  -  upons,  hams,  or 
trucks."  Sans  —  autour  des 
guiboUes,  without  any  trousers,  or 
with  trousers  in  tatters. 

Familieres,/!  //.,  female  prisoners 
employed  as  assistants  at  the  prison 


Fanal — Fare. 


145 


of  Saint-Lazare,  and  who,  in  con- 
sequence, are  allowed  more  freedom 
than  their  fellow-convicts. 

Fanal,  m,  (popular),  throat,  "gut- 
ter lane."  S'eclairer  le  — ,  to 
drink,  or  "to  wet  one's  whistle." 
See  Rincer.  CoUe-toi  ja  dans 
r — ,  eat  or  drink  that.  Altdrer 
le  — ,  to  make  one  thirsty. 

Ceux-ci  insinuent  que  cette  operation  a 
pour  but  d'alt^rer  le  fanal  et  fie  pousser 
simplement  ^  la  consommation. — P.  Ma- 

HALIN. 

Fanande,  m.  (thieves'),  abbrevia- 
tion of  fanandel,  m.,  comrade,  or 
"pal." 

Via  les  fanand's  qui  tadineat, 
Oh£  I  tas  d'  pochetfs. 

J.  RiCHEPIN. 

Fanandel,  m.  (thieves'),  comrade, 
friend,  "pal." 

Ce  mot  de  fanandel  veut  dire  &  la  fois  : 
fr^es,  amis,  camarades.  Tous  les  voleurs, 
les  forgats,  les  prisonniers  scat  £uiandels. 
— Balzac. 

Faner  (popular).  Mon  verre  se 
iwit,my glass isempty.  (Thieves') 
Fourche  a  — ,  horseman. 

Fanfare,  f.  (popular),  sale  true 
pour  la  —  !  exclamation  of  dis- 
gust, a  bad  look-out  for  us  ! 

Fanfe,/    See  Fauve. 

Fanfouiner  (thieves'),  to  take  snuff. 

Fanfouineur,  m.,  fanfouineuse, 
f.  (thieves'), /^raiTW  who  is  in  the 
habit  of  taking  snuff. 

Fantabosse,  or  fantasboche,  m. 
(military),  infantry  soldier, 
"  beetle-crusher,"  or  "  grabby." 

Fantasia,  f.  (familiar),  noisy  pro- 
ceeding more  brilliant  than  useful. 
An  allusion  to  the  fantasia  of 
Arab  horsemen,  Donner  dans 
la  — ,  to  be  fond  of  noisily  shonuing 
off.  (Popular)  Una  — ,  a  whim, 
or  "fad.* 

Fantassin,  m.  (military),  bolster. 


Faoen  (Breton),  riddle. 

Faraud,  m.  (thieves'),  gentleman, 
"nib  cove." 

Faraude,  /.  (thieves'),  lady,  or 
"  burerk.^' 

Faiaudec,  faraudette,/  (thieves'), 
young  girl,  or  "  lunan." 

Farce,/  (general),  en  avoir  la — , 
to  be  able  to  procure.  Pour  deux 
sous  on  en  a  la  — ,  an  expen- 
diture of  one  penny  will  procure 
it  for  you.  Une  —  de  fumiste,  a 
practical  joke. 

Veut-on  savoir  d'oii  vient  I'origine  de 
cette  locution  :  une  farce  de  fumiste  ?  EUe 
provient  de  la  maniere  d'operer  d'une  bande 
de  voleurs  fumistes  de  profession,  .  .  .  ils 
montaient  dans  les  chemin^es  pour  d^va- 
liser  les  appartements  deserts_  et  en  faire 
sortir  les  objets  les  plus  pr^cieux  par  les 
toits. — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude, 

Farceur,  m.  (artists'),  human  ske- 
leton serving  as  a  model  at  the 
Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts,  or  the  Paris 
Art  School,  thus  called  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  put  to  use  for 
practical  joking  at  the  expense  of 
newcomers. 

Farcher  (thieves'),  for  faucher 
dans  le  pont,  to  fall  into  a  trap  ; 
to  allow  oneself  to  be  duped,  or 
"bested." 

Fard,  m.  (popular),  falsehood,  or 
"  swack  up."  Sans  — ,  without 
humbug,  "all squa.re."  Avoir  un 
coup  de  — ,  to  be  slightly  intoxi- 
cated, or  "elevated."'  See  Pom- 
pette.  (Familiar  and  popular) 
Piquer  un  — ,  to  redden,  to  blush. 
Fard,  properly  rouge.  Termed 
"  to  blow  "  at  Winchester  School. 

Fardach  (Breton),  worthless  people. 

Farder  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
tipsy,  "  to  get  screwed."  For  sy- 
nonyms see  Sculpter. 

Fare,  /,  heap  of  salt  in  salt- 
marshes. 


146 


Farfadet — Faucher. 


Farfadet,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
horse,  or  "prad." 

Far-far,  farre  (popular  and  thieves'), 
quickly,  ill  a  "brace  of  shakes." 

Farfouiller  (popular),  le  —  dans 
le  tympan,  to  whisper  in  one's  ear. 

Fargue,  m,  (thieves'),  load. 

Farguement,  vi.  (thieves'),  load- 
ing; deposition  of  a  witness  Jor 
the  prosecution, 

Farguer  (thieves'),  to  load. 

Si  vous  _6tes  fargu&  de  merchandises 
grinchies  (si  vous  ^tes  charges  de  marchan- 
dises  voltes). — Vidocq. 

Farguer  k  la  dure,  to  pounce  upon 
a  person  and  rob  him,  "  to  jump  " 
him.  II  fagaut  farguer  a  la  dure 
le  gonsares  pour  lui  degringolarer 
son  bobinar^s,  we  must  attack  the 
fellow  to  ease  him  of  his  watch. 

Fargueur,  m.  (thieves'),  man  who 
loads  ;  witness  for  the  prosecution. 

Faridole,  /  (prostitutes'),  female 
companion, 

Faridon,  /.  (popular),  poverty, 
Etre  k  la  — ,  to  be  penniless,  or  a 
' '  quisby, " 

Farineux,  adj,  (popular),  excellent, 
first  class,  "tip  top,  out  and  out, 
clipping,  slap  up,  real  jam,  true 
marmalade,  nap." 

Farnandel,  for  Fanandel  (which 

see). 

Farrago,  m,  (literary),  manuscript 
with  many  alterations  and  correc- 
tions. 

Fassolette,/  (thieves'),  handker- 
chief, "stook,"  or  "madam." 

Fatigue,  /.  (thieves'),  certain 
amount  of  labour  which  convicts 
have  to  do  at  the  penal  servitude 
settlement, 

Faubert,  m,  (marines'),  epaulet. 
Properly  a  mop. 


Faubourg,  m.  (popular),  le  —  souf- 
{ia.nt,the  Faubourg  Saint  Marceau, 
one  of  the  poorer  districts  of  Paris. 
Detruire  le  — k  quelqu'un,  to  give 
one  a  kick  in  the  breech,  "to 
root,"  "  to  hoof  one's  bum,''  or 
"  to  land  a  kick." 

Fauchants,  faucheux,  m,  pi. 
(thieves'),  scissors, 

Fauch6,  adj,  (thieves'),  gtre  — , 
etre  dans  la  puree,  or  etre  molle, 
to  be  penniless,  or  a  "quisby." 
Etre  — ,  to  be  guillotined.  The 
synonyms  are  :  "etre  raccourci, 
6tre  bute,  mettre  la  t6te  a  la  fene- 
tre,  eternuer  dans  le  son,  or  dans 
le  sac,  epouser  la  veuve, jouer  a 
la  main  chaude,  embrasser  Char- 
lot,  nioufionner  son  mufle  dans  le 
son,  tirer  sa  crampe  avec  la  veuve, 
passer  sa  bille  au  glaive,  aller  a 
l'AbbayedeMonte-a-regret,passer 
a  la  voyante,  €tre  mecanise,  etre 
glaive." 

Fauche  -  ardent,  m,  (thieves'), 
snuffers, 

Faucher  (popular),  le  persil,  to  be 
a  street-walker.  (Thieves')  Fau- 
cher, to  deceive,  "  to  best ;  "  to 
steal,  " to  claim.''  For  synonyms 
see  Grinchir.  Faucher,  to  guil- 
lotine.    See  Fauche. 

AussitSt  les  forjats,  les  ex-galeriens,  «- 
Eminent  cette  m^canique  .  .  .  ils  I'appellent 
tout  a  coup  I'Abbaye  de  Monte-k-Regret ! 
lis  ^tudient  Tangle  d€crit  par  le  couperet 
d'acier  et  trouvent  pour  en  peindre  Taction, 
le  verbe  faucher  !— Balzac,  La  Derniere 
Incarnation  de  Vautrin. 

Faucher  dans  le  pont,  to  fall  into 
a  trap ;  —  le  colas,  to  cut  one's 
throat ;  —  le  grand  pre,  to  be 
undergoing  a  term  of  penal  servi- 
tude at  a  convict  settlement.  The 
convicts  formerly  virere  made  to 
work  on  galleys,  the  long  oar 
they  plied  being  compared  to  a 
scythe  and  the  sea  to  a  large 
meadow.   Lesage,  in  his  Gil  Bias, 


Fauchettes — Fern  me. 


H7 


terms  this  "  emoucher  la  mer 
avec  un  eventail  de  vingt  pieds." 
A  more  recent  expression  describes 
it  as  "ecrire  ses  memoires  avec 
une  plume  de  quinze  pieds." 

Fauchettes,  f.  pi.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  scissors. 

Faucheur,  m.  (thieves'),  /Aief  viho 
steals  watch-chains,  "slang  or 
tackle-buzzer  ; "  executioner.  Pro- 
perly reaper.  Rabelais  called 
him  "Rouart,"  or  he  who  breaks 
on  the  wheel ;  (journalists')  dandy. 
From  his  peculiar  gait. 

Faucheux,  m.  (thieves'),  scissors; 
(popular)  man  with  long  thin  legs, 
or  "  daddy  long-legs."  Properly 
afield  spider. 

Fauchon,  m.  (popular),  sword, 
"toasting-fork."  Un  —  de  satou, 
a  wooden  sword. 

Fauchure,  /  (thieves'),  a  cut  in- 
Jlicted  by  some  sharp  instrument 
or  weapon. 

Fauconnier,  m.  (thieves'),  confede- 
rate of  the  proprietor  of  a  gaming- 
hottse. 

Faussante,/  (thieves'),  ^to  name, 
alias. 

Fausse-couche.y!  (popular),  man 
without  any  energy,  a  "  sappy " 
fellow.     Properly  a  miscarriage. 

Fausse-manche,/,  fatigue  jacket 
worn  by  the  students  of  the  mili- 
tary school  of  Saint-Cyr. 

Fauve,  /.  (thieves'),  snuff-box,  or 
"  sneezer." 

Fauvette,/  (thieves'),  i  tete  noire, 
gendarme. 

Faux-col,  m.  (familiar),  head  of  "■ 
glass  of  beer.  Gar9on,  trop  d'faux- 
col  k  la  clef  1  Waiter,  too  much 
head  by  half! 


F6d^re,    m.    (popular),   avoir  un 

—  dans  la  casemate,  or  un  poli- 
chinelle  dans  le  tiroir,  to  be  preg- 
nant, or  "lumpy." 

F&e,f.  (popular  and  thieves'),  love  ; 
young  girl,  or  "titter."  La  — 
n'est  pas  loffe,  the  girl  is  no  fool. 
Gaffine  la  — ,  look  at  the  girl, 
"nark  the  titter." 

Feesant,  m.  (thieves'),  lover.  From 
fee,  love. 

Feesante,  f.  (thieves'),  sweetheart, 
or  "moll." 

Fele,  adj.  (popular),  avoir  le  coco 
— ,  to  be  crazy,  to  be  "a  bit  balmy 
in  one's  crumpet. " 

FSler  (popular),  se  — ,  to  become 
crazy, 

Felouse,  or  fenouse,  /  (thieves'), 
meadow. 

Felouse,  felouze,  or  fouillouse, 
f.    (thieves'),  pocket,   or   "cly;" 

—  ajeun,  empty  pocket. 

II  demanda  k  sezi&re  s'il^  n'avait  pas 
quelques  luques  de  son  babillard  :  il  rd- 
pondit  qu'oui,  et  mit  la  louche  en  sa  felouze 
et  en  tira  une,  et  la  iicha  au  cornet  d' Apices 
pour  la  mouchailler. — Le  Jargon  de  VA  r- 
got.  {He  asked  him  whether  he  had  a%y 
Jticturesfrom  his  hook.  He  said  yes,  and 
put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  drew  one  out, 
and  gave  it  to  the  friar  to  looje  at.) 

Femme,  f.  (familiar),  de  Breda, 
gay  girl.  Quartier  Breda  is  the 
Paris  St.  John's  Wood ;  (popular) 

—  au  petit  pot,  rag-picker's  con- 
sort; —  de  terrain,  low  prostitute, 
or  "draggle-tail."  See  Gadoue. 
(Thieves'  and  cads')  Femme  de 
cavoisi,  dressy  prostitute  who  fre- 
quents the  Boulevard  cafis  ;  (mili- 
tary) —  de  I'adjudant,  lock-up, 
"jigger,"   or   "Irish    theatre;" 

—  de  regiment,  big  drum;  (fami- 
liar) —  pur  faubourg,  is  said  of  a 
lady  with  highly  polished  manner, 
or  ironically  of  one  whose  manners 
are  anything  but  aristocratic. 


148 


Fenasse^-Fermer. 


Fenasse,  /.  (popular),  man  with- 
out energy,  a  lazy  man.  Old  word 
fen,  hay. 

Fendante,/  (thieves'),  door,  "jig- 
ger."   Termed  also  "  lourde." 

Fendart,  m.  (popular),  braggart, 
nuaggerer,  or  "  swashbuckler." 
Termed  formerly  "  avaleur  de 
charrettes  ferrees."  Faire  son 
— ,  to  brag,  to  swagger,  to  look 
big,  to  bluster,  "  to  bulldoze " 
(American).  Ne  fais  done  pas 
ton  — ,  "come  off  the  tall  grass," 
as  the  Americans  say, 

Fendre  (thieves'),  I'ergot,  to  run 
away.  Literally  to  split  the  spur. 
The  toes  being  pressed  to  the 
ground  in  the  act  are  naturally 
parted.  For  synonyms,  French 
and  English,  see  Patatrot. 
(Card-sharpers')  Fendre  le  cul  4 
une  carte,  to  notch  a  card  for 
cheating  purposes ;  (military)  — 
I'oreille,  to  place  on  the  retired 
list.  An  allusion  to  the  practice 
of  splitting  the  ears  of  cavalry 
horses  no  longer  fit  for  service 
and  put  up  for  auction,  termed 
"  cast "  horses.  (Popular)  Fendre 
I'arche  a  quelqu'un,  to  bore  one 
to  death.  Literally  to  split  one's 
head.  (General)  Se  — ,  to  give 
oneself  or  others  an  unusual  treat. 
Je  me  fends  d'une  bouteille,  / 
treat  myself  to  {or  1  stand  treat 
for)  a  bottle  of  wine. 

_Zut !  je  me  fends  d'un  supplement ! .  .  . 
Victor,  une  troisi&me  confiture  !— ZoLA,  Au 
Bonkeur  des  Dames. 

Se  —  a  s'ecorcher,   to   be  very 
generous  with  one's  money. 

FenStre,/.  (popular),  boucher  une 
—  a  quelqu'un,  to  give  one  a  black 
eye,  "to  put  one's  eyes  in  half- 
mourning."  Faire  la  — ,  is  said 
of  a  prostitute  who  lies  in  wait  at 
a  window,  and  who  by  sundry 
alluring    signs    seeks    to    entice 


passers-by  into  entering  the  house. 
Mettre  la  tete  \  la  — ,  to  be  guillo- 
tined. An  allusion  to  the  passing 
the  head  through  the  lunette  or 
circular  aperture  of  the  guillotine. 

Fen6tri6re,  /  (popular),  prostitute 
who  lies  in  wait  at  a  window, 
whence  she  invites  passers-by  to 
enter. 

Fenouse,  or  felouse,^  (thieves'), 
meadow. 

F6odec,  adj.  (thieves'),  unjust. 

Fer  a  repasser,  m.  (popular),  shoe, 
or  "  trotter-case."  See  Ripaton. 

Fer-blanc,  m.  (familiar),  de  — . 
worthless.  Des  rognures  de  — , 
inferior  theatrical  company.  Un 
ecrivain  de  — ,  author  without  any 
ability,  "  penny-a-liner." 

Ferblanterie,  f,  (familiar),  decora- 
tions. 

Ferblantier,  m.  (naval),  official. 

Ferlampier,  or  ferlandier,  m. 
(thieves'),  bandit;  sharper,  or 
"hawk  ; "  thief,  or  " prig  ; "  lazy 
humbug;  rogue,  or  "bad  egg." 
Ferlampie  formerly  had  the  signifi- 
cation of  dunce. 

Ferlingante, /.  (thieves'),  crockery. 
Ferloques,^;//.  (popular),  rags. 

Fermer  (popular),  maillard,  to 
sleep,  "  to  doss."  An  allusion  to 
M.  Maillard,  the  inventor  of  iron- 
plate  shutters  ;  —  son  compas,  to 
stop  walking;  —  son  parapluie, 
to  die.  See  Pipe.  Fermer  son 
plomb,  son  egout,  or  sa  botte,  to 
hold  one's  tongue.  Ferme  ta  bolte, 
"shut  up  !  "  "  hold  your  jaw  ! " 
A  synonymous  but  more  polite 
expression,  "  Tace  is  Latin  for  a 
candle,"  is  used  by  Fielding. 

'*_Tace,  madam,"  answered  Murphy,  "is 
Latin  for  a  candle  ;  I  commend  your  pru- 
dence."— Fielding,  Amelia. 


F^roce — Fiacre. 


149 


Feroce,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar),  etre 
—  sur  I'article,  to  be  strict.  Pas 
— ,  made  of  poor  stuff.  Un  — , 
one  devoted  to  his  duty. 

Ferre,  adj.  (thieves'),  6tre  — ,  te  be 
locked  up,  or  ' '  put  away. " 

Ferrer  le  goujon  (popular),  to  make 

one  swallow  the  bait. 
Fertange,  or  fertille,/.  (thieves'), 

straw. 

Tu  es  un  rude  mion ;  le  m6me  pantinois 
n'est  pas  maquill^  de  fertille  lansquinee. — 
V.  Hugo,  Les  Misirables.  (Vou  are  a 
itumiev;  a  child  of  Paris  is  not  made  o_f 
wet  straw.) 

Fertillante,  /.  (thieves'),  feather  ; 
pen  ;  tail. 

Fertille,  f.  (thieves'),  face,  01 
"  mug  ; "  straw,  or  "  sttommel." 

Fertilliers,  m.pl.  (thieves'),  wheat. 

Fesse,yi  (popular),  woman,  "laced 
mutton."  Ma  — ,  my  better  half. 
Magasin  de  fesses,  brothel,  or 
"  nanny-shop. "  (Bullies')  Fesse, 
paramour,  "moll."  Ma  —  tur- 
bine, my  gij'l  is  at  work. 

Fesser  (popular),  to  do  a  thing 
quickly  ;  —  le  champagne,  to  par- 
take freely  of  champagne,  "to 
swig  sham  or  boy."  Rabelais  has 
the  expression,  "  fouetter  un 
verre,"  to  toss  off  the  contents  of  a 
glass  to  the  last  drop. 

Fouette-moi  ce  verre  galentement. — Ra- 
belais, Gargantua, 

Feston  (popular),  faire  <iu  — , 
pincer  un  — ,  to  reel  about ;  to 
make  zigzags  under  the  influence  of 
drink. 

Festonnage,  m.  (popular),  reding 
about  under  the  influence  of  drink. 

Festonner  des  guiboUes  (popu- 
lar), to  reel  about  while  in  a  state  of 
intoxication. 

FSte,  f.  (popular),  du  boudin, 
Christmas.  (Popular  and  thieves') 


Etre  de  la  — ,  to  be  lucky,  "to 
have  cocum  ;  "  to  have  means,  or 
to  be  "well  ballasted." 

Moi  je  suis  toujours  de  la  fSte,  j'ai  toujours 
bogue  et  bon  radin.  — Vidocq. 

Fetiche,  m.  (gamesters'),  marker, 
(tr  any  object  which  temporarily  re- 
presents the  sum  of  money  which 
has  been  staked  at  some  game. 

Feu,  m.  (theatrical),  faire  — ,  to  lay 
particular  stress  on  words  ;  (free- 
masons') to  drink.  (Military)  Ne 
pas  s'embeter  or  s'embrouiller 
dans  les  feux  de  file,  to  be  indepen- 
dent ;  not  to  stick  at  triflfs.  (Fa- 
miliar) AUumer  les  feux,  to  set  a 
game  going. 

II  est  tout  et  il  n'est  rien  dans  ce  cercle 
pschutt.  Sa  mission  est  d'allumer  les  feux, 
d'ou  son  nom  bien  connu  :  rallumeur.  —A. 

SlRVEN. 

Feuille,  /  (popular),  de  chou,  ear, 
or  "wattle."  Une  —  de  platane, 
a  bad  cigar,  or  "cabbage  leaf." 
(Saumur  school  of  cavalry)  Une 
— ,  a  prostitute.  (Familiar)  Une 
—  de  chou,  newspaper  of  no  im- 
portance; a  worthless  bond,  not 
marketable.  Voir  la  —  k  I'envers, 
to  have  carnal  intercourse,  is  said 
of  a  girl  who  gives  her  favours. 
(Military)  Des  feuilles  de  chou, 
infantry  gaiters. 

Feuillet,  m.  (roughs'),  leaf  of  ciga- 
rette paper.  Aboule-moi  un  —  et 
une  brouettee  d'allumettes,  give 
me  some  cigarette  paper  and  a 
match. 

Feuilletee,  adj.  (familiar),  properly 
flaky.  Semelle  — ,  worn-out  sole. 
Termed  also  "pompe  aspirante." 

Parfois  aussi  elle  n'a  que  des_  bottines 
suspectes,  ksemellesfeuilletdesquisourient 
k  Tasphalte  avec  une  gaietd  intempestive. 
— ^Th^ophile  Gautiee. 

Five,/,  attraper  la  — ,     See  At- 

traper. 
Fiacre,  vi.  (popular),  remiser  son 

— ,  to  become  sedate,  well-behaved. 


ISO 


Fiat — Fi^rot. 


Fiat,  m.  (thieves'),  trust;  confi- 
dence. 

Il_y_  a  aujourd'hui  tant  de  rallies  et  de 
cuisinlers,  qu'il  n'y  a  plus  de  fiat  du  tout,—' 

VlDOCQ. 

Ficard,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
police  officer,  "crusher,"  "pig," 
"copper,"  "reeler,"  or  "bulky." 
See  Pot-4-tabac. 

Ficeler  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
do ;  to  dress.  Bien  ficele,  carefully 
done;  well  dressed. 

Voilk  maman  Vauquer  belle  comme  un 
astre,  ficeMe  comme  une  carotte. — Balzac, 
Le  Fere  Goriot, 

Ficelle,  /  (fafniliar  and  popular), 
dodge.  Etre  — ,  to  be  tricky,  a 
"dodger." 

Cadet  Roussel  a  trois  ^[argons  : 
L'un  est  voleur,  I'autre  est  fripon ; 
Le  trolsieme  est  un  peu  ficelle. 

Cadet  Roussel  (an  old  song). 

(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.  Jecroyais  reussir, 
mais  va  te  faire  fiche  !  /  thought 
I  should  succeed,  but  710  such 
thing. 

Du  pain  de  son  !  des  sous  de  cuivre  1 

C'est  pour  nous  vivre, 

Mais  va-t'-fair'  fiche ! 
On  nous  prend  pour  des  merlifiches. 

RiCHEPIN. 


Je  t'en  — !  nonsense  !  nothing  of 
the  kind!    II  croit  reussir  je  t'en 

—  !  Vous  croyez  qu'il  a  tenu  sa 
promesse  ?  Je  t'en  — !  Fiche- 
moi  le  camp  et  plus  vite  que  5a, 
be  off  in  double  quick  time,  "sling 
your  hook." 

Ficher  (thieves'),  to  yawn ;  —  la 
coUe,  to  tellplausible falsehoods;  — 
la  colle  gourdement,  to  be  an  art- 
ful beggar;  (popular)  —  la  misfere 
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,  (Mili- 
tary) Se  —  un  coup  de  latte,  to 
fight  a  duel  with  cavalry  swords. 

Fichtrement  (general),  very ;  aw- 
fully. 

Fichu,  adj.  (general),  put ;  given. 
II  I'a  —  4  la  porte,  he  turned  him 
out  of  doors;  he  has  given  him  the 
"sack."  Fichu  comme  I'as  de 
pique,  comme  un  paquet  de  linge 
sale,  badly  dressed ;  clumsily  built. 
Fichu,  capable.  II  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  fichuma- 
ces?  what  are  you  up  to? 

Fidibus,  m.  (familiar),  pipe-light ; 
spill.     Loredan  Larchey  says  : — 

Une  communication  de  M,  Fey  assigne 
&  ce  mot  une  engine  allemande.  Dans  les 
universit^s  de  ce  pays,  les  admonestations 
ofiicielles  commencent  par  les  mots  :  fidihus 
(voMT  Jtdelibus)  discipulis  unzversitatis, 
&c.  Les  d^Un^uants  qui  allument  par  for- 
fanterie  leurs  pipes  avec  le  papier  de  I'ad- 
monestation.  lui  ont  donni  pour  nom  le 
premier  mot  de  sa  premiere  ligne.— i?if^ 
Hist,  d' Argot. 

Fierot,  m.  (popular),  stuck-up, 
"uppish." 


Fievre — FilendhJie. 


ISI 


Fifevre,  f.  (thieves'),  acces  de  — 
cerebrale,  accusation  on  the  capital 
charge;  sentence  of  death.  Re- 
doublement  de  — ,  aggravating 
circumstances  or  new  charge  made 
against  a  prisoner  who  is  already 
on  his  trial. 

La  Cigogne  a  la  digestion  difficile,  sur- 
tout  en  fait  de  redoublement  de  fievre  (re- 
vdation  d'un  nouveau  fait  k  charge. — 
Balzac. 

Fiferlin,  m.  (popular),  soldier, 
"swaddy,"or  "wobbler."  From 
f\{xz,fife. 

Fifi,  m.  and  f.  popular),  un  — ,  a 
scavenger  employed  at  emptying 
cesspools,  a  ' '  gold  finder ; "  scaven- 
ger's cask  in  which  the  contents  of 
cesspools  are  carried  away.  Une 
— ,  a  thin,  skinny  girl. 

Les  plantureuses  et  les  iifis,  les  grands 
carcans  et  les  bassets  ...  les  rosieres  comrae 
aussi  les  enragees  qu'ont  donn^  des  arrhes 
^  son  promis. — Trublot,  Le  Cri  du  Peu- 
ple,  Sept.,  1886. 

Fifi-lolo,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
plays  the  fool. 

Fifloche,  m,  (popular),  one  mere 
skilful  than  the  rest,  who  leads 
the  quadrille  at  a  dancing  hall. 

Fiflot,  m.  (military),  infantry  sol- 
dier, "beetle-crusher,"  "grabby." 

Figariste,  m.  (familiar).  Properly 
a  contributor  to  the  Figaro  news- 
paper, and  figuratively  term  of 
contempt  applied  to  unscrupulous 
journalists. 

Fignard,  m.,  figne,  /.  (popular), 
the  breech,  or  "one-eyed  cheek." 
See  Vasistas. 

Fignolade,/.  (theatrical),  prolonged 
trilling. 

Fignole,  /  adj.  (thieves'),  pretty, 
"dimber." 

Alors  aboula  du  sabri, 
Moure  au  brisant  comme  un  cabri, 
Une  fignole  gosseline. 

RiCHEPIN. 


Figuration,/,  (theatrical),  staff  of 
supernumeraries,  or  "sups." 

Figure,  /  _  (popular),  the  breech, 
see  Vasistas ;  sheep's  head. 
Ma—,  myself,  "No.  i." 

Figurer  (thieves'),  to  be  in  irons. 

Fil,  m.  (thieves'),  de  soie,  thief, 
"prig."  SeeGrinche.  (Popu- 
lar) Avoir  le  — ,  or  connaitre  le  — , 
to  know  what  one  is  about,  "  to  be 
up  to  a  dodge  or  two."  N'avoir 
pas  invente  le  —  a  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."  Unverrede — ,aglass 
of  brandy.  Une  langue  qui  ale  — , 
a  sharp  tongue. 

Filage,  m.  (card-sharpers'),  hand- 
ling 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,  /  (thieves'),  following 
stealthily  a  person.  Faire  la  — , 
or  lacher  de  la  —  a  quelqu'un, 
to  follow  a  person  stealthily,  to 
track  one,  "  to  nose."  Prendre 
en  —  un  voleur,  to  follmu  and 
watch  a  thief.  (Familiar)  Filature 
de  poivrots,  spirit-shop  patronized 
by  lorfimed  drunkards. 

Filendfeche,  m.  (thieves'),  one  of 
the  vagabond  tribe. 

Lorsque  j'occupais  mon  poste  de  com- 
jnissaire  de  police  dans  ce  dangereux  mar- 
tier,  les  habitants  sans  patente  des  carrieres 
d'Am&ique  formaient  quatre  categories  dis- 


152 


Fil-en-douhle—Fille. 


tinctes :  les  Hirondelles,  les  Romanichels, 
les  Filendeches  et  les  Enfants  de  la  loupe, 
— Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Fil-en-double,  m.  (popular),  wine. 

Fil-en-trois,  fil-en-quatre,  fil- 
en-six,  m.  (popular),  spirits. 

AUons  .  .  .  un  petit  verre  de  fil  en  quatre, 
histoire  de  se  velouter  et  de  se  rebomber  le 
torse. — Th.  Gautier. 

Filer  (thieves'),  to  steal.  See  Grin- 
chir.  Filerlacomete,  orlasorgue, 
to  sleep  in  the  open  air ;  — •  le 
luctreme,  to  open  a  door  by  means 
of  a  picklock,  "  to  screw  ;  "  — 
une  pelure,  to  stecU  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. 

La  condition  (£tait  filde  d'avance. 
Le  rigolo  eut  bientoc  casse  tout  ! 
Du  gai  plaisir,  ils  avaient  I'esp^rance, 
Quand  on  est  pegre  on  peut  passer  partout. 

From  a  song  composed  by  Cle- 
ment, a  burglar  (quoted  by  Pierre 
Delcourt,  Paris  Valeur,  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,  unfor- 
tunately, 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 
noeud,  or  son  cable,  to  go  away  ; 
to  run  away,  "to  cut  the  cable 
and  run  before  the  wind."  See 
Patatrot.  Filerunnceud,  iojr^zKa 
yarn.  File  ton  noeud,  go  on  with 
your  story  or  your  discourse,  "pay 
away. "  With  regard  to  the  latter 
expression  the  i>lang  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  fol- 
low one  stealthily  so  as  to  watch 
his  movements  ;  (popular)  —  la 
mousse,  to  ease  oneself.  See 
Mouscailler.  Filer  le  Plato, /<; 
love  in  aplatonic  manner  ;  —  une 
poussee,   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 
scfene,  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  pec  a 
le  soin  d'y  glisser  une  carte  large,  point  de 
rep&re  marquant  I'endroit  oil  il  doit  faire 
sauter  la  coupe  au  mieux  de  ses  int^rets — 
11  file  la  carte,  c'est  k  dire  il  change  une 
carte  pour  une  a.uue.—Mimoires  de  Mm- 
sieur  Claude. 

Filet  de  vinaigre,  m.  (theatrical), 
shrill  voice,  one  thai  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,  "mol- 
rower." 

Fille,  /.  (familiar  and  popular),  de 
maison,  or  ■ —  de  tourneur,  prosti- 
tute 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 


Fillette — Flacons. 


153 


courtesan  ;  —  de  plitre,   harlot, 
"mot."    For  list   of   over    140 
synonyms  see  Gadoue. 
Fillette,  /   (popular),  half  a  bottle 
of  wine. 

Filoche,y;  (thieves'), /arj?,  "skin," 
or  "poge. "  Avoir  sa  —  ajeun, 
to  be  penniless,  "hard  up." 

Filou,  adj.  (popular),  if! /y,  "up  to 
a  dodge  or  two." 

Filsange,y".  ifiae.y£s'),Jloss  silk. 

Fin,^  (thieves'),  de  la  soupe,  guil- 
lotine. See  Voyante.  (Familiar) 
Faire  une  — ,  to  get  married, 
"spliced,"  or  "hitched"  (Ameri- 
canism). 

Fine,/,  and  adj.  (popular),  excre- 
ment, or  "  quaker,"  abbreviation 
of"  fine  moutarde ; "  (familiar)  ab- 
breviation of  "fine  champagne," 
best  quality  of  brandy.  (Thieves') 
Etre  en  —  pegrene,  to  be  in  great 
danger ;  to  be  in  an  "  awful  fix." 
La  raille  (la  police)  est  Ik.  .  .  .  Je  joue  la 

mislocq  0^  comedie)  pour  un  fanandel  en 

fine  pegrene  (un  camarade  k  toute  extre- 

mtte). — Balzac. 

Finette,/  (card-sharpers'),  a  pocket 
wherein  are  secreted  certain  cards. 

II  a  sous  son  habit,  au  dos  de  son  pan- 
talon,  une  poche  dite  finette,  dans  laquelle 
il  place  les  cartes  non  biseaut^es  qu'il  doit 
substituer  aux  sienues. — Mimcires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Fiole,  /  (familiar),  bottle  of  wine; 
(popular)  head,  or  "tibby;"  face, 
or  "mug."  J'ai  soupe  de  ta  — ,  / 
havehadenough  of  you;  Iwillhave 
nothing  more  to  do  with  you.  Se 
ficher  de  la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to 
laugh  at  one. 

On  y  connait  ma  gargarousse, 
Ma  fiole,  mon  pif  qui  retrousse, 
Mes  calots  de  mec  au  gratin. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Pour  la  —  a  quelqu'un, y»?-  one. 

Songez  qu'  9a  s'ra  I'plus  beau  jour  d'la 
carriere  d'Truiru,  toujours  sur  la  brfeche, 
qur  s'donne  tant  d'mal  pour  vos  fioles. — 
Trublot,  Le  Cridu  Peuple,  1886. 


Sur  la  —  i  quelqu'un,  about  one, 
concerning  one.  II  f^gaut  ne  pas 
degueularder  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 
apologise,  to  beg  oni s  pardon. 

Fionner  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
play  the  dandy, 

Fionneur,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), one  who  plays  the  dandy. 

Fiquer  (thieves'),  to  strike  ;  to  stab, 
"to  chive." 

Fiques,/.  pi.  (thieves'),  clothes,  or 
"  clobber." 

Fiscal,  adj.  (familiar),  elegant. 

Fish,  m.  (familiar),  women's  bully, 
or  "ponce, "  generally  called ' '  ma- 
quereau,"  mackerel.  For  list  of 
synonyms  see  Poisson. 

Fissure,/,  (popular),  avoir  une — , 
to  be  slightly  crazy,  "  to  be  a  little 
bit  balmy  in  one's  crumpet." 

Fiston,  m.  (popular),  term  of  en- 
dearment. Mon — ,  my  son,  sonny. 
Mon  vieux  — ,  old  fellow. 

Flac,  m.  (thieves'),  sack ;  —  d'al, 
money-bag;  bed,  or  "  kip." 

Flache,/.  (popular).  SeeFlanche. 

Flacons,  m.  (popular),  shoes, 
"  trotter  cases."  See  Ripa- 
tons.  Deboucher  ses  — ,  to  take 
off  one's  shoes. 


154 


Flacul — Flancher. 


Flacul,  m.  (thieves'),  bed,  or 
"  kip  ; ''  money-bag. 

Le  vioque  a  des  ilaculs  pleins  de  bille ; 
s'il  va  i  Niort,  il  faut  lui  riffauder  les  pa- 
turons.— ViDOCQ.  [The  old  man  his  bag- 
fuls  of  money ;  if  lu  denies  lit  we' II  bum 
hisfeet.) 

Flafla,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 

great  showing  off.     Faire  du  — , 

to  shorn  off;  to  flaunt. 
Flageolet,  m.  (obsolete),  called  by 

Horace  cauda  salax. 
Flageolets,    m.     (popular),    legs, 

"pegs."     Termed  also   "fume- 

rons,  guibes,  guiboUes." 

Flambant,  m.  and  adj.  (military), 
artillery  man,  "  son  of  a  gun  ; " 
(familiar  and  popular)  magnifi- 
cent, "slap  up,  clipping,  nap. 

Flambard,  m.  (thieves'),  dagger. 
Formerly  termed  "cheery;"  (fa- 
miliar and  popular)  one  who  has 
dash  ;  one  who  shows  off, 

Tas  d'flambards,  tas  d'chicards, 
Les  canotiers  de  la  Seine, 
Sont  partout,  bien  regus, 
£t  partout  font  du  chahut. 

Parisian  Song. 

Flambarde,  /  (popular),  fipe. 
Termed  ' '  dudeen  "  by  the  Irish  ; 
(thieves')  candle,  or  "  glim." 

Flambe,  /.  (thieves'),  sword,  or 
"poker."  Petite  — ,  knife,  or 
"  chive."  Froin  Flamberge,  name 
given  by  Renaud  de  Montauban 
(one  of  the  four  sons  of  Aymon 
who  revolted  against  Charle- 
magne, and  who  have  been  made, 
together  with  their  one  changer 
Bayard,  the  heroes  of  chivalry 
legends),  to  his  sword,  and  now 
used  in  the  expression,  Mettre 
flamberge  au  vent,  to  draw. 

Flamber  (mountebanks'),  to  per- 
form;  (familiar  and  popular)  to 
make  a  show  ;  to  shine. 

lis  voulaient  flamber  avec  I'argent  vol^, 
lis  achetaient  des  d^froques  d'hasard. — E. 
Sue. 


Flambert,  m.  (thieves'),  dagger. 
Termed  "cheery"  in  the  old  Kng- 
lish  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  re- 
fusal.    See  Nefles. 

Flanchard,flancheur,OT.  (thieves'), 
cunning  player ;  one  who  hesi- 
tates, who  backs  out. 

Flanche,  m.  (thieves'),  game  of 
cards  ;  theft ;  plant.  Grande — , 
roulette  or  trente  et  un.  Un  — 
mlir,  preconcerted  robbery  or  crime 
for  the  perpetration  of  which  the 
time  has  come.  ( Popular)  Flanche, 
dodge  ;  contrivance  ;  affair ;  job. 
II  connait  le  — ,  he  knows  the 
dodge.  Foutu  —  !  a  bad  job  t 
C'est  —  !  it  is  all  right. 

Toujours  des  injustices  ;  mais  attendoDS ; 
c'est  point  fini  c'flanche  Ik. — Teublot,  Le 
Cri  du  Peuple,  March,  1886. 

(Thieves'  and  cads')  Je  n'entvave 
pas  ton — ,  I  dorH  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  entile  et  si  le 
curieux  veut  t'entamer,  n'enlrave 
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 — Flime. 


155 


Flanchet,  m.  (thieves'),  share; 
participation  in  a  theft,  Foutu 
— ,  bad  job. 

C'est  un  foutu  flanchet. 
Bouze  longes  de  tirade. 
Pour  una  rigolade. 

ViDOCQ. 

Flancheur,  m.  (thieves'),  an  in- 
firmer,  a  "  nark  ; "  one  who  backs 
out ;  a  player ;  (popular)  —  de 
gadin,  one  who  takes  part  in  a 
game  played  with  u.  cork,  topped 
by  a  pile  of  halfpence,  which  the 
players  try  to  knock  off  by  aiming 
atit  with  a  penny.  (Popular  and 
thieves')  Enfonceur  de  —  de  gadin, 
poor  wretch  who  makes  a  scanty 
living  by  robbing  of  their  half- 
pence the  players  at  the  game  de- 
scribed above.  He  places  his  foot 
on  the  scattered  coins,  and  works 
it  about  in  such  a  manner  that 
they  find  a  receptacle  in  the  in- 
terstices of  his  tattered  soles. 

FlSLne,f.  (popular),  laziness. 

Flanelle,  /.  (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),  a  la 
porta,  dismissal,  "  the  sack." 

Flanque.     See  Flanche. 

Flanquer  une  tatouille  (general), 
to  thrash,  "to  wallop."  See 
Voie. 

Flaquadin,  pt.  (popular),  poltroon, 
or  "cow's  babe." 

Flaque,  /.  (cads'  and  thieves'), 
ladyfs  reticule ;  lump  of  excre- 
ment, or  "quaker." 

Flaquer  (popular),  to  tell  a  false- 
hood;  to  ease  oneself,  "  to  bury  a 
quaker."     See  Mouscailler. 


V'lk  vot*  fille  que  j'  vous  ramfene, 
EUe  est  dans  un  chouet'  €tat, 
Depuis  la  barri&re  du  Maine 
EUe  n'a  fait  qu'ilaquer  dans  ses  bas. 
Parisian  Song. 

Flaquet,  m.  (thieves'), /o*.  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  ^  quelqu'un,  to  avoid  one ; 
to  fly  from,  one.  J'ai  flasque  du 
poivre  i  la  rousse,  I  fled  from  the- 
police, 

Flatar,  m.  (thieves'),  four-wheeler^ 

or  "growler." 
Flaupee,  fiopee,/.  (popular),  mas^ 

of  anything;  crowd.     Une  —  de, 

much,  or  "  neddy." 

Flauper  (popular),  to  thrash,  "to- 
wallop."     See  Voie. 

Flfeche,  rottin,  or  pelot,  m. 
(thieves'  and  cads'),  five-centime- 
coin,  or  sou. 

F16mard,  m.  (general),  lazy  or 
"Mondayish"  individual;  pol- 
troon, or  "  cow's  babe." 

Flfeme,  or  flemme  (general),^ar; 
laziness.  Loredan  Larchey  says  : 
' '  Flemme  est  une  forme  ancienne 
de  notre  flegme.  Ce  n'est  pas 
douteux  quand  on  voit  dire  en 
'Batiflime  pourmanque  d'energie  j 
en  Normandie  et  en  &-a.\s,s&  fieume ; 
en  proven9al  et  en  italien,  flemma. 
Sans  compter  le  Tresor  de  Bru- 
netto  Latini  qui  dit  des  le  xiii» 
siecle  :  '  Flemme  est  froide  et 
moiste."'  Avoir  la — ,  to  be  afraid. 
Ca  fiche  joliment  la  flbme  de  penser  qu'il 

fau't  remouter  Ik-haut  .  .  .  et  jouer  1— E. 

MONTEIL. 

Avoir  la  — ,  to  be  disinclined  for 
work. 

Aujourd'hui,  c'est  pas  qu'j'ai  la  flemme. 
Jc  jure  nies  grands  dieux  non  qu'j'ai  point 


156 


Fleur — Flouant. 


c'maudit  poil  dans  la  main  qu*on  m'accuse 
d'temps  en  temps  d'avoir. — Trublot,  Le 
Cridu  PeufU,  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  Va- 
sistas. 

Flibocheuse,  /.  (popular),  fast  or 
"  gay  "  gi^h  "  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  a  feu. " 

Flingue,  f.  (nautical),  musket. 

Flippe,/  (popular),  bad  company. 

Fliquadard,  m.  (popular),  police 
officer,  "bobby,"  or  "blue- 
bottle." Concerning  the  latter 
expression  the  Slang  Dictionary 
says  : — "  This  well-knovim  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  Bride- 
well, whose  duty  it  was  to  whip 
the  women  prisoners,  were  clad  in 
blue."  For  synonyms  of  fliqua- 
dard see  Pot-4-tabac. 


Flique,  m.  (popular),  commis- 
saire  de  police,  or  petty  police 
magistrate;  police  officer,  or 
"bobby."  For  synonyms  see 
Pot-a-tabac. 

Flop^e.     See  Flaupee. 

Floquot,  m.  (thieves'),  drawer. 

Flottant,  m.  (thieves'),/j,5;  (popu- 
lar) ball  patronized  by  women's 
bullies.  Literally  a  company  of 
"  poissons,"  or  bullies. 

Flottard,  m.  (students'),  student 
preparing  for  the  naval  school. 

Flotte,  /  (students'),  monthly  al- 
lowance. A  boy's  weekly  allow- 
ance 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  swin- 
dlers and  m.urderers  which  existed 
towards  1825. 

La  Flotte  €tait  compos^e  de  membres  fa- 
meux  .  .  .  ces  membres  de  la  haute  pfegre 
trayaillaient  parbandes  s^pardes;  Tava- 
coli  ritalien  ^tait  un  tireur  de  premiere 
force  (voleurdepoche^.  . . .  Cancan,  Requin 
et  Pisse-Vinaigre  dtaient  des  assassins,  des 
surineurs  d'elite.  .  .  .  Lacenaire  fr^quen- 
tait  la  Flotte  sans  jamais  dire  son  veritable 
nom  qu'il  gardait,  en  public. — Memoiresde 
Monsieur  Claude. 

Vendre  la  — ,  to  inform  against 
accomplices,  "  to  turn  snitch." 

Fioiter  (popular),  to  bathe.  Termed 
at  the  R.  M.  Academy  "  to 
tosh;"  to  swim.  (Popular  and 
thieves')  Faire  — ,  to  drown. 

Nous  I'avons  fait  flotter  aprfes  lui  avoir 
grinchi  la  n^gresse  qu'elle  portait  sous  le 
bras. — E.  Sue. 

Flotteur,  m.  (popular),  swimmer. 

Flou  (thieves'),  abbreviation  of 
floutiere,  nothing.  J'ai  fait  le  — ■ 
I  found  nothing  to  steal. 

Flouant,  m.  (thieves'),  game  (flouer, 
to  swindle).    Grand  — ,  high  play. 


Flouchipe^Foetus. 


IS7 


Flouchipe,  m.  (popular),  swindler, 
or  "shark."  From  flouer  and 
chiper,  to  swindle  and  to  frig, 

Floue,y;  (thieves'),  crmvd,  "push 
or  scuff."  The  anagram  of  foule, 
crowd,  or  else  from  flouer,  to 
swindle,  through  an  association  of 
ideas. 

Floue,  adj.  ■  (general),  swindled, 
taken  in,  "sold,"  "done  brown." 

Alors,  en  deux  Tnots,  il  leur  raconte  la 
scene,  le  traits  briile,  TafiTaire  flamb^e , .  .  . 
—  Ah !  la  drogue  .  .  .  je  suis  floude  .  .  . 
dit  S6phora.— A.  Daudet. 

Flouer, yC  (general),  to  cheat,  "to 
do,"  "to  bilk  ;"  (thieves')  to  play 
cards,  playing  being,  with  thieves, 
synonymous  of  cheating. 
S'il  y  avMt  des  bubmes  on  pourrait  flouer. 

— ViDOCQ. 

Flouerie,  f.  (general),  swindle, 
"take  in,"  or  "bilk." 

La  flouerie  est  au  vol  ce  que  la  course 
est  ^  la  marche :  c'est  le  progres,  le  per- 
fectionnemf  nt  scientifique. — Philifon. 

Floueur,  m.  (thieves'),  card-sharper 
who  entices  countryfolks  or  stran- 
gers into  a  cafe  where,  aided  by 
confederates,  he  robs  them  at  a 
swindling  game  of  cards. 

Floume,  /  (thieves'),  woman, 
"  muslin,"  or  "  hay  bag." 

Floutifere  (thieves'),  nothing. 

C'est  qu'un'  de  ces  luisans,  un_marcan- 
dler  alia  demander  la  thune  \  un  pipet  et  le 
rupin  ne  lui  ficha  que  floutifere. — Le  Jargon 
de  C Argot.  {One  day  a  mendicant  went 
to  ask  for  alms  at  a  mansion,  and  the 
master  gave  him  nothing^ 

Flu  (Breton),  threshing. 
Flubart,  m.  (thieves'),yia?-,  "funk." 
N'avoir  pas  le  — ,  to  be  fearless. 

Flume,  adj.  and  m.  (popular),  toe 
— ,  to  be  phlegmatic  ;  slow. 

FWte,  /.  (familiar  and  popular), 
bottle  of  wine;  glass  of  beer ; 
syringe.     Fldte  !  go  to  the  deuce! 


Ah  !  flflte  ! — Ah  !  tu  vois  bien  que  je 
t'embete! — Pourquoi?  Tum'asdit  "flflte!" 
— Oui,  flute  !  zut !  tout  ce  que  tu  voudras ; 
mais  fiche-moi  la  paix, — E.  Monteil, 
Comebois. 

Joueur  de  — ,  hospital  assistant. 
An  allusion  to  his  functions  con- 
cerning the  administering  of  clys- 
ters. (Military)  Flute,  cannon. 
Termed  also  "brutal,  sifidet." 

Flfltencul,  m.  (popular),  an  apothe- 
cary, or  "clyster  pipe."  Spelt 
formerly  flutencu.  The  Diction- 
naire  Comique  has  the  follow- 
ing :— 

Peste  soit  du  courteau  de  boutique  et  du 
flutencu. — Pieces  Comiques. 

Flflter  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
drink.  See  Rincer.  Fluter,  to 
give  a  clyster.  The  Dictionnaire 
Comique  (1635)  has  the  phrase, 
Se  faire  —  au  derri^re,  "  fa9on 
de  parler  burlesque,  pour  dire,  se 
faire  donner  un  lavement."  En- 
voyer  — ,  to  send  to  the  deiue. 
C'est  comme  si  vous  flutiez,  it  is 
no  use  talking. 

Flutes,  f.  pi.  (popular^,  legs,  or 
"pegs."  Termed  also  flfltes  a  cafe. 

Fort  des  flCtes  et  de  la  pince, 
11  £tait  respect^,  Navet. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Astiquer  ses  — ,  to  dance,  "  to 
shake  a  leg."  jouer  des  — ,  to 
run,  "  to  cut."  Se  tirer  les  — ,  to 
run  away,  "to  hop  the  twig." 
See  Patatrot. 

Fltltiste,  m.  (popular),  hospital 
attendant. 

Flux,  m.  (popular),  avoir  le  — ,  to 
be  afraid.  Literally  to  be  suffer- 
ing from  diarrhcea. 

Fluxion,  /  (popular),  avoir  une 
— ,  to  be  afraid,  "  to  be  funky." 

FcEtus,  m.,  first  year  student  at  the 
military  school  of  surgery. 


1S8 


Fogner — Forit-noire. 


•Fogner  (popular),  to  ease  oneself, 
to  go  to  the  "  crapping  ken."  See 
Mouscailler. 

Foie,  m.  (popular),  avoir  du  — ,  to 
be  courageous,  plucky,  to  have 
' '  hackle. "  Avoir  les  foies  blancs, 
to  be  a  coward,  a  **  cow's  babe." 

Foil),  m.  (popular),  faire  du  — ,  to 
make  a  noise,  "  to  kick  up  a 
row  ; "  to  bustle  about ;  to  dance. 

Poire,  /   (popular   and  thieves'), 

acheter  i   la  —  d'erapoigne,    to 

j/ca/,  "to  claim."    See  Grinchir. 

Foire,  fair,   and  empoigner,    to 

seize, 
Foiron,  m.  (popular),  behind.  From 

foire,  diarrhoea.     See  Vasistas. 
Fonce,   adj.    (popular),    well   off, 

"well  ballasted."     See  Mona- 

cos. 

Foncer  (familiar  and  popular),  i 
I'appointement,  to  furnish  funds 
(Dictionnaire  Comique).  (Thieves') 
Foncer,  to  give,  "to  dub." 
Et  si  tezig  tient  Si  sa  boule, 
Fonce  ta  largue  et  qu'elle  aboule, 
Sans  limace  nous  cambrouser. 

RlCHEPIf7. 

Villon  (fifteenth  century)  uses  the 
word  with  the  signification  of  to 
give  money : — 

M.   Servons  raarchans  pour  la  pitance, 

^our/ructus  ventris,  pour  la  pance. 

B.  On  y  gaigneroit  ses  despens. 

M.  Etde  foncer?    B.  Bonne  asseurance, 

Petite  foy,  large  conscience ; 

"Tu  n'y  scez  riens  et  y  aprens. 

Dialogue  de  Messieurs  de  Male^aye 
et  de  BailleTjent. 

(Popular)  Se — ,  to  be  getting  drunk, 
or  "muddled."     See  Sculpter. 

Fond  (popular),  d'estomac,  thick 
soup.  (General)  Etre  i  —  de  cale, 
to  be  penniless,  "hard  up."  Lite- 
rally to  be  down  in  the  hold. 

Fondant,  ?«.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
butter,  or  ' '  cow's  grease. " 

Fondante,/.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
slice  of  bread  and  butter. 


Fondre  (popular),  to  grow  thin  ;  — 
la  cloche,  to  settle  some  piece  of 
business.  (Theatrical)  Faire  —  la 
trappe,  to  lower  a  trap  door, 

Fondrifere,  f.  (thieves'),  pocket, 
"cly,"  "sky-rocket,"  or  "brigh." 
Termed  also  "  profonde,  fouil- 
louse,  fouille,  four  banal,  bague- 
naude. " 

Fonfe,  f,  (thieves'),  snuff-box,  or 
"  sneezer." 

Fontaine,  /  (popular),  n'avoir  plus 
de  cresson  sur  la  — ,  to  be  bald; 
to  have  "a  bladder  of  lard." 

Fonts  de  baptgme,  m.  (popular), 
se  mettre  sur  les  — ,  to  be  involved 
in  business  from  which  one  would 
like  to  back  out. 

Forage,  m.  (thieves'),  vol  au  — , 
robbery  from  a  shop.  A  piece  of 
the  shutter  being  cut  out,  a  rod 
with  hook  affixed  is  passed  through 
the  aperture,  and  the  property  ab- 
stracted. 

Foresque,  m.  (thieves'),  tradesman 
at  a  fair, 

Foret,  m,  (popular),  epointer  son 
— ,  to  die,  "  to  kick  the  bucket." 
Foret,  properly  drill,  borer.  With 
respect  to  the  English  slang  ex- 
pression, the  Slang  Dictionary 
says  the  real  signification  of  this 
phrase  is  to  commit  suicide  by 
hanging,  from  a  method  planned 
and  carried  out  by  an  ostler  at  an 
inn  on  the  Great  North  Road. 
Standing  on  a  bucket,  he  tied 
himself  up  to  a  beam  in  the 
stable  ;  he  then  kicked  the  bucket 
away  from  under  his  feet,  and  in 
a  few  seconds  was  dead.  The 
natives  of  the  West  Indies  have 
converted  the  expression  into 
"  kickeraboo."  (Thieves')  Foret 
de  Mont-rubin,  sewer. 

For6t-noire,/  (thieves'),  a  c,4«re^, 
a  temple.  Termed  also  "  en- 
tonne,  rampante." 


Forfante — Fouiller. 


159 


Forfante,  f.  (thieves'),  bragging, 
big  talk.  An  abbreviation  of  for- 
fanterie. 

T"orgerie,  /.  (popular),  falsehood,  or 
"cram." 

'Fort,  adj.  (popular),  en  mie,  fat, 
"crummy;"  (familiar)  —  en 
theme,  clever  student.  The  ex- 
pression is  sometimes  applied 
ironically  to  a  man  vfho  is  clever 
at  nothing  else  than  book-work. 
C'est  —  de  cafe,  it  is  hard  to 
believe,  it  is  "  coming  it  too 
strong. " 

C'est  un  pauvre  manchot  qui  s'est  ap- 
"proche  de  la  vierge.  .  .  .  Et  elle  a  etemue  ? 
Non,  c'est  le  bras  du  manchot  qui  apousse 
—elle  est  fort  de  cafd,  ccUe-lk  I — E.  MoN- 

TEIL, 

Fortanche,  f.  (thieves'),  fortune. 

Fort  if  es,  f.  pi.  (popular), /or/ySra- 
lions  round  Paris.  A  favourite 
resort  for  workmen  who  go  for 
an  outing,  and  a  place  which 
vagabonds  patronize  at  night. 

J'  couch'  que'qu'fois  dans  les  fortifes  ; 
Mais  on  s'enrhum'  du  cerveaii. 
I.'lend'main,  on  fait  I'chat  qui  r'niffe, 
Et  I'blair  coul'comme  un  nez  d'veau. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Fortification,/",  (popular),  <'»j/4/(7« 
of  a  billiard  table,  Etre  protege 
par  les  fortifications,  to  have  one's 
ball  under  the  cushion. 

Fortin,  »2.  (thieves'), /^//«?-.  From 
fort,  strong. 

Fortiniire,  f.  (thieves'),  pepper- 
box. 

Fosse  aux  lions,  ^  (familiar),  box 
at  the  opera  occupied  by  vien  of 
fashion. 

Fossile,  m.  (literary),  a  disrespectful 
epithet  for  the  learned  members  of 
the  AcadSmie  Franfaise. 

Fou,  culj.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
abbreviation  of  foutu,  lost,  done 
for. 


Fouailler  (familiar  and  popular), 
to  miss  one's  effect ;  to  be  lacking 
in  energy  ;  to  back  out ;  to  fail  in 
business,  "  to  go  to  smash. " 

Fouailleur,  m.  (popular),  milksop, 
a  "  sstppy  "  fellow  ;  a  libertine, 
or  "rip." 

Fouataison,  /.  (thieves'),  stick  ;  — 
lingree,  sword-stick  ;  —  mastaree, 
loaded  stick. 

Foucade,  f.  (popular),  sudden 
thought  or  action;  whim,  or 
"fad."  Travailler  par  foucades, 
to  work  by  fits  and  starts. 

Fouchtra  (familiar),  native  of 
Auvergne,  generally  a  coal  retailer 
or  water  carrier.  From  their 
favourite  oath. 

Fouette-cul,  m.  (popular),  school- 
master, or  "bum  brusher." 

Fouetter  (popular),  to  emit  a  bad 
smell ;  —  de  la  carafe,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath. 

Tout  cela  se  fond  dans  une  buee  de  pes- 
tilence. .  .  et,  commeonditdanscemonde- 
Ik,  ^  remue,  9a  danse,  9a  fouette,  9a 
trouillotte,  9a  chelipotte,  en  un  mot  9a  pue 
ferme. — Richepin.  Le  PavL 

Fouetteux  de  chats,  m.  (popular), 
a  poor  simpleton  with  no  heart  for 
work,  "  a  sap  or  sapscuU. " 

FoufiJre,  /.  (thieves'),  watch, 
"tatler,  toy,  or  thimble." 

Fouille,  /.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
pocket,  "  sky-rocket,  cly." 

Fouille-au-tas,  m.  (popular),  rag- 
picker, or  "  tot  finder." 

Fouille-merde,  m.  (popular),  sca- 
venger employed  in  emptying, 
cesspools,  ' '  gold  finder  ;  "  also  a 
very  inquisitive  man. 

Fouiller  (familiar  and  popular), 
pouvoir  se  — ,  to  be  compelled  to 
do  without ;  to  be  certain  of  not 
getting.  Also  expressive  of  ironi- 
cal refusal.     Si  vous  croyez  qu'il 


i6o 


Fouilles — Fourchette. 


va  vous  prater  cette  somme,  vous 
pouvez  vous  — ,  if  you  reckon  on 
his  lending  you  that  sum,  you  will 
have  to  do  without  it.  Tu  peux 
le  — ,  you  shall  not  have  it ;  you 
be  hangedl 

Madame,  daignerez-vous  accepter  mon 
bras? — Tu  peux  te  fouiller,  calicot  I — P. 
Mahalin. 

Fouilles,  f.  pi.  (popular),  des  —  ! 
is'  expressive  of  refusal;  may  be 
rendered  by  the  American  "yes, 
in  a  horn."  For  synonyms  see 
N^fles. 

Fouillouse,/.  (\iAeves'),  pocket,  or 
"  cly."  The  word  is  old.  Rabe- 
lais has  "Plus  d'aubert n'estoit  en 
fouillouse." 

Fouinard,  m.  (popular),  cunning, 
sly  man  ;  a  tricky  ' '  dodger  ; " 
coivard,or"cow'sh3he."  Termed 
in  old  French  tapineux. 

Fouiner  (popular),  to  play  the  spy, 
or  Paul  Pry;  to  escape,  "to 
mizzle. " 

Foulage,  m.  (popular),  agreat  deal 
of  work,  much  ' '  graft  or  elbow 
grease. " 

Foulard  rouge,  m.  (popular), 
woman's  bully,  "  pensioner."  For 
synonymous  expressions  see  Pois- 
son. 

Fouler  (familiar),  se  la  — ,  to  work 
hard.  Ne  pas  se  —  le  poignet, 
to  take  it  easy, 

Du  tonnerre  si  Ton  me  repince  k  I'en- 
clume  !  voila  cinq  jours  que  je  me  la  foule, 
je  puis  blen  le  balancer  .  .  ,  s'il  me  iiche 
un  abatage,  je  I'envoie  k  Chaillot. — Zola, 
U  Assommoir, 

Foultitude,  f.  (popular),  many, 
much,  "  neddy  "  (Irish). 

Four,  m.  {lumiUar),  failure.  Faire 
— ,  to  be  unsuccessful.  Un  — 
complet,  a  dead  failure.  (Thea- 
trical) Four,  the  upper  part  of  the 
house  in  a  theatre.  An  allusion 
to  the  heated  atmosphere,   like 


that  of  an  oven ;  (popular) 
rtroa/,  or  "gutter lane."  Chauf- 
fer le  — ,  to  eat  ordrhik.  (Thieves') 
Un  —  banal,  an  omnibus,  or 
"chariot  ;  "  a  pocket,  or  "cly." 

Fourailler  (thieves'),  to  sell ;  to 
barter,  ' '  to  fence. " 

Fouraillis,  m.  (thieves'),  house  of 
a  receiver  of  stolen  property,  of  a 
"fence." 

Fourbi,  m.  (thieves'),  the  proceeds  of 
stolen  property ;  (popular  and  mili- 
tary) mm-e  or  less  unlawful profUs 
on  provisions  and  stores,  or  other 
goods  ;  dodge  ;  routine  of  the  de- 
tails of  some  trade  or  profession. 

Puis  il  faisait  sa  tournee,  .  . .  retablissait 
d'un  coup  de  poing  ou  d'une  secousse  la 
sym^trie  d'un  pied  de  lit,  en  vieux  soldat 
sort!  des  rangs  et  qui  connait  le  fourbi  du 
metier. — G.  Courteline. 

Connaltre  le  — ,  to  be  wide-awake, 
"  to  know  what's  o'clock."  Du 
— ,  goods  and  chattels,  or  "  traps," 
termed  "swag"  in  Australia; 
furniture,  movables,  or  "marbles. " 

Voilk  ce  gue  c'est  d'avoir  tant  de  fourbi, 
dit  un  ouvrier  .  .  .  lui  aussi,  il  a  demenag^ 
.  .  .  emportant  toute  sa  smala  dans  une 
charrette  a  bras. — Richepin,  Le  Pave. 

(Popular)  Fourbi,  occupation.  A 
ce  —  la  on  ne  s'enrichit  pas,  one 
does  not  get  rich  at  that  occupation, 
at  that  game. 

Fourcandifere,/  (thieves'),  epouser 
la  — ,  to  get  rid  of  stolen  property 
by  casting  it  away  when  fursiud. 

Fourche  k  faner,  /  (thieves'), 
horseman. 

Fourchette,/.  (military),  bayonet. 
Trovailler  a  la  — ,  to  fight  with 
cold  steel.  (Popular)  Marquer  a 
la  — ,  is  said  of  a  tradesman  who 
draws  up  an  incorrect  account,  to 
his  own  advantage,  of  course. 
(Thieves')  Vol  a  la  — ,  dexterous 
way  of  picking  a  pocket  with  two 
fingers  only. 


Fourchettes — Fourobe. 


i6i 


Fourchettes,/.  //.  (popular),  fin- 
gers, "dooks;"  legs,  "pins;" 
—  d'Adam,  fingers.  Jouer  des 
— ,  to  run  away,  "  to  hop  the 
twig."    See  Patatrot. 

Fourchu,    m.    (thieves'),    ox,    or 

"mooer." 
Fourgat,orfourgasse,»2.  (thieves'), 

receiver  of  stolen  goods,  or  "fence." 

Le  pere  Vestiaire  ^tait  ce  qu'on  appelle 
dans  Targot  des  voleurs  un  fourgat  (rece- 
leur). — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Fourgatte,  /  (thieves'),  female  re- 
ceiver of  stolen  goods,  "  fence." 

Viens  avec  moi  chez  ma  fourgatte,_  je 
suis  sir  qu'elle  nous  pretera  quatre  ou  cinq 
tunes  de  cinq  balles  (pieces  de  cinq  francs). 

— ViDOCQ. 

Fourgature,  /.  (thieves'),  stock  of 
stolen  property  for  sale. 

Fourgonnier,  m.  (thieves'),  canteen 
man  at  the  transport  settlement. 

Fourgue,  m.     See  Fourgat. 

Fourguer  (thieves'),  to  sell,  or  "  to 
do;"  to  sell  or  buy  stolen  property, 
"to  fence." 

Elle  ne  fourgue  que  de  la  blanquetle, 
des  bogues  et  des  broquilles  (elle  n'achete 
que  de  I'argenterie,  des  montres  et  des  bi- 
joux).—ViDOCQ. 

Fourgueroles,  /  //.  (thieves'), 
stolen  property,  "s«&g."  Laver 
les  — ,  or  la  camelotte,  to  sell 
stolen  property. 

Fourgue iir,  m.  (thieves' and  cads'), 
seller,  hawker;  —  de  fianches, 
man  who  goes  about  offering  for 
sale  prohibited  articles,  such  as 
certain  indecent  cards  called 
"cartes  transparentes,"  or  con- 
traband lucifer  matches,  the  right 
of  manufacture  and  sale  of  which 
is  a  monopoly  granted  by  govern- 
ment to  a  single  company. 

Fourline,  fourlineur,  m.  (thieves'), 
thief,  ' '  prig."  For  synonyms  see 
Grinche. 


Fourliner  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "to 
nick;"  to  pick  pockets,  "to  buz 
a  cly. " 

Fourlineur,  m.  (thieves'),  pick- 
pocket, or  "buz-faker." 

Fourloure,  m.  (thieves'),  sick  man. 

Fourlourer  (thieves'),  to  murder. 
See  Refroidir. 

Fourloureur,  m.  (thieves'),  viur- 
derer. 

Fourmillante,/  (thieves'),  croiod, 
"push, "or  "scuff." 

Fourmiller  (thieves'),  to  move  about 
in  a  crowd  for  the  purpose  of  pick- 
ing pockets.  Termed  by  English 
thieves  "cross-fanning." 

Fourmillon,  m.  (thieves'),  market; 
—  i  gayets,  horse  fair ;  —  au 
beurre,  Stock  Exchange.  Literally 
money  market. 

Fourneau,  m.  (popular),  fool,  or 
"  duffer ;"  vagabond  who  sleeps  in 
the  open  air ;  term  of  contempt. 
Va  done  eh !  —  !  ^»  along,  you 
"bally  fool." 

J'lui  dis  :  de  t'voir  j'suis  aise,  ,  ^■ 

Mais  les  feux  d'l'amour ;  nisco. 
Quoi,  m'dit-eir  :  t'as  mem'  plus  d  braise  ! 
Va  done,  vieux  fourneau  ! 

Music-hall  Song. 

Foumier,  m.  (popular),  waiter 
whose  functions  are  to  pour  out 
coffee  for  the  customers. 

Fournil,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 

bed,  ' '  doss, "  or  "  bug  walk." 
Fournion,  m.  (popular),  insect. 

Fournir  Martin  (popular),  to  wear 
furs.  Martin  is  the  French  equi- 
valent for  Bruin. 

Fourobe,/.  (thieves'),  overhauling 
of  convict's  clothes,  "  ruling  over." 

Fourob6  (thieves'),  one  who  has 
been  searched,  or  "  turned  over." 

M 


1 62 


Fotirober — Foutre. 


Fourober  (thieves'),  to  search  on 
one's  person,  "to  frisk,"  or  "to 
rule  over." 

Fourquer.     See  Fourguer. 

Fourreau,  m.  (familiar),  lady's  dress 
which  Jits  tightly  and  shotos  the 
figure;  (popular  and  thieves') 
trousers,  "  hams,  sit-upons,  or 
kicks."  Jemesuiscarmed'unbate 
— ,  /  have  bought  for  myself  a  fine 
^air  of  trousers. 

Fourree,  adj.  (thieves'),  pi^ce  — , 
coin  which  has  been  gouged  out. 

Fourrer  (familiar  and  popular),  se 

—  le  doigt  dans  I'oeil,  to  be  mis- 
taken ;  to  labour  under  a  delusion. 

A  la  fin  c'est  vexant,  car  je  vois  clair,  ils 
ont  I'air  de  me  croire_  mal  ^lev^e  ...  ah  ! 
bien  !  mon  petit,  en  voilk  qui  se  fourrent  le 
doigt  dans  I'osil.— jZoLA,  Nana. 

Se  —  le  doigt  dans  I'oeil  jusqu'au 
coude,  superlative  of  above.     S'en 

—  dans  le  gilet,  to  drink  heavily, 
"  to  swill." 

Fourrier  de  la  loupe,  m.  (popular), 
lazy  felloiu,  or  ' '  bummer  ;  " 
loafer;  roysterer,  "merry  pin." 

Fourrures,  /  pi.  (familiar),  see 
Pays  ;  (fishermens')  plug  used  for 
stopping  up  holes  in  a  boat. 

Foutaise,  f.  (popular),  worthless 
thing,  or  ' '  not  worth  a  curse  ;  " 
nonsense,  or  "fiddle  faddle;" 
humbug.  Tout  5a  c'est  d'la  — , 
that's  all  nonsense,  "rot." 

Fouterie,  /.  (popular),  nonsense, 
"rot."  C'est  de  la  —  de  peau, 
that's  sheer  nonsense. 

Foutimacer,  foutimasser  (popu- 
lar), to  do  worthless  work  ;  to  talk 
nonsense. 

Foutimacier,  foutimacifere  (po- 
pular), unskilled  workman  or 
workwoman ;  silly  person,  or 
"duffer." 


Foutimasseur.  See  Foutima- 
cier. 

Foutoir  (familiar  and  popular), 
house  of  ill  fame,  ' '  academy ;"  dis- 
reputable house  ;  —  ambulant,  cab. 

Foutre  (general),  a  coarse  expres- 
sion which  has  manysignifications, 
to  give  ;  to  do  ;  to  have  connection 
with  a  woman,  dfc.  ;  —  du  tabac, 
to  thrash.  See  Voie.  Foutre 
dedans,  to  impose  upon;  to  im- 
prison. 

Et  qu'k  la  fin,  le  chef  voulait  m'fout'  de- 
dans, en  disant  que  je  commen^ais  a  I'eni- 
beter. — G.  Courteline. 

Foutre  le  camp,  to  be  off ;  to  de- 
camp, "to  hook  it." 

Chargez-vous  5a  sur  les  ^paules  et  foutez 
le  camp,  qu'on  ne  vous  voie  plus. — G. 
Courteline, 

Foutre,  to  put ;  to  send. 

Pa'c'que  j'aime  le  vin, 
Nom  d'un  chien  ! 
Va-t-on  pas  m'/out'  au  bagne. 

RiCHEPIM. 

Foutre  la  paix,  to  leave  one  alone. 

Vous  refusez  formellement,  c'est  bien  en- 
tendu? — Formellement  !  Foutez-nous  la 
paix.— G.  Courteline. 

Foutre  un  coup  de  pied  dans  les 
jambes,  to  borrow  money,  "  to 
break  shins  ; "  —  une  pile,  to 
thrash,  "  to  wallop."  See  Voie. 
Foutre  la  misere,  to  live  in 
poverty. 

II  ajoutait .  .  .  que,  sacr^did  !  la  gamine 
^tait,  aussi,  trop  jolie  pour  foutre  la  misere 
a  son  Sge. — Zola,  V Assoinmoir. 

En  —  son  billet,  to  assure  one  of 
the  certainty  of  a  fact.  Je  t'en 
fous  mon  billet  or  mon  petit  tur- 
lututu,  /  give  you  my  word  'tis  a 
fact,  "  my  Davy  "  on  it.  Ne  pas 
—  un  radis,  not  to  give  a  penny. 
N'  en  pas —  un  clou,  un  coup,  or 
une  secousse,  to  be  superlatively 
idle. 

Ces  bougres-lk  sont  ^patants,  ils  n'en 
foucraient  pas  une  secousse  si  on  avait  le  mal- 
heur  de  les  laisser  faire.— G.  Courteline. 


/ 


Foutre — Fracassi. 


163 


Se  —  de  quelque  chose,  not  to 
care  a  straw,  "  a  hang,"  /or.     Se 

—  de  quelqu'un,  not  to  care  a 
straw  for  one  ;  to  laugh  at  one  ;  to 
make  game  of  one. 

Hein?    Bosc  n'est  pas  ISl?    Est-ce  qu'U 
se  fout  de  moi,  a  la  fia  ! — Zola,  Nana. 

Se  —  du  peuple,  du  public,  to  dis- 
regard, to  set  at  defiance  people's 
opinion  ;  to  make  game  of  people. 
be  — par  terra,  to  fall.  Se  —  mal, 
to  dress  badly.  Se  —  une  partie 
de  billard  sur  le  torse,  to  play  bil- 
liards, or  "spoof."  Se  —  un 
coup  de  tampon,  to  fight.     S'en 

—  comme  de  Colin  Tampon,  not 
to  care  a  straw.  Se  —  une  bosse, 
to  do  anything,  or  indulge  in  any- 
thing to  excess.  (Military)  Foutre 
au  clou,  to  iviprison,  "to  roost." 

Comme  9a  on  nous  fout  au  clou  ? — Cast 
probable,  difle  brigadier. — G.  Courte- 

LINE. 

Foutre  !  an  ejaculation  of  anger, 
astonishment,  or  used  as  an  ex- 
pletive. 

Ah!  9a,  foutre!  parlerez-vous ?     Etes- 
vous  une  brute,  oui  ou  non  ? — G.  Courte- 

LINE. 

Foutreau,  m.  (popular),  row,  or 
"  shindy ;  "fight. 

Oh !  xl  va  y  avoir  du  foutreau,  le  com- 
mandant s'est  frotte  les  mains. — Balzac. 

Foutriquet,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), expressive  of  contempt  :  di- 
minutive man  ;  despicable  adver- 
sary. 'Hie  appellation  was  applied 
as  a  nickname  to  M.  Thiers  by 
the  insurgents  of  1 87 1. 

Foutre,  m.  (military),  agame played 
in  military  hospitals.  A  hand- 
kerchief twisted  into  hard  knots, 
and  termed  M.  Lefoutro,  is  laid 
on  a  table,  and  taken  up  now  and 
then  to  be  used  as  an  instrument 
of  punishment ;  any  offence  against 
M.  Lefoutro  being  at  once  dealt 
with  by  an  application  of  his  re- 


presentative to  the  outstretched 
palm  of  the  culprit. 

Halte  au  jeu  !  par  I'ordre  du  roi,  je  A&- 
consigne  M.  Lefoutro.  .  .  .  Votre^  main, 
coupable.  L'interpelld  tendit  la  main  dans 
laquelle  Lagrappe  langa  k  tour  de  bras  trois 
enormes  coups  de  foutro,  accompagnds  de 
ces  paroles  sacramentelles :  faute  fatte, 
faute  k  payer,  rien  k  reclamer,  rdclamez- 
vous  ?  .  . .  Oui,  monsieur,  je  reclame.  Eh 
bien, ,  .  .  c'est  parceque  vous  avez  levd  les 
yeux.  .  .  .  C*etait  une  impolitesse  k  regard 
de  M.  Lefoutro,  et  M.  Lefoutro  ne  veut 
pas  que  vous  lui  manquiez  de  respect.^ 
O.  CouRTELiNE,  Les  Guietis  de  i'Esca- 
dron, 

Foutu,  adj.  (general),  put ;  made ; 
bad ;  wretched ;  unpleasant ; 
ruined;  lost,  (s'c. 

La  police  !  dit-elle  toute  blanche.  Ah  ! 
nom  d'un  chien  !  pas  de  chance  ! .  .  .  nous 
sommes  foutues  ! — Zola,  Nana. 

Foutu,  given. 

Qu'est-ce  qui  m'a  foutu  un  brigadier 
comme  9a  !  Vous  n'avez  pas  de  honte  .  . . 
de  laisser  votre  peloton  dans  un  dtat  pareil. 

— G.  COURTELINE. 

II  s'est  —  i  rire,  he  began  to 
laugh.  On  lui  a  —  son  paquet, 
he  got  reprimanded;  dismissed 
from  his  employment,  or  ' '  got  the 
sack."  Un  homme  mal  —  or  — 
comme  quatre  sous,  a  badly  dressed 
or  clumsily  built  man.  Un  tra- 
vail mal  — ,  clumsy  work.  '  C'est 
un  homme  —,heisa  ruined  man, 
"  on  his  beam  ends."  II  est  — ,  it 
isallup  with  him,  "  done  for. "  Un 
—  cheval,  a  sorry  nag,  a  "screw." 
Un  —  temps,  wretched  weather. 
Une  foutue  affaire,  a  wretched 
business.  Une  foutue  canaille,  a 
scamp.  (Thieves')  C'est  un  — 
flanchet,  it  is  u,  bad  job,  an  un- 
lucky event. 

Fouyou  (theatrical),  urchin;  (fa- 
miliar) — !  you  cad!  you  "snide 
bally  bounder." 

Fracasse,  adj.  (thieves'),  dressed  in 
a  coat.  From  un  frac,  u  frock- 
coat,  dress  coat. 


1 64 


Fracasser^Franguettier. 


Fracasser  (popular),  quelqu'un,  to 
abuse  one,  "to  slang  one  ;  "  to  ill- 
use  one,  "  to  man-handle."  Lite- 
rally to  smash. 

Fraction,  f.  (thieves'),  burglary,  or 
"busting." 

J'ai  pris  du  poignon  tant  que  j'ai  pu, 
c'est  vrai  !  Jamais  je  n'ai  commis  de  frac- 
tion ! — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Cliiude. 

Fracturer  (popular),  se  la  — ,  to  run 
away,  "to  hop  the  twig."  See 
Patatrot. 

Fraiche,/!  (thieves'),  cellar. 

Frais,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  ironical,  good ;  fine. 
Vous  voili  — ,  here  you  are  in  a 
sorry  plight,  in  a  fix,  in  a 
"hole."  C'est  la  I'ouvrage?  il 
est  —  !  Is  that  the  work  ?  a  fine 
piece  of  work  !  Arr^ter  les  — ,  to 
stop  doing  a  thing.  From  an  ex- 
pression used  at  billiard  rooms,  to 
stop  the  expenses  for  the  use  of 
the  table.  Mettre  quelqu'un  au 
— ,  to  imprison.  Literally  to  put 
in  a  cool  place, 

Fralin,  m.,  fraline,  f.  (thieves'), 
brother;  sister;  chum,  "Ben cull." 

Franc,  adj.  and  m.  (thieves'),  ac- 
complice, or  "  stallsman  ;  "  low; 
frequented  by  thieves  ;  faithful. 

C'est  Jean- Louis,  un  bon  enfant;  sois 
tranquille,  il  est  franc. — Vidocq. 

Un  —  de  maison,  receiver  of  stolen 
property,  or  "fence;"  landlord 
of  a  thieves'  lodging-house,  or 
"flash  ken."  Un  —  mijou,  or 
mitou,  a  vagabond  suffering,  or 
pretending  to  suffer,  from  some  ail- 
ment, and  who  makes  capital  of 
such  ailment.  Messiere  — ,  bour- 
geois or  citizen. 

En  faisant  nos  gambades, 
Un  grand  messiere  franc 
Voulant  faire  parade 
Serre  un  bogue  d' orient. 

Vidocq. 

(Military)  C'est  — ,  well  and  good; 
that's  all  right. 


Franc  -  carreau,  m.  (prisoners'), 
punishment  which  consists  in  being 
compelled  to  sleep  on  the  bare  floor 
of  the  cell, 

Francfiler  (familiar  and  popular), 
was  said  of  those  who  left  Paris 
during  the  war,  and  sought  a  place 
of  safety  in  foreign  countries. 

II  n'avait  pas  voulu  francfiler  pendant  le 
siege. — E.  Monteil,  Cornebois. 

Franc-fileur,  m.  (familiar),  oppro- 
brious epithet  applied  to  those  who 
left  France  during  the  war. 

Franchir  (thieves'),  to  kiss. 

Francillon,  m.,  francillonne,  / 
(thieves').  Frenchman  ;  French- 
woman ;  friendly.  Le  barbaudier 
de  castu  est-il  francillon  ?  Is  the 
hospital  director  friendly  1 

Franc-mitou,  m.  (thieves').  See 
Franc. 

Franco  (cads'  and  thieves'),  c'est 
— ,  it  is  all  right ;  all  safe.  Gaf- 
fine  lago,  c'est  — ,  y  a  pas  de 
trepe,  look  there,  U  is  all  safe, 
there's  nobody, 

Frangois  (thieves'),  la  faire  au  pere 
— ,  to  rob  a  man  by  securing  a 
strap  round  his  neck,  and  lifting 
him  half-strangled  on  one's  shoul- 
ders, while  an  accomplice  rifles  his 
pockets. 

Frangin,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
brother  ;  term  of  friendship  ;  ■ — 
dab,  uncle.  Mon  vieux  — ,  old 
fellow  !  "  old  ribstone  ! " 

Frangine,  /  (thieves'  and  popular), 
sister ;  —  dabuche,  aunt. 

On  la  connait,  la  vache  qui  nous  a  fait 
traire  !  C'est  la  vierge  de  Saint-Lazare, 
la  frangine  du  meg ! ...  II  est  trop  k  la 
coule,  le  frangin  !  C'est  au  tour  de  la 
frangine  maintenant  ^  avoir  son  atoutl — 
Mimoires  de  Monsieur  ClaTtde, 

Frangir  (thieves'),  to  break, 

Franguettier,  m.  (thieves'),  card- 
sharpen;  or  "  broadsman." 


Fraonval — Fricoteur. 


165 


Fraonval  (Breton),  to  escape. 

Frapouille.     See  Fripouille. 

Frappart,  tn.  (thieves'),  pire  — , 
a  hammer. 

Frappe,  /.    (popular),  a  worthless 
•  fellow ;  a  scamp. 

Une  frappe  de  Beauvais  qui  voudrait 
plumer  tous  les  rupins. — Cri  du  Peuple, 
Mars,  i886. 

Frappe  -  devant,     m.     (popular), 

sledge-hammer. 
Fratemellados,  or  inseparables, 

m.  pi.  (popular),  cigars  sold  at  two 
for  three  sous. 

Fraudeur,  m.  (thieves'),  butcher. 

Frayau  (popular),  il  fait  — ,  it  is 
cold. 

Fredaines,  /  //.  (thieves'),  stolen 
property. 

Si  tu  veux  marcher  en  eclaireur  et  venir 
avec  nous  jusque  dans  la  rue  Sainc-Sebas- 
tien,  ou  nous  aliens  deposer  ces  fredaines, 
tu  auras  ton  fade. — Vidocq. 

Fregate,y!  (popular),  Sodomist. 

Frelampier.     See  Ferlampier. 

Fremillante.    See  Fourmillante. 

Fremion,  m.  (thieves'),  violin. 

Frere  (familiar),  et  ami,  demagogue; 
(thieves')  —  de  la  cote,  see 
Bande  noire ;  —  de  la  raanicle, 
convict.  (Military)  Gros  — ,  aii- 
rassier.  (Sailors')  Vieux  —  la 
c6te,  old  chum. 

Je  suis  ton  vieux  frfere  la  c8te,  moi,  et  je 
t'aime,  voyons,  bon  sang  ! — Richepin,  Z.ff 
Glu' 

(Roughs')  Les  freres  qui  aggri- 
chent,  the  detectives.  Les  freres 
qui'  en  grattent,  rope  dancers.  l,es 
freres  qui  en  mouillent,  acrobats; 
"  en  mouiller  "  having  the  signifi- 
cation of  performing  some  extra- 
ordinary feat  which  causes  one  to 
sweat. 

Frerot  de  la  cagne,  m.  (thieves'), 
•fellow-thief,  or  "family  man." 


Freschteak,  m.  (military),  piece  of 
meat ;  stew. 

Eh  !  eh  !  on  se  nourrit  bien  ici : .  .  .  d'oii 
avez-vous  tir^  ce  freschteak?  oil  diable  a-t- 
il  trouvd  k  chaparder  de  la  viande,  ce 
rossard  Ik? — Hector  France,  Sous  le 
Burnous. 

Fressure,  /.  (popular),  heart,  or 
"panter."  Properly  pluck  or 
fry. 

Fretillante,/  (thieves'), /«»  ;  tail; 
dance. 

Fr6tille,  fertillante,  fertille,  /. 
(thieves'),  straw,  or  "strommel." 

Fretiller  (thieves'),  to  dance. 

Fretin,  m.     See  Fortin. 

Friauche,  m.  (thieves'),  thief,  prig, 
or  "Grossman,"  see  Grinche; 
convict  under  a  death-sentence  who 
at 


Fricasse  (popular),  on  t'en  — ,  ex- 
pressive of  ironical  refusal,  or,  as 
the  Americans  say,  ' '  Yes,  in  a 
horn  ! "    See  Nfefles. 

Fricassee,/;  (popular),  thrashing, 
"  wallopping."    See  Voie. 

Fricasser  ses  meubles  (popular), 
to  sell  one' s  furniture. 

Fricasseur,  m.  (popular),  spend- 
thrift;  libertine,  or  "rip." 

Fric-frac,  m.  (thieves'),  breaking 
open,  or  "  busting."  Faire  — ,  to 
break  into,  "  to  bust. " 

Frichti,  m.  (popular),  stew  with 
potatoes. 

Fricot,  m.  (popular),  s'endormir 
sur  le  — ,  to  relax  one's  exertions  ; 
to  allo^v  an  undertaking  to  flag. 

Fricoter  (military),  to  shirk  OTie's 
military  duties. 

Fricoteur    (military),    marauder ; 
_one  who  shirks  duty,  who  only  cares 
about  good  living. 


1 66 


Frigousse — Frire  un  rigolo. 


Frigousse,  /.  (popular),  food,  or 
"  prog ;  "  stew. 

C'^tait  trop  rdussi,  ^a  prouvait  ou  con- 
duisait  I'amour  de  la  frigousse.  Au  rencart 
les  gourmandes  ! — Zola,  L'Assommoir. 

Frigousser  (popular),  to  cook. 

Frileux,  m,  (popular),  toltroon, 
"  cow-babe." 

Je  suis  un  ferlampier  qui  n*est  pas  frileux. 

— E.  Sue. 

Frimage,  m.  (thieves'),  appearing 
before  the  magistrate,  or  in  presence 
of  a  prosecutor,  for  identification. 

Prime,/  (thieves'),/?^?,  or  "mug." 

Avec  un'  frim'  comm'  j'en  ai  une, 
Un  mariol  sait  trouver  d'la  ihune. 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Moliere  uses  the  word  with  the 
signification  ai  grimace : — 

Pourquoi  toutes  ces  frimes-lk  ?  —  Le 
Midecin  malgri  Lui. 

Prime  i  la  manque,  ugly  face ; 
face  of  a  one-eyed  person,  termed 
"  a  seven-sided  animal,"  as,  says 
the  Slang  Dictionary,  he  has  an 
inside,  outside,  left  side,  right 
side,  foreside,  backside,  and  blind 
side.  Tomber  en  ^,  to  meet  face 
to  face.  ( Popular)  Une  — ,  false- 
hood ;  trick. 

Quelque  frime  pour  se  faire  donner  du 
Sucre  !  ah  !  11  allait  se  renseigner,  et  si  elle 
mentait  ! — Zola,  V Assommoir. 

Frimer  (thieves'),  to  peer  into  on£s 
face.  Faire  — ,  to  place  a  prisoner 
in  presence  of  a  prosecutor  for  pur- 
pose of  identification.  (Popular) 
Frimer,  to  make  a  good  appearance; 
to  look  well ;  to  pretend.  Cet  habit 
frime  bien,  this  coat  looks  well. 
lis  frimentde  s'en  aller,  they  pre- 
tend logo  away. 

Frimousse,  /  (thieves'),  figure 
card.  (Popular)  C'est  pour  ma 
— ,  that's  for  me.  Literally /Ay- 
siognomy. 


Frimousser  (card-sharpers'),  to 
swindle  by  contriving  to  turn  up 
the  figure  cards. 

Frimousseur(card-sharpers'),fari/- 
sharper,  "broadsman." 

Fringue,  f.  (thieves'),  article  of 
clothing,  "clobber."  (Popular) 
Les  fringues,  players  at  a  game 
called  ' '  Pours. "  These  stand  up- 
right in  a  knot  at  the  centre  of  a 
circle,  face  to  face,  with  heads 
bent  and  arms  passed  over  one 
another's  shoulders  so  as  to  steady 
themselves.  The  business  of  other 
players  outside  the  circle  is  to 
jump  on  the  backs  of  those  in  the 
knot  without  being  caught  by  one 
called  "le  chien  "  or  "I'ours," 
who  keeps  running  about  in  the 
circle. 

Fringuer  (thieves'),  se  — ,  to  dress 
oruself,  "to  rig  oneself  out  in 
clobber." 

Fripe,/  (popular), /flO(/,  "prog.'' 
From  the  old  word  fripper,  to  eat; 
cooking  of  food  ;  expense  ;  share  in 
the  reckoning,  or  "shot;"  — 
sauce,  cook,  or  "dripping."  Faire 
la  — ,  to  cook. 

Fripier,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
cook,  or  "  dripping ;  "  master  of 
an  eating-house,  of  a  "carnish 
ken." 

Fripouille,  /.  (familiar),  rogue; 
scamp.  From  fripe,  rag.  Tout 
ce  monde  la  c'est  de  la  — ,  these 
people  are  a  bad  lot. 

Friques,/^/.  (thieves'),  rags. 

Friquet,  m.  (thieves'),  spy  in  the 
employ  of  the  police,  "  nark,"  or 
"nose."^ 

Frire  un  rigolo  (thieves'),  to  pick 
the  pockets  of  a  petson  while  cm- 
bracing  him,  under  a  pretence  of 
mistaken  identity. 


Frischti — Frusquiner. 


167 


Frischti,  m.  (military),  dainty  food; 
stew. 

Frise,m.  (popular),y«(/,  "sheney," 
or  "mouchey."  Termed  also 
"  youtre,  pied-plat,  guinal." 

Frisque,  m.  (popular),  cold. 

Le  frisque  du  matin,  qui  ravigote  le 
sang,  qui  cingle  la  vie.— RiCHEPiN,  Le 
Pave. 

Frissante,  /.  adj.  (sailors'),  with 
gentle  ripples. 

La  ra^  n'est  pas  toujours  reche  conime  une 

itrille. 
Vois,  elle  est  douce,  un  peu  frissante,  mais 

pas  plus. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Frites,/.  pi.  (popular),  forpommes 
de  terre  frites,  fried  potatoes. 
Termed  "  greasers  "  at  the  R.  M. 
Academy. 

Friturer  (popular),  to  cook. 

Frivoliste, »/.  (literary), /«^/(/2«Wi?«-y 
contributor,  for  instance,  to  a  jour- 
nal of  fashion. 

Froisseux,  adj.  (popular),  traitor, 
"  cat -in -the -pan  ;"  slanderer. 
From  froisser,  to  hurt  one's 
feelings. 

FroUant,  m.  (thieves'),  slanderer ; 
traitor,  one  who  "turns  snitch." 

FroUer  (thieves'),  sur  la  balle,  to 
slander  one.  From  the  old  word 
froler,  to  thrash,  to  injure. 

Fromgibe,  m.  (popular),  cheese. 

Front,  m.  (popular),  avoir  le  — 
dans  le  cou,  to  be  bald,  to  be 
"  stag-faced." 

Froteska,/.  (popular),  thrashing, 
"tanning,"  or  "hiding."  See 
Voie. 

Frotin,  m.  (popular),  billiards,  or 

"  spoof."  Coup  de  — ,  game  of 

billiards.  Flancher  au  — ,  to  play 
billiards. 

Frotte,/.  (popular),  itch. 


Frott^e,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
thrashing,  or  "  licking."  See 
Voie. 

Cinq  ou  six  matelots  de  TAlbatros  furent 
attaqu^s  par  une  dizaine  de  marins  du 
Mary-Ann  et  re5urent  une  des  plus  v€n£- 
rables  frottdes  dont  on  eut  oui  parler  sur  la 
c3te  du  Pacifique. — J.  Claretie. 

Frotter  (gamesters'),  se  —  au  bon- 
heurdequelqu'un.  The  expression 
is  explained  by  the  following  quo- 
tation : — 

Le  joueur  est  superstitieux,  il  croit  au 
fetiche.  Un  bossu  gagne-t-il,  on  voit  des 
pontes  acham^s  se  grouper  autour  de  lui 
pour  lui  toucher  sa  bosse  et  se  frotter  k  son 
bonheur.  A  Vichy,  les  joueurs  sont  munis 
de  pattes  de  lapin  pour  toucher  ddiicate- 
ment  le  dos  des  heureux  du  tapis  vert. — 
Mitnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Froufrou,  m.  (thieves'),  master-key. 

Frousse,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
diarrheea  ;  fear. 

Tai  fait  chibis.    J'avais  la  frousse 
Des  prefectanciers  de  Pantin. 

KiCHEPIN. 

Fructidoriser  (familiar),  tosuppress 
one's  political  adversaries  by  vio- 
lent means,  such  as  transportation 
wholesale.  An  allusion  to  the  1 8th 
Fructidor  or  4th  September,  1797. 

Fruges,  f.  pi.  (popular),  more  or 
less  lawful  profits  on  sales  by  shop- 
men. English  railway  ticket- 
clerks  give  the  name  of  "  fluff  "  to 
profits  accruing  from  short  change 
given  by  them. 

Frusque,/  (popular),  <:oo/,  "Ben- 
jamin." 

Frusques,///.  (general),  clothing, 
"toggery,"  or  "clobber;"  — 
boulin^es,  clothes  in  tatter i. 

On  allait .  .  .  choisir  ses  frusques  chez 
Milon,  qui  avait  des  costumes  moins  bril- 
lants.— E.  MoNTElL. 

Frusquiner  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
dress,  "  to  rig  "  oneself  out. 


1 68 


Frusqu  ineur — Futaille. 


Frusquineur,  in.  (popular),  tailor, 
"  snip,  steel-bar  driver,  cabbage 
contractor,  or  button  catcher. " 
Frusquins.w.//.  (popular),  clothes, 

or  "toggery." 
Fuir  (popular),  laisser  —  son  ton- 
neau,   to  die.     For  synonyms  see 
Pipe. 

FumS,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
to  be  in  an  awful  fix,  past  praying 
^''i  "a  gone  coon."  With  regard 
to  the  English  slang  equivalent, 
the  Slang Dictioniry  says :  ' '  This 
expression  is  said  to  have  origina- 
ted in  the  first  American  War  with 
a  spy  who  dressed  himself  in  a 
racoon  skin,  and  ensconced  him- 
self in  a  tree.  An  English  sol- 
dier, taking  him  for  a  veritable 
coon,  levelled  his  piece  at  him, 
upon  which  he  exclaimed,  '  Don't 
shoot,  I'll  come  dovpn  of  myself; 
I  know  I'm  a  gone  coon.'  The 
Yankees  say  the  Britisher  was  so 
'  flummuxed '  that  he  flung  down 
his  musket  and  '  made  tracks '  for 
home."  The  phrase  is  prettygene- 
ral  in  England.  (There  is  one  diffi- 
culty about  this  story — how  big 
was  the  man  who  dressed  hnnself 
in  a  racoon  skin  ?) 

Fumer  (popular),  to  snore,  "to 
drive  one's  pigs  to  market ; "  — 
sans  pipe  et  sans  tabac,  to  be 
"riled ;"  to  fume.  Avoir  fume  dans 
une  pipe  neuve,  to  feel  unwell  in 
consequence  of  prolonged  potations. 

Fumerie,  f.  (popular),  smoking, 
' '  blowing  a  cloud." 

Fumeron,  m.  (popular),  hypocrite, 
"  mawworm." 

Fumerons,  m.  pi.  (popular),  legs, 
"pegs." 

Fumiste,    m.    (familiar),  practical 
joker;    humbug.      Farce   de  — , 


practical  joke.  For  quotation  see 
Farce.  (Polytechnic  School)  Etre 
en  — ,  to  be  in  civilian's  clothes, 
"in  mufti." 

Fuseaux,  m.pl.  (popular),  legs,  or 
"pins."  Jouer  des  — ,  to  run, 
"  to  leg  it."    See  Patatrot. 

II  juge  qu'il  est  temps  de  jouer  des  fu- 
seaux, mais  au  moment  ou  il  se  dispose  a 
gagner  plus  au  pied  qu'k  la  toise  .  .  .  le 
gar^on  le  saisit  h.  la  gorge.— Vidocq. 

Fusee,/  (popular),  licher  une — , 
to  be  sick,  "  to  shoot  the  cat." 

Fuser  (popular),  to  ease  oneself. 
See  Mouscailler. 

Fusil,  m.  (popular),  stomach  ;  —  a 
deux  coups,  trousers  ;  —  de  toile, 
■wallet.     Aller  i  la  chasse  avec  un 

—  de  toile,  to  beg.  CoUe-toi  9a 
dans  le  — ,  eat  or  drink  that ;  put 
that  in  your  "bread-basket." 
Ecarter  du  — ,to  spit  involuntarily 
■when  talking.  Se  rincer,  se  gar- 
gariser  le — ,  to  drink,  "to  swig." 
See  Rincer.  Changer  son  — 
d'epaule,  to  change  one's  political 
opinions,  to  turn  one's  coat.  Re- 
pousser  du  — ,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath. 

Fusilier  (military),  to  spend  money. 
Literally  faire  partir  ses  balles, 
the  last  word  having  the  double 
signification    of   bullets,  francs; 

—  ses  invites,  to  give  onis  guests 
a  bad  dinner ;  —  le  pave,  to  use 
one's  fingers  as  a  pocket-handker- 
chief;  —  le  plancher,  to  set  off  at 
a  run  ;  —  son  pese,  to  spend  one's 
money;  (thieves')  —  le  fade,  to 
give  one's  share  of  booty  ;  to  make 
one  "stand  in." 

Fusilleur,  m.     See  Bande  noire. 

Futaille,/  (thieves'),  vieilie  — ,  old 
■woman. 


Gabari — Gadoue. 


169 


Gabari,  m.  (popular),  passer  au  — , 
to  lose  a  game. 

Gabarit,  m.  (sailors'),  body;  breast; 
—  sans  bossoirs,  breast  with  thin 
bosoms. 

J'aime  pas  bien  son  gabarit  sans  bossoirs. 
£Ue  a  plutdt  I'air  d'un  moussaillon  que 
d'autre  chose. —  Richepin,  La  Gtti. 

Gabelou,  m.  (common),  a  custom- 
house officer,  or  one  of  the 
"  octroi." 

Bras  Rouge  est  contrebandier  .  *  .  il  s'en 
vante  au  nez  des  gabelous. — £.  Sue,  Les 
Mysteres  de  Paris, 

Gacher  (popular),  serre,  to  work 
hard,  "  to  sweat ;"  —  du  gros, 
to  ease  oneself. 

Gadin,  m.  (popular),  cork;  shabby 
hat.  Flancher  au  — ,  to  play  a 
gambling  kind  of  game  with  a  cork 
and  coins.  Some  halfpence  being 
placed  on  the  cork,  the  players 
aim  in  turns  with  a  coin.  A 
favourite  game  of  Paris  cads. 

Gadouard,  m.  (popular),  scavenger, 
a"  rake-kennel."  From  gadoue, 
street  refuse  or  mud. 

Gadoue,/.  (familiar  and  popular), 
prostitute.  Properly  street  mud 
or  refuse. 

File,  mon  fiston,  roule  ta  gadoue,  mon 
homme,  5a  pue. — CaUckisme  Poissard. 

The  slang  terms  for  the  different 
varieties  of  prostitutes  are,  in 
familiar  and  popular  language: 
"  cocotte,  demi-mondaine,  hori- 
zontale,  verticale,  agenouillee,  de- 
hanchee,    impure,    petite  dame. 


lorette,  camelia,  boalevardiere, 
p^che  a  quinze  sous,  belle  petite, 
soupeuse,  grue,  lolo,  biche,  vieille 
garde  (old p-ostitute),  fille  de  trot- 
toir,  gueuse,  maquillee,  ningle, 
pelican,  pailletee,  laqueuse,  cha- 
meau,  membre  de  la  caravane, 
demi-castor,  passe-lacet,  demoi- 
selle du  Pont-Neuf,  matelas  am- 
bulant, boulonnaise  (one  who  plies 
her  trade  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne), 
crevette,  trumeau,  traineuse,  fe- 
nStriere,  trychine,  cul  crotte, 
omnibus,  carcan  \  crinoline, 
pieuvre,  pigeon  voyageur.piqueuse 
de  trains,  marcheuse,  morue,  fleur 
de  macadam,  vache  &  lAit,  came- 
lote,  roulante,  raccrocheuse,  ge- 
nisse,  almanachdestrente-sixmille 
adresses,  chausson,  hirondelle  de 
goguenot,  moelonneuse,  mal 
peignee,  persilleuse,  lard,  blan- 
chisseuse  en  chemises,  planche  a 
boudin,  galvaudeuse,  poule,  mou- 
quette,  poupee,  fille  de  tourneur, 
fille  de  maison  or  i  numero,  bou- 
tonnifere  en  pantalons,  fille  en 
carte  or  en  breme,  lesebombe, 
baleine,  trainee,  demoiselle  du  bi- 
tume,  vessie,  boule  rouge  (one  who 
walks  the  Faubourg  Montmartre), 
voirie,  rivette,  fille  i  parties, 
terriere,  terreuse,  femme  de  ter- 
rain, rempardeuse,  grenier  a  coups 
de  sabre,  saucisse,  peau,  peau  de 
chien,  vesuvienne,  autel  de  besoin, 
cite  d' amour,  mangeuse  de  viande 
crue,  dessalee,  punaise,  polisseuse 
de  mSts  de  cocagne  en  chambre, 
pompe  funebre,  polisseuse  de 
tuyaux  de  pipe,  pontonniire,  pont 


170 


Gaffe — Gail. 


d'Avignon,  veau,  vache,  blanc, 
feuille,  lanterne,  magneuse,  lipete, 
cham^gue,  bourdon,  pierreuse, 
marneuse,  paillasse  de  corps  de 
garde,  paillasse  i  troufion,  rou- 
leuse,  dossike,  fille  de  barri^re, 
roulure,  andre  (old  word),  Jean- 
neton,  taupe,  limace,  waggon,  re- 
tapeuse,  sommier  de  caserne, 
ferame  de  cavoisi,  prat,  sauterelle, 
tapeuse  de  tal,  magnee,  torchon. " 
The  bullies  of  unfortunates  call 
them  ' '  marmite,  fesse,  ouvriere, 
Louis,  ponife,  galupe,  laisee." 
Thieves  give  them  the  appellations 
of  "  lutainpem,  mome,  ponante, 
calege,  panuche,  asticot,  bourre 
de  sole,  panturne,  ruti^re,  ronfle, 
goipeuse,  casserole,  magnuce, 
largu^pe,  larque,  menesse,louille." 
In  the  English  slang  they  are 
termed :  ' '  anonyma,  pretty  horse- 
breaker,  demi-rep,  tartlet,  mot, 
common  Jack,  bunter,  tioUop, 
bed  -  fagot,  shake,  poll,  dolly- 
mop,  blowen,  bulker,  gay  woman, 
unfortunate,  barrack-hack,  dress 
lodger,  bawdy  basket,  mauks,  and 
quasdam  "  (obsolete),  &c. 

Gaffe,  m.  and  f.  (thieves'),  sentry  ; 
thief  on  the  watch,  or  "crow;" 
prison  warder,  or  "bloke." 
_  Les  gaffes  (gardiens)  ont  la  vie  dure.  Us 
tiennept  sur  leurs  pattes  comme  des  chats 
.  .  .  si  je  I'ai  manqu^,  je  ne  me  suis  pas 
manque,  moi,  je  suis  sflr  d'aller  k  la  butte. 
— Mdmoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Gaffe  ^  gail,  mounted  police ;  — 
de  sorgue,  nightwatchman  ;  —  des 
machabees,  cemetery  watchman. 
Etre  en  — ,  faire  — ,  to  be  on  the 
watch,  "  to  dick. " 
Riboulet  et  moi,  nous  etions  rest€s  en 
gaffe  afin  de  donner  I'^veil  en  cas  d'aterte. 

— VlDOCQ. 

Grivier  de  — ,  soldier  of  the  watch. 
(Popular)  Gaffe,  /,  joke;  deceit ; 
tongue,  or  "  red  rag."  Avaler  sa 
— ,  io  die,  "to  snuff  it."  See 
Pipe.  Coup  de  — ,  loud  talking, 
"jawing."      Monter   une   — ,  to 


play  a  trick ;  to  deceive,  "  to  bam- 
boozle," "  to  pull  the  leg."  (Fa- 
miliar) Faire  une  — ,  to  take  an 
inconsiderate  step;  to  make  an 
awkward  mistake,  "  to  put  one's, 
foot  in  it." 

Gaffer  (thieves'),  to  watch,  "to 
dick ; "  to  look,  "  to  pipe  ; "  —  la 
mirette,  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out. 
Gaffe  les  pdniches  du  gonse,  look 
at  that  man's  shoes.  Gaifer,  tO' 
cause  to  stand;  to  stop. 

II  fallait  faire  gaffer  un  roulant  pour  y 
planquer  les  paccins  (il  fallait  faire  station- 
ner  un  Hacre  pour  y  placer  les  paquets), — 

ViDOCQ. 

Gaffeur,  m.  (thieves'),  man  on  the 

■watch. 

GafiieT,  m.  (thieves'),  pickpocket 
who  operates  at  marikets ;  warder 
in  a  prison  or  convict  settlement, 
a  "  screw." 

Gafliner  (thieves'  and  cads'),  t» 
look  at,  "  to  pipe."  Gafiine  lago, 
la  riflette  t'exhibe,  look  there,  the 
policeman  is  watching  you,  or,  in 
other  words,  "pipe  there,  the 
bulky  is  dicking. " 

Gafiler  (thieves'),  to  listen  atten- 
tively. 

Gaga,  m.  (familiar),  inan  whoy 
through  a  life  of  debauchery,  has 
become  almost  an  imbecile. 

Gagnie,  f,  (popular),  buxom  lady, 

Gahisto,  m.  (thieves'),  the  devil, 
"  ruffin.'l  or  "  darble."  From  the 
Basque  giztoa,  bad,  wicked,  accord- 
ing to  V.  Hugo. 

Gai,  adj.  (popular),  Stre  — ,  io  be 
slightly  tipsy,  or  "  elevated."  See 
Pompette.  Avoir  la  cuisse  gaie 
is  said  of  a  woman  of  lax  morality 
who  is  lavish  of  her  favours. 

Gail,  galier,  m.  (thieves'),  horse, 
"  prad."  Vol  au  — ,  horse  steal- 
ing, or  "  prad  napping." 


Gaillard  d  trots  brins — Galiniard. 


^n 


Gaillard  k  trois  brins,  in.  (sailors'), 
able  sailor  ;  old  tar. 

J'ai    travailld,  inang^,  gagn^   mon   pain 

panni 
Des  gaillards  k  trois  brins  qui  me  traitaient 

en  mousse. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Gaillon,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
horse,  "  prad,  nag,  or  tit." 

Gaiiloterie, /.  (popular),  stable. 

Gaimar  (popular),  gaily  ;  willingly. 
AUons  y  — ,  let  us  look  alive  ;  with 
a  will! 

Galapiat,  galapian,  galopiau, 
m.  (popular),  lazy  fellow,  or 
"  bummer  ; "  street  boy. 

Quelle  rigolade  pour  les  gamins !  £t 
I'un  de  ces  galapiats  qui  a  peut-etre  servi 
chez  des  saUimbanques,  cbipe  un  clairon 
et  souffle  dedans  un  air  de  foire. — RlCH£~ 
PIN,  Le  Pave. 

Galbe,  m.  (familiar),  elegance,  dash. 
Etre  trafie  de  — ,  to  be  extremely 
elegant,  dashing,  or  ' '  tsing 
tsing."  Galbe,  literally  elegance 
in  the  curve  of  vases,  pillars. 

Galbeux,  adj.  (familiar),  elegant,, 
dashing,  "  tsing  tsing." 

Galerie,  /.  (familiar),  faire  — ,  to 
be  one  of  a  number  of  lookers-on. 
Parler  pour  la  — ,  to  address  to  a 
person  words  meant  in  reality  for 
the  ears  of  others,  or  for  the  public. 

Galette,/.  (popular),  money,  "tin." 
For  synonyms  see  Quibus.  Bou- 
lotter  de  la  — ,  to  spend  money. 
(Military  school  of  Saint-Cyr)  Pro- 
menade — ,  general  marching 
out.     Sortie  — ,  general  holiday. 

Galeux,  m.  (popular),  the  master, 
or  "  boss."  Properly  one  who  has 
the  itch. 

Galf^tre,  m.  (popular),  idiot; 
greedy  fellarza, 

Certes  il  n'aimait  pas  les  Corbeaux,  ga 
lui  crevait  le  coeur  de  porter  ses  six  francs 
k  ces  galfatres-lk  qui  n'en  avaient  pas  be- 
soin  pour  se  tenir  le  gosier  frais. — Zola, 
L,^  Assomtnoir. 


Galier,  m.  (thieves'),  horse,  or 
"prad." 

Galifere,/.  (thieves'),  mare. 

Galifard,  m..  (popular),  shoemaker, 
or  "snob;"  errand  boy  ;  {idles  e.^\ 
one  who  is  not  yet  an  adept  in  the 
art  of  thieving. 

Galifarde,/  (popular),  shop-girl. 

Galimard,  m  (artists'),  se  touche  ! 
The  expression  is  used  in  reference 
to  a  brother  artist  who  extols  his 
own  self  or  awn  productions.  For 
the  following  explanation  I  am 
indebted  to  Mr.  G.  D.,  a  French 
artist  well  known  to  the  English 
public: — "Galimard  se  touche, 
phrase  que  vous  avez  lue  proba- 
blement  dans  tous  les  Rambuteau 
de  Paris,  a  pris  origine  dans 
notre  atelier  Cogniet.  Galimard, 
un  artiste  de  quelque  talent,  mais 
qui  se  croyait  un  genie,  trouvant 
qu'on  ne  s'occupait  pas  assez 
de  lui,  ecrivit  sur  le  salon  des 
articles  fort  bien  faits  mais  par 
trop  severes  pour  les  confreres. 
II  avait  mis  au  bas  un  pseudo- 
nyme  quelconque.  Arrive  au  tour 
de  sa  fameuse  Leda,  il  ne  tarissait 
pas  d'eloges  sur  cette  peinture 
vraiment  mediocre.  Bertall,  que 
je  connaissais  fort  bien,  decouvrit 
le  pot  aux  roses.  Galimard  etait 
son  propre  panegyriste  !  J 'arrive 
h.  I'atelier  et  je  dis  :  '  Galimard 
se  fait  jouir  lui-meme,  c'est  lui 
I'auteur  des  articles  en  question.' 
De  li,  le  fameux  '  Galimard  se , 
touche '  expression  maintenant 
consacree  lorsqu'un  artiste  parle 
tropdelui-meme.  Ilfautajouterque 
les  mots  furent  ecrits  dans  tous  les 
Rambuteaudu  Quartierdu  Temple 
puis,  non  seulement  a  Paris,  mais 
par  toute  la  France.  L'empereur 
acheta  la  Leda  apris  une  tenta- 
tive criminelle  de  la  part  d'un 
malfaiteur  et  sur  la  toile  et  sur 
Galimard.     On  fit  une  enquete  et 


172 


Galiote — Gambilles. 


I'on  decouvrit  que  le  malfaiteur 
n'etait  autre  que  .  .  ,  Galimard. 
L'affaire  en  resta  li.  La  Leda  fut 
placee  au  Musee  du  Luxembourg, 
apres  cicatrisation  des-  coups  de 
poignard,  bien  entendu." 

Galiote,  f.  (thieves'),  conspiracy  of 
card-sharpers  to  swindle  a  player, 

Galipoter  (sailors'),  to  smear. 

Galli-baton,  m.  (popular),  general 
fight ; great  row,  or  "shindy." 

Galli-trac,  m.  (popular),  poltroon, 
"cow's  babe." 

Galoche,/:  (thieves'),  chin;  (popu- 
lar) a  game  played  with  a  cork  and 
halfpence. 

Galons,  m.  pi.  (military),  d'imbe- 
cile,  long-service  stripes,  Arroser 
ses  — ,  to  treat  one^s  comrades  on 
being  made  a  non-commissioned 
officer;  to  pay  for  one^  s  footing. 

Galopante,_^  (popular),  diarrhoea, 
or  "jerry-go-nimble." 

Galop6,  adj.  (popular),  done  hur- 
riedly, carelessly, 

Galoper  (popular),  to  annoy ;  to 
make  unwell.  Ca  me  galope  sur 
le  systeme,  or  sur  le  haricot,  it 
troubles  me ;  it  makes  me  ill;  — 
une  femme,  to  make  hot  love  to  a 
woman. 

Galopin,  m.  (familiar),  small  glass 
of  beer  at  cafes.  Had  formerly  the 
signification  of  small  tneasure  of 
wine. 

Galoubet,  m.  (theatrical),  voice. 
Avoir  du  — ,  to  possess  a  good 
voice.     Donner  du  — ,  to  sing. 

En  scene,  les  fiSes  !  Attaquons  vivement 
le  chosur  d'entrde.  Du  galoubet  et  de 
I'ensemble  ! — P.  Mahalin. 

Galouser  (thieves'),  to  sing,  "to 
lip." 

Galtos,  m.  (sailors'),  dish.  Passer 
a  — ,  to  eat.  (Popular)  Galtos, 
money, or  "pieces."  See  Quibus. 


Galtron,  m.  (thieves'),  y&a/. 
Galuche,/  (thieves'),  braid ;  lace, 

Galuch6,  adj.  (thieves'),  braided; 
laced,     Combriot  — ,  laced  hat. 

Galuchet,  m.  (popular),  the  knave 
at  cards. 

Galupe,  /  (thieves'  and  popular), 
street-walker,  "  hunter."  See 
Gadoue. 

Les  galup's  qu'a  des  ducatons 

Nous  rincent  la  dent,  nous  les  battons. 

RlCHEPIN. 

Galupier,  m.  (popular),  man  who 
keeps  a  "galupe."  See  this  word. 

Galure,  galurin  (popular),  hat,  or 
"tile."     SeeTubard. 

Galvaudage,  m.  (popular),  squan- 
dering of  one's  money  ;  pilfering. 

Galvauder  (popular),  to  squander 
one's  money.  Se  — ,  to  lead  a  dis- 
orderly life. 

Galyaudeuse,  /  (popular),  lazy, 
disorderly  woman;  street-walker. 
See  Gadoue. 

Galvaudeux,  m.  (popular),  lazy 
vagabond,  or  "raff;"  disorderly 
fellow  ;  bad  workman. 

Gambettes,  /  //.  (popular),  legs. 
From  the  old  word  gambe,  leg. 
Jouer  des  — ,  to  run.  See  Pata- 
trot. 

Gambler,  /  (popular),  cutty  pipe. 
Frorii  the  name  of  the  manufac- 
turer. 

Gambillard,  m.  (popular),  active, 
restless  man, 

Gambiller  (popular),  to  dance,  "to 
shake  a  leg."  Is  used  by  Moliere 
with  the  signification  of  to  agitate 
the  legs : — 

Oui  de  le  voir  gambiller  les  jambes  en  haut 
devant  toutle  monde. — Motisieur  de  Pour, 
ceaugnac. 

Gambilles,  /.//.  (popular),  legs,  or 
"pins." 


Gambilleur —  Garde. 


173 


Gambilleur,  m.  (familiar),  political 
quack ;  (thieves')  dancer ;  —  de 
tourtouse,  rope-dancer. 

Gambilleuse,  /  (popular),  girl 
■who  makes  it  a  practice  of  attend- 
ing dancing  halls. 

Gambriade,/  (thieves'),  dance. 

Game,  /  (thieves'),  hydrophobia. 

Gamelad  (Breton  cant),  porringer. 

Gameler  (thieves'),  to  inform 
against  one,  "  to  blow  the  gaff." 

Gamelle,  /.  (sailors'),  aux  amours, 
mistress.  (Popular  and  thieves') 
Attacher  une  — ,  to  decamp,  to 
run  azuay.     See  Patatrot. 

Gamme,  f,  (popular),  thrashing,  or 
"  wallopping."  Faire  chanter  une 
— ,  or  monter  une  — ,  to  thrash, 
"  to  lead  a  dance."  See  Voie. 
The  expression  is  used  by 
Scarron  :— 

Avec  Dame  Junon  sa  femme, 
Qui  souvent  lui  chante  la  game. 

Ganache,  f.  (theatrical),  jouer  les 
pere  — ,  to  perform  in  the  cha- 
racter of  a  foolish  old  fellow.  Pro- 
perly ganache,  an  old  fool,  "  a 
doddering  old  sheep's  head. " 

Gance,  f.  (thieves'),  a  gang,  or 
"  mob."  The  Slang  Dictionary 
says  "  mob  "  signifies  u  thief  s 
immediate  companions,  as  "  our 
own  mob." 

Gandille,  f.  (thieves'),  sword,  or 
' '  poker  ;  "  dagger,  or  ' '  cheery ; " 
knife,  or  "chive." 

Gandin,  m.  (familiar),  dandy,  or 
"masher."  Literally  a  frequenter 
of  the  "Boulevard  de  Gand," 
now  Boulevard  des  Italians.  For 
list  of  synonymous  expressions 
see  Gommeux.  (Second-hand 
clothes-men's)  Gandin,  fine  woi'ds 
to  attract  purchasers.  Monter  un 
— ,  to  entice  a  purchaser  in  ;  to 
get  a  customer.  (Thieves')  Gandin, 


a  "job"  in  preparation,  or  quite 
prepared;  —  d'alteque,  the  in- 
signia of  any  order.  Hisser  un 
— ,  to  deceive,  "to  kid,"  or  "to 
best."    Seejobarder. 

Gandinerie,  /,  gandinisme,  m. 
(familiar),  the  world  of  c^nim-.,  or 
"swelldom." 

Gandouse,  j.  (popular),  mud, 
dirt. 

Gannaliser  (familiar),  to  embalm. 
From  Gannal,  name  of  a  prac- 
titioner, The  expression  is  little 
used. 

Gant,  m.  (popular),  moule  de  — , 
box  on  the  ear.  Properly  mould 
for  a  glove, 

Ganter  (cocottes'),  5J,  to  be  close- 
fisted ;  —  %\,  to  be  open-handed. 

Gantifere,^;  (familiar),  disreputable 
establishment  where  the  female 
assistants  make  a  show  of  selling 
gloves  or  perfumery,  but  where  they 
retail  anything  but  those  articles. 

Gants  de  pied,  m.  pi.  (military), 
wooden  shoes. 

Gar9on,  m.  (popular),  a  deux 
mains,  slaughterer;  —  de  bidoche, 
butcher  boy.  (Thieves')  Gar9on, 
thief,  ' '  prig.  Un  brave  — ,  an 
expert  thief.  Un  —  de  campagne, 
or  de  cambrouse,  highwayman. 
Termed  formerly  in  the  English 
cant  "bridle-cull." 

La  cognade  a  gayet  servait  le  trepe  pour 
laisser  abouler  une  roulotte  fargude  d'un 
ratlchon,  de  Chariot  et  de  son  larbin,  et 
d'un  gargon  de  cambrouse. — Vidocq.  (^Tke 
horse-police  -were  keeping  back  the  crowd 
in  order  to  open  a  passage  for  a  cart  which 
contained  a  priest,  the  executioner,  his 
assistant,  and  a  highwayman.) 

Gardanne,  _/;  (familiar),  odd  piece 
of  silk. 

Garde,  m.  and  f.  (popular),  na- 
tional, lot  of  bacon  rind.  Gardes 
nationaux,  beans.  (Familiar)  De- 
scendre  la  — ,  to  die,  "to  kick  the 


174 


Garde^manger —  Garnison. 


bucket."  See  Pipe.  Vieille— , 
superannuated  c'ocotle,  or  "  played 
out  tart. " 

II  pouvait  citer  tel  et  tel,  des  noms,  des 
;gentilshommes  de  sang  plus  bleu  que  le 
■sien,  aujourd'hui  collls  _  l^gitimement  et 
tres  satisfaits,  et  pas  renins  du  tout,  avec 
■ds  vraies  rouluresj  avec  des  vieilles-gardes  ! 
— RicHEPiN,  La  Glu. 

Garde-manger,  m.  (popular),  the 

behind.     See  Vasistas. 
Garde-proye  (thieves'),  wardrobe. 

Garder  (familiar),  se  —  i  carreau, 
to  take  precautions  inview  of  future 
mishaps. 

'Gardien,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
ange  — ,  man  who  undertakes  to 
see  drunkards  home;  rogue  who 
offers  to  see  a  drunkard  home, 
robs,  and  sometimes  murders  him, 

Gare,  adj.  (popular),  des  voitures 
is  said  of  a  steady,  prudent  man, 
or  of  one  who  has  renounced  a  dis- 
reputable way  of  living. 

■Gare-1'eau,  m.  (thieves'),  chamber- 
pot, or  "jerry." 

Gargagoitche,  /  (thieves'  and 
cads'), yaff,  or  "mug." 

■Gargariser  (familiar  and  popular), 
se  — ,  to  drink,  "  to  wet  one's 
whistle."  For  synonyms  see 
Rincer,    The  expression  is  old. 

Donnez  ordre  que  buvons.  je  vous  prie ; 
■et  faictes  tant  que  nous  ayons  de  I'eau 
fraische  pour  ine  gargariser  le  palat. — Rabe- 
lais, Pantagmel. 

Se  —  le  rossignolet,  to  drink, 
"to  have  a  quencher." 

Gargarisme,  w.  (popular),  a  (frjK/5, 
a  "  drain,"  or  "  quencher."  (Fa- 
miliar) Faire  des  gargarismes, 
to  trill  when  singing. 

-Gargarousse,  /  (popular  and 
thieves'),  throat,  or  "gutter lane;" 
face,  or  "mug."  (Sailors')  Se 
suiver  la  — ,  to  eat ;  to  drink,  or 
"  to  splice  the  mainbrace." 


Cargoine,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
throat,  formerly  "  gargamelle  ;" 
mouth,  or  "potato-trap."  Termed 
formerly  "  potato-jaw,"  according 
to  a  speech  of  the  Duke  of  Cla- 
rence's to  Mrs.  Schwellenberg  : — 

"  Hold  you  your  potato-jaw,  my  dear," 
cried  the  Duke,  patting  her. — Supplemen- 
tary English  Glossary. 

Se   rincer  la  — ,  to  diink,    "to 
smile,  to  see  a  man  "  (American). 

G  argot,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
restaurant ;  cheap  eating-house. 
Some  of  the  restaurants  in  Paris 
have  two  departments,  the  cheap 
one  on  the  ground  floor,  and  a 
more  respectable  one  higher  up. 

Gargouenne.     See  Gargoine. 

Gargouillade,  /.  (popular),  rum- 
bling noise  in  the  stomach. 

Gargouille,  gargouine,  gargue, 
/  (popular),  face;  mouth.  For 
list  of  synonyms  see  Plomb. 

Gargousse,  /.  (sailors'),  avec  le 
coeur  en  — ,  with  sinking  heart. 

Un'  brise  \  fair'  plier  I'pouce, 

Rigi,  rigo,  riguingo, 
Avec  le  coeur  en  gargousse, 
Rigi,  rigo,  riguingo. 
Ah  1  riguinguette. 

J.  RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Gargousses  de  la  canonni^re 
(popular),  turnips,  cabbages,  or 
beans. 

Garibaldi,  m.  {{axailiaLr),  red  frock  ; 
sort  of  hat.  (Thieves')  Coup  de 
— ,  blow  given  by  butting  at  one's 
stomach. 

Garnaffe,/  (thieves'), /orw. 

Garnafiier,  m.  (thieves'),  farmer, 
or  "joskin." 

Garnir  (popular),  se  —  le  bocal, 
to  eat,  "to  grub."  See  Masti- 
quer. 

Garnison,/  (popular),  lice,  "grey- 
backed  uns." 


Garno — Gav^. 


175 


Garno,  m.  (popular),  lodging-house, 
"dossing  crib." 

Gas,  m.  (familiar  and  popular),  for 
gars,  boy  ;  fellow.  Grand  — ,  tall 
chap.  Mauvais  — ,  ill-temperedfel- 
Imi.  (Roughs')  Gas  de  la  grinche, 
thief.  Faut  pas  frayer  avec  5a, 
c'est  un  —  de  la  grinche,  you  must 
not  keep  company  with  the  fellow, 
he  is  a  thief.  Un  —  qui  flanche, 
a  hawker.  (Thieves')  Fabriquer 
un  —  a  la  flan,  h.  la  rencontre,  or 
a  la  dure,  to  attack  a  man  at  night 
and  rob  him,  ' '  to  jump  a  cove. " 

Gaspard,  ot.  (popular),  cunning 
fellow,  or  ' '  sharp  file  ; "  rat ;  cat, 
or  "long-tailed  beggar."  Con- 
cerning this  expression  there  is  a 
tale  that  runs  thus  :  A  boy,  during 
his  first  vety  short  voyage  to  sea, 
had  become  so  entirely  a  seaman, 
that  on  his  return  he  had  forgotten 
the  name  for  a  cat,  and  pointing 
to  Puss,  asked  his  mother  "  what 
she  called  that  'ere  long-tailed 
beggar  ?  "  Accordingly,  sailors, 
when  they  hear  a  freshwater  tar 
discoursing  too  largely  on  nautical 
matters,  are  very  apt  to  say,  ' '  but 
how,  mate,  about  that  'ere  long- 
tailed  beggar  ?  " 

Giteau,  m.  (popular),  feuillete, 
sJioe  out  at  the  sole.  (Thieves') 
Avoir  du  — ,  to  get  one's  share  of 
booty,  "  to  stand  in." 

Gite-pdte,  m.  (popular),  redoubt- 
able wrestler. 

GUter  (popular),  de  I'eau,  to  void 
urine,  "to  lag."  Se  —  la  taille, 
to  become  pregnant,  or  "  lumpy." 

GSteuse,/;  (familiar),  long  garment 
worn  over  clothes  to  protect  thevi 
from  the  dust. 

Gdtisme,  m.   (familiar),  stupidity. 

Le  —  litteraire,  decaying  state  of 

literature. 
Gaucher,  gauchier,  m.  (familiar). 


member  of  the  Left  whether  in  the 
AssembUe  Nationale  or  Senate. 

Gaudille,  or  gandille,/.  (thieves'), 
sword,  or  "  poker." 

Gaudineur,  m.  (popular),  house 
decorator.  Probably  from  gau- 
dir,  to  be  merry,  house  decora- 
tors having  the  reputation  of  being 
light-hearted. 

Gaudissard,  m.  (familiar),  com- 
mercial traveller,  from  the  name 
of  a  character  of  Balzac's  ;  practi- 
cal joker  ;  jovial  man. 

Gaudrioler  (familiar),  equivalent 
to  "  dire  des  gaudrioles, "  to  make 
jests  of  a  slightly  licentious  charac' 
ter. 

Gaudrioleur,  m.  (familiar),  cm 
fond  of  gaudtiolei  (which  see). 

Gaiifies,  f.  pi.  (popular),  faire  des 
— ,  is  said  of  pock-marked  persons 
who  kiss  one  another.  Moule  a 
— ,  pock-marked  face,  or  ' '  crib- 
bage-faced." 

Gaule,  /.  (popular),  d'omnicroche, 
omnibus  conductor.  Une  gaule, 
properly  a  pole.  (Thieves') 
Gaules  de  schtard,  bars  of  a  cell 
loindow. 

Gaule,  m.  (popular),  cider. 

Gaux,  m.  (thieves'),  lice,  "grey- 
backed  uns  ; "  —  picantis,  lice  in 
clothing.  Easourdir  les  — ,  to  kill 
lice. 

Gave,  adj.  and  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  drunken  man,  "lush- 
ington  ; "  stomach. 

Va  encore  k  I'cave, 
Du  cidre  il  faut 

Plein  la  gave, 
Du  cidre  il  faut 

Plein  1  gaviot. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Etre  — ,  to  be  intoxicated.     See 
Pompette. 

Gav6,  m.  (thieves'),  drunkard. 
Faire  les  gaves,  to  rob  drunkards  ; 


176 


Gaveau — Gens. 


to  go  "bug-hunting,"'  (Popular) 
Gave,  term  of  contempt  applied  to 
rich  people.     From  gaver,  to  glut, 

Y  a  des  gens  qui  va  en  sapins. 

En  omnibus  et  en  tramways, 

Tous  ces  gonc's-la,  c'est  des  clampins, 

Des  richards,  des  muf 's,  des  gav€s. 

RlCHEPlN. 

Gaveau,  m.  (thieves'),  toitiller  le 
— ,  to  kill  one  by  strangulation, 

Gaviole.     See  Gave. 

Gaviot,  m.  (popular),  throat; 
mouth.  See  Plomb.  Figura- 
tively stomach. 

Mais  quoi  !  ces  ventrus  sur  leurs  pieds 
N'peuvent  plus  supporter  leur  gaviot. 

RiCHEFIN. 

Gavot.     See  Gav6. 

Gavroche,  m.  (familiar),  Paris 
street  boy.  Faire  le  — ,  to  talk  or 
act  as  an  impudent  boy. 

Gay,  adj.  (thieves'),  ugly;  queer, 
or  "rum." 

Gaye.    See  Galiote. 

Gayet,  m.  (thieves'),  horse,  or 
"prad."  Termed  also  "gail." 
La  cognade  i  — ,  mounted  police. 
Des  gayets,  rogues  who  prowl 
about  the  suburbs  just  outside  the 
gates  of  Paris. 

Cdtaient  des  r6deurs  de  barrifere  .  .  . 
c'ftaient  des  gs.yas,~Mimoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Gaz,  m.  (popular),  allumer  son  — , 
to  look  attentively,  "to  stag," 
Eteindre  son  — ,  to  sleep,  "  to 
doss  ; "  to  die,  "  to  snuff  it."  See 
Pipe.  Prendre  un  coup  de  — , 
to  have  a  dram  of  spirits. 

Gazette,  /  (familiar),  lire  la  — ,  to 
eat  nothing. 

Gazier,  m.  (popular),  humbug. 

Gazon,  m.  (popular),  wig,  or  "peri- 
vi-inkle;"  hair,  or  "thatch." 
N'avoir  plus  de  —  sur  la  plate- 


bande,  or  sur  le  pre,  to  be  bald. 
See  Avoir.  Se  ratisser  le  — ,  to 
comb  one's  hair. 

Gazonner  (popular),  se  faire  —  la 
plate-bande,  to  provide  oneself 
with  a  wig. 

Gazouiller  (popular),  to  speak;  to 
sing;  to  stink. 

Oh  !  la  la  !  9a  gazouille,  dit  Cl^mence  en 
se  bouchant  le  nez. — Zola. 

G^ant,  m.  (thieves'),  montagne  de 
— ,  gallows,  "scrag,"  "nobbing 
cheat,"  or  the  obsolete  expression 
"  government  sign-post." 

Geindre,  m.  (popular),  journey- 
man baker.  Properly  to  groan 
heavily. 

Gendarme,  m.  (popular),  red  her- 
ring; mixture  of  white  wine, 
gum,  and  water ;  one-sou  cigar; 
pressing  iron. 

Gen6ral,  m.  (popular),  le  —  mac- 
adam, the  street,  or  "  drag." 

Geneur,  m.  (familiar),  bore. 

Ginisst,  f.,womanofbadcharacter. 
See  Gadoue. 

Geniteur,  m.  lfpo^u\3.r),  father. 

Genou,  m.  (familiar),  bald  pate. 

Genre,  m.  (familiar),  grand  — , 
pink  of  fashion.  C'est  tout  a  fait 
grand  — ,  it  is  quite  "  the"  thing. 
Se  donner  du  — ,  to  assume 
fashionable  ways  or  manners  in 
speech  or  dress ;  to  look  affected,  to 
have  "  highfalutin  airs." 

Genreux,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar), 
elegant;  fashionable,  "dasher,". 
' '  tsing  tsing ;  "  one  who  gives 
himself  airs. 

Gens,  m.  pi.  (popular),  etre  de  la 
societe  des  —  de  lettres,  to  belong 
to  a  tribe  of  swindlers  who  ex- 
tort money  by  threatening  letters, 
"socketers."  ' 


GentilJiomme  sous-marin — Gibier. 


177 


Gentilhomme  sous-marin,  m. 
(popular),  prostitute's  bully, 
"ponce."  For  synonyms  see 
Poisson. 

Georget,  m,  (popular),  waistcoat, 
"benjy." 

Les  rupines  et  marquises  leur  fichent,  les 
unes  un  georget,  les  autres  une  lime  ou 
haut-de-tire,  qu'ils  entrolent  au  barbaudier 
de  castu,  ou  ^  d'autres  qui  les  veulent  ablo- 
quir. — Le  Jargon  de  r Argot.  (The  ladies 
and  wives  give  tkem^  sovte  a  waistcoat^ 
others  a  shirt,  or  a  pair  0/  breeches,  which 
they  take  to  the  hospital  overseer,  or  to 
others  who  are  willing  to  buy  them.) 

Gerbable,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner 
who  is  sure  to  be  convicted,  who  is 
"  booked." 

Gerbe,  m.  (thieves'),  trial,  or 
"  patter ; "  sentence.  Planque  de 
— ,  assize  court.  Le  carre  des 
petites  gerbes,  tlie  police  court. 

Gerbe,  adj.  (thieves'),  sentenced,  or 
"booked." 

On  dit  qu'il  vient  du  bagne  ou  il  £tait 
gerbe  k  24  loDges  (condamn^  k  24  ans). — 

ViDOCQ. 

Etre  —  a  viocque,  to  be  sentenced 
to  penal  servitude  for  life,  or 
"  settled." 

Gerbement,  m.  (thieves'),  trial ; 
called  also  "  sapement." 

La  conversation  roulait  sur  les  camarades 
qui  etaient  au  pre,  sur  ceux  qui  dtaient  en 
gerbement  (jugement). — Vidocq. 

Gerber  (thieves'),  to  sentence. 

Te  voilk  pris  par  la  Cigbgne,  avec  cinq 
vols  qualifies,  tfois  assassinats,  dont  le  plus 
recent  conceme  deux-riches  bourgeois  .  .  . 
tu  seras  gerb£  k  la  passe, — Balzac. 

Gerberie,  f.  (thieves'),  court  of 
justice. 

Gerbier,  m.  (thieves'),  judge,  or 
' '  beak  ; "  barrister,  or  ' '  mouth- 
piece. "  Mec  des  gerbiers,  execu- 
tioner. 

Gerbierres,  f.  pi.  (thieves'),  skele- 
ton keys,  or  ' '  screws. " 

Gerce,  /  (thieves'),  wife,  or  "mol- 


lisher ; ''  mattress  ;  (popular)  wo- 
man with  unnatural  passions, 
Un  qui  s'est  fait  poisser  la  — ,  a 
Sodomist. 

Germanic,  /.,  aller  en  — .  See 
Aller. 

Germiny,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), Sodomist.  From  the  name 
of  a  nobleman  who  a  few  years 
ago  was  tried  for  an  unnatural 
offence. 

Germinyser  (familiar  and  popular), 
se  faire  — ,  to  be  a  Sodomist. 

Gernafle,/.  (thieves'), /a>-/«. 

Gernaflier,  m.  (thieves'),  farmer, 
or  "joskin." 

G6rontocracie,  /.  (familiar),  nar- 
row-mindedness. 

G^sier,  m.  (popular),  throat.  Se 
laver  le  — ,  to  drink. 

Gesseur,  m.  (popular), yajy/ maw / 
eccentric  man,  a  "rum  un'." 

Gesseuse,  f,  (popular),  prude ; 
female  who  gives  herself  airs. 

Gestes.     See  Accentuer. 

Get,  geti,  m.  (thieves'),  reed,  cane. 

G — g,  m.  (popular),  avoir  du  — ,  to 
have  good  sense,  "  to  know  what's 
o'clock,"  "to  be  up  to  a  trick  or 
two." 

Gi,  or  gy  (thieves'),  j/cj,  or  "  usher.'' 

Gibasses,  f.  pi.  (popular),  large 
skinny  breasts. 

Gibelotte  de  gouttiere,/  (popu- 
lar), cat  stew. 

Giberne,  f.  (popular),  the  behind. 
See  Vasistas. 

Gibier,  m.  (popular),  a  commis- 
saire,  woman  of  disorderly  or 
drunken  habits ;  —  de  Cayenne, 
incorrigible  thief,  or  ' '  gallows' 
bird." 

N 


i;8 


Giboyer — Girafe. 


Giboyer,  in.  (literary),  journalist 
of  the  worst  sort.  From  a  play  by 
Ernile  Augier. 

Gibus,  VI.  (familar),  hat,  or  "  stove 
pipe."     See  Tubard. 

Gigolette,  f.  (popular),  girl  of  the 
lower  orders  who  leads  a  more 
than  fast  life,  and  is  an  assiduous 
frequenter  of  low  dancing-halls. 

Si  tu  veux  etre  ma  gigolette, 
Moi,  je  serai  ton  gigolo. 

Parisian  Song. 

Gigolo,  VI,  (popular),  fast  young 
man  of  the  lower  orders,  a  kind  of 
"  'Arry,"  the  associate  of  a  gigo- 
lette (which  see). 

Gigot,  m.  (popular),  large  thick 
hand,  ' '  mutton  fist. " 

Gigueetjon!  bacchanalian  excla- 
mation of  sailors. 
Largue  I'^coute  !  Bitte  et  basse  I 
Largue  I'^coute  !  Gigue  et  jon  ! 
Largue  I'^coute  !  on  s'y  fout  des  bosses, 
Chez  la  m&re  Barbe-en-jonc. 

■  RlCHEPlN,  La  Mer. 

Gilboque,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
billiards.  Termed  ''spoof"  in 
the  English  slang. 

Gilet,  m.  (popular),  s'emplir  le  — , 
to  eat  or  drink.  Avoir  le  — 
double  de  flanelle  is  said  of  one 
who  has  comforted  himself  with  a 
flate  of  thick,  hot  soup.  The 
English  use  the  term  "flannel" 
or  "hot  flannel"  for  a  comfort- 
ing drink  of  a  hot  mixture  of  gin 
and  beer  with  nutmeg,  sugar, 
&c.  According  to  the  Slang 
Dictionary  there  is  an  anecdote 
told  of  Goldsmith  helping  to  drink 
a  quart  of  "flannel"  in  a  night- 
house,  in  company  with  George 
Parker,  Ned  Shuier,  and  a  de- 
mure, grave-looking  gentleman, 
■who  continually  introduced  the 
words  "crap,"  "stretch,"  "scrag," 
and  "  swing."  Upon  the  Doctor 
asking  who  this  strange  person 
might  be,  and  being  told  his  pro- 


fession, he  rushed  from  the  place 
in  a  frenzy,  exclaiming,  "  Good 
God  !  and  have  I  been  sitting  all 
this  while  with  a  hangman?"  Un 
—  i  la  mode,  opulent  breasts. 
(Familiar)  Un — encceur,arffl«((y, 
or  "masher." 

Amantha,  que  Corbois  avait  compl&te- 
ment  perdue  de  vue,  ^tait  aux  Bouffes  et 
faisait    la  joie   des   gilets   en  coeur. — £, 

MONTEIL. 

Gille,  m.  (popular),  faire  — ,  to  run 
away,  "to  slope,"  "bolt."  See 
Patatrot.   The  expression  is  old. 

Jupin  leur  fit  prendre  le  saut, 

£t  contraignit  de  faire  gille, 

Le  grand  Typhon  jusqu'en  Sicile. 

SCARRON. 

Faire  —  deloge  (obsolete),  to  de- 
camp, 

Gilmont,  m.  (thieves'),  waistcoat, 
or  "benjy." 

Gilquin,  m.  (popular),  coup  de  — , 
blow  with  the  fist,  a  "  bang,"  or 
"  biff "  (Americanism). 

Gimbler  (sailors'),  to  moan.  Le 
vent  gimble,  the  wind  moans, 
roars. 

Bon  !  qu'il  gimble  tant  qu'il  voudra  dans 

les  agres ! 
Nous  en  avons  trousse  bien  d'autres  au  plus 

prfes. 
Ce  n'est  pas  encore  lui  ^ui  verra  notre  quille. 
Souffle,  souffle,  mon  vieux !  souffle  \  goule 

^carquille  ! 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Gin  (thieves'),  a  son — ,  seel  beholdl 
This  expression  has  been  repro- 
duced in  the  spelling  of  my  infor- 
mant, an  associate  of  thieves. 

Gingin,  m.  (popular),  good  sense  ; 
behind.     See  Vasistas. 

Ginginer  (popular),  to  make  one^s 
dress  bulge  out ;  to  ogle  ;  to  flirt, 

Ginglard,  ginglet,  or  ginguet, 
m.  (popular),  thin  sour  wine, 

Girafe,  f.  (popular),  grande  — , 
petite  — ,  spiral  flights  of  steps,  in 


Girofle —  Glamot, 


179 


the  Seine  swimming  baths,  with  a 
lower  and  upfer  landing  serving 
as  diving  platforms. 

Girofle,  adj.  (thieves'),  pretty, 
"dimber."  Largue  — ,  pretty 
girl,  or  "dimbermOTt." 

Giroflerie.y;  (thieves'),  amiability. 

Girofleter  (popular),  to  smack  one's 
face,-  "  to  warm  the  wax  of  one's 
ear."  Synonymous  of  "donner 
du  Sucre  de  giroflee." 

Girole  (thieves'),  expression  of  as- 
sent :  so  be  it,  "  usher." 

II  y  a  deux  menees  de  ronds  en  ma  henne 
et  deux  omies  en  mon  gueulard,  que  j'ai 
^graill^es  sur  le  trimar  ;  bions  les  faire  rif- 
foder,  veux-tu  ? — Girole,  et  beni  soit  le  grand 
havre  qui  m*a  fait  rencontrer  si  chenatre 
occasion. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot.  {There 
are  two  dozen  ha^pence  in  tny  purse  and  , 
two  hens  in  my  wallet,  which  I  have 
caught  on  the  road;  we  will  cook  them,  if 
you  like  ? — Certainly,  and  blessed  be  the 
Almighty  who  made  me /all  in  "with  such 
apiece  ^ good  luck.') 

Gironde,  adj.  and  f.  (thieves'), 
gentle  ;  pretty,  "  dimber  ; "  pretty 
woman  or  girl,  "  dimbermort." 
Also  a  girl  of  bad  character,  a 
"bunter." 

Girondin,  m.  (thieves'),  simple- 
minded  fellow,  "flat,"  or  "jay." 
Le  —  a  donne,  "the  jay  has  been 
flapped." 

Girondine,/".  (thieves'),  handsome 
young  girl,  or  "dimbermort." 

Gite,  m.  (popular),  dans  le  — , 
sonuthing  of  the  best.  An  allusion 
to  glte  a  la  noix,  savoury  morsel  of 
beef. 

Gitre  (thieves'),  I  have. 

Gitre  mouchaill^  le  babillard. — Le  Jar- 
gon ds  r Argot.  (/  have  looked  at  the 
look.') 

Giverner  (popular),  to  prowl  about 
at  night. 

Giverneur,  m.  (popul.ir),  one  who 
promts  at  night ;  (thieves')  —  de 
refroidis,  one  who  drives  a  hearse. 


Glace,  f.  and  m.  (familiar  and 
.  popular),  passer  devant  la  — ,  to 
enjoy  gratis  the  favours  of  a  pros- 
titute at  a  brothel ;  to  pay  for  the 
reckoning  at  a  cafi.  An  allusion 
to  the  large  looking-glass  behind 
the  counter.  (Popular)  Un  — , 
glass  of  wine.  Sucer  un  — ,  to 
drink  a  glass  of  wine. 

Glace,  adj.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
pendu,  street  lamps  used  till  they 
were  superseded  by  the  present  gas 
lamps.  A  few  are  still  to  be  seen 
in  some  lanes  of  old  Paris. 

Les  pendus  glacis,  ce  sont  ces  gros  rdver- 
b^res  kquatre  faces  de  vitre  verte  carrees 
comme  des  glaces  .  .  .  ce  sont  ces  rdver- 
b&res  abolis  qui  pendent  au  bout  d'une 
corde  accrochle  ^  un  bras  de  potence. — 
RlCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

Glacifere  pendue,  /  (thieves'). 
See  Glace. 

Glacis,  m.  (popular),  se  passer  un 
— ,  to  drink,  "  to  take  something 
damp,"  or  "to  moisten  one's 
chaffer."     See  Rincer. 

Gladiateur,  m.  (military),  shoe.  An 
ironical  allusion  to  the  fleetness 
of  the  celebrated  racer  Gladiateur, 

Glaire,  f.  (popular),  pousser  sa  — , 
to  talk,  "to  jaw."  As-tu  fini  de 
pousser  ta  — ,  don't  talk  so  much, 
.which  may  be  rendered  by  the 
Americanism,  "  don't  shoot  off 
your  mouth. " 

Glaive,  m.  (freemasons'),  carving- 
knife ;  (thieves')  guillotine.  Pas- 
ser sa  bille  au  — ,  to  be  guillotined. 
See  Fauch6. 

Glaiver  (thieves'),  to  guillotine. 

Glao  (Breton  cant),  rain. 

Glaou  (Breton  cant),  firebrands. 

Glas,  m.  (popular),  dull  man  with 
a  dismal  sort  of  conversation, 
"croaker." 

Glaviot,  m.  (popular),  expectoration, 
or  "gob." 


i8o 


Glavioter — Gobante. 


Glavioter  (popular),  to  expectorate. 

Glavioteur,  m.  (popular),  man 
who  expectorates, 

Glier,  glinet,  m.  (thieves'),  devil, 
"  ruffin."  From  sanglier,  a  wild 
boar.  Le  —  t'entrolle  en  son 
pasclin,  the  devil  take  you  to  his 
abode  ! 

Glissant,  m.  (thieves'),  soap. 

Glisser  (popular),  to  die,  "  to  stick 
one's  spoon  in  the  wall,"  "  to  kick 
the  bucket,"  or  "tosnuffit."  See 
Pipe. 

Globe,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"nut,"  see  Tronche  ;  stomach. 
S'etre  fait  arrondir  le  — ,  to  have 
become  pregnant,  or  "lumpy." 

Glouglouter  (popular),  to  drink, 
' '  to  wet  one's  whistle."  See 
Rincer. 

Glousser  (popular),  to  talk,  "to 
jaw." 

Gluant,  m.  (cads'  and  thieves'), 
penis;  baby,  "kinchin." 

Parait  que  j'suis  dab* !  ca  m'esbloque. 
XJn  p'tit  saM,  \  moi  I'salaud  ! 
Ma  rouchi'  doit  batt'  la  berloque. 
Un  gluant,  9a  n'f  'rait  pas  mon  blot. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Gluau,  m.  (popular),  expectoration. 
(Thieves')  Poser  un  — ,  to  arrest, 
"to  smug."  See  Piper.  Gluau, 
properly  a  twig  smeared  over  with 
bird-lime. 

Glutouse,  /  (thieves'),  face,  or 
"mug." 

Gnac,  m..  (popular),  quarrel. 

GnaffS,  adj.  (popular),  clumsily 
done. 

Gnafle,  f,  (popular),  bad  throw. 
Apres  —  raffle,  constant  ill-luck. 

Gniaff,  m.  (familiar),  bad  workman; 
writer  or  journalist  of  the  worst 
description  ;  (shoemakers')  work- 
ing shoemaker. 


Gniaffer  (popular),  to  work  clumsily. 

Gniasse  (cads'  and  thieves'),  mon 
— ,  /,  myself,  "No.  i."  Ton  — , 
thou,  thee.  Son  — ,  he,  him;  1,  ■ 
myself.  Un — ,  a  fellow,  a"  coye." 
Un  bon  — .  a  good  fellow,  a 
"brick." 

Gniff,  adj.  (popular),  ce  vin  est  — , 
that  wine  is  clear. 

Gniol,  gniole,  gnolle,  adj.  (popu- 
lar), silly  ;  dull-witted.  Ea-tu 
assez  —  !  how  silly,  or  what  a 
"  flat "  you  are  ! 

On  voulait  nous  mettre  k  la  manque  pour 
lui  (nous  le  faire  livrer),  nous  ne  sommes  pas 
des  gnioles  ! — Balzac. 

Gnognotte,  f.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar). The  expression  has  passed 
into  the  language;  thing  of  little 
worth,  "  no  great  scratch." 

Ce  farceur  de  Mes-Bottes,  vers  la  fin  de 
V4t6,  avait  eu  le  true  d'dpouser  pour  de 
vrai  une  dame,  tres"  d^catie  dejSi,  mais  qui 
possedait  de  beaux  restes  ;  oh  !  une  dame 
de  la  rue  des  Martyrs,  pas  de  la  gnognotte 
de  barriere. — Zola,  L' AssoTnmoir. 

Gnol-Chy  (popular),  abbreviation 
of  Batignolles-Clichy. 

Gnole,/.  (popular),  slap,  "clout," 
"wipe;"  or,  as  the  Americans 
have  it,  "  biff. "  Abbreviation  of 
torgnole. 

Gnon,  m.  (popular),  blow,  "clout," 
"bang,"  or  "wipe;"  bruise,  or 
"mouse." 

Gnouf-gnouf,  m.  (theatrical), 
monthly  dinner  of  the  actors  of 
the  Palais  Royal  Theatre.  When 
ceremonious,  the  members  are 
called,  "  Gnouf-gnoufs  d'AUe- 
magne ; "  when  bacchanalian, 
"  Gnouf-gnoufs  de  Pologne. " 

Go,  parler  en  — ,  is  to  use  that  syl- 
lable to  disguise  words, 

Gobage,  m.  (popular),  love. 

Gobante,  f.  (popular),  attractive 
woman.     From  gober,  to  like. 


Gobbe — Godard. 


i8i 


Gobbe,    gobelot,    m.     (thieves'), 

chalice. 

Gobelet,  m.  (thieves'),  €tre  sous  le 
— ,  to  be  in  prison,  or  "put  away." 

Gobelin,  m.  (thieves'),  thimble. 

Gobelot.     See  Gobbe. 

Gobe-mouches,  m.  (thieves'),  spy, 
"nark,"  or  "nose." 

Gobe-prune,  m.  (thieves'),  tailor. 
Termed  also  pique-poux,  and  in 
the  English  slang  a  "cabbage 
contractor,"  "steel-bar  driver," 
"  button  catcher." 

Gober  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
like  ;  to  love  ;  to  please.  Je  tegobe, 
you  please  me  ;  I  like  you,  Gober 
la  chevre,  or  —  son  boeuf,  to  get 
angry,  "  to  get  one's  monkey  up," 
"  to  lose  one's  shirt,"  "to  get  into 
a  scot."  Termed  "to  be  in  a 
swot "  at  Shrewsbury  School.  Se 
— ,  to  have  a  high  opinion  of  one- 
self;  to  lave  oneself  too  much. 

Non,  non,  pas  de  cabotins.  _  Le  vieux 
Bosc  etait  toujours  gris  ;  Prulliferes  se  go- 
bait  trop. — Zola,  Nana. 

La  — ,  to  be  the  victim  ;  to  have  to 
pay  for  others  ;  to  be  ruined ;  to 
believe  a  false  assertion.  Synony- 
mous, in  the  latter  sense,  of  the 
old  expression,  "gober  le  mor- 
ceau." 

Mais  je  ne  suis  pas  homme  &  gober  le 
morceau. — MoLiERE,  Ecole  des  Fetnnus. 

Cent  pas  plus  loin,  le  camelot  a  recom- 
mence son  true,  apres  avoir  ri,  avec  son 
copain,  des  pantes  qui  la  gobent ! — Riche- 
plN.  (A  hundredstepsfnrtherthe sharper 
again  tries  his  dodge,  after  laughing  with 
his  chum  at  thejtais  who  take  it  in.) 

Si  nous  echouons,  c'est  moi  qui  la 
gobe,   tf  we  fail,  I  shall  be  made 
responsible. 
Gobeson,  m.  (thieves'),  drinking- 
glass,  or  "flicker;"  «</;  chalice. 

Gobet,  m.  (popular),  piece  of  beef, 
"  a  bit  o'  bull."  Had  formerly  the 
signification  of  dainty  bit. 


Laisse-mol  faire,  nous  en  mangerons  de 
bons  gobets  ensemble.  —  Hauteroche, 
Crispin  Midecin. 

Gobet,  disorderly  workman.  Mau- 
vais  — ,  scamp,  or  "  bad  egg." 

Gobette,  f.  (thieves'),  drinking- 
glass,  or  "flicker."  Payer  la  — , 
to  stand  treat, 

Gobeur,  m.  (familiar),  credulous 
man,  "flat." 

Gobichonnade,  f.  (familiar  and 
popular),  gormandizing. 

Gobichonher  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), se  — .  to  regale  oneself. 

II  se  sentit  capable  des  plus  grandes 
lachet^s  pour  continuer  k  gobichonner, — 
Balzac 

Gobichonneur,  m.,  gobichon- 
neuse,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
gormandizer,  "  grand  paunch." 

Gobilleur,  m.  (i\aeses'),juge  d'in- 
struction,  a  magistrate  who  in- 
structs cases,  and  privately  ex- 
amines prisoners  before  tried. 

Gobseck,  m.  (familiar),  miser, 
"skinflint,"  or  "hunks."  Oneof 
the  characters  of  Balzac's  Comldie 
Humaine. 

Godaille,/.  (popular),  amusement ; 
indulgence  in  eating  and  drinking. 

On  doit  travailler,  9a  ne  fait  pas  un 
doute  :  seulement  quand  on  se  trouve  avec 
des  amis,  la  politesse  passe  avant  tout. 
Un  d&ir  de  godaille  les  avait  peu  k  peu 
chatouill^s  et  engourdis  tous  les  quatre. — 
Zola,  V Assommoir. 

Godan,  m.  (popular),  falsehood. 
Connaltre  le  — ,  to  be  wide-awake, 
not  easily  duped,  "  to  know  what's 
o'clock."  Monter  un  —  k 
quelqu'un,  to  seek  to  deceive  one, 
or  "  best"  one. 

Godancer  (popular),  to  allow  one- 
self to  be  dtiped,  "  to  be  done 
brown. " 

Godard,  m.  (popular),  a  husband 
who  has  just  become  a  father. 


I82 


Goddam— ^Gomme. 


Goddam,  or  goddem,  m.  (popu- 
lar), Englishman. 

(Entrainant  I'Anglais.)  Maintenant,  al- 
iens jouer  des  bibelots  .  .  .  voilk  un  god- 
dam qui  va  y  aller  d'autaiit. — Pi  Mahalin. 

Godet,  m.  (popular),  drinking 
glass.  A  common  expression 
among  the  lower  orders,  and  a  very 
old  one. 

Godiche,  at//,  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), simple-minded,  foolish, 

Qae  tu  es  done  godiche,  Toinon,  de 
venir   tous    les   matins  comme  5a. — Ga- 

VAKNI. 

Godiller  (popular),  to  be  merry ; 
to  be  carnally  excited. 

Godilleur,  m.  (popular),  man  -who 
is  fond  of  the  fair  sex,  a  "mol- 
rower,"  or  "beard-splitter." 

Godillot,  m.  (popular),  military 
shoe.  From  the  name  of  the 
maker ;  (military)  recruit,  or 
"Johnny  raw." 

Godiveau  ranee,  m.  (popular), 
stingy  man. 

Tu  peux  penser  si  je  le  traite  de  godi- 
veau  ranee  chaque  fois  qu'il  itie  refuse  un 
petit  cadeau. — E.  Monteil. 

Goffeur,  m.  (thieves'),  locksmith. 
From  the  Celtic  goff,  a  smith. 

Gogaille,y.  (popular),  banquet. 

Gogo,  m.  (familiar),  simple-minded 
man  who  invests  his  capital  in 
swindling  concerns,  "gull;  "  man 
easily  fleeced. 

Quand  les  allumeurs  de  I'Hdtel  des 
Ventes  eurent  jug^  le  gogo  en  complet 
entrainement,  11  y  eut  un  arret  momentan^ 
parmi  les  ench^res  int^ress^es. — A.  Sirven. 

(Popular)  Gogo,^««Ao>-«,  "flat." 
The  term,  with  this  signification, 
is  hardly  slang.  Villon  uses  it  in 
his  Ballade  de  Villon  et  de  la 
Grosse  Margot  (isth  century). 

Riant,  m'assiet  le  poing  sur  mon  sommet, 
Gogo  me  dit,  et  me  fiert  le  jambot. 


•Gogotte,  adj.  (popular),  spiritless ; 
weak ;  bad.  From  gogo.  Avoir 
la  vue  — ,  to  have  a  weak  sight.  A 
corruption  of  cocotte,  disease  of 
the  eyes. 

Goguenau,  gogueno,  goguenot, 
m.  (military),  tin  can  holding  one 
litre,  used  by  soldiers  to  make  coffee 
or  soup ;  also  howitzer;  (military 
and  popular)  privy.  Passer  la 
jambe  a  Thomas  — ,  to  empty  the 
privy  tub.  Hirondelle  de  — , 
low  street-walker,  or  "draggle- 
tail."    See  Gadoue. 

Goguette,.y;  (popular),  vocal  so- 
ciety ;  wine-shop.  Etre  en  — ,  to 
be  merrily  inclined ;  to  be  enjoying 
oneself,  the  bottle  being  the  chief 
factor  in  the  source  of  enjoyment. 

Goguetter(popular),  to  makevierry. 
From  the  old  word  goguette, 
amusement. 

Goguettier,  m.  (popular),  metn- 
ber  of  a  vocal  society. 

Goinfre,    m.    (thieves'),  precentor. 

An   allusion   to   his   opening  his 

mouth  like  that  of  a  glutton. 
Goiper  (thieves'),  to  prowl  at  night 

for  evil  purposes,  "  quaarens  quem 

devoret. " 

Goipeur,  m.  (thieves'),  night  thief. 

Goipeuse,  f.  (thieves'),  prostitute 
who  prowls  about  the  country. 
See  Gadoue. 

Goitreux,  m.  (familiar),  silly  fellow, 
man  devoid  df  all  intellectualpower. 
Synonymous  of  cretin. 

Goje  (Breton  cant),  well ;'  yes. 

Golgother  (familiar),  to  give  one- 
self the  airs  of  a  martyr.  The 
allusion  is  obvious. 

Gomberger  (thieves'),  to  reckon. 

Gombeux,  adj.  (popular),  nasty. 

Gomme.y;  (familiar),  fashion  ;  ele- 
gance,   "swelldom."     La  haute 


Gommeuse —  Gommeiix. 


183 


— ,  the  "  pink  "  of  fashion.  Etre 
de  la  — ,  to  be  a  dandy,  a 
"masher."  See  Gommeux. 
The  term  formerly  signified  ex- 
cellence, and  was  used  specially 
in  reference  to  wine. 

Mais  non  pas  d'un  pareil  trdsor. 
Que  cette  souveraine  gomme, 

Pamasse  des  Muses. 

Gommeuse,  /  (familiar),  showily 
dressed  girl  or  woman,  a 
"dasher.** 

Gommeux,  adj.  andm.  (familiar), 
pretty ;  dandy, 

C^t^t  elle  qui,  pcur  la  premi&re  fois, . 
recevant  un  de  ses  amants  astiqu^  des 
pieds  &  la  t€te,  ernpes^,  cir^,  fiottd,  tird, 
semblant,  en  deux  mots,  tremp^  dans  de  la 
gomme  arabi'que  en  dissolution,  avait  dit 
de  lui :  un  gommeux  !  Le  petit-crev^  avait 
un  successeur. — E.  Monteil,  Comebois. 

The  different  appellations  corre- 
sponding to  various  periods  are 
as  follows  : — Under  Louis  XIV., 
"mouchar,  muguet,  petit-maitre, 
talon-rouge."  After  the  revolution 
of  1793,  "muscadin."  Under  the 
government  of  the  Directoire  from 
'95  to '99i  "incroyable,  merveil- 
leux."  Then  from  the  Restoration 
come  in  succession,  "  mirliflor, 
elegant,  dandy,  lion,  fashionable, 
and  gandin."  Under  the  Third 
Empire,  "cocodes,  creve,  petit- 
creve,  col-casse."  From  1870  to 
the  present  day,  "gommeux,  lui- 
sant,  poisseux,  boudine,  pschut- 
teux,  exhume,  gratine,  faucheur, 
and  finally  becarre. "  The  English 
have  the  terms  "swell,  gorger, 
masher,"  and  the  old  expression 
"  flasher,"  mentioned  in  the  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  the  Eng- 
lish Supplementary  Glossary : — 

They  are  reckoned  the  flashers  of  the 
place,  yet  everybody  laughs  at  them  for 
their  aizs,  affectations,  and  tonish  graces 
and  impertinences. — Madame  d*Arblay, 
J}iafy, 

The  Spectator  termed  a  dandy  a 


"Jack -pudding,"  and  Goldsmith 
calls  him  a  "  macaroni,"  "The 
Italians,"  he  says,  "  are  extremely 
fond  of  a  dish  they  call  macaroni, 
.  .  .  and  as  they  consider  this 
as  the  summum  bonum  of  all  good 
eating,  so  they  figuratively  call 
everything  they  think  elegant  and 
uncommon  macaroni.  Our  young 
travellers,  who  generally  catch  the 
follies  of  the  countries  they  visit, 
judged  that  the  title  of  macaroni 
was  very  applicable  to  a  clever 
fellow ;  and  accordingly,  to  dis- 
tinguish themselves  as  such,  they 
instituted  a  club  under  this  de- 
nomination, the  members  of  which 
were  supposed  to  be  the  standards 
of  taste.  The  infection  at  St. 
James's  was  soon  caught  in  the 
City,  and  we  have  now  macaronies 
of  every  denomination,  from  the 
Colonel  of  the  Train'd-Bands 
down  to  the  printer's  devil  or 
errand-boy.  They  indeed  make 
a  most  ridiculous  figure,  with  hats 
of  an  inch  in  the  brim,  that  do 
not  cover,  but  lie  upon  the  head  ; 
with  about  two  pounds  of  fictitious 
hair,  formed  into  what  is  called  a 
club,  hanging  down  their  shoul- 
ders, as  white  as  a  baker's  sack  ; 
the  end  of  the  skirt  of  their  coat 
reaching  not  down  to  the  first 
button  of  their  breeches.  .  .  . 
Such  a  figure,  essenced  and  per- 
fumed, with  a  bunch  of  lace  stick- 
ing out  under  its  chin,  puzzles  the 
common  passenger  to  determine 
the  thing's  sex ;  and  many  have 
said,  by  your  leave,  madam,  with- 
out intending  to  give  offence. " 

The  Americans  give  the  name 
of  "dude"  to  one  who  apes  the 
manners  of  swells.  It  may  be 
this  word  originated  from  a  com- 
parison between  the  tight  and 
light-coloured  trousers  sported  by 
swells,  and  the  stem  of  a  pipe 
termed   "  dudeen  "  by  the  Irish. 


1 84 


Gomorrhe — Gosselin. 


Compare  the  French  expression 
"  boudine, "  literally  sausage-like, 
for  a  swell  in  tight  clothing. 

Gomorrhe,  m.  (familiar),  un  emi- 
gre de  — ,  Sodomite. 

Gonce,  gonse,  gonze,m.  (thieves'), 
man,  or  "cove." 

Goncesse,  gonzesse,/  (thieves'), 
woman,     "hay-bag,     cooler,     or 

shakester. '' 

Goncier,  or  gonce,  m.  (thieves'), 
man,  or  "cove." 

Gondole,  adj.  (thieves'  and  popu- 
lar), avoir  I'air  — ,  to  look  ill.  Un 
homme  — ,  high-shouldered  man. 

Gonfle-bougres,  m.  (thieves'), 
beans,  the  staple  food  of  pri- 
soners. 

Gonfler.     See  Ballon.     (Popular) 

Se  — ,  to  be  elated, 

Mon  vieux,  c'que  tu  peux  t'gonfler 
d'gagner  des  coupes  Renaissance  \—Le 
Cri  du  PeupU,  17  Aoflt,  1886. 

Se  —  le  jabot,  to  look  conceited. 

Tu  es  un  bon  artiste,  c'est  vrai,  mats, 
vrai  aussi,  tu  te  gonfles  trop  le  jabot. — E- 

MONTEIL. 

Gonsal6,  m.  (thieves'),  man,  or 
"cove."  Si  le  —  fait  de  I'har- 
monares,  il  faut  le  balancarguer 
dans  la  vassares,  if  the  man  is 
not  quiet,  we'll  throw  him  into 
the  water. 

Gonsaris,  m,  (thieves'),  man.  A 
form  of  gonse. 

Gonse,  m.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
man,  or  "cove." 

Elle  va  ramasser  dans  les  ruisseaux  des 

halles 
Les  bons  mots  des  courtauds  les  pointes 

trivlales, 
Pont  au  bout  du  Pont-Neuf  au  son  du 

tambourin, 


Montd     sur     deux     tr^teaux,     I'illustre 

Tabarin 
Amusoit  autrefois  et  la  nymphe  et  legonze. 
La  Fontaine,  Ragotin. 

Gonse  a  ecailles,  women's  bully, 
"ponce."    See  Poisson. 

Gonsier,  or  gadouille,  m.  (popu- 
lar), an  individual,  "c-ve." 

Gonsse,  m.  (police  and  thieves'), 
fool,  "flat." 

Vous  etes  un  gonsse,  monsieur,  mur- 
mura  le  chef  ^  I'agent  porteur  du  bijou, 
qu'il  lui  arracha  !LUSsitdt.—M/maires  de 
Monsieur  Claude. 

Gonzesse.     See  Goncesse. 

Gorge,  /.  (thieves'),  a  case  for 
implements, 

Gorgniat,  m.  (popular),  dirty  man, 
a  "  chatty  "fellow. 

Gose,  m.  (popular),  throat,  or 
"red  lane."  Abbreviation  of 
gosier. 

Gosse,  m.  and  f.  (general),  child, 
"kid."  Ah'!  I'affreux  gosse! 
pialle-t'y  !  Asseyez  -  vous  des- 
sus  !  et  qu'  9a  finisse  !  The  hor- 
rible child!  how  he  does  squall! 
Sit  ufon  him,  and  let  there  be  an 
end  of  it.  This  seemingly  uncha- 
ritable wish  is  often  expressed  in 
thought,  if  not  in  speech,  in 
France,  where  many  children  are 
petted  and  spoilt  into  insufferable 
tyrants. 

Arrive  I'enfant  de  la  maison  qui  pleure. 
Au  lieu  de  lui  dire  :  Ah !  le  joli  enfant, 
meme  quand  il  pleure,  on  croirait  entendre 
la  voix  de  la  Patti.  .  .  .  Maintenant  ce  n'est 

?lus  ga,  Ton  dit :  Ah  !  I'affreux  gosse ! 
ialles-t'y  !  ...  en  v'lk  un  qui  crie  !  .  .  . 
pour  sur  il  a  avaM  la  pratique  i  The'rfaa  ! 
— Les  Locutions  Vicieuses. 

Gosselin,  m.  (popular),  a  lad;  a 
young  man,  or  "covey"  in  English 
slang. 


Gosseline —  Goujonner. 


i8s 


Gosseline,/.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
young  maiden.  Fignole — ,pretty 
lass. 

Gossemar,  m.  (popular),  child,  or 
"  kid."     A  form  of  gosse. 

Gossier,  m.     See  Gonce. 

Got,  m.,  for  gau  (thieves'),  lottse, 
or  "  gold-backed  un." 

Goteur,  m.  (popular),  whore-mon- 
ger, "mutton-monger,  molrower, 
beard -splitter,  or  rip." 

Gouache,  /.  (popular),  face,  phy- 
siognomy, or  "mug."  See 
Tronche. 

Goualante,         gouasante,        f. 

(thieves'),  song ;  street  hawker, 
Les  goualantes  avec  leurs  bag- 
nioles,  the  hawkers  with  their 
hand-barrows. 

Goualer  (thieves'),  to  sing,  "to 
"lip;"  —  i  la  chienlit,  to  cry 
out  thieves!  In  the  slang  of 
English  thieves,  "  to  give  hot 
beef." 

Goualeur,  m.,  goualeuse,  /. 
(thieves'),  singer,  "chanter." 

Dis  done,  la  goualeuse,  est-ce  que  tu  ne 
vas  pas  nous  goualer  une  de  tes  goua- 
lantes ? — E.  Sue,  Les  MystSres  de  Paris. 

Gouape,  f.  (popular),  laziness; 
drunken  arid  disorderly  state ; 
one  mho  leads  a  lazy  or  dissolute 
life  ;  a  reprobate  ;  thief,  or  "prig." 
See  Grinche. 

Gouaper  (popular),  to  lead  a  dis- 
orderly life ;  to  prowl  about  lazily, 
"  to  mike  ;"  to  tramp. 

Gouapeur,  gouSpeur  (general), 
lazy  man  ;  vagabond;  debatuhee. 

Sans  paifes,  sans  lime,  plein  de  crotte, 
Aussi  rupin  qu'un  plongeur, 
Un  soir  un  gouapeur  en  ribote 
Tombe  en  frime  avec  un  voleur. 

ViDOCQ. 

Michel  says,  "Je  suis  convaincu 
que  la  racine  de  ce  mot  est  gutpe. 


qui  se  ^xtpiape  en  patois  normand, 
et  qui  vient  de  wasp:  pareil  a 
I'insecte  de  ce  nom,  le  gougpeur 
erre  9a  et  li,  butinant  pour  vivre. " 
Gouapeur,  ironical  appellation 
given  by  lazy  prisoners  to  those 
who  work, 

Gouapeuse,/  (general),  dissolute 
woman  fond  of  good  cheer. 

Goueper  (popular),  to  lead  the  life 
of  a  gouapeur  (which  see) ;' also 
to  lead  a  vagrant  life. 

J'ai  comme  un  brouillard  de  souvenir 
d'avoir  gou6p^_  dans  mon  enfance  avec  un 
vieux  chiffonnier  qui  m'assomniait  de  coups 
de  croc. — E.  Sue. 

GouSpeur.     See  Gouapeur. 

Gouffier  (obsolete),  to  eat. 

Gougnottage,  m.  (common). 
Rigaud  says :  "  Honteuse  cohabi- 
tation d'une  femme  avec  une  autre 
femme." 

Gougnotte,  /  (common).  See 
Gougnottage. 

Gougnotter.     See  Gougnottage. 
Gouille,/  (popular),  envoyer  i  la 

— ,  to  summarily  get  rid  of  a  bore  ; 

to  send  a  bore  to  the  deuce. 

Gouillon,  m.  (popular),  street  boy, 
or  street  arab, 

Goujon,  m.  (general),  dupe,  or 
"gull ;"  girts  bully,  or  "  Sunday 
man."  For  synonyms  see  Pois- 
son.  Un  —  d'h6pital,  a  leech. 
Avaler  le  — ,  to  die,  "to  snuff 
it."  See  Pipe.  Ferrer  le  — ,  to 
cause  one  to  fall  into  a  trap,  to 
make  one  swallow  the  bait.  Lacher 
son  — ,  to  vomit,  "to  cascade," 
"to  shoot  the  cat,"  or  "to  cast 
up  accounts." 

Goujonner  (popular),  to  deceive, 
"to  best,"  "to  do."  Literally 
to  make  one  swallow  the  bait  like  a 
gudgeon. 


1 86 


Goule — ■■  Gourgandinage. 


Goule,  f.  (popular),  throat,  or 
"  gutter  lane ;"  mouth,  or  "  rattle- 
trap. "  Old  form  of  gueule  used 
in  the  expression,  now  obsolete, 
Faire  p^ter  la  goule,  to  speak. 

Goulot,  7n.  (popular),  mouth,  or 
' '  rattle-trap  ;"  throat,  or  "  gutter 
lane."  Jouer  du  — ,  to  drink 
heavily,  "  to  swill."  Se  rincer  le 
— ,  to  drink,  "  to  wet  one's 
whistle.*'  See  Rincer.  Trouil- 
loter  du  — ,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath. 

Goulu,  m.  (thieves'),  a  stove;  a 
well.     Properly  greedy,  glutton. 

Goupinage,  m.  (thieves'),  work, 
" gc3.{\. ;"  thieving,  "faking." 

Goupine,  /  (cads'  and  thieves'), 
head,  or  "nut,"  see  Tronche; 
(popular)  quaint  dress. 

Goupine,  adj.  (popular),  mal  — , 
badly  dressed. 

Goupiner  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "to 
nick."    See  Grinchir. 

En  roulant  de  vergne  en  vergne 
Pour  apprendre  i  goupiner. 

ViDOCQ. 

Goupiner  les  poivriers,  to  rob 
drunkards ;  —  a  la  desserte,  to 
steal  plate  from  a  dining-room,  in 
the  following  manner : — 

D'autres  bonjouriers  ne  se  mettent  ea 
campagne  qu'aux  approchcs  du  dtner : 
ceux-lksaisiscent  le  moment  oil  I'argenterie 
vient  d'etre  postJe  sur  la  table.  lis  entrent 
et  en  un  clin  d'oeil  ils  la  font  disparaitre. — 

ViDOCQ. 

Goupiner,  to  do. 

La  largue  est  fine  .  .  .  et  que  goupine- 
t-elle  ?  Elle  est  etablie  .  .  .  elle  gire  une 
maison — Balzac. 

Goupineur  k  la  desserte,  in. 
(thieves').     See  Goupiner. 

Goupline,/  (thieves'), /!»/. 

Gour,  m.  (thieves'),  jug ;  —  de 
pivois,  jugful  of  wine. 


Gourd,  m.  (thieves'),  fraud ;  de- 
ceit;  swindling;  (Breton  cant) 
good ;  well, 

Gourdago  (Breton  ciixvi),  food. 

Gourde,  /.  (popular),  simpleton- 
"flat." 

Goiird^,  m.  (popular), /w/,  "flat," 
or  "duflfer." 

Gourdement  (popularand  thieves'), 
much,  or,  as  the  Irish  say, 
' '  neddy ;  "  very. 

lis  piaussent  dans  les  pioles,  morfient 
et  pictent  si  gourdement,  que  toutime  en 
bourdonne. — Le JaT^tmde i' Argot.  {They 
sleep  in  the  tavertis,  eat  ajtd  drink  so 
much  that  everything  resounds  with  it.) 

Gourer,  or  gourrer  (popular  and 
thieves'),  to  deceive,  "  to  kid  ;  "  to 
swindle,  "to  stick."  The  word 
is  old. 

Pour  gourrer  les  pauvres  gens. 
Qui  leur  babil  veulent  croire. 

Parnasse  des  Muses. 

Se  — ,  to  be  mistaken ;  to  assume 
a  jaunty,  self-satisfied  air. 

C'est  la  raison  pourquoi  qu'  je  m'  goure, 
Mon  gniasse  est  bath ;  j'ai  un  chouett* 
moure. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Goureur,  m.  (thieves'),  deceiver; 
cheat,  or  "cross-biter  ;"  —  de  la 
haute,  swell  mobsmen.  Goureurs, 
rogues  who  assume  a  disguise  to 
deceive  the  public,  and  who  sell  in- 
ferior articles  at  exorbitant  prices. 
The  sham  sailor,  with  rings  in 
his  ears,  who  has  just  returned 
from  a  long  cruise,  and  offers 
parrots  or  smuggled  havannahs 
for  sale,  the  false  countryman, 
&c.,  are  goureurs. 

Goureuse,  /  (thieves'),  female 
deceiver  or  cheat. 

Gourgandin,  m.  (familiar),  a  man 
too  fond  ofcocottes.  Vieux  — ,  17/1^ 
debauchee,  old  "  rip." 

Gourgandinage,  m.  (popular), 
disreputable  way  of  living. 


Gourgandiner — Gram. 


187 


Gourgandiner  (popular),  to  lead  a 
dissolute  life.  From  gourgandine, 
a  girl  or  woman  of  lax  morals. 

Gourganer  (popular),  to  be  in 
prison,  eating  "gourganes,"  or 
beans. 

Gourgaud,  m.  (military),  recruit 
or  "Johnny  raw." 

Gourgoussage,  m.  (popular), 
grumbling. 

Gourgousser  (popular),  to  grumble. 

Gourgousseur,  m.  (popular), 
grumbler,  or  "crib  biter." 

Gourt  (popular),  k  son  — ,  pleased. 
The  word  is  old,  Villon  uses  it  : — 

L'hostesse  fut  bien  ^  son  gourt. 
Car,  quand  vint  k  compter  I'escot, 
Le  seigneur  ne  dist  oncques  mot. 

Gouspin,  or  goussepain,  m. 
(popular),  malicious  urchin. 

n  en  tira  le  corps  d'un  chat :  "  Tiens  dit  . 
le  gosse 

Au  troquet,  tiens,  voici  de  quoi  faire  un 
lapin." 

Puis  il  prit  son  petit  couteau  de  gousse- 
pain, 

D^pouilla  le  greffier,  et  lui  fit  sa  toilette. 
RlCHEPIN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueujc. 

Gouspiner  (popular),  to  wander 
lazily  about,  "  to  mike."  From 
gouspin,  a  malicious  urchin. 

Gousse,  f.  (theatrical),  la  — , 
monikly  banquet  of  the  actors  of 
the  Vaudeville  Theatre.  See  Gos- 
selin. 

Gousser  (popular),  to  eat,  "to 
grub."     See  Mastiquer. 

Gousset,    m.    (popular),    armpit. 

■  Properly /(>*.  Avoir  le  —  perce, 
to  be  penniless,  "  to  be  a  quisby." 
Repousser  du  — ,  to  emit  a  dis- 
agreeable odour  of  humanity. 

Gcttlt,  m.  (popular),  faire  passer, 
or  faire  perdre  i  quelqu'un  le  — 
du  pain,  to  kill  one,  "  to  cook 
one's  goose." 


Goutte,  f.  (popular),  marchand  dC' 
— ,  retailer  of  spirits.  (Familiar 
and  popular)  Goutte  militaire,  a 
certain  disease  termed  in  the 
English  slang  "  French  gout," 
or  "  ladies'  fever."        , 

Gouttiere,  f.  (familiar),  lapin  de 
— ,  a  cat,  "  long-tailed  beggar." 

Gouvernement,  m.  (popular), 
mon  — ,  my  wife,  "my  old 
woman,"  or  "  my  comfortable 
impudence." 

Goye,  m.  {pop\i\a,r),  fool ;  dupe. 

Graffagnade,  f.  (familiar),  bad' 
painting. 

Crafiigner  (popular),  to  take ;  tO' 
seize,  "  to  nab  ;"  to  scratch. 

Grafiin,  m.  (popular),  rag-picker, 
' ' bone-grubber," or  "tot-picker. " 

Graigaille,  f.  (popular),  bread, 
"  soft  tommy,  or  bran." 

Graillon,  m.  (familiar),  dirty  slat- 
ternly woman.  That  is,  one  who 
emits  an  odour  of  kitchen  grease. 

Graillonneuse,y!  (popular),  7«o»;a» 
who  not  ■  being  a  washerwoman 
washes  her  linen  at  the  public 
laundry. 

Grain,  m.  (familiar  and  popular)^ 
avoir  un  — ,  to  be  slightly  crazy, 
"  to  be  a  little  bit  balmy  in  one's 
crumpet."  Avoir  un  petit  — ,  to 
be  slightly  tipsy,  or  "elevated." 
'  See  Pompette.  (Popular)  Un 
— ,  fifty-centime  coin.  Formerly 
a  silver  crown.  Leger  de  deux 
grains  (obsolete),  an  expression 
applied  formerly  to  eunuchs.  Un 
catholique  a  gros  —  (obsolete), 
the  signification  is  given  by  the 
quotation : — 

On  appelle  catholique  k  gros  ^rain,  un 
libertin,  un  homme  peu  d^vot,  quine  va  k 
I'dglise  que  par  manifere  d'acquit.  —  Lb 
Roux,  Diet.  Comique. 


1 88 


Graine —  Gras. 


Graine,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
debagne,  thief ' s  offspring ;  (fami- 
liar) —  de  chou  colossal,  grand 
promises  made  with  the  object  of 
swindling  credulous  persons  ;  — 
gibeme,  soldier's  child ;  —  d'epi- 
nards,  epaulets  of  field-officers. 
Avoir  la —  d'epinards,  tobe  a  field- 
officer.  De  la  —  d'andouilles  is 
said  of  a  number  of  small  children 
in  a  group. 

Graissage,    m.,    or    graisse,   f. 

(popular),  »«««y,  "dust."  That 
which  serves  "  to  grease  the 
palm."     See  Quibus. 

Graisse,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
/«<;»(?)',  or  "pieces."  See  Quibus. 
(Thieves')  Voler  ^  la  graisse  (for 
grece),  to  cheat  at  a  game.  Also 
to  obtain  a  loan  of  money  on 
"brummagem"  trinkets,  or  paste 
diamonds  represented  as  genuine. 

Voler  k  la  graisse :  se  faire  prater  sur 
des  llngots  d'or  et  sur  des  diamants  qui  n; 
sont  que  du  cuivre  et  du  strass. — ^Vidocq. 

Graisser  (military),  la  marmite,  as 
a  new-comer,  to  treat  one's  comrades, 
"  to  pay  for  one's  footing  ;"  (gene- 
ral) —  la  peau,  to  thrash,  "  to 
wallop."  See  Voie.  Graisser le 
train  de  derriere,  to  give  a  kick  in 
the  behind,  "  to  toe  one's  bum  ; " 
—  les  bottes  a  quelqu'un,  to  help 
one;  —  les  epaules  a  quelqu'un 
(obsolete),  to  thrash  one. 

Graisser  les  dpaules  &  quelqu'un,  pour 
dire,  le_  batonner.  Ce  qui  a  fait  dire  aussi 
de  I'huile  de  cotret,  c'est-a-dire,  des  coups 
de  baton. — Le  Roux,  Diet.  Comigue. 

Graisser  les  roues,  to  drink,  "  to 
have  something  damp."  See 
Rincer.  (Thieves')  Graisser,  or 
gressier,  to  steal,  "to  nick."  See 
Grinchir. 

Graisseur,  m.  (thieves'),  card- 
sharper,  or  "  magsman." 

Grand  (police),  chef,  the  Prlfet  de 
Police;   (popular)  —  bonnet,  a 


bishop ;  —  carcan,  tall,  lanky 
girl.   Also  an  opprobrious  epithet ; 

—  courbouillon,  sea,  or  "briny;" 

—  lumignon,  sun;  —  singe.  Presi- 
dent of  the  Republic  ;    (thieves') 

—  coere,  formerly  the  king  of 
mendicants;  —  meudon,  spy; 
detective,  "nark;"  —  trimar, 
highway,  "  high  toby  ; ''  (mili- 
tary)  —  montant  tropical,  riding 
breeches;  (theatrical)  —  trottoir, 
stock  cf  classical  plays. 

Grande,  adj.  andf.  (popular),  bou- 
l\(\ue,prefeciuredepolice ;  —  bleue, 
the  sea,  "  briny,"  or  "  herring 
pond;"  —fiWe,  bottle.  (Thieves') 
Grande, /<7f^^/,  or  "cly,"  "sky- 
rocket," "  brigh."  Termed  also 
"  profonde,  fouillouse,  louche, 
gueularde." 

Grand'  largue,  adv.  (sailors'),  «• 
cellent ;  incomparable. 

Grands,  adj.  (theatrical),  jouer  les 

—  coquets,  to  perform  in  the  cha- 
racter of  an  accomplished,  elegant 
man.  (Cavalry  school  of  Sauraur) 
Les  —  honimes,  the  corridors  in 
the  school  buildings. 

Granik  (Breton  cant),  hunger. 

Graoudgem,   m.    (thieves'),  pork 
butcher,  or  "  kiddier."     Faire  un 
■    —  a  la  dure,  to  steal  sausages. 

Graphique,  adj.  (thieves'),  ^%, 
or  "chatty." 

Grappin,  m.  (popular),  hand,  or 
"flipper."  Mettre  or  poser  le  — 
sur  quelqu'un,  to  apprehend  one, 
or  "to  smug "  one.     See  Piper. 

Grappiner  (popular),  to  seize;  to 
apprehend,  or  "to  smug."  See 
Piper. 

Gras,  adj.  and  m.  (popular),  il  y  a 
— ,  there  is  plenty  of  money  to  be 
got.      Attraper   un   — ,   to  get  a 


Gras-dou  ble —  Grice. 


189 


scolding,  or  "  wigging.''  (Thieves' 
and  cads')  Gras,  privy. 

Gras-double,  or  saucisson,  m. 
(thieves'),  sheet  lead,  or  "moss." 
Ratisser  du  — ,  to  steal  lead  off  the 
roofs,  termed  by  English  thieves 
"flying  the  blue  pigeon."  Porter 
du  —  au  moulin,  to  take  stolen  lead 
to  a  receiver's,  or  "  fence." 

Gras  -  doutlier,  m,  (thieves'), 
plumber, 

Grasse,/.  (thieves'),  strongbox,  or 
"  peter."  Thus  called  by  rogues 
because  it  contains  "la  graisse," 
or  the  cash. 

Gratin,  vt.  (popular),  thrashing. 
Refiler  un  — ,  to  box  one's  ears. 
{Pa-aa\\a.i)Gi3Xi-a,tip-topoffashion; 
swelldom. 


Le  Paris  extra-mondain  , 
quoi !— P.  Mahalin. 


.  le  gratin. 


Grating,  m.  (familiar),  swell, 
"masher."  For  synonymous  ex- 
pressions see  Gommeux. 

Gratis  (popular),  faire  — ,  to  borrow, 
"  to  bite  one's  ear,"  or  "  to  break 
shins  ;"  to  lend.  (Thieves')  Etre 
—  malade,  to  be  in  prison,  to  be 
"put  away." 

Graton,  m.  (popular),  razor.  From 
gratter,  to  scratch. 

Gratouille,/  (popiJar),  itch.  From 
gratter,  to  scratch,  to  itch. 

Gratouse,/.  (thieves'),  lace. 

Gratousd,  adj.  (thieves'),  adorned 
with  lace. 

Gratte,^  (popular),  itch  ;  unlawful 
profits  of  shopmen  on  the  sale  of 
goods,  something  like  the  "  fluff" 
or  profits  on  short  change  by  rail- 
way ticket-clerks ;  bonus  allowed 
to  shopmen;  —  couenne,  barber, 
' '  strap  ; "  —  pave,  loiterer  seeking 
for  a  living,  one  "  on  the  mouch." 


Grattee,  /  (popular).  Hows, 
"props." 

Gratte-papier,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  clerk,  or  "quill-driver;" 
(military)  non-commissioned  officer 
filling  the  functions  of  clerk. 

Gratter  (popular),  to  shave;  to 
/Araj^,  "to wallop."  See  Voie. 
Gratter,  to  purloin  portions  of  cloth 
given  for  the  making  of  apparel ; 
to  apprehend.  See  Piper.  Gratter 
le  papier,  to  write ;  to  be  a  clerk, 
or  "quill-driver;"  — la  couenne, 
to  shave.  En  — ,  to  perform  on 
the  dancing-rope.  Les  freres  qui 
en  grattent,  rope-dancers.  Gratter 
les  paves,  to  lead  a  life  of  poverty. 

Grattoir,  graton,  m.  (popular), 
razor.  Passer  au — ,  to  get  shaved, 
or  "scraped." 

Graveur  sur  cuir,  m.  (popular), 
shoemaker,  "snob." 

Grece,  f.  (familiar),  the  tribe  of 
card-sharpers.  Tomber  dans  la  — , 
to  become  a  card-sharper.  Vol  k 
la  — ,  card  swindle.  (Thieves') 
Grece,  or  soulasse,  swindler  who 
offers  one  a  high  profit  on  the 
change  of  gold  coins,  for  which  he 
substitutes  base  coin  when  the  bar 
gain  has  been  struck.  A  variety 
of  the  confidence  trick.  Vidocq 
thus  describes  the  mode  of  opera- 
ting of  these  gentry.  A  confede- 
rate forms  an  acquaintance  with 
a  farmer  or  country  tradesman  on 
a  visit  to  town.  While  the  new 
pair  of  friends  are  promenading, 
they  are  accosted  by  another  con- 
federate, who  pretends  to  be  a 
foreigner,  and  who  exhibits  gold 
coin  which  he  wishes  to  exchange 
for  silver.  Subsequently  the  three 
adjourn  to  a  wine-shop,  where 
the  pigeon,  being  entrusted  with 
one  of  the  coins,  is  requested  to 
have  it  tested  at  a  changer's,  when 
he  finds  it  to  be  genuine.    A  bar- 


tgo 


Grocer — Grenouille. 


gain  is  soon  struck,  and,  when  the 
thieves  have  decamped,  the  victim 
finds  that  in  exchange  for  sound 
silver  coin  he  has  received  a  case 
full  of  coppers  or  gunshot. 

'Grocer  (thieves'),  to  swindle  at  cards. 
From  "grec,"  card-sharper. 

■Grecquerie,  f.  (familiar),  tribe  of 
card-sharpers. 

Gr6er  (naval),  se  — ,  to  dress  oneself, 
' '  to  rig  oneself  out. " 

■Greffer  (popular),  to  be  hungry, 
"  to  be  bandied."  Jegreffe,  orje 
declare,  I  am  hungry.  (Thieves') 
Greffer,  to  steal  an  object  by  skil- 
fully whisking  it  up,  "  to  nip." 

Greffier,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
cat,  or  "long-tailed  beggar." 
From  griffe,  claw, 

C'est  la  dabuche  Michelon 

Qu'a  pomaqu^  son  greffier. 

Qui  jacte  par  la  venterne 

(Jul  le  lui  refilera, 

Le  dab  Lustucru 

Lui  dit :  "  Dabuch'  Mich'lon, 

AUez  !  votre  greffier  n'est  pas  pomaqu^ ; 

11  est  dans  le  roulon. 

Qui  fait  la  chasse  aux  tretons, 

Avec  un  baga£fre  de  fertange 

£t  un  fauchon  de  satou." 

Popular  song  of  C'est   la    mire 

Michel  qui  a  perdu  son  chat,  in 

■  thieves' cant,  quoted  by  F.  Michel. 

"Greffique;/  (roughs'),  the  magis- 
tracy and  lawyers. 

Grefier  (Biecon  cant),  cat. 

•Grele,  m.  andf.  (popular),  master, 
or  "  boss  ;  "  master  tailor. 

lis  ne  nous  exploiteront  plus  en  maitres, 
■ces  greles. — Mac6. 

(Thieves')  Grele,  row  or  fisrht, 
"shindy." 

II  va  y  avoir  de  la  grSle,  c'est  un  raille. ' 
— E.  Sue. 

(Popular)  Grele,  pockmarks.  Ne 
pas  s'Stre  assure  centre  la  — ,  to  be 
pockmarked,  or  "  to  be  cribbage- 
aaced." 


GrSlesse,  y;  (popular),  mistress  of 
an  establishment. 

~     Grelot,  m,  (popular),  voice. 

C'est  bien  le  son  du  grelot,  si  ce  n'est  pas 
la  frimousse. — Balzac. 

Grelot,  tongue,  or  "  red  rag."  II 
en  a  un  —  !  how  he  does  jaw 
away.  Faire  peter  son  — ,  to 
talk,  "to  wag  the  red  rag;" 
Mettre  nne  sourdine  a  son  — ,  ta 
keep  silent,  "  to  be  mum."  Mets 
une  sourdine  k  ton  — ,  don't  talk 
so  much,  "don't  shoot  off  your 
mouth  "  (Americanism). 

Grelu,  orgrenu,  »z.  (thieves'),  corn. 

Greluchonner  (popular),  to  be  a 
"  greluchon,"  that  is,  the  lover  of  a 
married  woman,  or  of  a  girl  kept 
by  another ;  or  one  who  lives  at 
the  expense  of  a  woman.  Voltaire 
has  used  the  word  greluchon  with 
the  first  meaning. 

Grenadier,  m..  (popular),  louse, 
"  S^^Yi"  ""^  "  grey-backed  un." 

Grenafe,  grenasse,  /  (thieve^'), 
iarn. 

Grenier,  m.  (popular),  i  coups  de 
poing,  drunkard's  wife;  —  a  coups 
de  sabre,  soldier's  woman  ;  —  a 
lentilles,  pockmarked  face,  or 
"  cribbage  face  ; "  —  a  sal,  head, 
"tibby,"  or  "canister."  See 
Tronche. 

Grenoble.     See  Conduite. 

Grenouillard,  m.  (popular),  one 
fond  of  the  water  for  the  inside  or 
outside.  (Artists')  Faire  — , '  to 
paint  in  a  bold,  dashing  style, 
after  the  manner  of  Delacroix. 

Grenouille,  /.  (popular),  woman. 
An  insulting  epithet ;  (military) 
cash-box.  (General)  Emporter 
la  — ,  to  abscond  with  the  cash- 
box.  Manger  la  — ,  to  spend  for 
one's  own  purposes  the  contents  of 


Grenouiller — Griller. 


191 


the  cash-box,  or  funds  entrusted  to 
one's  keeping.  (Popular)  Sirop  de 
— ,  water,  "Adam's  ale." 

Grenouiller  (popular),  to  drink 
%vater.  Had  formerly  the  signi- 
fication oi  to  frequent  wine-shops. 

Grenouillfere,  /.  (general),  swim- 
ming  bath.  La  Grenouillere  is 
the  name  of  a  well-known  swim- 
ming establishment  on  the  bank 
of  the  Seine  at  Chatou,  a  place 
much  patronized  by  "mashers" 
.  and  more  than  fast  ladies. 

Grenu,    or    grelu,   m.    (thieves'), 

corn. 
Grenuche,y;  (thieves'),  oats. 

Grenue,  grenuse,  f.  (thieves'), 
Jlour. 

Grfes,  m,  (thieves'),  horse,  or 
"  prad."     Termed  also  "  gail." 

Gresillonner  (popular),  to  ask  for 
credit,  "tick,"  "jawbone,"  or 
"day." 

Gressier  (thieves'),  to  steal,  "to 
nick."    See  Grinchir. 

Greve,  /.  (thieves'),  hirondelle  de 
— ,  gendarme.  Executions  for- 
merly took  place  at  the  Place  de 
Greve  in  front  of  the  H&tel  de 
Ville,  hence  the  expression,  Des 
anges  de  —  (obsolete),  porters, 

Greviste,  m.  (popular),  workman 
on  strike.     From  grive,  strike. 

Du  reste,  la  bande  de  grevistes  .  .  .  ne 
viendrait  plus  k  cette  heure ;  quelque  ob- 
stacle avait  dil  I'arreter,  des  gendarmes 
peut'^tre. — Zola,  Germinal. 

GreziUon,  m.  (popula-t),  p.'ncA. 

Gribis,  gripie,  grippis,  grippe- 
fleur  (thieves'),  miller. 
II  y  avait  en  un  certain'  tourniquet  un 
gribis  qui  ne  fichait  rien  que  floutiire  aux 
bons  pauvres.— i«  Jargon  de  V Argot. 
<  There  used  to  be  iti  a  certain  mill  a  miller 
"who  never  gave  anything  to  the  worthy 
poor.) 


Griblage,  criblage,  m.  (thieves'), 
shout,  shouting;  (popular)  com- 
plaint, grumbling. 

Grie,  m.,  grielle,/  adj.  (thieves'), 
cold. 

Griffard,  griffon,  m.  (popular), 
cat.     Griffe,  claw. 

Griffarde,/  (thieves'), /^«. 

Griffer  (popular),  to  seize,  "to 
collar;"  to  take ;  to  purloin,  "to 
prig." 

Griffeton,  m.  (popular),  soldier, 
or  "wobbler."  From  grive, 
grivier,  a  soldier. 

GrifHeur,  m.  (thieves'),  chief  warder 
in  a  prison,  "  head  screw.," 

Griffon,  m.  (thieves'),  writer. 

Griffonnante,  /.  (thieves'),  pen. 
Griffonner,  to  write  a  scrawl. 

Griffonner  (thieves'),  to  swear. 

Griffonneur,  w/.  (thieves'),  one  who 
swears;  (popular) — de  babiUards, 
journalist. 

Grifler   (thieves'),     to    take,    "to 

grab." 
Grifon  (Breton  cant),  dog. 

Grignolet,  m.  (popular),  bread, 
"soft  tommy." 

Grignon,  m.  (thieves'),  judge, 
"beak."  Probably  from  "grig- 
ner  les  dents,"  to  show  one's  teeth 
threateningly,oiirom  "grognon." 

GrilUe,  adj.  (familiar),  absinthe; 
absinthe  with  sugar.  The  sugar 
is  held  over  the  glass  on  a  small 
grating  (grille),  until  gradually 
melted  by  the  liquid  poured  over 
it. 

Griller  (popular),  quelqu'un,  U  lock 
up  one,  "to  run  in;"  to  deceive 
one  {conjugally).  En  — ■  une,  to 
smoke  a  pipe  or  cigarette.     En  — 


192 


Grilleuse  de  blanc — Grincher. 


une  siche,  to  smoke  a  cigarette. 
Griller  une  bouffarde,  to  smoke  a 
fipe. 

_Au  eardien  de  la  paix  .  .  .  sa  consigne 
lui  defend  de  boire  et  de  fumer.  Ni  boire 
un  verre,  ni  griller  une  bouffarde  !  Voili  la 
consigne.  —M^nioires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Grilleuse  de  blai)c,yC  (popular), 
ironer.  From  griller,  to  toast, 
to  singe. 

Grimer  (popular),  to  arrest.  See 
Piper.  Se  — ,  to  get  drunk,  or 
"screwed."  Properly  to  paint 
one's  face.  For  synonyms  see 
Sculpter. 

Grimoire,  vi.  (thieves'),  penal 
code;  —  mouchique,  judicial 
documents;  act  of  indictment. 

Grimoirier,  m.  (thieves'),  clerk  of 
arraigns. 

Grimpant,  adj.  and  m.  (thieves'), 
chevalier  — ,  voleur  au  bonjour, 
donneur  de  bonjour,  or  bonjourier, 
thief  who  enters  a  house,  pretend- 
ing to  be  mistaken  when  disco- 
vered, and  steals  any  property 
worth  taking.  (Popular)  Un 
grimpant,  trousers,  "sit-upons, 
or  kicks."  (Popular  and  thieves') 
Lesgrimpants,  j^azVfflj^;  steps,  or 
"  dancers. "  (Military)  Grand  — 
tropical,  riding  breeches. 

Grimpe-chats,  m.  (popular),  roof. 

Grinchage  (thieves'),  for  Grin- 
chissage,  which  see. 

Un  journal  racontait  hier  que  T'Kindt 
etait,  du  reste,  un  vrai  artiste  en  matiere  de 
gnnchage,  appliquf  au  high-life.— Vikk.r^ 
V  tEON,  Evenement  dug  Novembre,  1878. 

Grinche,  m.  and  f.  (thieves'),  la 
— ,  dancing.  Un  — ,  a  thief,  or 
"prig." 

Le  Grinche,  terme  d'argot  signifiant 
voleur,  a  servi  de  titre  \  un  journal  Mont- 
agnard  qui  a  fait  paraitre  deux  numftos  au 
moisdejmn,  1848.— G.  Brunet,  Z)iir/iV)«- 
natre  de  la  Conversation  et  de  la  Lecture. 


Nous  ^tions  dix  &  douze, 
Tous  grinches  de  renom  ; 
Nous  actendions  la  sorgue, 
Voulant  poisser  des  bogues. 
Four  faire  du  billon. 

ViDOCQ. 

Un  —  de  cambrouse,  a  highway- 
man.    In  the  old  English  cant, 
"bridle-cull."     Other  varieties  of 
the  tribe  of  malefactors  go  by  the 
appellations      of     "  grinchisseur, 
pigre,  chevalier  de  la  grippe,  four- 
line,  escarpe,  poisse,  limousineur, 
charron,  truqueur,  locandier,  van- 
temier,  cambrioleur,    caroubleur, 
solitaire,  compagnon,  deffardeur, 
pogne,    tireur,  voleur   a  la  tire, 
doubleur,  fildesoie,  mien  de  boule, 
grinchisseur  de  bogues,  friauche, 
tirebogue,    Americain,   jardinier, 
ramastiqueur,    enfant   de  minuit, 
philosophe,   philibert,  voleur  au 
bonjour,  bonjourier,  philantrope, 
frere   de   la  manicle,    garyon  de 
campagne,  gar5on  de  cambrouse, 
tiretaine,    enfant     de    la    matte, 
careur,  chene  affranchi,  droguiste, 
&c.  ;  the  English  brethren  being 
denominated   "  prig,  cracksman, 
Grossman,   sneaksman,    moucher, 
hooker,   flash  cove,    bug-hunter, 
cross  -  cove,     buz  -  faker,     stook- 
hauler,    toy-getter,    tooler,  prop- 
nailer,  area-sneak,  palmer,  drags- 
man,    lob-sneak,   bouncer,   lully- 
prigger,      thimble-twister,     gun, 
conveyancer,     dancer,    pudding- 
snammer,  beak-hunter,  ziff,  drum- 
mer,  buttock-and-file,  poll-thief, 
little  snakesman,  mill-ben,  a  cove 
on   the   cross,    flashman,    finder, 
gleaner,    picker,     tax-collector," 
and  formerly  "a  good  fellow,  a 
bridle-cull "  (highwayman). 

Grincher  (thieves'),  to  rob.      See 
Grinchir. 

Quand  lis  vont  decarrer  nous  les  ei»- 
paumerons.  Je  grincherai  le  sinve.  II  est 
avec  une  largue,  il  ne  criblera  pas. — E. 
Suit.  (We'll/oUow  them  tuhen  they  come 
out,  ril  rob  the  cove.  He  is  with  a 
woman,  he  will  not  cry  out.) 


Grijickeur —  Grinchissage. 


193 


Grincheur,    m.    (thieves'),  young 
thief,  or  "ziff." 

Grinchie,  adj.  (thieves'),  camelotte 
— ,  stolen  goods,  "  sv^ag." 

Grinchir  (thieves'),  to  steal.  Rabe- 
lais in  his  Pantagruel  says  of 
Panurge  : — "  Toutesfois  il  avoit 
soixante  et  trois  manieres  d'en 
trouver  toujours  a  son  besoing 
[de  Vargent),  dent  la  plus  honor- 
able et  la  plus  commune  estoit 
par  fa9on  de  larrecin  furtivement 
faict."  One  may  judge  from  what 
follows,  and  by  the  numerous 
varieties  of  ' '  larrecin  furtivement 
faict "  described  under  the  head 
of  "  grinchissage,"  that  the  imi- 
tators of  Panurge  have  not  re- 
mained far  behind  in  the  art  of 
filling  their  pockets  at  the  expense 
of  the  public.  Some  of  the  many 
expressions  to  describe  robbery 
pure  and  simple,  or  the  different 
varieties,  are  : — "Mettre  la  pogne 
dessus,  travailler,  faire,  decrasser, 
rincer,  entiffler,  retirer  I'artiche, 
savonner,  doubler,  barbotter, 
graisser,  degauchir,  degraisser, 
effaroucher,  evaporer,  agrip- 
per,  soulever,  fourmiller,  filer, 
acheter  a  la  foire  d'empoigne, 
pegrer,  goupiner  a  la  desserte, 
sauter,  marner,  cabasser,  mettre 
de  la  paille  dans  ses  souliers,  faire 
le  saut,  secouer,  gressier,  faire  le 
bobe,  faire  la  bride,  faire  le  mor- 
lingue,  faire  un  poivrot,  faire  un 
coup  d'etal,  faire  un  coup  de 
radin,  rincer  une  cambrioUe,  faire 
la  soulasse  sur  le  grand  trimar, 
ramastiquer,  fourlourer,  faire  le 
mouchoir,  faire  un  coup  de  rou- 
lette, faire  grippe-cheville,"  &c., 
&c.  The  English  synonyms  are 
as  follows : — "  To  cop,  to  touch, 
to  claim,  to  prig,  to  wolf,  to 
snake,  to  pinch,  to  nibble,  to 
clift,  to  collar,  to  nail,  to  grab, 
to  jump,  to  nab,  to  hook,  to  nim, 
to  fake,  to  crib,  to  ease,  to  con- 


vey, to  buz,  to  be  on  the  cross, 
to  do  the  sneaking-budge,  to 
nick,  to  fang,"  &c.,  &c. 

Grinchissage,  m.  (thieves'),  thiev- 
ing; theft,  or  "  sneaking-budge." 
The  latter  expression  is  used  by 
Fielding. 

Wild  looked  upon  borrowing  to  be  as 
good  a  way  of  talcing  as  any,  and,  as  he 
called  it,  the  genteelest  kind  of  sneaking- 
budge.— Fielding,  Jonathan  Wild. 

Le  —  a  domicile  is  practised  by 
rogues  known  under  the  following 
denominations  : — "  Le  bonjou- 
rier,"  see  this  word  ;  "le  cambrio- 
leur,"  who  operates  in  apartments ; 
"le  caroubleur,"  Tiaho  effects  an  en- 
trance by  means  of  skeleton  keys  ; 
"le  chevalier  du  pince -linge," 
one  who  steals  linen,  "snow- 
gatherer;"  "le  demenageur," 
who  takes  possession  of  articles  of 
furniture,  descending  the  stair- 
case backwards,  so  that  on  an 
emergency  he  may  at  once  make  a 
show  of  ascending,  as  if  he  were 
bringing  in  furniture  ;  "  le  grin- 
chisseur  a  la  desserte,"  thief  ivho 
enters  a  dining-room  just  after 
dinner-time,  and  lays  hands  on 
the  plate ;  "le  gras - doublier," 
who  steals  lead  off  the  roofs,  who 
"flies  the  blue  pigeon;"  "le 
matelassier,"  a  thief  who  pretends 
to  repair  and  clean  mattresses;  ' '  le 
vantemier,"a//4o  effects  an  entrance 
through  a  window,  "dancer;"  "le 
yoleur  a  la  location,"  who  pretends 
to  be  in  quest  of  apartments  to  let ; 
"  le  voleur  au  recensement,"  who 
pretends  to  be  an  official  employed 
in  the  census.  Le  grinchissage  a 
la  ballade,  or  a  la  trimballade, 
the  thief  makes  some  purchases, 
and  finding  he  has  not  sufficient 
money,  requests  a  clerk  to  accom- 
pany him  home,  entrusting  the 
parcel  to  a  pretended  commis- 
sionnaire,  a  confederate.  On  the 
way  the  rogues  suddenly  vanish. 
O 


194 


Grinchissage. 


Le  —  i  la  broquille  consists  in  sub- 
stituting sham  jewellery  for  the 
genuine  aHide  when  offered  for 
inspection  by  the  tradesman.     Le 

—  i  la  carre.     See  Carreur.    Le 

—  a  la  cire,  purloining  a  silver 
fork  or  spoon  at  a  restaurant  by 

making  it  adhere  under  the  table 
by  jjieans  of  a  piece  of  soft  wax. 
After  this  prelhninary  operation 
the  rogue  leaves  the  plcue,  gene- 
rally after  having  been  searched 
by  the  restaurant  keeper ;  then  an 
accomplice  enters,  takes  his  con- 
federate's place  at  the  table,  and 
obtains  possession  of  the  property, 
Le  —  a  la  detourne,  the  thief 
secretes  goods  in  a  shop  while  a 
confederate  distracts  the  attention 
of  the  shopkeeper.  The  rogue  who 
thus  operates  is  termed  in  English 
cant  a  "palmer."  The  thief  is 
sometimes  a  female  who  has  in 
her  arms  an  infant,  whose  swad- 
dling-clothes serve  as  a  receptacle 
for  the  stolen  property.  Le  — ,  or 
vol  i  la  glu,  takes  place  in  churches 
iy  means  of  a  rod  with  birdlime 
at  one  end,  plunged  through 
Xhe  slit  in  the  alms-box,  termed 
tronc  ;  the  coins  adhering  to  the 
extremity  of  the  rod  are  thus 
Jished  Old  Le  — ,  or  vol  a 
I'Americaine,  confidence-trick  rob- 
■bery.  It  is  the  old  story  of  a 
traveller  meeting  with  a  country- 
man and  managing  to  exchange 
the  latter's  well-filled  purse  for  a 
bag  of  leaden  coins.  Those  who 
practise  it  are  termed  "Ameri- 
'Cains,"  or  "  magsmen," 
II  est  aussi  vieux  que  le  monde.  II  a 
'^t^  raconte  miUe  fois  !  .  .  .  Ce  vol  surannd 
T^ussit  toujours  !  il  r^ussira  tant  qu'il  y 
aura  des  simples,  jusqu'^  la  consomma- 
tion  des  si&cles. — Menwires  de  Motisieur 
delude. 

Le  —  a  la  melasse,  the  rogue  has 
a  tall  hat,  with  the  inside  of  the 
■crown  besmearedwithtreacle,  which 
he  suddenly  places  on  the  head  of 


the  tradesman,  pushing  it  far  down 
over  his  eyes,  and  thus  making  him 
temporarily  helpless  (Pierre  Del- 
court,  Paris  Voleur).  Le  —  a  la 
quete,  stealing  part  of  the  proceeds 
of  a  collection  in  a  church  when 
the  plate  is  being  passed  round. 
Le  — ,  or  vol  k  la  reconnaissance, 
consists  in  picking  the  pockets  of  a 
passer-by  while  pretending  to  re- 
cognize him  and  greeting  him  as  an 
old  friend.  Le  — ,  or  vol  k  la  tire, 
cucordingto  Monsieur  Claude,  for- 
merly head  of  the  detective  depart- 
ment, this  species  of  theft  is  the 
classical  one  in  which  the  celebrated 
Cartouche,  a  kind  of  French  yack 
Sheppard,  was  an  adept.  It  con- 
sists in  picking  waistcoat  pockets  by 
means  of apair  of  scissors  or  a  double- 
bladed  penknife.  Le  — ,  or  vol 
a  I'epate,  is  high-class  swindling. 
It  comprises  "le  brodage,"  "le 
chantage,"  "lenegoce,"  and"\e 
vol  aucautionnement."  The  first 
of  these  consists  in  the  setting-up  of 
a  financial  establishment  and  open- 
ing an  account  for  unwary  mer- 
chants, who  are  made  to  sign,  bills 
in  exchange  for  the  swindlers' 
faper  endorsed  by  them.  When 
these  bills  become  due  they  are  re- 
turned dishonoured,  so  that  the  vie- 
tiTnized  Tnerchants  are  responsible 
for  the  payment  not  only  of  their 
own  notes  of  hand  but  those  of  the 
swindlers  as  well.  ' '  Le  chantage  " 
is  extorting  money  by  threat  of  ex- 
posure. The  proceeds  are  termed 
in  the  English  slang  "  socket- 
money.  "  For  full  explanation  see 
Chanteur.  "  Le  negoce "  is 
practised  by  English  swindlers  who 
rep-esent  themselves  as  being  the 
agents  of somewell-knownfirvi, and 
thus  obtain  goods  from  continental 
merchants  in  exchange  for  ficti- 
tiotts  bills.  "  Le  vol  au  cautionne- 
ment,"  the  rogues  set  up  a  sham 
financial  establishment  and  adver- 


Grinchissage. 


195 


Use  for  a  number  of  clerks  to  be  em- 
ployed by  the  fir7n  on  the  condition 
of  leaving  a  deposit  as  a  guarantee. 
When  a  large  staff  of  officials,  or 
rather  pigeons,  have  been  found,  the 
7nanagers  decamp  with  the  deposit 
fund.    Le  — ,  or  vol  a  la  roulotte 
or  roulante,  the  thief  jumps  on  the 
iox  of  a  vehicle  temporarily  left  in 
the  street  by  its  o^vner  and  drives 
cff  at  a  gallop.      Sometimes  the 
horse  alone  is  disposed  of,  the  vehicle 
being  left  in  some  out-of-the-way 
flace.       The   "  roulottiers  "   also 
steal  hawkers'  hand-barrows,    or 
"shallows."  One  of  these  rogues, 
when  apprehended,   confessed  to 
having  stolen  thirty-three  hand- 
barrows,  fifty-three  vans  or  carts, 
and  as  many  horses.     Sometimes 
the  "  roulottier  "  will  rob  property 
from  cabs  or  carriages  by  climbing 
up  behind  and  cutting  the  straps 
that  secure   the   luggage   on  the 
roof.     His  English  representative 
is  termed  a  "  dragsman,"  accord- 
ing  to    Mr.    James    Greenwood. 
See  The  Seven  Curses  of  London, 
p.  87.    Le  — ,  or  vol  a  I'esbrouffe, 
picking  the  pockets  of  a  passer-by 
while  hustling  him,  as  if  by  acci- 
dent, termed  "ramping."   Le  — , 
or  vol  a  I'etourneau,  when  a  thief 
who  has  just  stolen  the  contents  of 
■a  till  is  making  his  escape,  an  ac- 
complice who  is  keeping  watch  out- 
side scampers  off  in  the  opposite 
direction,  so  as  to  baffle  the  puzzled 
■tradesman,  whose  hesitation  allows 
of  the  rogues  gaining  ground.     Le 
— ,  or  vol  a  I'opium,  robbery  from 
a  person  who  has  been  drugged. 
The  scoundrels  who  practise  it  are 
generally    Jewish    m^ney-lenders 
of  the  lotoest  class,    who   attract 
their  victims  to  their  abode  under 
pteterue    of    advancing     money. 
A  robber  who  first  makes  his  vic- 
tim insensible  by  drugs  is  termed 
in  the  English  cant  a  ' '  drummer." 


Le  —  au  boulon,  stealing  from  a 
shop  by  means  of  a  rod  or  wire 
passed  through  a  hole  in  the  shutter, 
"hooking."     Le  — ,   or   vol   au 
cerf-volant,  is  practised  by  women, 
who  strip  little  girls  of  their  trinkets 
or  ease  them  of  their  money  br 
parcels.     The  little  victims  some- 
times get  their  hair  shorn  off  as 
well.     Le  — ,  or  vol  au  chatouil- 
lage,  a  couple  of  rogues  pretend  to 
recognize  a  friend  in  a  man  easing 
himself.     They  begin  to  tickle  him, 
in  the  ribs  as  if  in  play,  mean- 
while rifling  the  pockets  of  the  help- 
less victim.    Le  — ,  or  vol  au  colis, 
the  thief  leaves  a  parcel  in  some 
coffee-house  with  the  recovimenda- 
tion  to  the  landlord  not  to  give  it 
up  except  on  payment  of  say  twenty 
francs.     He  then  seeks  a  commis- 
sionnaire  simple-minded  enough  to 
be  willing  to  fetch  the  parcel  and  to 
pay  the  necessary  sum,  after  which 
the  swindler  returns  to  the  place 
and  pockets  the  money  left  by  the 
pigeon.    Le  — ,  or  vol  au  fric-frac, 
housebreaking,    or    "  crib-crack- 
ing."    Le  — ,  or  vol  au  gail  or 
gayet,  horse-stealing,  or   "  prad- 
napping."   Le —,  or  vol  au  grim- 
pant,    a  young  thief,    or  ' '  little 
snakesman,"  climbs  on  to  the  roof 
of  a  house  and  throws  a  rope-ladder 
to  his  accomplices  below,  who  thus 
effect  an  entrance.      When  detected 
they  pass  themselves  off  for  work- 
men engaged  in  some  repairs.     Le 
— ,  or  vol  au  parapluie,  a  shop- 
lifter, or  "  sneaksman,"  drops  the 
stolen  property  in  a  half -open  um- 
brella.   Le  — ,  or  vol  au  poivrier, 
consists    in     robbing    drunkards 
who  have  come  to  grief.     Rogues 
who  practise  it  are  in  most  cases 
apprehended,  detectives  being  in  the 
habit  of  impersonating  drunkards 
asleep  on  benches  late  at  night.    Le 
—  au  prix  courant,  or  en  pleine 
tripe,  picking  pockets  or  scarf-fins 


196 


Grinchisseur —  Grippis . 


zK  a  crazvd,  "  cross-fannirtg."  Le 
• — ,  or  vol  au  radin,  tAe  landlord 
of  a  wine- shop  is  requested  to  fetch 
abottleof  his  best  wine;  while  he  is 
busy  in  the  cellar  the  trap  which 
gives  access  to  it  is  closed  by  the 
rogues,  and  the  counter,  or  ' '  ra- 
din," pushed  on  to  it,  thus  impri- 
soning the  victim,  who  clamours  in 
vain  while  his  till  is  being  emptied. 
It  also  takes  place  in  this  way : 
the  rogues  pretend  to  quarrel,  and 
one  of  them  throws  the  other's  cap 
into  a  shop,  thus  providing  him 
with  an  excuse  for  entering  the 
plate  and  robbing  the  till,  or 
"pinching  the  bob  or  lob."  Le 
— ,  or  vol  au  raton,  a  little  boy,  a 
"  raton,"  or  "anguille"  (termed 
"  tool  or  little  snakesman  "  in  the 
English  cant),  is  employed  in  this 
kind  of  robbery,  by  burglars,  to  enter 
small  apertures  and  to  open  doors 
for  the  others  outside  (Pierre  Del- 
court,  Paris  Voleur).  Le  — ,  or 
vol  au  rigolo,  appropriating  the 
contents  of  a  cash-box  opened  by 
means  of  a  skeleton  key. 

Le  Pince-Monseigneur  perfectionn^,  se 
porte  aujourd'hui  dans  un  dtui  k  cigares 
et  dans  un  porte-monnaie  .  .  .  les  voleiirs 
au  rigolo  ouvrent  aujourd'hui  routes  les 
caisses. — M^7noires  de  Monsieur  Ciaude. 

Le  — ,   or  vol  au  suif,  variety  of 
card-sharping  swindle. 

II  s'op&re  par  un  grec  qui  r6de  chez  les 
marchands  de  vin,  dans  les  caftfs  borgnes, 
pour  degottcT,  en  bon  suiffeur,  une  fri- 
mousse  de  pante  ou  de  daim. — M^moires 
de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Le  — ,  or  vol  au  timbre,  a  tobac- 
conist is  asked  for  a  large  number 
ofstavips,  which  the  thief  carefully 
encloses  in  an  envelope.  Suddenly, 
when  about  to  pay  for  them,  he 
finds  he  has  forgotten  his  purse, 
returns  the  envelope  containing  the 
stamps  to  the  tradesman  and  leaves 
to  fetch  the  necessary  sum.  Need- 
less to  say,  the  envelope  is  empty. 
Le  — ,  or  vol  au  tiroir,   the  thief 


enters  a  tobacconists  or  spirit  shop, 
and  asks  for  a  cigar  or  glass  of 
spirits.  When  the  tradesman 
opens  his  till  to  give  change,  snuff  is 
thrvivn  into  his  eyes,  thus  making 
him  helpless.  This  class  of  thieves 
is  termed  in  the  English  cant 
"  sneeze-lurkers. " 

Grinchisseur,  m.  (thieves'),  thief, 
or  "prig,"  see  Grinche  ;  —  de 
bogues,  pickpocket  who  devotes  his 
attention  to  watches,  a ' '  toy-getter, " 
or  "  tooler. " 

Gringue,  /  (popular),  bread,  or 
"soft  tommy;"  food,  or  "prog." 

Gripie,  m.  (thieves'),  miller.  See 
Gribis. 

Grippe,  /  (thieves'),  chevalier  de 
la  — ,  thief,  or  "prig."  See 
Grinche. 

Grippe-cheville  (thieves'),  faire  — , 
to  steal,  "  to  claim."  See  Grin- 
chir. 

Grippe-fleur,  gripie,  grippis,  m. 
(thieves'),  miller.  Termed  "Grin- 
doff "  in  English  slang. 

Grippe-Jesus,   m.  (thieves'),  gen- 

darme. 
_  Parcequ'ils  arretent  les  innocents  et  qu'ils 
n'ont  pas  meme  ^pargne'  Jesus Nisard. 

Grippemini,  m.  (obsolete),  bar- 
rister, or  "  mouthpiece  ;"  lawyer, 
"  sublime  rascal,  or  green  bag ;" 
extortioner.  From  grippeminaud, 
thief. 

Gripper  (thieves'),  to  apprehend, 
"to  smug."  See  Piper.  Rabe- 
lais uses  the  term  vi-ith  the  signi- 
fication of  to  seize : — 

Parmy  eulx  regne  la  sexte  essence, 
moyennant  laquelle  ils  grippent  tout,  ii- 
vorent  tout  et  conchient  tout. 

Gripperie,  /  (popular),  theft  (ob- 
solete). 

Grippis,  gripie,  grippe-fleur,  m 
(thieves'),  miller. 


Gris — Gros. 


197 


Gris,  adj.  and  m.  (thieves'),  dear ; 
wind;  (popular)  —  d'officier, 
slight  intoxication  ;  • —  jusqu'4  la 
troisieme  capucine,  completely 
flfnm/J,  or  "slewed."  Capucine,  a 
musket  band. 

Grisaille,  f.  (popular),  sister  of 
mercy.  An  allusion  to  the  grey 
costume  worn  by  sisters  of  mercy, 

Crises,  f.  pi.  (general),  en  faire 
voir  de  — ,  to  lead  one  a  hard  life. 

Grisette.     See  Bifteclc. 

Grisotter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
slightly  drunk,  or  "  elevated." 
See  Sculpter. 

Grispin,  m.  (thieves'),  miller. 

Grive,  f.  (thieves'),  army ;  mili- 
tary patrol ;  warder.  Cribler  a 
la  — ■,  to  cry  out  thieves,  "  to 
whiddle  beef."  Synonymous  of 
"  crier  a  la  garde."  Hamais  de  — , 
uniform.    Tapis  de  — ,  canteen. 

Grivier,  m.  (thieves'),  soldier, 
"  swaddy,  lobster,  or  red  her- 
ring." From  "  grivois,"  formerly 
a  soldier  of  foreign  troops  in  the 
service  of  France,  The  word 
"grivois"  itself  seems  to  be  a 
corruption  of  "gruyers,"  used  by 
Rabelais,  and  signifying  Swiss 
soldiers,  natives  of  Gruyeres,  serv- 
ing in  the  French  array.  Grivier 
de  gaffe,  sentry  ;  —  de  narquois, 
deseiter.  Literally  a  bantering 
soldier, 

Grivoise,  /.  (obsolete),  soldiei^s 
wench,  garrison  town  prostitute. 
Termed  by  the  English  military 
"  barraclc-hack." 

Grivoise,  c'est  ^  dire  coureuse,  putain, 
d^auchee,  aventuriere,  dame  suivante  de 
rarm^e  ou  gibier  de  corps-de-garde,  une 
garce  i  soldats. — Dictionnaire  CoTnigne. 

Grobis,  m.  (familiar),  faire  du  — , 
to  look  big  (obsolete). 

Et  en  faisant  du  grobis  leur  donnait  sa 
benediction. — Rabelais. 


Grog  au  bceuf,  m.  (popular),  brot/i. 

Grogne,  /.  (obsolete),  faire  la  — ,  to 
grumble, to  have  "the tantrums." 

Faire  la  grogne,  pour  faire  la  moue, 
prendre  la  chevre,  faire  mauvais  visage, 
bouder,  gronder,  etre  de  mauvaise  humeur, 
dedaigner. — Dictionnaire  Camiqne. 

Grognon,  m.  (thieves'),  one  about 
to  be  executed.  Properly  one 
who  grumbles,  and  very  naturally 
so,  at  the  unpleasant  prospect. 
The  English  equivalent  is  "gal- 
lows-ripe." 

GroUer  (popular),  to  growl,  to 
grumble.  Properly  to  croak.  From 
the  word  groUe,  used  by  Rabelais 
with  the  signification  oicrow. 

Gromiau,  m.  (popular),  child, 
"kid."  Termed  also  "gosse, 
loupiau." 

Grondin,  m.  (thieves'),  pig,  "  sow's 
baby,"  or  "  grunting  cheat." 

Gros,  adv.  and  adj.  (popular), 
coucher  —  (obsolete),  to  utter 
some  enormity.  GScher  du  — ,  to 
ease  oneself.  See  Mouscailler. 
Gros  cul,  prosperous  rag-picker  ; 
-^  lot,  venereal  disease ;  (familiar 
and  popular)  —  bonnet,  influen- 
tial mail ;  high  official,  "big- wig;" 
—  numero,  brothel,  or  "nanny • 
shop. "  An  establishment  of  that 
description  has  a  number  of  large 
dimensions  placed  over  the  front 
door,  and  window  panes  white- 
washed. (Thieves')  Artie  de  — 
Guillaume,  brown  bread.  The 
expression,  "du  gros  Guillaume," 
was  formerly  used  by  the  Pari- 
sians. 

On  appelle  du  gros  Guillaume,  du  pain 
destine,  dans  les  maisons  de  campagne, 
pour  la  nourriture  des  valets  de  cour. — Du 
gros  Guillaume,  mot  Parisien,  pour  dire 
du  pain  bis,  du  gros  pain  de  manage,  tel 

5ue  le  mangent  les  paysans. — Le  Roux, 
Hci.  Comique. 

(Military)  Gros  bonnet,  officer  of 
high  rank,   "bloke;"  —  frferes. 


igS 


Grosse —  Gneldre. 


—  lolos,  or  —  talons,  the  cuiras- 
siers;    —   legumes,  field-officers. 
A  play  on  the  words  ' '  epaulettes 
a  graines  d'epinards,"  the  insignia 
of  such  officers.     The  word  gros, 
considered   as    the   masculine   of 
"grosse,"  synonymous  of   "  en- 
.  ceinte,"  was  formerly  used  with  ■ 
.  the    signification     of    impatient, 
-  longing,  alluding   to   the  uncon- 
'    troUable  desires  which  are  some- 
times manifested  by  women  in  a 
state  of  pregnancy.     Thus  people 
would  express  their  eagerness  by 
such  ridiculous  phrases  as,   "Je 
suis  gros  de  vous  voir,  de  boire 
avec  vous,  de  le  connaitre. " 

Grosse,  adj.  f.  (popular),  caisse, 
the  body,  or  "  apple  cart ;''  — 
cavalerie,  staff  of  scavengers,  or 
"rake  kennels,"  an  allusion  to 
their  big  boots  ;  —  culotte,  drunk- 
ard. (Convicts')  Grosse  cavalerie, 
scum  of  the  hulks,  desperate  scoun- 
drels ;  and,  in  theatrical  lan- 
guage, supernumeraries  of  the 
ballet.  (Tramcar  conductors') 
AUer  voir  les  grosses  tetes,  to 
drive  the  first  morning  car  to 
Bineau,  this  part  of  Paris  being 
inhabited  by  substantial  people. 

Grossiot,   z«.  (popular),  person  of 
■  good  standing,  a  "swell." 

Grotte,  /.  (thieves'),  the  hulks. 
Gerbe  a  la  — ,  sentenced  to  trans- 
portation, or  "lagged."  AUer  a 
la  • — ,  to  be  transported,  "  to 
lump  the  lighter." 

Grouchy,  m,  (printers'),  petit  — , 
one  who  is  late ;  small  Job,  the 
composition  of  which  has  been  de- 
layed. An  allusion  to  the  alleged 
tardiness  of  General  Grouchy  at 
Waterloo. 

Grouiller  (sailors'),  attrape  k  ne 
pas  — ,  mind  you  do  not  move. 

Attrape  k  nepas  grouiller,  fit  le  vieux. 
.  .  .  Tu  perdrais  ton  soufHe  ^  lui  courir 
aprfes.--RicilEyiN,  La  Gin. 


Grouillis-grouillot,  m.  (popular), 
swarm,  crowd,  or  "scuff." 

Grouin,  m.  (popular),  face,  or 
"  mug."  Properly  snout.  Se 
lecher  le  — ,  to  kiss  one  another. 
Donner  un  coup  de  —  (obsolete), 
to  kiss.  ' 

Groule,  groulasse,  /  (popular), 
fe?nale  apprentice  ;  small  servant ; 
young  "  slavey,"  or  "  mar- 
•  chioness. " 

Groumer  (popular),  to  grumble. 

Grubler  (thieves'),  to  grumble;  to 
growl. 

Vous  grublez  coirime  un  guichemard. — 
RiCHEI'IN.     {Vou  growl  like  a  jailer.) 

Grue,  f.  (familiar),  more  than  fast 
girl ;  keptwovian,  or  "  demi-rep  ;" 
foolish,  empty-headed  girl  or  -wo- 
man. 

Gruerie,  f.  (familiar),  stupidity. 

Grun  (Breton  cant),  chin, 

Gruyere,  m.  (popular),  morceau  de 

— ,  pockmarked  face,  or  "  cribbage 

face." 

Guadeloupe,  /  (popular),  mouth, 
or  "rattle-trap."  Charger  pour 
la  — ,  to  eat.     See  Mastiquer. 

Guano,  m.  (popular),  excrement, 
or  "  quaker."  An  allusion  to  the 
guano  of  South  America. 

Guedouze,      or      guetouse,     f. 

(thieves'),  death. 

Gueldre,/  (fishermens'),  bait  pre-' 
pared  with  shrimps  for  the  fishing 
of  sardines. 

La  sardine  est  jolie  en  arrivant  \  I'air  .  .  . 
Mais  pour  aller  la  prendre  il  faufavoir  le 

nez 
Bougrement  plein  de   poils,   et  de  polls 

goudronnds ; 
Car  la  gueldre  et  la  rogue  avec  quoi  Ton 

arrose 
Les  seines  qu'on  lui  tend,  ne  fleurent  point 

la  rose. 
Gueldre,    lisez  mortier   de   crevettes,  pas 

frais. 

RiCHKPiN,  La  Mer. 


Guelte —  Giieuse. 


199 


Guelte,  /.  (shopmens'),  percentage 
allowed  on  sales. 

Guelter  (shopmens'),  to  make  a  per- 
centage on  sales  ;  to  pay  suck  per- 
centage. 

Guenaud,  m.  (thieves'),  wizard. 

Guenaude,_/;  (thieves'),  witch. 

Guenette,  f.  (thieves'),  fear, 
"funk." 

Guenilles,y;//.  (familiar),  trousser 
ses  — ,  to  run  away  (obsolete), 
"to tip  one's  rags  a  gallopu" 

Gentil  ambassadeur  de  quilles,_ 
Croyez-moi,  troussez  vos  guenilles. 
ScARRON,  Gigantomachie. 

Guenon,^  (popular),  mistress  of  an 

establishment,    the    master    being 

"le  singe." 
Gu6ri,  adj.  (thieves'),  set  at  liberty ; 
free:    the    prison    being   termed 

"hopital,"     and     imprisonment 

"maladie." 

H^as !  il  est  malade  k  Candle  (il  est 
arrets  k  Caen)  .  .  ,  il  a  uiie  fifevre  chaude 
(il  est  fortement  compromis),  et  vous,  il 
parait  que  vous  etes  gulri  (libre)?~VlDOCQ. 

Gu6rite,  /  (popular),  a  calotins, 
confessional.  Guerite  is  properly 
a  sentry-box.  Enfiler  la  —  (obso- 
lete), to  run  away. 

Gu6tre,  m.  (military),  trooper  who, 
for  some  reason  or  other,  has  to 
make  the  day's  journey  on  fooi. 

Gueulard,     m.     (thieves'),    bag; 


lis  troUent  ordinairement  k  leur  c3td  un 
gueulard  avec  une  rouillarde  pour  mettre 
le  pivois. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot.  {They 
generatly  carry  by  their  side  a  -wattet 
■with  a  bottle  to  keep  the  wine  in.) 

(Popular)  Un  — ,  a  stove.     Gueu- 
lard, properly  a  goitiiandizer. 

Gueularde,  /.  (thieves'),  pocket, 
"  cly,"  "sky-rocket,"  or  "brigh." 
Termed  also  "fouillouse,  louche, 
profonde,  or  grande." 


Gueulardise,  /.  (popular),  dainty 
food. 

Gueule,yi  (popular),  d'empeigne, 
palate  which,  by  dint  of  constant 
application  to  the  bottle,  has  become 
proof  against  the  strongest  liquors  ; 
loud  voice  ;  —  de  raie,  ugly  phiz, 
or  "  knocker  face  ; "  — detourte, 
stupid-looking  face.  Bonne  — , 
grotesque  face.  Crever  la  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  break  one's  head. 

Je  te  vas  crever  la  gueule. — Alphonse 
Karr. 

Faire  la  — ,  to  make  a  wry  face. 
Faire  sa  — ,  to  give  oneself  dis- 
dainful airs  ;  to  look  disgusted. 

Dis  done,  Marie  bon-bec,  ne  fais  pas  ta 
gueule. — ZouA. 

Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  be  loud-mouthed. 
II  n'a  que  la  -^,  he  is  a  humbug. 
Se  chiquer  la  — ,  to  maul  one  an- 
othei^s  face.  (Military)  Roule- 
ment  de  la  — ,  beating  to  dinner. 
Se  sculpter  une  —  de  bois,  to  get 
drunk,  or  "screwed."  For  syno- 
nyms see  Sculpter. 

Gueulee,  f.  (popular),  howling; 
vieal.  Chercher  la  — ,  to  be  a 
parasite,  or  "quiller." 

Gueulees,  /.  //.  (popular),  objec- 
tionable tcilk,  or  "  blue  talk." 

Gueuler  (popular),  comme  un  ane, 
to  be  loud-tongued ;  (thieves') — i 
la  chienlit,  to  cry  out  thieves  !  or 
'I  "  to  whiddle  beef. " 


Gueuleton,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), a  feast,  or  "spread." 

Et  les  artistes  se  levferent  pour  scrrer  la 
main  d'un  frere  qui  offrait  un  guei.liton 
g^ne'ral.— E.  Monteil. 

Gueuletonner  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), to  feast. 

Gueuse,  /.  (popular),  mistress; 
prostitute,  or  "  mot."  See  Ga- 
doue.  Courir  la  — ,  to  be  a  whore- 
monger, or  "molrower." 


200 


Giteux —  Gtiignonne. 


Gueux,  VI.  (popular),  small  pan  full 
of  charcoal  used  as  afoot-warmer 
by  market  women,  c^c. 

Une  vieille  femme  ...  est  accroupie  prfes 
d'un  gueux  sur  les  cendres  duquel  une 
cateti&re  ronronne. — P.  Mahalin. 

Gueux-gueux  (obsolete),  rascal ; 
the  expression  being  used  in  a 
friendly  manner. 

Guibe  (popular),  leg;  —  i  la  manque, 
lame  leg;  —  de  satou,  wooden 
leg.  Jouer  des  guibes,  to  dance  ;  to 
run  away,  "  to  slope."  See 
Patatrot. 

Guibole,  or  guiboUe,  /.  (popular 
and  thieves'), /<f,  "pin." 

Mais  comment  ?  Lui,  si  _  demoli,  si  mal 
gr^^  k  c't'heure,  avec  sa  guibole  boiteuse, 
et  ses  bras  rouillds,  et  touccs  les  avaries  de 
sa  coque  en  retraite,  comment  pourrait-il 
saborder  ce  gaillard-lk,  d'aplomb  et  trapu  ? 
— RiCHEPiN,  La  Gin. 

Jouer  des  guiboles,    to   run;    to 
dance. 

Puis,  le  soir,  on  avait  fichu  un  balthazar 
^  tout  casser,  et  jusqu'au  jour  on  avait  joue 
des  guiboles. — Zola,  V Assommoir. 

Guibon.     See  Guibonne. 

Guibonne,/.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
leg ;  —  carree,  ham. 

Mes  jamb's  sont  fait's  comm'  des  trombones. 
Oui,  mais  j'sais  tirer — gar'  Ik-dessous  ! — 
La  savate,  avec  mes  guibonnes 
Comm'  cell's  d'un  canard  eud'  quinze  sous. 
RlCHEPlN,  La  Chanson  des  Giieitx. 

Guiche,  m.  and  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  due  de  — ,  Jailer,  or 
"jigger  dubber."  From  guiche- 
tier,  jailer.  Mec  de  la  — ,  prosti- 
tute^ s  bully,  or  "Sunday  man." 
Thus  termed  on  account  of  his 
kiss-curls.  For  list  of  synonyms 
see  Poisson.  Des  guiches,  kiss- 
curls.  Termed  in  the  English 
slang,  "aggerawators,"  or  "New- 
gate knockers."  Regarding  the 
latter  expression  VheSlangDiciion- 
ary  ss.ys  ;  "' Newgate  knocker,' 
the  term  given  to  the  lock  of 
hair    which    costermongers    and 


thieves  usually  twist  back  towards 
the  ear.  The  shape  is  supposed 
to  resemble  the  knocker  on  the 
prisoners'  door  at  Newgate — a  re- 
semblance that  carries  a  rather 
unpleasant  suggestion  to  the 
wearer.  Sometimes  termed  a 
'  cobbler's  knot,'  or  'cow-lick.'" 
Trifouiller  les  guiches,  to  comb  the 
hair.  (Familiar)  Chevalier  de 
la  — ,  prostitute^ s  bully,  or  "  pen- 
sioner." For  list  of  synonymous 
expressions  see  Poisson.  Le 
bataillon  de  la  — ,  the  world  of 
bullies. 

Et  si  la  p'tit'  poniPtriche 
Su'  I'compt'  des  rouleaux, 
Gare  au  bataillon  d'la  guiche  ! 
C'est  nous  qu'est  les  dos. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Un  — ,  a  prostitute's  bully, 

C'est .  .  .  un  guiche,  c'est-Si-dire  un  jeune 
homme  aux  mains  blanches,  k  I'accroche- 
cceur,  I'Adonis  des  nymphes  des  musettes, 
quandcen'estpasunetante  ! .  .  .  Lamoitie 
des  crimes  qui  se  commettent  k  Paris  est 
congue  parle  cerveau  des  guiches,  ex^cutde 
par  les  bras  des  chefs  d'attaque  et  finie  par 
des  assommeurs. — Les  M^ntoires  de  Mori, 
sieur  Claude. 

Guichemar,  guichemard,  gui- 
chemince,  guichemuche,  m: 
(thieves'  and  popular),  jailer, 
"jigger  dubber."   For  guichetier. 

Guide,  m.  (thieves'),  the  prime- 
mover  in  a  1/nirder, 

C'est  toujours  le  pegriot,  le  guide  ou  le 
toucheur  qui  devient  k  priori  le  chef  d'at- 
taque responsable  d'une  affaire  criminelle. 
— Memoires  de  Monsieur  Claude, 

Guignard,  m.  (popular),  ill  luck. 

Guigne-i-gauche,  m.  (popular), 
squinting  man,  or  one  with  "  swi- 
vel eyes."    From  guigner,  to  scan. 

Guignol,  m.  (popular),  small  theatre, 

Guignolant,  adj.  (popular),  un- 
lucky ;  annoying. 

Guignonne,  adj.  (popular),  6tre 
— ,  to  be  unlucky  at  a  game. 


Guillotine  skhe — Gy. 


201 


Guillotine  sfeche,  /.  (familiar), 
transportation.  To  be  transported 
is  expressed  in  the  language  of 
English  rogues  by  the  term  "light- 
ing the  lumper." 

Guimbard,  m.  (thieves'),  the  van 
'that    conveys  prisoners    to   gaol. 
Called  by  English  rogues  "  Black 
Maria." 

Guimbarde,  f.  (popular),  door; 
voice ;  head;  carriage;  good-for- 
nothing  woman.  Properly  y^a/'j- 
harf. 

Oui,  une  femme  devait  savoir  se  re- 
toumer,  mais  la  sienne  avait  toujours  €te 
une  guimbarde.  un  tas.  Ce  serait  sa  faute, 
s'ils  crevaient  sur  la  paille. — Zola,  L'As- 
sommoir. 

Also  clock. 

Au  moment  juste  oil  douze  plombes  se 
sont  decrochees  k  la  guimbarde  de  la  t61e. 
— Le  PSre  Ditcliefie,  1879. 

Couper  la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  cut 
one  short. 

Mon  gesse  et  surtout  mon  n'harangue 
Coupeut  la  guimbarde  aux  plus  forts. 
L.  Testeau,  Le  Tapageur. 

Guinal,  m.  (thieves'),  usurer;  Jew  ; 
"sheney,  Ikey,  or  mouchey." 
Termed  also  "y outre,  frise,  pied- 
plat."  Le  grand  — ,  Mont  de 
PiSte,  or  government  fawnbroking 
establishment.  (Rag-pickers')  Gui- 
nal, wholesale  rag-dealer. 

Guinaliser  (thieves'),  to  be  a  usurer; 
to  pawn.  It  had  formerly  the 
signification  of  to  circumcise. 

Guinche,/  (popular),  low  dancing 
saloon  in  the  suburbs,  or  law  wine- 
shop. 

A  la  porte  de  cette  guinche,  un  municipal 
se  dressait  sur  ses  ergots  de  cuir. — HlJvs- 
MANS,  Les  ScEurs  Vatard. 

Guincher  (popular),  to  dance.  Se 
— ,  to  dress  oneself  hurriedly  and 
badly. 


Guincheur,  ?«.  (popular),  fre- 
quenter of  dancing  saloons  called 
"guinches." 

Guindal,  m.  (popular),  glass.  Sif- 
fler  le  — ,  to  drink,  "to  vi'et  one's 
whistle,"  or  "to  moisten  one's 
chaffer."     See  Rincer. 

Guinguette,/.  (obsolete), /(m^^jV/. 

II  faudra  que  je  m'en  retourne  k  pied 
comme  une  guinguette  qui  vient  de  souper 
en  viUe.— if  Ballet  des  XXIV.  heures. 

Also  low  restaurant. 

Ca  doit  s'manger,  la  levrette. 
Si  j'en  pince  une  k  huis  clos  .  .  . 
J'la  f  rai  cuire  k  ma  guinguette. 
J't'en  fich'rai,  moi,  des  pal'tots  ! 

De  Chatillon,  Poisies. 

Guirlande,y;  (thieves'),  chainwhich 
secures  two  convicts  together. 

On  appelle  cette  chalne  guirlande,  par- 
ceque,  remontant  du  pied  k  la  ceinture,  ofi 
elle  est  fixee,  elle  retombe  en  decrivant  un 
demi-cercle,  dont  I'autre  extremity  est  rat- 
tach^e  k  la  ceinture  du  camarade  de  chalne. 
— M.  Christophe. 

Guitare,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
head,  or  "nut ; "  monotonous  say- 
ing ;  well-worn  platitude.  Jouer 
de  la  — ,  to  be  monotonous.  Avoir 
une  sauterelle  dans  la  — ,  to  be 
cracked,  "to  have  a  tile  loose,"  or 
"a  bee  in  one's  bonnet."  For 
the  list  of  synonymous  expressions 
see  Avoir. 

Gwammel  (Breton  csxA),  twman ; 
mother. 

Gwilloik  (Breton  cant),  wolf. 

Gy,  or  jaspin  (thieves'),  yes,  or 
"usher."  Michelsays:  "J'estime 
que  gy  n'est  autre  chose  que  le  /, 
premiere  lettre  d'z'to,  qui  rempla- 
9ait  ce  mot  latin  dans  certains  actes 
de  procedure. " 

Quoi,  tu  veux  rentiffer?  Gy? — Riche- 
PIN.  [JVhai,  yoit  wish  to  go  hoTjte  ?  Yes  ?) 


202 


HabilU  de  sole — Halle. 


H 


Habill6  de  soie,  m.  (popular),  an 
elegant  term  for  a  pig,  "  sow's 
baby,"  or,  in  the  words  of  Irish 
peasants,  "the  gintleman  that 
pays  the  rint. " 

Habiller  (popular),  quelqu'un  de 
taffetas,  to  say  ill-natured  things 
of  one,  to  "backbite"  him,  to  re- 
primand, to  slander,  to  scold,  or 
"bully-rag." 

C'est  moi  qui  vous  I'a  habill^  de  taffetas 
noir. — A.  Dales,  La  Mere  V Anecdote, 
CkansoitfUtte. . 

S' —  de  sapin,  to  die.  See  Pipe. 
S' —  en  sauvage,  to  strip  oneself 
naked,  to  strip  to  the  ' '  buff, "  so  as 
to  be  "  in  one's  birthday  suit." 

Habin,  happin,  hubin,  m.  (old 
cant),  dog,  or ' '  tyke ; "  —  ergame, 
or  engame,  rabid  dog. 

lis  troUent  cette  graisse  dans  leur  gueu- 
lard,  en  une  corne,  et  quand  les  hubins  la 
sentent,  ils  ne  leur  disent  rien,  au  contraire, 
lis  font  fete  k  ceux  qui  la  trollent. — Le 
Jargon  de  I' Argot. 

A  dog  is  now  called  by  thieves 
"tambour,  alarmiste." 

Habiner  (thieves'),  to  bite. 

Habit,  m.  (popular),  noir,  gentle- 
man, or  "  swell ;  "  —  rouge,  an 
Englishman. 

Les_  habits  rouges  voulaient  danser, 
Mais  nous  les  avons  fait  sauter 
Vivent  les  Sans-culottes. 

Mauricai/lt. 

Etre  —  noir,  to  be  simple-minded, 
easily  duped,  to  be  a  "flat." 
(Thieves')  Un  —  vert,  an  official 
of  the  "octroi,  "or  office  at  the  gates 
of  a  town  for  the  levying  of  dues  on 


goods  which  are  brought  in  from 
the  outside. 

C'^tait  de  I'un  de  ces  fosses,  .  .  .  que  les 
contrebandiers,  au  nez  et  k  la  barbe  des 
habits  verts,  faisaient  descendre  la  nuit, 
dans  les  souterrains,  leurs  marchandises 
pour  les  porter  en  ville  et  les  affranchir  de 
I'octroi. — MSmoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Habitants,  m.  pi.  (popular),  lice, 
"  grey -backed  un's." 

Habitongue,/  (thieves'),  for  habi- 
tude, habit. 

Hacher  de  la  paille  (popular),  to 
murder  the  French  language.  The 
English  have  the  corresponding 
expression,  "  to  murder  the 
Queen's  English."  Also  to  talk 
in  German. 

Haleine, /.  (familiar),  k  la  Domi- 
tien,  cruelle,  or  homicide,  offen- 
sive breath.  According  to  the 
Diet.  Comique  it  used  to  be  said 
of  a  man  troubled  with  that  incom- 
modity :  11  serait  bon  trompette, 
parcequ'il  a  I'haleine  forte.  ( Popu- 
lar) Respirer  1' —  de  quelqu'un,  to 
get  at  one's  secrets,  ' '  to  pump  " 
one. 

Halfenes,  or  a\hnss,f.pl.  (thieves'), 
thieves'  implements,  or  "jilts." 
Alene  signifies  properly  shoe- 
maker's awl. 

Haler  sur  sa  poche  (sailors'),  to 
pay,  "to shell  out."  Haler,  pro- 
perly to  haul,  to  tow. 

Halle,  /.  (popular),  aux  croutes, 
stomach,  or  "bread-basket." 
Also  baker's  shop.  La  —  aux 
draps,  the  bed,  "doss,  or  bug- 
walk,"     and     formerly     "cloth- 


Halleba  rde — Harens;. 


203 


market,"  an  expression  used  by 
Swift  in  his  Polite  Conversation: — • 

Miss,  your  slave ;  I  hope  your  early 
rising  will  do  you  no  harm  ;  I  find  you  are 
but  just  out  of  the  cloth-marlcet. 

(Journalists')  La  —  au  son,  the 
Paris  Conservatoire  de  Musique, 
or  national  music  and  dramatic 
academy.  (Bullies')  Un  barbise 
de  la  —  aux  copeaux,  a  bully 
iiihose  paramour  brings  him  inbut 
scanty  profits,  whose  ' '  business  " 
is  slack. 

Hallebarde,y!  (popular),  tall,  badly 
■  dressed  woman,  a  "gawky  guy." 

Halot,  m.  (popular),  box  on  the  ear, 
"  smack  on  the  chops." 

Haloter  quelqu'un  (thieves'),  to 
box  one's  ears,  ' '  to  smack  one's 
chops ;  "  to  ply  the  bellows. 

Haloteur,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who 
uses  bellows  ;  one  who  blows. 

Halotin,  m.  (thieves'),  bellows. 
From  haleter,  to  pant. 

Hancher  (popular),  se  — ,  to  put 
on  a  jaunty  look ;  to  take  up  an 
arrogant  position,  to  be  "on  the 
high  jinks,"  or  to  "  look  big." 

Hane,  /  (thieves'), /»rj-«',  "skin," 
or      "poge."  Termed      also 

"henne,  bouchon,  morlingue, 
mornif. " 

II  va  comme  la  tramontane, 

Apres  avoir  cass^  la  hanne 

De  ce_  grand  nd  qui  prend  le  soin 

De  lui  donner  chasse  de  loin. 

U Embarras  de  la  f aire  de  Beaucaire. 

Casser  la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to 
steal  someone's  purse,  "to  buz  a 
skin." 

Hanneton,  m.  (familiar),  mono- 
mania. Avoir  un  —  dans  le 
plafond,  to  be  cracked,  or  "to 
have  a  bee  in  one's  bonnet. "  See 
Avoir,       Saoul   comme   un   — , 


completely  drunk,  "  as   drunk  as; 
Davy's  sow." 

"  Davy's  sow."  The  origin  of 
this  expression,  according  to- 
Davies'  Supplementary  English 
Glossarv,  is  the  following : — 
' '  David  Lloyd,  a  Welshman,  had 
a  sow  with  six  legs  ;  on  one  oc- 
casion he  brought  some  friends 
and  asked  them  whether  they  had 
ever  seen  a  sow  like  that,  not 
knowing  that  in  his  absence  his 
drunken  wife  had  turned  out  the- 
animal,  and  gone  to  lie  down  in 
the  sty.  One  of  the  party  ob- 
served that  it  was  the  drunkest 
sow  he  had  ever  beheld."  Other 
synonymous  expressions  are, 
' '  drunk  as  a  drum,  to  be  a  wheel- 
barrow, sow-drunk,  drunk  as  a 
fish,  as  a  lord,  as  a  piper,  as  a 
fiddler,  as  a  rat." 

Hannetonner  (familiar),  to  have  oi- 
hobby  verging  on  monomania. 

Happer  le  taillis  (thieves'),  to  flee,, 
"to  guy."  See  Patatrot.  Com- 
pare with  the  expression,  now 
obsolete,  gagner  le  taillis,  which 
has  the -same  signification. 

Happens  le  taillis,  on  crie  au  vinaigre- 
sur  nouzailles. — Le  Jargon  de  L'Argoi. 
{They  are  "whiddling  \i^&\," ajidwe  imtst 

"guy-") 

Happin.     See  Habin. 

Happiner.     See  Habiner. 

Harauder  (popular),  quelqu'un  (ob- 
solete), to  cry  out  after  one;  to- 
pursue  one  with  insults. 

Hardi,  adj.  (popular),  a  la  soupe 
is  said  of  one  who  is  more  ready  to- 
eat  than  to  fight.  Hardi!  courage  t 
with  a  will!  go  it! 

Hareng,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  des 
yeux  de  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  put  out 
on^s  eyes.  (Printers')  Harengs, 
name  given  by  printers  to  fellow^ 
workers  who  do  but  little  work. 


204 


Harenz-  Saur — Haussier. 


Hareng-Saur,  ni,  (popular),  gen- 
darme ;  a  member  of  the  Societi  de 
Saint-  Vincent  de  Paul,  a  religious 
association.  (Roughs')  Piquer  son 
pas  de  — ,  to  dance. 

Hariadan  Barberousse  (thieves'), 
Jesus  Christ. 

II  rigolait  malgr^  le  sanglier  qui  voulait 
!lui  faire  becqueter  Hariadan  Barberousse. 
— VlDOCQ. 

Haricander  (popular),  to  find  fault 
with  one  about  trifles. 

Haricot,  m.  (popular),  body.  Ca- 
valer,  or  courir  sur  le  — ,  tn 
annoy,  to  bore  one,  "  to  spur " 
one.  (Thieves')  Un  —  vert,  u 
clumsy  thief,  or  one  "not  up  to 
slum. "  Se  laver  les  haricots,  to 
be  transported,  or  "lagged." 
(Familiar)  Hotel  des  haricots, 
formerly  the  prison  for  undisci- 
plined national  guards,  the  staple 
food  for  prisoners  there  being 
haricot  beans. 

Haricoteur,  m.  (thieves'),  execu- 
tioner. Termed  ' '  Rouart "  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  that  is,  one 
who  breaks  criminals  on  the  wheel. 

Harmonarfes,  m.  (thieves'),  noise, 
or  "row."  Si  le  gonsales  fait  de 
I'harmonaris  il  faut  le  balancarguer 
dans  la  vassares,  if  the  fellow 
makes  any  noise  we' It  pitch  him  in- 
to the  water, 

Harmonie,  f.  (popular),  faire  de 
r — ,  to  make  a  noise,  "  to  kick  up 
a  row." 

.H.7rnais,  m.  (thieves'),  cards  that 
have  been  tampered  with,  or 
' '  stocked  broads  ;  "  clothes,  or 
"clobber;"  —  de  grive,  mili- 
tary uniform.  Laver  les  — ,  to 
sell  stolen  clothes,  "  to  do  clobber 
at  a  fence's." 

Harpe,/  (general),  jouer  de  la — , 
to  silly  take  liberties  with  a  woman 
by  stroking  her  dress,  as  Tartuffe 


did  when  pretending  to  ascertain 
the  softness  of  Elmire's  dress.  The 
expression  is  old ;  it  is  to  be  met 
with  in  the  Diet.  Comique. 

Jouer  de  la  harpe  signifie  jouer  des  mains 
aupres  d'une  femme,  la  patiner,  lui  touchel 
la  nature,  la  farfuuiller,  la  clitoriser,  la 
chatouiller  avec  les  doigts. — J.  Le  Koux, 
Dictionnaire  Comique. 

(Thieves')  Harpe,  prison-grated 
window.  Jouer  de  la  — ,  to  he  in 
prison,  or  "in  quod."  Pincer  de 
la  — ,  to  put  oneself  at  a  luindow. 

Harper  (popular),  to  catch,  "to 
nab ;  "  to  seize,  "  to  grab. " 

Harpions,  m.  pi.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  yfe/,  or  "  dew-beaters  ; " 
hands,  or  "dukes."  From  the 
old  word  harpier,  concerning 
which  the  Dictionnaire  Comique 
says  : — 

Harpier.  Pour  voler  ou  friponner  im- 
punement,  prendre  .ou  enlever  par  force, 
comme  les  harpies. 

Harponner  (popular),  to  seize,  "to 
grab  ;  "  —  tocquardement,  to  lay 
rough  hands  on;  to  give  one  a  shak- 
ing. 

Hasard  !  or  h  !  (printers'),  ironical 
exclamation  meaning  that  hap- 
pens by  chance,  of  course  ! 

Haiis,  oraus,  ?«.  (shopraens'),  appel- 
lation applied  by  shopmen  to  a  per- 
son who,  after  much  bargaining, 
leaves  without  purchasing  any- 
thing. 

Hausse-col,  m.  (mihtary),  cart- 
ridge-box. The  expression  has 
become  obsolete. 

Haussier,  m.  (familiar),  a  "bull," 
that  is,  one  zvho  agrees  to  purchase 
stock  at  a  future  day,  at  a  stated 
price,  but  who  simply  speculates 
for  a  rise  in  public  securities  to 
render  the  transaction  a  profitable 
one.       Should    stocks     fall,    the 


Haussmannisation — Hirondelle, 


205 


"  bull "  is  then  called  upon  to  pay 
the  difference.  The  "bear"  is 
the  opposite  of  the  "bull,"  the 
former  selling,  the  latter  purchas- 
ing— the  one  operating  for  s.faU, 
the  other  for  a  rise.  They  are 
respectively  called  "liebhaler" 
in  Berlin,  and  "contremine"  in 
Vienna. 

Haussmannisation,/  See  below. 

Haussmanniser  (familiar),  io pull 
down  htyuses  wholesale,  after  the 
fashion  of  M.  Haussmann,  a  Pre- 
fect of  the  Seine  under  the  Third 
Empire,  who  laid  low  many  of 
the  old  houses  of  Paris,  and 
opened  some  broad  passages  in 
the  city.  Corresponds  in  some 
degree  to  "boycott," 

Haut-de-tire,  m.  (thieves'),  ^r«i/5fj, 
"hams,  kicks,  sit-upons." 

Haute,  f.  and  adj.  (general),  for 
haute  socidte,  the  higher  class  of 
any  social  stratum,  "pink." 

11  y  a  lorette  et  lorette.  Mademoiselle  de 
Saint-Phaiamond  ftait  de  la  haute.— 1". 

F^VAL. 

La  —  bicherie,  higher  class  of  co- 
cottes,  the  world  of  "demi-reps." 
Un  escarpe  de  la  — ,  u.  swindler 
moving  in  good  society.  La  — 
pegre,  swell  mob,  and,  used  ironi- 
cally, good  society.  Un  restaurant 
de  la  — ,  a  fashionable  restaurant, 
a  ' '  swell  "  restaurant. 

Si  nous  ne  soupons  pas  dans  la  haute,  jc 
ne  sais  guere  oil  nous  irons  ^  cette  heure-ci. 
— G.  DE  Nerval. 

Hautocher  (thieves'),  to  ascend ;  to 
rise. 

Haut-temps,  m.  (thieves'),  fjr 
autan,  loft. 

Havre,  or  grand  havre,  m. 
(thieves'),  God.  Literally  the 
harbour,  great  harbour.  Le  — 
garde  meziere,  Cod  protect  me. 


Heol  ar  blei  (Breton  cant),  the 
moon. 

Herbe,y;  (popular),  a  %r\-a\^ex,finf 
bosoms  or  shoulders.  This  phrase 
is  obsolete  ;  —  a  la  vache,  cliibs 
of  cards. 

Quinte  mangeuse  portant  son  point  dan& 
I'herbe  k  la  vache. — Zola,  L' Assomvwir. 

Herbe  sainte,  absinthe.  To  all 
appearance  this  is  a  corruption  of 
absinthe. 

Herplis,  m.  (thieves'),  farthing. 
Sans  un  herplis  dans  mafouillouse, 
uithout  a  farthing  in  my  pocket. 

Herr,  m.  (^ertera\),  a  man  of  impor- 
tance, one  of  position  or  talent,  a 
"swell." 

Herse,  f  (theatrical),  lighting  ap- 
paratus on  the  sides  of  the  stage 
which  illuminatesthose parts  which 
receive  no  light  from  thechandelier. 

Herz,  or  hers,  m.  (thieves'),  master, 
or  "  boss  ;  "  gentleman,  or  "nib- 
cove,"     From  the  German  herr. 

High-bichery,  f.  (familiar),  the 
world  of  fashionable  cocottes. 

Quelque  superbe  creature  de  la  high- 
bichery  qui  traine  son  domino  k  queue  avec 
les  airs  souverains  d'une  marquise  d'autre- 
fois, — P.  Mahalin. 

Hirondeau,  m,  (tailors'),  journey- 
man tailor  who  shifts  from  one 
employer  to  another.  An  allusion 
to  the  swallow,  a  migratory  bird, 

Hirondelle, y.  (familiar), /««»y  boat 
plying  on  the  Seine;  (popular) 
commercial  traveller ;  journey- 
man tailor  from  the  country 
temporarily  established  in  Paris  ; 
hackney  coachman ;  —  d'hiver, 
retailer  of  roasted  chestnuts  ;  —  de 
pont,  vagrant  who  seeks  a  shelter 
at  nightunderthearches  of  bridges; 
—  du  batiment,  mason  from  the 


206 


Hisser — Hotterian. 


coujitry  who  comes  yearly  to  work 
in  Paris.  (Thieves')  Une  — , 
variety  of  vagabond. 

Les  Hirondelles,  les  Romanichels  han- 
taient,  comme  les  taupes,  I'intdrieur  de 
leurs  souterrains  insondables.  Romani- 
chels et  Hirondelles  venaient  y  dormir, 
souper  et  m^diter  leurs  crimes. — Memoires 
de  Monsieur  Claude, 

Une  —  de  potence,  a  gendarme 
(obsolete). 

Hisser  (popular),  to  give  a  whistle 
call ;  —  un  gandin.   See  Gandin. 

Histoires,y.  //.  (general),  menses. 
Termed  also  "affaires,  cardinales, 
anglais." 

Homard,  m.  (popular),  doorkeeper, 
or  servant  in  red  livery.  (Military) 
spahis.  Tile  spahis,  called  also 
cavaliers  rouges,  are  a  crack  corps 
of  Arab  cavalry  commanded  by 
French  officers.  There  are  now 
four  regiments  of  spahis  doing 
duty  in  Algeria  or  in  Tonkin. 

Homicide,  m.     See  Haleine. 

Homme,  m.  (familiar),  au  sac, 
rich  man,  one  who  is  "well  bal- 
lasted." Un  —  affiche,  a  "sand- 
wich "  .man,  that  is,  a  man  bear- 
ing a  back-and-front  advertising 
board.  Avoir  son  jeune  — ,  to  be 
drunk,  or  "tight."  See  Pom- 
pette.  (Thieves')  Un  —  delettres, 
forger  :  —  de  peine,  old  offender, 
"jail-bird."  (Printers')  Homme 
de  bois,  workman  who  repairs 
'wooden  fixtures  of  formes  in  u, 
printing  shop. 

Homme  de  lettre«,  or  singe,  m. 

(printers'),  compositor. 

Le  compositeur  est  un  bipede  auquel  on 
donne  la  denomination  de  "singe."  .  .  . 
Pour  vous  eblouir  il  triture  une  "  matifere 
pleine "  de  mots  Equivoques  :  '*  comman- 
dite, bordereau,  banque,  impositions"  et 
cela  avec  la  gravitd  d'une  "  Mmerve. "  Fier 
du  rang  qu'il  occupe  dans  I'imprimerie, 
ce   chevalier  du   "composteur"   s'intitule 


*'homme  de  lettres,"  mais  c'est  un  "faux 
titre  "  qu'il  a  pris  dans  sa  ''galea,"  car  de 
tons  les  ouvrages  auxquels  il  a  mis  des 
"signatures  "  et  qu'ilpr^tend  avoir  "com- 
poses," il  lui  serait  difficile  de  "justifier" 
une  ligne,  &c.  &c. — Diclaratian  d' amour 
tTun  intprimeur  typographe  a  une  jeune 
brockeuse,  1886. 

Hommelette,  m.  (popular),  man 
devoid  of  energy,  ' '  sappy. " 

Honnfite,  m.  (thieves'),  the  spring. 

Honteuse,  /,  gtre  en  — .  See 
Lesbien. 

Hopital,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  See  Motte.  Athiefin 
prison  is  said  to  be  "  malade," 
and  when  liberated  he  is,  of  course, 
' '  gueri. "  (Popular)  Goujon  d' — , 
leech. 

Horizontale,  /  (familiar),  prosti- 
tute, or  "mot;"  —  de  grande 
marque,  fashionable  cocotte,  or 
"  pretty  horse-breaker."  For  list 
of  over  one  hundred  and  thirty 
synonyms,  see  Gadoue. 

Horloger,  m.  (popular),  avoir  sa 
montre  chez  1' — ,  to  have  on^s 
watch  at  the  pawnbroker's,  "  in 
lug,"  or  "up  the  spout." 

Horreurs,  /  //.  (popular),  broad 
talk,  or  "blue  talk."  Dire  des 
— ,  to  talk  "  smut."  Faire  des  — , 
to  take  liberties  with  women,  "to 
fiddle,"  or  "to  slewther,"as  the 
Irish  have  it. 

Hosto,  or  austo  (soldiers'  and 
thieves'),  prison,  or  "stir,"  see 
Motte  ;  (popular)  house,  or 
"  crib." 

Hotel,  m.  (popular),  de  la  modestie, 
poor  lodgings ;  —  des  haricots, 
prison,  or  "jug."  See  Motte. 
Coucher  a  1' —  de  la  belle  etoile, 
to  sleep  in  the  open  air,  on  mother 
Earth,  or  "to  skipper  it." 

Hotteriau,  hotteriot,  m.  (popular), 
rag-picker,  or  "tot-picker."  From 
hotte,  wicker  basket. 


Hoiiblon  — Hurlu  bier. 


207 


Houblon,  m.  (popular),  tea. 

Houpe  denteUe,  /.  (freemasons'), 
ties  of  brotherhood. 

Housette,  /.  (thieves'),  boot,  or 
"  daisy  root."  Traine  -  cul  -  les 
housettes,  a  tatterdemalion. 

Houssine,  /.  (thieves'),  Jean  de 
r — ,  stick  ;  bhidgeon. 

Houste  a  la  paille!  (thieves'),  out 

viilh  him  ! 

Hubin,  ?«.  (thieves'),  dog,  or 
"tyke." 

Apres,  ils  leur  enseignent  ^  aquiger  cer- 
taines  graisses  pour  empecher  que  les  hubins 
les  groudent. — Le  Jargon  de  t' Argot. 

Hubins,  m.  pi.  (old  cant),  tramps 
who  pretend  to  have  been  bitten  by 
rabid  dogs  or  wolves. 

Les  hubins  triment  ordinairement  avec 
uue  luque  comme  ils  bient  a  Saint-Hubert. 
— Le  Jargon  de  V Argot. 

Saint  Hubert  was  credited  with 
the  power  of  miraculously  curing 
hydrophobia.  There  is  still  a 
church  in  Belgium,  not  far  from 
Arlon,  consecrated  to  Saint  Hu- 
bert, to  whose  shrine  rabid  people 
(in  more  than  one  sense)  repair 
to  be  cured. 

Hugolatre,  m.  {hm'disj:),  fanatical 
admirer  of  the  works  of  V.  Hugo. 

Hugrement  (thieves'),  much,  or 
"  neddy  "  (Irish). 

Huile,/  (general),  wine  ;  suspicion ; 
—  blonde,  beer ;  —  de  bras,  de 
poignet,  physical  strength  ;  work, 
or  "elbow  grease  ;  "  —  de cotret, 

,  blows  administered  with  a  stick ; 
might  be  rendered  by  "  s'irrup 
oil."  The  Diet.  Comique  has  : 
"  Huile  de  cotret,  pour  coups  de 
baton,  bastonnade." 

Qu'ils  vinssent  vous  frotter  les  ^paules 
de  I'huile  de  cotret. — Don  Quichotte. 

Huile  de  mains,  vioney,  or  "oil of 


palm."  For  synonyms  see  Qui- 
bus.  Pomper  les  huiles,  to  drink 
wine  to  excess,  or  "  to  swill." 

Huit  (theatrical),  battre  un  — ,  to 
cut  a  caper.  (Familiar)  Un  — 
ressorts,  a  handsome,  well  -  ap- 
pointed two-horse  carriage.  (Mili- 
tary) Flanquer  —  et  sept,  to  give  a 
man  a  fortnight's  arrest. 

Y  m'a  flanqu^  huit-et-sept  k  cause  que 
j 'avals  ^gar^  le  bouchon  de  mon  mousque- 

tOn. — G.  COURTELINE. 

Huitres, y;  //.  (popular),  de  gueux, 
snails  ;  (thieves')  —  de  Varennes, 
beans. 

Huitrifier  (familiar),  s' — ,  to  become 
commonplace  and  dull  of  intellect. 
From  huitre,  figuratively  a  fool. 

Humecter  (popular),  s' — les  amyg- 
dales,  la  dalle  du  cou,  or  le 
pavilion,  to  drink,  ' '  to  wet  one's 
whistle."  For  synonyms  see 
Rincer. 

Huppe,  ad/,  (popular),  daim  — , 
rich  person,  one  who  is  "  well 
ballasted." 

Hure,/.  (popular),  head,  or  "  tibby." 
Properly  wild  boar's  head.  See 
Tronche. 

Hure,  adj.  (thieves'),  rich,  or  "rag 
splawger." 

Hurf,  urf,  adj.  (general),  c'est  — , 
that's  excellent,  "  tip-top,  cheery, 
slap-up,  first-chop,  lummy,  iiap, 
jam,  true  marmalade,  tsing- 
tsing."  Le  monde  — ,  world  of 
fashion. 

Hurlubier,  m.  (thieves'),  idiot,  or 
'    "go  along ; " madman, or  ' ' balmy 
cove  ;  "  tramp,  or  "pikey." 

Vous  que  le  chaud  soleil  a  telnts, 
Hurlubiers  dont  les  peaux  bisettes, 
Rcssemblent  i  I'or  des  gratins. 

RiCHEPIN. 


208 


Hussar d — Im  biber. 


Hussard,  m.  (popular),  a  quatre 
roues,  soldier  of  the  train  or  army 
service  corps.  Elixir  de  — ,  brandy. 
(Popular  and  thieves')  Hussard 
de  la  guillotine,  gendarme  on  duty 
at  executions. 

II  est  venti  pour  sauver  Madeleine  .  .  . 
mais  comment  ?  .  .  .  les  hussards  de  la  guil- 
lotine sont  1^. — Balzac. 


Hussard  de  la  veuve,  gendarme  on 
duty  at  executions. 

Oui,  c'est  pour  aujourd'hui,  les  hussards 
de  la  veuve  (autre  rem,  nom  terrible  de  la 
m^canique)  sont  commandes Balzac. 

Hust-must    (thieves'),   thank  you 
very  jniich. 


Icicaille,  icigo  (thieves'),  here. 

lenna  (Breton  cant),  to  deceive,  im- 
pose upon. 

lerchem  (roughs'),  to  ease  oneself. 
A  coarse  word  disguised.  It  is  of 
"  back  slang"  formation,  with  the 
termination  em. 

lergue,  parler  en  — ,  to  use  the 
word  as  a  suffix  to  other  words. 

Ignorantin  (common),  a  "frire  des 
Ecoles  de  la  Doctrine  chretienne. " 
Thus  called  on  account  of  their 
ignorance.  They  are  lay  brothers, 
and  formerly  had  charge  of  what 
were  termed  in  England  ragged 
schools. 

Igo  (thieves'),  here.  La  chamfegue 
est  — ,  the  woman  is  here. 

11  (popular),  y  a  de  I'empile,  or  de 
I'empilage,  there  is  some  trickery, 
unfair  play,  cheating ;  —  y  a  de 
I'empile,  la  peau  alors  !  je  me 
debine,  they  are  cheating,  to  the 
deuce  then !  ril  go ;  —  y  a  des 
aretes  dans  >  ce  corps-la,  an 
euphemism  to  denote  that  a  man 


viakes  his  living  off  a  prostitute 
earnings,  alluding  to  the  epithet 
"  poisson  "  applied  to  such  crea- 
tures ;  —  a  plu  sur  sa  mercerie 
is  said  of  a  luoman  with  thin 
skinny  breasts ;  —  tombera  une 
roue  de  votre  voiture  is  said  of  a 
person  in  too  high  spirits,  to 
express  an  opinion  that  his  mirth 
will  soon  receive  a  damper.  (Thea- 
trical) II  pleut  !  is  used  to  denote 
that  a  play  is  a  failure,  that  it  is 
being  hissed  down,  or  "damned." 

II  est  midi !  (popular),  an  excla- 
mation used  to  warn  one  who  is 
talking  in  the  presence  of  strangers 
or  others  to  be  prudent  and  guarded 
in  his  speech.  It  also  means  i(s 
of  no  use,  it  is  all  in  vain. 

lUico,  m.  {popular),  grog  prepared 
on  the  sly  by  patients  in  hospitals, 
an  extemporized  medicine  made 
of  sugar,  spirits,  and  tincture  of 
cinnamon. 

Imbecile  k  deux  roues,  m.  (popu- 
lar), bicyclist. 

Imbiber  (popular),  s'—  le  jabot,  to 
drink,  "  to  wet  one's  whistle." 


Immobilite — Infect. 


209 


Immobilite,  /  (painters'),  merr 
cenaire  de  1' — ,  model  who  makes 
a  living  by  sitting  to  painters. 

Impair,  m.  (familiar),  faire  un  — , 
to  muke  a  blunder,  "to  put  one's 
foot  in  it."  (Thieves')  Impair  ! 
look  out !  — ,  acre  nous  v'la  nobles, 
look  out,  be  on  your  guard,  we  are 
recognized. 

Imperatrice,  f.,  for  imperiale,  top 

of  bus. 
Impere  (popular),    abbreviation  of 

imperiale,  or  top  of  bus. 

Irop6riale,y:  (general),  tuft  of  hair 
on  the  chin.  Formerly  termed 
"  royale."  The  word  has  passed 
into  the  language. 

Importance  (general),  d'  — , 
strongly,  vigorously.  J'  te  vas  le 
moucher  d' — ,  ni  let  him  know 
apiece  of  my  mind  ;  Fll  sntib  him. 

Impot,  m.  (thieves'),  autumn. 

Impressionisme,  m.  (familiar), 
school  of  artists  who  paint  nature 
according  to  the  Personal  impres- 
sion they  receive.  Some  carry  the 
process  too  far,  perhaps,  for  if 
their  retina  conveys  to  them  an 
impression  that  a  horse,  for  in- 
stance, is  indigo  or  ultramarine, 
they  will  reproduce  the  image  in 
Oxford  or  Cambridge  blue  on  the 
canvas.  Needless  to  say,  the  re- 
sult is  sometimes  startling.. 

Impressioniste,  m.,  painter  of 
the  school  called  impressionisme 
(which  see). 

Impure,  /.  (familiar),  kept  woman, 
or  "demi-rep."  For  the  list  of 
synonyms  see  Gadoue. 

Incommode,  m.  {thieves'),  lantern, 
lamp-post.  Properly  inconvenient, 
thieves  being  lovers  of  darkness. 

Incommode,  adj.  (thieves'),  etre 
— ,  to  be  taken  red-handed,  to  be 
"  nabbed  "  in  the  cut. 


Inconobr^,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
stranger;  unknown. 

Incroyable,  m^.  (familiar),  dandy 
under  the  Directoire  at  the  end  of 
the  last  century.  The  appellation 
was  given  to  swells  of  that  period 
on  account  of  their  favourite  ex- 
pression, "  C'est  incroyable  !"  pro- 
nounced c'est  incoyable,  accord- 
ing to  their  custom  of  leaving  out 
the  r,  or  giving  it  the  sound  of  w. 
For  synonyms  see  Gommeux. 

Index  (popular),  travailler  a  1' — , 
to  work  at  reduced  wages. 

Indicateur,  m.  (general),  spy  in  the 
pay  of  the  police,  "nark."  Gene- 
rally a  street  hawker,  sometimes 
a  thief. 

II  y  a  deux  genres  d'indicateurs  :  les  in- 
dicateurs  sur  place,  tels  que  les  marchands 
de  chaines  de  surety  et  les  marchands 
d'aiguilles,  bimbelotiers  d'occasion,  faux 
aveugles,  etc. ,  et  les  indicateurs  errants ; 
marchands  de  halais,  faux  infii-mes,  musi- 
ciens  ambulants  :  .  .  .  11  y  avait,  sous  I'em- 
pire,  des  indicateurs  jusque  dans  le  haut 
commerce  parisien. — Memoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Indicatrice,  f.  (familiar),  female 
spy  in  the  employ  of  the  police. 

Indigent,  m.  (bus  conductors'), 
outside  passenger  on  o  bus.  Thus 
termed  on  account  of  the  outside 
fare  being  half  that  inside.  Indi- 
gent, ^ro^eAy  pauper. 

Inexpressibles,  m.  pi.  (familiar), 
from  the  English,  trousers. 

Infanterie,/.  (popular),  entrer  dans 
r — ,  to  become  pregnant,  or 
' '  lumpy. ''  Compare  with  the 
English  expression  "  infantry,"  a 
nursery  term  for  children. 

Infect,  adj.  (general),  utterly  bad. 
The  expression  is  applied  to  any- 
thing. Ce  cigare  est  — ,  that 
cigar  is  rank.  Ce  livre  est  — , 
that  book  is  worthless.  Un  —  in- 
dividu,  a  contemptible  individual. 


2IO 


Tnfectados — l.rrkonciliable. 


Infectados,    m.    (familial),    cheap 

cigar,  "  cabbage  leaf." 
Inferieur,  adj.  (popular),  celam'est 

— ,  iAai  IS  all  the  same  to  me. 

Infirme,  m.  (popular),  clumsy  fellow. 

lis  sonnerent  tant  bien  que  mal  ces  in- 
firmes,  et  les  gens  accoururent  au  tapage. 
— L.  Cladel,  Ompdraillis. 

Ingrat,  m.  (thieves'),  clumsy  thief, 

Ingurgiter  son  bilan  (popular),  to 

die,  or  "  to  snuff  it."      See  Pipe. 

Inodore,  adj.  (familiar),  soyez 
calme  et  — ,  be  cool ;  don't  get 
excited ;  becalm;  be  decorous,  or, 
as  the  Americans  say,  "pull  your 
jacket  down. " 

Inouisme,  m.  (familiar),  ruisselant 
d' — ,  extraordinarily  fine,  good, 
dashing,  "  slap  up,  or  tzing 
tzing." 

Inseparables,  m.  pi.  (familiar), 
cigars  sold  at  fifteen  centimes  a 
couple. 

Insinuant,  m.  (thieves'),  apothe- 
cary ;  one  who  performs,  or  used  to 
perform,  the  "  clysterium  donare  " 
of  Moliire. 

Insinuante,/.  (thieves'),  syringe. 

Insinuation,/,  (thieves'),  clyster. 

Insolpe,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
insolent,  "cheeky." 

Inspecteur  des  paves,  in.  (popu- 
lar), workman  out  of  work,  or 
"out  of  collar." 

Institutrice,  /.  (popular),  female 
mho  keeps  a  brothel ;  the  mistress 
of  an  "  academy." 

Instruit,  adf  (thieves'),  etre  — ,  to 
be  a  skilful  thief,  a  "  gonnof. " 

Insurge  de  Romilly,  m.  (popular), 
lump  of  excrement,  or  "  quaker." 

Interloquer  (soldiers'),  to  talk.  Je 
vais  aller  en  — -avec  le  marchi- 
chef,  /  will  talk  about  it  to  the 
quartermaster  sergivni. 


Interver,  entraver  (thieves'),  to 
understand.  Je  n'entrave  que  le 
dail,  I  do  not  understand,  I  don't 
' '  twig. "  Interver  dans  les  vannes, 
to  allow  oneself  to  be  ' '  stuffed  up," 
to  be  "  bamboozled." 

Intime,  m.  (theatrical),  man  who  is 
paid  to  applaud  at  a  theatre. 
Termed  also  "  romain." 

Intransigeant,  m.  (familiar),  poli- 
tician of  extreme  opinions  who 
will  not  sacrifice  an  iota  of  his 
programme.  The  reverse  of  op- 
portuniste. 

Inutile,  m.  (thieves'),  notary  public. 

Invalo,  m.  (popular),  for  invalide, 
pensioner  of  the  ' '  Hdiel  des  Inva- 
lides."  a  home  for  old  or  disabled 
soldiers. 

Invite,  f.  (popular),  faire  una  —  a 
I'as  is  said  of  a  woman  who  makes 
advances  to  a  man. 

Inviteuse,  y.  (general),  waitress  at 
certain  cafes  termed  "  caboulots." 
Her  duties,  besides  serving  the 
customers,  consist  in  getting  her- 
self treated  by  them  to  any  amount 
of  liquor ;  but,  to  prevent  acci- 
dents, the  drinks  intended  for  the 
inviteuse  are  generally  water  or 
some  mild  alcoholic  mixture.  The 
inviteuse  often  plies  also  another 
trade — that  of  a  semi-prostitute. 

lot  fetis  (Breton  cant),  porridge  of 
buckwheat  flour. 

loulc'h  (Breton  cant),  giddy  girl. 

loulc'ha  (Breton  cant),  to  play  the 
giddy  girl. 

Ip6ca,  m.  (miUtary),  le  pere  — ,  the 
regimental  surgeon. 

Irlande,  /.  (thieves'),  envoyer  en 
— ,  to  send  anything  from  prison. 

Irrficonciliable,  m.  (familiar),  mem- 
ber of  the  opposition  unde>-  Napo- 
leon III. 


Isgourde — Jaluzot. 


211 


Isgourde,  f.  (popular),  ear, 
"wattle,"  or  "lug." 

Isolage,  m.  (thieves'),  abandon- 
ment ;  leaving  in  the  lurch. 

Isoler  (thieves'),  to  forsake. 

Isoloir,  VI.  (familiar),  se  mettre 
sur  1' — ,  to  forsake  one^  s  friends. 

Italian  (Breton  cant),  rum. 

Italique,  f.  (popular),  avoir  les 
jambes  en  — ,  to  be  bandy-legged. 
Pincer  son  — ,  to  reel  about. 


Itou,  aA/,  (popular),  flto.  Moi — , 
I  too. 

Itrer  (thieves'),  to  have. 

J'itre  mouchailM  le  babillard. — Le  yar- 
gon  de  tA  rgot,  (/  have  looked  at  the  book.) 

Ivoires,  f.  (popular),  teeth, 
"ivories."  Faire  un  eflfet  d' — , 
to  show  one's  teeth,  "  to  flash  one's 
ivories. " 

Izabel  (Breton  cant),  brandy. 


Jabot,  m.  (popular),  stomach,  or 
"bread-basket."  Meant  for- 
merly heart,  breast.  Chouette  — , 
fne  breasts.  Faire  son  — ,  to 
eat. 

.  Jacque,  m.  (thieves'),  a  sou. 

Jacqueline,  /  (soldiers'),  cavalry 
sword. 

Jacques,  m.  (thieves'),  crowbar, 
"James,  or  the  stick."  (Military) 
Faire  le  — ,  to  manauvre. 

Jactance,  /  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
speech,  talking,  "jaw."  Properly 
silly  conceit.  Caleter  la  — ,  to 
stop  talking,  "  to  put  a  clapper  to 
one's  jaw."  Quelle  sale  —  il  a ! 
6ow  he  does  talk  1  Faire.  la  — , 
■to  talk,  "to  jaw;"  to  question, 
•or  "  cross-kid.' 


Jacter  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
speak,  "to  rap;"  to  cry  out; 
to  slander.  Meant  formerly  to 
boast. 

Jacteur,  m.  (popular),  speaker. 

Jaffe,  f.  (popular),  soup  ;  box  on  the 
ear.  Refiler  une  — ,  to  box  one's 
ears.  (Thieves')  Jaffes,  cheeks, 
or  "chops." 

Jaffier,  m.  (thieves'),  garden,  or 
' '  smelling  cheat. " 

Jaffin,  m.  (thieves'),  gardener. 
Termed  in  English  slang  "master 
of  the  mint." 

Jaluzot,  m.  (general),  umbrella,  or 
' '  rain-napper,  mush,  or  gingham. " 
From  the  name  of  the  proprietor 
of  the  "  Printemps,"  who,  being 
a  wealthy  man,  said  to  his  shop- 
men that  he  had  not  the  means  to 


212 


Jamhe — Jarvillage. 


buy  an  umbrella.  So  goes  an 
idiotic  song  ; — 

II  n'a  pas  de  Jaluzot, 
Ca  va  bien  quand  il  fait  beau, 
lilais  quand  il  tombe  de  I'eau, 
II  est  trempe  jusqu'aux  05. 

Jambe,/.  (popular),  de  vin,  intoxi- 
cation. S'en  aller  sur  una  — ,  to 
drink  only  a  glass  or  a  bottle  of 
wine.  (Thieves')  Jambe  en  I'air 
(obsolete),  the  gallows,  "  scrag, 
nobbing  -  cheat,  or  government 
signpost."  (Familiar  and  popu- 
lar) Lever  la  — ,  to  dance  the  can- 
can, see  Chahut ;  is  said  also 
of  a  girl  who  leads  a  fast,  disrepu- 
table sort  of  life.  Faire  —  de 
vin  had  formerly  the  signification 
of  to  drink  heavily,  "to  swill." 
D&s  ce  matin,  messieurs,  j'ai  fait  jambe 

de  vin. — La  Rapiniere. 

Jambes  de  coq,  thin  legs,  "spindle- 
shanks."  Jambes  de  colon,  weak 
legs.  Jambes  en  manche  de  veste, 
bandy  legs.  (Military)  Sortir  sur 
les  jambes  d'un  autre,  to  be  confined 
to  barracks  or  to  the  guard-room. 

Jambinet,  m.  (railway  porters'), 
coffee  with  brandy. 

Jambon,  m.  (popular),  violin. 
(Military)  Faire  un  — ,  to  break 
one's  musket,  a  crime  sometimes 
punished  by  incorporation  in  the 
compagnies  de  discipline  in  Africa. 

Jambonneau,  ?re.  (popular),  ne  plus 
avoir  de  chapelure  sur  le  — ,  to 
be  bald.  For  synonymous  terms 
see  Avoir. 

Jambot,  m.  (obsolete), /»«w.  The 
term  is  used  by  Villon. 

Jappe,  /.  (popular),  prattling, 
"jaw."  Tais  ta  — ,  hold  your 
"jaw,"  "  put  a  clapper  to  your 
mug,"  or  "don't  shoot  off  your 
mouth  "  (American). 

Japper  (popular),  to  scream,  to 
squall, 

Jardin,  m.  (popular),  faire  du  — ,  to 
quiz,  "to  carry  on." 


Jardinage,  m.  (popular),  running 
down,  slandering. 

Jardiner  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to 
slander ;  to  run  down  ;  to  quiz. 

Les  gonciers  qui  nous  jardinent, 
r  s'ront  vraimeat  j't€s. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Jardiner  quelqu'un,  to  make  one 
talk  so  as  to  elicit  his  secrets  from 
him,  to  "pump  "  one. 

Jardineur,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
m.an  who  seeks  to  discover  a  secret ; 
inquisitive  man,  a  kind  of  "  Paul 
Pry." 

Jardinier,  m.  (thieves'),  see  Jar- 
dineur ;  a  thief  who  operates  in 
the  manner  described  at  the  word 
"  charriage." 

JargoUe,  or  jergole,  /.  (thieves'), 
Normandy. 

JargoUier,  m.  (thieves'),  a  native  of 
Normandy. 

JaTgouiller  (thieves'),  to  talk  in- 
coherently. 

Jarguer  (thieves').     See  Jars. 

Jamaffe,  f.  (thieves'),  garter. 

Jarretifere,/  (thieves'),  watchchain, 
or  "slang." 

Jaxs^m.  (thieves'),  cant,  or  "flash." 
Devider,  jaspinerle — ,  or  jarguer, 
to  talk  cant,  "to  patter  flash." 
Entraver  or  enterver  le  — ,  to 
understand  cant.  The  language 
of  thieves  is  also  termed  "  thieves' 
Latin, "  as  appears  from  thefollow- 
ing  quotation  : — 

"  Go  away,"  I  heard  her  say,  "  there's 
a  dear  man,"  and  then  something  about 
a  "queer  cuffin,"  that's  a  justice  m  these 
canters'  thieves'  Latin. — Kingsley,  West- 
ward Ho. 

Entendre  le  —  had  formerly  the 
signification  of  to  be  cunning. 

Jarvillage,  ot.  (fiiitytt,'),  conversa- 
tion ;  dirt.  An  illustrious  Eng- 
lishman, whose    name   I  forget, 


Jarviller — -J&usalem . 


213 


gave  once  the  definition  of  dirt  as 
"matter  in  the  wrong  place." 

Jarviller  (thieves'),  to  converse, 
"  to  rap ;"  to  dirty, 

Jasante,/.  (thieves'),  prayer. 

Jaser  (thieves'),  to  pray. 

Jaspin,  or  gy  (thieves'),  yes,  or 
"  usher. " 

Y  a-t-il  un  castu  dans  cette  vergne? 
Jaspin. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot.  {Is  there 
an  hospital  in  this  country  ?     K«.) 

The  word  has  also  the  meaning  of 
cAat,  language,  "jaw." 

J'ai  bien  que'qu'  part  un  camerluche 
Qu'est  dab  dans  la  magistrat'muche. 
Son  jaspin  esbloque  les  badauds. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Jaspinement,  m.  (thieves'),  bark- 
ing of  a  dog. 

Jaspiner  (thieves'),  to  talk,  to  speak, 
' '  to  rap,  to  patter. "  Termed  also 
"debagouler,  devider,  gazouiller, 
jacter,  jardiner,  baver,  tenir  le 
crachoir  ;"  —  bigome,  to  talk  in 
slang,  "to  patter  flash."  Lecabe 
jaspine,  the  dog  barks.  Jaspiner 
de  I'orgue,  to  inform  against,  "  to 
blow  the  gaff." 

Jaspineur,  m.  (thieves'),  talker; 
orator, 

Jaune,  m.  (thieves'),  summer; 
(popular)  brandy.  See  Tord- 
boyaux.  JaMne,gold,  or  "redge." 
Aimer  avec  un  —  d'ceuf  is  said  of 
a  woman  who  deceives  her  husband 
or  lover.  An  allusion  to  the  al- 
leged favourite  colour  of  cuckolds. 

Jaunet,  jauniau,  or  sigue,  m., 
gold  coin,  "canary,  yellow-boy, 
goldfinch,  yellow-hammer,  quid, 
shiner,  gingle-boy." 

Jaunier,  m.    (popular),  retailer  of 
•spirits.     An  allusion  to  the  colour 
..     of  brandy. 


Javanais  (familiar),  kind  of  jargon 
formed  by  disguising  words  by 
means  of  the  letters  of  the  syllable 
"  av  "properly  interpolated ;  thus 
"je  I'ai  vu  jeudi,"  becomes  " jave 
lavai  vavu  javeudavi. " 

Argot  de  Breda  oCi  la  syllabe  av,  jel^e 
dans  cliaque  syllabe,  hache  ^our  les  pro- 
fanes le  son  et  le  sens  des  mots,  tdiome  hi^ro- 
glyphique  du  monde  des  fiUes  qui  lui  permet 
de  se  parler  k  I'oreille — tout   haut. — De 

GONCOURT. 

Javard,/«.  (thieves'),  ^^ff?/ /  (popu- 
lar) tattle-box. 

Javoter  (popular),  to  prattle. 

Javotte.y;  (popular),  tattle-box. 

Jean,  m.  (popular),  de  la  suie, 
sweep;  —  gu8tre,  peasant,  or 
"  clod ;"  —  houssine,  stick,  or 
"toco."  (Thieves')  Un  —  de  la 
vigne,  a  crucifix. 

Jean-bSte,  m.  (general),  blockhead, 
' '  cabbage-head. " 

Jean-fesse,  or  Jean-foutre  (gene- 
ral), scamp. 

Jeanjean,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), simpleton. 

La  blanchisseuse  ^tait  alMe  retrouver 
son  aiicien  €poux  aussitdt  que  ce  jeanjean 
de  Coupeau  avait  ronild, — Zola,  L'As- 
sommoir. 

(Soldiers')      Jeanjean,      recruit, 
"Johnny  raw." 

Jeanneton,  f,  (popular),  servant 
wench  at  an  inn  ;  girl  of  doubtful 
morals,  a  ' '  dolly  mop.  ' 

Jem'enfoutisnje,  m.  (familiar),  the 
philosophy  of  utter  indifference. 

Aussi.  lui  n'^tut-il  ni  orleaniste,  ni  re- 
publicain,  nt  bonapartiste,  il  affichait  le 
*' jem'enfoutisme  "qui  mettait  tout  le  monde 
d'accord. — J.  Sermet. 

Jerome,  m.  (popular),  stick,  or 
"toco." 

Jerusalem  (thieves'),  Jettre  de  — , 
letter  written  from  prison  to  make 


214 


Jhuite—Jobarder. 


a  request  of  money.  The  Prefec- 
ture de  police,  and  consequently 
the  lock-up,  was  formerly  in  the 
Rue  de  Jerusalem. 

J^suite,  m.  (thieves'),  turkey-cock. 
This  species  of  gallinacea  was  in- 
troduced into  France  by  the 
Jesuit  missionaries.  Termed  by 
English  vagabonds  "  cobble  col- 
ter." Engrailler  un  — ,  to  steed  a 
turkey,  "to  be  a  Turkey  mer- 
chant." 

J^sus,  m.  (thieves'),  innocent  man, 
thieves  considering  themselves  as 
much-injured  individuals.  Grippe- 
Jesus,  gendarme.  (Popular)  Petit 
— ,  or  i  quatre  sous,  newly-born 
infant.  (Sodomists')  Un  — ,  a 
Sodomist  in  confederacy  with  a 
rogue  termed  "  chanteur,"  wkose 
spScialiti  is  to  extort  money  from 
rich  people  with  unnatural  pas- 
sions. 

Le  persillard  qui,  une  fois  d'accord  avec 
le  chanteur  pour  duper  son  douillard,  de- 
vient  alors  son  compfere,  c'est-i-dire  son 
Jdsus  !  Tel  est  d^nommd  aujourd'hui  le 
persillard  exploiteur. —  Mimoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Jet,     m.     (thieves'),     musket,     or 

"  dag.'- 
Jetar,  m.  (military),  prison,  "  Irish 

theatre,  or  mill." 

J'ai  ordre  du  sous-officier  de  semaine  de 
te  faire  fourrer  au  jetar  sitfit  rentr^. — G. 

COURTELINE. 

Jet6,  adj.  (popular),  bien  — ,  or 
bien  gratte,  well  done,  well  made, 
handsome.  Etre  — ,  to  be  sent  to 
the  deuce. 

Jeter  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to  send 
roughly  away;  to  send  to  the 
deuce  ;  —  avec  perte  et  fracas,  to 
bundle  one  out  of  doors  forcibly  ; 
—  un  coup,  to  look,  "to  pipe." 
Jettes-en  un  coup  sur  le  pante, 
just  look  at  that  "cove."  Jeter 
de  la  grille,  to  suvimons,  to  re- 
quest in  the  name  of  the  law  ;  — 
une  mandole,  to  give  one  a  box 


on  the  ear,"  to  smack  one's  chops." 
(Printers')  Jeter,  to  assure.  Je 
vous  le  jette,  I  assure  you  ifs  a 
fact,  "my  Davy  on  it." 

Jeter  du  coeur  sur  carreau  (gene- 
ral), or  —  son  lest,  to  vomit,  "  to 
cast  up  accounts,  to  shoot  the  cat, 
or  to  spew."  Literally  to  throw 
hearts  on  diamonds,  or  to  threw 
onis  heart  (which  has  here  the 
meaning  of  stomach)  on  the  floor. 

Jeton,  m.  (popular),  coin. 

Jeu  de  dominos,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  set  of  teeth.  Montrer  son 
— ,  to  show  one's  teeth,  "  to  flash  '* 
cn^s  "ivories." 

Jeune  France  (literary),  namegiven 
to  young  men  of  the ' '  £cole  roman- 
tique  "  in  iS^o— the  " Byronian  '* 
school. 

lis  out  fait  de  moi  un  Jeune  France  ac- 
compli .  .  .  j'ai  une  raie  dans  les  cheveux 
k  la  Raphael .  .  .  j'appelle  bourgeois  ceux 
qui  ont  un  col  de  chemise. — Th.  Gautier. 

Jeune  homme,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  measure  of  wine  of  the 
capacity  of  four  litres.  Avoir  son 
— ,  to  be  drunk,  "screwed."  For 
synonyms  see  Pompette. 
Tiens  ta  langue,  tu  as  ton  jeune  homme, 

roupille  dans  ton  coin. — £.  Monteil. 

Suivez-moi  — ,  ribbons  worn  in 
the  rear  of  ladies'  dresses,  or  "  fol- 
low me,  lads." 

Jinglard.     See  Ginglard. 

Jiroble,  adj.  (thieves'),  for  girofle, 
pretty. 

Job,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  silly  fel- 
lo%v,  or  "flat."  Monterle  — ,  to  de- 
wsW,  "to bamboozle."  Semonter 
le  — ,  to  entertain  groundless  hopes. 
Job  is  an  abbreviation  of  jobard. 

Jobarder  (general),  to  deceive,  to 
dupe,  to  fool  one,  "  to  bamboozle. " 
The  equivalents  for  to  deceive  are 
in  the  different  varieties  of  jargon  r 
"mener  en  bateau,  monter  un 
bateau,  donner  un  pont  ^  faucher. 


Jobelin — Joiier. 


215 


promener  quelqu'un,  compter  des 
mistoufles,  gourrer,  affluer,  rouster, 
a£futer,  bouler,  amarrer,  battre 
I'antif,  emblgmer,  mettre  dedans, 
empaumer,  enfoncer,  allumer,  his- 
ser  un  gandin,  entortiller,  faire  voir 
le  tour,  la  faire  a  I'oseille,  refaire, 
refaire  au  meme,  faire  la  barbe, 
faire  la  queue,  flancher,  pigeonner, 
juiffer,"  &c.  ;  and  in  the  English 
slang  or  cant,  "to  stick,  to  bilk, 
to  do,  to  best,  to  do  brown,  to 
bounce,  to  take  in,  to  kid,  to 
gammon,"  &c. 

Jobelin,  m.  (old  word),  jargon  — , 
cant. 

Sergens  \  pied  et  i  cheval, 
Venez-y  d'aniont  et  d'aval, 
Les  hoirs  du  defTunct  Pathelin, 
Qui  scavez  jargon  jobelin. 
Villon,  Les  R epeues /ranches  de 
Francois  Villon  et  de  ses  com- 
pagnoHSf  15th  century. 

Joberie,  f.  (popular),  nonsense, 
"  tomfoolery." 

Jobisme,  m.  [populsLr),  poverty. 

Desroches  a  roul^  comme  nous  sur  les 
fumiers  du  Jobisme. — Balzac. 

Compare  with  the  English  ex- 
pression, "as  poor  as  Job's  tur- 
key;" "  as  thin  and  as  badly  fed,' 
says  the  Slang  Dictionary,  "  as 
that  ill-conditioned  and  imaginary 
bird." 

Jocko,  m.  (familiar),  pain  — ,  loaf  of 
an  elongated  shape. 

Jocko,  pain  long  k  la  mode  depuis  1824, 
ann^e  ofi-  le  singe  Jocko  ^tait  ^  la  mode. — 
L.  Larchey,  Diet.  Hist,  d^ Argot. 

Jocrissiade,  f.  (familiar),  stupid 
action.    Jocrisse,  simpleton. 

Jojo,  adj.  and  m.  (popular),  pretty  ; 
simpleton,  Faire  son  — ,  to  play 
the  fool. 

Jonc,  VI.  (thieves'),  gold,  or"redge." 
Etre  sur  les  joncs,  to  be  in  prison, 
"in  quod."  Un  bobe,  or  un  bo- 
binot  de  — ,  a  gold  watch,  a  "  red 
toy." 


Joncher  (thieves'),  to  gild. 

Joncherie,  /  (popular),  deceit, 
swindle.     The  word  is  old. 

Adonc  le  Penancier  vit  bien 
Qu'il  y  eut  quelc^ue  tromperie  ; 
Quand  il  entendit  le  moyen, 
11  coDgneut  bien  la  joncherie. 

Poisies  attribuies  d  Villon. 
iSth  century. 

Joncheur,  m.  (thieves'),  gilder. 

Jonquille,  adj.  (popular),  mari  ■ — , 
injured  husband.  An  allusion  to 
the  alleged  favourite  colour  of 
cuckolds. 

Jorne,  m.  (thieves'),  day  (Italian 
giorno).     Refaite  de  — ,  breakfast. 

Jose,  m.  (popular),  bank-note.  From 
papier  Joseph,  tracing  paper. 

Joseph,  m.  (familiar),  over-virtuous 
man.  Faire  le  or  son  — ,  to  give 
oneself  virtuous  airs.  An  allusion 
to  the  story  of  Madame  Potiphar 
and  Joseph. 

Je  me  disais  aussi :  voil^  un  gaillard  qui 
fait  le  Joseph.  II  doit  y  avoir  une  raison. 
— A.  Dumas  fils. 

Josephine,  /  (thieves'),  skeleton 
key,  or  "  betty. " 

Tel  grinche  s'arretera  ^  faire  le  barbot 
dans  une  cambriolle  (k  voler  dans  une 
chambre).  _  S'il  a  oubli^  sa  Josephine  (fausse 
clef),  jamais  il  ne  se  servira  de  la  Josephine 
d'un  autre  de  pcur  d'attraper  des  punaises, 
c'est-k-dire  de  manquer  son  coup  ou  d'avoir 
affaire  a  un  mouchard. — Memoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

(Popular)  Faire  sa  — ,  is  said 
of  a  woman  who  puts  on  vir- 
tuous airs,  indignantly  tossing 
her  head,  or  blushingly  casting 
down  her  eyes,  &'c. 
Jouasser  (familiar),  to  play  badly 
at  a  game  or  on  an  instrument. 

Jouasson  (famiUar),  poor  player. 

Jouer  (popular),  a  la  ronfle,  or  de 
I'orgue,  to  snore,  "  to  drive  one's 
pigs  to  market;"  — des  guiboUes, 
to  run  away,  "  to  leg  it ;  "  see 
Patatrot ;  —  du  cceur,  to  vomit. 


2l6 


Jojijouter — Jules. 


"  to  shoot  the  cat;  "  (familiar  and 
popular)  —  de  la  harpe,  to  stroke 
a  woman's  dress,  as  Taiiuffe  with 
Elmire^  or  otherwise  to  take  certain- 
liberties  with  her.  See  Harpe. 
Jouer  des  mandibules,  to  eat,  "to 
grub  ;  "  see  Mastiquer ;  —  du 
Napoleon,  to  be  generous  with  one's 
money,  "to  come  down  hand- 
some ; "  an  allusion  to  napoleon, 
a  t-tventy-franc  coin  ;  —  du  fifre, 
to  go  without  food ;  —  du  piano 
is  said  of  a  horse  which  has  a  dis- 
tinited  trot,  or  of  a  man  who  is 
knock-kneed;  —  du  pouce,  to  give 
money,  "to  fork  out;"  to  spend 
freely  one's  money.  The  expres- 
sion is  old  ;  Villon  uses  it  in  his 
dialogue  of  Messieurs  de  Malle- 
faye  et  de  Baillevent,  15th  cen- 
tury : — 

M.  Sang  bieu,  la  mousse 

M'a  trop  coust^.    B.   Et  pourquoy?    M. 
Pource. 

B.  Hay  !  hay  I  tout  est  mal  compass^. 

M.  Comment?  B.  Onnejoueplusdupoulce. 
Jouer  comme  un  fiacre,  to  play 
badly;  —  la  fiUe  de  I'air,  to  run 
away,  "to  slope."  SeePatatrot. 
(Theatrical)  Jouer  i  I'avant-scene, 
to  stand  close  to  the  footlights  when 
acting ;  —  devant  les  banquettes, 
to  perform  before  an  empty  house  ; 
(thieves')  —  4  la  main  chaude,  to 
be  guillotined.  Literally  ^o  play  hot 
cockles.  See  Fauche.  Jouer  de 
la  harpe,  to  be  in  prison,  or  "in 
quod  ; "  —  du  linve,  or  du  vingt- 
deux,  to  knife,  or  "to  chive;" 
— ■  du  violon,  to  file  iron  bars  or 
irons. 

Joujouter   (popular),    to  play ;  to 
frolic. 

Jour  de  la  Saint  Jean  Baptiste, 

m.    (thieves'),   execution  day,    or 
"wry-neck  day." 

Journfie  gourd  (Breton  cant),  good 
day's  profits. 

Journoyer  (popular),  to  do  nothing 
at  all. 


Jouste,  or  juste   (thieves'),    near. 
From  the  old  word  jouxte,  Latin 
juxta.     Je    trimardais    jouste    la 
lourde,  /  was  passing  close  to  the    , 
door.  I ,' 

Joyeuse,  /  (thieves'),  sword,  or 
' '  poker. " 

Joyeux,  m.  pi.  (military),  men  of 
the  "  bataillon  cfAfrique,"  a  corpsi 
recruited  with  military  convicts,/ 
who  on  being  liberated  serve  the 
remainder  of  their  term  of  service! 
in  this  corps.  ' 

Jubile,  /  (glove-makers'),  pieces  of 
glove  skins,  the  perquisites  ofgloveA 
makers.  I 

Jubile,  peau  ^conomis^e  par  rouvrier 
gantier  sui-  celles_  qu'on  lui  a  confides  pour 
tailler  une  douzaine  de  paires  de  gants. — 
L.  Larchey,  Diet.  Hist.  iT Argot. 

Judas,  m.  (popular),  barbe  de  — , 
red  beard.  Bran  de  — ,  speckles. 
Le  point  de  — ,  thirteen. 

Judasser  (popular),  to  betray;  to 
act  as  a  "  cat  in  the  pan,"  or,  in 
thieves'  cant,  "  to  turn  snitch." 

Judasserie,/  (popular),  treacherous 
show  of  friendship. 

Judee,/  (thieves'),  la  petite  — ,  iV/- 
fecture  de  police,  headquarters  of 
the  police,  situated  formerly  in  the 
Rue  de  Jerusalem ;  hence  the  ex- 
pression. 

Juge,  m.  iprisoneis'),  young ofender 
who  has  been  sentenced  to  be  con- 
fined in  a  house  of  correction. 

Juge  de  paix,  m.  (thieves'),  stick; 
a  kind  of  roulette  at  Tvine-shops  ; 
(gamblers')  pack  of  cards,  or 
"book  of  broads." 

Jugeotte,  /  (popular),  intellect. 

Jugulant,  adj.  (popular),  annoying. 

Juguler  (popular),  to  strangle;  to 
bore;  to  cry  out.  Scrongnieugneu ! 
que  j' jugulais  !  darn  it,  I  cried  t 

Jules,  tn.  (popular),  chamberpot,  or 


Jumelles — Kroumir. 


217 


"jerry."  AUer  chez  • — ,  to  ease 
oneself.  (Military)  Prendre,  pin- 
cer,  or  tiier  les  oreilles  a  — ,  to 
carry  away  the  privy  tub.  Passer 
la  jambe  a  — ,  to  empty  the  afore- 
said tub.  Travailler  pour  — ,  to 
eat.     Des  jules,  socks. 

Jumelles,/  pi.  (popular),  breech. 

Juponnier,  m.  (common),  one  fond 
of  the  petticoat. 

Jus,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
ivine;  —  de  baton,  thrashing  with 
a  stick;  —  d'echalas,  wine;  —  de 
reglisse,  negro ;  —  de  chapeau, 
■weak  coffee.  Avoir  du  — ,  to  be  ele- 
gant, dashing.  Avoir  du  —  de 
navet  dans  les  veines,  to  be  devoid 
of  energy.  (Popular)  jus, /J-ij/f<f«» 
business,  Hardi !  du  —  de  bras, 
now,  with  a  will,  my  lads  ! 

Encore  un  tour  au  treuil !    Hardi !    Du 
jus  de  bras ! 

RiCHEPIN,  La  Mer. 

Se  coller  un  coup  de  — ,  to  get 


drunk.  (Sailors')  Jus  de  cancre, 
landsman,  or  "  land-lubber. "  Du 
—  de  botte  premier  brin,  rum  of 
the  best  quality. 

Jusqu'i  la  gauche  (military),  to  a 
great  extent ;  for  a  long  time. 

Vous  serez  consign^  jusqu'  k  la  gauche  . . . 
c'dtait  son  mot  ce  *'jusqu'k  !a  gauche," 
une  expression  de  caserne  .  .  .qui  ne  sig- 
nifiait  pas  grand  chose  .  .  .  mais  personni- 
fiait  I'lStemit^.— G.  Coukteline. 

Jusqu'4  plus  soif  (popular),  to 
excess. 

Juste,/  (thieves'),  the  assizes, 

Juste-milieu,  m.  (familiar),  the  be^ 
hind.     See  Vasistas. 

Juter  de  I'ceil  (popular),  to  weep. 

Spice  de  tourte,  n'jute  done  pas  d'  I'oeil 
d'une  fagonaussi  incongrue.— G.  Feison. 

Juteux,  adj.  (dandies'),  elegant; 
decking.  (Familiar)  Affaire  ju- 
teuse,  profitable  transaction,  a 
"fat  job." 


K 


Kebir,  m.  (military),  commander  of 
a  corps.  From  the  Arab.  Also 
colonel. 

Kif-kif  (popular),  all  the  same. 

Expression  qui  vient  des  Arabes,  im- 
port&  assuriment  dans  I'atelier  parquelque 
Z^phir  ou  quelque  Zouave  typograijhe. 
Dans  le  patois  algdrien,  kif-kif  signifie, 
semblable  a.— Boutmy. 

C'est  —  bourico  or  bourriquo,  it  is 
all  the  same  ;  it  comes  to  the  same 
thing. 

Que  tu  dises  comme  moi  ou  qu'  tu  discs 
pas  comme  moi  (;a  fait  jus'  kif-kif  bour- 
riquo.—^G.  COURTELINE. 

Kil,  m.  (roughs'),  litre  of  wine.    Je 


me  suis  triiverse  d'un  — ,  /  have 

drunk  a  litre  of  wine. 
Kilo,  m.  (popular),  litre  of  wine ; 

false  chignon.     Deposer  un  — ,  to 

ease  oneself. 
Klebjer  (popular),  to  eat. 
Kolback,  m.  (popular),  small  glass 

of  brandy  ;  a  large  glass  of  wine. 
Koxnoff,  adj.  (popular),  excellent. 
Krak,  m.  ((axcnXax),  general  collapse 

of  financial  firms  in  Austria  some 

years  ago. 
Kroumir,  m.  (popular),  rough  fel- 
low ;  dirty  or  "  chatty  "fellow. 


2l8 


La — Ldchage. 


La,  m.  (familiar),  donner  le  — ,  to 
give  the  tone. 

Labadens  (theatrical),  old  school- 
fellow. 

Depuis  le  vaudeville  amusant  de  Labiche 
(I'affaire  de  la  Rue  de  Lourcine)  qui  a  mis 
ce  terme  k  la  mode,  il  a  pris,  avec  le  proems 
Bazaine,  une  valeur  historique.  Quand 
R6gnier  voulut  en  effet  etre  mis  en  la  pre- 
sence du  mardchal,  il  se  fit  annoncer  ainsi : 
"Dites  que  c'est  un  vieux  Labadens." — 

LoR^DAN  LaRCHEY. 

Labago  (thieves'),  is  equivalent  to 
la-bas,  yonder.  Gaffine  — ,  la 
riflette  t'exhibe,  look  yonder,  the 
spy  has  his  eye  on  you. 

Li-bas  (prostitutes'),  the  Saint- 
Lazare  prison,  a  place  of  confine- 
ment for  prostitutes  who  offend 
against  the  law,  or  are  detected 
plying  their  trade  without  due 
authorization  of  the  police; 
(thieves')  the  com)ict  settlement  in 
New  Caledonia  or  at  Cayenne, 

Laboratoire,  m.  (eating-house 
keepers'),  the  kitchen,  a  place 
where  food  is  often  prepared  by 
truly  chemical  processes  ;  hence 
the  appellation, 

L'absinthe  ne  vaut  rien  apr^s 
diner  (printers'),  words  used  rue- 
fully by  a  typo  to  express  his  bitter 
disappointment  at  finding,  on  re- 


turning from  dinner,  that  he  has 
corrections  of  his  own  to  attend  to. 

Dans  cette  locution,  on  joue  sur  "l*ab- 
sinthe,"  consid^r^e  cooime  breuvage  et 
comme  plante.  La  plante  possfede  une  sa- 
veur  "amere."  Avec  quel.e  "  amertume" 
le  compagnon  restaure,  bien  dispos,  se  voit 
oblige  de  se  "  coUer  "  sur  le  marbre  pour 
faire  un  travail  non  paye,  au  moment  oil  il 
se  proposait  de  pomper  avec  acharnement. 
DdjtL,  comme  Perrette,  il  avait  escomptd 
cet  apres-diner  productif. — Boutmy. 

Lac,  ?«.  (thieves'),  etre  dans  le  — , 
to  be  very  "  hard  up  ; "  to  be  in  a 
fix  or  in  trouble,  in  a  "  hole." 
Mettre  dans  le  — ,  to  deceive,  to 
make  one  fall  into  a  trap.  (Game- 
sters') Mettre  dans  le  — ,  to  lose 
all  one's  money,  to  have  ' '  blewed  " 
it. 

Au  cercle,  oCi  la  conversation  vient  de 
rouler  sur  la  mort  tragique  du  roi  de  Ba- 
viere,  un  ponte  perd  un  louis  au  baccarat, 
en  tiiant  k  cinq : — aliens,  dit-il  d'un  air 
r^signd,  encore  un  louis  dans  le  lac ! — Le 
Voltaire^  Juin,  1886. 

In  the  above  quotation  an  allusion 
is  made  to  Louis,  King  of  Bavaria, 
who  committed  suicide. 

Lacets,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  handcuffs, 
or  "bracelets."  Marchand  or 
soUiceur  de  — ,  gendarme. 

Ldchage,  m.  (popular),  the  act  of 
forsaking  one. 


L  Ache — L  aisser. 


219 


L^che,  m.  (popular),  Saint  — , 
lazy  workman;  one  who  likes  to 
lounge  about,  who  is  "  Monday- 
ish." Reciter  la  pri^re  de  Saint 
— ,  to  sleep,  or  "to  doss." 

LScher  (popular),  les  ecluses,  son 
ecureuil,  or  une  naiade,  to  void 
urine,  or  "to  pump  ship."  Termed 
also  "changer  ses  olives  d'eau, 
lascailler,  ecluser,  faire  le  petit, 
changer  son  poisson  d'eau,  faire 
pleurer  son  aveugle,  lancer,  quim- 
per  la  lance,  giter  de  I'eau,  arroser 
les  pissenlits ; "  —  une  pastille, 
to  break  wind ;  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar) —  d'un  cran,  to  leave  one ; 
to  rid  him  of  one^ s presence  ;  —  la 
perche,  to  die  ;  —  les  ecluses,  to 
weep,  to  blubber,  "  to  nap  a  bib ;" 
—  le  coude,  to  leave  one  alone, 

LSchez-nous  done  le  coude  avec  votre 
politique  !  cria  le  zin^eur.  Lisez  les  as- 
sassinats,  c'est  plus  rigolo. — Zoj.a,  L'As- 
sommair. 

Lacher  le  paquet,  to  disclose. 

Et  Madame  Lerat,  effrayee,  r^p^tant 
qu'elle  n'^tait  mSme  plus  traBquille  pour 
elle,  l^cha  tout  le  paquet  k  son  frere. — 
Zola,  L,'Asstnn»ftnr. 

Lacher  la,  mousseline,  to  snow. 

Le  ciel  restait  d'une  vilaine  couleur  de 
plomb,  et  la  neige,  amassde  Ik-haut,  coifiait 
le  (juartier  d'une  calotte  de  glace.  .  .  .  Ger- 
vaise  levait  le  nez  en  priant  le  bon  Dieu  de 
ne  pas  lacher  sa  mousseline  tout  de  suite. 
•^ZoLA,  UAssommoir. 

Lacher  une  femme,  to  break  off 
onis  connection  with  a  mistress, 
'  "to  bury  a  moll ;"  —  un  cran,  to 
undo  a  button  or  two  after  dinner. 
Se  —  d'une  somme,  to  spend  re- 
luctantly a  sum  of  money.  (Thea- 
trical) Lacher  la  rampe,  to  die,  see 
Pipe ;  (thieves')  —  un  pain,  to 
giveablow,ot"'XYpt."  (General) 
Se  — ,  Rigaud  says  :  "  Produire 
ensoci^te  un  bruit  trop  personnel." 

Lacromuche,  m.  (popular),  wo- 
men's bully,  or  "  Sunday  man." 


For  synonymous  expressions  see 
Poisson. 

Lafarger  (popular),  to  poison.  An. 
allusion  to  the  celebrated  Lafarge 
poisoning  case. 

Laffe,/".  (thieves'),  soup. 

Lagad-ijen  (Breton  cant),yfw^aK<: 
piece. 

Lago  (thieves'),  there.  Gaffine  — 
le  pante  se  fait  la  debinette,  look 
there,  the.  "cove"  is  running 
away. 

Lagout,  m.  (thieves'),  water 
("  agout  "  with  the  article). 

Laigre,  f.  (thieves'),  fair ;  market. 
Michel  says  this  word  is  no  other 
than  the  adjective  "  alaigre,"  of 
which  the  initial  letter  has  dis- 
appeared. 

Laine,y!  (tailors'),  work,  "graft."' 
Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  have  some  work 
to  do.  (Thieves')  Tirer  la  — ,  was 
formerly  the  tertn  for  stealing- 
cloaks  from  the  person  ;  hence  the 
old  expression  tire-laine,  thief  who 
stole  cloaks. 

Laine,  m.  (thieves'),  sheep,  or 
"  wool-bird." 

Lais£e,  f.  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
prostitute,  or  "  bunter."  See 
Gadoue. 

Laisser  (familiar  and  popular),  aller 
le  chat  au  fromage  (obsolete),  is- 
said  of  a  girl  who  allows  her- 
self to  be  seduced,  who  loses  her- 
rose;  —  tombgr  son  pain  dans 
la  sauce  (obsolete),  to  manage 
matters  so  as  to  get  profit  out  of 
some  transaction  ;  —  ses  bottes. 
quelque  part,  to  die.  The  expres- 
sion is  found  in  Le  Roux's  Diet. 
Comique.  Laisser' fuir  son  ton- 
neau,  to  die,  "  to  kick  the  bucket."' 
See  Pipe.  Laisser  pisser  le 
merinos,  to  wait  for  one's  oppor- 


220 


Laii — Lanc^. 


tunity.  Synonymous  of  Laisser 
pisser  le  mouton,  a  proverbial 
saying. 

Lait,  m.  (thieves'),  a  bfoder,  ink. 
(Theatrical)  Boire  du  — ,  to  be  ap- 
plauded. 

A  peine  le  couplet  est-il  chants,  au  mi- 
ilieu  des  applaudissements  pay6s,_que  Bidtry 
.  .  .  salue  ,  .  .  tous  les  appiaudisseurs  .  . . 
tl  n'est  pas  le  seul,  ce  soir-ISi,  k  boire  du 
feit,  comme  on  dit  en  style  de  th6^tre. — 
MiTTtoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

La'lus  (familiar),  speech,  or  dis- 
course. Piquer  un — ,  to  make  a 
speech. 

Lambiasse,/.  (popular),  rags. 

I^ame,  /  (military),  vieille  —  !  old 
chum  ! 

Lamin«  (thieves'),  Le  Mans,  a 
town. 

JLampagne  du  cam,  /  (thieves'), 
country,  or  "drum."  It  is  the 
word  "  campagne"  itself  disguised 
in  the  following  way.  The  first 
consonant  is  replaced  by  the  letter 
1,  and  the  word  is  followed  by  its 
first  syllable  preceded  by  "du" 
(Richepin).  English  thieves  and 
gypsies  have  a  similar  mode 
of  distorting  words,  termed  gib- 
berish ;  called  also  pedlar's  French, 
St.  Giles's  Greek,  and  the  Flash 
tongue.  Gibberish  means  a  kind 
of  disguised  language  formed  by 
inserting  any  consonant  between 
each  syllable  of  an  English  word, 
in  which  case  it  is  called  the  gib- 
berish of  the  letter  inserted ;  if  F, 
it  is  the  F  gibberish ;  if  G,  the  G 
gibberish ;  as  in  the  sentence. 
How  do  you  do  ?  Howg  dog  youg 
dog? 

Lampas,  m.  (common),  throat,  or 
"red  lane." 

Pour  I'histoire  de  s' assurer  de  la  qualite 
■du  liquide  et  s'arroser  le  lampas. — 
Ladimir. 


Lampe,  /  (freemasons'),  drinking- 
glass. 

Lampie,  /.  (thieves'),  meal.  From 
lamper,  to  gulp  down. 

Lampion,  m.  (thieves'),  hat; 
bottle;  —  rouge,  police  officer, 
"copper,  or  reeler."  For  syno- 
nymous expressions  see  Pot-4- 
tabac. 

Lampions,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  eyes, 
or  "glaziers,"  see  Mirettes;  — 
fumeux,  inflamed  eyes.  Des  —  ! 
Des  —  !  a  call  expressive  of  the 
impatience  of  a  crowd,  or  rough 
elements  of  an  audience,  and  made 
more  forcible  by  stamping  of  feet. 

Lance,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
water,  or  "  Adam's  ale ;"  rain,  or 
"parney.'' 

C'est  ga^£  !  faites  servir  !  six  litres  de 
vin  !  six  litres  sans  lance  1  —  Catichisme 
Poissard. 

This  word  is  "ance"  with  the 
article.  Michel  says,  "a««vient 
du  terme  de  la  vieille  germania 
espagnole  (Spanish  cant)  ansia, 
qui  lui-meme  est  une  aipocope 
i'angustia  ;  en  effet  I'eau  etait  un 
instrument  de  torture  fort  employe 
autrefois."  II  tombe  de  la — ,  it 
rains.  Lance,  broom;  shoemaker's 
awl.  Chevalier  de  la  courte  — ,  or 
de  Saint-Crepin,  shoemaker,  or 
"snob."  Du chenu pivois sans — , 
good  wine  ivithowt  water.  Lance 
had  formerly  thesame  signification 
as  Flageolet,  which  see. 

Lance,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  agile 
play  of  dancers'  legs  at  dancing 
halls. 

Paul  a  un  coup  de  pied  si  vainqueur 
et  Rigolette  un  si  voluptueux  saut  de 
carpe  !  Les  spectateurs  s'int^ressaient  ^ 
cet  assaut  de  lancd  vigoureux. — ^VlTU. 

(Familiar)  Lance,  slightly  intoxi- 
cated, or  "  elevated."  See  Pom- 
pette. 


Lancequiner — Lansquine. 


221 


Lancequiner  (popular),  to  rain  ;  to 
weep  ;  to  void  urine. 

Lancer  (thieves'),  to  void  urine. 
See  Lacher.  (Popular)  Lancer 
son  prospectus,  to  ogle, 

Lanceur,  m.  (familiar),  bon  — , 
bookseller  who  is  clever  at  making 
known  to  the  public  a  new  publica- 
tion, ' '  un  dtouffeur  "  being  the  re- 
verse. (Police)  Lanceur  allumeur, 
a  politician,  generally  a  journalist, 
in  the  employ  of  the  police  of  the 
Third  Empire.  His  functions  con- 
sisted in  exciting  people  to  re- 
bellion either  by  inflammatory 
speeches  at  public  meetings  or  by 
violent  articles. 

On  appelle  allumeurs,  en  termes  de  police, 
les  agents  provocateurs  charge  de  se  meler 
aux  soci^t^s  secretes,  aux  manifestations 
populaires.  .  ^  .  Les  allumeuis  filrent  a€€s 
sous  I'empire ;  lis  devinrent,  sous  la  direc« 
tion  de  M.  Lagrange,  la  fleur  du  panier  de  la 
prefecture.  Ce  fonctionn&ire  fut  lui-mSme 
.  . .  avec  un  nomm^  P.  le  metteur  en  osuvre 
du  complot  de  rOp^ia-Comique  .  .  .  qui 
aboutit  k  cinquante-sept  arrestations  .  .  . 
et  iinit  par  mettre  sur  la  defensive  tous 
les  rdpublicains. — Mimoires  de  Motisieur 
Claude. 

Lanceuse,  f.  (familiar),  super- 
annuated cocotte  who  acts  as  the 
chaperone  of  a  younger  one. 

Lancier,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
individual,  or  "cove." 

Que'qu'  ]*y  foutrai  dans  la  trompette, 
A  c*  lancier-lk,  s'il  vient  vivant  ? 

RlCHEFlN, 

Lancier  du  prefet,  street-sweeper 
in  the  employ  of  the  municipal 
authorities. 

Lanciers,  m,  pi.  (popular),  oui,  les 
—  !  nonsense!  "  tell  that  to  the 
marines !  "  "  how's  your  brother 
Job  ?  "  or  "do  you  see  any  green  in 
my  eye  ?  " 

Landau  k  baleines,  m.  (popular), 
umbrella, ^^  mush,  or  rain-napper." 

Landernau,  m.  (familiar),  name  of 
a  small  town  in  Brittany.     II  y 


aura  du  bruit  dans  — ,  is  said  of  an 
insignificant  event  which  will  set 
going  the  tongues  of  people  who 
have  nothing  else  to  do.  The  ex- 
pression has  passed  into  the  lan- 
guage. 

Landier,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
official  of  the  octroi.  The  "octroi" 
is  the  office  established  at  the  gates 
of  a  tovim  for  the  collection  of  a 
tax  due  for  the  introduction  of 
certain  articles  of  food  or  drink. 
(Thieves')  Landier,  white. 

Landifere,  /.  (old  cant),  stall  at  a 
fair. 

On  sait  que  le  Landit  ^tait  une  foire 
cdlebre  qui  se  tenait  k  Saint-Denis. — 
Michel. 

Landreux,  adj.  (popular),  invalid. 

Langouste,_/;  (popular),  simpleton, 
greenhorn,  "  flat." 

Langue,  /.  (familiar),  verte,  slang 
of  gamesters.  Also  slang.  The 
expression  is  Delvau's.  (Popular) 
Avaler  sa  — ,  to  die,  "  to  kick  the 
bucket."  See  Pipe.  Prendre  sa 
—  des  dimanches,  to  ttse  choice 
language.  (Familiar  and  popular) 
Une  —  fourree,  lingua  duplex,  id 
est  quum  basils  lingua  lingua  pro- 
miscetur  (Rigaud). 

Languineur,  m.  (popular),  man 
whose  functions  are  to  examine  the 
tongues  of  pigs  at  the  slaughter- 
house to  ascertain  that  they  are  not 
diseased. 

Lansquailler  (thieves').  See  Las- 
cailler. 

Lansque  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
lansquenet. 

Lansquinage,  m.  (thieves'),  weep- 
ing, 

Lansquine,  /  (thieves'),  rain,  or 
"pamy." 

Aussi  j'suis  gai  ^uand  la  lansquine, 
M'a  trempd  I'cuir,  j'm'essuie  1  echine 
Dans  I'vent  qui  passe  et  m'fait  joli. 

RiCHEPIH. 


222 


L  ansquiner — L  apit, 


Lansquiner  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to 
rain  ;  —  des chasses,  to  weep,  "to 
nap  a  bib." 

Lanteoz  (Breton  cant),  butter. 

Lanteme,  f.  (popular),  window, 
"jump."  Radouber  la  — ,  to  talk, 
to  tattle.  The  expression  is  old. 
Avoir  la  — ,  or  se  taper  sur  la  — , 
to  be  hungry,  "to  be  bandied,  or 
to  cry  cupboard."  Vieille — ,old 
prostitute.  See  Gadoue.  (Popu- 
lar) Lanternes  de  cabriolet,  large 
goggle  eyes. 

Oh  !  c'est  vrai !  t'as  les  yeux  comme  les 
lanternes  de  ton  cabriolet. — Gavarni. 

Lantim&che,  m.  (popular),  lamp- 
lighter ;  also  a  word  equivalent  to 
"thingumbob."  II  a  file  avec  — 
pour  mener  les  poules  pisser,  a 
derisive  reply  to  one  inquiring 
about  the  whereabouts  of  a  person. 

Lanturlu,  m.  (popular),  madcap. 

Laou  Pharaou  (Breton  cant),  body 
lice. 

Lapin,    m.    (popular),    apprentice. 
Des   lapins,    shoes,    or    "  trotter- 
cases."     (Familiar   and   popular) 
Lapin,  a  clever  or  sturdy  fellow. 
Ah !  tu  es  un  lapin !  .  .  .  lui  disaient 
tous  ceux  qu'il  abordait,  il  parait  que  tu 
viens  de  faire  une  fameuse  ddcouverte  !  on 
parle  de  toi  pour  la  Croix  ! — E.  Gaboriau, 
M.  Lecoq. 

Etre  en  — ,  to  ride  by  the  aide 
of  the  coachman.  Un  —  de 
gouttifere,  cat,  or  "  long-tailed 
beggar."  Coller  or  poser  un — , 
to  deceive,  to  take  in,  "to  bilk." 
It  is  said  the  expression  draws 
its  origin  from  the  practice  of 
certain  sportsmen  who  used  to  in- 
vite themselves  to  dinner  at  some 
friend's  house  in  the  country,  and 
repaid  their  host  by  leaving  a 
rabbit  as  a  compensation.  The 
Slang  Dictionary  s,3.ys  that  when  a 
person  gets  the  worst  of  a  bargain 
he  is  said  "  to  have  bought  the 


rabbit,"  from  an  old  story  about 
a  man  selling  a  cat  to  a  foreigner 
for  a  rabbit.  With  reference  to 
deceiving  prostitutes  the  act  is 
described  in  the  English  slang  as 
"doing  a  bilk." 

Je  vous  demande  pardon,  m^s  le  vocable 
est  consacr^.  "  Poser  un  lapin"  fut  long- 
temps  une  definition  mals^ante,  bannie  des 
salons  ou  Ton  cause.  Maintenant,  elle  est 
admise  entre  gens  de  bonne  compagnie,  et 
le  lapin  cesse,  dans  les  mots,  de  braver 
I'honnetete. — Maxime  Boucheron, 

Un  fameux,  or  rude  — ,  a 
strong  fearless  man,  one  who  is 
"spry." 

L'homme  qui  me  rendra  rSveuse  pourra  de 
vanter  d'etre  un  rude  lapin.— Gavarni. 

Also  a  man  who  begets  many  chil- 
dren. Voler  au  — ,  or  etouffer 
un  — ,  is  said  of  a  bus  conductor 
who  swindles  his  employers  by 
pocketing  part  of  the  fares.  Mon 
vieux  — !  old  fellow  1  "old  cock!" 
(Thieves')  Lapin  ferre,  mounted 
gendarme.  {Printers')  Manger, 
un  — ,  to  attend  a  comrades 
funeral. 

Cette  locution  vient  sans  doute  de  ce 
que,  k  Tissue  de  la  ceremonie  funebre,  les 
assistants  se  r^unissaient  autrefois  dans 
quelque  restaurant  avoisinant  le  cimeti&re 
et,  en  guise  de  repas  de  fundrailles,  man- 
geaieat  un  lapin  plus  ou  moins  authentique. 

— BOUTMY. 

Concerning  this  expression,  there 
is  an  anecdote  of  a  typo  who  was 
lying  in  hospital  at  the  point  of 
death,  and  who  informed  his  sor- 
rowing friends  that  he  would  try 
and  wait  till  the  Friday  morning, 
so  that  they  might  have  all  the 
Saturday  and  Sunday  for  the  fune- 
ral feast. 

Je  tacherai  d'aller  jusqu'k  demain  soir 
.  .  .  parceque  les  amis  auraient  ainsi  samedi 
et  dlmanche  pour  boulotter  mon  "  lapin." 
Cela  ne  vaut-il  pas  le  "  plaudite  I "  de  rem- 
pereur  Auguste,  ou  le  Baissez  le  rideau, 
la  farce  est  jouge  !"  de  notre  vieux  Rabe- 
lais?— BOUTMY. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  C'est  le 
—  qui  a  commence  is  said  ironi- 


L  apiner — L  argue. 


223 


cally  in  allusion  to  a  difference  or 
fight  between  a  strong  man  and  a 
weak  one,  when  the  latter  is  worsted 
and  blamed  into  the  bargain,  A 
cartoon  of  the  late  artist  Gill,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  assassination  of 
Victor  Noir  by  Pierre  Bonaparte 
in  the  last  days  of  the  Third  Em- 
pire, depicted  the  two  principal 
actors  in  that  mysterious  affair 
under  the  features  of  a  fierce  bull- 
dog and  a  rabbit,  with  the  saying, 
"  C'est  le  lapin  qui  a  commence," 
for  a  text  line. 
Lapiner  (general),  to  cheat  a  prosti- 
tute by  not  paying  her  her  dues. 

Laqueuse,/.  (familiar  and  popular), 
cocotte  who  walks  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  lake  at  the  Bois  de  Boulogne. 
See  Gadoue. 

Larantque,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  two-franc  coin. 

Larbin,  m.  (general),  man-servant, 
footman,   "  flunkey,"  or  "  bone- 
picker." 
Le  savoureux  Lebeau  .  . .  ancien  valet 

de  pied  aux  Tuileries,  laissait  voir  le  hideux 

larbin  qu'il  €tait,  Spre  au  gain  et  _k  la  cur^e. 

— A.  Daudet,  Les  Rois  en  Exit. 

(Popular)  Larbin  savonne,  knave 
of  cards. 
Larbine,/  (popular),  maid-servant, 
"  slavey." 

Larbinerie,/  (familiar),  set  of  ser- 
vants, "flunkeydom,  or  flun- 
keyism. " 

Larcottier,  m.  (old  cant),  one  who 
yields  too  often  to  the  promptings  of 
a  well-developed  buvip  of  amative- 
ness,  a  "beard-splitter." 

Lard,  m.  (popular),  disreputable 
woman  ;  mistress  ;  skin,  or  body. 
Sauver  son  — ,  to  save  one's 
"bacon."  Perdre  son  — ,  to  be- 
come thin.  Faire  son  — ,  to  put 
on  a  conceited  look.  (General) 
Faire  du  — ,  to  lie  in  bed  of  a 


morning.  (Thieves')  Manger  du 
— ,  to  inform  against,  "  to  turn 
snitch." 

Larda  (Breton  cant),  to  beat. 

Lard£,   m.    (popular),  un  —  aux 
pommes,    mess    of  potatoes    and 
bacon. 
Au  pnx  oil  sent  les  lard^s  aux  pommes 

aux  trente-neuf  marmites.  —  Tarn-  TaiM  d\i 

6  Juin,  1880. 

Lard^e,  f.  (printers'),  composition 
full  of  italics  and  roman. 

Larder  (obsolete),  explained  by 
quotation : — 

Terme  libre,  qui  signiiie,  faire  le  ddduit, 
se  divertir  avec  une  femme. — Le  Roux, 
Diet.  Comique. 

(Popular  and  military)  to  pierce 
with  a  sword  or  knife.  Se  faire  — , 
to  be  stabbed  or  to  receive  a  sword- 
thrust. 

Lardives,  f.pl.  (prostitutes'),y?»«3/« 
companions  of  prostitutes. 

Aprfes  tout,  mes  lardives  ne  valent  pas 
mieux  que  moi  et  leurs  megs  valent  le 
pante  que  j'ai  Islchd  parcequ'il  m'embetait. 
^Mitnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Lardoire,  f.  (popular),  sword,  or 
"  toasting  fork." 

Large,  adj.  andm.  (popular),  il  est 
— ,  mais  c'est  des  epaules  is  said 
ironically  of  a  close-fisted  man. 
N'en  pas  mener  — ,  to  be  ill  at 
ease  ;  crest-fallen.  Envoyer  quel- 
qu'un  au  — ,  to  send  one  to  the 
deuce. 

Largonji,  m.  (thieves'),  cant,  slang. 
Properly  the  word  jargon  dis- 
guised by  a  process  described 
under  the  heading  Lampagne 
(which  see). 

Largue,  /.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
woman,  "  hay-bag,  cooler,  shake- 
ster,  or  laced  mutton. "  Concern- 
ing the  word  Michel  says  :  "  Je 
Grains  bien  qu'une  pens^e  obscene 


224 


L  a  rguep^ — L  atin. 


n'ait  preside  a  la  creation  de  ce 
mot :  ce  qui  me  le  fait  soupjotmer, 
c'est  que  je  lis,  p.  298  du  livre 
d'Antoine  .Oudin, '  Loger  au  large, 
d'une  femme  qui  a  grand  ....  or, 
large  se  pronon^ait  largue  a  I'ita- 
lienne  et  a  I'espagnole  dfes  le  xiv"= 
siecle. '" 

Deux  mots  avaient  suffi.  Ces  deux  mots 
^taient :  vos  largues  et  votre  aubert,  vos 
femmes  et  votre  argent,  le  r^sum^  de  toutes 
les  affections  vraies  de  rhomme. — Balzac 

Largue,  mistress,  or  "  poll ; "  — 
d'alteque,  handsome  •woman^  or 
"  dimbermort  ; "  —  en  panne, 
forsaken  woman,  or  a  "  moll  that 
has  been  buried  ; "  —  en  vidange, 
female  in  childbed,  or  "  in  the 
straw."  Balancer  une — ,  to  for- 
sake a  mistress,  "to  bury  a  moll." 
(Sailors')  Grand'  — ,  excellent, 
"out  and  out."  C'est  grand'  — 
et  vrai  marin,  it  is  ' '  out  and  out," 
and  quite  sailor-like. 

Larguep^,  /  (thieves'),  prostitute, 
or  thief's  wife,  "  moUisher." 
See  Gadoue.  According  to 
Michel  this  word  is  formed  of 
largue,  woman,  and  putain, 
whore. 

Larme      du      compositeur,      f. 

(printers'),  comma. 

Larnac,    arnac,   or   amache,   m. 

(thieves'),  police  officer,  "copper," 
or  "reeler."  Rousse  a  1' — ,  de- 
tective. For  synonymous  expres- 
sions see  Vache. 

Larque,  f.  (roughs'),  woman,  or 
"cooler;"  registered  prostitute. 
A  corruption  of  largue.  See 
Gadoue. 

Larrons,  m.  pi.  (printers'),  odd 
pieces  of  paper  which  adhere  to 
sheets  in  the  press,  producing 
' '  moines  "  or  Hanks. 

Lartif,  lartie,  larton,  m.  (thieves'), 
bread,  "pannum."  Termed  also 
"briffe,  broute,  pierre  dure,  artie, 


arton,  brignolet,  bringue,  boule  de 
son,  bricheton." 

Lartille  k  plafond,  /.  (thieves'), 
pastry. 

Lartin,  m.  (old  cant),  beggar, 
"maunderer." 

Larton,  m.  (thieves'),  bread, 
"pannum;"  —  brutal,  black 
bread ;  —  savonne,  white  bread. 

Lartonnier,  m.  (thieves'),  baker. 
From  larton,  bread.  In  the  Eng- 
lish popular  lingo  a  "  dough- 
puncher." 

Lascailler  (thieves'),  to  void  urine, 
"  to  pump  ship."  For  synonyms 
see  Lacher. 

Lascar,  m.  (military),  bold,  devil- 
may-care  fellow.  AUons,  mes 
lascars  !  now,  boys  ! 

Alors  i!  se  frottait  les  mains,  faisait  des. 
blagues,  ricanait  :  Eh  !  eh !  mes  lascars,  11 
y  a  du  bon  pour  le  "  chose,"  ce  soir  ! — G. 

COURTELINE. 

The  term  is  also  used  dispa- 
ragingly with  the  signification  of 
bad  soldiers. 

Lk-dessus,  en  arrifere,  k  droite,  et  k 
gauche  .  .  .  marche  !  A  vos  ecuries,  tas 
de  lascars. — G.  Coukteline. 

(Thieves')  "Lsscax,  fellow. 

_Tous  les  lascars  k  I'atelier  pouvaient  tur- 
biner  ^  leur  gr6.  Moi,  j  e  n'avais  pas  plus  tOt 
le  dos  tournd  k  mon  ouvrage  pour  grignoter 
mon  lartif  (pain)  ou  pour  chiquer  mon  Saint- 
pere  (tabac),  que  le  louchon  ^tait  sur  moa 
dos  pour  m'ecoper. — Metnoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Las  de  chief,  m.  (popular),  grand 
— ,  big  skulking  fellow  without 
any  energy. 

Laten  (Breton  slang),  tongue. 

Latenni  (Breton  slang),  to  chatter. 

Latif,  m.  (thieves'),  white  linen, 
"lully,"  or  "snowy." 

Latin,  m.  (thieves'),  lingo,  cant, 
"flash,  thieves' Latin."  The  word 
meant  formerly  language. 


L  atine — L  azagne. 


225 


Latine,  ^  (students'),  studenfs  mis- 
tress. From  "  Quartier  Latin,"  a 
part  of  Paris  where  students 
mostly  dwell. 

Latte,  ^  (military),  cavalry  s^vord. 
Se  ficher  un  coup  de  — ,  to  fight  a 
duel. 

Laumir  (old  cant),  to  lose,  "  to 
blew." 

Laune,  m.  (thieves'),  police  officer, 
or  "  copper."  For  synonymous 
expressions  see  Pot-^-tabac. 

Laure,y;  (thieves'), iroMe/,  "nanny- 
shop,  or  academy."  Concerning 
the  inmates  of  a  clandestine  esta- 
blishment of  that  description  in 
London,  Mr.  James  Greenwood 
says : — 

They  belong  utterly  and  entirely  to  the 
devil  in  human  shape  who  owns  the  den 
that  the  wretched  harlot  learns  to  call  her 
"home."  You  would  never  dream  of  the 
deplorable  depth  of  her  destitution  if  you 
met  her  in  her  gay  attire  .  .  .  she  is  abso- 
lutely poorer  than  the  meanest  beggar  that 
ever  whined  for  a  crust.  These  women 
are  known  as  "dress  lodgers." — TheSeven 
Curses  of  London. 

Lavabe,  m.  {pop\ila.r), note  0/ hand; 
theatre  ticket  cU  reduced  price  given 
to  people  who  in  return  agree  to 
applaud  at  a  given  signal. 

Lavage,  m.,  or  lessive,/.  (gene- 
ral), sale  of  one^s  property  ;  also 
sale  of  property  at  considerable 
loss. 

Barbet  n'avait  pas  pr^vu  ce  lavage ;  il 
CTOyait  au  talent  de  Lucien  — Balzac. 

Lavares  (thieves'),  for  laver,  to  sell 
stolen  property.  Nous  irons  a 
lavarts  la  camelote  chez  le  four- 
gueur,  we  will  go  and  sell  the  pro- 
perty at  the  receiver's. 

Lavasse,  f.  (popular),  soup;  —- 
senatoriale,  rich  soup;  —  presi- 
dentieUe,  very  rich  soup. 

Lavement,  m.  (popular),  au  verre 
■^■Ai,  glass  of  rank  brandy  ;  (fami- 


liar and  popular),  troublesome  man 
or  bore  ;  (militBiy)  adjutant. 

Laver  (general),  to  spend;  to  sell. 

Vous  avez  pour  quarante  francs  de  loges 
et  de  billets  a  vendre,  et  pour  soixante 
francs  de  livres  ^  laver  au  journal.  — 
Balzac. 

(Thieves')  Laver  la  camelote,  or 
les  fourgueroles,  to  sell  stolen  pro- 
perty, "to  do  the  swag  ; "  —  son 
linge,  to  give  oneself  up  after  sen- 
tence has  been  passed  in  contu?na- 
ciavi;  —  le  linge  dans  lasaignante, 
to  kill. 

Voici  le  pante  que  j'ai  allume  devant  le 
ferlampier  (bandit)  mis  au  poteau, — il  faut 
laver  son  linge  dans  la  saignante.  Vite  ;  k 
vos  surins,  les  autres  !  Une  fuis  qu'il  sera 
refroidi,  qu'on  le  porte  k  la  cave. — Mi- 
moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Se  —  les  pieds,  se  —  les  pieds  au 
dur,  or  au  grand  pre,  to  be  trans- 
ported, "to  be  lagged,"  or  "to 
light  the  lumper."     (Popular)  Se 

—  les  yeux,  to  drink  a  glass  of 
white  wine  in  the  morning.     Se 

—  le  tuyau,  to  drink,  "  to  wet 
one's  whistle."  Va  te  —  !  go  to 
the  deitce,  go  to  "pot!"  Mon 
linge  est  lave  !  lam  beaten,  I  own 
I  have  the  worst  of  it.  (General) 
Laver,  to  sell. 

Lavette,  /.  (popular),  tongue,  or 
"red  rag." 

Lavoir,  vi.  (cads'),  confessional.  A 
place  where  one's  conscience  is 
made  snow-white.  (Familiar) 
Lavoir  public,  newspaper. 

L'avoir  encore  (popular).    Elle  I'a 
encore,  she  has  yet  her  maiden- 
head, her  rose  has   not  yet  been 
plucked. 
Lazagne,  orlazagen,/  (thieves'), 
letter,  "  screeve,  or  stiff." 
On    appelle    lasagna,    en    Italien,    une 
espece  de  mets  de  pate,  et  I'on^dit  pro- 
verbialement  "come  le  lasagne,"  comme 
les  lasagnes,  ni  endroit  ni  envers,  pour  dire, 
on  ne  sait  ce  que  c'est.    On  comprend  que, 
ignorants  comme  ils  le  sontpour  la  plupart, 
les  gutux  aient  appliqu^  ceite  expression 
0 


226 


L  azaro — L  etez. 


aux  lettres,  qui,  d'atlleurs,  sont  loin  d'etre 
toujours  lisibles.  II  y  a  aussi  des  livies 
appeMs  "  di  lasagne." — Michel. 

Balancer  une  — ,  to  write  a  Utter. 

l.azaro,OT.(military),/r2W»,"shop." 

II  lui  avaic  ouvert  la  porte  du  cachot .  .  . 
-au  fond  il  se  moquait  pas  mal  d'etre  flanqu^ 
■au  lazaro. — G.  Coubteline. 

Lazo-ligot,  m.  (police),  strap  with 

a  noose. 

Et  Col-de-zinc,  k  I'aspect  si  raide,  avait 
I'agilit^  du  Mexicain  pour  jeter  le  lazo- 
ligot,  pour  entourer  d'un  seul  coup  le  corps 
et  le  poignet  de  son  sujet  de  fagon  k  ce  que 
la  main  restat  attach^e  ^  sa  hanche. — M£- 
^noires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Lazzi-lof,  m.  (thieves'),  venereal 
malady.  Termed  "  French  gout," 
or  "ladies'  fever,"  in  the  English 
slang. 

X,feche-cur6,  m.  (popular),  bigot, 
"  prayer-monger." 

l,6cii€e,  f.{s.nisls'),picturemitiutely 
painted. 

X^gitime,  m.  and  f.  (familiar), 
husband,  or  "oboleklo  ;"  wife,  or 
■"tart. "  Manger  sa  — ,  to  squander 
(One's  fortune. 

■Ldgume,  m.  (military),  gros  — , 
field  officer,  or  "bloke."  An  al- 
lusion to  his  epaulets,  termed 
"  graine  d'epinards. " 

Lfigumiste,  m.  (familiar),  vegeta- 
rian. 

Lem,  parler  en  — ,  mode  of  dis- 
guising words  by  prefixing  the 
letter  "1,"  and  adding  the  syllable 
"  em  "  preceded  by  the  first  letter 
of  the  word;  thus  "boucher" 
becomes  "  loucherbem. "  This 
mode  was  first  used  by  butchers, 
and  is  now  obsolete.  See  Lam- 
pagne. 

Lenquetr^,  m.  (thieves'),  thirty 
sous.  The  word  "trente"  dis- 
guised. 

Lentille,  /  (thieves'),  grosse  — , 
moon,  "parish  lantern." 


L6on,  m.  (thieves'),  the  president  of 
the  assize  court. 

Lermon,  m.  (thieves'),  tin. 

Lermonner  (thieves'),  to  tin. 

Lesbien,    m.    (literary),   formerly 
termed  lesbin,  explained  by  quo- 
tation : — 
Lesbin,  _  pour  dire  un  jeune  homme  ou 

gar^on  qui  sert  de  sucube  &.  un  autre  et  qui 

souffre  qu'on  commette  la  sodomie  sur  lui. 

— Le  Roux,  Diet.  Comique, 

Lesbienne,/  (common).  Rigaud 
says  :  "  Femme  qui  suit  les  erre- 
ments  de  Sapho ;  celle  qui  cultive 
le  genre  de  depravation  attribue  ^ 
Sapho  la  Lesbienne." 

Lescailler.     See  Lascailler. 

Lfis^bombe,  orl^sie,  /  (popular), 
prostitute,  or  "mot."  For  synony- 
mous expressions  see  Gadoue. 

Lessivage,  m.  (popular),  selling 
of  property  ;  (thieves')  pleading. 

Lessivant,  m.  (thieves'),  counsel, 
or  "  mouthpiece." 

Lessive,  /.  (popular),  de  gascon, 
doubtful  cleanliness.  Faire  la  — , 
to  turn  one's  dirty  shirt-collar  or 
cuffs  on  the  clean  side.  (Literary) 
Faire  sa  — ,  to  sell  books  sent  to  one 
by  authors.  (Thieves')  Lessive, 
speech  for  the  defence.  The  pri- 
soner compares  himself  to  dirty 
linen,  to  be  washed  snow-white 
by  the  counsel. 

Lessiver  (thieves'),  is  said  of  a  bar- 
rister who  pleads  in  behalf  of  a 
prisoner.  Se  faire  — ,  to  be  cleaned 
out  at  some  game,  "to  have 
blewed  one's  tin,"  or  "to  be  a 
muck-snipe,"  or  in  sporting  slang 
a  "muggins." 

Lessiveur,  m.  (thieves'),  counsel, 
or  "mouthpiece."  Literally  one 
who  washes. 

Letern  (Breton  cant),  eye. 
Letez  (Breton  cant),  countryman. 


L  etezen — L  icher. 


227 


Letezen  (Breton  cant),  pancake. 

Lettre,  /  (thieves'),  de  Jerusalem, 
letter  written  by  a  prisoner  to 
someone  outside  the  prison,  to  re- 
quest that  some  money  may  he  sent 
him ;  —  de  couronne  (obsolete), 
cup. 

Lievage,  m.  (popular),  swindle; 
successful  gallantry. 

Lave,  adj.  (general),  had  formerly 
the  signification  of  to  be  tracked  by 
a  bailiff  who  has  found  one's  where- 
abouts. 

Levee,  f.  (popular),  wholesale 
arrest  of  prostitutes. 

Leve-pieds,  m.  (thieves'),  ladder ; 
steps,  or  "dancers."  Embarder 
sur  le  — ,  to  go  down  the  steps, 
' '  to  lop  down  the  dancers." 

Lever  (printers'),  la  lettre,  or  les 
petits  clous,  to  compose  ;  (popular) 

—  boutique,  to  set  up  as  a  trades- 
man. 

Un  Toulousain  .  .  .  jeune  perruquier  d^- 
vore  d'ambition,  vint  a  Parib,  et  y  leva 
boutique  (je  me  sers  de  votre  argot). — 
Balzac. 

Lever  des  chopins,  to  find  some 
profitable  stroke  of  business  ;  —  la 
jambe,  to  dance  the  cancan  ;  —  le 
bras,  to  be  dissatisfied ;  —  le  pied, 
to  abscond;  (familiar  and  popular) 

—  une  femme,  to  find  a  woman 
willing  to  accord  her  favours  ;  — 
quelquechose,  to  steal  something, 
"  to  wolf;"  (military)  —  les  balu- 
chons,  to  go  away  ;  (prostitutes') 

—  un  miche,  to  find  a  client,  "  to 
pick  up  a  flat." 

Leveur,  m.  (popular),  pickpocket, 
"buzcove."  SeeGrinche.  Leveur 
de  femmes,  a  Don  Giovanni  in  a 
small  way,  or  a  "molrower." 
(Printers')  Bon  — ,  skilled  typo- 
grapher. 

Un  bon  leveur  est  un  ouvrier  qui  com- 
pose bien  ct  vite. — Boutmy. 


Leveuse,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
a  flash  girl. 

Levure,  f.  (popular),  flight.  Faire 
la  — ,  to  run  awav,  "  to  ske- 
daddle," "to  mizzle." 

L6zard,  m.  (popular),  an  untrust- 
worthy friend  ;  dog  stealer. 

Le  lizard  vole  des  chiens  courants,  des 
^pagneuls  et  surtout  des  levrettes.  11  ne 
livre  jamais  sa  proie  sans  recevoir  la  somme 
d^claree. — A  Itnanach  du  Ddbiteur. 

Faire  son  — ,  to  doze  in  the  day- 
time like  a  lizard  basking  in  the 
sun.  (Thieves')  Faire  le  — ,  to 
take  to  flight,  "to  make  beef." 
See  Patatrot.  Un  — ,  a  traitor, 
a  "snitcher." 

L^zardes,  f.  pi,  (printers'),  white 
spaces, 

Raies  blanches  produites  dans  la  com- 
position par  la  rencontre  fortuite  d'espaces 
plac^es  les  unes  au-dessous  des  autres. — 

BoOTMV. 

L,ezine,f.  (thieves'),  cheating  at  a 
game. 

LSziner  (thieves'),  to  cheat,  "to 
bite;"  to  hesitate,  "to  funk." 

Libretailleur,  m.  (familiar),  a 
libretto  writer  of  poor  ability. 

Lice,  /  (popular),  lecherous  girl. 
Literally  bitch. 

Lichade,/  (popular),  embrace, 

Lichance,  /.  (popular),  hearty  meal, 
"tightener."  From  licher,  equi- 
valent to  lecher,  to  lick. 

Liche,  /  (popular),  excessive  eat- 
ing or  drinking.  Etre  en  — .  to 
be  "on  the  booze." 

Licher  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
drink,  "  to  lush."     See  Rincef. 

II  a  lich^  tout'  la  bouteille, 

Rien  n'est  sacrd  pour  un  sapeur.  , 

Parisian  Song, 


228 


Ltcheur — Limonade. 


Licheur,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
gormandizer.  The  term  is  very 
old. 

Lichoter  un  rigolbbche  (popu- 
lar), to  make  a  hearty  meal,  or 
"  tightener." 

Lie  de  froment,/;  (popular),  ex- 
crement, or  "quaker." 

Li&ge,  m.  (thieves'),  geni/arme. 

Lierchem  (cads'),  to  ease  oneself. 

An  obscene  word  disguised.     See 

Lem. 
Lignante,/  (thieves'),  life. 

Ce  mot ,  . .  vient  de  la  ligne,  dite  de  vie, 
que  les  bohemiens  consultaient  sur  la  main 
de.  ceux  auxquels  ils  disaient  la  bonne 
aventure. — Michel. 

Lignard,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
foot-soldier  of  the  line ;  journalist ; 
(printers')  compositor  who  has  to 
deal  only  with  the  body  part  of  a 
composition  ;  (artists')  artist  who 
devotes  his  attention  more  to  the 
perfection  of  the  outline  than  to  that 
of  colour ;  (popular)  rodfsher, 

Ligne,/  (artists'),  avoir  la  — ,  to 
have  a  fine  profile.  (Literary) 
Pecher  a  la  — ,  or  tirer  a  la  — ,  if 
said  of  a  journalist  who  seeks  to 
make  an  article  as  lengthy  as  pos- 
sible. (Popular)  Pecher  k  \a.  — 
d'argent  is  said  of  an  angler  who 
catches  fish  by  means  of  a  money 
bait,  at  the  fishmonger's.  (Printers') 
Ligne  a  voleur,  line  containing 
only  a  syllable,  or  a  very  short 
word,  which  might  have  been  com- 
posed into  the  preceding  line. 
Les  lignes  k  voleur  sont  faciles  k  recon- 
naitre,  et  elles  n'echappent  guere  k  I'oeil 
d'un  correcteur  exerc^,  qui  les  casse  d'or- 
dinaire  impitoyablemcnt, — Boutmv. 

Ligore,7^  (thieves'),  assize  court, 

Ligorniau,  m.  (popular),  hodman. 

Ligot.     See  Ligotante.      ' 

Ligotage,  m.  (police),  binding  a 
prisoner's  hands  by  means  of  a 
rope  or  strap. 


Ligotante,  or  ligotte,/  (thieves'), 
rope,    or   strap;    bonds;    —   de  . 
rifle,  or  riflarde,  sti-ait  waistcoat.     '• 

Ligoter  (police  and  thieves'),  to 
bind  a  prisoner's  hands  by  means 
of  ropes  or  straps. 

Nul  mieux  que  lui  ne  savait  prendre  un 
malfaiteur  sans  I'abimer,  ni  lui_  mettre  les 
poucettes  sans  douleur  ou  le  ligoter  sans  • 
elTort. — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Ligotte, /I  (thieves'),  rope;  string ; 
strap. 

Lillange  (thieves'),  town  of  Lille. 
Lillois,  m.  (thieves'),  thread. 

Limace,  /.  (popular),  low  prosti- 
tute, or  "  draggle-tail ;  "  soldier's 
wench,  or  "barrack-hack,"  see 
Gadoue ;  (thieves')  shirt,  "flesh- 
bag,  or  commission."  From  the 
Romany  "lima,"  according  to 
Michel. 

Limacier,     m.,     limacifere,     /., 

(thieves'),  shirt  -  maker.       From 
limace,  a  shirt. 

Limande.y:  (popular),  man  mude 
ofpoorsttiff;  onewhofawns.  From 
limande,  a  kind  of  sole  (fish). 

Lime,  f.  (thieves'),  for  limace„ 
shirt,  or  "commission''  in  oldi 
English  cant;  —  sourde,  sly,  under- 
hand man.  The  expression  is  old, 
and  is  used  by  Rabelais  : — 

Mais,  qui  pis  est,  lesoultragearentgrande- 
ment,  les  appellants  trop-diteuXj  brescbe- 
dents,  plaisants  rousseaulx,  galliers,  (5hie- 
en-licts,  averlans,  limes  sourdes. — G'ar- 
gantua., 

Limer  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
talk  with  difficulty  ;  to  do  a  thing 
slowly.    Literally  to  file. 

Limogfere,  /.  (thieves'),  chamber- 
7naid. 

Limonade,  /  (popular),  water,  or 
"  Adam's  ale  ;  "  the  trade  of  a 
"  limonadier,"  or  proprietor  of  a 
small  cafi.  Tomber,  or  se  plaquer 


L  itnonadier  de  posUrieurs — L  iqiietir. 


229 


dans  la  — ■,  to  fall  into  the  water ; 
to  be  ruined,  or  "gone  a  mucker." 
(Thieves')  himonade,^annelvest; 
—  de  linspre,  champagne. 
"  Linspre  "  is  the  word  "  prince  " 
disguised. 

Limonadier  de  posterieurs,  m. 
(popular),  apothscary.  Formerly 
apothecaries  performed  the  "  cly- 
sterium  donare "  of  Moliire's 
Malade  Imaginaire. 

Limousin,    or  limousinant,   m. 

(popular),  mason.  It  must  be 
mentioned  that  most  of  the  Paris 
masons  hail  from  Limousin. 

Limousine,  y;  (thieves'),  sheet  lead 
on  roofs,  or  "flap."  Termed 
also  "saucisson,  gras-double." 

Limousineur,  m.  (thieves'),  thief 
who  steals  sheet-leadroqfing.  Called 
also  "voleur  au  gras-double,"  a 
"  bluey  faker,"  or  one  who  "  flies 
the  blue  pigeon."     See  Grinche. 

Linge,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
faire  des  effets  de  — ,  to  display 
one's  body  linen  with  affectation. 
Un  bock  sans  — ,  or  sans  faux- 
col,  a  glass  of  beer  without  any 
head.  A  request  for  such  a  thing 
is  often  made  in  the  Paris  cafes, 
where  the  microscopic  "bocks" 
or  "  choppes "  are  topped  by 
gigantic  heads.  Se  payer  un  — 
convenable,  to  have  a  stylish  mis- 
tress, an  "out-and-out  tart." 
(Popular)  Un  —  a  regies,  a  dirty, 
slatternly  woman.  Resserrer  son 
— ,  to  die.  (Thieves')  Avoir  son 
—  lave,  to  be  caught,  apprehended, 
or  "smugged." 

Linge,  adj.  (popular),  etre  — ,  to 
have  plenty  of  fine  linen. 

Lingre,  or  lingue,  m.  (thieves'), 
i«y^,  or  "  chive."  From  Langres, 
a  manufacturing  town.  The  sy- 
nonyms are  "  Imve,  trente-deux, 
vingt-deux,     chourin     or    surin, 

'     scion,     coupe  -  sifHet,      pliant. " 


Jouer  du  — ,  to  stab,  "  to  stick,  "or 
to  chive." 

Lingrer,  or  linguer  (thieves'),  to 
stab,  "to  stick,  or  to  chive." 

Lingriot,  m.  (thieves'),  penknife. 

Linguarde,  f.  (popular),  woman 
with  a  soft  tongue. 

Lingue,  m.  (thieves'),  knife,  or 
"chive." 

Linspre,  m.  (thieves'),  prince.  See 
Limonade. 

Linve,  m.  (popular),  loussem, 
twenty  sous.  The  words  "virigt 
sous  "  distorted.  Un  — ,  a  franc  ; 
"  un  lenquetre  "  being  one  franc 
and  ffty  centimes,  or  thirty  sous, 
and"unlarantqu^,"  tooy9-a»irj,  or 
forty  sous.  These  expressions  aj;e 
respectively  the  words  un,  trente, 
quarante,  disguised. 

Lion,     m.     (familiar),     dandy    of 
1840.    Fosse  aux  lions,  i><7Jf  a/ //4«  ■ 
opera  occupied  by  men  of  fashion. 
For  synonymous  terms  see  Gom- 
meux. 

Lionnerie,  f.  (familiar),  fashion- 
able world. 

Lipfete,  f.  (popular),  prostitute, 
"  mot,"  or  "  common  Jack.''  See 
Gadoue. 

Lipette,  f.  (popular),  mason. 
Termed  also  ligorgniot. 

Lipper  (popular),  to  visit  several 
wine-shops  in  succession. 

Liquette,  or  limace,/  (thieves'), 
shirt,  in  old  English  cant  ' '  com- 
mission." Decarrerle  centre  d'une 
— ,  to  obliterate  the  marking  of  a 
skirt. 

Liqueur,  /.  (popular),  cache-boii- 
bon  a  — ,  dandy's  stick-up  collar. 
A  malevolent  allusion  to  scrofula 
abcesses  on  the  neck. 


230 


Lire — Loger  rue  du  Croissant. 


Lire  (familiar),  aux  astres,  to  muse, 
"  to  go  wool-gathering  ;  "  (fami- 
liarand  popular) — le  journal,  io^o 
without  a  dinner  ;  —  le  Moniteur, 
to  wait  patiently.  (Printers')  Lire, 
to  note  proposed  alterations  in  a 
proof;  —  en  premiere,  to  correct 
the  first  proof ;  —  en  seconde,  or 
en  ton,  to  correct  a  second  proof  on 
which  the  author  has  written  "for 
press."  (Thieves')  Savoir  — ,  to 
have  one's  wits  about  one,  "  to 
know  what's  o'clock." 

Lisette,  /.  (thieves'),  long  waist- 
coat;  sword,  or  "poker." 

Lisserpem  (roughs'),  to  voidurine. 
The  word  "  pisser"  disguised  by 
prefixing  the  letter  "1,"  and  add- 
ing the  syllable  "  em  "  preceded 
by  the  first  letter  of  the  word. 

Listard,  m.  (journalists'),  one  in 
favour  of  "  scrutin  de  liste,"  or 
mode  of  voting  for  the  election 
wholesale  of  all  the  representatives 
in  parliament  of  a"  departement. " 
For  instance,  the  Paris  electors 
have  to  vote  for  a  list  of  over 
thirty  members. 

•Lit,  m.  (popular),  etre  sous  le  — , 
to  be  mistaken, 

Lithographier  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
fall,  "  to  come  a  cropper." 

Litrer,  or  itrer  (thieves'),  to  have. 

Litronner  (popular),  to  drink  wine. 

From  litron,  a  wine  measure, 
Litronneur,  m,  (popular),  one  who 

is  too  fond  of  the  bottle. 

•  LittSrature  jaune  (familiar),  the 
so-called  Naturalist  literature. 

Litteraturier,  m.  (familiar),  ajite- 
rary  man  after  a  fashion, 

Livraison,/;  (popular),  avoir  une 
—  de  bois  devant  sa  porte,  to 
have  well-developed  breasts,  to  be 
possessed  of  fine  "  Chaxlies." 


Livre,  m.  (popular),  des  quatre 
rois,  pach  of  cards,  "  book  of 
briefs,"  or  "  Devil's  books  ;"  — 
rouge,  police  registration  book  in 
which  the  names  of  authorized 
prostitutes  are  inscribed.  Etre  in- 
scrite  dans  le  —  rouge,  to  be  a 
registered  prostitute.  (Free- 
masons') Livre  d 'architecture,  led- 
ger of  a  lodge.  (Sharpers')  Livre, 
one  hundred  francs, 

Loa  vihan  (Breton  cant),  coffee. 

Locandier,  m,  (thieves').  Called 
also  "  voleuraubonjour,"Mt5^z£/,4fl 
visits  apartments  in  the  morning, 
and  who  when  caught  pretends  to 
have  entered  the  wrong  rooms  by 
mistake.     See  Grinche. 

Loche,  /.  (popular),  mou  comme 
une  — ,  slow,  phlegTnatic,  *  *  lazy- 
bones. "  (Thieves')  Loche,  ear,  or 
"wattle."  Properly  loach  or 
groundling, 

Locher  (thieves'),  to  listen;  (popu- 
lar) to  totter,  "  to  be  groggy." 

Locomotive,  f,  (popular),  great 
smoker, 

Lof,  loff,  loffard,  loffe,  m,  (popu- 
lar),_/&»/,  or  "  bounder."  "  Lof" 
is  the  anagram  of  "  fol." 

A  lui  le  coq,  .  .  .  pour  inventer  des  em- 
blemes  .  .  .  quand  j'y  pense,  fallait-il  que 
je  fusse  loff  pour  donner  dans  un  godan 
pareil ! — MSmoires  de  Vidocq. 

Loffat,  m.  (popular),  apprentice, 

LofBat,  m.  (popular),  blockhead,  or 
"cabbage-head." 

Loffitude,  /  (thieves'),  stupidity  ; 

nonsense.        Bonisseur    de    loffi- 

tudes,  nonsense-monger.   Solliceur 

de  lofiitudes,  journalist. 
Loge    infernale,   /     (theatrical), 

box  occupied   by  young    men  of 

fashion. 

Loger  rue  du  Croissant  (fami- 
liar and  popular),    is  said  of  an 


Logis  dii  moutrot- 


-Lorgnette. 


231 


injured  husband,  or  "  buckface.'' 

An  allusion  to  the  horns  of  the 

moon. 
Logis  du  moutrot,  m.  (thieves'), 

police  court. 
Loir,  m.   (thieves'),  prison,  "stir, 

or  Bastile."     See  Motte. 

Lokard  (Breton  cant),  peasant. 
Loko  (Breton  cant),  brandy. 

Lolo,  m.  (thieves'),  chief,  or  "diin- 
ber  damber ;  "  (popular)  cocotte, 
or  "mot."  See  Gadoue.  Fifi 
— ,  large  iron  cylinder  in  which 
the  contents  of  cesspools  are  carried 
away  by  the  scavengers.  (Mili- 
tary) Gros  lolos,  cuirassiers, 

Lombard,  m.  (popular),  commis- 
sionnaire  of  the  "Mont  de  Pike," 
or  government  pawning  establish- 
ment. 

Loncegu6,  m.  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
man,  "  cove  ;"  master  of  a  house, 
"boss."  The  word  gonce  dis- 
guised. 

Lonceguem,/.  (thieves' and  cads'), 
woman,  or  "hay-bag;"  mistress  of 
a  house. 

Long,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  sim- 
pleton, greenhoi~n.  Etes  -  vous 
loge  et  nourri  ?  Oui,  le  —  du  mur. 
Do  you  get  board  and  lodging? 
Yes,  aimy  own  expense.  (Thieves') 
Long,  stupid ;  blockhead,  or  "go 
along."  Abbreviation  of  long  ^ 
comprendre. 

Longchamps,  m.,  a  long  corridor 
of  ie.c.'s  at  the  Ecole  Poly  tech- 
nique;  (^a^xAsi)  a  procession. 

Longe,  f.  (thieves'),  year,  or 
"stretch.''  Tirer  une  — ,  to  do 
one  "stretch"  in  prison, 

LongS,  adj,  (popular),  old, 

Longin,    or    Saint-Longin,    m, 

(popular),  sluggard. 
Longine,  or  Sainte-Longine,  f. 

(popular),  sluggish  woman. 


Longuette  de  trfefle,/  (thieves'), 
roll  of  tobacco,  or  "  twist  of  fogus." 

Lophe,  adj.  (thieves'),  false ; 
counterfeit,  "flash."  Un  fafiot 
— ,  a  forged  bank-note,  ox  "queer 
screen. " 

Lopin,  m.  (popular),  spittle,  or 
"gob." 

Loque,  m.  (thieves'),  parler  en  — , 
m^)de  of  disguising  words.  The 
word  is  preceded  by  the  letter  "1," 
and  the  syllable  preceded  by  the 
first  letter  of  the  word  is  added. 
Thus  "  fou "  becomes  "lou- 
foque." 

Loques,  f.  pi,  (thieves'),  pieces  of 
copper,- 

Lorcef^, /.  (thieves'),  old  prison  of 
" La  Force."  La  —  des  largues, 
the  prison  of  Saint-Lazare,  where 
prostitutes  and  unfaithful  wives 
are  confined. 

Eh  bien  !  si  je  te  la  fourrais  a  la  lorcefd 
des  largues  (Saint-Lazare)  pour  un  an,  le 
temps  de  ton  gerbement. — Balzac 

Lordant.     See  Lourdier. 

Loret,  m.  (popular),  Icn/er  of  a 
lorette. 

Lorette,  f,  (familiar),  more  than 
fast  girl,  or  ' '  mot,"  named  after 
the  Quartier  Notre  Dame  de  Lo- 
rette, the  Paris  Pi7nlico.  See 
Gadoue. 

Lorgne,  orlorgne-be,  m.  (thieves'), 
one-eyed  man.  In  English  slang 
"  a  seven-sided  animal;"  the  ace 
of  cards,  or  "pig's  eye." 

Lorgnette,  f.  (thieves'),  keyhole, 
this  natural  receptacle  for  a  key 
being  considered  by  thieves  as 
an  aperture  convenient  only  for 
making  investigations  from  the 
outside  of  a  door.  Etui  a  — , 
f^»,  or  "cold-meat  box."  Etefn- 
dre  ses  deux  lorgnettes,  to  close 
one^s  eyes. 


232 


Lorquet — Loupe. 


Lorquet,  m.  (popular),  sou. 
Lot,  m.  (popular),  venereal  disease. 
Lou,  or  loup,  m.  (popular),  faire 
un  — ,  to  spoil  a  piece  of  work. 

Louanek  (Breton  cant),  brandy. 

Louave,  m.  (thieves'),  drunkard. 
Etre  — ,  to  be  drunk,  ' '  to  be 
canon."  Faire  un  — ,  to  rob  a 
drunkard.  Rogues  who  devote 
their  energies  to  this  kind  of 
thieving  are  termed '  'bug-hunters." 

Loubac,  m.  (popular),  apprentice. 

Loubion,  m.  (thieves'),  bonnet  or 
hat.     See  Tubard. 

Loubionnier,  m.  (thieves'),  hat  or 
bennet  maker. 

Louche,  /.  (thieves'),  hand,  or 
"duke."  La  — ,  the  police,  or 
"  reelers."  La  —  le  renifle,  the 
police  are  tracing  him,  he  is  getting 
a  "  roasting. " 

Louchee,  f.  (thieves'),  spoonful. 
From  louche,  a  soup  ladle. 

Loucher  (popular),  de  la  bouche, 
to  have  a  constrained,  insin- 
cere smile;  — •  de  I'epaule,  to 
he    a    humpback,    or  a   "lord;" 

—  de  la  jambe,  to  be  lame.    Faire 

—  un  homme,  to  inspire  a  man 
with  earned  desire. 

Loucherbem,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  the  word  boucher  dis- 
guised, see  Lem  ;  butcher.  Cor- 
billard  des  — ,  see  Corbillard. 

Louchon,  m.,  louchonne,  f. 
(popular),  person  who  squints,  one 
with  "swivel-eyes." 

Louffer  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
foist,  "to  fizzle."  Si  tu  louffes en- 
core sans  dire  fion  je  te  passe  a 
travers,  if  you  "fizzle"  again 
without  apologizing  I'll  thrash  you. 

Louffiat,  /«.  (popular),  low  cad. 
Termed  in  the  English  slang  a 
"  rank  outsider." 


Loufoque,  adj.  and  m.  (popular 
and  thieves'),  mad,  or  "cracked, 
balmy,  or  one  off  his  chump." 
The  word  fou  disguised  by  means 
of  the  syllable  loque.  See  Loque. 

Si  nos  doch'  dtaient  moins  vieilles. 
On  les  ferait  plaiser, 
Mais  les  pauv*  loiifoques  balaient 
Les  gras  d'nos  laisdes. 

ElCHEPIN. 

Louille,  f.  (thieves'),  prostitute,  or 
"  bunter."    See  Gadoue. 

Louis,  ^  and  m.  (bullies'),  une  — , 
a  bully's  mistress,  a  prostitute. 
Abbreviation  of  Louis  XV. ,  women 
in  brothels  often  powdering  and 
dressing  their  hair  Louis  XV. 
fashion.     See  Gadoue. 

J'couch'  que'qu'fois  sous  des  voitures ; 
Mais  on  attrap'  du  cambouis. 
J'veux  pas  ch'  linguer  la  peinture^ 
Quand  j'suc'  la  pomme  k  ma  Louis. 

RlCHEPIN. 

(Popular)   Un  —  d'or,   lamp  of 
excrement,  or  "quaker." 

Louisette,yi,  old  appellation  of  the 
guillotine. 

Louiza  (Breton  cant),  water, 

Loup,  m..  (popular),  mistake;  debt ; 
creditor,  or  "  dun ;"  misfit,  or  piece 
of  work  which  has  been  spoilt; 
(printers')  lack  of  type;  debt ;  cre- 
ditor. Faire  un  — ,  is  to  buy  on 
credit. 

Le  jour  de  la  banque,  le  cr^ancier  ou 
"loup"  vient  quelquefois  guetter  son  de- 
biteur  (nous  alhons  dire  sa  proie)  k  la  sortie 
de  1' atelier  pour  reclamer  ce  qui  lui  est  du. 
Quand  la  reclamation  a  lieu  k  I'atelier,  ce 
qui  est  devenu  trfes  rare,  les  compositeurs 
donnent  k  leur  camarade  et  au  cr^ancier 
une  "  roulance  "  accompagnde  des  oris  :  au 
loup  !  au  loup  ! — Boutmy. 

Loupate,  m.  (popular),  the  word 
"  pou "  disguised,  a  louse,  or 
"  grey-backed  'un." 

Loup-cervier,  m.  (familiar),  stock- 
jobber. 

Loupe,  f,  laziness,  "  loafing." 
Camp  de  la  — ,  vagabonds'  meet- 


Louper — L  uisante. 


233 


ing-place.  Chevalier  de  la  — ,  a 
lazy  rambler  or  gad-about  who  goes 
about  pleasure  seeking.  (Thieves') 
Un  enfant  de  la  — ,  a  variety  of 
the  vagabond  tribe. 

Les  Enfants  de  la  loupe  et  les  Filendfeches 
faabitaienc  de  preference  Text^rieur  des  car- 
Tiferes,  leurs  fours  k  briques  ou  k  pl^tre. — 
Mimoires  de  Mortsieur  Claude. 

Louper  (popular),  to  idle  about  plea- 
sure seeking. 

Loupeur  (popular),  lazy  workman, 
or  one  who  is  "  Mondayish." 

Loupiat,  m.  (popular),  lazy,  or 
"Mondayish,  workman;  va- 
grant, or  "pikey." 

Loupiau,  orloupiot,  m.  (popu- 
lar), child,  or  "kid." 

Loupion,  m.  (popular),  hat,  "tile." 
See  Tubard. 

Lourde,  or  lourdifere, /.  (thieves'), 
door,  "jigger."  Bacler  la  — ,  to 
shut  the  door,  "to  dub  the  jigger." 

Lourdeau,  m.  (thieves'),  devil, 
"ruffin,"or  "darble." 

Lourdier,  m.  (popular),  door-keeper. 

Lousse,  f.  (thieves'),  country  gen- 
darme  or  corps  of  gendarmerie. 

Loussfes,  m.  pi.  (cads'),  dix  — , 
fifty  centimes.  The  word  sous 
disguised. 

■  Loustaud,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  See  Motte.  Envoyer  a 
— ,  to  send  to  the  deuce,  "  to  pot." 

•  Louter  (popular).  See  Faire  un 
lou. 

Louveteau,  m.  (freemasons'),  son 
of  a  freemason. 

Louvetier,  m.  (printers'),  man  in 
debt. 

Ce  terme  est  pris  en  mauvaise  part,  car 
!e  typo  auquel  on  I'applique  est  consid^rd 
comme  faisant  trop  bon  marche  de  sa  dig- 
nit^.— BouTMY, 


Lubre,  adj.  (thieves'),  dismal. 
Lubre  comme  un  guichemard,  as 
dismal  as  a  turnkey, 

Luc,  m.  (popular),  messire  — , 
breech,  or  "tochas."  "Luc "is 
the  anagram  of  "  cul."  See 
Vasistas. 

Lucarne,  f.  (popular),  woman's 
bonnet. 

Autrefois  on  assimilait  le  capuchon  des 
moines  k  une  fenetre,  d'oCl  le  proverbe  : 
d^fiez-vous  des  gens  qui  ne  voient  le  jour 
que  par  une  fenStre  de  drap.^MicHEL. 

Lucarne,  monocular  eye-glass. 
Crever  sa  — ,  to  break  one's  eye- 
glass. 

Lucques,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  docu- 
ments. Porte  — ,  pocket-book, 
"dee,"  or  "dummy." 

Lucrfece,  /  (popular),  faire  sa  — , 
to  put  on  a  virtuous  look, 

Luctrfeme,  m.  (thieves'),  skeleton 
key,  "  screw,"  "Jack  in  the  box," 
or  "  twirl. "  Filer  le  — ,  to  open 
a  door  by  means  of  a  skeleton-key, 
"  to  screw." 

Lugna  (Breton  cant),  to  look, 

Luire,  m.  (old  cant),  brain. 

Luis,  or  luisant,  m.  (thieves'), 
day. 

Je  rouscaille  tous  les  luisans  au  grand 
haure  de  I'oraison. — Le y argon  deV Argot. 
{I pray  daily  the  great  God  0/ prayer.) 

Luisant,  m.,  see  Luis  ;  (familiar) 
dandy,  "masher." 

Voici  d'abord  le  pschutt,  le  vlan.  les 
luisants,  comme  nous  les  nommons  aujour- 
d'hui. — P.  Mahalin. 

For  synonymous  terms  see  Gom- 
meux. 

Luisante,  or  luisarde,/  (thieves'), 
moon,  or  "  parish  lantern  ;"  win- 
dow, or  "jump." 


234 


Luisard — Lyonnaise. 


Luisard,  or  luysard,  vi.  (thieves'), 
sun.  Luysard  estampille  six 
plombes,  it  is  six  o'clock  by  the 
sun. 

Luisarde,  /  (thieves'),  moon, 
"parish  lantern,  or  Oliver." 

Lumignon,  m.  (thieves'),  le  grand 
— ,  sun.  Properly  lunaignon  is  a 
lantern. 

Luminariste,  m.  (theatrical),  lamp- 
lighter. 

Luncher  (familiar),  to  have  lunch. 
From  the  English. 

Lune,/;  (thieves'),  one  franc ;  —  i, 
douze  quartiers,  the  wheel  on 
which  criminals  were  broken. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Lune,  the 
behind.  See  vasistas.  Lune, 
large  full  face.  Amant  de  la  — , 
man  with  amatory  intentions  who 
frequently  goes  out  on  nocturnal, 
but  fruitless  "caterwauling"  ex- 
peditions. Voir  la  — ,  is  said  of  a 
maiden  who  is  made  a  woman. 

La  petite  a  beau  avoir  de  la  dentelle,  elle 
n'en  verra  pas  moins  la  lune  par  le  meme 
.  trou  que  les  autres. — ZoLA,  U Assommoir. 

Lune,  adj.  (popular),  bien  — ,  in  a 
good  humour,  well  disposed. 

Lunette,  f  (popular),  d'approche, 
guillotine.  Passer  en  — ,  to 
take  in,  "  to  do  ;  "  to  harm.  Etre 
passe  en  — ,  to  fail  in  business. 
Les  lunettes,  posteriors,  or 
"cheeks."  (Popular)  Lunettes, 
small  fry.  Je  vais  k  la  chasse 
aux  — ,  I  am  going  to  fish  for 
small  fry. 

Luque,  /.  (thieves'  and  mendi- 
cants'), certificate ;  false  certifi- 
cate, or  false  begging  petition, 
"  fakement ;  "  passport ;  picture. 
Je  sais  bien  aquiger  les  luques,  / 
know  well  how  to  forge  a  certifi- 
cate,   or    to    make   up    pictures. 


Porte  — ,  pocket  -  book,  or 
"  dummy."  It  seems  probable 
that  the  term  "  une  luque,"  a  pic- 
ture, is  derived  from  Saint-Luc, 
who  formed  the  subject  of  the 
pictures  used  formerly  by  mendi- 
cants to  ingratiate  themselves 
with  monks  and  nuns,  as  men- 
tioned by  Le  Jargon  de  F  Argot. 

Luquet,  m.  (thieves'  and  mendi- 
cants'), forged  certificate,  or  false 
begging  petition,  "fakement." 

Luron,  m.  (thieves'),  avaler  le  — , 
to  partake  of  communion.  The 
term  was  probably,  in  the  origin, 
"le  rond,"  corrupted  into  its 
present  form  (Michel). 

Lusignante,y.  (popular),  mistress, 
or  "  moll." 

Lusquin,  m.  (thieves'),  charcoal, 

Lusquines,  /.  pi.  (thieves'),  ashes. 

Lustre,  m.  (thieves'),  judge,  or 
"  beak."  (Theatrical)  Chevaliers 
du  — ,  m.en  who  are  paid  to  ap- 
plaud at  a  theatre.  Termed  also 
"remains."  The  staff  of  romains 
is  termed  "claque." 

Lustrer  (thieves'),  to  try  a  pri- 
soner, to  have  him  in  for  "pat- 
ter." 

Lutainpem,/  (thieves' and  cads'), 
prostitute,  or  "  bunter."  See 
Gadoue.  The  term  is  nothing 
more  than  the  word  "  putain " 
distorted  by  means  of  the  syllable 
"lem."     SeeLem. 

Lyc6e,  m.  (thieves'),  prison,  "  stir, 
or  Bastile."  For  synonyms  see 
Motlc. 

Lyceen,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner. 
Termed  also  "eltve  du  chiteau." 

Lyonnaise,  /  (popular),  silk, 
"  floss."  Etre  k  la  — ,  to  wear  a 
silk  dress. 


Mabillarde — Macaronnage. 


23s 


M 


Mabillarde,  yC  (popular),  girl  lead- 
ing a  dissolute  hfe^  an  habitude  of 
the  Bal  Mabille.  Called  also 
"  grue  mabillarde." 

Mabillien,  m.,  Mabillienne,  / 
(popular),  male  and  female  habi- 
tiiis  of  the  Bal  Mabille,  a  place 
much  frequented  by  pleasure - 
seeking  foreigners. 

Les  mabilliennes  de  1863  se  subdivisent 
en  plusieurs  categories :  la  dinde,  la  soli- 
taire, la  grue.  —  Les  Metnoires  du  Bal 
MabilU. 

Maboul,  adj.  (general),  one 
"cracked,"  or  one  with  "  a  screw 
loose."    From  the  Arab. 

C'est'  y  que  t'es  maboul  ?  dit  I'chef. — 
J'suis  pas  maboul,   que  je  r^ponds. — G. 

COURTELINE. 

Mac,  m.  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
"maquereau,"  girl's  bully,  or 
"Sunday  man."  For  synonyms 
see  Poisson.  The  term  also  ap- 
plies to  any  man  living  at  a 
woman's  expense. 

Maca,  f.  (popular),  mistress  of  a 
bawdy-house.  Termed  also  "  Mere 
Maca"  or  "macquecee. "  Maca 
suiffee,  a  rich  proprietress  of  a  . 
house  of  ill-fame.  Maca,  the  Paris 
Mprgue  or  dead-house.  From 
machabee. 

Macabre,  m.  (common).  See 
Machabee. 

Macache  (military),  no;  —  bono, 
no  good. 

Allons,  les  deux  rosses,  debout ! .  . . — 
Pourquoi  done  faire  faut-^  qu'on  se  l^ve  ? 


— Pour  aller,  reprit  I'adjudant,  casser  la 
glace  des  abreuvoirs.  L?L-dessus,  assez 
caus^ :  debout ! .  . . — Debout  k  trois  heures 
du  matin?    Ah!  macache. — G.  Coukte- 

LINE. 

Macadam,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), faire  le  — ,  to  walk  to  and  fro 
on  the  pavement  as  a  prostitute. 
Fleur  de  — ,  street-walker.  See 
Gadoue.  Le  general  — ,  the 
public.  (Popular)  Macadam,  sweet 
white  wine  of  inferior  quality. 

Chez  nous  c'est  sous  le  noir  et  has  plafond 
d'un  bouge  que  les  voyous  blafards,  couleur 
tete  de  veau,  font  la  vendange.  lis  out 
pour  vin  doux  et  nouveau  le  liquide  ap- 
peie  macadam,  une  boue  jaunatre  fade. — 
RlCHEFlN,  Lb  PavL 

Macaire,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
un  Robert  — ,  a  sivindler,  one  of 
the  "swell  mob."  Robert  Ma- 
caire is  a  character  in  a  play  called 
L'Auberge  des  Adrets. 

Macairisme,  m.  (familiar),  any  act 
referring  to  swindling  operations. 

Macaron,  m.  (popular),  huissier, 
kind  of  attorney  ;  (thieves')  in- 
former, one  who  "  blows  the  gaff," 
a  "  snitcher." 

Get  homme  qui  criait  si  fort  centre  ceux 
que  les  gens  de  sa  sorte  nomment  des  ma- 
carons  s'est  un  des  premiers  mis  h.  table. ^- 
VlDOCQ.  (  T/iat  very  Tnan  who  complained 
so  tnuch  of  those  whom  such  people  terTn 
traitors  has  been  one  of  the  first  to  in- 
form.') 

Macaronnage,  m.  (thieves'),  in- 
forming against,    "blowing   the 


236 


Macaronner — Macqucc^e. 


Macaronner  (thieves'),  to  inform 
against,  "  to  blow  the  gaff,"  or 
"to  turn  snitch."  Se — ,to  run 
away,  "  to  guy."  See  Patatrot. 
Macchoux,  m.  (popular),  prosti- 
tute's bully,  or  "Sunday  man." 
See  Poisson. 
Mac^doine,  /   (engine   drivers'), 

fuel. 
MachabS,   adj.   (popular),  drunk. 
J'ai  trop  picte,  je  suis  i  moitie  — , 
/  have  been  drinking  too  much,  I 
am-  half  drunk. 
Machabee,  m.  (popular),  gay  girls' 
bully,   or    "  ponce"  ;   see  Pois- 
son ;  Jru),  ' '  mouchey,  Ikey,  or 
sheney ;"  body  of  a  drowned  person. 
Jene  vois  d'autre  origine  k  cette  ex- 
pression que  la  lecture  du  chap.  xii.  du 
deuxieme  livre  des  Machab^es,  qui  a  encore 
lieu  aux  messes  des  morts  ;  ou  plutdt  c'est 
de  Ik  que  sera  venue  la  danse  macabre, 
dont  I'argot  a  conserve  le  souvenir. — Mi- 
chel. 

Case  des  machabees,  cemetery. 
Le  clou  des  machabees,  the 
"  Morgue,''  or  Paris  dead-house. 
Mannequin  k  machabees,  hearse. 
(Thieves')  Machabee,  traitor,  or 
"snitcher."  Literally  a  corpse, 
the  informer  in  a  prison,  when 
detected,  being  generally  mur- 
dered by  those  he  has  betrayed 
by  means  of  the  punishment 
termed  "accolade,"  which  con- 
sists in  crushing  him  against  a 
wall. 

Machaber  (popular),  to  die,  "to 
kick  the  bucket."  See  Pipe. 
Machaber  quelqu'un,  to  drawn 
one.  Se  — ,  to  drink.  Je  me 
suis  machabe  d'un  litre,  7  have 
treated  myself  to  u  litre  bottle  of 
wine. 

Machicot,  m.  (popular),  bad,  mean 
player,  or  otu  who  plays  a  "tin- 
pot  game."  In  the  Contes 
d'Entrapel,  a  French  officer  at 
the  siege  of  Chatillon  is  ridicu- 
lously spoken  of  as  Captain  Tin- 


pot — Capitaine  du  Pot  d'Etain. 
Tin-pot  as  generally  used  means 
worthless. 

Machin,  m.  (general),  expression 
used  when  one  cannot  recollect  the 
name  of  a  person,  "  thingumbob, 
or  what's  name. " 

Machine,  /  (literary,  artists', 
theatrical),  production. 

Cela  m'est  bien  €gal !  II  n'est  pas  le  seul 
\  me  ddvisager.  Je  lui  chanterai  sa  "  ma- 
chine" et  il  me  laissera  tranquille.— J, 
Sermet,  Une  Cdbotine. 

Grande  — ,  drama.  Moliere  uses 
the  word  to  describe  an  important 
affair  or  undertaking  : — 

J'ai  des  ressors  tout  prets  pour  diverses 
machines. — JL'Etourdi. 

(Popular)  Machine  4  moulures, 
breech,  or  "  bum,"see  Vasistas; 
—  a  lisserpem,  urinal ;  lisserpem 
being  the  word  pisser  disguised. 

Machoire,  /.  (familiar  and  popu' 
lar),  blockhead.  (Literary)  Vieille 
— ,  dull,  old-fashioned  writer; 
ignorant  man, 

L'on  arriyait  par  la  filiere  d'epith&tes  qui 
suivent :  ci-devant,  faux  toupet,  aile  de 
pigeon,  perruque,  ^trusque,  machoire,  ga- 
nache,  au  dernier  degrS  de  d&repitude,  k 
I'epithete  la  plus  in^mante.  acad^micien 
et  membre  de  I'lnstitut.— Th.  Gautier. 

MacMahon,  m.  (dragoons'),  head 
of  a  Medusa  at  top  of  helmet. 

MacMahonnat,  m.,  period  of 
Marshal  MacMahon's  sway  as 
President  of  the  Republic.  Every- 
body recollects  the  famous  "J'y 
suis,  j'y  reste  !"  of  the  Marshal, 
and  Gambetta's  reply,  "  II  faut 
se  soumettre  ou  se  demettre." 

Magon,  m.  (popular),  four-pound 
loaf;  (freemasons')  —  de  pratique, 
mason;  —  de  itiioxi^,  freemason; 
(familiar)  disparaging  epithet  ap- 
plied to  any  clumsy  worker. 

Macque,  macquet.     See  Mac 

Macquecee.     See  Maca. 


Macrotage — Maillard. 


237 


Macrotage,  or  maquereautage, 
m.  (familiar  and  popular),  living 
at  a  woman's  expense  ;  used  also 
figuratively  to  denote  agency  in 
some  fishy  business. 

Macroter  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
live  at  a  woman' s  expense  ;  —  une 
affaire,  to  be  the  agentin  some  fishy 
business, 

Macrotin,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), one  living  at  a  woman's  ex- 
pense, "pensioner"  with  an  un- 
vientionable  prefix,  young  bully, 
young  "ponce."    See  Poisson. 

Maculature,/;  (printers'),  attraper 
une  — ,  to  get  drunk,  to  get 
"tight."    See  Sculpter. 

Madame  (popular),  Milord  que- 
pete,  lazy  woman,  who  likes  to  lie 
in  bed;  —  Tiremonde  (expres- 
sion used  by  Rabelais),  or  Tire- 
pousse,  midwife  ;  (shopmen's)  — 
Canivet,  a  female  customer  who 
cannot  make  up  her  tnind,  and 
leaves  without  purchasing  any- 
thing, after  having  made  the  un- 
fortunate shopman  display  all  his 
goods. 

Madeleine,/,  (card-sharpers'),  faire 
suer  la  — ,  to  cheat,  or  "bite," 
with  great  difficulty, 

Madelen  (Breton  cant),  salt. 

Mademoiselle  Manette,/.  (popu- 
lar), ^o;-/»ja«/'^a»,  or  "  peter." 

Madrice,  f,  (thieves'),  cunning. 
II  a  de  la  — ,  he  is  cunning,  or 
"  is  fly  to  wot's  wot." 

Madrin,  madrine,  adj.  (thieves'), 
cunning,  "  leary,  or  fly  to  wot's 
wot." 

Madrouillage,  m.  (thieves'),  bungle. 

Ma  fiole  (thieves'),  me;  myself, 
"my nibs."  Est-ce que  tu  te  fiches 
de  —  ?  are  you  laughing  at  me  ? 


Magasin,  m.  (military),  military 
school,  "shop  "  at  the  R. M.  Aca- 
demy ;  (popular)  —  de  blanc,  or 
de  fesses,  brothel. 

Magistrat'muche,  /.  (thieves'), 
f?iagisiracy.  Un  pant'  de  la  — ,  a 
magistrate,  a  "beak."  Termed 
"queer  cuffin"  in  old  cant. 

Magnaniire,  /  (thieves'),  de  — , 
in  order  that.  II  fagaut  devider 
la  retentissante  de  —  i  ne  pas 
faire  de  I'harmonarte,  we  must 
break  the  bell  so  as  not  to  make  any 
noise. 

Magnee,  /  (thieves'),  prostitute,  or 
"bunter."     See  Gadoue. 

Magnes,///.  (popular),  affectation, 
"  high-falutin  "  airs.  Faire  des 
— ,  to  make  ceremonies.  As-tu 
fini  tes  —  ?  none  of  your  airs  t 
"stop  bouncing  !"  /  don't  take 
that  in  !   From  manieres. 

Magnetic,  f.  (thieves'),  name,  or 
"  monarch  ;  "  —  blague,  false 
name.  II  fagaut  la  —  blague  de 
magnaniere  que  tu  ne  sois  paga, 
you  must  take  a  false  name  lest  you 
should  be  caught. 

Magneuse,  magnuce,  manieuse, 
f.  (popular).  Michel  says:  "Fille 
de  joie,  femme  qui  se  deprave  avec 
des  individus  de  son  sexe  .  .  . 
quelque  allusion  malveillante,  et 
sans  doute  calomnieuse,  a  une 
comraunaute  religieuse.  Je  veux 
parlerdes  Magneuses,  qui  devaient 
ce  nom  k  leur  fondatrice." 

Maguer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  hurry. 

Maigre,    m.    (thieves'),     du    —  ! 

silence!    "mum    your    dubber." 

Also  take  care  what  you  say,  or 

"plant  the  whids." 

En  vain  se  d€manche-t-il  ^  faire  le  signe 
qui  doit  le  sauver,  du  maigre  !  du  maigre  ! 
crie-t-il  ^  tue-tete.— Vidocq. 

Maillard,  m.  (popular),  fermer  — , 
to  sleep,  "to  have  a.  dose  of 
balmy."      Fermeture    — ,    sleep, 


238 


Maillocher — Maladie. 


"balmy."  Etre  terrasse  par — , 
io  be  extremely  sleepy.  In  the 
above  expressions  an  allusion  is 
made  to  Maillard,  the  inventor  of 
a  peculiar  kind  of  shutters. 

Maillocher  (bullies'),  is  said  of  a 
bully  who  watches  a  prostitute  to 
see  she  does  not  secrete  any  part  of 
her  earnings,  which  are  the  afore- 
said ' '  pensioner's  "  perquisites. 

Main,  /  (thieves'),  jouer  ^  la  — 
chaude,  to  be  guillotined.  An  al- 
lusion to  the  posture  of  one  play- 
ing hot  cockles.  See  Fauche. 
(Popular)  Acheter  a  la  — ,  to  buy 
for  cash.  (Familiar)  Una  — 
pleine  pour  un  honnete  homme, 
a  strong,  fresh,  comely  country 
lass.  (Players')  Une  — ,  a  set  of 
tricks  at  baccarat  or  lansquenet. 

Mains  courantes, /; //.  (popular), 
feet,  or  "everlasting  shoes;" 
shoes,  or  ' '  trotter-cases. "  Se 
faire  une  paire  de  —  ^  la  mode, 
to  run  swiftly.     See  Patatrot. 

Maison, y;  (familiar  and  popular), 
a  parties,  j  gaming-house  in  ap- 
pearance, but  in  reality  a  brothel. 

Un  grand  salon  est  ouvert  \  tous  les 
amateurs ;  on  risque  galamment  quelques 
louis  .  .  .  et  entre  deux  parties  on  passe 
2i  une  autre  vari^td  d'exercice  dans  une 
chambre  ad  hoc.  Quelques-unes  de  ces 
maisons,  connues  sous  le  nom  de  "  maisons 
^ ,  parties,"  sent  le  supreme  du  genre. — 
L^o  Taxil. 

Maison  de  societe,  or  ^  gros  nu- 
mero,  brothel,  "flash-drum,  aca- 
demy, buttocking-shop,  or  nanny- 
shop."  Fille  de  — ,  prostitute  at 
a  brothel.  Maltresse  de  — , 
mistress  of  a  brothel.  Maison  de 
passe,  house  of  accommodation. 

Un  grand  nombre  de  maisons  de  passe 
sont  sous  la  coupe  de  la  police.  Ce  sont 
des  maisons  tolerees  par  radministration,  k 
qui  elles  rendent  de  frequents  services  en 
d€non(;ant  les  prostitutes  inscrites  qui  vien- 
nent  s'y  cachcr.— Docteur  Jeannel. 


(Military)  Maison  de  campagne, 
cells,  "mill,  or  Irish  theatre." 
AUer  i  la  —  de  campagne,  to  be 
imprisoned,  or  "s.hopped." 

Maitre  d'ecole,  m.  (horsebreakers'), 
well-trained  horse  harnessed  with 
a  young  horse  which  is  being 
broken  in. 

Maltresse,/.  (popular),  de  maison, 
mistress  of  a  brothel ;  —  de  piano, 
old  or  ugly  woman  who  acts  as  a 
kind  of  factotum  to  cocottes. 

Major,  m.  (familiar),  de  table 
d'hote,  elderly  man  with  a  military 
appearance,  who  acts  as  a  protector 
to  low  gaming-house  proprietors  ; 
(Ecole  Polytechnique)_/&-rf  o»  the 
list ;  —  de  queue,  last  on  the  list. 

Mai  (popular),  blanchi,  negro, 
"darky,  or  snowball."  Un  —  i 
gauche,  a  clumsy  fellow.  Une  — 
peignee,  adissolute girl.  (Thieves') 
Mai  sacie,perjuredwitness.  (Mili- 
tary) Avoir  —  aux  pieds,  to  wear 
canvas  gaiters.  (Familiar;)  Avoir 
—  aux  cheveux,  to  have  a  head- 
ache caused  by  prolonged  potations, 
especially  when  one  is  "  stale 
drunk,"  which  generally  occurs 
after  the  "jolly  dog"  has  taken 
too  many  hairs  of  the  other  dog. 
(Theatrical)  Avoir  —  au  genou,  to 
be  pregnant. 

Malade,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'),  in 
prison,  "put  away."  When  the 
prisoner  leaves  the  "hopital,"or 
prison,  he  is  pronounced  "gueri," 
or  free;  (popular) —  du  pouce, 
idle,  or  "  Mondayish  ;  "  stingy,  or 
"clunchfist."  With  a  bad  thumb, 
of  course,  it  is  difficult  to  "fork 
out,  to  down  with  the  dust,  to 
sport  the  rhino,  to  tip  the  brads, 
or  even  to  stump  the  pewter." 

Maladie,/.  (familiar  and  popular), 
de  neuf  mois,  pregnancy,  or 
"white  swelling."  The  allusion 
is  obvious.     (Popular)  Maladie  I 


Maladroits — Manche. 


239 


an  ejaculation  of  disgustwhich  may 
be  rendered  by  "  rot  ! "  (Thieves') 
Maladie,  imprisonment,  the  con- 
vict being  an  inmate  of  "I'hopi- 
tal,"  OT  prison. 

Maladroits,  m,  pi.  (cavalry),  son- 
nerie  des  — ,  trumpet  call  for 
infantry  drill, 

Malais6e,  f.  (popular),  faire 
danser  la  —  k  quelqu'un,  to  thrash 
one,  "  to  lead  one  a  dance."  For 
synonyms  see  Voie. 

Malandreux,  adj.  (popular),  ill, 
"  seedy,  or  hipped  ; "  ill  at  ease. 

Malapatte,  m.  (popular),  clumsy 
man,  "  cripple."  Literally  mal 
k  la  patte. 

Malastique,  m.  (military),  dirty ; 
slovenly. 

Maldine,  /.  (popular),  "pension 
bourgeoise,"  or  boarding  hotise ; 
boarding  school.  Literally  a  place 
where  one  does  not  get  a  good 
dinner. 

Malfrat,  m.  (popiUar),  scamp, 
"  bad  egg." 

Malheur!  (popular),  an  ejaculation 
of  disgust,  "  rot  1 "  "hang  it  all ! " 

Malheur  ! .  . .  Tiens,  vous  prenez  du  vent'e 
.Ah !  bon,  chaleur  !  J'oompreDds  I'tableau ! 
Gill. 

Malingrer  (thieves'),  to  suffer. 
From  malingre,  which  formerly 
had  the  signification  of  ill,  and 
now  means  weakly. 

Malingreux,  adj.  (popular),  weak. 
In  olden  times  a  variety  of  mendi- 
cants. 

Malingreux  sont  ceux  qui  ont  des  maux 
ou  plaies,  dont  la  plupart  ne  sont  qu'en  ap- 
parence ;  Us  truchent  sur  I'entiffe. — Le 
Jargon  de  V Argot. 

Malle,/  (popular),  faire  sa  — ,  to 
die,  "  to  kiclc  the  bucket,  to  snuff 
it,  to  stick  one's  spoon  in  the  wall." 


See  Pipe.   (Military)  Malle,  lock- 
up, or  "  mill." 

En  voil^  assez,  faut  en  finir;  tout  le 
peloton  couchera  h  la  malle  ce  soir. — G. 

COURTELINE. 

Malouse,  /  (thieves'),  box,  or 
"peter." 

Mal  pensants  (clericals'),  les  jour- 
naux  — ,  anti-clerical  newspapers. 

Les  joumaux  "  mal  pensants  "  ne  man- 
quent  jamais  de  relater  ces  esclandres. 
Aussi,  pour  que  la  quantity  ne  puisse  en 
6tre  connue,  I'archeveque  a  autorisd  les 
prStres  du  diocese  k  ne  pas  porter  la  ton- 
sure.— L60  Taxil. 

Mal-ras£s,  m.  pi.  (military),  sap- 
pers;  thus  called  on  account  of 
their  long  beards. 

Maltais,  m.  (popular),  low  eating- 
house,  a  "grub  ken." 

Maltaise,  or  maltJse,/  (old  cant), 
gold  coin.  According  to  V.  Hugo, 
the  coin  was  used  on  board  the 
convict  galleys  of  Malta.  Hence 
the  expression. 

Maltouse,  or  maltouze,  f. 
(thieves'),  smuggling.  Pastiquer 
la  — ,  to  smuggle, 

Maltousier,  m.  (thieves'),  smug- 
gler. 

Malvas,  m.  (popular),  scamp.  From 
the  Provenyal. 

Malzingue,  m.  (thieves'),  landlord 
of  wijte-shop  ;  wine-shop, 

Allons,  venez  casser  un  grain  de  raisin. 
—Nous  entrames  chez  le  malzingue  le  plus 
voisin. — ViDOCQ.  (Come  and  have  a  glass 
of  wine. — iVe  entered  the  first  wiTte-shop 
we  came  to.) 

Man  (Breton  cant),  to  kiss, 

Manche,  m.  andf.  (popular).  De- 
poser  ses  bouts  de  — ,  to  die,  "to 
kick  the  bucket. "  For  synonyms 
see  Pipe.  ( Mountebanlts')  Faire 
la  — ,  to  make  a  collection  of 
money,  or  "break." 


240 


Manchette — Manger. 


La  fille  du  barde  fait  la  manche.  Elle 
promfene  sa  s^bille  de  fer-blanc  devant  les 
spectateurs. — Henri  Monniek. 

From  la  buona  mancia  of  the 
Italians,  says  Michel,  which  has 
the  signification  of  a  gratuity 
allowea  a  workman  or  guide,  and 
"  present  "  asked  by  a  prostitute. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Le  — ,  the 
master.  Jambes  en  manches  de 
veste,  bandy  legs.  (Thieves') 
Faire  la  — ,  to  beg. 

M'est  avis  que  vous  avez  manque  le  bon, 
I'autre  sorgue.  Quoi,  le  birbe  qui  avaic 
I'air  de  faire  la  manche  dans  les  gamaffes 
et  les  pipds. — VlDOCQ.  (My  afiiniojl  is  that 
you  vtissed  the  right  man  the  other  night. 
]Vhy^  the  old  felto^v  who  pretended  to  be 
t^egging  in.  the /arjns  and  jnansions.) 

Manchette,  /.  (military),  coup  de 
— ,  a  certain  clever  sword  cut  on 
the  wrist. 

Une  .  .  .  deux  .  .  .  parez  ceIui-1^,  c'est  le 
coup  de  flanc.  Ah  !  ah  <  pas  assez  malin. 
Voil^  le  coup  de  manchette  !  Pif !  paf  I  ga 
y  est. — H.  France,  UHomnte  qui  tue. 

Mancheur,  vi.  (popular),  street 
tumbler  ;  thus  called  on  account  of 
his  living  on  the  proceeds  of  "la 
manche,"  or  collection. 

Manchon,  in.  (popular),  large  head 
of  hair.  Avoir  des  vers  dans  son 
— ,  to  have  bald  patches  on  one's 
head. 

Mandarin,  m.  (literary),  imaginary 
person  wlio  serves  as  a  butt  for 
attacks.  Tuer  le  — ,  to  be  guilty, 
by  thought,  of  a  bad  action.  An 
allusion  to  the  joke  about  a  ques- 
tion as  to  one's  willingness  to  kill 
a  wealthy  man  at  a  distance  by 
merely  pressing  a  knob,  and 
afterwards  inheriting  his  money. 

Mandibules,///.  (popular),  jouer 
des  — ,  to  eat,  "to  grub."  See 
Mastiquer. 

Mandole,  f.  (popular),  smack  in 
the  face.  Jeter  une  — ,  to  give  a 
smack  in  the  face,    "to   fetch   a 


wipe  in  the  mug,"  or,  as  the 
Americans  have  it,  "  to  give  a. 
biff  in  the  jaw. " 

Mandolet,  m.  (thieves'),  pistol, 
"  barking-iron,  or  pop." 

Manego  (Breton  cant),  hatuicitffs, 
or  "darbies." 

Manette,  /.  (popular),  Mademoi- 
selle — ,  a  portmanteau,  or 
"peter." 

Mangeoire,  /.  (popular),  eating- 
house,  "grubbing-crib." 

Manger  (theatrical),  du  sucre,  to 
be  applauded ;  (military)  —  le 
mot  d'ordre,  or  la  consigne,  to  for- 
get the  watchword;  (popular)  — 
de  la  misere,  or  du  boeuf,  to  be  in 
poverty,  to  be  a  "  quisby  ; "  —  de 
la  prison,  to  be  in  prison,  in 
"  quod  ; "  —  du  fromage,  or  du 
boeuf,  to  go  to  a  comrade's  funeral. 
An  allusion  to  the  repast,  or 
"  wake,"  as  the  Irish  term  it, 
after  the  funeral ;  —  de  la  merde, 
to  be  in  a  state  of  abject  poverty, 
entailing  all  kinds  of  humiliations  ; 
—  du  drap,  or  du  merinos,  to  play 
billiards,  or  "spoof;"  — le  bon 
Dieu,  to  partake  of  communion. 

Et  c'est  du  propre  d'aller  manger  le  bon 
Dieu  en  guignant  les  hommes.— Zola. 

Manger  le  pain  hardi  (obsolete), 
to  act  as  servant ;  —  le  poulet, 
to  share  unlawful  profits  ;  —  le  pis- 
senlit  par  la  racine,  to  be  dead  and 
buried;  —  du  pain  rouge,  to 
make  one's  living  by  murder  and 
robbery;  —  la  soupe  avec  un 
grand  sabre,  to  be  the  possessor  of  . 
a  very  large  mouth,  like  a  slit  made 
by  a  sword-cut ;  —  le  nez  a 
quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one  terribly, 
"to  knock  one  into  a  cocked  hat." 
Je  vais  te —  le  ner,  a  cannibal- 
like offer  often  made  by  a  Paris 
rough  to  his  adversary  as  a  pre- 
liminary to  a  set-to.  Manger  une 
soupe  aux  herbes.  to  sleep  in  the 


Mangeur — Manon. 


241 


fields.  Se  —  le  nez,  to  fight. 
(Thieves')  Manger,  to  inform 
against,  "to  blow  the  gaff,"  or 
"  to  turn  snitch." 

Je  vols  bien  qu'il  y  a  ^arml  nous  une 
canaille  qui  a  mang^ ;  fats-moi  conduire 
devant  le  quart  d'ffiil,  je  mangerai  aussi.  — 
ViDOCQ. 

Manger  le  morceau,  to  inform 
against,  "to  turn  snitch.'' 

Mais  t'es  avertie,  ne  mange  pas  le  mor- 
ceau, sinon  gare  &  toi  ! — VlDOCQ. 

Manger  sur  I'orgue,  to  inform 
against,  "to  blow  the  gafif."  Orgue 
has  here  the  signification  of  person, 
as  in  "  mon  orgue,"  /,  myself, 
"  son  orgue,"  he,  himself;  —  sur 
quelqu'un,  to  inform  against. 

Le  coqueur  libre  est  oblige  de  passer  son 
existence  dans  les  orgies  les  plus  ignobles  ; 
en  relations  constantes  avec  les  voleurs  de 
profession,  dont  il  est  I'ami,  il  s'associe  k 
leurs  projets.  Pour  lui  tout  est  bon  ;  vol, 
escroquerie,  incendie^  assas^inat  meme ! 
Qu'est-ce  que  cela  lui  fait  ?  Pourvu  qu'il 
puisse  "manger"  (ddnoncer)  sur  quelqu'un 
et  qu'il  en  tire  un  benefice.  — Mimoires  de 
Canter. 

Manger  sur  son  niere,  to  inform 
against  an  accomplice,  "to  turn 
snitch  against  a  pal ; "  —  du  col- 
lege, to  be  in  prison,  to  be  "  put 
away  ;  "  (familiar  and  popular)  — 
la  grenouille,  to  appropriate  the 
contents  of  a  cash-box  or  funds 
entrusted  to  onis  care. 

Mangeur,  m.  (general),  de  blanc, 
women! s  bully,  "ponce,  pensioner, 
petticoat's  pensioner,  Sunday- 
man."  See  Poisson  for  syno- 
nyms. 

Le  paillasson  dtait  il  y  a  trente  ans  le 
"mangeur  de  blanc;"  on  le  designait  en 
1788  sous  le  nom  "  d'homme  k  quality " 
et  quelques  ann^es  auparavant  c'ltait  un 
"  gteiuchon." — Mich  el. 

Mangeur  de  bon  Dieu,  bigot, 
"prayer-monger;"  —  de  'chou- 
croute,  German; — denez, quarrel- 
some, savage  man.  Paris  roughs, 
before  a  set-to,  generally  inform 


their  adversary  of  the  necessity  of 
disfiguring  him  by  the  savage 
words,  "  II  faut  que  je  te  mange 
le  nez.''  Mangeur  de  frimes, 
humbug,  impostor  ;  —  de  pommes, 
u.  native  of  Normandy,  the  great 
orchard  of  France  ;  — de  prunes, 
tailor,  or  "  snip."  Termed  also 
' '  pique  -  prunes,  pique  -  poux." 
(Thieves')  Mangeur,  informer;  — 
de  galette,  informer  in  the  pay  of 
the  police^  "  nark  ;  "  (convicts')  — 
de  fer,  convict;  (military)  — 
d'avoine,  thief;  thievish  fellow. 

Mangeuse    de   viande   crue,  f. 

(popular),  prostitute.  For  syno- 
nyms see  Gadcue. 

Manicle,  f.  (thieves'),  frere  de  la 
— ,  thief,  or  "  P"g."  See 
Grinche. 

Manieres,  f.  pi.  (popular),  as-tu 
fini  tes  —  ?  dov!t  be  so  stuck- 
up  ;  none  of  your  airs  !  don't  put 
it  on  so !  "  come  off  the  tall 
grass"  (Americanism),  or  "stop 
bouncing." 

Manival,  m.  (thieves'),  charcoal 
dealer. 

Manneau  (thieves'),  I,  me  (obso- 
lete), now  termed  "raezigue,  me- 
zigo,  meziire,  mon  gniasse." 

Mannequin,  m.  (popular),  insig- 
nificant,  contemptible  man,  or 
"snot."  The  term  may  also  be 
applied  to  a.  woman ;  —  a  re- 
froidis,  or  de  machabees,  hearse. 

Mannezingue,  m.  (popular),  land- 
lord of  wine-shop.  Termed  also 
"  mastroc,  maslroquet." 

Pas  seulement  une  goutte  de  eric  k  mettre 
dans  ma  demi-tasse.  La  Martinet  en  a 
achetd,  elle,  pour  quinze  sous  chez  le  man- 
nezingue.—P.  Mahalin. 

Mannezingueur,     m.     (popular), 

hdbiiui  of  wine-shops. 
Manon,    /.     (popular),    mistress; 

sweetheart,  or  "  young  woman." 

K 


242 


Manquant-sorti — Maquillage. 


Manquant-sorti,  m.  (popular),  one 
who  cannot  understand  a  joke. 

Manque,y".  (popular  and  thieves'), 
treachery. 

Gafifr^  ^tait  comme  la  plupart  des  agents 
de  police,  sauf  la  manque  (perfidieX  bon 
enfant,  mais  un  peu  licheur,  c'est  k  dire 
gourmand  comme  une  chouette.  — ViDOCQ. 

A  la  — ,  to  the  left,  from  the 
Italian  alia  manca ;  damaged ; 
ill ;  bad.  Etre  i  la  — ,  to  be- 
tray;  to  leave  one  in  the  lurch; 
to  be  short  of  cash;  to  be  ab- 
sent. Affaire  i  la  — ,  bad  piece  of 
business.  Gonse  a  la  — ,  man  not 
to  be  relied  upon,  who  will  leave 
one  in  the  lurch;  traitor,  or 
"snitcher."  Fafiots,  or  fafelard  i 
la  — ,  forged  bank-notes,  or  "  queer 
soft."  (Popular)  Un  canotier  k 
la  — ,  awkward  rawing  man. 
Termed  also  "  cafouilleux." 

,  Ecumeurs  de  calicot ! — Oh€  !  les  cano- 
tiers  k  la  manque  ! — Viens  que  je  te  fasse 
avaler  ta  gaffe  ! — E,  Monteil. 

Une  balle  i  la  — jface  of  a  one- 
eyed  man. 

Manquer  le  train,  to  loseone's  oppor- 
tunities in  life,  and  consequently  to 
be  the  reverse  of  prosperous, 

_  A  debute  par  un  beau  livre  ;  B  k  vingt- 
cinq  ans,  expose  un  beau  tableau.  .  .  .  Les 
mille  obstacles  de  la  boheme  leur  barrent 
le  chemin.  .  .  lis  resteront  intelligents, 
mais  ,  .  .  ils  ont  manqu^  le  train.— Tony 

R^VILLON. 

Manquesse,  /.  (thieves'),  bad  cha- 
racter given  to  a  prisoner  on  trial. 
Raffiler  la  — ,  to  give  a  bad  cha- 
racter. 

Manuscrit  beige,  m.  (printers'), 
printed  copy  to  be  composed.  Ac- 
cording to  Eugene  Boutmy  the 
origin  of  the  expression  is  to  be 
found  in  the  practice  which  ex- 
isted formerly  of  entrusting  Bel- 
gian compositors  in  Paris  with 
printed  copy  only,  and  not 
manuscript,  on  account  of  their 
ignorance  of  the  language. 


Mappemonde,  /  (popular),  bo- 
soms, "  Charlies,  or  dairies." 
Termed  also  "  avant-scfenes,  oeufs 
sur  le  plat,  avant-postes,"  &:c. 

Maqua,  f,  (familiar  and  popular), 
obsolete,  mistress  of  a  brothel. 

Maquart,  tn.  (popular),  bidoche, 
or  bifteck  de  — ,  horseflesh.  From 
the  name  of  a  knacker. 

Maque.     See  Mac. 

Maquecde,y:  (popular), /«;j/rejj  o/' 
a  brothel.  Called  also  "abbesse." 

Maquereautage.  See  Macro- 
tage. 

Maquereautin.     See  Macrotin. 

Maqui,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
paint  for  the  face,  or  complexion 
powder,  "  slap,  or  splash."  Met- 
tre  du  — ,  to  paint  one's  face. 
(Card-sharpers')  Mettre  du  — ,  to 
prepare  cards  for  cheating,  "to 
stock  broads." 

Maquignon,  m.  (popular),  kind  of 
Jack  of  all  trades,  not  honest  ones. 
Properly  horse-dealer ;  — •  a  bi- 
doche, woman's  bully,  or  "pen- 
sioner."    See  Poisson. 

Maquignonnage,  m.  (famiUar  and 
popular),  cheating  on  the  quality 
of  goods  ;  making  a  living  on  the 
earnings  of  prostitutes. 

^  Maquignonnage,  pour  maquerellage,  me- 
tier des  maquereaux  et  des  maquerelles, 
qui  font  negoce  de  fiUes  de  ddbauche. — 
Oholieres. 

Maquignonnage,  swindling  opera- 
tion.    Properly  horse-dealing. 

Maquillage,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  work,ox  "elbow-grease;" 
the  act  of  doing  anything,  "  (ak- 
i"g;"  (card-sharpers')  card  play- 
ing,  tampering  with  cards,  or 
"stocking  of  broads  ;"  (familiar) 
the  act  of  painting  one's  face. 

Elles  font  une  prodigieuse  d^pense  de 
comestiques  et  de  parfumeries.     Presque 


Maquill^e — Marchand. 


243 


toutes  se  fardent  les  joues  et  les  Ifevres  avec 
une  naivety  grossiere.  Quelques-unes  se 
noircissenc  les  sourcils  et  le  bord  des  pau- 
pi&res  avec  le  charbon  d'une  allumette  k 
demi-briilde.  Cest  ce  qu'on  appelle  le 
"  maquillagc."— L^o  Taxil. 

Maquillee,  f.  (familiar),  harlot,  or 
"  mot."  lAltT3.\\y  one  with  painted 
face. 

Maquiller  (thieves'),  to  do,  "to 
fake  ; "  —  des  caroubles,  to  manu- 
facture false  keys  ;  —  les  bremes, 
to  tamper  with  cards,  "  to  stock 
broads;"  to  play  cards;  to  cheat 
at  cards ;  —  le  papelard,  to  write i 
"to  screeve;"  —  son  true,  to 
prepare  a  dodge ;  —  un  suage,  to 
make  preparations  for  a  murder. 
From  faire  suer,  to  murder ;  — 
—  une  cambriole,  to  strip  a  room, 
"to  do  a  crib."  The  word  "ma- 
quiller "  has  as  many  different 
meanings  as  the  corresponding 
term  "to  fake."  (Popular)  Ma- 
quiller,  to  do;  to  manage;  to 
work ;  —  le  vitriol,  to  adulterate 
brandy. 

Vieille  drogue,  tu  as  change  de  litre  !  .  .  . 
Tu  sais,  ce  n'est  pas  avec  moi  qu'il  faut 
maquiller  ton  vitriol. — Zola,  VAssom- 
moir. 

Maquilleur,  m.,  maquilleuse, /! 
(thieves'),  card-player ;  card- 
sharper,  or  "  broadsman." 

Maraille,  /  (thieves'),  people ; 
world. 

Marant,  adj.  (popular),  laughable. 
Etre  — ,  to  be  ridiculous. 

Marauder  (coachmen's),  to  take  up 
fares  when  not  allowed  to  do  so  by 
the  regulations;  refers  also  to  a 
"  cabby  " .who  has  no  licence. 

Maraudeur,»«.  (familiar),  "cabby" 
who  plies  his  trade  without  u 
licence. 

Marbre,  »z.  (journalists'),  ./Wi'.oiwi^ 
'    to  be  composed. 


Marcandier,  m.,  marcandiere, /. 
(thieves'),  tradespeople ;  also  a 
variety  of  the  mendicant  tribe, 
"cadger." 

Marcandiers  sont  ceux  qui  blent  avec  une 
grande  hane  k  leur  cost^,  avec  un  assez 
che'nastre  frusquin,  et  un  rabas  sur  les 
courbes,  feignant  d'avoir  trouve  des  sa- 
Wieux  sur  le  trimard  qui  leur  ont  ost^  leur 
michon  toutime. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot. 
{.Marcandiers  are  those  -who  journey  with. 
a  great  plirse  by  their  side^  ivith  a  pretty 
good  coat^and'a  cloak  on  their  shoulders, 
pretending  the^  have  met  with  robbers  on 
the  road  who  have  stolen  all  their  money  ^ 

Marcassin,  m.  (popular),  sign- 
board painter^  assistant.  Properly 
a  young  wild  boar. 

Marchand,  m.  (familiar),  desoupe. 
head  of  a  boarding-school ;  (popu- 
lar) —  de  larton,  baker,  "crumb 
and  crust  man,  master  of  the 
rolls,  or  crummy."  Termed  also 
"  marchand  de  bricheton,  or 
lartonnier ; "  ^  d'eau  chaude, 
"  limonadier,"  or  proprietor  of 
u  cafe;  —  d'eau  de  javelle, 
wine-shop  landlord ;  —  de  cerises, 
clumsy  horseman,  one  who  rides 
as  if  he  had  a  basket  on 
his  arm ;  —  de  morts  subites, 
surgeon  or  quack,  ' '  crocus  ; "  — 
de  sommeil,  lodging-hotise  keeper, 
"boss  of  a  dossing  crib  ; "  —  de 
patience,  man  who,  having  secured 
a  place  in  the  long  train  of  people 
waiting  at  the  door  of  a  theatre 
before  the  doors  are  opened,  and 
known  as  "  la  queue,"  allows 
another  to  take  it  for  a  considera- 
tion. 

Si  I'attente  est  longue  ...  les  places 
-seront  plus  chores;  et  comme  je  I'ai  en- 
tendu  dire  un  jour  k  I'un  de  ces  curieux 
gagne-petit :  Via  le  monde  qui  s'agace, 
chouette  !  Y  aura  gras  pour  les  marchands 
de  patience  ! — RicHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

(Thieves')  Marchand  de  tirelaine, 
night  thief;  —  de  lacets,  formerly 
a  gendarme. 

Le  gendarme  a  difFerents  noms  en  argot : 
quand  il  poursuit  le  voleur,  c'est  un  mar- 


344 


Marchande — Margoulette. 


chand  de  lacets ;  quand  il  I'escorte,  c'est 
une  hirondelle  de  la  GrSve ;  quand  il  le 
m^ne  a  I'dchafaud,  c'est  le  hussard  de  la 
guillotine.— Balzac. 

Un  —  de  babillards,  a  book- 
seller, or  an  "  et  cetera."  (Mili- 
tary) Marchand  de  morts  su- 
bites,  professional  duellist,  a 
"fire-eater ;"  —  de  puces,  official 
■who  has  charge  of  the  garrison 
beddinf;.  The  allusion  is  obvious  ; 
(convicts')  —  de  cirage,  captain 
of  a  ship. 

Est-ce  que  le  marchand  de  cirage  (elles 
appelaient  ainsi  le  commandant),  nous  faisait 
peur?— Humbert,  Man  Ba^ne. 

(Journalists')  Marchands  de  lignes, 
authors  who  write  for  the  sake  of 
gain  more  than  to  acquire  literary 
reputation, 

Je  crois  fermement  que  le  jour  oti  n'au- 
raicnt  plus  accis,  i.  I'Acad^mie  certains 
hommes  dminents  qui  ne  font  point  de 
liyres,  elle  tomberait,  de  bonne  heure,  au 
niveau  de  cette  corporation  de  "  marchands 
de  lignes"  qu'on  nomme  la  Soci^t^  des 
Gens  de  lettres. — A,  Dubrujeaud. 

(Military)  Un  —  demarrons,^«>- 
■who  looks  ill  at  ease  in  mufti. 

Marchande,/ (popular), auxgosses, 
seller  of  toys  ;  —  de  chair  humaine, 
mistress  of  a  brothel. 

Marche,  m.  (militaiy),  a  teiTe, 
foot-soldier,  "wobbler,  beetle- 
crusher,  mud-crusher,  orgrabby ;" 
—  de  flanc,  repose  ;  sleep  ;  —  des 
zouaves,  soldiers  who  go  to  medical 
inspection  are  said  to  execute  the 
aforesaid  march  ;  —  oblique  indi- 
viduelle,  the  rallying  of  soldiers 
confined  to  barracks  going  up  to 
roll  call. 

March6  des  pieds  humides,  m. 
(familiar),  la  petite  Bourse,  or  ?neet- 
ing  of  speculators  after  the  Ex- 
change has  been  closed.  Takes 
place  on  the  Boulevards. 

Marchef,  m.  (military),  abbrevia- 
tion of  marechal-des-logis  chef, 
quartermaster  sergeant. 


Marcher  (popular),  dans  les  souliers 
d'un  mort,  to  inherit  a  man's  pro- 
perty; —  plan  plan,  to  walk 
slowly  ;  —  sur  une  affaire,  to  make 
a  mull  of  some  business.  (Printers') 
Marcher,  to  be  of  another's  opinion.. 
Qu'en  pensez-vous?  Je  marche. 
What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  I  am  of 
your  opinion.  (Thieves')  Marcher 
dessus,  to  prepare  a  robbery,  oi 
*'  lay  a  plant." 

Marches  du  palais,  /  pi.  (popu- 
lar), wrinkles  on  forehead. 

Marcheuse,/  (theatrical),  walking 
female  supernumerary  in  a  ballet. 

La  marcheuse  est  ou  tin  rat  dune  grande 
beautd  que  sa  mere,  fausse  ou  vraie,  ai 
vendue  lejour  ou  elle  n'a  pu  devenir  ni 
premier,  ni  second,  ni  troisifeme  sujet  de  la 
danse.— Balzac. 

L'emploi  des  "  marcheuses  "  n'existe  pas 
dans  le  ballet,_  en  Russie.  Le  personnel 
f^minin  est  entierement  compose  de  sujets 
qui  dansent  ou  miment,  selon  les  exigences 
de  la  situation. — A.  Biguet,  Le  Radical 
i8  Nov.,  1886. 

(Popular)  Marcheuse,   variety  of 
prostitute.     See  Gadoue. 

Leurs  fonctions  les  plus  ordinaires  sont 
de  rester  i  la  porte,  d'mdiquer  la  maison, 
d  accompagner,  de  surveiller  et  de  donner 
la  main  aux  jeuncs.  On  les  designe  dans. 
le  public  sous  le  nom  de  marcheuses. — 
L^o  Taxil. 


Marchis.     See  Marchef. 

Mardi  s'il  fait  chaud  (popular), 
never  (obsolete),  at  Doomsday, 
"  when  the  devil  is  blind." 

Mare,  or  mariolle,  adf  (popular 
arid  thieves'),  clever,  sharp,  cun- 
ning, ' '  leary, "  or  one  who  is  ' '  fly 
to  wet's  wot." 

Marecageux,  adf  (popular),  ceil 
— ,  eye  with  languid  expression^ 
with  a  killing  glance. 

Margauder  (familiar),  to  rundown 
a  person  or  thing. 

Margoulette,  /  (popular),  -incer 
la  —  i  quelqu'un,  to  treat  one  to 


Margoulin — Marlou. 


245 


drink.  Debrider  la  — ,  to  eat,  "  to 
put  one's  nose  in  the  manger." 
See  Mastiquer.  Deboiter  la  — 
a  quelqu'un,  to  damage  one's  coun- 
tenance. Mettre  la  —  en  compote, 
superlative  of  above. 

Margoulin,  m.  (commercial  tra- 
vellers'), retailer. 

Margoulinage  (commercial  tra- 
vellers'), retailing. 

Margouliner  (commercial  travel- 
lers'), to  retail. 

Margoulis,  m.  (popular),  scandal. 

Marguerites,  f.  pi.  (popular),  or 
—  de  cimetiere,  white  hairs  in 
the  beard. 

Marguillier  de  bourrache,  m. 
(thieves'),  juryman.  This  ex- 
pression is  connected  with  ' '  fievre 
chaude, "  or  accusation,  borage  tea 
being  given  to  patients  in  cases  of 
fever. 

Marguinchon,/  (popular),  disso- 
lute girl,  a  "regular  bitch." 

Manage,  m.  (popular),  i  I'An- 
glaise,  marriage  of  a  couple  who, 
directly  after  the  ceremony,  sepa- 
rate and  live  apart ;  —  d'Afrique, 
or  —  a  la  detrempe,  cohabitation 
of  a  couple  living  as  man  and  wife, 
of  a  pair  who  live"  ia&y."  From 
"peindre  a  la  Aixxjtraf^,"  to  paint 
in  distemper.  Compare  the  Eng- 
lish expression,  "wife  in  water- 
colours,"  or  mistress. 

Marianne,  /  (popular),  la  — ,  the 
Republic.  (Thieves')  Marianne, 
guillotine.     See  Voyante. 

M  arias  se,  vi.  (popular),  scamp, 
"bad  egg." 

Marida,  /  (cads'  and  thieves'), 
married  woman. 

Marie  -  je  -  m'embSte  (popular), 
faire  sa  — .  to  make  many  cere- 


monies;   to  allow   oneself  to  be 
begged  repeatedly. 

Marie-mange-mon-prSt,/  (mili« 
tary),  mistress.  Literally  Mary 
spends  my  pay. 

Marin,  m.  (popular),  d'eau  douce, 
one  who  sports  a  river-boat ;  —  de 
la  Vierge  Marie,  river  or  canal 
bargee. 

Maringotte,  f.  (popular),  mounte- 
bank's show-waggon,  or  "slang." 

Mariol,  mariolle,  adj.  and  m. 
(popular  and  thieves'),  cunning, 
"downy,  or  fly  to  wot's  wot." 

Mariolisme,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  cunning. 

Mariolle,  m.  and  adj.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  cunning,  knowing  man, 
a  deep  or  artful  one,  "  one  who 
has  been  put  up  to  the  hour  of  day, 
who  is  fly  to  wot's  wot."  Termed 
also  a  "file,"  originally  a  term  for 
a  pickpocket,  when  to  fie  was  to 
cheat  and  to  rob. 

C'est  d'nature,  on  a  9a  dans  I'sang  : 
J'suis  paillasson  !  c'est  pas  d'ma  faute, 
Je  m'fais  pas  plus  marioU*  qu'un  aut'e  : 
Mon  per'  I'^tait ;  I'Emp'reur  autant ! 
Gill,  I,a  Muse  A  Bibi. 

Marionnette,  /.  (popular),  soldier^ 
or  "grabby." 

Mari  Robin  (Breton  cant),  gen' 
darmes. 

Marlou,  m.  and  adj.  (general), 
prostitute's  bully,  ' '  ponce,  or  pen- 
sioner."    See  Poisson. 

Les  marlous  qui  soutiennent  les  filles  en 
carte,  les  insoumises  du  trottoir  et  les 
femmes  des  maisons  de  bas  ^tage,  ne  se 
contentent  pas  de  rangonner  ces  palheu- 
reuses  qu'ils  appellent  leur  marmite,  leur 
dabe ;  ils  ddtroussent  sans  cesse  les  pas- 
sahts  et  assassinent  pour  s'entretenir  \a. 
main. — L60  Taxil. 

Marlou,  cunning,  "downy." 

La  viscope  en  arrifere  et  la  trombine  au  vent 
L'csil  marlou,  il  antra  chfz  le  zingue. 

RiCHEPIIf. 


246 


Marloupatte—Marot. 


(Thieves')  Le  —  de  Charlotte,  the 
executioner,  nicknamed  Chariot. 

Marloupatte,  or  marloupin,  in. 
(popular),  prostitute's  bully,  or 
"petticoat's  pensioner." 

Ce  marloupatte  pale  et  mince 
Se  nommait  simplement  Navet ; 
Mais  il  vivait  ainsi  qu'un  pnnce  .  .  . 
11  aimait  les  femmes  qu'on  rince. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Marloupin,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  prostitute's  male  asso- 
ciate, "pensioner,  petticoat's  pen- 
sioner, Sunday  man,  prosser,  or 
ponce."     See  Poisson. 

Quand  on  paie  en  monnai'  d'singe 
Nous  aut'  marloupins, 
Les  sal's  raichetons  (lu'a  pas  d'linge. 
On  les  pass'  chez  paings. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Marlousier.     See  Marloupin.. 

Marmier,  m.  (thieves'),  shepherd. 

Marmite,/  (bullies'),  mistress  of  a 
bully.  Literally  flesh-pot.  The 
allusion  is  obvious,  as  the  bully 
lives  on  the  earnings  of  his  asso- 
ciate. 

Un  souteneur  sans  sa  marmite  fsa  mai- 
tresse)  est  un  ouvrier  sans  travail,  .  ,  .  pour 
lui  tout  est  la:  fortune,  bonheur,  amour, 
s  ice  n'est  pas  profaner  ce  dernier  mot  que 
de  lui  donner  une  acception  quelconque 
^  r^^ard  du  souteneur, —  Memoires  de 
Canter. 

Marmite  de  terre,  prostitute  who 
does  not  pay  her  bully ;  —  de 
cuivre,  one  who  brings  in  a  good 
income ;  —  de  fer,  one  who  only 
brings  in  a  moderate  one.  (Mili- 
tary) La  —  est  en  deuil,  the  fare 
is  scanty  at  present,  that  is,  the 
flesh-pot  is  empty, 

Marmiton     de     Domange,     m. 

(popular),  scavenger  employed  in 
emptying  cesspools,  or  "gold- 
finder."  Domange  was  a  great 
contractor  in  the  employ  of  the 
city  authorities. 


Marmot,  m.  (thieves'),  nourrir  un 
— ,  to  make  preparations  for  a 
robbery,  "  to  lay  a  plant."  Lite- 
rally to  feed,  to  nurse  a  child. 

Marmottier,  m.  (popular),  a  native 
of  Savoy.  Literally  one  who  goes 
about  exhibiting  a  inarmot. 

Marmouse,/  (thieves'),  beard. 

Marmouset,  m.  (thieves'),  flesh- 
pot.  Le  —  riffode,  the  pot  is  boil- 
ing. 

Marmousin,  m.  (popular),  child, 
or  "  kid." 

Marmyon,  m.  (thieves'),  flesh-pot, 
and  figuratively /a^-^fif. 

Marne,/.  (popular),  faire  la  — ,  is 
said  of  prostitutes  who  prowl  about 
the  river-side. 

Mamer  (popular),  to  steal,  or  "to 
nick."  See  Grinchir.  Mamer, 
to  work  hard,  ' '  to  sweat. " 

Marneur,  m.  (popular),  strong, 
active  labourer. 

Marneuse,  /  (popular),  prostitute 
of  the  lowest  class  who  plies  her 
trade  by  the  river-side.  See 
Gadoue, 

Maron,  or  marron,  adj.  (thieves'), 
caught  in  the  act. 

Non,  il  n'est  pas  possible,  disait  I'un ; 
pour  prendre  ainsi  "  marons  "  les  voleurs, 
il  faut  qu'il  s'entende  avec  eux. — Vidocq. 

Maron,  or  muron,  salt. 
Maronner  (thieves'),  to  fail.     Une 
affaire  maronnee,  fruitless  attempt 
at  robbery. 

II  y  a  du  renaud  k  I'affaire  de  la  chique, 
elle  est  maronnee,  le  dabe  est  revenu. — 
Vidocq.  (There  is  some  trouble  about  the 
jpb  at  tht  church,  it  has  failed,  father  is 
returned.) 

Marot,  adj.  (popular),  cunning; 
"up  to  snuff,  one  who  knows 
wot's  wot,  one  who  has  been  put 
up  to  the  hour  of  day,  one  who 
knows  what's  o'clock,  leary." 


Marottier — Marqui. 


247 


Marottier,  m.  (thieves'),  hawker, 
or  "  barrow-man  -"pedlar  travel- 
ling about  the  country  selling 
stuffs,  neckerchiefs,  ^c,  to  coun- 
try people.  Termed,  in  the  Eng- 
lish cant,  a  "  dudder  "  or  "  duds- 
man."  "In  selling  a  waistcoat- 
piece,"  says  the  Slang  Dictionary, 
"which  cost  him  perhaps  five 
shillings,  for  thirty  shillings  or 
two  pounds,  he  would  show  great 
fear  of  the  revenue  officer,  and 
beg  the  purchasing  clodhopper  to 
kneel  down  in  a  puddle  of  water, 
crook  his  arm,  and  swear  that  it 
might  never  become  straight  if  he 
told  an  exciseman,  or  even  his 
own  wife.  The  term  and  practice 
are  nearly  obsolete.  In  Liverpool, 
however,  and  at  the  East-end  of 
London,  men  dressed  up  as 
sailors,  with  pretended  silk  hand- 
kerchiefs and  cigars,  'only  just 
smuggled  from  the  Indies,'  are 
still  to  be  plentifully  found." 

Marpaut,ormarpeau,OT.(oldcant), 
man  ;  master  of  a  house  (obsolete). 

Pour  n'offenser  point  le  marpaut, 
Afin  qu'il  ne  face  deifaut 
De  foncer  k  rappointement. 

Le  Pasquil  de  la.  rencontre  det 
Cocus. 

The  word  was  formerly  used  by 
the  Parisians  with  the  signification 
of  fool,  greenhorn,  loafer. 

Marpaud.  Mot  de  Paris,  pour  sot,  niais, 
nigaut,  badaud. — Le  Roux,  Diet.  Co- 
mique. 

Again,  Cotgrave  renders  it  as  an 
ill-favoured  scrub,  a  little  ugly,  or 
swarthy  wretch ;  also  a  lickorous 
or  saucy  fellow ;  one  that  catches 
at  whatever  dainties  come  in  his 
way.  Michel  makes  the  remark 
that  morpion  (crab-louse,  a  popu- 
lar injurious  term)  must  be  de- 
rived from  marpaut. 

Marquant,  m.  (thieves'),  man ; 
master;  chief  of  a  gang,  or"  6.\m- 


ber  damber  ;"  women's  bully,  or 
"Sunday  man,"  see  Poisson  ; 
drunkard,  or  one  who  gets 
"canon." 

Marque,  /  (familiar),  horizontale 
de  grande  — ,  very  fashionable 
cocotte.  Horizontale  de  petite  — , 
the  ordinary  sort  ofcocottes. 

D^ciddment  je  ne  sais  quelle  ardeur 
guerrifere  a  souffld  sur  nos  horizontales  de 
grande  marque  et  de  petite  marque,  mais 
depuis  un  mois  nous  avons  2i  enregistrer  un 
nouveau  combat  singulier  dont  elles  sont 
Ics  heroines. — Le  Figaro,  Oct.,  1886. 

(Thieves')  Marque,  girl,  or 
"titter;"  woman,  "laced  mut- 
ton, hay-bag,  cooler,  shakester  ;" 
prostitute,  or  "banter;"  month, 
or  "moon."  II  a ete  messiadien 
a  six  marques  pour  pegrasse,  he 
has  been  sentenced  to  six  months^ 
imprisonment  for  theft.  Six  mar- 
ques, six  months,  or  "  half  a 
stretch."  Une  —  de  ce,  a  thief  ^s 
wife.  Termed,  in  old  cant, 
' '  autem-mort ;"  autem,  a  church, 
and  mort,  woman.  Marque 
franche,  or  marquise,  a  thief  s 
female  associate,  or  "  moUisher." 
Concerning  this  expression,  Michel 
says : — 

On  trouve  dans  I'ancienne  germania  es- 
pagnole  "  raarca,  marquida  et  niarquisa" 
avec  le  sens  de  *'femme  publique." — Diet, 
d: Argot. 

Quart  de  — ,  week.  Tirer  six 
marques,  to  be  imprisoned  for  six 
months,  "  to  do  half  a  stretch, 
or  a  sixer." 

Marque,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
month,"  •taoon."  From  the  Italian 
marchese.  Concerning  this  word, 
Michel  says  : — 

II  ne  saurait  Stre  douteux  que  ce  nom 
ne  soit  venu  \  cette  division  de  I'annde,  de 
I'infirmitd pdriodique  qu'ont  les  ' '  marques" 
ou  femmes,  "lors  que  la  Lune,  pour  tenir 
sa  diette  et  vaquer  k  ses  purifications  men- 
struelles,  fait  marquer  les  logis  fi^minins 
par  son  fourrier,  lequel  pour  escusson  n'a 
que  son  impression  rouge." — Diet.  d'A  rg.it. 


24-8 


Marque-mal — Martin. 


( Popular)  Etre  — ,  to  have  a  black 
eye,  or  "  mouse."  (Printers') 
Marque  a  la  fesse,  tiresome,  over- 
particular man. 

Marque-mal,  m.  (printers'),  one 
mho  receives  the  folios  from  the 
printing  machine  ;  (popular)  an 
ugly  man,  one  with  a  '  *  knocker 
face." 

Marquer  (popular),  i  la  fourchette 
is  said  of  a  restaurant  or  coffee- 
house keeper  who  adds  imaginary 
items  to  a  bill ;  —  le  coup,  to 
clink  glasses  when  drinking.  Bien 
— ,  to  shoiv  a  good  appearance, 
marquer  mal  being  the  reverse. 
Ne  plus  — ,  is  said  of  a  woman 
who  is  past  her  prime ;  that  is, 
wlio  no  longer  has  her  menses. 
(Thieves')  Marquer,  to  have  the 
appearance  of  a  man  in  good 
circumstances. 

Marquin,  m.  (thieves'),  hat  or  cap, 
"tile."     SeeTubard. 

Marquis  d' Argentcourt,  m.  (popu- 
lar), or  de  la  Bourse  Plate,  7ieedy 
and  vain-glorious  man. 

Marquise,  /.  (familiar),  kind  of 
mulled  white  claret ;  (thieves') 
■wife,  or  "  raclan." 

Nouzailles  pairons  notre  proie, 

A  ta  marquise  d'un  baiser, 

A  toi  d'un  coup  d'arpion  au  proye. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Marraine,/.  (thieves'), /«»za/^  wit- 
ness. 

Marre,  /.  (popular),  amusement. 
Etre  a  la  — ,  to  be  joyously  in- 
clined;  to  amuse  oneself.  J'en  ai 
pris  une  — ,  /  have  enjoyed  my- 
self. 

Marrer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  amuse 
oneself ;  to  be  hmused.  Pensez  si 
je  me  marre  ?  Mince  !  DonH  I 
get  amused,  just ! 

Marron,  ormaron,  adj.  (popular), 
sculpte,   grotesque,    ugly  face,  or 


"  knocker-head."  Cocher  — , 
"  cabby  "  without  a  licence.  Etre 
— ,  to  be  taken  in,  "  bamboozled." 
(Military)  Marron,  report  of  an 
officer  who  goes  the  rounds  ;  (prin- 
ters') clandestine  print ;  also  com- 
positor working  on  his  own  account 
at  a  printer's,  who  furnishes  him, 
with  the  necessary  plant  for  a  con- 
sideration. (Thieves')  Paumer  or 
pommer  — ,  to  catch  in  the  act, 
red-handed. 

On  la  crible  Sl  la  grive, 

Je  m'la  donne  et  m'esquive, 

EUc  est  pommde  marron. 

ViDOCQ. 

(Thieves')  Etre  servi  — ,  to  be 
caught  in  the  act. 

Que  je  sois  servie  m^irron  au  premier 
messifcre  que  je  grinchirai  si  je  lui  en  ouvre 
simplement  la  bouche. — Vidocq. 

Marronner,ormaronner(thieves'), 
un  grinchissage,  to  make  an  un- 
successful attempt  at  u,  robbery 
through  lack  of  skill  or  due  pre- 
cautions.    Maronner,  to  suspect. 

Je  maronne  que  la  roulotte  de  Pantin 
trime  dans  le  sabri.— V.  Hugo,  Les  Misi- 
railes.  (/  suspect  thai  the  Paris  mail- 
coach  is  going  through  the  wood.) 

Marseillaise,  /.  (popular),  short 
pipe,  or  "cutty,"  called  "dudeen" 
bv  the  Irish.  Avoir  une  —  dans 
le  kiosque,  to  be  "  cracked. "  For 
synonyms  see  Avoir. 

Enfin,  pour  sflr  la  politique  lu!  aura 
tourne  la  tete  !  II  a  une  Marseillaise  dans 
le  iaosqae.—Bau7naiti€etBlondelet. 

Marsouin,  m.  (popular),  smuggler; 
(military)  marine,  or  "jolly." 
Literally  porpoise. 

Martin,  m.  (popular),  foumir  — , 
to  wear  furs.  "Martin"  is  the 
equivalent  of  "  Bruin. "  Le  mal 
Saint-Martin  had  formerly  the 
signification  of  intoxication.  An 
allusion  to  the  sale  of  wine  at 
fairs  held  on  Saint  Martin's  day. 


Martinet — Mastiquer. 


249 


Martinet,  m.  (thieves'),  fiinisAment 
irons  used  at  the  penal  servitude 
settlements.  Properly  a  cat-o'-nine 
tails. 

Martingalier,  m.  (gamblers'), ^ot«- 
ster  who  imagines  he  is  master  of 
an  infallible  process  for  winning. 

C'est  un  martingalier.  C'est  un  des  ab- 
stracteurs  de  quintessence  moderne,  qui 
s'imaginent  avoir  trouvd  la  marche  infail- 
lible  pour  faire  sauter  les  banques. — RlCHE- 
PIN. 

Martyr,  m.  (military),  corporal. 
Termed  also  "  chien  de  I'es- 
couade. " 
Mascotte,y;,  gambler' s  fetish. 
Masquer  enalezan  (horsedealers'), 
to  paint  a  horse  so  as  to  deceive 
purchasers.  Termed  also  "  ma- 
quiller  un  gayet."  Among  other 
dishonest  practices,  horsedealers 
play  improper  tricks  with  an 
animal  to  make  him  look  lively: 
they  "  fig  "  him,  the  "  fig  "  being 
a  piece  of  wet  ginger  placed 
under  a  horse's  tail  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  him  appear  lively, 
and  enhance  his  price. 
Massage,  m.  (popular),  work, 
" graft,"  or  "elbow  grease." 

Masse,  f.  (military),  avoir  la  — 
complete,  to  possess  a  well-filled 
purse,  ijo.  —  noire,  mysterious 
cash-box,  supposed,  by  suspicious 
soldiers,  to  enclose  the  proceeds  of 
unlawful  profits  m^ade  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  aforesaid  by  non-com- 
missioned officers  entrusted  with 
the  victualling  or  clothing  depart- 
ment. (Thieves'  and  cads') 
Masse,  work,  "  graft,"  or  "elbow 
grease." 

Masser  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
work,  "  to  graft." 

Tu  sais,  j'dis  9a  a  ton  copain, 

Pa'c'que  j'vciis  qu'  c'est  un  gone' qui  boude, 

Mais  entre  ncu.i,  non  vieux  lapin, 

J'ai  jamais  mass^  qu'Ji  Tver  I'coude. 

RlCHEPIN. 


Masseur,  m.  (popular),  active  work' 
man.  , 

Mastar      au     gras-double,      / 

(thieves'),  faire  la  — ,  or  la  faire 
au  mastar,  to  steal  lead  off  roofs, 
"to  fly  the  blue  pigeon." 

Mastare,  adj.  (thieves'),  leaden. 

Mastaroufieur,  m.  (thieves'),  one 
who  steals  lead,  a ' '  bluey  cracker. " 

Mastic,  m.  (freemasons'),  bread  or 
meat ;  (popular)  deceit.  Peter  sur 
le  — ,  to  forsake  work.  (Thieves') 
Mastic,  OT«»,or"cove;"  (printers') 
long,  entangled  speech  ;  (theatrical) 
painting  and  otherwise  making-up 
on^sface.  Faire  son  — ,  to  paint 
one's  face,  "to  stick  slap  on." 

C'est  I'ensemble  de  ces  travaux  de  badi- 
geon  qui  constitue  le  mastic.  Un  mastic 
consciencieux  exige  prfes  d'une  heure  de 
peine. — P.  Mahalin. 

Mastiquer  (popular),  to  cobble; 
(familiar  and  popular)  to  eat,  "to 
grub,"  "to  yam."  It  seems  this 
latter  term  is  connected  with  the 
vrordyam,  the  English  name  of  the 
large  edible  tuber  Dioscorea,  a 
corruption  of  the  name  used  in  the 
West  Indies  at  the  time  of  the 
discovery,  iniama  or  inhame. 
With  regard  to  the  expression  the 
Slang  /dictionary  says  : — "  This 
word  is  used  by  the  lowest  class 
all  over  the  world ;  by  the  Wap- 
ping  sailor,  West  Indian  negro, 
or  Chinese  coolie.  When  the  fort 
called  the  'Dutch  Folly,'  near 
Canton,  was  in  course  of  erection 
by  the  Hollanders,  unde'  the  pre- 
tence 01  being  intended  for  an 
hospital,  the  Chinese  observed  a 
box  containing  muskets  among 
the  alleged  hospital  stores.  '  Hy- 
aw  1 '  exclaimed  John  Chinaman, 
'  how  can  sick  man  yam  gun  ? ' 
The  Dutch  were  surprised  and 
massacred  the  same  night."  The 
synonyms  for  the  term  to  eat,  in 


250 


Mastiqueur — Mathurin. 


the  various  kinds  of  French  slang, 
are  the  following  :  "  Tortiller  du 
bee,  becqueter,  bequiller,  chiquer, 
bouffer,  boulotter,  taper  sur  les 
vivres,  pitancher,  passer  a  la  tor- 
tore,  tortorer,  se  I'envoyer,  casser 
la  croustiile,  brilifer,  brouter,  se 
caler,  se  calfater  le  bee,  mettre  de 
I'huile  dans  la  lampe,  se  coller 
quelque  chose  dans  le  fanal,  dans 
le  fusil,  or  dans  le  tube,  chamailler 
des  dents,  jouer  des  badigoinces, 
jouer  des  dominos,  dechirer  la 
cartouche,  gobichonner,  engouler, 
engueuler,  friturer,  gonfler,  mor- 
fiaillier,  cacher,  se  mettre  quelque 
chose  dans  le  cadavre,  se  lester  la 
cale,  se  graisser  les  balots,  se 
caresser  I'Angoul^me,  friper,  ef- 
facer,  travailler  pour  M.  Domange, 
clapoter,  debrider  la  margou- 
lette,  croustiller,  charger  pour 
la  Guadeloupe,  travailler  pour 
Jules,  se  faire  le  jabot,  jouer  des 
osanores. " 

Mastiqueur,  m.  (popular),  cobbler.  ■ 

Mastroc,  mastro,  or  tnastroquet, 

m.  (popular),  landlord  of  wine- 
shop. Termed  also  "  bistrot, 
troquet,  mannezingue,  empoi- 
sonneur. " 

Tout  r€cemment,  j'€tais  \  la  Bourbe,  alM 

voir 
Une  fille,  de  qui  chez  un  mastroc,  un  soir, 
J'avais  fait  connaissance. 

Gill. 

Mata,  m.  (printers'),  abbreviation 
of  matador,  swaggerer^  one  who 
"  bulldozes,"  as  the  Americans 
say. 

Matador,  m.  (popular),  faire  son 
— ,  to  give  oneself  airs  ;  to  swagger, 
to  looi"  hotly."  From  the  Spanish 
matador,  bull-killer. 

MatagotjOT.  (obsolete)^««y,ff««- 
tric  individual  who  amuses  people 
by  his  antics.  Rabelais  used  it 
with  the  signification  of  monkey, 
monk : — 


Ci  n'entrez  pas,  hypocrites,  bigots, 
Vieux  matagots,  mariteux,  boursofle'. 
Gargctntua. 

Matatane,  f.  (military),  guard- 
room ;  cells,  "mill,  jigger,  or  Irish 
theatre." 

Matelas,  m.  (popular),  ambulant, 
street -walker,  or  "bed-fagot." 
See  Gadoue. 

Matelasser  (popular),  se  — ,  is 
said  of  awoman  who  makes  up  for 
natures  niggardliness  by  padding 
her  bodice. 

Matelot,  m.  (sailors'),  chum, 
mate. 

Matelote,  /  (sailors'),  trimer  a  la 
— ,  to  be  a  sailor. 

Etde  Nantes  jusqu'k  Bordeaux, 
Trime  k  la  matelote, 
N'ayant  qu'un  tricot  sur  le  dos, 
£t  pour  fond  de  culotte 
Le  drap  d'sa  peau. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Mateluche,  m.  (sailors'),  bad  sailor. 

Materiaux,  m.  pi.  (freemasons'), 
food. 

Materielle,  /.  (gamesters'),  one's 
bread  and  cheese. 

Et  alors,  quelques  malheureux  pontes 
.  .  .  se  sent  livres  au  terrible  travail  qui 
consiste  k  gagner  avec  des  cartes  le  pain 
quotidien,  ce  que  les  joueurs  appellent  la 
materielle. — Belot,  La  Boucne  de  Ma- 
dame JC. 

Maternelle,  /  (students'),  mother, 
"mater." 

Mathurin,  vt.  (sailors'),  sailor, 
"  salt,  or  Jack  tar."  Termed  also 
' '  otter  ; "  wooden  man-o'-war. 
Parler  — ,  to  speak  the  slang  of 
sailors. 

Je  ne  suis  pas  de  ces  vieux  frires  premier 
brin 

Qui  devant  qu'Stre  n&  parlaient  jk  ma- 
thurin, 

Au  ventre  de  leur  mfere  apprenant  ce  lan- 
gagc, 

Roulant  k  son  roulis,  tanguant  a  son  tan- 
gage. 

■RiCHEPIN, 


Matignon — Mazette. 


25r 


(Thieves')  Les  mathurins,  dice,  or 
"ivories."  (Popular)  Mathurins 
plats,  dominoes. 

Ces  objets  doivent  leur  nom  d'argot  \ 
leur  ressemblance  avec  le  costume  des 
Trinitaires,  vulgairement  appel^s  Mathu- 
rins, qui  chez  nous  portaient  une  soutane 
de  serge  blanche,  sur  laquelle,  quand  ils 
sortaient,  ils  jetaient  un  manteau  noir. — 
Michel, 

Matignon,  m.  (thieves'),  messenger. 

Matois,  or  matouas,  m.  (thieves'), 
morning. 

Le  cond^  de  Nanterre  et  un  quart  d'ceil, 
suivis  d'un  trepe  de  cuisiniers  sent  abouies 
ce  matois  a  la  taule. — ViDOCQ.  (The 
mayor  of  Nanterre  and  a  cotnmissaire 
de  police^  follo'wed  by  a  body  of  poiice^ 
came  this  morning  to  the  house.) 

Matou,  m.  (popular),  man  who  is 
fond  of  the  petticoat.  Bon  — , 
A'ie»-/z»if,  "  rattle-cap,"  or  "  mol- 
rower."  Literally  a  good  tom- 
cat. 

Matraque,  m.  (soldiers'  in  Africa), 

bludgeon. 

Nous  avions  brul^  le  pays.  Vous  dire 
pourquoi,  j'en  serais  bien  en  peine  :  une 
poule  voMe  Si  un  colon  influent,  un  coup  de 
matiaque  appliqu^  par  un  Bedouin  ruin^ 
sur  la  tfite  d'un  Juif  voleur  . .  .  et  pif,  paf, 
bourn,  coups  de  fusils,  obus. — Hector 
France,  Sous  le  Burnous. 

Matriculer  (military),  to  steal ; 
said  ironically,  as  "le  numero 
matricule,"  borne  by  a  soldier's 
effects,  is  the  only  proof  of  owner- 
ship. Se  faire  — ,  to  get  punished, 
"to  be  shopped." 

Mdts,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  les  deux  — , 
the  guillotine.     See  Voyante. 

Matte,  /  (thieves'),  enfant  de  la 
— ,  thief,  a  "  family-man."  For 
synonyms  see  Grinche.  Michel 
says  matte  is  derived  from  the 
Italian  mattia,  folly ;  so  that 
"  enfants  de  la  matte  "  signifies 
literally  children  of  folly. 


Maturbes,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  dice^ 
or  "  ivories."  Jouer  des  — ,  to  eaty 
"  to  grub." 

Maube,  f.  (popular).  Place  — » 
for  Place  Maubert,  a  low  quarter 
of  Paris. 

Maugree,  m.  (thieves'),  governor  of 
a  prison.  From  maugreer,  to- 
grumble. 

Mauricaud,  m.  (thieves'),  cash-box, 
"peter." 

II  faut  tomber  sur  ce  mauricaud,  et  seloa 
moi  ce  n'est  pas  la  chose  du  monde  la  plus 
facile. — ViDOCQ.  {We  tnust_find  the  cash- 
bo:):,  and  in  my  opinion  it  is  not  the  easiest 
thing  in  the  worlds 

Mauvaise  (general),  elle  est  —  t 
bad  joke!  bad  trick!  "sawdust 
and  treacle  ! "  none  of  that ! 
"  draw  it  mild  !  " 

Mauve,  yC  (popular),  umbrella  of  a 
reddish  colour,  a  kind  of  "  ging- 
ham." 

Mauviette,  f.  (popular),  ribbon  of 
a  decoration  in  the  button-hole. 

Mayeux,  m.  (popular),  humpback, 
or  "lord."  Name  given  to  a 
caricatured  individual,  a  hump- 
back, who  appears  in  many  of  the 
coloured  caricatures  of  1830. 
Mayeux  is  a  form  of  the  old  name 
Mahieu  (Mathieu). 

Mazagran,  m.  (general),  coffee  served 
up  in  a  glass  at  cafes,  or  mixture 
of  coffee  and  water. 

Mazaro,  or  lazaro,  m.  (military), 
cells,  "jigger,  Irish  theatre,  or 
mill. 

Maze,  /  (thieves'),  abbreviation  of 
Mazas,  a  central  prison  in  Paris, 
Tirer  un  conge  a  la  — ,  to  serve  a 
term  of  imprisonment  in  Mazas, 

Mazette,  /   (military),  recruit,  or 
Johnny  raw ; "  man,  or  "  cove." 


252 


Mec — MMecin. 


Mec,  or  meg,  m.  {thieves'),  masUr; 
chief,  "dimber  damber." 

Bravo,  mec  !  faisons  lui  son  afTaire  et 
renquillons  k  la  taule,  je  cane  la  pegrenne, 
— ViDOCQ.  {Bravo,  chief,  Ut-usdoJorhiTn, 
atui  let  us  return  }tome,  I  am  dying  0/ 
hunger.) 

(Popular  and  thieves')  Mec, 
■women's  bully,  or  ' '  ponce. ''  See 
Poisson.  Un  —  a  la  redresse, 
good,  straightfofivard  man.  Le  — 
des  mecs,  the  Almighty. 

Voyons,  daronne  .  ,  .  il  ne  faut  pas  Jeter 
2l  ses  paturons  le  bien  que  le  mec  des  mecs 
nous  envoie. — ViDocQ.  {Come,  mother,  we 
must  not  throzu  at  our  feet  the  good  things 
which  the  Almighty  sends  us.) 

Mec  kla  colle  forte,  desperate  male- 
factor ;  — -a  sonnettes,  rich  man, 
"rag-splawger  ; "  —  de  la  guiche, 
■women's  bully,  or  "ponce,"  see 
Poisson  ;  —  des  gerbiers,  execu- 
tioner ;  —  de  la  rousse,  prefect  of 
police ;  (popular)  —  i  la  roue,  one 
■who  is  conversant  ■with  the  routine 
of  a  trade. 

Mecanicien,  m.  (popular),  execu- 
tionei-'s  assistant. 

Mecanique,/ (popular),  ^!7/<ji'm«. 
Charrier  a  la  — ,  see  Charrier. 

M^caniser  (thieves'),  to  guillotine ; 
(popular)  to  annoy. 

Coupeau  voulut  le  rattraper.  Plus  sou- 
vent  qu'il  se  laissat  mdcaniser  par  un  pale- 
tot.—Zo7,a. 

M6chant,  adj.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar),  n'etre  pas  — ,  to  be  inferior, 
of  Utile  value,  ' '  tame,  no  great 
scratch."  Un  livre  pas  — ,  a 
"  tame  "  booi.  Unc  plaisanterie 
pas  mechanic,  a  dull  joke.  Un 
caloquet  pas  — ,  a  plain  bonnet. 

Mfeche  (popular),  il  y  a  — ,  it  is 
possible.  II  n'y  a  pas  — ,  it  is  im- 
possible. This  expression  has  passed 
into  the  language.  Et  —  !  and 
the  rest  I  Combien  avez-vous  pave, 
dixfrancs? — Et  m^che !  Ho'wmuch 
did  you  pay,  twentyfrancs .' —  Yes, 


and   something  over.      (Thieves') 
Etre  de  — ,  to  go  halves. 

On  vous  obeira.  J'ai  trop  envie  d'etre  de 
meche. — Vidocq.  {You  shall  be  obeyed. 
I  have  too  great  a  desire  to  go  halves.) 


Also  to  be  in  confederacy, 

M'est  avis  que  tu  es  de  m^che  avec  les 
rupins  pour  nous  emblemer.  —  ViDOCQ. 
{^My  opinion  is  that  you  are  in  confederacy 
■with  the  s'wells  to  deceive  us. ) 

Six  plombes  et  — ,  half-past 
six.  (Printers')  Meche,  ■work. 
Chercher  — ,  to  seek  for  employ- 
ment. 

M^chi,  m.  (thieves'),  misfortune. 
From  the  old  French  "  meschief," 

mischief. 

Mechillon,  m.  (thieves'),  quarter  of 
an  hour. 

Mecq,  m.  (popular),  prostitute's 
bully.     See  Poisson. 

Mecque,  /  (thieves'),  man,  or 
"cove  ;"  victim. 

Medaillard,  m.  (artists'),  artist 
■who  has  obtained  a  medal  at  the 
Exhibition. 

Medaille,  /  (popular),  silver  five- 
franc  coin;  also  called  —  de 
Saint-Hubert ;  —  d'or,  twenty- 
franc  piece ;  —  en  chocolat,  the 
Saint-Helena  medal.  Called  also 
"  medaille  de  commissionnaire," 
or  "  contre-marque  du  Pere-La- 
chaise. " 

Medaillon,  m.  (popular),  breech, 
see  Vasistas  ;  —  de  flac,  cul-de- 
sac,  or  blind  alley. 

Medecin,  m.  (thieves'),  counsel,  or 
' '  mouth-piece. "  It  is  natural  that  ■ 
thieves  should  follow  the  advice 
of  a  doctor  when  on  the  point  of 
entering  the  "h6pital,"  ox  prison, 
where  they  will  stayas  "malades," 
or  prisoners,  and  whence  they  will 
Luine  out  "gueris,"  o\free. 


MMecine — Me.ner 


353 


M^decine,  /.  (thieves'),  defence  by 
a  counsel ;  advice.  Una  —  flam- 
ban  te,  a  puce  of  good  advice. 

Collez-moi  cinquante  balles  et  je  vous 
coque  une  mddecine  flambante. — Vidocq. 
^ip  me  fifty  francs^  attd  V II  give  you  a 
piece  of  good  advice.') 

(Popular)  Medecine,    dull,    tire- 
some person. 

M^fiant,  m.  {mWitaiy),  fool  soldier, 
''  beetle-crusher,  or  grabby." 

Meg,  PI.  (thieves'),  cAief.  Le  — 
des  megs,  God. 

II  y  a  un  mot  qui  reparait  dans  toutes 
les  langues  du  continent  avec  une  sorte  de 
puissance  et  d'autorit^  myst^ricuse.  C'est 
le  mot  Magnus;  I'Ecosse  en  fait  son  mac 
qui  designe  le  chef  du  clan  .  .  .  I'argot  en 
fait  le  meek  et  plus  tard  le  fKegy  c'est  k  dire 
Dieu. — V.  Hugo,  Les  Misirables. 

M6gard,  m.  (thieves'),  head  of  u 
gang  of  thieves,  or  "dimberdam- 
ber." 

M^go,  m.  (popular),  balance  in 
favour  of  credit, 

Megot,  m.  (popular),  end  of  ciga- 
rette. 

Pres  des  th^tres,  dans  les  gares, 
Entre  les  arpions  des  sergots, 
C'est  moi  que  j'cueille  les  bouts  d'cigares, 
Les  culots  d'pipe  et  les  megots. 

RiCHEriN. 

Megottier,  m.  (popular),  one  whose 
trade  is  to  collect  cigar  or  cigarette 
ends,  a  "hard  up." 

M^lasse,/.  (popular),  tomberdans 
la  — ,  to  be  in  great  trouble,  or 
"hobble  ;  "  to  be  ruined,  or  "  to 
go  a  mucker. " 

MSlasson,  m.  (popular),  clumsy, 
awkward  man,  ' '  a  cripple ;  " 
dunce,  or  "  flat." 

M61e,  m.  (popular),  mixture  ofani- 
■  sette,    cassis,    or    absinthe,  with 

brandy. 
Melet,    m.,    melette,    /,     adj., 

(thieves'),  small. 


M6I0,    m.    (familiar  and  popular), 

abbreviation  of  melodrama. 

Le  bon  gros  m^lo  a  fait  son  temps. — 
Paris  Journal. 

Melon,  m.  (cadets'  of  the  military 
school  of  Saint-Cyr),  a  first-term 
student.  Called  "  snooker  "  at  the 
R.  M.  Academy,  and  "John  "  at 
the  R.  M .  College  of  Sandhurst. 
(General)  Un  •^,  a  dunce,  or 
"flat."  Termed  "thick  "at  Win- 
chester School. 

Membre  de  la  caravane,  m. 
(popular),  prostitute,  or  "  mot." 
Sea  Gadoue.  Euphemism  for 
"  chameau." 

Membrer  (military),  to  drill ;  to 
■work, 

Poussant  ^ternellement  devant  eux  une 
brouette  qu'ils  avaient  soin  de  laisser  ^ter- 
nellement  vide,  s'arretant  pour  contempler 
...  les  camarades  qui  membraient. — G. 
COURTELINE. 

AS6nage  k  la  colle,  m.  (familiar), 
cohabitation  of  an  unmarried 
couple,  the  lady  being  termed 
"  wife  in  water-colours." 

Mendiant,  m.  (familiar),  ^  la  carte, 
a  begging  impostor  who  pretends  to 
have  been  sent  by  a  person  whose 
visiting  card  he  exhibits  ;  —  k  la 
lattre,  begging-  letter  impostor  ;  — 
au  tabac,  beggar  who  pretends  to 
pick  up  cigar  ends. 

Mendigot,  mendigo,  or  mendi- 
goteur  (popular),  a  variety  of  the 
brotherhood  of  beggars  that  visits 
country  hotises  and  collects  at  the 
sametime  information  for  burglars; 
n.  "putter  up."  La  faire  au 
mendigo,  to  pretend  to  be  begging. 

Mendigoter  (popular),  to  beg. 

Men^e,  f.  (thieves'),  dozen.  Une 
—  d'omichons,  a  dozen  chickens. 

Mener  (military),  pisser  quel- 
qu'un,  to  compel  one  to  fight  a  duel. 
(Popular)    On  ne  le    mine  pas 


254 


Menesse — Merde. 


pisser,  he  has  a  will  of  his  own, 
one  can't  do  as  one  likes  with  him. 
N'en  pas  —  large,  to  be  ill  at  ease, 
or  crestfallen,  "glum." 

Puis  une  fois  la  fum^e  disstpfe,  on  verra 
<une  vingtaine  d'assistants  sur  I'flanc,  fou- 
<Jrayes  du  coup  en  n'en  m'nant  pas  large. — ■ 
Trublot,  CriduPeuple. 

(Thieves')  Mener  en  bateau,  to 
deceive,  "  to  stick.'' 

Ces  patriarches,  pferes  et  fils  de  voleurs, 
ne  restent  pas  moins  fideles  k  leur  abomi- 
nable lignde.  lis  n'instruisent  la  prefec- 
ture que  pour  la  mener  en  bateau. — Jif^~ 
vnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Mener  en  bateau  un  pante  pour 
le  refaire,  to  deceive  a  man  in 
order  to  rob  him,  "  to  bamboozle 
a  jay  and  flap  him." 

Menesse,  /  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
prostitute,  or  "bunter,"  see 
Gadoue  ;  mistress,  or  "  doxy." 

Men^tre,/  (thieves'), ««/. 

Meneuse,yC  (popular),  woman  who 
entices  a  passer-by  to  some  back 
alley,  where  he  is  robbed,  and  some- 
times murdered,  by  accomplices. 
Also  woman  whose  calling  is  to 
take  charge  of  babies,  and  take 
them  to  some  country  place,  where 
they  are  left  to  the  care  of  a  wet 
nurse. 

Mengin,  or  Mangin,  m.  (familiar), 
political  or  literary  charlatan. 
From  the  name  of  a  celebrated 
quack,  a  familiar  figure  of  cross- 
ways  and  squares  in  Paris  under 
the  Third  Empire.  He  vi^as  attired 
in  showy  costume  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  and  sported  a  glistening 
helmet  topped  by  enormous 
plumes.  He  sold  pencils,  drew 
people's  caricatures  at  a  moment's 
notice,  and  was  attended  by  an 
assistant  known  under  the  name 
of  Vert-de-gris. 

Menilmonte,  or  Menilmuche 
(po^\i\3.r),Menilmontant,  formerly 
one  of  the  suburbs  of  Paris.     Ac- 


c6rding  to  Zola,  the  word  is 
curiously  used  in  connection  with 
the  so-called  sign  of  the  cross  of 
drunkards  : — 

Coupeau  se  leva  pour  faire  le  signe  de 
Croix  des  pochards.  Sur  la  tete  il  prononca 
MonCpernasse,  k  I't^paule  droite  M^niK 
monte,  a  I'dpaule  gauche  la  Courtille,  au 
milieu  du  ventre  Bagnolet,  et  dans  le  creux 
de  I'estomac  trois  fois  Lapia  saute. — L'As- 
sommoir. 

Menouille,/.  (popular),  money,  or 
change. 

Menteuse,/.  (thieves'),  tongue,  ox 
"prating  cheat."  Termed  also 
"  le  chiffon  rouge,  la  battante,  la 
diligence  de  Rome,  rouscail- 
lante." 

Menu.     See  Connaitre. 

Menuisier.     See  Cotelette. 

Menuisiere,y;  (popular),  long  coal. 

Mequard,or  inegard,?«.  (thieves'), 
head  of  a  gang,  or  "  dimber  dam- 
ber. "     From  mec,  master,  chief, 

Mequer  (thieves'),  to  command. 
From  meq,  meg,  chief,  head  of 
gang,  or  "dimber  damber." 

Mercadet,  m.  (familiar),  man  who 
sets  on  foot  bubble  companies, 
swindling  agencies,  and  other  fishy 
concerns.     A  character  of  Balzac. 

Mercandier,  ;«.  (popular),  butcher 
who  retails  only  meat  of  inferior 
quality. 

Mercanti,  m.,  name  given  by  the 
army  in  Africa  to  traders,  gene- 
rally thievish  Jews. 

_  Cependant  las  mercantis,  d^itants  d'ab- 
sinthe  empoisonnee  et  de  vins  frelatds,  es- 
crocs,  banqueroutiers,  repris  de  justice, 
marchands  de  tout  acabit.  —  Hector 
France,  Sous  le  Burnous. 

Merdaillon,  m.  (popular),  contemp- 
tible man,  or  "snot." 

Merde,  /  (thieves'),  de  pie,  fifty- 
centime  piece.  (Popular)  Faire  sa 
— ,   to  give  oneself  airs,   to  look 


Merdeux — Messe. 


255 


' '  botty. "  Des  ecrase  — ,  fashion- 
able boots,  as  now  worn,  with 
large  low  heels.  Termed  also 
"  bottines  a  la  mouget." 

Merdeux,  m.  (popular),  scavenger 
employed  to  empty  cesspools,  "  gold- 
finder  ;"  despicable  mean  fellow, 
"snot." 

Mfere,  f.  (popular),  abbesse,  mis- 
tress of  a  brothel ;  —  de  petite 
fiUe,  bottle  of  wine  ;  —  d'occase, 
procuress  who  plays  the  pari  of  a 
young  prostitute's  mother,  or  a 
beggar  who  goes  about  with  hired 
children;  —  aux  anges,  woman 
who  gives  shelter  to  forsaken  chil- 
dren, and  hires  them  out  to  men- 
dicants;  (thieves')  —  au  bleu, 
guillotine.  See  Voyante.  (Cor- 
porations') Mere,  innkeeper,  where 
"  compagnons,"  or  skilled  artisans 
ef  a  corporation,  hold  their  meet- 
ings. The  compagnons  used  to 
individually  visit  all  the  towns  of 
France,  working  at  each  place, 
and  the  long  journey  was  termed 
"  tour  de  France." 

Merinos,  m.  (popular),  man  with 
an  offensive  breath.  Manger  du 
— ,  to  play  billiards,  or  "spoof." 

Merlander  (popular),  to  dress  the 
hair.  From  merlan,  popular  ex- 
pression for  hairdresser. 

Merlifiche,  m.  (thieves'),  mounte- 
bank, showman.  Probably  from 
"  merlificque,"  used  by  Villon 
with  the  signification  of  marvel- 
lous. 

Merlin,  m.  (popular),  leg,  "pin."' 
Un  coup  de  passif  dans  le  — ,  a 
kick  on  the  shin. 

Merlou.     See  Marlou. 

-Merlousier,  merlousiere,  adj. 
(thieves'),  cunning.  La  dabuche 
est  merlousiere,  the  lady  is  cun- 
ning. 


Merluche,/  (popular),  pousserdes 
cris  de  — ,  to  squall;  to  scold 
vehemently. 

Merriflaute,  adj.  (thieves'),  warmly 
clad. 

M6ruch£,  f,  m^Tuchon,  m. 
(thieves'),  stove,  frying-pan. 

M6ruch6e,/.  (thieves'),  stoveful. 

Merveilleux,  m.  (familiar),  dandy 
of  1833.     See  Gommeux. 

A  Tavant-scene  se  plelassait  un  jeune 
merveilleux  agitant  avec  nonchalance  un 
binocle  d'or  dmaill^, — Th.  Gautier. 

The  Slang  Dictionary  includes 
the  word  "  dandy  "  among  slang 
expressions.  It  says  :  ' '  Dandy,  a 
fop,  or  fashionable  nondescript. 
This  word,  in  the  sense  of  a  fop, 
is  of  modern  origin.  Egan  says 
it  was  first  used  in  1820,  and  Bee 
in  1816.  Johnson  does  not  men- 
tion it,  although  it  is  to  be  found 
in  all  late  dictionaries.  Dandies 
wore  stays,  studied  a  feminine 
style,  and  tried  to  undo  their 
manhood  by  all  manner  of  affec- 
tations which  were  not  actually 
immoral.  Lord  Petersham  headed 
them.  At  the  present  day  dan- 
dies of  this  stamp  have  almost 
entirely  disappeared,  but  the  new 
school  of  muscular  Christians  is 
not  altogether  faultless.  The 
feminine  of  dandy  was  dandizette, 
but  the  term  only  lived  for  a  short 
season." 

M6sigo,  m^zifere,  mezigue, 
(thieves'),/,  me,  "  dis  child,"  as 
the  negroes  say  ;  —  roulait  le 
trimard,  I  was  tramping  along  the 
road. 

Messe,  f.  (popular),  etre  i  la  — , 
to  be  late.  Nous  avons  ete  i  la  — 
de  cinq  minutes,  we  were  five 
viinutes  late.  (Thieves')  La  — 
du  diable,  examination  of  a  pri- 
soner by  a  magistrate,  or  trial. 


256 


Messiadien — Mettre. 


an  ordeal  the  unpleasant  nature 
of  which  is  eloquently  expressed 
by  the  words.  Termed  by  English 
rogues  "cross  kidment." 

Messiadien,  a;^'.  andm.  (thieves'), 
convicted,  sentenced,  "booked." 
The  epithet  is  applied  to  one  who 
has  been  compelled  to  attend  "la 
messe  du  diable,"  with  unpleasant 
consequences  to  himself.  II  est  — 
a  six  bergares  plombes,  he  is  in 
for  six  years' prison,  "put  away" 
for  ' '  six  stretches  ;"  —  pour 
pegrasse,  convicted  for  stealing, 
"in  for  a  vamp."  II  fagaut  ta 
magnette  blague  de  maniagnere 
que  til  n'es  paga  les  pindesse  dans 
le  dintesse  pour  pegrasse,  autre- 
ment  tu  es  messiadien  et  tu  lavera- 
gas  tes  pieds  d'agnet  dans  le 
grand  pre,  which  signifies,  in 
the  thieves'  jargon  of  the  day. 
You  must  ta.ke  an  alias,  so  that 
you  may  escape  the  clutches  of  the 
police  ;  if  not,  you  will  be  convicted 
and  transported. 

Messier,  or  messifere,  m. 
(thieves'),  man  ;  inhabitant.  A 
form  of  meziere,  a  fool.  Les 
messiers  de  cambrouse,  the  coufi- 
try folk,  or  "clods." 

Messiere,  m.  (thieves'),  man; 
victim  ;  —  de  la  haute,  well-to-do 
man,  "  nib  cove,  or  gentry  cove  ;" 

—  franc,  citizen  ;  individual,  or 
"  cove." 

Messire  Luc,  m.  (familiar),  breech, 
or  "  Nancy."     See  Vasistas. 

Mesure,  /   (popular),  prendre  la 

—  des  cotes,  to  thrash,  "  to 
wollo'p. '' 

Methode  Chev6,  /  (familiar  and 
popular),  playing  billiards  in  an 
out-of-the-way  fashion — with  two 
cues,  for  instance,  or  by  pushing 
the  balls  with  the  hand. 


Metier,  m.  (artists'-^,  skill  in  execu- 
tion ;  clever  touch.  Avoir  un  — 
d'enfer,  to  paint  loith  great  manual 
skill. 

Metre,  m.  (familiar  and  popular)^ 
chevalier  du  — ,  shopman,  "  coun- 
ter-jumper, or  knight  of  the 
yard." 

Metteux,  m.  (printers'),  mettettr  en 
pages,  or  muker-up. 

Mettre  (general),  au  clou,  to  pawn, 
"to  put  in  lug,"  or  "to  pop  up 
the  spout."  An  allusion  to  the 
spout  up  which  the  brokers  send 
the  ticketed  articles  until  such 
time  as  they  shall  be  redeemed. 
The  spout  runs  from  the  ground- 
floor  to  the  wareroom  at  the  top 
of  the  house.  English  thieves 
term  pawning  one's  clothes,  '■'  to 
sweat  one's  duds. "  Le — ,  is  ex- 
plained by  the  following : — 

Mot  libre,  ijour  chevaucher,  faire  le  &&■ 
duit,  se  divertir  avec  une  femme.  Ce  mot 
est  Equivoque  et  malicieux,  car  une  per- 
sonne  laisse-t-elle  tomber  son  busque  ou 
son  gant  ?  On  dit.  Mademoiselle,  voulez- 
vous  que  je  vous  le  mette? — Le  Roux, 
Diet,  Comique. 

Termed,  in  the  language  of  the 
Paris  roughs,  "  mettre  en  prison." 
Mets  5a  dans  ta  poche  et  ton 
mouchoir  par  dessus,  said  of  a 
blow  or  repartee,  and  equivcilent 
to,  take  that  and  think  over  it,  or 
digest  it,  or  let  it  be  a  warning  to 
you,  "put  that  in  your  pipe  and 
smoke  it."  Mettre  a  I'ombre,  or 
dedans,  to  imprison,  "to  give 
the  clinch."  See  Piper.  Mettre 
k  I'orabre  signifies  also  to  kill, 
' '  to  cook  one's  goose ;" —  du  pain 
dans  le  sac  de  quelqu'un,  to  beat 
one,  or  to  kill  him  ;  — dans  lemille, 
to  be  successful,  to  have  a  piece  of 
good  luck,  or  "regular  crow;"  t» 
hit  the  right  nail  on  the  head. 

D'abord,  en  passant,  faut  y'  r^gler  son 
affaire  '-a,  moii  amnich-j  eul'  zig  Gramooc 


Mcuhle — Meulard. 


257 


d'  rintransigeant,  qu'a  mis  dan.s  I'mille  en 
disant  qu'  eul'  Theatre  de  Paris  sera  na- 
turaliste  ou  qu'i  ne  sera  pas. — ^Trublot, 
Cri  du  PeupU. 

Mettre  quelqu'un  dedans,  to  de- 
ceive, to  cheat  one,  to  outwit,  "  to 
take  a  rise  out  of  a  person." 

A  metaphor  from  fly-fishing,  the  silly 
fish  rising  to  he  caught  by  an  artificial  fly. 
— Slang  Dictionary. 

Le  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  deceive  one, 
"  to  bamboozle  "  one. 

Du  reste,  c'est  un  flanche,  vous  voulez 
me  le  mettre  .  .  .  je  la  connais. — V.  Hugo. 

(Popular)  Mettre  la  tete  a  la  fe- 
netre,  to  be  guillotined.  See 
Fauche.  Mettre  une  pousse,  to 
strike,  to  thrash,   "  to  wallop  ;  " 

—  a  pied,  to  dismiss  from  one^s 
employment  temporarily  or  perma- 
nently ;  —  quelqu'un  dans  la 
pommade,  to  beat  one  at  a  gatne  ; 

—  en  bringue,  to  smash ;  —  des 
gants  sur  ses  salsifis,  to  put  gloves 
on  ;  —  la  table  pour  les  asticots, 
to  become  food  for  the  worms.  See 
Pipe.  Mettresouspresse,^o/a2(;K, 
to  put  "in  lug."  Se  —  sur  les 
fonts  de  bapt6me,  to  get  involved 
in  some  difficulty,  to  be  in  a  fix,  in 
ffi"hole."  (Theatrical)  Se — en 
rang  d'oignbns  is  said  of  actors 
who  place  themselves  in  a  line  in 
front  of  the  foot-lights.  Formerly 
mettre  en  rang  d'oignons  meant  to 
admitoneinto  a  company  on  aneq  ual 
standingwiththeothers.  (Thieves') 
Mettre  entdedans,  to  break  open  a 
door,  "  to  strike  a  jigger ; "  —  la 
pogne  dessus,  to  steal,  "to  nim." 
From  the  old  English  nim,  to 
take,  says  the  Slang  Dictionary. 
Motherwell,  the  Scotch  poet, 
thought  the  old  word  nim  {fo 
snatch  or  pick  up)  was  derived 
from  nam,  nam,  the  tiny  words  or 
cries  of  an  infant  when  eating 
anything  which  pleases  its  little 
palate.  A  negro  proverb  has  the 
word  : — 


Buckra  man  nam  crab, 
Crab  nam  buckra  man. 

Or,  in  the  buckra  man's  language,. 

White  man  eat  (for  steal)  the  crab, 
And  then  crab  eat  the  white  man. 

Shakespeare  evidently  had  the 
word  nim  in  his  head  when  he 
portrayed  Nym.  Mettre  une  ga- 
Ta€&s,  to  escape  from  prison.  Se 
—  i  table,  to  inform  against  one, 
"to  blow  the  gaff,"  "to  nick." 
See  Grinchir. 

En  Vlk  un  malheur  si  la  daronne  et  les 
frangines  atlaient  se  mettre  a  table. — Vl- 
DOCQ.  {That's  a  mis/ortuTie  if  the  mother 
and  the  sisters  injortn.) 

(Popular  and  thieves')  Se  —  en 
bombe,  to  escape  from  prison. 

_  Mon  magistrat,  .  .  .  nous  nous  sommes 
tires  pour  faire  la  noce.  Nous  bommes  en. 
bombe  !  Nous  n'avons  plus  de  braise  et 
nous  venous  nous  rendre. — Un  FtAneur. 

Mettre  sur  la  planche  au  pain,  ti^ 
put  a  prisoner  on  his  trial,  "  in 
for  patter  ;  "  (military)  —  le  chien 
au  cran  de  repos,  to  sleep  ;  —  le 
moine,  to  fasten  a  cord  to  a  sleeping 
man's  big  toe,  and  to  teaze  him  by 
occasionally  jerkingit ;  — les  tripes 
au  soleil,  to  kill. 

A  force  d'entendre  des  phrases  comme; 
celles-ci ;  crever  la  paillasse,  mettre  les. 
tripes  au  soleil,  taillader  les  c6tes,  brfller 
les  gueules,  ouvrir  la  pan^e,  je  m'y  ^tais 
habltu^  et  j'avais  fini  par  les  trouver  toutes 
naturelles. — H.  France,  UHontwe  qui 
Tite. 

(Bullies')  Mettre  un  chamegue  a 
I'alignement,  to  send  a  woman  out 
to  walk  the  streets  as  a  prostitute. 

Meuble,  m.  (popular),  sorry-looking 
person. 

Meubler  (familiar),  to  pad. 

Meudon,  m.  (thieves'),  grand  — , 
police,  the  "reelers." 

Meulan.     See  Artie. 

Meulard,    ?«.   (thieves'),  calf.     In 
old  English  cant  "  lowing  cheat." 
S 


258 


Meules — MicM. 


Meules  de  moulin,/  pi.  (popu- 
lar), teeth,  or  "grindersi" 

Meunier,  m.  (thieves'),  receiver,  or 
"fence."  Porter  au  moulin  is 
to  take  stolen  property  to  the  re- 
ceiver, "to  fence  the  swag." 

Meurt-de-faim,  m.  (popular), 
penny  loaf. 

'M6zikTe,atl/.,pron.,anilm.{lhieves'), 
simple-minded,  gullible.  Etre  — , 
to  be  a  "  cull  or  flat."  The  word, 
says  Michel,  derives  its  origin 
from  the  confidence-trick  swindle, 
•when  one  of  the  confederates  who 
acts  the  part  of  a  foreigner,  and 
who  pretends  to  speak  bad  French, 
addresses  the  pigeon  as  "mezi^re  " 
instead  of  "  monsieur." 

Moi  vouloir  te  faire  de  la  peine  I  plutdc 
«tre  gerb^  k  viogue  (jug^  h.  vie) ;  faut  etre 
bien  mdzi&re  (nigaud)  pour  le  supposer. — 

ViDOCQ. 

Mezi^re,  /,  me,  myself.  Le  havre 
protege  — ,  God  protect  me.  Un 
— ,  a  "flat,"  name  given  by 
thieves  to  their  victims. 

Depuis  que  nous  nous  sommes  remis  \ 
«scarper  les  m^zi&res,  il  ne  nous  en  est  pas 
tombe  sous  la  poigne  un  aussi  chouette  que 
celui-ci. — ViDOCQ.  {Since  we  began  again 
to  kill  the  JlatSy  we  haven't  had  in  ojtr 
•claws  a  single  one  as  rich  as  that  one.) 

M6zigue,   mezigo    (thieves'),    /, 

myself. 

Auquel  cas,  c'  serait  pas  long ;  m^zigue 
sail  c'  qu'y  lui  rest'rait  k  faire.^TRUBLOT, 
Z,e  Cri  du  Peuple. 

Mib,  or  mibre,  m.  (street  boys'), 
thingin  which  one  excels;  triumph. 
C'est  mon  — ,  that's  just  what 
T  am  a,  dab  at.  C'est  ton  — , 
you'll  never  do  that ;  that  beat's 
you  hollow. 

Michaud,  m.  (thieves'),  head,  or 
"  tibby,  nob,  or  knowledge  box." 
Faire  son  — ,  to  sleep,  "  to  doss." 

Miche,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
lace,  or  "  driz."  An  allusion  to 
the  holes  in  a  loaf  of  white  bread. 


Miche,  or  —  de  profonde,  money. 
The  term  in  this  case  exactly  cor- 
responds to  the  English  "  leaver." 

Miche,    m..    (general),   client  of  a 
prostitute.    Literally  one  who  has 
"michon,"  or  money,  who  "forks 
out." 
Les  filles  Isoldes,  soit  en  carte,  soit  in- 

soumises  .  .  .  out,  par  contre,  le  d^sagrtf- 

ment  d'dprouver  souvent  certains  ddboires. 

Le  clientn'est  pas  toujours  un  "michtf" 

consciencieux, — L^o  Taxil. 

Faire  un  — ,  to  find  a  client,  or 
"  flat."  Un  —  de  carton,  client 
who  does  not  pay  well,  or  who  does 
not  pay  at  all.  Un  —  serieux, 
one  who  pays. 

Les  femmes  appellcnt  "mich^s  serieux" 
les  clients  qui  **montent"  et  "flanelles" 
ceux  qui  se  contentent  de  "  peloter  "  et  de 
payer  un  petit  verre.— L^o  Taxil. 

Concerning  the  language  of  such 
women  I^o  Taxil  says  : — "  On  a 
pretendu  que  toutes  les  prostituees 
de  Paris  avaient  un  argot  ou  un 
jargon  qui  leuretait  particulier .  . . 
ceci  n'est  pas  exact .  . .  nous  avons 
vu  qu'elles  designent  le  client  sous 
le  nom  de '  miche, '  le  visiteur qui  ne 
monte  pas  sous  celui  de  '  flanelle.' 
Pour  elles,  les  inspecteurs  des 
moeurs  sont  des  'rails,'  un  com- 
missaire  de  police  un  '  flique,'  une 
jolie  fille  une  'gironde'  ou  une 
'chouette,'  une  fille  laide  un 
'  roubiou, '  etc.  Ce  sont  Ik  des  ex- 
pressions qui  font  partie  du  Ian- 
gage  des  souteneurs  qui,  eux,  pos- 
sedent  un  veritable  argot ;  elles 
en  retiennent  quelques  mots  et 
les  melent  a  leur  conversation. 
Quant  aux  prostituees  qui  s'en- 
tendent  avec  les  voleurs  et  qui 
n'ont  recours  au  libertinage  que 
pour  cacher  leur  reelle  Industrie, 
il  n'est  pas  etonnant  qu'elles  aient 
adoptele  jargon  de  leurs  supp8ts  ; 
maisonne  pent  pasdireque  ce  Ian- 
gage  soit  celui  des  prostituees." 
(Popular)  Miche,  fool.  From 
Michel.     It  is  to  be  remarked, 


Michel^Mille. 


259 


after  Montaigne,  that  many  names 
of  men  have  been  taken  to  signify 
thewordfooljsuchareGrandColas, 
Jean-Jean,  and  formerly  Gautier, 
Blaise.  (Photographers')  Miche, 
client.  (Familiar  and  popular)  Un 
vieux  — ,  an  old  beau. 

Tel,  au  printemps,  un  vieux  inich^ 
Parade  en  galante  toilette. 

Gill. 

Michel,  m.  (fishermen's),  cassant 
ses  ceufs,  thunder.  (Military)  Ca 
fait  la  rue  — ,  ifs  the  same  for 
everybody. 

Eh  bien,  si  j'y  coups  pas,  v'lk  tout, 
j'coucherai  kla  boite  comme  les  camarades, 
et  5a  fera  la  rue  Michel. — G.  Courtehne. 

Michelet,  m.  (popular),  fairele — ,to 
feel  about  in  a  crowd  of  women,  not 
exactly  with  righteous  intentions. 

Michet,  miche,  or  micheton,  m. 
(popular),  client  of  a  prostitute. 

Elles  tournent  la  tete  et  jetant  sur  ce  type. 
Par  dessus  leur  epaule,  un  regard  curieux, 
Songent ;  oh  !  si  c'etait  un  miche  serieux  ! 
Gill. 

Michon,  m.  (thieves'),  money 
vfhich  procures  a  miche,  or  a  loaf, 
"loaver."   See  Quibus. 

C'est  ce  qui  me  fait  ambier  hors  de  cette 
vergne ;  car  si  je  n'eusse  eu  du  michon  je 
fusse  c3ni  de  faim. — Le  Jargon  de  V Argot. 

Foncer  du  — ,  to  give  money,  "  to 
grease  the  palm." 

Midi!  (popular),  too  late!  II  est 
— ,  a  warning  to  one  to  be  on  his 
guard;  I  don'i  take  that  in! 
"  not  for  Joe  ! "  II  est  —  sonne, 
Ws  not  for  you  ;  it  is  impossible. 

Faut  pas  te  figurer  comme  5a  qu'  t'as 
rdroit  de  t'coUer  un  bouc  .  .  .  quand  tu 
kcras  de  la  classe,  comme  me  v'l^,  5a 
s'pourra  ;  mais  jusque-lk  c'est  midi  sonn^. 
— G.  Courteline. 

Mie,/.  (popular),  de  pain,  louse,  or 
"grey-backed  'un;"  (printers') 
thing  of  little  value,  or  "not  worth 
a  curse."  Compositeur  —  de 
pain,  an  unskilled  compositor,  or 
•clumsy  "donkey." 


Miel !  (popular),  euphemism  for  a 
coarser  word,  "go  to  pot !"  "you 
be  hanged  ! "  C'est  un  — ,  is  ex- 
pressive of  satisfaction,  or  is  used 
ironically.  Of  a  good  thing  they 
say:  "  C'est  un  miel ! "  On  enter- 
ing a  close,  stuffy  place :  ' '  C'est  un 
miel ! "  Of  a  desperate  street  fight : 
"  C'est  un  miel !"  "a  rare  spree  !" 
"  what  a  lark  !"  (Delvau). 

Mielle  !  adj.  (popular),  du  sort, 
happy  ;  fortunate  in  life. 

II  n'dtait  pas  plus  mielM  du  sort,  il 
n'avait  pas  la  vie  plus  en  belle. — Richepin, 
La.  Glu. 

Mignard,  m.  (popular),  term  of  en- 
dearment;  child,  or  "kid." 

Mignon,  m.  (thieves'),  mistress,  or 
"moUisher." 

J'avais  bonheur,  argent,  amour  tran- 
quille,  les  jours  se  suive  mais  ne  se  res- 
semble  pas.  Mon  mignon  connaissait  I'an- 
glais,  I'allemand,  trfes  bien  le  frangais, 
I'auvergna  et  Target. — From  a  thief's  let- 
ter, quoted  by  L.  Larchey. 

(Popular  and  thieves')  Mignon  de 
port  (obsolete),  porter.  Mignon 
had  formerly  the  signification  of 
foolish,  ignorant. 

Mignoter  (popular),  to  fondle,  "to 

forkytoodle." 
Mikel,  m.  (mountebanks'),  dupe,  or 

"gulpin." 
Milieu,   m.    (popular),  breech,   or 

"Nancy." 
Millards,  m.pl.{f>\&  cant),  in  olden 

times  a  variety  of  the  cadger  tribe. 

Millards  sent  ceux  qui  trollent  sur  leur 
andosse  de  gros  gueulards ;  ils  truchent 
plus  aux  champs  qu'aux  vergnes,  et  sont 
hais  des  autres  argotiers,  parce  qu'ils  mor- 
fient  ce  qu'ils  ont  tout  seuls.— i^^  Jargon 
de  tArgot.  (The  "millards"  are  those 
who  carry  a  large  bag  on  their  back ;  they 
beg  in  the  country  in  preference  to  the 
towns,  and  are  hated  by  their  brethren 
because  they  eat  atl  alone  what  they  get.) 

Mille,  m.  and  f  (familiar),  mettle 
dans  le  — ,  to  meet  with  a  piece  of 
good  luck,  -or  "  regular  crow  ; "  to 


26o 


Mille-lanscues — Ministre. 


he  successful.  One  often  sees  at 
fairs  a  kind  of  machine  for  testing 
physical  strength.  A  pad  is  struck 
with  the  fist,  and  a  needle  marks 
the  extent  of  the  effort,  "  le 
mille "  being  the  maximum. 
(Thieves')  Mille, K»(;/»<T»,  or  "bur- 
rick  "  (obsolete). 

Mille-Iangues,  m.  (popular),  talka- 
tive person  ;  tatler. 

Mille-pertuis,  m.  (thieves'),  water- 
ing fot  (obsolete). 

Millerie,/  (thieves'), /««ery.  Thus 
termed  onaccount  of  the  thousands 
which  every  holder  of  a  ticket 
hopes  will  be  his. 

Millet,  millet,  m.  (popular),  i,ooo 
franc  bank-note.     From  mille, 

Milliardaire,  m.  (familiar),  very 
rich  man,  one  who  rolls  on  gold. 

C'est  dc  cette  epoque  que  date  au- 
jourd'hui  sa  fortune  car  11  est  aujourd'hui 
milliardaire.— A.  SlRVEN. 

Millour,  m.  (thieves'),  rich  man, 
"rag  splawger"  (obsolete).  From 
the  English  my  lord. 

Milord,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
rich  man;  —  I'Arsouille,  nick- 
name of  Lord  Seymour.  See 
Arsouille. 

Les  rolies-Belle\ille  ...  oil  Milord  I'Ar 
souille  engueulait  les  malins,  cassait  la 
vaisselle  et  boxait  les  garjons.— P.   Ma- 

HALIN. 

Mince,  m.  and  adv.  (thieves'),  note- 
faper;  bank-note,  or  "  soft." 
(Popular)  The  word  has  many  sig- 
nifications :  it  means,  of  course ; 
certainly  ;  much. 

Dois-tu  comme  Walder, 
£t  comme  la  muscade, 
Te  donner  mince  d'air 
Apr^s  ton  escapade  ? 

Raminagrobis. 

Mince  !  no ;  certainly  not.  It  is 
sometimes  expressive  of  disap- 
pointment or  contempt.  Tu  n'as 
plus  d'argent  ?  ah  !  —  alors,  you 


have  no  money?  hang  it  all 
then  1  II  a  —  la  barbe,  he  is 
completely  drunk.  Pensez  si  je  me 
marre,  ah !  — !  donH  I  get  amused, 
just !  Aux  plus  rupins  il  disait  — , 
even  to  the  strongest  he  said,  "you 
be  hanged  I"  Mince  depotin!  a  fine 
row  !  —  de  crampon  !  an  awful 
bore!  —  que  j'en  ai  de  I'argent ! 
haven't  I  money?  of  course  I  have! 
Ah  !  —  alors  !  to  the  deuce,  then  ! 
Mince  de  chic,  glass  of  beer.  The 
ejaculation  mince  !  in  some 
cases  may  find  an  equivalent  in 
the  English  word  rather !  an  ex- 
clamation strongly  affirmative.  It 
is  also  used  as  an  euphemism  for 
an  obscene  word. 

Et  moi  sauciss',  j'su  quand  j'turbine. 
Mais,  bon  sang  !  la  danse  s'debine 
Dans  I'coulant  d'air  qui  boit  ma  Sueur. 
Eux  aut's,  c'est  pomp^  par  leur  Huge. 
Mine'  qu'ils  doiv'  emboucanner  I'singe. 
Vrai,  c'est  pas  I'linge  qui  fait  I'bonheur. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Mine,  f.  (popular),  a  poivre,  Icna- 
brandy  shop. 

Lui  €tait  un  bon,  un  chouette,  un  d'at- 
taque.  Ah !  zut !  le  singe  pouvait  ,se- 
fouiller,  il  ne  retournait  pas  k  la  bolte,  il 
avait  la  flemme.  Et  il  proposait  aux  deux 
camarades  d'aller  au  Petit  borihomine  qui 
tousse,  une  mine  k  poivre  de  la  barnere- 
Saint-Denis,  oil  I'on  buvait  du  chien  tout 
pur.-^ZoLA,  L' AssotnjKoir. 

Une  —  a  chier  dessus,  ugly  face,. 
"knocker  face." 

Qu'est-ce  qu'il  vient  nous  em  .  .  .  ieller,. 
celui-lk,  avec  sa  mine  k  chier  dessus. — 

RlGAUD. 

Minerva,/  (printers'),  small  print- 
ing machine  worked  with  the  foot. 

Minerviste,  m.  (printers'),  »»« w/5»- 
works  the  Minerve  (which  see). 

Mineur,  m.  (thieves'),  jJ/rtre^^a;/,  ur 
native  of  Le  Mans. 

Minik  (Breton  cant),  small. 

Ministre  (military),  sumpter  mute  ,- 
(peasants')  ass,  "  moke,"  or- 
mule. 


Minois — Mirettes. 


261 


Minois,  m.  (thieves')j  nose,  or 
"  conk  "  (obsolete). 

Minotaure,  m.  (familiar),  deceived 
husband,  "  stag  face^"  The  ex- 
pression is  Balzac's. 

Je  serais  le  dernier  de  M.  Paul  de  Kocic  ; 
minotaure,  comtne  dit  M.  de  Balzac. — ^Th. 
Gautier. 

Minotauriser  quelqu'un(familiar), 
to  seduce  one's  wife.  An  allusion 
to  the  homs  of  the  Minotaur. 

Quand  une  femme  est  incons^quente,  le 
mari,  serait,  selon  moi,  minotaurise. — Bal- 
zac. 

Minson  (Breton  cant),  bad;  badly. 

Minsoner  (Breton  cant),  mean. 

Mintzingue,  m.  (popular),  landlord 
of  wine-shop. 

Mais  sapristi,  jugez  d'mon  embargo, 
Depuis  ce  temps  elle  est  toujours  pompette, 
Et  chez  I'mintzingue  ell*  croque  le  magot. 
Almanack  Chantant,  1869. 

Minuit,  ffj.(thieves'),  ««^o.  Termed 
also,  in  dififerent  kinds  of  slang, 
"  Bamboula,  boule  de  neige,  bolte 
a  cirage,  bille  de  pot-au-feu,  mal 
blanchi,"  and  in  the  English 
slang,  ' '  snowball.  Sambo,  bit  o' 
ebony,  blacky."  Enfant  de  — 
meant  formerly  thief.  Enfants  de 
la  messe  de  minuit,  says  Cotgrave, 
"  quiresters  of  midnights  masse  ; 
night-walking  rakehells,  or  such 
as  haunt  these  nightly  rites,  not 
for  any  devotion,  but  only  to  rob, 
abuse,  or  play  the  knaves  with 
others." 

Minzingue,  or  minzingo,  m. 
(popular),  landlord  of  tavern. 
Termed  also  manzinguin,  mind- 
zingue. 

La  philosophie,  vil  mindzingue,  quand 
^a  ne  servirait  qu'k  trouver  ton  vin  bon. — 
Gr^vin. 

Mien,  m.  (thieves'),  child,  or  "kid ;" 
—  de  gonesse,  stripling ;  —  de 
boule,  thief,  "prig."  See 
Grinche. 


Mipe,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  un  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  outdrink  one. 

Miradou,  m.  (thieves'),  mirror. 

Mirancu,  m.  {obsolete),  apothecary. 

Respect  au  capitaine  Mirancu  I  Qu'il 
aille  se  coucher  ailleurs,  car  s'il  s'avisoit  de 
jouer  de  la  seringue,  nous  n'avons  pas  de 
canesons  pour  Ten  empecher. — UApoihi- 
Caire  etnpoisonn^,  1671. 

Mirancu,  a  play  on  the  words 
mire  en  cul,  which  may  be  better 
explained  in  Beralde's  words, 
in  Moliere's  Le  Malade  Imagi- 
naire : — 

AUez,  monsieur ;  oh  voit  bien  que  vous 
n'avez  pas  accoutumd  de  parler  a  des  vi- 
sages. 

Mirecourt,  m.  (thieves'),  violin. 
The  town  of  Mirecourt  is  cele- 
brated for  its  manufactures  of 
stringed  instruments.  Rigaud 
says  that  it  is  thus  termed  from  a 
play  on  the  words  mire  court,  look 
on  from  a  short  distance,  the  head 
of  the  performer  being  bent  over 
the  instrument,  thus  bringing  his 
eyes  close  to  it. 

Mire-laid,  m.  (popular),  mirror. 
An  expression  which  cannot  be 
gratifying  to  those  too  fond  of  ad- 
miring their  own  countenances  in 
the  glass. 

Mirettes,  f.  pi.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  eyes,  "  peepers,  ogles, 
top-lights,  or  day-lights."  Field- 
ing uses  the  latter  slang  term  : — 

Good  woman !  I  do  not  use  to  be  so 
treated.  If  the  lady  says  such  another 
word  to  me,  damn  me,  I  will  darken  her 
day-lights. — Fielding,  Amelia. 

In  old  cant  eyes  were  termed 
"glaziers." 

Toure  out  with  your  glaziers,  I  swear  by 

the  ruilin, 
That  we  are  assaulted  by  a  queer  cufiin. 
Broome,  A  Jovial  Crew. 

Which  means  look  out  with  all 
your  eyes,  I  swear  by  the  devil  a 


262 


Mireur — Miroir. 


magistrate  is  coming.  Mirettes  en 
caoutchouc,  or  en  caouche,  tele- 
scope;  —  glacees,  or  en  glacis, 
spectacles,  or  "gig-lamps."  Sans 
— ,  blind,  or  "hoodman." 

Mireur,  m.  (popular),  one  who  looks 
on  intently  ;  spy  ;  person  employed 
in  the  immense  undergrcmnd  store 
cellars  of  the  Halles  to  inspect  pro- 
visions by  candle-light. 

Deux  cents  bees  de  gaz  ^clairent  ces 
caves  gigantesques,  oil  Ton  rencontre  di- 
verses  industries  sp^ciales.  .  .  .  Les  "  mi- 
reurs,"  qui  passent  k  la  chandelle  une 
delicate  revision  des  sujets.  Les  "prd- 
parateurs  de  fromages  "  qui  font  "  jaunir  " 
le  Chester,  "pleurer"  legruycre,  "couler" 
lebrieou  '*piquer"  le  roquefort. — E.  Fr6- 

BAULT. 

Mirliflore,  m.  {famiWur),  a  dandy  of 
thebeginningof the  present  century. 
For  synonyms  see  Gommeux. 
The  term  has  now  passed  into  the 
language  with  the  signification  of 
silly  conceited  dandy  or  fop, 

Nos  mirliflors 
Vaudroient-ils  cet  homme  k  ressorts  ? 
Chansons  de  Colli. 

Concerning  the  derivation  of  this 
word  Littre  makes  the  following 
remarks :  "  II  y  avait  dans  I'ancien 
franyais  mirlijique,  alteration  de 
mirifique ;  on  peut  penser  que 
mirliflore  est  une  alteration  ana- 
logue ou  flor  ou  fleur  remplace 
fique :  qui  est  comme  une  fleur 
merveilleuse.  Francisque  Michel 
y  voit  une  alteration  de  mille- 
fleurs,  denomination  prise  des 
bouquets  dont  se  paraient  les  ele- 
gants du  temps  passe."  It  is 
more  probable,  however,  that  the 
term  is  connected  with  eau  de 
viillefleurs,  an  elixir  of  all  flowers, 
a  mixed  perfume,  and  this  origin 
seems  to  be  borne  out  by  the 
circumstance  that  after  the  Revo- 
lution of  1793  dandies  received 
the  name  of  "  muscadins,"  from 


muse,  or  musk,  their  favourite 
perfume.  Workmen  sometimes 
call  a  dandy  "un  puant."  See 
this  word. 

Mirliton,  m.  (popular),  nose,  or 
"smeller."  For  synonyms  see 
Morviau.  Also  voice.  Avoir  le 
—  bouche,  to  have  a  bad  cold  in 
the  head.  Jouer  du  — ,  to  talk, 
"to  jaw;"  to  blow  one's  nose. 
Mirliton  properly  signifies  a  kind 
of  reed-pipe. 

Mirobolamment  (familiar  and 
popular),  marvellously,  "  stun- 
ningly." 

Mirobolant,  adj.  (familiar  and 
popular),  excellent,  "slap-up,  or 
scrumptious;  "/«arz/«/&aj,  "crush- 
ing." 

Eh  !  c'est  la  bande  !  c'est  la  fameuse,  la 
superbe,  I'invincible,  k  jamais  triomphante, 
seduisante  et  mirobolante  bande  du  Jura. — 
Bande  dujura,    Madajne  de  Gasparin. 

"  Mirobolant"  is  a  corruption  of 
admirable.  Another  instance  of 
this  kind  of  slang  formation  is 
"  abalobe,"  from  abalourdi. 

Miroir,  m.  (card-sharpers'),  a  ro/zi 
glance  cast  ott  the  stock  of  a 
game  of  piquet,  or  on  the  fr.'t 
cards  dealt  at  the  game  f 
baccarat.  A  tricky  "dodge"  whicu 
enables  the  cheat  to  gain  a  know- 
ledge of  his  opponent's  hand. 
(Popular)  Un  —  i  putains,  sy- 
nonymous of  bellatre,  a  handsome 
but  vulgar  man,  one  likely  to  find 
favour  with  the  frail  sisterhood. 
Rigaud  says  :  "  Miroir  k  putains, 
joli  visage  d'homme  a  la  maniere 
des  t^tes  exposees  k  la  vitrine  des 
coiffeurs."    The  phrase  is  old. 

Dis-Iui  qu'un  miroir  a  putain 
Pour  dompter  le  Pays  Latin 
Est  un  fort  mauvais  personnage. 

SCAKRON. 


Mirqiiin  — Mitard. 


263 


Fielding  thus  expatiates  on  the 
readiness  of  women  to  loolc  with 
more  favour  on  a  handsome  face 
than  on  an  intellectual  one  : — 

How  we  must  lament  that  disposition  in 
these  lovely  creatures  which  leads  them  to 
prefer  in  their  favour  those  individuals  of 
the  other  sex  who  do  not  seem  intended  by 
nature  as  so  great  a  masterpiece  !  .  ,  .  I  f 
this  be  true,  how  melancholy  must  he  the 
consideration  that  any  single  beau,  espe- 
cially if  he  have  but  half  a  yard  of  ribbon 
in  his  hat,  shall  weigh  heavier  in  the  scale 
of  female  affection  than  twenty  Sir  Isaac 
Newtons  ! — Mr,  Jonathan  Wild  the  Great, 

Mirquin,  ni.  (thieves'),  womatCs 
cap. 

Mirzales,/;//.  (thieves'),  earrings. 

Mise,  f.  (prostitutes'),  faire  sa  — , 
to  pay  a  prostitute  her  fee,  or  "pre- 
sent." (Popular)  Mise  a  pied, 
temporary  or  permanent  dismissal 
from  one's  employment,  the  "sack; " 

Mise-bas,  f.  (popular)  strike  of 
work;  (servants')  cast-off  clothes 
■which  servants  consider  as  their 
perquisites. 

Miser  (gamesters'),  to  stake. 

Et  si  je  gagne  ce  soir  cinq  \  six  mille 
fi^ncs  au  lansquenet,  qu'est-ce  que  soixante- 
dix  mille  francs  de  perte  pour  avoir  de  quoi 
miser  ?— Balzac. 

Miserable,  m.  (popular),  one  half- 
fenny  glass  of  spirits,  ' '  un  mon- 
sieur" being  one  that  will  cost  four 
sous,  and  "  un  poisson "  five 
sous. 

Misloque,ormislocq,/  (thieves'), 
theatre ;  play.  Flancher,  or  jouer 
la  — ,  to  act. 

Ah  !  ce  que  je  veux  faire,  je  veux  iouer 
ia  mislocq. — Vicocq. 

Misloquier,  m.,  misloquifere,  yC 
(thieves'),  actor,  "cackling  cove," 
or  "  mug  faker,"  and  actress. 


Mississipi,  m.  '(popular),  au  — , 
very  far  away. 

Mistenflttte,/.  (popular),  thingum- 
bob. 

Mistiche  (thieves'),  un  — ,  half  a 
"setier, "  or  small  measure  of  wine. 
Une  — ,  half  an  hour. 

Mistick,  m.  (thieves'),yorez^  thief. 

Mistigris,  or  misti,  m.  (popular), 
hiave  of  clubs  ;  apprentice  to  a 
house  decorator. 

Miston  (thieves').  See  AUumer. 
(Popular)  Mon  — ,  my  boy,  "  my 
bloater." 

Mistouf.ormistoufHe,/  (popular), 
practical  joke  ;  scwvy  trick.  Faire 
une  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  pain,  to 
annoy  one. 

Vous  lui  aurez  fait  quelque  mistcuf,  vous 
I'aurez  menac^e  de  quelque  punition,  et 
alors  — ^A.  Cim,  Institittion  de  Demoiselles. 

Coup  de  — ,  scurvy  trick  brewing. 
Faire  des  mistoufiles,  to  teaze,  "to 
spur,"  to  annoy  one.  (Thieves') 
Mistouffle  \  la  saignante,  trap 
laid  for  the  purpose  of  murdering 
one. 

Voilk  trop  longtemps  .  .  .  que  le  vieux 
me  la  fait  au  porte-monnaie._  11  me  faut 
son  sac.  Mais  .  .  .  pas  de  mistouffle  k  la 
saignante,  je  n'aime  pas  9a.  Du  barbotage 
tant  qu'on  voudra. — Metnoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 

Mistron,  m.  (popular),  a  game  of 
cards  called  "  trente  et  un. " 

Mistronneur,  m.  (popular),  ama- 
teur of"  mistron  "  (which  see). 

Mitaine,/;  (thieves'),  grinchisseuse 
a  la  — ,  fetliale  thief  who  causes 
some  property,  lcu:e  generally,  to 
fall  from  a  shop  counter,  and  by 
certain  motions  of  her  foot  conveys 
it  to  her  shoe,  where  it  remains 
secreted. 

Mitard,  m.  (police),  unruly  prisoner 
confined  in  a  punishment  cell 


264 


Mite-au-logis — Moine. 


Mite-au-logis,y!  (popular),  disease 
of  the  eyes.  A  play  on  the  words 
mite  and  mythologie. 

Miteux,  adj.  (familiarand  popular), 
is  said  of  o-ne  poorly  clad,  of  a 
wretched-looking  person. 

Quand  nous  arrivames  k  la  posada,  on 
ne  voulut  pas  nous  recevoir,  I'aubergiste 
nous  trouvant,  conime  disait  La  Martini&re 
mon  compagnon  de  route,  trop  "  miteux." 
— Hector  France,  A  travers  VEspagne. 

Mhiaille,  f  {genera]),  pence, coppers. 
The  expression  is  old.  This 
term  seems  to  be  derived  from  the 
word  "mite,"  copper  coin  worth 
four  "  oboles,"  used  in  Flan- 
ders. 

Mitrailleuse,/!  (popular),  etouffer 
une  — ,  to  drink  a  glass  of  wine. 
Synonymous  of  "  boire  un  canon." 

Mitre,  f  (thieves'),  prison,  or 
"stir."  See  Motte.  Meant 
formerly  itch,  the  word  being  de- 
rived from  the  name  of  a  certain 
ointment  termed  "mithridate." 

Mobilier,  m.  (thieves'),  teeth,  or 
"  ivories."     lAiexzXSrj furniture. 

Moblot,  m.  (familiar),  used  for 
Mobile  in  1 870.  "  La  garde  mo- 
bile "  at  the  beginning  of  the  war 
formed  the  reserve  corps. 

Mocassin,  m.  (popular),  shoe.  See 
Ripaton. 

Moc-aux-beaux  (thieves'),  qttaHer 
of  La  Place  Maubert. 

Moche,  or  mouche,  adj.  (popular 
and  thieves'),  bad. 

Mode,  f  (swindlers'),  concierge  a 
la  — ,  a  doorkeeper  who  is  a7i  ac- 
complice  of  a  gang  of  swindlers 
termed  Binde  noire  (which  see). 

La  '*bande  noire"  ^tait — et  est  encore, 
car  le  dixi^me  k  peine  des  membres  sont 
arrSt^s — une  formidable  association,  ayant 
pour  sp^ciahte  d'exploiter  le  commerce  des 
vins  de  Paiis,  de  la  Bourgogne  et  du  Bor- 
delais.  .  .  .  Pour  chaque  affaire,  le  courtier 
recevait  dix  francs.     Le  concierge,  disigne 


sous  le  nom  bizarre  de  concierge  k  la  mode, 
n'^tait  pas  moins  bien  rdtrlbud.  II  touchait 
dix  francs  ^galement. — Le  Voltaire,  6  ^oti, 
i336. 

Module,  m.  {{amilisn),  grandfather 
or  grandmother. 

Moderne,  m.  (familiar),  young 
m-an  of  the  '^period,"  in  opposi- 
tion to  antique,  old-fashioned. 

Modillon,  f.  (modistes'),  a  second 
year  apprentice  at  a  modiste's. 

Modiste,  m.  (literary),  formerly  a 
journalist  who  sought  more  to  pan- 
der to  the  tastes  of  the  day  than  to 
acquire  any  literary  reputation. 

Moelleux,  m.  (popular),  cotton, 
which  is  soft. 

Moelonneuse,/  (popular), /?-(«/;. 
tute  who  frequents  builders'  yards. 
See  Gadoue. 

Moignons,  m.  pi.  (popular),  thick 
clumsy  ankles.  The  Slang  Dic- 
tionary says  a  girl  with  thick 
ankles  is  called  a  "Mullingar 
heifer  "  by  the  Irish.  A  story  goes 
that  a  traveller  passing  through 
Mullingar  was  so  struck  with  this 
local  peculiarity  in  the  women, 
that  he  determined  to  accost  the 
next  one  he  met.  "  May  I  ask," 
said  he,  "  if  you  wear  hay  in  your 
shoes  ?  "  "  Faith,  an'  I  do,"  said 
the  girl,  "and  what  then?" 
"Because,"  said  the  traveller, 
"that  accounts  for  the  calves  of 
your  legs  coming  down  to  feed  on 
it." 

Moine,  m.  (familiar),  earthen  jar 
filled  with  hot  water,  which  does 
duty  for  a  warming  pan  ;  (prin- 
ters') spot  on  a  forme  which  has 
not  been  touched  by  the  roller,  and 
which  in  consequence  forms  a  blank 
on  the  printed  leaf.  Termed 
"  friar"  by  English  printers.  (Po- 
pular) Mettre  le  — ,  to  fasten  a 
string  to  a  sleeping  man's  big  toe. 
By  jerking   the  string  now  and 


Moine-lai — MSme. 


265 


then  the  sleeper's  slumbers  are  dis- 
turbed and  great  amusement  affor- 
ded to  the  authors  of  the  contri- 
vance. This  sort  of  practical 
joking  seems  to  be  in  favour  in 
barrack-rooms.  Donner,  or  bailler 
le  — ,  was  synonymous  of  mettre 
le  — ,  and,  used  as  a  proverbial 
expression,  meant  to  bear  ill  luck. 

Moine-lai,  m.  (popular),  old  mili- 
tary paisioner  who  has  become  an 
imbecile. 

Moinette,/.  (thieves'),  nun,  moine 
being  a  Jiionk. 

Moise,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
man  deceived  by  his  wife.  The 
terra  is  old,  for,  says  Le  Roux, 
' '  Moise,  mot  satirique,  qui  signifie 
cocu,  homme  a  qui  on  a  plante 
des  comes." 

Moitie,  y!  (popular),  tu  n'es  pas  la 
—  d'une  bete,  you  are  no  fool. 

Oui,  t'es  pas  la  moitie  d'une  bete.     La- 
dessus  aboule  tes  quatre  ronds. — G.  CouR- 

TELINE. 

Molanche,    f.     (thieves'),     wosl. 

From  mol,  soft. 
Molard,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 

expectoration,  or  "gob." 
Molarder  (familiar  and  popular), 

to  expectorate. 

Moliere,  m.  (theatrical),  scenery 
which  may  be  used  for  the  per- 
formance of  any  play  of  Moliire. 

Molle,  adj.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
etre  — ,  to  be  penniless,  alluding 
to  an  empty  pocket,  which  is 
flabby  ;  "  to  be  hard  up." 

Mollet,  m.  (popular).  M.  Charles 
Nisard,  in  his  Parisianismes  Pofli- 
laires,  says  of  the  word,  "Gras 
de  la  partie  posterieure  de  la 
jambe"  (the  proper  meaning), 
and  he  adds,  "Partie  molle  de 
dLverses  autres  choses." 

Vous  ne  cachez  pas  tous  vos molletsdans 
.  vos  has  :  c'est  comm':  la  barque  d'Aniferes, 


ga  n'sart  plus  qu'Sl  passer  I'iau. — Le  Di- 
j'eitner  de  la  Rapie. 

Following  the  adage,  "  Le  latin 
dans  les  mots  brave  I'honnetete," 
M.  Nisard  gives  the  following  ex- 
planation of  the  above  : — "Hsec 
sunt  verba  cujusdam  petulantis 
mulierculae  ad  quemdam  jam  se- 
nescentem  virum,  convalescentem 
e  morbo,  et  camale  opus  adhuc 
penes  se  esse  male  jactantem.  In 
eo  enim  Thrasone  mulieroso  pars 
ista  corporis  quam  proprie  vo- 
cant  '  Mollet,'  non  solum  in  tibia- 
libus  ejus  inclusa  erat,  sed  et  in 
bracis,  ubi,  mutata  ex  toto  forma, 
nil  valebat  nisi,  scaphas  Asnierise 
instar,  '  a  passer  I'eau,'  id  est,  ad 
meiendum.  Sed,  animadvertas, 
ore,  sensum  locutionis  '  passer 
I'eau'  ffiquivocum ;  hie  enim  unda 
transitur,  illic  eadem  transit." 

Mollusque,  vi.  (familiar),  narrow- 
minded  man;  routine-loving  man; 
huitre  being  a  common  term  for 
afool. 

Momaque,  m.  (thieves'),  child,  or 
"kid." 

Momard,  or  momignard,  m, 
(popular),  child,  or  "kid." 

Motne,  m.  and  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  child,  or  "kid." 

Ces  mdmes  corrompus,  ces  avortons  fletris, 
Cette  £cume  d'egout  c'est  la  levure  im- 

monde, 
De  ce  grand  pain  vivant  qui  s'appelle  Paris, 
£t  qui  sert  de  brioche  au  monde. 

RiCHEPIN. 

M&me  noir,  student  at  a  priest's 
seminary.  Thus  termed  on  ac- 
count of  their  clerical  attire. 
Called  also  by  thieves,  ' '  Canneur 
du  mec  des  mecs,"  afraid  of  God. 
Une  — ,  young  woman,  "  titter." 
Va,  la  in6me,  et  n'fais  pas  four. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Une  — ,  or  m&meresse,  mistress, 
"  blowen. "  C'est  ma  — ,  elle  est 
ronflante  ce  soir,  /t  is  my  girl,  she 


2C6 


Mdmeuse — Monde. 


has  money  to-night,  Un  —  d'al- 
teque,  handsome  young  man. 
Taper  un  — ,  to  commit  a  theft ; 
to  commit  infanticide. 

Car  elle  est  en  prison  pour  un  mome 
qu'elle  a  ts.fi.— From  a  thief's  letter, 
quoted  by  L.  Larchey, 

Madame  Tire-m6mes,  midwife. 
Termed  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, ' '  madame  du  guichet,  or 
portiere  du  petit  guichet."  (Con- 
victs') M8me  bastaud,  convict  who 
is  a  Sodomist,  a  kind  of  male 
prostitute. 

Momeuse,/     See  M6mifere. 

Momicharde,  /.  (popular),  little 
girl. 

Envoie  les  petites  .  .  .  qu'elles  aboulent, 
les  momichardes  ! — Louiss  Michel. 

Momifere,  /  (thieves'),  midwife. 
Termed  also  "Madame  Tire- 
m6mes,  Madame  Tire-monde,  or 
tate-minette." 

Momignard,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  child,  or  "kid  ;"  baby ; 
—  d'alteque,  a  fine  child. 

Frangine  d'alteque,  je  mets  I'arguemine 
^  la  barbue,  pour  te  bonnir  que  ma  largue 
aboule  de  mSmir  un  momignard  d'altfeque. 
— ViDOCQ.  (My  good  sister,  I  take  the 
pen.  to  say  that  vty  wife  has  just  given 
birth  to  afi7ie  child.) 

Momignardage  k  I'anglaise,  m. 

(popular),  miscarriage. 

Momignarde,  /  (popular  and 
thieves'),  little  girl ;  young  girl, 
"titter." 

Mes  momignardes  .  .  .  aliens,  c'est  dit, 
on  rebatira  le  sinve.  II  faut  espftcr  que  la 
daronne  du  grand  Aure  nous  prot^gera.  — 
ViDOCQ.  (M)i  little  girls  .  .  .  come,  it's 
settled,  the  fool  shall  be  killed.  Let  us 
hope  the  Holy  Virgin  wtll protect  us.) 

M6inir  (popular  and  thieves'),  to  be 
delivered  of  a  child,  "  to  be  in  the 
straw."  The  Slang  Dictionary 
says :  "  Married  ladies  are  said  to 
be  in  the  straw  at  their  accouche- 
ment." The  phrase  is  a  coarse 
metaphor,  and  has   reference   to 


farmyard  animals  in  a  similar 
condition.  It  may  have  originally 
been  suggested  to  the  inquiring 
mind  by  the  Nativity.  M6mir 
pour  I'aff,  to  have  u  miscarriage. 
Termed  also  "  casser  son  oeuf, 
decarrer  de  crac. " 

Monacos,     m.  pi.    (familiar    and 
popular),  money.     See  Quibus. 

Je  vaiste  prouver  k  toi  et  k  ta  grue,  .  ,  . 
que  je  suis  encore  bonne  pour  gagner  des 
monacos.  Et  allez-y  ! — Hector  France,. 
Marie  Queue-de-Vache. 

Avoir  des  — ,  to  be  wealthy. 
Termed  also  "etre  fonce,  6tre 
sacquard,  or  douillard  ;  avoir  le 
saCj  de  I'os,  des  sous,  du  foin 
dans  ses  bottes,  de  quoi,  des 
pepettes,  or  de  la  thune ;  etre  cali- 
fornien."  The  English  synonyms 
being  "  to  be  worth  a  plum,  to  be 
well  ballasted,  to  be  a  rag- 
splawger,  to  have  lots  of  tin,  to- 
have  feathered  one's  nest,  to  be 
warm,  to  be  comfortable." 
Abouler  les  — ,  to  pay,  "to  fork 
out,  to  shell  out,  to  down  with 
the  dust,  to  post  the  pony,  to 
stump  the  pewter,  to  tip  the 
brads." 

Monant,  »2.,monante,/(thieves'), 
friend. 

Monarque,  m.  {popular),  fve-franc 
piece.  Termed  also  ' '  roue  de 
derriire,"  the  nearly  correspond- 
ing coin,  a  crown  piece,  being 
called  in  English  slang  a  "  hind 
coach  wheel."  (Prostitutes')  Mo- 
narque, money.  Faire  son  — ,  to 
have  found  clients. 

Monde,  m.  (popular),  renverse, 
guillotine.  See  Voyante.  II  y  a 
du  —  au  balcon  is  said  of  a 
woman  u  ith  large  breasts,  of  one 
with  opulent  "  Charlies."  (Fami- 
liar) Demi  — ,  world  of  cocottes, 
kept  women. 

Dans  ce  qu'on  appelle  le  demi-monde  il 
y  a  nombre  de  fiUes  en  carte,  veritables 


Monfier — Monsieur. 


267- 


chevaliers  d'industrie  de  la  jeunesse  et  de 
I'amour  qui,  bien  en  regie  avec  la  prefec- 
ture, mfenent  joyeuse  vie  pendant  quinze 
ans  et  ^Indent  constamment  la  police  cor- 
rectionnelle. — L60  Taxil. 

(Showmen's)  Du  — ,  public  who 
enter  the  show.  There  may  be  a. 
large  concourse  of  people  outside, 
but  no  "monde." 

Monfier  (thieves'),  to  kiss. 

Mon  gniasse(popular  and  thieves'), 

me,  "my  nibs." 
Mon  linge  est  lave  (popular),  / 

give  in,  ' '  I  throw  up  the  sponge." 

Monnaie,y;  (popular),  plus  que  5a 
de  —  !  what  luck  1 

Mon  ceil !  (popular),  expressive  of 
refusal  or  disbelief,  ' '  don't  you 
wish  you  may  get  it  ?"  or  "do  you 
see  any  green  in  my  eye?"  See 
Nefles. 

Monome,  m.  (students'),  yearly 
procession  in  single  file  through 
certain  streets  of  Paris  of  candi- 
dates to  the  governjnent  schools. 

Monorgue  (thieves'),  /,  myself. 

Monseigneur,  m.  (thieves'),  or 
pince  — ,  short  crowbar  with  which 
housebreakers  force  open  doors  or 
safes.  Termed  "Jemmy,  James, or 
the  stick." 

lis  font  sauter  g^ches  et  serrures  .  .  . 
avec  une  espece  de  pied  de  biche  en  fer 
qu'ils  appellent  cadet,  monseigneur,  ou 
plume. — Canler. 

Monseigneuriser  (thieves'),  to 
force  open  u.  door,  "  to  strike  a 
jigger-" 

Monsieur,  m.  (artists'),  le  — ,  the 
principal  figure  in  a  picture. 
(Popular)  Un  — ,  a  twopenny 
glass  of  brandy-;  a  five-sous  glass 
of  wine  from  the  bottle  at  a  wine 
retailer's;  —  Vautour,  or  Pere 
Vautour,  the  landlord ;  also  an 
usurer. 


Vous  accorder  un  nouveau  delai  pour  le- 
capital  ?  .  .  .  mais  depuis  trois  ans  .  ,  .  vous 
n'avez  pas  seulement  pu  rattraper  les  in- 
t^rSts.— Ah  I  p^re  Vautour,  5a  court  si 
vite  vos  int^rets  I — Gavarni. 

Monsieur  a  tubard,  a  well-dressed 
vian,  one  who  sports  a  silk  hat ;- 

—  bambou,  a  stick,  a  gentleman 
whose  services  are  sometimes  put 
in  requisition  by  drunken  workmen, 
as  an  irresistible  argument  to  meet 
the  remonstrances  of  an  unfortu- 
nate better  half,  as  in  the  case  of' 
Martine  and  Sganarelle  in  Mo- 
liere's  Le  Medecin  malgri  lui  ;  — 
Lebon,  a  good  sort  of  man,  that 
is,  one  who  readily  treats  others  iO' 
drink;  —  de  P^tesec,  stuck-up 
man,  with  dry,  sharp  manner ; 

—  hardi,  the  wind;  —  Raidillon, 
or  Pointu,  proud,  stuck-up  man; 
(thieves')  —  de  I'Affure,  one  who 
wins  money  at  a  game  honestly  or 
not ;  —  de  la  Paume,  he  who  loses  ;- 
(theatrical)  —  Dufour  est  dans  la 
salle,  expression  used  by  an  actor 
to  warn  another  that  he  is  not  act- 
ing up  to  the  mark  and  that  he 
will  get  himself  hissed,  or  "  get 
the  big  bird."  (Familiar  and 
popular)  Un  —  k  rouflaquettes, 
prostitutes  bully,  or  "pensioner." 
For  list  of  synonyms  see  Poisson. 
Monsieur  de  Paris,  the  executioner. 
Formerly  each  large  town  had  its. 
own  executioner :  Monsieur  de 
Rouen,  Monsieur  de  Lyon,  &c. 
Concerning  the  office  Balzac 
says  : — 

Les  Sanson,  bourreaux  k  Rouen  pendant 
deux  siecles,  avant  d'etre  rev6tus  de  la  pre- 
miere charge  du  royaume,  executaient  de- 
pere  en  fils  les  arrets  de  la  justice  depuis  le- 
treizieme  sibcle.  II  est  pen  de  families  qui 
puissent  offrir  I'exemple  d'un  office  ou  d'une 
noblesse  conservde  de  peie  en  fils  pendant 
six  siecles. 

Monsieur    personne,    a    nobody. 
(Brothels')  Monsieur,  husband  of 
the  mistress  of  a  brothel. 
Monsieur,  avec  son  dpaisse  barbiche  aux 
polls  tors  et  gris. — E.  de  Goncourt,  L» 


z68 


Monstre — Monte-A-regret. 


(Cads')  Monsieur  le  cavreau  dans 
I'ceil,  derisive  epithet  applied  to  a 
man  with  an  eye-glass ;  —  bas- 
du-cul,  man  with  short  legs. 

Monstre,  m.,  any  words  which  a 
musician  temporarily  adapts  to  a 
musical  production  composed  by 
him. 

Monstrico,  m.  (familiar),  ugly  per- 
son, one  with  a  "  knocker  face." 

Montage  de  coup,  m.  (popular), 
the  act  of  seeking  to  deceive  by  mis- 
leading statements. 

Mon  vieux,  entre  nous, 
Je  n'coup'  pas  du  tout 
Dans  c'montage  de  coup ; 
Faut  pas  m'monter  I'coup. 

Aug.  Hardy. 

Montagnard,  m.  (popular),  addi- 
tional horse  put  on  to  an  omnibus 
going  up  hill. 

Montagne  du  geant,/  (obsolete), 
gallows,  ' '  scrag,  nobbing  cheat, 
or  government  signpost. " 

Montant,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
breeches, ' '  trucks,  hams,  sit-upons, 
or  kicks."  (Military)  Grand  — 
tropical,  riding bi-eeches  ;  petit  — , 
drawers.  (Familiar)  Montant, 
term  which  is  used  to  denote  any- 
thing which  excites  lust. 

Montante,  /  (thieves'),  ladder. 
Literally  a  thing  to  climb  up. 

Monte-a-regret  (thieves'),  abbaye 
de  — ,  the  guillotine.  Formerly 
the  gallows.  This  name  was 
given  the  scaffold  because  crimi- 
nals were  attended  there  by  one 
or  more  priests,  and  on  account  of 
the  natural  repugnance  of  a  man 
for  this  mode  of  being  put  out  of 
his  misery.  Michel  records  the 
fact,  that  at  Sens,  one  of  the 
streets  leading  to  the  market- 
place,    where     executions     took 


place,  still  bore,  a  few  years  ago, 
the  name  of  Monte  -  a-  regret. 
Chanoine  de  — ,  one  sentetued  to 
death.  Termed  also  "grognon," 
or  grumbler.  ^  Monter  I  I'abbaye 
de  — ,  to  be  guillotined,  meant 
formerly  to  be  hanged,  to  suffer 
the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law 
oil  "wry -neck  day,"  when  the 
criminal  before  being  compelled 
to  put  on  the  "hempen  cravat," 
would  perhaps  utter  for  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  crowd  his  "  tops,  or 
croaks,"  that  is,  his  last  dying 
speech.  It  is  curious  to  note 
how  people  of  all  nations  have 
always  striven  to  disguise  the  idea 
of  death  by  the  rope  by  means  of 
some  picturesque  or  grimly 
comical  circumlocution.  The 
popular  language  is  rich  in  meta- 
phors to  describe  the  act  In  the 
thirteenth  century  people  would 
express  hanging  by  the  term 
"  mettre  a  la  bise ; "  in  the  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth  centuries  an  exe- 
cuted criminal  was  spoken  of  as 
"  vendangeant  a  I'eschelle,"  avoir 
collet  rouge,  crottre  d'un  demi- 
pied,  faire  la  longue  lettre,  tom- 
ber  du  haut  mal,"  and  later  on: 
"Servir  de  bouchon,  faire  le 
saut,  faire  un  saut  surrien,  donner 
un  soufflet  a  une  potence,  donner 
le  moine  par  le  cou,  approcher  du 
ciel  i  reculons,  danser  un  branle 
en  I'air,  avoir  la  chanterelle  au 
cou,  faire  le  guet  a  Montfaucon, 
faire  le  guet  au  clair  de  la  lune  i 
la  cour  des  monnoyes."  Also, 
"  monter  \  la  jambe  en  I'air'" 
Then  a  hanged  man  was  "un 
eveque  des  champs  "  (on  account 
of  executions  taking  place  in  the 
open  country)  "qui  benit  des 
pieds,"  and  hanging  itself,  "une 
danse  ou  il  n'y  a  pas  de  plancher," 
w^hich  corresponds  to  the  expres- 
sion, "to  dance  upon  nothing." 
The  poor  wretch  was  also  said  to 


Monte-d.-  regret. 


269 


be  "  branche, "  a  summary  pro- 
ceeding performed  on  the  nearest 
tree,  and  he  was  made  to  "  tirer 
lalangued'un  demi-pied."  The 
poet  Fran9ois  Villon  being  in  the 
prison  of  the  Chatelet  in  1457, 
under  sentence  of  death  for  a 
robbery  supposed  to  have"  been 
committed  at  Rueil  by  himself  and 
some  companions,  several  of  whom 
were  hanged,  but  whose  fate  he 
luckily  did  not  share,  thus  alludes 
with  grim  humour  to  his  probable 
execution  : — 

Je  suis  Fran9ois,  dont  ce  me  poise, 
N£  de  Paris  empres  Ponthoise, 
Or,  d'une  corde  d'une  toise, 
Saura  mon  col  que  mon  cul  poise. 

When  Jonathan  Wild  the  Great 
is  about  to  expiate  his  numerous 
crimes,  and  his  career  is  soon  to 
be  terminated  at  Tyburn,  Fielding 
makes  him  say  :  "  D — n  me, 
it  is  only  a  dance  without  music  ; 
...  a  man  can  die  but  once.  .  .  . 
Zounds  !  Who's  afraid  ?  "  Master 
Charley  Bates,  in  common  with 
his  "pals,"  called  hanging 
"scragging":— 

"  He'll  come  to  be  scragged,  won't  he  ?  " 
"  I  don't  know  what  that  means,"  replied 
Oliver.  "  Something  in  this  wa^,  old  fel- 
ler," said  Charley,  As  he  said  it.  Master 
Bates  caught  up  an  end  of  his  neckerchief, 
and  holding  it  erect  in  the  air,  dropped  his 
head  on  his  shoulder,  and  jerked  a  curious 
sound  through  his  teeth ;  thereby  intima- 
ting, by  a  lively  pantomimic  representation, 
that  '  scragging "  and  hanging  were  one 
and  the  same  thing. — Dickens,  Oliver 
Twist. 

The  expression  is  also  to  be  met 
with  in  Lord  Lytton's  Paul  Clif- 
ford :— 

"Blow  me  tight,  but  that  cove  is  a 
queer  one  !  and  if  he  does  not  come  to  be 
.scragged,"  says  I,  *'it  vill  only  be  because 
he'U  turn  a  rusty,  and  scrag  one  of  his 
pals!" 

Again,  the  same  author  puts  in 
the  mouth  of  his  hero,  Paul  Clif- 
ford, the  accomplished  robber,  the 


"Captain  Crank,''  or  chief  of  a 
^ng  of  highwaymen,  a  poetical 
simile,  "to  leap  from  a  leafless 
tree":— 

Oh  !  there  never  was  life  like  the  Robber's 
— so 
Jolly,  and  bold,  and  free  : 
And  its  end — why,  a  cheer  from  the  crowd 
below 
And  a  leap  from  a  leafless  tree  ! 

Penny  -  a  -  liners  nowadays  de- 
scribe the  executed  felon  as  "  tak- 
ing a  leap  into  eternity ; "  facetious 
people  say  that  he  dies  in  a 
"horse's  nightcap,"  i.e.,  a  halter, 
and  the  vulgar  .simply  declare  that 
he  is  "stretched."  The  dangerous 
classes,  to  express  that  one  is 
being  operated  upon  by  Jack 
Ketch,  use  the  term  "to  be 
scragged,"  already  mentioned,  or 
"  to  be  topped  ;  "  and  "  may  I  be 
topped  ! '  is  an  ejaculation  often 
heard  from  the  mouths  of  London 
roughs.  Fonnerly,  when  the  place 
for  execution  was  at  Tyburn,  near 
theN.E.  corner  of  Hyde  Park,  at 
the  angle  formed  by  the  Edgware 
Road  and  the  top  of  Oxford 
Street,  the  criminal  brought  here 
was  said  to  put  on  the  "Tyburn 
tippet,"  i.e..  Jack  Ketch's  rope. 
The  Latins  used  to  describe  one 
hanged  as  making  the  letter  I 
with  his  body,  or  the  long  letter. 
In  Plautus  old  Staphyla  says ; 
"The  best  thing  for  me  to  do,  is 
with  the  help  of  a  halter,  to  make 
with  my  body  the  long  letter." 
Modem  Italians  say  of  a  man  about 
to  be  executed,  that  he  is  sent  to 
Picardy,  "  mandato  in  Picardia  " 
They  also  use  other  circumlocu- 
tions, "andare  a  Longone," 
"andare  a  Fuligno,"  "dar  de' 
calci  al  vento,"  "ballar  in 
campoazurro."  Again,  the  Italian 
"truccante"(M2V/'),  in  his  "lingue 
furbesche  "  (cant  of  thieves),  says 
of  a  Criminal  who  ascends  the 
scaffold,  the  "sperlunga,  or   fati- 


:270 


Monter. 


cosa."  {gallows),  with  the  "mar- 
gherita,  or  signora "  (rope)  ad- 
justed on  his  "guindo"  ifieck)  by 
the  "  cataron  "  {executioner),  that 
he  may  be  considered  as  "aver  la 
fune  al  guindo."  The  Spanish 
"  azor  "  {thief,  in  Germania,  or 
Spanish  cant),  under  sentence  of 
a  "  tristeza  "  {sentence  of  death), 
when  about  to  be  executed  left 
the  "angustia"  {prison)  to  go 
to  the  gallows,  or  "  balanza," 
which  is  now  a  thing  of  the  past, 
having  been  superseded  by  the 
-hideous  "garote."  The  German 
"  broschem-  blatter ''  {thief,  in 
"rothwelsch,"  or  German  cant), 
when  sentenced  to  death  was 
doomed  to  the  "dolm,"'  or 
"  nelle,"  on  which  he  was  ushered 
out  of  this  world  by  the  "  caffler  " 
{German  Jack  Ketch). 

Monter  (popular),  d'un  cran,  to 
obtain  an  appointment  superior 
to  that  one  possesses  already ;  to  be 
promoted ;  —  i  I'arbre,  or  4 
I'echelle,  to  be  fooled.  Alluding 
to  a  bear  at  the  Zoological 
Gardens  being  induced  to  climb 
the  pole  by  the  prospect  of  some 
dainty  bit  which  is  not  thrown 
to  him  after  all.  Also  to  get 
angry,  "  to  get  one's  monkey 
up  ; "  —  en  graine,  to  grow  old. 
Literally  to  run  to  seed ;  —  des 
■couleurs,  le  Job,  or  un  schtosse, 
to  deceive  one  by  false  representa- 
tions, ' '  to  bamboozle ;  "  —  une 
gamme,  to  scold,  "  to  bully-rag;" 
—  un  coup,  to  find  a  pretext ;  to 
lay  a  trap  for  one. 

C'est    des    daims    hupp^s   qui   veulent 
'monter  un  coup  k  un  ennemi.— E.  Sue. 

Monter  le  coup,  or  un  battage,  to 
deceive  one  by  misleadijig  state- 
ments. Ca  ne  prend  pas,  tu  ne  me 
monteras  pas  le  coup,  "No  go," 
I  am  aware  of  your  practices  and 
'"  twig "    your     mantsuvre,     or 


"don't  come  the  old  soldier  over 
me."  Faire  —  k  I'echelle,  to 
make  one  angry,  "to  make 
one  lose  his  shirt."  Se  —  le 
bourrichon,  or  le  baluchon,  to  fly 
into  a  passion  about  some  alleged 
injustice.  Also  to  be  too  sanguine, 
to  form  illusions  about  one's 
abilities,  or  about  the  success  of 
some  project. 

Oh  !  je  ne  me  monte  pas  le  bourrichon, 
je  sais  que  je  ne  ferai  pas  de  vieux  os. — 
Zola,  L^Assommoir. 

Se  —  le  coup,  se  —  le  verre 
en  fleurs,  to  form  illusions.  Es- 
sayer  de  —  un  bateau  a  quel- 
qu'un,  to  seek  to  deceive  one, 
"to  come  the  old  soldier  "  <w«- 
one.  .  (Thieves')  Monter  un  arcat, 
to  swindle,  "to  bite;"  —  un 
gandin,  to  deceive,  "to  stick,  or  to 
best ; "  —  un  chopin,  to  make  all 
necessary  preparations  for  a  rob- 
bery, "to  lay  a  plant;"  —  a  la 
butte,  to  be  guillotined. 

Un  jour,  j'ai  pris  mon  surin  pour  le  re- 
froidir.  Apres  tout,  mon  reve  c'est  de 
monter  k  la  butte. — M^moires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

Monter  sur  la  table,  to  make  a  clean 
breast  of  it ;  to  inform  against 
one,  "to  blow  the  gaff."  It  also 
means  to  tell  a  secret,  "to  split." 

While  hisman  being  caught  in  some  fact 
(The  particular  crime  I've  forgotten), 
When  he  came  to  be  hanged  for  the  act, 
Split,  and  told  the  whole  itory  to  Cotton. 
Ingoldsby  Legends. 

(Theatrical)  Monter  une  partie, 
to  get  together  a  small  number  of 
actors  to  give  out  of  Paris  one  or 
two  performances ;  (military)  —  en 
haXlon,  practical  joke  at  the  expense 
of  a  new-comer.  During  the 
night,  to  both  ends  of  the  bed  of 
the  victim  are  fixed  two  running 
nooses,  the  ropes  being  attached 
high  up  on  a  partition  by  the  side 
of  the  bed.  At  a  given  signal  the 
ropes  being  pulled,  the  occupant 
of  the  bed  finds  himself  lifted  in 


Monteur. 


271 


the    air,  with  his  couch  upside 
down  occasionally. 

JJonteur,  m.  (theatrical),  de  partie, 
an  artor  whose  sphialitS  is  to  get 
together  a  few  brother  actors  for 
the  purpose  of  performing  out  of 
town  ;  (popular)  — de  coups,  or  de 
godans,  swindler  ;  one  who  is  fond 
of  hoaxing  people  ;  one  who  imposes 
<j«  oM^rj,  "humbug."  Concern- 
ing the  latter  term  the  Slang' 
Dictionary  says:  "A  very  ex- 
pressive but  slang  word,  synony- 
mous at  one  time  with  hum  and 
,  haw.  Lexicographers  for  a  long 
time  objected  to  the  adoption  of 
this  term.  Richardson  uses  it 
frequently  to  express  the  meaning 
■of  other  words,  but,  strange  to 
say,  omits  it  in  the  alphabetical 
arrangement  as  unworthy  of  re- 
•cognition  !  In  the  first  edition  of 
this  work,  1785  was  given  as  the 
earliest  date  at  which  the  word 
•could  be  found  in  a  printed  book. 
Since  then  'humbug'  has  been 
traced  half  a  centuiy  further  back, 
on  the  title-page  of  a  singular  old 
jest-book, '  The  Universal  Jester, 
or  a  pocket  companion  for  the 
Wits  :  being  a  choice  collection 
of  merry  conceits,  facetious  drol- 
leries, &c.,  clenchers,  closers, 
closures,  bon-mots,  and  humbugs, 
by  Ferdinando  Killigrew.'  Lon- 
don, about  1735-40.  The  noto- 
rious orator  Henley  was  known 
to  the  mob  as  Orator  Humbug. 
The  fact  may  be  learned  from  an 
illustration  in  that  exceedingly 
curious  little  collection  of  carica- 
tures published  in  1757,  many  of 
which  were  sketched  by  Lord 
Bolingbroke,  Horace  Walpole 
filling  in  the  names  and  explana- 
tions. Haliwell  describes  hum- 
bug as  'a  person  who  hums,' 
and  cites  Dean  Milles's  MS., 
■which  was  written  about  1760. 
In  the  last  century  the  game  now 


known  as  double-dummy  was 
termed  humbug.  Lookup,  a  noto- 
rious gambler,  was  struck  down 
by  apoplexy  when  playing  at  this 
game.  On  the  circumstance  being 
reported  to  Foote,  the  wit  said, 
'Ah,  I  always  thought  he  would 
be  humbugged  out  of  the  world 
at  last  ! '  It  has  been  stated  that- 
the  word  is  a  corruption  of  Ham- 
burg, from  which  town  so  many 
false  bulletins  and  reports  came 
during  the  war  in  the  last  century. 
'  Oh,  that  is  Hamburg  (or 
Humbug),'  was  the  answer  to  any 
fresh  piece  of  news  which  smacked 
of  improbability.  Grose  mentions 
it  in  his  Dictionary,  1785  ;  and 
in  a  little  printed  squib,  published 
in  1808,  entitled  Bath  Characters, 
by  T.  Goosequijl,  humbug  is  thus 
mentioned  in  a  comical  couplet 
on  the  title-page  : — 

Wee  Thre  Bath  Deities  bee 
Humbug;,  FoIIie,  and  Varietee. 

Gradually  from  this  time  the  word 
began  to  assume  a  place  in 
periodical  literature,  and  in  novels 
written  by  not  over  -  precise 
authors.  In  the  preface  to  a  flat, 
and  most  likelyunprofitable  poem, 
entitled  The  Reign  of  Humbug, 
a  Satire,  8vo,  1836,  the  author 
thus  apologizes  for  the  use  of  the 
word  :  '  I  have  used  the  term 
humbug  to  designate  this  prin- 
ciple (wretched  sophistry  of  life 
generally),  considering  that  it  is 
now  adopted  into  our  language  as 
much  as  the  words  dunce,  jockey, 
cheat,  swindler^  &c.,  which  were 
formerly  only  colloquial  terms.' 
A  correspondent,  who  in  a  num- 
ber of  Adversaria  ingeniously 
traced  bopibast  to  the  inflated 
Doctor  Paracelsus  Bombast,  con- 
siders that  humbug  may,  in  like 
manner,  be  derived  from  Hom- 
berg,  the  distinguished  chemist  of 
the  Court  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans, 


272 


Monteur  de  coups — Morceau. 


who,  according  to  the  following 
passage  from  Bishop  Berkeley's 
Siris,  was  an  ardent  and  success- 
ful seeker  after  the  philosopher's 
stone  : — 

Of  this  there  cannot  be  a  better  proof 
than  the  experiment  of  Monsieur  Homberg, 
who  made  gold  of  mercury  by  introducing 
light  into  its  pores,  but  at  such  trouble  and 
expense  that,  1  suppose,  nobody  will  .try 
the  exceriment  for  profit.  By  this  injunc- 
tion of  light  and  mercury,  both  bodies  be- 
came finer,  and  produced  a  third  different 
to  either,  to  wit,  real  gold.  For  the  truth 
of  which  fact  I  refer  to  the  memoirs  of  the 
French  Academy  of  Sciences.— Berke- 
ley, IVorks." 

The  SupplementcCry  English  Glos- 
sary gives  the  word  "  humbugs  " 
as  the  North-country  term  for  cer- 
tain lumps  of  toffy,  well  flavoured 
with  peppermint.  (Roughs')  Mon- 
ter  a  cheval,  to  be  suffering  from  a 
tumour  in  the  groin,  a  consequence 
of  vettereal  disease,  and  termed 
poulain,  foal,  hence  the  jeu  de 
mots ;  (wine  retailers')  —  sur  le 
tonneau,  to  add  water  to  a  cask  of 
wine,  ' '  to  christen  "  it.  Adding 
too  much  water  to  an  alcoholic 
liquor  is  termed  by  lovers  of  the 
"tipple"  in  its  pure  state,  "to 
drown  the  miller. 

Monteur  de  coups,  m.  (popular), 
story-teller ;  cheat, 

Monteuse  de  coups,/  (popular), 
deceitful  woman  ;  one  who  "bam- 
boozles "  her  lover  or  lovers, 

Montparno  (thieves'),  Montpar- 
nasse.    See  M^nilmonte. 

J'ai  ilasqud  du  poivre  k  la  rousse. 
EUe  ira  de  turne  en  garno, 
De  M^nilmuche  k  Montparno, 
Sans  pouvoir  remoucher  mon  gniasse. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Montrer  (theatrical),  la  couture  de 
ses  bas,  to  break  off  a  stage  engage- 
ment by  the  simple  process  of  leaving 
the  theatre ;  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar) —  toute  sa  boutique,  to  expose 
one's  person. 


Ah !  non .  .  .  remettez  votre  camisole. 
Vous  savez,  je  n'aime  pas  les  inddcences. 
Pendant  que  vous  y  etes,  montrez  toute 
votre  boutique, — Zola. 

Montre-tout,  m.  (popular),  short 
jacket.  Termed  also  "  ne  te  gene 
pas  dans  le  pare."  (Prostitutes') 
Aller  a  — ,  to  go  to  the  medical 
examination,  a  periodical  and 
co?npulsory  one,  for  registered  pros- 
titutes, those  who  shirk  it  being  sent 
to  the  prison  of  Saint-Lazare. 

Monu,  m.  (cads'),  one-sou  cigar. 

Monument,  m.  (popular),  fall  hat, 
or  "stove-pipe." 

Monzu,  or  mouzu,  m.  (old  cant), 
■woman's  breasts.  Termed,  in  other 
varieties  of  jargon,  "avant-postes, 
avant-scenes,  oeufs  sur  le  plat, 
oranges  sur  I'etagere,"  and  in  the 
English  slang,  "  dairies,  bubbles, 
or  Charlies." 

Morasse,  /  {pnnteis'),  proof  taken 
before  the  forme  is  finally  ar- 
ranged; —  final  proof  of  a  news- 
paper article.  Also  workman  who 
remuins  to  correct  such  a  proof, 
or  the  time  employed  in  the  work. 
(Thieves')  Morasse,  uneasiness ; 
remorse.  Battre  — ,  to  make  a  hue 
and  cry,  "to  romboyle,"  in  old 
cant,  or  "to  whiddle  beef." 

Morassier,  m.  (printers'),  one  who 
prints  off  the  last  proof  of  a  news- 
paper article. 

Morbaque,  m.  (popular),  disagree- 
able child.     See  Morbec. 

Morbec,  m.  (popular),  u  variety 
of  vermin  which  clings  tenaciously 
to  certain  parts  of  the  human 
body, 

Morceau,  m.  (freemasons'),  d'ar- 
chitecture,  speech;  (popular)  — 
de  gruy^re,  pockmarked  face, 
"  cribbage-face ; "  —  de  sale,  fat 
woman.    Xin—,  a  slatternly  girl. 


Mord — Morningue. 


273 


(Thieves')  Manger  le  — ,  to 
feach,  "  to  blow  the  gaff." 

Le  morceau  tu  ne  margeras 
De  crainte  de  tomber  au  plan. 

ViEOCCj. 

(Literary)  Morceau  de  pate  ferme, 
heavy,  dull  production.  (Artists') 
Faire  le  — ,  to  faint  details  skil- 
fully. (Military)  Le  beau  temps 
tombe  par  morceaux,  it  rains. 

Mord  (familiar  and  popular),  5a  ne 
—  pas,  it's  no  use  ;  no  go. 

Mordante,  /.  (thieves'),  Jile ;  saw. 
The  allusion  is  obvious. 

Mordre  (popular),  se  faire  — ,  to  be 
reprimanded,  "to  get  a  wigging;" 
to  get  thrashed,  or  "woUoped." 

Moresque,/  (thieves'),  danger. 

Morfe,  f.  (thieves'),  meal;  vic- 
tuals, or  "  toke." 

Veux-tu  venir  prendre  de  la  morfe  et 
piausser  avec  m€ziere  en  une  des  ploles  que 
tu  m'as  rouscaillee  ? — Le  J  argon  de  VA  rgot. 

Morfiante,/  (thieves'),  plate. 

Morfigner,  morfiler  (thieves'),  to 
do ;  to  eat.  From  the  old  word 
morfier.  Rabelais  uses  the  word 
morfialler  with  the  signification  of 
to  eat,  to  gorge  oneself. 

La,  la,  la,  c'est  morfialM  cela. — Rabe- 
lais, G'argantiia. 

Morfiler,  ormorfiller  (thieves'),  to 
eat,  ' '  to  yam. " 

Un  vieux  fagot  qui  s'^tait  fait  raille  pour 
morfiller. — ViDOCQ.  {An  old  convict  who 
had  turned  spy  to  get  a  living^ 

Termed  also  morfier.  Compare 
with  morfire,  or  morfizzare,  to 
eat,  in  the  lingue  furbesche,  or 
Italian  cant.  Se  —  le  dardant, 
to  fret.     Dardant,  heart. 

Morgane,/  (old  cant),  salt. 

C'est  des  oranges,  si  tu  demandais  du 
sel .  ,  .  de  la  morgane  !  mon  ills,  ga  coiite 
pas  cher. — Vidocq.  {Here  are  some  po- 
tatoes; just  you  ask  for  salt,  my  boy;  it's 
cheap  enough.) 


Morganer  (roughs'  and  thieves'),  to 
bite.  Morgane  le  gonse  et  chair 
dure  !  Bite  the  cove !  pitch  into 
him  t 

Moricaud,  m.  (thieves'),  coal  ;^ 
wine-dealer' s  wooden  pitcher. 

Mori-larve,  f.  (thieves'),  sicnburnt 
face. 

Morlingue,  m.  (thieves'),  money ; 
purse,  "skin."  Faire  le  — ,  to 
steal  a  purse,  "to  fake  a  skin." 

Mornante,  /.  (thieves'),  sheepfold. 
From  mome,  sheep. 

Morne,  f.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
sheep,  or  "wool-bird."  Termed 
"  bleating  cheat "  by  English 
vagabonds.  Courbe  de  — ,  shoul- 
der of  mutton.  Morne,  stupid ; 
stupid  man,  "  go  along." 

Mornee,/  (thieves'),  mouthful. 

Mornier,  morneux,  or  marmier, 
m.  (thieves'),  shepherd. 

Morniffer  (popular),  to  slap  one's 
face,  "to  fetch  a  bang,"  or  "to 
give  a  biff,"  as  the  Americans 
have  it.  Termed  to  give  a  ' '  clo, " 
at  Winchester  School. 

Mornifie,  f.  (thieves'),  money,  or 
"  blunt." 

When  the  slow  coach  paused,  and  the  gem- 
men  storm'd, 
I  bore  the  brunt — 
And  the  only  sound  which  my  grave  lips 
form'd 
Was  "blunt" — still  "  blunt !" 

Lord  Lytton,  Paul  Clifford. 

Mornifle  tarte,  spurious  coin,  or 
"queer  bit."  Refiler  de  la  — 
tarte,  to  pass  off  bad  coin  ;  to  be  a 
"  snide  pitcher,  or  smasher." 
Properly  mornifle  has  the  signifi- 
cation of  cuff  on  the  face. 

Mornifleur  tarte,  m.  (thieves'), 
coiner,  or  "queer-bit  faker." 

Morningue,  or  morlingue,  m. 
(thieves'),  money,  or  "pieces;" 
purse.      Faire  le  — ,   to  pick  a 

T 


274 


Mornos — Morviau. 


pocket.  In  the  old  English  cant 
' '  to  fang  "  a  pocket. 

O  shame  o'  justice  !  Wild  is  hang'd, 
Fortiiatten  he  a  pocket  fang'd, 
While  safe  old  Hubert,  and  his  gang, 
Doth  pocket  of  the  nation  fang. 

Fielding,/.  Wild. 

Termed  in  modern  English  cant 
"to  fake  a  cly,"  a  pickpocket 
being  called,  according  to  Lord 
Lytton,  a  "  buzz  gloak  "  : — 

The  '*  eminent  hand  "  ended  with — "  He 
.  who  surreptitiously  accumulates  bustle,  is, 
in  fact,  nothing  better  than  a  buzz  gloak. — 
Paul  Clifford. 

Porte  — ,  purse,  ' '  skin,  or  poge. " 

Mornos,  m.  (thieves'),  mouth, 
"bone-box,  or  muns."  Probably 
from  morne,  mutton,  the  mouth's 
most  important  function  being  to 
receive  food. 

Morpion,  m.  (popular),  strong  ex- 
pression of  contempt ;  despicable 
man,  or  "snot."  Literally  crab- 
louse.  Also  a  bore,  one  who 
clings  to  you  as  the  vermin  alluded 
to. 

Morpionner  (popular),  is  said  of  a 
bore  that  you  cannot  get  rid  of. 

Morse  (Breton  cant),  barley  bread. 

Mort,  /  and  adj.  (popular),  mar- 

cband   de   —   subite,  physician, 

"  pill." 

C'est  bien  sflr  le  m€decin  en  chef 
tous  les  marchands  de  mort  subite  vous 
ont  de  ces  regards-Ik.— Zola. 

Lampe  a  — ,  confirmed  drunkard 
■whose  thirst  cannot  be  slaked. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Un  corps 
— ,  an  empty  bottle.  The  English 
say,  when  a  bottle  has  been 
emptied,  "  Take  away  this  bottle  • 
It  has  '  Moll  Thompson's '  mark  on 
It,  '  that  is,  it  is  M.  T.  An  empty 
bottle  IS  also  termed  a  "marine 
or  marine  recruit."  "This  ex- 
pression having  once  been  used  in 


the.  presence  of  an  officer  of 
Marines,"  says  the  Slang  Dic- 
tionary, "he  was  at  first  inclined 
to  take  it  as  an  insult,  until  some- 
one adroitly  appeased  his  wrath 
by  remarking  that  no  offisnce 
could  be  meant,  as  all  that  it  could 
possibly  imply  was  :  one  who  had 
done  his  duty,  and  was  ready  to 
do  it  again."  (Popular)  Eau  de 
— ,  brandy.  See  Tord-boyaux. 
(Thieves')  Etre  — ,  to  be  sentenced, 
"  booked."  Hirondelle  de  la  — , 
gendarme  on  duty  at  executions. 
(Military  school  of  Saint-Cyr)  Se 
faire  porter  eleve-mort  is  to  get 
placed  on  the  sick  list.  (Game- 
sters') Mort,  stakes  which  have 
been  increased  by  a  cheat,  who  slily 
lays  atiditional  money  the  moment 
the  game  is  in  his  favour. 

Morte  paye  sur  mer,/  (thieves'), 
the  hulks  (obsolete). 

Morue,/  (popular),  dirty,  disgust- 
ing woman. 

Vous  voyez,  Franjoise,  ce  panier  de 
fraises  qu'on  vous  fait  trois  francs;  j'en 
ofFre  un  franc,  moi,  et  la  marchande  m'ap- 
pelle  .  .  .  Oui,  madame,  elle  vous  appelle 
.  .  .  morue  ! — Gavarni. 

Also  prostitute.  See  Gad  cue. 
Grande  —  dessalee,  expression 
of  the  utmost  contempt  applied  to  a 
■woman.  Pedlars  formerly  termed 
"  morue,"  manuscripts,  for  the 
printing  of  which  they  formed  an 
association,  "clubbed"  together. 

Morviau,  m.  (popular),  nose. 
Termed  also  "pif,  bourbon,  piton, 
pivase,  bouteille,  caillou,  trompe, 
truffe,  tubercule,  trompette,  naza- 
reth;"  and,  in  English  slang, 
"  conk,  boko,  nob,  snorter, 
handle,  post-horn,  and  smeller." 
Lecher  le  — ,  to  kiss.  The  ex- 
pression is  old. 

L(£cher  le  morveau,  manijre  de  parler 
ironique,  qui  signifie  caresser  une  femme, 
la  courtiser,  la  servir,  faire  I'amour.     Dit 


Morviot — Mouchard. 


275 


de  meme  que  Mcher  le  grouin,  baiser,  Stre 
'assidu  et  attache  k  une  personne. — Lb 
Roux,  Diet.  Comtgue. 

The  term  "  snorter  "  of  the  Eng- 
lish jargon  has  the  corresponding 
equivalent  "soffiante"  in  Italian 
cant. 

Morviot,  m.  (popular),  secretion 
from  the  muco-us  membrane  of  the 
nose,  "  snot." 

Dans  les  veines  d'ces  estropi^s, 
Au  lieu  d'sang  il  coul'  du  morviot. 
lis  ont  des  guiboll's  comm'  leur  stick, 
Trop  d'bidoche  autour  des  boyaux, 
Et  I'arpion  plus  mou  qu'  du  mastic. 

RiCHEPIN, 

Morviot,  term  of  contempt,  not 
quite  so  forcible  as  the  English 
expression  "  snot,"  which  has  the 
signification  of  contemptible  indi- 
vidual.    Petit  — ,  little  scamp. 

Moscou,  m.  (military),  faire  brfiler 
— ,  to  mix  a  vast  bowl  of  punch. 
Alluding  to  the  burning  down  of 
M0.SC0W  by'  the  Russians  them- 
selves in  1812. 

Mossieu  a  tubard,  m.  (popular), 
well-dressed  man,  a  "  swell  cove. " 
Tubard  is  a  silk  hat. 

Mot,  m.  (popular),  casser  un  — ,  to 
have  a  chat,  or  "chin  music." 

Motte,  /.  (general),  pudenda  mu- 
lierum.  Termed  also  "  chat," 
and  formerly  by  the  poets  "le 
verger  de  Cypris. "  Le  Koux,  con- 
cerning the  expression,  says  : — 

La  motte  de  la  nature  d'une  femme,  c'est 

J)roprement  le  petit  bois  touffu  qui  garnit 
e  penil  d'une  femme. — Diet.  Comique. 

Formerly  the  false  hair  for  those 
parts  was  termed  in  English 
"  merkin."  (Thieves')  Motte, 
central  prison,  or  house  of  correc- 
tion, ijegringoler  de  la  — ,  to 
come  from  such  a  place  of  confine- 
ment. The  synonyms  of  prison  in 
different  varieties  of  slang  are : 
"  castue,  caruche,  h6pital,  mitre. 


chetard  or  jetard,  college,  giosse 
boite.  Tours,  le  violon,  le  bloc, 
bolte  aux  cailloux,  tune9on,  austo, 
mazaro,  lycie,  chateau,  lazaro." 
In  the  English  lingo  :  "  stir, 
clinch,  bastile,  steel,  sturrabin, 
jigger,  Irish  theatre,  stone-jug, 
mill,"  the  last-named  being  an 
abbreviation  of  treadmill,  and 
signifying  by  analogy/mo«.  The 
word  is  mentioned  by  Dickens  : — 

"  Was  you  never  on  the  mill  ?  "  "  What 
mill,"  inquired  Oliver.  "  What  mill  %  why 
the  mill, — the  mill  as  takes  up  so  little  room 
that  it'll  work  inside  a  stone-jug. — Oliver 
Twist. 

In  Yorkshire  a  prison  goes  by  the 
appellation  of  "  Toll-shop,"  as 
shown  by  this  verse  of  a  song 
popular  at  fairs  in  the  East 
Riding : — 

But  if  ivver  he  get  out  agean. 
And  can  but  raise  a  frind, 
Oh  !  the  divel  may  tak'  toll-shop, 
At  Beverley  town  end  ! 

This  "  toll-shop  "  is  but  a  varia- 
tion of  the  Scottish  "tolbooth." 
The  general  term  "  quod  "  to  de- 
note a  prison  originates  from  the 
universities.  Quod  is  really  a  shor- 
tening of  quadrangle  ;  so  to  be 
quodded  is  to  be  within  four  walls 
(Slang  Diet. ). 

Motus  dansl'entrepont !  (sailors'), 
silence!  "put  a  clapper  to  your 
mug,"  or  "  mum's  the  word." 

Mou,  m.  (popular),  avoir  le  — enfle, 
to  be  pregnant,  or  "  lumpy." 

Mouchailler (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  scan, ' '  to  stag  \"  to  look  at,  ' '  to 
pipe ; "  to  see. 

J'itre  mouchaillf^  le  babillard  .  .  .  je  n'y 
itre  mouchailM  floutifere  de  vain. — Le  Jar- 
gon de  V Argot. 

Mouchard,  m.  (popular),  portrait 
hung  in  a  room;  (popular  and 
thieves')  —  i  bees,  lamp-post,  the 
inconvenient  luminary  being  com- 
pared to  a  spy.     Mouchard,  pro- 


276 


Moucharde — Mouchiqiie. 


perly  spy,  one  who  goes  busily 
about  like  a  fly.  It  formerly  had 
the  signification  of  dandy. 

A  la  fin  du  xvii®  si^cle,  on  donnait  encore 
ce_  nom  aux_  petits-maitres_  qui  frdquen- 
taient  les  Tuileries  pour  voir  autant  que 
pour  etre  vus :  C'est  sur  ce  fameux  theatre 
des  TuilerieSj  dlt  un  €crivain  de  I'dpoque, 
qu'une  beautd  naissante  fait  sa  premiere 
entree  au  monde.  Bientdt  les  '*mouchars" 
de  la  grande  alMe  sont  en  campagne  au 
bruit  d'un  visage  nouveau ;  chacun  court 
en  repaitre  ses  yeux.— Michel, 

Moucharde,  f.  (thieves'),  moon, 
"parish  lantern,  or  Oliver." 

Mais  dejk  la  patrarque, 
Au  clair  de  la  moucharde. 
Nous  reluque  de  loin. 

ViDOCQ. 

La  —  se  debine,  the  moon  disajt' 
pears,  "  Oliver  is  sleepy." 

Mouche,/,  adj.,andverb(geneT:3.\), 
police,  or  police  officer ;  detective. 
Compare  v?ith  the  "miicke,"  or 
spy,  of  German  cant ;  (thieves') 
muslin  ;  (students')  —  i  miel,  can- 
didate to  the  Ecole  Centrale  des 
Arts  et  Manufactures,  a  great  en- 
Sneering  school.  Alluding  to  the 
bee  embroidered  in  gold  on  their 
caps.  (Popular)  Mouche,  bad,  or 
"snide;"  ugly;  stupid.  C'est 
bon  pour  qui  qu'est  — ,  it  is  only 
fit  for  "flats."     Mouche,  weak. 

11  a  reparu,  I'ami  soleil.  Bravo  !  encore 
bien  dAile,  bien  palot,  bien  "mouche," 
dirau  Gavroche. — Richepin. 

Non,  c'est  q'  j'  me  — ,  ironical 
negative  expression  meant  to  be 
strongly  affirmative.  Synony- 
mous of  "  non,  c'est  q'  je  tousse ! " 
Vous  n'avez  rien  fait  ?  Non,  c'est 
q'  j'  me  — ,  you  did  nothing  i  oh  ! 
didn't  I,  Just ! 

Moucher  (popular),  le  quinquet,  to 
kill,  "to  &o" for. one;  to  strike, 
to  give  a  "  wipe." 

AUons,  mouche-lui  le  quinquet,  ca  I'es- 
brouffera.— Th,  Gautier. 


Moucher  la  chandelle,  to  give 
oneself  up  to  solitary  practices  ; 
to  act  according  to  the  principles 
of  Malthus  with  a  view  of  not 
begetting  children.  For  further 
explanation  the  reader  may  be 
referred  to  a  work  entitled  Tlie 
Fruits  of  Philosophy;  —  sa  chan- 
delle, to  die,  "  to  snuff  it."  For 
synonyms  see  Pipe.  Se  —  dans 
ses  doigts  (obsolete),  to  be  clever, 
resolute.  Se  faire  —  le  quinquet, 
to  get  one' s  head  punched.  (Game- 
sters') Se  — ,  is  said  of  attendants 
who,  while  pretending  to  make  use 
of  their  handkerchiefs,  purloin  a 
coin  or  two  from  the  gaming- 
table. It  is  said  of  such  an  at- 
tendant, who  on  the  sly  abstracts 
a  gold  piece  from  the  stakes  laid 
out  on  the  table,  il  s'est  "mouche" 
d'un  louis. 

Moucheron,  m.  (popular),  waiter 
at  a  wine-shop ;  child,  or  "kid." 

Mouches,///.  (popular),  d'hiver, 
snow-flakes.  Tuer  les  • — ,  to 
emit  a  bad  smell,  capable  of 
killing  even  flies.  Termed  also 
tuer  les  —  a  quinze  pas.  (Thear 
trical)  Envoyer  des  coups  de  pied 
aux  — ,  to  lead  a  disorderly  lije. 

Mouchettes,  /  pi.  (popular), 
pocket-handkerchief,  ' '  snottinger, 
or  wipe."  Termed  "madam, 
or  stook,"  by  English  thieves. 
Des  — !  equivalent  to  du  flan ! 
des  navets  !  des  nefles,  &c.,  for- 
cible expression  of  refusal ;  may 
be  rendered  by  "  Don't  you  wish 
you  may  get  it ! "  or,  as  the  Ameri- 
cans say,  "Yes,  in  a  horn." 

Moucheur  de  chandelles,  m. 
(popular).     See  Moucher. 

Mouchique,  adj.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  base,  worthless,  bad, 
"  snide." 


Mouchoir — MotiilU. 


277 


C'^tait  un'  tonn'  pas  mouchique, 
C'etait  un  girond  tonneau, 
I/anderlique,  I'anderlique, 
L'anderliqu'  de  Landerneau  ! 

Gill. 

The  English  cant  has  the  old 
word  "  queer,"  signifying  base, 
roguish,  or  worthless — the  oppo- 
site of  ' '  rum, "  which  signified 
good  and  genuine.  "Queer,  in  all 
probability,"  says  the  Slang  Dic- 
tionary, "is  immediately  derived 
from  the  cant  language.  It  has 
been  mooted  that  it  came  into  use 
from  a  '  quaere '  (?)  being  set  be- 
fore a  man's  name ;  but  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  it  was 
brought  into  this  country  by  the 
gipsies  from  Germany,  where 
qiter  signifies  cross,  or  crooked^^ 
(Thieves')  Etre  —  a  sa  section,  or , 
a  la  sec,-/o  be  noted  as  a  bad  cha- 
racter at  the  police  office  of  one's 
district.  The  word  "mouchique," 
says  Michel,  is  derived  from 
"  mujili,"  a  Russian  peasant, 
which  must  have  become  familiar 
in  1815  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
parts  of  the  country  invaded  by 
the  Russians. 

Mouchoir,  m.  (popular),  d'Adam, 
the  fingers,  used  by  some  people 
as  a  natural  handkerchief, 
"forks;"  —  de  bceuf,  meadow. 
Termed  thus  on  account  of  oxen 
having  their  noses  in  the  grass 
when  grazing;  —  de  poche,  pistol, 
or  "pops."  (Familiarandpopular) 
Faire  le  — ,  to  steal  pocket-hand- 
kerchiefs, "to  draw  a  wipe." 
Coup  de  —  (obsolete),  a  box  on 
the  ear,  a  "  wipe  in  the  chaps." 

Vov  ez  le  train  qu'a  m'  fait  pour  un  coup 
de  mouchoir  que  j'lui  ai  donn^. — Pom- 
PIGNV,  1783. 

(Theatrical)  Faire  le  — ,  to  pirate 
another  author' s  productions. 

Mouchouar-godel  (Breton  cant), 

pistol. 


Moudre  (popular),  or  —  un  air,  to 
ply  a  street  organ. 

Mouf  (popular),  abbreviation  of 
Mouffetard,  the  name  of  a  street 
almost  wholly  tenanted  by  rag- 
pickers, and  situate  in  one  of  the 
lowest  quarters  of  Paris.  Quartier 
—  mouf,  the  Quartier  Mouffetard. 
La  tribu  des  Beni  Mouf-mouf,  in- 
habitants of  the  Quartier  Mouffe- 
tard. Champagne  — ,  or  Cham- 
pagne Mouffetard,  a  liquid  manu- 
factured by  rag-pickers  with  rotten 
oranges  picked  out  of  the  refuse  at 
the  Holies.  The  fruit,  after  being 
washed,  is  thrown  into  a  cask  of 
water  and  allowed  to  ferment  for 
a  few  days,  after  which  some 
brown  sugar  being  added,  the 
liquid  is  bottled  up,  and  does 
duty  as  champagne.  It  is  the 
Cliquot  of  poor  people. 

Moufflantfi,  adj.  (popular),  com- 
fortably, warmly  clad. 

Moufflet,  m.  (popular),  child,  or 
"kid;"  urchin;  apprentice. 

Moufion,  m.  (popular),  pocket- 
handkerchief,  "snottinger,  or 
wipe." 

Moufionner  (popular),  to  blow  one's 
nose.  (Thieves')  Se  —  dans  le 
son,  to  be  guillotined.  Literally 
to  blow  one's  nose  in  the  bran. 
An  allusion  to  an  executed  con- 
vict's head,  which  falls  into  a 
basket  full  of  sawdust.  Termed 
also  "  eternuer  dans  le  son,  or  le 
sac."     See  FauchS. 

Mouget,  m.  (roughs'),  a  swell,  or 

"  gorger."    Des  peniches  a  la  — , 

fashionable  boots,   as  now  worn, 

with  pointed  toes  and  large  square 

-   heels. 

Mouillante,  /  (thieves'),  cod; 
(popular)  soup. 

Mouille,  adj.  (popular),  etre  — ,  to 
be  drunk,  or  "  tight."  See  Pom- 


278 


Mouiller-^Mouler. 


pette.  Etre  — ,  to  be  known  in 
one's  real  character.  Alluding 
to  cloths  which  are  soaked  in 
water  to  ascertain  their  quality. 
(Thieves')  Etre  — ,  to  be  well 
known  to  the  police. 

Mouiller  (popular),  se  — ,  to  drink, 
"to  have  something  damp, "  or  as 
the  Americans  have  it,  "  to  smile, 
to  see  the  man."  The  term  is 
old. 

Mouillez-vous  pour  seicher,  on  seichez 
pour  mouiller. — Rabelais. 

Also  to  get  slightly  intoxicated,  or 
"elevated."  (Theatrical)  Mouil- 
ler a,  or  dans,  to  receive  a  royalty 
for  a  play  produced  on  the  stage. 
Se  — ,  to  take  pains  in  one's  act- 
ing. (Thieve.s')  Se  —  les  pieds, 
to  be  transpoHed,  "  to  lump  the 
lighter,  or  to  be  lagged." 
(Roughs')  En  — ,  to  perform  some 
extraordinary  feat  with  great  ex- 
penditure of  physical  strength. 
Les  fr^res  qui  en  mouillent,  acro- 
bats. (Military)  Mouiller,  to  be 
punished. 

Mouise,/.  (thieves'),  soup. 

Vous  qui  n'avez  probablement  dans  le 
bauge  que  la  mouise  de  Tuneb^e  Bicetre 
vous  devez  canner  la  p^greune. — ViDOCQ. 

Moukala,  m.  (military),  rifle. 
From  the  Arab. 

Moukfere,ormoucaire,/.(popular), 
ugly  woman  ;  girl  of  indifferent 
character  ;  (military)  mistress.  Ma 
— ,  my  young  "  'ooman."  Avoir 
sa  — ,  to  have  won  the  good  graces 
of  a  fair  one,  generally  a  cook 
in  the  case  of  an  infantry  soldier, 
the  cavalry  having  the  monopoly 
of  housemaids  or  ladies'  maids, 
and  sappers  showing  a  great  pen- 
chant for  nursery-maids. 

Moulard,  m.  (popular),  superlative 
of  moule,  dunce,  or  "  flat." 


Moule,  m.  and f  (popular),  une 
— ,  face,  or  "mug."  Also  a 
dunce,  simpleton,  or  ' '  muff. " 

Foutez-moi  la  paix !  Vous  etes  une 
couenne  et  une  moule  ! — G.  Courteline. 

Le  —  a  blagues,  mouth,  or 
"  chaffer."  Literally  the  humbng- 
box.  Un  —  a  boutons,  a  twenty- 
franc  piece.  Un  —  a  claques, 
face  with  impertinent  expression 
which  invites  punishment.  Termed 
also  —  k  croquignoles.  Un  • —  a 
gaufres,  or  i  pastilles,  a  face  pitted 
with  small-pox  marks,  "  crumpet- 
face,  or  cribbage  -  face. "  Un 
moule  a  gaufres  is  properly  a 
waffle-iron.  Un  —  a  poupee 
(obsolete),  a,  clumsily -built,  awk- 
ward man. 

Ah!  ah!  ah!  C'gr^nd  benet !  a-t-il  un 
air  jaune  .  .  .  dis  done  eh  !  c'moule  a 
poupee,  qu'  veux-tu  faire  de  cette  pique? 
— Ricke-en-gueule. 

Un —  imerde,  behmd,  "Nancy.'' 
ForsjmonymsseeVasistas.  Also 
a  foul-mouthed  person.  Un  — 
de  gant,  box  on  the  ear,  or  "  bang 
in  the  gills."  Un  —  de  bonnet, 
head,  or  "canister."  Un  —  de 
pipe  i  Gambler,  grotesque  face,  or 
"  knocker  face."  Un  —  a  melon, 
humpback,  or  "lord."  (Mili- 
tary) Envoyer  chercher  le  —  aux 
guillemets,  to  send  a  recruit  on  a 
fool's  errand,  to  send  him  to  ask 
the  sergeant-major  for  the  mould 
for  inverted  commas,  the  joke 
being  varied  by  requesting  him  to 
fetch  the  key  of  the  drill-ground. 
■  Corresponds  somewhat  to  sending 
a  greenhorn  for  pigeon's  milk,  or 
a  pennyworth  of  stirrup -oil. 

Mouler  (familiar  and  popular),  un 
senateur,  to  ease  oneself  by  evacua- 
tion, "tobury  a  quaker;"  (artists') 
—  une  Venus,  same  meaning. 
Artists  term  "  gazonner,"  the  act 
of  easing  oneself  in  the  fields.  See 
Mouscailler. 


Moulin — Mouscailkr. 


279 


Moulin,  m.  (popular),  de  la  halle 
(obsolete),  the  pillory. 

Mais  pour  qu'Si  I'avenir  tu  fass'  mieux  ton 
devoir, 

Fais  regoiser  ta  langu'  sur  la  pierre  in- 
female, 

Et  puis  j'te  f'rons  tourner  au  moulin  de  la 
halle. 
Antusentens  d  la  Grecgrte,  1764. 

Moulin,  hairdresser's  shop  ;  —  a 
cafe,  mitrailleuse.  Thus  termed 
on  account  of  the  revolving 
handle  used  in  iiring  it  off,  like 
that  of  a  coffee-mill.  Also  street 
organ;  —  a  merde,  slanderer ; 
—  a  vent,  the  behind.  See  Vasis- 
tas.  Concerning  the  expression 
Le  Roux  says  : — 

Moulin  &  vent,  pour  cul,  derriere.  Mou- 
lin a  vent,  parcequ'on  donne  I'essor  a  ses 
vents  par  cette  ouverture-la. — Did.  Co- 
mique. 

(Thieves')  Moulin,  receiver's,  or 
"fence's,"  house.  Ternied  also 
"maison  dumeunier."  Porter  du 
gras-double  au  — ,  to  steal  lead  and 
take  it  to  a  receiver  of  stolen  pro- 
perty, "  to  do  bluey  at  the  fence." 
(Police)  Passer  au  —  a  cafe,  to 
transport aprostitjtieto  the  colonies. 

Moulinage,  m.  (popular),  prat- 
tling, "clack." 

Mouliner  (popular),  to  talk  non- 
sense ;  to  prattle.  A  term  spe- 
cially used  in  reference  to  the  fair 
sex,  and  an  allusion  to  the  rapid, 
regular,  and  monotonous  motion 
of  a  mill,  or  to  the  noise  produced 
by  the  paddles  of  a  water-mill, 
a  "  tattle-box "  being  termed 
moulin  a  paroles. 

Mouloir,  m.  (thieves'),  mouth, 
"bone-box,  or  muns;"  teeth, 
"ivories,  or  grinders." 

Moulure,/;  (popular),  lump  of  ex- 
crement, or  "quaker. "  Machine 
a  moulures,  breech,  or  "Nancy." 
See  Vasistas." 


Mouniche,  /  (thieves'),  woman's 
privities,  "merkin,"  according  to 
the  Slang  Dictionary. 

Mounin,  m.  (thieves'),  child,  or 
"  kid  ; "  apprentice. 

Mounine,/.  (thieves'),  little  girl. 

Mouquette,  f.  (popular),  cocotte, 
or  "  poll."     See  Gadoue. 

Assez  !    Taisez  vos  bees  ! .  .  .  k  la  porte 
les  mouquettes  !— P.  Mahalin. 

Moure,  f.  (thieves'),  pretty  face, 
"dimber  mug." 

Mourir  (popular),  tu  t'en  ferais  —  ! 
is  expressive  of  refusal.  Literally 
if  I  gave  you  ivhat  you  want  you 
would  die  for  joy.     See  Nefles. 

Mouron,   m.    (popular),    ne    plus 
avoir  de  —  sur  la  cage,  to  be  bald,  . 
or  to  sport  "a  bladder  of  lard." 
For  synonymous  expressions  see 
Avoir. 

Mouscaille,  f.  (thieves'),  excre- 
ment, or,  as  the  Irish  say, 
"quaker." 

Mouscailler  (thieves'),  to  ease  one- 
self by  evacucUion.  The  synonyms 
are  "mousser,  enterrerson  colonel, 
aller  faire  une  ballade  a  la  lune, 
mouler  un  senateur,  mouler  une 
Venus,  gazonner,  aller  au  numero 
cent,  deponer,  fogner,  flaquer, 
ecrire  a  un  Juif,  deposer  une  pSche, 
poser  un  pepin,  un  factionnaire,  or 
une  sentinelle  ;  envoyer  une  de- 
peche  k  Bismark,  flasquer,  touser, 
faire  corps  neuf,  deposer  une 
medaille  de  papier  volant,  or 
des  Pays-Bas  (obsolete),  faire 
des  cordes,  mettre  une  lettre  a  la 
poste,  faire  le  grand,  faire  une 
commission,  debourrer  sa  pipe, 
dtfalquer,  tarter,  faire  une  mou- 
lure,  aller  quelque  part,  aller  a 
ses  affaires,  aller  oil  le  roi  va  k 
pied,  filer,  aller  chez Jules, ierchem, 
aller  oil  le  roi  n'envoie  personne, 


28o 


Mouscailleur — Mouiardier. 


flaquader,  fuser,  gicher  du  gi"OS, 
galipoter,  pousser  son  rond,  filer 
le  cable  de  proue,  faire  un  pru- 
neau,  aller  au  buen-retiro,  aller 
voir  Bernard,  faire  ronfler  le  bour- 
relet,  la  chaise  percee,  or  la  chaire 
percee."  In  the  English  slang, 
"  to  go  to  the  West  Central,  to  go 
to  Mrs.  Jones,  or  to  the  crapping- 
ken,  to  the  bog-house,  to  the 
chapel  of  ease,  to  Sir  Harry  ;  to 
crap,  to  go  to  the  crapping-case, 
to  the  coffee-shop,  to  the  crapping 
castle,"  and,  as  the  Irish  term  it, 
"to  bury  a  quaker." 

Mouscailleur,  m.  (popular),  sca- 
venger employed  in  emptying  cess- 
pools, or  "  gold-finder." 

Mousquetaire  gris,  m.  (popular), 
loHse,  or  ' '  grey-backed  'un. " 

Moussaillon,  m.  (sailors'),  a  ship- 
boy,  or  "powder-monkey."  From 
mousse,  ship-boy. 

Moussante,/(popularand  thieves'), 
,  beer,  or  "  gatter. "  Un  pot  de  — , 
a  "shant  of  gatter."  A  curious 
slang  street  melody,  known  in 
Seven  Dials  as  Bet  the  Coaley's 
Daughter,  mentions  the  word 
"gatter": — 

But  when  I  strove  my  flame  to  tell, 
Says  she,  "  Come,  stow  that  patter, 
If  you're  a  cove  wot  likes  a  gal, 
Vy  don't  you  stand  some  gatter  ?  " 
In  course  I  instantly  complied. 
Two  brimming  quarts  of  porter, 
With  sev'ral  goes  of  gin  beside, 
Drain'd  Bet  the  Coaley's  daughter. 

Moussante  mouchique,  bad,  flat 
beer,  "  swipes,  or  belly  ven- 
geance. " 

Moussard,  m.  (thieves'),  chestnut 
tree. 

Mousse,/,  (popular  and  thieves'), 
excrement ;  loine.  The  word  is 
old.  Villon,  a  poet  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  uses  it  with  the  latter 
signification.     For  quotation   see 


Jouer  du  pouce.  (Popular)  De 
la  — !  nonsense!  "all  my  eye," 
or  "  all  my  eye  and  Betty  Martin." 
Is  also  expressive  of  ironical  re- 
fusal; "yes,  in  a  horn,"  as  the 
Americans  say. 

Moussecailloux,  m.  (popular),  in- 
fantry soldier,  "wobbler,  or 
beetle-crusher. " 

Mousseline,  /  (thieves'),  white 
bread,  or  "pannum,"  alluding  to 
a  similarity  of  colour.  Also 
prisoner's  fetters,  "darbies."' 

Mousser  (popular),  to  ease  oneself 
by  evacuation.  See  Mouscailler. 
Also  to  be  wroth,  "  to  have  one's 
monkey  up."  Faire  —  quelqu'un, 
to  Jiiake  one  angry  by  "riling" 
him. 

Mousserie,  /  (thieves'),  privy, 
"  crapping-ken." 

Mousseux,  adj.  (literary),  hyper- 
bolic. 

Moussue,/  {thieves'),  chestnut. 

Moustachu,  m.  (familiar),  man 
with  moustache. 

Moustique,  m.  (popular),  avoir  un 
—  dans  la  boite  au  sel,  to  be 
"cracked,"  "  to  have  a  slate  off." 
For  synonymous  expressions  see 
Avoir. 

Mout,  adj.  (popular), /?-««_y,  hand- 
some. 

Moutarde,/  (popular),  excrement. 
Baril  i  — ,  the  behind.  For  sy- 
nonyms see  Vasistas.  The  ex- 
pression is  old. 

En  le  langant,  il  dit :  prends  garde, 
Je  vise  au  baril  de  moutarde. 

La-  Suite  du  Virgile  travesti. 

Moutardier,  m.  (popular),  breech, 
or  "  tochas."     See  Vasistas. 

^Et  en  face  I    Je  n'ai  pas  besoin  de  re- 
ni.ier  ton  moutardier. — Zola. 


Mouton — Mulet. 


281 


Mouton,  m.  (popular),  mattress,  or 
"mot  cart;"  (general)  prisoner 
•who  is  setto'cvatch  a  fellow-prisoner, 
and,  by  winning  his  confidence, 
seeks  to  extract  information  from 
him,  a  "nark." 

Comme  tu  seras  au  violon  avant  lui,  il 
ne  se  doutera  pas  que  tu  es  un  mouton. — 

ViDOCQ. 

Deux  sortes  de  coqueurs  sent  kla  devo- 
tion de  la  police ;  les  coqueurs  libres,  et 
les  coqueurs  detenus  autrement  dit  mou- 
lons. — Mitnoires  de  Canler. 

Moutonnaille,y;  [po^yAar),  crowd. 
Sheep  will  form  a  crowd. 

Moutonner  (thieves'  and  police), 
to  play  the  spy  on  fellow-prisoners. 

Celui  qui  est  mouton  court  risque  d'etre 
assassin^  par  les  compagnons  .  .  ,  aussi  la 
police  parvient-elle  rareraent  &  decider  les 
voleurs  k  moutonner  leurs  camarades. — 
Canlek. 

Moutrot,  m.  (thieves'),  Prefect  of 
police.  Le  logis  du  — ,  the  Pre- 
fecture de  Police. 

Mouvante,  f.  (thieves'),  porridge. 

Mouvement,  m.  (swindlers'),  con- 
cierge dans  le  — ,  doorkeeper  in 
league  with  a  gang  of  swindlers, 
for  a  description  of  which  see 
Bande  noire. 

Mouzu,  m.  (thieves'),  woman's 
breasts,  "  Charlies,  or  dairies." 

Muche,  adj.  and  m.  (prostitutes'), 
polite,  timid  young  man  ;  (popu- 
lar) excellent,  perfect,  "bully,  or 
ripping." 

Muette,/  (Saint-Cyr  School),  drill 
exercise  in  which  cadets  purposely 
do  not  make  their  muskets  ring. 
This  is  done  to  annoy  any  un- 
popular instructor.  (Thieves') 
Muette,  conscience.  Avoir  une 
puce  a  la  — ,  to  feel  a  pang  of  re- 
morse. 

Mufe,  or  muffle,  m.  and  adj. 
(thieves'),  mason;  (familiar  and 
popular)  mean  fellow ;  mean. 


Son  patissier  s'^tait  montr^  assez  mufe 
pour_  menacer  de  la  vendre,  lorsqu'elle 
I'avait  quicte. — Zola,  Nana. 

Mufe,      scamp,      cad,       "  bally 
bounder." 

Elles  restaient  gaies,  jetant  simplement 
un  "  sale  mufe  !"  derriere  le  dos  des  mala- 
droits  dont  le  talon  leur  arrachait  un  volant. 
— Zola,  Nana. 

Muffee,  f.  (popular),  en  avoir  une 
vraie  — ,  to  be  completely  intoxi- 
cated.    See  Pompette. 

Muffeton,  mufiHeton,  m.  (popu- 
lar), young  scamp  ;  mason's  ap- 
prentice. 

Muffleman  (popular),  mean  fellow 

Mufflerie,/  (popular),  contemptible 
action  ;  behaviour  like  a  cad's. 

Mufle,  »«.  (thieves'),  se  casser  le 
— ,  to  meet  with.  Termed  also 
"  tomber  en  frime.'' 

Tel  escarpe  ou  assassin  ne  commettra 
pas  un  crime  un  vendredi,  ou  s'il  s'est  cass£ 
le  mufle  devant  un  ratichon  (prStre). — Mi- 
moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Mufrerie,_/!  (popular),  disparaging 
epithet ;  —  de  sort !  curse  my 
luck! 

Muitar,  f.  (thieves'),  Stre  dans  la 
— ,  to  be  in  prison,  or  "in  quod." 

Mulet,  m.  (military),  marine  artil- 
lery man  ;  (printers')  compositor, 
or  "donkey."  " In  the  days  be- 
fore steam  machinery  was  invented , 
the  men  who  worked  at  press," 
says  the  Slang  Dictionary,  "  the 
pressmen,  were  so  dirty  and  drun- 
ken a  body  that  they  earned  the 
name  of  pigs.  In  revenge,  and 
for  no  reason  that  can  be  dis- 
covered, they  christened  the  com- 
positors 'donkeys.'"  (Thieves') 
Mulet,  devil. 

Les  meusniers,  aussi  out  une  mesme 
fagon  de  parler  que  les  cousturiers,  appe- 
lant leur  asne  le  grand  Diable,  et  leur  sac, 
Raison.  Et  rapportant  leur  farine  k  ceux 
ausquels  elle  appartient,  si  on  leur  demande 
s'ils  en  ont  point  prins  plus  qu'il  ne  leur  en 


282 


Muraille — Musicien. 


faut,  respondent :  Le  grand  Diable  m'em- 
porte,  sij'en  ay  prinsque  parraison.  Mais 
pour  tout  cela  ils  disent  qu'ils  ne  desrobent 
rien,  car  onleur  donne. — Taboukot. 

Muraille  (familiar  and  popular), 
battre  la  — ,  to  be  drunk  and  to 
reel  about,  now  in  the  gutter,  now 
against  the  wall. 

Murer  (popular),  je  te  vas  —  !  /'// 
hiock  you  doT.t'n,  or  I'll  double  you 
up  !    See  Voie. 

Lk  il  commenga  ^  m'embrasser.  _  Ma 
foi,  comme  pour  le  verre  de  vin,  il  _  n'y 
avait  pas  de  refus.  II  ne  me  d^plaisait 
pas,  cet  homme.  II  voulut  meme  m'habillcr 
avec  une  chemise  de  sa  femme.  Mais  void 
qu'il  me  propose  des  choses  que  je  ne  pou- 
vais  accepter,  et  qu'il  me  menace  de  me 
murer  si  je  dis  un  mot. — Echo  de  Paris. 

Muron,  m.  (thieves'),  salt. 

Muronner  (thieves'),  to  salt. 

Muronniere,  f.  (thieves'),  salt- 
cellar. 

Musardine,  f.  (familiar),  name 
given  some  forty  years  ago  to  a 
m-ore  than  fast  girl,  or  to  a  girl  of 
indifferent  character,  termed  some- 
times by  English  "  mashers,"  a 
"  blooming  tartlet." 

On  dit  une  musardine,  comme  jadis 
on  disait  une  lorette. — Alb^ric  Second. 

The  synonyms  corresponding  to 
various  epochs  are  : — Under  the 
Restauration  "femmeaimable,"a 
term  of  little  significance.  In 
Louis  Philippe's  time,  "lorette," 
on  account  of  the  frail  ones  mostly 
dwelling  in  the  Quartier  Notre 
Dame  de  Lorette.  Under  the 
Third  Empire  ' '  chignon  dor^  " 
(it  vizs,  then  the  fashion,  as  it 
still  is,  for  such  women  to  dye  their 
hair  a  bright  gold  or  auburn  tint), 
or  "cocodette,"  the  feminine  of 
" cocoAhs," youngdandy.  Now-a- 
days  frequenters  of  the  Boulevards 
use  the  term  "boudinee,"  "bou- 


dine,becarre,orpschutteux,"being 
the  latest  appellations  for  the  Pari- 
sian "masher."  The  term  "mu- 
sardine" must  first  have  been  ap- 
plied to  fast  girls  frequenting  the 
Bals  Musard,  attended  at  the  time 
by  all  the  "  dashing "  elements 
of  Paris.  ' '  In  English  polite 
society,  a  fast  young  lady,"  says 
the  Slang  Dictionary,  "is  one 
who  affects  mannish  habits,  or 
makes  herself  conspicuous  by  some 
unfeminine  accomplishment,  talks 
slang,  drives  about  in  London, 
smokes  cigarettes,  is  knowing  in 
dogs  and  horses,  &c. " 

Musee,  m.  (popular),  le  —  des 
claques,  the  Morgue. 

Musele,  m.  (popular),  dunce,, 
or  "  flat ;"  good-for-nothing  man. 
Alluding  to  a  muzzled  dog  who- 
cannot  use  his  teeth. 

Musette,^;  (popular),  voice.  Cou- 
per  la  — -a  quelqu'un,  to  silencer 
one,  "to  clap  a  stopper  on  one's, 
mug  ; "  to  cut  one's  throat. 

Musicien,  m.  (ihievts'), dictionary; 
variety  of  informer,  or  "  snitcher ; " 
(familiar)  —  par  intimidation,  a 
street  Tnelodist  luho  obtains  money 
from  people  desirous  of  getting  rid 
of  him. 

J'y  ai  retrouvd  aussi  le  "  musicien  par 
intimidation,"  Thomme  ^  la  clarinette,  qui 
s'arrete  devant  les  caf€s  du  boulevard  en 
faisant  mine  de  porter  a  ses  levres  le  bee 
de  son  instrument.  Les  consommateurs 
dpouvant^s  se  h^tent  de  lui  jeter  quelque 
monnaie  afin  d'^viter  Tharmonie.  — Elie 
Fr^bault,  La  Vie  de  Paris. 

It,  however,  occurs  occasionally 
that  people  annoyed  by  the  har- 
monists of  the  street  have  their 
revenge  whilst  getting  rid  of  them 
without  having  to  pay  toll,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  "  musicien  par 
intimidation. "  One  day  a  French 
artist  in  London,  who  every  day 


Musique — Naser  quelqu'im. 


283 


was  almost  driven  mad  by  the 
performances  of  a  band  of  green- 
coated  German  musicians,  hit 
upon  the  following  singular  stra- 
tagem. Placing  himself  at  the 
window,  and  facing  his  tormen- 
tors, he  applied  a  lemon  to  his 
lips.  The  effect  was  instantaneous, 
as  through  an  association  of  ideas 
the  mouths  of  the  musicians  began 
to  water  to  such  an  extent  that,  un- 
able to  proceed  with  their  sym- 
phony, they  surrendered  the  battle- 
field to  the  triumphant  artist. 
(Popular)  Des  musiciens,  beans, 
alluding  to  the  wind  they  gene- 
rate in  the  bowels.  (Printers') 
Des  musiciens,  large  number  of 
corrections  made  on  the  margin  of 
pages  ;  unskilled  compositors  who 
are  unable  to  proceed  with  their 
work. 

Musique,/.  (popular),  second-hand 
articles  /  odd  pieces  of  cloth  sewn 
together ;     kind   of  penny    loaf. 


Termed  also  "flute."  Also  what 
remains  in  a  glass  ;  (thieves')  in- 
forming ;  informers. 

^  La  deuxifeme  classe,  que  les  voleurs  de- 
signent  sous  le  nom  de  musique,  est  com- 
pos^e  de  tous  les  malfaiteurs  qui,  apres 
ieur  arresCation,  se  mettent  ^  table  (d6- 
noncent). — Canler. 

Passer  a  la  — ,  to  he  placed  in  the 
presence  of  informers  for  identi- 
fication ;  (card-sharpers')  swind- 
ling at  cards. 

Musiquer  (card-sharpers'),  to  mark 
a  card  with  the  nail. 

Musser  (popular),  to  smell. 

Mutiles,  m.  pi.  (military),  soldiers 
of  the  punishment  companies  in 
Africa,  who  are  sent  there  as  a 
penalty  for  purposely  maiming 
themselves  in  order  to  escape  mili- 
tary service. 

Mylord,  m.  (popular),  hackney 
coach,  "growler." 


N 


Nageant,  ornageoir,  m.  (thieves'), 
fish. 

Nageoires,  f  pi.  (popular),  large 
whiskers  in  the  shape  if  fins;  arms, 
or  " benders  ; "  hands,  or  "fins." 
Un  monsieur  a  — ,  u,  prostitute's 
bully,  or  "  pensioner."  For  list 
of  synonyms  see  Poisson. 

Naif,  m.  (printers'),  employer,  or 
"boss."  The  expression  is  scarcely 
used  nowadays. 

Le  vieux  pressier  resta  seul  dans  I'im- 
primerie  dont  le  maltre,  autrement  dit  le 
"naif,"  venait  de  mourir. — Balzac, 

Narquois,  or  drille,  m.  (old  cant). 


formerly  a  thievish  or  vagrant  old 
soldier. 

Drilles  ou  narquois  sont  des  soldats  qui 
truchent  la  flamme  sous  le  bras,  et  battent 
en  mine  les  entiffes  et  tous  les  creux  des 
vergnes   ...    lis  ont  fait  banquerouteau 
grand  coere  et  ne  veulent  pas  etre  ses  sujets 
ni  le  reconnaitre, — Le  Jargon  de  C Argot. 
Parler  —  formerly  had  the  signi- 
fication of  to  talk  the  jargon  of 
vagabonds. 
Nase,  m.  (popular),  nose. 
Naser    quelqu'un    (popular),    is 
equivalent   to    "avoir  quelqu'un 
dans  le  nez,"  to  have  a  strong  dis- 
like for  one,  to  abominate  one. 


284 


Navarin — N^gresse. 


Navarin,  m.  (thieves'),  turnip; 
(popular)  scraps  of  meat  from 
butchers'  stalls  retailed  at  a  low 
price  to  poor  people. 

Navet,  m.  (familiar),  hypocrite 
with  bland  polished  manners,  a 
kind  of  Mr.  Pecksniff;_/i»o/,  dunce, 
or  "flat."  Le  champ  de  navets, 
the  cemetery. 

Je  ne  sais  pas  seulement  k  quel  endroit 
du  champ  de  navets  on  a  enterr^  le  pauvre 
vieux,  j'^tais  au  d^p6t. — Louise  Michel. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Avoir  du 
jus  de  —  dans  les  veines,  to  be 
lacking  in  energy,  to  be  a  "sappy." 
Des  navets  !  an  ejaculation  of  re- 
fusal. 
Ohd  !  les  gendarmes,  oh^  !  des  navets  ! 

— H.  MONNIER. 

Also  is  expressive  of  incredulity, 
impossibility.     See  Nfefles. 

II  faut  avoir  fait  trois  ans  de  Conserva- 
toire pour  savoir  parler  .  .  .  alors  on  sait 
donner  aux  mots  leur  valeur  :  mais  sans 
cela  !  .  .  . — Des  navets  ! — E.  MoNTEIL. 

(Artists')  Navets,  rounded  arms  or 
legs  showing  no  muscle. 

Navette, /.  (thieves'), /af/ar. 

Nazaret,  tn.  (popular),  large  nose, 
or  "conk."     See  Morviau. 

Naze,  m.   (popular   and   thieves'), 
«(««,  "smeller,  or  smelling-cheat. " 
The  word  is  borrowed  from  the* 
Proven9al.        For  synonyms   see 
Morviau. 

Nazi,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
■venereal disease,  "Venus'  curse." 

Naziboter  (popular),  to  speak 
through  the  nose.  J'ai  le  mirliton 
bouche,  9a  me  fait  — ,  /  have  a 
cold  in  the  head,  that  makes  me 
speak  through  m,y  nose. 

Nazicot,  m.  (popular),  small  nose. 
See  Morviau. 

Nazonnant,  m.  (popular),  bignose, 
"conk."     See  Morviau. 


Nefles,/.//.  (familiar  and  popular), 

des  —  !  an  expression  of  refusal, 

or  ejaculation  of  incredulity. 

II  parait  que  cette  vierge  est   bonne, 

bonne  ! — k  quoi? — A  tout.     Elle  fait  des 

miracles    superbes. — Des    ngfles  !  —  MoN- 

TEIL. 

Kindred  expressions  are :  "  Des 
navets  !  De  I'anis  !  Tu  auras  de 
I'anis  dans  une  ecope  !  Du  flan  ! 
Tu  t'en  ferais  mourir  !  Tu  t'en 
ferais  peter  la  sous-ventriere ! 
Mon  ceil !  Flftte  !  Zut !  Et  ta 
soeur  ?  Des  plis  !  La  peau  ! 
Peau  de  nceud  !  De  la  mousse  ! 
Du  vent !  Des  emblemes  !  Des 
vannes  !  Des  fouilles  !  On  t'en  fri- 
casse  ! "  which  might  be  rendered 
by,  "  Walker  !  All  my  eye  !  You 
be  blowed  !  You  be  hanged  !  Not 
for  Joe !  How's  your  brother 
Job?  Don't  you  wish  you  may 
get  it?"  &c.,  and  by  the  Ameri- 
canism, "  Yes,  in  a  horn." 

Neg,  m.  (popular),  au  petit  croche, 
rag-dealer.  Neg,  for  negociant ;  — 
en  viande  chaude,  prostitutis 
bully,  or  "pensioner."  For  the 
list  of  synonyms  see  Poisson. 

Negociante,  f.  (familiar),  ■woman 
■who  keeps  a  small  shop,  and  ■who 
pretends  to  sell  gentlemen's  gloves 
or  perfumery.  When  the  pur- 
chaser tenders  a  twenty-franc 
piece  for  payment,  "Do  you  re- 
quire change?"  the  lady  asks 
with  an  inviting  smile,  the  re- 
quired change  being  generally  re- 
turned "en  nature." 

Negresse,  f.  (popular),  bottle  of 
red  wine. 

Allons,  la  mfere,  du  piccolo  !  et  deux  n£- 
grcsses  k  la  fois,  s'il  vous  plait. — Ch.  Du- 
bois DE  GeNNES. 

Une  —  morte,  an  empty  bottle, 
one  which  has  "  M.  T."  on  it, 
i.e.,  "Moll  Thompson's  mark." 
Termed  also  "  marine. " 

Le  tas  de  n^gresses  mortes  grandissait. 
XJn  cimetifere  de  bouteilles. — Zola. 


Nigriot- — Nez. 


285 


Etouffer,  ereinter  une  — ,  or  eter- 
ftuer  sur  une  — ,  to  drink  a  bottle 
of  red  wine,  "to  crack  "  it,  Ne- 
gresse,7?fa. 

Qu'il  s'ra  content  le  vieux  propridtaire, 
Quand  il  viendra  pour  toucher  son  loyer, 
D'voir  en  entrant  tout*  la  paill'  par  terre 
£t  les  negress's  k  ses  jamD's  sautiller. 

Parisian  Song. 

'Nigcesse,  parcel  made  up  in  oil- 
skin; (sailors')  belt. 

Negriot,  m.  (thieves'),  strong  box, 
"  peter ; "  casket. 

Vous  avez  entendu  ma  femme  et  mes 
deux  momigpardes  (fiUes)  vous  bonnir  (dire) 
que  le  negriot  (cofiret)  etait  gras  et  qu'il 
plombait  (pesait  beaucoup). — ^VlDOCQ. 

Neige,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
boule  de  — ,  negro.  Termed  also 
"  bamboula,  bolte  a  cirage,  bille 
de  pot-au-feu,  mal  blanchi,"  and 
in  the  English  cant  or  slang,  "  bit 
o'  ebony,  snowball,  lily-white, 
darky,  black  cuss." 

Nonets,  or  nenais,  m.  pi.  (fami- 
liar), 7vomarCs  breasts,  "  Charlies, 
dairies,  or  bubbles."  Termed  also 
"  avant-postes,  avant-scenes,  ni- 
chons,  deux  oeufs  sur  le  plat ; " 
(popular)  —  de  veuve,  feeding 
bottle. 

Nep,  m.  (thieves'),  rascally  Jew 
dealing  in.  counterfeit  diamonds, 
sham  jewellery,  or  who  seeks  to 
sell  at  a  high  price  the  cross  of  an 
order  studded  with  glass  pearls  or 
paste  diamonds. 

Ne-te-gSne-pas-dans-le-parc,  m. 

(familiar  and  popular),  short 
jacket.  Termed  also  "  saute-en- 
barque,  pet-en-l'air,  montretout." 

Net,  adj.  (popular),  un  atelier  — , 
a  workshop  tabooed  by  workmen, 
who  forbid  any  of  their  fellows  to 
accept  work  there, 

Nettoyage,  m.  (popular),  loss  of 
all  onis  money  at  a  game,   or 


"  mucking-out ; "  selling  of  pro- 
perty ;  robbing  of  property. 

Nettoye,  adj.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), given  up  for  dead,  ' '  done 
for,"  or,  as  the  Americans  say, 
a  "gone coon;  "dead,  "settled;" 
robbed.  Etre  — :,  to  have  lost  all 
one's  money  at  some  game,  ' '  to 
have  blewed  it,  or  to  be  a  muck- 
snipe."  Also  to  be  exhausted, 
done  up,  or  "  gruelled."  La  mon- 
naie  est  nettoyee,  the  money  is 
gone,  spent. 

De  la  jolie  fripouille,  les  ouvriers  !  Tou- 
jours  en  noce.  Se  fichant  de  I'ouvrage,  vous 
lachant  au  beau  milieu  d'une  commande, 
reparalssant  quand  leur  monnaie  est  net- 
toyee.— Zola. 

Nettoyer  (familiar  and  popular), 
to  sell ;  to  rob ;  to  clean  out  at 
some  game,  "to  muck  out;"  to 
kill,  "to  do"  for  one.  Se  faire 
— ,  to  be  killed.  (Thieves')  Net- 
toyer un  bocart,  to  break  into  a 
house  and  strip  it  of  all  its  valu- 
ables, "to  do  a  crib,"  or  to  do  a 
"ken-crack-lay."  Nettoyer,  to 
apprehend,  "to  smug." 

Nez,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
disappointed  look. 

Plus  de  parts  de  gateaux  !  11  fallait  voir 
le  nez  de  Boche. — Zola. 

Prendre  dans  le  — ,  to  reprimand, 
"  to  give  a  wigging."  Un  —  en 
pied  de  marmite,.  short  nose  with 
a  thick  end.  Un  —  ou  il  pleut 
dedans,  turned-up  nose,  or  "pug 
nose. "  Nez  passe  i  I'encaustique, 
nose  which  shows  a  partiality  for 
potations  on  its  owner's  part,  or 
"  copper  nose."  Avoir  le  —  sale, 
to  be  drunk,  or  "tight."  See 
Pompette.  Avoir  quelqu'un 
dans  le  — ,  to  entertain  feelings  of 
dislike  towards  one.  Faire  son 
— ,  to  make  u,  wry  face,  to  look 
"glum." 

On  se  mouitla  encore  d'une  tourn^e  gi£n€- 
rale  ;  puis  on  alia  i  la  Puce  g-ui  renijie,  un 
petit  Dousingot  oil  il  y  avait  un  billard. 
Le  chapelier  fit  un  instant  son  nez,  parce 


286 


Nez-de-chien — Nid. 


^ue  c'^tait  une  maison  pas  tr^s  propre.  Le 
Bchnick  y  valaic  un  franc  le  litre. — Zola, 
X  'A  ssommoir. 

Avoir  le  —  creux,  to  le  cunning, 
"to  be  fly  to  wot's  wot;"  to 
possess  perspicacity. 

Oh !  elle  avait  le  nez  creux,  elle  savait 
'dej^  comment  cela  devait  tourner. — Zola, 

Mettre  son  —  dans  le  bleu,  or 
se  piquer  le  — ,  to  get  drunk.  See 
Pompette. 

Lui  se  piquait  le  nez  proprement,  sans 
qu'on  s'en  aperjflt.  .  .  .  Le  zingueur  au  con- 
Iraire,  devenaitd^goiitant,  ne  pouvait  plus 
boiie  sans  se  mettre  dans  un  ^tat  ignoble. — 
■Zola,  L'Assontmoir. 

Nez  de  pompettes  formerly  meant 
drunkard's  nose,  like  that  of  an 
"Admiral  of  the  Red,"  with 
"  grog  blossoms." 

Nez-de-chien,  m.  (popular),  mix- 
ture of  beer  and  brandy.  Avoir 
le  — ,  to  be  drunk.  See  Pom- 
pette. 

Niais,  m.  (thieves'),  thief  who  re- 
penis,  or  who  has  qualms  of  con- 
science. 

Kias,  m.  (thieves'),  me,  "mynibs;" 
in  Italian  cant,  ' '  monarco,  or  mia 
madre. "  C'est  pas  pour  mon  — , 
that's  not  for  me. 

Nib,  nibergue,  niberte  (thieves' 
and  cads'),  no ;  not;  —  de  braise, 
no  money.  Ca  fait  —  dans  mes 
blots,  that  does  not  suit  me,  that 's 
not  my  game  ;  —  du  flanche !  leave 
ojf!  "stow  faking!"  Nib  du 
flanche,  le  gonse  t'exhibe,  leave 
off,  the  man  is  looking  at  you.  In 
other  terms,  "stow  it,  the  gor- 
ger's  leary."  Nib  de  tous  les 
flanches  !  S'ils  te  font  la  jactance, 
n'entrave  pas  dans  leurs  vannes, 
ne  norgue  pas.  Keep  dark  about 
all  our  Jobs  ;  if  they  try  to  pump 
you,  don't  allow  yourself  to  be 
taken  in,  do  not  confess.  Nib  au 
true,  or  —  du  true,  hold  your 
tongue  about  any  job,' ' '  keep  dark. " 


Nibe  (thieves'),  hold  your  tongue, 
' '  mum  your  dubber ; "  enough. 

Niber  (thieves'),  to  see,  "  to  pipe;'' 
to  look,  "to  dick."  Nibe  la 
gonzesse,  look  at  the  girl,  or 
"  nark  the  titter. "  Le  rousse  te 
nibe,  the  policeman  is  looking  at 
you,  "  the  bulky  is  dicking." 

Nibergue  (thieves'),  nothing, 
"nix." 

Est-ce  que  tu  coupes  dans  les  reves,  toi  ? 
Quoiqu' ca  peut  faire  des  reves?  nibergue ! 
(rien). — Vidocq. 

Niberte  (thieves'),  nothing,  "nix." 

_  J'avais  balancd  le  bogue  que  j'avais  four- 
lind  et  je  ne  litrais  que  niberte  en  valades, 
— ViDOCQ.  (/  had  thrown  away  the  watch 
which  I  had  stolen,  and  I  had  Twihing  in 
my  pockets.') 

Nicdouille,  m.  (popular),  dunce, 
"dunderhead." 

Niche,/  (roughs'),  house;  home. 
Rappliquer  a  la  — ,  ta  go  home. 

Quand  qu'  all'  rappliqu'  i  la  niche, 
Et  qu'  nous  sommes  poivrots, 
Gare  au  bataillon  d'la  guiche, 
C'est  nous  qu'est  les  dos. 

RicHEPiN,  Chanson  des  Gueux. 


A  c'te  —  \  go  home! 

Nichons,  m.  pi.  (familiar),  bosoms, 
or  "Charlies." 

Nana  ne  fourrait  plus  de  boules  de  papier 
dans  son  corsage.  Des  nichons  lui  itaient 
Venus. — Zola. 

Nid,  m.  (popular),  k  poussiere,  the 
navel.  Un  pante  sans  —  a.  pous- 
siere, Adam.  According  to  a 
quotation  in  Mr.  O.  Davies'  Sup- 
plementary English  Glossary,  the 
navel  being  only  of  use  to  attract 
the  aliment  in  utero  materno,  and 
Adam  having  no  mother,  he  had 
no  use  of  a  navel,  and  therefore 
it  is  not  to  be  conceived  he  had 
any.  Un  —  a  punaises,  a  room 
in  a  lodging-house,  where  the  bed 
is  generally  a  mere  "bug- walk. 


Niere — Nocer. 


287 


Un  —  de  noirs,  priests''  semi- 
nary, alluding  to  their  black  vest- 
ments. 

Nifere,  or  niert,  m.  (thieves'),  in- 
dividual, "  cove,  bloke,  or  cull." 
The  Americans  say  "  cuss." 

Cest  le  moment  il  n'y  a  pas  un  niert 
^ans  la  trime. — Vidocq.  (Ji'sjustthe  time 
when  there's  nobody  on  the  road.) 

Niere,  accomplice,  or  "  stallsman." 
Manger  son  — ,  to  inform  against 
an  accomplice,  "to  turn  rusty  and 
split,"  or  "  to  turn  snitch." 
Cromper  son  — ,  to  save  one's 
accomplice.  Un  —  a  la  manque, 
accomplice  not  to  be  trusted.  Un 
bon  — ,  a  good  fellow,  or  "ben 
core."  Mon  — ,  /,  me,  "my 
nibs."  Termed  also  mon  —  bo- 
bechon.     Un  — ,  a  clumsy  fellow. 

Nif,  or  nib  (thieves'),  nothing, 
"nix;"  no.  Termed  "ack"  at 
Christ's  Hospital  or  Blue  Coat 
School. 

Nifer  (thieves'),  to  cease,  ' '  to  stash, 
to  stow,  or  to  cheese. " 

Nigaudinos,  m.  (popular),  simple- 
minded  fellow,  or  "flat." 

Nikol  (Breton  cant),  meat. 

Ningle,  f.  (literary),  gay  girl, 
"mot."     See  Gadoue. 

Kiolle,  or  gniole,  m.  and  adj. 
(popular  and  thieves'),  dunce,  or 
"^aX;"  foolish. 

Vous  comprenez  que  je  n'^tais  pas  si 
niolle  (bete)  de  donner  mon  centre  (nom) 
pour  me  faire  nettoyer  par  vos  rousses  (ar- 
reter  par  vos  agents).— Canlef. 

Niolle,  old  hat. 

NioUeur,  m.  (popular),  dealer  in 
old  hats. 

Niort,  m.  (thieves'),  name  of  a 
town.  Aller,  or  battre  i  — ,  to 
deny  one's  guilt.  A  play  on  the 
above  name,  and  nier,  to  deny. 


Niorte,  /.  (thieves'),  flesh,  or 
"camish."' 

Nippe-mal,  m.  (popular),  badly- 
dressed  man. 

Nique,  /.  (thieves'),  gtre  —  de 
meche,  to  have  no  share  in  some 
evil  deed. 

EUe  est  nique  de  mbche  (sans  aucune 
complicity),  rdpondit  I'amant  de  la  Biffe. — 
Balzac. 

Niquedoule,  m.  (thieves'),  dunce, 
or  "go-along." 

Ah  !  ah  !  dit  I'Frisd,  te  \'W  morte  ! 
Et  I'gi-and  niqu'doul'  s'mit  S.  pleurer. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Nisco,  or  nix  (popular),  nothing, 
"nix  ;  "  no  such  thing. 

Et  moi !  je  m'en  irais  bredouille  ?  Nisco  ! 
ma  biche.— P.  Mahalin. 

Nisco  braisicoto,    no   money,    no 
"tin." 

Nisette,/.  (thieves'),  olive. 

Niveau,  m.  (popular),  ne  pas 
trouver  son  — ,  to  be  drunk,  or 
"snufiy."     See  Pompette. 

Nivet,  m.  (old  cant),  hemp. 

Nivette,/  (old  cant),  hemp-field. 

Nix.     See  Nisco. 

Noble  etrangfere,  /  (literary), 
five-franc  piece. 

Nobrer,  or  nobler  (thieves'),  to 
recognize.  Nous  sommes  nobles 
et  files,  we  are  recognized  and  fol- 
lowed. 

Noc,m.  (■popvilax),  blockhead,  "cab- 
bage-head." 

Noce,  f.  (popular),  de  batons  de 
dAsXstigrand jollification,  or  "flare 
up."  Also  a  fight  between  a 
married  couple.  Faire  la  — ,  to 
lead  a  gay  life  ;  to  hold  revels. 

Nocer.  See  Faire  la  noce;  (popu- 
lar) —  en  Vhce.  Peinard,  to  indulge 
in  solitary  revels. 


Nocerie — Noix. 


Nocerie,  f.  (popular),  revels, 
"boozing." 

Noceur,  m.  (popular),  one  who  leads 
a  gay  life,  a  sort  of ' '  jolly  dog. " 

Noceuse,  f,  (popular),  woman  of 
questionable  character  who  shows  a 
partiality  for  good  cheer. 

Nocher  (popular),  to  ring.  Noche 
la  retentissante,  ring  the  bell,  or 
"jerk  the  tinkler." 

Noctambule,  m.  (familiar),  one 
fond  of  roving  about  on  the  Boule- 
vards at  night. 

Noctambuler  (familiar),  to  sit  up, 
or  rove  about  at  night,  "  to  be  on 
the  tiles." 

Noctambulisme,  m.  (familiar), 
roving  about  at  night. 

NcEud,  m.  (popular),  see  Flageolet. 
Mon  — !  an  ejaculation  of  con- 
tempt or  refusal.  Filer  son  — ,  to 
go  auay,  "to  slope;"  to  run 
away,  "  to  cut  the  cable  and  run 
before  the  wind,"  in  the  language 
of  English  sailors.  Peau  de  — , 
see  Peau. 

Nogue,  /  (roughs'),  night,  or 
"  darkmans." 

Noir,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  coffee ; 
—  de  peau  de  n^gre,  miserable 
man,  an  assistant  of  rag-pickers. 
Du  — ,  lead,  or  "  bluey. "  Un  — 
de  trois  ronds  sans  cogne,  a  three- 
halfpenny  cup  of  coffee  without 
brandy.  Pierre  noire,  slate.  Un 
petit  pere  — ,  a  tankard  of  wine. 
(Familiar)  Le  cabinet  — ,  an  office 
in  which  the  letters  of  persons  sus- 
pected of  being  hostile  to  the  govern- 
ment were  opened  previous  to  their 
being  forwarded  by  the  post  office. 

Le  cabinet  noir,_  supprimd  en  1830,  fut 
r^tabli  par  le  ministre  des  affaires  £tran- 
geres.le  g^n^ral  S^bastiani. .  .  .  Le  cabinet 
noir  ii'existait  plus  de  nom  sous  I'Empire  ; 
il  existait  de  fait  aux  Tuileries. — Mimoires 
de  Monsieur  Claude. 


La  chambre  noire,  a  council- 
chamber  where  Napoleon  III.  re- 
ceived his  agents  and  formed  secret 
plans. 

Ce  fut  dans  ce  cabinet  secret  que  furent 
rdsolus  la  mort  de  Kelch  et  I'enlfevement 
secret  des  premiers  fomentaCeurs  du  com- 
plot  de  rOp^ra-Comique. — Memoires  de 
Monsieur  Claude. 

Bande  noire,  a  gang  of  swindlers. 
See  Bande.  The  Echo  de  Paris, 
August,  1886,  mentions  a  gang  of 
this  description  which  formed  a 
vast  association  and  victimized 
wine  merchants  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  : — 

Les  associe's  se  divisaient  en  quatre  cate- 
gories ;  i"  "  Les  Faisans  ;  "  a**  ^'  Les  Cour- 
tiers a  la  mode;"  3*  "Les  Concierges 
dans  le  mouvement ; "  4^  '*  Les  Fusilleurs." 
Les  "  Courtiers  k  la  mode"  etaient  des  in- 
dividus  qui  avaient  rdussi  k  se  faire  agr^er 
comme  reprdsentants  par  des  maisons  de 
gros.  Les  "  Faisans,"  par  I'intermddiaire 
des  "  courtiers, "  et  avec  la  complaisance  des 
**cojiciergesdanslemouvement,"sefaisaient 
faire  des  envois  de  pieces  de  vins  soit  en 
gare,  soit  a  domicile.  Les  "  Fusilleurs " 
achetaient  ces  pieces  de  vin  k  vil  prix  et  les 
revendaient  aussi  cher  que  possible. 

(Saint-Cyr  School)  Une  noire  fon- 
taine,  an  inkstand. 

Noisette,  /.  (popular),-  avoir  un 
asticot  dans  la — ,  to  be  "cracked." 
For  synonyms  see  Avoir. 

Noix,/.  (popular),  escailleuxde  — 
(obsolete),  slow  man,  ' '  slow- 
coach." 

Et  pieu,  quelz  escailleux  de  noix, 
Qui  venez  cy  de  tous  cottez, 
Ou,  par  la  foy  que  je  vous  doys, 
D'une  grosse  pelle  de  boys 
Vos  trouz  de  cul  seront  sellez. 

Farce  nouvelle, 
Una  coquille  de  — ,  a  very  small 
glass.  (Military)  Gauler  des  — ,  to 
fence  badly.  An  allusion  to  a  man 
knocking  down  walnuts  from  a 
tree  with  a  rod. 

A  ce  compte-Ik  on  ne  doit  pas  faire  de 
grands  progres  en  escrime?— Eh!  juste- 
ment ...  on  a  beau  etre  cavalier  et  avoir 
toujours  le  bancal  au  c6td  ...  on  barbotte 
...  on  gaule  des  noix.  —  Dubois  de 
Gennes. 


Nom — Nourrici. 


2%g 


Nom,  nt.  (theatrical),  actor  of  note, 
"star." 

Bourgoin  prenait  des  ^l&ves  du  Con- 
servatoire pour  accompagner  son  "nom," 
quelquefois  aussi  des  cabotins  de  province. 

— £.  MONTEIL. 

(Popular)  Un  —  de  Dieu,  dis- 
paraging epithet,  the  equivalent 
being,  in  English  slang,  "bally 
fellow." 

L'homme  de  chambre,  au  cafi£  !  Dort- 
t'y  assez  ce  nom  de  Dieu-lk ! — G.  Courte- 

LINE. 

Nombril  (card-players'),  de  reli- 
gieuse,  the  ace  of  cards,  or  "  pig's 
eye."    (Thieves')  Nombril,  noon, 

Nonnant,  m.,  nonnante,  f. 
(thieves'),  friend. 

Nonne,  f.  (thieves'),  abettor  of  a 
pickpocket.  The  accomplices  press 
round  the  victim  during  the  thief  s 
operations.  The  proceeds  of  the 
robbery  pass  at  once  into  the 
hands  of  one  of  the  "nonnes," 
called  "coqueur,"  or  "bob,"  in 
English  cant.  Faire  — ,  to  form 
a  small  crowd  in  the  street  so  as 
to  attract  idlers,  and  thus  to 
facilitate  a  pickpockets  operations. 
Those  who  thus  aid  a  confederate 
are  termed  "jollies "  in  the 
English  slang;. 

Nonneur,  m,  (thieves'),  accomplice. 
Termed  by  English  thieves 
"stallsman,  or '  Philiper."  The 
"  Philiper  "  stands  by  and  looks 
out  for  the  police  while  the  others 
commit  a  robbery,  and  calls  out 
"  Philip  ! "  when  anyone  ap- 
proaches. According  to  Vidocq, 
there  is  a  variety  of  ' '  nonneurs  " 
who  are  merely  in  the  service  of 
other  thieves.  Their  functions 
are  to  watch,  to  hustle  the  intended 
victim,  and  to  make  off  with  the 
valuables  handed  to  them  by  their 
principal.  The  "nonneur"  is 
not  always  rewarded  by  a  share  in 
the  proceeds  of  the  robbery ;  he 


generally  receives  wages  for  the 
day  proportionate  to  the  profits 
obtained  in  the  "  business." 
Manger  sur  ses  nonneurs,  to  in- 
form against  one's  accomplices,  "to 
blow  the  gaff,  or  to  turn  snitch." 

Le  quart  d'oeil  lui  jabotte 
Man^e  sur  tes  nonneurs, 
Lui  tire  une  carotte, 
Lui  montant  la  couleur. 

Vidocq,  Mimoires. 

Norguer  (thieves'  and  cads'),  to  own 
to  a  crime ;  to  confess.  Si  le 
curieux  te  fait  la  jactance  n'entrave 
pas,  ne  norgue  pas.  If  the  judge 
examines  you,  do  not  fall  into  the 
snare,  do  not  confess, 

Nosigues,'ornousailIes  (thieves'), 

we,  ourselves. 

Notaire,  m.  (popular),  barofdrink- 
ing-shop ;  landlord  of  drinking- 
shop,  "boss  of  lushing-crib ; " 
tradesman  who  allows  credit. 

Note,/;  (dandies'),  itre  dans  la  — , 
to  be  well  up  in  events  of  the  day  ; 
to  be  a  man  of  the  "  period." 

Noter  (Breton  cadgers'),  night. 

Notre,  m.  (thieves'),  accomplice,  or 
' '  stallsman ; "  "  one  of  our  mob. " 

Nouet  (Breton  cant),  dead  drunk. 

Noueur,  m.  (thieves'),  accomplice, 
or  "  stallsman." 

Noujon,  m.  (\h\eves'),  fsh. 

Noune,  or  nonne,  m.  (thieves'), 
accomplice  ivho  follows  in  the  wake 
of  a  pickpocket  and  receives  the 
stolen  property,  "bob." 

Nourrice,^  (thieves'), y««ffl/i?  who 
purchases  stolen  property,  or 
"fence."  (Familiar  and  popular) 
Et  les  mois  de  —  (ironical),  and 
the  rest,  Cette  dame  a  trente  ans. 
Et  les  mois  de  nourrice  !  This 
lady  is  thirty  years  old.  And  the 
rest!  Un  depuceleur  de  nourrices, 
a  simpleton,  a  "  duffer ; "  a  silly 
Lovelace, 


290 


Nourrir—rNum/ro. 


Nourrir  (thieves'),  une  affaire,  to 
preconcert  a  scheme  for  a  theft  or 
murder. 

Nourrir  une  affaire,  c'est  I'avoir  en  per- 
spective, en  attendant  le  moment  propice 
pour  I'ex^cution. — VlDOCQ. 

Nourrir  un  poupard,  or  un  pou- 
pon,  synonymous  of  "  nourrir  une 
affaire. " 

Chacun  donnait  dix-huit  ans  k  ce  garijon 
qui  devait  avoir  nourri  ce  poupon  (com- 
plotd,  prepare  ce  crime)  pendant  un  mois. 
— Balzac. 

Nourrisseur,  m.  (popular),  eating- 
house  keeper,  or  "  boss  of  a  grub- 
bing-crib  ;  "  (thieves')  thief  who 
a  long  time  beforehand  makes  every 

I  preparation  with  the  view  of  com- 
■mittinga  robbery  or  crime. 

Les  nourrisseurs  pr^m^ditent  leurs  coups 
de  longue  main,  et  ne  se  liasardent  pa.s  ^ 
cueillir  la  poire  avant  qu'elle  ne  soit  milre. 
— VlDOCQ. 

Nourrisseur,  housebreaker  who 
devotes  his  attentions  to  houses  or 
apartments  whose  tenants  are  away 
en  a  journey,  such  houses  being 
termed  "  dead  'uns  "  by  English 
"  busters." 

Nousailles,         or         nouzailles 

(thieves'),  we,  ourselves. 

Je  crois  que  nous  avons  et^  donnes  par 
le  chene  qui  s'est  esgard  de  chez  nouzailles 
avec  mes  fru.squins. — VlDocQ.  (/  think  tve 
have  been  inforyned  against  by  the  man 
•who  ran  away  Jrom  our  ^lace  with  my 
clotlies,) 

Nouveau  jeu,  m.  (literary),  nezv 
model;  neno fashion. 

Nouveaute,  /.  (prostitutes'),  faire 
sa  — ,  is  to  take  to  afresh  ' '  beat. " 

Nouvelle,/.  andadj.  (familiar),  a  la 
main,  short  newspaper  paragraph 
containing  some  more  or  less  witty 
aphorism  or  joke,  "  tit-bit ;  "  — 
couche,  the  ' '  coming "  people. 
La  . — ,  the  penal  settlement  of  New 
Caledonici.  Passer  a.,  la  — ,  to  be 
transported,  "to  lumpthelighter," 


or  "  to  serve  Her  Majesty  for 
nothing."  (Military)  Faire  une 
despente  sur  de  nouvelles  cotes,  a 
jeu  de  mots  which  has  reference 
to  the  searching  by  imprisoned 
soldiers  on  the  person  of  a  comrade 
■whose  first  visit  it  is  to  the  cell,  in 
order  to  get  possession  of  any  7noney 
he  may  have  secreted  about  him. 

II  me  semble  que  5a  sent  la  chair  fraiche 
par  ici. — Moi  de  meme  ;  et  il  m'est  avis 
que  nous  alions  avoir  k  faire  une  "  descente 
sur  de  nouvelles  c6tes." — Charles  Dubois 
DE  Gennes,  Le  Troupier  tel  quHl  est  a 
ckeval. 

Novembre  33,  m.  (military),  officer 
or  non-commissioned  officer  who 
strictly  adheres  to  military  regula- 
tions ;  also  a  stew  which  contains 
all  kinds  of  condiments. 

Noyau,  m.  (military),  recruit, 
"Johnny  raw."  In  the  slang  of 
the  workshop  or  prison,  u,  new- 
comer. (Popular)  Avoirdesnoyaux, 
to  have  money,  or  "  tin." 

Nozigue  (thieves'),  us. 

T'as  done  taflfe  de  nozigue? — Vidocq. 
(^  re  you  then  a/raid  oj  us  ?) 

Nuit,  /.  (journalists'),  bourgeois  de 
— ,  police  officers,  or  detectives,  in 
plain  clothes. 

Mon  ami  d'Hervilly  appelle  ces  serpents 
de  ville  ddguis^s  des  "  bourgeois  de  nuit ; " 
I'expression  est  juste  et  comique.— Francis 
Enne. 

Numero,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
onze,  legs,  or  "  Shanks's  mare." 
Prendre  la  voiture,  or  le  train 
onze,  to  walk ;  termed  facetiously 
"  pedibus  cum  jambis. "  Etre  d'un 
ton  — ,  to  be  grotesque  or  dull, 
Gros  — ,  brothel,  "flash  drum, 
academy,  or  nanny-shop."  Thus 
called  on  account  of  the  number 
of  large  dimensions  placed  over 
the  front  door  of  such  establish- 
ments ;  recognizable  also  by  their 
whitewashed  window-panes.  Le 
—  cent,  the  W.C,  or  "Mrs. 
Jones."  A  play  on  the  word  sent. 


Nunt^roti—  Occuse. 


291 


Numero  sept,  rag-picker's  hook. 
Je  connais  ton  —  (threateningly), 
/  know  who  you  are  !  This  latter 
ejaculation  seems  to  be  an  awful 
threat  in  the  mouths  of  English 
cads.  Je  reliens  ton  —  (threaten- 
ingly), /'//  not  forget  you!  Une 
fille  a  — ,  explained  by  quotation. 

II  y  a  trois  classes  de  prostitutes  :  lo  les 
filles  k  numero  ou  fiJles  de  bordel ;  2"  les 
filles  en  carte  ou  fiUes  isolees  ;  30  les  filles 
insoumises  ou  filles  clandesttnes.  —  L60 
Taxil. 

(Cocottes')  Le  —  un,  he  who  keeps 
a  girl. 

Ca  I'amant  d'Amanda !  .  .  .  Oui  I  Ah  ! 
mais,  ru  sais,  cheri,  c'est  pas  son  numdro 
un.— -Gr^vin. 

Numerote,  adj.  (familiar),  char  — , 
cab,  "shoful,  rattler,  or  growler." 

Et  sautant  dans  un  char  numdrot^  vous 
vous  feriez  conduire  chez  elle. — P.  Ma- 

HALIN. 

Numerote  tes  os  (popular),  get 
ready  for  a  good  thrashing,  or  Pll 
break  every  bone  in  your  body, 
words  generally  uttered  previous 
to  a  set  to.  Varied  also  by  the 
amiable  invitation,  "  Viens  que  je 
te  mange  le  nez  ! " 

La  rigolade  toumait  aux  querelles  _  et 
aux  coups.  Un  grand  diable  depenailld 
gueulait :  *'  Je  vas  te  d^molir,  numerote 
tes  OS  V — ^ZoLA, 


Nymphe,y.  (common),  girl  of  in- 
different character  ;  —  de  Guin^e, 
negress,  a  female  "bit  o'  ebony;" 
-V-  verte,  absinthe,  the  beverage 
being  green. 

N'y  pas  couper  (military),  'to  be 
confined  in  the  guard-room  or  cells, 
"  to  be  roosted. "  Literally  to  be 
prevented  from  shirking  one's 
duties,  or  deceiving  one's  superiors. 

Ah  !  tu  es  garde  de  nuit,  fit-il ;  eh  bien, 
attends,  mon  vieux,  tu  n'vas  pas  y  couper  ! 

—  Quoi,  y  couper  ?  hurla  le  malheureux. 

Mais  I'autre  ^cumait  de  colore.  II  beu- 
glait : — .  .  .  Laisse  faire,  va,  je  vas  I'dire  au 
major,  et  tu  n'y  couperas  pas  de  tes  quinze 
jours  de  boite  ! — G.  Courteline. 

Also  to  be  prevented  from  taking 
advantage  of  others,  of"  taking  a 
rise  out  of  them."  Vous  n'y 
couperez  pas,  I'll  stop  your ' '  little 
game." 

Ah  !  hurla-t-il  alors,  vous  faites  de  I'es- 
prit !  Eh  bien,  mon  petit  ami,  allez  vous 
rhabiller,  je,  vous  fiche  mon  billet  que  vous 
n'y  couperez  pas. — G.  Courteline. 

N'y  pas  couper  de  cinq  ans  de 
biribi,  not  to  escape  five  years'  ser- 
vice in  the  "  Compagnies  de  disci- 
pline," or  punishment  companies 
tn  Africa. 

Vous  avez  beau  Stre  de  la  dasse,  allez, 
vous  n'y  couperez.  pas  de  cinq  ans  de  biribi. 
— G.  Courteline. 


o 


Ob^liscal,  or  obelisqual,  adj. 
(common),  splendid;  wonderful, 
marvellous,  "  crushing." 

Splendide,  aveuglant,  obelisqual  \    Un 
ban  pour  la  neophyte. — P.  Mahalin, 

Observasse,  /.  (popular),  remark. 
For  observation. 


Obusier,  vi.  (military),  the  behind. 
Occase,/.  (general),  opportunity. 

En  ce  has  monde,  il  ne  faut  jamais  perdre 
une  occase  de  s'amuser. — E.  Monteil. 

M^re  d' — ,  pretended  mother. 
(Popular)  CEil  d'— ,  glass  eye. 
(Thieves')  Chasse  a'—,  glass  eye. 


292 


Occasion^^CEiL. 


Occasion,/  (thieves'),  candle-stick, 

Occir  (familiar),  used  jocularly,  to 
kill,  "  to  put  one  out  of  his  misery." 

Occuper(thieves'),s' —  depolitique, 
to  extort  money  from  persons  by 
threats  of  disclosures. 

Les  hommes  qui  se  livrent  au  genre  d'es- 
croquerie  dit  chantage  et  qui  dans  leur 
argot,  pr^tendents'occuper depolitique.  .  , 
sp^culent  sur  les  habitudes  vicieuses  de 
certains  individus,  pour  les  attirer,  par 
I'appat  de  leurs  passions  secretes,  dans  des 

})i6ges  oil  ils  ran^onnent  sans  peine  leur 
lonteuse  faiblesse. — Tardieu,  Etude  Mi- 
dico-ligale  sur  les  attentats  aux  masurs. 

Oches,  or  loches,///.  (popular), 
ears,  "  wattles,  or  lugs." 

Ocr^as,  m.  pi.  (Saint-Cyr  cadets'), 
shoes. 

Oculaire  astronomique,  m.  (bil- 
liard players'),  two  balls  touching 
one  another,  or  ' '  kissing. " 

Odeur  de  gousset,  f.  (obsolete), 
money. 

Ca  fait  d'bons  lurons  qui  ont  I'odeur  du 
gousset  chenument  forte.  Falloit  les  gruger 
d'la  bonne  faiseuse. — Aniusemens  ti,  la 
Grecque,  1764. 

CEil,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
americain,  sharp  eye. 

Tu  vois  clair,  ma  vieille  ! — Oh  !  on  a  de 
I'oeil. — L'osil  americain  !  Quand  on  a  fait  la 
campagne  d'Afrique  ! — E.  MoNTElL. 

Taper  dans  1' — ,  to  take  one's 
fancy.  CEil  borde  d'anchois,  in- 
Jlamed  eye  ;  —  de  h(£\xi,  five  franc 
piece  ;  —  de  verre,  eye-glass  ;  — 
d'occase.  See  Occase.  OLil  en 
dedans  is  used  to  express  the 
dull,  lack-lustre  expression  of  a 
drunkard's  eye. 

Pris  d'absinthe — selon  sa  louable  habi- 
tude— Hurluret  pr^sidait  la  c^r^iiionie  en 
sa  qualite  de  capitaine  commandant,  les 
:poignets  enfouis  dans  les  poches,  I'ceil  en 
dedans.— G.  CouRTELINE. 

CEil  en  tirelire,  eye  with  amorous 
expression ;  —  marecageux,  eye 
with  killing  expression ;   —   qui 


dit  zut,  or  merde,  a  I'autre,  squin 
ing  eye,  "swivel-eye."  A  1'— 
gratis. 

L'abbd  R.  .  .  .  qui  s'y  connait,  traite  u 
peu  les  enfants  com  me  sa  prot^g^e  Annette 
il  les  exploite  ;  ils  travaillent  ^  "  a  l'osil 
pour  un  salaire  au  moins  insignifiant  t 
pour  une  becquettfe  de  fayots,  accompagn^ 
d'hosties  de  temps  en  temps. — Franc] 
£nne,  Le  Radical. 

Avoir  1' — ,  to  have  credit,  "  tick 
jawbone,  or  day."  Faire  1' — ,  t 
allow  credit.  Crever  un  — 
quelqu'un,  to  refuse  one  credit,  t 
refuse  him  "  ready  gilt  tick  ; "  t 
give  one  a  kick  behind,  ' '  to  to 
one's  bum,"  or  "to  land  a  kick.' 
L' —  est  creve,  no  more  credit 
The  following  announcement  i 
sometimes  to  be  read  on  sho] 
windows  :  "  Credit  est  mort ;  le 
mauvais  debiteurs  lui  ont  crev( 
I'oeil,"  which  might  be  renderec 
by  "  touch  pot,  touch  penny." 

"  We  know  the  custom  of  such  houses," 
continues  he,  "'tis  touch  pot,  touch  penny.' 
— Graves,  Spiritual  Quixote. 

Ouvrir  1' —  de  20  francs,  de  3c 
francs,  &c.,  to  give  credit  for  2C 
francs,  &=^.  Avoir  de  1' — ,  or  di 
c\ne.n,  to  have  elegaiue,  to  &"tsing 
tsing. "  Faire  de  1' —  a  une  femme, 
to  court  a  woman.  Mon  —  \  is  ex- 
pressive of  refusal ;  may  be  ren^ 
dered  by  "  don't  you  wish  yet 
may  get  it ! "  or  the  Americanism, 
"yes,  in  a  horn."  See  Nfefles. 
Avoir  de  1' — ,  du  cheveu,  et  de  la 
dent  is  said  of  a  ivoman  who  hai 
preserved  her  good  looks.  S  e  mettre 
le  doigt  dans  1' — ,  to  be  mistaken. 
S'en  battre  1' — ,  not  to  care  a 
straw,  a  "  hang. "  Un  tape  a  1'—, 
a  one-eyed  ns,n,  or  a  "seven-sided 
animal,"  as  "he  has  an  inside, 
outside,  left  side,  right  side, 
foreside,  backside,  and  blind 
side."  Taper  dans  1' —  i  quel- 
qu'un, to  please  one,  to  suit  one. 
Taper  de  1' — ,  to  sleep,  "to 
have  a  dose  of  balmy."  Tprtiller, 


CEillets —  Otgnon. 


293 


or  touiner  de  V — ,.  to  die,  "to 
kick  the  bucket."  Avoir  un  — 
au  beurre  noir,  to  have  a  black  eye, 
or  eyes  in  "  half-mourning." 

Mais  il  aper^ut  Bibi-la-Grillade,  qui  lisait 
tfgalement  I'aniche.  Bibi  avait  un  oeil  au 
beurre  noir,  quelque  coup  de  poing  attrapd 
laveille. — Zola,  L'Assommoir. 

Des  yeux  au  beurre  noir;  black 
eyes,  "in  mourning."  The  pos- 
sessor of  these  is  said  in  pugilistic 
slang  to  have  his  "peepers 
painted,"  or  to  have  his  "glaziers 
darkened. " 

CEillets,  m.  pi.  (popular),  eyes, 
"top  lights,  or  peepers."  Cligper 
des  — ,  to  wink. 

CEuf,  m.  (popular),  head,  or  "nut." 
Casser  son  — .  to  have  a  mis- 
carriage. Un  —  sur  la  plat, 
t%venty-five  francs  [fl  silver  fivi- 
franc  piece  and  a  twenty-franc 
gold  coin).  Des  oeufs  sur  le  plat, 
black  eyes,  or  "eyes  in  mourning." 
Also  small  breasts. 

N'allez  pas  m'dire  qu'une  femme  qui  n'a 
qu'deux  osufs  sur  le  plat  pos^s  sur  la  place 
d'armes,  peut  avoir  une  fluxion  vraisem- 
blable  i  une  personne  avantagde  comme  la 
commandan^e?  —  Charles  Leroy,  Le 
Colonel  RamoUoi, 

Officier,  m.  (popular),  working  con- 
fectioner; assistant  waiter  at  a 
cafe ;  (gamesters')  —  de  tango,  or 
de  topo,  cheat,  ' '  tame  cheater,  or 
hawk."  A  play  on  the  words 
"carte topographique ;"  (thieves') 
—  de  la  manicle,  swindler;  (mili- 

,  taty)  —  de  guerite,  a  private 
soldier ;  —  payeur,  comrade  who 
treats  the  company  to  drink. 

Ofiicieux,  m.  (familiar),  man-ser- 
vant. 

Ogre,  m.  (popular),  wholesale  rag- 

,  dealer.     Formerly  one  who  kept 

an  office  for  providing  substitutes 

for  those  who,  having  drawn  a  bad 

number  at  the  conscription,  had 

.to  serve  in  the  army;    usurer; 


(thieves')  receiver  of  stolen  pro- 
perty, or  "fence ;  landlord  of  a 
wine-shop  freqiiented  by  thieves, 
or  "boss  of  cross-crib  ;"  (printers') 
compositor  who  works  by  the  day. 

Ogresse,  f.  (thieves'),  proprietress 
of  a  wine-shop  frequented  by 
thieves,  or  "  cross-crib  -"proprie- 
tress of  a  brothel. 

Ole,  f.  (familiar),  la  petite  —  (ob- 
solete), preliminary  caresses, 
better  explained  by  quotation. 

Ce  sont  les  petites  faveurs  qu'accordent 
les  femmes  a  leurs  amants,  comme  petits 
baisers  tendres,  attouchements  et  autres 
badineries,  qui  conduisent  insensiblement 
plus  loin.  La  petite  oie,  c'est  proprement 
les  preludes  de  I'amour. — L.E  Roux,  Diet. 
Comique. 

Oignes,  m.  pi.  (popular),  aux 
petits  — ,  excellently,  in  first-rate 
styl^     For  aux  petits  oignons. 

Oignon,  m.  (popular),  money,  or 
' '  blunt. "  For  synonyms  see  Qui- 
bus.  It  has  been  said  that  the 
term  "  blunt "  is  from  the  French 
"blond,"  sandy  or  golden  colour, 
and  that  a  parallel  may  be  found 
in  brown  or  browns,  the  slang  for 
halfpence.  This  etymology,  it  has 
been  said  again,  may  be  correct, 
as  it  is  borne  out  by  the  analogy 
of  similar  expressions  ;  blanquillo,' 
for  instance,  is  a  word  used  in 
Morocco  and  southern  Spain  for 
a  small  Moorish  coin..  The  "as- 
per  "  (a.d'Kfihv)  of  Constantinople 
iS'  called  by  the  Turks,  akcheh,, 
i.e.,  little  white.  It  seems  to  me 
more  probable,  however,  that 
the  word  is  derived  from  blanc, 
an  old  French  coin,  or  from  the 
nature  of  the  coin  itself,  which  has 
a  blunt  circular  edge.  Arranger 
aux  petits  oignons,  to  scold  vehe- 
mently, "  to  bully-rag,"  Chaitie 
d'oignons,  ten  of  cards.  Champ 
d'oignons,  see,  Qharnp.i  II  y  a 
de  r — ,  there  is  much  grmning 


294 


Oiseau — Omnicroche. 


and  gnashing  of  teeth.  An  allu- 
sion (o  the  tears  brought  to  the 
eyes  by  the  proximity  of  onions. 
Peler  des  oignons,  to  scold,  "  to 
give  a  wigging."  (Familiar  and 
popular)  Faire  quelque  chose  aux 
petits  oignons,  to  do  something  ex- 
•tllenlly,  in  first-rate  style. 

Vous  savez,  elle  est  cocasse  votre  chanson, 
et  vous  I'avez  d^taill^e  .  .  .  aux  petits 
oignons  1 — E.  Monteil. 

Un  — ,  a  large  watch,  "  turnip." 

Oiseau,  m.  (popular),  faire  1' — ,  to 
play  the  fool.  Aux  oiseaux,  very 
fine,  or  very  good,  excellent,  per- 
fect, "  out-and-out,  first-class. 

Ca  m'  parott  bien  tap£,  "aux  oiseaux." 
mamzelle.  Fourrez  un  pen  la  main  sous 
I'empeigne  pour  voir  tout  I'fini  dTouvrage. 
— Saint-Firmin,  Le  Galant  Savttier. 

The  origin  of  this  expression 
comes,  no  doubt,  from  certain 
bindings  in  fashion  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  which  bore  birds 
in  the  corners.  People  would 
say  then,  une  reliure  aux  oiseaux. 
Se  donner  des  noms  d' — ,  is  said 
ironically  of  gushing  lovers  who 
give  one  another  fond  appella- 
tions. Oiseau  de  cage,  prisoner, 
"canary;"  —  fatal,  f row.  The  ex- 
pression reminds  one  of  Virgil's — 
Saepe  sinistra  cava  praedixit  ab  ilice  comix, 
and  of  La  Fontaine's — > 

Un  corbeau 
Tout  k  I'heure  annon^it  malheur  k  quelque 
oiseau. 

Olive  de  savetier,  /.  (popular), 
turnip.    See  Changer. 

Ombre,  /  (general),  prison,  or 
"quod." 

Elle  sera  condamnee  dans  le  gerbement 
de  la  Pouraille,  et  graci^e  pour  r^v^lation 
aprbs  un  an  d'ombre  ! — Balzac. 

A  1' — ,  in  prison,  in  "quod." 
Mettre  ,  quelqjj'un  k  1' — ,  to  kill 
one,  "to  do  for  one."  See  Re- 
froidir. 


Omelette,  f.  (military),  practica 
joke  which  consists  in  turning 
topsy-turvy  the  bed  of  a  sleeping 
soldier ;  —  du  sac,  similar  opera 
tion  performed  on  the  contents  of  t, 
knapsack. 

Omettre  (thieves'),  1'—,  to  HU 
him. 

Omnibus,  m.  (popular),  overfleru. 
of  liquids  on  the  counter  of  a  wine- 
shop collected  in  a  tank  and  re- 
tailed at  a  low  price  ;  glass  hold- 
ing a  demi-setier  of  wine.  On 
some  wine-shops  in  the  suburbs 
may  yet  be  seen  the  inscription  ; 
"  Ici  on  prend  I'omnibus.  Un 
— ,  a  prostitute,  or  "  mot."  Lite- 
rally one  who  may  be  ridden  by  all; 
For  synonyms  see  Gadoue.  Om- 
nibus, extra  waiter  at  a  restau- 
rant or  cafl ;  also  one  who  loafs 
about  the  streets  of  Paris  without 
any  visible  means  of  livelihood. 

Omnibus,  batteur  de  pav^,  c'est-^-dire  des 
gens  que  Ton  rencontre  sur  tons  les  points 
de  Paris  comme  les  v^tiicules  dont  ils 
portent  le  nom,  mais  (]ui  different  de  ceux- 
ci  en  ce  qu'ils  n'ont  ni  couleur,  ni  enseigne, 
ni  lanterne  pour  indiquer  oh  ils  vont  et  d'oti 
ils  viennent. — Paul  Mahali^. 

Attendre  1' — ,  to  wait  for  one's 
glass  to  be  filled ;  (thieves')  —  de 
coni,  hearse  ;  —  a  pegres,  prison 
van,  or  "  black  Maria." 

Omnibusard,  m.  (popular),  beggar 
who  plies  his  trade  in  omnibuses. 
He  pretends  not  to  have  sufficient 
money  wherewith  to  pay  his  fare, 
and  by  a  pitiful  tale  awakens  the 
compassion  of  the  passengers. 

Omnicochemar  k  la  colle,  m. 
(l\ae-ves'),  bus  driver.  Thus  called 
because  he  seems  stuck  to  his 
box, 

Omnicroche,/.  (thieves'),  omnibus, 
"chariot."  Faire  1'—,  to  pick 
pockets  in  an  omnibus,  an  opera- 
tion which  goes  among  EngHsh 
thieves  by  the  name  of  "chariot- 


On — Orbite. 


295 


buzzing."  Gaule  d' — ,  bus  driver. 
Termed  also  echalas  d' — . 

On  (thieves'),  i  sa  gin,  here  is  ;  -- 
^  lavares,  drunken  man.  On  4 
sa  gin  on  a  lavares,  here  is  a 
drunken  man.  I  have  given  the 
expression  in  my  informant's  own 
spelling.  (Popular)  On  pave ! 
words  which  mean  that  a  certain- 
street  is  to  be  avoided  for  Jear  of 
meeting  a  creditor. 

Exclamation  pittoresque  qui  expriir^ 
r<:ffroi  d'un  ddbiteur  amene  par  hasard  a 
pass«r  dans  une  rue  ou  se  trouve  un  * '  loup. " 
Le  "  typo  "  debiteur  fait  alors  un  circuit 
plus  ou  moins  long  pour  ^viter  la  me  o£i 
r  "on  pave." — Boutmy. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  On  dirait 
du  veau,  ironical  ejaculation  of 
eulogy. 

Ici-bas,  chacun  sur  terre 
Cherche  ^  faire  du  nouveau  ; 
Soil  un  engin  pour  la  guerre, 
Soit  ^  distiller  de  I'eau. 
Ce  que  j'veux  faire  est  pratique  : 
Changer :  "On  dirait  du  veau  " 
Far  cette  phrase  plus  ^nergique  ; 
Va  done,  eh  !  foumeau  I 

A.   QUEVKIAUX. 

Onchets,  m.  pi.  (military),  partie 
d' — ,  a  duel.  Onchets,  properly 
sfellicans, 

C'est-i-dire  que  tu  es  dans  Tintention 
d'entamer  une  seconde  partie  d'onchets, 
cons^quemment, — C.  Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Oncle,  m.  (popular),  usurer. 

Ce  mot  .symbolise  I'usure,  comme  dans 
la  langue  populaire  ma  tante  signiiie  le  pret 
sur  gage. — Balzac. 

Mon  —  du  pret,  faianbroket's,  or 
"lug-shop."  (Thieves')  Oncle, 
jailer,  or  "jigger-dubber." 

Onclesse,  f.  (thieves'),  jailer's 
wife. 

Ondoyeuse,  f,  (thieves'),  wash- 
hand  basin. 

Ongle,  m.  (popular),  croche,  miser, 
or  "hunks."  Avoir  les  ongles 
croches,  to  be  deceitful,  not  over- 
scrupulous. 


Onguent,  m.  (old  cant),  money,  or 
"palm  grease."    See  Quibus. 

Onze  (familiar),  du  —  gendarme, 
extra  large  size  for  gloves. 

Ses  vastes  mains  aux  doigts  ^cart^s, 
chauss^es  de  gants  presque  blancs,  dont  la 
pointure  ne  devait  point  etre  inferieure  k 
ce  que  Ton  appelle  familierement  du  "onze 
gendarme."— ^Ztf  Mot  d'Ordre. 

Op',  m.  (boulevards'),  for  Opera. 

Le  premier  bal  de  TOp',  ou,  pour  mieux 
parler,  le  premier  bal  masque  de  I'Op^ra, 
est  le  commencement  de  I'ire  des  plaisirs. — 
MiRLlTON,  Gil  Bias. 

Operateur,  m.  (thieves'),  execu- 
tioner. 

Opdrer  (thieves'),  to  guillotine.  See 
FauchS. 

Opineur  hesitant,  m.  (popular), 
juryman. 

Opiumiste,  m.  (familiar),  one  who 
sviokes  opium. 

Granger,  m.  ^popular),  woman's 
breasts,  "  Charlies,  dairies,  or 
bubbles."  Termed  also  "oeufs 
sur  la  place  d'armes,  avant-postes, 
avant-scenes,  nenais. " 

Oranges,///. (popular),  k  cochons, 
potatoes,  "  spuds,  or  bog  oranges." 

La  pomme  de  terre  est  aussitdt  salute 
par  I'argot  d' orange  k  cochons. — Balzac. 

Potatoes  are  also  termed  "mur- 
phies," probably  from  the  Irish 
national  liking  for  them.  They  are 
sometimes  called  ' '  Donovans. " 
At  the  R.  M.  Academy  fried 
potatoes  go  by  the  name  o( 
"  greasers. "  Des  —  sur  I'etagere, 
woman's  breasts,  "  Charlies,  bub- 
bles, or  dairies. " 

Les  soeurs  Souris,  dont  I'atnde  avait  6t6 
sumomm^e  laReine  des  Amazones,  eu  e^ard 
&  certaine  operation  chirurgicale  qui '  lui 
avait  enlev^  "une  des  oranges  de  son 
Aagfere." — P.  Mahalin. 

Orbite,  m.  (popular),  se  calfeutrer 
1' — ,  to  close  one's  eyes. 


296 


Ordinaire —  Ornie. 


Ordinaire,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), soup  and  boiled  beef  at  a 
small  restaurant.  Les  ordinaires, 
menses. 

Ordonnance,  f.  (military),  papier 
qui  n'est  pas  d' — ,  bank-notes. 
D 'ordonnance,  properly  regula- 
tion. The  French  soldier's  pay 
does  not,  as  a  rule,  enable  him  to 
have  bank-notes  in  his  possession ; 
hence  the  allusion. 

Ordonne  (popular),  Madame  J' — , 
is  said  of  a  woman  who  likes  to 
order  people  about,  of  an  imperious 
person. 

Qnand  s'lfeve  Madame  J'ordonne, 
Demand'  son  chocolat. 
DdpSchez-vous,  la  bonne, 
Surtout  n'en  buvez  pas. 

R6mv,  Victoire  la,  Cmsiniere. 

Ordre,  ?«.  (military),  copier  I' — , 
to  do  fatigue  duty.  Military  wags 
when  detailed  for  fatigue  duty  will 
sometimes  say,  pointing  to  their 
brooms,  that  they  are  going  to 
copy  the  order.  (Familiar) 
Ordre  moralien,  ironical  appella- 
tion applied  to  the  Conservative 
party  by  their  opponents  in  1 879. 

Or-dur,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
gold-plated  b7-ass.  A  play  on  the 
words  or,  gold,  and  ordure,  yfA/i. 

Ordures,  /  pi.  (journalists'),  boite 
aux  — ,  special  column  in  certain 
neivspapers,  reserved,  of  course,  for 

'  quotations  from  hostile  contempo- 
raries. (Popular)  Boite  aux—,  the 
breech.     See  Vasistas. 

OreiUard,  m!  (popular),  ass,  or 
' '  moke. " 

Oreille  k  I'enfant,  /  (familiar), 
avoir  fait  une  — ,  is  said  of  a  man 
mho  has  done  all  that  is  necessary, 
in  co-operation  with  others,  to  be 
able  to  think  that  a  child's  paternity 
may  be  traced  to  him. 


Orffevre,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
facetiously  used  for  Morphee. 
Etre  dans  les  bras  de  1' — ,  to  be 
asleep,  or  "in Murphy's  arms." 

Organe,/  (thieves'),  hunger. 

Orgue,  m.  (popular),  jouer  de  I' — , 
to  snore,  "to  drive  one's  pigs^to 
market."  (Thieves')  Orgue,  man, 
or  "  cove."  Manger  Sur  1' — ,  or 
jaspiner  de  1' — ,  to  peach,  to  in- 
form, "to  blow  the  gaff,  to  turn 
snitch.''  Mon — ,  ton — ,  son — , 
&c.,  /,  thou,  he,  myself,  b'c. 
Parler  en  — ,  or  en  iergue,  enaille, 
en  muche,  to  disguise  %uords  by  the 
use  of  these  words  as  suffixes. 
"  Vouziergue  trouvaille  bonorgue 
ce  gigotmuche?"  Do  you  think 
this  leg  of  mutton  good?  A  ques- 
tion put  to  a  jailer  by  the  cele- 
brated rogueCartouche— a  French 
Jack  Sheppard  and  Dick  Turpin 
put  together — with  a  view  to  as- 
certain whether  his  proferred  bribe 
was  deemed  sufficient. 

Orient,  m.  (thieves'),  gold,  or 
"  redge."  Une  bogue  d' — ,  a 
gold  watch,  or  ' '  red  'un. " 

Rebouise  done  ce  niert,  ses  maltaises  et 
son  pjze  sont  en  salade  dans  la  valade  de 
son  croisant ;  p^cille  I'orient  avec  ta  four- 
chette.— Canlee.  (Look  at  that  man  ; 
his  gold  coin  and  change  are  loose  in  kis 
waistcoat  Rochet ;  take  out  tke  gold  with 
your  fingers.) 

Orlednerie,  /.  (journalists'),  series 
of  disparaging  anecdotes  or  facts 
concerning  the  Orleans  family, 
and  published  under  the  above 
head  in  Radical  papers, 

Orleans,  m.  (thieves'),  vinegar. 
An  allusion  to  the  vinegar  manu- 
factories at  Orleans. 

Ornichon,  m.  (thieves'),  chicken, 
"cackling  cheat." 

Ornie,  /  (thieves'  and  beggars'), 
hen,  "margery  prater  j"  —  de 
balle,  turkey-hen,  or  -."cobble 
colter  "     Engrailler  l'~,  to  catch 


OrnUre — Ours\ 


297 


-.  a  fowl,  generally  by  angling  with 
a  hook  and  line,  the  bait  being  a 
worm  or  snail.  Termed  "snag- 
gling  "  in  the  Ehglish  cant.  En- 
grailler  1' —  de  balle,  to  steal  tur- 
keys, to  be  a  ^^  Turkey  merchant." 

Orniere,  f.  (thieves'),  hen-house, 
"cackler's  ken." 

'Omion,  m.  (thieves'),  capon. 

•  Orphelin,  m.  (^ofvXzx),  cigar  end ; 
—  de  muraille,  lump  of  excrement, 
"quaker."  (Thieves')  Orphelin, 
goldsmith.  Des  orphelins,  ^n«^  0/" 
thieves,  "  mob." 

Orpheline  de  Lacenaire  (journa- 
lists'), prostitute  of  the  Boulevard. 

Orphie,  m.  (thieves'),  bird. 

Os  (familiar  and  popular),  money, 
' '  oof,  or  stumpy. "  See  Quibus. 
With  regard  to  the  English  slang 
expression,  Mr.  T.  Lewis  O. 
Davies,  in  his  Supplementary 
English  Glossary,  says  :  "  Stumpy, 
money,  that  which  is  paid  down  on 
the  nail  or  stump." 

Reduced  to  despair,  they  ransomed 
themselves  by  the  payment  of  sixpence  a 
head,  or,  to  adopt  his  own  figurative  ex- 
pression in  all  its  native  beauty  :  **  till  they 
was  reg'larlydone  over,  and  forked  out  the 
stumpy." — Sketches  by  Boz. 

Called  also  "  pecune,"  which 
corresponds  to  the  Eton  boys' 
term  "pec"  for  money,  from 
pecunia.  Avoir  de  1' — ,  to  home 
money,  to  have  the  "oof-bird." 
(Popular)  Os  i  moelle,  a  repulsive 
term  for  nose,  "  conk,  smeller, 
snorter,  boko."  See  Morviau. 
Faire  juter  1' —  a  moelle,  to  use 
one's  fingers  as  a  handkerchief. 
Casser  les  —  de  la  tSte,  to  kiss  one 
heartily, 
Osanores,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  teeth, 
or  "grinders."  Jouer  des  — ,  to 
fa/,  "to  grub."    See  Mastiquer. 

Oseille,  f.  (popular),  money, 
"  stumpy,  or  oof."    See  Quibus. 


Avoir  mange  de  1' — ,  to  be  in  a 
bad  humour,  to  be  "snaggy." 
(Thieves')  La  faire  k  1' — ,  to  do  a 
good  "job."  See  Faire.  (Thea- 
trical) Seines  de  1' — ,  scenes  in 
which  the  female  supernumeraries 
make  their  appearance  in  very  sug- 
gestive attire. 

Osselets,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  teeth, 
"ivories,"  or  "bones." 

Ostant  (Breton  cant),  individual ; 
master  of  a  house. 

Ostrogoth,  m.  (general),  dunce. 
Also  rude,  rough  fellow. 

Otage,  m.  (popular),  priest.  An 
allusion  to  the  priests  taken  as 
hostages  by  the  insurgents  of  1 87 1 , 
and  shot  by  them. 

Otolondrer  (thieves'),  to  annoy,  to 
tore,  ' '  to  spur. " 

Otolondreur,  m.  (thieves');  tire- 
some man. 

Otro  (Breton  csxA),  pig. 

Ouater  (painters'),  to  paint  outlines 
with  too  much  vagueness,  without 
vigour. .    Properly  to  pad. 

Qui  (printers'),  en  plume  !  fiddle- 
faddle  1  (popular)  —  les  lanciers  1 
nonsense!  "rot." 

Ouistiti,  m.,  envoyer  un  — ,  to 
break  off  one's  connection  with  a 
mistress,,  or,  as  the  English  slang 
has  it,  ' '  to  bury  a  moll." 

Lorsqu'une  liaison,  commence  k  le  fa- 
tiguer,  il  envoie  un  de  ses  ouistitis  P.  P.  C. 
Une  fagon  ^  lui  de  faire  la  grimace  ^  ce 
qu'il  n'aime  plus.  .  .  .  Au  grand  club  on  ne 
dit  plus  Idcher  une  maitresse,  mais  lui  en- 
voyer son  ouistiti. — A.  Daudet. 

Ourler.     See  Beq. 

Ours,  m.  (theatrical),  play  which  a 
manager  prodtues  on  the  stage 
only  when  he  has  nothing  else  at 
his  disposal ;  a  literary  production 
or  article  which  has  been  refused 


298 


Ourserie —  Ovale. 


by  every  editor.  Marchand,  or 
meneur  d' — ,  playwright  or  liter 
rary  man  whose  spicialiti  is  to 
produce  "ours,"  which  he  offers 
to  every  manager  or  editor,  (Prin- 
ters') Ours,  idle  talk.  Poser  un 
— ,  to  bore  one  by  idle  talk. 

Se  dit  d'un  compagnon,  peu  dispose  au 
travail,  qui  vient  en  d^ranger  un  autre  sans 
que    celui-oi    puisse    s'en   d^barrasser. — 

BOUTMY. 

Ovxi, pressman,  or  "pig."' 

Le  mouvement  de  va-et-vient  qui  res- 
semble  assez  ^  celui  de  I'ours  en  cage,  par 
lequel  les  pressiers  se  portent  de  I'encrier  a 
la  presse,  leur  a  valu  sans  doute  ce  so- 
briquet.— Balzac. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Ours, 
prison  ;  guard-room,  or  cells, 
"  Irish  theatre,  or  mill."  Flan- 
quer  ^  1' — ,  to  imprison,  "to  put 
in  limbo. "  The  latter  term,  ac- 
cording to  the  Slang  Dictionary, 
comes  from  limbus,  or  limbus 
patrum,  a  mediaeval  theological 
term  for  purgatory.  The  Catholic 
Church  teaches  that  ' '  limbo  " 
was  that  part  of  hell  where  holy 
people  who  died  before  the  Re- 
demption were  kept.  Envoyer  4 
1' — ,  to  send  to  the  deuce.  A  1' —  ! 
to  the  deuce  ! 

Assez  !  assez  !  k  Tours  ! — Mes  enfants 
je  vous  rappelle  au  calme. — E.  Monteil, 
Cornebois. 

(Popular)  Ours,  goose, 

Ourserie,  /   (popular),   living  the 
life  of  a  bear, 

Oursin,  m.  (thieves'),  young  thief, 
or  "ziff." 


Ous'  (popular),  qu'est  mon  fusil  ?  is 
expressive  of  feigned  anger  at  some 
silly  assertion  or  bad  Joke;  —  que 
tu  demeures  ?  is  expressive  of  a 
mock  show  of  interest ;  — que  vous 
allez  sans  parapluie,  you  are  a 
simpleton,  "how's  your  brother 
Job?" 

Outil,  m.  (prostitutes'),  de  besoin, 
good for-notking  bully .  (Thieves') 
Des  outils,  housebreaking  imple- 
ments, "jilts,  or  twirls." 

Outrancier,  m.,  name  given  in 
1870  to  those  who  wished  to  con- 
tinue the  war. 

Ouvrage,  m.  (popular),  excrement, 
or  "quaker;"  (ihSsves')  robbery, 
"  push,  or  sneaking  budge."  See 
Grinchissage. 

Ouvrier,    m.    (thieves'),    thief,    or 

"  P"g- "    See  Grinche. 

II  me  dit  qu'il  venait  de  travailler  en 
cambrouze  avec  des  ouvriers  qui  venaient 
de  tomber  malades.  — ViDOCQ.  {I/e  told  me 
he  had  done  some  job  in  the  country  -with 
thieves  ivht  had  just  been  convicted.) 

Ouvrifere,  /  (bullies'),  prostitute  ; 
mistress  of  a  bully, 

Ouvrir.  See  Compas.  (Familiar; 
Ouvrir  son  robinet,  to  begin  talk- 
ing. 

Oh  !  bien !  si  Linois  ouvre  son  robinet! 
.  .  .  On  va  en  entendre  de  salees,— E. 
MONTEIL. 

Ouvrir  I'oeil  et  le  bon,  to  watch 
carefully  j  to  seek  to  avoid  being 
deceived. 

Ovale,  m.  (thieves'),  oil.  De  1'— 
et  de  I'acite,  oil  and  vinegar. 


P — Pagne. 


299 


P  (popular),  faire  le  — ,  to  look  dis- 
pleased. 

Pacant,  m.  (thieves'),  peasant,  or 
"clod;"  clumsy  fellow;  in- 
truder. 

Mais  ce  pacant-lk  va  tout  gater. — 
Balzac,  Pierre  Grassou. 

Paccin,  or  pacmon,  m.  (thieves'), 
parcel,  or  "peter."  Frompaquet, 
parcel. 

Pacquelin,  m.  (thieves'),  country. 

XJn  suage  est  ^  maquiller  la  sorgue  dans 
la  toUe  du  ratichon  du  pacquelin. — 
ViDOCQ.  i^A  murder  and  robbery  imll 
take  place  at  night  in  the  country  priests 
house.) 

Breme   de  — ,   map.     Le  —  du 
raboin,  the  infernal  regions. 

Pacquelinage,  m.  (thieves'),  jour- 
ney. 

Pacqueliner  (thieves'),  to  travel. 

Pacquelineur,  m.  (thieves'),  tra- 
veller. 

Pacsin,  paccin,  or  pacmon,  »/. 
(thieves'),  parcel,  or  "  peter." 

Paf,  adj.  (popular),  drunk,  or 
"  tight."    See  Pompette. 

Vousavez  ^tdjoliment  paf  hier.— Balzac. 

Paff,  m.  (thieves'),  brandy,  or 
"  bingo,"  in  old  English  cant. 


Quelques  voleurs  qui,  dans  un  acces  de- 
cette  bonhomie  que  produisent  deux  ou. 
trois  coups  de  "  paff  verses  ^  propos,  se- 
laisseraient  *'  tirer  la  carotte "  sur  leurs 
affaires  pass^es — Vidocq. 

Paffe,y;  (popular),  donner  une  — ,  tO' 
MrojA,  "  to  wallop."  See  Vole. 
PaiTe,  shoe,  "  trotter-case." 

Paffer,  or  empaffer  (popular),  se 
— ,  to  get  drunk,  ' '  to  get  tight. "' 
See  Sculpter. 

Pagaie,/.  (military),  mettre  en  — ,, 
literally  en  pas  gaie,  to  play  om 
recruits  a.  practical  joke,  which 
consists  in  arranging  their  beds  in 
such  a  way  that  everything  will' 
come  to  the  ground  directly  they 
get  into  them. 

Page,/,  andm.  (printers'),  blanche^ 
good  workman.  Etre  —  blanche 
en  tout,  to  be  a  good  workman  and 
good  comrade  ;  to  be  innocenL 

En  cette  affaire  vous  n'etes  pas  page 
blanche.^BouTMV. 

(Popular)  Page  d'Alphand,  scaven- 
ger in  the  employ  of  the  city  of 
Paris,  M.  Alphand  being  the  chief 
engineer  of  the  Board  of  Works  of 
that  town. 

Pagne,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'),, 
bed,  "  doss,  bug-walk,  or  kip  ;"' 
(thieves')  provisions  brought  by 
friends  to  a  prisoner. 

J'ai  un  bon  coeur ;  tu  I'as  vu  lors^ue  je- 
lui  portais  le  "  pagne  ^  la  Lorcef^  "  (pro- 
vision k  la  Force).— Vidocq. 


30O 


Pagnoten — Faille. 


Pagnoten  (Breton  cant),  shrew; 
girl  of  indifferent  character. 

Pagnoter  (popular),  to  go  to  bed; 
—  avec  une  grognasse,  to  sleep 
■with  a  woman. 

Pagnotte,  adj.  (popular),  cowardly 
(obsolete). 

Pagoure  (thieves'),  to  take;  to  steal. 
lis  Tent  fargue  a  la  dure  pour, 
pagoure  son  bobinarfe,  they  at- 
tacked him  in  order  to  steal  his 
■watch. 

Paies  (popular),  c'est  tout  ce  que 
tu  —  ?  have  you  nothing  more 
interesting  to  say  ?  or,  what  next  ? 

Prenez  garde,  mon  fils  !  la  pente  du  vice 
'«st  glissante ;  tel  qui  commence  par  une 
peccadille  peut  finir  sur  I'^chafaud  ! — C'est 
tout  ce  que  tu  paies  ? — Randon^ 

Paillasse,  /  (popular),  body,  or 
"apple-cart."  Termed  also 
"  paillasse  aux  legumes."  Crever 
la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  kill  one,  "  to 
do  for  one." 

_En  voilk  assez  avec  "  au  chose,"  il  faut 
lui  crever  la  paillasse ;  qui  est-ce  qui  en 

-est?— G.  COURTELINE. 

Manger  sa  — ,  to  say  one's  prayers 
by  one's  bedside,  ' '  to  chop  the 
whines."  Bourrer  la  — ,  to  eat, 
"  to  peck."  Paillasse,  low  prosti- 
tute, or  "  draggle-tail." 

Du  temps  qu'elle  faisait  la  noce, 
Jamais  on  n'aurait  pu  rencontrer, —  c'est 

certain — 
Paillasse  plus  cynique  et  plus  rude  catin. 
Gill. 

Paillasse  i  soldats,  or  de  corps  de 
garde,  soldier's  wench,  or  "bar- 
rack-hack." Termed  also  —  a 
troufion.  (Prostitutes')  Bruler  — , 
to  make  offwilhout  paying  a  prosti- 
tute, termed,  in  the  English  slang, 
,      "to  do  a  bilk." 

Le  client  n'est  pas  toujours  un  michd 
■consciencieux.  Quelquefois  ellcs  ont  af- 
faire k  de  mauvais  plaisants  qui  ne  se  font 
aucun  scrupule  de  ne  pas  les  payer ;  en 
'  argot  de  prostitution  on  appelle  cela 
"  brfiler  paillasse."— L£o  Taxil. 


(Military)  Traine  — ,  a  fourrier, 
or  non-commissioned  officer  who 
has  charge  of  the  bedding  and  fur- 
niture department. 

Paillasson,  m.  (theatrical),  short 
play  acted  before  a  more  important 
one  is  performed. 

Le  spectacle  commen^a  par  une  petite 
pifece,  le  lever  de  rideau  habituel  que  Ton 
a,  deouis,  appel^  en  argot  de  coulisses  le 
"paillasson,"  parcequ'on  la  joue  pendant 
que  les  retardataires  arrivent. — ^A.  Sirven, 
La  Chasse  aux  Vierges. 

(Popular)  N'avoir  plus  de  —  a 
la,  porta,  to  be  bald.,  '  *  to  have  a 
bladder  of  lard."  For  synonyms 
see  Avoir. 

Eh  !  ben  !  en  v'l^  un  vleuxg^teux  !  avec 
son  crane  k  I'encaustique.  S'il  avait  des 
cheveux,  il  serait  encore  assez  rdussi.  Mais 
il  n'a  plus  de  fil  sur  la  bobine,  plus  de  crin 
sur  la  brosse,  plus  de  gazon  sur  le  pre,  il  a 
I'caillou  ddplume,  quoi?  Enfin,  n'y  a  plus 
de  paillasson  k  la  porte. — Baumaine  et 
Blondelet. 

Paillasson,  prostitute^ s  lover.  See 
Poisson.  Un  -^,  07ie  who  is  too 
fondof  the  petticoat,  2i  "molrower, 
or  mutton-monger." 

Paillasson,  quoi !    Cceur  d'artichaut, 

A  c'fourbis-lk,  mon  'vieux  gargon, 
— Qu'vous  m'direz, — on  n'fait  pas  fortune, 
Faut  un'  marmite, — et  n'en  faut  qu'une  ; 
Y  a  pas  d'fix'  pour  un  paillasson. 

Gill,  La  Muse  (J  Bibi. 

Paille,  /  (thieves'),  lace,  or  "  driz." 
(Popular)  C'est  une  —  !  only  a 
trifle!  The  expression  is  ironical, 
and  is  meant  to  convey  just  the 
opposite.  Ne  plus  avoir  de  —  sur 
le  tabouret,  to  be  bald.  (Military) 
Paille  de  fer,  bayonet,  ' '  cold 
steel ;  "  .  sivord.  Avoir  la  —  au 
cul,  to  be  declared  physically  unfit 
for  military  service.  (Card- 
sharpers')  Paille,  swindle  at  cards, 
which  consists  in  bending  a  cei'tain 
card  at  the  place  where -it  is  re- 
quired  to  cut  the  pack,  Couper 
dans  la  — ,  to  cut  a  pack  thus  pre- 


Pailler — Pallas. 


3or 


pared.     Synonymous  of  "couper 
danslepont." 

Pailler  (gambling  cheats'),  to  ar- 
range cards,  when  shujgling  them, 
for  cheating,  "  to  stock  broads." 

Pailletee,/  (popular),  ^ay  ^>/ o/" 
the  Boulevards.  For  list  of  syno- 
nyms see  Gadoue. 

Paillot,  ni.  (popular),  door-mat. 
Plaquer  la  toumante  sous  le  — , 
to  conceal  the  key  uruier  the  door- 
mat. 

Pain,  m.  (popular),  blow;  —  a 
cacheter,  consecrated  wafer.  Also 
the  moon.  Tortorer  le  —  i  cache- 
ter, to  partake  of  communion.  Du 
—  !  ironical  expression  of  refusal. 
Pr^te-moi  dix  francs.  Dix  francs  ? 
et  du  —  ?  Lend  me  ten  francs  ? 
Ten  francs  ?  what  next  ?  Manger 
du  —  rouge,  to  live  on  the  proceeds 
of  thefts.  (Military)  Pain  a  trente- 
six  sous,  soldier^s  biscuit.  Ton 
— ,  son  — ,  a  reply  which  is 
equivalent  to  nothing  of  the  kind, 
not  at  all.  Le  brigadier  a  dit 
qu'il  te  ficherait  au  Mazarot.  II 
y  foutra  son  — .  The  corporal  said 
he  would  send  you  to  the  cells. 
He  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind, 

Paing,  m.  (popular),  blow,  "  bang, 
clout,  wipe,"  or,  as  the  Americans 
say,  "biff."  Passer  chez  — ,  to 
thrash,  "  to  wallop."    See  Voie. 

Paire,  f.  (popular),  de  cymbales, 
ten  francs.  (Thieves')  Se  faire  la 
— ,  to  run  away,  "to  guy."  Se 
faire  une .  —  de  mains  courantes, 
to  run  away,  "to  guy."  For 
synonyms  see  Patatrot.  (Mili- 
tary) Une  —  d'etuis  de  mains 
courantes,  a  pair  of  boots. 

Pairs,  m.  pi.  La  chambre  des  — , 
was  formerly,  at  the  hulks, the  part 
assigned  to  convicts  for  life. 

Paix-li,  m.  (popular),  usher  in  a 
court  of  justice.  I  find  in  Larchey's 


pictionnaire  d' Argot  the  follow- 
ing anecdote  : — 

_  Le  parasite  Montmaur  fut  un  jour  per- 
siffld  dans'  une  maison.  Des  qu'il  parut  snr 
le  seuil,  un  des  convives  se  mit  i  crier 
guerre  !  guerre  !  C'Aait  un  avocat  dont  le 
pfere  avait  €t€  huissier.  Montmaur  n'eut 
gardedel'oubherenluir^pondant:  "  Com- 
bien  vous  deg^n^rez,  monsieur,  car  votre 
pere  n'a  jamais  dit  que  paix  !  paix  ! " 

Palabre,  /  (popular),  tiresome  dis- 
course. 

Paladier,  ?«.  (thieves'),  meadow. 

Palais,  m.  (thieves'),  le  courrier 
du  — ,  the  prison  van.  Called 
"Black  Maria"  at  Newgate. 
Termed  also  "panier  a  salade." 

Palas,  adj.  (thieves'),  handsome, 
pretty,  nice,  "dimber." 

Pale,  m.  (domino  players'),  the 
white  at  dominoes. 

Paleron,  m.  (thieves'), /uiji',  "dew- 
beater." 

Palet,  m.  (popular),  un  — ,  une 
thune,  or  une  roue  de  derriere, 
a  five-franc  piece. 

Paletot,  m.  (popular),  coffin,  "cold 
meat  box."  (Familiar)  Un  — 
court.  It  dandy  or  "  masher  "  of 
the  year  1882.     See  Gommeux. 

Palette,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
guitar  ;  tooth,  or  "  ivory  ;  "  hand, 
"duke." 

Le  diable  m'enlfeve  si  je  me  sauve  I  Les 
palettes  et  les  paturons  ligotds  (les  mains 
et  les  pieds  attaches). — Vidocq. 

Palichon,  m.  (domino  players'), 
double  blank. 

Pallas,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
puffing  speech  of  mountebanks. 

Ah!  c'^taitlebon  temps  du  "boniment,"de 
r  "  invite,"  du  * '  pallas  "  : — Prenez,  prenez, 
prenez  vos  billets.— /(3«r?KE/^w«fa?/^. 

Faire  — ,  to  make  a  great  fuss. 
Concerning  this  term  Michel 
says: — "Terme  des  camelots  et 
des  saltimbanques,  emprnnt^  ^ 
I'ancienne  germania  espagnole  ou 


302 


Pallasser — Panas. 


'hacer  pala'  se  disait  quand  un 
voleur  se  playait  devant  la  pei- 
sonne  qu'il  s'agissait  de  voler, 
dans  le  but  d'occuper  sesyeux." 
( Printers')  Pallas,  emphatic  speech. 
Faire  — ,  to  make  a  great  fuss 
apropos  of  nothing.  Concerning 
the  expression  Boutmy  says  : — 
"  C'est  sans  doute  par  une  remi- 
niscenf^e  classique  qu'on  a  em- 
prunte  ironiquement,  pourdesigner 
ce  genre  de  discours,  I'un  des 
noms  de  la  sage  Minerve,  deesse 
de  I'eloquence." 

Combien  qui  y  en  a,  des  pegres  de  la 
haute  qui  apres  avoir  roule'  sur  Tor  etl'ar- 
■eent  et  avoir  fait  pallas  sont  all^s  mourir  \k- 
Das. — ViDOCQ. 

Pallasser  (printers'),  to  talk  in  an 
emphatic  manner.  Probably  for 
parlasser. 

Pallasseur,  m.  (printers'),  one  who 
makes  diffuse  incoherent  speeches 
while  seeking  to  be  eviphatic. 

Palme,  m.  and  adj.  (popular), 
stupid,  foolish  fellow,  a  "flat." 
Literally  one  with  webbed  feet  like 
a  gooses. 

Palmipede.     See  Palme. 

Palot,  pallet,  m.  (thieves'),  country- 
man, "  clod."     From  paille. 

Palote,/  {thieves'), peasantwoman; 
moon,  ' '  parish  lantern,  orOliver. " 

Palper  (popular),  de  la  galette,  to 
receive  money.  Se  — ,  to  have  to 
do  without. 

Je  dirai  tout  ce  que  tu  voudras ;  seul'- 
ment,  tu  sais,  tu  peux  t'  palper,  c'est  comme 
des  dattes  pour  etre  regu  au  rapport. — G. 

COURTELINE. 

Palpitant,  m.  (thieves  ),  the  heart, 
or  "panter." 

Va,  nous  I'avons  ^chapptf  belle,  j'en  ai 
encore  le  palpitant  (cG=ur)  qui  bat  la  gSnd- 
rale ;  pose  ta  main  Ik-dessus,  sefis-tu  comme 
il  fait  tic-tac  ?— VlDOCQ. 

PSmeur,  m.  (thieves'),  fish.  A  iish 
gasps  like  one  swooning. 


Pampeluche,  Pantin,  Pan- 
trucbe,  m.  (thieves'),  Parii. 

Pampez  (Breton  cant),  rustic. 

Pampine,  f.  (thieves'),  ugly  face, 
"  knocker-face  ;  "  sister  of  mercy. 
Pampine  (obsolete),  thick-lipped, 
coarse  mouth. 

Et  toi,  nu  qu'  t'iras,  vilaine  pampine, 
figure  k  chien,  tete  de  singe,  matelas  d'in- 
valide  ? — Riche-en-gTiejile. 

Pamure,  f.  (popular),  smart  box  on 
the  ear,  or  "buck-horse." 

Pana,  m.  (popular),  vieux  — ,  old 
miser,  old  "  hunks." 

Panache,  m.  (familiar),  avoir  du 
— ,  to  be  elegant,  dashing,  "  to  be 
tsing-tsing. "  (Popular)  Avoir  le 
— ,  to  be  drunk,  or  "  screwed." 
See  Pompette.  Faire  — ,  to  take 
a  flying  leap  over  one's  horses 
head,  an  unwilling  one,  of  course. 

Panade,/.  and  adj.  (popular),  a.f^ 
person  ;  without  energy,  "sappy." 

Panailleux,-  m.  (popular),  poor 
starving  wretch,  or  "  quisby." 

Panais,  m.  (popular),  fitre  en  — , 
to  be  in  one's  shirt,  in  one's  "flesh 
bag." 

Panama,  m.  {fxixAe^^'),  gross  error, 
"  mull." 

B^yue  dnorme,  dans  la  compfosition,  I'im- 
position  ou  le  tirage,  et  qui  n^cessite  un 
carton  ou  un  nouveau  tirage. — Boutmy. 

(Popular)  Panama,  dandy,  or 
"gofg^r."  For  synonyms  see 
Gommeux. 

Panaris,  m.  (popular),  mother-in- 
law.  An  allusion  to  the  irritating 
pain  caused  by  a  white  swelling 
on  the  finger. 

Panas,  m.  pi.  (popular),  dandy,  or 
"gorger,"  see  Gommeuxj  rags ; 
glass  splinters  and  other  refuse. 
Un  — ,  poor  man  out  of  work, 
out  of  "  caWax." 


Pancarte — Pann/. 


303 


Pancarte,  f.  (militai^),  se  faire 
aligner  sur  la  — ,  to  get  punished. 

Pandore,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
gendarme.  From  a  song  by 
Nadaud. 

Pan^,  adj.  and  m.  (general),  needy, 
hard  up,  one  "  in  Queer  street." 

Tous  des  pands,  mon  cher !  Pas  un  n'a 
coup^  dans  le  pont.  Me  m&nes-tu  boulotter 
au  Bouillon  Duval  ?— P.  M ahalin, 

Panier  h.  salad  e,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  prison  van,  or  "  Black 
Maria." 

Puis  il  se  d^tira  et  se  secoua  violemment 
pour  rendre  I'elasticit^  k  ses  membres  en- 
^ouidis  par  I'exiguite  du  compartiment  du 
"panier  a  salade." — Gaboriau. 

Panier  au  pain,  stomach,  or 
"bread-basket."  Avoir  chie 
dans  le  —  de  quelqu'un  jusqu'i 
I'anse,  to  have  behaved  very  ill  to 
one.  (Saint  LazsLie  prisoners')  Re- 
cevoir  le  — ,  to  receive  provisions 
brought  from  the  outside.  (Popu- 
lar) Panier  anx  crottes,  behind,  or 
"Nancy." 

Pas  de  clarinette  pour  secouer  le  panier 
aux  erodes  des  dames. — Zola. 

Remuer  le  —  aux  crottes,  to  dance, 
"to  shake  a  leg."  Le  — ■  aux 
ordures,  bed,  "doss,  or  bug- walk." 
Panier  a  deux  anses,  man  walking 
with  a  womun  on  each  arm. 
(Journalists')  Le  —  aux  ordures, 
that  part  of  the  paper  reserved  for 
quotations  from^  hostile  journals. 
(Thieveb')  Le  —  a  Chariot,  the 
executioner's  basket,  that  which 
receives  the  body  of  the  executed 
criminal.  Chariot  is  the  nick- 
name of  the  executioner. 

Al'autre  extrdmitd  de  lasalle,  ungroupe 
ide  detraqu6s  d^visagent  une  iille  qui  a  €x.6. 
la  maitresse  d'un  guillotine  ...  lis  aiment 
I'odeur  du  panier  k  Chariot.  —  LoulsB 
Michel. 

Paniot.    See  Revidage. 

Panioter.    See  Pagnoter. 


Paniquer  (thieves),  to  be  afraid, 
or  "  funky. "  Se  — ,  to  be  on  one's 
guard.  Synonymous  of  "  taffer, 
avoir  le  taf,  le  trac,  or  la  frousse." 

Panne,  f.  (general),  poverty  ;  bad 
circumstances,  or  "  Queer  street." 

Quand  il  n'y  a  plus  de  son,  les  anes  se 
battent,  n'est-ce  pas  ?  Lantier  flairait  la 
panne  :,  9a  I'exasperait  de  sentir  la  maison 
d^jk  mangle. — Zola. 

(Picture  dealers')  Pai>ne,  inferior 
picture  sold  above  value. 

Le  brocanteur  avait  groups  un  ramassis 
d'objets  tards,  invendables  .  .  .  vous  m'en- 
tendez,  vieux  .  .  .  pas  de  carottes.  pas  de 
pannes  ...  La  dame  s'y  connait. — ^A.  Dau- 
DET,  Les  Rois  en  Exil, 

(Theatrical)  Panne,  unimportant 
part,  consisting  of  a  few  lines,  or 
part  which  does  not  show  to  advan- 

tage  an  actor's  powers. 

Puis,  cette  salet£  de  Bordenave  lui  don- 
nait  encore  une  panne,  un  rdle  de  cinquante 
lignes.  — Zola. 

(Sailors')  Laisser  quelqu'un  en  — , 
to  forsake  one  in  difficulties ;  to 
leave  one  in  the  lurch.  Properly 
to  leave  one  lying  to. 

Amen  !  r^pondit  le  matelot,  mais  sans 
vouloir  vous  facher,  la  mfere,  m'est  avis  que 
les  saints,  les  anges,  et  le  bon  Dieu  nous 
laissent  joliment  en  panne  depuis  quelque 
temps. — RiCHEPIN,  La  Glu. 

Panne,  adj.  and  m.  (general), 
needy  ;  needy  man  ;  —  comme  la 
Hollande,  very  needy,  very  ' '  hard 
up."  Etre  — ,  to  be  in  bad  circum- 
stances. 

J'suis  un  homme  propre,  moi,  et  ^lecteur 
.  .  .  et  ouvrier  .  .  .  sans  ouvrage  depuis 
qu'  ma  sceur  est  ^  Lazare.  (La  dame  lui 
donne  dix  sous.)  Dix  sous  !  Va  done  eh ! 
pann^e  !  (La  dame  lui  dit  zut !) — Mikli- 
TON,  Gil  Bias,  1887. 

Ca  ne  serait  pas  sans  faute,  car  je  suis 
"pann^,"  dieu  merci,  ni  peu  ni  trop.— 

VlDOCQ. 

The  English  have  the  expression, 
"  to  be  in  Queer  street." 

I  am  very  high  in  "  Queer  Street  "  just 
now,  ma'am,  having  paid  your  .little  bills 
before  I  left  town. — KlWJSLev,  Two  I  'ean 
Aeo. 


304 


Fanner  quelqu'un — Pantoufle. 


Panrer  quelqu'un  (popular),  to 
win  on?s  money  at  some  game, 
"  to  blew  one  "  of  his  money. 

Panoteur,  m.  {popular),  poacher. 

Panoufle,/  (popular),  ro?^,  "  peri- 
winkle." Old  word  panufle,  list- 
shoe. 

Panser  de  la  main  (popular),  to 
M)-flj/4,  "  to  wallop."  Panser,^!? 
groom. 

Pantalon,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
donner  dans  le  —  rouge  is  said 
of  a  girl  who  keeps  company  with 
a  soldier,  who  has  "an  attack  of 
scarlet  fever."  In  the  slang  of 
English  officers,  a  girl  fond  of 
their  company,  and  who  is  passed 
on  from  one  officer  to  another,  is 
termed "garrison-hack,"an  officer 
who  is  very  attentive  to  such  being 
called  a  "carpet  tomcat."  Une 
boutonniere  en  — ,  a  semi-prosti- 
tute; a  sempstress  who  walks  the 
street  at  night  for  purposes  of  pro- 
stitution.    See  Gadoue. 

Pantalonner  une  pipe  (popular), 
to  colour  a  pipe.  From  the  ex- 
pression, culotter  une  pipe. 

Pantalzar,  m.  (popular),  trousers, 
"sit-upons,  hams,  or  kicks." 

Pante,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
man,  "  cove."  From  pantin, 
dancing  puppet. 

C'est  lorsque  la  marmite  n'a  pas  donn€ 
son  fade  au  barbillon,  ou  quand  un  pante  re- 
fuse de  payer  I'heureux  moment  qu'il  doit 
^  la  dame  de  I'assommoir.  Alors  il  y  a  une 
buchade  g^n^rale. — M^moires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

(Thieves')  De'gringoler  les  pantes, 
to  rob  fools,  that  is,  people,  "to 
do  a  cove." 

Jusqu'k  la  bardie  g^onzesse  qui  a  d^grin- 

foM  les  pantes  et  vidd  jusqu'au  fond  les 
nettes  des  bailouts. — Louise  Michel. 
(  Up  to  ike  bold  nvomnn  who  has ' '  dojie  tlie 
fiats"  and  emptied  the  pockets  o/  rich 
people,') 

Faire  le  —  aumachab^e,  to  murder 


Ah  !  c'est ...  la  celle  qui  est  au  grand 
pr£  !  Ca  s'en  donnait,  des  airs  de  la  madame 
bienfaisante  !  et  ga  faisait  le  pante  au  ma- 
chab^e  pendant  ce  temps-12i. — Louise  Mi- 
chel. {Ah  !  ifs  the  woman  who  is  at  the 
convict  settlement  I  She  gave  herself  the 
airs  of  a  kind  laiiy,  and  she  all  the  while 
was  murdering  7fien.) 

Pante  argote,  stupid  fool,  or  "go 
along ; "  — •  arnau,  man  who  is 
alive  to  the  fact  that  he  has  been 
robbed,  and  who  objects ;  —  des- 
argote,  wary  man,  not  easily 
deceived,  a  "wide  one,  one  who 
is  up  to  the  hour  of  day,  or  who 
is  fly  to  wot's  wot."  Arranger  le 
— ,  plumer  le  — ,  to  swindle  a 
man  of  his  money  at  cards.  Un 
—  en  robe,  a  judge,  or  "  beak  ;  " 
priest,  "devil-dodger,  or  snub- 
devil." 

J'ai  pense,  pour  me  tirer  d'peines, 
A  m'  fair'  frer'  des  ^coles  chretiennes. 
Ah  !  ouiche  !  Et  I'taf  des  tribunaux  ? 
Puis_,  j'  suis  pas  pour  les  pant'  en  robe, 
Avoir  I'air  d'un  mal,  v'lk  c'  que  j'gobe, 
J'aim'  mieux  et'  dos. 
RiCHEPIN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Panthere,  orpanthe,/  (popular), 
faire  sa  — ,  or  pousser  sa  — ,  to 
walk  up  and  dawn  in  a  workshop; 
to  go  from  one  wineshop  to  another, 

Pantiere,  /  (thieves'),  mouth. 
From  pannetiere,  bread-basket. 
So  it  exactly  corresponds  to  the 
English  slang  "bread-basket." 

Pantin,  or  Pantruche,  m.  (popu- 
lar), Paris,  Properly  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  Paris. 

J'ai  fait  la  connaissance  d'une  petite  fille 
corse,  que  j'ai  rencontrde  en  arrivant  k 
Pantin  (Paris). — Balzac 

Pantinois,  pantruchois,  m.  and 
adj.  (popular),  Parisian. 

Pantouflards,  m.  pi.  (familiar  and 
popular),  name  given  during  the 
siege  of\%'j\  to  Parisians  serving 
in  the  '^  Garde  nationale  sSden- 
taire,"  whose  duties  were  to  keep 
guard  in  the  interior  of  the  city. 

Pantoufle,  f  (popular),  et  cetera 
...  —  !  words  used  jocularly  on 


Pantoufl^ — Panturne. 


305 


completing  some  arduous,  tiresome 
task,  meaning  nothing  more,  and 
so  on.  The  expression  is  also  used 
in  lieu  of  an  objectionable  word 
forming  a  climax  in  sequence  to 
an  enumeration,  and  which,  con- 
sequently, may  easily  be  divined. 
In  the  phrase,  C'est  un  sot,  un 
ane  bate,  "  et  csetera  pantoufle," 
the  quaint  term  acts  as  a  substi- 
tute for  an  obscene  word  of  three 
letters,  which,  in  the  mouth  of  a 
Frenchman,  expresses  the  acme  of 
his  contempt  for  another's  intel- 
lectual worth.  The  Voltaire  nev/s- 
paper  says  concerning  the  ex- 
pression:  "  Et  catera  .  .  .  pan- 
toufie  !  Que  signifie  cette  expres- 
sion, employee  dans  le  langs^e 
populaire  ?  Loredan  Larchey, 
repond  le  Courrier  de  Vaugelas, 
declare  cette  locution  peu  tradui- 
sible  et  dit  que  le  peuple  s'en  sert 
comme  d'un  temps  d'arrSt  dans 
une  enumeration  qui  menace  de 
devenir  malhonnSte.  EUe  est 
m6me  tout  a  fait  intraduisible  si 
I'on  ne  considire  que  le  mot 
fran9ais  en  lui-meme  et  sa  signifi- 
cation vulgaire  de  chaussure  de 
chambre.  A  ce  point  de  vue 
etroit,  il  est  impossible  de  saisir 
la  correlation  existant  entre  cette 
pantoufle  et  un  discours  dont  on 
veut  taire  la  fin,  ou  plut6t  qu'on 
n'acheve  pas  parce  que  la  con- 
clusion est  trop  connue.  Le  fran- 
yais,  qui  souvent  s'est  taille  un 
vetement  dans  la  chlamyde  des 
Grecs,  n'a  pas  dedaigne  non  plus 
de  s'introduire  dans  leurs  pan- 
toufles.  Nous  disons  :  Et  ccetera 
pantoufle.  Les  Grecs  entendaient 
par  la :  Et  les  atitres  choses,  toutes 
de  mime  sorte.  Nous  sommes 
en  France  des  traducteurs  si  ser- 
viles,  nous  avons  serre  le  grec 
de  si  pres  que  nous  nous  sommes 
confondus  avec  lui,  nous  avons 
traduit  le  mot  grec  -^zx  pantoufle  1 


Mais  d'o{i  nous  est  venue  cette 
bizarre  expression  ?  Comment  a- 
t-elle  passe  dans  notre  langue? 
M.  Ch.  Toubin  pense  qu'elle  nous 
est  vraisemblablement  arrivee  par 
Marseille.  C'est  possible,  mais 
nous  aimons  mieux  croire  que  les 
^coliers  du  moyen  age,  eleves  dans 
le  jardin  des  racines  grecques,  ont 
ete  frappes  de  la  consonnance  de 
pantoufle  avec  I'expression  grecque 
et  I'ont  adoptee  en  la  francisant, 
k.  la  fa9on  plaisante  des  ecoliers." 

Pantoufle,  m.  (popular),  tailor's 
assistant, 

Pantre,  m.  (thieves'),  fool,  "  flat." 
An  appellation  applied  by  thieves 
to  their  victims. 

Eh  oui,  buvons  !  qui  payera  ?  5a  sera 
les  "  pantres." — ViDOCQ. 

Faire  un  coup  a  I'esbrouffe  sur 
un  — ,  see  Coup  k  I'esbrouffe. 
Arranger  les  pantres,  see  Ar- 
ranger. 

Pantriot,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
employer,  or  "boss;"  foolish 
young  fellow. 

Pantriote,y!  (popular  and  thieves'), 
foolish  girl. 

N'allez  pas,  dit  la  grosse  boulotte,  me 
vendre,  pantriotes  que  vous  etes. — Louise 
Michel. 

Pantrouillard,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  man,  the  slang  syno- 
nyms being  "  pante,  gonce,  chene, 
type,  pekin,"  and  the  English, 
"cove,  chap,  cull,  article,  codger, 
buffer." 

Pantruche,  (thieves'),  Paris. 
Termed  also  "  Pantin." 

Panturne,  f.  (bullies'),  prostitute, 
"  doxie."    From  the  Italian  cant. 

Les  souteneurs,  dans  leur  argot,  disent : 
Gaupe,  marmite,  dabe,_  largue,  ouvrifere, 
gu^nippe,  ponante,  ponisse,  panturne,  pa- 
nucbe,  bourre-de-soie. — L^o  Taxil. 


3o6 


Panuche — Parade. 


Panuche,   /    (thieves'),     showily 
dressed   woman,    or   "burerk; 
prostitute  who  lives  in  a  brothel,  a 
"dress-lodger."     See  Gadoue. 

Papa,  m.  (popular),  i  la  — ,  in  a 
quiet,  sedate  manner ;  in  negligent 
or  slovenly  style. 

Deux  infectes  petites  salles  dclairdes  par 
une  demi-douzaine  de  quinquets,  tenues  k 
la  papa. — Richepin,  Le  Pavi. 

Pape,  m.  (popular),  stupid  fellow, 
a  "flat."  (Students')  Un  — .  a 
glass  of  bitters. 

Au  Quartier  Latin,  I'absinthe  s*appelle 
une  purde,  I'eau-de-vie  un  p^trole,  le  bock 
un  cercueil,  le  bitter  un  pape. — Mimoires 
de  Monsieur  Ctttnde. 

Papelard,  m.  (thieves') /a/»-.  Ma- 
quiller  le  — ,  to  write,  "to 
screeve." 

Papier,  m.  (familiar),  \  chandelle, 
insignificant  ne^vspaper  ;  —  h.  dou- 
\tur,dishonouredbill ;  — Joseph,  or 
de  soie,  bank-note,  ' '  rag,  screene, 
soft,  or  long-tailed  one. "  Parler 
— ,  to  write,  "  to  screeve.''  Une 
medaille  de  —  volant,  ormedaille 
des  Pays-'Bas  (obsolete),  lump  of 
excrement. 

Oh  !  je  vais  te  faire  voir  k  qui  tu  paries, 
va,  mddaille  de  papier  volant  vis-k-vis  de 
I'hdtel  des  Ursins. — Les  Raccoleurs,  1756. 

"  In  explanation  of  the  above 
quotation,  it  must  be  mentioned 
that  a  piece  of  ground  opposite 
the  Hotel  des  Ursins  in  the  Cite 
(that  is,  in  one  of  the  \.vio  islands 
which  formed  the  nucleus  of  old 
Paris),  was  frequented  by  people 
for  whom  nkessiti  n'a  pas  de  loi. " 
Hence  the  allusion. 

Papillon,  m.  (thieves'),  laundry- 
man ;  —  d'auberge,  table-linen ; 
plate. 

Eient&t  k  d^faut  de  flamberges 
Volent  les  papillons  d'auberges  ; 
On  s'accueille  \  grands  coups  de  poing 
Sur  le  nez  et  sur  le  grouin. 

Les  Parclurons. 


Avoir  des  papillons  noirs  (or 
bleus)  dans  la  sorbonne,  to  be 
despondent,  to  have  the  "  blue 
devils." 

Elle  soutient  que  Pavie  avait  en  eflfet  des 
papillons  noirs  dans  la  sorbonne  et  qu'il 
n'^tait  venu  la  trouver  .  .  .  que  pour  se 
p6rir. — Mintoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Papillonner  (thieves'),  to  steal  linen, 
"to  smug  snowy." 

Papillonneur,  m.  (thieves'),  a  rogue 
who  steals  wet  clothes  hung  on  lines 
to  dry,  "  luUy  prigger,"  or  who 
rifles  washenvomen's  carts. 

Papillotes,  y".  ^/.  (familiar),  bank- 
notes, "flimsies,  or  long-tailed 
ones." 

Papotage,  m.  (familiar),  chat. 

Papote,  or  pochete,  m.  (popular), 
fool,  or  "  softy." 

Papoter   (familiar),   to    chat,    "to 

gabble." 
Paquelin,  m.  (thieves'),  for  patelin, 

flatterer. 
Paqueliner  (thieves'),  to  flatter. 

Paquemon,  ni.  (thieves'),  parcel, 
or  "peter."  Paquet,  with  sufiix 
mon. 

Paquet,  m.  (popular),  ridiculously 
dressed  woman,  a  "  guy. "  Avoir 
son  — ,  to  be  drunk,  "  to  be 
primed."  See  Pompette.  (Fa- 
miliar and  popular)  Risquer  le  — , 
to  venture.  (Card-sharpers')  Faire 
le  — ,  to  cheat  by  arranging  cards 
in  a  peculiar  manner  when  shuf- 
fling them.. 

Paquetier,  m.  (printers'),  compo- 
sitor who  has  to  deal  only  with  the 
composition  of  lines,  without  titles, 
&'c.  ;  —  d'honneur,  head  "  pa- 
quetier. " 

Parabole,/  (thieves'),  paradise. 

Parade,/  (military),  defiler  la  — , 
to  die,  "  to  lose  the  number  of 
one's  mess."     See  Pipe.     (Prin- 


Paradouze — Parisien . 


30; 


ters')  Parade,  any  kind  of  joke, 
good  or  bad,  a  ' '  wheeze. "  (Popu- 
lar) Benediction  de  — ,  kick  on  the 
behind;  alluding  to  kicks  clowns 
give  one  another  in  a  preliminary 
farcical  performance  outside  a 
booth. 

Paradouze,  or  part-4-douze,  m. 
(military),  paradise.  A  play  on 
the  word  paradis. 

Paralance,  m.  (popular),  umbrella, 
"mush,  or  rain-napper."  From 
parer,  to  ward  off,  and  lance, 
water. 

Parangonner  (printers'),  to  adjust 
properly  type  of  different  sizes  in 
the  composing  stick.  Se  — ,  to 
steady  oneself  when  one  feels  groggy. 

Paraphe, /.  (popular),  slap,  blow, 
"wipe,"  or  "bang."  Detacher 
une  — ,  or  parapher,  to  slap  one's 
face,  "  to  fetch  one  a  wipe  in  the 
mug." 

Parapluie,  m.  (popular),  essence 
de  — ,  water,  "Adam's  ale." 
(Mihtary)  Envoyer  chercher  le  — 
del'escouade,  to  send  for  the  squads s 
umbrella.  Ajokeperpetratedatthe 
expense  of  a  recruit,  or  ' '  Johnny 
raw,"  who  gets  crammed  by  the 
knowing  ones,  who  make  him  be- 
lieve that  each  squad  possesses  a 
gigantic  umbrella,  entrusted  to  the 
care  of  the  latest  joined  recruits. 

Pare,  m.  (thieves'),  theatre,  "gaff." 
(Popular)  Ne-te-gene-pas-dans-le 
— ,  short  jacket. 

Pare,  adj.  (thieves'),  6tre  — ,  to  be 
ready  for  execution.  The  convict's 
hair  is  shorn  close  by  the  execu- 
tioner a  few  minutes  before  he  is 
led  to  the  terrible  engine.  The 
operation  is  termed  "  la  toilette  du 
condamne."  Hence  the  expression. 

Pareil,  adj.  (thieves'),  Stre  — .  to 
act  in  concert. 


Parent,  m.  (thieves'),  parishioner. 

Parer  (popular),  la  coque,  to  es- 
cape some  deserved  punishment  by 
taking  to  flight ;  to  get  out  of 
some  scrape.  (Thieves')  La  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  assist  one,  that  is,  to 
ward  off  a  blow  from  fortune.  La 
rien  —  i  un  aminche,  to  readily 
assist  a  friend.  (Cocottes')  Parer 
sa  cotelette,  to  dress,  to  adorn  one- 
self. 

On  n'a  pas  besoin  de  tant  d'^toffe,  d'abord. 
Et  puis  ces  demoiselles  d^gottent  un  bou- 
cher  dans  I'art  de  parer  leurs  c6telettes. — 
P.  Mahalin,  Mesdames  de  Cceur-volant. 

Parfait,  adj.  (popular),  amour,  or 
creme  de  cocu,  sweet  liquor  for 
ladies ;  —  amour  de  chiffonnier, 
coarse  brandy.  Termed  ' '  bingo  " 
in  old  English  cant. 

Parfond,  m.  (thieves'),  pie  ;  pastry, 
"magpie." 

J'aime  la  crofite  de  parfond, 
Nos  luques  nous  leur  pr^sentons. 
Puis  dans  les  boules  et  frdmions, 
J'aime  la  croCte  de  parfond. 

Chanson  de  V Argot. 

Parfonde,  or  profonde,/.  (thieves'), 
pocket,  "  cly,  sky-rocket,  or 
brigh ; "  cellar. 

C'est  lui  qui  a  rin(;6  la  profonde  (cave)  de 
lafille,'dit  Fil-de-soie  kl'oreilledu  Biffon. 
On  voulait  nous  coquer  le  taflfe  (faire  peur) 
pour  nos  thunes  de  balles  (nos  pieces  de 
cent  sous). — Balzac,  La  derniere  Incar- 
nation de  Vautrin. 

Parigot,  m.  (popular),  Parisian. 

Paris,  m.  (familiar).  Monsieur  de 
— ,  official  title  of  the  executioner. 
The  office  was  held  by  the  Samson 
family  for  a  considerable  time. 
See  Monsieur. 

Parisien,  m.  (military),  active, 
cheery,  knowing  soldier  ;  (sailors') 
awkward  man,  ' '  a  lubber ; " 
(horse-dealers')  worthless  horse 
which  finds  no  purchasert,"screvi." 
Probably  an  allusion  to  Paris  cab- 
horses,   which   are   anything  but 


308 


Parlement — Partageuse. 


high-mettled  steeds.  (Domino 
players')  Parisien,  cheating  at  a 
game  of  dominoes. 

Parlement,  or  parlementage 
(popular),  language,  discourse. 

Un  m^chant  bailli  de  malheur 
S'avisi  de  rendre  eun'  sentence  . .  . 
Mais  si  j'savions  I'parlementage, 
Tous  ces  Messieurs  qui  ont  I'honneur, 
Auriont  r^pard  not*  malheur,  ^ 
En  empechant  tout'  leux  malice 
Par  la  bontd  de  leux  justice. 

Les  Citrojis  de  gavotte. 
Ouvrir  le  — ,  to  talk,  "  to  jaw." 

Parler  (popular),  chretien,  to 
speak  intelligibly  ;  (theatrical)  — 
du  puits,  to  waste  one's  time  in 
idle  discourse ;  —  sur  quelqu'un, 
to  give  the  cue  before  a  brother  per- 
former has  concluded  his  tirade, 
"  to  corpse  "  Aim  ;  (artists')  — 
en  bas-relief,  to  mutter  ;  (popular) 
—  landsman,  to  speak  German; 
(military)  —  papier,  to  write. 

Parloir  des  singes,  m.  (prisoners'), 
room  where  prisoners  are  allowed 
to  see  their  friends  from  behind  a 
grating. 

Le  meurtrier  .  .  .  d^passa  la  salle  des 
gardiens,  laissa  k  droite  le  **  parloir  des 
singes  "  et  entra  dans  legrefFe. — Gaboriau, 
Monsieur  Lecoq. 

Parlotter  (familiar),  to  chat. 

Parlotterie,/  (familiar),  chat. 

Parlotteur,  m.  (familiar),  chatter- 
box, "clack -box." 

Parmesard,  m.  {^poTpnlar),  poor  devil 
with  threadbare  clothes.  A  play 
on  the  word  "rape,"  rasped, 
threadbare — rape  comme  du  Par- 
mesan. 

Paroissien,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), individual.  Un  dr61e  de  — , 
a  queer  fellow,  a  ' '  rum  cove. " 
(Popular)  Paroissien  de  Saint- 
IPierre  aux boeufs,  tocMea;/,  "cab- 
bage-head." 

Paron,  m.  (thieves'),  square,  pas 
rond.  -^ 


Paroufle,^  (thieves'), /am,4. 

Parquet,  7n.  (familiar),  le  — ,  is  thi 
company  of  official  stockbrokers, 
who  transact  business  round  "la 
corbeille,"  or  circular  enclosure  in 
the  Stock  Exchange.  "Les  cou- 
lissiers  "  are  the  unofficial  jobbers, 
and  "courtiers  marrons,"  the 
kerbstone  brokers,  many  of  whom 
are  swindlers.  The  offices  of  the 
Procureur  de  la  Republique,  or 
public  prosecutor,  go  also  by  the 
name  of  parquet. 

Parrain,  m.  (thieves'),  witness. 

Des  parrains  aboulds  dans  le  burlin  du 
quart  d'oeil  ont  bonni  qu'ils  reconnobraient 
ma  frime  pour  I'avoir  allumde  sur  la  pla- 
carde  du  fourmillon,  au  moment  du  grin- 
chissage. — Vidocq.  {Some  witnesses  who 
caiTie  to  the  ojffice  o/  the  ^'  commissaire  de 
police  "  said  that  they  knew  tny  fa£e  be- 
cause  they  had  seen  it  in  the  Tnarket-jrlact 
luhtn  the  theft  took  place.) 

Parrain,  barrister,  "mouthpiece;" 
deputy  judge  ;  — d'alteque,  wit- 
ness for  the  defence ;  —  b^cheur, 
public  prosecutor ;  —  fargucur, 
witness  for  the  prosecution.  Faire 
suer  un  — ,  to  kill  a  witness.  Un 
—  a  la  manque,  a  false  witness, 
or  "rapper." 

It  was  his  constant  maxiin  that  he  was 
a  pitiful  fellow  who  would  stick  at  a  little 
rapping  for  his  friend.— Fielding,/.  Wild. 

Parrainage,  m.  (thieves'),  depo^ 
sitions. 

Part,/;  (obsolete),  kindness. 

Cest-t^y  parler  5a?  Monsieux,  j'pense 
tout  d'mSme  que  comme  vous.—  Ma  coin- 
mere,  c'est  un  efFet  de  .  .  .  de  votre  part. — 
Vad& 

Part-4-douze,  m.  (military ), /arii- 
dise. 

Tas  de  "' gourgauts,"  vociffere-t-il,  ce 
sont  eux  qui  sont  cause  de  ca  !  .  .  .  ah  f 
nom  d'une  soupe  \  I'oignon  !  lis  ne  le  por- 
teront  pas  en  "  part-k-douze," — C.  Dubois 
DE  Gennes. 

Partageuse,  /.  (familiar),  kepi 
woman. 


Partageux — Passe-de-cambre. 


309 


Partageux,     m.     (peasants'),     re- 


Parterre,  m.  (popular),  prendre  im 
billet  de  — ,  to  fall,  "  to  come  a 
cropper. "  A  pun  :  le  parterre, 
the  pit  in  a  theatre;  par  terre,  on 
the  ground. 

Parti,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
di-unk  ;  asleep. 

Allons,  les  voili  partis,  dit  Vautrin  en 
remuant  la  tete  du  pere  Goriot  et  celle 
d'Eugcne.— Balzac. 

Parti  pour  la  gloire,  drunk,  or 
"screwed."     See  Pompette. 

Particulier,  m..  (military),  civilian; 
(familiar)  individual,  "party." 

Vous  protestez  comme  un  beau  diable, 
€t,  si  r  particulier  s'entSte,  vous  allez  sur 
lui,  vous  montrez  qu'  vous  n'avez  point 
froid  aux  yeux  en  lui  disant :  "  Toi,  j'  te 
vas  sortir  !  "—Le  Cri  du  Peufle,  Janvier, 
1887. 

Particuliere,/  (general),  mistress. 
Ma  — ,  my  little  girl,  my  "lady- 
bird." The  word  had  formerly 
the  meaning  oi prostitute. 

Partie,/  (popular),  faireune  —  de 
traversin,  to  sleep  two  in  a  bed, 
"  to  read  a  curtain  lecture. "  Fille 
a  parties,  variety  of  prostitute. 
See  Gadoue. 

En  gen£ral,  pour  etre  admis  chez  elles, 
il  faut  y  etre  present^  par  un  habitud  de 
leurs  reunions  ;  elles  donnent  des  diners  et 
des  soirees. — L60  Taxil. 

Partir  (military),  la  paille  au  cul, 
to  be  discharged  ajter  having  been 
under  arrest  or  in  prison.  An 
allusion  to  the  straw  in  the  cells ; 

—  du  pied  droit,  to  act  against 
regulations ;  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar) —  pour  la  gloire,  to  get  drunk, 
or  "screwed."     See  Sculpter. 

Pas,  m.  (military),  mettre  au  — ,  to 
reprimand,   to  punish  ;  (thieves') 

—  si  cher  I  do  not  speak  so  loud ! 
hold  your  tongue !  "mum  your 
dubber ! "  (popular)  —  mal  .  .  . 


pour  le  canal  is  said  of  an  ugly 
woman. 

Pascailler  (thieves'),  to  supplant 
one. 

Pasclin,  pasquelin,  m.  (thieves'), 
country.  Le  boulanger  t'entroUe 
en  son  — ,  may  the  devil  take  you 
to  his  abode. 

Passade,  /.  (printers'),  pecuniary 
aid  allowed  to  workmen  for  whom 
work  cannot  be  found  ;  (familiar) 
temporary  intercourse  with  a  wo- 
man. Donner  une  — ,  to  place 
one's  hands  on  a  bather^ s  shoulders 
and  pass  over  him,  meanwhile 
sending  him  below  the  surface. 

Passant,   m.    (thieves'),   shoe,    or 

' '  trotter-case. " 
Passante,   f.     (thieves'),    shuttle. 

Pousser  la  — ,  to  weave. 

EUe  pousse  la  passante,  Ik-bas  it  Aube- 
rive  pour  du  temps,  va !  Elle  aura  de  la 
neige  sur  la  hurse  (tete)  quand  tu  la  re- 
verras. — Louise  Michel. 

Passe,/  (thieves'),  guillotine.  Etre 
gerbe  a  la  — ,  to  be  sentenced  to 
death.  Ecornifler  a  la  — ,  to  kill. 
(Prostitutes')  Faire  une  — ,  to 
m,eet  a  man  in  a  house  of  accom- 
modation. 

En  province  ...  les  maisons  de  la  plus 
haute  classe  sont  assez  luxueuse.s  sans  at- 
teindre  au  faste  sardanapalesque  des  lu- 
panars  aristocratiques  de  la  capitkie :_  le 
prix  de  la  passe  y  est  de  dix  francs,  cinq 
francs  au  minimum. — L60  Taxil. 

(Familiar)  Maison  de  — ,  house  of 
accojnmodation,  "  flash  drum." 

Passe,  adj.  (popular)  Stre  —  au 
bain  de  reglisse,  to  belong  to  the 
negro  race,  to  be  a  "  bit  o'  ebony." 
Negroes  go  by  the  appellations  of 
"  botte  a  cirage,  bamboula,  bille 
de  pot  au  feu,  boule  de  neige." 

Passe-cric,  m.  (thieves'),  passport., 

Passe-de-cambre,  /  (thieves'), 
slipper. 


3IO 


Passe-lacet — Passes. 


Passe-lacet,  m.  ({xccS&sx),  gay  girl, 
' '  mot."  For  list  of  synonyms  see 
Gadoue. 

Passe-lance,  m.  (thieves'),  doai. 
From  passer,  and  lance,  water. 

Passe-passe,  m.  (card-sharpers'), 
swindling  trick  at  cards,  which 
consists  in  passing  a  card  over. 
Joueur  de  — ,  swindler.  Rabelais 
uses  the  term  jouer  de  passe- 
passe  with  the  signification  of  to 
steal: — 

'    Qui  desrobe,  ravist  et  joue  de  passe- 
passe.  — Fantagruel. 

Passer  (popular),  au  bleu,  to  dis- 
appear;  (military)  —  a  la  casse- 
role, the  operation  consists  in 
placing  a  man  suffering  f!-o?n  a 
dangerous  venereal  disease  in  a 
vapour  bath,  and  leaving  him  there 
till  he  becomes  unconscious.  It  is 
for  him  a  case  of  "  kill  or  cure  ;  " 

—  au   dixi^me,   to  become  mad ; 

—  des  curettes,  to  make  a  fool  of 
one,  "to  bamboozle. " 

Mon  lapin,  faut  pas  qu'  5k  te  la  coupe, 
mais  j'suis  trop  ancien  au  peloton  pour 
qu'on  essaye  de  me  passer  des  curettes. — 
G.  COURTELINE. 

Passer  la  jambe  a  Thomas,  or  i 
Jules,  to  empty  the  privy  tub. 
(Familiar)  Passer  devant  la  glace, 
to  pay,  "to  shell  out."  An 
allusion  to  the  looking-glass 
behind  the  counter  of  cafes  or 
restaurants,  and  before  which  one 
must  stand  while  paying  for  the 
reckoning  ;  to  obtain  gratis  the 
favours  of  a  prostitute  at  a  brothel; 
—  devant  la  mairie,  to  get  married 
without  the  assistance  of  the  re- 
gistrar, to  live  "  tally  ;  "  —  la 
main  dans  les  cheveux,  to  praise, 
"to  give  soft  sawder."  Termed 
"  genuine  "  at  Winchester  School ; 
(general)  —  I'arme  a  gauche, 
to  die,  "to  kick  the  bucket."  See 
Pipe.  Termed,  in  the  English 
military  slang, "  tolosethe  number 
of  one's  mess." 


Un  criminel  que  la  d^auche 
Avait  conduit  ^  I'^chafaud, 
Au  moment  d'passer  I'arme  ^  gauche: 
Dit  \  I'oreille  du  bourreau  ; 

Y  a  plus  moyen  d'rigoler, 
Plus  d'cascades,  d'rigolades, 
C'est  inutir  d'essayer, 

Y  a  plus  moyen  d'rigoler  ! 

L60N  Gaenier. 

Se  —  quelque  chose  sous  le  nez, 
to   drink,    "to   liquor  up."    See 
Rincer.     (Shopmen's)  Passer  de- 
bout,  to  be  punctual  at  the  shop; 
(thieves')  —  a  la  plume,  to  be  ill- 
treated  by  u  detective,  "to  be  set 
about  by  a  nark  ;  "  —  a  casserole, 
to  -be  informed  against ;  — ^  a   la. 
fabrication,  to  be  robbed ;  —  a  la 
sorgue,   to  sleep,    "  to  doss  ;  "  — 
chez  paings,  or  au  tabac,  to  thrash; 
—  par  les  piques,  to  be  in  danger. 
Se  —  de  Ijelle,   not  to  get  one's 
share  of  booty,  or  "regulars;"  to 
find  nothing  to  rob.     (Theatrical> 
Ne  pas  —  la  rampe  is  said  of  an 
actor  or  play  that  find  no  great 
favour  with  the  public.    (Familiar)' 
Ne  pas  pouvoir,  or  ne  plus  pou- 
voir  —  sous  la  porte  Saint-Denis. 
is    said  of  an  unfortunate  man 
whose  wife  has  one  or  m-ore  lovers. 
(Roughs')    Passer    a    travers,    to 
thrash,  to  be  thrashed.    See  Voie. 
Se   —  le   chiffon,   to  wash  one's 
face.     (Police)  Passer  au  tabac,  to 
compel  a  prisoner  to  obey  by  ill- 
treating  him ;    —  la  censure,  to 
inspect  prisoners  so  as  to  pick  out 
old  offenders ;  (convicts')  —  sur  le 
banc,  to  be  flogged. 

Pass6-singe,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  very  cunning,  knowing 
man,  an  old  bird  not  to  be  caught 
by  chaff.  •  * 

Pas  d'9a  Lisette,  casquez  d'abord.  Je 
vousconnais,  vou.s  etes  marlou  mais  je  suis 
passS-smge.— ViDocQ.  XNeiu  of  your 
tricks  ;  pay  first  of  all.  I  know  you  ;  yoic 
area  cunning  fellow,  but  I  am  an  old  bird, 
not  to  be  caught  by  chaff.) 

Passes,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  shoes;  — 
k  la  rousse,  elegant  shoes. 


Passez-moi  lefil — Pate. 


Ill 


Passez-moi  le  fil  (military),  ironi- 
cal expression  which  may  be  ren- 
dered by,  hVell,  what  next  I 
•wonder  I 

Passifleur,?«.(popularand  thieves'), 
shoemakej',  or  "snob." 

Passifs,  m.  fil.  (printers'  and 
thieves'),  shoes. 

Et  mes  passifs,  d^jk  veufs  He  semelle, 
M'ont  aujourd  hiii  i-lante  1^  tout  Ji  fait. 
Ckajtson  du  Rouleiir. 

Pastille,  f.  (familiar),  venir  en  pas- 
tilles de  Vichy,  to  go  to  an  evening 
party  ivithout  having  been  invited 
to  the  dinner  which  precedes  it, 
Vichy  salts  facilitate  digestion. 
(Popular)  Pastille,  fifty -centime 
coin.  See  Moule.  Detacher 
une  —  dans  son  culbut-ant,  to  ease 
oneself  in  a  manner  whi^h  may  be 
better  described  by  the  Latin  word 
"crepitare." 

Pastiquer  (thieves'),  to  pass  ;  — la 
maltouze,  to  smtiggle.  From 
passer. 

Pastourelle,/  (military),  trumpet 
call  for  extra  drill. 

Patagueule,  adj.  andm.  (popular), 
one  who  gives  himself  airs  ;  a  con- 
ceited ass.  Etre  — ,  to  show  ridi- 
culous affectation. 

C'est  lui  qui  trouvait  5a  patagueule,  de 
jouer  le  drams  devant  le  monde  \  .  .  .  elle 
le  preiiait  peut-etre  pour  un  d^puceleur  de 
Dourrices,  venir  I'intimider  avec  ses  his- 
toires. — Zola. 

Patarasses,  f.  pi.  (thieves'),  small 
pans  made  of  rags  used  by  convicts  to 
avoid  the  painful  friction  of  their 
fetters. 

II  me  semble  encore  le  voir  sur  le  banc 
treize  faire  des  patara-sses  (bourrelets  pour 
garautir  les  jambes)  pour  l*s  fagots  (for- 
5ats). — ViDOCQ. 

Patard,  m.  (popular),  a  two-sous 
coin.     Termed  patac  by  Rabelais. 

Patatrot,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  le  — , 
to  decamp,  to  run  away.  The 
synonyms  for    various   kinds    of 


slang  are:  "Faire  la  fiUe  de 
I'air,  le  lezard,  le  jat  jat,  la  paire, 
eric,  gilles  ;  jouer  la  fille  de  I'air, 
se  deguiser  en  cerf,  s'evanouir,  se 
cramper,  tirer  sa  crampe,  se  lacher 
du  ballon,  se  la  couler,  se  donner 
de  I'air,  se,  pousser  du  Zeph,  se 
sylphider,  se  la  trotter,  se  la  courir, 
se  faire  la  debinette,  jouer  des 
fourchettes,  se,  la  donner,  se  la 
briser,  ramasser  un  bid  on,  se  la 
casser,  se  la  tirer,  tirer  ses  grinches, 
valser,  se  tirer  les  pincettes,  se  tirer 
des  pieds,  se  tirer  les  baladoires,  les 
pattes,  les  trimoires,  or  les  flutes  ; 
jouer  des  guibes,  or  des  quilles, 
se  carapater,  se  barrer,  baudrouil- 
ler,  se  cavaler,  faire  une  cavale, 
jouer  des  paturons,  happer  le 
taillis,  flasquer  du  poivre,  deca- 
niller,  decarer,  exhiber  son  prus- 
sien,  demurger,  desarrer,  gagner 
les  gigoteaux,  se  faire  une  paire  de 
mains  courantes  a  la  mode,  fendre 
I'ergot,  filer  son  noeud,  se  defiler, 
s'^carbouiller,  esballonner,  filer 
son  cable  par  le  bout,  faire  chibis, 
deraper,  fouiner,  se  la  fracturer, 
jouer  des  gambettes,  s'esbigner, 
ramoner  sestuyaux,  foutre  le  camp, 
tirer  le  chausson,  se  vanner,  am- 
bier,  chier  du  poivre,  se  debiner, 
caleter,  attacher  une  gamelle,  cam- 
per. "  In  the  English  slang : 
"To  skedaddle,  to  cut  one's  lucky, 
to  sling  one's  hook,  to  make  beef, 
to  guy,  to  mizzle,  to  bolt,  to  cut 
and  run,  to  slip  one's  cable,  to 
step  it,  to  leg  it,  to  tip  the  double, 
to  amputate  one's  mahogany,  to 
make  or  to  take, tracks,  to  hook  it, 
to  absquatulate,  to  slope,  to  slip  it, 
to  paddle,  to  evaporate,  to  va- 
mose, to  speel,  to  tip  your  rags  a 
gallop,  to  walk  one's  chalks,  to 
pike,  to  hop  the  twig,  to  turn  it  up, 
to  cut  the  cable  and  run  before 
the  wind." 

P^te,  m.  andf.  (artists'),  quality  of 
the  layer  of  colour  in  oil  paintings. 


312 


Pdti—Patte. 


(popular)  employer,  or  "boss." 
(Thieves')  Una  — ,  orpatte,  a  file. 
(Printers')  Mettre  en  — ,  to  allow 
a  forme  of  composition  to  fall,  the 
letters  getting  m,ixed  up  ;  to  make 
' '  pie. "  (Literary)  Pate  ferme,  an 
article  written  throughout  without 
any  blanks.  Se  mettre  en — ,tofall. 
Etre  mis  en  — ,  to  receive  a  blow 
or  a  wound  in  a  fight. 

Pits,  m.  {printers^),  type  of  different 
kinds,  which  has  got  mixed  up. 
Faire  du  — ,  to  distribute  such 
type.  PSte  de  la  veille,  meal  pro- 
vided for  the  compositors  who  are 
about  to  do  night  work.  (Popular) 
Pate  d'ermite,  walnut. 

II  ne  faisoit  chez  soi  plus  grand  festin  que 
de  pastez  d'hermite. — Qu'est-ce  que  cette 
viande  ? — Noix,  amandes,  noisettes. — Le 
Moyen  de  Parvenir. 

Pdt^e,  /  (popular),  thrashing, 
"walloping."    See  Voie. 

Patente,/  (popular),  bully's  cap. 

Patent^,  m.  (popular),  woman's 
bully,  "pensioner."  For  syno- 
nyms see  Poisson. 

Paternel,  m.  (students'),  father, 
"governor." 

Patinage,  m.  (popular),  liberties 
taken  with  a  woman,  "  slewther- 
ing,"  as  the  Irish  term  it,  or 
"fiddling." 

Patiner  (popular),  to  handle;  to 
take  liberties  with  a  woman  ;  —  le 
trottoir,  to  walk  the  street  as  a 
prostitute  ;  —  la  dame  de  pique, 
or  le  carton,  to  play  cards.  Se  — , 
to  hurry ;  to  run  away,  "  to 
brush."  See  Patatrot.  Se  — 
en  double,  to  hurry. 

Donnez-moi  votre  bagage  tout  en  bloc, 
que  j'arrange  tout  5a  en  deux  temps  et  cinq 
mouvements ;  il  s'agit  de  se  patiner  en 
double. — C.  Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Patissier,  m.  (popular),  sale  — , 
dirty  man,  "chatty;"  an  un- 
scrupulous, heartless  man. 


Patoche,  f.  (school-boys'),  cut  on 
the  hand  given  by  a  schoolmaster 
with  a  ruler ;  (popular)  hand, 
"daddle." 

Retire  tes  patoches,  colle-moi  5a  dans  un 
tiroir. — Zola. 

Patouiller  (popular),  to  handle. 

Patraque,  /.  (thieves'),  patrol. 
(Military)  Perdre  la — ,  to  become 
crazy. 

Au  colon  ?  C'est-y  que  tu  perds  la  pa- 
traque ?  Ou  c'est  qu'  t'as  vu  que  les  hommes 
punis  de  cellule  peuvent  causer  au  colonel  ? 
— G.   COURTELINE. 

Patrarque,      or      patraque,      f. 

(thieves'),  police  patrol. 

Mais  dejk  la  patrarque, 
Au  clair  de  la  moucharde 
Nous  reluque  de  loin. 

ViDOCQ. 

Patrie,  /  (Bohemians'),  chest  of 
drawers^ 

Patron,  m.  (military),  colonel. 
Termed  also  "colon." 

Patron-minette,  m.  (popular), 
dawn  ;  formerly  a'  gang  of  noto- 
rious rogues. 

Patrouille,  /  (popular),  gtre  en  — , 
to  have  drinking  revels,  '*  to  be 
on  the  tiles." 

Patte,  /  (artists'),  avoir  de  la  — , 
to  have  a  skilful  touch.  Une  — 
d'enfer,  a  dashing  style. 

Jeletransportaile  pi  us  fidelement  possible 
sur  ma  toile  .  ,  .  il  me  dit  d'un  ton  rogue  : 
'■  Cela  est  plein  de  chic  et  de  ficelles  ;  vous 
avez  une  patte  d'enfer."— Th.  Gautier, 
Les  Jeutte  France. 

(Popular)  Un  entonnoir  a  — ,  a 
wine-glass.  Fournir  des  pattes, 
to  go  away,  ' '  to  bunk. "  Se  payer 
une  paire  de  pattes,  or  se  tirer  des 
pattes,  to  run  away,  "to  crush." 
See  Patatrot. 

Un  fichu  tour  que  m'a  fait  un  voyageur, 
il  s'est  tir£  des  putes  pendant  que  ma 
berline  loulait.—Mimuires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

(Military)     Pattes     de     crapaud, 


Patte-d'oie — Pavillonner. 


313 


epaulets.  (Roughs')  Ramasser  les 
pattes  i  un  gas,  to  thrash  one,  "  to 
wallop"  one.  (Familiar  and  popu- 
lar) Pattes  delapin,  short  whiskers. 
Termed  also  "hauls  de  cote- 
lettes."    Aller  a  — ,  to  go  on  foot. 

Patte-d'oie,  f.  (popular),  cross- 
ways. 

Patu,  m.  (^oyii\s.x),  flat  cake. 

Paturer  (popular),  to  eat,  "to  grub." 
See  Mastiquer. 

Paturons,  m.  pi.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  feet,  "dew-beaters." 
Jouer  des  — ,  se  tirer  les  — ,  to 
run  away,  "to  brash,  to  guy." 
See  Patatrot. 

Paume,y;  (popular),  loss;  difficulty; 
fix.     Faire  une  — ,  to  fail. 

Paumer  (thieves'),  to  take,  "  to 
collar;"  to  apprehend,  "  to  smug." 
Eire  paume,  to  de  apprehended, 
"to  be  smugged." 

Tu  n'as  pas  oubli^  c't  escarpe  qui  apr^s 
avoir  voulu  buter  une  largue  sur  le  Pont  au 
Change,  se  jeta  k  la  lance  pour  dchapper 
\  la  poursuite  de  I'abadis  et  que  tu_  fis  en- 
quiller  chez  m^zigue  au  moment  ou  il  allait 
etre  paum6. — Vidocq. 

Paumer  la  sorbonne,  to  become 
mad,  or  "balmy."  Se  faire  — 
marron,  to  be- caught  in  the  act, 
red-handed.  Paume  marron, 
caught  in  the  act. 

■  Les  voilk,  comme  dans  la  chanson  de 
Manon,  "  tretous  paum^s  marrons." — Vi- 
docq. 

(Thieves'  and  cads')  Paumer,  to 
lose,  "to  blew."  T'es  i I'afifure ? 
Non,  j'ai  paume  tout  mon  carme. 
Have  you  made  any  profits  ?  No,  I 
have  lost  all  my  money.  Paumer 
son  fade,  to  spend  one's  money ; 
—  I'atout,  to  lose  heart. 

Paupifere,/.  (popular),  s'en  battre 
la  — ,  not  to  care  a  straw,  not  to 
care  a  "hang." 


Pauses,/.//,  (musicians'),  compter 
des  — ,  to  take  a  nap. 

Pav6,  m.  (familiar),  reclame,  over- 
done puff  which  misses  the  mark. 
An  allusion  to  the  proverbial 
pave  de  Tours,  or  act  of  an  ill- 
advised  friend  who,  thinking  to 
render  a  service,  does  an  ill  turn. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Des  paves, 
creditors. 

De  Ik  on  communiquait  avec  les  caves  et 
la  cour,  ce  qui  permettait  k  Tom  d'entrer, 
de  sortir,  sans  etre  vu,  d'eviter  les  facheux 
et  les  cr^anciers,  ce  qu'en  argot  parisien  ou 
appelle  les  "paves." — ^A.  Daudet. 

A  man  who  has  several  creditors 
living  in  a  street  which  he  deems 
prudent  to  avoid,  will  say,  "II 
y  a  des  barricades."  (Popular) 
Faire  la  place  pour  les  paves  a 
ressort,  to  pretend  to  be  looking  for 
some  work  to  do.  Inspecteur  des 
paves,  idle  fellow  who  pr^erssaun- 
tering  about  to  working.  N'avoir 
plus  de  paves  dans  la  rue  de  la 
gueule,  to  be  toothless.  ( Freema- 
sons') Pave  mosaique,  hall  of  meet- 
ing of  freemasons.  For  other 
expressions  connected  with  the 
word  see  Fusilier,  Gratter. 

Pavee,  f.  (popular),  rue  — ,  street 
where  one  may  fall  in  with  one's 
creditors,  and  which,  in  conse- 
quence, is  to  be  avoided.  See 
Paver. 

Paver  (familiar).  On  pave!  exclama- 
tion which  is  meant  to  denote  that 
a  certain  street  alluded  to  is  to  be 
avoided  as  being  frequented  by  one's 
creditors. 

Pavilion,  m.  (popular),  madcap; 
throat.  S'humecterle — ,  to  drink, 
"  to  wet,  or  whet  one's  whistle." 
See  Rincer. 

Pavillonner  (thieves'),  to  drink;  to 
make  merry. 

Knsuite  on  renquillera  dans  la  taule  k 
m^zigue  pour  refaiter  eourdement  et  che- 
numeht  pavillonner.  — VlDOCo. 


314 


Pa  vols — Peausser. 


Pavois,  adj.  (popular),  intoxicated, 
"screwed."  See  Pompette. 
Etre  — ,  to  be  intoxicated,  or  to 
talk  nonsense,  like  one  in  his  cups, 
like  one  "  cup  shotten." 

Pavoiser  (sailors'),  se  — ,  to  dress 
oneself  in  Sunday  clothes.  Etre 
pavois^  en  noir,  to  be  in  a  to^vering 
rage,  to  look  as  black  as  thunder. 

Payer  (popular),  se  —  une  cu- 
lotte,  to  get  drunk,  to  go  on  the 
"booze." 

J'  mets  pas  d'habit,  mais  sacrebleu  ! 
Faudra  que  j'  me  paie  un'  calotte. 

E.  Carr^. 

(Theatrical)  Faire  —  la  goutte, 
to  hiss,  "to  goose."  (Printers') 
Payer  son  article  sept,  to  pay  for 
one's  footing.  An  allusion  to 
some  regulation  of  printers'  by- 
laws. (Thieves')  Faire  — ,  to  get 
one  convicted. 

II  complota   de   me    faire  payer  (con- 
damner). — Vidocq. 

Payot,  m.  (thieves'),  convict  em- 
ployed as  accountant  at  a  penal 
settlement — an  office  eagerly  sought 
after. 

Pays,  m.  (literary),  Breda,  the 
Quartier  BrMa,  one  much  pa- 
tronized by  cocottes — a  kind  of 
Paris  Pimlico.  (Popular)  Le  — 
des  marmottes,  mother  earth. 
S'en  aller  dans  le  -^  des  mar- 
mottes, to  die,  "to  kick  the 
bucket."  (Familiar)  Le  —  des 
fourrures,  group  of  certain  specu- 
lators on  'Change. 

II  Pe  Krach)  a  jet6  I'alarme  parm!  les 
toquets  de  loutre  et  dans  le  Pays  des  four- 
rures. On  appelle  ainsi :  d'un  c6t6  les 
femmes  qui  jouent,  les  timbaliferes,  comme 
je  les  ai  aijpel^es  ;  de  I'autre,  des  gens  du 
monde  qui  se  groupent,  couverts  de  pale- 
tots fourr^s  d'astrakan  ou  de  loutre,  dans 
un  coin  de  la  Bourse. — J.  Claretie. 

Pays-Bas,  m.  pi.  (popular),  the 
breech,  or  "Nancy."  Properly 
the  Netherlands. 

Payse,  /  (military),  sweetheaii. 


Pchutt,  pschutt,  gratin,  vlan,  m, 

(familiar),  the  pink  of  fashion. 

Pchutteux,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar), 
dashing,  "  tsing  tsing ;  "  dandy, 
or  "masher."  For  synonymous 
expressions  see  Gommeux. 

Peau,  /.  (popular),  woman  of  ques- 
tionable character  ;  prostitute. 

Guyqui  m'prefere  une  Christiane  Ander- 
matt !  .  .  .  pare'  qu'elle  a  du  linge,  et  de 
r^ducation,  et  des  principes.  ...  A  faute 
bien,  parbleu  !  comm'  les  autres,  c'te  peau- 
1^,  _  mais  y  lui  faut  des  accessoires :  eul' 
Clair  d'lune,  des  mines.  — Le  Cridu  Peupte, 
14  Janvier,  1887. 

Une  —  de  chien,  same  meaning. 
For  list  of  synonyms  see  Gadoue, 
Une  —  de  bouc,  skinny  breasts. 
Une  —  de  lapin,  a  vendor  of 
checks  or  countermarks  at  a 
theatre.  Faire  la  —  de  lapin,  to 
sell  countermarks.  La  —  !  not 
blow  it  all!  Faire  ronfler  la  — 
d'ane,  to  beat  the  drum..  Pour  la 
— ,  for  nothing,  gratis.  Trainer 
sa  — ,  to  be  idling,  not  knowing 
what  to  do,  "to  loaf."  (Sailors') 
Peau  de  bitte  et  balai  de  crin, 
nothing,  not  a  farthing!  (Sol- 
diers') Peau  deballe,  de  libi,  orde 
noeud,  no,  nothing ;  —  d'zebe,  — 
d'balle  et  balai  de  crin,  nothing. 

Ici,  les  hommes  ed*  la  classe,  comme  v'lk 
moi,  ont  tout  juste  peau  d'zebe,  peau  d'balle 
et  balai  de  crin  !— G.  Courteline. 

II  est  poll  —  d'nceud,  he  is polilt, 
oh,  just!  (Printers')  La  peau, 
nothing  at  all. 

De  quoi  ?  on  nous  apprend  la  peau. 
Apres  le  bourrage  des  lignes,  basta.  Si  on 
fait  quelquechose  en  sortant  de  Ik  c'est  pas 
la  faute  au  type  qui  est  cens6  nous  faire 
1  €za\&.— Journal  des  Itnpri^jieiirs. 

Peaufiner     (popular),    to    impart 
finish  to  some  piece  of  work. 

Peausser  (thieves'),  se  — ,  to  dress 
oneself ;  to  disguise  oneself. 

.,  Bien,  je  vais  me  peausser  en  gendarme, 
J  y  serai ;  je  les  entendrai,  je  r^ponds  de 
tout.— Balzac,  Vajitrin. 


Peccavi — Pegrenne. 


315- 


Peccavi,  m.  (thieves ),  sin. 

Peche,  f.  (popular),  head,  or 
"tibby,"  see  Tronche;  coun- 
ienatue,  ox" -pinz."  Deposerune 
— ,  to  ease  oneself.  Se  faire  epiler 
la  — ,  to  get  oneself  shaved  at  the 
barber's.  Une  canne  a  — ,  a 
lanky  individual.  (Literary)  Une 
— a  quinze  sous,  cocotte  of  the  better 
sort,  a  "pretty  horse-breaker." 
The  expression  belongs  to  A. 
Dumas  fils. 
N'6taient-elles  pas    plus   sympathiques, 

ces  filies  de  Paris,  que  toutes  ces  drOlesses, 

pgches  a   quinze  sous   de    Dumas    ills, — 

Maxime  Rude. 

PScher  (familiar),  a  la  ligne.  See 
Ligne.  Pecher  une  friture  dans 
le  Styx,  to  be  dead.  AUer  —  une 
friture  dans  le  Styx,  to  die.  See 
Pipe. 

Pecheur.     See  Ligne. 

Pechon,  m.  (old  cant),  young 
scamp ;  child,  or  "kid." 

Pecoreur,  m.  (thieves'),  card- 
sharper,  or  "magsman;"  street 
thief,  or  "  gun."  The  latter  is  a 
diminutive  of  gonnuf,  or  gunnof. 
A  ' '  gim's  "  practice  is  known  as 
"gunoving." 

Pectoral,  m.  (familiar),  s'humecter 
le  — ,  to  drink,  "  to  have  a  drop 
of  something  damp,  or  to  wet 
one's  whistle."     See  Rincer. 

P6cune,  f.  (popular),  money, 
"  needful,  or  loaver."  See 
Quibus. 

La  lune  au  ras  des  flots  ^tincelants 
Casse  en  morceaux  ses  jolis  6cus  blancs. 

Bon  sang  !  que  de  p^cuiie  ! 
Si  ton  argent,  folle,  t'embarrassait 
Pourquoi  ne  pas  le  mettre  en  mon  gousset, 

Oh^,  la  Lune? 

RiCHEFiN,  Lci  Mer. 

Ped^,  or  ped^ro,  m.  (popular). 
From  pederaste,  Sodomist,  or 
"  gentleman  of  the  back  door." 

Pedzouille,  vi.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar),   peasant,   "  clod,    or   chaw- 


bacon  ; "     fellow     without     any 
energy  ;  coward. 

P^gale,  or  p6gole,  /  (popular), 
pawnbroker's  shop,  or  ' '  lug 
chovey." 

P^goce,  m.  ifiiievti'), louse,  "gold- 
backed  'un." 

P6gocier,  m.  (thieves'),  a  lousy 
individual,  a  "  ch&tty  "  fellow. 

Pegrage,  orp6grasse,  wz. (thieves'), 
theft,  "lay;"  thieving,  "prig- 
ging."    See  Grinchissage. 

Pegre,  m.  and  f.  (thieves'),  un  — , 
a  thief,  or  "  prig."  From  the 
Italian  pegro,  idle  fellow.  See- 
Grinche. 

Montron  drogue  St  sa  largue, 
Bonnis-moi  done,  girofie, 
Qui  sont  ces  p&gres-Ik  ? 
Des  grinchisseurs  de  bogues, 
Esquinteurs  de  boutogues, 
Les  conobres-tu  pas  ? 

ViDOCQ. 

Fielding  uses  the  term  "prig"' 
for  a  thief : — 

He  said  he  was  sorry  to  see  any  of  his- 
gang  guilty  of  a  breach  of  honour ;  that 
without  honour  "  priggery  "  was  at  an  end ; 
that  if  a  "  prig  "  had  but  honour  he  would 
overlook  every  vice  in  the  world. — Mr.. 
Jonathan  Wild  the  Great. 

Un  —  a  marteau,  rogue  who  con- 
fines his  attentions  to  property  of 
small  value.     La  p^gre,  the  con- 
fraternity of  thieves,    swindlers, 
burglars,  dr'c.,  or  "family-men." 
La   haute-pegre,    the    swell-mod. 
La  basse-pegre,  low  thieves. 
La  Haute- Pfegre  comprend  g^n^ralement 
tous  les  voleurs  en  habit  noir  ...  la  haute- 
pfegre  s'affirme  par  une  adresse  incompa- 
rable ;  la  basse-p&gre,  par  une  f6rocit^  qui  ne 
se  retrouve  que  dans  le  pays  des  cannibales. 
— Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Ciaude. 

Un  —  de   la  haute,  one  of  the 

swell-mob. 

II  rdsultera  la  preuve  que  le  susdit  mar- 
quis  est   tout  simplement  un  p^gre  de  lai 
haute. — ViDocy. 
P6grenne,  ' f    (thieves'),    hunger. 

"  Pigritia,"  says  V.  Hugo,  "  est 

un  mot  terrible.    II  engendre  un 


3i6 


P^gremier — P^kin. 


monde,  la  pegre,  lisez  le  vol,  et 
un  enfer,  la  pegrenne,  lisez  la  faim. 
Ainsi  la  paresse  est  mere.  EUe 
a  un  fils,  le  vol,  et  une  fiUe,  la 
faim."  Caner  la  — ,  to  be  starv- 
ing, "to  be  bandied. " 

Si  queuquefois  la  fourgate  et  Rupin  ne 
lui  coliaient  pas  quelques  sigues  dans  I'ar- 
guemine,  il  serait  forc6  de  caner  la  pe- 
grenne.— ViDOCQ.  {Should  the  receiver 
and  Rupin  not  put  some  money  in  his 
liand  iww  and  then  he  would  starve.) 

Pegrenner  (thieves'),  to  have  but 
scanty  fare;  to  suffer  from  hunger. 

Pegrer  (thieves'),  to  arrest,  "to 
smug ; "  to  steal,  "  to  claim."  See 
Grincher.  Pegrer,  to  bedestitute, 
to  be  "  quisby."  Je  me  suis  fait 
—  toute  ma  galette,  /  have  been 
"  done  "  ofallmy  "tin."  Je  viens 
de  —  I'artiche  a  son  gniasse,  je 
me  suis  fait  eric  et  la  riflette  a 
cavale  derriere  moi  pour  me  — , 
/  have  Just  eased  him  of  his  money 
and  the  policeinan  ran  after  me  to 
apprehend  me. 

Pegriot,  m.,  (thieves'),  young 
thief,  "ziff." 

Le  pegriot  debute  dans  cette  triste  car- 
riere  k  i'age  de  dix  k  douze  ans  ;  alors  il 
vole  aux  ^talages  des  ^piciers,  fruitiers  ou 
autres. — Canler. 

Pegriot,  thief  who  steals  only 
articles  of  small  value. 

Le  pegriot  occupe  les  derniers  degr^s  de 
r^chelle  au  sommet  de  laquelte  sont  places 
les  pegres  de  la  haute. — M^nwires  de  Can- 
ler. 

Bruler  le  — ,  to  obliterate  all  traces 
of  a  robbery  or  crime. 

Peigne,  m.  (thieves'),  key,  or 
"screw;  "(popular) — d'allemand, 
the  fingers.  The  expression  is 
old.     Rabelais  uses  it : — 

_  Apres  se  peignoit  du  peigne  de  Almaing, 
c'estoit  des  quatre  doigts  et  le  poulce. — 
Gargantua. 

Peigne-cul,  m.  (popular),  coarse, 
rude  fellovi ;  contemptible  fellow. 


Peign6e,  f.  (popular),  se  repasser, 
or  se  foutre  une  — ,  to  fight,  "to 
have  a  mill." 

Peigne  r  (popular),  avoir  d'autres 
chiens  a  — ,  to  have  far  more  im- 
portant things  to  do. 

Vous  comprenez  que  j'ai  d'autres  chiens 
Si  peigner  que  de  m'en  aller  chercher  des 
lits  dans  un  endroit  ou  il  n'y  en  a  pas. — 

G.   COURTELINE. 

Se  — ,  to  fight. 
Peintre,    ?«.    (military),    sweeper; 
the  broom  being  assimilated  to  a 
brush,  and  termed  "pinceau." 

Peinturlure,  /.  (familiar),  worth- 
less picture,  a  "daub." 

Peinturlurer  (familiar),  se  — ,  to 
paint  one's  face,  to  put  "slap" 
on. 

Peinturlureur,  m.  (familiar),  artist 
devoid  of  any  ability,  n.  "dauber." 

Peinturomanie,/  (familiar),  mania 
for  pictures. 

Pekin,  peckin,  or  pequin,  m. 
(military),  civilian.  Michel  traces 
it  to  pequichinus,  and  Du  Cange 
to  piquechien,  both  meaning  low 
fellow ;  but  more  probably  it  is 
meant  for  habitant  de  Pekin,  or 
it  originated  from  an  allusion  to 
the  cloth  called  pekin,  much  worn 
under  the  First  Empire  by  civilians. 

Je  suis  fantassin, 

Get  etat  j'l'aim'  bien 

Et  j'fais  autant  d'beguins,  ^ 

Que  si  j'^tais  peckin. 

£.  OuVKARD. 

The  expression  is  used  also  by 
civilians  with  the  signification 
of  man,  "  party."  The  term 
"  party  "  is  said  to  have  arisen  in 
the  old  English  justice  courts, 
where,  to  save  "  his  worship  '.'  and 
the  clerk  of  the  court  any  trouble 
in  exercising  their  memories  with 
the  names  of  the  different  plain- 
tiffs, defendants,  and  witnesses, 
the  word  party  was  generally  em- 


P/lago — Pelure. 


317 


ployed.  (Familiar  and  popular) 
Pekin  chic,  swell;  generous  or 
clever  fellow.  S'habiller  en  — ,  to 
dress  in  mufti.  (Popular)  Bous- 
culeur  de  — ,  workman  who  hates 
middle-class  people,  and  who  seeks 
to  annoy  them — a  mason,  for 
instance,  who,  going  by  a  well- 
dressed  person,  brushes  with  his 
sackful  of  plaster  against  the 
person's  coat,  &c.  (Saint-Cyr 
cadets')  Pekin  de  bahut,  a  cadet 
■who  has  finished  his  studies.  The 
word  "pekin"  is  synonymous  of 
"  chinois,"  a  term  of  contempt. 

Pelago,  or  P^lague,^;  (thieves'), 
the  prison  ofSainte-Pilagie,  where 
offenders  against  the  press  laws 
are  confined. 

On  I'a  fourrd  dans  la  tirelire 
Avec  les  pegres  d'Pdlago. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Pelard,  m.  (thieves'),  hay.     From 

pelouse. 
Pelarde,/  (thieves'),  scythe. 

P^laud,  pelo,  or  pelot,  m.  (popu- 
lar), sou.     Corruption  of  palet. 

Si  tu  fais  ce  coup-1^  j'arrose  de  deux 
litr's  de  marc  !    Qa  y  est,  fais  voir  tes  pe- 

lauds, — G.  COUETELINE. 

Pele,  m.  (thieves'),  main  road, 
"  high  Toby." 

Pelican,  m.  (thieves'),  peasant,  or 
' '  clod. "  (Popular)  Se  camoufler 
en  — ,  to  assume  the  garb  of  a 
peasant.  (Popular  and  thieves') 
Un  — ,  a  dressy  prostitute  of  the 
Boulevards. 

Pelle  (gay  girls'),  faire  danser  un 
homme  sur  la  —  i  feu,  to  make 
repealed  calls  on  a  man's  purse. 
(Popular)  Recevoir  la  —  au  cul, 
to  be  dismissed,  to  get  "  the  sack." 

Pelletas,  m.  (popular),  poor  devil. 
Pelo,  m.  (popular).     See  Pelaud. 
Pelochon,  orpolochon,  m.  (popu- 
lar), bolster.     Se  flanquer  un  coup 


de  — ,  to  sleep,  "to  doss.'' 
(Military)  Mille  pelochons !  a 
mild  oath,  "  darn  it." 

Pelotage,  m.  (ia.m\\\&x),flattery,  or 
"blarney;"  taking  liberties  with 
a  woman,  or  "  fiddling."  II  y  a 
du  — ,  is  said  of  a  wom-an  with 
fine,  well-developed  bosoms,  and 
other  charms  to  match, 

Peloter  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
thrash  ;  to  flatter  with  a  view  to 
obtaining  some  advantage  from. 
one. 

H  ne  blaguait  plus  le  sergent  de  ville  en 
I'appelant  Badingue,  allait  jusqu'k  lui  con- 
ceder  que  Teinpereur  6tait  un  bon  gargon, 
peut-6tre,  II  paraissait  surtout  estimer 
Virginie  . . .  c'dtait  visible ;  il  les  pelotait.^ 
Zola. 

Peloter  une  femme,  to  take  liberties 
withawoman,  "to  fiddle,"  or,  as 
the  Irish  term  it,  "  to  slewther  ;  " 
—  la  dame  de  pique,  orle  carton, 
to  play  cards ;  (thieves')  —  le 
carme,  to  gane  with  loving  and 
longing  eyes  at  the  gold  and  silver 
coinsinamoney-changer' swindow  ; 
(fencing)  — -  quelqu'un,  to  worst 
one  at  a  fencing  bout. 

Peloteur,  m.  (popular),  one  who  is 
soft-spoken,  plausible,  "mealy- 
mouthed."  Also  one  fond  of 
taking  liberties  with  the  fair  sex, 
fond  of ' '  fiddling,"  or,  as  the  Irish 
have  it,  of  "  slewthering." 

Peloton  de  chasse,  m.  (military), 
extra  drill.  Termed  "  hoxter  " 
at  the  R.  M.  Academy. 

Ca  vaut  tout  de  m8me  mieux  qu'une 
heure  de   peloton  de  chasse. — G.  CouK- 

TELINE. 

Pelouet,  m.  (thieves'),  wolf. 

Pelure,/  (general),  coat,  or  "ben- 
jamin." A  parallel  expression  in 
furbesche  is  "  scorza,"  coat,  pro- 
perly bark. 

Et,  en  un  tour  de  main,  vous  auront  forc6 
d'essayer  un  habillcment  complet,  du  ga- 
lurin  (chapeau),  aux  ripatons  (souliers). 


3i8 


Pendante — Pkre. 


■en  passant  par  le  culbutantj  qui  est  le  pan- 
'talon,  et  par  la  limace  qui  esc  la  chemise. 
Puis  apres  que  vous  leur  aurez  payd  quinze 
francs  une  pelure  (paletot),  qu'elles  vous 
^aisaient  cent  cinquante. — P.  Mahalin. 

Pendante,  f.  (thieves'),  earring ; 
luatch guard,  or  "slang," 

Pendu,  in.  (Saint-Cyr  cadets'),  in- 
structor at  the  military  school  of 
Saint-Cyr;  (popular) — glace,  street 
lamp  of  olden  times.  (Drapers') 
Pendu,  piece  of  cloth  stj-etched  out 
and  hung  up. 

Les  pieces  de  drap  sont  ^tale'es  dans  de 
'Vastes  couloirs  et  suspendues  dans  toute 
Jeur  longueur,  Ce  sont  ces  pieces  de  drap 
que  Ton  nomme  des  pendus, — Mac6,  Mon 
.Premier  Crime. 

Pendule,  f.  (popular),  a  plumes, 
acock,  or  "roo.ster, "  Remonter 
sa  — ,  to  thrash  one's  wife,  "  to 
quilt  one's  tart. "  (Thieves')  Faire 
le  coup  de  la  — ,  to  hold  a  man 
with  his  head  down  and  shake  him 
so  that  his  money  drops  on  the 
ground.  English  thieves  term 
this  "  hoisting,"  and  hold  it  to  be 
no  robbery. 

Peniches,  /.  pi.  (popular),  shoes, 
or  "trotter-cases."  See  Ripa- 
tons. 

Penitence,  /.  (gamesters'),  etre 
en  — ,  to  be  tinable  to  play  through 
want  of  money. 

Etre  en  penitence  \  IMonte-Carlo,  ne  pas 
jouer,  Elles  sont  en  penitence  pour  la 
journ^e,  la  seinai.it  ou  la  fin  du  mois,  parce- 
qu'elles  ont  perdu  ce  qu'elles  avaient  k 
jouer. — Revue  Politique  et  Litteraire. 

Penitencier,  m.  (prisoners'),  one 
who  has  been  sentenced  to  be  ijn- 
prisoned  in  a  house  of  correction, 

Penne,/.  (thieves'),  key, ox  "screw," 
' '  plume  "  being  &  false  key. 

Pente,  /  (thieves'),  pear.  Pro- 
bably from  pendre.  (Popular) 
Avoir  une  — ,  to  be  the  worse  for 
liquor,  or  "  screwed."  For 
synonyms  see  Pompette. 


Pepette,  /  (popular),  fifty -centime 
coin.     Des  pepettes,  tnoney. 

Un    retentissant  succbs   k   pdpettes,  — 
Trublot,  Le  Cri  du  Peuple. 

Pepin,  m.  (familiar),  umbrella, 
"gingham,  or  mush."  (Popu- 
lar) Avoir  un  —  pour  une  femme, 
to  fancy  a  woman,  "  to  be  mashed 
on,  or  to  cotton  on"  to  a  woman. 
Deposerun — ,  to  ease  oneself ,  "to 
go  to  the  chapel  of  ease."  See 
Mouscailler.  Avoir  avaleun — , 
to  be  pregnant,  "to  have  a  white 
swelling." 

Pepitier,  m.  (literary),  adventurer 
who  seeks  to  make  his  fortune  in 
business  in  the  colonies.  From 
pepite,  nugget. 

Percer  (familiar),  en  —  d'un  autre 
(d'un  autre  tonneau),  to  relate 
another  story. 

Perche,  /.  (popular),  etre  a  la  — , 
to  starve. 

Perche  a  houblon,  /  (military). 
Formerly,  before  the  suppression 
of  the  regiments  of  lancers,  a  lance. 
Also  very  tall,  thin  man,  "sky- 
scraper, or  lamp-post." 

Percher(thieves'  and  popular),  to  go 
to  bed.  Termed  also  "  pagnotter, 
bacher." 

Perdre  (popular),  le  goflt  du  pain, 
to  die,  "  to  snuff  it."  See  Pipe. 
Faire  —  le  goflt  du  pain,  to  kill. 
See  Refroioir.  Perdre  ses  bas, 
not  to  know  what  one  is  about 
through  absence  of  mind  or  other- 
wise ;  —  son  baton,  to  die,  see 
Pipe.  Perdre  sa  clef,  to  suffer 
from  diarrhea  ;  —  un  quart,  to  at- 
tend a  friend's  funeral. 

Perdrix  hoUandaise,  /.  (sports- 
men's), pigeon. 

Pere,  ?«.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
caillou,  wary  man,  or  "  chick- 
a-leaiy  bloke,"  not  to  be  entrapped 
by  gamblers.  Petit  —  noir  de 
quatre  ans,  a  wine  tankard  hold- 


Pkre-Lackaise — Persigner. 


319 


ingfour  litres.  (Thieves')  Le  — 
la  reniflette,'br  le —  des  lenifleurs, 
the  prefect  or  head  of  the  police. 
Petit  —  noir,  small  wine  tankard. 

Bravo  !  s'ecrierent  tous  les  bandits  en  em- 
poignant  les  petits  pferes  noirs.  A  la  sant6 
<iu  birbe. — Vidocq. 

Le  —  coupe-toujours,  the  execu- 
tioner. (Artists')  Pere  eternel  a 
trois  francs  la  seance,  a  model 
who  poses  for  holy  subjects  ;  (gay 
girls')  —  douillard,  he  who  keeps  a 
girl,  who  has  ' '  douille,"  or  money. 

Pere-Lachaise.  See  Contre- 
marque. 

Perir  (popular),  se  — ,  to  commit 
suicide. 

J'avais  Tintention  de  me  p6rir  soit  avec 
du  poison,  soit  en  me  jetant  Si  I'eau. — 
Canler. 

Peritoine,  m.  (popular)  tu  t'en 
ferais  eclater  le  — ,  expressive  of 
refusal,  ' '  don't  you  wish  you  may 
get  it  ?  "  or  "  yes,  in  a  hom,"  as 
the  Americans  say.     See  Nfefles. 

Peritorse,  m.  (students'),  coat,  or 
overcoat. 

Perlot,  m.  (popular),  tobacco, 
"  baccy."     From  perle. 

Perlotte,  /  (tailors')  button-hole. 

Permanence,  f.  (gamesters'),  a 
series  of  numbers  which  turn  up  in 
succession  at  roulette  or  trente  et 
quarante. 

Permission,  f.  (familiar),  de  dix 
heures,  a  kind  of  lady's  overcoat : 
bludgeon ;  sword  -  stick.  (Mili- 
tary) Avoir  une  —  de  vingt-quatre 
heures,  to  be  on  guard  duty.  La 
—  trempe,  leave  which  is  expected, 
but  not  much  hoped  for.  Se 
faire  signer  une  — ,  to  hand  one  a 
leaf  of  cigarette  paper,  and  to  ob- 
tain from  him  in  return  the  tobacco 
•wherewith  to  roll  a  cigarette. 


Perpendiculaire,  /  (thieves'  and 
cads'),  watch-guard,  or  "slang." 
Secouer  la  ■ — ,  to  steal  a  watch- 
guard,  "  to  claim  a  slang." 

Perpete,  /.  (thieves'),  a  — ,  for 
life.  Etre  gerbe  a  — ,  to  be  sen- 
tenced to  transportation  for  life,  to 
be  booked  for  a  "  lifer." 

Perpignan,OT.  (coachmen's),  whip- 
handle.  It  appears  that  the  best 
vphip-handles  come  from  Perpig- 
nan. 

Perroquet,  m.  (familiar),  glass  of 
absinthe.  Asphyxier,  etouffer, 
etrangler,  plumer,  or  tortiller 
un  — ,  to  drink  absinthe.  Perro- 
quet de  savetier,  blackbird.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark  that  blackbirds 
are  great  favourites  with  cobblers 
in  all  countries. 

Perruche,  /  (popular),  glass  of 
absinthe. 

Perruque,  adj.  and  f  (familiar), 
old-fashioned.  (Popular)  Faire  en 
— ,  to  procure  anything  by  fraud. 
Used  especially  by  workmen  in 
reference  to  any  of  their  own  tools 
procured  at  the  expense  of  tlie 
master. 

Perruquemar,  in.  (popular),  hair- 
dresser. From  perruquier.  Termed 
also  "  merlan." 

Perruquier,  m.  (military).    Dache, 

—  des  zouaves,  an  imaginary 
charcu:ter.  AUez  done  raconter 
cela  a  Dache,  tell  that  to  the 
marines.  (Popular)  Perruquier 
de  la  crotte,  shoeblack. 

Persiennes,  /  pi.  (popular),  spec- 
tacles, "barnacles,  or  gig-lamps." 

Persigner  (thieves'),  to  break  open  ; 

—  une  lourde,  to  break  open  a 
door,  "  to  strike  a  jigger  ; "  —  un 
client,  to  cheat  a  man,  "  to  slick 
a  cove." 


320 


Persil—Pet. 


Persil,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
the  world  of  cocottes  who  frequent 
places  of  entertainment, 

L'excentrique  aventure  d'un  de  ses  mem- 
bres,  heros  du  "Persil"  et  de  la  *'  Gomme." 
—A.  Daudet. 

Aller  au  — ,  cueillir  le  — ,  tra- 
vailler  dans  le  — ,  faire  son  — ,  to 
walk  the  street  as  a  prostitute,  or 
to  be  seeking  for  clients  in  public 
places. 

La  grande  lorette  qui  a  chevaux  et  voi- 
tr.re,  et  qui  fait  son  persil  autour  du  lac, 
au  bois  de  Boulogne. — L^o  Taxil. 

Ces  dames  du  — ,  prostitutes  in 
general.     Le  jour  du  — ,  day  on 

which  a  public  entertainment  is 
patronized  by  cocottes. 

C'est  le  grand  jour  du  Cirque,  Jour  du 
persil  et  du  gratin  ;  le  jour  des  demoiselles 
qui  se  respectent  et  qui  sont  seules,  du  reste, 
k  remplir  cette  fonction  et  des  messieurs 
dont  la  boutonni^e  se  fleurit  d'un  gardenia 
achet6  un  louis  ^  la  bouquetifere  du  cercle. 
— P.  Mahalin,  Mesdames  de  Caur-Vo- 
lant. 

Persillard,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), Sodomite  who  lounges  about, 

Voici  comment  un  douillard,  celui  qui 
cherche  son  persillard  ou  sa  persilleuse,  se 
reconnait. .  .  .  Le  douillard  porte  une  canne 
a  bee  recourbd.  II  fait  un  l^ger  attouche- 
ment  de  sa  canne,  ou  de  I'^paule  gauche 
k  r^paule  droite  du  persillard. — Mitnoires 
de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Persilleuse,  f.  and  adj.  (familiar 
and  popular),  street-walker,  or 
"mot."    SeeGadoue. 

La  fille  persilleuse  attend  son  miche  k  la 
gare. — Mimoires  de  Monsieur^  Claude. 

Also  a  Sodomite. 

La  persilleuse  est  toujours  cravat^e  (cra- 
vat£,  voulais-je  dire)  k  la  colin  ;  sa  coiffure 
est  une  casquette  dont  la  visi&re  de  cuir 
vemi  tombe  sur  les  yeux  et  sert  en  quelque 
sorte  de  voile ;  elle  porte  une  redingote 
courte  ou  une  veste  boutonn^e  de  mani^re 
k  dessiner  forlement  la  taille  qui  d^jk  est 
maintenue  dans  un  corset. — Ijba  Taxil, 

Personne,  f.  (familiar),  la  — ,  my 
mistress,  my  "little  girl,"  or 
"  tartlet."     (Popular)  Aller  oi  le 


roi  n'envoie  — ,  to  go  to  the  W.C., 
"to  Mrs.  Jones."  See  Mous- 
cailler. 

Perte,y;  (thieves'),  a  —  de  vue,for 
life.  Fagot  h.  —  de  vue,  one  sen^ 
tenced  to  penal  servitude  for  life, 
or  "lifer." 

Pertuls,  m.  (popular),  aux  legumes, 
the  throat,  or  "  gutter-lane.'' 
Faire  tour-mort  et  demi-clef  sur 
le  —  aux  legumes,  to  throttle  one. 

Pesciller,  pesciguer  (thieves'),  to^ 
seize,  to  lay  hold  of ,  "  to  collar  ;"■ 
—  d'esbrouffe,  to  take  by  force. 

Quel  mal  qu'il  y  aurait  k  lui  pesciller 
d'esbrouffe  tout  ce  qu'elle  nous  a  esgar6,  la 
vieille  altriqueuse. — Vidocq.  {What harm 
•would  there  be  in  taking  away  from  her 
by  force  all  that  she  has  swindled  us  out 
of,  the  old  receiver?) 

Se  — ,    to  get  angry,    "to   lose 
one's  hair,  to  lose  one's  shirt." 

P6se,  or  pfeze,  m.  (thieves'),  col- 
lectionofnumeymadeamongthieves 
at  large  for  the  benefit  of  one  who 
is  locked  up  in  jail,  "break, 
or  lead;"  mjiney,  or  "pieces." 
See  Quibus.  Descendre,  or  fu- 
silier son  — ,  to  spend  one's 
money. 

Pessigner  (thieves'),  to  raise. 

Es-tu  sinve  (simple  !),  tu  seras  roidegerbd 
k  la  passe  (condamn^  k  mort).  Ainsi,  tuj 
n'as  pas  d'autre  lourde  k  pessigner  (porte 
k  soulever)  pour  pouvoir  rester  sur  tes  pa- 
turons  (pieds),  morfiler,  te  dessaler  et 
goupiner  encore  (manger,  boire,  et  voler). — 
Salzac. 

Peste,  /  (thieves'  and  cads'),. 
police  officer,  or  "  reeler."  See 
Pot-4-tabac. 

Pet,  m,  (popular),  i  vingt  ongles, 
baby.  Abouler  un  —  k  vingt 
ongles,  to  be  in  childbed,  "  in  the 
straw."  Faire  du  — ,  to  kick  up 
a  row.  Faire  le  — ,  to  fail  in 
business,  "to  go  to  smash." 
Glorieux  comme  un  — ,  insuffer- 


Petage—PtHer. 


321 


ably  conceited.  Curieux  comme 
un  — ,  extremely  inquisitive.  II 
y  a  du  — !  things  look  danger- 
ous ;  there  is  a  row.  II  n'y  a  pas 
de  — ,  there's  nothing  to  be  done 
there ;  all  is  quiet,  "all  serene." 
(Thieves')  II  y  a  du  —  !  the  police 
are  on  the  look-out !  Pet !  a  rogues 
warning  cry  when  he  hears  foot- 
steps or  the  police,  "  shoe-ieather  ! 
Philip  !"    Termed  also  "  chou  1" 

Petage,  m.  (thieves'),  trial,  "pat- 
ter." 

Petarade,  /.  (thieves'),  la  — ,  the 
hospital  of  La  Salpitrilre. 

Petard,  m.  (artists'),  sensational 
picture.  The  Salomi  of  Henri 
Regnault,  his  masterpiece,  be- 
longs to  that  class  of  paintings. 
Rater  son  — ,  is  said  of  an  artist 
whose  success  in  producing  a  sen- 
sation at  the  Exhibition  has  fallen 
short  of  his  expectations.  (Lite- 
rary) Petard,  sensational  book 
which  has  a  large  sale. 

Pourquoi  ce  qui  n'avait  pas  r^ussi  jusqu'- 
alors^  a-t-il  6t6,  cette  fois,  un  ev^nement  de 
4ibrairie?  ce  qu'on  appelle,  en  argot  artis- 
tique,  un  petard.  — Gazette  des  Tribunaux, 
1882. 

Also  a  sensational  play. 

Si  je  fais  du  theatre,  ce  sera  pour  etre 
jou6,  et,  tout  en  le  faisant  comma  je  cora- 
prends  qu'fl  doit  etre, — I'image  de  la  vie. 
Je  ne  casserai  aucune  vitre,  ne  lancerai 
aucun  petard. — Zola. 

(Popular  and  thieves')  Petard, 
the  behind.  It  has  also  the  signi- 
fication of  sou. 

J'aimerais  mieux  encore  turbiner  d'achar 
du  matois  k  la  sorgue  pour  aifurer  cinquante 
petards  par  luisant  que  de  goupiner. — 
ViDOCQ.  (/  had  rather  work  hard  from 
morning  tilt  night  to  get  Ji/ty  sous  a  day 
itian  to  steal.) 

(Popular)  Petard,  a  box  on  the 
ear,  or  "  bang  in  the  gills ; "  dis- 
turbance, noise,  quarrel,  scandal. 


Faire    du    — ,    to   create  a  dis- 
turbance, "  to  kick  up  a  row." 

J'saisben  c'que  vousm'dit's  :  qu'il  est  tard. 
Que  jlsaloche  et  que  j'vagabonde. 
Mais  j'suis  tranquiU',  j'fais  pas  d'p6tard, 
Et  j'crois  qu'la  rue  est  a  tout  I'monde. 

RlCHEl'JN. 

Des  petards,  haricot  beans.   Faire 
du  — ,  to  make  a  fuss. 

Inutile  de  faire  tant  de  petard  .  .  . 
rhomme  de  garde  refuse  de  se  lever,  c'est 
trfes  bien,  j'en  rendrai  compte  au  major. — 
G.  COURTELINE. 

Petarder  (popular),  to  create  a  sen- 
sation ;  to  cause  scandal,  or  a  dis- 
i.trbarue,  "  to  kick  up  a  row." 

Pctardier,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
causes  scandal,  or  a  disturbance. 

Pet6e,y;  (popular),  se  ilanquer  une 
faineuse  — ,  to  have  a  regular 
"booze."     See  Sculpter. 

Pet-en-l'air,  m.  'popular),  short 
■acket. 

CoHtre  I'habit  l^ger  et  clair 
La  loutre  a  perdu  ]a  bataille. 
Nous  arborons  le  pet-en-l'air, 
Et  les  femmes  ne  vont  qu'en  taille. 

RiCHEPlN. 

Peter  (thieves'),  to  make  a  complaint 
to  the  magistrates ;  (popular)  — 
dans  la  main  a  quelqu'un,  to  be 
unduly  familiar  with  one  ;  to  fait 
in  keeping  one's  promise  ;  —  dans 
le  linge  des  autres,  to  wear  bor- 
rowed clothes  ;  —  dans  la  soie,  to 
wear  a  silk  dress  ;  —  sur  le  mas- 
tic, to  forsake  work  ;  to  send  one 
to  the  deuce.  Faire  —  la  cha- 
taigne,  to  make  a  woman  of  a 
maiden.  Se  faire  —  la  panne,  to 
eat  to  excess,  "  to  scorf."  S'en 
faire  —  la  sous-ventriere.  See 
Faire.  (Sailors')  Peter  son  lof, 
to  die.  See  Pipe.  (Military)  Tu 
t'en  ferais  —  le  compotier,  ironi- 
cal expression  of  refusal, 

Et  pour  porter  mon  sabre  sous  le  bras, 
macache,  c'est  midi  sonn6 ;  tu  t'en  ferais 
p^er  I'compotier.— G.  Courteline. 


322 


Pite-sec — Petit-creve. 


Pite-sec,  m.  (popular),  strict  em- 
ployer, who  never  trifles,  and  is 
not  to  be  trifled  with. 

PCLBur,  m.  (thieves'),  complainant; 
informer,  "nose." 

Peteux,  m.  (popular),  breech.  See 
Vasistas.  (Thieves')  Etre  — ,  to 
feel  remorse. 

t>etit,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
bleu,  rough  wine,  such  as  is  re- 
tailed at  the  Paris  vfine-shops ; 
(popular)  —  homme  nok,  tankard 
of  wine;  —  noir,  coffee;  — pere 
noir  de  quatre  ans,  tankard  of 
■wine  holding  four  litres  ;  —  pot, 
paramour.  Lingfere  a  —  crochet 
(obsolete),  female  rag-picker. 

Ma  mere  voyant  qu'elle  ne  froit  rien 
dans  le  m^quier  d'actrice  publique  pour  le 
chant  voulut  entrer  dans  rcommerce  et 
s'mit  lingere  \  p'tit  crochet. — Amusemens 
d  la  Grecque. 

Petit  sale,  baby,  "  squeaker." 
Termed  also  "gluant." 

Avec  mes  ronds  (sous)  te  voil^  fad^ 
(muni,  qui  a  reiju  sa  part).  Tu  pourras  te 
payer  ton  petit  sal6  (enfant)  de  carton. 
-Oui,  r^pondit-il,  merci.  Mais  tout  de 
meme  j'aimerais  mieux  en  piger  un  d'oc- 
case,  ^  la  foire  d'empoigne.  Ca  serait  plus 
mariolle  (malin).  Et  avec  la  galette  (ar- 
gent) j'acheterais  ^  la  daronne  des  oranges 
et  du  trefle  a  blaire  (tabac  i.  priser). — 
RlCHEPlN.  Le  Pavi. 

(Prostitutes')  Le  — ,  the  behind. 
(Roughs')  Un  — ,  a  cigarette  end 
long enoughtobe smoked.  (Thieves') 
Du  —  monde,  lentils.  Un  — 
faisan.  .See  Bande  Noire.  Des 
petits  pois,  pimento,  allspice. 
(Sodomites')  Petit  Jesus,  a  de- 
based wretch,  the  abettor  of  another 
who  obtains  money  from  persons 
by  threats  of  exposure. 

Le  chanteur  est  un  homme  jeune  encore 
.  .  .  toutefois,  seul,  il  ne  peut  * '  travailler ;  '* 
il  lui  faut  un  compare,  .  .  .  puis  un  jeune 
et  beau  garcon   qu'il  appelle  un   "petit 


J^sus,"  enti^rement  vendu  ^  ses  int^rSts, 
ayant  perdu  tout  sentiment  d'honnetetd,  de 
pudeur.  .  .  .  Celui-ci  doit  servir  d'appeau. 
— L4o  Taxil. 

(Familiar)  Bon  —  camarade  is 
said  ironically  of  an  ill-disposed 
malevolent  colleague.  (Prostitutes') 
Petit  Jesus,  lover  or  associate  of 
a  prostitute,  "  Sunday  -  man." 
(Printers')  Aligner  les  petits  sol- 
dats  de  plomb,  to  compose. 

Quand  on  salt  bien  aligner  les  petits  sol- 
dats  de  plomb,  on  vous  colle  devant  une 
casse,  et  vous  bourrez  k  quart  de  pieces ; 
un  peu  plus  tard  vous  avez  demi-pifeces  et 
ga  vous  mene  k  la  fin  de  I'apprentissage.— 
FroTn  a  Paris  printers  newspaper. 

(Tailors')  Petits  boeufs,  appren- 
tices. 

Pourquoi  des  coupeurs,  des  culottiers, 
des  giletiers  .  .  .  des  pompiers,  des  tartares 
(apprentis)  nomm^s  aussi  petits-bosufs. — 
Mac6,  Mon  Premier  Crime. 

Petit  -  bocson,  m.  (popular), 
chtirch.    Termed  also  rampante. 

Petit -crev6,  m.  (familiar),  dandy, 
or  "masher."  For  synonyms  see 
Gommeux.  A  dandy  in  the 
seventeenth  century  went  by  the 
quaint  appellation  of  "  quand  pour 
Philis."  In  explanation  M.  Genin, 
in  his  Recreations  Philologiques, 
says  that  all  the  fops  of  the 
period  thought  themselves  bound 
to  be  able  to  sing  a  certain  ditty 
which  was  then  all  the  rage  and 
began  by  the  words,  "Quand  pour 
Philis."  Hence  the  expression. 
Tallemant  des  Reaux,  in  his 
Historiettes,  says  of  a  certain 
Turcan  : — 

Turcan  ne  saurait  vivre 
S'il  ne  fait  le  coquet  j 
A  I'une  il  donne  un  livre 
Et  ^  I'autre  un  bouquet 
II  dit  de  belles  choses, 
Ne  parte  que  de  roses,' 
Que  d'oeillets  et  de  lys  : 
C'est  un  quand-pour- Philis. 

Scarron  also  mentions  the  expres- 
sion : — 


Petite— Phe. 


323 


A  cette  heure  de  tous  cost^s, 
Arrivent  ici  des  beaut6s, 
Qu'y  n'y  viennent  qu'k  la  nuit  sombre  ; 
A  ceste  heure  quand-pour-Philis 
Poudrez,  frisez,  lui&ans,  polis, 
Les  appelans  soleils  ^  I' ombre, 
Leur  disent  fleurettes  sans  nombre, 
Sur  leurs  roses  et  sur  leurs  lys. 

Petite,  adj.  (familiar),  dame,  an 
euphemism  for  "cocotte,"  or 
"  pretty  horse-breaker." 

II  arrivera  que  les  "  petites  dames,"  bien 
conseill^es  par  les  "  petits  messieurs,"  com- 
prendront  qu'elles  out  inimiment  plus  d'a- 
vantages  k  nous  poursuivre  devant  les 
juges — qu'k  se  faire  suivre  sur  les  boule- 
vards.—£<r/w  de  Paris,  Oct.,  1886. 

Petite  main,  girl  apprenticed  to  a 
Jieuriste. 

Petit-hotel,  m.  (thieves'),  police 
station.  Faire  une  pose  au  — ,  to 
be  locked  up  in  jail,  "to  be  in 
quod." 

Petit-que,  m.  (printers'),  semi- 
colon. 

II  est  ainsi  nommd  parceque  le  signe  (;) 
rempla^ait  autrefois  le  mot  latin  ^ve  dans 
les  manuscrits  et  les  premiers  hvres  im- 
primis.—Boutmy. 

Petits,  adj.  (familiar),  messieurs,  • 
despicable  young  men  who  live  at 
the  expense  of  prostitutes — in  fact, 
"pensioners"  with  an  obscene 
prefix.  (Rag-pickers')  Charger  des 
—  produits,  to  work  at  rag- 
picking. 

Petmuche,  m .  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
a  signal  that  people  are  approach- 
ing, "  Philip  !  or  shoe-leather  ! " 
Acremuche,  il  y  a  une  retentis- 
sante ;  y  a  du  —  voila  le  lonsgue. 
Look  out,  there's  a  bell;  someone 
is  coming;  heris  the  master  of  the 
house. 

P^toche,  /  (popular),  Stre  en  — , 
to  follow  close  in  the  rear,  at  one's 
heels. 

P£touze,  f.  (old  cant),  pistole,  old 
coin. 


P6tra,  m.  (popular),  clumsy  man, 
awkward  lout. 

Petrole,  m.  (popular),  brandy,  or 
"French  cream." 

Des  bouges  ofi  se  rassemble  la  racaille 
de  I'dgout,  oil  les  faces  blfemes  sont  souvent 
tatou^es  de  poclions  noirs,  oil  il  coule  par- 
fois  du  sang  dans  les  saladieis  gluants  de 
vin  bleu,  oS  les  pierreuses  viennent  se  don- 
ner  du  cceur  kl'ouvrage  en  avalant  un  verre 
de  petrole  qui  leur  flanque  un  coup  de 
fer  rouge  dans  I'estomac. — Richepin,  Le 
Paiii. 

Allumer  son  — .     See  AUumer. 

P6troleur,  m.  (familiar),  oppro- 
brious name  given  to  the  insur- 
gents of  1870. 

Petronille,  f.  (popular),  devisser 
la  — ,  to  smash  one's  head. 

Petrouskin,  m.  (popular),  idle 
fellow,  or  "  bummer ;  "  breech, 
or  "  Nancy,"  see  Vasistas ; 
peasant,  "clod." 

Petun,  m.  (o'bsolete),  tobacco;  snuff. 
From  a  Brazilian  word. 

P6tuni6re,  /  (popular),  snuff-box, 
"sneezer." 

Petzouille,  m.  (popular),  the  be- 
hind, or  "  Nancy."  See  Va- 
sistas. 

Peuple,  m.  (popular),  faire  un  — , 
to  be  on  the  staff  of  supernume- 
raries at  a  theatre.  Se  foutre  du 
— ,  to  act  as  if  one  cared  for  no- 
body's opinion.  Est-ce  que  vous 
vous  foutez  du  — ?  Do  you  mean 
to  laugh  at  me  ? 

Peuplier,  m.  (popular),  large  twist 
of  tobacco, 

P^vouine,  f.  (sailors'),  little  girl, 
a  wee  lassie. 

Pfeze,  m.  (thieves'),  money,  or 
"pieces."     See  Pfese. 

Je  voudrais  bien  que  tous  les  chouettes 
zigues  qui  m'ont  fait  afFurer  du  pbze  puis- 
sent  en  dire  autant. — ^VlDOCQ.  (/  wish  all 
the  jolly  fellows  inho  ?nade  me  earn  some 
money  could  say  as  fnuck.) 


324 


Phalanges — Piano. 


Phalanges,  f.  pi.  (familiar),  serrer 
les  — ,  to  shake  hands,  ' '  to  tip 
one's  daddle." 

Pharamineux,  adj.  (familiar), 
astounding,  marvellous,  "  stun- 
ning." 

Vous  savez.  Nana  vient  d'arriver  .  .  . 
oh  !  une  entrde,  mes  enfants !  quelque  chose 
de  pharamineux  ! — Zola, 

Phare,  m.  (printers'),  lamp.  Pro- 
perly lighthouse. 

Pharmacppe,  m.  (popular),  apothe- 
cary, "pill-driver." 

Pharos,  or  pharaut,  m.  (old  cant), 
governor  of  a  town.  Michel 
thinks  the  word  comes  from  the 
Spanish  faraute,  head  man. 

Philaiitrope,  m.  (pedlars'),  thief, 
"prig."  For  synonyms  see 
Grinche. 

Philibert,  m.  (thieves'),  thief, 
' '  prig ;  "  swindler  'or  sharper, 
"shark."     See  Grinche. 

Philippe,  m..  (popular),  silver  or 
gold  coin.  An  allusion  to  the 
effigy  of  Louis  Philippe. 

On  dit  que  tu  as  poiss^  nos  phiHppes  (fi- 
lout^  nos  pieces  d'or). — Balzac. 

Philippine,  /  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar). When  a  person  cracks  an 
almond  for  another,  should  there 
be  a  double  kernel,  he  ■vih.o  cries 
out  first,  "  Bonjour,  Philippine  ! " 
can  exact  a  present  from  the  other. 
The  word  seems  to  be  a  corrup- 
tion of  the  German  vielliebchen. 

Philistin,  »z.  (artists'),  a  man  who 
belongs  to  a  different  set,  an 
outsider,  a  bourgeois,  a  "  Philis- 
tine." The  Slang  Dictionary  ssiys: 
"  Society  is  supposed  to  regard  all 
outside  its  bounds  as  belonging 
to  the  Philistine  world.  Bohe- 
mians regard  all  cleanly,  orderly 
people  who  conform  to  conven- 
tionahty  as  Philistines ; "  (medical) 
medical  man  who,  not  being  on 


the  staff  of  an  hospital,  visits  the 
establishment,  generally  prolong- 
ing his  stay  more  than  is  pleasant 
or  convenient  for  the  members  of 
the  staff ;  (tailors')  journeyman 
tailor.  In  the  English  slang  a 
Philistine  is  a  policeman.  The 
German  students  call  all  towns- 
people not  of  their  body  ' '  Philis- 
ter,"  as  English  ones  say  ' '  cads. " 
The  departing  student  says,  mourn- 
fully, in  one  of  the  Burschenlieder: 
"  Muss selbernun Philister  .'^ein  !" 
i.e.  "  I  must  now  PhiHstine  be  !  "■ 

•Philosophe,  m.  (popular),  poverty- 
stricken,  or  "  quisby ;  "  old  or 
cheap  shoe. 

Plus  d'une  ci-devant  beautd,  aujour- 
d'hui  rdduite  k  Thumble  caraco  de  drap,  k 
la  jupe  de  molleton  et  aux  sabots,  si  elle  ne 
pr^fere  les  "philosophes  " (souliers a  quinze, 
vingt  et  vingt-cinq  sols). — Vidocq. 

Philosophe,  rag-picker,  or ' '  bone- 
grubber."  Philosophes  de  neuf 
jours,  shoes  out  at  the  sole. 
(Thieves')  Un — ,  one  of  the  light- 
fingered  gentry,  see  Grinche; 
card-sharper  who  dispenses  with 
the  assistance  of  an  accomplice. 

Philosophie,/  (populax),  poverty, 
neediness. 

Photographier  (popular),  allez 
vous  faire  — ,  go  to  the  deiue,  "  go 
to  pot." 

Pi,  parler  en  — ,  to  add  "pi"  to- 
each  syllable  of  a  word.  Thus 
couteau  becomes  coupiteaupi. 

Piaf,  m.  (thieves'),  pride  )  boasting, 
"  bouncing." 

Pianiste,  m.  (popular),  executionir's 
assistant.  He  is  the  accompanyist 
to  the  executioner,  the  principal 
performer. 

Piano,  m.  (horse-dealers'),  jouer 
du  — ,  is  said  of  a  horse  which  has 
a  disunited  trot.  Maitresse  de 
— .     See  Maitresse. 


Pianoter — Pictmi. 


32s 


Pianoter  (familiar),  to  be  a  poor 
performer  on  the  piano. 

On  ne  devait  pas  pianoter  pendant  la 
nuit  — Balzac. 

Piau,  m.  (printers'),  falsehood, 
"cram."  Fromlapeau !  nonsense! 
(thieves')  bed.  Pincer  le  — ,  to  go 
to  bed,  to  get  into  "kip."  See 
Pieu. 

PiauUe,  piole,  or  pioUe,  f. 
(thieves'),  house,  "crib,  hangs-out, 
ken  ;  "  tavern.  Same  origin  as 
picter.  La  —  ,a  I'air  rupin, 
therms  plenty  to  steal  in  that  house. 

Piausser  (thieves'),  to  sleep,  "  to 
doss. "  Se  — >  to  dress ;  to  go  to 
bed.     See  Pieu. 

lis  sont  all^s  se  piausser  (se  coucher) 
chez  Bicetre. — ViDOCQ. 

(Printers')    Piausser,    to    lie;    to 
humbug. 

Piausseur,    m.    (printers'),    liar ; 


Picaillons,  m.  pi.  (popular),  moruy, 
"tin."  SeeQuibus.  Avoir  des 
— ,  to  be  well  off,  or  "well  bal- 
lasted." Picaillons  is  probably  a 
corruption  of  picarons,  Spanish 
coin. 

Picanti,  adj.  (thieves'),  gau  — , 
lotise,  "  gold-backed  'un."  See 
Basourdir. 

PicColet,  or  picolo,  m.  (popular), 
thin  wine.  From  picton,  which 
itself  comes  from  the  Greek  viCiv, 
through  picter. 

Le  suave  fromage  \  la  pie  .  .  .  et  qu'ils 
mangeaient  avec  un  chanteau  de  pain  bis, 
avant  de  boire  un  gobelet  de  picolo,  de  ce 
vert  petit  reginglard  qui  leur  piquait  un 
cent  d'^pingles  dans  la  gorge. — Richepin, 
Le  Pave. 

Piche,  m.  (popular),  tor  pique, 
spades  of  cards. 


Pichenet,  m.  (popular),  thin  mine. 
See  Picton. 

Le  pichenet  et  le  vitriol  Tengraissaient 
positivement. — Zola. 

Pickpocketer  (familiar),  to  pick 
pockets. 

Picorage,  m.  (thieves'),  highway 
robbery. 

Picoure,  f.  (thieves'),  hedge.  De- 
flotter,  or  defleurir  la  — ,  to  steal 
linen  laid  out  on  a  hedge  to  dry, 
"luUy  prigging."  A  thief  who 
steals  linen  is  termed  "snow- 
gatherer.  "  La  —  est  fleurie,  there 
is  linen  on  the  hedge,  "snowy  on 
the  ruffman." 

Picter  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
drink,  "to  liquor  up,"  or,  as  the 
Americans  say,  "to  smile,  or  to 
see  the  man."     From  the  Greek 


Laissez-le  done,  nous  le  ferons  picter  k 
la  refaite  de  sorgue. — ^Vidocq.  (Leave 
him  alone,  tv^lt  make  him  drink  at 
dinner.) 

Picter  des  canons,  to  drink  glasses 
of  wine. 

Comme  moi  gagne  de  la  pi^ce, 
Tu  pourras  picter  des  canons, 
Et  sans  aller  trimer  sans  cesse, 
Te  Idcher  le  Un  tigaudon. 
Ne  crains  pas  le  prd  que  je  brave. 
Car  de  la  bride  je  n'ai  pas  peur ; 
Dans  une  t61e  enquille  en  brave, 
Fais-toi  voleur ! 

ViDOCQ. 

Allons  —  un  kil,  let  us  go  and 
drink  a  litre  of  wine.  Picter  du 
pivois  sans  lance,  to  drink  wine 
without  water.  Picter  une  rouil- 
larde,  to  drink  a  bottle  of  wine. 
La  —  i  la  douce,  to  sit  over  a 
bottle  of  wine. 

Picton,  m.  (popufar  and  thieves'), 
wine.  Termed  also  "picolo, 
nectar,  ginglet,  ginglard,  pichenet, 
briolet,  pivois,  bleu,  petit  bleu, 
vinasse,  blanc,  huile, "  &c    Picton 


326 


Pictonner — Pieds. 


sans  lance,  wine  without  water, 
Un  coup  de  — ,  a  glass  of  wine. 

Encore  un  coup  d'picton. 

La  mere  Bernard,  il  n'est  pas  tard. 

Encore  un  coup  d'picton 

Pour  nous  mettre  k  la  raison. 

Old  Song. 

Pictonner  (popular),  to  drink 
heavily,  "  to  swill."  See  Rincer. 

Pictonneur,  »z. (popular),  drunkard, 
"lushington."     See  Poivrot. 

Pifece,  /  (military),  de  quatre, 
syringe;  —  grasse,  cook,  or 
"  dripping  ; "  —  de  sept,  stout 
»/««,"  forty  guts ; "  (freemasons') 

—  d'architecture,  speech;  (literary) 

—  de  boeuf,  gushing  article  on 
the  topics  of  the  day;  (theatrical) 

—  de  boeuf,  u  flay  in  which  one 
obtains  the  most  success;  —  k 
tiroirs,  play  with 'transformation 
scenes; —  d'ete,  bad  play ;  (pros- 
titutes') —  d'estomac,  loTjer, 
"  Sunday  man."  (Thieves')  Vol 
i  la  —  forcee.  This  kind  of  theft 
requires  two  confederates,  one  "of 
whom  tenders  in  payment  of  a 
purchase  a  marked  coin.  His 
friend  then  steps  in,  makes  a  pur- 
chase, and  maintains  he  has  paid 
for  it  with  a  coin  of  which  he 
gives  a  description,  and  which  of 
course  is  found  in  the  till  by  the 
amazed  tradesman.  (Popular)  Une 

—  du  pape,  or  Suisse,  an  ugly 
woman.  La  —  de  dix  sous,  or  de 
dix  ronds,  the  anus.  N'avoir  plus 
sa  —  de  dix  ronds,  to  be  a  Sodomite. 
Cracher  des  pieces  de  dix  sous, 
to  be  parched,  dry. 

Coupeau  yoyant  le  petit  horloger  cracher 
l^^bas  des  pifeces  de  dix  sous,  lui  montra  de 
loin  une^bouteille  ;  et,  I'autre  ayant  accepts 
de  la  tete,  il  lui  porta  la  bouteille  et  un 
verre. — ZoLA. 

The  English  have  the  expression, 
"  to  spit  sixpences,"  to  be  thirsty. 

He  had  thought  it  a  rather  dry  discourse ; 
and  beginning  to  spit  sixpences  (as  his 
laying  was),  he  gave  hints  to  M.  Wild- 


goose  to  stop  at  the  first  public-house  they 
should  come  to  —  Graves,  Spiritual 
Quixote. 

Pied,  m.  (popular),  a  dormir  debout, 
large  flat  foot ;  —  de  cochon, 
pistol,  or  "  barking  iron  ; "  —  de 
nez,  one  sou  ;  —  plat,  a  Jew,  or 
"mouchey,  Ikey,  or  sheney." 
Mettre  a  — ,  to  dismiss,  "to give 
the  sack."  En  avoir  son  — ,  to 
have  had  enough  of  it.  (Thieves') 
Pied  de  biche,  short  crowbar,  or 
"jemmy."  Termedalso  "Jacques, 
I'enfant,  Sucre  de  pomme, 
biribi."  Le  — ,  the  ground; 
termed  also  "la  dure;"  share, 
or"whack."  Mon — ,  ou  je  casse ! 
my  share,  or  I  peach,  or  "my 
whack,  or  I  blow  the  gaff."  (Mili- 
tary) Pied,  or  —  bleu,  recruit, 
or  "  Johnny  raw. " 

_  Je  t'en  fiche  ;  y  prend  un  air  digne,  toise 
rinfirmier  du  haut  en  has,  et  te  I'engueule 
comme  un  pied. — G.  Courteline. 

Pied  de  banc,  sergeant.  There 
are  just  as  many  sergeants  in  a 
company  as  there  are  feet  to  a 
bench. 

Les  sous-officiers  sont  I'^me  de  I'armee  si 
les  ofiiciers  en  sont  la  tete ...  les  soldats  le 
saventet  le  disent  bien,  et  se  rendant  compte 
de  I'utilite  de  ces  humbles  subaltemes,  ils 
les  appellent  les  pieds  de  banc.  Enlevez 
un  officier  k  la  compagnie,  nul  ne  s'apercevra 
du  vide ;  6te2  un  sergent  elle  deviendra 
boiteuse.  —  Hector  France,  V Homme 
qui  Tue. 

Pieds,  m.pl.  (popular),  avoir  mange 
ses  — ,  to  have  an  offensive  breath. 
Se  tirer  des  — ,  to  go  away,  to  run 
away,  "to  hook  it."  See  Pata- 
trot.  Ou  inets-tu  tes  pieds? 
what  are  you  meddling  about? 
(Military)  Avoir  les  —  de  chalit, 
to  be  particular,  careful.  Avoir 
les  —  nattes,  to  feel  a  disinclina- 
tion forgoing  out,  or  not  to  be  able 
to  go  out.  (Printers')  Pieds  do 
mouche,  notes  in  a  book,  generally 
printed  in  small  type.  (Thieves') 
Avoir  les  —  attaches  dans  le  dos, 


Pier — Pieu. 


327 


to  be  doited  by  the  police,  "  to  get 
a  roasting."  (Popularand  thieves') 
Benir  des  pieds,  to  be  hanged,  ' '  to 
swing,  to  be  scragged. "  Termed 
formerly  "  to  fetch  a  Tyburn 
stretch,"  or  "  to  preach  at  Tyburn 
Cross, "  alluding  to  the  penitential 
speeches  made  on  such  occasions. 
In  olden  times  a  hanged  person 
was  termed  in  France  "eveque 
des  champs,"  alluding  to  the  cap 
which  was  drawn  over  the  face  of 
the  convict,  and  which  represented 
the  mitre,  also  to  the  convulsive 
movements  of  his  legs.  It  was 
the  custom  to  erect  the  gallows 
in  the  open  country.  Hence  the 
expression,  ' '  eveque  des  champs 
qui  donne  la  benediction  avec  les 
pieds. " 

Pier  (thieves'),  old  word,  to  dnnk. 
In  English  slang,  "  to  liquor  up, " 
and,  as  the  Americans  term  the  act, 
"to  smile,"  or  "to  seethe  man." 
See  Rincer. 

Pierre,/  (popular),  kaffuter,  bread, 
or  "soft  tommy;"  (freemasons') 
—  brute,  bread ;  (thieves')  —  de 
touche,  confrontation  of  a  male- 
fcutor  with  his  victim  or  with  wit- 
nesses, 

Pierreau,  m.  (military),  recruit,  or 
' '  Johnny  raw. "  Also  soldier  who 
has  been  for  one  year  in  the  corps. 

lis  tranchaient  les  questions  d'un  mot, 
■  . .  consid^raient  du  haut  de  leur  impor- 
tance les  brigadiers  qu'ils  qualifiaient  de 
bleus  et  de  pierreaux,  comme  s'ils  fussenc 
arrives  de  la  veille. — G.  Courteline. 

Pierreuse,  /.  (popular),  prostitute 
of  the  lowest  class,  who  generally 
prowls  near  heaps  of  stones  on  the 
road,  or  in  building  yards, 
"draggle-tail."  See  Gadoue. 
Concerning  this  class  of  prosti- 
tutes Leo  Taxil  says :  "II  est 
une  classe  absolument  ignoble, 
qui  est  la  lie  des  filles  en  carte ; 
les  pierreuses.  On  donne  ce  nom 
a  un  genre  particulier  de  femmes 


qui  ont  vieilli  dansl'exercice  de  la 
prostitution  du  plus  bas  etage  .  .  . 
elles  sortent  la  nuit .  .  .  elles  sta- 
tionnent  aupr^s  des  chantiers  ou 
a  proximity  des  terrains  vagues." 
Pierrot,  m.  (popular),  ^/aw  of  white 
wine.  Asphyxier  un  — ,  to  drink 
a  glass  of  white  wine.  Pierrot, 
properly,  is  a  pantomimic  cha- 
racter with  face  painted  white  and 
dressed  in  white  attire.  (Hair- 
dressers') Pierrot,  application  oj 
lather  on  the  face ;  (military) 
recruit,  or '  'Johnny  raw. "  Termed 
also  "bleu." 

Les  anciens  commencerent  par  faire  la 
sourde  oreille,  supporterent  avec  patience 
les  quollbets  et  les  piqures  d'aiguille 
jusqu'au  jour  ou  un  "pierrot,"  tout  nou- 
vellement  arriv^  .  .  .  regut  une  paire  de  ca- 
lottes.—G.  Courteline, 

Also  bad  soldier  who  shirks  his 
duty  and  incurs  pttnishment. 

De  temps  en  temps,  I'adjudant  Flick,  en 
cherchant  ses  deux  "pierrots."  constatait 
leur  _  disparition.  Les  deux  pierrots  .  .  . 
s'^taient  donn€  un  peu  d'air.  Ces  bord^es 
duraient  six  journ^es,  au  bout  desquelles 
ils  revenaient  fiers  comme  des  paons,  fri- 
sant  la  desertion  de  cinq  minutes. — G. 
Courteline. 

Piesto,  m.  (popular),  vioney^  **the 
needful,  gilt,  or  loaver."  See 
Quibus. 

Pifetre,  m.  (thieves'),  rogue  who 
plays  the  lame  man  so  as  to  excite 
the  co7nmiseration  of  the  public, 

Pieu,  m.  (thieves*),  crossbar;  — 
de  la  vanterne,  crossbar  of  a 
7vindo7V  ;  (popular  and  thieves') 
bed.  From  old  word  piautre, 
straWi  rags.  Hence  the  old  peaul- 
traille,  canaille,  ragamuffins.  An 
instance  of  the  insertion  of  the  i 
is  shown  by  pieu,  a  stake,  from 
pau. 

Les  pant's  sont  couchds  dans  leurs  pieux, 
Par  consequent  je  n'gen'  personne. 
Laissez-moi  done  !  j'suis  un  pauy'  vieux. 
Oil  qu'  vous  m'emm'nez,  messieurs  d'la 
Sonne  ? 

RiCHEPlN. 


328 


Pieut^— Pigeon. 


Spelt  also  pieux. 

Des  que  le  rtfveil  entendras 
Tes  deux  chassis  ^pongeras ; 
La  botte  aux  Cocos  donneras, 
Et  ieur  crottin  enlfeveras, 
A  la  chambre  remonteras 
Faire  ton  pieux. 

Les  Litanies  du  Cavalier. 

Se  coller  dans  le  — ,  to  go  to  bed, 
to  get  into  the  "kip."  Etre  en 
route  pour  le  — ,  to  feel  sleefy. 
Etre  rive  au  — ,  to  be  passionately 
attached  to  a  woman. 
Pieute,  adj.  (popular),  Stre  — ,  to 
be  in  bed. 

II  r^fl^chit,  partag^  entre  I'inquietude 
de  coucher  le  soir  k  la  boite  et  le  plaisir  de 
rester  "pieutd" — G.  Courteline,  Les 
Caietis  de  fSscadron. 

Pieuvre,y;  (familiar),  kepi  vioman. 
Properly  octopus.     See  Gadoue. 

Pieuvrisme,  m.  (familiar),  prosti- 
tution ;  the  world  of  prostitutes. 

Pif,  or  pifre,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  nose,  "  handle,  conk, 
or  snorter."  See  Morviau.  The 
word  ' '  pifre  "  is  used  by  Rabelais 
with  the  signification  oifife.  It  is, 
therefore,  not  improbable  that  the 
nasal  organ  received  the  appella- 
tion on  account  of  its  being  assi- 
milated to  that  wind  instrument, 
the  more  so  as  other  parts  of  the 
body  bear  the  names  of  musical 
instruments,  as  trompette,  or 
musette,  face;  sifHet,  throat; 
guitare,  or  guimbarde,  head; 
grosse  caisse,  body ;  fldtes,  legs  ; 
mirliton,  nose. 

Ou  que  j'vas  ?  ga  vous  r'garde  pas. 
J'vas  ou  que  j'veux,  loin  d'oii  que  j'suis. 
CesE  k  c6t4  tout  pr6s  d'lk-bas. 
Mon  pif  marche  d  vant,  et  je  I'suis. 

'    RiCHEPlM. 

C'est  pas  pour  ton  — ,  thats  not 
for  you.  (Thieves')  Etre  dans  le  — 
comme  grinche,  to  be  noted  as  a 
swindler.  (Prostitutes')  Faire  un 
—  d'ocas,  to  find  a  client,  or 
"flat." 


J'ai  fait  que  poiroter  sous  les  lansquines 
en  battaijt  mon  quart  pour  faire  un  pif 
d'ocas,  qui  me  donne  de  quoi  que  mon 
marlou  ne  m'dreinte  pas  de  coups. — Louise 
Michel. 

Piffard,  m.  (popular),  the  possessor 
of  a  nose  remarkable  on  account  of 
its  large  proportions  or  vermilion 
hue,  like  that  of  a  drunkard,  an 
"Admiral  of  the  Red,"  whose 
nasal  organ  bears  "grog  blossoms." 

Piffe,  m.  (thieves'),  breech,  or 
"  blind  cheek. "     See  Vasistas. 

Piffer  (popular),  to  be  discontented, 
or  to  look  disappointed,  "  down  in 
the  mouth."  Synonymous  of 
"  faire  son  nez." 

Pige,/  (thieves'),_v«o'',  or  "stretch;" 
hour;  prison,  or  "stir."  See 
Motte.  (Familiar)  Faire  la  — ,  to 
race.  (Printers')  Pige,  a  certain 
number  of  lines  to  be  composed  in 
an  hour.  Prendre  sa  — ,  to  ascer- 
tain the  length  of  a  page  or  column. 

Pigeon,  m.  (card-sharpers').  Elever 
des  pigeons,  to  entice  dupes  into 
playing  in  order  to  fleece  them  of 
their  money.  (General)  Pigeon, 
agullibleor  soft  person,  a  "pigeon." 
The  vagabonds  and  brigands  of 
Spain  also  used  the  word  in  their 
"  germ  ania,"  or  robber's  language, 
"palomo,"  ignorant,  simple.  In 
the  sporting  world  "sharps  and 
flats  "  are  often  called  "  rooks  and 
pigeons  "  respectively— -sometimes 
"spiders  and  flies."  When  the 
' '  pigeon  "  has  been  done,  he  then 
is  entitled  to  the  appellation  of 
"muggins."  Pigeon  voyageur,  o 
girl  of  indifferent  character  who 
travels  up  and  damn  a  line  seeking 
for  clients.  (Cocottes')  Avoir  son 
— ,  to  have  found  a  client,  to  have 
a  "flat."  (Theatrical)  Pigeon, 
part  payment  of  a  fee  due  to  an 
author  by  the  manager  of  a  theatre. 
( Familiar)Ailede — ,old-fashioned. 
An  allusion  to  the  headdress  pre- 


Pigeonner — Filer. 


329 


served  by  emigres  on  their  return 
to  France. 

Pigeonner  (familiar  and  popular), 

to  dupe,  or  "  to  do." 

Dans  celle-lSi,  ce  n'est  plus  moi  qui  pige, 
c'est  moi  qui  suis  pigeonn^, — Mimoires  de 
MoTisiettr  Claude. 

Pigeonnier,  m.  (familiar),  the  bou- 
doir of  a  cocotte. 

Piger  (general),  to  detect ;  to  take, 
"to  collar;"  to  apprehend,    "to 
nab." 
Eh  !    la  Gribouille,   comment    que  t'as 

ele  pig^e,  die  une  vagabonde  k  une  autre. 

— Louise  Michel. 

Piger,  to  understand,  "  to  twig," 

or,  as  the  Americans   say,    "  to 

catch  on." 

Moi  aussi  .  .  .  mais  piges-tu,  pas  de 
braise ;  ceux  qu'ont  du  poignon  dans  les 
finettes  peuvent  decauUler. — Louise  Mi- 
chel. {Okt  I  also  .  .  .  but  do  you  utider- 
stand,  no  money ;  those  who  have  money 
in  thiir pockets  can  go.) 

Piger,  to  race  ;  to  compete, 
Et  je  vous  jure  bien  que  dans  cette  foule 
de  Allcttes  de  magasin  qui  descendent  en 
capeline,  .  .  .  petites  gueules  fraiches  tous- 
sotant  k  la  brume,  toujours  talonndes  de 
quelque  galant,  aucune  n'aurait  pu  piger 
avec  elle.— A.  Daudet. 

Piger,  to  find. 

Tiens,  Via  Casimir,  c'est  ta  femme,  cette 
colombe-lk?  oil  as-lu  pig€  ce  canasson-lk, 
c'est  bon  pour  le  museum,  mon  cher. — 
Eaumaine  et  Blondelet,  Les  Locu- 
tions Vicieuses. 

Piger  la  vignette,   to  look  atten- 
tively and  with  pleasure  on  some 
funny  person  or  amusing  scene, 
"  to  take  it  in."     Se  faire  — ,  to 
allow  oneself  to  be  detected  or  ap- 
prehended; to  allow  oneself  to  be 
done,    or   "  bested."      Piger,    to 
catch,  "  to  nab." 
On'grimp'  pas  su'  les  parapets  ! 
,  Attends  !  attends  !  j'y  vas  ...  ere  garce, 
Pig6,  j'te  tiens  !    Dit's  done,  c'est  farce 
Tout  d'm6me. 

Gill. 

Piget,  orpipet,  m.  (thieves'),  castle. 
The  root  of  this  word  is  pigeon, 
in  the  Low  Latin  pipio. 


Pignard,  m.  (thieves'),  breech,  or 
"  blind  cheek. "     See  Vasistas. 

Pignocher  (popular).  Means  pro- 
perly to  pick  one's  food.  Se  — , 
to  fight,  "  to  slip  into  one  an- 
other ; "  (artists')  to  put  too  much 
finish  in  a  work. 

Pignouf,  m.  (general),  one  who  be- 
haves like  a  cad;  coarse  fellow  ; 
mean,  paltry  fellow. 

J'ai  vu  que  tu  avais  par  moments  ennuy6 
les  critiques.  Tu  sais,  il  ne  faut  pas  faire 
attention  k  eux,  c'est  des  tas  de  pignoufs. 

—  E.  MONTEIL. 

(Shoemakers')  Pignouf,  «//;'i?K^/«, 
the    master    being    denominated 
"  pontife,"     and      a     workman 
"gniaf." 
Pignoufle,  m.  (general),  cad. 

La  faille  rose  braquant  sa  jumelle — "  A 
qui  en  ont-iis  ces  pignoufles  ?  "—P.   Ma- 

HALIN. 

Pigoche,^:,  a  game.  Some  coins 
being  placed  inside  a  circum- 
ference traced  out  on  the  ground, 
are  to  be  knocked  out  of  it  by 
aiming  with  another  coin. 

Nous  arrachions  tout,  les  boutons 
Des  T)0rtes  et  des  pantalons 
Pour  la  pigoche. 

De  Chatillon. 

The  word  has  passed  into  the 
language. 
Pile  !  (popular),  exclamation  uttered 
when  one  sees  a  person  falling,  or 
hears  a  smash  of  crockery  or  other 
article.  Properly  tails!  at  pitch 
and  toss.  Termed  also  d'autant  ! 
a  favourite  ejaculation  of  waiters. 

Piler  (popular),  du  poivre,  to  walk 
on  the  tips  of  one's  toes  on  account 
of  blistered  feet;  to  wait ;  to 
slander.  Faire  —  du  poivre  a 
quelqu'un,  to  throw  one  down  re- 
peatedly. Piler  le  bitume  is  said 
of  u  prostitute  who  walks  the 
streets  ;  (military)  —  du  poivre,  to 
mark  time  ;  to  be  on  sentry  duty  ; 


330 


Pilier — Pincer. 


to  ride  a  hard  trotting  horse ;  — 
du  poivre  k  quelqu'un,  to  forsake 
one  ;  to  leave  off  keeping  company 
with  one. 

Ah  !  pompon  du  diable  !  il  y  a  longtemps 
que  j'avais  envic  de  lui  piler  du  poivre. — 
C.  Dubois  dh  Gennes. 

Piler  le  poivre,  to  be  on  sentry 
duty. 
Pilier,  m.  (familiar),  de  cabaret, 
drunkard,  or  "  mop."  See 
Poivrot.  (Thieves')  Le  — ,  the 
master.  Un  —  de  boutanche,  a 
shopman.  Un — ,  the  master  of  a 
brothel.  Un  —  de  pacquelin,  a 
commercial  traveller. 

Quel  fichu  temps  !  <;e  pilier  de  pacquelin 
ne  viendra  pas. — ViDOCQ. 

Le  —  du  creux,  the  master  of  the 
house,  the  "  omee  of  the  carsey." 
From  uomo  della  casa  in  lingua 
franca. 

Pille,  f  (thieves'),  one  thousand 
francs. 

Pillois  vain,  m.  (thieves'),  village 
judge,  a  kind  of  "  beak,  or  queer 
cuffin." 

Piloches,  f  pi.  (thieves'),  teeth, 
"  bones,  or  ivories."  Termed  also 
"chocottes. "  Montrer  ses  — , 
"  to  flash  one's  ivories." 

Piloirs,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  fingers, 
"  forks,  stealers,  or  pickers." 

Pilon,  m.  (}hieves'),fingeror  thumb; 
(popular)  maimed  beggar. 

Pimpeloter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  eat 
and  drink  of  the  best,  to  take  care 
of  number  one  in  that  respect. 

Pimpions,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  coin, 
"pieces."    See  Quibus. 

Pin9ants,  m.  pi.  (old  cant),  scissors. 
Termed  also  "  fauchants,  fau- 
chettes." 

Pingard,  m.  (cavalry),  horseman 
who  possesses  strong  thighs,  and 


has,  in  consequence,  a  firm  grip  in 
the  saddle.     From  pince,  grip. 

Pince,  f.  (thieves'),  hand,  o 
"duke."  (Horsemen's) Pince, ^^ 
of  the  thighs.  (Popular)  Chaud 
de  la  — ,  fond  of  women.  La 
pince  is  the  fork. 

Puis,  comme  c'^tait  un  chaud  de  la  pince 
qui  faisait  des  eiifants  k  toutes  les  figu- 
rantes deTOd^on. — E.  Monteil, 

(Card-sharpers')  Pince,  a  box  con- 
structed on  cheating  principles,  and 
used  by  sharpers  at  the  game  called 
consolation,  a  game  played  with 
dice. 

Pinceau,  m.  (military),  broom. 

Allons  .  .  .  nous  sommes  de  corvee  de 
quartier,  il  va  falloir  aller  jouer  du  pin- 
ceau avant  un  quart  d'heure. — Dubois  db 
Gennes. 

(Freemasons')  Pinceau,  pen ; 
(popular)  hand,  or  foot,  ' '  daddle, 
or  hoof."  Detacher  un  coup  de 
—  dans  la  gibeme,  to  kick  one's 
behind,  "  to  toe  one's  bum. " 
Detacher  un  coup  de  —  sur  la 
frimousse,  to  give  a  box  on  the  ear, 
"  to  give  a  bang  in  the  mug,  to 
fetch  a  wipe  in  the  gills,  or  mug," 
or,  as  the  Americans  term  it,  "  to 
give  a  biff  in  the  jaw." 

Pince-cul,  tn.(Y>0'pu\2ix),lowdancing- 
hall  patronized  by  prostitutes  and 
roughs.  An  allusion  to  the  liber- 
ties which  male  dancers  take  with 
their  partners. 

Pince-dur,  m.  (military),  adjutant. 
From  pincer,  to  nab. 

Pince-loque,  m.  (thieves'),  needle. 

Pincer  (familiar  and  popular),  le 
cancan,  to  dance  the  "cancan." 
A  kind  of  choregraphy  which  re- 
quires great  agility,  the  toes  of 
the  female  performers  being  more 
often  on  a  level  with  the  faces  of 
their  partners  than  on  the  floor. 
The  cancan  is  in  great  favour  at 
BuUier  and  kindred  dancing-halls, 


Pince-sans-rire — Piole. 


331 


itsdevoteesbeinggeneially  medical 
students  and  their  female  friends, 
the  "  etudiantes ;  "  also  "  horizon- 
tales  "  and  their  protectors,  or 
"poissons;"  —  au  demi-cercle, 
to  catch  unawares,  "  to  nab  ; "  — 
quelqu'un,  to  catch  one,  to  take 
one  red-handed.  Se  faire  — ,  to 
be  detected ;  to  be  caught,  to  get 
"nabbed."  Pinceruncoupdesirop, 
to  be  slightly  the  worse  for  liquor, 
or  slightly  "elevsited."  SeePom- 
pette.  En  —  pour  une  femme, 
to  be  smitten  with  a  fair  one's 
charms,  "to  be  mashed  on,  sweet 
on,  keen  on,  or  to  be  spooney." 
(Thieves')  Pincer,  to  steal,  "  to 
nick. ' '  For  synonyms  seeGrinchir. 

Cartouche. — Qu'  avez-vous  pinc€  ?  Har- 
pin.^Six  pieces  de  toile  et  quatre  de  mous- 
seline. — Le  Grand,  Les  Fourberies  de 
Cartouche. 

Pincer  de  la  guitare,  or  de  la 
harpe,  to  be  locked  up  in  jail,  to  be 
"in  quod."  An  allusion  to  the 
bars  of  the  prison  cell  assimilated 
to  the  strings  of  a  guitar. 

Pince  -  sans  -  rire,  m.  (thieves'), 
police  officer,  "copper,"  or 
"reeler."    See  Pot-a-tabac. 

Pincettes,  f.  pi.  (popular),  affuter, 
or  se  tirer  les  — ,  to  decamp  in  a 
hurry,  "  to  gay."   See  Patatrot. 

Pinchard,  adj.  (literary),  vulgar, 
in  bad  taste,  "jimmy." 

Findar^s  (thieves'),  the  gendarmes; 
city  police,  or  rural  police.  Pin- 
dares  !  we  wash  our  hands  of  it ! 
an  exclamation  uttered  by  male- 
factors after  committing  some 
crime. 

Pinet,  or  pino,  m.  (thieves'),  _/&?-- 
thing.  Termed  in  English  cant, 
"fadge." 

Pingouin,  m.  (popular),  fool,  or 
"flat;"  good-for-nothing  man. 
(Mountebanks')  Le — ,  the  public. 


Vois-tu  le  pingouin  comme  il  s'allume? 
.  .  .  $a  n'est  rien,  ^  la  reprise  je  vas  I'incen- 
dier.— E.  Sue. 

Pingouin  maigre,  stnall  audience  ; 
—  gras,  large  audience. 

Pingre,  adj.  (thieves'),  poor, 
"  quisby." 

Pioche,  f.  (freemasons'),  fork ; 
(popular)  work,  or  "graft."  Se 
mettre  a  la  — ,  to  set  oneself  to 
work.  T8te  de  — ,  blockhead, 
"cabbage-head."  (Thieves')  Une 
— ,a pickpocket,  or  "finger-smith." 

Piocher  (barristers'),  les  larmes,  to 
prepare  a  pathetic  oration  with  a 
view  to  exciting  the  commiseration 
of  the  jury,  and  enlisting  their 
sympathy  in  favour  of  the  accused. 
There  is  an  old  joke  about  a  bar- 
rister vi'ho,  having  undertaken  to 
defend  a  scoundrel  accused  of 
murdering  his  own  father  and 
mother,  wound  up  his  speech  by 
beseeching  the  jury  to  be  merciful 
unto  his  client,  on  the  plea  of  his 
being  a  "poor  orphan  left  alone 
and  unprotected  in  this  wicked 
world. "  The  celebrated  and  truth- 
ful author  of  a  recent  diatribe  on 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
French,  reproduces  the  story, 
presenting  it  to  his  readers  as  a 
striking  but  "  genuine"  specimen 
of  the  forensic  eloquence  in  favour 
with  John  Bull's  neighbours ! 
(Thieves')  Piocher,  to  carry  on  the 
business  of  a  pickpocket,  "to  be 
on  the  cross."     See  Grinchir. 

Piole,  or  pioUe,/  (thieves'),  house. 
The  synonyms  are,  "  cambuse, 
cassine,  bolte,  niche,  kasbah,  bar- 
raque,  creux,  bahut,  baite,  case, 
taule,  taudion,"  and,  in  the  Eng- 
lish slang,  "  diggings,  ken,  hangs- 
out,  chat,  crib,"  &c.  Piole, 
lodging-house,  or  "dossing-ken." 

Veux-tu  venir  prendre  de  la  morfe  et 
piausser  avec  m^zi&re  en  une  des  pioles 
que  tu  m'as  rouscaillees  ? — Le  Jargon  de 
I  Argot.    l}Vitl  you  come  eat  and  sleep 


332 


Pioller — Pipe. 


viiik  me  in  one  of  the  cribs  -which  you 
•were  talking  about  ?) 

Piole,  tavern,  or  "lush-crib ;''  — 
^irAie,  fortress ;  — ^  machabees, 
cemetery ;  —  de  lartonnier,  baker's 
shop,  ox  "  mungariy  casa. "  The 
English  cant  term  is  a  corruption 
of  the  Lingua  Franca  phrase  for  an 
eating-house.  Mangiare,  to  eat, 
in  Italian. 

Pioller  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
pay  frequent  visits  to  the  wine- 
shop ;  to  get  the  worse  for  liquor, 
to  get  "  cut,  or  canon." 

PioUier,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
landlord  of  a  drinking-shop,  "the 
boss  of  a  lush-crib. " 

Pion,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar),  un 
— ,  an  usher  at  a  school,  or  "bum- 
brusher."  Properly  a  pawn; 
(thieves')  lottse,  "grey-back,  ot 
German  duck. "  The  Slang  Dic- 
tionary %s.ys  :  "These  pretty  little 
things  are  called  by  many  names, 
among  others  by  those  of  '  grey- 
backs  '  and  'gold-backed  'uns,' 
which  are  popular  among_  those 
who  have  most  interest  in  the 
matter."  Etre  — ,  to  be  drunk. 
From  an  old  word  pier,  to  drink. 
Villon  in  his  Grand  Testament, 
fifteenth  century,  has  the  word 
with  the  signification  of  toper, 
drunkard: — 

Brief,  on  n'eust  sgeu  en  ce  monde  chercher 
Meilleur  pion,  pour  boirc  tost  et  tard. 
Faictes  entrer  quand  vous  orrez  trucher 
L'ame  du  bon  feu  maistre  Jehan  Cotard. 

Rabelais  uses  pion  with  the  same 
signification  : — 

Ce  feut  ici  que  mirent  ^  bas  culs 
Joyeusement  quatre  gaillards  pions, 
Pour  banqueter  k  I'honneur  de  Bacchus, 
Buvants  k  gre  comme  beaulx  carpions. 
Pantagntel,  chap,  xxvii. 

.Pionce,/,  orpion^age,  m.  (popu- 
lar), sleep,  or  "balmy."  Cama- 
rade  de  — ,  bedfellow. 

II  avait  couch6  dans  un  gamo  oil  Ton 
est  deux  par  paillasse.     Son  camarade  de 


pionce  6tait  un  gros  pfere  ^  mine  rouge 
qui  avait  une  t€te  comme  un  bonnet  d'as- 
trakan.— RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

Pioneer  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
sleep.     From  piausser. 

Quoi?  vrai !  vous  allez  m'ramasser? 
Ah  !  c'est  muf !   Mais  quoi  qu'on  y  gagne ! 
J'm'en  vas  vous  empScher  d'pioncer 
J'ronfle  comme  un'  toupi'  d'All'magne. 
RicHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

The  synonyms  are  :  "casser  une 
canne,  piquer  un  chien,  piquer 
une  romance,  faire  le  lezard,  faire 
son  michaud,  roupiller,  se  recueil- 
lir,  compter  des  pauses,  taper  de 
I'osil,  mettre  le  chien  au  cran  de 
repos." 

Pionceur,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
man  who  sleeps. 

Pionne,  f.  (scholars'),  governess  at 
a  school. 

Piote,  /  (cavalry),  insulting  term 
applied  by  a  cavalry  Tnan  to  a 
foot-soldier. 

Piou,  or  pioupiou,  m.  (familiar 
and  popular),  infantry  soldier, 
the  French  "  Tommy  Atkins." 

Pipe,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
head,  face.  Casser  sa  — ,  to  die. 
The  synonyms  are:  "devisser, 
or  decoUer  son  billard,  graisser 
ses  bottes,  avaler  sa  langue,  sa 
gaffe,  sa  cuiller,  or  ses  baguettes, 
cracher  son  ame,  n'avoir  plus  mal 
aux  dents,  poser  sachique,  claquer, 
saluer  le  public,  recevoir  son  de- 
compte,  ingurgiter  son  bilan, 
cracher  ses  embouchures,  deposer 
ses  bouts  de  manche,  deteindre, 
donner  son  dernier  bon  k  tirer, 
llcher  la  perche,  eteindre  son 
gaz,  epointer  son  foret,  6tre  ex- 
proprie,  peter  son  lof,  fumer  ses 
terres,  fermer  son  parapluie, 
perdre  son  baton,  descendre  la 
garde,  passer  I'arme  i  gauche, 
defiler  la  parade,  tourner  de  I'oeil, 
perdre  le  gotit  du  pain,  IScher  la 
rampe,  faire   ses   petits   paquets, 


Pipi— Piper. 


333 


casser  son  crachoir,  remercier  son 
boulanger,  canner,  devider  ^  I'es- 
torgue,  baiser  la  camarde,  camar- 
der,  fuir,  casser  son  cable,  son 
fouet;  faire  sa  crevaison,  deralin- 
guer,  virer  de  bord,  dechirer  son 
faux-col,  degeler,  couper  sa  ra^che, 
piquer  sa  plaque,  mettre  la  table 
pour  les  asticots,  aller  manger  las 
pissenlits  par  la  racine,  laisser 
fuir  son  tonneau,  calancher,  laisser 
ses  bottes  quelque  part,  dechirer 
son  habit,  or  son  tablier,  souffler 
sa  veilleuse,  pousser  le  boum  du 
cygne,  avoir  son  coke,  rendre  sa 
secousse, "  and,  in  the  English 
slang,  "  to  snuff  it,  to  lay  down 
one's  knife  and  fork,  to  stick  one's 
spoon  in  the  wall,  to  kick  the 
bucket,  to  give  in,  give  up,  to  go 
to  Davy  Jones,  to  peg  out,  to  hop 
the  twig,  to  slip  one's  cable,  to 
lose  the  number  of  one's  mess,  to 
turn  one's  toes  up."  The  latter 
is  to  be  met  with  in  Reade's 
Cloister  and  Hearth  : — 

"  Several  arbalestriers  turned  their  toes 
up,  and  I  amon^  them,"  "  Killed,  Denys? 
Come  now  ! "       Dead  as  mutton." 

Pipe,  adj.  (thieves'),  etre  —  sur  le 
tas,  to  be  caught  red-handed. 

Pipelet,  m.  (general),  doorkeeper. 
A  character  in  Eugene  Sue's  Les 
Mystires  de  Paris. 

Je  les  ai  vus  causer  ensemble, 
Mes  deux  Pip 'lets. 

£t  j'ai  dit  dans  ma  ^eau  qui  tremble, 
Dieu  !  qu'ils  sont  laids. 

J.  De  Blainville,  Mes  deux 
Pipelets. 

The  Pipelet  of  Eugjne  Sue  was 
the  victim  of  a  ferocious  practical 
joker,  a  painter,  Cabrion  by  name, 
who  made  his  life  a  burden  to 
him.  The  doorkeepers  have  re- 
taliated by  calling ' '  un  Cabrion  "  a 
lodger  who  does  not  pay  his  rent. 

Je  sais  aussi  qu'on  me  traite  d'ivrogne. 
Si  du  raisin  je  rapporte  le  fard. 


I? 


'ue  Cabrion  apergoive  ma  trogne 
IT  s'^criera  :  le  Pip'let  est  pochard  ! 
Mais  ce  matin,  j'ai  vu  Anastasie, 
Qui  du  cognac  savourait  les  roideurs ; 
Je  m'consol'rai  dans  les  bras  d'une  amie, 
Les  m'lons  sont  verts,  les  chardons  sont  en 
fieurs. 

Dubois,  Rives  de  Vieillesse  ou 
le  Dipart  de  Pipelet. 


Pipelette,/  (general),  the  wife  of 
a  concierge  or  doorkeeper.  Termed 
also  Madame  Pipelet.  See 
Pipelet. 

Vous  n'connaissez  pas  ma  concierge, 
La  nomm^e  Madam'  Benoiton, 
Une  grand'  sfech'  longu'  comm'  un  cierge 
Et  sourd'  comm'  un  bonnet  d'coton. 
Si  malheureus'ment  j'm'attarde, 
C'est  I'diable  pour  la  r^veiller. 
Pendant  deux  heur's  je  mont'  la  garde, 
D'vant  la  porte  et  j'ai  beau  crier : 
Ous-qu'est  ma  pip',  ous-qu'est  ma  pip', 
ous-qu'est  ma  pip'lette  ? 

A.  Ben  et  H.  d'Hekville. 

Piper  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
smoke,  or  "  to  blow  a  cloud," 


II  me  semble  qu'on 

VARNI. 


pip^   ici. — Ga- 


(Thieves*)  Piper,  to  catch. 

Comprend-on  aprfes  cela  qu'un  Homme 
qui  changeait  si  tr^quemment  de  nom  .  .  . 
ait  et^  se  Joger  .  .  .  sous  le  nom  de  Ma- 
hossier  qui  lui  avait  servi  k  piper  sa  vic- 
time?— Canler. 

Piper  un  p^gre,  to  apprehend  a 
thief  "  to  smug  a  prig."  The 
different  expressions  signifying  to 
apprehend  or  to  imprison  are : 
"poisser,  grimer,  coquer,  enflac- 
quer,  enfourailler,  mettre  dedans, 
fourrer  dedans,  mettre  a  I'ombre, 
mettre  au  violon,  boucler,  grap- 
piner,  poser  un  gluau,  empoigner, 
piger,  emballer,  gripper,  empioler, 
encoffrer,  encager,  accrocher, 
ramasser,  souffler,  faire  tomber 
malade,  agrafer,  mettre  le  grappin 
dessus,  enchetiber,  enfourner,  col- 
tiger,  colletiner,  poser  le  grappin, 
faire  passer  k  la  fabrication,  fab- 
riquer,"  and,  in  the  English  slang, 
**  to  smug,  to  nab,  to  run  in." 


334 


Pipet — Piquer. 


Pipet,  m.  (thieves'),  castle,  man- 
sion., "chat,  or  hangings-out." 
See  Piget. 

II  ^Tcw^  queje  trimardais  juste  la  lourde 
de  ce  pipet  .  .  .  une  cambrouze  du  pipet 
me  mouchaillait  et  en  avertit  le  rupin. — 
Le  y argon  de  VA  rgoi,  {It  happened  that  I 
was  just  going  by  the  door  of  that  mansion 
.  .  .  a  servant  girl  of  the  mansion  perceived 
Tne  and  warned  the  master.) 

Pipo,  or  pipot,  m.,  the  Ecole  Poly- 
technique  ;  student  at  that  school. 
This  establishment  is  the  great 
training  school  for  government 
civil  engineers,  who  are  chosen, 
after  a  two  years'  course,  out  of 
those  who  come  first  on  the  com- 
petitive list,  and  for  officers  of  the 
engineers  and  artillery,  the  latter 
being  sent  for  a  three  years'  course 
to  the  "Ecole  d'application "  at 
Fontainebleau,  with  the  rank  of 
sub-lieutenant. 

Piquage,  m.  (military),  de  romance, 
sleep,  ' '  balmy ; "  snoring,  or 
"driving  one's  pigs  to  market." 

Les  autres  cavaliers  .  .  .  continuaient,  k 
poings  ferrii(£s,  le  piquage  de  leur  rcmance. 
— C.  Dubois  de  Gennes. 

(Popular)  Faire  un  — ,  to  steal 
■wine  by  boring  a  hole  in  a  cask 
which  is  being  conveyed  in  a  van 
to  its  destination.  Also  to  abstract 
wine  or  spirits  from  a  cask  by  the 
insertion  of  a  tube,  or  *' sucking 
the  monkey."  The  English  ex- 
pression has  also  the  meaning  of 
drinking  generally,  and  ongmally, 
according  to  Marryat,  to  drink 
rum  out  of  cocoa-nuts,  the  milk 
having  been  poured  out  and  the 
liquor  substituted. 

Piquante,  /  (thieves'),  pin. 

Piquantine,  /.  (thieves'),  flea. 
Called  sometimes  "  F  •  sharp," 
bugs  being  the  "  B  flats." 

PiquS,  adj.  (popular),  pas  —  des 
hannetons,  good,  or  "bully;"  ex- 
cellent. 


Pique-chien,  m.,  dotrheeper  at  the 
'  Ecole  Polytechnique.  Literally 
slumberer.     See  Pipo. 

Pique-en-terre,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  fowl,  ' '  cackling  cheat, 
or  margery  prater. " 

Piquelard,  m.  (popular),  pork- 
butcher,  or  ' '  kiddier. " 

Pique-poux,  m.  (popular),  a  tailor. 
Termed  also  pique-prunes,  or 
pique-puces.  Called  among  Eng- 
lish operatives  a  "  steel-bar  driver, 
cabbage  -  contractor,  or  goose- 
persuader  ; "  by  the  world,  a 
"  ninth  part  of  a  man ; "  and  by 
the  "fast"  man,  a  "sufferer." 
Termed  also  "  snip,"  from 
"snipes,"  a  pair  of  scissors,  at 
from  the  snipping  sound  made  by 
scissors  in  cutting  up  anything. 

Piquer  (students'),  to  do;  — 
I'etrangere,  to  be  absent  or  dis- 
traught, "  to  go  moon-raking,"  or 
"wool-gathering;"  —  un  laius, 
to  make  a  speech  ;  —  une  muette, 
to  remain  silent,  "to  be  mum." 
J'ai  pique  17  a  la  coUe,  I  obtained 
17  marks  at  the  examination.  See 
CoUe.  Piquer  le  baton  d'en- 
couragement,  to  obtain  i  mark, 
the  Tnaximum.  being  20  ;  —  une 
seche,  to  get  no  marks  at  all,  or  a 
"duck's  egg;"  (familiar  and 
popular)  —  un  chien,  to  sleep,  "  to 
have  a  dose  of  balmy;"  —  un 
fard,  or  un  soleil,  to  blush;  —  un 
renard,  to  vomit,  "to  shoot  the 
cat,  to  cast  up  accounts,  or  to 
cascade."  Rabelais  termed  the 
act  "  supergurgiter  ; "  —  une 
victime,  to  dive  from  a  great  height 
with  arms  uplifted  and  body  per- 
fectly rigid;  (sailors')  —  sa  plaque, 
to  sleep;  to  die.  See  Pipe. 
(Artists')  Piquer  un  cinabre,  to 
blush;  (popular)  —  dans  le  tas, 
to  choose. 


Piquet — Pissote. 


335 


Nous  v'lk  .  .  .  nous  sont  point  press^es  : 
piquez  done  vite  dans  eul'  tas,  au  p'tit  bon- 
heur. — Trublot. 

Piquer  une  romance,  '^  to  sleep, 
"to  have  a  dose  of  balmy;"  to 
snore,  ' '  to  drive  one's  pigs  to 
market." 

Et  puisqu'ils  pioncent  tous  comme  des 
marmottes.  ...  A  ton  tour,  mon  bon  de  pi- 
quer une  romance. — C.  Dubois  deGhnnes. 

Se  —  le  tasseau,  to  get  drunk,  or 
"tight."  For  synonyms  see 
Sculpter.  Piquer  un  chahut,  to 
dance  the  cancan. 

Revenant  ensuite  dans  les  environs  de  la 
Gare  Saint- Lazare,  dansant  a  Buliier,  pi- 
quant un  "  chahut "  k  I'Elys^e-Montmartre 
ou  meme  k  la  Boule-Noire,  aux  heures  de 
deche. — Dubot  de  LaforesTj  Le  Gaga. 

Piquet,  m.  (popular),  prayer-hook. 
Msojugedepaix,  a  kind  of  county 
court  magistrate. 

Piqueton,  m.  (popular),  thin  wine. 

Et  les  verres  se  vidaient  d'une  lamp^e. 
...  II  pleuvait  du  piqueton,  quoi  ?  un 
piqueton  qui  avait  d'abord  un  goiit  de  vieux 
tonneau. — Zola. 

Piqueuse  de  trains,/,  (popular), 
prostitute  who  prowls  about  rail- 
way stations.     See  Gadoue. 

Pissat,  m.  (popular),  d'ane,  brandy, 
or  "  French  cream ; "  beer;  — de 
vache,  sour  or  small  beer, 
"swipes." 

Pisse-froid  dans  la  canicule,  m. 

(popular),  man  of  an  extremely 
phlegmatic  disposition,  who  on  all 
occasions  remains  "as  cool  as  a 
cucumber."  Also  "pisse-verglas." 

Pisse-buile,  m.  (schoolboys'),  lamp- 
lighter, 

Pissenlits,  m.  pi.  (popular), 
arroser  les  — ,  to  void  urine  in  the 
open  air.  Manger  les  —  par  la 
racine,  to  be  dead  and  buried. 

Pisser  (familiar  and  popular),  I. 
I'Anglaise,  to  give  the  slip,  "  to 
take  French  leave."    From  the 


act  of  a  man  who,  wishing  to  get 
rid  of  another,  pretends  to  go  to 
the  "lavatory,"  and  disappears. 
Pisser  au  cul  de  quelqu'un,  to 
entertain  feelings  of  utter  contempt 
for  one;  —  contre  le  soleil,  to 
strive  in  vain,  to  make  useless 
efforts ;  —  dans  un  violon,  to 
waste  one's  time  in  some  fruitless 
attempt ;  —  des  enfants,  to  beget 
a  large  nuTnber  of  childj-en ;  — 
des  yeux,  to  weep,  "  to  nap  a 
bib  ; "  —  sa  cotelette,  to  be  in 
child-bed,  or  "in  the  straw  ;"  — 
sur  quelqu'un,  to  despise  one. 
Faire  —  des  lames  de  rasoir  en 
travers,  to  annoy  one  terribly,  to 
"rile"  one,  or  to  "spur"  him. 
Mener  les  poules  — ,  to  leave  off 
working  under  false  pretences. 
Une  histoire  a  faire  —  un  cheval 
de  bois,  astounding  story  hard  to 
swallow,  story  told  by  one  who 
can  "  spin  a  twister."  (Literary) 
Pisser  de  la  copie,  to  be  a  facile 
writer,  to  write  lengthy  journa- 
listic productions  off-hand. 

Pisse-trois-gouttes,  m.  (popular), 
one  who  frequently  stops  on  the  road 
in  order  to  void  urine,  one  who 
"lags  ;"  —  dans  quatre  pots  de 
chambre,  slow  man  who  does 
little  work. 

Pisseur  de  copie,  m.  (literary), 
facile  writer,  one  who  writes 
lengthy  journalistic  prodiictions  off- 
hand. 

Pisseuse,  /  (popular),  little  girl, 
little  chit. 

Plsse-verglas,  m.  (popular).  See 
Pisse-froid. 

Pissin  de  cheval,  m.  (popular), 
bad  beer,  "swipes,  or  belly- ven- 
geance." 

Pissote,  /  (popular),  urinals. 
Faire  une  — ,  to  void  urine,  "  to 
pump  ship. " 


336 


Pistache—Pistolier. 


Pistache,  /  (familiar),  mild  stage 
of  intoxication.  Pincer  sa  — ,  to 
he  slightly  the  worse  for  liquor, 
"to  be  elevated." 

Pistaon,  m.  (Breton  cant),  money. 

Piste,  /  (military),  suivez  la  — ,  go 
on  talking,  proceed. 

Pister  (popular),  is  said  of  hotel 
touts  who  follow  and  generally 
bore  travellers  ;  (thieves')  to  fol- 
low. La  riflette  me  pistaitmais 
je  me  suis  fait  una  paire  de  mains 
courantes  a  la  mode,  the  spy  was 
following  me,  but  I  ran  away. 

Elle  la  piste,  elle  arrive  essoufl^e  ^  au 
Bureau  des  mceurs  pour  pr^venir  la  police. 
— Dr.  Jeannel. 

Pisteur,  m.  (familiar),  an  admirer 
of  the  fair  sex,  whose  principal 
occupation  is  to  follow  women  in 
the  streets.  Rigaud  makes  the 
following  remarks  :  "  II  ne  faut 
pas  confondre  le  pisteur  avec  le 
suiveur.  Le  suiveur  est  un  fan- 
taisiste  qui  opere  a  I'aventure.  II 
embolte  le  pas  a  toutes  les  femmes 
qui  lui  plaisent,  ou,  mieux,  a  toutes 
les  jolies  jambes.  Parmi  cent 
autres,  il  reconnaitra  un  moUet 
qu'il  aura  deja  chass^.  II  va, 
vient,  s'arr^te,  tourne,  retoume, 
marche  devant,  derriere,  croise, 
coupe  I'objet  de  sa  poursuite, 
qu'il  perd  souvent  au  detour  d'une 
rue.  Plus  m^thodique,  le  pisteur 
surveille  d'un  trottoir  a  I'autre  son 
gibier.  II  suit  ^  une  distance  re- 
spectueuse,  pose  devant  les  maga- 
sins,  sous  les  fenetres,  se  cache 
derrifere  une  porte,  retient  le  nu- 
mero  de  la  maison,  fait  sentinelle 
et  ne  donne  de  la  voix  que  lors- 
qu'il  est  sflr  du  succ^s.  Le  pis- 
teur est,  ou  un  tout  jeune  homme 
*imide,  plein  d'illusions,  ou  un 
homme  mur,  plein  d'experience. 
Le  pisteur  d'omnibus  est  un  d&- 
oeuvre    qui  suit  les   femmes  en 


omnibus,  leur  fait  du  pied,  du 
genou,  du  coude,  risque  un  bout 
de  conversation,  et  n'a  d'autre 
serieuse  operation  que  celle  de  se 
faire  voiturer  de  la  Bastille  a  la 
Madeleine  et  vice  versa.  Cet 
amateur  du  beau  sexe  est  ordinaire- 
ment  un  quinquagenaire  dont  le 
ventre  a,  depuis  longtemps,  tourne 
au  majestueux.  11  offre  a  tout 
hasard  aux  ouvri^res  le  classique 
mobilier  en  acajou  ;  les  plus  entre- 
prenantsvont  jusqu'aupalissandre. 
Les  paroles  s'envolent,  et  acajou 
et  palissandre  restent  .  .  .  chez 
le  marchand  de  meubles.  Peut- 
etre  est-ce  un  pisteur  qui  a  trouv^ 
le  proverbe  :  promettre  et  tenir 
font  deux. " 

Pistole,  /  (popular).  Grande  — , 
ten-franc  piece.  Petite  — ,  fifty- 
centime  coin. 

Pistolet,  m.  (obsolete),  de  man- 
oeuvres, stone. 

lis  chassferent  le  sergent  et  tous  ceux  qui 
^toient  avec  lui,  \  grands  coups  de  pierres 
que  ces  palots  nommoient  des  pistolets- 
de  manosuvres.  —  UApothicaire  empoi- 
sonni. 

(Familiar)  Pistolet,  a  pint  bottle 
of  champagne,  a  pint  of"  boy,  or 
fiz."  tin  dr&le  de  — ,  a  queer 
"fish."  (Popular)  Pistolet  a  la 
Saint-D&me,  small  hook  used  by 
cigar-end  finders  to  whisk  up  bits 
of  cigars  or  cigarettes.  Ous  qu'est 
mon  —  ?  expression  of  mock  in- 
dignation. 

Faites  done  attention,  jeune  homme. 
Vous  allez  chififonner  ma  robe,  c'est  du  60 
francs  le  m^tre  5a,  mon  petit!  Quej'lui  dis 
. .  .  sqixante  francs  le  mfetre,  ous  qu'est  mon 
pistolet  ?  Je  ne  donnerais  pas  cent  sous  de 
I'en-veloppe  avec  la  poup^e  qu'est  d'dans. — 
Les  Locutions  Vicieuses. 

Pistolet,  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
a  dagger  manufactured  at  Pistoie. 

Pistolier,  m.  (prisoners'),  prisoner 
who  lives  at  the  "  pistole,"  » 
separate  cell  alloived  to  a  prisoner 
for  a  consideration. 


Piston — Pivot. 


337 


Piston,  m.  (students'),  assistant  to 
a  lecturer  on  chemistry  or  physics  ; 
(popular)  man  who  is  well  recom- 
mended for  a  situation.  In  the 
slang  of  naval  cadets,  a  busybody, 
a  bore. 

Pistonner  (familiar  and  popular), 
quelqu'un,  to  give  one  who  is  seek- 
ing a  post  the  support  of  one's  in- 
fluence ;  to  annoy,  "  to  rile  ; "  to 
guide  one. 

Ayant  rencontrd  un  portefaix  qu'il  con- 
naissait,  il  s'est  fait  "pistonner"  par  lui, 
suivant  son  expression,  k  travers  la  viUe. — 
Le  Voltaire,  Nov.,  1886. 

Pitaine-crayon,  m.  (Ecole  Poly- 
technique),  orderly  acting  as  ser- 
vant at  the  drawing  classes. 

Pitancher  (popular),  to  drink,  "  to 
liquor  up."  Termed  by  the 
Americans,  "  to  smile,  to  see  the 
man  ;"  —  de  I'eau  d'aff,  to  drink 
brandy. 

Piton,  m.  (popular),  nose,  "  handle, 
conk,  boko,  snorter,  smeller." 
See  Morviau. 

J'ai  I'piton  camard  -en  trompette. 
Aussi  soyez  pa*  etonnfe 
Si  j'ai  rien  qu'  du  vent  dans  la  tete  : 
C'est  pa'c'que  j'ai  pas  d'poils  dans  I'nee. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Un  —  passe  i  I'encaustique,  red 
nose,  "  copper  nose,"  or  one  with 
"  grog  blossoms,"  such  as  is 
sported  by  an  '^  Admiral  of  the 
Red." 

Pitre  du  comme,  m.  (thieves'), 
commercial  traveller.  Pltre,  yco- 
^ecXy  mountebank's  fool,  or  "Billy 
Barlow, "  and  figuratively  a  literary 
or  political  gitack. 

.  Pitroux,  p^touze,  m.  (thieves'), 
gun,  or  "  dag ;"  pistol,  "  barking 
iron,"  or  "  barker." 

Pituiter  (popular),  to  slander  ;  to 
prattle,  to  gabble,  "  to  clack,  or  to 
jaw." 


Pivase,  m.  (popular),  nose  of  large 
dimensions,  "conk."  See  Mor- 
viau. 

Pivaste,  m.  (thieves'),  child, 
"  kid,  or  kinchin."  Termed  also 
"miou,  loupiau,  raome." 

Pive,  or  pivre,  m.  (popular),  wine. 
Marchand  de  — ,  landlord  of  u 
wine-shop.  Rabelais  called  wine 
"puree  septembrale,"  or  "  eau 
beniste  de  cave,"  as  appears  from 
the  following : — 

Maistre  Janotus,  tondu  i  la  c^sarine, 
vestu  de  son  liripipion  k  I'antique,  et  bien 
antidote  I'estomach  de  cotignac  de  four  et 
eau  beniste  de  cave,  se  transporta  au  logis 
de  Gargantua, — Gargantua. 

Pivert,  m.  (thieves' ),^««  saw  made 
out  of  a  watch-spring,  used  by 
prisoners  to  file  through  the  bars 
of  a  cell-window.  An  allusion  to 
the  sharp  beak  of  the  woodpecker. 

Pivoiner  (popular),  to  redden. 
From  pivoine,  peony. 

Pivois,  pive,  or  pie,  m.  (thieves'), 
wine.  Charles  Nodier  says  :"  Un 
certain  vin  se  dit  '  pivois '  i 
cause  de  la  ressemblance  de  son 
raisin  avec  la  pive,  nom  patois  du 
fruit  appele  improprement  pomme 
de  pin  ;  "  —  k  quatre  nerfs,  small 
measure  of  wine  costing  four  sous; 
—  citron,  vinegar ;  —  vermoise, 
red  wine  ;  —  savonne,  white  wine. 

Mais  que  ce  soit  le  p^trole  ou  le 
pivois  savonnd,  dans  le  godet  ou  dans 
I'entonnoir  k  patte,  toujours  les  buveurs 
out  soin  de  dire :  k  la  v6tre,  patron  !— 

RiCHEPIN. 

The  synonyms  are  the  following  : 
"picton,  tortu,  reginglard,  picolo, 
bleu,  petit  bleu,  ginglet,  briolet, 
huile,  sirop,  jus  d'echalas." 
Pivot,  m.  (thieves'),  pen. 

Frangin  etfrangine.— Jepcsigue  le  ijivot 
pour  vous  bonnir  que  mdzigue  vient  d'etre 
servi  maron  k  la  Ifegre  de  Canelle.— Vl- 
DOCQ.  (Brother  and  sister.— I  take  the 
pen  to  tell  you  that  I  have  just  been  caught 
in  the  act  at  the  fair  of  Caen.') 


338 


Pivoter — Plan. 


(Military)  Envoyer  chercher  le  — 
de  conversion,  to  send  one  on  a 
fooVs  errand,  something  like  send- 
ing one  for  ' '  pigeon's  milk. " 
Envoyer  chercher  "la  clef  du 
champ  de  manoeuvre,  le  moule  i 
guillemets,  or  le  parapluie  de  I'es- 
couade,"  are  kindred  jokes  perpe- 
trated on  unsophisticated  recruits. 

Pivoter  (militaiy),  to  work;  to  drill; 

to  be  on  duty. 

Tour  5.  tour,  c'^tait  le  brigadier  de  se- 
maine  qui  pivotait,  les  bleus  qui  en  Schaient 

Un  coup. — G.  COURTELINE. 

Placarde,y;  [fi\\eMe.%^),  public  square 
in  a  city,  generally  the  one  where 
executions  take  place.  Before  1830 
the  death  sentence  was  carried  out 
at  the  Place  de  Greve,  later  on  at 
the  Place  St.  Jacques,  and  nowra- 
days  criminals  are  executed  in 
front  of  the  prison  of  La  Roquette ; 
—  au  quart  d'ceil,  place  of  execu- 
tions. La  —  de  vergne,  the  town 
public  place. 

Crompe,  crompe,  mercandifere, 
Car  nous  serious  bequilles  ; 
Sur  la  placarde  de  vergne, 
11  noqs  faudrait  gambiller. 

ViDOCQ. 

Place  d'armes,  /  (popular),  sto- 
mach, "bread-basket;"  body, 
"apple-cart." 

Vous  etes  invito  k  passer  la  soiree  chez 
des  bourgeois,  .  .  .  Vous  entrez.  .  .  .  Au 
lieu  de  aire  :  bonjour,  cher  ami ;  madame 
est  bien  ?  Allons  tant  mieux  !  enchant^  de 
vous  voir  en  bonne  sant^,  Ton  dit  carre- 
ment ;  bonjour,  ma  vieille  branche,  com- 
ment va  la  place  d'armes  ?  Et  le  bour- 
geois pour  se  mettre  k  la  mode,  r^pond  ; 
merci,  mon  vieux,  9a  boulotte,  et  ta 
soeur  ? — Les  Locutions  Vicieuses. 

Placeur  de  lapins,  m.  (familiar), 
humbug  who  plays  the  moralist. 

Desgenais  n'est,  malgr^  ses  maledictions 
k  fracas,,  qu'un  simple  placeur  de  lapins. — 
L.  Chapron,  Le  Gaulois. 

It  also  means  man  who  lives  at  the 
expense  of  others  and  introduces 
his  friends  to  women  of  the  demi- 
monde. 


Plafond,  OT.  (familiar  and  popular), 
head,  skull,  "nut."  Avoir  una 
araignee  dans  le  — ,  to  be 
"cracked,"  "to  have  a  slate  off." 
See  Avoir. 

—  Voilk  encore  un  de  nos  jolis  *'  toques," 
disait  I'un  d'eux  k  demi-voix. 

—  II  a  une  belle  "  araignee  dans  le  pla- 
fond," murmurait  un  autre. — P.  AuDE- 
ERAND. 

Avoir  des  trychines  dans  le  — , 
same  signification  as  above.  Se 
defoncer,  or  se  faire  sauter  le  — ,  to 
blow  one's  brains  out.  (Theatrical) 
Plafond  d 'air,  long  strips  of  painted 
canvas  stretched  across  the  upper 
part  of  the  stage  to  represetit  the 
sky. 

Plaider  la  ficelle  (lawyers'),  is  said 
of  a  counsel  who  has  recourse  when 
pleading  to  sonu  transparent  ruse, 
such  as  diverting  the  attention  from 
the  point  at  issue  by  treating  of 
questions  irrelevant  to  the  case. 

Plamousse,/  (popular),  boxontlu 
ear,  ' '  wipe  in  the  gills. " 

Plan,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
pawnbroker's  establishment,  "  lug 
chovey."  Mettre  au  — ,  or  en  — , 
to  pawn,  "  to  put  up  the  spout." 

Le  lendemain  elle  mit  son  cbale  "en 
plan  "  pour  cinq  francs. — L60  Taxil. 

Etre  en  — ,  to  remain  at  a  restau- 
rant while  a  friend  goes  to  fetch 
wherewith  to  defray  the  common 
expenses  for  a  mecil.  Laisser  en 
— ,  to  abandon,  to  leave  one  in 
the  lurch.  Laisser  tout  en  — ,  to 
leave  or  ' '  chuck  up  "  everything 
in  hand.  (Popular)  II  y  a  — , 
it  is  possible.  (Military)  Plan, 
arrest.  Etre  au  — ,  to  be 
under  arrest,  "to  be  roosted." 
(Thieves')  Plan,  prison,  "stir." 
See  Motte.  Plan  de  couille, 
remand.  Etre  mis  au  —  de 
couille,  to  be  imprisoned  for  an- 
other. Etre  mis  au  — ,  to  be  im- 
prisoned,    "to    get   the   clinch." 


Planche — Planquer. 


339 


Tomber  au  — ,  to  be  apprehended, 
or  "  smugged."  See  Piper. 
(Theatrical)  Laisser  en  plan  is 
said  of  the  claque,  or  paid  ap- 
plauders,  when  they  do  not  ap- 
plaud an  actor. 

Vous  ferez  Madame  B.  (faire  ici  veut 
dire  applaudir  ou  soigner)  vous  laisserez  en 

flan  Monsieur  X.  (cela  signifie  vous  ne 
applaudirez  pas). — Balzac. 

Planche,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
woman  the  reverse  of  buxom,  who 
is  not  "  built  that  way  ;  "  (popu- 
lar) —  a  boudin,  woman  of  indif- 
ferent character.  Faire  la  — ,  to 
be  a  prostitute,  or  "mot."  Faire 
sa  — ,  to  give  oneself  airs .  Sans  — , 
•without  any  ceremonies,  frankly. 
(Freemasons')  Planche  a  tracer, 
table;  sheet  »f  white  paper  ;  letter. 
(Thieves')  Planche,  sword,  or 
"poker  ;  "  —  a  grimaces,  altar ; 
—  a  sapement,  police  court ;  — 
au  chiquage,  or  a  lavement,  con- 
fessional;  —  au  pain,  tribunal ; 
bench  occupied  by  prisoners  in  the 
dock.  Etre  mis  sur  la  —  au  pain, 
to  be  committed  for  trial,  "  to  be 
fulUed." 

On  m'empoigne,  on  me  met  sur  la  planche 
-au  pain.  J'ai  une  fievre  cdrebrale. — Vic- 
tor Hugo. 

(Theatrical)  Avoir  des  planches, 
to  be  an  experienced  cutor.  Bruler 
les  planches,  to  play  with  spirit. 

Ce  n'dtait  pas  un  mauvais  acteur.  II 
avalt  de  la  chaleur,  il  brfiiait  m6me  un  peu 
les  planches. — E.  Monteil,  Coniehois. 

(Military)  Une  —  \  pain,  a  tall 
lanky  man.  (Tailors')  Une  — ,  a 
"goose."  Avoir  fait  les  planches, 
to  have  worked  as  a  journeyman 
tailor. 

Planche,  adj.  (thieves'),  etre  — ,  to 
be  convicted,  "to  be  booked,  or 
to  be  in  for  a  vamp." 

Plancher  (military),  to  be  confined 
in  the  cells,  or  guard-room  ;  (popu- 


lar and  thieves')  to  be  afraid;  to 
laugh  at ;  to  joke. 

Tu  planches,  mon  homme. — Vidocq. 
{You  are  joking,  my  good  fellow,') 

Plancherie,  /.  (popular  and 
thieves'),/ff^if,  ' '  wheeze, "  or  prac- 
tical joke. 

Plancheur,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  7«>4»-y  practical  joker. 

Planque,/  (thieves'),  en  — ,  on  the 
watch. 

J'allai  en  compagnie  de  H.  au  Passage 
du  Cheval  Rouge,  et,  le  laissant  en  pi&nque 
(en  observation).— Canlee. 

Planque,  plac^  of  concealment ; 
police  station.  Le  true  de  la  — , 
the  secret  concerning  a  place  of 
concealment. 

Par  une  chouette  sorgue,  la  rousse  est 
abouMe  k  la  taule  .  .  .  un  macaron  avait 
mang£  le  morceau  sur  nouzailles  et  bonni 
le  true  de  la  planque ;  tous  les  fanandels 
avaient  €\£  servis, — Vidocq.  [Qne  fine 
night  the  police  ca»te  to  the  house  .  .  .  a 
traitor  had  peached  on  its,  and  revealed 
the  secret  of  the  hidhig  place;  alt  the 
comrades  had  been  apprehended.') 

Planque  a  corbeaux,  priesfs 
seminary;  —  k  larbins,  ser- 
vants' registering  office ;  —  des 
gouipeurs,  dipSt  of  the  Prefecture 
de  Police ;  —  4  plombes,  clock; 
—  a  sergots,  police  station  ;  —  a 
suif,  gaming-house,  or  "punting- 
shop ;"  —  a  tortorer,  eating-house, 
"  grubbing-ken,  or  spinikin. " 
Etre  en  — ,  to  be  locked  up,  or 
"put  away."     See  Piper. 

Planquer  (popular),  to  pawn,  "  to 
put  in  lug;"  (thieves')  to  im- 
prison, "to  smug."  See  Piper. 
Planquer,  to  conceal. 

A  c'te  plombe  j'suis  si  bien  planqn^e  que 
je  ne  crains  ni  cognes,  ni  griviers,  ni  rallies, 
ni  quart  d'osil,  ni  gerbiers. — ^Vidocq.  (/ 
am  now  so  well  coticealed  thai  I  fear  fu 
gendartnes,  soldiers,  detectives,  police  ma- 
gistrate, or  judges^ 

Planquer  le  marmot,  to  conceal  the 


340 


Plantation — Plat. 


booty,  to  fut  away  the  "swag." 
It  also  means  to  place,  to  put  in. 
Planquer  les  paccins  dans  un  rou- 
lant,  to  put  tht  parcels  in  a  cab. 
(Printers')  Planquer  des  sortes,  to 
put  by,  for  one's  personal  use,  and 
with  much  inconvenience  to  fellow- 
compositors,  some  particular  de- 
scription of  type  required  in  large 
quantities  for  a  co?nmon  piece  of 
composition. 

Plantation,  f.  (theatrical),  arrange- 
ment of  scenic  plant,  such  as  furni- 
ture, &'c. 

J'avais  dit  de  poser  Ik  une  chaise  pour 
figurer  la  porte.  Tous  les  jours,  il  faut 
recommencer  la  plantation. — Zola,  Nana. 

Planter  (theatrical),  refers  to  the 
effecting  of  all  scenic  arrange- 
ments ;  —  un  acte,  to  settle  all  the 
scenic  details  of  an  act ;  —  un 
comparse,  to  give  directions  to  a 
supernumerary  as  to  his  make-up, 
position  on  the  stage,  movements, 
Sfc.  ;  (sailors')  —  le  harpon,  to 
express  some  idea,  some  proposal. 
(Popular)  Planter,  to  make  a  sacri- 
fice to  Venus ;  —  son  poireau,  to 
be  waiting  for  someone  who  is 
not  mailing  his  appearance  ;  —  le 
drapeau,  to  leave  without  paying 
one's  reckoning  ;  not  to  pay  a  debt; 
(familiar)  —  un  chou,  to  deceive, 
"  to  bamboozle. "   See  Jobarder. 

Plantes,  /.  //.  (popular),  feet, 
"  everlasting  shoes." 

_Eh  I  bien,  vous  etes  dela  jolie  fripouille, 
cria-t-il,  j'ai  us6  mes  plantes  pendant  trois 
heures  sur  la  route,  meme  qu  un  gendarme 
m'a  demand^  mes  papiers.  Ah  !  non,  vous 
savez,  blague  dans  le  coin,  je  la  trouve 
raide.— Zola,  L'Assommoir.  {IVett,  he 
cried,  you  are  nice  »ns,  you  are  ;  here  I 
have  been  scraping  the  road -with  my  ever- 
lasting shoes  these  three  hours.  None  of 
that  you  know,  and  no  kid,  you  come  ti 
rather  too  strong.) 

Plaque,  /  (popular),  avoir  sa  — 
dMgout  defonc^e,  to  be  a  Sodomite. 
(Military)  Des  plaques  de  garde- 


champ6tre,  an  old  sergeants 
stripes, 

Plaquer  (popular),  to  put,  to  leave, 
to  forsake ;  —  sa  viande  sous 
I'edredon,  to  go  to  bed ;  —  son 
niere,  to  forsake  one's  friend.  Se 
— ,  to  fall  flat ;  to  put  oneself ;  to 
have  one's  wet  clothes  sticking  to 
one's  body.  Se  —  dans  la  limo- 
nade,  to  jump  into  the  water. 

Vous  comprenez  la  rigolade 
Vous,  la  p'tit'  mfer' ;  vrai  que'  potin  ! 
C'est  done  marioU',  c'est  done  rupin 
De  s'plaquer  dans  la  limonade  ? 
Pourquoi  ?   Peut-et'  pour  un  salaud  : 
Pour  un  prop'  k  rien,  pour  un  pant'e, 
Malheur  ! .  .  .  Tiens,  vous  prenez  du  vent'e. 
Ah  !  bon,  chaleur  !  J'comprends  I'tableau  ! 
Gill. 

Plastronneur,  m.  (popular),  swell, 
"  g°''gs''-"  From  the  stiff  plas- 
tron, or  shirt-front,  sported,  by 
dandies  when  in  "full  fig."  See 
Gommeux. 

Plat,  m.  (popular),  deux  oeufs  sur 
le  — ,  or  deux  ceufs,  small  breasts. 

C'ment  ca  !  c'que  vou^  m'f .  .  .  Ik,  cap*- 
taine  !  n'allez  pas  m'dire  qu'une  femme  qui 
n'a  qu'deux  ceufs  posds  sur  la  place  d'armes, 
peut  avoir  une  fluxion  vraisemblable  a  une 
personne  avantagde  comme  la  conunan- 
dante? — Ch.  Leroy,  Ramollot. 

Plat  d'epinards,  painting,  or 
"  daub."  (Popular)  Faire  du  — , 
to  create  a  disturbance ;  to  make 
a  ndise,  "  to  kick  up  a  row." 
Prendre  un  —  d'affiches,  to  have 
no  breakfast  in  consequence  of  ab- 
sence of  means  to  pay  for  it. 
Literally  to  walk  about  with  an 
empty  stomach,  reading  the  bills 
posted  up,  to  while  away  the  time. 
Plats  a  barbe,  ears,  "  wattles, 
lugs,  hearing  cheats." 

Le  nez  s'appelle  un  *'  piton  ; "  la  bouche, 
un  "four;"  I'oreille  un  "  plat  k  barbe;" 
les  dents  des  "  dominos,"  et  les  yeux  des 
"  quinquets." — Z.«  Locutions  Vicieuses. 

(Restaurants')  Plat  du  jour,  dish 
which  is  got  ready  specially  for  the 
day,    and  which  consequently  is 


Platane — Plomb. 


341 


generally  the  most  palatable  in  the 
bill  of  fare. 

Ce  que  le  restaurateur  appelle  dans  son 
argot  un  plat  du  jour,  c'est-k-dire  un  plat 
humain,  possible,  semblable  k  la  nourri- 
ture  que  les  homines  marife  trouvent  chez 
eux. — Th.  de  Banville,  La  Cuisiniire 
Poetigue. 

(Military)    Plat,   gorget  formerly 
worn  by  officers. 

Platane,  m.  (familiar),  feuille  de  — , 
rank  cigar,  "  cabbage-leaf. " 

Plateau,  m.  (freemasons'),  a  dish. 

Plato.     See  Filer. 

Platre,  vi.  See  Essuyer.  (Prin- 
ters') Platre,  for  emplStre,  bad 
compositor.  (Thieves')  Platre,  sil- 
ver ;  silver  coin.  Possibly  an 
allusion  to  the  colour  and  shape 
of  the  face  of  a  watch.  Je  viens 
de  degringolarer  un  bobinot  en 
platre,  /  have  just  stolen  a  silver 
watch.  Etre  au  — ,  to  have 
money. 

Platue,/  (thieves'),  u.  kind  of  flat 

cake. 

Plein,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  avoir 
son  — ,  to  be  intoxicated,  "to  be 
primed ;" — commeuncEuf,  comme 
un  sac,  drunk,  "drunk  as  Davy's 
sow."  See  Pompette.  Gros  — 
de  soupe,  a  stout,  clumsy  man. 

Pleine,  adj.  (popular),  lune, 
breech,  or  ' '  Nancy. "  See  Vasis- 
tas.  (Familiar)  Faire  une  — 
eau,  to  dive  into  a  river  or  the  sea 
from  a  boat,  and  swim  about  in 
deet  water, 

Plette,/  (thieves'),  J&«,  "buflF." 

Pleurant,  m.  (thieves'),  onion. 
From  pi"urer,  to  weep.  The  allu- 
sion is  obvious.  Du  cabot  avec 
des  pleurants,  a  mess  of  dogfish 
■and  onions. 


Pleurer  (popular),  en  filou,  to  pre- 
tend to  weep,  crocodile  fashion. 
Faire  —  son  aveugle,  to  void 
urine,  "  to  pump  ship." 

Pleut  (popular),  il — !  ejaculation  oj 
refusal ;  silence  t  be  careful!  The 
expression  is  used  by  printers  as  a 
warning  to  be  silent  when  the 
master  or  a  stranger  enters  the 
workshop. 

Pleuvoir  (thieves'),  des  chasses,  to 
weep,  "  to  nap  a  bib."  Termed 
also  "baverdes  clignots."  (Mili- 
tary) Pleuvoir,  to  void  urine. 

Pli,  m.  (familiar),  avoir  un  —  dans 
sa  rose,  to  have  something  that 
mars  one's  joy  or  disturbs  one's 
happiness. 

La  Martini^re  avait  un  "pli  dans  sa 
rose  "  comme  il  le  disait  lui-meme. — H. 
France,  A  Travers  t'Espagne. 

Pliant,  m.  (thieves'),  knife,  or 
"chive."  Termed  also  "  vingt- 
deux,  surin,  or  lingre. "  Jouer  du 
— ,  to  knife,  "  to  chive." 

Plier  (popular),  ses  chemises,  to  die, 
"  to  snuff  it."  See  Pipe.  Plier 
son  eventail,  to  make  signals  to 
men  in  the  orchestra  stalls. 

Plis,  m.  pi.  (popular),  des  — ,  de- 
risive expression  of  refusal ;  might 
be  rendered  by,  Don't  you  wish 
you  may  get  it  ?  or  by  the  Ameri- 
canism, "  Yes,  in  a  horn  ! "  See 
Nfefles. 

Plomb,  m.  (restaurants'),  entre- 
mets. Probably  from  plum  pud- 
ding ;  (popular)  venereal  disease. 
Laver  la  tSte  avec  du  — ,  to  shoot 
one.  Manger  du  — ,  to  be  shot. 
Le  — ,  the  throat,  or  "  red  lane  ;" 
the  mouth.  Termed  also  "  I'ava- 
loir,  le  becot,  la  bavarde,  la  gar- 
goine.labolte,  I'egout,  lababouine, 
la  cassolette,  I'entonnoir,  la  gaffe, 
le  mouloir,  le  gaviot."     In   the 


342 


Plombe — Plume. 


English  slang,  "mug,  potato- 
trap,  rattler,  kisser,  maw-dubber, 
rattle-trap,  potato-jaw,  muns, 
bone-box."  Ferme  ton  — ,  hold 
your  tongue,  "put  a  clapper  to 
your  mug,  mum  your  dubber,  or 
hold  your  jaw." 

—  D'ovi  sort-elle  done  celle-I^  ?  Elle 
ferait  bien  mieux  de  clouer  son  bee. 

—  Celle-la . .  .  celle-1^  vaut  bien  Madame 
de  la  Queue-Rousse.  Ferme  ton  plomb 
toi-meme.  —  H.  France,  Le  PicfU  de 
SiEur  Cunigonde. 

Jeter  dans  le  — ,  to  swallow. 

Qui  qu'a  soif?  qui  qui  veut  boire  \  la 

fraiche  ? 
Sur  mon  dos  au  soleil  ma  glace  fond. 
De  crier,  5a  me  fait  la  gorge  reche. 
J'ai  le  plomb  tout  en  plomb.     Buvons  mon 
fond  -! 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Plombe,  /  (thieves'),  hour.  An 
allusion  to  the  weights  of  clocks, 
formerly  "plomees."  Sixplombes 
se  decrochent,  it  is  six  o'clock. 
Luysard  estampillait  six  plombes, 
it  was  six  o'clock  by  the  sun. 

Voil^  six  plombes  et  une  meche  qui 
crossent .  .  .  tu  pionees  encore. — Je  crois 
bien,  nous  avons  voulu  maquiller  k  la  sorgue 
chez  un  orphelin,  mais  le  pantre  ^tait  chaud ; 
j'ai  vu  le  moment  oil  il  faudrait  joiier  du 
vingt-deux  et  alors  il  y  aurait  eu  du  raisinet. 
— ^VIDOCQ.  ijt  is  half-past  six ,  . .  sleeping 
yet  ? — /  should  think  so  ;  ive  wanted  to  do 
a  night  joh  at  a  goldsmith's,  but  the  cove 
was  wide-awake.  I  was  very  near  doing 
for  hijn  with  my  knife.) 

Plomber  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
emit  a  bad  smell.  From  plomb, 
sink. 

Birbe  camard, 
Comme  un  ord  champignon  tu  plombes. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Plomber  de  la  gargoine,  to  have 
an  offensive  breath.  Plomber,  to 
strike  the  hour.  La  guimbarde  ne 
plombe  pas,  the  clock  does  not 
strike  the  hour.  Etre  plombe,  to 
be  drunk,  or  "lumpy,"  see 
Pompette  ;  to  suffer  from  a 
venereal  disease. 


Plombes,  y.  //.  (thieves'),  money, 
"  pieces."     See,  Quibus. 

De  vieux  marmiteux  de  la  haute  lui  ont 
offert  de  I'^pouser.  Mais  ils  n'avaient  que 
le  titre  (elle  veut,  dit-elle,  le  titre  avec  les 
plombes). — Louise  Michel, 

Plonger  (thieves'),  les  pognes 
dans  la  profonde,  or  fabriquer  un 
poivrot,  to  pick  the  pockets  of  a 
drunken  man  who  has  come  to 
grief  on  a  bench. 

Plongeur,  vt.  (thieves'),  poverty- 
stricken  man,  or ' '  quisby;  "  tatter- 
demalion; (popular)  scullery  man 
at  a  cafS  or  restaurant. 

Plotte,/  (thieves^),  purse,  "skin, 
orpoge."  Termed,  in  old  English 
cant,  ' '  bounge. "  Faire  une  — , 
"to  fake  a  skin.'' 


Plouse,     f.       (thieves'), 
"  strommel." 


straw. 


Ployant,  or  ploye,  m.  (thieves'), 
pocket-book,  "dee,"  or  "dummy." 

J'^tais  avec  lui  &  la  din^e  au  tapis,  lorsque 
les  cognes  sont  venus  lui  demander  ses 
escraches  et  j'ai  remarqu^  que  son  ployant 
dtait  plein  de  tailbins  d'alteque. — Vidocq. 
(/  was  "with  him  at  dinner  in  the  inn 
-when  the  gendarmes  came  to  ask  hiinfor 
his  passport,  and  I  noticed  that  his  pocket- 
hook  was  full  of  bank-notes. ) 

Pluc,  m.  (thieves'),  booty,  "regu- 
lars," or  "swag." 

Plumade,  f.  (obsolete),  straw  mat- 
tress. 

Plumard,  m.  (popular),  bed, 
"doss, "or  "bug-walk."  Termed 
also  "panier,  pagne,  pucier." 

Plumarder  (military),  se  — ,  to  go 
to  bed. 

Plume,/,  (thieves'), /a/j-«  key;  a 
short  crowbar  which  generally  takes 
to  pieces  for  the  convenience  of 
housebreakers.  Termed  also, 
"Jacques,     sucre     de     pommes, 


Plumeaii — Plumet. 


343 


I'enfant,  biribi,  rigolo. "  Denomi- 
nated by  English  housebreakers, 
"the  stielc,  Jemmy,  or  James." 
Passer  i  la  — ,  to  be  ill-trealed  by 
the  police.  Plume  de  Beauce 
(obsolete),  straw,  or  "  strommel." 

Quand  on  couche  sur  la  plume  de  la 
Beauce  (la  paille),  des  rideaux,  c'est  du 
luxe.— ViDOCQ. 

Piausser  sur  la  —  de  Beauce,  to 
sleep  in  the  straw.  (Popular) 
Plumes,  hair,  or  '■'  thatch. " 
Termed  also  "  tifs,  douilles, 
douillards."  Se  faire  des  plumes, 
or  paumer  ses  plumes,  to  feel  dull, 
to  have  the  "blues."  (Familiar) 
Ecrire  ses  memoires  avec  une  — 
de  quinze  pieds  was  said  formerly 
of  galley  slaves.  An  allusion  to  the 
long  oar  which  such  convicts  had 
to  ply  on  board  the  old  galleys. 
(Military)  Plume  !  an  ejaculation 
to  denote  that  the  soldier  referred 
towill  spend  the  night  at  the  guard- 
room or  in  prison.  An  ironical 
allusion  to  the  expression  "  coucher 
danslaplume,"  tosleep  in  a  feather- 
bed, and  to  the  hard  planks  which 
are  to  form  the  culprit's  couch. 
(Journalists')  Gen  de  — ,  literary 
man.  The  term  is  used  dispara- 
gingly. 

C'est  comme  9a !  continue  le  gen  de 
plume.  X ...  a  osd  m'envoyer  son  ouvrage 
en  vers  ...  oh  !  la  !  la  !  quelle  guitare  ! — 
Louise  Michel. 


I.UUISE    IVIICHEL. 

Plumeau,  m.  (popular),  va  done 
vieux  —  !  get  along,  you  old  fool, 
or  "doddering  old  sheep's  head." 

Plumepatte,  m.,  synonymous  of 
Dache  (which  see). 

Plumer  (thieves'),  le  pantre,  or  faire 
la  grece,  is  said  of  rogues  who, 
having  formed  an  cuquaintance 
with  travellers  whom  they  fall  in 
with  in  the  vicinity  of  railway 
stations,  take  them  to  a  neighbour- 
ing cafi  and  induce  them  to  play 
at  sovie  sttiindling  game,  with  the 


result  that  the  pigeorHs  money 
changes  hands.  ( Popular)  Plumer, 
to  sleep.     Se  — ,  to  go  to  bed. 

Plumet,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
avoir  son  — ,  to  be  drunk,  or 
"  tight."  Termed  also  "  avoir  son 
petit  jeune  homme,  €tie  paf,  s'etre 
pique  le  nez."  For  other  syno- 
nyms see  Pompette.  One  day, 
in  1853,  Alfred  de  Musset,  who 
then  had  become  a  confirmed 
tippler  of  absinthe,  called  on  M. 
Empis,  the  manager  of  the  TheStre 
Fran9ais,  and  asked  one  of  the 
officials  of  the  theatre  to  introduce 
him  into  his  presence.  The  offi- 
cial entered  the  directorial  office, 
says  Philibert  Audebrand,  when 
the  following  dialogue  took 
place : — 

—  Monsieur  le  directeur  .  .  . 

—  Quoi  ?  qu'y  a-t-il  ? 

—  Eh  bien,  c'est  M.  Alfred  de 
Musset. 

—  Mais,  monsieur  le  direc- 
teur .  .  . 

—  Quoi  done  ? 

—  C'est  qu'il  a  son  "petit 
jeune  homme." 

—  Qu'est-ce  que  9a  fait,  La- 
chaume  ?  Faites  entrer  M.  Alfred 
de  Musset  avec  son  petit  jeune 
homme. 

Le  plus  piquant  de  I'histoire, 
c'est  que  M.  Empis  ne  savait  pas 
ce  que  voulaient  dire  ces  mots  : 
"  avoir  son  petit  jeune  homme." 

The  expression  led  to  the  fol- 
lowing conversation  between  two 
savants : — 

Un  Grajnmairien.  Eh  bien, 
"avoir  son  petit  jeune  homme," 
qu'est-ce  que  5a  veut  dire  ? 

Un  Philologue.  C'est  "avoir 
son  plumet." 

Le  Grammairien.  Bon  I  me 
voili  bien  avanc^  !  Qu'est-ce 
qu'avoir  son  plumet  ? 

Le  Philologue.  Monsieur,  c'est 
"etiepaf." 


344 


Plumeuse — Pogne-main. 


Le  Grammairien.  De  mieux  en 
mieux.  Qu'est-ce  done  qu'  "  Stre 
paf"? 

Le  Philologue.  Selon  le  diction- 
naire  de  la  langue  verte,  le  mot  se 
dit  de  ceux  qui  "se  piquent  le 
nez." 

Le  Grammairien,  Je  ne  com- 
prends  toujours  pas. 

Le  Philologue.  Eh  bien,  tra- 
duisez  ;  ceux  qui  se  saoulent. 

Le  Grammairien,  Pour  le  coup, 
j'y  suis  ! 

Faux  — ,  wig,  "  flash,  or  peri- 
winkle." 

Plumeuse,  /,  (popular),  woman 
who  draws  so  largely  on  a  viands 
purse  as  not  to  leave  him  a  sou. 

Plus  (popular),  n'avoir  —  de  fil  sur 
la  bobine,  —  de  crin  sur  la  brosse, 
—  de  gazon  sur  le  pre,  —  de  pail- 
lasson  a  la  porte,  to  be  bald,  "  to 
be  stag-faced,  to  have  a  bladder 
of  lard,"  &c.  See  Avoir. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Ne  — 
pouvoir  passer  sous  la  Porte 
Saint-Denis.  See  Passer.  Plus 
que  fa  de  chic  !  how  elegant !  — 
que  9a  de  toupet !  what ' '  cheek  ! " 
N'avoir  — de  mousse  sur  le  caillou, 
to  be  bald.     See  Avoir. 

Plus  de  mousse  sur  le  caillou,  quatre 
cKeveux  frisant  k  plat  dans  le  cou,  si  bien 
qu'elle  ^tait  toujours  tent€e  de  lui  demander 
I'adresse  du  tnerlan  qui  lui  faisait  la  raie. — 
Zor.A. 

C'est  —  fort  que  de  jouer  au  bou- 
chon,  words  meant  to  express  the 
speaker^ s  astonishment  or  indigna- 
tion, "it  is  coming  it  rather  too 
strong. " 

Moi?  exclama  le  fourrier  stup^fait,  j 'aurai 
huit  jours  de  salle  de  police?  Eh  ben, 
vrai,  c'est  plus  fort  que  de  jouer  au  bouchon  ! 

—  G.  COUKTELINE, 

Plus  souvent  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), certainly  not ;  never, 

C'est  moi  qui  me  chargerai  de  toi. — 
Plus  souvent,  va  1  c'est  encore  toi  qui  sera 


bien  aise  de  revenir  manger  mon  pain. — E. 

MONTEIL, 

Pocharder  (general),  Se  — ,  to  get 
drunk,  "to  get  screwed."  See 
Sculpter. 

Pocharderie,/.  (general),  drunken- 
ness. 

Pochards.  Signe  de  la  croix  des 
— .     See  Menilmuche. 

Poche,  adj,  and  subst.  (popular), 
gtre  — ,  to  be  drunk,  to  be 
"screwed."  See  Pompette. 
(Thieves')  Une  — ,  a  spoon,  or 
"feeder."  Termed  by  Rabelais 
"happesoupe." 

Poche- ceil,  m,  (popular),  blow  in 
the  eye,  Conner  un  — ,  to  give  a 
black  eye,  "to  put  one's  eyes  in 
half-mourning." 

Pocher  (printers'),  better  explained 
by  quotation. 

Prendre  troo  d'encre  avec  le  rouleau  et 
la  mettre  sur  la  forme  sans  I'avoir  bien  dis- 
tribute.— BouTMY. 

Pochet^,  m,  (popular),  dunte,  or 
"  flat."  Used  sometimes  as  a 
friendly  appellation. 

Pochetee,  f,  (popular),  en  avoir 
une  — ,  to  be  dull-witted, 

Pochonner  (popular),  to  give  one  a 
couple  of  black  eyes,  "  to  put  one's 
eyes  in  mourning." 

Pofele  ^  chataignes,  /.  (popular), 
pock-marked  face,  "  cribbage- 
face." 

Po6traillon,  m,  {{eLmiUsn),  poet  who 
writes  lame  verses, 

Pogne,/  (thieves'),  thief,  "prig," 
see  Grinche  ;  hand, ox  "duke." 
Plonger  les  pognes  dans  la  pro- 
fonde,  or  dans  la  valade,  to  pick  a 
pocket,  "to  fake  a  cly."  See 
Grinchir. 

Pogne-main  (popular),  ^  - , 
heavily,  roughly. 


Pognon — Point. 


345 


Pognon,  or  poignon,  wz.  (popular), 
money,  or  "  dimmock."  For 
synonyms  see  Quibus. 


Elle  dit :  je  te  regale, 
£t  aussi  tes  conipaguons, 
~e  vas  vous  lester  la  cale, 
!ai5  gardez  votre  pognon. 

RiCHEFiN,  La  Mer, 


Mi 


Poignard,  m.  (tailors'),  the  act  of 
touching  up  some  article  of  cloth- 
ing. 

Poigne,      /.       (popular),      hand, 
"daddle." 
J'ai  la  poigne  solide.  .  ,  je  vous  etrangle. 

— E.  Lemoine. 
Donne-moi  ta  — ,   "tip  us  your 
daddle. "     Ergot  de  la  — ,  finger- 
nail.   Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  be  strong; 
energetic. 

Poignde,  f.  (popular),  foutre  une 
—  de  viande  par  la  figure  a 
quelqu'un,  to  box  one's  ears,  "  to 
■warm  the  wax  of  one's  ears." 

Poigneux,  atij.  (popular),  strong, 
vigorous,  "spry." 

De  vieux  pecheur?  venus  a  I'Sge 

Ou  la  poigne  n'est  plus  poigneuse  aux 

avirons ; 
Mais,  tout  de   mSme,   encor    lar^es   des 

palerons, 
Ayant  toujours  un  pen  de  seve  sous  I'^corce, 
Rabies,  et,  s'il  le  faut,  bons  pour  un  coup 

de  force. 

RiCHEPiNj  La  Mer. 

Poignon,  m.  (popular),  money, 
"tin." 

Dis  done,  I'enfl^,  si  t'as  du  poignon,  re- 
muche-moi  la  mOme.   Elle  e.st  rien  gironde. 

— RiCHEPIN. 

Poil,  m.  (popular),  avoir  un  —  dans 
la  main,  to  be  lazy;  to  feel  dis- 
inclined for  work,  or  "  Monday- 
ish." 

Gervaise  s'amusa  \  suivre  trois  ouvriers, 
. .  .  qui  se  retoumaient  tous  les  dix  pas  .  .  . 
ahj  bieo  !  murmura-t-elle,  en  voilk  trois 
qui  ont  un  fameux  poil  dans  la  main. — 
Zola,  L'Assommoir. 

Avoir  du  —  au  cul,  to  have  courage. 


"spunk."  Faire  le  — ,  to  sur- 
pass. Flanquer  un  — ,  to  repri- 
mand, to  give  z  "wigging." 
Tomber  sur  le  — ,  to  thrash,  "to 
wallop."  See  Voie.  Un  boiigre 
Spoils,  asttirdy  fellow,  a  "game" 
one.  (Sailors')  Un  cachalot  bon 
— ,  a  good  sailor.  Un  terrien  a 
trois  poils,  a  swell  landsman. 
(Picture  dealers')  Cuir  et  poils,  at 
a  high  price. 

II  vend  son  Corot  tres  cher,  '"cuir  et 
poils,"  comme  on  dit  dans  ce  joli  com- 
merce :  et  c'est  son  droit  ;  car  la  valeur 
d'un  objet  d'art  est  facultative. —A.  I)au- 

DET. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Prendre 
du  —  de  la  bete,  to  take  a  "  modest 
quencher  "  on  the  morning  follow- 
ing a  debauch,  "  to  take  a  hair 
of  the  dog."  When  a  man  has 
tried  too  many  '•  hairs  of  the  dog 
that  bit  him,"  he  is  said  to  be 
"stale  drunk."  If  this  state  of 
things  is  too  long  continued,  it  is 
often  called,  "  same  old  drunk," 
from  a  well-known  nigger  story. 
The  nigger  was  cautioned  by 
his  master  for  being  too  often 
drunk  within  a  given  period, 
when  the  "cuUud  pusson"  replied, 
"  Same  old  drunk,  massa,  same  old 
drunk."  (Students')  Le  faste  en 
— ,  the  garden  of  the  Palace  of 
Luxembourg,  by  synonyms  on  the 
words  luxe  en  bourre.  Faire  son 
petit  ourson  au  faste  en  — ,  to  stroll 
in  the  Luxembourg  garden. 

Poins  (Breton  cant),  theft. 

Poinsa  (Breton  cant),  to  steal. 

Poinser  (Breton  cant),  thief. 

Point,  m.  (popular),  one  franc  ;  — 
de  c8te,  a  nuisance.  Properly  a 
stitch  in  the  side ;  creditor,  or 
"dun  ;  "  poiiu-officer  whose  func- 
tions are  to  watch  prostitutes. 
(Ecole  Polytechnique)  Point 
gamma,  yearly  examination.    See 


346 


Pointe — Poison. 


Pipo.  Jusqu'au  ^—  M,  up  to  a 
certain  point ;  in  a  certain  degree, 
Le  —  Q,  breech.  Tangente  au  — 
Q,  sword. 

Pointe,y.  (familiar),  avoir  sa  — ,  to 
be  slightly  in  drink,  or  "elevated." 
See  Pompette. 

Pointeau,  m.  (popular),  clerk  who 
keeps  a  record  of  the  working  hours 
in  manufactories. 

Pointer  (popular),  to  thrash,  "  to 
give  a  walloping. "    See  Voie. 

_  Si  ta  Dedfele  est  gironde,  faut  la  gober, 
si  elle  est  rosse,  faut  la  pointer  ferme. — 
Le  Cri  du  Peuple,  Feb.,  1886.  (If  ymir 
tittle  wotnan  ts  a  nice  one  you  must  love 
heTy  if  she  is  a  shrew  you  tnust  thrash  her 
well?) 

Pointu,  m.  (popular),  or  bouillon 
— ,  clyster ;  bishop.  (Military) 
Un  —  carre,  a  slow  fellow,  "stick 
in  the  mud." 

Eh  bien  I  et  les  "bleus,"  ils  ne  descen- 
dent  pas  ?  lis  n'ont  done  pas  entendu 
sonnerle  demi-appel,  ces  "pointus-carrds  !" 
Tas  de  carapatas,  va  ! — C.  Dubois  de 
Gennes. 

Pointue,/  (thieves'),  the  Pr^ecture 
de  Police.  Ballonne  a  la  — ,  im- 
prisoned in  the  lock-up  of  the  PrS- 
fecture. 

Poire,/  (cads'  and  thieves'),  head, 
or"tibby."  SeeTronche.  Tam- 
bouriner  la  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  slap 
one's  face,  "  to  fetch  one  a  wipe 
in  the  mug,''  or  "to  give  a  biff  in 
the  jaw  "  (Americanism).  (Fami- 
liar and  popular)  Faire  sa  — ,  to 
give  oneself  airs  ;  to  have  an  air  of 
;elf- conceit,  to  look  "gumptious." 
Synonymous  of  "faire  sa  tete," 
and,  in  the  elegant  language  of 
cads,  ' '  faire  sa  merde. " 

Poireau,  m.  (popular).  Properly 
leek.  Faire  le  — ,  to  be  kept  wait- 
ing at  an  appointed  time  or  place, 
"  to  cool,  or  to  kick  one's  heels." 
Siirtout  ne  me  fais  pas  faire  le  — , 
mind  you  don't  "stick  me  up." 


II  est  comme  les  poireaux,  he  is 
ever  young  and  "  spry . "  The  ex- 
pression is  old. 

Tu  me  reproches  mon  poil  gnsonnant  et 
ne  consydere  point  comment  il  est  de  la 
nature  des  pourreaux  esquels  nous  voyons 
la  teste  blanche  et  la  queue  verte,  droicte 
et  vigoureuse. — Rabelais. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Un  — ,  a 
rogue  who  extorts  money  from 
Sodomites  under  threats  cf  disclo- 


Par  malheur  le  poireau,  le  chanteur, 
*  connatt  aussi  ce  signe  de  reconnaissance. 
Si  ces  deux  antiphysiques  ont  derriere  eux 
cette  araign^e,  toujours  prete  a  tendre  sa 
toile  pour  les  surprendre  e'en  est  fait  du 
douillard. — Memoires  de  MotisieurClaude. 

Poireauter  (popular),  to  wait  a  long 
while  at  an  appointed  place,  "  to 
cool,  or  to  kick  one's  heels." 
Fielding  uses  the  latter  expression 
in  his  Amelia : — 

In  this  parlour  Amelia  cooled  her  heels, 
as  the  phrase  is,  near  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 

Poirette,  /  (thieves'),  face,  or 
"mug."     Laver  la  — ,  to  kiss. 

Poirier,  m.  (dancing  halls'),  a 
variety  of  pas  seul  included  in  the 
cancan,  a  rather  questionable  sort 
of  choregraphy. 

L'orchestre  joue  et  Ton  repete  le  "ca- 
nard qui  barbote,"  la  "  tulips  orageuse," 
le  "poirier"  avec  un  ensemble  parfait. — 
Gil  Bias,  Janvier,  1887. 

Poirot6,  m.  (police  and  thieves'), 
rogue  who  is  being  watched  by  the 
police, 

Poiroter  (police  and  thieves'),  to 
wat'h,  "to  give  a  roasting,"  or 
"to  dick." 

Pois,  f.  pi.  (popular),  coucher  dans 
le  lit  aux  —  verts,  to  sleep  in  the 
fields. 

Poison,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
insulting    epithet    applied    to    a 


Poisse — Poisseux. 


347 


Poisse,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
thief,  "prig."  For  synonyms  see 
Giinche. 

Voilk  comment  on  devient  grinche, 
I'homme  pauvre  devient  gouSpeur,  on  Ten- 
voie  a  la  Lorcef^,  il  en  sort  poisse. — Vi- 
DOCQ.'  (Thai  is  hovj  otu  takes  to  thieving; 
a  poor  man  becojnes  a  vagrant^  he  is  sent 
to  La  Force f  -when  he  leaves  he  is  a  thief.') 

Uoe  —  a  la  detoume,  a  shop- 
lifter, or  "  sneaksman,"  termed 
formerly  ' '  buttock  -  and  -  file. " 
"  Robbing  a  shop  by  pairs  is 
termed  '  palming ' — one  thief  bar- 
gaining with  apparent  intent  to 
purchase,"  says  the  Slang  Dic- 
tionary, "whilstthe  other  watches 
his  opportunity  to  steal.  The  fol- 
lowing anecdote  will  give  an  idea 
of  their  modus  operandi.  A  man 
once  entered  a  'ready-made'  boot 
and  shoe  shop,  and  desired  to  be 
shown  a  pair  of  boots,  his  com- 
panion staying  outside  and  amu- 
sing himself  by  looking  in  at  the 
window.  The  one  who  required 
to  be  fresh  shod  was  apparently  of 
a  humble  and  deferential  turn,  for 
he  placed  his  hat  on  the  floor 
directly  he  stepped  into  the  shop. 
Boot  after  boot  was  tried  on  until 
at  last  a  fit  was  obtained,  when  in 
rushed  a  man,  snatched  up  the 
customer's  hat  left  near  the  door, 
and  ran  down  the  street  as  fast  as 
his  legs  could  carry  him.  Away 
went  the  customer  after  his  hat, 
and  Crispin,  standing  at  the  door, 
clapped  his  hands,  and  shouted, 
'  Go  it,  you'll  catch  him  ? '  little 
thinking  that  it  was  a  concerted 
trick,  and  that  neither  his  boots 
nor  the  customer  would  ever  re- 
turn." •  Detectives  occasionally 
learn  something  from  thieves,  as 
appears  from  the  stratagem  re- 
sorted to  by  a  French  member  of  the 
SHreti  soms  time  ago,  who,  himself 
a  small  man,  and  having  a  war- 
rant for  the  arrest  of  an  herculean 
and  desperate  scoundrel,  proceeded 


as  follows.  He  dogged  his  man, 
who  pretended  to  hawk  chains  and 
watches,  and,  watching  his  oppor- 
tunity, when  the  man  had  laid 
down  his  merchandise  on  the  table 
of  a  wine-shop,  he  suddenly 
caught  up  one  of  the  articles,  and 
made  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
police  station,  followed  thither  by 
his  quarry  in  hot  pursuit,  and  cry- 
ing out,  "Stop  thief!"  Need- 
less to  say  that  the  result  was  quite 
the  reverse  of  that  anticipated  by 
the  burly  malefactor.  (Dandies') 
La  — ,  the  world  of  cads,  ofrscak. 
outsiders." 

Poiss6,  adj.  (thieves'),  stolen ; 
caught.  Au  bout  d'un  an  —  avec 
une  pesee  de  gigot  que  j'allais  four- 
guer.  After  one  year  nabbed  with 
some  leg  of  mutton  which  I  was 
taking  away  to  sell. 

Poisser  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
catch ;  to  steal,  ' '  to  cop,  to  clift, 
or  to  claim  ;"  —  les  philippes,  or 
I'auber,  to  steal  money.  See 
Grinchir. 

II  fait  nuit,  le  ciel  s'opaque. 
Viens-tu?    J'vas  poisser  I'auber  .  .  . 
Au  bagn'  j'aurai  eun'  casaque  ! 
C'est  pas  rigolo,  I'hiver. 

RrCHEPIN. 

Se  — ,  to  get  drunk.  See  Sculp - 
ter.  Se  faire  — ■  la  gerce,  to  be 
guilty  of  unnatural  offences, 

Polsseur,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
thief ,  ox  "■  Y^^."     See  Grinche. 

Poisseuse,  f.  (familiar),  dressy, 
stylish  woman,  a,  ' '  blooming 
tart." 

Poisseux,  m.  (familiar),  dandy,  or 
' '  masher. "  For  list  of  synonyms 
see  Gommeux. 

Les  petits  jeunes  gens,  les  poisseux,  les 
boudin^s  .  .  .  ^talent  k  leur  poste.— A. 
SiRVEN,  Au  Pays  des  Roublards. 

Dandies  used  to  apply  the  epithet 
to  a  cad,  a  "  rank  outsider." 


348 


Poisson — Poitrine. 


Poisson,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
one  who  lives  on  the  earnings  of  a 
prostitute,  whom  he  terms  "  sa 
marmite, "  as  providing" hifn  with 
his  daily  bread. 

Seulement  .  .  .  tout  souteneur  qui  ne 
venge  pas  sa  largue  est  consid^r^  comme 
un  faineant,  11  est  condamne  par  la  bande 
des  poissons.  —  Memoires  de  Monsieur 
ClattcU, 

Bullies  frequent  all  parts  of  Paris, 
but  principally  the  outer  Boule- 
vards and  Quartier  Montmartre. 
Those  of  the  lower  sort  are  recog- 
nizable by  their  vigorous  appear- 
ance, kiss-curls,  tight  light- 
coloured  trousers,  and  tall  silk 
cap.  These  degraded  creatures, 
who  are  the  bane  of  the  outer 
quarters,  readily  turn  murderers 
when  "  business  "  is  slack.  Leo 
Taxil  says  :  "  Every  day  the 
newspapers  are  full  of  the  exploits 
of  these  wretches,  who  ply  the 
knife  as  jugglers  do  their  balls. 
The  police  are  powerless  against 
them."  In  a  curious  pamphlet, 
written  in  1830,  as  a  protest  of 
the  Paris  bullies  against  a  police 
order,  forbidding  prostitutes  from 
plying  their  trade  in  public  places, 
we  have  a  marlou's  portrait 
painted  by  himself  :— 

Un  marlou,  monsieur  le  Pr^fet,  c'est  un 
beau  jeune  homme,  fort,  solide,  sachant 
tirer  la  savate,  se  mettant  fort  bien,  dansant 
le  chahut  et  le  cancan  avec  €l<£gance,  aima- 
ble  aupr&s  des  filles  d^vou^es  au  culte  de 
V6nus,  les  soutenant  dans  les  dangers  ^mi- 
nents  isic),  sachant  les  faire  respecter  et  les 
forcer  k  se  conduire  avec  d^cence  .  .  .  vous 
voyez  bien  qu'mi  marlou  est  un  etre  moral, 
utile  k  la  socie't^.  —  Le  beau  Thiodore 
CttTtcan. 

The  synonyms  of  "  poisson ''  are 
the  following:  "Alphonse,  baigne- 
dans-le-beurre,  barbise,  barbe, 
barbillon,  barbeau,  marlou,  be- 
noit,  brochet,  dos,  dos  vert,  cas- 
quette  k  trois  ponts,  chevalier 
du  bidet,  chevalier  de  la  guiche. 


chiqueur  de  blanc,  bouffeur  de 
blanc,  costal,  cravateverte,  guiche, 
dessous,  ecaill^,  fish,  foulard 
rouge,  gentilhomme  sous-marin, 
ambassadeur,  gonce  a  ecailles, 
goujon,  lacromuche,  retrousseur, 
dos  d'azur,  dauphin,  macchoux, 
machabee,  macque,  macquet, 
macrottin,  maq,  maquereau,  pois- 
son frayeur,  releveur  de  fumeuse, 
maquignon  a  bidoche,  mangeur 
de  blanc,  tete  de  patire,  mar- 
loupatte,  marloupin,  marlousier, 
marquant,  mec,  mec  de  la  guiche, 
monsieur  i  nageoires,  monsieur 
i  rouflaquettes,  neg  en  viande 
chaude,  patente,  porte-nageoires, 
roi  de  la  mer,  rouflaquette,  roule- 
en-cul,  soixante-six,  un  qui  va 
aux  epinards,  valet  de  cceur, 
visqueux,  bibi,  and  formerly  bras 
de  fer."  The  English  slang 
has  "  Sunday-man,  petticoat  pen- 
sioner, pensioner  with  an  obscene 
prefix,  ponce,  prosser,"  &c. 
(Popular)  Poisson,  large  glass  of 
brandy. 


I 


Tous  les  matins,  quand  je  m'lfeve, 
^'ai  I'cosur  sens  sus  d'sous  ; 
'renvoi'  chercher  contr*  la  Greve 
Jn  poisson  d'  quatr'  sous. 
II  rest'  trois  quarts  d'heure  en  route, 
Et  puis  en  r'mnntant, 
I'm'lich'  la  moiti^  d'ma  goutte 
Qud  cochon  d'enfant ! 

Pojntlar  Song, 

Poitou,  m.  (thieves'),  the  public. 
Epargner  le  — ,  to  take  one's  pre- 
cautions. Poitou,  or  poiton,  no  ; 
nothing.  As-tu  vingt  ronds  ?  Du 
poiton.     Have  you  a  franc  ?    No. 

Poitrinaire,  /  (popular),  umnan 
with  opulent  breasts.  Properly 
consumptive  person. 

Poitrine,  /  (military),  d'acier, 
cuirassier ;  —  de  velours,  officer 
of  the  engineers,  or  "sapper." 
An  allusion  to  the  velvet  front 
of  his  tunic.  (Popular)  Du 
casse  — ,  brandy.     Un  casse  — . 


Poitriner — Poivrot. 


349 


The  celebrated  physician  Tardieu, 
in  his  Etude  Midico-Ligale  sur 
Us  Attentats  aux  Masurs,  says  : 
"Qui  manu  stupro  dediti  sunt, 
casse-poitrine  appellantur. " 

Poitriner  (players'),  to  hold  cards 
close  to  one  so  as  to  conceal  one's 
game. 

Poivrade,  /  (popular),  syphilis, 
or  other  kind  of  venereal  disease, 
one  of  which  the  English  slang 
terms  "  French  gout,  or  ladies' 
fever. '' 

Poivre,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
foison.  Flasquer  du  —  k  la  rousse, 
tokeep  out  of  the  way  of  the  police, 
to  be  in  "lavender."  (Popular 
and  thieves')  Poivre,  brandy; 
glass  of  brandy. 

De  la  biere,  deux  poivresou  un  saladier? 
—P.  Mahalin. 

Se  flanquer  une  calotte  de  — ,  to 
get  intoxicated  on  brandy.  Chier 
du  — ,  to  abscond.  Une  mine  a — , 
a  shop  where  alcoholic  liquors  are 
retailed,  a  kind  of  low  "gin 
palace." 

Comment,  une  bride  de  son  esp&ce  se 

{)ennettait  de  mauvaises  manieres. . .  .  Tous 
es  marchands  de  coco  faisaient  roeil  !  II 
fallait  venir  dans  les  mines  a  poivre  pour 
etre  insult^  ! — Zola. 

Etre  — ,  to  be  drunk,  or  "tight.'' 
See  Pompette. 

Dans  la  langue  imag^e  gui  a  cours  du 
c6t^  de  Montpamasse,  on  dit  qu'un  buveur 
est  -'  poivre  "  quand  il  a  laissd  sa  raison  au 
fond  des  pots. — Gaboriau. 

Canarder  un  — ,  to  rob  a  drunkard. 

Poivreau,  or  poivrot,  vi.  (popular), 
drunkard,  "  lushington."  From 
^oiyie,  rank  brandy.  Boutmysays: 
"Un  'poivreau'  que  le  culte  de 
Bacchus  a  plonge  dans  la  plus 
grande  debine,  se  fit  renvoyer  de 
son  atelier.  Par  pitie  .  .  .  ses 
camarades  font  entre  eux  une  col- 


lecte  .  ■  .  notre  poivreau  revient 
une  heme  apr^s  completement 
ivre. 

' '  —  Vous  n'6tes  pas  honteux,  de 
vous  mettre  dans  un  etat  pareil 
avec  I'argent  que  I'on  vous  avait 
donne  pour  vous  acheter  un  vete- 
ment  ? 

"  —  Eh  bien !  repondit  I'incor- 
rigible  ivrogne,  j'ai  pris  une 
•  culotte.'  " 

Poivrement,  m.  (thieves'),  pay- 
ment. 

Poivrer  (general),  to  oziercharge,  or 
"to  shave;"  to  give  a  venereal 
disease. 

Toi  louve,  toi  guenon,  qui  m'as  si  bien 

poivr^. 
Que  je  ne  crois  jamais  en  etre  d^livrd. 

St.  Amant. 

Poivreur,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who 
pays  ;  one  who  ' '  shells  out  the 
shiners." 

Poivrier,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
drunkard.  See  Poivrot.  Faire 
le  — ,  barboter  le  — ,  to  rob  a, 
drunkard. 

A  nous  trois,  nous  avons  barbot^  pas 
mal  de  poivriers.— Z«  Petit  yournal. 

Poivrier,  spirit  shop ;  thief  who 
robs  drunkards,  a  "bug-hunter." 

Poivrifere,  /  (popular),  woman 
suffering  from  a  venereal  disease. 
Vol  a  la  — ,  robbing  drunkards. 

Le  pillage  d'un  Aalage  par  le  jeune  Z.  ; 
enfin  le  pillage  "i  la  poivriSre"  dun 
ivrogne,  couchd  sur  un  banc.  —  GkOS- 
CLAUDE,  Gil  Bias. 

Poivrot,  m.  (general),  drunkard,  or 
habitual  drunkard,  "  mop."  To 
be  on  the  "  mop  "  is  to  be  on  the 
drink  from  day  to  day,  to  be  per- 
petually "  stale  drunk."  The 
synonyms  of  poivrot  are  "polo- 
nais,  poivrier,  pompier,  eponge, 
mouillard,  sac  a  vin,"&c.,  and  in 
the  Enghsh  slang,  "lushington. 


350 


Poivrotter — Polka. 


bibber,''  and  the  old  word  "  swill- 
pot,"  used  by  Urquhart  in  his 
translation  of  Rabelais  : — 

What  doth  that  part  of  our  army  in  the 
meantime  which  overthrows  that  unworthy 
swill-pot  Grangousier  ? 

Une  filature  a  poivrots,  an  esta- 
blishment where  spirits  are  re- 
tailed. (Thieves')  Fabriquer  un 
— ,  cueillir  un  — ,  to  pick  the 
pockets  of  a  drunken  man,  the 
thief  being  termed  in  the  English 
slang  a  "  bug-hunter." 

Poivrotter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
(/?-«»/&,  or  "  tight. "  For  synonyms 
see  Sculpter. 

Police,  /.  (military),  bonnet  de  — , 
recruit,  or  "Johnny  raw." 

Ah  !  mille  milliards  de  trompettes  k  pis- 
ton !  S'etre  laisse  tarauder  ainsi  par  un 
bleu  .  .  .  par  un  blanc  bee  .  .  .  un  cara- 
pata  .  .  .  un  bonnet  de  police  ;  un  conscrit 
enfin !— Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Police  (prostitutes'),  se  mettre  \ 
la  — ,  to  have  one's  name  taken 
down  in  the  police-books  as  a  pros- 
titute. All  such  women  have  to 
fulfil  that  formality,  failing  which 
they  are  liable  to  be  summarily 
locked  up. 

Polichinelle  (popular),  avaler  le 
— ,  to  partake  of  cotnmunion. 
Avoir  un  —  dans  le  tiroir,  to  be 
pregnant,  or  "lumpy."  Un — , 
large  glass  of  brandy. 

Si  mon  auguste  epouse  ne  re9oit  pas  sa 
tremp^e  ce  soir,  je  veux  que  ce  polichinelle- 
Ik  me  serve  de  poison. — Gavarni. 

Agacer  un  —  sur  le  zinc,  to  have 
a  glass  of  brandy  at  the  bar. 

Polik  (Breton  cant),  cat ;  attorney. 

Polir.     See  Asphalte,  Bitume. 

Polisseuse  de  mats  de  cocagne 
en  chambre,  f.  (popular),  a 
variety  of  the  prostitute  tribe, 
whose  splcialiti  may  more  easily  be 


guessed   at    than    described.      In 
Latin  fellatrix.     See  Gadoue. 

Polisson,  m.  (vagi-ants').  For- 
merly one  of  the  tribe  of  togues 
and  mendicants,  a  miserably  clad 


PolLssons  sont  ceux  qui  ont  des  frusquins 
qui  ne  valent  que  floutiere  ;  en  hiver  quand 
sigris  bouesse,  c'est  lorsque  leur  ^tat  est 
plus  chenastre. — Le  Jargon  de  I' Argot. 
(* '  Potissons  "  'are  those  who  possess  clothes 
in  rags ;  in  winter,  when  it  is  cold,  then 
is  thiir  trade  more  Jtrojitable.) 

(Obsolete)  Polisson,  pad  worn 
under  the  dress  to  make  up  for  the 
lack  of  rotundity  in  a  certain  part 
of  the  body,  bristle,  or  "bird- 
cage." 

Dames  et  demoi-selles  quelconques,  qui, 
pour  suppleer  au  manque  de  rondeur  de 
certaines  parties,  portent  ce  que  Madame 
de  Genlis  appelle,  tout  crQment,  un  pohsspn, 
et  que  nous  appelons  une  toumure. — Th. 
Gautier. 

Polissonner  (theatrical),  to  hiss, 
"  to  give  the  big  bird." 

L'auteur  est  un  client,  sa  dernifere  piece 
a  dttf  un  peu  polissonnee  (siffl^ej.  II  s'agit 
de  lui  donner  une  revanche  pour  celle-ci ! 
— Balzac. 

Politiculard,  m.  (journalists'),  a 
contemptuous  term  for  a  worthless 
politician. 

Y  a  pas  .  .  .  C'est  un  rude  homme  tout 
d'm@me,  qu'eul'  Bismarck  qui  vient  d'gueu- 
ler  comm'  un  tonnerre  au  Reichstag. .  .  . 
En  yik-z-un  qui  leur-z-y  parle  comm'  y 
mdritent,  k  c'troupeau  d'politiculards  alle- 
mands,  presqu'  aussi  toe  qu'  les  n6tres,  au 
fond,  j'm'imagine.— i«  Cri  du  Peuple, 
i6  Janvier,  1887. 

Polka,  /  and  m.  (models'),  inde- 
cent photograph  of  nude  figures. 
(Popular)  Faire  danser  la  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one,  "to 
wallop."  See  Voie.  (Familiar) 
Polka,  silly  young  dandy,  an  in- 
defatigable dancer. 

Les  jolies  femmes  dtfdaignent  les  petiti 
polkas. — Figaro. 


Polkiste — Pomm^. 


351 


Polkiste,  m.  (familiar),  in  favour 
of  the  polka. 

Polochon,  m.  (popular),  bolster. 
(Military)  Mille  polochons  !  a 
mild  oath, 

Polonais,  vt.  (popular),  drunken 
man,  see  Poivrot ;  man  em- 
ployed to  keep  order  in  a  brothel, 
and  who  is  called  upon  to  inter- 
jere  when  any  disturbance  takes 
place  among  the  clientele  and 
ladies  of  the  place. 

Quand  la  dame  du  lieu,  ^  bout  de  prieres, 
parle  de  faire  descendre  le  Polonais,  le 
tapage  s'apaise  comme  par  enchantement. 
— Delvau. 

Polonais,  a  small  pressing  iron. 

Elle  promenait  doucement,  dans  le  fond 
de  ia  coiffe,  le  polonais,  un  petit  fer  ar- 
Tondi  des  deux  bouts. — ZoLA,  VAssont- 
moir. 

Pomaquer  (thieves'),  to  lose. 
Votre  greffier  n'est  pas  pomaque, 
your  cat  is  not  lost.  Pomaquer, 
to  arrest,  "  to  smug."  See  Piper. 
Mon  poteau  s'est  fait  —  par  la 
rousse,  my  comrade  has  allozued 
himself  to  be  apprehended  by  the 
police,  or  my  "  pal "  ^0/  "  smugged ' ' 
by  the  "  reelers."  Pomaquer,  to 
take. 

Voil^  !  En  rangeant  les  cambrioles  (pe- 
tites  boutiques)  on  a  peut-etre  laissd  se 
plaquer  (tomber)  un  gluant  (b^b^  de  car- 
ton, et  je  voudrais  le  pomaquer  (prendre) 
pour  ma  daronne  (mere).— RiCHEPlN. 

Pommade,  /  (popular),  flattery, 
"  soft  sawder."  Jeter  de  la  — , 
to  flatter,  "  to  butter  up."  Pom- 
made,  ruin ;  misfortune.  Tomber 
dans  la  — ,  to  be  ruined,  "  to  be 
chawed  up,"  or  "  smashed  up." 

Pommader  (popular),  quelqu'un, 
to  thrash  one,  or  "to  anoint," 
see  Vote ;  to  flatter,  "  to  butter 
up."  Se  — ,  to  get  drunk,  or 
"screwed."     See  Sculpter. 


Pommadeur,  m.  (popular),  flat- 
terer, one  who  gives  "  soft  saw- 
der ; "  man  who  buys  damaged 
furniture  and  sells  it  again  after 
having  filed  up  the  cracks  with 
putty. 

Pommadin,  m.  (popular),  assistant 
to  u,  hair-dresser ;  swell,  or 
"  gorger."     See  Gommeux. 

Pommard,  m.  (old  cant),  cider. 
From  pomme,  apple. 

Pomme,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
head,  or  "  tibby ; "  face,  or 
"mug."     See  Tronche. 

AllonSj  ho  .'  fais-moi  voir  ta  pomme  ; 
Rapplique  un  peu  sous  I'bec  ed'gaz, 
J'te  gob' ;  faut  profiler  de  I'occas'. 
Gill. 

(Popular)  Pomme  de  rampe,  bald 
head,  "bladder  of  lard."  Sucer 
la  — ,  to  kiss.  Une  —  i  vers, 
Dutch  cheese.  Une  —  de  canne, 
grotesque  face,  or  "knocker  face.'' 
Avoir  une  —  de  canne  felee,  to  be 
deranged,  ' '  to  have  a  slate  off," 
"  to  be  balmy. "  See  Avoir.  Aux 
pommes,  or  bate  aux  pommes, 
excellent,  first-rate,  "slap  up." 
Concerning  the  expression  Rigaud 
says:  "  Deux  consommateurs,  un 
habitue  et  un  etranger,  de- 
mandent,  dans  un  cafe,  chacun 
un  bifteck,  le  premier  aux 
pommes,  le  second  naturel,  nature, 
dans  I'argot  des  restaurateurs. 
Le  garfon  charge  des  commandes 
vole  vers  les  cuisines  et  s'ecrie 
d'une  voix  retentissante,  '  Deux 
biftecks,   dont  un   aux   pommes. 


soigne 


!'      Le    mot    fit   fortune. 


C'est  depuis  ce  jour  qu'on  dit, 
Auxpommes,  pour  soigne."  (Mili- 
tary) C'est  comme  des  pommes, 
it  is  useless. 

Pomme,  adj.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), excessive,  "awful."  B^tise 
pommee,  great  stupidity. 


352 


Pommer — Pompette. 


Pommer,  or  paumer  (thieves'  and 
cads'),  to  apprehend,  "to  nail," 
or  "to  smug." 

Enfin  que'qu'fois  quand  on  m'pomme,   ^ 
J'couch'  au   post'.      C'est    chouett',   cest 

chaud, 
Et  c'est  Ik  qu'on  trouve,  en  somme, 
Les  gens  les  plus  comme  il  faut. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Paximer  ses  plumes,  to  feel  dull. 

Pommier,  m.  (popular),  en  fleurs, 
breasts  of  a  young  maiden  ;  —  ste- 
rile, skinny  breasts. 

Pompage,  m.  (popular),  libations, 
"lushing." 

Pompe,  /  (tailors'),  touching  up 
of  ill-fitting  garments.  Petite  — , 
grande  — ,  respectively,  touching 
up  of  waistcoats  andcoats.  (Fami- 
liar and  popular)  Pompe  fun^bre, 
a  variety  of  prostitute.  In  Latin 
fellatrix.  (Military  schools')  Le 
corps  de  — ,  the  staff  of  in- 
structors.    La  — ,  work. 

hsL  pompe  !  k  ce  grand  mot  votre  intel- 
lect se  tend 

Et  cherche  Sl  deviner.  ...  La  pompe,  c'est 
r^tude, 

La  pompe,  c'est  la  longue  et  funeste  habi- 
tude 

De  puiser  chaque  jour  chez  messieurs  les 
auteurs 

Le  sue  et  1' elixir  de  leurs  doctes  labeurs  .  .  . 

La  pompe,  c'est  I'efFroi   du   chasseur,   du 
houzard, 

Du  spahi,  du  draeon,  et,  malgrif  sa  cuirasse, 

Du  cuirassier. — Voila  la  pompe. 

'1'heo-Critt,  Nos  Farces  d  Saumur. 

(Military)  La  —  du  part-a-douze, 
imaginary  pump  in  the  paradise 
from  which   rain   is  supposed  to 


Parfait,  s'dcrie  Cousinet,  il  me  parait  que 
le  pfere  Eternel  il  a  mis  quatre  hommes  de 
renfort  i  la  pompe  du  part-k-douze  ! .  ,  . 
Voilk  ce  qui  peut  s'appeler  une  averse  de 
bonheur  ! — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

(Popular  and  thieves')  Pompe, 
shoe,  "trotter  case,  or  daisy  root." 
See  Ripaton.     Refiler  un  coup 


de  —  dans  I'oignon,  to  kick  one  in 
the  behind,  "to  root." 

Pomper  (popular),  to  drink  much, 
"to  guzzle,"  seeRincer;  to  work 
hard,  "to sweat;"  (shopmen's)  — 
le  gaz,  to  be  the  victim,  of  a  practi- 
cal joke,  which  consists  in  making 
a  new-co7ner  ply  an  imaginary 
gas-pump.  Pomper  meant  formerly 
to  vuike  a  sacrifice  to  Venus.  Le 
Roux  gives  the  explanation  in  the 
following  words  :  "  Dans  un  sens 
equivoque  et  malicieux,  pour  faire 
le  deduit." 

Pompette,  adj.  (general),  Stre  — . 
to  be  intoxicated. 

Ce  serait  moule  de  ne  pas  rigoler  parfois. 
.  .  .  On  se  sdpara  k  trois  heures,  ddlicate- 
ment  pompettes. — Emile  Kapp,  La  Joie 
des  Pauvres. 

Rabelais  uses  the  word  with  the 
signification  of  "grog-blossoms." 
The  terms  graduating  the  scale  of 
drunkenness,  beginning  with  those 
which  denote  mild  intoxication, 
are  :  "  Avoir  sa  pointe,  son  al- 
lumette,  sa  pistache,  un  grain ; 
etre  bien,  monte,  en  train,  lance, 
parti,  pousse,  en  patrouille, 
emSche,  emu,  bamboche ;  voir 
en  dedans,  ^tre  dessous,  dans 
les  brouillards,  pavois,  allume, 
gai,  dans  un  etat  voisin,  mouille, 
humecte,  casquette,  bu,  bien 
panse,  pochard,  poche,  gave, 
cingle,  plein,  rond,  complet,  rond 
comme  une  balle,  raide,  raide 
comme  la  justice,  paf,  slasse, 
poivre,  riche,  charge,  dans  la  pa- 
roisse  de  Saint-Jean  le  Rond, 
dans  les  vignes  du  seigneur,  vent 
dessus  dessous,  fier,  dans  les 
broussailles,  dans  les  brinde- 
zingues ;  avoir  un  coup  de  bouteille, 
de  sirop,  de  soleil,  de  gaz,  de  feu, 
sa  chique,  un  sabre,  son  paquet, 
son  casque,  une  culotte,  le  nez 
sale,  sonplumet,  son  jeune  homme, 
son  caillou,  sa  cocarde,  une  barbe, 
son  pompon,  son  poteau,  son  to- 


Pompier — Pompon. 


353 


quel,  son  sac,  sa  cuite,  son  affaire, 
son  compte,  son  plein,  sa  pente, 
en  avoir  una  vraie  mufee  ;  6tre 
saoul  comma  un  ane,  comme  un 
hanneton,  comme  une  grive, 
comme  un  Polonais  ;  Stre  pion,  en 
avoir  jusqu'a  latroisieme  capucine, 
saoul  comme  trente  mille  hommes, 
6tre  asphyxie. "  According  to  the 
Slang  Dictionary  the  slang  terms 
,for  mild  intoxication  are  certainly 
very  choice;  they  are,  "beery,  be- 
mused, boozy,  bosky,  buffy, 
corned,  foggy,  fou,  fresh,  hazy, 
elevated,  kisky,  lushy,  moony, 
muggy,  muzzy,  on,  screwed, 
slewed,  tight,  and  winey."  A 
higher  or  more  intense  state  of 
beastliness  is  represented  by  the 
expressions,  "podgy,  beargered, 
blued,  cut,  primed,  lumpy, 
ploughed,  muddled,  obfuscated, 
swipey,  three  sheets  in  the  wind, 
and  top-heavy."  But  the  climax 
of  fuddlement  is  only  obtained 
when  the  ' '  disguised  "  individual 
"can't  see  a  hole  in  a  ladder,"  or 
whenheis  "all  mops  and  brooms," 
or  "off  his  nut,"  or  "with  his 
mainbrace  well  spliced,"  or  with 
* '  the  sun  in  his  eyes, "  or  when  he 
has  "lapped  the  gutter,"  and  got 
the  "  gravel-rash,"  or  is  on  the 
"rantan,"  or  on  the  "ree-raw," 
or  when  "sewed  up,''  and  regu- 
larly "scammered," — then.andnot 
till  then,  is  he  entitled,  in  vulgar 
society,  to  the  title  of  "  lushing- 
ton,"  or  recommended  to  "put  in 
the  pin,"  i.e.,  the  linch-pin,  to 
keep  his  legs  steady.  We  may 
add  to  this  long  list  the  expression 
which  is  to  be  found  in  A  Supple- 
mentary English  Glossary,  by  T. 
Lewis  O.  Davies,  "to  hunt  a 
tavern  fox,"  or  "to  be  foxed." 

Else  he  had  little  leisure  time  to  waste. 
Or  at  the  ale-house  huff-cap  ale  to  taste  ; 
Nor  did  he  ever  hunt  a  tavern  fox. 

J.  Tavujk,  Life  of  Old  Parr,  1635. 

The  same  author  gives  "mucki- 


bus, "  tipsy,  to  be  found  in  Wal- 
pole's  Letters. 

Pompier,  m.  (popular),  drunken 
man,  one  who  is  ' '  screwed ; "  drun- 
kard,  or  "lushington; "  a  mix- 
tare  of  Vermont  and  cassis  ;  pocket- 
handkerchief,  "snottinger;"  —  de 
nuit,  scavenger  employed  in  empty- 
ing the  -cesspools,  "gold-finder." 
(Tailors')  Pompier,  journeyman 
tailor  whose  functions  are  to  touch 
up  the  ill-fitting  parts  of  garments  ; 
(Ecole  Polytechnique)  musical 
rigmarole  which  the  students  sing 
on  the  occasion  of  certain  holidays; 
(military)  soldier  who  is  the  re- 
verse of  smart ;  (literary)  produc- 
tions written  in  a  conventional, 
commonplace  style ;  (students') 
member  of  the  Institut  de  France  ; 
a  student  preparing  for  an 
examination.  (Artists')  Faire 
son  — ,  consisted  in  painting  a 
large  picture  representing  some 
Roman  or  Greek  hero  in  full 
armour,  and  armed  with  shield, 
lance,  or  sword.  For  the  following 
explanation  I  am  indebted  to  Mr. 
G.  D.,  a  French  artist  well  known 
to  the  English  public  : — 

Du  temps  de  David  et  plus  tard  on  disait 
d'un  artiste  qui  n'avait  pas  eu  le  prix  de 
Rome  :  bah  !  il  fera  son  pompier,  11  r^ussira 
tout  de  meme.  Or,  faire  son  pompier, 
c'^tait  peindre  un  grand  tableau  ■  repr^- 
sentant  un  Grec  ou  un  Romain  c^lebre  avec 
casque,  bouclier  et  lance ;  une  ville  en 
flammes  dans  le  fond ;  et  si  le  nu, — car  il 
n'y  avait  d'autre  costume  que  I'armure, — 
si  le  nu  dis-je,  ^tait  bien,  Tartiste  obtenait 
un  succ^.  Le  pompier  £tait  achet^  g^ne- 
raleraent  par  le  gouveniement  pour  etre 
placd  dans  un  musee  de  province.  Quand 
vous  visiterez  les  musses  de  France,  vous 
n'aurez  pas  de  chance  si  vous  ne  trouvez 

{}as  au  moins  trois  pompiers.  II  parait  que 
es  greniers  du  Louvre  en  possedent  des 
quantitds  qui  y  restent  faute  de  place  dans 
les  musses. 

Pompon, »2.  (popular), ;4^a(/,  "nut," 

or  "  tibby."   See  Tronche.    De- 

visser  le  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  break 

one's  head.     Un  vieux  — ,  an  old 

A  A 


354 


Ponant — Pontonniere. 


fool,  "doddering  old  sheep's 
head."  Avoir  son  — ,  to  be  drunk, 
or  "screwed."     See  Pompette. 

T'avais  mon  pompon 
En  rVenant  de  Suresnes  ; 
Tout  le  long  de  la  Seine, 
J'sentais  qu'  j'^tais  rond. 

Parisian  Song. 

(Militaiy)  Pompon,  drunkard. 

Ponant,  m.  (popular),  the  behind. 
See  Vasistas. 

Ponante,/.  (thieves'),  prostitute  of 
the  lowest  class,  ^'  draggle-tail." 
The  connection  with  "  ponant "  is 
obvious.     See  Gadoue. 

Ponce,/,  (thieves'  and  roughs'),  re- 
filer  une  — ,  to  thrash,  ' '  to  set 
about "  one.     See  Voie. 

Pendant,  m.  (schools'),  guardian 
of  a  school-boy  whose  parents  live 
at  a  distance,  who  takes  him  out 
on  holidays. 

Pondre  (popular),  to  work,  "to 
graft ;  "  ■ —  sur  ses  osufs,  to  keep 
on  increasing  one's  wealth  ;  —  un 
oeuf,  to  ease  oneself,  "  to  go  to  the 
chapel  of  ease."  See  Mous- 
cailler. 

Poney,  m.  (sporting), /■»«  hundred 
francs.  Double  — ,  carriage  and 
pair  of  ponies. 

Son  petit  air  fripon  et  la  cranerie  avec 
laquelle  elle  conduit  son  double  poney.— 
Figaro,  Oct.,  1886. 

Poniffe,  or  ponifHe,  /  (thieves'), 
prostitute,  "bunter."  See  Ga- 
doue. 

Et  si  la  p'tit'  ponif  e  triche 
Su'  I'compt'  des  rouleaux^ 
Gare  au  bataillon  d'la  guiche  ! 
C'est  nous  qu'est  les  dos. 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueiix. 

Ponifler  (thieves'),  to  make  love  to  a 
woman, 

Pont,  m.  (popular),  d'Avignon, 
prostitute,  or ' '  mot. "  See  Gadoue. 
(Card-sharpers')  Faire  le  —  sec, 
to  slightly  bend  a  card  at  the  place 


at  which  it  is  desired  the  pack 
should  be  cut.  (Familiar  and 
popular)  Couper  dans  le  — ,  to  be- 
lieve a  falsehood ;  to  fall  into  a 
snare.  (Thieves')  Donner  un  — 
a  faucher,  to  prepare  a  snare  for 
one.  (Officials')  Faire  le  — ,  is  to 
keep  away  from,  one's  office  on  a  day 
preceded  and  followed  by  a  holiday. 
(Popular)  Pont-levis  de  cul  (obso- 
lete), breeches. 

Chausses  &  Ja  martingale  ce  qui  est  un 
pont-levis  de  cul. — Rabelais. 

(Roughs')  Le  —  aux  bergeres,  the 
Halles,  or  Paris  central  market. 
AUer  au  —  aux  bergeres,  to  go  to 
that  place  for  the  purpose  of  meet- 
ing with  a  prostitute. 

Pontaniou,  m.  (sailors'), /rw(;«. 

Ponter  (gamesters'),  to  stake;  — 
dur,  to  play  high  ;  —  sec,  to  stake 
large  sums  at  intervals.  (Bohe- 
mians') Ponter,  to  pay,  "  to  fork 
out." 

Pontes  pour  I'af,  /  //.  (thieves'), 
a  gathering  of  card-sharpers. 

Ponteur,  m.  (popular),  nmn  who 
keeps  a  woman;  (familiar  and 
popular)  gamester. 

Pontife,  m,  (popular),  shoemaker. 
An  allusion  to  the  souliers  a  pont 
in  fashion  at  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  Souverain 
—,  master  shoemaker. 

Ponton,  m,  (popular),  d'amarrage, 
hulks,  (Sailors')  Devenir  — ,  to 
become  old,  worn  out. 

Jamais  si  longtemps  qu'il  vivra 

Si  ponton  qu'il  devienne. 
Jamais  ceux  qui  I'ont  pris  sous  Tbras, 
Jamais  le  capitaine, 

11  n'oubliera ! 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Mer. 

Pontonnifere,  /  (popular),  prosti- 
tute who  plies  /ler  trade  under  tlte 
arches  of  bridges, 

Les  pontonnibres  fr^quentent  le  dessous 
des  ponts  .  .  .  toutes  ces  lilies  sont  des 


Popotte — Portefeuille. 


355 


voleuses.    Le  macque  qui  joue  ici  un  rfile 

{ilus  actif  que  le  barbillon  ne  quitte  sa 
argue  ni  jour  ni  nuit. — Canler, 

Popotte,^  (familiar),  table  d'kSte. 
Faire  la  — ,  to  cook.  Etre  — ,  is 
said  of  a  very  plain,  homely  wo- 
man. (Military)  Popotte,  military 
mess  in  a  small  way, 

L'unique  cabaret  de  Hanoi  le  vit  done  \ 
I'heure  de  I'absinthe,  mel£  aux  uniformes, 
et  il  connut  les  reunions  de  table  par  '*  frac- 
tions de  corps,"  les  popottes  oil  les  officiers 
d^voraient  joyeusement  les  vivres  ferru- 
gineux  des  boites  de  conserves.— P.  BoN- 
NETAIN,  VOpium, 

Popotter.     See  Popotte. 

Populo,  m.  (familiar),  populace,  or 
"mob."  Swift  informs  us,  in 
his  Art  of  Polite  Conversation, 
that  "  mob  "  was,  in  his  time,  the 
slang  abbreviation  of  mobility, 
just  as  nob  is  of  nobility  at  the 
present  day. 

It  is  perhaps  this  humour  of  speaking 
no  more  words  than  we  need  which  has 
so  miserabljr  curtailed  some  of  our  words, 
that  in  familiar  writing  and  conversation 
they  often  lose  all  but  their  iirst  syllables, 
as  in  mob,  red.  pos.  incog,  and  the  like. — 
Addison's  Spectator. 

Burke  called  the  populace  "  the 
great  unwashed." 

Porc-^pic,  m.  (thieves'),  the  Holy 
Sacrament.  An  allusion  to  the 
metal  beams  which  encircle  the 
Host. 

Portanche,  m.  (thieves'),  door- 
keeper. 

Port  d'armes,  m.  (military),  laisser 
au  — ,  to  leave  the  service  before 
anotlier ;  to  leave  one  "waiting. 

Porte,/  (familiar  and  popular),  ne 
plus  pouvoir  passer  sous  la  — 
Saint-Denis,  to  be  an  injured 
husband.  Alluding  to  the  height  of 
his  horns.  Un  clos  — ,  a  door- 
keeper. A  play  on  the  words 
clot  porte  and  cloporte,  wood- 
louse.    It  must  be  said  that  in 


Paris  the  concierges  are  generally 
much  detested  by  lodgers,  and 
deservedly  so. 

Et  quoique  d'aucuns  m'appell't  clos  porte 
J'n'ai  pas  fait  I'vceu  d'passer  pour  sot. 

Lamentations  du  Portier  den  face. 

Porte,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
sur  I'article,  one  with  a  well-de- 
veloped bump  of  amativeness ; 
(military  schools')  —  sur  la  liste 
des  eleves  morts,  on  the  sick 
list. 

Porte  -  aumusse,  m.  (popular), 
master  shoemaker,  or  "  snob." 

Porte-balle,  m..  (popular),  hump- 
back, or  "lord." 

Porte-bonheur,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  pig.  Termed  in  English 
thieves'  cant,  "  grunting  cheat,  or 
patricoe's  kinchen. "  An  allusion 
to  certain  trinkets  which  represent 
this  animal  and  are  said  to  bring 
luck  to  the  wearer. 

Porte-bottes,  m.  (military), 
trooper,  in  opposition  to  "  guetre," 
foot-soldier. 

L'hiver  c'est  k  I'^curie  que  le  porte-bottes 
pr^cMe  de  beaucoup  le  r^veil  de  ses  bons 
voisins  les  guetr^s. — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Porte-chance,  m.  (popular),  lump 
•of  excrement,  or  "  quaker."  Lite- 
rally luck-bearer.  Superstitious 
people  in  France  believe  that 
treading  by  chance  on  the  above- 
mentioned  is  an  unfailing  sign  of 
a  forthcoming  moneyed  windfall. 

Porte-crfeme,  m..  (popular),  sca- 
venger employed  at  emptying  the 
cesspools,  "gold-finder." 

Porte  de  prison,  f.  (popular),  ill- 
natured,  snarling  person  ;  one  who 
is  constantly  "nasty,"  or  "grum- 
ble guts  ; "  one  whose  speeches 
jar  on  the  ear  as  unpleasantly  as 
the  grating  of  a  prison  door. 

Portefeuille,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  bed,  "doss,  bug-walk. 


3S6^ 


Portefeuilliste — Pose., 


kip."  Se  fourrer  dans  son  — , 
to  go  to  bed,  to  get  into  "kip." 
Mettre  un  lit  en  — ,  to  make  an 
"  apple-pie  "  ied, 

De  classe  en  classe  les  soldats  se  trans- 
mettent  un  certain  nombre  de  facdties  .  .  . 
mettre  le  lit  du  bleu  en  portefeuille,  de 
fagon  qu'il  ne  puisse  entrer  plus  loin  que 
les  chevilles.— G.  Courteune. 

Portefeuilliste,  m,  (familiar), 
minister  of  state. 

Porte-luque,  m.  (thieves'),  pocket- 
book,  "dummy,  or  dee." 

Porte-maillot,  m.  (theatrical), 
ballet  dancer.  Literally  one  who 
wears  tights. 

Porte-manteau,  m.  (popular), 
epaules  en  — ,  high  and  flat 
shoulders. 

Porte-mince,  m.  (thieves'),  pocket- 
book,  ' '  dee,  or  dummy. " 

Porte-morningue,  m.  (thieves'), 
purse,  "skin,"  or  "poge." 
Termed  also  "porte-mornif." 

Porte-nageoires,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  m-an  who  lives  on  pros- 
titutes' earnings,  "  pensioner." 
For  synonyms  see  Poisson. 

Porte-pipe,  m.  (popular),  mouth, 
"mug,  rattle-trap,  kisser,  gob." 

Porte-poigne,  m.  (popular),  glove. 

Porter  (familiar  and  popular),  en 
faire  — ,  to  deceive  conjugally.  For 
faire  porter  des  comes. 

Avoir  un  gendre  !    Ah  !  c'est  superbe  ! 
Quand  nous  irons  tons  k  Meudon 
L'tft^  prochain  diner  su'  I'herbe, 
Ca  s'ra  lui  qui  port'ra  I'melon. 
Ma  femm',  qu'a  d'  I'esprit  quand  a' cause, 
Craint  qu'  V^ronique  ait  fait  le  vosu 
D'y  fair'  porter  .  .  .  meme  autre  chose  ! 
E.  Caer^ 

En  — ,  to  be  deceived  conjugally. 
Porter  a  la  peau,  to  inspire  with 
carnal  desires ;  —  le  deuil  de  sa 
blanchisseuse,  to  have  linen  the 
reverse  of  snow-white.  Literally 
to    be   in    mourning  for    one's 


washerwoman  ;  —  sa  malle,  to  be  i 
humpback,  or  "lord;"  (thieves' 

—  gaffe,  to  be  on  sentry  duty. 
Un  grivier  qui  porte  gaffe,  c 
sojdier  on  sentry  duty.  Portei 
du  gras  -  double  au  moulin,  tt 
sell  stolen  lead  to  a  receiver,  oi 
"fence." 

Porte-trefle,  m.  (popular),  trousers, 
"kicks."    See  Trefle. 

Porteur,  m.  (thieves'),  de  camoufle, 
prostitutes  bully,  "  ponce."  See 
Poisson.  "Camoufle "  is  equi- 
valent to  chandelle,  and  "tenir 
la  chandelle "  zs  to  favour  the 
intercourse  of  lovers,  (Popular) 
Avoir  casse  la  gueule  a  son  — 
d'eau,  to  have  one's  menses. 

Porteuse,  /  (thieves')  hand, 
"  picker,  famm,  duke,  or  daddle." 

Porte-veine.  See  Porte-bonheur. 

Portez  !  remettez  !  (cavalry),  a 
mock  command  said  when  anyone, 
has  just  uttered  something  foolish, 
or  a  "bull." 

Portier,  m.,  portifere,/  (familiar 
and  popular),  scandal-monger. 
Alluding  to  the  propensity  of 
Paris  doorkeepers  for  scandal. 

Portion,/  (military),  prostitute,  or 
"  barrack  -  hack."  Demi  — , 
chum. 

-^  Mon  bon  camarade  Cousinet,  he  done  ! 

-  Ah  !  tu  es  la  demi-portion  du  Merlan? 
C'est  un  bon  zigue.— Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Portrait,  m.  (popular),/aff,  "mug." 
Degrader  le  —  a  quelqu'un,  to 
strike  one  in  the  face,  to  give  one 
a"facer,"  "to  fetch  one  a  bang  in 
the  mug,"  or  "to  give  a  biff  in 
the  jaw  "  (Americanism). 

Portugal,  m.  (popular),  une  entree 
de  — ,  said  of  a  bad,  awkward 
rider. 

Pose,/  (familiar  and  popular),  la 
faire  i  la  — ,  to  assume  an  air  of 


Poser — Postiche. 


357 


superiority.  Faut  pas  me  la  faire 
a  la — ,  "you  mustn't  come  Shake- 
speare over  me,  you  mustn't  come 
Rothschild  over  me,"  &c.  (Popu- 
lar) A  moi  la  —  !  ivords  used  by  a 
manwho  has  just  received  a  bloui,  to 
express  his  intention  of  returning 
it  with  interest.  Literally,  ex- 
pression used  by  domino  players, 
my  turn  to  play  ! 

Poser  (artists'),  I'ensemble,  to 
pose  nude  ;  (familiar  and  popular) 
—  un  factionnaire,  or  un  pepin, 
to  ease  oneself ,  "  toburyaquaker," 
see  Mouscailler;  —  un  lapin, 
or  lapiner,  to  deceive,  to  take  one 
in.  More  specially  to  enjoy  the 
good  graces  of  a  cocotte  and  make 
off  without  giving  her  a  fee,  "  to 
do  a  bilk." 

Si  Tabbe  Roussel  a  essay^  de  "  poser  un 
lapin"  et  s'il  laisse  vraiment  cette  petite 
noceuse  sous  une  prevention  de  ce  genre, 
voila  qui  m'indigne. — Francis  Enne,  Le 
Radical. 

For  explanation  see  Lapin. 
Faire  —  quelqu'un,  to  make  one 
■wait  a  longtime  ;  to  fool  one,  "  to 

'  bamboozle. "  Poser  pour  le  torse, 
to  bear  oneself  so  as  to  show  off 

.  one's  figure;  (popular)  ^-  sa 
chique,  to  hold  one's  tongue,  "  to 

,  be  mum."   Pose  ta  chique,  " hold 

,  your  jaw,  or  stubble  your  whids." 
Poser  et  marcher  dedans,  to  get 
bewildered;     to    betray    oneself; 

.  (thieves')  —  un  gluau,  to  lay  a 
trap,  or  make  preparations  for  the 
apprehension  of  a  criminal,  of  one 
who  is  "  wanted  "  by  the  police. 
Gluau,  bird-lime. 

Poses,/.//,  (gamesters'),  faire  des 
— ,  to  insert  certain  cards  prepared 
'  for  cheating  purposes  in  a  pack. 

Poseur  de  lapins,  m.  (familiar  and 
■  popular),  artful  fellow  who  fools 
►    simple-minded  folk. 

Le  garfon.  — Trente-sept  francs  soixante- 
qiiinze,  messieurs. 


DelfxUme  provincial,  hondissant.  — 
Trente-sept  francs  soixante-quinze  !  Com- 
^ment,  nous  n'avons  que  nos  deux  **  as- 
sinthes  "  et  les  deux  bocks  de  ce  monsieur  ! 

Le  garfon,-~Qn\,  mais  il  y  a  I'addition 
de  ce  monsieur  qui  a  d^jefln^  avec  une 
dame .  .  .  vous  6tes  du  Midi,  n'est-ce  pas, 
messieurs  ?  .  .  .  Eh  bien,  croyez-moi :  k 
Paris,  mieux  vaut  encore  jiarldr  tout  seul 
que  de  lier  conversation  avec  un  "poseur 
de  lapins." — Paul  Mahalin. 

The  epithet  is  also  applied  to  a 
man  who  deceives  a  woman  of 
indifferent  character  by  making 
promises  of  money  or  presents, 
one  who  does  a  "  bilk." 

_Eva  Sonne  sa  femme  de  chambre  qui 
vient  pendant  qu'il  murmure  :  ch^mante, 
chamante  ! 

—  Tu  peux  le  prendre,  s'il  te  convient, 
moi,  je  n'aime  pas  les  poseurs  de  lapins. — 
Mathueine,  La  Marotte. 

Poseuse,  /.  (theatrical),  female 
singer  whose  business  is  to  pose. 

_Lk,  il  put  \  son  aise  imposer  son  reper- 
toire aux  chanteurs,  repertoire  fort  varie, 
du  teste,  car  pour  les  "poseuses"  on  fit 
murmurer  le  rossignol  et  le  papillon  se  poser 
sur  la  rose  k  peine  ^close. — J.  Sermet. 

Position,/,  (thieves'),  trunk,  port- 
manteau, "peter."  Thieves  judge 
of  a  man's  standing  by  his 
"traps." 

Possede,  m.  (thieves'),  brandy, 
' '  bingo,"  in  old  cant. 

Possederson embouchure  (popu- 
lar), to  have  a  natural  talent 
far  speechifying,  "  to  have  the 
gift  of  the  gab." 

Poste,  m.  (sailors'),  or  —  aux  choux, 
victualling  boat. 

Posterieurs,  m.  pi.  (popular),  li- 
monadier  des  — ,  apothecary,  one 
vi'ho  used  to  perform  the  "cly- 
sterium  donare"  of  Moliere. 
Termed  also  "  fliltencul,"  and 
formerly  "  mirancu." 

Postiche,/  (printers'),  dull  story  ; 
humbug,  "regular  flam,  or  gam- 
mon J  "    (thieves')   gathering  of 


358 


Postikre — Pot-ci-tabac. 


people  in  the  street,  enabling  rogues 
to  ease  someone  of  his  valuables, 
"scuff." 

Postifere,  yi  (popular),  ^»«a&  clerk 
employed  at  the  post  office. 

Postige,  f.  (mountebanks'),  pre- 
liminary performance  of  mounte- 
banks. 

Postilion,  m.  (thieves'),  pellet  used 
as  a  mode  of  communication  be- 
tween prisoners,  or  between  a  pri- 
soner and  outsiders. 

Un  postilion  est  tout  simplement  une 
boulette  de  mie  de  pain  p^trie  entre  les 
doigts  et  renfermant  une  lettre,  un  avis. 
— Mimoires  de  Canler. 

Envoyer  le  — ,  to  cot^espond  thus. 
(Popular). Postilion  d'eau  chaude, 
engine  driver,  ' '  puffing  billy " 
driver ;  hospital  assistant  whose 
functions  consist  in  administering 
clysters  to  patients,  an  operation 
described  by  Moliere  as  "  clyste- 
rium  donare. " 

Postillonner  (thieves'),  to  corre- 
spond by  means  of  the  "  postilion  " 
(which  see) ;  (familiar  arid  popular) 
to  spit  involuntarily  when  talking. 

Posture,  f  (popular),  en  — ,  apo- 
thecary, or  "pill-driver."  Termed 
also  "potard." 

Pot,  m.  (thieves'),  cabriolet,  a  kind 
of  gig.  Termed  also  "cuiller  i. 
pot,  or  potiron  roulant." 

^  Enlevez  le  gr^,  le  pot  et  les  frusquins  du 
sinve  qui  s'est  esgard  avec  les  miens.-^ 
ViDOCQ.  {Take  aivay  the  korse,  tke  gig, 
and  the  clothes  of  the  fool  who  ran  away 
with  mine.) 

Pot,  crucible  used  by  coiners. 
(Popular)  Fouille  au  — ,  man  who 
is  fond  of  taking  liberties  with 
women. 

II  fallait  le  voir  toujours  en  petoche  au- 
tour  d'elle.  Un  vrai  fouille-au-pot,  qui 
tatait  sa  jupe  par  derrifere,  dans  la  foule, 
sans  avoir  I'air  de  rien. — Zola. 

Potache,  m.  (students'), /«/?'/ a/ a 
lyc^e,  a  government  school.     Pro- 


bably a  corruption  of  "potasse," 
from  "potasser,"  a  slang  term 
used  by  students  to  signify  to 
work.  L.  Larchey  says  the  origin 
of  the  word  may  be  found  in 
"  pot-i-chien,"  college  cap. 

Potager,  m.  (popular),  brothel, 
"nanny-shop,  flash-drum,  or 
academy. " 

Pot-4-ininium,  m.  (popular), 
painter  or  house  decorator. 

Pot-4-moineaux,  m.  (popular), 
large  hat,  "mushroom." 

Potard,  m.  (popular),  apothecary, 
"pill-driver,  gallipot,  or  squirt." 

C't  Arthur  de  Bretagne,  n'fut  m6me 
pas  I'premier  ouvrage  d'  Claude  Bernard 
puisque  .  .  .  Thieve  pharmacien  avait  fait 
reprdsenter  i  Lyon  une  bluette  pas  m6- 
chante.  .^ .  .  Avec  son  manuscrit  dans  sa 
malle  le  jeune  potard  vint  a  Paris, — Tru- 
BLOT,  Le  Cri  du  PeupU. 

Potasser  (students'),  to  work. 
Termed  "  to  sap  "  at  Winchester 
and  many  other  schools.  Also  to 
work  hard,  "  to  mug." 

Pot-^-tabac,  m.  (popular),  short 
and  stout  person,  "humpty 
dumpty ; "  dull,  insignificant  man, 
' '  very  small  potatoes ;  "  ( thieves') 
policeman.  Termed  also  "  rousse, 
roussin,  baton  de  reglisse,  baladin, 
cagne,  cogne,  balai,  serin,  pousse, 
vache,  arnif,  peste,  tronche  a  la 
manque,  flaquadard,  cabestan, 
raille  (detective  officer),  railleux, 
sacre,  grive,  laune,  flique,  bec-de- 
gaz,  estaffier,  bourrique,  pousse- 
cul,  lampion  rouge,  escargot  de 
trottoir,  cierge,  sergo;"  in  the 
English  cant  and  slang,  "  crusher, 
worm,  pig,  bobby,  blue-bottle, 
reeler,  copper,  Johnny  Darby 
(corruption  of  gendarme),  philip, 
Philistine,  peeler,  raw  lobster, 
slop  ; "  and  in  ancient  cant  of 
beggars,  "harmanbek.'  Whence 
"beak,"  or  magistrate. 


Pot-au-feu-r-Potred  ann  tok-tok. 


359 


Pot-au-feu,  m.  (popular),  behind, 
see  Vasistas  ;  (coiners')  crucible 
in  which  coiners  melt  the  metal 
used  in  their  nefarious  trade. 
(Familiar)  Etre  — ,  to  be  common- 
place, plain, 

Ce  n'est  pas  cet  imbecile,  qui  m'aurait 
€clair^e  .  .  .  il  est  d'ailleurs  bien  trop  pot- 
au-feu. — Balzac. 

Pot  au  vin,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), obsolete,  the  head. 

Si  Dieu  me  ."sauve  le  moule  du  bonnet, 
c'est  le  pot  au  vin,  disait  ma  mere-grand. — 
Rabelais. 

Pot-bouille,y".  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), kitchen  and  household  duties 
in  a  small  way.  The  term  has 
passed  into  the  language. 

Poteau,  m.  (thieves'),  un  — ,  a 
friend,  or  "ben  cull ; "  a  top  man, 
or  prinee  among  the  canting  crew. 
Also  the  chief  rogue  of  the  gang, 
or  the  completest  cheat,  "dimber 
damber."  Termed  "  upright 
man"  in  old  English  cant.  Poteaux 
de  \a^,  prison  chums,  "school- 
men." (Engine-drivers')  Avoir 
son  —  kilometrique  is  said  of  a 
man  who  is  in  a  state  of  intoxica- 
tion, but  who  can  yet  find  his  way. 
Avoir  son  —  telegraphique,  to  be 
completely  drunk,  or  "slewed." 
See  Pompette.  According  to 
M.  Denis  Poulot  the  dififerent 
stages  are  "  attraper  une  alluraette 
ronde,"  "avoir  son  allumette  de 
marchand  de  vin,"  "  prendre  son 
allumette  de  campagne, "  "  avoir 
son  poteau,"  and  as  above. 

Potee,  /  (popular),  enfiler  sa  — , 
to  drink  a  litre  measure  of  wine, 

Potence,  y.  (popular),  rascally  per- 
son of  either  sex ;  "bad  egg,"  in 
the  case  of  a  man. 

Potet,  m.  (popular),  whimsical 
man  ;  old  fool,  or  "  doddering  old 
sheep's  head." 


Potin,  m.  (popular),  row,  uproar, 
Faire  du  — ,  to  make  loud  com- 
plaints. 

I  s'retourne,  i  fait  du  potin  .  .  . 
Mais  de  la  levrett'  le  larbin 
Le  trait'  de  p'tit'  gouape  et  d'fripoiiille  ! 
Gill. 

Faire  du  — ,  is  said  also  of  some 
event  which  causes  great  excite- 
ment. 

Avant-hier  a  et^  donn^  aux  ambassa- 
deurs  un  diner  de  douze  couverts  qui  cer- 
tainement  fera  du  potin  dans  le  monde  qui 
s'amuse. — Figaro,  Oct.,  1886. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Potin, 
scandalous  report.  Synonymous 
of  cancans.  Concerning  the  latter 
expression  Madame  de  Genlis 
quotes  the  following  conversation 
between  General  Decaen,  who 
was  at  the  time  aide-de-camp  to 
his  brother,  and  who  had  been 
arrested  by  the  gendarmerie  on  his 
way  to  the  camp  : — 

Commentvous  nommez-vous?  lui  de- 
manda  le  brigadier. 

—  Decaen. 

—  D'ou  etes-vous  1 

—  De  Caen. 

—  Qu'  etes-vous? 

—  Aide  de  camp. 

—  De  qui? 

—  Du  general  Decaen. 

—  Ou  allez-vous  ? 

—  Au  camp. 

—  Oh  !  oh  !  dit  le  brigadier,  qui  n'aimait 
pas  les  calembourgs,  il  y  a  trop  de  cancans 
dans  votre  affaire ;  vous  allez  passer  la 
nuit  au  violon,  sur  un  lit  de  camp. — Mi- 
moires. 

Potiner  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
talk  scandal. 

Potinier  (familiar  and  popular), 
scandal-tnonger. 

Potiron,  m.  (popular),  the  behind ; 
(thieves')  —  roulant,  gig. 

Potot,  or  poteau,  m.  (convicts'), 
friend,  or  "pal;"  Sodomist. 

Potred  ann  taouen  (Breton  cant), 
cod-fishers. 

Potred  ann  tok-tok  (Breton  cant), 
slaters. 


36o 


Pou  affamd — Poulet. 


Pou  affame,  m.  (popular),  greedy 
man,  a  worshipper  of  money. 

Poubelles,///.  (familiar),  kind  of 
ditst-bins  which  the  inhabitants 
have  to  place  at  their  doors  every 
morning,  in  accordance  with  a 
recent  regulation  promulgated  by 
M.  Poubelle,  Prefea  of  the  Seine. 

Pouce,  m.  (popular),  avoir  le  — 
rond,  to  be  dexterous,  skilful. 
Donner  le  coup  de  — ,  to  give  short 
weight ;  to  strangle.  El  le  —  ! 
and  ever  so  many  more  !  (Artists') 
Avoir  du  — ,  is  said  of  a  picture 
painted  in  bold,  vigorous  style. 

Poucette,  or  poussette,  /.  (card- 
sharpers'),  cut  of  adding  to  one's 
stakes  laid  on  the  table  directly  the 
game  is  favourable. 

Pouchon,  m.  (thieves'),  purse, 
"  skin,  or  poge."  From  pochon, 
small  pocket. 

Poudre,  f.  (freemasons'),  faible, 
water  ;  —  forte,  ■  wine ;  —  ful- 
minante,  brandy  ;  —  noire,  coffee. 

Pouffiace,  or  pouffiasse,  f. 
(thieves'),  prostitute  ;  low  prosti- 
tute, "draggle-tail."  See  Ga- 
doue. 

Si  j'ai  pas  I'rond,  mon  surin  bouge. 

Or,  quand  la  pouffiace  a  truqu^, 

Chez  moi  son  bearre  est  pomaque. 

Mieux  vaut  bouffer  du  blanc  qu'du  rouge. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Pouffiasbourg,  m.  (popular),  nick- 
name for  Asniires,  a  locality  in 
the  vicinity  of  Paris,  where  many 
ladies  leading  a  gay  life  have  their 
abode ;  a  kind  of  Parisian  St. 
John's  Wood,  in  that  respect. 

Poufiasser  (popular),  is  said  of  per- 
sons of  either  sex  "whose  fondness 
■for  the  opposite  sex  leads  them  into 
living  a  life  of  a  questionable  de- 
scription. A  man  in  that  case  is 
said  to  "go  molrovi'ing." 

Poufs,  m.  pi.  (familiar),  faire  des 
— ,  is  said  of  a  person  who  runs 


into  debt  knowing  he  will  be  unable 
to  meet  his  licibilities,  and  then 
suddenly  decamps. 

Pouic     (thieves'),     no;    nothing, 
-    "nix."         •      ■ 

Pouiffe,^  (thieves'),  money,  "di- 
narly,"  "pieces,"  see  Quibus  ; 
•woman  of  questionable  character,  or 
prostitute.  Termed  by  English 
rogues,  "blowren,  or  hunter." 

Pouilleux,  m.  {{arDiliiLr), poor  devil, 
or  "quisby;"  miser,  skinflint, 
"hunks."     Vra^&xXy  lousy  man. 

Poulailler,  m.  (popular),  house  oj 
ill-fame,  or  "  nanny-shop."  Pro- 
perly hen-house  ;  upper  gallery  in 
a  theatre,  "  up  among  the  gods." 

Poulain,  m.  (military),  faire  un  — , 
to  fall  from  one's  horse,  "to  come 
a  cropper. " 

Pculainte,  /  (thieves'),  swindle  on 
an  exchange  of  goods. 

Poulards,  f.  (journalists'),  kept 
woman. 

Poule,/.  (popular),  laitee,  man  de- 
-  void  of  energy,  "  sappy,"  or  "hen- 
pecked fellow ; ''  —  d'eau,  washer- 
xvoman.  Termed  also  "  baquet 
insolent."  Ties,  ^fox^es,,  female  in- 
mates of  a  house  of  ill-fame,  "dress 
lodgers." 

Poulet,  m.  (popular),  manger  le — , 
to  be  in  confederacy  with  a  builder, 
so  as  to  divide  the  proceeds  of  un- 
lawful gains.  The  expression  is 
used  Ijy  masons,  carpenters,  and 
others  employed  in  house-build- 
ing, in  reference  to  architects  and 
their  accomplices.  Poulet  de 
'  careme,  red  herring,  or  "Yar- 
mouth capon  ; "  frog.  Frogs  not 
being  considered  as  flesh.  Poulet 
d'hospice,  lean,  hungiy-looUng 
fellow,  one  who  looks  like  a  half- 
drowned  rat ;  —  d'Inde,  fool,  or 


Poulot — Pousse-cul. 


361 


"  flat ; "  and  in  military  slang, 
.     horse,  or  "  gee." 

Oui,  r^pondit-il  en  ramassant  son  cheval 
', .  .  j'allais  vous  proposer  un  tour  de  pro- 
.menade.  Si  cela  vous  sourit,  en  route ! 
J'ai  dit  \  Said  de  seller  votre  poulet  d'Inde. 
, — Bonnet AiN,  UOpiutn. 

Poulot,  W2.  (popular),  for  poulailler, 
the  gallery    in    a    theatre,    "up 
•    amongst  the  gods." 

Poupard,  m.  (thieves'),  swindle,  or 
'  crime,  "plant."  Nourrir  un  — , 
to  make  all  necessary  freparations 
in  view  of  committing  a  robbery  or 
murder.  Goury  de  — ,  accomplice, 
"stallsman." 

•Poupee,  f.  (popular),  paramour, 
"  inoU  ; "  (thieves')  soldier  ; 
(sailors')  figure-head.  Etre  entre 
poupe  et  poupee,  to  be  out  at  sea. 

Poupon,  m.  (popular),  tool-bag ; 
(thieves')-  any  kind  of  crime, 
"job." 

Void  la  balle  !  Dans  le  poupon,  Ruffard 
^tait  en  tiers  avec  moi  et  Godet. — Balzac. 

Pour  (cads'  and  \i\\e.se:^),  perhaps  ; 
—  chiquer,  nonsense,  gammon  1 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Ce  n'est 
pas  —  enfiler  des  paries  is  expres- 
sive of  doubt  as  to  the  innocence  of 
purpose  or  harmlessness  of  some 
action. 

Et  veux-tu  savoir  ce  qui  t'embfite,  chdri  ? 
., .  .  Cest  que  toi-meme  tu  trompes  ta 
femme.  Hein  ?  tu  ne  ddcouches  pas  pour 
enfiler  des  pcrles. — Zola. 

(Popular)  Pour  la  peau,  for  no- 
thing. 

Alors  c'est  pour  la  peau  que  j'ai  tir€ 
cinquante-neuf  mois  et  quinze  jours   de 

service?— G.  COURTELINE. 

■  (Printers')  AUer  chou  —  chou,  to 
imitate  closely  a  printed  copy  when 
composing;  (Prostitutes')  C'est  — 
les  has,  gratuity  to  prostitutes  in  a 
brothel.  Alluding  to  their  habit 
of  using  their  stockings  as  a  recep- 

'   tacle  for  the  money  they  receive. 


Pour-compte,  m.  (tailors'),  misfit. 

PourUcher  (popular),  s'en  —  la 
face,  to  be  delighted  with  something, 
the  result  being  that  one  is  in 
"full  feather,  or  cock-a-hoop." 
Tu  t'en  pourlecheras  la  face,  that 
will  give  you  great  pleasure, 
"  that'll  rejoice  the  cockles  of  your 
heart." 

Pourri,  adj.  (familiar), /«//;  — de 
chic,  very  elegant,  dashing,  "tsing 
tsing." 

Pousse,  /,  (thieves'),-  police,  gen- 
darmerie. (Popular)  Ce  qui  se  — , 
money,  "loaver."  See  Quibus. 
(Roughs')  Filer,  or  refiler  une  — 
aquelqu'un,  to  hustle,  "toflimp;" 
to  throw  down.  Y  veut  m'  coUer 
un  coup  d'  sorlot  dans  les  acces- 
soires ;  je  I'y  file  une  pousse  et  j'  te 
I'envoie  dinguer  sur  le  trime.  He 
triedjo  kick  ?ne  in  the  privy  parts  ; 
I  threw  him  down  and  sent  him 
sprawling  in  the  road, 

Pousse,  adj.  (thieves'),  drunk,  or 
"canon."     See  Pompette. 

Pousse -au-vice,  f.  (popular), 
Spanish  fiy. 

Pousse-bateau,  m.  (popular), 
water. 

Pousse-cafi,  m.  (familiar),  a  small 
glass  of  brandy  or  liqueur  drunk 
after  taking  coffee,  le  repousse- 
cafe  being  a  second  glass. 

Pousse-cailloux,  m.  (popular), 
infantry  soldier,  "wobbler."  In 
the  slang  of  the  cavalry,  "mud- 
crusher,  or  beetle-crusher. " 

Pousse-cul,  m.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), obsolete,  "■  axohsx,"  or  soldier 
of  the  watch. 

Pousse-cul,  pour  archer,  ou  ce  qu'on 
appelle  vulgairement  k  Paris  des  sergens, 
ou  des  archers  de  1' ^Quelle,  qui  vont  d'un 
c8t^  et  d'autre  pour  prendre  les  gueux. — 
Le  Roux. 

Nisard,  in  his  interfesting  work. 


362 


Pouss^e — Pratique. 


De  quelques  Parisianismes  fopu- 
laires,  says  that  the  foot-soldiers  of 
the  watch  were  termed  "  pousse- 
culs, "  whereas  the  mounted  police 
went  by  the   name    of  "  lapins 
ferres,"  lapin  being  the  general 
term  for  a  soldier,  as  shown  by  a 
letter  from  a  general  of  the  army 
in  Italy  to  Bonaparte,  written  in 
true  Spartan-like  spirit : — 
Citoyen  ^^ndral  en  chef— Les  lapins  man- 
gent  dU  pain  ;  pas  de  pain,  pas  de  lapins  ; 
pas  de  lapins,  pas  de  victoire  ;  ainsi  ouvre 
Toeil  n,  i,  ni,  c  est  fini. 

Pousse-cul  (obsolete),  Lovelace.  It 
now  has  the  signification  oi police- 
officer. 

Pouss6e,  f.  (popular),  reprimand, 
or  "wigging;"  urgent  work. 
Voilk  une  belle  —  de  bateaux  is 
expressive  of  disappointment  at 
finding  that  something  which  has 
been  praised  falls  short  of  one's 
expectations. 

Pousse-moulin,  m.  (popular), 
water,  "Adam's  ale."  Termed 
"  lage  "  in  old  English  cant.  Evi- 
dently the  old  French  word 
"  aigue,  aige,"  preceded  by  the 
article.  "  Lagout "  in  old  French 
cant. 

Pousser  (popular),  le  bourn  du 
cygne,  todie, ' '  to  kick  the  bucket." 
For  synonyms  see  Pipe.  Pousser 
son  rond,  to  ease  oneself  by 
evacuation.  See  Mouscailler, 
Pousser  un  bateau,  to  tell  ajalse- 
hood,  or  "flam;"  — son  glaire, 
to  talk,  "  to  jaw."  Se  —  de  I'air, 
to  go  away,  "to  mizzle."  S'en 
—  dans  le  battant,  le  cornet,  or  le 
fusil,  to  drink  or  eat  heartily. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Se  —  du 
col,  to  feel  proud  of  one's  achieve- 
ments. 

Quand  j'la  descendis  de  voiture 
Vme  dis  en  me  poussant  du  col^ 
Vieiix  veinard,  c'est  pas  d'la  p'tit'  biere, 
J'vais  r'cevoir  dans  mon  entresol, 
Je  Tparierais,  une  rosi^re  1 

E.  DU  Bois 


(Roughs')  Pousser  son  pas  d'hareng 
saur,  to  dance;  (thieves')  —  la 
goualante,  losing, "  to  lip  a  chant." 
Se  —  un  excellent,  to  eat  a  dish  of 
the  ordinary  prison  fare.  (Police) 
Pousser  de  la  ficelle,  to  watch 
a  thief,  "to  give  a  roasting." 
Termed  also  "  poiroter,  prendre 
en  filature."  (Ecole  Polytech- 
nique)  Pousser  une  blague,  to 
smoke,  "  to  blow  a  cloud." 
(Bakers')  Pousser,  to  rise,  is  used 
in  reference  to  the  dough. 

Poussier,  m.  (popular),  bed, 
"doss;"  —  de  motte,  snuffi 
(Thieves')  Poussier,  gunpowder; 
money,  or  "pieces."   See  Quibus. 

Poussifere,  /.  (popular),  faire  de 
la  — ,  to  make  a  great  fuss  or  show. 
(Thieves')  Poussi^re,  spirits.  (Fa- 
miliar) Couleur  —  des  routes,  a 
kind  of  greyish  brown. 

Elle  ^tait  en  toilette  de  voyage,  la  robe 
poussiere  des  routes  retroussdesurunjupon 
6carlate. — P.  Mahalin. 

Poussin,  m..  (popular),  avaler  son 
— ,  to  be  dismissed  from  one's  em- 
ploy, "  to  get  the  sack." 

Poussinifere,_/;  (thieves'),  seminary, 

Poutrone,y;  (popular),  prostitute. 

Pouvoir  siffler  (popular).  Vous 
pouvez  siffler,  you  will  have  to  do 
without  it ;  you  will  not  get  what 
you  ask  for. 

Prandion,  vi.  (artists'),  hearty  meal, 
"tightener." 

Praiidionner  (artists'),  to  "make  a 
hearty  meal. 

Prantarsac,  m.  (thieves'),  purse, 
or  "  skin." 

Prat,  m.  (popular),  girl  of  indiffe- 
rent character,  "mot. " 

Pratique,  /.  (military),  worthiest 
soldier;  unscrupulous  soldier  who 


Praule — Prendre. 


363 


is  always  seeking  to  shirk  his  duties, 
or  to  deceive  others. 

Du  reste,  il  n'y  a  ici  ni  blanc-bec,  ni  cara- 
patas,  ni  raoutard ;  vous  etes  deux  pra- 
tiques qui,  en  voyant  des  consents  vous 
Stes  dit  qu'il  serait  facile  .  .  .  de  leur  faire 
payer  la  consommation. — C.  Dubois  de 
Gennes. 

II  ne  faudrait  pas  cependant  exag^rer 
rh^roisme  des  "  pratiques."  Si  d'aucuns 
se  battent  bien,  un  plus  grand  nombre  ne 
sont  que  des  maraudeurs  et  des  pillards. — 
Hkctor  France,  L'AmUe  dejohn  Bull. 

Praule,  m.  (tliieves'),  central  prison, 
"stir,  or  steel." 

EUes  en  avaient  pour  dix  ans  de  praule 
(centrale)  comme  elles  disaient  et  pourtant 
la  mQine  (enfant)  n'avait  pas  &l€  estourbie 
(tuee).— Louise  Michel. 

Pr6,  m.  (thieves'),  convict  settle- 
ment. Formerly  the  galleys. 
Termed  also  "  pre  des  fagots,"  or 
"  grand  pre. "  Acresto,  gaffine 
labago. — Tout  est  franco,  y  a  pas 
d'trepe.  Quand  le  pante  et  la 
gonzesse  decarreront  de  la  cassine, 
nous  les  fargiierons  a  la  dure  pour 
pagour  leurs  bobinares,  et  leurs 
prantarsacs.  Toi,  tu  babillonne- 
ras  la  largue.  S'ils  font  du  renaud 
et  de  I'harmonares,  nous  les  em- 
platrerons  et  chair  dure  !  Si  tu 
veux  nous  les  balancarguerons 
dans  la  vassares  ;  et  apres,  pin- 
dares.  Ne  manquons  pas  le  coup, 
autrement  nous  irions  laver  nos 
pieds  d'agnet  dans  le  grand 
pre.  Which  signifies,  in  the 
jargon  of  modern  malefactors, 
Be  careful,  look  yonder. — All 
right,  there's  nobody.  When  the 
man  and  woman  leave  the  house, 
we'll  attack  them  to  ease  them  of 
their  watch  and  purse.  You  gag 
the  female.  Should  they  resist 
and  make  a  noise,  we'll  knock 
them  over  and  smash  them.  If 
you  wish  it,  we'll  pitch  them  into 
the  water,  after  which  we  wash 
our  hands  of  the  matter.     Let  us 


not  make  a  mull  of  it,  othenuise 
we  can  make  sure  of  being  trans- 
ported. Faucher  au  grand  — ,  to 
be  a  convict  in  a  penal  servitude 
settlement.  Le  —  sal^,  the  sea,  or 
"briny."  Etre  au  —  k  vioque, 
to  be  at  the  penal  servitude  settle- 
ment for  life. 

ApprSte-toi  k  retourner  au  pr^  k  vioque. 
.  .  .  Tu  dois  t'y  attendre. — Balzac 

Le  —  au  dab  court  toujours,  the 
prison  of  Mazas.  Le  —  est  en. 
taupcj  it  is  a  bad  job. 

Voyons,  c'est  pas  la  peine  de  remonter 
dans  vote  guimbarde,  le  pr€  est  en  taupf 
d'abord.— Louise  Michel. 

Prefectanche,  /.  (thieves').  Pre- 
fecture de  Police,  the  headquarters- 
of  the  Paris  police. 

Prefectancier,  m.  (thieves'),  police- 
officer. 

Premier,  m.,  premiere,/,  (shop- 
men's), head  assistant  in  a  linen- 
draper's  shop. 

Premiero  (military),  firstly. 

Premiero :  tu  I'^trilleras, 
Deuxo  :  tu  le  bouchonneras, 
Et  troisso  :  tu  le  brosseias. 
De  temps  en  temps  tu  jureras 
Toume  carcan  ! 

Litanies  du  Cavalier. 

Premier  -  Paris,  m.  (common), 
leading  article. 

Prendre  (thieves'),  un  rat  par  la 
queue,  to  steal  a  purse ^  "  to  fake 
a poge ;"  (gamesters')  — laculotte, 
to  lose  a  large  sum  of  vioney,  ' '  to 
win  the  shiny  rag ; "  (theatrical) 
—  au  souffleur,  to  perform 
throughout  with  the  aid  of  the 
prompter ;  —  des  temps  de  Paris, 
to  add  to  the  effect  of  a  tirade  by 
preliminary  by-play.  Also  to 
bring  in  by-play  when  one  has 
forgotten  his  part  and  wishes  to 


3^4 


Prends  garde — Preter. 


gain  time;  (popular)  — Jacques 
Deloge  pour  son  procureur,  to 
run  away,  to  escape,  to  abscond. 

Cette  expression  gui  est  encore  usit^e 
■avec  ces  autres  "  prendre  de  la  poudre 
.d'escampette,  lever  le  paturon,  dire  adieu 
tout  has"  avait  d^ja  cours  au  xvii®  si^cle, 
ou  Ton'  disait  surtout,  en  plaisantant, 
"  Faire  Jacques  desloges,"  pour  s'enfuir. — 
Michel. 

Prendre  de  I'air,  to  vanish,  "to 
bunk,"  see  Patatrot ;  —  son  cafe 
aux  depens  de  quelqu'un,  to  laugh 
at  one,  to  quiz  hi7n  ;  —  un  billet 
de  parterre,  to  fall,  "  to  come  a 
cropper."  A  play  on  the  words 
billet  de  parterre,  pit-ticket,  and 
^ar  teTxe,  on  the  ground.  (Saint- 
Cyr  cadets')  Prendre  ses  draps, 
io  go  to  the  guard-room  under 
arrest,  "  to  be  roosted  ; "  (police) 
—  en  filature,  to  follow  and  watch 
a  thief,  to  give  hitn  a  **  roasting." 
Synonymous  of  "poiroter,  pous- 
ser  de  la  ficelle  ; "  (roughs')  — 
d'autor  une  femme,  to  ravish  a 
woman  ;  (printers')  —  une  barbe, 
to  get  drunk,  or  "tight." 

La  *'  b.arbe  "  a  des  degr^s  divers.  "  Le 
coup  de  feu "  est  la  "barbe "  conimen9ante. 
Quand  I'^tat  d'ivresse  est  complet,  la  barbe 
est  simple  ;  elle  est  indigne  quand  le  sujet 
tombe  sous  la  table,  cas  extremement  rare. 
II  est  certains  "poivreaux"  qui  commet- 
tent  la  grave  imprudence  de  "  promener 
leur  barbe  "  k  I'atelier ;  presque  tons  devien- 
nent  alors  "  pallasseurs,"  surtout  ceux  qui 
sont  taciturnes  k  I'dtat  sec. — Boutmy. 

"Prendre  une  barbe"  is  "to 
quad  out"  in  the  slang  of  English 
printers.  Prendre  la  mesure  du 
cul  avec  le  pied  (obsolete),  to 
bring  one's  foot  in  violent  contact 
with  another's  posteriors. 

S'il  me  regarde  de  travers,  je  lui  prends 
la  mesure  de  son  cul  avec  mon  pied,  de 
son  mufle  avec  mon  poing. — Dialogue, 
1790. 

(Military).  Prendre  le  train  d'onze 
heures,  punishment  inflicted  on  a 
soldier  by  his  comrades,  the  culprit 


being  dragged  about  in  his  bed 
by  means  of  ropes  attached. 

Prends  garde  (popular),  de  t'en- 
rhumer,  ironical  words  addressed 
to  one  who  is  easing  himself  in  the 
open  air ;  —  de  casser  le  verre  de 
ta  montre,  recommendation  shouted 
out  to  one  who  has  just  fallen  ; 
—  de  te  decrocher  la  fressure, 
ironical  words  addressed  to  one 
who  is  slcnv  in  his  movements^ 
"  don't  lose  your  hair." 

Preparateur,  m.  (thieves'),  con- 
federate of  thieves  who  rob  shops 
by  pairs.  Termed  "palming;" 
one  thief  bargaining  with  ap- 
parent intent  to  purchase,  whilst 
the  other  watches  his  opportunity 
to  steal. 

Ceux  (Jul  remplissent  le  r61e  de  pr6para- 
teurs,  disposent  k  I'avance  et  mettent  a 
part  sur  le  comptoir  les  articles  qu'ils  d6- 
sirent  s'appropner :  des  que  tout  est  pret 
ils  font  un  signal  k  leurs  aSid^s  qui  sont  ^ 
I'ext^rieur.  — VinocQ. 

Preparer  sa  petite  chapelle  (mili- 
tary), to  pack  up  one's  effects  in  the 
knapsack. 

Preponderance  k  la  culasse,/ 

(military),  large  breech. 

Presse,  /.  (brothels'),  Ja  dame  est 
sous  — ,  the  lady  is  engaged. 
(Popular)  Mettre  sous  — ,  to  pawn, 
"to  put  in  lug." 

Pr6t,  m.  (cavalry),  soldiers'  pay; 
(prostitutes')  money  allowed  to  a 
bully  by  a  prostitute  out  of  her 
earnings. 

Prater  (popular),  cinq  louis  a 
quelqu'un,  to  give  on^a  box  on  the 
ear,  "to  warm  the  wax  of  one's 
ear;"  (thieves')  —  loche,  to  listen. 
Loche,  ear,  "lug." 

^  Pretez  loche,  j'entrave  cribler.  Tiens, 
cest  vrai,  c'est  le  clipet  d'un  homme.— 
ViDOCQ.  (Listen,  I  hear  someotie  crying 
■out.    -Why,  'tis  true,  it's  a  man's  voice.) 


Pretre — Profonde. 


36s 


Pritre,  m.  (thieves'),  actor,  "  cack- 
ling cove,  or  mug-faker." 

Preu,  m.  (schools'),  for  premier, 
Jirst ;  (popular)  first  floor. 

Tiens,  Vlk  I'bijoutier  du  N".  10  qui 
nVembete  pas  lui  :  il  vous  a  lou^  tout  son 
preu? — Henri  Monnier.  VEx^cution. 

Prevence,  yi  (thieves'  and  cads'), 
for  " pr(hention,"  or  remand. 

Le  monde  s'amasse  ,  .  .  et  les  serges 
s'am^nent.  .  .  .  Mpi,  qui  avais  voulu  seule- 
ment  retenir  Fluxion-de-Poitrine  on  me 
raniasse  comme  lui.  Total  :  huit  jours  de 
prevence  pour  chacua. — Mac^  Mon  Pre- 
mier Crime. 

PrevSt  (prisoners'),  head  of  a  prison 
squad;  prison  scout. 

Priat,  m.  (thieves'),  beads,  rosary. 

Priaute,  /  (thieves'),  church. 
Termed  also  "rampante,"  and  in 
old  English  cant,  "  autem." 

On  voit  bien  que  vous  venez  de  la  priaute 
car  vous  bigotez. — Vidocq. 

Prie-Dieu,  m.  (flxieyes'),  penal  code. 

Prima  dona.    See  Egout. 

Piin,  m.  (schools'),  head  of  a  school, 
the  "gaffer."  Abbreviation  of 
principal. 

Prince,  m.  (popular),  one  who  suf- 
fers from  the  itch.  See  Princi- 
paute.  Prince  du  sang,  mur- 
derer;  —  russe,  man  who  keeps  a 
woman. 

Principaute,  f.  (popular),  the  itch. 
A  play  on  principaute  de  Galles 
and  gale,  itch.  Termed  in  Eng- 
lish slang,  "  Scotch  fiddle. "  "To 
play  the  Scotch  fiddle,"  says  the 
Slang  Dictionary,  "is  to  work  the 
index  finger  of  the  right  hand  like 
a  fiddlestick  between  the  index 
and  middle  fingers  of  the  left. 
This^  provokes  a  Scotchman  in 
the  highest  degree,  as  it  implies 
that  he  has  the  itch.  It  is-  sup- 
posed that  a  continuous  oatmeal 


diet  is  productive  of  cutaneous 
affection."  In  Scotland  the  ejacu- 
lation, "God  bless  the  Duke  of 
Argyle ! "  is  an  insinuation  made; 
when  one  shrugs  his  shoulders,  of 
its  being  caused  by  parasites,  or 
cutaneous  affection.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  originally  the  thank- 
ful exclamation  of  the  Glasgow 
folk  at  finding  a  certain  row  of 
iron  posts,  erected  by  his  Grace  in 
that  city  to  mark  the  division  of 
his  property,  very  convenient  to 
rub  against.  Some  say  the  posts 
were  put  up  purposely  for  the 
benefit  of  the  good  folk  of  Glas- 
gow, who  were  at  the  time  suffer- 
ing from  the  "  Scotch  fiddle." 

'Pnr)ie,wifeofthe  "prin"(whichsee). 

Prison,  f.  (popular),  ^tre  dans  la 
—  de  Saint-Crepin,  to  have  tight 
boots  on.  Saint-Crepin  is  the 
patron  saint  of  shoemakers. 

Probite,  f.  (thieves'),  kindness. 

Si  je  ne  suis  pas  si  gironde  (gentille)  j'ai 
un  bon  cosur  ;  tu  I'as  vu  lorsque  je  lui  por- 
tals le  pagne  k  la  Lorcef^  (la  provision  k  la. 
Force)  ;  c'est  Ik  qu'il  a  pu  juger  si  j'avais 
de  la  probitd  (bont6). — Vidocq. 

Probleme,  m.  (students'),  watch 
chain  in  the  possession  of  the_ 
owner.  The  problem  is,  how 
comes  it  that  such  an  ornament  is 
not  at  the  pawnshop  ? 

Produisante,  f.  (thieves'),  the, 
earth. 

Profonde,      or      parfonde,      f. , 
(thieves'),  cellar ; pocket,  "cly,  sky- 
rocket, or  brigh." 

II  r6de  autour  des  beaux  cafds 

Oil   boivent   les   gommeux,   ineptement 

coiff^s, 
A  la  porte  des  grands  hotels,  autour  des , 

gares, 
II  ramasse  des  bouts,  mordilWs,  de  cigares, 
Les  met  dans  sa  profonde. 

Gill,  La  Mitse  A  Bibi. 

Retirer  I'artiche  de  la  — ,  to  pick 
a  pocket,  "to  fake  a  cly." 


366 


Proie — Prunot. 


Proie,  /.  (thieves')-,  share,  or 
' '  whack  ; "  one's  share  in  the 
reckoning. 

Prolo,  m.  (popular),  for  proletaire, 
working  man. 

Prolonge,  /  (Polytechnic  School), 
leave  up  till  midnight. 

Promenade.    See  Galette. 

Promener  quelqu'un  (popufar), 
to  make  a  fool  of  one,  "  to  bam- 
boozle "  one. 

Promoncerie.y;,  or  promont,  m. 
(thieves'),  trial,  "  patter." 

Prompto  (military),  quickly. 

A  peine  tes  yeux  fermeras 
Demi-appel  r^entendras, 
Prompto,  tu  te  releveras. 

Litanies  du  Cavalier. 

Pronier,  »z.,pronifere,/  (thieves'), 
father,  mother.  Termed  also 
"dab,  dabuche. '' 

Proprio,  m.  (popular),  for  pro- 
prietaire,  landlord, 

'  Prose,  m.,  orprouas,  m.  (popular), 
the  behind.  See  Vasistas.  Filer 
le  prouas,  to  ease  oneself.  From 
filer  le  cable  de  proue. 

Prote,  m.  (printers'),  a  manchettes, 
principal  foreman  at  printing 
works. 

C'est  le  veritable  prote ;  il  ne  travaille 
pas  manuellement ;  son  autorit^  est  incon- 
test6e.  II  repr^sente  le  patron  vis-k-vis 
des  clients  tout  aussi  bien  que  vis-k-vis  des 
ouvriers. — Boutmy. 

Prote  k  tablier,  workman  who  does 
duty  as  a  foreman  ;  —  aux  gosses, 
senior  apprentice. 

Le  prote  k  tablier  est  un  ouvrier  qui,  en 
prenant  les  fonctions  de  prote,  ne  cesse  pas 
pour  cela  de  travailler  manuellement.  Le 
prote  aux  gosses  est  le  plus  grand  des  ap- 
prentis.  — Bo  uTMV. 

Protenbarre,  or  vingt-deux,  m. 

(printers'),  foreman. 


Prout,  m.  (popular),  wind.  Faire 
— ,  to  break  wind. 

Proute,/  (thieves'),  complaint, 

Prouter  (thieves'),  to  complain; 
(popular)  to  call  out,  to  holloa. 

Prouteur,  m.,  prouteuse,  /. 
(thieves'),  one  who  grumbles, 
snarling  person, 

Proye,  m.  (old  cant),  the  behind, 
"one-eyed  cheek."    See  Prose. 

Prudhomme,  m.  (familiar),  canting 
individual,  man  who  is  in  the  habit 
of  giving  utterance  to  grandiloquent 
platitudes.  From  the  character  of 
Monnier's  Joseph  Prudhomme. 
Monsieur  Prudhomme,  who  has 
also  been  portrayed  by  the  cari- 
caturist Cham,  is  the  type  of  the 
pompous,  silly  bourgeois.  He  is 
made  to  say  on  one  occasion,  "  Ce 
sabre  est  le  plus  beau  jour  de  ma 
vie,"  and  on  another,  "Le  char 
de  I'etat  navigue  sur  un  volcan. " 

Prudhommesque,  adj.  (familiar), 
after  the  fashion  of  Monsieur 
Prudhomme  (which  see). 

Prune,  /  (popular),  or  pruneau, 
bullet,  or  shell ;  —  de  Monsieur 
Bishop.  Literally  a  large  violet- 
coloured  plum.  Prunes,  testicles,  or 
"stones."  Goberla — ,  torecdvea 
mortal  wound.  Avoir  sa  — ,  to  be 
intoxicated,  or  "  lushy."  Mangeur 
de  prunes,  tailor,  "goose-per- 
suader, or  button-catcher." 

Pruneau,  m.  (popular),  bullet; 
lump  of  excrement,  or  "quaker." 
Recevoir  un  — ,  to  be  shot.  'Srs:.- 
•aes-M,  quid  of  tobacco.  Sucerun— , 
to  chew  tobacco.  Les  pruneaux,M« 
eyes,  or  "peepers."  Boucher ses 
pruneaux,  to  sleep,  "  to  doss." 

Prunot,  ne.  (popular),  spirit  and 
tobacco  shop. 


Prusse — Punaise. 


367 


Prusse,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
travailler  pour  le  roi  de  — ,  to 
work  to  no  purpose,  gratis. 

Prussien,  m.  (popular),  the  behind. 
Exhiber  son  — ,  to  take  to  one's 
heels,  to  show  the  white  feather. 
See  Patatrot. 

Pschutt,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar),  un 
homme  — ,  a  dandy,  or  "masher." 
See  Gommeux.  Le  — ,  the 
height,  or  "pink"  of  fashion  ; 
swelldom. 

Dans  le  palais  de  cette  fee.  On  y  donne 
des  soupers  ou  Textreme  pschutt  est  seul 
admis. — ^A.  Sirven. 

Pschutteux,  m.  (familiar),  dandy, 
or  "masher."     See  Gommeux. 

Un  tas  de  pschutteux,  gratin  verdegris^ 
de  races  fatndantes,  popotent  dans  les  coins 
les  plus  chauds  de  retablissement. — Louise 
Michel. 

Puant,  m.  (thieves'),  captichin ; 
(popular)  swell,  or  "masher." 
See  Gommeux.  LiteTally  stinker. 
An  allusion  to  the  strong  per- 
fumes which  sometimes  are  wafted 
from  a  dandy's  person. 

Public,  m.  (officials').  Officials  of 
an  administration  thus  term  any 
person  who  comes  to  the  offices 
on  business  matters  ;  (theatrical) 
— •  de  bois,  ill-natured  audience. 

Puce,  /.  (popular),  i  I'oreille, 
creditor,  or  "  dun  ;  "  —  travail- 
leuse,  "  celle  qui  cultive  le  genre 
de  depravation  attribue  ^  Sapho 
laLesbienne"  (Rigaud).  Secouer 
les  puces  i.  quelqu'un,  to  scold  one, 
"to  haul  one  over  the  coals," 
"to  bully-rag  "  him,  or  to  thrash 
him.  See  Voie.  Bolte  i  puces, 
bed,  or  "bug-walk."  Charmer 
les  puces,  to  sleep.  (Thieves') 
Puce  d'h6pital,  louse,  or  "gold- 
backed  'un." 

Puceau,  m.  (popular),  unsophisti- 
cated, softfellffw,  or  "flat."  Pro- 
perly one  who  has  yet  his  virginity. 


Pucelage,  m.  (popular),  avoir  en- 
core son  — ,  to  be  new  at,  not  to  be 
acquainted  with  the  routine  of  some 
business;  to  have  sold  nothing. 
Pucelage,  virginity. 

Pucier,  m.  (popular),   bed,  "bug 
walk."     From  puce, y?«fl:. 

Ma  rouchi'  doit  batt'  la  berloque.  . 
Un  gluant,  9a  n'f 'rait  pas  mon  blot. 

Et  puis,  quoi,  Fifine  a  trop  d'masse 
Pour  s'coller  au  pucier.  Mais  non ! 
Pendant  qu'elle  y  f  rait  la  grimace, 
Quoi  done  que  j'bouflf'rais,  nom  de  nom? 

RiCHEPIN. 

Pudibard,  m,  (popular),  one  who 
affects  virtuous  airs. 

Puff,  m.  (familiar),  bankruptcy. 

11  serait  homme  ^  d^camper  gratis.  Ce 
serait  un  puff  abominable. — Balzac. 

Also  noisy,  impudent  eulogy. 

Puflisme,  m,  (familiar),  puffingup, 
quackery. 

II  est  €crit  que  le  gdn^ral  .  .  .  pa.ssera 
par  tous  les  Echelons  du  puflisme  .  .  .  le 
voilk  qui  fait  crier  sa  biographle  avec  ses 
faits  d  armes,  ses  blessures  et  son  portrait 
pour  10  centimes.— i^5  Fzji^aro,  14  Aoiit, 
1886. 

Puffiste,  m.  (familiar),  literary,  po- 
litical, or  other  kind  of  quack. 

Puits,  m.  (theatrical),  parler  du  — , 
to  waste  one's  time  in  talking  of 
useless  things.  (Thieves')  Badi- 
geonner  la  femme  au  — ,  to  tell 
fibs.  Alluding  to  Truth  supposed 
to  dwell  in  a  well. 

Puloch  (Breton  cant),  to  fight ;  to 
work  hard. 

Punaise,  /.  (general),  disagreeable 
woman ; prostitute.  SeeGadoue. 

Une  fewTne. — Au  Bois  !  Boire  du  lait  1 
A  la  vacherie  du  Prd-Catelan  ! 

Toutes  les  autres. — Oui,  le  Bois  ! 

Un  chiffonnier. — Les  punaises,  faut  tou- 
jours  que  9a  se  fourre  dans  le  bois. — P. 
Mahalim. 

Encore  une  —  dans  le  beutre  f 


368 


Punaisiere — Putiphariser. 


one  mtre  boulevard  girl  making 
her  appearance  on  the  stage  !  Une 

—  de  caserne,  soldier's  wench. 
(Popular)  Avoir  une  —  dans  le 
soufflet,  to  be  crazy,  "  to  have  a 
tile  off."  For  synonyms  see 
Avoir.  (Thieves')  Attraper  des 
punaises,  to  fail  in  one's  under- 
taking, or  to  find  that  one  is  dealing 
■with  an  informer, 

Punaisifere,  /.  (popular),  suspicious 
cafi  frequented  by  habituis  of  low 
dancing  halls. 

Pur,  m.  (familiar),  dandy,  "masher." 

Vous  ignorez  domplfetement  que  de  ne 
pas  mettre  de  pardessus  constitue  actuelle- 
ment  ce  que  nous  appelons  Stre  pur,  ou  si 
vous  aimez  mieux  le  chic  anglais. — Evitie- 
Tttent.  1882. 

Pur6e,y;  (thieves'),  cider;  (popular) 

—  de  Corinthe,  jra«^y  — depois, 
absinthe.  Fairedela — demarrons, 
to  strike  one  in  the  face  so  as  to  leave 
marks.  Toraber  dans  la  — ,  or 
8tre  moUe,'  to  become  poor,  or  a 
"quisby."  Je  declare  la  — ,  / 
haven't  a  farthing,  not  a  "rap." 
(Familiar)  La — .  See  Absinthe. 
Puree  septembrale  (obsolete),  zw>z«. 

L'i^dispositton  qui  lui  ^toit  advenue  par 
trop  humer  de  puree  septembrale. — Rabe- 
lais. 

(Students')  Une  — ,  a  glass  of 
absinthe,  a  glass  of  beer  being 
termed  "  un  cercueil,"  a  glass  of 
bitters  "  un  pape,"  and  of  brandy 
"  un  p^trole."  (Prostitutes')  Une 
— ,  a  man  who  does  not  show  him- 
self sufficiently  generous. 


Pureuse,/.  (prisoners') ^»23/?/ 
soner  in  the  employ  of  the  prii 
authorities.  Such  prisoners  enj 
some  degree  of  liberty  and  certs 
privileges. 

Purgation,  /.  (thieves'),  speech  j 
the  defence. 

Purge,  /  (thieves'),  refiler  une  - 
to  thrash,  "  to  set  about  one. 
See  Voie.  ^f^ 

Purger  la  vaisselle  (popular),  ."fci 
make  very  thin  sauce.  j^ 

Purotin,  m.  (popular  and  thieves')'**' 
needy  man ;  vagrant,  or  "piky.:^*. 

Pur-sang,  f.  (familiar),  handsome' 
elegant  kept  woman,  a  "  bloomina  k!f 
tartlet."  .,1 

Putain,/.  (familiar),  avoir  la  main''® 
— ,  to  shake  hands  with  anybody, 
Bouture  de  — ,  child  of  unknowt^^ 
father.     Putain  comme  chausson'f, 
is  said  of  an  extremely  immoral 
woman,  :* 

Putasser  (popular),  to  be  fond  of\ 
prostitutes,    to    be   a     "  mutton- 
monger."  «s 

Putasserie,  /  (familiar  and  popu-  1 
lar),  acts  of  immorality  on  the  part  , 
of  a  woman ;  the  street-walking  \ 
tribe. 

Putassier,  m.  (popular),  one  fond 
of  prostitutes,  "  mutton-monger." 

Putiner.    See  Putasser. 

Putiphariser  (familiar),  is  said  of 
a  woman  who  seeks  to  win  a  young 
man's  affections,  and  gives  prac- 
tical evidence  thereof;  to  violate.- 


Quai  Jemmapes — Quartier. 


369 


Q 


Jemmapes  (popular),  avoir 
.,7,',  '"J?"^  {'^  " fool,  like  a 
flat.  Ri^ud  says,  "  C'est  un 
iponyme  decent  d'un  mot  or- 
hiier  en  trois  lettres  dont  la  pre- 
iliere  est  un  C  et  la  demiere 
I'est  pasun  L." 

ailler  (obsolete),  to  make  a 
ncrifice  to  Venus.  Le  Roux 
ays,  "  Pour  faire  I'acte." 

pnd,  m.    (printers'),   payer  son 

-  est-ce  (quand-est-ce  que  tu 
)ayes  la  bienvenue  ?),  to  pay  for 
m^s  footing.  (Popular)  Quand 
es ponies pisseront,  never,  "when 
lie  devil  is  blind." 

lantes  (printers'),  for  quand  est- 
'■&,  faying  for  one's  footing. 

•brsqu'un  compositeur  est  nouvellement 
lis  dans  un  atelier,  on  lui  rappelle  par 
:e  interrogation  qu'il  doit  payer  son 
cle  4 ;  c'est  pourquoi  '*  Payer  son 
mtes"  est  devenu  synonyme  de  payer 
article  4.  Cette  locution  est  usit^e 
IS  d'autres  professions. — Boutmv. 

lantum  (common),_/^K(i'j;  a  sum 
f  money. 

Sncore  cent  mille  francs  !  il  est  alM  faire 
:  saign^e  nouvelle  k  son  quantum. — 
:ard. 

larante-cinq,  m.  (familiar), 
dunce ;    dirty  scamp  ;    (popular) 

—  !  or  —  a  quinze  !  words  ut- 
tered sometimes  when  a  smash  of 
crockery  is  heard. 

aart,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
d'oeil,  commissaire  de  police,  or 
tettv  matristrate. 


— ....... 

petty  magistrate. 


Et  de  IJi  vient  le  nom  de  quart-d'oeil  que 
lesvoleurs  leur  ont  donne  dans  leur  argot 
puisqu'ils  sont  quatre  par  arrondissement. 
— Balzac. 

Also  police  officer,  or  "  crusher.'' 
(Popular)  Battre  son  — ,  to  go  back- 
wards and  forwards  on  the  pave- 
ment for  purposes  of  prostitution. 
The  women  from  brothels  thus 
ply  their  trade  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  in  turns  before  the  establish- 
ment. 

Et  comme  le  disait  sa  digne  maitresse ; 
lorsque  je  bats  mon  quart,  mon  macq  boit 
ma  recette  au  CA.i€.~Memoires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude. 


(Thieves')  Quart  de  marque,  week. 
Battre  un  — ,  to  talk  nonsense. 
(Roughs')  Avoir  chie  les  trois 
quarts  de  sa  merde,  to  be  old, 
worn  out. 

Eh  J  dis  done,  ma  vieille,  comme  t'es 
decati  !  On  dirait  que  t'as  chi^  les  trois 
quarts  de  ta  merde  ! — Rigaud, 

(Familiar)  Quart  d'agent  de 
change,  partner  of  a  stockbroker. 
Le  —  de  monde,  the  world  of 
cocottes  one  grade  lower  than  the 
' '  demi-monde. "  Quart  d'auteur, 
an  author  who  cannot  produce 
anything  without  collaboration. 

Quartier,  m.  (students'),  abbrevia- 
tion of  Quartier  Latin,  where  the 
seat  of  the  University  and  its  diffe- 
rent faculties  are  established ; 
(rag-pickers')  —  gras,  a  part  of 
B  B 


370 


Quasi-mort—  Quenottier. 


the  town  where  rag-pickers  reap  a 
good  harvest;  —  maigre,  the 
reverse.  (Military)  Chien  du — , 
adjutant. 

Trompette,  sonne  k  I'adjudant  .  .  .  le 
trompette  Villerval,  k  moiti^  ivre  comme  de 
coutume,  tournait  I'embouchure  de  soa 
cuivre  aux  quatre  points  cardinaux  : —  _ 
Au  chien  du  quartier  !  au  cllien  du  quartier  ! 
Au  chien  du  quartier  !  au  chien  du  quartier  ! 
Hector  France,  Sous  le  Burnous. 

Quasi-mort,  adj.  (prisoners'),  etre 
— ,  to  be  conjined  in  a  cell  without 
being  allowed  to  see  anybody. 

Quatorze,  m.  (popular),  d'as,  orde 
nombril,  piquet,  a  kind  of  game 
of  cards. 

Quatorzifeme  ecrevisse,  /  (thea- 
trical), female  supernumerary. 

Quatre  (military),  comptez-vous  — , 
four  of  you  get  ready,  words  used 
especially  in  reference  to  prepara- 
tions for  tossing  one  in  a  blanket. 

Comptez-vous  quatre,  en  couverte !  en 
couverte  ! — G.  Courteline. 

Quatre  a  six,  m.  (familiar),  after- 
noon reception  in  fashionable 
circles. 

Quatre-coins,  in.  (fiAs.vt%'),  pocket- 
handkerchief,  "  stook,  madam, 
wipe,  or  snottinger." 

Quatre  sous  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), de  — ,  inferior,  "  no  great 
shakes,  or  not  worth  a  curse. " 

En  voilk  des  r^publicains  de  quatre  sous, 
ces  sacr^s  faineants  de  la  gauche  !  Est-ce 
que  le  penple  les  nomme  pour  baver  dans 
leur  eau  sucree  ! — Zola. 

Quatre-vingt-dix,  m.  (booth  sales- 
men's at  fairs),  a  lottery  at  a  fair  ; 
secret  of  a  trade  ;  dodge.  Vendre 
le  — ,  to  reveal  the  secret. 

Quatrifeme  cantine,  /  (cavalry), 
the  lock-up,  there  being  three 
canteens  for  cavalry  regiments. 


Quatuor,  m.  (domino  players'). 
Rigaud  says  :  "  Quatre  d'un  ieu 
de  dominos.  Les  joueurs  melo- 
manes  ne  manquent  pas  de  dire : 
quatuor  de  Beethoven." 

Quelle,  /  (thieves'),  5a  m'  fiche 
une  belle  —  a  mezigue,  of  no  ad- 
vantage to  me;  what's  that  to 
me? 

Quelpoique  (thieves'),  nothing,  or 
"  nix  ;  "  never.  Literally  quel 
poique,  how  little.  Poique  for 
pouic. 

On  pent  enquiller  par  la  venterne  de  la 
cambnoUe  de  la  larbine  qui  n'y  pionce  quel- 
poique, elle  roupille  dans  le  pieu  du  raae. — 
ViDOCQ.  (JDiie  Tnay  effect  ajt  entrance  by 
the  window  of  the  servant's  room,  where 
she  never  sleeps  ;  she  sleeps  in  the  parson's 
bed.) 

Quelque  part  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), in  the  behind.  Donner  un 
coup  de  pied  — ,  to  kick  one  in  the 
seat  of  honour,  "to  toe  one's 
bum."  AUer  — ,  to  go  to  the 
privy,  or  "  Mrs.  Jones."  The 
secret  memoirs  of  Bachaumont 
mention  this  term  in  the  repartee 
of  the  financier  La  Popeliniere,  to 
a  courtier  who  said  disdainfully, 
"  II  me  semble,  monsieur,  vous 
avoir  vu. quelque  part."  A  quoi 
le  financier  repondit,  "  En  effet, 
monsieur,  j'y  vais  quelquefois. " 
Avoir  quelqu'un,  or  quelque  chose 
— ,  to  be  superlatively  bored  by  a 
person  or  thing. 

Quelqu'un,  m.  (familiar),  faire 
son  — ,  to  give  oneself  airs. 

Si  madame  fait  un  peu  sa  quelqu  une. — 
Balzac. 

Quern,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  son  — , 
to  give  oneself  airs. 

Queniente  (thieves'),  not;  not  at 
all.     From  the  Italian. 

Quenottier,  m.  (old  cant),  dentist. 


Quipette — Qui  a  du  onze  corps-beau  ? 


371 


<Ju4pette  (roughs'),  an  expression 
referring  to  the  hour.  11  est  deux 
heures  — ,  it  is  two  o'clock.  II  est 
midi  — ,  it  is  twelve  o'clock. 
Madame  milord  quepette,  a  lazy 
woman  who  gets  up  late  in  the 
day,  a  "lady-fender." 

<2uequette,  f.  (general),  penis. 

<2ue  t'es  (printers'),  derisive  excla- 
mation uttered  by  printers  to  inter- 
rupt one  who  is  making  use  of  a 
word  which  gives  them  their  cue 
for  the  joke. 

Riposte  saugrenue  que  les  compositeurs 
«e  renvoient  k  tour  de  role,  quand  I'un 
d'eux,  en  lisant  ou  en  discourant,  se  sert 
d'un  qualificatif  pr6tant  au  ridicule.  Don- 
nons  un  exemple  pour  nous  faire  mieux 
comprendre.  Supposons  que  quelqu'un  dans 
I'atelier  lise  cette  phrase :  Sur  la  plage 
nous  rencontrames  un  sauvage  ..."  un 
plaisant  interxompt  et  s'6crie  :*•  Que  t'es ! " 

— BOUTMY. 

Queue,  y.  (familiar  and  popular), 
faire  une  — ,  to  be  unfaithful  con- 
jugally. Also  to  leave  part  of  debt 
unpaid.  Faire  la  —  a  quelqu'un, 
to  deceive  one,  "  to  bamboozle  " 
him,  or  to  take  a  ' '  rise  "  out  of 
him.  Habit  en  —  de  pie,  dj-ess 
coat.  Termed  also  "sifflet 
d'ebene." 

Mon  gendr'  pour  la  c^r^monie, 
A  vouiu  s'ach'ter  un  chapeau, 
Lacher  I'habit  noir  k  queue  d'pie, 
La  cravat'  blanche  et  les  gants  d'peau. 
E.  Carr^,  y^^i  Tnon  Coup  d'JFeu. 

Habit    en    —    de   morue,   dress 
coat. 

II  donna  un  coup  de  poing  dans  son  tuyau 
•de  po^e,  jeta  son  habit  k  queue  de  morue 
■et  jura  sur  son  ame  qu'il  ne  le  remettrait  de 
■sa  vie. — Th.  Gautier. 

Une    —    de    rat,    a    snuff-box, 
"sneezer." 

Au  diner  (c'que  I'vin  vous  fait  faire  I 
Voyez  un  peu  si  j'suis  distrait !) 
^athieu  m'  demande  la  poivri^re. 
Au  lieu  d'y  passer  c'qu'i'  voulait, 
.T'y  tends  ma  queu'  d'rat,  qu'^tait  pleine. 


Aussi  distrait  qu'  moi,  v'lk  Mathieu 
Qui  met  I'tabac  dans  sa  Julienne  j 

E.  Carr6,  yaiTnon  Coup  d'Feu.. 

Une  —  de  renard,  vomit.  Piquer 
une  —  de  renard,  to  vomit,  "  to 
cast  up  accounts,  or  shoot  the 
cat."  Des  queues,  nonsensical 
phrases  tailed  on  to  one  another 
and  uttered  rapidly  without  taking 
breath.  Cam'epatedemouchearti- 
chautshuredesanglierarchiecor  e  e  - 
mifasolaUgratlntamarre,  that  is, 
9a  m'epate,  patte  de  mouche, 
mouchard,  artichaut,  chaussure, 
hure  de  sanglier,  hierarchic,  chi- 
coree,  re  mi  fa  sol,  sole  au  gratin, 
tintamarre.  (Thieves')  Faire  la 
queue,  to  pick  pockets  in  a  crowd  at 
the  door  of  a  theatre.  Couper  une 
—  de  rat,  to  steal  a  purse,  "to 
fake  a  poge,  or  to  nip  a  boung. " 
An  allusion  to  the  strings  of 
purses.  (Journalists')  Queue, 
newspaper  which  has  the  same 
matter  as  another  with  a  different 
title. 

A  Bruxelles,  plus  d'un  journal  quotidien 
compte  de  quatre  k  cinq  queues,  '  c'est-k- 
dire  qu'il  transforme  son  titre  en  conservant 
la  meme  matiere  de  texte  ou  k  peu  pr&s,  et 
sert  ainsi  plusieurs  categories  d'abonn^s, — 
Le  Figaro. 

Queuiste,  m.  (popular),  man  who 
secures  a  place  in  the  crowd,  or 
"  queue,"  at  the  door  of  a  theatre, 
arid  sells  his  chance  to  another. 

Et  puis  surtout  il  y  a  les  queuistes  de 
profession  pour  qui  la  place  tenue  est  un 
gagne-pain  , .  .  choisir  dans  la  queue  est 
encore  une  science  difficile  .  .  .  les  toutes 
premieres  places  ne  sont  pas  forc^ment  les 
meilleures.  Les  plus  courues  sont  celles 
ou  Ton  peut  s'appuyer,  s'asseoir,  les  en- 
coignures,  les  pas  de  portes,  les  bornes.  .  .  . 
N'est  pas  queuiste  qui  veut. — Richkpin, 
Le  Pavi. 

Qui  a  du  onze  corps-beau.' 
(printers'),  "qui  a  du  onze  "  is  a 
call  for  certain  type;  "corps- 
beau  "  stands  for  corbeau,  crow  ; 
phrase  used  to  warn  ojte's  fellow- 


372 


Quibus — Quilles. 


■workers  that  a  priest  has  just 
entered  the  workshop. 

Quibus,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
tnoney,  abbreviation  of  quibus 
fiunt  omnia. 

S'il  vous  vient  des  enfants,  les  voir,  dfes 

leur  jeune  ^ge,  ... 
Se  corrompre  au  contact  du  quibus  pa- 

ternel, 
Sachant   bien    que  quand  vous  passerez 

I'arme  k  gauche 
lis  trouveront  de  quoi  rigoler  amplement. 
Gill. 

Termed  also,  in  different  kinds  of 
slang:  "De  I'os,  des  monacos, 
du  nerf,  des  pepettes,  des  ache- 
toires,  de  la  galette,  des  picail- 
lons,  de  ce  qui  se  pousse,  de  quoi, 
de  I'oignon,  de  I'oseille,  de  la 
douille,  des  jaunets,  des  sous,  de 
la  graisse,  du  piesto,  du  galtos, 
du  pognon,  de  I'artiche,  du 
morningue,  du  foin,  du  platre, 
du  pous.sier,  des  soldats,  de  la 
mornifle,  de  la  sauvette,  de  I'huile, 
du  beurre,  de  la  braise,  du  bathe, 
du  graissage,  de  la  thune,  de  la 
miche  de  profonde,  de  I'oignon 
pese,  du  sable,  des  pimpions,  des 
mouscaillons,  des  rouscaillons,  de 
I'affure,  du  metal,  du  zinc,  du 
pese,  du  pedzale,  des  noyaux, 
des  plombes,  des  sonnettes,  du 
quantum,  du  gras,  de  I'atout, 
de  I'huile  de  mains,  des  patards, 
de  la  vaisselle  de  poche,  du 
carme,  de  la  pecune,  du  pouiffe, 
des  ronds,  de  la  bille,  du  sine  qua 
non,  du  sit  nomen. "  An  amusing 
remark  of  the  journal  La  France 
may  not  be  here  out  of  place. 
"Though  the  word  money,"  it 
says,  "  be  the  object  of  every- 
body's preoccupation,  it  is  men- 
tioned as  infrequently  as  possible. 
The  banker  says,  nies  '  fonds ; ' 
the  young  girl,  ma  '  dot,'  and 
the  young  man,  mes  'esperances;' 
the  trooper,  mon  '  pr6t ; '  the 
employ^,  mes   '  appointements ; ' 


the  administrator,  mes  'jetons 
de  presence;'  the  female  atten- 
dant at  a  theatre,  mes  '  petits 
benefices;'  the  lawyer,  mes  'ho- 
noraires ; '  the  editors  of  certain 
journals,  ma  '  subvention  ; '  the 
actor  or  singer,  mes  '  feux ; '  the 
servant,  mes  '  gages  ; '  the  heir, 
mes  '  legs  ; '  the  landlord,  ma 
'  fortune ; '  the  rough,  mes  '  pi- 
caillons  ; '  the  monk,  ma  '  pre- 
bende ; '  the  Pope,  mon  '  denier 
de  Saint-Pierre ; '  the  prince, 
ma  '  dotation. '  Finally,  from 
the  '  liste  civile '  of  our  kings  to 
the  '  tirelire '  of  our  children, 
synonyms  are  in  every  case  sub- 
stituted forthe  properterms."  The 
English  slang  has  the  following : 
"  Oof,  stumpy,  muck,  ballast, 
brass,  leaver,  blunt,  needfiil, 
rhino,  bustle,  gilt,  dust,  dim- 
mock,  coal,  feathers,  brads,  chink, 
quids,  pieces,  clinkers,  stuff, 
dumps,  chips,  corks,  dibbs,  di- 
narly,  gent,  horse  nails,  huckster, 
mopusses,  palm  oil,  posh,' ready, 
Spanish,  rowdy,"  &c.  Abouler 
du  — ,  or  de  la  braise,  to  pay,  "to 
shell  out,  to  fork  out,  to  down 
with  the  dust,  to  stump  the  pew- 
ter, to  flap  the  dimmock,  to  tip 
the  brads,  to  sport  the  rhino." 

Quilles,  f.  //.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), legs. 

La  madame  du  pavilion  qui  met  ses  bas  ! 
— Plus  que  9a  de  quilles. — Gavarni. 

The  synonyms  are,  "  fltites, 
guibes,  guibonnes,  giiibolles, 
trimoires,  gambettes,  echalas, 
ambes,  train  num^ro  onze,  batons 
de  cire,  bitons  de  tremplin,"and, 
in  the  English  slang,  "gambs, 
pins,  spindle-shanks.  Shanks' 
mare,  stumps,  pegs,  timbers, 
stems,"  &c.  Jouer  des  — ,  tv 
bolt,  "to  skedaddle."  For  syno- 
nyms see  Patatrot.  (Popular 
and    thieves')  Quilles  d'echasse. 


Quimper — Quocqter. 


373 


long-legged  man,  "daddy  long- 
,  legs." 

J'te  connais,  toi,  I'gros,  et  toi  aussi,  les 
quilles  d'&hasse.— Louise  Michel. 

<2uimper  (thieves'),  to  fall ;  —  la 
lance,  to  void  urine, 

<2uinquets,  m.  pi.  (popular),  eyes. 
Termed  also  "mirettes,  reluits, 
calots,  chas,  or  chesses,  chSssis, 
falots,  lampions,  apics,  ardents ; " 
in  the  English  slang,  "peepers, 
glaziers,  ogles,  daylights,  top- 
lights."  AUumer  ses  — ,  to  gaze 
about  attentively,  "  to  stag. " 
Eteindre  les  — ,  to  put  out  a  per- 
son's eyes.  (Roughs')  Remoucher 
un  pante  avec  des  quinquets 
comme  des  roues  de  derri^re,  to 
look  at  a  man  laith  eyes  like  crown 
pieces,  "  to  pipe  at  a  cove  with 
glaziers  like  hind  coach-wheels." 
Baisser  les  abat-jour  de  ses  — , 
to  shut  on^s  eyes  ;  to  go  to  sleep. 

II  est  temps  de  baisser  les  abat-jour  de 
nos  quinquets.  Eonsoir  done  et  bonne 
nuit. — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

<2uinte,  /.  (popular),  avoir  —  et 
quatorze,  to  suffer  from  a  venereal 
disease ;  to  be  unlzccky,  **  down  on 
one's  luck."  J'en  ai-t'y  de  la 
chance  !  En  v'la  une  quinte  et 
ijuatorze.  Thafs  just  my  cursed 
Ul-luckl  (Popular  and  military) 
Avoir  — ,  quatorze,  et  le  point,  to 
he  suffering  from  a  complicated 
venereal  disease. 

Notre  h^ros  .  . .  ne  le  porta  pas  cepen- 
<iant  en  paradis.  Une  belle  Italienne  lui 
donna  son  compte.  Quinte,  quatorze  et  le 
•point.  Jen  complet.  II  est  mort  k  I'hdpital. 
— Hector  France,  Le  Rojnan  du  Curi. 

English  sailors  use  the  term,  "  to 
take  one's  coals  in,"  to  express 
that  they  have  caught  the  vene- 
real disease.  "It  means, "  says  the 
Slang  Dictionary ,  "that  they  have 
gotten  that  which  will  keep  them 
hot  for  a  good  many  months." 


Quinte  mangeuse    is   the  quinte 
majeure  at  the  game  of  piquet. 

Quinze,  m.  (popular),  vingts,  blind 
man.  Alluding  to  an  inmate  of 
the  Government  home  for  the 
blind,  known  under  the  name  of 
Les  Quinze- Vingts ;  —  cents 
francs,  one-year  volunteer  in  the 
army.  He  has  to  pay  the  State 
a  sum  of  1,500  francs  for  his  out- 
fit; —  broquilles,  aquarterofan 
hour ;  (familiar  and  popular)  — 
ans  et  pas  de  corset !  "  sweet 
sixteen  ! "  is  said  of  any  femule 
whose  charms  have  still  a  youthful 
appearance. 

Oui,  c'^tait  9a  !  quinze  ans,  toutes  ses 
dents  et  pas  de  corset ! — Zola. 

Quiqui,  m.  (rag-pickers'),  fowl ; 
scraps  of  food  of  all  kind,  "scran." 

Quirtourne,  f.  (popular),  window. 

Au  moment  ob  j'avais  fini  d'allumer  la 
quirtourne  (d'allumer  la  lumi&re  derriere  le 
rideau  de  la  fenStre).  Mes  mirettes  (mes 
yeux)  I'avaient  chauiT^.  Mais  moi  qui, 
pourtant,  faisait  le  crottard  (trottoir)  pour 
pecher  un  Fhilistin,  je  me  ddfie  du  pante. 
Je  ne  I'ai  pas  plutSt  attir^  dans  ma  turne 
que  je  le  fais  sortir  du  pieu,  pr^textant  que 
j  ai  besoin,  avant  de  batifoler  avec  le  zig, 
de  fader  (partagerj  avec  lui,  sur  le  comptoir 
du  mastro,  un  verre  de  verte.  Nous  re- 
descendons  et  je  lui  rends  sa  bougie  (ar- 
gent). Chance  !  car  j'^vitais  le  butteur 
qui,  quatre  heures  aprfes,  attirait'chez  la 
Blafarde  (conduisait  k  la  mort)  ma  faridole 
(compagne)  avec  son  gosse.  Ah !  le 
gredm  I .  .  .  m'a-t-il  fait  baver  des  clignots 
^leurer)  depuis  qu'il  a  surine  ma  vieille 
Mage  et  son  gosse  !  Que  je  serai  heureuse 
le  jour  oil  je  verrai  son  mufle  mouiionner 
dans  le  son  (quand  je  verrai  sa  tete  tomber 
dans  le  panier  du  bourreau). — Mdnwires 
de  MoTisieur  Claude. 

Qui-va-U,  m.  (popular),  donner  le 
— ,  to  ask  for  one's  passport.. 

Qui-va-vite,/  {popnlsii),  diarrhcea, 
or  "Jerry  go  nimble." 

Quocqter  (thieves'),  to  deceive,  "to 
do." 


374 


Quoniam — Rabiau. 


Quoniam,  m.,or  quoniam  bonus 
(obsolete).  The  signification  is 
given  by  the  quotation  : — • 

Mot  invent^,  pour  signifier  Sl  mots  cou- 
verts  la  nature  d'une  femme,  et  est  fort 
usi't^  i  Paris.— Le  Roux. 

Quoquante,/.  (thieves'),  cupboard. 


Quoquard,  m.  (thieves'),  tree. 

Quoqueret,  or  ququeret,  m.  (old 
cant),  curtain. 

Quoquille,    m.    (thieves'),   arrant 
fool,  "go  along." 


R 


Rabat,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
cloak,  "ryder,  or  topper." 

Rabateux  de  sorgue,  m.  (old 
cant),  night  thief.  Termed  also 
"doubleur  de  sorgue."  Michel 
says :  "  On  donnait  le  nom  de 
'rabats'  aux  lutins  et  c'est  ainsi 
que  le  chartreux  Jacques  de  Clusa, 
ou  Junterburck,  qui  a  ecrit  un 
traite  des  Apparitions  des  Smes 
apres  la  mort  et  de  leurs  retraites, 
remarque  qu'ils  sont  appeles. 
Rabelais,  qui  ^crivait  posterieure- 
ment  au  credule  chartreux,  place 
dans  la  bibliotheque  de  Saint- 
Victor  la  Mommerye  des  rabats 
et  luitins.  De  rabat  est  venu 
rabater,  lutiner,  que  Nicot,  Pontus 
de  Tyard  et  Trippault  derivent  de 
pa€aTTuv,  dont  les  Grecs  se  sont 
servis  pour  dire  se  promener  haut 
et  bas,  frapper,  et  faire  du  bruit. 
.  .  .  En  somme,  il  n'est  pas 
douteux  que  '  rabateux'  ne  vienne 
de  'rabater,'  et  ne  signifie  ety- 
mologiquement  rodeur  de  nuit." 

Rabatteur  de  pantes, »«.  (thieves'), 
detective,  "  cop."  Termed  also 
"baladin."  Literally  a  beater, 
man  being  the  quarry. 

Rabatteuse,  /.  (popular),  pro- 
curess; small  omnibus  which  plies 


between  Paris  and  the  outlying 
districts. 

Rabattre  (thieves'),  to  return. 

C'est  dgal,  t'as  beau  en  coquer,  tu  rabat- 
tras  au  pr^. — ^Vidocq.  {Never  mind,  in 
spite  of  altyoiir  iTiforming,  you  will  oite 
day  reiurti  to  tke  kwlks.') 

Rabiage,    m.    (thieves'),    income; 
profits, 

Rabiau,    rabio,    or    rabiot,    m. 

(military),  what  remains  of  pro- 
visio7is  or  drink  after  all  have  had 
their  share  ;  profits  on  victuals  or 
forage.  The  word  has  the  general 
signification  of  remainder,  over- 
plus. 

—  C'que  c'est  que  c'  paquet-Ik  ? 

—  Mod  colonel,  c'est .  .  .  du  sel. 

—  Du  sel  .  .  .  tant  qu'  ca  de  sel !  c'que 
vous  f .  .  .  d'tant  qu'  9a  d  sel  ? 

—  Mon  colonel,  c'est  que  .  .  .  c'est  un 
peu  de  rabio. 

—  Rabio  !  c'ment  ga,  rabio  ?  Pour  lors 
vous  avez  vol6  tout  c'sel-lk  aux  bommes  I 
S'crongnieugnieu  !  .  .  .  aliens  f  .  .  .  moi 
tout  9a  dans  la  soupe ! — Ch.  Lerov, 
GuiboLlard  et  Ramollot. 

Rabiot,  convalescent  soldier  ;  what 
remains  of  a  term  of  service  ;  term 
of  set-vice  in  the  compagnies  de  dis- 
cipline, or  punishment  companies, 
termed  ' '  biribi. " 

II  acheva  la  joum^e  dans  des  transes 


Rabiauter — Rdclure  d' auhergitie. 


375 


indicibles,  poursuivi  de  Tatroce  pens^e  qu'il 
allait  faire  du  rabiot,  se  voyant  d^jk  k 
Biribi,  en  train  de  casser  des  cailloux  sur 
les  routes.— G.  Courteline. 

Rabiauter,  or  rabioter  (military), 
to  eat  or  drink  what  others  have 
left. 

Rabibochage,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  reconciliation. 

Rabibocher  (familiar),  to  effect  a 
reconciliation  between  people  who 
have  quarrelled.  Se  — ,  to  forget 
on^s  differences,  to  become  friends 
again. 

Les  moindres  bisbilles  maintenant,  finis- 
saient  par  des  attrapages,  ou  Ton  se  jetait 
la  ddbine  de  la  maison  k  la  tete  ;  et  c'dtait 
le  diable  pour  se  rabibocher,  avant  d'aller 
pioneer  chacun  dans  son  dodo.— Zola, 
L'Assommoir. 

Rabiot.     See  Rabiau. 
Rabioter.     See  Rabiauter. 

Raboin, ;».  (thieves'), devil,  "ruffin, 
black  spy,  darble,  old  hairy." 

En  v'la  un  de  bigoteur  qui  a  le  tafifetas 
d'aller  en  glier  ou  le  Raboin  le  retoumera 
pour  le  faire  riffauder. — Vidocq. 

Michel  says  :  "  Ce  mot  doit  venir 
de  I'espagnol  '  rabo,'  queue,  le 
raboin  est  done  le  personnage  k 
la  queue.  Je  ne  serais  pas  etonne 
que  le  nom  de  rabbin,  par  lequel 
on  designe  encore  les  docteurs 
juifs,  ne  fiitrorigine  de  la  croyance 
qui  r^nait  parmi  le  peuple,  au 
moyen  age,  que  les  Israelites  nais- 
saient  avec  une  queue."  Termed 
also  "  rabouin." 

II  lansquine  k  dteindre  le  riffe  du  rabouin. 
—Victor  Hugo. 

Compare  the  word  with  the  Italian 
cant  "rabuino,"  which  has  a  like 
signification. 

Raboter  (popular),  I'andosse,  to 
thrash  one,  ' '  to  dust  one's  jacket. " 
Se  —  le  sifflet,  to  drink  a  glass  of 
strongbrandy.  A  metaphor  which  ' 
recalls  the  action  of  a  plane  on  a 
piece  of  wood. 


Raboteux.     See  Rabateux. 

RabouilUre, /.  (familiar),  wretched 
looking  house,  a  "hole." 

Rabouler  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  return.  American  thieves  term 
this,  "  to  hare  it ; "  —  ^  la  cassine, 
to  return  home,  ' '  to  speel  to  the 
crib." 

Raccord,  m.  (theatrical),  partial 
rehearsal  of  a  play. 

Raccourcir  (familiar  and  popular), 
to  guillotine.  The  expression  dates 
from  1793.  We  find  the  following 
synonyms  in  Le  Plre  Du^:hlne  of 
'93,  edited  by  Hebert  :  "cracher 
dans  le  sac,"  an  allusion  to  the 
head  falling  into  the  basket  and 
the  blood  spouting  up  ;  "mettre 
la  tete  a  la  fenetre,"  shows  the 
condemned  one  passing  his  head 
through  the  aperture;  "jouer  i 
la  main-chaude,"  which  alludes 
to  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back, 
la  main-chaude  being  literally 
hot  cockles  ;  "  passer  sous  le  rasoir 
national, "which  needsnoexplana- 
tion.  After  '93  Louis  XVI.  was 
called  "  Louis  le  raccourci." 

Raccourcisseur,  m.  (popular),  the 
executioner.  Called  also  "  Char- 
lot."    See  Monsieur  de  Paris. 

Rachevage,  m.  {poTpvda.r],  depraved 
individual;  a  foul-mouthed  man. 

Racinedebuis,/.  (popular),  epithet 
applied  to  a  humpback,  to  a 
"  lord."     Also  long  yellow  tooth. 

Racier  (thieves'),  to  breathe.  Tor- 
tille  la  vis  au  pante ;  il  rScle 
encore,  throttle  him,  he  breathes 
still.  (Popular)  Rtcler  du  fro- 
mage,  to  play  the  violin. 

R^clette,  f.  (popular),  chimney- 
sweep;  (thieves')  spy,  "nose;" 
detective,  "cop." 

RSclure  d'aubergine,  f.  (fami- 
liar), the  ribbon  of  the  decoration 


3/6 


Rade — Rafiau. 


of  officier  d'' Academic,   which  is 

violet. 

Des  hommes  un  peu  plus  agds  et  portant 
k  la  boutonnifere  la  "  raclure  d'aubergine  " 
(le  ruban  d'officier  d'Acad^mie). — DlDIER, 
Echo  de  Paris,  1886. 

Rade,  radeau,  m.  (thieves'),  till, 
ox"'\<S(i;" shof,  "cliovey."  Encas- 
quer  dans  un  rade,  to  enter  a  shop. 

Radicaille,    or   radicanaille,   f. 

(familiar),  the  Radical pmiy. 

Radicaillon,  m.  (familiar),  contemp- 
tuous epithet  applied  to  a  Radical. 

Radicon,  m.  (thieves'),  priest, 
"devil -dodger."  Termed  also 
"  Bible-pounder,  white  choker." 

Radin,  m.  (thieves'),  fob.  Friser  le 
— ,  to  pick  a  fob.  Un  —  fleuri,  a 
■well-filled  pocket.  Un  — ,  a  till, 
or  "  lob."  Faire  un  coup  de  — , 
to  steal  the  contents  of  a  till. 
Termed  by  English  thieves,  "  lob 
sneaking, "or  "to  draw  a  damper." 
Un  — ,  a  cap,  or  "  tile."  Vol  au 
— ,  robbery  in  a  shop.  Two  rogues 
pretend  to  quarrel,  and  one  of 
them,  as  if  in  anger,  throws  the 
other's  cap  into  a  shop,  thus  pro- 
viding his  accomplice  with  a  pre- 
text for  entering  the  place,  and 
an  excuse  should  he  be  detected. 
See  Vol  au  radin. 

Radiner  (thieves'),  to  return,  "to 
hare  it ;  "  to  arrive,  "  to  tumble 
lip. "  Rigaud  says,  ' '  Radiner  est 
sans  doute  une  deformation  du 
verbe  rabziner  qui,  dans  le  patois 
picard,  a  la  m^me  signification." 

Radis(familiarand popular),  money, 
"tin."  N'avoir  pas  un  — ,  to  be 
penniless,  to  be  "dead  broke." 
Ne  pas  foutre  un  — ,  not  to  give  a 
farthing. 

Qu'a  pleur',  qu'a  rigol' ;  c'est  tout  comme  ; 
Silr  !    J'y  foutrai  pas  un  radis. 
"  T'as  (ju'k  turbiner,  comme  j'y  dis, 
J'travaiir  ben,  moi  qui  suis  un  homme  !  " 
Gill,  La  Muse  A  Bibi. 


Un 


noir,    priest,     "white 


choker  ;  ''      police      officer,      or 
"crusher.'' 
Radouber (popular),  se — ,  orpasser 
au  grand  ladoub,  to  eat,  "to  yam. ' ' 

Radurer  (thieves'),  to  whet. 

Radureur,  m,  (thieves'),  grinder. 

Rafale,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
poverty.  A  poor  man  without  a 
farthing  is.  said  to  be  "  dead 
broke,  or  a  willow." 

Cela  est  assez  ^tonnant,  dit  la  brune, 
tous  les  *'  nierts  "  qui  sont  venus  pioneer 
"icigo"  ^taient  dans  la  "rafale;"  c'est 
un  vrai  guignon. — Vidocq. 

Rafale,  m.  and  adj.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  poor,  "willow  ; "  one 
with  squalid  clothes.  (Familiar)  Un 
visage  — ,  face  withworn  features. 

Rafalement,  m.  (popular),  humilia- 
tion ;  squalid  poverty. 

Rafaler  (popular),  to  humiliate  ;  to 
make  one  wretched.  Se  — ,  to  be- 
come poor  or  squalid. 

Raffe,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
booty, spoil,  "swag."  "He cracked 
a  case  and  fenced  the  swag, "he 
broke  into  a  house  and  took  the 
booty  to  a  receiver's. 

Raffiler  la  manquesse  (thieves'), 
to  give  one  a  bad  character. 

Raffing,  m.,  name  given  to  court 
gallants  and  to  duellists  under 
Charles  IX.  • 

Un  raffing  est  un  .  .  .  homme  qui  se  bat 
quand  le  manteau  d'un  autre  touche  le  sien, 
quand  on  crache  k  quatre  pieds  de  lui. — 
P.  M^RiM^E,  Chromque  da  Riene  de 
Charles  IX. 

Raffurer  (thieves'),  to  recover;  to 
recoup.  From  re  and  affurer,  to 
procure  money.  From  the  Latin 
fur. 

RafTut,  m.  (popular),  uproar ;  row, 
"shindy." 

Rafiau,  m.  (popular),  servant  at  an 
hospital ;  hospital  attendant. 


Rafiot — Raidir. 


377 


Rafiot,  m.  (^^\s\.ax),thing  of  small 
importance,  "no  great  shakes;" 
adulterated  article  of  inferior 
quality.  Termed  ' '  sural "  in  the 
English  slang.  This  word  affords 
a  remarkable  instance  of  the 
manner  in  which  slang  phrases 
are  coined.  In  the  report  of  an 
action  for  libel  in  the  Times, 
some  few  years  back,  it  was  stated 
that  since  the  American  Civil 
War  it  has  been  not  unusual  for 
manufacturers  to  mix  American 
cotton  with  Surat,  and,  the  latter 
being  an  inferior  article,  thepeople 
in  Lancashire  have  begun  to  apply 
the  term  "  surat "  to  any  article 
of  inferior  or  adulterated  quality. 

RafraJchir  (military),  se  — ,  to  fight 
with  swords.  From  rafiratchir, 
to  trim,  the  swords  being  the 
trimming  instruments.  (Popular) 
Se  —  les  barbes,  to  drink,  "  to 
wet  one's  whistle."  American 
thieves  term  this,  "  to  sluice  one's 
gob." 

Rage  de  dents,  f.  (popular),  great 
hunger. 

Ragot,  m.  (thieves'),  quarter  of  a 
crown;  [forpi&ax)  short  fat  person, 
"humpty-dumpty."  The  famous 
Ragotin  of  Scarron's  Roman 
Comique  is  short  and  fat.  Faire 
du  — ,  to  talk  ill  of  one,  to  slander. 

Ragougnasse,  f.  (popular),  un- 
savoury stew. 

Ragoflt,  m.  (painters'),  vigorous 
style  of  painting. 

_  Les  mots  dont  ils  se  servaient  pour  appr^- 
der  le  merite  de  certains  tableaux  dtaient 
vraiment  bizarres.  Quelle  superbe  chose  ! 
.  .  .  comtne  c'est  tripotd !  comme  c'est 
torch^ !    Quel  ragoflt !— Th.  Gautier. 

(Popular)    Ragotit    de    poitrine, 
breasts,  or  "Charhes." 

T'as  encore  une  belle  nature  pour  parler 
oVautres  !  Est-ce  parceque  j'nons  pas 
d'ragoflt  d'poitrine  sus  I'estoma  ?     J'ons 


la  place,  plus  blanche  que  la  tienne,  et 
J  n  y  mettons  pas  d'chiffons  comme  toi.— 
AtnitseTnens  d  tit  Grecque. 

(thieves')       Ragout,     suspicion. 
Faire  du  — ,  to  awake  suspicion. 

Ragoflter  (thieves'),  to  awake  sus- 
picion. 

Raguse.     See  Coup. 

Raide,  adj.  and  m.  (popular), 
drunk,  "tight."  See  Pompette. 
Raide  comme  balle,  with  the  ut- 
most rapidity.  Filer  —  comme 
balle,  to  disappear  rapidly,  "like 
winkin',"  or,  as  American  thieves 
say,  "to  amputate  like  a  go- 
away."  _"  This  panny's  all  on  fire 
{house  is  dangerous).  I  must 
amputate  like  a  go-away,  or  the 
frogs  {police)  will  nail  me."  La 
trouver  — ,  to  be  dissatisfied  or 
offended.  Je  la  trouve  raide,  it  is 
coming  it  rather  too  strong.  Raide 
commelajustice,  completely  drunk, 
or  "drunk  as  a  lord." 

Ces  noceurs-lk  ^talent  raides  comme  la 
justice  et  tendres  comme  des  agneaux.  Le 
vin  leur  sortait  par  les  yeux. — Zola,  L'As- 
sommoir. 

Du  — ,  brandy,  "  French  cream. " 
Termed  "  bingo"  in  old  English 
cant.  Siffler  un  verre  de  — ,  to 
have  a  dram,  "  a  drop  o'  summat' 
short,  or  a  nail  in  one's  cofEn." 
The  lower  orders  say  to  each 
other  at  the  moment  of  lifting  a 
glass  of  spirits  to  their  lips, 
"Well,  good  luck!  here's  an- 
other nail  in  my  coffin. "  Other 
phrases  are  "  shedding  a  tear,  or 
wiping  an  eye." 

Raideur,/  (popular),  la  faire  4  la 
— ,  to  give  oneself  dignified,  ' '  noli 
me  tangere  "  airs. 

Raidir  (popular),  or  —  I'ergot,  to 
die,  "to  snuff  it."  See  Pipe. 
To  express  that  one  is  dead 
English    and    American   thieves 


378 


Rate — Ramasser. 


say  that  he  has  been  "put  to 
bed  with  a  shovel." 

Played  out  they  lay,  it  will  be  said 
A  hundred  stretches  (years)  hence ; 
With  shovels  they  were  put  to  bed 
A  hundred  stretches  hence! 

Thieved  Song. 

Raie.     See  Gueule. 

Raille,/  andm.  (thieves'),  la  — ,  the 
police,  the  "reelers."  Etre  — , 
to  be  in  the  employ  of  the  police, 
a  "nose." 

C'est  vrai,  mais  vous  ne  m'avez  pas  dit 
que  vous  dtiez  raille  (mouchard). —  Vl- 
DOCQ. 

Un  — ,  or  railleux,  police  officer, 
or  ' '  copper  ; "  a  detective,  or 
police  spy. 

lis  parlaient  aussi  des  railles_([mouchards). 
A  propos  de  rallies,  vous  n'etes  pas  sans 
avoir  entendu  parler  d'un  fameux  coquin, 
qui  s'est  fait  cuisinier   (mouchard). — Vi- 

DOCQ. 

Victor  Hugo  says  the  word 
comes  from  the  English  "rascal," 
but  Michel  derives  it  with  more 
reason  from  "  raillon,"  a  kind  of 
javelin  with  which  the  archers  or 
police  were  armed  formerly. 

Ci  gist  et  dort  en  ce  soUier, 
Qu' Amour  occist  de  son  raillon, 
Ung  pouvre  petit  escollier 
Jadis  nomm^  Fran5ois  Villon. 

Le  Grand  Testament  de  Franfois 
Villon 

Raisine,  m.  (thieves'),  blood.  Vxo- 
^erly  Jam  made  of  grapes.  Faire 
couler  le  — ,  to  shed  blood. 

Je  suis  sOr  que  tu  es  marqu^.  Qu'avons- 
nous  fait  ?  Avons-nous  tue  notre  mfere  ou 
forcd  la  c+iisse  k  papa?  Avons-nous  fait 
suer  le  chene  et  couler  le  raising? — Th. 
Gautier. 

(Popular)    Faire  du  — ,  to  bleed 
from  one^s  nose. 

Raisins,  m.  pi.  (popular),  huile 
de  — ,  wine;  "red  tape,"  in  the 
jargon  of    Engli'-h   thieves. 

Auguste,  un  peintre  en  batiment. 
Qui  travaillait  en  face, 


Entre,  et  nous  dit  comm'  9a  m'z'enfans 
J'ai  I'gosier  qui  s'encrasse. 
Faut  y  mettr'  de  I'huil'  de  raisin. 

H.  P.  Denneville 

Raisons,  f.  pi.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar),  avoir  des  —  avec  quelqu'un, 
to  have  a  quarrel  with  one. 

Raler  (popular),  to  deceive,  "  to 
best ;  "  to  cheapen. 

Raleur,  m.  (second-hand  book- 
sellers'), person  who  handles  the 
books  without  buying  any,  and 
generally  one  who  bargains  for  a 
long  time  and  buys  nothing.  Also 
liar. 

Raleuse,/!  (shop-keepers'),  T^wa/ff 
who  cheapens  many  articles  and 
leaves  without  having  made  a  pur' 
chase.     Also  liar. 

Rallie-papier,  m.  (familiar),  paper 
chase  on  horseback. 

Rama,  parler  en — ,  formerly  mode  of 
using  the  word  as  a  suffix  to  other 
words.  The  invention  of  the 
Diorama  had  brought  in  the 
fashion  of  using  the  word  rama 
as  stated  above.  It  was  much  in 
vogue  in  Balzac's  time,  and  had 
been  first  used  in  the  studios. 

"Eh  bien,  Monsieur  Poiret,"  dit  Tem- 
ploy6,  "comment  va  cette  petite  santd- 
rama  ?  " — Balzac 

(Convicts')  Mettre  au  — ,  to  place 
in  irons. 

Le  soir,  apr&s  la  soupe,  on  nous  mit  au 
rama ;  nous  6tions  ^tonn^s.  Ce  n'^tait  pas 
I'habitude  de  nous  enchainer  sit6t. — Hum- 
bert, Mon  Bagne. 

Ramamichage,  m.  (familiar),  re- 
conciliation. 

Ramamicher  (popular),  to  bring 
about  a  reconciliation. 

Ramasser  (military),  de  la  boite, 
to  be  locked  up. 

J'ai  mon  true  k  matriculer  pour  2l  c'soir  ; 
si  c'est  pas  fait,  j'  ramasserai  de  la  boite. — 

G.  COURTELINE. 


Ramasse-toi — Rameneiir. 


379 


Ramasser  les  fourreaux  de  bayon- 
nette,  to  come  up  after  the  battle 
has  been  fought ;  (thieves'  and 
roughs')  —  les  pattes,  or  filer  une 
ratisse  4  un  gas,  to  thrash  one. 
See  Voie.  Ramasser  un  bidon, 
to  make  off,  "to  make  beef."  See 
Patatrot.  (Popular)  Ramasser 
ses  outils,  to  die,  ' '  to  snuff  it ; " 
—  quelqu'un,  to  apprehend,  "  to 
nail "  one  ;  to  thrash  one.  Se  faire 
— ,  to  be  locked  up  by  the  police, 
to  be  "  run  in ;"  to  get  a  thrash- 
ing. 

Si  le  patron  m'embSte,  je  te  le  ramasse 
et  je  te  I'asseois  sur  sa  bourgeoise,  tu  sais, 
colles  comme  une  paire  de  soles ! — Zola, 
VAssoTnmoir. 

Ramasse-toi  (popular),  words  ad- 
dressed to  a  person  who  is  talking 
incoherently. 

Ramastiquer  (thieves'),  to  tick  up; 
to  do  the  ring-dropping  trick,  or 
"fawney  rig."  See  Ramasti- 
queur. 

Ramastiqueur,   or    ramastique, 

variety  of  thief,  "  raoney-drop- 
per."  The  rogue  scrapes  up  an 
acquaintance  with  a  dupe,  by  in- 
quiring about  a  coin  or  article  of 
sham  jewellery  which  he  pretends 
to  have  just  picked  up  in  the 
street,  and  offers  for  sale,  or  other- 
wise fleeces  the  pigeon.  Many  of 
these  rogues  are  rascally  Jews. 
This  kind  of  swindle  is  varied  by 
dropping  a  pocket-book,  the  ac- 
complice being  termed  in  this 
case  "  heeler."  The  heeler  stoops 
behind  the  victim  and  strikes  one 
of  his  heels  as  if  by  mistake,  so 
as  to  draw  his  attention  to  the 
pocket-book.  Also  beggar  who 
picks  up  halfpence  in  courts 
thrown  to  himjrom  windows. 

Les  aicassineurs  sont  les  mendiants  Si 
domicile.  Les  ramastiqueurs  les  mendiants 
de  cours  qui  ramassent  les  sous.    Les  ten- 


deurs  de  demi-aune,  les  mendiants  des  nies, 
— M£moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

(Popular)  Ramastiqueur  d'orphe- 
lins,  poor  wretch  who  goes  about 
picking  up  cigar  and  cigarette  ends, 
a  "  hard  up. 

Rambiner  (popular),  to  patch  up' 
old  shoes. 

Tout  le  monde  sait  que  son  p6re  ram- 
binait  les  croknaux. — Le  Tam-Tam. 

Rambuteau,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  urinals  on  the  boule- 
vards. From  the  name  of  a  pre- 
fect of  police  who  caused  them  to- 
be  set  up. 

Ramener  (familiar),  to  brush  the 
hair  fortvard  to  conceal  one's  bald- 
ness. II  ramtee,  he  is  getting 
bald.  Termed  also  "emprunter 
un  qui  vaut  dix." 

Rameneur,  m.  (gamesters'),  mare 
of  gentlemanly  appearance,  whose 
functions  are  to  induce  people  to 
attend  a  gaming-house  or  gaming 
club. 

Un  personnel  de  rameneurs  qui,  membres 
r^guliers  du  cercle,  gentlemen  en  appa- 
rence  .  ._.  ont  pour  mission  de  racoler  .  .  . 
ceux  qui  bien  nourris  ^  la  table  d'h6te, 
seront  une  heure  apres  d^vor^s  k  celle  du 
baccara. — Hector  Malot,  Baccara. 

TheAmerican  "picker-up"  some- 
what corresponds  to  the  "rame- 
neur." The  picker-up  takes  his. 
man  to  a  gambling  saloon,  and 
leaves  him  there  to  be  enticed 
into  playing.  The  picker-up  is 
always  a  gentleman  in  manners, 
dress,  and  appearance.  He  first 
sees  the  man's  name  on  the  hotel 
register  and  where  he  is  from. 
Many  of  the  servants  of  hotels 
are  in  the  pay  of  pickers-up,  and 
furnish  them  with  information 
concerning  guests.  (Familiar)  Ra- 
meneur, old  beau  who  seeks  to 
conceal  his  baldness  by  brushing 
forward  the  scanty  hair  from  the 
back  of  his  head. 


38o 


Rameneuse — Rapiat. 


Rameneuse,/  (popular),  ^V/w^i? 
makes  it  a  practice  to  wait  for 
clients  at  the  doors  ofcafis  at  closing 
time. 

Ramicher,  or  ramamicher  (popu- 
lar), to  bring  about  a  reconciliation. 
Se  — ,  to  befriends  again. 

Ramijoter  (popular),  to  effect  a  re- 
conciliation. Se  — ,  to  make  it 
up. 

lis  se  sont  ramijotds  (r^concilife)  ;  et 
3'aprfe5  des  mots  de  leur  conversation,  je 
r^pondrais  bien  qu'il  a  couche  avec  F^licitd. 

— ViDOCQ. 

Ratnollot,  m-.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), stupid  old  soldier.  From  a 
character  delineated  by  Charles 
Leroy. 

Ramonage,  m.  (popular),  mutter- 
ing nonsense. 

Ramoner  (popular),  to  mutter,  to 
mumble.  An  allusion  to  the 
rumbling  noise  produced  by  sweep- 
ing a  chimney.  Se  faire  — ,  to  go 
to  confession  ;  to  take  a  purgative. 
Also  to  get  thrashed  or  scolded. 
Ramoner  ses  tuyaux,  to  run  away. 
For  synonyms  see  Patatrot. 

Ramor,  m.  (Jewish  tradespeople's), 
><7/,  "flat." 

Rampant,  m.  (popular),  priest,  or 
"  white  choker ;  "  fesuit;  steeple. 
Probably  from  the  old  significa- 
tion of  ramper,  to  climb,  to  ascend. 

Rampante,y;  (popular),  church. 

Rampe,  /.  (familiar),  princesse  de 
la  — ,  cKtress.  Une  pomme  de 
— ,  a  bald  head,  or  "bladder  of 
lard."  (Theatrical)  Se  brfller  i 
la  — ,  to  approach  close  to  the  foot- 
lights, and  play  as  if  no  other 
actors  were  present.  Lacherla — , 
to  die.     See  Pipe. 

Ramponner  (popular),  to  drink, 
"  to  lush  ;  "  to  get  drunk,  or 
"  screwed." 


Rancart,  m.  (familiar),  object  o] 
little  value,  "  no  great  shakes." 
(Thieves')  Faire  un  — ,  to  procure 
information. 

Ranck£,  m.  (thieves'),  two-franc 
coin. 

Rang6  des  voitures,  adj.  (thieves'), 
is  said  of  one  who  has  become 
honest. 

A  vingt  et  un  ans  rang^  des  voitures. — 
From  a  thief  s  letter. 

Ranger(popular),  se — des  voitures, 
to  become  honest.  Is  said  also  of  a 
man  who,  after  having  sown  his 
wild  oats,  leads  a  quiet  life. 

Rapapiotage,  m.  (popular),  recon- 
ciliation. 

Rapapioter  (popular),  to  effect  a 
reconciliation. 

Rapapioteur,  m.  (popular),  one  by 
whose  kind  efforts  a  reconciliation 
is  effected. 

Rapatu,  m.  (thieves'),  body-louse. 

RSpe,/ (thieves'),  ^oa:^.  Used  more 
in  reference  to  a  humpback. 

R^pe,  m.  and  adj.  {militaiy),  offcer 
without  any priv.atem.eans ;  (popu- 
lar) —  comme  la  Hollande,  very 
poor,  "quisby."  An  allusion  to 
riper,  to  rasp,  and  Dutch  cheese. 

Raper  (popular),  to  sing,  "to  lip." 
Also  to  sing  in  a  monotonous 
fashion. 

Rapiat,  subst.  and  adj.  (familiar 
and  popular),  stingy,  "  close- 
fisted,  or  near."  Termed  "brum" 
at  Winchester  School.  Une  — , 
a  miserly  woman. 

Cest  €gal,  t'es  une  jolie  fille ;  ga  faisait 
mal  de  te  voir  chez  cette  mauvaise  rapiat 
debonapartistedemfereLefivre.— Hector 
France. 

Un  — ,  a  native  of  Auvergne. 
The  natives  of  each  province  of 
France   are    credited   with   some 


Rapiot — Raseur. 


38r 


particular  characteristics  ^  thus,  as 
seen  above,  the  Auvergnats  are 
said  to  be  thrifty,  stingy,  miserly ; 
the  Normans  thievish,  fond  of 
going  to  law ;  the  Picards  are 
hot-headed,  of  an  irate  disposition; 
the  Bretons  have  a  reputation  for 
being  pig-headed ;  the  Gascons 
for  possessing  a  mind  fertile  in  re- 
source, and  for  being  great  story- 
tellers— also  for  bragging ;  the 
Champenois  is  supposed  to  be 
stupid  ;  the  Parisians  are  "  artful 
dodgers ; "  the  Lorrains  are,  it  is 
alleged,  treacherous ;  and  the 
natives  of  Cambrai  are  all  mad. 
Hence  the  proverbial  sayings  : 
avare  comme  un  Auvergnat ; 
voleur  comme  un  Normand  ;  en- 
tete  comme  un  Breton ;  99  mou- 
tons  et  un  Champenois  font  cent 
bStes,  &c.  Again,  among  soldiers 
"unParisien"  is  synonymous  vpith 
a  soldier  who  seeks  to  shirk  his 
duty ;  sailors  apply  the  epithet  to 
a  bad  sailor,  horsedealers  to  -a. 
"screw,"  &c.,  &c. 

Rapiot,  m.  (popular),  patch  on  a 
coat  or  shoe ;  (thieves')  searching 
on  the  person,  "  frisking,  or  ruling 
over. "  Formerly  the  term  referred 
to  the  searching  of  convicts  about 
to  be  taken  to  the  hulks.  Le 
grand  — ,  was  the  general  search- 
ing of  convicts.  Michel  says,  "  II 
est  a  croire  que  ce  mot  n'est  autre 
chose  que  le  substantif  rappel  qui 
faisait  autrefois  rappiaus  au  singu- 
lier ;  mais  le  rapport  entre  une 
visite  etun  rappel?  C'est  que  sans 
doute  cette  operation  etait  annon- 
cee  par  une  batterie  de  tambour. " 

Rapioter  (popular),  to  patch  up. 

Monsieur,  faites  done  rapioter  les  trou^ 
de  votre  habit.— Mornand. 

(Thieves')  To  search,  "to  frisk." 

Butons  les  rupins  d'abord,  nous  refroi- 
dironsapr^  lafourgate  etnous  rapioterons 
partout.    II  y  a  gros  dans  la  taule. — Vl- 

DOCQ. 


Rapioteur,  m.,  rapioteuse,  /. 
(popular),  one  who  patches  up  old 
clothes. 

Georges  Cadoudal,  avantson  arrestation^ 
avait  trouv^  asile  chez  une  jeune  rapioteuse 
du  Temple. — F.  Mornand,  La  Vie  de 
Paris. 

Rapointi,  m.  (popular),  clumsy, 
awkward  workman. 

Rappliquer  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  return,  "  to  hare  it ;  "  —  i  la 
niche,  or  k  la  taule,  to  return 
home. 

Tout  est  tranquiJle  ...  la  sorgue  est 
noire,  les  largues  ne  sont  pas  rappliqu^es 
\  la  taule,  la  fourgate  roupille  dans  son 
rade. — Vidocq.  (v4 //"  serene  "  .  .  .  the 
night  is  dark,  the  ivometi  have  not  re- 
turyted  home,  the  receiver  steeps  inside  his 
counter.) 

Rase,  or  razi,  m.  (thieves'),  priest. 
From  his  shaven  crown. 

Raser  (familiar),  to  annoy,  to  bore 
one. 

Nous  avons  ^t€  voir  les  Mauresques. 
Dieu !  les  avons-nous  rashes  avec  nos- 
plaisanteries. — LoRloT. 

Also  to  ruin  one. 

Elle  s'est  essay^e  sur  le  sieur  Hulot 
qu'elle  a  plum£  net,  oh  I  plumd,  ce  qui 
s'appelle  rasd. — Balzac. 

(Shopmen's)  Raser,  to  swindle  a 
fellow  shop-assistant  out  of  his  sale  ; 
(sailors')  to  tell "  fibs  ;"  to  humbug. 

Rase-tapis,  m.  (familiar),  a  horse 
that  trots  or  gallops  without  lifting 
its  feet  much  from  the  ground, 
"  daisy-cutter." 

Raseur,  m.  (familiar),  a  bore. 

Ce  type  est  en  meme  temps  un  "  raseur  " 
de  I'espece  sp^ciale  dite  des  d^bouton- 
neurs  k  histoires  bien  bonnes."  Vous  savez 
bien  ces  braves  gens  ^  qui  vous  ne  pouvez 
pas  adresser  la  parole  sans  qu'ils  vous  r6- 
pondent  par  :  "  Je  vais  vous  raconter  une 
bien  bonne  histoire"  et  qui  commencent 
immddiatement  par  vous  arracher,  un  k  un, 
lesljoutons  de  votre  redingote. — Git  Bias. 

(Shopmen's)  Raseur,  one  who- 
swindles  a  fellow  shop-assistant 
out  of  his  sale. 


382 


Rasibus — Rat. 


Rasibus,  m.  (popular),  le  p^re  — , 
the  executioner.  A  play  on  the  word 
raser,  to  shave. 

Et  le  coup  de  la  bagnole  au  pfere  Rasi- 
bus, quand  il  fouette  les  cadors  au  galop  et 
ique  les  cognes  font  un  blaire. — RiCHEPlN. 

Rasoir,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar  and 
popular),  bore  ;  boring. 

On  commence  k  nous  embeter  avec  les 
ibleus.  Tout  le  temps  les  bleus,  9a  devient 
irasoir  k  la  iin  ;  on  nous  prend  trop  pour  de 
bonnes  tetes.— G.  Courteline. 

Rasoir  de  Birmingham,  superla- 
tive of  bore.  (Popular)  Rasoir  ! 
expression  of  contemptuous  refzisal ; 
may  be  rendered  by  the  Ameri- 
canism, ' '  yes,  in  a  horn. "  Faire 
— ,  to  be  penniless.  (Gamesters') 
Banque  — ,  gaming  "  banque  " 
which  has  a  run  of  luck,  and  in 
consequence  leaves  the  players 
penniless.  Faire  — ,  to  lose  all 
one's  money,  "  to  blew  "  it.  Ca 
fait  — ,  nothing  is  left. 

Mangeux  de  tout ;  except^  I'tien, 
Car  tu  n'as  rien  ;  ^a  fait  rasoir. 

R  iche-eiugueule. 

^Thieves')  Rasoir  k  Roch,  or  — 
de  la  Cigogne,  guillotine.  M. 
Roch  was  formerly  the  execu- 
tioner, and  la  Cigogne  is  the  epi- 
thet applied  to  the  Prefecture  de 
Police.  The  knife  of  the  guillo- 
tine was  termed  in  '93,  "rasoir 
national." 

liaspail,  m.  (popular),  brandy, 
"French  cream,"  and  "bingo" 
in  old  English  cant.  Termed 
also  "  troix-six,  fil-en-quatre,  dur, 
raide,  chenique, "  rude,  crik,  eau 
d'aff,  schnapps,  camphre,  sacre 
chien,  goutte,  casse-poitrine, 
jaune,  tord  -  boyaux,  consolation, 
riquiqui,  eau  de  mort." 

Rassembler  (militaiy),  se  faire  — , 
to  get  reprimanded  or  punished. 

Rastacoufere,  or  rastaquoufere, 
foreign   adventurer  or  swindler. 


generally  hailing  from  the  sjinny 
south,  or  from  South  America, 
•who  lives  in  high  style,  of 
course  at  somebody  or  other's  ex- 


La  petite  Raymonde  D .  .  .,  _  sa  chere 
ador^e,  qu'on  avait  surnomm^e,  je  ne  sais 
pourquoi,  sa  "  chair  k  saucisses,"  I'a  ISch^ 
comme  un  vulgaire  rastaquou&re,  pour  se 
mettre  avec  un  jockey. — Gil  Bias. 

Rat,  m.  (thieves'),  young  thief  who 
is  generally  passed  through  a  small 
aperture  to  open  a  door  and  let  in 
the  rest  of  the  gang,  or  else  conceals 
himself  under  the  counter  of  a  shop 
before  the  doors  are  closed,  "little 
snakesman,  or  tool." 

He  kept  him  small  on  purpose,  and  let 
him  out  by  the  job.  But  the  father  gets 
lagged. — Ch.  Dickens,  Oliver  T-wist. 

Also  thief  who  exercises  his  skill 
at  inns  or  wine-shops.  Courir 
le  — ,  to  steal  at  night  in  lodg- 
ings, or  at  lodging-houses.  Rat, 
thirf  who  steeds  bread ;  —  de 
prison,  barrister,  or  ' '  mouth- 
piece." Prendre  des  rats  par  la 
queue  meant  formerly  to  steal 
purses,  when  persons  wore  their 
purses  at  their  girdles.  A  cut- 
purse  was  formerly  called  a  "  nyp- 
per."  A  man  named  Wotton,  in 
1585,  kept  in  London  an  academy 
for  the  education  of  pickpockets. 
Cutting  them  was  a  branch  of  the 
light-fingered  art.  Instruction  in 
the  practice  was  given  as  follows : 
a  purse  and  a  pocket  were  sepa- 
rately suspended,  attached  to 
which,  both  around  and  above 
them,  were  small  bells  ;  each  con- 
tained counters,  and  he  who  could 
withdraw  a  counter  without  caus- 
ing any  of  the  bells  to  ring  was 
adjudged  to  be  a  "  nypper."  The 
old  English  cant  termed  cutting  a 
purse,  "tonypabunge."  Dickens, 
in  Oliver  Twist,  shows  Fagin 
educating  theDodger  and  Charley 


Rata — Ratichon. 


383 


Bates  by  impersonating  an  old 
gentleman  walking  about  the 
streets,  the  two  boys  following 
him  and  seeking  to  pick  his  poc- 
kets. (Popular)  Rat  de  cave,  ex- 
cise officer,  gauger ;  —  d'egout, 
scavenger.  (Ecole  Polytechnique) 
Rat,  sttident  who  is  late ;  —  de 
pont,  student  whose  total  0/ marks 
at  the  final  examinationdoes  not  en- 
title him  to  an  apfointment  in  the 
corps  of  government  civil  engineers 
of  the  Fonts  et  ChaussSes  ;  —  de 
soupe,  one  late  for  dinner.  From 
rater,  to  miss.  (Familiar)  Rat, 
or  —  d'opera,  young  ballet  dancer 
between  the  ages  of  seven  and  four- 
teen. (Sailors')  Rat  de  quai,  m.an 
who  looks  out  for  odd  jobs  in  har- 
bours. 

jt  grand-pere  est  un  rat  de  quai, 
Le  petit-fik  mousse  embarqu^. 
La  grand'  mere,  aux  jours  les  meilleurs, 
Porte  la  hotte  aux  mareyeurs. 

KlCHEPlN,  La  Mer. 

Etre  — ,  to  be  stingy,  "close- 
fisted." 

Ce  jeune  rat — molns  "  rat "  que  son  ad- 
vereaire. — Gil  Bias. 

Rata,  m.  (general),  kind  of  stew. 

Le  rata  diminutif  de  ratatouille  .  . .  se 
compose  de  pommes  de  tenre  .  .  .  avec  as- 
saisonnement  d'un  morceau  de  lard  .  .  . 
en  soci^td  d'une  botte  d'oignons. — Dubois 
DE  Gennes. 

La  m^re  Nassau  lui  vocif^ra  une  longue 
fcyrielle  ^  d'injures  dont  une  partie  sans 
doute  lui  avait  €x€  adress^e  \  elle-mSme  le 
jour  oil  elle  fut  surprise  crachant  dans  le 
rata. — H.  YviAUCK,  La  Pucelle  de  Tebessa, 

Rata,  used  in  a  figurative  sense, 
signifies  a  coarse,  unmeaning 
article,  or  literary  production. 

Vous  avez  lu  la  lettre  si  digne  de  ^ — ? 
Xau,  poli,  comme  un  marbre,  a  dfl  faire  un 
signe  d'assentiment,  mais  il  est  trop  oc- 
cupy pour  absorber  ce  rata  soi-disant  natu- 
rahste.— G!7.8<iM,  1887. 

Rataconniculer      (obsolete),      to 
cobble.  Referred  also  to  the  carnal 

act. 


Ratafia  de  grenouille,  m.  (popu- 
lar), water.  Called,  in  the  Eng- 
lish slang,  "Adam's  ale,"  and 
the  old  term  "  fish  broth,"  as  ap- 
pears from  the  following  : — 

The  churlish  frampold  waves  gave  him 
his  belly-full  of  jish-broath. — Nashe,  Len- 
ten Stuff. 

Ratapiaule,/  (popular),  thrashing, 
"  walloping." 

Ratapoil,  m.  (familiar),  epithet  ap- 
plied to  old  soldiers  of  the  First 
Empire,  and  generally  to  Bona- 
partists.     Literally  rat  a  poil. 

Ratatouille,/  (famihar  and  popu- 
lar), flanquer  une  — ,  to  thrash. 
See  Voie. 

Rateau,  m.  (popular),/i7/««  officer. 
(Militai-y)  Faire  son  — ,  to  remain 
some  time  with  the  corps,  as  a 
punishment,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  twenty-eight  days'  yearly  ser- 
vice as  a  reserviste. 

Ratiboise,  adj.  (general),  done  for ; 
ruined,  "gone  to  smash." 

J'ai  fait  failHte  comme  un  vrai  commer- 
gant ;  ratibois6  ma  chere. — Huysmans. 

Ratiboiser  (general),  to  take;  to 
steal,  "  to  piig."  See  Grinchir. 
Termed  in  South  Africa,  "to 
jump."  An  officer  to  whom  a 
settler  had  lent  a  candlestick  was 
recommended  not  to  allow  it  to 
be  "jumped,"  mysterious  words 
which  at  first  were  to  him  quite 
unintelligible.  In  the  English 
jargon,  "  to  jump  "  a  man  is  to  rob 
him  with  violence. 

Ratiche,/  (popular  and  thieves'), 
church.  Blaireau  de  — ,  holy 
water  brush  or  sprinkler. 

Ratichon,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
priest.  Literally  ratisse,  rase, 
alluding  to  his  shaven  face  and 
crown.  In  old  English  cant, 
"rat,     patrico."        Concerning 


384 


Ratichonner—Ravinl 


the  latter   word   see    Sanglier. 
Serpilliere  de  — ,  p-iesfs  cassock, 
J'avais  de  plus  beaux  sentiments  sous 
mes  guenilles  qu'il  n'y  en  a  sous  une  ser- 
pilliere de  ratichon. — V.  Hugo. 

Un  —  de  cambrouse,   a  village 
priest. 

J'ai  moi-meme  une  affaire  ayec_  deux 
amis  de  college  (prison)  chez  un  particulier 
qui  va  tous  les  dimanches  passer  la  journ^e 
chez  un  ratichon  de  cambrouse  (cure  de 
campagne). — Canlek. 

Un  — ,  a  comb, 
Ratichonner    (popular),    to  comb 

one's  hair. 
Ratichonnifere,  f.    (popular    and 

thieves'),  cloister,  or  any  religious 

community. 

Ratier,  m.  (tailors'),  journeyman 
tailor  who  does  night-work  at 
home. 

Ration  de  la  ramee,  /  (thieves'), 
prison  food. 

Ratisse,  f.  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
refiler  une  — ,  to  thrash.  See 
Voie  for  synonyms. 

Ratisse,  adj.  (popular),  exhausted, 
"gruelled." 

R'tourner  \  pied,  fallait  pas  y  penser, 
j'^taisratissd  etcourbatured'm'etre  ballad^ 
dans  la  foire. —  G.  Prison,  Les  Aventures 
du  Colonel  Ronchonot. 

Ratisser  (popular),  en  —  a 
quelqu'un,  to  mock,  to  laugh  at 
one.  Je  t'en  ratisse  !  a  Jig  for y out 
Se  faire  —  la  couenne,  to  get 
thrashed ;  to  get  oneself  shaved. 
(Familiar)  Se  faire  — ,  to  lose  all 
one's  money  at  a  game,  to  have 
"blewed  it." 

Vous  lui  avez  meme  emprunttf  cinq  louis 
.  .  .  quand  vous  avez  6td  ratiss^  au  bac- 
carat.— J'ai  6t6  ratissd  ? — Raiguis^  si  vous 
voulez. — P.  Mahalin. 

Ratisseuse  de  colabres,  f. 
(thieves'),  guillotine.  Colabre  is 
the  cant  for  neck. 


Raton,  m.  (thieves'),  very  young 
thief,  "little  snakesman,"  see 
Rat ;  (Breton  cant)  priest. 

Rattrapage,  m.  (printers'),  piece  of 
composition  which  forms  the  com- 
•  plement  of  another. 

Ravage,  m.  (popular),  sundry  pieces 
of  metal  found  in  the  gutters  or  on 
the  banks  of  the  river. 

Ravager  (thieves'),  to  steal  linen 
from,  a  lavoir  public,  or  washer- 
woman's punt. 

Ravageur,  m.  (thieves'),  thief  who 
exercises  his  industry  on  washer- 
women's punts  established  on  the 
banks  of  the  Seine ;  (popular) 
man  who  drags  the  banks  of  the 
river,  or  the  gutters,  in  the  hope 
of  finding  lumps  of  metal  or  other 
articles,  a  kind  of  "mudlark." 
Concerning  the  latter  term,  the 
Slang  Dictionary  says  a  mudlark 
is  a  man  or  woman  who,  with 
clothes  tucked  above  the  knee, 
grovels  through  the  mud  on  the 
banks  of  the  Thames,  when  the 
tide  is  low,  for  silver  or  pewter 
spoons,  old  bottles,  pieces  of  iron, 
coal,  or  any  article  of  the  least 
value,  deposited  by  the  retiring 
tide,  either  from  passing  ships  or 
the  sewers. 

Ravaudage,  m.  (popular),  faire  du 
— ,  to  make  love  to  several  girls  at 
a  time,  so  as  not  to  remain  "in 
the  cold." 

Raverta,  m.  (Jewish  tradesmen's), 
servant. 

Ravescot,  m.  (obsolete),  venereal 
act. 

Ravignole,     m.     (thieves'),     new 

offence. 

Ravine,/  (popular),  wound;  scar. 

Ravinfe,  adj,  (familiar),  the  worse 
for  wear.  Des  dents  ravinees, 
bad  teeth. 


Rayon^Rebouis. 


38s 


Rayon,  m.  (popular),  surl'oeil,  Uacl 
eye,  "mouse."  (Thieves')  Rayon 
de  miel,  lace,  or  "driz." 

Raze,  or  razi,  vi.  (thieves'),  friest, 
/flrio«,  "  devil-dodger ;  "  — pour 
I'af,  actor,  "  cackling  cove,  or 
faker." 

Reac,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
Conservative. 

C'^tait  ^  la  Salamandre  ou  au  Sacre  Bock 
que  se  tenaient  les  inspecteurs  masques  de 
la  Commune.  .  .  .  Vermorel  y  ^tait  traits 
de  bourgeois,  Rochefort,  de  r6ac. — Mi- 
moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Reaffurer  (thieves'),  to  win  back. 

Rebatir  (thieves'),  un  pante,  to  kill 
a  man,  "  to  give  one  his  gruel,  to 
quash."  Also  "to  hush."  You 
know,  if  I  wished  to  nose  {to  f  each), 
I  could  have  you  twisted  {hanged); 
not  to  mention  anything  about  the 
cull  {man)  that  was  hushed  for  his 
reader  {pocket-book). 

Rebecca,  f.  (popular),  impudent 
girl  with  a  sattcy  tongue,  a  "sauce- 
box, or  imperence." 

Rebecquat,  m.  (thieves'  and 
roughs'),  insolence;  resistance.  Pas 
de  —  ou  bien  je  t'encaisse,  don't 
show  your  teeth,  else  I'll  give  you  a 
thrashing. 

Rebectage,  m.  (thieves'),  medicine; 
Cour  de  cassation.  Se  cavaler  au 
■ — ,  to  appeal  for  the  quashing  of  a 
judgment. 

Rebecter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  get 
reconciled. 

Rebecteur,  m.  (popular),  doctor, 
"  pill-box ; "  surgeon,  ' '  saw- 
bones." 

Reb^queter  (popular),  to  repeat; 
to  ruminate. 

Rebiffe,  /  (thieves'),  revolt;  re- 
venge;  —  au  true,  repeating  an 


offence,     Faire  de  la  ■ 
resistance. 


to  oppose 


RebifFer  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
begin  again  ;  —  au  true,  to  return 
to  one's  old  ways,  to  be  at  the  "  old 
game  "  again  ;  to  do  anything 
again. 

"  Tiens,  men  petit,  rebiffe  au  true  ;  c'est 
moi  qui  verse."  Elle  rapporte  un  nouveau 
rafralchissement  d'absinthe  au  chanteur. — 
Louise  Michel. 

Rebomber  (familiar),  se  — le  torse, 
to  recover  one's  spent  energy  by 
taking  refreshment. 

Rebondir  (popular),  to  turn  out  of 
doors,  to  expel.  Envoyer  — ,  to 
turn  out,  to  send  to  the  deuce. 

Rebonnetage,  m..  (popular),  recon- 
ciliation ;  {ih.ifvts')Jlattery,  "  soft 
sawder." 

Rebonneter  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  flatter.  The  word  bonneter 
was  formerly  used  with  nearly  the 
same  signification,  and  the  English 
had  a  similar  expression,  "  to  bon- 
net," used  by  Shakespeare  : — 

He  hath  deserved  worthily  of  his  country ; 
and  his  ascent  is  not  by  such  easy  degrees 
as  those  who  having  been  supple  and  cour- 
teous to  the  people,  bonneted,  without  any 
further  deed  to  heave  them  at  all  into  their 
estimation  and  report. — Coriolan-us. 

Rebonneter  pour  I'af,  to  give  ironi- 
cal praise.  Se  — ,  to  console  one- 
self. Also  to  be  of  better  beha- 
viour, to  turn  o^er  a  new  leaf. 

Rebonneteur,  m.  (thieves'),  con- 
fessor. 

Si  ce  que  dit  le  rebonneteur  (confesseur) 
n'est  pas  de  la  blague,  un  jour  nous  nous 
retrouverons  Ik-bas.— VibocQ. 

Rebonnir  (thieves'),  to  say  again. 

Reboucler  (thieves'),  to  re-im- 
prison. 

Rebouis,  adj.  and  in.  (thieves'), 
dead,  said  of  one  who  has  been 
"put   to    bed   with   a   shovel;" 


386 


Rebouiser — Reconobrer. 


corpse, ' '  cold  meat,  or  pig ; "  shoe, 
"trotter-case."  English  thieves 
call  cleaning  their  boots  "ja- 
panning their  trotter-cases. " 

Rebouiser  (thieves'),  to  kill,  "  to 
give  one  his  gruel,"  see  Refroidir; 
to  patch  up  a  shoe.  Rabelais 
termed  this  "  rataconniculer,"  and 
also  uses  the  word  with  another 
signification,  as  appears  from  the 
following : — 

£t  si  personne  les  blasme  de  soi  faire 
rataconniculer  ainsi  sus  leur  grosse,  vu  que 
les  bestes  sus  leurs  ventr^es  n'endurent 
jamais  le  masle  masculant,  elles  respon- 
dront  que  ce  sont  bestes,  mais  elles  sont 
femmes.  — Gargctntua. 

Also  to  notice,  to  gaze  on. 

Faut  pas  blaguer,  le  treppe  est  batte ; 
Dans  c'taudion  i's'trouve  des  rupins. 
Si  queuq's  gonziers  trainent  la  savate, 
J'en  ai  r'bouisd  qu'on  d's  escarpins. 

Chanson  de  I' Assommolr. 

Rebouiseur,  m.  (popular),  cobbler, 
in  old  French  ' '  taconneur ;  "  old 
clothes  man  who  repairs  second- 
hand clothes  before  selling  them. 

Rebours,  m.  (roughs'),  moving  of 
one' s  furniture  on  the  sly,  ' '  shoot- 
ing the  moon. " 

Recaler  (artists'),  to  correct.  (Popu- 
lar) Se  — ,  to  recover  one's  strength, 
and  generally  to  improve  one's  out- 
ward appearance. 

Ddd^e  s'r'cale  les  joues  et  Trutru  r'prend 
des  forces  pour  masser  d'plus  belle.— -ZLc 
Cri  du  Peitpte. 

Also  to  better  one's  position. 

Recarrelure,  /  (popular),  meal. 

Recarrer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  strut. 

Recent,  adj.  (popular),  avoir  I'air 
— ,  to  walk  steadily  though  drunk, 

Recevoir  (popular),  la  pelle  au  cul, 
to  be  dismissed  from  one's  employ- 
ment, "to  get  the  sack;"  (mili- 
tary) —  son  decompte,  to  die,  "to 
lose  the  number  of  one's  mess." 


RechJsser  (popular),  to  survey  at- 
tentively, "  to  stag ; "  to  see. 
From  chasse,  eye, 

Rechauffante,  /.  (thieves'),  wig, 
"periwinkle;"  (military)  great 
coat. 

Rechauffer  (popular),  to  annoy,  to 
bore, 

Reche,  m.  (popular),  a  sou. 

Recidiviste,  m.  (familiar),  old  of- 
fender. According  to  a  new  law, 
repeating  a  certain  specified  of- 
fence makes  one  liable  to  be 
transported  for  life. 

Refoit-tout,  m.  (popular),  cham- 
ber-pot, or  "jerry." 

RecoUarde,  adj.  (thieves'),  caught 
again. 

RecoUer  (popular),  to  be  convales- 
cent. Se  — ,  to  have  a  reconcilia- 
tion with  a  woman,  and  cohabit 
with  her  again. 

Reconduire  (theatrical),  to  hiss, 
"to  goose,  or  to  give  the  big 
bird;"  (popular)  —  quelqu'un,  or 
faire  la  conduite  a  quelqu'un,  to 
thrash  one,  "to  wollop."  (Mili- 
tary) Se  faire  — ,  to  be  compelled 
to  retreat  in  hot  haste. 

Reconnaissance,  /  (printers'), 
thin  flat  ruler  of  meteU  or  wood 
used  by  printers, 

Reconnebler  (thieves'),  to  recog- 
nize. 

C'est  bon,  je  vois  bien  que  je  suis  recon- 
nebl6  (reconnu)  et  qu'il  a'y  a  pas  moyen 
d'aller  k  Niort  (de  nier). — Canler. 

Reconobrer  (thieves'),  to  recogr.izei 
Me  reconobres-tu  pas?  Don't  you 
know  me  again  ? 

II  faut  d'abord  defrimousser  ces  gaillards* 
Ik  de  maniere  k  ce  qu'ils  ne  soient  pas  re- 
conobrfe.— ViDOCQ.  (IVe  must  at  first 
disfigure  these  here  felltrws,  so  that  they 
may  not  he  hiown,') 


Recoquer — Refaite. 


387 


Recoquer  (popular),  se  — ,  to  re- 
cover  one's  strength  ;  to  dress  one- 
self in  new  attire.  From  coque, 
hull. 

Record^,  adj.  (thieves'),  killed, 
"hushed." 

Recorder  (thieves'),  to  warn  one  of 
some  impending  danger ;  to  kill 
one,  "  to  quash,  to  hush."  Se 
— ,  to  plot,  to  concert  together. 

Recourir  a  I'einetique  (thieves'), 
to  get  forged  bills  discounted, 

Recuit,    adj. 
again. 


(popular),      ruined 


Recurer  (popular),  la  casserole,  or 
se  — ,  to  take  a  purgative.  Se 
faire  — ,  to  be  under  treatment  for 
syphilis. 

Redam,  m.  (thieves'),  pardon. 
From  redemption. 

Redin,  m.  (thieves'), ^»«^,  "skin." 
The  word  has  the  same  significa 
tion  in  the  Italian  jargon,  and 
comes  from  retino,  small  net. 
Hence  reticule,  a  lady's  bag,  cor 
rupted  into  ridicule. 

Redoublement,  m.  (thieves'),  de 
f\hvre,  fresh  charge  brought  against 
a  prisoner  who  is  being  tried  for 
an  offence  ;  —  de  fievre  cerebrale, 
fresh  charge  against  a  prisoner 
•who  is  being  tried  for  murder. 

Pour  peu  que  des  parrains  ne  viennent 
pas  leur  coquer  un  redoublement  de  iifevre 
cer^rale,  raa  largue  et  mes  gosselines  se 
tireront  de  ce  mauvais  pas. — ^Vxdocq. 

Redouiller  (popular),  to  push  back  ; 
to  repel;  to  ill-treat,  "to  man- 
handle." 

Eedresse,  /  (thieves'),  etre  i  la 
— ,  to  be  cunning,  knowing, 
"downy." 

I  am  ...  we  all  are,  down  to  the  dog. 
And  he's  the  downiest  one  of  the  lot. — Ch. 
Dickens. 


Mec  i  la  — .  See  Mec.  Cheva- 
lier de  la  — ,  prof essional  parasite, 
spunger,  "quiller." 

Redresseur,  m.  (obsolete),  thief, 
pickpocket,  "  fogle-hunter."  In 
old  English  cant,  "foyster." 

Redresseuse,/  (obsolete),  prosti- 
tute and  thief,  "  mollisher." 

RSduit,  m.  (thieves'),  purse, 
"skin." 

R6emballer  (popular),  to  imprison 
afresh. 

Refaire  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
dupe,  "to  do." 

Z .  .  .  un  autre  journaliste,  aprfes  avoir 
longtemps  boh6mise',  carott^,  refait  tous 
ses  camarades. — A.  Sirven. 

Refaire  au  mfime,  to  pay  back  in 
the  same  coin,  to  give  a  Roland  for 
an  Oliver.  Se  — ,  to  recoup  one's 
losses  at  a  game.  (Popular)  Re- 
faire dans  le  dur,  to  dupe,  "to 
bilk."  Se  —  le  torse,  to  have 
refreshment.  (Thieves')  Se  —  de 
sorgue,  to  have  supper. 

Refait,  adj.  (general),  itre  — ,  to  be 
duped,  or  "done." 

La  voiture  remonte  p^niblement  la  chaus- 
s&.  Le  cocher,  qu'on  a  pris  le  matin  et 
qui  a  peur  d'etre  refait,  juronne  entre  ses 
dents.— P.  Mahalin, 

(Thieves')  Etre  —  sans  donjon,  to 
be  apprehended  again  as  a  rogue 
and  vagabond. 

Refaite,  y;  (thieves'),  meal;  — du 
matois,  breakfast ;  —  de  jorne, 
dinner;  —  de  c6ni,  last  sacra- 
ments of  the  church ;  —  dusechoir, 
meal  after  a  funeral ;  —  de 
sorgue,  supper. 

Je  vous  dis  que  lorsque  j'ai  quittd  le 
tapis,  il  allait  achever  sa  refaite  de  sorgue 
et  qu'il  venait  de  donner  I'ordre  de  seller 
son  gaye, — Vidocq. 


388 


Ref alter — Rigatte. 


Refaiter  (thieves'),  to  partake  of  a 
meal. 

Refaitier,  m.  (thieves'),  master  of  a 
victualling  house,  ' '  boss  of  a 
grubbing  ken." 

Reffoler  (thieves'),  to  steal  by  sur- 
prise. 

Refil6,  m.  (popular),  aller  au  — , 
to  confess.  Ne  pas  aller  au  — ,  to 
deny. 

Refiler  (thieves'),  to  restore  ;  to  give, 
"donnez." 

Au  clair  de  la  luisante, 
Mon  ami  Pierrot, 
Refile-moi  ta  grifFonnante, 
Pour  broder  un  mot. 
Ma  camouche  est  chtourbe, 
Je  n'ai  plus  de  rif ; 
D^boucle-moi  ta  lourde 
Pour  Tamour  du  Mec. 
Au  Clair  de  la  L-une  en  Argot. 

Refiler,  to  pass  from  one  person  to 
another,  "to  sling;"  to  pass  onto 
a  confederate  by  throwing,  "  to 
ding ; "  —  un  pante,  to  dog  a  man, 
"to  pipe;"  (popular)  —  des 
beignes,  to  strike  one  on  the  face, 
' '  to  fetch  one  a  wipe  in  the  mug ;  " 
—  une  ratisse,  to  thrash,  "  to 
vi'allop  ;"  —  unepoussee,  to  hustle, 
"  to  shove  ;  "  —  la  pStee,  to  feed. 
S'en  —  sous  le  tube,  to  take  a  pinch 
of  snuff. 

Refondante,  /  (thieves'),  lucifer 
match,  "  spunk." 

Refouler  (popular),  to  refuse;  to 
hesitate ;  —  au  travail,  to  leave  off 
working;  —  a  Bondy,  to  rudely 
send  one  about  his  business.  It  is  to 
Bondy  that  the  contents  of  cess- 
pools are  conveyed. 

Refractaire,  m.  (familiar),  more  or 
less  talented  man  who  will  not  bend 
to  the  fashion  or  ideas  of  the  day. 

Refroidi,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'), 
corpse,  "cold  meat;"  dead, 
"  easy." 


Refroidir  (thieves'),  to  kill. 

Les  chiens  bourr^s  de  boulettes,  ^taient 
morts.  J'ai  refroidi  les  deux  femmes. — 
Balzac. 

Refroidir  i  la  capahut,  to  kill  an 
accomplicefor  the  purpose  of  robbing 
him.  of  his  share  of  booty.  From 
the  name  of  a  celebrated  bandit, 
the  head  of  a  large  gang  of  mur- 
derers named  "  chauffeurs,"  who 
spread  terror  towards  the  year 
III.  of  the  Republic,  in  the  vici- 
nity of  Paris.  The  different  modes 
of  taking  life  are  expressed  thus  : 
"chouriner,  or  suriner,  estpurbir, 
scionner,  buter,  basourdir,  faire 
un  machabee,  faire  ilotter,  crever 
la  paillasse,  laver  son  linge  dans 
la  saignante,  devisser  le  trognon, 
faire  suer  un  chene,  or  faire  suer  le 
chene  coupe,  capahuter,  deerocher, 
descendre,  ebasir,  endormir, 
couper  le  sifflet,  watriniser,  en- 
tailer, entonner,  estrangouiller, 
tortiller  la  vis,  tourlourer,  terrer, 
cSnir,  expedier,  faire,  faire  la 
grande  soulasse,  rebsltir,  sauter'a 
la  capahut,  sonner,  lingrer,  en- 
voyer  ad  patres,  demolir,  moucher 
le  quinquet,  saigner,  sabler,  tor- 
tiller  le  gaviot,  faire  banque, 
erailler,  escarper,  suager,  faire  le 
pante  au  machabee;"  in  the  Eng- 
lish slang,  "to  settle  his  hash, 
to  cook  his  goose,  to  give  one 
his  gruel,  to  quash,  to  hush." 

Regaler  (popular),  ses  amis,  to  take 
a  purgative ;  —  son  cochon,  to 
treat  oneself  to  a  good  dinner,  to 
have  a  "tightener;"  —  son  Suisse 
is  said  of  two  playing  for  drink, 
who  win  an  equal  number  of 
games;  (thieves')  —  la  veuve,  to 
set  up  the  guillotine. 

Regargarde!  (thieves'),  look! 
"  nark ! " 

Rfigatte,/  (rag-pickers'),  meat. 


Regatter — Reliiquer. 


389 


Regatter  (rag-pickers'),  to  eat,  "  to 
grub." 

Regiment,  m.  (popular),  desboules 
de  Siam,  Sodomites,  S'engager 
dans  le  —  des  cocus,  to  marry, 
"  to  get  spliced."  (Military)  Le 
chien  du  — ,  the  adjutant. 

Reginglard,  m.  (popular),  thin, 
sour  wine. 

Registre,  m.  (printers'),  fairele — . 
to  pour  out  the  contents  of  a  bottle 
so  that  each  has  an  equal  share. 

Reglette,  /.  (printers'),  arroser  la 
— ,  to  pay  for  one\  footing. 

Reglisse.     See  Jus. 

Regon,  m.  (thieves'),  debt. 

Regonser  (thieves'),  to  dog,  "to 
pipe." 

Regoflt,  m.  (thieves'),  unpleasant- 


II  faut  esp^rer  que  I'ouvrage  de  la  cliique 
aura  6t^  maquiUe  sans  regout. — ViDOCQ. 

Du  — ,  uneasiness;  remorse; 
fear.  Faire  du  — ,  to  make  reve- 
lations. 

Reguicher  (thieves'),  to  attack. 

Vli  qu'on  me  tire  par  la  jambe ;  j'me 
cavale,  mais  y  zecaient  du  monde,  on  me 
reguiche,  je  m'ai  d^fendu  ct  me  v'l^, — 
Louise  Michel. 

Reguise,  or  raiguise,  adj.  (popu- 
lar), etre  — ,  to  be  thrashed ; 
swindled ;  ruined,  or  "  smashed ; " 
to  be  deceived,  or  ' '  done  ;  "  to  be 
sentenced  to  death. 

Reguiser,  or  raiguiser  (popular), 
to  thrash  ;  to  ruin. 

Rejacter  (thieves'),  to  say  again. 

R^jouissance,  f.  (familiar),  bones 
placed  into  the  scale  by  butchers 
with  the  meat  and  charged  as  meat. 


Une  femme  qui  a  plus  de  —  que 
de  viande,  a  bony,  skinny  woman. 

Relanceur  de  pleins,  m.  (thieves'), 
variety  of  card-sharpers. 

Relevante,/  (thieves'),  mustard. 

Relive,/,  (popular),  gtre i  la  — ,  to 
be  in  better  circumstances. 

Relever  (popular),  la  — ,  or  relever 
le  chandelier,  to  live  on  a  prosti- 
tute^ s  earnings.  From  the  practice 
of  placing  the  fees  of  such  women 
under  a  candlestick. 

Releveur,  m.  (popular),  defumeuse, 
blackguard  who  lives  on  a  prosti- 
tutes earnings,  "pensioner." 
SeePoisson.  (Thieves')  Releveur 
de  pesoche,  money  collector. 

Relicher  (popular),  to  toss  down  a 
glass  of  wine  or  liquor ;  to  kiss. 
Se  — ,  or  se  —  le  morviau,  to  kiss 
one  another, 

Reli6,  adj.  (popular),  dressed. 
Etre  elegamment  — ,  to  sport  jine 
clothes. 

Relingue,»2.  (thieves'),  oldoffender, 

II  y  avait  Ik  des  relingues  (rdcidivistes), 
allant  voir  ce  qui  leur  arriverait  un  jour  ou 
I'autre. — Louise  Michel. 

Relinguer  (thieves'),  to  stab  re- 
peatedly. 

Reliquer  (thieves'),  to  say. 

Qu'as-tu  reliqu^  ? — Qu'U  ^tait  venu  seul. 
— Louise  Michel. 

Reluire  dans  le  ventre  (popular), 
to  make  one's  mouth  water. 

Reluit,  m.  (thieves'),  day,  or  "light- 
mans  ;  "  eye,  or  "ogle."'  See 
Chasser. 

Reluquer  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  gaze,  "  to  stag ;  "  to  look  atten- 
tively, "  to  dick."  Le  sergo  nous 
reluque,  the  policeman  has  his  eye 
on  us,   "the  bulky  is  dicking." 


390  Reluqueur — Remercier  son  boulanger. 


Reluquer  une  affaire,  to  contem- 
plate a  theft. 

II  y  a  deux  ou  trois  affaires  que  je  re- 
luque,  nous  les  ferons  ensemble. — ViDOCQ. 

Les  jours  ou  il  lansquine,  il  y  a  un 
tas  de  pantes  a  reluquer  les  flutes 
des  gonzesses  qui  carguent  leurs 
ballons.  When  it  is  raining,  there 
are  a  lot  of  fellows  ivho  look  at  the 
legs  of  the  girls  who  tuck  up  their 
clothes.  The  old  .French  had  re- 
louquer  and  reluquer  with  the 
same  signification.  The  Norman 
patois  has  "louquer,"  which  re- 
minds one  of  the  English  to  look. 

Reluqueur,  m.  (popular),  one  who 
plays  the  spy,  a  "  nose." 

Reluqueuse,  f.  (popular),  opera 
glass. 

Remaquiller  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  do  again. 

Remballe,  retoqu6,   or  requille 

(students'),  etre  — ,  to  be  dis- 
qualified at  an  examination,  "  to 
be  spun,  or  ploughed." 

Rembarbe,  or  ranquess6,  m. 
(thieves'),  rentier,  that  is,  man  of 
independent  means. 

Rembourrer  (familiar),  se  —  le 
ventre,  to  make  a  good  meal,  "  to 
have  a  tightener. " 

Rembrocable,  adj.  (thieves'), /«>-- 
ceptible,  visible, 

Rembrocage  de  parrain,  m. 
(thieves'),  act  of  bringing  one  into 
the  presence  of  a  witness. 

Rembrocant,  m.  {t\asyes'),looking- 
glass. 

Rembroquer  (thieves'),  to  recog- 
nize, 

R6me,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who  scolds, 
who  growls,  a  "crib-biter." 


Remfede  d'amour,  m.  (popular), 
ugly  face,  or  "knocker-face." 

Remercier  son  boulanger  (fami- 
liar and  popular),  to  die,  "to  kick 
the  bucket."  For  synonyms  see 
Pipe. 

Beauvatlet,  d'une  voix  tonnante. — Le 
pauvre  homme  !  comment,  il  a  "  claque  ? " 

Arsene  Houssaye. — Mon  Dieu,  oui,  il 
a  "  d^viss6  son  billard,"  comme  on  dit  £  la 
cour. 

Mademoiselle  Augustine  Brokan. — Vous 
vDus  trompez,  mon  cher  directeur,  .  .  .  Ala 
cour  de  Napoleon  III.,  on  dit  maintenant : 
il  a  "remerci^  son  boulanger." — P.  AuDE- 
BRAND. 

The  above  conversation,  according 
to  the  author  of  Petits  Memoires 
d'une  Stalle  d'Orchestre,  took 
place  at  the  Theatre  Fran9ais,  of 
which  M.  Ars^ne  Houssaye  was 
then  the  manager.  To  explain 
this-invasion  of  the  Parisian  jargon 
in  the  house  of  Moliere,  it  must 
be  said,  that  it  coincided  with  the 
publication  of  a  decree  by  M. 
Achille  Fould,  then  Secretary  of 
State.  Being  aware  that  the  idiom 
of  the  hulks  and  gutter  was  used 
to  an  alarming  extent  on  the  Pari- 
sian stage,  his  Excellency  had  de- 
clared that  the  Government,  de- 
clining to  be  an  accomplice  of 
these  literary  misdemeanours,  had 
prohibited  the  use  of  the  degrad- 
ing lexicology,  and  had  ordered  a 
"commission  de  censure"  (whose 
functions  are  somewhat  similar, 
in  theatrical  matters,  to  those  of 
the  Lord  Chamberlain  in  Eng- 
land) to  taboo  any  play  offering 
such  enormities.  The  injunction 
had  been  specially  enforced  with 
respect  to  the  Theitre  Fran9ais 
as  being  the  official  guardian  of 
the  purity  of  the  French  language 
and  the  leading  playhouse.  But 
the  offended  comedians,  in  retalia- 
tion, began  to  affect  making  use 
of  the  "langue  verte." 


Remettez  done  le  couverde — Rendche. 


391 


Remettez    done    le     couvercle 

(roughs'),  a  polite  invitation  to  one 
■who  has  an  offensive  breath  to 
cease  talking. 

Remisage,  m.  (thieves'),  place  kept 
by  a  receiver  of  stolen  property, 
chiefly  vehicles  of  every  descrip- 
tion. 

Dans  les  remisages  .  .  .  vont  s'engouffrer 
tous  les  camions,  voitures,  carrioles  voids, 
pendant  que  les  chevaux  s'en  vont  au 
marchd,  et  que  les  victimes  sont  ddjk  au 
fond  de  I'eau  ! — Mhnoires  de  Mojtsieur 
Claitde, 

Remiser  (popular),  le  fiacre  a 
quelqu'un,  to  shut  one  up. 

Comme  il  a  voulu  faire  du  petard,  j'y  ai 
salement  lemis^  son  iiacre. — G.  Courte- 

LINE. 

Remiser  son  fiacre,  to  hold  one's 
tongue  ;<  to  die.  Se  faire  — ,  to  get 
sat  upon. 

Remiseur,  m.  (thieves'),  a  receiver 
of  stolen  property,  or  "fence." 

Remisier,  m.  (familiar),  tout  at  the 
Stock  Exchange. 

Remone,  f.  (popular),  faire  de  la 
— ,  to  bluster t 

Remonencq,  m.  (literary),  old 
clothes  man  ;  marine  store  dealer. 
A  character  of  Balzac'sZa  Comedie 
Humaine. 

Remont^e,^  (popular),  afternoon. 

Remonter  (popular),  sa  pendule, 
to  occasionally  chastise  one^s  better 
half;  —  le  tournehroche,  to  re- 
mind one  of  the  non-obserz'ation  of 
some  rule. 

Kemorque,  f.  (boulevardiers'),  se 
laisser  aller  a  la  — ,  is  said  of  a 
vian  who  allows  himself  to  be  en- 
ticed into  inviting  a  girl  to  dinner. 

Remouchage,    m.    (thieves'),   re- 
venge. 
Remoucher   (thieves'),  to  revenge 


oneself;    to    kill,    "to    hush;" 
(popular    and    thieves')    to  look, 
"to  ogle." 
R'mouchez-moi  un  peu  c'larbin 
Sous  sa  fourrure  ed'cosaque. 
Comme  i'pu'  bon  I'eau  d'Lubin  ! 
IVgour'  dans  son  col  qui  craque 
Comme  un'  areng  dans  sa  caque. 
Oh!  la  !  la  !  c't'habilld  d'vert ! 
Oui,  mais  moi,  v'lk  que  j'me  plaque. 
C'est  pas  rigolo,  I'hiver. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Remouche   le   pante,   "  ogle  the 
cove."     Remoucher,   to  spy,  "to 
nose." 
'Tandis  que  je  Je  remouchions  &  la  Porte 

Saint-Denis,  il  est  sorti  par  la  barriere  des 

Gobelins. — Bizet. 

Remouchicoter  (popular),  to  go 
about  in  quest  of  a  love  adventure, 
or  seeking  to  pick  a,  quarrel  with 
anyone. 

Rempardeuse,  /  (popular),  pros- 
titute who  frequents  the  ram- 
parts. 

Remplir  le  battant  (popular),  to 
eat,  "to  grub." 

Remplumer  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
grow  fat ;  to  grow  rich,  to  become 
"rhino  fat." 

Remporterune  veste  (popular),  to 
be  unsuccessful. 

Remue-pouce,  m.  (thieves'), 
money,  "dinarly." 

Remuer  (thieves'),  la  casserole,  to 
be  in  the  police  force,  a  detective 
being  termed  "cuisinier."  (Popu- 
lar) Remuer,  to  stink  ;  —  la  com- 
mode, to  sing. 
En  v'la  un  qui  vous  bassine,  &  remuer  la 

commode  ses  dix  heures  par  jour  ! — Rl- 

GAUD. 

Remueur  de  casseroles,  m, 
(thieves'),  spy,  infortner,  "  nark." 

Ce  nouveau  copain-1^  ne  me  dit  rien  de 
bon  ;  je  crois  que  nous  brtilons  et  que  nous 
avons  affaire  Ji  nn  remueur  de  casseroles. — 
Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Ren4ch£,  m.  (thieves'),  cheese, 
' '  Casey. " 


392 


Ren&clant — Rencontre. 


Reniclant,    m.     (thieves'),    nose, 

"snorter."    See  Morviau. 
Renicle,/  (thieves'),  the  police. 

lis  nous  regard^rent  effronttoent ;  ils 
dirent  aprts  avoir  y\&i  deux  verres  de 
ni6M-cassis  :  attention,  la  renacle(la  police) 
est  en  chasse.—M^iruiires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

RenScler  (popular),   to  scold ;    to 
■gruvible  ;  to  feel  disinclined. 

De  temps  en  temps,  quand  les  clients  re- 
naclent,  il  vide  lui-meme  sa  coulie  en  levant 
les  yeux  au  ciel  avec  tous  les  signes  de  la 
beatitude.— Hector  France,  Les  Va-nu- 
pieds  de  Londres. 

The   word   has   passed   into   the 
language.     Also  to  be  afraid. 

Quoi  de  plus  propre  en  efFet  k  faire 
renicler  les  poivrots. — La  petite  Lune. 

Renacleur,  m.  (popular),  grumbler, 
"crib-biter ; "  (thieves')  police  offi- 
cer, or"  tee\ex;"  detective,  "nark, 
or  nose." 

Et  comme  vous  Stes  des  renacleurs  venus 
pour  nous  boucler,  vous  allez  aussi  ^ternuei 
avec  la  largue  et  ses  jobards. — Mi?noires 
de  MoTisieur  Claude. 

Renaissance,/;  (popular),  shoddy. 

Renard,  m.  (popular),  apprentice; 
mixture  of  broth  and  wine. 

II  va  prendre  son  renard  :  un  bouillon  et 
une  chopine  de  vin  dedans. — Le  Sublime. 

Also  vomit.  Piquer  un  — ,  to  vomit, 
"to  shoot  the  cat."  Queue  de 
— ,  vomited  matter,  (Thieves') 
Renard,  spy  at  the  hulks.  (Book- 
sellers') Renard,  "valuable  work 
found  by  an  amateur  at  "  book- 
stall among  worthless  books, 

Renarder  (popular),  to  vomit,  "  to 
shoot  the  cat." 

Vous  me  permettrez  de  renarder  dans  le 
ICiosque. — Balzac. 

Termed   formerly    "chasser,    or 
escorcher  le  regnard." 


Et  tous  ces  bonnes  gens  rendoyent  Ik 
leurs  gorges  devant  tout  le  monde,  comme 
s'ilz  eussent  escorch^  le  regnard. — Rabe- 
lais. 

Cotgrave  translates  this  expression 
by  "to  spue,  cast,  vomit  (especially 
upon  excessive  drinking);  either 
because  in  spuing  one  makes  a  noise 
like  a  fox  that  barks ;  or  {jis  in 
escorcher)  because  the  flaying  of  so 
unsavory  a  beast  will  make  any 
man  spue." 

Renare,  m.  (popular),  crafty  man, 
"sly  blade,  or  sharp  file,"  one  who 
is  "fly  to  wot's  wot." 

Renaud,  m.  (thieves'),  trouble. 

La  nuit  dernifere,  j'ai  rev^  de  greffiers, 
c'est  signe  de  renaud. — Vidocq.  {Last 
night  I  dreamt  of  cats,  thafs  a  sign  of 
trouble.) 

Renaud,  reproach  ;  uproar ;  row. 
Faire  du  . — ,  to  scold ;  to  cause  a 
disturbance.. 

C'est  5a  !  c'est  pas  bSte  ;  il  faut  etre  sflr 
avant  de  faire  du  renaud  (du  tapage). — 
Vidocq. 

Renauder  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  be  in  a  bad  humour,  to  be 
' '  shirty  ',"10  grumble. 

Ne  renaude  pas,  viens  avec  nousiergue. 
AUons  picter  une  rouillarde  encible.— V. 
Hugo,  Les  Misirahles.  (Do  not  be  angry ^ 
come  uoith  us.  Let  us  go  and  have  a  bottle 
of  "wine  together.) 

Also  to  le  threatening,  to  show 
one's  teeth. 

Ob^  les  amincbes  !  c'est  bientfit  qu'on 
va  casser  la  g  .  .  .  ^  ces  feignants  de  so- 
cialisses.  C'qu'on  leur  z'y  esquintera  les 
abatis,  ah,  malheur  !  .  .  .  Et  qu'ils  n're- 
naudent  pas,  si  y  voulaient  fourrer  leurs 
pattes  sales  su  I'manteau  imperial,  si  y 
tacbaient  d'embeter  les  abeilles,  elles  au- 
raient  bien  vite  fait  d'y  r^pondre  :  miel  !— 
Gil  Bias,  1887. 

Renaudeur,  m.  (thieves'),  grumbler, 
or  "  crib-biter." 

Rencontre,/  (thieves'),  faire  k  la 
— ,  to  butt  one  in  the  stomach. 
Fabriquerun  gas  a  la  — ,  a  la  flan, 


Rende — Renifleiirs. 


393 


or  &  la  dure,  to  attack  and  rob  a 
man  at  night,  "to  jump  a  cull." 

Kende,  rendime,   rend^mi,   m. 

(thieves'),  vol  au  — ,  t/teft  which 
consists  in  requesting  a  trades- 
man to  give  change  for  a  coin  laid 
on  the  counter  and  dexterously 
■whisked  up  again  toother  with 
the  change. 

Rendfeve,  m.  (popular),  rendez- 
vous. 

Rendez-moi  (thieves'),  vol  au  — , 
or  faire  le  rend^me.    See  Rende. 

Rendoubl6,  adj.  (thieves'),  full; 
said  of  one  who  has  eaten  a  hearty 
meal,  who  has  had  a  "  tightener." 
Un  roulant  —  de  camelote,  a  cab- 
ful  of  goods. 

Rendre  (tailors'),  sa  bftche,  to  give 
up  a  piece  of  work  to  the  master 
tailor;  todie;  (military)  — sa  canne 
au  ministre,  to  die ;  (bohemians') 
—  sa  clef,  to  die;  (popular)  — 
son  livret,  to  die;  —  son  permis 
de  chasse,  to  die.  See  Pipe, 
Rendre  le  tablier  is  said  of  a  ser- 
vant who  gives  notice ;  —  visite 
a  M.  Du  Bois,  to  ease  oneself,  "  to 
go  to  the  chapel  of  ease ; "  —  ses 
comptes,  to  vomit,  "to  cast  up 
accounts. " 

RSne,  f.  (familiar),  prendre  la  cin- 
quifeme  — ,  to  seize  hold  of  the  mane 
of  one's  mount  to  save  oneselffrom 
afall. 

Renfoncement,  m.  (popular),  blorw 
with  the  fist,  "  bang." 

Renfrusquiner  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
dress  oneself  in  a  new  suit  of 
clothes. 

Reng,  m.  (thieves'),  hundred. 

Rengainer  son  compliment 
(popular),  is  said  of  one  who  stops 


short  when  about  to  say  or  do  some- 
thing. 

Rengoler  (roughs'),  to  rettirn,  to 
re-enter;  —  i  la  caginotte,  to  go 
home. 

Rengracier  (thieves'),  to  repent  and 
forsake  evil  ways. 

Je  suis  lasse  de  manger  du  college  (de  la 
prison),  je  rengrScie  (je  m'amende),  veux- 
tu  boire  la  goutce  ? — Vidocq. 

Rengracier,  to  cease. 

Rengraciez  alors,  mauvais  escarpes  de 
grand  trime,  ma  filoche  vous  passera  de- 
vant  le  naze. — Vidocq. 

Also  to  hold  one's  tongue,    "  to 
mum  one's  dubber. " 

Reniflant,  m.  (thieves'),  nose, 
"snorter."     See  Morviau. 

Reniflante,^  (popular),  boot  out  at 
the  sole  and  down  at  the  heel. 

Renifler  (popular),  to  hesitate ;  to 
refuse ;  to  drink,  "  to  sluice  one's 
gob  ; "  —  la  poussi^re  du  ruisseau, 
to  fall  into  the  gutter.  Bottines 
qui  reniflent'  I'eau,  leaky  boots. 
La  —  mal,  to  stink.  Renifler  sur 
le  gigot,  to  hesitate;  (billiards') 
—  sa  bille,  to  screw  back. 

Reniflette,  f.  (thieves'),  police, 
the  "  frogs."  I  must  amputate 
like  a  go-away  (decamp  in  hot 
haste),  or  the  frogs  vifill  nail  (ap- 
prehend) me,  and  if  they  do  get 
their  fams  (hands)  on  me,  I'll  be 
in  for  a  stretch  of  air  and  exercise 
(year's  hard  labour).  Lep^re — , 
the  head  of  the  police. 

Renifleur,  m.  (thieves'),  police 
officer,  "  crusher."  Le  p^re  des 
renifleurs,  the  prefect  of  police. 
Renifleur  de  camelotte  a  la  flan, 
rogue  who  steals  articles  from  shop- 
windows. 

Renifleurs,  m.pl.  (obscene).  The 
celebrated  physician  Tardieu,  in 


394 


Reniquer — Rcpic. 


his   Etude    Medico-Ugale  sur  les 
Attentats  a  la  Pudeur,  says  : — 

Renifleurs,  qui  in  secretos  locos,  nimirum 
circa  theatrorum  posticos,  convenientes  quo 
complures  feminse  ad  micturiendum  festi- 
nant,  per  nares  urinali  odore  excitati,  illico 
se  invicem  polluunt. 

Reniquer  (popular),  to  he  in  a  rage, 
' '  to  have  one's  monkey  up. " 

Renquiller  (thieves'),  to  re-enter, 
to  return  home. 

Tu  as  done  Dublin  que  le  dabe  qui  est 
alld  ballader  sur  la  trime  avec  ]es  fanandels 
ne  renquillera  pas'cette  sorgue. — Vidocq. 
i,Then  you  forget  that  father,  who  is  on 
the  road  with  the  pals,  will  jtot  return 
home  to-night.') 

(Printers')    Renquiller,    to   grow 
stout;  to  succeed ;  to  get  rich. 

Renseignement,  m.  (boating 
men's),  prendre  un  — ,  to  have  a 
glass  of  wine  or  liquor,  "to 
smile,  or  to  see  the  man,"  as  the 
Americans  say. 

Rentier  k  la  soupe,  m.  (popular), 
workman. 

Rentiffer  (thieves'),  to  enter ;  to 
return,  "  to  hare  it." 

Rentoiler  (popular),  se  — ,  to  re- 
cover one^s  strength  after  having 
suffered  from  illness. 

Rentr^  dans  ses  bois,  adj.  (popu- 
lar), etre  — ,  to  wear  wooden  shoes. 

Rentrer  (popular),  bredouille,  to  re- 
turn home  quite  drunk  ;  —  de  la 
toile,  to  take  rest  on  account  of  old 
age.  Literally  to  take  sail  in. 
(Medical  students')  Rentrer  ses 
pouces,  to  die.  (Gamesters') 
Rentrer,  to  lose. 

Un  joueur  qui  perd,  dit :  je  suis  rentr^  ! 
S'il  est  apres  plusieurs  parties,  dans  une 
d^veine  persistante,  il  dit ;  je  suis  engage  ! 
— Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Renversant,  adj.  (familiar),  c'est 
— !  astounding!  wonderful! 
"  stunning !" 

Renverser  (popular),  to  vomit, 
"to  cast  up  accounts;"  —  son 


casque,  to  die ;  (familiar)  —  la 
marmite,  to  discontinue  giving 
dinners. 

R6pandre  (popular),  se  — ,  to  fall 
sprawling ;  to  die. 

Reparation  de  dessous  lenez,/. 

(popular),  drinking  and  eating. 

II  y  aurait  un  roman  en  plusieurs  vo- 
lumes a  ^crire  sur  ce  bonhomme,  qui  a  fait 
tous  les  metiers,  et  qui  a,  comme  Panurge, 
trente-trois  fa9ons  de  gagner  son  argent,  et 
soixante-six  de  le  d^penser,  sans  compter 
la  reparation  de  dessous  le  nez. — Richepin, 
Le  Pavl. 

Repas  de  I'ane,  m.  (popular), 
faire  le  — ,  to  drink  only  at  the 
conclusion  of  a  meal. 

Repasse,/:  (popular),  bad  coffee. 

Repasser  (popular),  to  give ;  -^  la 
chemise  de  la  bourgeoise,  to  chas- 
tise one's  better  half. 

Oh  !  ce  n'est  rien  !  je  repasse  la  chemise 
de  ma  femme. — HuySMANS. 

Repasser  le  cuir  i  quelqu'un,  to 
thrash,  or ' '  tan  "  one; — une  taloche 
k  quelqu'un,  to  give  one  a  slap  in 
the  face,  "to  fetch  one  a  wipe  in 
the  mug.'' 

Repaumer  (popular),  to  apprehend 
anew  ;  to  take  back. 

Reperir  (popular),  to  watch,  "to 
nark ;  "  (thieves')  to  find  again. 

Repisigner  (thieves'),  to  re-catch, 
to  re-apprehend. 

RepSter  (popular),  or  aller  a  la 
repetition,  to  make  a  double  sacri- 
fice to  Venus.  (Theatrical)  Repeter 
en  robe  de  chambre,  or  dans  ses 
bottes,  to  practise  repeating  one's 
part  only  for  the  sake  of  learning 
the  words,  without  attempting  the 
stage  effects. 

Repic,  m.  (thieves'),  beginning 
again,  relapse.  Le  —  de  re- 
\m^z,  fresh  offence, 

\a  machab^e  ^tait  rest^  au  bord  de  I'eau. 
C'est  sur  moi  qu'on  ferfouille  le  repic  do 
relingue.— Louise  Michel. 


Repiger — Respecter  sesjleurs. 


395 


Repiger  (popular),  to  catch  again. 

Repioler  (thieves'),  to  re-enter  a 
house  ;  to  go  home,  "  to  speel  to 
the  crib." 

Repiquer      (popular),     to    retake 

courage  ;  to  get  out  of  some  scrape  ; 

to  go  to  sleep  again  ;  —  sur  le  r6ti, 

to  have  another  drink. 
Replitree,   /.    (popular),    woman 

with  an  outrageously  painted  face. 

Reporter,  verb  and  m.  (popular), 
son  fusil  a  la  mairie,  to  be  getting 
old.  An  allusion  to  the  limit  of  age 
for  obligatory  service  in  the  old 
national  guard.  Reporter  son 
ouvrage  is  said  of  a  doctor  who 
attends  at  a  patienfs  funeral. 
(Familiar)  Reporter  a  femmes, 
otie  who  reports  on  the  doings  of 
cocottes. 

Tenninons  cette  vari^td  .  .  .  par  ce  grand 
diable  de  reporter  a  femmes,  foumisseur 
trevet^  des  feuilles  pomographiques.  . .  . 
Les  drdlesses  friandes  de  scandale  le  tu- 
toient  et  lui  offrent  i  souperen  ^change  de 
quelques  lighes  ou  d'une  biographie. — A. 

SiSVEN. 

Reposante,^  (thieves'),  chain.  II 
y  a  une  —  a  la  lourde,  there  is  a 
chain  on  the  door. 

Reposoir,  m.  (popular),  lodging- 
house,  or  "dossing-crib."  Les 
reposoirs, ^e/,  or  "dew-beaters." 

Les  pieds  s'appellent  des  "reposoirs;" 
les  mains,  des  "  battoirs  ; "  la  figure,  une 
"  binerte ; "  les  bras,  des  "  allumettes  ; "  la 
tete,  une  "  trompette  ; "  les  jambes,  des 
"  ildtes  k  caf6  ;  "  et  I'estomac,  une  *'  boite 
a  gaz." — Les  Locutions  Vicieitses, 

(Thieves')  Reposoir,  place  tenanted 
by  a  receiver  of  stolen  property. 

Le  reposoir,  tenu  par  le  fonrgat,  est  un 
lieu  de  recel  pour  le  criminal  qui  ne  tra- 
vaille  qu'en  •nWe.—Mimirires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 
Also  a  low    eating-house,    wine- 
shop, or  lodging-home  for  prosti- 
tutes. 

Paris,  en  d^pit  de  ses  d^nolitians .  , , 
renferme  toujours  des  Tapis  francs  comme 


au  temps  d'Eugfene  Sue ;  leurs  noms  seuls 
ont  change ;  ce  sont  des  Bibines,  des  Re- 
posoirs, des  Assommoirs  dont  le  Chateau- 
Rouge,  rue  de  la  Calandre,  poss&de  en  fait 
d'alphonses,  d'escarpes  ou  de  gonzesses,  la 
fleur  du  panier. — Mimoires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

Repoussant,  m.  (thieves'),  musket, 
or  "dag." 

Repousser  (popular),  du  goulot,  du 
tiroir,  or  du  corridor,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath. 

Reprendre  du  poll   de  la   bete 

(popular),  to  continue  the  previous 
evening's  debauch,  "to  have  a 
hair  of  the  dog  that  bit  you." 

Reptile,  m.  {{3.mi\ia.r),  journalist  in 
the  pay  of  the  government. 

R^publique.     See  Cachet. 

Requiller.     See  Retoquer. 

Requin,  m .  (thieves'),  custom-house 
officer;  (popular)  —  de  terre, 
lawyer,  ' '  land-shark,  or  puzzle- 
cove."  The  Slang  Dictionary  also 
gives  the  expression  "  sublime 
rascal "  for  a  "  limb  of  the  lav?." 

Requinquer  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
dress  oneself  in  a  new  suit  of 
clothes. 

Devine  qui  j'ai  rencontre  ...  la  petite 
modiste  .  .  .  et  requinqu^e  .  . .  je  ne  te  dis 
que  9a. — P.  Mahalin. 

Reserve,  /  (theatrical), /««  tickets 
kept  in  reserve. 

C.  est  bon,  . .  .  il  doit  avoir  une  reserve 
sur  laquelle  il  consentira  bien  Si  me  donner 
deux  fauteuils. — Echo  de  Paris. 

Reservoir,  m.  {popular) ,  r&erviste, 
or  soldier  of  the  reserve. 

Resinon,  m.  (popular),  midnight 
meal.  Probably  an  allusion  to 
torchlight. 

Resolir  (thieves'),  to  resell. 

Respecter  ses  fleurs  (popular),  tcf 
d^end  onds  virginity  against  any 
atttmpt. 


396 


Respirante — Retoquer. 


Respirante,  f.  (thieves'),  mouth. 
Bade  ta  — ,  shut  your  Jiiouth, 
"  button  your  bone-box.'' 

Resserrer  son  linge  (popular),  to 
die,  "to  snuff  it."  For  synonyms 
see  Pipe. 

Ressorts,  m.  fl.  (popular), woman! s 
privities,  (Delvau.)  Una  com- 
mode a  — ,  a  carnage,  or  "  cask." 
(Thieves')  Un  crucifix  i  ressorts, 
a  dagger,  "chive." 

Restaurant  k  I'envers,  m.  (popu- 
lar),/Wzy,  "  Mrs.  Jones." 

Rester  (popular),  en  —  baba,  to 
be  astounded,  or  "flabbergasted." 
Rester  en  figure,  to  be  at  a  loss  for 
words.  (Prostitutes')  Rester  dans 
la  salle  d'attente  a  reconnattre  ses 
vieux  bagages,  to  return  home  late 
at  night  without  a  client. 

Restituer  en  doublure  (popular), 

to  die, ' '  to  snuff  it. "  For  synonyms 
see  Pipe. 

Restitution,/  (obsolete),  faire — , 
to  vomit,  "  to  cast  up  accounts." 

Resucee,y;  (popular),  thing  which 
has  already  been  said  or  heard. 

Resurrection,  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  la  — ,  the  prison  of 
Saint-Lazare,  in  which  prostitutes 
and  unfaithful  idives  are  incarce- 
rated. 

Retape,  /  (general),  the  act  of  a 
prostitute  seeking  clients. 

C'^tait  la  grande  retape,  le  persil  au 
clair  soleil,  le  raccrochage  des  catins  illus- 
tres. — Zola, 

AUer  \  la  — ,  or  faire  la  — ,  to 
ivalk  the  streets  or  public  places 
for  purposes  of  prostitution.  La 
—  also  refers  to  the  act  of  men 
who  are  the  protectors  of  aban- 
doned women,  ajid  procure  clients 
for  thevi  in  a  manner  described  by 
the  following : — 


II  faut,  toutefois,  classer  ^  part  une  va- 
ri6t6  u'hommes  entretenus  qui  se  livrent  k 
une  Industrie  qu'on  nomme  la  "retape" 
.  .  .  ils  servent  de  chaperons.  Tout  cha- 
marr^s  de  cordons  et  de  croix,  ils  sont 
presque  toujours  ag^s.  .  .  .  Leur  pr^tendue 
maitresse  ou  leur  soi-disant  ni^ce  est  cens^e 
tromper  leur  surveillance  jalouse. — L^o 
Taxil. 

(Thieves')  AUer  k  la  — ,  to  lie  in 
ambush  for  the  purpose  of  robbing 
or  murdering  wayfarers. 

Retape,  adj.  (popular),  well-dressed. 

Retaper  (popular),  se  faire  —  les 
dominos,  to  have  one's  teeth  looked 
to,  and  deficiencies  made  good. 

Retapeuse,  /  (popular),  street- 
walker, ' '  mot. " 

Retenir  (popular).  Je  te  retiens 
pour  la  premiere  contre-danse, 
you  may  be  sure  of  a  thrashing 
directly  I  get  a  chance. 

Retentissante,  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  bell,  "ringer,  or  tinkler." 
Acresto,  il  y  a  une  — ,  devide- 
la.  Look  out,  there's  a  bell,  break 
the  hammer. 

Retiration,  /.  (printers'),  etre  en 
— ,  to  begetting  old. 

Retirer  (thieves'),  I'artiche,  or  le 
morlingue,  to  pick  the  pockets  of  a 
drunkard,  "  to  pinch  an  emperor 
of  his  blunt." 

Retoquer  (students'),  to  disqualify 
one  at  an  examination,  "  to  spin." 
Etre  retoque,  to  fail  to  pass  an 
examination,  "to  be  ploughed." 
About  twenty  years  ago  "pluck," 
the  word  then  used,  began  to  be 
superseded  by  "plough."  It  is 
said  to  have  arisen  from  a  man 
who  could  not  supply  the  examiner 
with  any  quotation  from  Scripture, 
until  at  last  he  blurted  out,  "And 
the  ploughers  ploughed  on  my 
back,  and  made  long  furrows." 
"  Etre  retoque "  may  also  be 
rendered   into   English  slang   by 


Retour — Revoir  la  carte. 


397 


"  to  be  plucked. "  The  supposed 
origin  of  "pluck"  is  that  when,  on 
degree  day,  the  proctor,  after 
having  read  the  name  of  a  candi- 
date for  a  degree,  walks  down  the 
hall  and  back,  it  is  to  give  any 
creditor  the  opportunity  of  pluck- 
ing his  sleeve,  and  informing  him 
of  the  candidate  being  in  debt. 
Un  retoque  du  suffrage  universel, 
an  unretumed  candidate  for  parlia- 
ment. 

Retour,  m.  (police  and  thieves'), 
chevai  de  — ,  old  offender  who 
has  been  convicted  afresh,  "jail- 
bird." 

Un  vieux  repris  de  justice,  un  *'  chevai 
de  retour,"  comme  on  dit  rue  de  Jerusalem, 
n'eut  pas  fait  mieux. — Gaboeiau. 

Also  one  who  has  been  a  convict 
at  the  penal  servitude  settlement. 

Ce  n'est  pas  non  plus  le  bouge  sinistra  de 
Paul  Niquet,  .  .  .  dont  ces  monies  tables  et 
ce  meme  comptoir  voyaient  les  mouches  de 
la  bande  k  Vidocq,  en  quete  d'un  grinche 
ou  d'un  escarpe,  trinquer  avec  les  bifins 
...  les  chevaux  de  retour  (formats  lib^rds). 
—P.  Mahalin. 

(Popular)  L'aller  et  le  —  et  train 
rapide,  the  cut  of  slapping  one's 
face  right  and  left,  or  kicking  one 
on  the  behind. 

Retoume,  /.  (gamesters'),  trumps. 
Chevalier  de  la  — ,  card-sharper, 
or  "  magsman." 

Retourner  (popular),  sa  veste,  or 
son  paletot,  to  fail  in  business, 
"  to  be  smashed  up  ;  "  to  die, 
"to  snuff  it."  S'en  — ,  to  be 
getting  old.  De  quoi  retoume-t- 
il?  What  is  the  matter  at  issue? 
(Roughs')  Retourner  (juelqu'un, 
to  thrash  one.  See  Voie.  (Gene- 
ral) Retourner  sa  veste  (the  ex- 
pression has  passed  into  the  lan- 
guage), to  become  a  turncoat,  or 
"rat."  The  Slang  Dictionary 
says  the  late  Sir  Robert  Peel  was 
called  the  Rat,  or  the  Tamworth 


Rat-catcher,  for  altering  his  views 
on  the  Roman  Catholic  ques- 
tion. From  rats  deserting  vessels 
about  to  sink.  The  term  is  often 
used  amongst  printers  to  denote 
one  who  works  under  price.  Old 
cant  for  a  clergyman. 

RetrSci,  m.  (popular),  stingy  man, 
one  who  is  close-fisted. 

Retrousseur,  m.  (popular), /rajft- 
tute's  bully,  "ponce."  For  the 
list  of  synonyms  see  Poisson. 

Reussi,  adj.  (familiar),  well  done ; 
grotesque. 

Revendre  (thieves'),  to  reveal  a 
secret,  "  to  blow  the  gaff." 

R6verbfere,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"tibby."  See  Tronche.  Etre 
au  — ,  to  be  on  the  watch,  on  the 
look-out. 

Moi  aussi  je  suis  au  r^verbere  et  mes 
mirettes  ne  quitteront  pas  les  siennes  des- 
que  le  pante  aura  pass6  la  lourde  du  train. 
— Minwires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Revers,  m.  (card-sharpers'),  faire 
un  — ,  to  lose  purposely  so  as  to- 
encourage  a  pigeon. 

Reversis,  m.  (popular),jouer  au — , 
formerly  referred  to  the  carnal  act. 

Revidage,  m.  (dealers  in  second- 
hand articles),  faire  le  — ,  to 
share  among  themselves  after  a 
sale  goods  which  they  have  bought 
at  high  prices  to  prevent  others 
from,  purchasing  them.  The  share 
of  each  is  called  "  paniot." 

RevideT,topetform the  "revidage  " 
(which  see). 

Revideurs,  m.  pi.,  marine  store- 
dealers  who  employ  the  mode  called 
"revidage  "  (which  see). 

Revision.    See  Revidage. 

Revoir  la  carte  (popular),  to  vomit, 
"  to  cast  up  accounts." 


393 


Revolution — Rien-du-tout. 


Revolution,  f.  (card-players'), 
score  of  ninety-three  points.  An 
allusion  to  the  revolution  of  '93. 

Cependant,  Mes-Bottes,  qui  regardait 
son  jeu,  donnait  un  coup  de  poing  triom- 
f)hant  sur  la  table.  II  faisait  quatre-vingt- 
treize.  J'ai  la  Revolution,  cria-t-il.  — 
Zola. 

Revolver  k  deux  coups,  m. 
(roughs'),  see  Flageolet. 

Revoyure,/  (miUtary),  jusqu'a  la 
—  !  till  we  meet  again  ! 

VoilSi,  les  fantassins !  jusqu'k  la  revoyure ! 
et  le  chasseur  poussa  son  cheval. — BoNNE- 
TAIN,  L'Opi-UJfl. 

Revue,  f.  (military),  de  ferrure  re- 
fers to  the  action  of  a  horse  which 
plunges  and  kicks  out ;  —  de  pis- 
tolets  de  poche,  u.  certain  sani- 
tary inspection  concerning  conta- 
gious diseases. 

Revueux,  m.  (journalists'),  a  writer 
of  "revues,"  or  topical  farces. 

Revure,  /  (popular),  a  la  —  ! 
goodbye  !  till  we  meet  again  ! 

Ribler  (obsolete),  to  steal;  to 
swindle  ;  to  steal  at  night. 

Item,  je  donne  k  frere  Baulde, 
Demourant  k  I'hostel  des  Carmes, 
Porlant  chfere  hardie  et  baulde, 
Une  sallade  et  deux  guysarmes, 
Que  de  Tusca  et  ses  gens  d'armes 
Ne  luy  riblent  sa  Caige-vert. 

Villon. 

Ribleur,  m.  (obsolete),  pickpocket ; 
night-thief.  From  ribaldi,  rogues. 

A  fiUettes  monstrans  tetins, 
Pour  avoir  plus  largement  hostes  ; 
A  ribleurs  meneurs  de  hutins, 
A  basteleurs  traynans  marmottes, 
A  fol  et  folles,  sntz  et  sottes, 
Qui  s'en  vont  sifflant  cinq  et  six, 
A  veufves  et  k  mariottes, 
J6  crye  k  toutes  gens  merciz. 

Villon. 

Riboui,  m.  (popular),  second-hand 
clothes  dealer. 

Ribouit,  m.  (thieves'),  eye,  "  ogle." 

.  Ribouler  des  calots  (popular  and 
thieves'),  to  stare,  "  to  stag." 


Riche,  ad/,  (popular),  Stre  — ,  to  be 
drunk,  or  "  tight."  For  synonyms 
see  Pompette.  Etre  —  en  ivoire, 
to  have  a  good  set  of  teeth.  Un 
homme  —  en  peinture,  u.  man 
who  passes  himself  off"  as  a  rich 
inan. 

Richommer,        or       richonner 

(thieves'),  to  laugh. 

Rideau,  m,.  (popular),  rouge,  wine- 
shop. An  allusion  to  the  red 
curtains  vrhich  formerly  adorned 
the  windows  of  such  establish- 
ments. Rideaux  de  Perse,  torn 
curtains.  A  play  on  the  word 
perce,  pierced.  (Thieves')  Rideau, 
long  blouse,  a  kind  of  smockfrock 
worn  by  workmen  and  peasants. 

Nous  somm's   dans    c'goilt-lk  toute    eun' 

troupe, 
Des  lapins,  droits  comme  des  batons, 
Avec  un  rideau  sur  la  croupe, 
Un  grimpant  et  des  ripatons. 

RiCHEPIN. 

(Theatrical)  Lever  le  — ,  to  be  the 
first  to  appear  on  the  stage  at  a 
musicrhall  or  concert. 

Ses  artistes  sont  les  Soci^taires  des 
cafds-concerts,  car  I'artiste  qui  "leve  le 
rideau  "  louche  d^ja  300  francs  par  mois. — 
Maitre  J  acq  ues. 

Ridicule,  m.  (military),  endosser 
le  — ,  to  put  on  civilians'  clothes. 

Rien,  m.  and  adv.  (thieves'),  un  — , 
a  police  officer.  (Popular)  Rien, 
very,  extremely.  C'est  —  chic,  it 
is  first-class,  "  real  jam."  II  est 
—  paf,  he  is  extremely  drunk. 
C'est  —  folichon  !  how  funny! 
N'avoir  —  de  dechire,  to  have  yet 
one's  maidenhead. 

II  fallait  se  presser  joliment  si  Ton  voulait 
la  donner  k  un  mari  sans  rien  de  dechir^. — 
Zola,  L.'Assommoir. 

Rien-du-tout,  /  (popular),  girl 
or  woman  of  indifferent  character. 

Une  boutique  bleue  k  cette  rien-du-tout, 
comme  si  ce  n'^tait  pas  fait  pour  casser  les 
bras  des  honn€tes  gens  ! — Zola. 


Rif—Rigolade. 


399 


Rif,  or  riffle,  m.  (thieves'),  fire. 
From  the  Italian  jargon  ruffo.  De 
— ,  without  hesitation, 

RifTaudant,  m.  (thieves'),  cigar. 

Riffaudante,  /  (thieves'),  ^a»«. 

Riffaudate,  ot.  (thieves'),  c<j«/?a^a- 
tion. 

Riffauder  (thieves'),  to  warm;  to 
blow  one's  brains  out. 

A  bas  les  lingres,  tas  de  ferlampiers,  ou 
je  vous  ri£faude. — Vidocq.  (^Dowh  -with 
the  knives,  ruffians^  else  Vll  blow  your 
brains  out.) 

Faire  — ,  to  cook,  Se  — ,  to  warm 
oneself.  Le  marmouzet  rifFaude, 
the  pot  is  boiling.  RiflFauder,  to 
burn. 

Ah  !  pilier,  que  gitre  ^t^  affure  gourde- 
ment,  car  le  cornet  d'epice  a  ri£faud^  ma 
luque  ou  ^taient  les  armoiries  de  la  vergne 
d'Amsterdam  en  Hollande  ;  j'y  perds 
cinquance  grains  de  rente. — JLe  Jargon  d£ 
I  Argot. 

Riffaudeur,  m.  (thieves'),  incen- 
diary, Les  riifaudeurs,  better 
known  under  the  name  of  "chauf- 
feurs," were  brigands  who,  to- 
wards 179s,  overran  the  country 
in  large  gangs,  and  spread  terror 
among  the  rural  population.  They 
besmeared  their  faces  with  soot, 
or  concealed  them  under  a  mask. 
They  burned  the  feet  of  their 
victims  in  order  to  compel  them 
to  give  up  their  hoardings.  The 
government  of  the  Directoire 
was  powerless  against  these  or- 
ganized bands,  and  it  was  only 
under  Bonaparte's  consulate  in 
1803  that  they  were  hunted  down 
and  captured  by  the  military.  Le 
—  aperpete,  ^/5^rfi«z'//,or"Ruffin.'' 

Riffer.     See  Riffauder. 

Riflard,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
umbrella,  "  mush."  From  the 
name  of  a  character  in  a  play  by 
Picard.      (Thieves')  Riflard,  rich 


man,  or  "  ragsplawger ; ''  fire. 
(Masons')  Compagnon  du  — , 
mason's  assistant.  Le  riflard  sig- 
nifies a  shovel.  (Popular)  Des 
riflar4s,  old  leaky  shoes. 

Riflardise,^  (popular),  stupidity, 

Riflart,  m.  (obsolete),  police  ofiicer. 
From  Rifler  (which  see). 

Riflie,  m.  (thieves'),  fire. 

Nous  serions  mieux  je  crois  devant  un  ' 
chouette  rifle  que  dans  ce  sabri  (bois)  ou  il 
fait  plus  noir  que  dans  la  taule  du  raboin 
(la  maison  du  diable). — Vidocq. 

Coquer  le  — ,  to  set  afire, .  Ligotte 
de  — ,  strait-jacket.    See  Coup. 

Rifler  (thieves'),  to  burn  ;  (popular) 
to  taJie  ;  to  steal,  "  to  nick."  Com- 
pare with  the  English  to  rifle. 
The  word  is  used  by  Villon  in  his 
Jargon  Jobelin,  Rifler  du  gousset, 
to  emit  a  strong  odour  of  humanity. 

Rifles,  or  riffaud^s,  m.  pi, 
(old  cant),  rogues  who  used  to  go 
soliciting  alms  under  pretence  of 
having  been  ruined  through  the 
destruction  of  their  homes  by  fire. 

Rifles  ou  rifl^aud^s,  sont  ceux  qui  triment 
avec  un  certificat  qu'ils  nomment  leur  bien  : 
ces  riflds  toutimes  menaut  avec  sezailles 
leurs  marquises  et  mions,  feignant  d'avoir 
eu  de  la  peine  k  sauver  leurs  mions  du 
rifle  qui  riflait  leur  creux. — Le  Jargon  de 
C  Argot. 

Riflette,/.  (roughs'  and  thieves'), 
detective,  or  "nose."  Acresto,  la 
riflette  nous  exhibe.  Look  out,  the 
detective  is  looking  at  us. 

Rifolard,  adj.  (popular),  amusing, 
funny. 

Rigade,  rigadin,  or  rigodon,  m. 
(popular),  shoe,  "trotter-case." 
See  Ripaton. 

He  applied  himself  to  a  process  which 
Mr.  Dawkins  designated  as.  "japanning 
his  trotter-cases." — Ch.  Dickens. 

Rigolade,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
amusemeni. 


400 


Rigolbochade — Rigolo, 


Ma  lar^ue  n'sera  plus  gironde, 

Je  serai  vioc  aussi ; 

Faudra  pour  plaire  au  monde, 

Clinquant,  frusque,  maquis. 

Tout  passe  dans  la  tigne, 

Et  quoiqu'on  en  jaspine, 

C'est  un  foutu  flanchet. 

Douze  longes  de  tirade, 

Pour  une  rigolade, 

Pour  un  moment  d'attrait. 

ViDOCQ. 

Etre  a  la  — ,  to  be  amusing  one- 
self. Coup  de  — ,  lively  song, 
Enfile  a  la  — ,  dissolute  fellow, 
Rigolage  is  used  with  the  same 
signification  in  Le  Roman  de  la 
Mose^  by  Guillaume  de  Lorris  and 
Jehan  de  Meung. 

Rigolbochade,  f.  ( popular ), 
droll  action;  amusement, ' '  spree ; " 
much  eating  and  drinking, 

Rigolboche,  adj,  (popular),  amus- 
ing; funny, 

Parfait !  .  .  .  Tres  rigolo  ! . . .  rigolboche  ! 
r^pondait  le  petit  senateur. — Dubut  de 
Lakorest, 

Une  — ,  female  kabituie  of  public 
dancing-halls.  From  the  name 
of  a  female  who  made  herself 
celebrated  at  such  places. 

Ainsi  jadis  ont  caval^, 
Le  tas  d^funt  des  Rigolboches, 
Au  bras  vainqueur  de  Bee-Sal^, 
Faisant  leurs  premieres  briocbes. 
Giix. 

Un — ,  a  feast i  "a  tightener." 

On  va  trimbaler  sa  blonde,  mon  vieux  ; 
nous  irons  lichoter  un  rigolboche  ^  la  Place 
Pinel.— HuYSMANS, 

Rigolbocher  (popular),  to  have  a 
feast,  or  drinking  revels, 

Tu  seras  de  nos  toum^es,  et  aprfes  la  re- 
presentation,   nous    rigolbocherons.  —  E. 

MONTEIL. 

Rigolbocheur,  adj.  andm.  (popu- 
lar), funny  ;  licentious, 

Les  mots  rigolbocheurs,  ^pars 
De  tous  cdt^s  dans  le  langage, 
Attrape-les  pour  ton  usage, 
Et  crument  divide  le  jars. 

Gill. 


Un  — ,  one  fond  of  fun,  ofamuse^ 
ment,  of  revelling, 

Rigole,y;  \^\Q.vQ.^)y  good  cheer, 

Rigoler  (familiar  and  popular),  to- 
amuse  oneself.     From  rigouUer. 

Et  I^  sus  I'herbe  drue  dansarent  au  son 
des  joyeux  flageolets,  et  doulces  corne- 
muses,  tant  baudement  que  c'estoit  passe- 
temps  celeste  les  voir  ainsi  soi  rigouller. — 
Rabelais,  Gargantua. 

Quant  au  gamin,  c'^tait  I'gavroche 
Qui  parcourt  Paris  en  tous  sens, 
Et  qui  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche 
Flan',  rigole  et  blagu*  les  passants. 
Gill. 


Also  to  laugh,. 

J'peux  m'parler  tout  ba*  k  I'Dreille 
Sans  qu'  personne  entend'  rien  du  tout. 
Quand  j'rigol',  ma  gueule  est  pareille 
A  cell'  d'un  four  ou  d'un  6gout. 

KiCHEFiN,  La  Chanson  des  Giieux. 

Rigoler    comme    une    tourte,   t<> 
laugh  like  a  fool. 

Rigolette,  /  (popular),  female 
habitttie  of  low  dancing  saloons, 

Rigoleur,  m,  (popular),  one  joyously 
disposed  and  fond  of  the  bottle,  a 
*' jolly  dog." 

Rigolo,  Wr,  and  adj.  (gamblers'),, 
a  swindle^  explained  by  quota- 
tion ; — 

II  n'avait  plus  qu'k  surveiller  les  mains, 
de  cet  aimable  banquier  pour  voir  ,  . .  s'il 
ne  ferait  pas  passer  de  sa  main  droite  dans 
sa  main  gaucbe  une  portee  pr^parde  k 
I'avance — un  "  cataplasme,"  si  cette  portee 
^tait  €paisse ;  un  ''rigolo"  si  elle  ^tait 
mince. — Hector  Malot,  Baccara. 

An  allusion  to  the  mustard  plas- 
ters of  Rigolo.  (Popular)  Rigolo, 
amusing,  funny, 

Moi  j'emmfene  mes  deux  exotiques  chez 
Coquet,  au  cimetiere  Montmartre.  C'est 
rigolo  en  diable. — P.  Mahalin. 

Rien  n'est  plus  rigolo  que  les  petites  filles, 
A   Paris.      Observer   leurs    mines,    c'est 

divin. 
A  dix,  douze  ans  ce  sont  ddja.  de  fort  gen- 

tilles 
Dr&lesses,  qui  vous  ont  du  vice  comme  k 

vingtp 

Gill. 


Rigouillard — Ringueur. 


401 


II  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,  5a  par  exemple  ! — E.  MoNTElL. 

Rigolo,  short  crowbar  used  by 
housebreakers.  Termed  also  "  bi- 
ribi,  I'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'), /a««y, 
am  using  fellow. 

Rigri,  m.  (popular),  over-particular 
man  ;  stingy  man,  "hunks." 

Riguinguette,  /.  (popular),  ciga- 
rette. Griller  une  — ,  to  smoke  a 
cigarette. 

Rince  -  crochets,  m.  (military), 
extra  ration  of  coffee. 

Rincee,  /.  (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  achevent  de 
se  griser,  de  bons  jeunes  gens  qu'elles  la- 
chent  apres  avoir  rinc^  leurs  poches. — P. 
Mahalin. 

Se  — I'oeil,  to  look  onwith pleasure. 
Se  —  I'avaloir,  le  bee,  le  bocal, 
la  gargoine,  la  corne,  la  corne- 
muse,  le  cornet,  la  dalle,  la 
dalle  du  cou,  la  dent,  le  fusil,  le 
goulot,  le  gaviot,  le  sifflet,  le 
tube,  la  trente-deuxieme,  la  gar- 
garousse,  to  drink.  The  synonyms 
to  describe  the  act  in  various 
kinds  of  slang  are  :  "  se  passer 
un  glacis,  s'arroser  le  jabot,  s'af- 
fflter  le  sifflet,  se  gargariser  le 
rossignolet,  se  laver  le  gesier, 
sabler,  sucer,  licher,  se  rafraJchir 
les  barres,   se  suiver,   pitancher, 


picter,  siffler  le  guindal,  graisser 
les  roues,  pier,  fioler,  ecoper,  en- 
fler,  se  calfater  le  bee,  se  blinder, 
s'humecter  I'amygdale  or  le  pa- 
vilion, siffler,  fluter,  renifler,  pom- 
per,  siroter,  biturer,  etoulTer,  as- 
phyxier,  se  rafraichir  les  barbes, 
s'arroser  le  lampas,  se  pousser 
danslebattant,  pictonner,  soiffer;" 
and  in  the  English  slang :  "  to 
wet  one's  whistle,  to  have  a 
gargle,  a  quencher,  a  drain,  some- 
thing 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  u  game,  to  "blew"  it.  Se 
faire  —  la  dalle,  to  get  oneself 
treated  to  drink.  Rincer  la  dent, 
to  treat  one  to  drink. 

C'est  nous  qu'est  les  ch'valiers  d'la  loupe. 

Les  galup's  qu'a  des  ducatons 
Ndus  rinc'nt  la  dent.    Nous  les  battons 
Qu'  les  murs  leur  en  rend'nt  des  torgnioles. 
L'soir  nous  sommes  souls  comm'  des  hann'- 
tons 
Du  cabochard  aux  trottignolles. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Rincette,/.  (familiar),  brandy  taken 
after  coffee. 

Rinceur  de  cambriole,  m. 
(thieves'),  housebreaker,  or  "bus- 
ter." 

Le  voleur  ^  la  tire,  le  rinceur  de  cam- 
briole, ceux  qui  font  la  grande  soulasse  sur 
les  trimards,  menent  une  vie  charmante  en 
comparaison. — Th.  Gautier. 

Rincleux,  m.  (popular),  miserly 
man,  "hunks." 

Ringuer  (sporting),  to  be  a  book- 
maker. From  the  English  word 
ring,  used  by  French  bookmakers 
to  denote  their  place  of  meeting. 

Ringueur,  m.  (sporting),  book- 
maker. 

D  D 


402 


Riole — Rive  gauche. 


Riole,  or  rioUe,  /.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  river  ;  brook  ;  (popular) 
joy ;  amusement.  Etre  en  — ,  to 
be  out  "on  the  spree." 

Ouvriers  en  riolle,  soldats  en  bocd^es, 
bourgeois  en  goguettd  et  joumalistes  en 
cours  d'observations.-^P.  Mahalin. 

Etre  un  brin  en  — ,  to  be  slightly 
tipsy,  "elevated." 

Les  braves  gens  semblaient  etre  un  brin  en 

riole  ; 
Mais  I'ouvrierestbon  meme  quand  il  rigole. 
Gill. 

(Thieves')   Aquiger   — ,    to  find 
amusement. 

Ripa,  or  ripeur,  m.  (thieves'), 
river-thief. 

Ripaton,  or  ripatin,  m.  (popular), 
foot,  "crab,  devir-beater,  or  ever- 
lasting shoe."     Also  shoe. 

La  pittoresque  ^choppe  du  savetier  .  .  . 
OLl  Ton  voit,  pele-mSle  entasses,  le  lourd 
ripaton  du  proMtaire,  le  rigadin  ^cuM  du 
voyou,  la  bottine  claqude  de  la  petite  ren- 
tiere. — Richepin,  Le  Pavi. 

The  synonyms  are  :  "croque- 
neaux,  bateaux,  peniches,  trot- 
tinets,  trottins,  cocos,  pompes, 
bateaux-mouches,  rigadins,  esca- 
fignons,  tartines,  bichons,  pafifes, 
passants,  paffiers,  passes,  bobe- 
lins,  flacons,  sorlots,  passifs  ;"  and 
in  the  English  slang  :  "  trotter- 
cases,  hock-dockies,  grabbers, 
daisy-roots,  crab-shells,  bovi'les." 
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'),  bed- 
room, ' '  dossing-crib. " 

Ripiouler  (thieves'),  to  sleep,  "  to 
doss." 


Ripop^e,   or  ripopette,/   (popu- 
lar), worthless  article  ;  mixture  of 
wine    left    in   glasses,    or  which 
flows  on  the  counter  of  a  wine- 
retailer. 

Dans  la  chambre  de  nos  abb^, 

L'on  y  boit,  Ton  y  boit, 
Du  bon  vin  bien  cachete, 

Mais  nous  autres, 

Pauvres  ap6tres, 
Pauvres  moines,  tripaillons  de  moines, 

Ne  buvons  que  d'la  ripopde  ! 

Song. 

Riquiqui,  m.  (popular),  brandy  of 
inferior  quality,  see  Tord- 
boyaux;  thing  badly  done,  or  of 
inferior  quality.  Avoir  I'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  whales  ;  —  comme  un  cul, 
to  laugh  with  lips  closed  and 
cheeks  puffed  out ;  —  comme  une 
tourte,  to  laugh  like  a  fool.  En- 
tendre —  de  I'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. 

Et  mezig  parmi  le  grenu 
Ayant  rivanch^  la  fraline, 
Dit ;  Volants,  vous  gouale'z  chenu. 
Richepin. 

Termed  formerly  ' '  river. " 

Dans  Paris  la  bonne  ville 
L'empereur  est  arrive ; 
II  jr  a  eu  mainte  fiJle 
Qui  a  eu  le  cul  riv^. 
Recueil  de  Farces,  Moralitts  et 
Semio7is  joyeux,  1837. 

Rive  gauche,/  (students'),  apart 
of  Paris,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 


H  iver — Rogtion. 


403 


Seine,  wherein  are  situated  the 
University  higher  colleges  and 
schools,  such  as  rEcole  de  Mede- 
cine,  I'Ecole  de  Droit,  la  Sor- 
bonne,  le  College  de  France,  &c. 

J'en  viens  de  ce  coin  de  Paris  qu'on  a 
appeM  jadis  le  pays  latin  puis  1^  quartier 
latin  et  ensuite  le  quartier  des  ^coles  et  qui 
aujourd'hui  s'intitule  simplement  la  nve 
gauche. — Didier,  Echo  de  Paris,  1886. 

River.     See  Pieu,  Rivancher. 

Rivette,/  (popular  and  thieves'), 
prostitute,  or  ' '  punk. "  See 
Gadoue.  Also  name  given  by 
Sodomites  to  wretches  whom  they 
plunder  under  threats  of  disclo- 
sures. 

La  rivette  se  rdcne  ;  le  faux  agent  per- 
siste,  s'emporte,  jure  .  .  .  il  finit  par  obtenir 
une  somme  d'argent. — L^o  Taxil. 

Riz-pain-sel,  wz.  (military),  any- 
one connected  with  the  commis- 
sariat, a  "mucker." 

Les  deux  homnies  tenaient  conseil.  T'as 
entendu  ce  qu'a  dit  le  colonel  ? — C'est  pas 
un  colonel,  c'est  un  riz-pain-sel.  Ca  y  fait 
rien.  .  .  .  Faut  en  iinir  avec  nos  deux 
particuliers.  Nous  allons  leur  briiler  la 
gueule  d'un  coup  de  fiingot. — Bonnetain, 
Z'0/zw?K. 

Robaux,  or  roveaux,  m.  pi.  (old 
cant),  gendarmes.  Attrimer  les 
— ,  to  run  awayfrOTfi  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  derober,  which  formerly 
signified  to  disrobe,  and  nowadays 
to  purloin.  Provenfal  raubar. 
Compare  with  the  English  to  rob. 
See  Grinchir. 

Robignol,  adj.  (thieves'),  extremely 
amusing ;  extremely  good. 

Robinson,  or  p6pin,  m.  (popular), 
umbrella,  "  mush." 

Rochet,  m.  (thieves'),  bishop; 
priest,  or  "devil-dodger." 


Rogne,  adj.  and  f.  (familiar  and 
popular),  etre  — ,  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  h6tes  de  la  posada,  intimidds  et 
m6fiants,  nous  prenant  pour  des  bandits, 
"avaient  la  frousse"  selon  Texpression 
pittoresque  de  L.  M.  qui,  mourant  de 
faim,  comme  d'habitude,  ddclara  furieux 
quecette  reception  lui "  flanquait  la  rogne," 
surtout  lorsqu'il  vit  la  vieille  m^gere,  hor- 
rible compagnonne,  faire  signe  ^  son  mari 
de  charger  le  tromblon. — Hector  France, 
A  Travers  VJLspagtte. 

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  esta- 
blished on  his  shoulders,  compa- 
rabls  only  to  the  maddening  sen- 
sation 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  k  rogner,  naturelle- 
ment. — Comment,  qu'y  dit,  vous  osez  dire 

5a. — G.  COURTELINE. 

Rogneur,  m.  (military),  fourrier, 
or  non-comm-issioned  officer  em- 
ployed in  the  victualling  depart- 
ment. Literally  one  who  gives 
short  commons,  paring  off  part  of 
the  provisions. 

Rogfnon,  m.  (popular),  un  sale  — , 
a    lousy,     or    "chatty"   person. 
Applied  especially  to  a  low  wo-  , 
man.     (Familiar)   Rognon,  fcu:e- 


404 


Rogntires — Rondement. 


tious  term  applied  to  a  man  with 
a  big  sword  across  his  loins. 
Literally  un  rognon  brochette, 
broiled  kidney. 

La  lame,  sans  fourrean,  attach^e  dans  le 
dos  par  une  double  chaine  pouvant  se 
croiser  sur  la  poitrine.  ...  II  entre  et  un 
spectateur  I'assassine  de  ce  mot  :  "  Tiens, 
un  rognon  brochette  ! " — A.  Germain,  Le 
Voltaire. 

Rognures,  f.  fl.  (theatrical),  in- 
ferior actors.     See  Fer-blanc, 

Rogommier,  m.  (popular),  a 
brandy-bibber, 

Rogommiste,  m.  (popular),  re- 
tailer of  brandy. 

Roi  de  la  mar,  m.  (popular),  pro- 
stitute^ s  bully,  "ponce."  See 
Poisson. 

Romagnol,    or    romagnon,    m. 

(thieves'),  hidden  treasure. 

Remain,  »z.  (familiar),  "claqueur" 
or  man  paid  to  applaud  at  a 
theatre.  An  allusion  to  the  prac- 
tice of  certain  Roman  emperors 
who  had  a  kind  of  choir  of  official 
applauders. 

Les  Romains  de  Paris  n'ont  rien  de  com- 
mun  avec  les  habitants  de  la  ville  aux  sept 
collines.  .  .  .  Leur  champ  de  bataille,  c'est 
le  parterre  du  th^^tre  .  .  .  en  un  mot  les 
romains  sont  ces  memes  hommes  que  Ton 
nommait  vulgairement  autrefois  des  cla- 
queurs.— 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  Filendfeche. 


Romance.     See  Camp. 

Rome,y.  (thieves'),  aller,  or  passer 
4  — ,  to  be  repirimanded. 

Romilly.     See  Insurg^. 

Romture,  orrousture,/.  (thieves'), 
fnan  under  police  supervision..^ 

Ronchonner  (popular),  togrumble; 
to  mutter  between  one's  teeth. 

Ronchohneur,»z.,ronchonneuse, 
f.  (popular),  grumbler. 

Elle  m'en  veut  done  toujours  la  vieille 
ronchonneuse?— Zola. 

Rond,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  a 
sou.     Termed  also  "rotin.  " 

Deux  ronds  d'brich'ton  dans  I'estomac, 
C'est  pas  ga  qui  m'pfes'  sur  les  g'noux. 

RiCHEPIN. 

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. 

Au  cidre  !  au  cidre  !  il  fait  chaud. 
Tant  mieux  si  j'me  soOle. 
Au  cidre  !  au  cidre  !  il  fait  chaud. 
J'sons  plus  rond  qu'eun'  boule. 

Du  cidre  il  faut 

Dans  la  goule. 

Du  cidre  il  faut 

Dans  Tgoulot. 

RiCHEPIN. 

(Familiar)  Un  • —  de   cuir,   em- 
ployi ;  clerk,  or  "quill-driver." 

Rondache,  /.  (thieves'),  ringy 
"fawney." 

Rondelets,  m.  pi.  (obsolete),  small 
breasts. 

Rondement  (obsolete),  chier  — , 
not  to  hesitate,  to  act  with  resolu- 
tion, without  dilly-dallying. 

Pardienne,  mamselle,  vous  Tavez  dejJl 
fait.  A  quoi  bon  tant  tortiller.  ...  II  faut 
chier  rondement,  et  ne  pas  faire  les  chose& 
en  rechignant.— /iaif//e  Double,  1756. 


Rondier — Rossard. 


405 


Rondier,  m.  (thieves'),  watchman, 
or  overseer  at  the  hulks.  From 
faire  une  ronde,  to  go  one's  rounds. 

Rondin,  m.  (popular),  lump  of  ex- 
crement, or  ' '  quaker ; "  (popular 
and  ia\&ys^")  five-franc  coin. 

—  Et  combien  qu'qa  coilte,  ste  bete  ? 

—  Un  rondin,  deux  balles  et  dix  Jacques. 

—  N  .  .  .  de  D  .  .  .  !  Sept  livres  dix 
sous ! — VlDOCQ. 

Rondin  jaune,  ^i3/(^ (■»;'«,  "yellow 
boy  ; "  —  jaune  servi,  gold  coin 
stolen  and  then  stowed  away. 

Ah !  s'il  voulait  cromper  ma  sorbonne 
(sauver  ma  tete),  quelle  viocque  (vie)  je 
ferais  avec  mon  fade  de  carle  (ma  part  de 
fortune),  et  mes  rondins  jaunes  servis  (et 
I'or  que  je  viens  de  cacher). — Balzac,  La 
Demiere  Incarnation  de  Vautrin. 

Rondine,  f.  (thieves'),  ring,  or 
"fawney;"  walking-stick;  ball. 

Rondiner  (thieves'),  to  cudgel  one  ; 
(popular)  to  spend  money.  From 
rond,  u  sou;  —  des  yeux,  to 
stare. 

Rondinet,  m.  (thieves'),  ring, 
"fawney."' 

Rond- point -des  bergferes,  m. 
(roughs'),  the  Halles,  or  Paris 
market. 

RondquS,  m.  (popular),  one  sou. 

Ronflant,  adj.  (thieves'),  well- 
dressed.  Is  also  said  of  one  who 
has  a  well-filled  purse. 

Ronfle,/!  (popular),  jouer  a  la  — , 
to  sleep  soundly  and  to  snore, 
(Thieves')  Ronfle,  prostitute,  or 
"  punk  ;  "  woman,  or  "  blowen ;" 

—  a  grippart,  same  meaning. 

Ronfler  (popular),  faire  —  Thomas, 
io  ease  oneself.  (Thieves')  Une 
poche  qui  ronfle,  a  well-filled 
pocket,  one  "chockful  of  pieces." 

A  cette  ^poque,  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. — 
Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Ronfler  a  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  in- 
crease of  fare. 

Roquille,  f.  (popular),  one-fourth 
of  a  setier,  or  eighth  part  of  a 
litre. 

Rosbif    de     rat     d'Sgout !     m. 

(roughs'),  insulting  epithet.  Might 
be  rendered  by  ' '  you  skunk  !  " 

H^  !  dis  done,  ^clanche  de  bouledogue, 
rosbif  de  rat  d'dgout,  tu  vas  te  faire  taper 
sur  la  rifjouissance. — A.  Scroll,  VEsprit 
du  Boulevard. 

Rose  des  vents,  /  (popular), 
breech,  "blind  cheek"  in  the 
English  slang. 

Rosiere  de  Saint-Laze;/  (popu- 
lar), for  Saint-Lazare,  an  imiiate  of 
the  prison  of  Saint-Lazare,  which 
serves  for  prostitutes  and  unfaith- 
ful wives.  Properly  une  "rosiere, " 
or  rose  queen,  is  a  virtuous,  well- 
behaved  maiden.  At  Nanterre 
and  other  country  places  a  maid 
is  proclaimed  rosiere  at  a  yearly 
ceremony  in  which  the  authorities 
play  their  part,  the  famous  pom- 
piers of  the  not  less  famous  song 
being  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  the  pageant. 

Rossaille,/!  (horse-dealers'), wfl?-M- 
less  horse,  "screw." 

Rossard,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
man  with  no  heart  for  work,  a 
"bummer." 

Tnibl*  est  un  rossard, 
Toujours  en  retard, 
D'mandez  k  Massard  .  .  . 
Trubr  est  un  flegmard 
Qui  se  fai^dulard  1 

Truelot,  Le  Cri  du  Penple. 


4o6 


Rosse — Roublardise. 


Rosse,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
lazy  fellow.  Etre  — ,  to  be  can- 
tankerous, ill-natured. 

Vanter  la  neig*,  c'te  bet'  ftroce  I 
Nous  somm's  pas  dans  I'pays  des  ours  ! 
C'est  gentil,  j'dis  pas  ;  mais  c'est  rosse  ; 
Comm'  la  femm',  5a  fait  patt'  de  v'lours. 
Jules  Jouv,  La  Neige. 

Une  — ,  a  peevish,  stubborn,  or 
lazy  wo?nan. 

Rossignante,/.  (old  ca.nt),^ute. 

Rossignol,   m,,   or  carouble,  /. 

(thieves'),  ficklock,  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  esta- 
blishment. 

Roter  (popular),  en  — ,  to  be  as- 
tounded. Literally  to  belch  for 
astonishment. 

En  disant  que  .  .  ,  les  soldats  n'^taient 
pas  de  la  charcuterie,  qu'on  traitait  les 
chiens  mieux  que  9a  ;  enfin,  un  boniment  k 
ne  pas  s'y  reconnattre.     La  sceur  en  rotait ! 

— G.  COURTELINE. 

En  —  le  fond  de  son  calegon, 
superlative  of  "en  roter,"  to  be 
"flabbergasted."  Je  montrais  a 
des  touristes  Americains  toutes  les 
merveillesde  laville,  ils  enrotaient 
le  fond  de  leur  calejon.  I  showed 
some  American  tourists  all  the 
curiosities  of  the  town;  they  were 
utterly  astounded. 

R6ti,  m-. ,  formerly  brand  on  convicts 
shoulder. 

Rotin,  m.  (popular),  sou.  Termed 
also  "fleche,  pelot."  (Card- 
sharpers')  Flaraboter  aux  rotins, 


termed     also     "  consolation    an-  - 
glaise,"  variety  of  swindling  card 
trick. 

RStisseuse,    /.     (popular),     roast, 
chicken.    Exhibe  la  — ,  look  at  the 
chicken. 

Rototo,  m.  (popular),  coUer  du  — , 
to  cudgel,  "  to  larrup."  Rototo  ! 
expression  of  contempt  or  refusal. 

RouStre,  m.  (thieves'),  i5o<r»«,"sav\r- 
ney."  Jack  speeled  to  the  crib 
(vfent  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  "  roubig- 
nole "  (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."  Souffle  par  les  rou- 
blards  et  ballonne  i  la  pointue, 
taken  by  the  police  and  imprisoned 
in  the  dipdt  de  la  Prefecture.  Un 
— ,  a  cunning  fellow,  "  an  artful 
dodger. " 

C'etait  un  vieux  roublard,  un  antique  mar- 

lou. 
Jadis  on  I'avait  vu,  dentd  blanc  comme  un 

loup, 
Vivre  pendant  trente  ans  de  marmite  en 

marmite. 
Plus  d'un  des  jeunes  dos,  et  des  plus  verts, 

I'imite. 
RiCHEPIN,  La  Chatison  des  Gueux. 

(Prostitutes')  Roublard,  rich  man, 
one  who  possesses  roubles,  "rhino, 
fat." 

Roublardise,/  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), cunning;  trickery. 

Les  roublardises  de  la  politique  la  lais- 
saient  froide.— Hector  France,  La  Pu- 
digue  Albion. 


Roiibler — Roicflaquette. 


407 


Roubler  (thieves'),  to  make  a  de- 

,    position  ;  —  a  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'),  xaitness. 

Rouchi,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
vian  of  repugnant  manners  or 
morals  ;  low  cad,  "rank  outsider." 

Rouchie,  /.  (familiar  and  popular), 
loiv,  abandoned  girl  or  ivoman, 
"draggle-tail;"  dirty,  disgusting 
woman. 

Roue,  /  (popular  and  thieves'),  de 
derriere,  thune,  or  palet,  silver 
five-franc  piece.  Le  messi^re  a 
degaine  une  roue  de  derriere, 
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. " 

lis  ouvraient  des  quinquets  grands  comme 
des  roues  de  derriere  en  nous  reluquant 
d'un  air  ^patd. — Richepin. 

Roue  de  devant,  two-franc  piece. 

Roue,  VI.  (thieves'),  ya^«  d' instruc- 
tion ;  (card-sharpers')  swindler 
who  handles  the  cards  at  the  three- 
card  game,  his  confederate  being 
termed  "  amorceur." 

Rouen,  m.  (obsolete),  aller  i  — ,  to 
be  ruined,  "to  go  a  mucker."  A 
play  on  the  word  miner.  Envoyer 
a  — ,  to  ruin.  Michel  records  the 
following  expressions  formed  by  a 
similar  play  on  words  :  Aller  a 
"  Dourdan,"  to  be  beaten  (old  word 
dourder,  to  beat)  ;  aller  a  "Ver- 
sailles," to  be  upset  (from  verser) ; 
aller  en  "  Angoul^me,"  to  eat 
(from  en  and  gueule)  ;  aller  a 
"Niort,"  to  deny  (from  nier,  to 
deny);  aller  k  "Patras,"  to  die 
(from  ad  patres)  ;  aller  a  "  Ca- 
chan,"  to  conceal  oneself  (from 
cacher).     To  kill  was  expressed 


by  envoyer  a  "  Mortaigne.''  It 
used  to  be  said  of  a  person  conju- 
gally deceived,  that  he  travelled 
in  "  Cornouaille,"  alluding  to  the 
horns.  An  ignorant  man  was  said 
to  have  received  his  education  at 
"Asnieres"  (Sne).  A  threat  of 
dismissal  was  made  in  the  words 
"envoyer  a  I'abbaye  de  Vatan." 
A  madman  was  a  native  of  "  Lu- 
nel,"  &c.  (Theatrical)  Aller  a 
Rouen,  to  be  hissed,  "  to  get  the 
big  bird. " 

Rouffier,  m.  (thieves'),  soldier. 
The  old  English  cant  had  the 
word  "  ruffler  "  to  designate  beg- 
gars pretending  to  be  old  or 
maimed  soldiers,  and  who  robbed 
or  even  murdered  people.  From 
the  Italian  ruffare,  to  seize. 

RoufBon,  m.  (shopmen's),  shop-boy 
at  a  haberdasher's.  "Rouffionne," 
shop-girl. 

Roufiionner  (popular),  to  break 
wind ;  —  sans  dire  fion,  to  do  so 
without  apologizing. 

Rouffle,y;  (thieves'),  blow,  "wipe." 
Also  a  kick. 

RoufS^e,  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,  "  aggere waters,  or  Newgate 
knockers. " 

Sous  rbord  noir  et  gras  d'ma  casquette, 
Avec  mes  doigts  aux  ongu'  en  deuil, 
J'sais  rien  m'coUer  eun'  rouflaquette 
Tout  riong  d'la  temp',  Ik,  jusqu'a  I'ceil. 
Richepin. 

"When  men,"  says  the  Slang 
Dictionary,  "twist  the  hair  on 
each  side  of  their  faces  into  ropes, 
they  are  sometimes  called  '  bell- 
ropes,'  as  being  wherewith  to 
draw  the  belles.     Whether  '  bell 


4o8 


Rouge — Router. 


ropes '  or  '  bow-catchers,'  it  is 
singular  they  should  form  part  of 
a  prisoner's  adornment."  These 
ornaments  in  France  are  sported 
only  by  prostitutes'  bullies,  who 
on  that  account  are  termed  "  rou- 
flaquettes. " 

Rouge,  adj.  and  m.  (obsolete), 
cunning,  "  downy."  The  ex- 
pression is  used  as  a  cant  word 
by  Villon,-  15th  century. 

Je  vis  Ik  tant  de  mlrlificques, 
Tant  d'anie9on5  et  tant  d'af!icques, 
Pour  attraper  les  plus  buppez. 
Les  plus  rouges  y  sont  happez. 

Poisies  attributes  d  Villon. 

So  the  proverb,  "  il  est  m^chant 
comme  un  ane  rouge,"  signifies 
he  is  as  vicious  as  a  cunning  don- 
key. The  expression  "les  plus 
rouges  y  sont  pris, "  the  most  cun- 
ning are  deceived,  is  to  be  found 
in  Cotgrave.  The  Latins  used 
the  word  ruber  with  the  figurative 
signification  of  cunniiig.  Faire 
tomber  le  — ,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath.  Faire  — ,  to  have  one's 
menses.  (Thieves'),  Lampion  — , 
police  officer,  or  "reeler."  See 
Pot-4-tabac.  C'est  —  de  bou- 
din,  the  thing  goes  wrong,  matters 
look  bad.  (Militaiy)  Les  culs 
rouges,  the  chasseurs  and  hussars, 
a  corps  of  light  cavalry  with  red 
pants.  Similarly,  the  English 
hussars  are  termed  "cherry- 
bums." 

Rougemont,  m.  (thieves'),  pivois 
de  — ,  red  wine,  "  red  fustian. " 

Rouget,  m.  (popular),  man  with 
reddish  hair.  Les  rougets  (obso- 
lete), better  explained  by  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

Pour  les  ordinaires  des  femmes,  les  mois, 
les  menstrues,  les  decoulements  lunaires 
des  femmes, — Le  Roux. 

(Thieves')  Rouget,  copper. 


Rougiste,  m.  (literary),  one  fond  of 
Stendhal's  style  of  writing.  An 
allusion  to  his  famous  work,  Le 
Rouge  et  le  Noir. 

Rougoule.     See  Rendez-moi. 

Rouillarde,  orrouille,/.  (thieves'), 
bottle,  "bouncing  cheat;"  bottle 
of  old  wine.     From  rouler. 

Roulance,/  (printers'),  ^«a^  noise 
WJide  by  stamping  of  feet  or  rattling 
of  hammers  when  a  brother  compo- 
sitor enters  the  workshop.  This 
ceremony  is  complimentary  or  the 
reverse,  as  the  case  may  be. 

Roulant,  m.  {popnlar),  ped/ar  who 
sells  articles  of  clothing ;  (popular 
and  thieves')  hackney-coach, 
"growler  ;"  — vif,  railway  train, 
01  "  rattier  ;"  pedlar.  Roulants, 
peas. 

Roulante,  /  (popular),  prostitute. 
See  Gadoue. 

Rouleau,  m.  (thieves'),  coin.  See 
Quibus. 

Roule-en-cul,  m.  (bullies'),  an 
insulting  term.  Might  be  ren- 
dered by  the  word  "  pensioner  " 
with  an  obscene  prefix.  See 
Poisson. 

Roulement,  m.  (popular),  hard 
work.  Du  —  !  mes  enfants  ! 
with  u  will,  lads!  (Military) 
Roulement  de  gueule,  beating  to 
dinner;  (thieves')  —  de  tambour, 
barking  of  a  dog. 

Rouler  (familiar  and  popular), 
quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one,  "  to 
wallop"  him.  See  Voie.  Also 
to  swindle,  "  to  stick,  to  bilk." 

_  Une  grande  compagnie  d'assurance  sur  la 
vie  vient  d'etre  dupee  d'une  jolie  fagon.  11 
n'y  a  pas  grand  mal,  du  reste,  les  com- 
pagnies  ne  se  faisant  guere  scrupule  de 
rouler  le  client.— A.  Sirven. 

(Popular)  Rouler  dans  la  farine, 
to  play  a  trick,  to  deceive  a  sim- 


Rouletier — Rouhire. 


409 


pleton,  "to  flap  a  jay."  Rouler 
sa  bosse,  to  go  along,  to  go  away. 

C'est  pas  tant  le  gendarm'  que  je  r'grette  ! 
C'est  pas  5a  !  Naviguons,  ma  brunette  ! 
Roul'  ta  bosse,  tout  est  pay^. 

RiCHEPiN,  La  Glu. 

Rouler  sa  viande  dans  le  torchon, 
to  go  to  bed.  Comment  vont  les 
affaires  ?  Qa  roule.  How  is  busi- 
ness? Not  bad.  (Roughs')  Se 
rouler,  to  amuse  oneself;  to  be 
much  amused.  ( Familiar)  Rouler 
quelqu'un,  io  worst  one ;  to  beat 
another  in  argument  or  repartee. 
Termed  "  to  snork  "  at  Shrews- 
bury School. 

Rouletier,  m.  (thieves'),  a  thief 
■who  robs  cabs  or  carriages  by 
climbing  up  behind  and  cutting 
the  straps  that  secure  the  luggage 
on  the  roof,  "dragsman." 

Des  classes  entiferes  de  voleurs  ^talent 
aux  abob,  de  ce  nombre  diait  celle  des 
rouleliers  (qui  d^robent  les  chargements  sur 
les  voitures). — Vidocq. 

Rouleur,  m.  (popular),  swindler ; 
rag-picker,  or  "tot-picker."  The 
Slang  Dictionary  says,  "tot"  is 
a  bone,  but  chiffonniers  and  cinder- 
hunters  generally  are  called  "  tot- 
pickers  "  nowadays.  Totting  has 
also  its  votaries  on  the  banks  of 
the  Thames,  where  all  kinds  of 
flotsam  and  jetsam  are  known  as 
"tots."  Un  — ,  a  man  whose 
functions  are  to  act  as  a  medium, 
between  workmen  and  masters  who 
wish  to  engage  them. 

Rouleuse,  f.  (familiar),  debauched 
woman. 

Les  rangs  de  Tarm^e  du  charlatan  apos- 
tolique  se  sont  grossis  de  nombre  de  petites 
rouleuses  sans  emploi. — Hector  France. 

Roulier,  or  rouletier,  »«.  (thieves'), 
thief  who  steals  property  off  vans, 
"  dragsman." 

Les  rouliers  ourouletiers  s'attaquent  aux 
camions  des  entrepreneurs  de  roulage. — 
Canler. 


Roulis,  m.  (sailors'),  avoir  du  — , 
to  be  drunk,  "  to  have  one's  main- 
brace  well  spliced." 

Roulon,  m.  (thieves'),  loft,  attic. 

Roulotage,  m,  (thieves'),  theft  of 
property  from  vehicles,  "heaving 
from  a  drag." 

Roulotin,  m.  (thieves'),  driver  of  a 
van,  "rattling-cove." 

Roulette,  /  (thieves'),  vehicle. 

Puis  dans  un'  roulotte,  on  n'voit  rien  ; 
Tout  d'vant  vous  fil'  comme  un  r^bus. 
Pour  louper,  faut  louper  en  chien 
L'chien  n'mont'  pas  dans  les  omnibus. 

RiCHEI'IN. 

Roulotte  a  trepe,  omnibus  ;  —  du 
grand  trimar,  mail  coach.  Faire 
un  coup  de  — ,  or  grinchir  une  — 
en  salade,  to  steal  property  from  a 
•vehicle, 

Roulottier,  m.  (general),  itinerant 
showman. 

Allez  k  la  Place  du  Tr6ne,  quand  la  foire 
au  pain  d'dpice  est  dans  la  fievre  des  der- 
niers  preparatifs,  avant  le  dimanche  qui  est 
la  grande  premiere  des  saltimbanques.  Tous 
les  roulottiers  de  France  s'y  donnent  ren- 
dez-vous.  Et  parmi  eux  Ton  a  chance 
encore  de  trouver  quelques  Bohdmiens. — ■ 

RiCHEPIN. 

Roulottier,  rogue  who  devotes  his 
attention  to  vans,  carts,  or  any 
other  kind  of  conveyance,  stealing 
luggage,  goods,  or  provisions, 
"dragsman." 

Une  bande  importante  de  roulottiers,  vo- 
leurs qui  ont  pour  sp^cialite  de  d^rober  sur 
les  camions  qui  stationnent  dans  les  rues 
.  .  .s.6t€  arretde  bier. — Le  Radical,  Dec, 
1886. 

Roulure,  /.  (popular),  woman  of 
the  most  abandoned  description. 

Si  bien  que,  la  croyant  en  bois,  il  est  all^ 
ailleurs,  avec  des  roulures  qui  I'ont  regale 
de  toutes  sortes  d'horreurs. — Zola,  Nana. 

Also  despicable,  degraded  fellow. 

Si  c'est  possible,  une  femme  honnete 
tromper  son  marl,  et  avec  cette  roulure  de 
Fauchery  !— Zola. 


4.IO 


Rou  mard — Roiisse. 


Roumard,  m.  (thieves'),  malicious 
fellow;  (popular) rai^,  or  "beard- 
splitter.'^ 

Roupie,  /  (popular),  bug,  or 
' '  heavy  dragoon  ; "  —  de  singe, 
nothing;  weak  coffee ;  —  de  san- 
sonnet,  bad  coffee. 

Le  zingueur  voulut  verser  le  cafd  lui- 
meme.  11  sentait  joliment  fort,  ce  n'^tait 
pas  de  la  roupie  de  sansonnet. — Zola. 

Roupiller  (general),  to  sleep,  "  to 
doss."  Chenue  sorgue,  roupille 
sans  taf,  good  night,  sleep  without 
fear. 

Tout  est  renversd,  quoi !— Et  du  reste, 
voilk  le  bouquet,  dcoutez-moi  5a,  on  ne  dit 
plus :  je  t'aime  !  on  dit :  j'te  gobe.  On  ne 
dit  plus  :  laisse-moi  tranquille  !  on  dit :  va 
t'asseoir  !  On  ne  dit  plus  :  tu  m'ennuies  !  on 
dit :  tu  m'la  fais  a  I'oseille  !  On  ne  boit 
plus,  on  liche.  On  ne  mange  plus,  on  b^- 
quille.  On  ne  dort  plus,  on  roupille  !  On 
ne  se  promene  plus,  on  se  ballade  !  Pour 
dire  ;  je  sors,  on  dit :  je  m'la  casse  ! — Les 
Locutions  Vickuses. 

Roupiller   dans    le   grand,    to  be 
dead. 

Roupillon,  m.  (thieves'),  ma7i 
asleep.  Chatouiller  un  — ,  to  pick 
the  pockets  of  a  sleeping  man. 

Roupiou,  m.  (medical  stu<fents'), 
a  student  who  practises  in  hos- 
pitals without  being  on  the  regular 
staff,  and  who  administers  pur- 
gatives,' prepares  blisters,  Sr'c. 

Rouscaillante,/.  (thieves'),  tongue, 
"  glib,  or  red  rag. "  Stubble  your 
red  rag,  hold  your  tongue.  Balancer 
la  rouscaillante,  to  talk,  "  to 
patter." 

Rouscailler  (popular),  to  have  con- 
nection. Probably  from  rousse- 
caigne  (rousse  chienne,  or  red 
bitch),  which  formerly  signified 
prostitute.  (Thieves')  Rouscailler, 
to  speak,  "Xo  gaiter  ;"  — bigorne, 
to  talk  the  cant  jargon,  "  to  patter 
flash."  Rouscailler  had  the  signi- 
fication of  to  mislead',  and  bigorne 


was  an  epithet  applied  to  the 
police,  so  that  "  rouscailler  bi- 
gorne "  means  literally  to  mislead 
the  police. 
Rouscailleur,  m.  (popular),  liber- 
tine, or  "  mutton-monger  ;  " 
(thieves')  speaker. 

Rouscailleuse,  f.  (popular),  de- 
bauched woman. 

Rouspetance,  /.  (popular),  bad 
humour;  resistance. 

Voulez-vous  me  foutre  la  paix  !  vous 
etes  une  forte  tete  k  ce  queje  vois ;  vous 
voulez  faire  de  la  rousp6tance. — G.  Cour- 

TELINE. 

(Prostitutes')  Rouspetance,  a  de- 
tective whose  particular  functions 
are  to  watch  prostitutes. 

Rouspeter  (popular),  to  be  in  a  bad 
humour ;  to  resist. 

Rouspettau,  m.  (thieves'),  noise. 

Rouspetter  (popular),  used  in  a 
disparaging  manner,  to  talk ;  to 
reply.  Qu'est-ce  que  vous  me 
rouspettez-la  ?  What  the  deuce  are 
you  talking  about  ? 

Rousse,  m.  and  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  la  — ,  the  police,  the 
"  reelers."  Un  — ,  police  officer, 
or  "crusher;"  detective,  or  "nark." 
See  Pot-^-tabac. 

Va,  c'est  pas  moi  qui  ferais  jamais  un 
trait  k  un  ami ;  si  je  suis  rousse  (mouchard), 
il  me  reste  encore  des  sentiments. — Vl- 
DOCQ. 

La  —  a  I'arnac,  the  detective  force. 
Red-haired  people  are  supposed 
to  be  treacherous,  hence  the  epi- 
thet "rousse"  applied  to  the  police. 
According  to  an  old  proverb, 

Barbe  rousse,  noir  de  chevelure, 
Est  repute  faux  de  nature. 

Scarron  expressed  the  following 
wish  : — 

Que  le  Seigneur  en  recompense 
Veuille  augmeoter  votre  finance  .  .  . 
Qu'il  vous  garde  de  gens  qui  pipent  .  .  . 
D'hommes  roux  ayant  les  yeux  verds. 


Rousselette — Roveau. 


411 


Judas  was  red-haired,  as  everyone 
knows.  Shakespeare  makes  the 
following  allusion  : — 

Rosalind. — His  hair  is  of  the  dissem- 
bling colour. 

Celia. — Something  browner  than  Judas's : 
marry,  his  kisses  are  Judas's  own  children. 
As  You  Like  It. 

Un  —  a  I'amache,  or  harnache, 
a  detective. 

Un  jour,  avec  ma  largue,  je  venais  d'bal- 

lader, 
T'vois  la  rousse  a  I'arrach'  qui  voulait  I'em- 

baller. 
Je  m'dis  pas  de  betises,  en  vrai  barbillon. 
Pour  garer  ma  marquis' j'ai  d^croche  I'tam- 

pon 


Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

"iji. — a\iAKa,city police.  Flasquer 
du  poivre  a  la  — ,  to  keep  out  of 
the  way  of  the  police,  to  escape 
their  clutches. 

Rousselette,  f.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  J/.V,  or  "nark."  Termed 
also  une  riflette,  un  baladin. 

Roussi,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner  who 
acts  as  a  spy  on  fellow-prisoners. 

Ton  orgue  tapissier  aura  t\€  fait  marron. 
...  II  faut  etre  arcasien.  C'est  un  galifard. 
II  se  sera  laiss^  jouer  rharnache  par  un 
roussin,  peut-Stre  meme  par  un  roussi,  qui 
lui  aura  battu  comtois  .  .  .  je  n'ai  pas  taf, 
je  ne  suis  pas  un  tafFeur,  c'est  Colombo, 
mais  il  n'y  a  plus  qu'k  faire  les  lezards,  ou 
autrement  on  nous  la  fera  gambiller. — V. 
Hugo,  Les  Miserailes.  \Xonr  frierid  tke 
innkeeper  must  have  been  taken  in  the  at- 
tempt. One  ought  to  be  ivide  aivake.  He 
is  a  flat.  He  must  have  been  bamboozled 
by  a  detective,  perhaps  even  by  a  prison 
spy,  ivko  played  the  simpleton.  I  am  not 
afraid,  lam  nocffward,  thaV swell  known; 
the  only  thing  to  be  done  novj  is  to  run 
away,  else  we  are  done  for.) 

Roussin,  m.  {th\e\es'),  police  o^er, 
"crusher ; "  detective. 

Entre  eux,  ils  sont  un  peu  fijres,  un  peu 

cousins ; 
Aussi  d6nichent-ils  des  gosses,  des  petites, 
Qu'ils  envoient  mendier,  en  guettant  les 

roussins. 
Pour  se  payer  deux  ronds  de  frites. 

RiCHEPiN,  Les  Mdmes. 

Roussiner  (popular),  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  police  to  one. 


Roustamponne,  /  (thieves'),  po- 
lice, "  reelers,  or  frogs." 

Rousti,  adj.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
ruined,  "  smashed; "  apprehended, 
"nailed,  or  nabbed." 

Roustir  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
cheat,  "  to  stick  ;  "  to  rod  one  of 
all  his  valuables. 

A  I'heure  qu'il  est  I'entonne  est  roustie. 
— ViDOCQ.  i.A  ndnow  the  church  is  stripped 
of  all  its  valuables^ 

Neuf  plombes.  La  fete  bat  son  plein  .  .  . 
eul'  joueur  d'honneteau  m'a  dej^  rousti 
vingt  ronds. — Teublot,  Le  Cri  du  Peuple, 
Sept.,  1886. 

RoustisseuT,  m.  (thieves'),  thief, 
"prig." 

Roustisseuse,y;  (popular),  woman 
of  lax  morals,  "  poll." 

Roustissure,  /.  (theatrical),  in- 
significant  part ;  (popular)  had 
joke;  swindle;  worthless  thing. 

Roustons,  m.  pi.  (popular),  tes- 
ticulcE. 

Rousture,  f.  (thieves'),  man  under 
police  surveillance. 

Route,  m.  (popular),  mettre  au  — , 
to  rout ;  to  break  ;  to  destroy. 

Vous  avez  beau  dire  .  .  ._  faut  que  tout 
ga  soit  foutu  au  route,  qu'i  n'en  reste  pu 
miette. — Le  Drapeau  Roitge  de  la  Mere 
Duchesne,  1792. 

Old  word  roupte,  from  the  Low 
Latin  rupta,  signifying  rout.  The 
word  is  used  by  Villon  : — 

De  maulx  briguans  puissent  trouver  tel 

route 
Que  tous  leurs  corps  fussent  mis  par  mor- 

ceux. 
Ballade  Joyeuse  des  Tavemiers. 

Routifere,  /.  (popular),  prostitute 
who  plies  her  trade  on  the  high 
road.     See  Gadoue. 

Roveau,  or  robau,  m.  (old  cant), 
mounted  police. 


412 


Ru — Rup. 


Ru,  m.  (thieves'),  brook  (old  word). 

Je  vais  dans  le  ru  pecher  k  la  ligne.  _ 
Beaux  poissons  d'argent  je  vous  ferai  signe. 
Voyez  au  soleil  briller  mon  couteau, 
Oh !  oh ! 
Avec  mon  couteau 
Je  vous  ferai  signe 
Dans  I'eau. 
RiCHEPiN,  La  Chanson  des  Gueux. 

Rub  de  rif,  m.  (thieves'),  railway 
train,  "  rattler." 

Ruban  de  queue,  m.  (popular), 
never-ending  road, 

Rubis,  m.  (popular),  sur  pieu, 
ready  money ;  —  cabochon  (obso- 
lete), see  Flageolet. 

Deux  perles  orientales 
Ec  un  rubis  cabochon. 

Parnasse  des  Muses. 

Rublin,  m.  (thieves'),  ribbon. 

Rude,  m.  (popular),  brandy.  See 
Tord-boyaux. 

Rudement,  adv.  (familiar  and 
popular),  awfully. 

Rue,/,  (popular),  au  pain,  throat, 
"gutter  lane;"  —  barree,  or  oil 
Ton  pave,  street  in  which  a  cre- 
ditor lives,  and  which  is  to 
be  avoided ;  —  du  bee  depavee, 
gap-toothed  mouth,  one  with 
"  snaggle  teeth."  (Rag-pickers') 
Aller  voir  Madame  la  — ,  to  go  to 
work  picking  rags,  ^'c,  in  the 
street, 

Ruelle,/.  (popular),  il  ne  tombera 
pas  dans  la  — ,  is  said  of  a  drunken 
man  lying  in  the  gutter,  and  who 
in  consequence  does  not  risk  fall- 
ing from  the  wall  side  of  his  bed. 
In  English  slang  he  is  said,  when 
in  that  state,  to  "lap  the  gutter." 

Ruette,  /.  (popular),  mouth,  or 
"kisser." 

Ruf,  m.  (thieves'),  prison  warder. 

Rufan,  m.  (Breton  cant),  fire. 
Italian  cant  ruffo. 

Ruffante.     See  Abbaye. 


Ruine,  adj.  (horse-trainers'),  un 
cheval  —  sur  son  devant,  a  horse 
ivith  bent  knees,  inclined  "  to  say 
his  prayers. " 

Ruisselant  d'inouisme,  adj.{{&mi- 
liar),  superlatively  fine ;  mar- 
vellous, "crushing." 

Rumfort  (familiar),  voyage  a  la  — , 
is  said  of  one  who  goes  on  a  pre- 
tended journey,  so  as  to  escape  the 
toll  of  new  year's  gratuities  and 
gifts. 

Rup,  or  rupin,  adj.  and  tn.  (popu- 
lar), excellent ;  fine  ;  handsome. 

Su'  le  moment,  9a  vous  a  bono'  mine ; 
Cast  frais,  c'est  pimpanc,  c'est  rupin ; 
Que'qu*  temps  apr^s,  la  blanche  hermine 
S'transfbrme  en  vulgaire  peau  d'lapin. 
Jules  Jouy,  La  Neige. 

Avoir  I'aspect  — ,  to  look  rich. 

lis  s'emparent  des  portieres  et  les  d^- 
fendent  centre  les  gens  qui  n'ont  pas  I'aspect 
rupin.  lis  ne  les  laissent  libres  que  pour 
les  gens  qui  leur  paraissent  avou-  de  la 
douille.  — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

C'est  un  — ,  he  is  clever,  under- 
stands thoroughly  his  business, 
"he  is  a  regular  tradesman."  No 
better  compliment,  says  the  Slang 
Dictionary,  can  be  passed  on  an 
individual,  whether  his  profession 
be  house-breaking,  prize-fighting, 
or  that  of  a  handicraftsman,  than 
the  significant  "  He  is  a  regular 
tradesman."  Le  —  des  rupins, 
the  best  of  the  thing. 

Et  puis,  I'plus  bath  !    Le  rupin  des  rupins, 
C'est  qu'on  n'sait  pus  oil  nous  parquer. 

Parole! 
Ainsi  dans  I'doute  on  nous  laisse  Ik. 

Le  Contentenient  du  Ricidiviste, 
ct  Vajwre. 


(Thieves')    Rupin,    rich, 
ballasted." 


'  well 


Les  plus  rupins,  depuis  qu'on  a  imprimtf 
des  dictionnaires  d'argot,  entravent  bigome 
comme  nouzailles. — Vidocq. 

Rupin,  gentleman,  or  "nib cove." 

lis  s'enquiferent  oi»  demeurent  quelques 
marpeaux  pieux,  rupins  et  marcandiers  d^ 


Rupine — Sabre. 


413 


vols,  qii'ils  bient  trouver  en  leur  creux. — 
Le  Jargon  de  V Argot. 

The  word  rupin  is  derived  from 
the  Gypsy  rup,  Hindustani  rupa, 
money.  In  Breton  cant  rup  has 
the  meaning  of  citizen  or  wealthy 
man. 

Rupine,/  (thieves'),  lady. 

RupinskofF,  adj.  (popular),  ex- 
cellent, "  out  and  out ;  "  ricA. 

Rural,  m.,  name  given  to  the  Con- 
servative members  of  the  Assemblee 
Nationale  in  187 1. 

Russes,   adj.   and   m.    (military), 


bas,  or  chaussettes  — ,  strips  of 
linen  wrapped  round  the  feet  at 
the  time  when  soldiers  were  not 
provided  with  regulation  socks. 

De  bas  russes  tu  garniras 
Tes  bottes  ou  tu  plongeras 
Les  dix  arpions  de  tes  pieds  plats. 
Dubois  de  Gennes. 

(Common)  Des  — ,  short  whiskers. 

Rustau,  m.  (thieves'),  variety  of  re- 
ceiver of  stolen  property,  "  fence." 

Le  remisage,  tenu  par  le  rustau,  est  le 
fourgat  des  voleurs  ou  assassins  de  grandes 
routes  travaillant  en  province  et  operant 
jusqu'k  I'^tranger. — M^moires  de  Mon- 
sieur Claude, 


Sabache,  adj.  and  m.  (popular), 
foolish;  dunce,  ox  "dunderhead." 
A  corruption  of  "  sabot,"  a  dis- 
paraging slangy  epithet. 

Sable,  m.  (thieves'),  sugar;  sto- 
mach, or  "middle  piece."  Les 
%z!a\ts,the cells.  (Popular)  Sable, 
money.  An  allusion  to  the  colour 
of  gold.  (Freemasons')  Sable 
blanc,  salt ;  — jaxine,  pepper. 

Sabler  (thieves'),  to  kill  one  by 
striking  him  with  an  eel-skin 
bag  filled  with  sand. 

Sabocbe,  f.  (popular),  awkward 
person ;  bad  workman.  A  cor- 
ruption of  sabot. 

Sabocher,  saboter  (popular),  to 
do  bad  work. 

Sabord,  m.  (popular),  jeter  un 
coup  de  — ,  to  examine  the  accu- 
racy of  the  work  ;  to  control. 

Saborder  (sailors'),  to  thrash. 

Sabot,  m.  (popular),  nose,  or 
"boko;"  bad  workman;  car- 
riage, or   "  rumbler  ;  "    (popular 


and  familiar)  bad  billiard  table; 
bad  musical  instrument ;  small 
boat ;  (thieves')  ship. 

Saboteur,  m.  (popular),  slovenly 
workman. 

Sabouler  (popular),  to  work  care- 
lessly ;  to  clean  boots,  ' '  to  japan 
trotter-cases." 

Sabouleur,  m.  {popalar),  shoe-black. 

Sabouleux,  m.  (old  cant),  rogue 
who  shams  epilepsy.  Termed  now- 
a-days  "batteur  de  dig-dig." 
These  impostors  chevp  a  piece  of 
soap  to  make  it  appear  th^t  they 
are  frothing  at  the  mouth.  Now, 
soap  is  sabo  in  the  old  Proven9al, 
so  that  "sabouleux"  literally 
means  soapy. 

Sabre,  m.  (old  cant),  cudgel,  or 
' '  toko. "  Also  wood,  from  the 
furbesche  "sorbe,"  which  has 
the  same  signification.  (Popular) 
Avoir  un  — ,  to  be  drunk,  or 
"screwed."     Probably  from  the 


414 


Sabr^e —  Sacqu^. 


mea- 


fact  that  a  drunkard  stumbles 
about  as  if  he  were  impeded  by  at 
sword  beating  about  his  legs. 
See  Porapette.  Avoir  un  coup 
de  —  sur  le  ventre  is  said  of  a 
■woman  who  has  a  military  man 
for  her  lover,  who  has  "  an  attack 
of  scarlet  fever."  Un  joli  coup 
de  — ,  a  large  mouth,  like  a  slit 
made  by  a  cut  of  a  sword,  a 
' '  sparrow  mouth. " 

Sabree,  /   (old  cant),  a  yard 
sure, 

Sabrenas,  m.  (popular),  cobbler, 
"snob."  An  allusion  to  a  maker 
of  wooden  shoes,  as  "  sabre  "  had 
the  meaning  of  wood.  Also  clumsy 
workman. 

Sabrenasser,     or    sabrenauder, 

to  work  in  a  slovenly  m-anner. 

Sabreneux,  m.  (popular),  good  for- 
nothing  fellow.  Literally  sale 
breneux. 

Sabrer  (shopmen's),  to  measure  cloth 
with  a  yard ;  (popular)  to  do  a 
thing  hurriedly  and  badly. 

Sabre-tout,  m.  (general),  fire- 
eater. 

Sabreur,  m.  (popular),  slovenly 
workm-an. 

Sabri,  m.  (thieves'),  wood ;  forest. 
See  Sabre. 

Sabrieu,  m.  (thieves'),  rogue  who 
steals  wood. 

Sac,  m.  (thieves'),  un  — ,  or  un  mil- 
let,one  hundred  francs.  (Familiar) 
N 'avoir  rien  dans  son  — ,  to  be  de- 
void of  ability.  Donnerle — ,  to  dis- 
miss from  one's  employ,  "to  give 
the  sack. "  Un  —  a  vin,  drunkard, 
or"lushington."  (Popular)  Avoir 
le  —  plein,  to  be  drunk; 
to  be  pregnant,  or  "lumpy." 
Cracher,  or  eternuer  dans  le  — , 
to  be  guillotined.     See   Fauch6. 


En  avoir  plein  son  — ,  to  be  com- 
pletely drunk,  or  "obfuscated." 
Le  —  de  pommes  de  terre,  pro- 
tuberance of  the  muscles. 

Un  tout  jeune  homme  .  .  ,  frele  ct  char- 
mant  dans  une  ve.ste  de  chasse,  dont  le 
coutil  laissait  apercevoir  aux  biceps  le 
'*  sac  de  pommes  de  terre  "  du  savetler. — 
E.  UE  GoNCOURT,  La.Fitle  Elisa. 

Sac  h.  diables,  knowing,  cunning 
person,   a     "downy,    or    leary 
one. 

But  stick  to  this  while  you  can  crawl, 
To  stand  till  you're  obliged  to  fall. 
And  when  you're  wide  awake  to  all, 
You'U  be  a  leary  man. 

The  Leary  Man. 

Un  —  a  OS,  a  thin,  skinny  person, 
a  "bag  o'  bones."  Un  —  au 
lard,  a  shirt,  or  "flesh-bag."  Un 
—  a  puces,  a  dog,  or  "bufifer." 
En  avoir  plein  son  — ,  or  son  — , 
to  have  enough  of,  to  be  disgusted 
with. 

J'en  ai  mou  sac,  moi,  d'mon  dpouse  ; 
Mince  _d 'crampon  ;  j'y  trouv'  des  ch'veux, 
C'est  rien  de  1  dire.    C'que  j'me  fais  vieux  ! 
Par  li-d'sus  madame  est  jalouse  ! 

Gill. 

(Military)  Le  —  a  malices,  a  bag 
which  contains  a  soldier's  brushes, 
thread,  needles,  d^c.  De  mon  — , 
insulting  expression,  signifying 
worthless,  good-for-nothing. 

S'pece  de  canaille  !  sale  patissier  de  mon 
sac  !  bougre  d'escroc  !—  Charles  Leroy. 

Saccade,  /.  (obsolete),  donner  la 
— ,  to  sacrifice  to  Venus. 

Elle  aura  par  Dieu  la  saccade,  puisqu'il 
y  a  moines  autour. — Rabelais. 

Sacdos,  m.  (popular),  thin,  skinny 
person,  a  ' '  bag  o'  bones." 

Sacdoser      (popular),     to     become 
thin. 

Sachets,  m.  pi.  (populr.r),  stockings 
or  socks. 

Sacque,  adj.   (popular),  gtre  — ,  to 
be  well  off,  to  be  "  well  ballasted." 


Sacquer — Saint-Jean. 


41S 


Sacquer  (popular),  to  throw;  to 
dismiss  one  from  one's  employ, ' '  to 
give  the  sack. " 

Sacre-chien,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  coarse  brandy. 

Vous  vous  raperez  le  gosier  avec  du 
rhum  et  du  rack,  avec  le  troix-six  et  le 
sacr^chien  dans  toute  sa  puret^,  tandis 
qu'ils  se  I'humecteront  avec  les  onctueuses 
liqueurs  des  lies. — Th.  Gautier. 

Sacrer  (thieves'),  to  affirm. 

Sacriscain,  m.  (obsolete),  formerly 
husband  of  an  "abbesse,"  the 
mistress  of  a  house  of  illfame, 
"abbaye  des  s'offre  k  tous." 

Sacristie,  f.  (popular),  privy, 
"chapel  of  ease." 

Saffre,  m.  (popular),  gormandizer, 
"  grand  paunch."  Saffre  is  an  old 
French  word  to  be  found  in 
Le  Roman  de  la  Rose,  13th  and 
I4lh  centuries. 

Safran,  m.  (popular),  accommoder 
au  — ,  to  be  unfaithful  to  one's 
spouse.  Saffron  is  of  the  colour 
said  to  be  the  favourite  one  of  in- 
jured husbands. 

—  Parait  que  ce  sera  tres  gai  chez  Ma- 
dame Brischkoff:  rien  que  des  femmes 
marines  ! 

—  Un  bal  jaune,  quoi  \-~Jour?ml  Amu- 
sani. 

Saignante,  f.  (thieves').  See 
Laver. 

Saignement  de  nez,  m.  (thieves'), 
examination  of  a  prisoner,  "  cross- 
kidment. " 

Saigner  (thieves'),  faire  —  du  nez, 
to  kill,  "to  hush;"  to  cross-exa- 
mine,or  "  to  cross-kid."  (Popular) 
Faire  —  du  nez,  to  borrow  money^ 
"to  bite  the  ear,"  or  "  to  break 
shins." 

Saint-ciboire,  m.  (popular),  heart, 
"panter." 

Saint-Cr6pin,  m.  (popular),  shoe- 
makers' tools.     The  brothers  Cre- 


pin  and  Crepinien,  after  preaching 
the  Gospel  in  Gaul  in  the  third 
century,  settled  down  at  Soissons 
as  shoemakers,  and  one  of  them  is 
the  patron  of  shoemakers.  Etre 
dans  la  prison  de  — ,  to  have  tight 
shoes  on.  Saint-Crepin,  or  Saint- 
Frusquin,  savings  ;  properly. 

Saint  de  car6me,  m.  (popular), 
hypocrite,  "mawworm." 

Saint-Dome,  m.  (popular),  tobacco. 
From  Saint-Domingue,  where  to- 
bacco was  grown  in  large  quanti- 
ties. 

Sainte  Chiette,  m.  (popular), 
good-for-nothing  fellow. 

Sainte-Esp6rance,  /.  (popular), 
the  eve  of  the  pay-day. 

Sainte-Nitouche,  or  Sainte-Su- 
cree,  /.  (popular),  prude.  Faire 
sa  — ,  to  play  the  prude. 

Sainte-Touche,/.  (popular),  pay- 
day. 

Saint-Frusquin,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  one's  property ;  effects. 
Manger  tout  son  • — ,  to  spend  all 
one's  means.  An  imaginary  saint, 
from  "frusques," clothes;  ' 'rusca," 
in  furbesche. 

Saint-Hubert,  m.  (popular),  me- 
daille  de  — ,  five-franc  piece. 
Alluding  to  the  medal  of  the 
knightly  order  of  Saint-Hubert, 
founded  by  a  German  duke  in 
1444. 

Saint-Jean,  m.  (printers'),  effects. 
Probably  from  the  expression, 
etre  nu  comme  un  petit  Saint- 
Jean,  the  lack  of  effects  being 
taken  to  mean  the  effects  them- 
selves. Also  printers'  tools. 
Prendre  son  — ,  to  leave  the  work- 
shop for  good.  (Popular)  Faire  son 
petit — ,  to  put  on  innocent  airs  ;  to 
play  the  fool.     Saint -Jean  le  rond. 


4i6 


Saint-Jean-porte-latine — Saliveme. 


the  behind ;  — ■  Baptiste,  landlord 
of  a  wine-shop.  An  allusion  to 
the  water  he  adds  to  his  wine. 

Saint-Jean-porte-latine,  m.  (prin- 
ters'), the f He-day  of  printers. 

Saint-Lache,  m.  (popular),  patron 
of  lazy  people. 

Saint-Lambin,  m.  (popular),  slo-jo 
man. 

Saint-Laz,  m.  (popular),  abbre- 
viation of  Saint-Lazare,  a  prison 
for  unfaithful  wives  and  prosti- 
tutes. La  confrerie  de  — ,  the 
world  of  "unfortunates."  Bijou 
de  — ,  prostitute  imprisoned  in 
Saint-Lazare. 

Saint- Lichard,  m.  (popular),  gor- 
mandizer, "  grand  paunch." 

Saint-Longin,  m.  (popular).  See 
Longin. 

Saint-Lundi,  f  (popular),  feter  la 
— ,  to  get  drunk.     See  Sculpter. 

Saint-Pansatt,  m.  (popular),  man 
with  a  large  paunch,  "forty  guts." 

Saint-Pris.     See  Entrer. 

Saisissement,  m.  (thieves'),  straps 
which  bind  the  arms  and  legs  of  a 
convict  who  is  being  led  to  the 
guillotine. 

Salade,  /.  (thieves'),  answer,  A 
play  on  the  word  raiponce  (re- 
ponse),  a  kind  of  salad  called  ram- 
pioii ;  (popular)  whip.  Salade  de 
Gascon  (obsolete),  rope,  string. 
Salade  de  cotret,  cudgelling. 

Je  me  souvien  qu'i  me  menbre  chez  trois 
ou  quatre  capitaines  qui  leur  dirent  qu'iLs 
leur  ficheroient  une  salade  de  coteret, — 
Dialogue  sur  let  Affaires  du  Temps. 

Saladier,  m.  (popular),  bowl  of 
sweelenea  wine,  which  is  mixed  in 
a  salad  basin. 

Salaire,  m.  (thieves'),  shoe,  "daisy 
root. "     Corruption  of  Soulier, 


Salbin,  m.  (thieves'),  oath. 

Salbiner  (thieves'),  to  take  the  oath. 

Salbrenaud  (thieves'),  shoemaker, 
or  cobbler,  "  snob." 

Sale,  adj.  (popular),  coup,  or  — 
true  pour  la  fanfare,  a  bad  job  for 
us,  a  sad  look-out.  The  expres- 
sion is  generally  expressive  of  dis- 
appointment, or  when  any  dis- 
agreeable affair  occurs  which  there 
is  no  means  of  averting.  ' '  Here's 
the  devil  to  pay,  and  no  pitch  hot," 
English  sailors  will  say.  Avoir 
une  —  jactance,  "to  be  the  one 
to  jaw,"  or  "  to  be  the  one  to 
palaver."  (Bullies')  Un  —  gibier, 
a  frostitttte  who  does  not  bring  in 
much  money. ' 

Sale,  m.  (printers'),  wages  paid  in 
advance,  or  "dead  horse."  Mor- 
ceau  de  — ,  part  payment  of  debt. 
Demander  du  —  a  la  banque,  to 
ask  for  an  advance  on  wages.  Le 
grand  — ,  the  sea,  or  "  briny." 

Saler  (popular),  to  scold,  "to  haul 
over  the  coals  ;  "  —  quelqu'un, 
to  charge  too  much,  to  make  one 
"pay  through  the  nose,"  or  "to 
shave  "  him.  C'est  un  peu  sale 
is  said  ofa7i  extravagant  bill. 

Saliere,  f.  (popular),  repandre  la 
—  dessus,  to  charge  too  much, 
"to  shave."  Montrerses  salieres 
is  said  of  a  woman  with  thin 
breasts  who  wears  low  dresses,  EUe 
a  deux  sali^res  et  cinq  plats  is 
said  of  a  woman  with  skinny 
breasts.  A  play  on  the  words 
"  seins  plats,  _;fa^  bosoms, 

Salin,  m,  (thieves'),  yellow, 

Salir,  or  solir  (thieves'),  to  sell.  A 
corruption  of  saler,  to  charge  too 
much.  (Popular)  Se  —  le  nez,  to 
get  drunk.     See  Sculpter. 

Saliverne,  or  salivergne  (old  cant), 
cup ;  plate ;  platter,  or  "skew," 


Salle — Sanglier. 


417 


in  English  beggars'  and  Scottish 
gipsies'  lingo.  Rabelais  uses  the 
word  salverne  with  the  signifi- 
cation of  cup.  When  Pantagruel 
and  Panurge  pay  a  visit  to 
"I'oracle  de  la  Bouteille,"  they 
found : — 

Le  trophfe  d'un  buveur  bien  mignonne- 
ment  insculp^ :  sqavoir  est  _.  .  .  bour- 
raches,  bouteilles,  fioles,  ferri&res,  barils, 
baireaulx,  bomides,  pots  ...  en  aultre,  cent 
formes  de  verre  k  pied  .  .  .  hanaps,  breusses, 
jadeaulx,  salvemes. — PaniagrueL 

Salverne,  from  the  Spanish  salva. 
Saliveme  nowadays  signifies  salad. 

Salle,  /  (theatrical),  de  papier,  a 
playhouse  full  of  people  with  free 
tickets.  (Saumur  school  of  cavalry) 
La  —  Cambronne,  the  W.C. 
Alluding  to  General  Cambronne's 
more  than  energetic  alleged  reply 
at  Waterloo  when  called  upon 
to  surrender.  (Popular)  Salle  i 
manger,  mouth.  N'avoir  plus  de 
chaises  dans  sa  —  a  manger,  to  be 
toothless.  (Bullies')  Salle  de  danse, 
the  behind.  Thus  termed  because 
they  think  it  is  the  proper  object 
on  which  to  exercise  one's  feet. 

Salonnier,  m.  (familiar),  art  critic 
who  reviews  the  art  exhibition. 

Salopette,  /  (popular),  pair  of 
canvas  trousers  worn  crver  another 
pair. 

Salopiat,  or  salopiaud,  m.  (popu- 
lar), dirty  or  mean  fellow,  "snot." 
A  diminutive  of  salope,  which 
itself  comes  from  the  English 
sloppy. 

Salsifis,  m.  (popular),  fingers, 
"docks,  or  dukes." 

Saltimbe,  m.  (popular),  abbrevia- 
tion of  saltimbanque,  mountebank. 

Saluer  le  public  (theatrical),  ta  die. 
See  Pipe. 


Salutations  i  cul  ouvert,  f.  pi. 
(popular),  m.uch  bowing  and 
scraping  of  feet. 

Sanctus,  ?«.  (obsolete),  mark,  seal. 
A  play  on  the  words  saint  and 
seing. 

lis  sent  sortis  ;  le  gendarme  n'a  plus  6t€ 
qu'un  jean-f .  .  .,  Tofficier  I'y  a  foutu  son 
sanctus,  que  le  manche  de  son  ep^e  I'y 
faisoit  empl^tre. — 'journal  de  la  Rapie. 

Sang,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
de  poisson,  oil.  See  Prince.  Se 
manger  les  sangs,  to  fret, 

Sang-de-Versaillais,  adj.  (fa- 
miliar), facetious  term  for  deep  red. 
An  allusion  to  the  epithet  of  Ver- 
saillais  given  to  the  supporters  of 
the  government  during  the  insur- 
rection of  1871.  Journaliste  — , 
a  journalist  who  is  of  rabid  Re- 
publican opinions. 

Le  bel  Antony,  journaliste  Sang-de-Ver- 
saillais et  orateur  dynamitard. — A.  Sirven. 

Sangld,  adj.  (popular),  short  of 
cash,  with  one's  resources  at  "  low 
tide." 

Sangler  (popular),  se  — ,  to  stint 
oneself. 

Sanglier,  m.  (thieves'),  priest. 
Literally  wild  boar.  An  allusion  to 
his  black  robe,  or  from  the  words 
sans,  without,  and  glier,  infernal 
regions.  The  priest,  or  rather 
he  who  performed  the  marriage 
ceremony,  was  termed  in  old 
English  cant,  "patrico."  Dekker 
says  of  the  "  patrico ''  that  he 
performs  the  marriage  ceremony 
under  a  tree,  in  a  wood,  or  in  the 
open  fields.  The  bridegroom  and 
bride  place  themselves  on  each 
side  of  a  dead  horse  or  other 
animal.  The  "  patrico  "  then  bids 
them  live  together  until  death  do 
part  them.  Thereupon  they  shake 
hands,  and  all  adjourn  to  a 
neighbouring  tavern. 

E  E 


4i8 


Satif^sue — Saoul  comme  un  dne. 


Sangsue,/.  (popular),  kept  woman 
who  ruins  her  lover.  (Printers') 
Poser  une  — ,  to  correct  a  piece  of 
composition  for  an  absentee, 

Sangsurer  (popular),  to  draw 
largely  on  on^s  purse.  Se  — ,  to 
ruin  oneself  in  favour  of  another. 

Sans  (thieves'),  conde,  without  per- 
mission or  passport.  Cond^  sig- 
nified mayor,  authorities,  and  the 
word  was  imported  by  Spanish 
quacks.  Sans  dab,  orphan.  The 
word  "  dab  "  has  the  signification 
of  father,  chief,  king.  In  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries 
"  dabo  "  meant  master  of  a  house, 
and  probably  was  derived  from 
dam,  damp  (dominus),  used  by 
Rabelais  with  the  signification  of 
lord.  The  English  slang  has 
"dab,"  expert,  which  the  Slang 
Dictionary  believes  comes  from 
the  Latin  adeptus.  It  is  more 
likely  the  origin  is  the  French 
dab,  dabo.  Etre  —  canne  is  said 
of  a  convict  under  the  surveillance 
of  the  police  who  has  broken  bounds. 

Sans-beurre,  m..  (popular),  rag- 
pricker,  or  "  tot-picker." 

Sans-bout,  m.  (popular),  hoop. 

Sans-camelotte,  m.  (thieves'). 
Termed  also  soUiceur  de  zif, 
swindler  who  gets  money  advanced 
on  imaginary  goods  supposed  to  be 
in  his  possession. 

Sans-chagrin,  m.  (thieves'),  thi^, 
"prig."     See  Grinche. 

Sans-chasses,  m.  (thieves'),  blind 
man,  "groper,  or  puppy." 

Sans-cceur,  m..  (popular),  usurer. 

Sans-culotte,  »?.,  name  given  to 
the  Republicans  of  1793,  either 
because  they  discarded  the  old- 
fashioned  breeches  for  trousers, 
or  as  an  allusion  to  the  scanty 


dress  of  the  Republican  soldiers. 
The  word  has  passed  into  the 
language. 

Sans-dos,  m,  (popular),  stool. 

Sans-fade,  m.  (thieves*),  Stre  — , 
to  be  penniless,  or  "  dead  broke." 

Sans-feuille,/.  (thieves'),  gallows. 
This  expression  corresponds  to  the 
"  leafless  tree  "  of  Paul  Clifford's 
song.  Hanging  was  termed  for- 
merly, "etre  eleve  sur  une  bflche 
de  quinze  pieds,  epouser  cette 
veuve  qui  est  i  la  Greve,  danser 
sous  la  corde,  danser  une  cabriole 
en  I'air  sans  toucher  i  terre,  avoir 
le  collet  secoue,  etre  tue  de  la 
lance  d'un  puits,  regarder  par  une 
fenetre  de  chanvre,  jouer  du  haut- 
bois."  For  other  synonyms  see 
Monte  -  4  -  regret.  American 
thieves  use  the  expression  "  to 
twist,"  i.e.  to  hang. 

Sans-le-sou,  /».  (popular),  needy 
man,  one  who  is  "  hard  up." 

Sans-loches,  adj.  (thieves'),  etre 
— ,  to  be  deaf. 

Sans-mirettes,  adj.  and  m. 
(thieves'),  blind ;  blind  man, 
' '  groper,  or  puppy. " 

Sansonnet,  m.  (popular),  penis. 
Properly  starling. 

Santache,/  (popular),  health. 

Santaille,  f.  (popular),  the  prison 
of  La  Santl. 

Santarelle,/  (card-sharpers'),  faire 
une  — ,  to  give  cards  to  one^s partner 
in  such  a  way  as  to  be  able  to  see 
them. 

^antu,/  (thieves'),  health. 

Saoul  comme  un  Sne  (familiar 
and  popular),  "drunk  as  a  lord;" 
a  common  saying,  says  the  Slang 
Dictionary,  probably  referring  to 
the  facilities  a  man  of  fortune  has 
for    such    a    gratification.      The 


Saoulle — Saucier. 


419 


phrase  had  its  origin  in  the  old 
hard-drinlcing  days,  when  it  was 
almost  compulsory  on  a  man  of 
fashion  to  get  drunk  regularly 
'    after  dinner. 

Saoulle,/.  (thieves'),  blackguard. 

Sap,  m.  (popular),  coffin,  "  eternity 
box."  From  sapin,  fir  wood. 
Taper  dans  le  — ,  to  be  dead,  ' '  to 
have  been  put  to  bed  with  a 
shovel. " 

Sapajou,  m.  (popular),  vieux  — , 
old  debauchee,  old  "  rip."  One  as 
lecherous  as  a  monkey. 

Sapement,  m.  (thieves'),  or  gerbe- 
ment,  sentence. 

Saper  (thieves'),  to  sentence  ;  —  au 
glaive,  to  sentence  to  death. 

Sapeur,  m.  (thieves'),  judge,  or 
"  beak  ; "  (popular)  cigar  partly 
smoked. 

Sapin,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
hackney  coach,  or  "  shoful." 

EUe  causait  de  Tint^rieur  de  son  landau, 
^gay^e,  le  trouvant  cocasse,  au_  milieu  des 
embarras  de  voiture,  quand  "  il  s'engueu- 
lait  avec  les  sapins." — Zola. 

(Popular)  Redingote  de  — ,  coffin, 
or  "cold  meat  box."  Sentir,  or 
sonner  le  — ,  to  look  dangerously  ill. 

EUe  avait  un  fichu  rhume  qui  sonnait 
joliment  le  sapin. — Zola. 

(Thieves')  Sapin,  floor;  garret; 
—  de  muron,  garret  where  salt  is 
stored  away  ;  —  des  cornants  (ob- 
solete), the  earth  ;  afield.  Com- 
pare with  the  modern  expression 
"  plancher  des  vaches." 

Sapinifere,  /  (popular),  comi7ion 
grave  for  poor  people. 

Saquet,  m.  (popular),  shaking. 

Sardine,  f.  (popular).  Serrer  les 
cinq  sardines,  to  shake  hands. 
Rabelais  uses  the  verb  fourcher 
with  -A  like  signification.     (Mili- 


tary) Sardines,  stripes  on  the 
sleeves  of  a  tunic.  Sardines 
blanches,  those  worn  by  gendarmes. 

Deux  gendarmes  un  beau  dimanche, 
Chevauchaient  le  long  d'un  sender. 
L'un  avait  la  sardine  blanche, 
L'autre  le  jaune  baudrier. 
G.  Nadaud,  Les  Deux  Gettdarmes. 

Sardine,  m.  (military),  non-com- 
missioned officer. 

Sarrasin,  m.  (printers'),  workman 
who  works  at  reduced  wages,  or 
refuses  to  join  in  strikes,  a  "  knob- 
stick." 

Sarrasinage,  sarrasiner.  See 
Sarrasin. 

Satin,/  (popular),  a  "tribade." 
Defined  by  Littre  as  "une  femme 
qui  abuse  de  son  sexe  avec  une 
autre  femme. "  From  a  character 
in  Zola's  Nana. 

Satonnade,/  (convicts'),  bastinado. 
La  —  roule  k  balouf  igo,  there  is 
much  giving  of  bastinado  here. 

Satou,  or  satte,  m.  (thieves'), 
wood;  forest;  stick;  itinerant 
mountebank's  plant. 

Satousier,  m.  (Haeves'),  joiner. 

Satte.     See  Satou. 

Sauce,  /  (popular),  reprimand, 
"  wigging."  Gare  ^  la  —  !  look 
out  for  squalls  !  Gober  la  — ,  to 
bt  •  reprimanded  or  punished  for 
others.  II  va  tomber  de  la  — ,  it 
is  going  to  rain.  Accommoder  a 
la — piquaiite.  See  Accommo- 
der. (Prostitutes')  Sauce  tomate, 
menses.  Formerly  donner  la  — , 
had  the  signification  given  as 
follows : — 
Maniere  de  parler  libre,  qui .  .  .  signifie 

donner  du  mal  v^n^rien. — Le  Roux. 

Sauce,  adj.  (familiar),  toe  — ,  to 

be  wet  to  the  skin. 
Saucier,  m.  (restaurants'),  cook  who 

has  charge  of  the  making  of  sauces 

in  good  restaurants. 


420 


Saucisse — Savate. 


Saucisse,  /  (popular),  prostitute, 
or  "  mot ; "  —  plate,  thin  prosti- 
tute ;  —  municlpale,  poisoned 
meat  thrown  to  straying  dogs. 
Moi  — ,  /  also.     For  moi  aussi. 

Saucisson,  m.  (popular),  i  pattes, 
or  de  Bologne,  short  and 
fat  person,  "humpty  dumpty." 
(Thieves')  Saucisson,  lead,  or 
"bluey."  Termed  also  "gras- 
double." 

Saut,  m.  (familiar),  faire  le  — ,  ex- 
plained by  quotation : — 

Obliger  une  femme  k  se  rendre,  la  pousser 
k  bout,  profiter  de  sa  faiblesse,  en  jouir. — 
Le  Roux. 

Formerly  faire  le  saut  signified  to 
steal. 

Saute-dessus,  m.  (thieves'),  se 
prendre  au  — ,  to  assume  a 
threatening  tone. 

■  Aprfes  avoir  provoqu^  k  la  ddbauche  celui 
qui  a  eu  le  malheur  de  les  aborder,  ils 
changent  tout  k  coup  de  ton,  le  prennent, 
comme  ils  disent,  au  saute-dessus  et  se 
donnant  pour  des  agents  de  I'autorit^  les 
menacent  d'une  arrestation, — Tardieu, 
Etude  Mldico-ligale. 

Sauter  (popular),  to  stink;  —  a  la 
perche,  to  be  unable  to  procure 
food;  —  sur  le  poil  i  quelqu'un,  to 
attack  one.  (Thieves')  Sauter,  to 
steal ;  to  conceal  from  one^s  accom^ 
plices  the  proceeds  of  a  robbery  ;  — 
a  la  capahut,  to  murder  an  accom- 
plice in  order  to  rob  him  of  his  share 
of  the  booty.  (Familiar)  Sauter  le 
pas,  to  become  a  bankrupt,  "  to  go 
to  smash. "  Also  to  die.  See  Pipe. 
Sauter  le  pas,  to  lose  one's  maiden- 
head, "to  have  seen  the  elephant;" 
—  une  femme,  to  have  connection 
with  a  woman.  (Card-sharpers') 
Faire  —  la  coupe,  to  place  the 
cut  card  on  the  top,  by  dexterous 
manipulation,  instead  of  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pack,  "to  slip"  a 
card.  (Cavalry)  Sauter  le  bas- 
flanc,  to  jump  over  the  walls  of  the 


barracks  for  the  purpose  of  spending 
the  night  in  town. 
Sauterelle,/  (familiar), prostitute; 
see  Gadoue  ;  (thieves')  flea, 
called  sometimes  "F  sharp." 
(Shopmen's)  Sauterelle,  woman 
who  examines  a  number  of  articles 
without  purchasing  any. 

On  appelle  ainsi  dans  les  ma^asins  de 
nouveaut^s  les  femmes  qui  font  plier  et  dd- 
plier  vingt  ballots  sans  acheter, — L.  NoiR. 

Executer  une  — ,  to  summarily  get 
rid  of  stich  a  troublesome  person. 

Sauterie,  f,  (familiar),  dance,  or 
"hop." 

Sauteron,  or  sauterondoUes.  in. 
(thieves'),  banker ;  changer.  Sau- 
teron is  only  another  name  for 
thief. 

Sauteur,  m.  (familiar),  man  not  to 
be  relied  on ;  political  turn-coat, 
"rat."  In  military  riding  schools, 
horse  trained  to  buck  jump,  and 
ridden  without  a  saddle  or  bridle. 

Sauteuse,^  (popular),  ballet-girl ; 
girl  of  indifferent  character,  or 
"shake ; "  flea,  or  "  F  sharp." 

Sauvage.     See  Habiller. 

Sauver  la  mise  4  quelqu'un 
(popular),  to  help  one  out  of  a 
difficulty. 

Sauvette,  f.  (popular),  money,  or 
"oof."  See  Quibus.  Sauvette, 
wicker  basket  used  by  rag-pickers. 

Savate,  f.  (popular),  bad  work- 
man. (Familiar  and  popular)  Joiier 
comme  une — ,to  play  badly .  (Mili- 
tary) Savate,  corporal  punishment 
inflicted  by  soldiers  on  a  comrade, 
"  cobbing ; "  (sailors')  —  pre- 
mier brin,  rum  of  the  first 
quality. 

Et  le  tafia  du  coup  de  la  fin,  du  jus  de 
bottes,  ne  plus  ne  moins,  de  la  savate  pre- 
mier brin  !  Comme  c'dtait  bon,  oh^,  les 
frferes,  de  se  suiver  ainsi  restomac — Rl- 

CHBPIN. 


Savater — Schtard. 


421 


Savater  (popular),  to  work  care- 
lessly, 

Savetier,  m.  (popular),  clumsy 
workman;  (familiar)  man  who 
does  anything  carelessly,  without 
taste. 

Savon,  m.  (familiar),  reprimand. 
Conner  un  — ,  synonymous  of 
laver  la  tete,  to  reprimand,  to 
scold,  "  to  haul  over  the  coals." 

Savonn6,  adj.  (thieves'),  white. 

Je  vais  alors  chercher  deux  doubles  cho- 
lettes  de  picton,  du  larton  savonud. — Vi* 

DOCQ. 

Savonner  (popular),  to  reprimand, 
"  to  haul  over  the  coals  ; "  to 
chastise,  "to  dust  one's  jacket," 
see  Voie  ;  (thieves')  to  steal,  "to 
claim  ; "  —  une  cambuse,  to  strip 
a  house,  "  to  do  a  crib." 

Savoyard,  m.  (familiar),  rough,  ill- 
mannered  man,  a  "sweep." 
Sweeps  hailed  formerly  from 
Savoy. 

Savoyarde,  /.  (thieves'),  portman- 
teau, "peter,  or  rodger."  Faire 
la  — ,  to  steal  a  portmanteau,  "  to 
heave  a  peter  from  a  drag." 

Scarabombe,/.  (thieves'),  astonish- 
ment. 

Scarabomber  (thieves'),  to  asto- 
nish. 

Scene,  /  (theatrical),  etre  en  — , 
to  give  all  onis  attention  to  one^s 
part  during  the  performance. 
(Familiar  and  popular)  Avant- 
scenes.     See  Avantages. 

Schabraque,  /  (military),  vieille 
— ,  old  prostitute. 

Schaffouse,  m.  (popular),  the  be- 
hind. A  play  on  the  town  of 
that  name,  chute  du  Rhin,  and 
chute  du  rein,  lower  part  of  back. 

Schako,  m.  (popular),  head,"mA." 


Schelingophone,  m.  (popular), 
the  breech.  SeeVasistas.  Enlever 
le  —  a  quelqu'un,  to  kick  one's 
behind,  "  to  hoof  one's  bum." 

C'est  moi,  si  eune  dame  m'parlait  ainsi, 
que  j'aurais  vite  fait  d'i  enlever  le  sche- 
lingophone.— Gr^vin. 

Schlague,  f.  (popular),  thrashing 
with  a  stick,  " imruping."  From 
the  German. 

Schlag'uer  (popular),  to  thrash, 
"  to  larrup."     See  Voie. 

SchlofT,  m.  (popular),  sleep,  or 
"  balmy."  Faire  — ,  to  sleep,  "  to 
have  a  dose  of  the  balmy. " 

Schloffer  (popular),  to  sleep,  "to 
have  a  dose  of  the  balmy. "  From 
the  German. 

Schnaps,  m.  (popular),  brandy. 
See  Tord-boyaux. 

£t  surtout  n'oubliez  pas  le  caf6  avec  le 
schnaps. — Mahalin, 

Schness,  m.  (thieves'),  physiog- 
nomy. 

Schnick,  m.  (popular),  brandy, 
"  French  cream."  See  Tord- 
boyaux. 

Schniquer  (popular),  to  get  drunk 
on  brandy. 

Schniqueur  (popular),  brandy- 
bibber, 

Schpile,  adj.  (popular),  good ;  ex- 
cellent, or  "clipping;"  fine. 
Synonymous  of  "becnerf."  II 
n'est  pas  —  i  frayer,  he  is  not 
good  company. 

Schpiler  (popular),  to  do  good  work. 

Schproum,  m.  (thieves'),  faire  du 
— ,  to  make  a  noise,  ' '  to  kick  up 
a  row." 

Schtard,  m.  (thieves'),  prison, 
"stir."  See  Motte.  La  —  aux 
frusques,  a  pawnbroker's  shop. 
La  —  des  lascars,  the  prison  of 
La  Roquette. 


422 


Schtardier — Sicker. 


Schtardier,  m.  (thieves'),  prisoner, 

"canary." 
Schtosse.     See  Monter. 

Schtosser  (thieves'),  se  — ,  to  get 
(/r««/6,  or  "canon."  SeeSculpter. 

Sciant,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
tiresome,  annoying. 

Scie,  /  (familiar  and  popular), 
annoyance  ;  tiresome  person  ; 
exasperating  rigmarole.  Monter 
une  — •  k  quelqu'un,  to  annoy 
one  by  the  co7itinual  repetition  of 
words  or  joke.  (Popular)  Scie, 
wife,  or  ' '  comfortable  impu- 
dence." Porter  sa  — ,  to  walk 
with  one's  wife. 

Scier  (familiar  and  popular),  or  — 
le  dos,  to  annoy,  "  to  bore." 

Je  m'en  fiche  pas  mal  de  votre  Alexandre  ! 
VoilSi  trop  longtemps  que  vous  me  sciez 
avec  votre  Alexandre  !  J'en  ai  assez  de 
votre  Alexandre  ! — P.  Mahalin. 

Scier  dubois,  to  play  on  a  stringed 
instrument. 

Scieur  de  bpis,  m.  (familiar), 
violinist. 

Scion,  m..  (popular),  stick.  From 
scier;  (thieves')  i«y^«,  "chive." 

Scionner  (popular),  to  apply  the 
stick  to  one's  shoulders,  "to  lar- 
rup," see  Vole ;  (thieves'  and 
cads')  to  knife.  Scionne  !  mor- 
gane  !  stick  him  I  bite  him  ! 

Scionneur,  m.  (thieves'),  murderer. 
See  Sionneur. 

Scribouillage,  m.  (literary),  bad 
style  of  wiiting,  "penny-a- 
lining." 

Scrutin,  m.  (familiar),  assister  au 
—  de  ballotage,  to  be  present 
while  a  lady  is  undressing  her- 
self. 

Sculpsit,  m.  (artists'),  sculptor. 
Sculpter     (popular),    se   —    une 
gueule  de  bois,  to  get  drunk,  or 


"  screwed."  The  synonyms  are: 
"s'allumer,  se  fianquer  une  cu- 
lotte,  se  poivrotter,  partir  pour  la 
gloire,  se  poisser,  se  schtosser,  se 
schniquer,  se  pocharder,  se  tuiler, 
prendre  une  barbe,  se  piquer  le 
nez,  se  cingler  le  blaire,  s'em- 
poivrer,  s'empaffer,  mettre  son 
nez  dans  le  bleu,  se  piquer  le 
tasseau,  se  coUer  une  biture,  faire 
cracher  ses  soupapes,  se  cardina- 
liser,  ecraser  un  grain,  se  coaguler, 
se  farder,  se  foncer,  s'emerillon?- 
ner,  s'emecher,  s'enluminer,"  &c. 
For  the  English  slang  terms  se4 
Pompette. 

Seance,  /  (thieves'  and  roughs')', 
refiler  une  — .  to  thrash.  See 
Voie. 

S£ant,  m.  (popular),  the  breech, 
"Nancy."    See  Vasistas. 

Seau,  m.  (military),  etre  dans  le 
— ,  to  be  gone  to  the  privy. 

Sec,  m.  and  adj.  (players'),  joueren 
cinq  — ,  to  play  one  game  only  in 
five  points.  (Thieves')  Etre  — > 
to  be  dead.  (Military)  II  fait  — . 
we  are  thirsty. 

Sec-aux-os,  m.  (popular),  bony, 
skinny  fellow. 

Ce  g^nd  dur-^-cuir,  au  cuir  tann^,  ce 
long  sec-aux-os,  tel  qu'un  pantin  en  bois 
des  lies,  avec  son  corps  sans  fin  et  noueux 
d'articulatioDS. — Richepin. 

S&che,  .  f.  (popular),  cigarette. 
(Thieves')  La  — ,  death. 

Sech£,  adj.  (students'),  ^tre — ,  to  be 
disqualified  at  anexamination,''^\a 
be  spun,  or  ploughed."  (Popu- 
lar) Etre  — ,  to  become  sober  again^ 
(Military  schools')  Etre  — ,  to  be 
punished. 

S6ch£e,  /.  (military  schools'), 
punishment ;  arrest. 

S6cher  (schoolboys'),  le  lycee,  to 
play  truant ;  —  un  devoir,  not  to 


Skhoir—Sinat. 


423 


do  one's  exercise  ;  —  un  candidat, 
to  disqitalify  a  candidate.  (Popu- 
lar) Secher,  to  drink,  "  to  lush." 
See  Rincer.  Secher  un  litre,  une 
absinthe,  un  bock,  to  drink  a  litre 
of  wine,  a  glass  of  absinthe,  of 
leer. 

C'€tait  un  singulier  coco  .  -  .  ilsfichait 
ies  bocks  k  faire  croire  que  son  gosier  dtait 
capable  d'absorber  le  canal  Saint-Martin. — 
Mhnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude, 

Secher  la  tata,  to  bore  one. 

S6choir,  m.  (popular),  cemetery. 

Secot,  m.  (popular),  thin  boy  or 
man. 

Secouer  (popular),  Ies  bretelles  a 
quelqu'un,  to  give  one  a  good 
shaking.  Secouer,  or  —  Ies  puces, 
to  scold,  "to  haul  over  the  coals  ; " 
to  thrash.  See  Voie.  Secouer 
ses  puces,  to  dance;  —  la  com- 
mode, to  grind  the  organ ; 
(thieves')  —  I'artiche,  to  steal  a 
furse ;  —  la  perpendiculaire,  to 
steal  a  watch-chain,  "to  claim  a 
slang  ; "  —  un  chandelier,  to  rob 
with  violence  at  night,  "  to 
jump." 

Secousse,  f.  (popular),  prendre  sa 
— ,  to  die.  See  Pipe.  Un  con- 
tre-coup  de  la  — ,  a  foreman. 
Termed  thus  on  account  of  his 
generally  coming  in  for  the  greater 
share  of  a  reprimand.  (Military) 
N'gn  pas  foutre,  or  fiche  une  — , 
to  do  nothing,  to  be  idling. 

Eh  ben,  men  colon,  faut  croire  que  c'est 
I'monde  ertoumd,  pisque  c'est  Ies  hommes 
ed'  la  classe  qui  sont  comoiand^s  de  four- 
rage  durant  que  Ies  bleus  n'en  fichent  pas 
une  secousse.— G.  Courteline. 

Secretmucbe,  m.  (popular),  secre- 
tary. 

Seigneur  k  musique,  m.  (thieves'), 
murderer.  From  saigner,  to 
bleed,  and  alluding  to  the  shrieks 
of  the  victim. 


Seize,  m.  (popular),  souliers  — , 
tight  shoes.  A  play  on  the  words 
"  treize  et  trois,"  that  is,  "trfes 
etroits." 

Seize-mayeux,  m.  (familiar),  name 
given  to  the  consfirators  of  i6ih 
May,  1877,  who,  being  at  the  head, 
of  the  government  of  the  Republic, 
were  seeking  to  upset  it. 

Pour  Ies  partisans  du  ministbre  du  16 
mai,  on  a  trouve  le  nom  de  seize-mayeux. 
— Gazette  Anecdotique. 

Sellette  k  criminal,  /.  (obsolete), 
prostitute,  an  associate  of  thieves. 

Je  veux  te  procurer  un  habit  de  vestale 
Four  une  annde  au  moins  au  Temple  de  la 

gale, 
Selette  k  criminel,  matelas  ambulant. 

A  Tnusemens  d.  la  Grecque. 

Semaine,  /.  (familiar),  des  quatre 
jeu'dis,  never,  ' '  when  the  devil  is 
blind."  (Military)  N'gtre  pas  de 
— ,  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
some  business. 

Semelle.  See  Chevaux,  Feuil- 
letee. 

Semer  quelqu'un  (popular),  to  get 
rid  of  one  ;  to  knock  one  down. 
Semer  des  miettes,  to  vomit,  "to 
cast  up  accounts." 

Seminaire,  m.  (old  cant),  the 
hulks. 

Semper,  m.  (popular),  tobacco, 
"fogus."  For  superfin,  distorted 
into  semperfinas,  and  finally 
semper. 

Senaqui,  m.  (thieves'),  gold  coin, 
"yellow  boy." 

Senat,  m.  (popular),  wine-shop  fre- 
quented by  a  certain  class  of 
workman, 

Depuis  longtemps,  Ies  travailleurs  appel- 
lent  Ies  marchands  de  vin  oil  ils  se  r^unis- 
sent  par  spdcialit^,  des  s^nats.— i«  SuO- 
lime. 


424 


Shiateur — Seringue. 


S^nateur,  m.  (popular),  well- 
dressed  man,  "  gorger ;"  workman 
who  frequents  "  senats  "  (which 
see) ;  (butchers')  bull. 

Sens  devant  dimanche  (popular), 
upside  down. 

Sentinelle,  f.  (popular),  lump 
of  excrement,  or  "  quaker  ;" 
(printers')  glass  of  wine  awaiting 
one  at  the  wine-shop.  Sentinelles, 
badly-adjusted  letters. 

Sentir  (popular),  le  bouquin,  to 
emit  a  strong  odour  of  hujnanity, 
to  be  a  "  medlar. "  The  expres- 
sion reminds  one  of  the  "olet 
hircum "  of  Horace,  and  of 
Terence's  "  apage  te  a  me,  hircum 
oles. "  (General)  Sentir  le  coude  k 
gauche,  to  feel  certain  of  the  sup- 
port of  friends.  Cela  sent  mau- 
vais,  there^  s  something  wrong,  "I 
smell  a  raL  " 

S'entrainer  k  la  barre  (ballet 
dancers'),  mode  of  practising  one's 
steps. 

Sept,  ni.  (rag-pickers'),  hook  used 
for  picking  up  pieces  of  paper  or 
rags.  (Sporting)  Sept-k-neuf, 
morning  riding-suit. 


Quel  joli   sept-i-neuf  cela   ferait ! — Le 
Figaro, 

Ser,  m.  (thieves'),  signal.  Faire  le 
— ,  to  be  on  the  watch,  on  the 
"nose." 

Serge,  or  sergot,  m.  (popular), 
police  officer,  or  "crusher."  See 
Pot-a-tabac. 

Voyez-vous,  frangins,  eh  !  sergots, 
Faut  St'  bon  pour  I'esp^ce  humaine. 
D'vant  I'pivois  les  homm's  sont  6gaux. 
D'ailleurs  j'ai  mass^  tout'  la  s'maine. 

RlCHEPIN. 

Sergent,  m.  (military),  de  crottin, 
non-commissioned  officer  at  the 
Cavalry  School  of  Saumur.  The 
allusion  is  obvious  ;  —  d'hiver, 
soldier  of  the  first  class.  An  allu- 
sion to  his  woollen  stripes,  which 


are  supposed  to  keep  him  warm 
in  winter.  (Popular)  Sergent  de 
vieux,  nurse  in  hospitals, 

Sergo,or  sergot,7«.  {pop\ila.T),police 
officer.  From  sergent  de  ville. 
See  Pot-a-tabac.  Avoir  des 
mots  avec  les  sergots,  to  be  appre- 
hended. Literally  to  quarrel  with 
the  police. 

Et  apprit  que  Josephine,  ayant  eu  des' 
"  mots  avec  les  sergots,"  pour  une  vilaine 
affaire,  avait  t\.€  faire  une  saison  a  Saint- 
Lazare. — Gyp. 

SergoUe,/  (thieves'),  belt. 

Serie,  f.  (university),  the  staff  of 
examiners  for  the  doctor's  degree, 

Serieux,  adj.  (cocottes'),  homme 
— ,  one  who  has  means. 

Serin,  m.  (popular),  gendarme  of 
the  subu7-bs ;  (familiar)  foolish 
fellow,  greerihoi'n. 

Seriner  (familiar),  quelque  chose  a 
quelqu'un;  to  keep  repeating  some- 
thing to  one,  so  that  he  may  get  it 
into  his  head.  (Thieves')  Seriner, 
to  divulge,  "  to  blow  the  gaff." 

Serinette,  f  (thieves'),  man  who 
swindles  one  under  threat  of  ex- 
posure ;  —  a  caracteres,  newspaper, 

Qu'est-ce  qu'il  vient  faire  ici  ce  jour- 
naleux  de  malheur  ?  .  .  .  Si  nous  le  suri- 
nions  !  .  .  .  Comme  cela  il  ne  jaspinera  plus 
de  I'orgue  dans  sa  serinette  k  caract&res. — 
Mitnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Serinette,  Sodomite. 

La  tante  est  tantot  appeMe  tapette,i  tantdt 
serinette. — Canler. 

Seringue,  /  (popular),  cracked 
voice.  Chanter  comme  ime  — , 
to  sing  out  of  tune.  Seringue  a 
rallonges,  telescope. 

C'est  Venus  que  je  veux  voir  ou  je  te 
d^molis,  toi  et  ta  seringue  k  rallenges. — 
Randon. 

(Familiar  and  popular)  Seringue, 
dull,  tiresome  person. 


Seringuinos — Servir. 


425 


Seringuinos,  m.  (familiar),  simple- 
minded  fellmio,  "  flat." 

Serpent,  m.  (Ecole  Polytechnique), 
one  of  the  fifteen  first  on  the  list 
after  the  entrance  examination; 
(military)  leathern  belt  used  as  a 
purse ;  —  des  reins,  same  mean- 
ing. 

Que  ze  veux  dire,  mon  ancien,  que  vous 
n'aurez  pas  la  peine  de  titer  mes  cdtes  pour 
voir  si  ma  ceinture  elle  est  rondement  gamie 
de  picailions.  Ze  connais  le  true  !  et  z'ai 
d^pos^  mon  serpent  des  reins  en  lieu  sQr 
avant  de  venir  ici. — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Serpentin,  m.  (thieves'),  convict's 
mattress, 

Serpettes,  f.  pi.  (military),  short 
and  bandy  legs. 

Ces  pauvres  tourlourous  1  9a  vous  a  six 
pouces  de  serpettes  et  le  dos  tout  de  suite. 
— Randon. 

Serpillifere  de  ratichon,  f. 
(thieves-'),  priest's  cassock.  Ser- 
pilliere  comes,  through  the  old 
French  sarpilli^re,  cloth,  or  robe, 
from  the  Low  Latin  serpeilleria, 
■woollen  stuff. 

Evandre  et  son,clier  fils  Pallas  .  ,  . 

£t  son  senat  en  serpilliere  .  .  . 

Entonnoient  un  beau  vaudeville. 

I^e  Virgile  Travesti. 

Grocers'  assistants  give  this  name 
to  their  aprons. 

Serrante,y;  (thieves'),  lock  ;  (popu- 
lar) belt,  sash. 

II  se  dandine  dans  son  large  pantalon  de 
velours  k  cdtes,  la  taille  sanglde  par  sa 
serrante  ^carlate. — Richepin,  Le  Pav4. 

Serr^,  adj.  (familiar),  needy ;  close- 
fisted,  or  "near." 

II  paralt  m€me  qu'il  est  trfcs  serr^.— 
Henri  Monnier. 

(Thieves')  Etre  — ,  to  be  locked  up. 

La  plus  cruellfe  injure  qu'une  fille  puiss* 
Jeter  au  front  d^shonor^  d'une  autre  fille 
c'est  de  I'accuser  d'infid^iit^  envers  un 
amant  serre  (mis  en  prison). — Balzac. 

Serrebois,  m.  (thieves'),  sergeant. 


Serrepogne,  m.  (popular),  hand- 
cuffs, "darbies,  or  hand  gyves. " 

Serrer  (popular),  to  imprison  ;  — 
la  vis,  to  strangle  ;  —  le  brancard, 
or  la  cuiller,  to  shake  hands  ;  — 
les  fesses,  to  be  afraid,  or 
"funky  ;"  —  le  ncEud,  to  marry, 
to  get  "switched."  Se  —  le 
gaviot,  to  go  without  food. 
(Thieves')  Serrer  la  gargamelle, 
or  le  quiqui,  to  strangle ;  (fami- 
liar) —  la  pince,  to  shake  hands  ; 
(military)  —  la  croupifere  i 
quelqu'un,  to  watch  one  nar- 
rowly ;  to  become  strict  to  one. 

Serrure,  /.  (popular),  avoir  la  — 
brouillee,  to  have  an  impediment 
in  one's  speech.  Avoir  laisse  la 
clef  4  la  — ,  to  have  failed  in  one's 
resolve  of  having  no  more  children. 
Avoir  mis  un  cadenas  i  la  — , 
refers  to  the  determination  of  a 
woman  to  live  in  a  state  of 
chastity. 

Sert,  or  ser,  m.  (thieves'),  signal. 

Servante,  f.  (theatrical),  lamp. 

Ce  fut  Massourier,  qui  connaissait  lea 
detours,  qui  prit  la  servante  dans  un  coin 
derriere  les  decors,  la  vissa  k  la  rampe  et 
Talluma.— E.  Monteil. 

Service,  m.  (theatrical), yri^isoji^j 
ticket. 

Qu'est-ce  que  cela  signifie  ?  Voilk  Fau- 
chery,  du  Bartholo,  qui  me  renvoie  son 
service,  II  n'entend  pas  avoir  une  loge  de 
c6t6,  quand  le  Druide  a  une  loge  de  face, 
— Mahalin. 

(Roughs'  and  thieves')  Le  —  du 
ChSteau,  prison  van,  or  ' '  Black 
Maria." 

Serviette,  /.  (thieves'),  stick,  cud- 
gel, "toko." 

Servir  (thieves'),  marron,  to  arrest 
in  the  act.      Probably  from  as- 
servir. 
Le  fait  est,  qu'avec  son  air  eifray^  et 

tremblant,  il  etait  bien  capable  de  mefeire 

servir  marron  (arrSter  en  flagrant  dflil). — 

Canler. 


426 


SMre —  S  iff  ran. 


Servir,  te  inform  against  one,  "  to 
blow  the  gaff;"  to  steal,  "to 
nim  ;"  to  apprehend,  "  to  smug." 
See  Piper.  Sexyixletrhpe,  to  keep 
back  the  crowd ;  —  de  belle,  to 
inform  falsely  against  one. 

Maintenant  il  s'agit  de  servir  de  belle 
une  lar^e  (de  ddnoncer  &  faux  une  femme}. 
■ — Balzac. 

Sevfere,  f.  (familiar),  en  voila  une 
—  !  is  said  of  incredible  news.  It 
also  means  that  is  really  too  bad, 
"  coming  it  too  strong." 

Sevres,  m.  (popular),  passer  a  — , 
to  receive  nothing.  From  sevrer, 
to  wean. 

Sezi^re,    s6zigue,    or  sezingard 

(thieves'),  he;  him;  she;  her. 
Mezigo  n'enterve  pas  mieux  que 
seziere,  /  do  not  understand  better 
than  he  does.  Rouscaillez  a  seziire, 
speak  to  him. 

Et  les  punit  en  la  forme  qui  suit :  pre- 
miferement  on  lui  6te  toutime  son  frusquin. 
puis  on  urine  dans  une  saliverne  de  sabri 
avec  du  pivois  aigre,  une  poign^e  de  mar- 
rons  et  un  torchon  de  frdtille,  et  on  frotte  ^ 
sdzifere  tant  son  proye,  qu'il  ne  d^morile 
d'un  mois  aprfes. — Le  Jargon  de  l^ Argot 

Sgoff,  adj.  (popular),  first-rate. 
See  Rup. 

Siamois,  adj,  (thieves'),  les  freres 
— ,  the  testicles.  An  allusion  to 
the  Siamese  tvpins. 

Siante,  /.  (thieves'),  chair.  For 
seante. 

Siberia,  /.  (printers'),  hack  part  of 
workshop,  where  apprentices  work 
in  the  cold. 

Sibiche,  sibigeoise,  or  sibijoite, 

f.  (popular),  cigarette. 

Sifecle,  m.  (familiar),  fin  de  — , 
dandy,  or  "masher." 

Un  jeune  "fin  de  sifecle  "  est  en  train 
d'essayer  un  veston.  Le  vetement  est  ajusti 
comme  un  maillot. 

—  Te  voudrais,  dit  le  jeune  homme,  que 
(a  colle  davantage. 


—  Trfes  bien,  dit  le  conpeur,  on  m.ettra  ^ 
monsieur  des  pains  k  cacheter  en  guise  de 
doublure. — Le  Voltaire. 

Sifernet  (Breton  cant),  drunk. 

Siffle,/:  (thieves'),  throat,  or  "red 
lane  ;  "  voice,  or  "  whistle." 

SifRer  (popular),  to  spend  money ; 

—  la  linotte,  to  wait  in  the  street. 
(General)  Siffler  au  disque,  to 
wait  for  m.oney ;  to  wait.  An 
allusion  to  a  signal  of  engine- 
drivers. 

^  Rien  k  faire  de  cette  femme-lk.  .  . .  J'ai 
sifH£  au  disque  as.sez  longtemps.  .  ,  .  Pas 
mfiche. .  . .  La  voie  est  barree.  . . .  Pardieu, 
nous  Savons  votre  fagon  de  sifHer  au  disque, 
dit  Christian,  quand  il  eut  compris  cette  ex- 
pression passde  de  I'argot  des  mecaniciens 
dans  celui  de  la  haute  gomme. — A.  Dau- 
DET. 

Avoir  tout  siffle,  to  be  ruined.  Tu 
peux  — ,  it  is  in  vain,  you'll  not 
get  it.     Siffler,  to  drink. 

Elle-meme  quand  elle  sifflait  son  verre 
de  rogomme  sur  le  comptoir  prenait  des 
airs  de  drame,  se  jetait  9a  dans  le  plomb 
en  souhaitant  que  ga  la  fit  crever, — Zola, 
U  Assotnmoir. 

Siffler  (popular),  to  spend  money , 
—  la  linotte,  to  wait  in  the  street. 
(General)  Siffler  au  disque,  to  xvait 
for  money  ;  to  wait.  An  allusion 
to  a  signal  of  engine-drivers. 

_  Rien  i  faire  de  cette  femme-la.  .  .  .  J'ai 
siffle  au  disque  assez  Jong  temps.  .  .  .  Pas 
meche,  .  .  .  La  voie  est  barree. .  .  ,  Pardieu, 
nous  Savons  votre  fagon  de  siffler  au  disque, 
dit  Christian,  quand  il  eut  compris  cette  ex- 
pression {lassie  de  I'argot  des  mecaniciens 
dans  celui  de  la  haute  gomme. — A.  Dau- 

DET. 

Avoir  tout  siffle,  to  be  ruined.  Tu 
peux  — ,  it  is  in  vain,  you'll  not 
get  it;  you  may  whistle  for  it, 
Siffler,  to  drink. 


(Military)  Sifflet,  gun. 

Siffran,  or  six-francs,  ?«.  (tailors'), 
board  used  by  tailors  for  pressing 
clothes. 


Sigisbdsnie — Sirknes  de  la gare  Saint-Lazare.       A27 


II  yavait  en  outre  une  planche  en  noyer, 
dite  siffran,  dont  les  tailleurs  se  servent 
pour  repasser  les  coutures  et  presser  les 
etoffes.— Mac4. 

Sigisbeisme,  m.  (familiar),  danc- 
ing attendance  upon  one. 

Comme  I'a  fort  bien  dit  Henri  Murger, 
lorsque  cette  sorte  de  sigisbeisme  nait  de 
la  sympathie  que  Ton  eprouve  pour  les 
ceuvres  d'un  ^crivain  et  de  Tattachement 
que  vous  inspire  sa  personne,  comme  toute 
chose  sincfere,  ce  sentiment  est  tres  hono- 
rable meme  dans  ce  que  pent  avoir  d'outrd 
radmiration  caniche  du  "  strapontiniste." — 
A.  DuBRUjEAUD,  Echo  de  Paris, 

Sigle,  sigue,  sigoUe,  or  cig,  / 
(thieves'),  twenty  -franc  coin. 
Double  — ,  forty-franc  coin.  Ser- 
vir  des  sigues,  to  steal  gold  coin. 
A  sovereign  is  termed  in  the 
English  slang  or  cant,  ' '  canary, 
yellow  hoy,  gingle  boy,  shiner, 
monarch,  couter." 

Signer  (popular),  se  —  des  orteils, 
to  be  hanged,  "to  be  scragged." 
See  Monte-4-regret. 

Sigris  bouesse,  or  bouzolle  (old 
cant),  it  freezes  ;  it  is  cold.  These 
words  seem  a  compound  of  gris, 
cant  term  for  wind,  and  boue, 
viud. 

Sime,  m.  andf.  (thieves'),  un  — ,  a 
townsman.     La  — ,  townspeople. 

Passe  devant  et  allume  si  tu  remouches 
la  sime  ou  la  patraque, — ViDOCQ. 

Simon,  m.  (popular),  aller  chez  — , 
to  ease  oneself.  See  Mouscailler. 
(Scavengers')  Simon,  a  man  whose 
ctiSpool  is  being  em-ptied. 

Simonner  (thieves'),  to  swindle, 
"to  best." 

Simonneur,  m.  (thieves'),  swindler, 
or  "mobsman," 

Simpliste  (journalists'),  one  who 
is  in  favour  of  a  reform  in  the 
spelling  of  words,  who  would  have 


every  word  written  as  it  is  pro- 
nounced. 

II  y  a  longtemps  que  des  "simplistes" 
ont  pr^conise  I'orthographe  phonetique. — 
Le  Voltaire^  7  Janvier,  1887. 

Here  is  a  specimen  of  the  mode 
recommended :  Notre  ortografe 
actuelle  est  absurde,  tou  le  moude 
e  d'accor  la-dessu.  Elle  fe  le 
desespoar  des  ecolie,  elle  absorbe 
le  melieur  tan  de  leurs  etudes 
&c. 

Sine  qua  non,  m.  (familiar), 
money.     See  Quibus. 

Singe,  m.  (popular),  foreman; 
master,  or  "  boss ;  "  passenger  on 
top  of  bus ;  (printers')  compositor, 
or  "donkey."  AXs,o  master.  Un 
—  bott4  a  funny,  amusing  man. 
(Thieves')  Singe  a  rabat,  magis- 
trate, or  "beak  ;"  —  de  la  rousse, 
police  officer,  or  "reeler."  See 
Pot-^-tabac. 

Singeresse,  /  (popular  and 
thieves'),  mistress,  or  landlady. 

Sinqui  (thieves'),  that. 

Sinve,  m.  (thieves'),  simple-minded 
man,  "flat."  Faire  le  — ,  or 
sinvre,  to  flinch. 

L'ami,  m'a-t-il  dit,  tu  n'as  pas  I'air  brave. 
Ne  va  pas  faire  le  sinvre  devant  la  carline. 
Vois-tu,  il  y  a.  un  mauvais  moment  &  passer^ 
sur  la  placarde. — V.  Hugo. 

Sinverie, /.  (thieves'),  yo»/«y. 

Sionneur,  m.  (thieves'),  murderer. 
See  Scionneur. 

Les  sionneurs  sont  ceux  qui,  aprfes  minuit, 
vous  attendent  au  coin  d'une  rue,  vous 
abordent  le  poing  sur  la  gorge  en  vous  de- 
mandant ...  la  bourse  ou  la  vie. — M£- 
moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Sirenes  de  la  gare  Saint-Lazare, 

/  //.  (thieves'),  gang  of  prosti- 
tutes who,  in  187s,  used  to  attract 
travellers  to  u  cut-throat  place 
where  male  accomplices  strippe'4 
them  of  their  valuables. 


428 


Sirop — Soiffer. 


Sirop,  m.  (popular),  de  I'aiguiere, 
de  barometre,  or  de  grenouille, 
water,  "  Adam's  ale." 

Cet_  animal  de  Mes-Bottes  dtait  allum^  ; 
il  avait  bien  d^jk  ses  deux  litres  ;  histoire 
seulement  de  ne  pas  se  laisser  embeter  par 
tout  ce  sirop  de  grenouille  que  I'orage 
avait  crachd  sur  ses  abattis.^ZoLA,  L'As- 
sominoir. 

Siroter  (popular),  to  drink,  "to 
lush."  See  Rincer.  Siroter  le 
bonheur,  to  be  spending  one's 
honeymoon,  (Hairdressers')  Siro- 
ter, to  dress  one's  hair  carefully. 

Siroteur,  m.  (popular),  drunkard, 
or  ' ' lushington. " 

Sifrin,  adj.  (thieves'),  black. 

Sive,  /  (thieves'),  hen,  "  margery 
prater."  According  to  Michel, 
from  the  Romany  chi,  chiveli. 

Six,  m.  (popular),  un  —  et  trois 
font  neuf,  a  silly  and  cruel  expres- 
sion applied  by  low  people  to  a 
lame  man.  In  the  English  slang, 
' '  dot  and  go  one. " 

Six  broque  !  (thieves'),  go  away. 

Six-clous,  m.  (popular),  roofer. 

Skasa  (Breton  cant),  to  steal. 

Skaser  (Breton  cant),  cunning; 
swindler ;  thief. 

Skrap  (Breton  cant),  theft. 

Skrapa  (Breton  cant),  to  steal. 

Skraper  (Breton  cant),  thief. 

Slasse,  or  slaze,  adj.  (roughs'),  etre 
— ,  to  be  drunk,  or  "screwed." 
See  Pompette. 

Slasser,  or  slasslquer  (popular), 
to  get  drunk,  or  ' '  screwed. "  See 
Pompette. 

Smala,/  (laxeA&ax),  family ;  house- 
hold.    From  the  Arab. 


Snoboye,  culj.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), good,  excellent,  "  tip-top, 
slap  up,  first-class."  The  syno- 
nyms are:  "  rup,  chic,  chicard, 
chicandard,  chouette,  bath,  super- 
lifico,  chocnosof,  enleve,  tape, 
aux  pommes,  bath  aux  pommes, 
aux  petits  oignons,  numero  un." 

Soc,  m^.  (familiar),  for  "  democ- 
soc,"  name  given  to  Socialists. 

Soci6te,  /.  (popular),  la  —  du  doigt 
dans  le  cul,  the  Societe  de  Saint- 
Vincent  de  Paul,  a  religious  asso- 
ciation chiefly  composed  of  Jesuits. 
An  allusion  to  their  duties  as 
assistants  at  hospitals.  See 
Doigt.  (Theatrical)  Societe  du 
faux-col,  agreement  between  come- 
dians to  help  one  another  in  order 
to  get  rid  of  bores. 

Sceur,  f.  (thieves'),  de  charite,  a 
variety  of  female  thief.  Les 
soeurs  blanches,  the  teeth,  or 
"ivories." 

Soie,  /  (popular),  faire  I'asticot 
dans  la  — ,  is  said  of  a  lazy  woman 
who  likes  dress  and  pleasure. 

^  Fallajt  p'te'te  pas  Tembocquer  a  faire 
Tasticot  dans  la  soie  sans  rien  astiquer. — 
Louise  Michel. 

AUer  comme  des  bas  de  —  a 
un  cochon  is  said  of  apparel  or 
anything  else  not  suited  to  one's 
appearance  or  station  in  life. 

Le  sifflet  d'^bfene,  rien  que  9a  d'chic  !  5a 
te  va  comme  des  bas  d'soie  k  un  cochon. — 

RiGAUD. 

SoifFard,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
one  too  fond  of  drink,  a  "  lushing- 
ton. " 

Soiffer  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
drink  to  excess,  "  to  swig." 

Moi  je  trouve  que  c'est  bon  de  soiffer ! 
Qu'est-ce  qu'elle  nous  divide  de  la  mdlan- 
colie  celle-li  ?— Louise  Michkl. 


Soiffeur — Solitaire. 


429 


Soiffeur,  m.  (familiar),   bibber,   or 
"lushington." 

Quant  au  copain  que  voilSi,  c'est  un  bon 
gar9on ;  mais  soiffeur  endiabM,  par  ex> 
emple.    II  est  d^jk  alcoolique. — Mac^. 

Soiffeuse,  /.  (familiar),  woman  who 
is  fond  of  drink. 

Une  riche  id€e  que  j'ai  eue  d'envoyer  la 
petite  ...  k  la  place  de  cette  soifieuse 
d' Aphrodite  qui  est  restee  huit  jours  k  d£- 
jeflner  chez  Coquet. — P.  Mahalin. 

Soign^,  m.  (familiar),  du  — ,  some- 
thing of  the  best  quality. 

Soignee,y;  (popular),  soundthrash- 


Soigner  (theatrical),  ses  entrees, 
to  get  oneself  applauded  by  paid 
applauders  when  making  one's  ap- 
pearance on  the  stage;  (popular) 
—  quelqu'un,  to  thrash  soundly, 
"  to  knock  one  into  a  cocked 
hat."    SeeVoie. 

Soir,  m.  (familiar),  un  — ,  an  even- 
ingpaper, 

Soireux,  m.  (journalists'),  dramatic 
critic. 

Et,  I'grand  jour,  avec  tout'  la  presse 
th^trale,  pontifes,  ami  pontifes  et  soireux, 
M.  Boscher,  direcLeur  du  Thdatre-Dejazet 
s'ra  invite,  parbleu  ! — Le  Cri  du  Peuple. 

Soiriste,  m.  (journalists'),  a  jour- 
nalist whose  functions  are  to  report 
on  events  of  the  evening. 

Soissonnais,  m.  (thieves'),  beans. 
Termed  also  "musiciens." 

Soixante-six,  m.  (popular), /ro.r/j- 
tute's  bully,  or  "pensioner  "  with 
an  obscene  prefix.    See  Poisson. 

Soldat,  m.  (popular),  du  pape,  bad 
soldier.  (Printers')  Les  petits  sol- 
dats  de  plomb,  type.  Aligner 
les  petits  soldats  de  plomb,  to 
compose.  (Thieves')  Des  sol- 
dats, money,  or   "pieces."     See 


Quibus.  Probably  from  the  ex- 
pression, "  money  is  the  sinews  of 
war." 

Money  is  a  good  soldier,  sir,  and  will 
on.  —  Shakespbare,  Merry  Wives  of 
Wijidsor. 

Solde,  m.  (familiar),  cigare  de  — , 
bad  cigar.  Dtner  de  — ,  bad 
dinner. 

Soleil,  m.  (familiar),  avoir  un  coup 
de  — ,  to  be  the  worse  for  liquor. 
See  Pompette.  Piquer  un  coup 
de  — ,  to  blush.  Recevoir  un 
coup  de  —,  to  be  in  love,  to  be 
"mashed  on,  or  sweet  on." 

Soli9age,  m.  (thieves'),  sale. 

Solicer,  or  soUicer  (thieves'),  to 
sell,  or  "to  do;"  to  steal,  or 
"  to  claim  ;  "  —  sur  le  verbe,  to 
buy  on  credit,  "  on  tick." 

Soliceur,  or  soUisseur,  m. 
(thieves'),  tradesman;  —  i  la 
gourre,  a  swindler  who  sells  to 
simple-minded  persons  worthless 
articles ;  —  i  la  pogne,  pedlar ; 
—  de  lacets,  gendarme ;  —  de 
zif,  rogue  who  sells  imaginary 
goods  and  exhibits  genuine  sam- 
ples to  entice  the  purchaser. 

Solir,  or  salir  (thieves'),  to  sell, 
"to  do."  Le  — ,  the  belly,  or 
"tripes."  From  a  similarity  of 
sound  between  vendre,  to  sell,  and 
ventre,  belly. 

Solitaire,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who 
operates  single-handed. 

Les  tireurs  se  divisent  en  deux  classes  : 
le  solitaire  et  le  compagnon.  ^  Le  premier, 
son  nom  I'indique,  opere  toujours  seul ;  il 
constitue  I'exception  dans  I'honorabie  con- 
frdrie  des  tireurs.— Pierre  Delcoort. 

(Theatrical)  Solitaire,  man  whif 
only  pays  half-price  on  condition 
that  he  shall  applaud.  Etre  en 
— ,  is  said  of  members  of  the  claque 


430 


Soliveau — Sophie. 


or  staff  of  paid  applauders  who 
are  distributed  among  the  audience. 

Puis  on  envoie  quelques  romains  en  soli- 
taire, c'est-k-dire  qu'on  permet  Ji  ceux-lk  de 
se  placer  seuls  au  milieu  des  payants. — 
Balzac. 

Soliveau,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"nut." 

Sombre,/;  (thieves'),  the Prifecture 
de  Police. 

Sommier  de  caserne,  m.  (popu- 
lar), prostitute  who  prowls  about 
barracks f  "barrack  hack." 

Somno,  m.  (popular),  sleep,  or 
"balmy." 

Son,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'),  gold,  or 
"  red  ;  "  —  niere,  or  —  gniasse, 
me,  him. 

Sonde,  f.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
physician,  or  "pill-box."  Etre 
^  la  — ,  to  be  cunning,  wary, 
"  dovpny." 

Sondeur,  m.  and  adj.  (popular), 
official  of  the  octroi,  thus  termed 
from  his  long  probe.  Aller  en 
— ,  to  act  prudently.  Pere  — , 
wily  man,  "leary- bloke."  Aller 
en  pere  — ,  to  seek  adroitly  for  in- 
formation. (Thieves')  Sondeur, 
spy,  or  "  nark  ; "  barrister,  or 
"mouthpiece."  Les  sondeurs, 
the  police,  or"reelers."  (Fami- 
liar) Un  — ,  an  amateur  of  the 
fair  sex  who  at  places  of  entertain- 
ment casts  a  lecherous  glance  on 
the  charms  of  ladies  with  low 
dresses,  and  strives  to  see  m.ore 
than  that  which  is  exhibited, 
one  who  vcould  not  say  like 
Tartufe — 

Cachez,  cachez  ce  sein  que  je  ne  saurais 
voir. 

Sonne,  /  (thieves'),  the  police, 
"reelers." 

Soniier  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
strike;  to  kill  a  man  by  knocking 
his  head  oti  the  pavement. 


Route  d'Ailemagne.  L'endroit  ot»  dea 
coquins  .  .  .  onC  sound  I'an  dernier  up  in- 
specteur  de  police,  mort  le  lendemain  de 
ses  blessures.— P.  Mahalin. 

Se  la  — ,  to  have  a  hearty  meal. 

Sonnette,/.  (popular),  silver  coin, 
or    "gingle   boy."     That   which 
rings,  chinks. 
Sur  les  bords  du  canal,  il  est  dangereux 

de  courir  passd  minuit,  quand  on  a  des 

sonnettes    en    poche. — Paris    d.    Vol   de 

Canard. 

J'accours  k  I'Op&a  et  les  sonnet's  eQ 

poche.  — D^SAUGZERS. 

Des  sonnettes,  money.  Scottish 
gipsies  call  money  "sonnachie." 
The  French  slang  has  "graisse,'' 
fat,  which  reminds  one  of  the 
proverbial  expression,  "graisser  le 
marteau. " 

On  avait  beau  heurter  et  in'6ter  son  cha- 

peau, 
On  n'entrait  point  chez  nous  sans  graisser 

le  marteau 
Point  d'argent,  point  de  Suisse. 

Racine,  Les  Plaideurs. 

Sonnette,  — Rigaudsays:  "Petit 
emigre  de  Gomorrhe."  Deme- 
nager  a  la  "sonnette  de  bois." 
See  Demenager. 

Car  il  dtait  riSduit  k  ddm&ager  k  la 
sonnette  de  bois. — Chenu. 

Sonnettes, — the  signification  may 

be  gathered  from  the  following : — 

Je  ne  voudrois  pas  etre 

La  femme  d'un  chatrd. 

lis  out  le  menton  tout  peld 

£t  n'ont  point  de  sonnettes. 

ParTiasse  des  Muses. 
(Familiar)  Une  —  de  nuit,  silk 
tuft  on  a  lady's  hood.  (Prisoners') 
Une  — ,  woman  employed  on  the 
staff  of  assistants  at  the  prison  oj 
Saint-Lazare.  (Printers')  Des 
sonnettes,  badly-adjusted  type. 
Sophie,  /  (popular),  de  carton, 
girl  of  indifferent  character.  Faire 
sa  — ,  to  put  on  prudish,  disdain- 
ful, or  "  uppish  "  airs. 

Sans  doute,  il  trouvait  Lantier  un  peu 
ndrot,  I'accusait  de  faire  sa  Sophie  devant 


Sorbonne — Souffler. 


431 


le  vitriol^  le  blaguait  parce  qu'il  savait  lire 
.  ,  .  mais  k  part  9a,  il  le  d^clarait  un  bougre 
^  polls.— Zola,  L'Assotnmair. 

Ne  fais  done  pas  ta  —  !  don't  put 
on  such  airs!  or,  as  the  Americans 
say,  "  come  off  the  tall  grass  ! " 

Sorbonne,/  (thieves'),  head.  See 
Tronche. 

Je  suis  sur  de  cromper  sa  Sorbonne  des 
•grifies  de  la  Cigogne. — Balzac. 

The  term  must  have  been  first 
used  by  students  of  the  Univer- 
sity. 

Sorbonner  (thieves'),  to  think. 

Sorgabon,  m.  (Xhitvts'),  good  night, 
"  bene  darkmans"  in  old  English 
cant.  An  inversion  of  bonne 
sorgue. 

£orgue,  or  some,  f.  (thieves'), 
night.  From  the  Spanish  cant 
soma. 

Belle  iichue  vie  que  d'avoir  continuelle- 
ment  le  taf  des  griviers,  des  cognes,  des 
rousses  et  des  gerbiers,  que  de  n'pas  savour 
le  matois  si  on  pioncera  la  sorgue  dans 
son  pieu,  que  de  n'pas  pouvoir  entendre 
aquigei:  a  sa  lourde  sans  que  I'palpitant 
"vous  fasse  tic-tac. — ^VlDOCQ. 

Faire  devaler  la  —  k.  quelqu'un, 
to  make  one  reveal  a  secret. 

Emmener  la  Maugrabine,  la  faire  ddvaler 
la  sorgue  des  autres !  elle  ne  dit  pas  une 
parole  de  vrai. — Louise  Michel. 

Se  refaire  de  — ,  to  have  supper. 

Si  au  lieu  de  pitancber  de  I'eau  d'aff 
nous  allions  nous  refaire  de  sorgue  chez 
I'ogresse  du  Lapin  Blanc  ? — E.  Sue. 

Sorguer  (thieves'),   to  sleep,    "to 
doss." 

Content  de  sorguer  sur  la  dure, 
Va,  de  la  bride  je  n'ai  pas  peur. 
Ta  destin^e  est  trop  pen  sflre^ 
Fais-toi  gouepeur. 

ViDOCQ. 

Sorgueur,     m.     (thieves'),    night 
thief. 

Les  sorgueurs  vent  sollicer  des  gails  Si 
!a  lune. — V.  Hugo. 


Sorlot,  m.  (thieves'),  shoe,  or 
"daisy  root."    See  Ripaton. 

Some,  adj.  (thieves'),  black. 

Sort  (popular),  il  me  — ,  an  ab- 
breviation of  a  filthy  expression, 
I  cannot  bear  the  sight  of  him. 

Sorte,  /  (printers'),  fib  ;  nonsense, 
"  gammon  ;  "  practical  joke. 
Conter  une  — ,  to  tell  a  fib.  Faire 
une  — ,  to  play  a  practical  joke. 

Sortie  d'hSpital,/  (popular),  long 
overcoat. 

Sortir  (popular),  les  pieds  devant, 
to  be  buried.  Avoir  I'air  de  — 
d'une  boite,  to  be  neatly  dressed, 
to  be  spruce. 

Sosie-mannequin,  m.  (military), 
bolster  arranged  so  as  to  represent 
a  man  in  bed. 

II  ^tait  impossible  en  effet  que  son  sosie- 
mannequin  ne  flit  pas  pris  pour  lui. — 
Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Soubise.     See  Enfant, 

Soubrette  de  Chariot,/,  (popular), 
executioner's  assistant, 

Souche,  /  (popular),  fumer  une 
— ,  to  be  buried,  "to  have  been 
put  to  bed  with  a  shovel. " 

Soudardant,  adj.  (old  cant),  said  of 
anything  referring  to  soldiers. 

Soudrillard,  m.  (thieves'),  libertine, 
"rip." 

Soufflant,  m.  (thieves'),  pistol,  or 
"  barking  iron ; "  (militaiy)  bugler. 
Termed  also  "tiompion." 

L'appel  aux  trompettes  vient  tfveiller  les 
dchos  .  .  .  et  un  quart  d'heure  ne  s'etait  pas 
^coul£,  que  tons  les  soufflants  firent  r^sonner 
en  chceur  la  retentissante  fanfare  du  r^veil. 
— UuBOls  de  Gennes. 

Souffle,  adj.  (thieves'),  caught; 
apprehended  by  the  police, 
"smugged."    See  Piper. 

Souffler  (popular),  des  pois,  to 
snore,    "to  drive  one's  pigs  to 


432 


Soufflet — Soupeser. 


market ; "  —  sa  chandelle,  to  use 
one's  fingers  as  a  pocket-handker- 
chief;  —  sa  veiUeuse,  to  die,  "to 
snuflf  it ;  "  —  ses  clairs,  to  sleep, 
(Thieves')  Souffler,  to  apprehend. 

Si  dans  I'intervalle  il  €lxA  souffle  jamais 
labandenemangeaitlemorceau. — Clause. 

SoufHer  la  camoufle,  to  kill,  "to 
hush." 

C'est  pour  elle  que  son  ciievalier  a  souffle 
la  camoufle  d'une  vieille  renti&re. — Louise 
Michel. 

La  donne  souffle  mal,  the  police 
are  suspicious, 

Soufflet,  m.  (popular),  head , 
breech.  Avoir  donne  un  —  4  sa 
pelure,  to  wea^  a  coat  that  has 
been  turned.  Vol  au  — ,  consists 
in  boxing  a  lady's  ears  while  pre- 
tending to  be  an  irate  hiisband, 
arid  leaving  her  minus  her  purse, 

Souffleur,  m,  (popular),  de  boudin, 
chubby-faced  fellow ; —  de  poireau, 
flute  player. 

Soufrante,  /  (thieves'),  lucifer 
match,  "  spunk." 

Souillot,  m.  (popular),  low  de- 
bauchee. 

Soulager  (familiar),  to  steal,  "  to 
ease." 

Soulasse,  /.  (thieves'),  infomur, 
or  "snitcher."  Faire  la  grande 
—  sur  le  trimar,  to  practise  high- 
way robbery  and  murder,  or 
"high  Toby  consam."  Also  to 
be  "  on  the  snaffle-lay." 

I  thought  hy  your  look  you  had  been  a 
clever  fellow,,  and  upon  the  snaffling-lay  at 
least,  but  I  find  you  are  some  sneaking 
budge. — Fielding,  Amelia. 

Soulever  (familiar),  to  steal. 

Souliers,  m.  pi.  (familiar),  k  mu- 
sique,  creaking  shoes ;  —  seize, 
tight  shoes.  See  Seize.  Souliers 
se  livrant  k  la  boisson,  leaky 
shoes. 


Soulographe,  m,  (familiar),  con- 
firmed drunkard, 

Soulographie,/.  (familiar'),  intoxi- 
cation. 

Tiens,  voilk  dix  francs.  Si  je  les  leur 
donne.  Monsieur,  ils  feront  de  la  soulo- 
graphie ct  adieu  votre  typographic. — Bal- 
zac. 

Souloir,  m.  (thieves'),  drinking 
glass,  or  "flicker;"  —  des  rati- 
chons,  the  altar. 

Soupape,^;  (popular),  serrer  la  — , 
to  strangle.  Faire  cracher  ses 
soupapes,  to  get  drunk. 

Soupe,  f.  (familiar  and  popular), 
marchand  de  — ,  schoolmaster, 
"  bum  brusher." 

Style  de  marchand  de  soupe  .  .  .  une 
lettre  de  directeur  d'institution.  ...  "  Je 
suis  tres  mecontent  d'Armand  qui  apres 
avoir  perdu  sa  grammaire,  a  trouve  le 
moyen  d'^garer  son  arithm^tique." — Si  Ar- 
mand  a  perdu  sa  grammaire,  le  directeur 
nous  semble  I'avoir  l^gerement  oubliee. — 
Zadig,  Le  Voltaire. 

Marchande  de  — ,  head  of  a  ladies' 
school. 

EUe  me  bassine,  la  marchande  de  soupe  > 
Dis'lui^  done  de  me  flanquer  la  paix,  hein,  ^ 
cette  vieille  cramponne  ! — Albert  Cim. 

Une  —  au  lait,  a  mun  easily  moved 
to  anger.  Une  —  de  perroquet, 
bread  soaked  in  wine.  (Popular) 
Faire  manger  la  —  au  poireau,  to 
make  one  wait  a  long  time. 

Soupente,/  (popular),  the  belly  or 
stomach,  "middle  piece."  Je 
t'vas  defoncer  la  —  a  coups  de 
sorlots,  /'//  kick  the  life  out  of 
you.     Vieille  —  !  old  slut ! 

Souper  de  la  tronche  k  quel- 
qu'un  (popular),  to  be  disgusted 
with  one.  See  Fiole.  En  — ,  to 
be  sick  of  it, 

Soupeser  (popular),  se  faire  — ,  to 
be  reprimanded,  "to  get  a  wig- 
ging-" 


Soupe-tout-sml — Stores. 


433 


Eoupe-tout-seiU,  m.  (popular), 
bearish  fellow. 

Je  les  entendois  dire  entre  elles,  parlant 
de  moy  :  c'est  un  ry-gris  frit-gris),  un  loup- 
garou,  un  soupe-tout-seul.—  Les  Maistres 
cC Hostel  aux  Halles. 

Soupeuse,  f.  (familiar),  woman 
fond  of  "  cabinets  particuliers  "  at 
restaurants. 

Souquer  (popular),  to  scold,  or  to 
thrash. 

Sourde,  f.  (thieves'),  prison, 
"  stir." 

Souriciere,y;  (prisoners'),  d^St  at 
the  Prlfecture  de  Police. 

La  voiture,  apres  avoir  verse  k  la  souri- 
ciere  son  chargement   de    coquins. — Ga- 

BORIAU. 

(Police)   Souriciere,  trap  laid  by 
the  police. 

X'on  a  ^tabli  une  souriciere  au  tapis  du 
Bien  Venn.  Avez-vous  envie  d'aller  vous 
fourrer  dedans  ? — ViDOCQ. 

Souris,  f.  (popular),  a  kiss  on  the 
eye.  Faire  une  — ,  to  give  a  kiss 
on  the  eye. 

Ah !  mon  minet  .  . .  je  te  ferais  plut6t 
une  souris. — ^Vii)bCQ. 

Faire  la  — ,    to  tickle  with  the 
finger  tips. 

Sous  (military),  Stre  en  —  verge,  to 
be  second  in  command. 

Sous-maitresse,  /.  (brothels'), 
kind  of  female  overseer  employed 
at  such  establishments, 

Sous-merde,  f.  (popular),  man  of 
utter  insignificance;  utterly  con- 
temptible man,  "snot." 

Sous-off,  m.  (military),  non-com- 
missioned  officer. 

—  J'^tais  simple  sous-off, 

—  Sous-lieutenant  ? 

—  Eh  !  non,  sous-off.  Nous  disons  squs- 
off,  nous  autres,  abrdviation  de  sous-officier. 
—Hector  France. 


Sous-ouille,  m.  (popular),  shoe,  or 
"  trotter-case." 

Sous-pied,  m.  (military),  totegh 
piece  of  meat.  Fiopetly  foot-strap. 
Sous-pied  de  dragon,  infantry 
soldier,  "  mud -crusher." 

Soussouille,/.  (popular),  slatternly 
girl.     From  souillon. 

Sous-ventrifere,  /  (popular),  sash 
of  a  mayor,  his  insignia  of  office. 
See  Faire. 

Soutados,  m.  (familiar),  one-sou 
cigar. 

Soute  au  pain,  /.  (popular), 
stomach,  or  "  bread-basket." 

Soutellas,  m.  (popular),  one-sou 
cigar. 

Soutenante,  /  (thieves'),  stick,  or 
"toko." 

Soutirer  au  caramel  (popular), 
to  wheedle  one  out  of  his  motiey. 

Soyeux,  m.  (shopmen's),  an  assis- 
tant in  the  silk  department,  the 
lady  assistant  being  termed  "  so- 
yeuse. " 

Spade,  f.  (old  cant),  sword,  or 
' '  poker. "     From  spada. 

Spec,  m.  (thieves'),  bacon,  or 
"sawney."     From  the  German. 

Spectre,  m.  (familiar),  old  debt; 
(gamesters')  —  de  banco,  ruined 
gamester  who  moves  round  the 
tables  without  playing. 

Stafer  (thieves'),  to  say,  "  to  rap." 

Stick,  m.  (familiar),  small  cane 
sported  by  dandies,  "  swagger. " 

Us  brandissent  d'un  air  vainqueur  une 
cravache  ou  un  stick  minuscule  suivant 
qu'ils  sont  dans  la  garde  k  cheval  ou  k 
pied. — Hector  France. 

Stores,  m.  pi.  (popular),  eyes,  or 
"  peepers. "  Baisser  les  — ,  to 
close  one's  eyes. 

F  F 


434 


Stoubmen — Su^on. 


Stoubinen  (Breton  cant),  woman 
of  indifferent  character. 

Strapontin,  m.  (journalists'),  pad 
worn  under  the  dress,  bustle,  or 
"bird-cage." 

Une  vitrioleuse  lach^e  par  son  amant, 
alia  tout  tranquillement  troQver  son  voisin 
I'dpicier,  lui  demanda  une  petite  fiole  de  la 
liqueur  en  question,  la  cacha  avec  soin, 
peut-^tre sous  son  "strapontin." — Un  Fla- 
neur. 

(Journalists')  En  — ,  explained  by 
quotation  : — 

Li^  ^  un  grand  nom,  leur  petit  nom 
vivra  ;  c'est  ce  que  j'appelle  aller  k  la  pos- 
t^rite  en  strapontin,  c'est-k-dire  en  lapin, 
par-dessus  le  march^,  en  compagnie  d'un 
important  qui  se  carre  k  la  bonne  place  et 
paie  la  course :  Corbinelli  en  strapontin 
avec  la  marquise  de  S6vign6  ;  Brouette  en 
strapontin  avec  Boileau ;  d'Argental  et 
autres  en  strapontin  avec  Voltaire.  Si  la 
post^rit^,  laissant  passer  Voltaire,  pretend 
barrer  le  tourniquet  a  d'Argental  et  de- 
mande :  "  Quel  est  ce  gentilhomme  ?  "  Vol- 
taire se  retourne  pour  dire  :  "  C'est  quel- 
qu'un  de  ma  suite." — A,  DuBRUJEAUD. 

Stroc,  m.  (thieves'),  a  "setter,'' 
small  measure  of  wine. 

Stropiat,  m.  (thieves'),  lame  beggar. 

Mes  braves  bons  messieurs  et  dames, 
Par  Sainte-Marie-Notre-Dame, 
Voyez  le  pauvre  vieux  stropiat. 
Pater  noster  !    Ave  Maria  ! 
Ayez  pitid 

RiCHEPIN. 

Stuc,  m.  (thieves'),  share  of  booty, 
"regulars." 

Style,  m.  (popular),  money.  See 
Quibus. 

Style,  adj.  (popular),  well-dressed ; 
rich. 

Suage,  m.  (thieves'),  killing; 
murder.  From  suer,  to  sweat. 
Faire  suer  has  the  signification  of 
to  kill. 

Suageur,  m.  (thieves'),  murderer. 

Subir  l'6cart  (gamesters'),  to  lose. 

Un  joueur  n'avoue  jamais  qu'il  perd,  il 
a  horreur  du  mot  perdre,  il  subtt  seulement 
un  icaxL—M^maircs  de  Mdnsieur  Claude. 


Sublime,  m.  (popular),  lazy,  good- 
for-nothing  workman. 

Fi3s  d'une  poitrinaire  et  d'un  sublime,  il 
^tait   k   la  fois  phtisique  et  rachitique. — 

RiCHEPIN. 

Sublimer  (students'),  to  work  hard, 
especially  at  night.  ( Popular)  Se 
— ,  to  become  debased. 

Sublimeur,  m.  (students'),  hard- 
working student,  a  "swot." 

Sublimisme,  m.  (popular),  idle- 
ness;  degradation. 

Subtiliser  (popular),  to  steal,  "  to 
ease. "     See  Grinchir. 

Sufage  de  pomme,  m.  (popular), 
kissing. 

Succfes.     See  Estime. 

Succession,  /  (familiar),  c6telette 
a  — ,  a  very  inferior  chop,  one 
Vfhich  is  indigestible  enough  to 
give  one's  heirs  a  chance. 

Quand  sous  I'^mail  de  leurs  dents  de 
crocodile,  elles  ont  d^vord  .  .  .  le  beefteack 
a  la  Borgia  et  la  *'  cStelette  de  succession  " 
des  alchimistes  k  prix  fixe  du  Palais-Royal. 
— P.  Mahalin. 

Suce-larbin,  m.  (thieves'),  office  for 
servants  out  of  place.  Larbin  is  a 
"fiunkey." 

Sucer  (popular),  to  drink,  "to 
liquor  up ;  "  —  la  fine  cStelette,  to 
have  a  "  dejeuner  k  la  fourchette  ;" 
—  le  caillou,  la  pomme,  or  le 
trognon,  to  kiss.  Se  —  les  pouces, 
to  have  nothing  to  eat. 

EUe  mettrait  la  main  sur  la  monnaie,  elle 
ach&terait  les  provisions.  Une  petite  heqre 
d'attente  au  plus  elle  avaletait  bien  encore 
ga,  elle  qui  se  sugait  les  pouces  depuis  la 
veille. — Zola. 

Suceur,  m.  (theatrical),  parasite, 
or  "  quiller  ;  "  (popular)  —  de 
pomme,  one  fond  of  kissing  girls. 

Su;on,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
stick  of  barley  sugar;  small  bruise 


Sucre — Suissesse. 


435 


produced  by  a  kiss  given  in  a 
peculiar  way,  by  sucking  the  spot. 

Un  soir  elle  regut  encore  une  danse 
parcequ*elle  lui  avait_  trouv^  une  tache 
noire  au  cou.  La  matine  osait  dire  que  ce 
n'^tait  pas  un  su^on  I — Zola. 

Sucre,  m.  (popular),  i  cochon,  salt. 
C'est  un  —  !  thafs excellent,  "real 
jam."  Sucre!  euphemistn  for  a 
coarse  word,  may  be  rendered  by 
"go  to  pot ; "  —  de  girofl^es, 
ci^s. 

Et  cependant,  bien  sur  une  bonne  roulee 
le  remettrait  au  Nord.  Ah  !  c'est  la  vieille 
<iui  devrait  se  charger  de  ga,  lui  tricoter  les 
joues,  lui  flanquer  une  double  ration  de 
Sucre  de  giroflees.  — RiCHEPlN. 

AUez  vous  faire  Sucre  !  go  to  the 
deuce  1  (Militaiy)  Casser  du  —  a 
deux  sousle  metre  cube,  to  be  in  the 
punishment  companies,  breaking 
stones.  (Thieves')  Sucre  de 
Tpomraes,  short  crowbar,  "jemmy." 

Sucrer  (familiar),  to  fondle,  to  spoil 


.Sucrier,  m.  (familiar),  man  suffer- 
ing from  diabetes.  Alluding  to 
the  quantity  of  sugar  generated  by 
the  kidneys. 

Malheureusement  pour  lui,  il  est  dia- 
lidtique  au  supreme  de|;rd.  Ce  n'esC  pas 
un  homme,  c'est  un  sucrier. — A.  Sirven. 

■Su^e,  f.  (popular),   reprimand,  or 

"  wigging  ; "  fear,  "  funk  ;  " 

de  monde,  large  crowd. 

Suer  (general),  5a  m'fait  — ,  that 
"  riles  "  me,  disgusts  me. 

Ca  m'fait  suer,  quand  j'ai  I'onglde, 
D'voir  des  chiens  qu'ont  un  babit ! 
Quand,  par  les  temps  de  gelee, 
Moi  j'n'ai  rien,  pas  meme  un  lit. 

De  Chatillon. 


Faire 
bore. 


des  lames  de  rasoir,  to 


Oh  !  assez,  hein  ?    Tu  nous  fais  suer  des 
lames  de  rasoir  en  travers.— JE.  Monteil. 

Faire  —  son  argent,  to  bea  usurar, 
or  to  invest  one's  moruy  at  a  high 


percentage.  Faire  —  les  cordes,  to 
play  on  a  stringed  instrument. 
Faire  • — ■  le  cuivre,  to  play  on  a 
brass  instrument.  CTheatrical) 
Faire  —  le  lustre,  to  play  in  such 
a  wretched  manner  that  even  the 
claqueurs  are  disgusted.  (Thieves') 
Faire  suer,  to  kill.    See  Ch6ne. 

Sueur  de  cantonnier,/  (popular), 
a  thing  of  rare  occurrence.  A 
cantonnier  is  a  labourer  employed 
in  the  repairing  of  roads,  and  is 
supposed  to  be  extremely  lazy. 

Sufficit !  (popular),  enough !  I 
understand,  "  I  twig." 

Suffisance,  f.  (popular),  avoir  sa 
— ,  to  have  drunk  as  much  liquor 
as  one  can  imbibe. 

Suif,  m.  (popular),  m.oney ;  repri- 
mand, "wigging."  Flanquer  un 
— ,  to  give  a  "  wigging."  Gober 
son  — ,  to  be  reprimanded. 
(Sharpers')  Suif,  concourse  of  card- 
sharpers.  (Boulevards)  Un  — ,  a 
dinner  for  which  one  has  not  to  pay, 

II  .  .  .  ^tait  heureux  de  trouver  au  cercle 
un  bon  diner  qui  ne  lui  cout^t  rien, — le 
"  suif." — Hector  Malot. 

Suiffard,  m.  and  adj.  (popular), 
stylish  man;  rich;  stylish. 

Etait-il  assez  suiffard,  I'animal !  Un 
vrai  propridtaire  ;  du  linge  blanc  et  des 
escarpins  un  peu  chouettes  ! — Zola. 

Suiffe,  ai^.  awrf/;  (popular),  y?««; 
well-dressed ;  stylish.  Une  femme 
suiifee,  a  stylish  woman.  Une 
— ,  a  thrashing. 

Suifferie,  /.  (popular),  gaming- 
house, or  "  punting-shop."  A 
play  on  the  word  grece. 

Suisse,  m.  (military),  guest.  See 
Faire. 

Suissesse,  f  (popular),  glass  of 
absinthe  and  orgeat.  From  ab- 
sinthe Suisse. 


436 


Suiver — Synagogue. 


Suiver  (sailors'),  se  —  I'estomac, 
to  make  a  hearty  meal. 

Suiveur,  m.  (familiar),  man  who 
makes  a  practice  of  following 
•women ;  (prostitutes')  man  who 
follows  a  prostitute. 

La  grisette  d^voy^e  qui  se  fait  suivre  et 
conduit  le  suiveur  dans  un  hCtel  borgne. — 
L6o  Taxil. 

Suivezmoi  jeune  homme,  m. 
(familiar),  ribbons  hanging  from 
a  lady^s  cloak. 

Nous  avons  gard^  nos  suivez-moi  jeune 
homme. — Gr^vin. 

The  English  have  a  similar  ex- 
pression to  designate  curls  hang- 
ing over  a  lady's  shoulder,  "  fol- 
low-me-lads." 

Sultan,  VI.  (theatrical),  the  public. 

Suna  (Breton  cant),  to  be  a  para- 
site. 

Suner  (Breton  cant),  parasite. 

Superlificoquentieux,  adj.  (fami- 
liar), marvellous,  ' '  crushing. " 

Supin,  m.  (thieves'),  soldier.  Pro- 
bably from  soupe,  the  staple  fare 
of  the  soldier. 

Sur  le  gril  (thieves'),  gtre  — ,  to  be 
awaiting  judgment. 

Surbin,  m.  (thieves'),  overseer ; 
spy. 

Surbine,^;  (thieves'),  watching,  or 
"roasting;"  surveillance  by  the 
police  of  a  ticket-of-leave  man. 

Surbiner  (thieves'),  to  watch  one, 
"  to  give  one  a  roasting." 

Surclouer  (popular),  to  reneiv  a 
loan  at  a  pawnshop. 

Surfine,  /  (thieves'),  a  variety  of 
female  thief. 

Surgerbement,  m.  (t\i\eve%'),  fresh 
conviction  in  the  Cour  de  Cassa- 
tion. 


Surgerber  (thieves'),  to  convict  on 
appeal. 

Surie,/  (old  cant),  killing.  Lite- 
rally sweating. 

Surin,  or  chourin,  m.  (thieves'),, 
knife,  or  "chive  ;  "  —  muet,  life- 
preserver,  "  neddy."  Scottish, 
gipsies  call  a  knife  or  bayonet  a. 
"chourie." 

Suriner,  or  chouriner  (thieves'), 
to  stab,  "  to  stick." 

^  Les  malfaiteurs  lui  prirent  sa  montre  .  ,  . 
si  tu  cries,  nous  te  surinons. — I^e  RadicaL 
1887. 

Surineur,  or  chourineur,  m. 
(thieves'),  murderer. 

Surmouleur,  m.  (literary),  writer 
who  imitates  the  defective  features 
of  another's  style  of  writing. 

Surprenante,  /  (gamesters'),  one 
of  the  modes  employed  in  arranging 
cards  for  cheating  purposes. 

Surrincette,y".  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), second  help  of  brandy  after 
coffee. 

Surse,  m.  (shopmen's),  faire  le  — y 
to  be  on  the  look-out  for  the  master. 
From  Sur-seize  (which  see). 

SuT-seize !  (shopmen's),  warning- 
call  when  the  master  is  approach- 
ing. 

Surtaille,  /  (thieves'),  detective- 
force.     From  sflrete. 

Sydonie  (hairdressers'),  dummy. 

Sylphider  (popular),  se  — ,  to  dis- 
appear, "  to  mizzle." 

Symbole,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"nut;"  credit,  or  "jawbone." 

Symphoneries,  /  pi.  (popular), 
nonsense,  or  "rot."  Lacher  des 
— ,  to  talk  nonsense. 

Synagogue  (popular),  c'est  — ,  it 
comes  to  the  same  thing. 


Systime —  Taf. 


437 


Systfeme,  m.  (popular),  the  body. 
Taper  sur  le  — ,  to  annoy;  to 
exasperate,  "to  rile."  Se  faiie 
sauter  le  — ,  to  blow  one's  brains 
mit.  Systeme  ballon,  pregnancy  ; 
—  Jardiniere,  complete  suit  of 
tlothes.  An  allusion  to  La  Belle 
Jardiniere,  a  large  outfitting  firm ; 


—  Pinaud,  silk  hat.  From  the 
name  of  a  celebrated  hat-maker. 
Rompre  le  — ,  to  irritate,  "  to 
rile."  S'en  faire  peter  le  — , 
to  undertake  a  task  to  which  one  is 
not  equal.  Tu  t'en  ferais  peter  le 
— ,  is  expressive  of  ironical  refusal. 
See  N^fles. 


Tabac,  m.  (students'),  old  student ; 
(military) — a  deux  sous  labrouette, 
canteen  tobacco  ;  (popular)  —  de 
democ,  cigar  ends  chopped  up. 
Etre  dans  le  — ,  to  be  in  trouble, 
in  difficulties.  Foutre,  or  coUer  du 
— ,  to  thrash.  This  was  termed 
formerly,  "  coller  une  prune,  une 
chasteloigne,  une  aumOne  de  Bour- 
gogne,  un  oignementde  Bretagne, 
de  la  monnaie  de  I'empire." 

Tabatiere,/  (popular),  the  behind. 

Tabernacle,  m.  (popular),  the  be- 
hind. Defoncer  le  — ,  to  kick 
one's  behind. 

Table,/,  (familiar),  mettre  les  pieds 
sous  la  — ,  to  eat.  Faire  le  tour 
de  la  — ,  to  eat  of  eveiy  dish. 

Table  d'hote.     See  Avoir. 

Tableau,  m.  (popular),  je  com- 
prends  le  — ,  1  see  what  it  is,  I 
"catch  on,"  as  the  Americans 
say.  Tableau !  exclamation  ex- 
pressive of  comical  surprise  or 
malicious  joy  at  the  sight  of  some 
laughable  accident. 

Tiens  pig's-tu  la  lun'  qui  sTiallade? 
Que'qu'a  bolt  done,  c'te  bourriqu'-Ii 
Pour  avoir  la  gueul'  blanch'  comme  9a  ? 
Y  a  pas  d'bon  sens.    Vrai,  que'  panade  ! 
Si  j'y  payais  un  lit"  '—Tableau  ! 

Gill,  La.  Muse  d  Bibi. 


(Sportsmen's)  Tableau,  M«  "  bag." 

Madame  d' —  qui  est  une  sportswoman 
des  plus  intr^pides  portait  un  superbe  cos- 
tume de  chasse,  c'est  elle  qui  a  eu  les  hon- 
neurs  de  la  journ^e  en  tuant  4^  pifeces.  Le 
tableau  ftait  superbe,  il  portait  204  pieces. 
—Le  Figaro,  Oct.,  1886. 

Tableau-radis,  m.  (artists'),  picture 
returned  unsold  from  the  Arts 
Exhibition  or  from  a  picture- 
dealer's. 

Tableautin,  m.  (artists'),  worthless 
picture,  or  "  daub." 

Tablier,  m.  (popular),  blanc, 
nurserymaid.  Le  —  Xkse.  is  said 
of  a  woman  in  a  state  of  advanced 
pregnancy.  Faire  lever  le  —  ^ 
une  femme,  to  get  a  woman  with 
child,  to  give  her  a  "white 
swelling." 

Tabouret, «.,  figurea  —  (obsolete), 
one  who,  was  put  in  the  pillory 
with  an  iron  collar  round  his  neck, 
or  one  likely  to  be  put  there. 

Va  done,  figure  k  tabouret, 
J't'irons  voir  en  face  le  Palais  ; 
C'est  Ik  qu't'auras  I'air  d'un  butor. 
Monsieur  I'n^gociant  z'en  chiens  morts. 
Riche-en^gtteule. 

Taf,  or  taffe,  m.  (popular  and 
thieves'), /«ar,  "funk." 

Je  n'ai  pas  coqu4  mon  centre,  de  ta£fe 
du  ravignol^,  ainsi  si  vouzailles  brodez  k 


43S 


Taffer-^  Talon. 


m^ngvie  il  faat  balancer  la  lazagne  au  cen- 
tre de  J.  au  castu  de  Canelle. — Vidocq. 

Avoir  le  — ,  to  be  afraid,  "  to 
come  it." 

—  Que  veux-tu,  Z^nobie?  chacun  a  sa 
misfere.  Le  lifevre  a  le  taf,  le  chien  les 
puces,  le  loup  la  faim  .  .  .  rhomme  a  la 
soif — Et  la  femme  a  I'ivrogne  ! — Gavarni. 

Coquer  le  — ,  to  frighten.  Etre 
pris  de  — ,  to  be  seized  by  fear. 

Seigneur  !  qu'est-ce  qu'il  a  done,  rdp^- 
tait  Gervaise  prise  de  taf. — ZoLA, 

Michel  is  inclined  to  believe  that 
taf  comes  from  a  proverbial  locu- 
tion, "les  fesses  lui  font  taf  taf," 
he  is  quaking  with  terror,  or  "  le 
cul  lui  fait  tif  taf. "  According  to 
L.  Larchey  the  corresponding 
verb  "taffer"  is  derived  from  the 
German  taffein. 

Taffer,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
to  be  afraid.     See  Taf. 

Taffetas,  «.  (thieves'),  y^ar.  From 
Taf  (which  see). 

Le  taffetas  les  fera  ddvider  et  tortiller  la 
planque  oil  est  le  carle. — ViDOCQ. 

Taffeur,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
foltroon. 

Taffouilleux,  m.  (popular),  ex- 
plained by  quotation  : — 

Chiffonnier  de  la  Seine,  ^cumant  ses 
bords,  ramassant  les  ^paves  et  volant  au 
besoin.— F.  du  Boisgobev. 

Literally  un  qui  fouille  dans  le  tas. 

Tafia,  m.  (popular),  coffee.  Pro- 
perly sweet  rum. 

Tailbin  d'alteque,  m.  (thieves'), 
bank  note,  or  "long-tailed  one." 

S'ils  ne  vous  coquaient  pas  dix  tailbins 
d'alteque  de  niille  balles,  vous  niangeriez 
sur  leur  orgue. — Vidocq. 

Tailbin  is  derived  from  the  old 
cant  word  talle,  tail. 

Tailler  une  bazane  (popular),  to 
make  a  certain  contemptuous  ges" 
ture.     See  Bazane. 


Et  tandis  que  du  revers  de  sa  main  il  se, 
caressait  le  menton,  de  I'autre  il  se  gifila  la 
cuisse,  taillant  une  bazane  gigantesque  au 
nez  du  colonel  absent. — G.  CoURTELlNE, 

(Cavalry)  Tailler  une  croupiere, 
to  surpass;  (schoolboys')  — I'ecole, 
to  play  truant. 

Tais-toi  men  coeur!  (popular), 
an  ejaculation  expressive  of  mock 
emotion. 

Tal,  m.  (popular),  the  behind,  or 
"tochas."  Taper  dans  le  — ,  to 
be  a  Sodomist. 

Talar  (Breton  cant),  meal. 

Talbin,  m.  (thieves'),  attorney; 
note  of  hand ;  —  de  la  carre, 
bank  note,  or  "soft;  "  — d'encar-' 
rade,  theatre  ticket.  Literally 
entrance  ticket.     See  Tailbin. 

Talbine,/  (thieves'),  market. 

Talbiner  (thieves'),  to  summons. 

Talbinier,  m.  (thieves'),  dealer  at 
a  market. 

Talentueux,  adj.  (familiar), 
talented. 

Talari  (Breton  cant),  to  eat. 

Talochon,  m.  (popular),  slight  box 
on  the  ear. 

Talon,  m..  (familiar),  rouge,  aristo- 
crat. In  the  seventeenth  century 
courtiers  wore  red-heeled  shoes. 
Etre  —  rouge  jocularly  means  to 
have  aristocratic  manners.  Avoir 
les  talons  courts.    Rigaud  says  : — 

Se  dit  d'une  femme  que  le  moindre 
souffle  de  Tamour  renverse  dans  la  position 
horizontale. — Diet.  t€ Argot. 

(Popular)  Talon,  postscript.  Se 
donnerdu  —  dans  le  cul  (obsolete), 
to  strut. 

Tout  ga  c'est  bon  pour  s'aller  donner  du 
talon  dans  le  c  .  .  k  une  parade,  pour 
s'quarrer  avec  d'belles  Epaulettes.  —  Le 
Drapeau  Rouge  de  la  Mere  Ditc/tesne. 

Faire  t6te  du  —  (obsolete),  to  flee. 


Tambouille-  —  Tap. 


439 


Tambouille,  f.  (popular),  very 
plain  stew  ;  small  kitchen.  Faire 
sa  — ,  to  busy  oneself  with  the 
cooking  of  food. 

Tambour,  m.  (cavalry),  ilh)e 
brigadier  fourrier,  or  one  training 
to  he  a  kind  of  quartermaster ; 
(thieves')  dog,  or  "  tyke." 

U  n'avait  pas  d^jk  si  tort  de  croire  au 
mec  des  mecs  .  .  .  nous  n'avons  pas  £td 
jetds  sur  la  terre  pour  vivre  comme  des 
tambours. — ViDOCQ. 

Roulement  de  — ,  barking  of  a  dog. 
Formerly  "  tambour  de  nature  " 
signified  woman^s  privities.  (Mili- 
tary) Foutre  au  clou  comme  un 
— ,  to  punish  a  soldier  without  the 
slightest  compunction,  in  an  off- 
hand manner. 

Tampon,  m.  (popular),  s'allonger 
un  coup  de  — ,  to  fight. 

On  s'est  allongd  un  coup  de  tampon,^  en 
sortant  de  chez  la  mfere  Baquet.  Moi  je 
n'aime pas lesjeuxde mains  .  .  .  voussavez, 
c'est  avec  le  ganjon  de  la  mere  Baquet 
qu'on  a  eu  des  raisons. — Zola,  U Assam- 
meir, 

Tamponne,  f.  (obsolete),  faire  la 
— ,  to  regale  oneself. 

Tamponner  (popular),  to  knock  one 
about.  Also  to  annoy ;  —  de 
I'ceil,  to  stare,  "  to  stag ; "  — 
I'auriculaire,  to  tell. 

Si  j'allais  trouver  vos  patrons  dans  leur 
boutique  pour  leur  tamponner  I'auriculaire 
de  c'lui-ci :  Ronchonot,  col'nel,  ddcord,  une 
fesse  geMe  au  sifege  d'S^bastopol,  massacre 
d'blessures,  sans  compter  les  chevaux  tuds 
sous4ui. — G.  Prison. 

See  Coquillard. 

Tam-tam,  m.  (popular),  quarrel ; 
great  noise.  Faire  du  — ,  "to 
kick  up  a  row. " 

Tangente,/  The  students  of  the 
Ecole  Polytechnique  thus  term 
their  swords. 

Tannant,  adj.  (popular),'  irksome, 
annoying. 


Etes-vous  tannante  avec  vos  id^es  d'en. 
terrement,  interrompit  Madame  Pulois,  qui 
n'aimait  pas  les  conversations  tristes. — 
Zola. 

Tanner  (popular),  to  importune, 
"to  bore;"  —  le  cuir,  or  le 
casaquin,  to  thrash,  "to  hide." 
See  Voie. 

De  meme  qu'Si  Barochon  on  lui  avait  in- 
flig^  :  huit  jours  de  mazarot  pour  s'6tre  fait 
tanner  le  cuir  par  un  gars  qu'il  ne  voulait 
pas  nommer. — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Tante,  f.  (general),  ma  — ,  the 
pawnshop,  or  "  my  uncle." 

Demander  . .  .  k  ce  grand  bohfeme  qui 
cpnnaissait  tons  les  monts-de-piet^  pari- 
siens,  s'en  ^tait  servi  depuis  vingt  ans 
comme  de  reserves  ou  il  mettait  I'hiver  ses 
vStements  d'^t6,  T^t^  ses  vStements  d'hiver  ! 
.  .  .  s'il  connaissait  le  clou  !  s'ii  connaissait 
ma  tante  !— A.  Daudet. 

Termed  also  ma  —  Dumont,  i.  e. 
du  Mont  de  Piete,  pawnshop. 
Accrocher  quelque  chose  chez  sa 
— ,  to  pawn  an  article,  "to  spout, 
to  pop,  to  lumber,  or  to  blue  it. " 
(Thieves')  Une  — ,  an  informer, 
or  "nose."  (Familiar  and  popu- 
lar) Une  — ,  a  passive  Sodomist. 

Dans  la  soci^td  ordinaire  oil  ce  penchant 
centre  nature  est  en  quelque  sorte  inn^ 
chez  certains  individus,  ces  antiphysiques 
s'appellent  tantes  ;  ■  chez  les  marins,  cor- 
vettes ;  dans  I'armde,  ^tendards.  .  .  .  Ces 
courtisanes,  hommes-femmes,  sont  plus 
nombreuses  qu'on  ne  le  pense  dans  tous 
les  rangs  de  la  socidt^.  Elles  forment  une 
franc-ma^onnerie  qui  part  du  sommet  de 
r^chelle  sociale  pour  se  perdre  jusque  dans 
ses  bas-fonds.  —  Mimoires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

Taouanen  (Breton  cant),  beggar. 

Taouen  (Breton  cant),  lice. 

Tap,  m.  (thieves'),  mark  with  which 
thieves  ttsed  to  be  branded.  The 
practice  vifas  discontinued  in  1830. 
Faire  la  parade  au  —  meant 
formerly  to  be  plcued  in  the  pillory. 
Jardiner  sur  le  —  vert  (tapis  vert), 
to  play  cards. 


440 


Tapage —  Tapis. 


Tapage,  m,  (popular).  Rigaud 
says  : — 

Seduction  exercde  sur  line  femme.  Est 
d*un  degrd  plus  relev€  que  le  '*  levage,"  en 
ce  sens  que  la  femme  "  tapee  "  songe  moins 
Si  ses  inter6t5  qu'au  plaisir  qu'elle  aura. — 
Diet,  d' Argot. 

Tapage,  borrowing  money  "\ycezk- 
ing  shins." 

Tapamort,  m.  (popular),  drummer. 

Tapance,  f,  (popular),  mistress  or 
wife.  Literally  a  thing  made  to 
be  beaten.  Termed  a  "  tart  "  in 
the  English  slang,  as  appears  from 
ihe  following : — 

Two  bally  black  eyes  ! 
Oh  !  what  a  surprise ! 
And  that  only  for  kissing  another  man's 
tart. 
Two  bally  black  eyes. 

Music-hall  Song. 

La  —  du  meg,  the  employer's 
wife. 

Tape,  adj.  (general),  good ;  excel- 
lent, or  "  nap  ; "  well  got  up. 

Jupiter  avait  une  bonne  tSte,  Mars  6tait 
tape. — Zola. 

(Popular)  Tape  k  I'as,  or  dans  le 
noeud,  "  first-class,  or  ripping ;  " 
—  aux  pommes,  excellent ;  well- 
dressed ;  handsome. 

Une  particulifere  tap6e  aux  pommes.  Pas 
cocotte  pour  deux  liards.  Jamais  je  n'en 
ai  vu  une  pareille  venir  dans  la  boite  ^ 
Monsieur.— P.  Mahalin. 

Tape-cul,  m.  (cavalry),  aller  a  — . 
to  ride  without  stirrups. 

Tape-dur,  m.  (thieves'),  locksmith. 

Tap6e,  /  (familiar),  «  quantity,  -a 
"lot." 

Taper  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
borrow  money,  "  to  bite  one's 
ear. " 

II  songea  un  instant  i  taper  Th&phile, 
mais  il  ^tait  dijk  son  d^biteur  de  dix  louis. 
—Vast  Ricouard,  Ze  Tricot. 

Du  vin  qui  tape  sur  la  boule,  wine 
that  is  heady.     Taper  dans  le  tas. 


to  strike  at  random ;  —  sur  le 
ventre  a  quelqu'un,  to  be  familiar 
or  intimate  with  one ;  —  sur  les 
vivres  et  sur  la  bitture,  to  eat  and 
drink  much  ;  (popular)  —  dans  le 
tas,  to  act  in  a  straightforwofd 
blunt  manner.  Se  —  de  quelqfle- 
chose,  to  do  without  or  deprive 
oneself  of  something.  S'en  — ,  to 
drink  to  excess,  "  to  swill." 
(Roughs')  Taper  sur  la  rejouis- 
sance,  to  thrash.  Rejouissance  is 
bone  added  by  butchers  to  meat 
retailed. 

Tapette,  f.  (common),  a  young 
Sodomite;  a  chatterbox.  Avoir 
une  fiere  — ,  to  be  a  great  talker. 

Tapeur,  m.  (familiar),  niedy  man 
who  lives  on  small  loans  which  he 
procures  from  acquaintances. 

II  va,  il  revient,  il  arpente  le  trottoir. 
II  a  la  guigne  aujourd'hui  .  .  .  celui-ci 
couperait  peut-etre  dans  le  pont?  mais 
quel !  il  a  d^jk  casqu^  hier .  .  .  il  d^sespfere, 
car  il  entend  partir  derri&re  lui,  de  toutes 
les  tables,  ce  mot  cruel :  attention  !  voilk 
le  tapeur !— Richepin. 

Tapeuse  de  tal  (popular), /rarf/- 
tute.     See  Tal. 


Tapin,      m.     (popular), 

drummer.  Ficher  un  — ,  to  give 
a  blow,  richer  le  —  (obsolete), 
to  importune. 

Tapiquer  (thieves'),  to  inhabit. 

Tapis,  m.  (familiar),  amuser  le  — , 
to  divert  the  company  by  pleasant 
conversation.  Cheval  qui  rase  le 
— .  See  Rase-tapis.  (Game- 
sters') Le  —  brftle  !  expression 
used,  to  excite  o>ie  into  playing. 
Jardiner  sur  le  —  vert,  to  gamble. 
Etre  au  — ,  to  have  lost  all  one's 
money.  (Popular)  Le  —  bleu, 
the  skies.  Tapis  de  pied,  courtier. 
(Thieves')  Tapis,  wine-shop;  inn  ; 
—  de  degeles,  the  Morgue,  or 
Paris  dead-house;  —  d'endosse. 


Tapisserie —  Tartine. 


441 


shawl ;  — degrives,  soldiers'  can- 
teen ;  —  de  malades,  prison  can- 
teen ;  —  de  refaite,  eating-house  ; 

—  vert,  gaming-house,  or  "punt- 
ing-shop  ;  "  thieved  coffee-house  ; 
vieadow.  ^ 

Tapisserie,/  (familiar),  faire  — , 
is  said  of  ladies  at  a  ball,  who, 
being  neglected  for  some  reason  or 
other  by  gentlemen  devoid  of  gal- 
Umtry,  are  compelled  to  sit  and 
look  on  as  mere  spectators.  This 
unpleasantness  is  termed  "  doing 
the  wall-flower."  (Gamesters') 
Avoir  de  la  — ,  to  have  several 
figure-cards  in  one's  game. 

Tapissier,  m.  (thieves'),  inn-keeper, 
or  landlord  of  a  wine-shop,  "boss 
of  a  lush-crib. " 

Nous  ne  voulons  cnquiller  chez  aucun 
tapissier.  — ViDOCQ. 

(Gamblers')  Allumeur  — ,  confede- 
rate who  entices  others  into  play- 
ing, but  who  does  not  take  an  active 
part  in  the  game. 

Celle  qui  vit  du  jeu  et  des  joueurs,  depuis 
les  gros  mangeurs.  . .  jusqu'aux  rameneurs, 
aux  dineurs,  aux  allumeurs-tapissiers. — 
Hector  Malot. 

Tapon,  m.  (popular),  heap  of  rags. 
Mettre  sa  cravate  en  — ,  to  tie 
one's  necktie  in  a  slovenly  manner. 

Tapoter  (familiar),  to  be  an  indiffe- 
rent player  on  the  piano. 

Tapoteur,  m.  (familiar),  indifferent 
pianist. 

Tapotoir,  m.  (cocottes'),  the  piano. 

Taquete  (ballet  dancers'),  explained 
by  quotation  : — 

Cest  la  vivacite,  la  rapidity,  ce  sont  les 
petits  temps  sur  les  pointes. — Ch.  i>e 
fioiGNE. 

Taquiner  (popular),  le  dandillon, 
to  ring,  "  to  jerk  the  tinkler ;  " 

—  les  dents  d' elephant,  to  play 
■  the  piano. 


Taiauder  (popular),  to  make  a  dis- 
agreeable noise  by  shifting  chain 
about ;  to  thrash.  Se  — ,  to  quar- 
rel;  to  fight. 

Tard-^-la-soupe,  m.  (popular), 
guest  who  is  late  for  dinner. 

Tariek  (Breton  cant),  tobacco ;  tip 
of  money. 

Taroque,  f.  (thieves'),  mark  on 
linen. 

Taroquer  (thieves'),  to  mark  linen. 

Tarre,  /.  (thieves'),  vol  i  la  — , 
picking  pocket-handkerchiefs,  or 
"stook-hauling." 

Tartare,  m..  (tailors'),  apprentice. 

Tarte,  tartelette,  adj.  (thieves'), 
bad,  spurious,  or  ' '  snide. "  The 
word  snite  is  found  in  Urquhart's 
Rabelais,  with  the  modern  signifi- 
cation of ' '  snot, "  or  base  fellow : — 

Here  enter  not  vile  bigots,  hypocvites, 
Externally  devoted  apes,  base  snites. 

Or  in  Rabelais'  words  : — 

Ci  n'entrez  pas  hypocrites,  bigots, 
Vieux  matagots,  mariteux  boursofle. 

Tarte    bourbonnaise     (obsolete) 
See  Tarter. 

Tarter,  tartir(popularand  thieves'). 
In  Latin  ahum  deponere.  In 
furbesche  ' '  tartire  "  has  the  same 
signification,  and  also  means  to 
ease  one's  conscience  by  confessing 
to  a  priest.  (^3.  m'fait  — ,  that 
bores  me. 

J'couch'  que'qu'fois  sur  un  banc  d'gare ; 
Mais  I'ch'min  d'fer  &.  c6t6 
Fait  tout  I'temps  du  tintamarre. 
Les  ronfleurs,  ca  m'fait  tarter. 

RiCHEPIN. 

Tartine,  /  (familiar),  dull,  long 
speech,  or  writing.  (Popular)  Des 
tartines,  shoes,  or  boots,  "  trotter- 
cases." 

Fais  done  au  moins  cirer  tes  tartines. . . . 
C'qu'elles  sont  sales  !  Ah  !  j'avais  pas 
pig^  I'coup !     Cest  pas  des  pieds,  mon 


442 


Tartiner —  Tmipe. 


vieux,  e'est  des  cercueils  d'enfant !  C'est- 
il  vrai  que  c'est  Ik-dessus  qu'on  va  batir  la 
tour  Eiffel?  Ah  !  mince  alors. —Gz7  ^&j, 
1887. 

Tartiner  (familiar),  to  write artules. 

Tartinier,  m.  (familiar),  writer  of 
newspaper  articles. 

Tartouiller  (popular),  to  scribble. 

Tartouve,/.  (thieves'),  handcuffs, 
"bracelets." 

lis  m'ont  mis  la  tartouve. 
Grand  Meudon  est  abouM, 
Dans  mon  trimin  rencontre, 
Un  p&gre  du  quartier. 
V.  Hugo,  Le  Dernier  Jour  tV.un 
Condamn^. 

Taa,  m.  (popular),  person  devoid  of 
energy,  ' '  sappy. "  Prendre  sur 
le  — ,  to  take  one  red-handed. 
Synonymous  of  "  prendre  la  main 
dans  le  sac. "  Repiquer  au  — ,  to 
begin  afresh.  (Bullies')  Falre  le 
— ,  or  le  turbin,  to  walk  the  streets 
as  a  prostitute.  (Popular  and 
thieves')  Le  —  de  pierres,  the 
prison,  or  "  stone  jug." 

Tous  ceux  qui  rigolent  encore  k  Pantin 
viennent  d'etre  fourr^s  dans  le  tas  de  pierres. 
■ — ViDOCQ. 

Tasse,  f.  (popular),  nose,  or 
"boko."  See  Morviau.  (Fami- 
liar) La  grande  — ,  the  sea.  Called 
in  the  English  slang,  "briney," 
"herring-pond,"  or,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  sailors,  "  Davy's  locker." 
See  Boire.  (Printers')  Buvons 
une  — ,  let  us  have  a  glass  of 
wine. 

Tasseau,  m.  (popular),  the  nose. 
See  Morviau.  Se  secher  le  — , 
to  sneeze. 

TassSe,  adj.  (theatrical).  A  play 
is  said  to  be  "tassee"  when  it  is 
performed  more  rapidly  in  conse- 
quence of  the  actors  knowing  their 
parts  better  after  a  few  perform- 
ances. 

Tata,/     See  Faire,  Secher. 


Tiite-minette,  f.  (popular),  mid- 
wife.    lAier&Vy  feel  pussy. 

Tite-poule,  m.  (popular),  simple- 
minded  man,  a  "  duffer." 

Tateur,  m.  (popular),  de  femmes, 
man  fond  of  taking  liberties  with 
women.  (Thieves')  Tateur, 
skeleton  key,  or  "  betty." 

Titez-y,  ;//.  (popular),  trinket  worn 
on  the  bosom. 

Une  bague  de  comaline,  une  paire  de 
manches  avec  une  petite  dentelle,  un  de  ces 
cceurs  en  double,  des  "  t^tez-y "  que  les 
filles  se  mettent  entre  les  deux  n^nais. — 
Zola,  L^ Assotmnoir. 

Tatouille,  /.  (popular),  sound 
thrashing. 

Tatouillcr  quelqu'un  (popular), 
to  give  a  sound  thrashing,  ' '  to 
knock  into  a  cocked  hat." 

Taude,/.,  taudion,  m.  (popular), 
small  lodging-house,  small"  aVa." 
From  taudis,  wretched,  disorderly 
room. 

Taule,  m.  andf.  (old  cant),  execu- 
tioner, "Jack  Ketch."  The 
various  modern  or  old  synonyms 
are:  "Chariot,  le  p^re  Rasibus, 
bequillard,  buteur,  toUe,  toUart, 
aricoteur,  rouastre.  Chariot  casse- 
bras,  marieux,  lamboureur." 
(Thieves')  Une  — ,  a  house. 

Etienne  Lardenois  avait  ^t4  gerb^  k  cinq 
longes  de  dur,  pour  un  grinchissage  au 
fric-frac  dans  une  taule  habitue. — Vidocq. 

(Popular)     La      — ,     tlie     heaa, 
"tibby." 

—  A-t-il  I'air  feroce  ! 

—  II  doit  avoir  tud  bien  du  monde,  0  le 
gueux  !  6  le  sc^l^rat ! 

—  C'te  balle  1  oh,  c'te  taule  !— Th.  Gau- 

TIEK. 

Taupage,  m.  (cads'  and  thieves'), 
selfishness. 

Taupe,  /.  (familiar),  girl  of  indiffe- 
rent character ;  (military)  — ;  de 
rempart,  soldier  of  the  engineers. 


Tauper —  T^nor. 


443 


Tauper  (popular),  to  work,  "to 
graft ; "  —  dessus,  to  thrash. 

Taupier,  m.  (thieves'),  selfish  fellow. 

Taupin,  m.  (students'),  student  in 
the  division  of  nlathhnatiques 
spkiales,  or  higher  mathematics. 
Name  given  specially  t«  those  who 
prepare  for  the  Ecole  Pol)  tech- 
nique. 

Aussi  le  jeune  Anglais  a-t-il  le  mepris  du 
cul-de-p'omb  scientifique,  du  fort  en  theme, 
du  '*  book-worm  "  comme  il  I'appelle,  s'il 
n'est  rembourrd  de  muscles  solides ;  du 
taupin,  si  le  taupin  est  un  faiblard.  — Hec- 
tor France, 

The  "  taupins  "  are  divided  into 
"taupin  Carre"  and  "taupin 
cube,"  respectively  second  and 
third  year  student  in  the  course  of 
higher  mathematics.  (Military) 
Taupin,  soldier  or  officer  of  the 
engineers.     From  taupe,  a  mole. 

Taupiner  (thieves'),  to  murder. 

Taupiniere,  f.  (students'),  cram- 
ming establishment  which  pre- 
fares  candidates  for  the  army. 

Te  Deutn,  m..  (popular),  faire 
chanter  un  — •  raboteux,  to  thrash. 

Teigne,  /.  (popular),  ^tre  — ,  to 
have  a  bad  temper.  Mauvaise  — , 
snarling,  evilly-disposed  person. 

Teinte,  adj.  (popular),  etre  — ,  to 
be  in  a  fair  way  of  being  intoxi- 
cated, to  be  slightly  "  elevated." 

Teinturier,  m.  (popular),  wine  re- 
tailer; (familiar)  literary  man  who 
revises  another's  writings. 

Telegraphe,  m.  (familiar),  sous- 
marin,  signals  made  by  lovers  by 
pressure  of  the  foot  under  a 
table.  (Gambling  cheats')  Faire 
le  — ,  to  stand  behind  a  player  and 
by  sundry  signals  to  give  informa- 
tion to  an  accomplice. 

Temperament,  m.  (familiar), 
acheter  a  — ,  to  buy  on  the  instal- 
ment system. 


Ce  genre  d'opdration  est  tres  usit^  entre 
fiUes  galantes  et  marchandes  k  la  toilette. 
Ces  dames  qui  ont  le  petit  mot  pour  rire,, 
appellenC  encore  ce  mode  de  payement  "  k 
taut  par  amant." — Rigaud. 

TempSte.     See  Cap. 

Temple,  m.  (freemiisons'),  hall  of  ' 
meeting;  (thieves')  cloak.   Second- 
hand clothes  are  mostly  sold   in 
the  Quar^ier  du  Teinple. 

Temps,  m.  (popular),  sale,  warm 
weather  which  makes  one  feel  dry  ; 
—  de  demoiselle,  weather  which 
is  neither  hot  nor  cold ;  (theatri- 
cal) —  froid,  prolonged  silence, 
when,  for  instance,  an  actor's 
memory  fails  him.  (Fencing) 
Voir  le  coup  de  — ,  to  see  the 
feint. 

Tenante,_/;  (thieves'), //«<  measure. 

Tendeur,  m.  (cads'),  man  undei: 
the  influence  of  a  well-developed 
bump  of  amaiiveness,  ^' homa 
salax."  Vieux  — ,  old  debauchee, 
old  "  rip."  (Popular)  Tendeur  de 
demi-aurie,  /' 


Tend-la-main  (popular),  beggar. 

Tendresse,^;  (journalists'),  euphe- 
mism for  prostitute.  Literally 
vendeuse  de  tendresses. 

Tenir  (familiar),  la  chandelle,  to 
favour,  willingly  or  unwittingly, 
the  loves  of  a  couple  ;  —  la  corde,, 
to  surpass  ;  to  excel.  En  — ,  to  be 
in  love  with,  or  "  mashed  on." 
II  en  tient,  his  wife  deceives  him. 
(Popular)  Se  — -a.  quarante  sous 
avec  son  croque-mort,  to  die  hard. 
(Theatrical)  Cet  auteiir  tient 
I'affiche,  this  author's  play  has  a 
long  run.  (Thieves')  Tenir  quel- 
qu'un  sur  les  fonts,  to  be  a  witness 
for  the  prosecution  ;  (sailors')  — 
bien  sur  ses  ancres,  to  enjoy  good 
health. 

T^nor,  m.  (journalists'),  writer  of 
leading  articles. 


444 


Tenue — Tite. 


Tenue,  /.  (freemasons'),  meeting. 
(Thieves')  En  petite  —  de  dragon, 
in  one's  shirt,  in  one's  "mish." 

Terreau,  m.  (popular),  snuff.  Se 
flanquer  du  —  par  le  tube,  to  take 
snuff. 

Terre-neuve.     See  Banc. 

Terrer  (thieves'),  to  murder ;  to 
guillotine. 

On  va  terrer  (guillotlner)  Theodore .  .  . 
oui  Theodore  Calvi  morfile  (mange)  sa  der- 
niere  bouch^e. — Balzac, 

Terreur,  f.  (thieves'),  desperate 
scoundrel  of  herculean  strength 
■who  lords  it  over  his  fellow-male- 
factors. 

Chaque  quartier,  aux  portes  de  Paris, 
poss&de  sa  terreur.  Le  champs-clos  des 
terreurs  .  .  .  se  tient  aux  voisinages  de  la 
Roquette  ou  du  Fere  Lachaise.  .  .  .  L^, 
celui  qui  a  tombd  son  adversaire  a  le  droit 
de  lui  retirer  son  titre  de  Terreur  dfes  qu'il 
parvient  a  lui  manger  une  partie  du  nez,  k 
lui  supprimer  un  osil  ou  la  moiti^  de  la 
machoire. — MimoiresdeMonsieurClaude. 

Terreuse,  /  (popular),  prostitute 
who  prowls  about  deserted  spots. 
See  Gadoue. 

Terrien,  m.  (sailors'),  landsman,  or 
"land-lubber;"  (familiar)  pea- 
sant, "  clod-hopper." 

Terrine,  y:,  etre  dans  la  —  (obso- 
lete), to  be  drunk. 

Terrinifere,/  (popular),  lowest  sort 
of  prostitute,  or  "  draggle-tail." 

Tesson,  m.  (roughs'),  head,  or 
"tibby." 

Tetard,  m.  (popular),  stubborn,  or 
"  pig-headed  "  »«a«  ;  long-headed 
man. 

Rien  sorbonnd  (raisonn^),  mon  homme, 
tu  es  toujours  le  roi  des  t€tards  (hommes 
de  tSte;.— E.  Sue. 

Tdtasses,  /  pi.  (popular),  large, 
pendulous  breasts.  Termed  by 
Voltaire,  "grands  pendards." 


Tetassifere,  /  (popular),  woman 
with  large,  lank  breasts. 

TSte,  f.  (familiar  and  popular),  de 
hms,  bald  head,  "bladder  of  lard;" 
— -  de  canne,  or  de  pipe,  ugly, 
grotesqite  head  or  face,  "  knocker- 
face  ; "  —  de  choucroUte,  or 
carree,  German. 

Une  superbe  paire  de  pantoufles  de  satin 
qu'il  avait  d^nichde,  je  ne  sais  oil,  dans 
une  chambre  abandonn^e  par  les  "  tStes 
carries." — Aljnanach  Illustri  de  la.  Petite 
Ripublique  Franpaise,  1887. 

Une  bonne  — ,  u  simple-minded 
person,  one  easily  imposed  upon, 

Je  suis  trop  bon,  on  me  prend  pour  une 
bonne  tete.  Zut !  k  partir  de  ce  matin,  je 
fous  tout  le  monde  dedans  et  voilk ! — 6. 

COURTELINE. 

Faire  sa  — ,  to  give  oneself  airs, 

Y'  a-t'y  rien  qui  vous  agace 
Comme  une  levrette  en  pal'tot ! 
Quand  y'a  tant  d'gens  su'  la  place 
Qui  n'ont  rien  a  s'mett'  su'  I'dos  X 

J'ai  I'horreur  de  ces  p'tit's  betes, 
J'aim'  pas  leux  museaux  pointus  ; 
J'aim'  pas  ceux  qui  font  leux  tetes 
Pass'  qu'iz'ont  des  pardessus. 

De  Chatillon,  La  Levrette 
en  Paletot. 

Avoir  une  —  qui  depasse  les 
cheveux,  to  be  bald,  or  "to  have  a 
bladder  of  lard."  Avoir  une 
bonne  — .  to  have  a  grotesque 
face. 

—  Mon  pauvre  vieux,  si  je  vous  disais 
que  vous  avez  une  bonne  tete  ! 

-^  N'acheve  pas,  6  ange  !  tu  me  la  met- 
trais  k  I'envers  ! — Journal  Amusant. 

(Military)  Tete  mobile,  instructor 
in  musketry  ;  —  4  corvees,  block- 
head;  (printers')  —  de  clous, 
worn-out  type;  (theatrical)  —  a 
I'huile,  director  of  the  staff  of  super- 
numeraries. Faire  sa  — ,  or  se 
faire  une  — ,  refers  to  the  "  make- 
up "  of  one's  counte-nance.  (Fami- 
liar) T6te  de  Turc,  person  taken  as 
a  butt  for  ironical  hits,  jokes,  or 
insults.    An  allusion  to  the  Turk's 


T^ter —  Tigne. 


445 


head  used  at  fairs  to  be  pummelled 
by  persons  desirous  of  testing  their 
strength. 

Je  savais  que  dans  les  reunions  publiques, 
mes  coll&gues  et  moi  f  dons  la  "  t6te  de 
turc,"  sur  laquelle  s'exeri^aient  k  plaisir  et 
essayaient  leurs  forces  les  orateurs  pl^b^iens 
de  Wpoque. — MaciS. 

Avoir  une  — ,  better  explained  by 
the  following  : — 

Que  diable  appelez-vous '  *  avoir  ou  n'avoir 
pas  une  tete?"  .  .  .  Avoir  une  t^te,  c'est 
n'etre  pas  guillotine.  Ne  pas  avoir  une 
t6te,  c  est  etre  guillotine.  Cette  expli- 
cation vous  sufEt-elle  ?  Non  ?  EH  bien  ! 
avoir  une  tete,  c'est  jouir  de  la  plenitude 
de  sa  beaute.  C'est  avoir .  .  .  un  aspect, 
un  air,  une  physionomie  qui  ne  soient  pas 
ceux  de  tout  le  monde. — A.  Scholl. 

(Popular)  Tete  d'acajou,  negro, 
or  "  bit  o'  ebony  ; "  —  de  boche, 
or  de  pioche,  very  stupid  man, 
"dunderhead."  See  Boche. 
Tete.de  patere,  prostitute's  bully, 
or  "ponce;"  —  de  veau  lavee, 
white  face,  or  "muffin -face." 

Teter  (popular),  to  drink,  "to 
lush." 

Teton,  m.  (popular),  de  satin  Wane 
tout  neuf,  virgin's  breasts.  Tetons 
de  Venus,  well-shaped  breasts. 

Comme  elle  portait  une  robe  Mgfere  malgr^ 
decembre,  on  voyait  sous  son  fichu  pointer 
les  tetons  de  Venus  que  le  froid  raidissait. 
Et  pas  de  flic-flac  .  .  .  non,  c'etait  plante 
soUdement.— RiCHEPiN,  Le  Pavi. 

T^tonniere,  /  (popular),  woman 
with  well-developed  breasts,  like 
Juno's. 

TStue,/  (thieves'), /««. 

T6zifere,  or  tezigo  (thieves'),  thou, 
thee. 

Tezigue  (thieves'),  thee,  thou. 

Le  dardant  a  coque  le  rifle  dans  mon  pal- 
pitant qui  n'aquige  plus  que  pour  t&igue. 

— ViDOCQ. 

•Thdatre,  m.  (popular),  le  —  rouge, 
'  the  guillotine. 


Th§ta  X.,  m.,  second  year  student 
at  the  Ecole  Polytechnique.  See- 
Pipe. 

Thomain,  m.  (theatrical),  insignifi- 
cant part. 

Thomas,  »z.  (familiar  and  popu- 
lar), a  facetious  synonym  for  pot  de 
chambre.  Thus  termed  in  con- 
nection with  the  alleged  inquisitive 
disposition  of  the  apostle  of  that 
name.  The  English  have  the  ex- 
pression "looking-glass,"  which 
probably  originated  from  a  mali- 
cious pun  not  easy  to  explain  in 
polite  language.  (Popular)  La 
mere  — ,  or  la  veuve  — ,  night- 
stool.  Avoir  avale  — ,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath.  (Thieves')  Pipe 
a  — ,  a  variety  of  cheating  game. 

Thunard,  m.  (thieves'  and  popular), 
silver  coin. 

Thune,  or  tune,/  (thieves'),  money; 
coin.  See  "Tune.  Thune  de 
camelotte,  spurious  coin;  —  de 
cinq  balles,  five-franc  coin. 

Si  tu  veux  qu'elle  t'obeisse,  montre^ui 
une  thune  de  cinq  balles  (piece  de  dnq 
francs)  et  prononce  ce  mot-ci :  Tondif ! — 
Balzac. 

Tibi,  m.  (familiar),  stud  for  the 
shirt  collar. 

Tiche,/.  (shopmen's),  ^?-i?/f^j. 

Ticquage,»«.(card-sharpers'),j?^Hffl/' 
made  to  a  confederate  by  moving' 
cards  up  and  down. 

Tierce,  f.  {thieves'),  gang;  —  de 
pfegres,  gang  of  thieves,  "mob." 
II  y  a  de  la  — ,  the  police  are  in  full 
force.  (Popular)  Tierce  a  I'egout, 
tierce  of  nine  at  the  game  of  piquet. 

J'ai  une  tierce  i  I'egout  et  trois  colombes 
...  les  crinolines  ne  me  quittent  pas.— 
Zola. 
Tiffes,  or  tifs,  m.  pi.  (roughs'  and 

thieves'),  hair,  or  "thatch." 

Tigne,/.  (thieves'),  crowd. 


446 


Tigner —  Tirelire. 


Tigner  (thieves'),  d'esbrouffe,  to 
pick  pockets  in  a  crowd. 

Tigre,  »2.  (familiar),  small  groom, 
or  "  tiger  ;  "  (theatrical)  young 
ballet  dancer  ;  (popular)  —  a  cinq 
griiifes,  five-franc  coin.  (Military) 
Tigre,  urinals. 

Timbaliere,  f.  (familiar),  woman 
who  speculates  on  the  Stock  Ex- 
change. 

Timbre-poste,  m.  (sportsmen's), 
cartridge. 

Tinette,  /  (popular),  mouth.  Che- 
valier de  la  — ,  scavenger  employed 
inemptyingprivies,  "gold-finder." 
Couvre  ta  — ,  hold  your  tongue. 
Plomber  comme  une  — ,  to  stink. 

Ca  me  remettra  un  peu  du  sale  mec  qui 
vient  de  me  r'faire,  y  plombe  comme  une 
tinette. — Louise  Michel. 

(Thieves')      Tinette,      boot,      or 
"daisy-root." 

Tinteur,  m.  (old  cant),  Sodomist. 

Tintouiner  (popular),  se  — ,  to 
fret. 

Tipe,  m.  (sporting),  piece  of  infor- 
mation, "tip." 

Tique,  /.  (popular),  saoul  comme 
une  — ,  completely  drunk, ' '  sewed 
up." 

Tiquer,  or  ticquer  (card -sharpers'), 
to  signal  by  moving  the  cards  up 
and  down. 

Tirades,/,  pi.  (thieves'),  convict's 
fetters,  "wife." 

Tirage,  m.  (familiar),  difficulty. 

Tiraillon,  m.  (thieves'),  explained 
by  quotation  : — 

Vetus  trfes  mesquinement ,  .  .  ils  se  bor- 
nent  \  fouiUer  les  poches  des  habits  et  des 
paletots,  et  exploitent  ordinairement  les 
curieux  qu'un  ^v^nement  fortuit  rassemble 
dans  les  rues  ou  qui  forment  cercle  autour 
des  chanteurs  ou  des  saltimbaiiques.  — 
M^iMoires  de  Canter. 


Tirante,/  (thieves'),  garter ;  bell- 
rope. 

Tirants,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  stockings. 
In  furbesche  ' '  tiranti. "  Tirants 
de   filsangue,  floss-silk  stockings ; 

—  radoucis,  silk  stockings  ;  —  de 
trimilet,  thread  stockings. 

Tire,  verb  andf.  (military),  jouer  a 

—  qui  a  peur,  duel  in  which  the 
adversaries  fire  at  will. 

II  faut  que  Tun  de  nous  descende  la 
garde  .  .  .  mais  comme  nous  avons  tous  les 
deux  la  vie  dure,  et  'qu'avec  nos  sabres 
nous  aurions  de  la  peine  k  en  finir,  nous 
nous  trouverons  demain  matin,  hors  du 
camp,  avec  nos  deux  pieds  de  cochon,  et 
alors  ma  vieille,  nous  jouerons  k  "tire  qui 
a  peur. ' — Dubois  de  Gennes. 

La  — ,  pocket-picking. 

Tire-au-flanc,  m..  (military),  one 
who  shirks  his  duties. 

^  Le  chef  et  moi,  nous  rappliquons  k  I'hS- 
pital.  Y  avait  Ik  tous  ies  tire-au-flanc  de 
I'escadron. — G.  Courteline. 

Tire-bogue,  m.  (thieves'),  rogue 
whose  speciality  is  to  steal  watches, 
■■'-  "toy-getter." 

Tire-braise,  m.  (popular),  infantry 
soldier. 

Tire-fiacre,  m.  (popular),  tough 
meat,  like  the  flesh  of  a  cab- 
horse. 

Tire-gosse,  or  tire-m5mes,  / 
(popular),  midwife. 

Tire-jus,  m.  (popular),  pocket- 
handkerchief,  or  "muckinger." 

Tire-juter  (popular),  se  — ,  to  blow 
one's  nose. 

Tire-liards,  m.  (popular),  miser, 
"hunks." 

Tirelire,/.  (popular),  behind.  Ri- 
gaud  says,  "  gagne-pain  des  filles 
de  joie."  Coller  un  atout  dans 
la  — ,  to  kick  one's  behind.  La  — , 
the  head,  ox  ^^rmV  SeeTronche. 
Vieille  — ,  old  fool,  "doddering 


Tire-moelle —  Tirer. 


447 


old  sheep's  head. "  (Popular  and 
thieves')  La  — ,  iAe  prison,  or 
"  stir." 

On  I'a  fourr^  dans  la  tir'lire 
Avec  les  prgres  d'Pfilago. 

KlCHEPIN. 

Tire-moelle,  or  tire-molard,  m. 
(popular),  pocket-handkerchief,  or 
"  muckinger." 

Tire-mome,/.  (popular),  midwife. 

Tire-point,  m.  (thieves'),  buter  au 
— ,  to  kill  by  stabbing  in  the  hack 
with  a  saw-file, 

Tire-poire,  m.  (popular),  photo- 
.  grapher.    Poire  is  the  head. 

Tirer  (familiar),  a  boulets  rouges 
sur  quelqu'un,  to  sue  one  without 
mercy  ;  —  la  corde,  or  la  ficelle, 
to  be  in  bad  circumstances  ;  —  la 
langue  d'un  pied,  or  d'une  aune, 
to  be  very  thirsty,  "  to  be  as  dry 
as  a  lime-basket."  Also  to  be  in 
great  distress  ;  —  une  dent,  to  ob- 
tain a  loan  of  money  under  false 
pretences.  See  Ligne'.  (Popular) 
Tirer  le  chaiisson,  to  run  away. 
In  the  English  slang,  "  to  pike  it, " 
as  appears  from  quotation  : — 

Joe  quickly  his  sand  had  sold,  sir, 
And  Bess  got  a  hasket  of  rags  ; 
Then  up  to  St.  Giles's  they  roU'd,  sir ; 
To  every  hunter  Bess  brags. 
Then  unto  the  gin-shop  they  pike  it. 
And  Bess  was  admitted,  we  hear ; 
For  none  of  the  crew  dare  but  like  it, " 
As  Joey,  her  kiddy,  was  there. 

The  Sand-Mans  Wedding. 

Tiler  une  rapee  refers  to  coition, 
Se  la  — ,  or  se  —  les  balladoires, 
to  run  away.  See  Patatrot. 
.Se  —  d'epaisseur,  to  extricate 
oneself  from  some  difficulty. 
En  —  une  d'epaisseur.  See  Ga- 
rotte. Tirer  la  dig-dig,  to  pull  the 
bell, "  to  jerk  the  tinkler  ;"  (police) 
—  la  droite,  or  de  la  droite,  to 
have  a  peculiar  limp  of  the  right 
.  leg,  caiised  by  the  weight  of  the 
fetters  tvhich  a  convict  has  worn 


when  at  the  penal  servitufle  settle- 
ment. 

Ce  n'est  pas  un  sanglier,  .  .  .  c'est  un 
cheval  de  retour.  Vois  comme  il  tire  la 
droite  !  II  est  necessaire  dexpliquer  ici 
.  .  .  que  chaque  format  est  accoupl^  k  un 
autre  (toujours  un  vieux  et  un  jeune  en- 
semble) par  une  chaine.  Le  poids  de  cette 
chaine,  riv^e  k  un  anneau  au-dessus  de  la 
cheville,  est  tel,  qu'il  donne,  au  bout  d'une 
ann^e,  un  vice  de  marche  etemel  au  forgat. 
.  .  .  En  termes  de  police,  il  tire  la  droite. — 
Balzac. 

(General)  Tirer  la  carotte,  to  take 
in,  "to  bamboozle;"  —  une 
carotte,  to  obtain  something  from 
one  under  false  pretences  ;  to  de- 
ceive, "  to  bilk." 

Nul,  d'ailleurs,  n'entrait  k  la  malle  sans 
avoir  passe  par  ses  mains.  Flick  tenant  k 
bien  se  convaincre  qu'aucun  de  ses  lascars 
ne  lui  tirait  de  carotte. — G.  Courteline. 

The  Italians  have  the  correspond- 
ing expression,  "piantar  carota," 
the  origin  being  that,  in  a  soft 
soil,  an  appropriate  image  of 
credulity,  the  carrot  will  thrive 
wonderfully.  The  wary  Italian 
only  plants  the'  aforesaid  vege- 
table, biding  his  time  and  watch- 
ing his  opportunity,  whilst  the 
impetuous  Gaul  at  once  plucks  it 
by  the  roots.  (Military)  Tirer 
de  la  cellule,  to  be  confined  in  a 
military  cell. 

Oui,  c'est  comme  ^a^  je  .tire  de  la  cel- 
lule avant  que  je  me  tu-e  moi-m6me. — G. 
Courteline. 

Tirer  au  cul,  to  shirk  one's  duties. 
An  allusion  to  unfair  thrusts  not 
allowed  in  fencing. 

Tu  vas  me  foutre  le  camp  au  pan.sage, 
tout  de  suite,  et  tu  coucheras  k  la  bolte  ce 
.soir  pour  t'apprendre  k  tirer  au  cul.  Ah  ! 
carotier  !  ah  !  fricoteur  !— G.  Courteline. 

Termed  also  Tirer  au  grenadier, 
—  au  renard,  —  aux  flancs. 

De  tons  les  coins  de  I'infirmerie  des  oris 
de  colbre  montaient :  Y  tire  aux  flancs,  ce 
cochon-)k.— G.  Courteline. 

Tirer    au    cul,    to    deceive   one's 


448 


Tiretaine —  Tocasson. 


superiors    by   feigning   sickness. 

Eh  bien  oui,  hurla-tTiI,  c'est  vrai !  C'est 
vraique  j'ai  tir6  au  cul  .  .  .  mais  si  j'ai  pas 
la  diarrh^e,  comme  j'ai  voulu  le  faire  ac- 
croire,  c'est  pas  faute  que  j'age  tout  fait 
pour  I'attraper  ;  je  vous  en  fiche  mon  bil- 
let..  .  j'm'ai  flanqu^  douze  paquets  de  bis- 
muth dans  I'estomac ;  j'pouvais  pourtant 
pas  faire  pluss  ! — G.  Courteline. 

Ca  se  tire,  things  are  progressing 
favourably.  La  chose  se  tire,  the 
plan  is  being  carried  out,  the  thing 
is  being  done. 

II  faut  lui  crever  la  paillasse  ;  qui  est-ce 
qui  en  est?  ...  II  n'y  eut  pas  une  deser- 
tion .  .  .  ni  parmi  ceux  de  la  classe,  pour 
qui  '*  $a  se  tirait." — G.  Courteline. 

(Thieves')  Tirer  la  longe,  to 
limp;  —  sa  crampe,  to  escape 
from  prison  ;  —  son  plan,  to  be  in 
prison;  —  un  conge  i  la  Maz,  to 
be  imprisoned  in  the  prison  of 
Mazas. 

Moi,  j  'ai  besoin  qu'ma  Louis  turbine. 
Sans  9a,  j'tire  encore  un  congd 
A  la  Maz  !    Gare  k  la  surbine  ! 
J'deviens  grinch'  quand  j'ai  pas  mangd. 
RiCHEPIN. 

Tirer  une  coupe  sur  le  grand 
flanche,  to  be  transported,  "to 
lump  the  lighter." 

Tiretaine,  m.  (thieves'),  country 
thief. 

Tire-t'arrifere  (sailors'),  une  dcge- 
lee  de  — ,  an  awful  thrashing. 

II  se  demandait  s'il  ne  fallait  point  sauter 
sur_  le  gas  .  .  .  le  ramener  de  force   ^  la 
maison.  sous  une  d^gel^e  de  tire-t'arriere, 
-  — RiCHEPIN,  La  Glu. 

Tireur,  m.  (thieves'),  pickpocket, 
' '  cly-faker. " 

Tireusede  vinaigre,/.  (obsolete), 
explained  by  quotation  : — 

Femme  prostitute,  coureuse,  putain, 
garce,  fille  de  joye,  de  mauvaise  vie. — Le 
Roux. 

Tiroir,  m.  (card-sharpers'),  variety 
of  swindling  by  abstracting  one  or 
more  cards  from  the  game  ;  (popu- 


lar)   —  de  I'oeil,  gains   on  odd 
pieces  of  material. 

Tirou,  m.  (thieves'),  by-road. 

Tisanier,  m.  (popular),  hospital 
attendant. 

Titi,  m.  (popular),  typo^apher  ^ 
fowl.  The  word  is  used  also  as  a 
name  for  a  Paris  street-boy. 

Toe,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar  and 
popular),  gold  or  silver  plated 
metal. 

_  Ca?  c'est  une  boucle  d'oreille  en  imita- 
tion. .  .  .  Ah  !  de  mon  temps,  les  femmes 
qui  fr^quentaient  le  Caf6  de  Paris  se  re- 
spectaient  trop  pour  porter  du  toe  !  — P, 
Mahalin. 

Toe,  ridiculous. 

II  estjoliment  toe,  va  !  quand  il  la  fait  ^ 
la  dignity  et  qu'il  est   en   chemise. — E. 

MONTEIL. 

Toe,  crazy  ;  inferior,  deteriorated, 
"pinchbeck."  Une  femme  — , 
an  ugly  woman.  II  est  un  peu 
— ,  he  is  slightly  crazy,  or  a 
"little  bit  balmy  in  his  crumpet." 
C'est — ,  itisinferior,  or  "jimmy." 
(Thieves')  Le  — ,  the  executioner 
at  the  convict  settlement.  (Artists') 
Un  tableau  — ,  a  picture  not 
painted  in  good  style,  not  up  to 
the  mark, 

Tocandine,  /.  (popular),  kept 
woman. 

Tocard,  m.  and  adj.  (popular),  old 
beau  ;  ugly,  bad,  ill.  Diminutive 
of  Toc-(which  see).  C'est — ,  it 
is  not  right.  Etre  —  pour  le 
galtos,  to  have  but  scanty  means. 
Also  to  be  stingy. 

Tocarde,/.  (popular),  old  coquette. 

Tocasse,  adj.  (thieves'),  wicked ; 
jnalicious. 

Tocasserie,  /  (thieves'),  wicked- 
ness;  malice. 

Tocasson,  m.  (popular),  ugly 
woman. 


Tocquardement —  Tondetir. 


449 


Tocquardement  (popular),  ladly; 
roughly.  Harponner  — ,  to  lay 
rough  hands  on. 

Toc-toc,  adj.  (popular),  cracked. 

Togue,  adj.  (thieves'),  cunning. 

Toile,/.  (popular),  d'emballage, 
shroud.  Les  toiles  se  touchent, 
expression  which  denotes  that  one 
has  no  money  in  his  pocket. 
(Tailors')  Faire  de  la  — ,  not  to 
have  sufficient  means  to  procure 


Toilette,  f.  (shoemakers'),  green 
canvas  wrapper  for  boots;  (general) 
cutting  the  hair  of  convicts  previous 
to  execution.  La  chambre  de  — , 
room  at  Mazas  where  that  opera- 
tion is  performed. 

Cest  au  d6p8t  que  se  fait  la  toilette  sur 
un  escabeau,  toujouis le  in€me depuis  trente 
ans.  . .  .  Dfes  que  le  coirdamn^  est  sorti  de 
sa  cellule  pour  entrer  dans  cette  chambre 
de  toilette,  il  appartient  au  bourreau. — 
Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Toilier,  m.  (shopmen's),  an  assis- 
tant in  the  linen  departnunt, 

Vous  savez  que  les  bobinards  ont  leur 
club  maintenant.  ...  II  parlait  des  ven- 
deurs  de  la  mercerie.  .  .  .  Est-ce  qu'ils  ont 
un  piano  comme  les  toiliers  ? — Zola. 

Toise,  adj.  (familiar),  il  est  — , 
used  disparagingly,  we  know  his 
worth,  or  what  he  is  capable  of, 

Toiture,/  (popular),  hat,  "tile." 

Tok-tok  (Breton  cant),  hammer, 

Tolfede  (familiar),  de  —  (jocular), 
of  the  best  quality, 

""ollard,  m.  (thieves'),  office  ;  execu- 
tioner, see  Taule  ;  (convicts') 
camp  bed, 

'ornate,  y;  (popular),  rester  comme 
une  — ,  to  be  confused,  to  look 
foolish. 

'ombage,  m.  (gambling  cheats'), 
extortion  of  money  by  gambling 


cheats  from  their  confrires,  or  loan 
made  by  a  gamester  and  not  likely 
to  be  repaid,  "  biting  the  ear." 

Tombeau,  m.  (popular),  bed,  or 
"doss." 

Tomber  (familiar),  quelqu'un,  to 
nonplus  one.  Si  vous  me  tombez 
jamais  sous  la  coupe  (threaten- 
ingly), if  ever  I  have  any  power 
over  you.  (Popular)  Tomber  une 
femme,  toabtainawoman'sfavours; 
^dans  la  mdlasse,  to  become  poor, 
to  be  ruined ;  —  dans  la  limonade, 
to  fall  in  the  water ;  —  dans  le 
boeuf,  to  become  poor  ;  —  en  figure, 
to  fall  in  with  a  person  whom,  one 
would  rather  avoid ;  —  pile,  to 
fall  on  one's  back ;  —  sur  le  dos 
et  se  casser  le  nez,  to  be  constantly 
unsuccessful ;  —  sur  le  dos  et  se 
faire  une  bosse  au  ventre,  words 
used  to  denote  that  a  girl  has  been 
sedtued,  with  the  natural  conse- 
quences ;  —  sur  un  coup  de  poing, 
to  receive  a  black  eye,  and  to  pre- 
tend that  it  is  the  result  of  a 
fall ;  —  une  bouteille,  to  drink  a 
bottle  of  wine  ;  (thieves')  —  dans 
le  malheur  (euphemism),  to  be 
transported,  "to  go  over  the 
water  ; "  to  be  apprehended ;  — 
en  frime,  to  meet  with;  —  en 
litharge  (lethargic),  to  be  in  soli- 
tary confinement;  —  malade,  to 
be  apprehended,  or  "smugged." 

Tombeur,  m.  (popular),  redoubtable 
wrestler ;  Lovelace ;  (theatrical) 
bad  actor ;  (familiar)  slanderous 
journalist, 

Tompin,  m^.  (familiar),  le  genre — , 
something  between  vulgarism  and 
elegance. 

Tondeur,  m.  (popular),  de  nappes, 
parasite,  or  "  quiller  ; "  —  d'ceufs, 
over-particular  man,  one  who 
sticks  at  trifles;  a  pedantic  person  ; 
a  miser,  or  "hunks." 


450 


Tonneau —  Torchon. 


Tonneau,  m.  (popular),  etre  d'un 
bon  — ,  to  be  ridiculous.  Etre 
d'ua  fort—,  to  be  extremely  stupid, 
a  "dunderhead."  (Roughs')  Ton- 
neau diviseur,  cab.  Fioperly privy 
tub. 

Tonnerre  de  poche,  m.  (obsolete), 
wind.  In  Latin,  crepitus  ven'' 
tris. 

Toper  (military),  to  seize ;  to  appre- 
hend. 

Topiser  (thieves'),  to  recognise  ;  to 
stare  at. 

Topo,  m.  (military),  topographic 
survey  ;  staff;  staff  officer. 

Toquade,/  {izxaSSixc),  fancy  for  a 
girl  or  for  a  man  ;  whim.  Avoir 
une  — ,  to  be  "  spooney." 

J'ai  pour  toi  une  toquade  insens^e  depuis 
la  premiere  de  Marion  Delorme. — E.  MoN- 

TEIL. 

Toquadeuse,  /  (familiar),  cocotte 
of  a  sentimental  turn  of  mind, 
capable  of  living  a  man  "for 
love." 

Toquante,/  (popularand  thieves'), 
watch,  or  "tatler." 

Son  auber  j'ai  engant^, 
Son  auber  et  sa  toquante, 
Et  ses  attach's  de  c^. 

V.  Hugo. 

Toque,  /  (thieves'),  watch,  or 
"  tatler." 

Toque,  m.  and  adj.  (familiar), 
eccentric  man;  one  who  is  cracked, 
or  "queer."  Etre  —  de,  to  be  in 
love  with,  "spooney  on,  mashed 
on,  sweet  on,  or  keen  on." 

Et  moi  qui  ^tais  toqud  de  Blanche.  Oh  ! 
mais  tociu6  comma  une  enclume  depuis 
que  je  lui  avals  vu  jouer  la  machine  k  coudre 
dans  la  Revue.— P.  Mahalin. 

Toque',  from  toquet,  cap.  Com- 
pare with  the  expressions,  avoir  la 
tete  pres  du  bonnet,  and  to  have  a 
bee  in  one's  bonnet. 


Toquemann,  m.  (cocottes'),  eccen- 
tric, extravagant  man. 

Toquer  (familiar),  se  — ,  to  fancy  ; 
to  fall,  or  to  be  in  love,  "to  be 
spooney,  or  gone  on."  (Popular) 
Toquer,  to  ring. 

Toquet,  m.  (familiar),  de  loutre, 
nam^  given  in  1881  to  fem^^les 
who  speculated  on  the  Stock  Ex- 
change. (Popular)  Avoir  son  — , 
or  en  avoir  dans  le  — ,to  be  drunk, 
or  "  tight." 

Torchecul,  m.  (popular),  disparag- 
ing epithet  used  in  reference  to  a 
newspaper  or  document. 

Torcheculatif,  adj.  (familiar). 
Propos  torcheculatifs,  dirty  talk. 
See  Rabelais'  Gargantua,  chap, 
xiii.  : — 

^  Or  poursui  ce  propos  torcheculatif;  je 
t'en  prie.  Et  par  ma  barbe,  pour  un  bus- 
sart,  tu  auras  soixante  pipes, 

Torchee,  /  (popular),  blows ;  set 
to. 

Torchenez,  m.  (popular),  mettez 
un  —  k  votre  langue,  hold  your 
tongue,  "put  a  clapper  to  your 
mug." 

Torcher  (popular),  to  do  something 
hurriedly  and  carelessly  ;  —  de  la 
toile,  to  do  anything  hurriedly  ; 
—  les  plats,  to  have  an  appetite. 
Se  — ,  to  fight.  Se  —  le  cul  de 
quelquechose,  not  to  care  a  straw 
for  a  thing.  S'en  —  le  nez,  to 
have  to  do  without.  Se  —  la 
gueule,  to  fight.  (Literary)  Tor- 
cher, to  write  a  neat  article. 

Torchette,  /  (popular),  net  comme 
— ,  very  tidy. 

Torchon,  m.  (popular),  dirty  pros- 
titute ;  (familiar  and  popular) 
slattern.  Le  —  brule  i  la  maison, 
■words  used  to  denote  that  a  do- 
mestic quarrel  is  taking  place. 
(Militaiy)  Se  flanquer  un  coup  de 
— ,  to  fight. 


Tord-boyaux —  Toriue. 


45 1 


Tord-boyaux,  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  brandy,  or  strong 
brandy,  "French  cream,"  and 
in  old  cant,  "bingo." 

Le  tord-boyaux  est  vers^  k  la  ronde  dans 
ies  lourds  godets  de  verre  sale,  et  les  nez 
■eachlfren^s  le  reniflent  bruyamment,  avant 
qu'on  ne  Venvoie  d^truire  ce  farneux  ver 
-qui  a  la  vie  si  dure. — Richbfin. 

Tordre  (popular),  le  cou  i  une 
negresse,  to  discuss  a  bottle  of 
wine.  (Familiar  and  popular) 
Se  — ,  to  laugh  enough  to  split 
one's  sides. 

II  disait  comme  un  parfait  gommeux : 
***  Chic,  tres  chic  . .  .  c'est  infect  ...  on  se 
tord  "...  mais  il  le  disait  moins  vulgaire- 
ment,  grSce  k  son  accent  etranger  qui  re- 
levait  I'argot. — ^A.  Daudet,  I^s  Rots  en 
Exit. 

Tordu,  m.  (gambling  cheats'), 
"  pigeon  "  who  has  been  robbed  by 
card-sharpers.  Literally  pigeon 
whose  neck  has  been  twisted. 

Tbmiquet,  m.  (popular),  mill. 

Torpiaude,  /.  (peasants'),  woman 
of  bad  character. 

Torpille,  /  (familiar),  woman  of 
lax  morals  ;  —  d'occasion,  street- 
walker. 

Torse,  m.  (familiar),  poser  pour  le 
^,  to  show  off  on^s  figure. 
(Popular)  Torse,  stomach.  Se 
velouter  le  — ,  to  comfort  oneself 
with  a  glass  of  wine  or  brandy. 

Torta  (Breton  cant),-  to  sleep ;  to 
kill. 

Tortillade,  /  (thieves'),  food,  or 
"toke."  The  other  English 
synonyms  are  :  "  mungarly,  grub, 
prog,  crug." 

'ortillante,/.  (thieves'),  vine. 

"ortillard,     m.     (popular),    lame 
man;  (thieves')  wire. 

'ortille,  adj.  (popular),  gtre  — ,  to 
be  dead. 


Bah  ! .  .  .  un  petit  verre  de  eric,  ce  n'est 
pas  mauvais.  Moi,  9a  me  donne  du  chien. 
.. .  .  Puis,  vous  savez,  plus  vite  on  est  tor- 
tilla, plus  c'est  drdle.— Zola. 

TortlUer  (popular),  to  limp  ;  to  eat; 
to  hesitate.  II  n'y  a  pas  a  — ,  or 
a  —  des  fesses,  there  must  be  no 
hesitation. 

Tonnerre  de  scrongnieugnieu,  murmiire 
Ronchonotensepromenantd'unairgrognon 
dans  son  cabinet ;  n'y  a  pas  k  tortiller  des 
fesses,  c'est  pour  d'main  matin  \  dix  heures 
et  demie. — G.  Prison. 

Tortiller  de  I'ceil,  to  die.  See 
Pipe.  (Thieves')  Tortiller,  to 
confess;  to  inform  against,  "to 
snitch;"  —  la  vis,  or  le  gaviau, 
to  strangle. 

Si  vous  me  tortillez  le  gaviau,  de  la  vie 
ni  de  vos  jours,  vous  ne  verrez  Micro- 
scopique. — De  Gennes. 

(Gamesters')  Tortiller  le  carton, 
to  play  cards.  (Sailors')  Se  —  du 
boyau,  to  vomit. 

Tortillette,  f.  (popular),  girl  who 
wriggles  when  dancing  or  walking. 

Tortillon,  m,,  (^opnlai),  younggirl; 
young  servant  maid,  or  ' '  slavey ;" 
the  behind.     See  Vasistas. 

Tortorage,  m.  (ihieMe?,'),  food,  or 
"mungarly." 

Tortore,/;  (thieves'),  meal.  Passer 
k  la  — ,  se  I'envoyer,  or  casser  la 
croustille,  to  eat. 

Tortorer  (thieves'),  to  eat,  "  to 
grub."  See  Mastiquer.  Tor- 
torer le  pain  a  cacheter,  to  par- 
take of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Tortouse,/   (thieves'),  rope.     Li- 

goter  une  — ,  to  tie  a  rope. 
Tortu,  m.  and  adj.  (thieves'),  ivine. 

Bois  — ,  vine. 
Tortue,  f.    (popular),    mistress  ; 

wife,    "tart."      Faire  la   — ,   to 

fast. 

J'aime  mieux  faire  la  tortue  et  avoir  des 
philosophes  aux  arpions  que  d'Stre  sans 
eau-d'aff  dans  I'avaloir  et  sans  tr^foin  dans 
machiffarde.— E.  Sue. 


452 


J'oto —  Tourne-autour. 


Toto  (Breton  cant),  beadle. 

Touche,/.  (familiar  and  popular),. 
appearance ;  physiognomy.  Bonne 
— ,  grotesque  face  or  appearance. 
Une  sacree  — ,  a  -wretched  appear- 
ance.    Touches  de  piano,  teeth. 

Attention  ail  mouvement  .  .  .  ne  craignez 

J)as  de  casser  vos  touches  de  piano  sur 
es  cStelettes  des  patates.  —  Dubois  de 
Gennes. 

(Popular)  Gare  la  —  !  look  out  or 
you  will  get  a  thrashing.  La 
sainte  — ,  pay-day. 

On  cdl^brait  la  sainte  Touche,  quoi  ! 
une  sainte  bien  aimable,  qui  ,doit  tenir  la 
caisse  au  paradis. — Zola.  ' 

Touche,  adj.  (familiar),  c'est  — ,  it 
is  well  done.  Un  article  — ,  article 
to  the  point. 

Toucher  (theatrical),  les  frises,  to 
obtain  a  great  success  ;  (prostitutes* 
bullies')  —  son  pr^t,  to  share  a 
prostitutes  earnings. 

Tous  deux  se  m^nagent  des  entrevues  et 
des  sorties  oil  ils  reglent  leurs  comptes. 
Un  marlou  appelle  cela  "  toucher  son  pret." 
T—L,io  Taxil. 

Toucheur,  m.  (thieves'),  murderer; 
the  leading  ?iian  in  agang  of  mur- 
derers. 

L'assommeur  n'est  .  .  .  que  I'aide  du 
p^griot.  Son  chef  d'attaque,  c'est  le  tou- 
cheur. On  qualifie  de  toucheur  celui  qui, 
aprfes  avoir  donne  le  premier  coup  k  la  vic- 
time,  est  aussi  le  premier  k  faire  sauter  le 
tiroir  et  \  toucher  la  monuaie  . . .  d'ordi- 
naire  le  toucheur  est  un  gamin  de  dix- 
sept  i  dix-huit  ans,  aussi  grele,  aussi  ch^tif 
que  son  assommeur  est  d'aspect  redoutable. 
— MSjnoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Touillaud,  m.  (popular),  sturdy 
fellow  ;  one  fond  of  the  fair  sex, 
or  "molrower." 

Toul  (Breton  cant) ,  prison. 

Toulabre,    or    Toulmuche,    m. 

(thieves'),  the  town  of  Toulon. 

Toupet,  m.  (popular),  head;  im- 
pudence;  coolness.  Avoir  un  — 
bceuf,  to   show   cool   impudence. 


Toupet  de  commissaire,  extra- 
ordinary impudence.  Se  mettre, 
or  se  foutre  quelquechose  dans 
le  — ,  to  get  something  into  one's 
head  ;  to  reviem.ber. 

Toupie,^  (popular),  head ;  woman 
of  very  lax  -morality.  Avoir  du, 
vice  dans  la  — ,  to  be  cunnings 
"  up  to  a  dodge  or  two." 

Tour,  m.  (familiar),  du  baton,  un- 
lawful profits  on  some  business 
transaction.  (Popular)  Faire  voir 
le  — ,  to  deceive,  "  to  bamboozle." 
Connaitre  le  — ,  to  be  cunning, 
wide  awake,  "  to  be  up  to  a  trick 
or  two."  (Military)  Passer  a  son 
—  de  bete,  to  be  promoted  accor- 
ding to  seniority. 

II  passa  capitaine  a  I'anciennet^,  \  soii 
tour  de  bite,  comme  il  disait  en  rechignant. 
— E.  About. 

(Thieves')  Donner  un  —  de  cra- 
vate  a  quelqu'un,  to  strangle  one. 
La  — ,  or  la  —  pointue,  the  Pre- 
fecture de  Police,  or  headquarters 
of  the  police.  Se  donner  un  —  de 
clef,  to  rest  oneself. 

Tourbe,  /.  (popular),  etre  rien  dans 
la  — ,  to  be  in  great  distress. 

Tourlourou,    or    tourloure,    m. 

(general),  infantry  soldier. 

Tourmeiite,  /  (thieves'),  colic,  or 
"botts." 

Toumant,  m.  (thieves'),  mill; 
head.  Detacher  une  beigne  sur 
le  — ,  to  hit  one  on  the  head,  "  to. 
fetch  one  a  wipe  in  the  gills." 

Tournante,  /.  (thieves'),  key,  or 
' '  screw. " 

Tourne-4-gauche,  m.  (popular), 
7nan.  Alluding  to  a  physical  pe- 
culiarity. 

Tourne-autour,  m.  (popular), 
cooper.    The  allusion  is  obvious. 


Toiime-  clef- —  Tracquer. 


453 


Tourne-clef,  m.  (roughs'),  life- 
p-eserver,  or  "neddy." 

Tourn6e,  f.  (popular),  offrir  une 
— ,  to  treat  all  round  to  drink. 
Payer  une — a  quelqu'un,  to  thrash 
one.  Recevoir  une  — ,  to  get 
thrashed.  (Familiar)  Faire  une 
—  pastorale,  td  go  with  a  number 
of  friends  to  a  house  of  ill  fame 
■mithplatonicintentions.  (Thieves') 
Faire  une  —  rouge,  to  murder, 

Toumer  (popular),  I'oeil,  to  be 
sleepy  /  ^  de  I'oeil,  to  die. 

Deux  ^toilesj  .  .  .  L'une  ^tait  brune  et 
I'autre  blonde.  . . .  Et  toutes  deusses  avaient 
(du  talent.  .  .  .  Et  toutes  deusses  ont  tourn^ 
dToeil,  avant  I'tge. — Le  Cri  du  Peuple. 

(Thieves')  Tourner  la  vis,  to 
strangle  one. 

Tournevis,  m.  (roughs'),  infantry 
soldier.  Chapeau  a  — ,  gen- 
darme. 

Tourniquet,  m.  (sailors'),  surgeon, 
"  sawbones ; "  (thieves')  mill. 

Tourte,  f.  (popular),  head,  at 
"  tibby ; "  arrant  fool. 

J'vous  dis  qu'vous  n'etes  qu'une  tourte, 
tendez-vous  c'que  j'vous  parte,  s'pfece  de 
manle  ! — Charles  Lerov,  Le  Colonel Ra- 
mollot. 

jAvoir  une  ecrevisse  dans  la  — . 
See  Avoir.  Rire  conime  une  — , 
to  grin  like  an  idiot. 

Tourtouse,  tortouse,  or  tour- 
tousine,  f.  (thieves'),  7-ope. 

Tourtouser  (thieves'),  to  bind. 

Tourtousier,  m.  (thieves'),  rope- 
viaker. 

Touser  (thieves'),  to  ease  oneself. 

Tousse  (popular),  ce  n'est  pas  cher 
9a,  non  !    c'est  que  je  — ,   that's 

■  not  dear  that,  oh  dear  no  !  C'est 
de  I'argent  9a  comme  je  — ,  that's 
no  more  silver  than  I  am. 


Tousser  (popular),  dessus,  to  reject 
•with  disdain.  Faire  — ,  to  make 
one  pay,  or  "fork  out." 

Tout,  adj.  (familiar),  le  —  Paris, 
the  select  portion  of  the  pleasure- 
seeking  society  of  Paris. 

Son  profil  narquois  et  fin .  ,  .  avait  pris 
place  desormais  dans  les  medallions  du 
'tout  Paris"  entre  la  chevelure  d'une  ac- 
trice  en  vogue  et  la  figure  d^composee  de 
ce  prince  en  disgrace. — A.  Daudet. 

(Thieves')  Tout  de  ce,  very  well, 
"bene." 

Tout-4-l'oeil,  m.  (popular),  mem- 
ber of  parliament.  Literally  one 
who  can  procure  everything  gratis. 

Toutime,  adj.  (old' cant),  all. 

A_  ete  aussi  ^  ordonn6  que  les  argotiers 
toutime  qui  bieront  demander  la  thune, 
soit  aux  lourdes  ou  dans  les  entiSes  ne  se 
departiront  qu'ils  n'aient  €\.&  refuses  neuf 
mois,  sous  peine  d'etre  bouillis  et  plong^s 
en  lance  jusqu'au  proye, — Le  Jargon,  de 
V Argot. 

Tout-potins  des  premiferes,  m. 

(journalists'),   select  set  of  play- 
going  Parisians. 

Toxon,  m.  (obsolete),  ugly,  gro- 
tesque-looking man. 

Si  tu  n'tires  pas  tes  guStres  d'ici,  j'boxons, 
vilain  toxon,  soldat  de  Satan, — liiche-en- 
Gueule. 

Trac,  or  trak,  m.  (general),  fear, 
"funk." 

En  vdrite,  sa  voix  devenait  tout  k  fait 
agr^able,  maintenant  que  le  "  trac "  dis- 
paraissait. — J.  Sekmet. 

Flanquer  le  — ,  to  frighten.    Avoir 
le  — ,  to  be  afraid,  "  funky." 

Comebois  r^p^ta.  II  avait  un  trak  ^a- 
tant.  II  avait  figure,  c'^tait  facile  ;_mais 
parler  en  public  .  ,  .  c'est  une  autre  pairede 
manches.— E.  Monteil. 

Ficher  le  — ,  to  frighten. 

Tout  5a,  c'est '  des  histoires  pour  nous 
ficher  le  trac,  k  cause  que  nous  ne  sommes 
pas  anciens  k  I'escadron.— G*  Courteline. 

Tracquer  (general),  to  be  afraid,  or 
' '  funky. "    The  virord  seems  to  be 


454 


Tracquett  r —  Trait. 


derived  from  traquer,  to  track.  He 
who  is  tracked  has  reasons  for 
being  afraid,  and  both  the  cause 
and  result  are  expressed  by  one 
and  the  same  word. 

Quoi !  tu  voudrais  que  je  grinchisse 
Sans  tracquer  de  tomber  au  plan  ? 
J'doute  qu'k  grinchir  ou  s'enrichisse, 
J'aime  mieux  goueper,  c'est  du  flan. 
Viens  done  remoucher  nos  domaines, 
De  nos  fours  gofiter  la  chalcur. 
Crois-moi,  balance  tes  alenes  : 
Fais-toi  gouepeur. 

ViDOCQ. 

Spelt  also  "traker."' 

Tache  de  ne  pas  traker.  . .  .  Ce  serait 

d'un  sot. — E.  MoNTEii . 

Tracqueur,  m.  {general),  poltroon. 

Tractis,  adj.  (thieves'),  tractable ; 
soft.  Tractis  is  an  old  French 
word. 

Qu'est  devenu  ce  front  poly, 
Ces  cheveulx  blonds,  sourcils  voultyz. 
Grand  entr'ceil,  le  regard  joly, 
Dont  prenoye  les  plus  subtilz ; 
Ce  beau  nez  droit,  grand  ne  petiz  ; 
Ces  petites  joinctes  oreilles, 
Menton  fourohu,  cler  vis  traictis 
£t  ces  belles  l^vres  vermeilles. 

ViLlON. 

Train,  m.  (popular),  noise;  uproar. 
Faire  du  — ,  "  to  kick  up  a  row." 
Du  —  !  quick.  Donner  un  coup 
de  pied  dans  le  —  a  quelqu'un, 
to  kick  one's  behind,  "  to  land  one 
a  kick  in  his  bum."  Train  des 
vaches,  tramcar.  Le  —  blanc,  a 
train  which  used  to  be  chartered  by 
Madame  Blanc  ofMonacoforthe  use 
of  ruined  gamesters.  Le  —  jaune, 
Saturday  till  Monday  cheap  train 
taken  by  husbands  who  go  to  see 
their  wives  at  the  seaside.  A  mali- 
cious allusion  to  the  alleged  fa- 
vourite colour  of  injured  husbands. 
Un  —  de  charcuterie,  train  viith 
third  class  carriages.  Un  —  direct 
pour  Charenton,  a  glass  of  absinthe. 
Charenton  is  a  Paris  d^p6t  for 
lunatics,  and  many  cases  of  deli- 
rium tremens  are  due  to  excessive 


drinking  of  absinthe.  Un  —  direct 
coupe,  litre  of  wine  poured  out 
into  a  couple  of  glasses,  a  kind 
o/""  split.  Prends  le  — ,  run 
oway,  "  hook  it. "  Prendre  le  — 
d'onze  heures,  to  loiter,  to  stroll. 
Manquer  le  — ,  to  be  late,  to  lose  a 
good  opportunity. 

Traineau,  m.  (popular),  faire  — ,  to 
drag  oneself  on  one's  behind. 

Tratne-cul-les-housettes,  m. 
(familiar),  vagrant,  tramp. 

Trainee,  f.  (familiar),  woman  of 
indifferent  character. 

A  son  age  la  petite  Maria  Blond  avait    ■■ 
up  joH  toupet,  _  Avec  ca  que  de  pareitles 
histoires  arrivaient  a  des  trainees  de  soa 
espece ! — Zola, 

Tratne-gu6tres,  m.  (popular),  lazy 
fellow  who  strolls  about ;  vagrant, 
"pikey." 

Traine-paillasse,  m.  (military), 
"  fourrier, "  ffy  commissariat  non- 
commissioned officer,  who  in  this 
instance  has  charge  of  the  bedding. 

Trainer  (popular),  le  cheval  mort,, 
or  faire  du  chien,  to  do  work  paid 
for  in  advance,  ' '  to  work  the 
dead  horse  ;"  —  la  savate  quelque 
part,  to  go  for  a  walk;  —  ses 
guetres,  to  idle  about. 

Tratneur  de  sabre,  m.  (familiar), 
uncomplimentary  epithet  applied 
to  a  soldier. 

Traineuse,/  (familiar  and  popular), 
prostitute  who  prowls  about  rail- 
way stations.     See  Gadoue. 

Train-train,  m.  (general),  allerson 
petit  — ,  to  live  a  quiet,  unobtrusive 
life,  free  from  care. 

Trait,  m.  (familiar).  Faire  des  traits, 
to  be  guilty  of  conjugal  unfaithful- 
ness.  (Gay  girls')  Avoir  un  — 
pour  un  miche,  to  have  a  tender 
feeling  for  a  man. 


Trait-carrf —  Travaillcuse. 


455 


Trait-carr6,  m.  (obsolete),  the  ab- 
solution given  by  a  priest  to  a  re- 
fentant  sinner  by  making  the  sign 
of  the  cross. 

Tralala,  m.  (popular),  faire  du  — , 
to  make  a  great  fuss,  a  great  show. 
Se  mettre  sur  son  grand  — ,  to 
dress  oneself  in  grand  attire,  "  in 
full  fig." 

Tranchant,  m.  (thieves'),  paving 
stone. 

Tranche,/,  (military),  j'ai  soupe  de 
ta  — ,  lam  tired  of  you.  Se  payer 
une  —  de,  to  treat  oneself  to. 
Refers  to  anything,  from  a  bottle  of 
wine  to  a  theatrical  performance. 

C'qui  m'fait  rigoler,  c's'rin  de  poete, 
Avec  son  bout  d'alexandrin  ! 
Vanter  ]a  neige  !    Faut-i*  etr'  bete! 
Pourquoi  pas  Cartouche  et  Mandrin  ? 

S'i'  la  gob',  qu'i  s'en  paye  un'  tranche  ! 
Qu'i'  crach'  pas  su'  les  gazons  verts  ! 
Ca  lui  sufiit  pas  qu'a  soy'  blanche  ; 
Faut  encor*  qu'i'  la  mette  en  vers  ! 
J.  JouY,  La  Neige, 

Tranche-ardent,  m.  (thieves'), 
snuffers. 

Tranche-fromage,   m.  (military), 

sivord, 

Trancher  de  I'^lephant  (obsolete), 
to -give  oneself  an  air  of  impor- 
tance. 

II  estoit  encore  jeune  enfant 
Qu'il  tranchoit  de  son  ^efant. 

Paraphrase  sur  le  Brefde  sa 

Saintet^  etvuovi  a  la.  Reyne 

Rigentej  1649. 

Tranquille      comme      Baptiste 

(popular),  as  cool  as  a  cucumber, 

Transaill  (Breton  cant),  small 
change, 

Traquer,  traqueur.  See  Trac- 
quer,  tracqueur, 

Trav  (thieves'),  bonne  a  — ,  a  likely 
place  for  a  robbery. 

Travail,  m.  (freemasons'),  eating; 
(thieves')       stealing;       cheating. 


(Popular)  Le  —  du  casaquin,  act 
of  thrashing  soundly.  (Prosti- 
tutes') Le  — ,  prostitution. 

Travailler  (theatrical),  le  succes, 
to  be  head  of  the  staff  of  paid  ap- 
plauders  at  a  theatre.  Se  faire  — , 
to  be  hissed,  "to  get  the  big  bird. " 
(Popular)  Travailler  pour  Jules, 
or  —  pour  Monsieur  Domange,  to 
eat.  Alluding  to  the  contractor 
for  the  emptying  of  privies  ;  —  le 
cadavre,  le  casaquin,  les  cotes,  to 
thrash,  " \.o -waWo-p."  See  Voie. 
Se  —  le  trognon,  to  torture  one's 
brains.  (Prostitutes')  Travailler, 
to  walk  the  streets.  The  word  has 
the  general  meaning  of  to  ply. 

Quelles  sont  done  vos  sources  principales 
de  renseignements  ?  Les  chiffonniers,  .  .  . 
nous  nous  abouchons  avec  les  DIog&nes  qui 
travaillent  cette  rue  et  nous  leur  achetons 
tous  les  papiers  trouv^s  devant  la  porte  de 
la  maison  signal^e. — A.  Sirven. 

(Thieves')  Travailler,  to  steal ;  to 
murder ;  —  a  la  tire,  to  pick 
pockets;  to  be  a  pickpocket,  or  "  buz- 
faker." 

—  Que  faites-vous  maintenant  ? 

—  Je  m'exerce  a  voler. 

—  Diable  !  r€pondis-je  avec  un  mouve- 
ment  involontaire  et  en  portant  la  main  sur 
ma  poche. 

—  Oh  !  je  ne  travaille  pas  ^  la  tire,  soyez 
tranquille,  je  meprise  les  foulards  .  .  .  je 
vole  en  I'air.— Th.  Gautiek. 

Travailler  dans  le  rouge,  to 
murder. 

Un  meurtre  !  travailler  dans  le  rouge ! 
C'est  grave  ! — P.  Mahahn. 

Travailler  dans  le  bit  (bitiment), 
to  break  into  houses,  "  to  crack 
cribs." 
Travai4leur,  m.  (thieves'),  gam- 
bling cheat,  or  "shark  ;"  thief,  or 
" prig ;"  (popular)  —  de nuit,  rag- 
picker. 

Travailleuse,  /.  (thieves'),  variety 
of  Sodomite, 

La  troisifeme  classe  est  entiJrement  formfe 
d'individus  appartenant  &  la  grande  famille 


456 


Travers —  Trempage. 


des  ouvriers  et  ne  vivant  que  du  produit  de 
leur  travail.  De  Ik  est  venu  le  nom  de 
*' travailleuses." — L6o  Taxil. 

Travers  (roughs'),  passer  quelqu'un 
k  — ,  to  hustle,  to  thrash  one,  "  to 
wallop."  See  Voie.  Si  tu  ne 
dis  pas  Ron  je  vais  te  passer  i  — , 
if  you  don't  apologize,  ni  thrash 
you. 

Traverse,  f.  (thieves  ),  penal  ser- 
vitude settlement.  From  traversee, 
passage  across  the  sea.  Etre  en  — 
k  perp^te,  to  be  a  convict  for  life, 
to  be  a  "  lifer." 

They  know  what  a  clever  lad  he  is  ;  he'll 
be  a  lifer.  They'll  make  the  Artful  nothing 
less  than  a  lifer.— Ch.  Dickens. 

AUer  en  — ,  to  be  transported,  ' '  to 
lump  the  lighter,"  or  "to  go 
abroad. " 

The  Artful  Dodger  going  abroad  for  a 
common  twopenny-hallpenny  sneeze-box  ! 
— Ch.  Dickens. 

The  corresponding  expression  in 
furbesche  is  "  andar  a  traverse." 

Traverser  un  litre  (popular),  to 
drink  a  litre  bottle  of  wine. 

Traversin,  m.  (popular),  infantry 
soldier.  Alluding  to  the  small 
size  of  the  infantry.  Se  foutre  un 
coup  de  — ,  to  sleep,  "  to  doss." 

Travesti,  m.  (theatrical),  part  of  a 
male  character  played  by  a  female. 

Traviole,  /  (popular  and  thieves'), 
cross-road;  ravine.  Avoir  des 
travioles,  to  be  uneasy.  De  — 
(de  travers),  crosswise;  awry;  all 
wrong. 

T'ons  la  chance  d'traviole. 
V'lk  les  mendigots,  les  indigents. 
Bon  jour  bon  an,  les  bonn's  gens, 
J 'aliens  pas  en  cafriole. 

RiCHEPIN, 

Tr^buchet,  m.  (thieves'),  the  guil- 

,  lotine. 

Trifle,  or  tref,  »;.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  tobacco,  "fogus;"  (popu- 
lar) behind.     Vise  au  — ,  apothe- 


cary, or  "squirt."  (Familiar) 
Roi  de  — ,  rival  of  a  fast  girPs 
lover,  termed  "  roi  de  coeur." 
(Military)  Boucillon  de  — ,  roll  of 
tobacco,  "  twist  of  fogus." 

Tenez,  mirez  un  peu,  mes  bons  cama- 
rades  .  .  .  voici  d'abord  deux  boucillons  de 
trfefle  qui  ne  seront  pas  mauvais  k  fumer  ? 
— Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Treflifere,  or  tr^fouine,  f.  (popu- 
lar and  thieves'),  tobdcco pouch. 

Treizifeme,  adj.  (familiar),  se  marier 
au  —  arrondissement,  to  live  as 
man  and  wife  though  not  married, 
to  live  "  tally."  The  expression 
has  become  obsolete,  Paris  being 
now  divided  into  twenty  arron- 
dissements  instead  of  twelve. 

Tremblant,  m.  (popular),  bed, 
"doss,  or  bug- walk." 

Tremblante,/  (thieves'),  _;9z'»-. 

Tremblement,     m.     (theatrical), 
mixture  of  vermout,    cassis,  and 
brandy  ;  IvaWitary)  fght.     (Popu- . 
lar)  Et  tout  le  — ,  all  complete;  a 
grand  show. 

Et  des  chantreG,  et  des  enfants  de  chceur, 
et  un  commissaire  en  habit  et  \'6p6c  au 
cdte ;  enfin,  comme  disait  Fumeron,  tout 
1.;  tremblement. — Hector  France. 

Trembler  (popular),  faire  —  la 
volaillemorte,  to  utter  stupendously 
foolish  things. 

Trembleuse,  f.  (popular),  electric 
bell. 

Tremblotte,  /  (popular),  fear. 
Termed  also  "  trouille,  flubart, 
trac." 

Tremousser  (familiar),  faire  —  le 
baluchoni  is  said  of  wine  which 
gets  into  the  head. 

Pour  du  vin,  dit  la  petite  Linois  tout-k- 
coup,  si  celui-lk  ne  vous  fait  pas  tremousser 
le  baluchon  ! — E.  Monteil. 

Trempage,  m.  (printers'),  intoxica- 
tion. 


Trempe —  Trifouiller. 


457 


Trempe,  or  trempee,/.  (popular), 
thrashing. 

Madame,  si  je  ne  me  respectais  pas,  je 
vous  ficherais  une  drdle  de  Iremp^e  1 — 
Gavakni. 

Tretnper  (popular),  una  soupe  Ji 
quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one.  See 
Voie.  (Military)  Tremper  son 
pied  dans  I'encre,  to  be  confined  to 
barracks,  "  to  be  roosted." 

Trempette,/  (popular),  rain. 

Tremplin,  m.  (theatrical),  the 
stage.  (Prostitutes')  Le  — ,  the 
particular  street  or  boulevard  where 
prostitutes  ply  their  trade. 

Trente-et-un,  m.  (familiar),  Stre 
sur  son  — ,  to  be  dressed  in  one's 
best  clothes. 

Vous  n'etes  pas  habitufe  k  me  voir 
comme  ga  sur  mon  trente-et-un,  la  pelure  et 
le  pantalon  noirs  avec  un  tuyau  de  poele 
et  des  souHers  vernis. — From  a  Parisian 
umg. 

From  the  game  termed  trente-et- 
un,  that  figure  being  the  highest 
score. 

Trente-six,  m.  (popular),  le  —  du 
mois,  never,  "  when  the  devil  is 
blind." 

Trente-sixieme.     See  Dessous. 

Treo-torret  (Breton  cant),  pastry. 

Trepe,  m.  (thieves'),  crowd,  or 
"  push."  The  word  comes  either 
from  the  Italian  cant  treppo, 
which  has  a  like  signification,  or 
from  the  old  French  treper,  to 
press,  to  trample.  Roulotte  a  — , 
omnibus, ox  "chariot."  S'ebattre 
dans  le  — .  to  move  about  in  a 
crowd. 

Trepeligour,  m.  (old  cant),  vaga- 
bond. From  treper,  to  trample, 
and  le  gourd,  the  high  road. 

Trepignard,  m.  (thieves'),  thief 
who  moz'es  about  in  a  crowd  picking 
pockets. 


Trepign6e,y;  (popular),  thrashing, 
Flanquer  une  — ■  dans  le  gite,  to 
thrash  soundly. 

Trepigner  (popular),  to  give  a  sound 
thrashing.     See  Voie. 

Tresser  des  chaussons  de  lisi&re 
(familiar),  to  be  in  prison. 

Treton,  m.  (old  cant),  rat.  Defor- 
mation of  trottant. 

Triangle,  m.  (freemasons'),  hat; 
(artists')  mouth.  Clapoter  du  — , 
to  have  an  offensive  breath. 

Tribu,  f.  (military),  se  mettre  en 
— ,  to  start  a  mess. 

Tribunalier,  m.  (journalists'),  re- 
porters at  courts  of  justice. 

Un  procfes,  dont  les  "  tribunaliers  "  des 
journaux  parisiens  .  .  .  h'ont  pas  souffl6 
mot.— Gil  Bias,  1887. 

Trie,  m.  (old  cant),  meeting.  Faire 
le  — ,  to  leave  the  workshop  "en 
masse  "  to  repair  to  the  wine-shop. 

Tricher  (familiar),  to  act  upon  the 
suggestions  of  Malthus. 

Trichine,/  (popular),  ^oy^V/. 

Trichiner  (popular),  to  eat  pork. 

Tricome,  m.  (popular),  gendarme. 

Tricoter  (popular),  des  fitites,  to 
run  away ;  to  dance  ;  —  les  cotes' 
h.  quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one  ;  —  les 
joues,  to  slap  one's  face.  (Mili- 
tary) Aiguille  k  —  les  c6tes, 
sword,  "  cheese-knife. '^ 

Comment  se  fait-il  que  tu  sois  si  ferr6  ^ 
glace  sur  les  aiguilles  &.  tricoter  les  c6tes  ?— 
De  Gennes. 

Triffonnifere,  /  (popular),  tobacci 
pouch. 

Trifoin,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
tobacco,  "fogus." 

Trifouiller  (popular),  to  search  ;  to 
fumble  ;  —  les  guiches,  to  comb. 


458 


Trimancher —  Trinquer. 


Trimancher  (thieves'),  to  walk 
along  the  road. 

Trimar,  trimard,  m.  (thieves'), 
road,  or  "Toby."  Trimar,  from 
trimer,  to  run  about  on  some  un- 
pleasant duty.  AUer  au  — ,  to  be 
a  highwayman.  In  English  cant 
a  highwayman  was  termed  a 
"bridle-cull." 

A  booty  of  ;^io  looks  as  great  in  the  eye 
of  a  "bridle-cuil,"  and  gives  as  much  real 
happiness  to  his  fancy,  as  that  of  many 
thousands  to  the  statesman,— Fielding, 
Jottatkan  Wild, 

(Prostitutes')  Faire  son  — ,  to  walk 
the  street.  Synonymous  of  "  faire 
le  trottoir,  faire  son  quart,  aller 
au  persil,  aller  au  trot." 

Trimardant,  m.  (thieves'),  way- 
farer. 

Trimarde,  /.  (thieves'),  street,  or 
"drag." 

Trimarder,  or  trimer  (thieves'),  to 
walk  along  the  road  or  street, 

11  va  passer  tout  \  I'heure  un  pilier  de 
paquelin  qui  trimarde  k  gaye. — Vidocq. 

Trimardeur,  m.  (thieves'),  high- 
wayman, a  "High-Toby  man." 

Trimbaler  (familiar  and  popular), 
quelqu'un,  to  take  a  person  about ; 
—  quelquechose,  to  drag  or  carry 
a  thing  about ;  —  son  cadavre,  to 
take  a  walk  ;  —  son  crampon,  to 
take  one's  wife  or  mistress  for  a 
walk.  Se  — ,  to  walk  about.  The 
corresponding  expression  for  trim- 
baler  in  the  Berry  patois  is  trique- 
baler.  Rabelais  uses  the  term 
triquebalarideau  with  the  signifi- 
cation oifobl,  that  is,  one  who  will 
allow  himself  to  be  ordered  about. 

Trimbaleur,  m.  (popular),  man 
not  to  be  relied  on,  one  who  puts 
you  off  with  excuses  ;  —  des  conis, 
or — de  refroidis,  driver  of ahearse. 
Termed  also  —  de  machabees ;  — 
de  rouchies,  or  —  de  carne  pour 
la  skche, prostitute's  bully,  "Sun- 


day-man ; "  —  d'indigents,  omni- 
busdriver.  (Thieves') Trimbaleur, 
coachman,  "rattling-cove;"  — 
de  piliers  de  boutanche,  rogue  who 
having  purchased  goods  which  he 
is  to  pay  for  at  his  residence,  gets 
them  taken  away  by  a  shopman, 
and  on  the  way  manages  to  obtain 
possession  of  the  property. 

Trimball^e,/  (popular),  a  number^ 
a  quantity. 

Trime,  /.  (thieves'),  street,  or 
"d>.orCd\\.e.;" way ; road,  "Toby." 

Nousne  rencontrerons  pas  seulement  un 
ferlampier  sur  la  trime. — Vidocq. 

En  — ,  let  us  go,  away  I 

Ilyagras(dubutin),  mesenfants ;  allons.. 
en  trime,  nous  faderons  (partagerons)  au 
plus  prochain  tapis  (auberge). — Vidocq. 

Trimer  (familiar  and  popular),  to 
work  hard ;  to  be  waiting.  Faire 
— ,  to  make  people  wait,  Faire 
—  les  mathurins,  to  eat.  Literally 
to  make  the  teeth  work,  (Thieves') 
Trimer,  to  walk  along  the  road ; 
(commercial  travellers')  to  walk 
about  in  order  to  get  orders. 

Trimilet,  m.  (thieves'),  thread. 

Trimoires,///.  (thieves'),  legs. 

Trinckman,  m.  (popular),  wine 
retailer. 

Tringle  (popular),  nothing;  no ; 
naught, 

Tringlot,  m.  (military),  soldier  of 
the  army  service  corps.  From 
train  and  a  suffix. 

Trinquer  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
be  compelled  to  pay  for  others,  or 
to  have  to  make  good  any  damage 
for  which  one  is  held  responsible  ; 
to  lose  at  a  game. 

Le  trefle  gagne.  Trop  petit,  bibi,  t*as. 
mal  maquilM  ton  outil.  V'lk  celle  qui  perd. 
J'ai  trinqud  (perdu),  c'est  pas  gai.  V'ISl 
celle  qui  gagne.     La  v'lk  encore.    Bu  car- 


Triomphe —  Trogner. 


459' 


reau,  c'est  pour  ton  veau.    Du  coeur,  c'est 
pour  ta  soeur.   Et  v'lk  la  noire. — Richepin. 

Faire  —  quelqu'un,  to  thrash  one, 
"to  wallop." 

Triomphe,  m.,  explained  by  quo- 
tation : — 

Le  triomphe  est  una  vieille  coutume  de 
Saint-Cyr,  ijui  consiste  a  promener  sur  une 
prolonge  d'artiUerie  les  vainqueurs  du  jour 
(lors  de  I'inspection),  tandis  que  les  Aleves 
forment  dans  la  cour  une  immense  faran- 
dole  et  chantent  le  choeur  legendaire  de  la 
gaiette. — Figaro. 

Tripaillon  de  sort !  (popular), 
ejaculation  expressive  of  intense 
disappointment. 

Tripasse,yi  (popular),  ugly  and  fat 
woman. 

Triper  (popular),  to  suckle  an 
infant. 

Tripes,  /  pi.  (popular),  large,  soft 
breasts.  Secoaerles — aquelqu'un, 
to  thrash  one.  See  Voie.  Porter 
son  argent  aux  —  (obsolete),  to 
employ  one's  money  in  thepurcliase 
of  very  cheap  articles.  Used  to  be 
said  by  fishwives  to  customers 
who  cheapened  too  much. 

Tripi^re,  f.  (popular),  girl  or 
woman  with  well-developed  breasts. 
Forte  — ,  one  with  enormous 
breasts. 

Tripoli,  m.  (popular),  rank  brandy, 
"  French  cream  "  and  "  bingo  " 
in  old  English  cant.  Un  coup  de 
— ,  a  glass  of  brandy. 

Tripot,  m.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
police  officer  ;  municipal  guard. 

Tripoter  (familiar),  le  carton,  to 
play  cards. 

Un  braconnier,  qui  n'a  pas  employ^  sa 
joumde  k  tripoter  le  carton,  sort  d'un  fourr^ 
iivecson  arme. — P.  Mahalin. 

Comme  les  heroines  de  Molifere  n'ont 
d'esprit  que  I'eventail  en  main,  d'Axel  ne 
letrouvait  un  peu  de  vie  qu'en  tripotant  le 
"carton." — A.  Daudet. 

(Artists')   Tripoter  la  couleur,  to 


paint.     Tripote,  painted  in  mas- 
terly style. 

Comme  c'est  tripote  !  .  .  .  quel  beurre  X 
II  est  impossible  d'etre  plus  chaud  et  plus 
grouillant.  ^  Th.  Gautier  Les  Jeune 
France. 

Triquage,  m.  (rag-pickers'),  sorting 
of  rags. 

Triquart,  m.,  or  trique,  f. 
(thieves'),  liberated  convict  under 
the  surveillance  of  the  "haute 
police."  Similarly  to  ticket-of- 
leave  convicts  in  England,  a  man 
under  the  surveillance  of  the 
police  is  obliged  to  report  himself 
from  time  to  time,  and  a  place  of 
residence  is  assigned  to  him  which 
he  cannot  leave  without  permis- 
sion. 

Trique,  /  (thieves'),  tooth,  or 
"ivory;"  cab,  or  "cask;"  a 
convict  returned  from  transporta- 
tion before  his  time,  or  "yoxter." 
Also  one  under  polite  supervision, 
(Popular)  Trique  a  larder,  or 
■ —  a  picoter,  sword-stick.  Faire 
flamber  la  —  a  larder,  to  use  a 
sword  -  stick.  Trique,  properly 
cudgel,  termed  "trucco"  in  the 
Italian  cant. 

T'riquebille,  m.  (obsolete).  See 
Flageolet. 

Triquer  (popular),  to  sort  rags ;  tir 
cudgel;  (thieves')  to  be  under  police 
surveillance  as  a  ticket-of-leave. 

Triquet.  m.  (thieves'),  police  spy, 
one  who  watches  ticket-of-leave 
men,  termed  "triques." 

Triqueur,  m.  (popular),  masterrag- 
picker,  one  who  sorts  rags. 

Troez  (Breton  cant),  porridge.       , 

Trognade  (schoolboys'),  dainties, 
such  as  sweets,  fruit,  cakes. 

Trogner  (schoolboys'),  to  eat 
dainties. 


46o 


Trogneur —  Tranche, 


Trogneur,    m.   (schoolboys'),  one 

■who  eats  dainty  things. 

Trognon,  m.  (popular),  head,  or 
"nut." 

Comment,  Scrongnieugnieu,  faut  done 
que  j'vous  I'r^pfete  cinquante  fois,  qu'  c'est 
■k  cause  des  sales  iddes  qu'  vous  m'avez 
foutues  dans  I'trognon,  vous  et  Kelsalbecq, 
que  d'puis  huit  jours  j'suis  d^vastd  d'un 
embStement  vraiment  cons^cutif. — G.  Fri- 
.  SON. 

Devisser  le  — ,  to  kill.  (Familiar 
and  popular)  Men  petit  — ,  my 
sweet  little  one,  my  little  "  ducky." 
Other  fond  expressions  are :  "  mon 
loup,  mon  chien,  mon  petit  chou, 
mon  chat,  mon  loulou,  mon  gros 
minet,  ma  petite  chatte,  ma  bi- 
chette,  ma  minette,  ma  poule,  ma 
poupoule,  mon  gros  poulet,  ma 
petite  cocotte,"  and  others  quite 
as  ridiculous.  Our  fathers  used 
the  endearing  term,  "  mon  petit 
bouchon,"  from  bouchonner,  to 
fondle. 

S^aitareile  (embrassant  sa  bou  teille).  Ah ! 
Tietlte  friponne.  Que  je  t'aime,  mon  petit 
■  bouchon. — MOLIERE,  jLe  Midecin-  Tttalgri 
lui. 

Troisieme.     See  Dessous. 

Trois-mSts,  m.  (military),  veteran 
■with  three  stripes. 

Trois-ponts,  m.  (familiarj,  high 
silk  cap.  Casquette  a  — ,  prosti- 
tute's bully.     See  Poisson. 

Troleur,  m.  (popular),  commis- 
sionnaire ;  vagrant,  "pikey;" 
rabbit-skin  man. 

Troleuse,  /  (popular),  street- 
■walker.  See  Gadoue.  From 
the  verb  Uo\er,  to  go  about,  derived 
from  the  German  troUen.  In 
English,  to  troll,  hence  trull. 

Trombille,/  (thieves'),  beast. 

Trombine,  /.  (popular),  head,  or 
"  tibby  ;  "  physiognomy,  or 
"phiz."  See  Tronche.  Trom- 
bine     en      deche,      ugly    face. 


"knocker-face.''     Une  rude  — , 
a  grotesque  face. 

Tromblon,  m.  (familiar),  hat,  or 
"  stove-pipe." 

Tromboller  (roughs'),  to  love ;  — 
les  gonzesses,  to  be  fond  of  ■women. 

Trombone,  m.  (military),  faire  — , 
to  pretend  to  take  money  out  of 
one' s pocket  to  pay  for  the  reckon- 
ing. The  movement  to  and  fro 
of  the  hand  is  likened  to  the 
action  of  playing  the  trombone. 

Trompe,/;  (popular),  nose. 

Trompe-chasses,  m.  (thieves'), 
picture. 

Trompe-la-mort,  m.  (familiar), 
swell,  "masher." 

Trompette,  /.  (popular),  face,  or 
"mug;"  mouth,  or  "rattle- 
trap ;  "  nose,  or  "  conk  ;''  cigar, 

Trompeur,  ?«.  (obsolete),  melon. 
Thus  termed  probably  from  its 
yellow  colour,  which  is  supposed 
to  be  that  in  favour  with  de- 
ceived husbands. 

Trompion,  m.  (military),  bugler. 

Tronche,^  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
head,  or  "tibby." 

—  J'espfere  bien  qu'on  lui  coupera  la 
tronche  k  celui-la. 

—  Je  pane  que  je  I'attrape  \  la  sorbonne 
avec  un  trognon  de  chou. — Th.  Gaittier, 

The  slang  synonyms  are :  "  le 
baldaquin,  le  coco,  la  boule,  la 
balle,  la  ciboule,  la  calebasse,  la 
boussole,  la  pomme,  la  coloquinte, 
le  caillou,  la  cafetiere,  le  caisson, 
le  tesson,  la  cocarde,  la  bobine, 
le  citron,  la  poire,  le  grenier  a 
sel,  la  botte  au  sel,  la  botte  a 
sardines,  la  boite  a  surprises,  la 
tire-lire,  la  hure,  la  gouache, 
la  noisette,  le  char,  le  reservoir, 
le  chapiteau,  le  bourrichon,  la 
goupine,   la   tourte,   le    trognon. 


Troncher —  Trottoir. 


461 


la  guitare,  la  guimbarde,  le  so- 
liveau,  le  bobechon,  la  bobi- 
nasse,  le  kiosque,  le  vol-au-vent, 
I'omnibus,  la  sorbonne,  la  ca- 
boche,  le  ciboulot,  I'ardoise,  le 
soufflet,  le  jambonneau,  I'armoire 
i  glace,  la  baigneuse,  le  schako  ; " 
and  in  the  English  slang  : 
"  knowledge-box,  tibby,  costard, 
nut,  chump,  upper  storey,  crumpet, 
and  nab. "  Tronche  a  la  manque, 
foliaofficer,  or  "  reeler. "  See  Pot- 
i-tabac.  Theproper  signification 
of  tronche  is  billet  of  wood,  piece  of 
wood  which  has  been  cut  off  the 
trunk. 

^TO'acher(^\eves'),tok{ss.  Termed 
also  "sucer  la  pomme." 

'ronchiner  (obsolete),  used  to 
signify  to  take  a  morning  walk, 
a  "constitutional."  From  the 
name  of  <<.  celebrated  doctor  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  by  name 
Tronchin,  whom  it  was  then  the 
fashion  to  consult.  Tronchinade 
had  the  meaning  of  walk. 

'ronchinette,/  (roughs'),  young 
girVs  head  or  face. 

Prdne,  m.  (popular),  night-stool. 
Etre  sur  le  — ,  to  be  at  the  W.  C, 

Troploc,  m,  (popular),  employer, 
"  boss." 

["roquet,  m.  (popular),  abbrevia- 
tion of  mastroquet,  landlord  of 
wine-shop.  Called  also  "bistrot, 
empoisonneur,  mannezingue." 

Tout  ce  que  je  sais,  c'est  que  je  sortais 
u  troquet  ^uand  j'ai  regu  mon  atout  par 
rois  zigs  qui  ont  pu  me  d^shabiller,  apr&s 
voir  eu  des  nouvelles  de  mon  biceps.  _  S'ils 
I'ont  donn^  des  cbataignes,  je  les  ai  bien 
rrang^s. — M^moires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

["rot,  m.  (prostitutes'),  aller  au  — , 
to  walk  the  street  as  a  prostitute  in 
fidl  "fig."  (Military)  Au  —  !  a 
favourite  expression  in  the  cavalry, 
look  sharp  I 


Allez  mettre  votre  blouse,  et  au  trot  t 
qu'est-cequi  m'a  bSti  un  pierrot  comme  5a  I 
— G.  COURTEUNE. 

Trotach  (Breton  cant),  soup. 

Trottant,  m.  (thieves'),  rat. 

Trottante,y;  (thieves'),  »zi;«j«. 

Trotter  (popular),  se  — ,  or  se  la 
— ,  to  go  away. 

II  m'a  donn^  du  poignon  pour  me  trotter 
toute  seule  ^  Paris.  Je  suis  revenue,  avec 
le  sac  de  Thomme  sauvage,  k  la  turne  de 
I'ogresse. — Mimoires  de  Monsieur  Claude. 

Trotte-sec,  m.  (cavalry),  foot- 
soldier,  "mud-crusher." 

Trotteuse,  /  (popular),  railway 
engine,  "puf&ng,  or  whistling 
Billy." 

Trottignole,  /.  (popular  and 
thieves'),  foot,  "crab;"  shoe, 
"  crab-shell."  Du  cabochard  aux 
trottignoles,^(7»«  head  to  foot. 

Trottln,  m.  (popular),  errand  hoy 
or  girl, 

Les  trottins  se  feront  des  rdv^rences 
comme  les  marquises  de  I'ancien  temps. — 
Le  Voltaire,  Nov.,  1886. 

Trottins,  feet,  or  "  everlasting 
shoes  ;  "  shoes,  or  "trotter-cases." 
Des  trottins  feuilletes,  worn-out, 
leaky  shoes.  (Thieves')  Trottin, 
,  horse,  or  "prad." 

Trottinard,  m.  (popular),  child, 
"kid." 

Trottinet,  m.  (popular),  lady's 
shoe. 

Trottoir,  m.  (familiar),  femme  de 
— j prostitute,  or  ' '  common  Jack. " 
Le  grand  — ,  fashionable  co- 
cottes,  high-class  "tarts"  of  that- 
description.  Le  petit  — ,  the 
street-walking  females,  or  "un- 
fortunates." (Theatrical)  Legrand 
— ,  stock  of  classical  plays.  Le: 
petit  — ,  class  of  lighter  produc- 
tions. 


4-62 


Trou — True. 


Trou,  m.  (familiar),  faire  son  — , 
to  get  on  in  the  world,  (Popular) 
Le  —  aux  pommes  de  terre,  the 
mouth,  "  potato-trap."  Le  —  de 
balle,  de  bise,  or  du  souffleur, 
anus.  Avoir  un  —  sous  le  nez, 
to  be  a  great  bibber  of  wine.  Etre 
dans  le  — ,  to  be  dead  and  buried, 
"  to  have  been  put  to  bed  with  a 
shovel ; "  to  be  in  prison,  in 
"quod."  Un  —  du  cul,  an 
arrant  fool,  "  Bally  flat ; "  a  meaii- 
fellow,  or  "  skunk."  Onlui  bou- 
cherait  le  —  du  cul  avec  un  grain 
de  sable — explained  thus  by 
Rigaud : — 

Se  dit  en  parlant  de  quelqu'un  que  la 
peur  paralyse,  parceque,  alors,  selon  I'ex- 
pression  vulgaire,  il  "  serre  les  fesses." — 
Diet,  d' Argot  Moderne. 

Faire  un  —  ^  la  lune,  to  fail  in 
business,  to  be  bankrupt.  It 
formerly  signified  to  disappear. 
Literally  to  vanish  behind  the 
moon.  (Thieves')  Trou,  prison, 
or  "quod." 

Vive  le  vin  !  vive  la  bonne  ch^re  ! 
Vive  la  grinche  !  vive  les  margotons  ! 
Vive  les  cigs  !  vive  la  bonne  blere  ! 
Amis,  buvons  k  tons  les  vrais  gar9ons  ! 
Ce  temps  heureux  a  fini  bien  trop  vite. 
Car  aujourd'hui  nous  v'12i  tousdans  I'trou. 
Song  written  by  Clement,  a  burglar. 

Troubade,    or    troubadour,    m. 

(popular),  infantry  soldier. 

Ta  tournure  guerriere, 

Ta  de  rata,  tata,  ta  de  rata,  ta  taire, 

Sait  captiver  la  plus  fifere  ! 

Et,  pour  le  parfait  amour. 

En  filant  un  doigt  de  cour, 

Tu  te  montreras  toujours 

Plus  fort  que  dix  troubadours. 

Dubois  de  Gennes. 

Troupe,  /.  (thieves'),  lace,  or 
"driz." 

Troufignard,      troufignon,      m. 

(popular),  the  behind;  the  anus. 
Troufion,  m.  (popular),  soldier. 

Trouillarde,/  {^a^w\&x), prostitute. 
From  the  verb  troler,  ta  roam 
about. 


Trouille,  /  (popular),  dirty  ser- 
vant ;  slut ;  dissipated-looking 
woman;  trull;  (thieves')  fear. 
Avoir  la  — ,  to  be  afraid.  Synony- 
mous of  "  avoir  le  taf,  le  trac,  le 
flubart,  la  frousse." 

Trouilloter  (popular),  to  stink. 

Troupe,  /  (theatrical),  d'argent, 
second-rate  company ;  —  de 
carton,  company  composed  of  very 
inferior  actors  ;  —  de  fer-blanc, 
one  numbering  actors  of  ordinary 
ability.  Termed  also  "  troupe 
d'ete,"  the  Paris  season  taking 
place  in  winter ;  —  d'or,  ord'hiver, 
first-rate  theatrical  company.  In 
the  language  of  journalists  the  ex- 
pressions, "  troupe  de  fer-blanc," 
"  troupe  d'or,"  are  used  to  denote 
respectively  a  middling  or  excel- 
lent staff  df  writers. 

Trousse,  y;  (thieves'),  anus. 

Troussequin,  m.  (popular),  the  i^- 
.^aW,  or  "  Nancy. "  See  Vasis- 
tas. 

Trouve,  adj.  (artists'  and  journa- 
lists'), new,  original. 

Trouver  (familiar),  la  —  mauvaise, 
to  be  highly  dissatisfied.  Trouver 
des  puces,  to  have  a  quarrel,  or  to 
get  a  thrashing.  Se  —  mal  sur,  to 
appropriate  another's  property. 

Troyen,  m.  (domino  players'), 
three  of  dominoes. 

True,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
affair;  mode;  knack;  dodge. 
Avoir  le  — ,  to  have  the  knack,  to 
have  the  secret. 

Est-ce  que  je  ne  connais  pas  toutes  les 
couleurs?  J'ai  le  true  de  chaque  com- 
merce.^—Balzac. 

Avoir  le  — ,  to  find  a  dodge. 

Ce  farceur  de  Mes-Bottes  avait  eu  le 
tnic  d'epouser  une  dame  trfes  d^catie. — E. 
Zola. 

True,  any  kind  of  snail  trade  in 


Trucasre —  Trucsin. 


463 


the  streets.  Avoir  du  — ,  to  be 
ingenious;  to  possess  a  mind  fer- 
tile in  resource.  Le  —  vert,  i«7- 
/ian/i,  or  "spoof."  (Popular  and 
thieves')  Piger  le  — ,  to  discover 
the  fraud,  the  dodge.  Le  —  de  la 
morgane  et  de  la  lance,  christen- 
ing. 

A  la  chique  i  six  plombes  et  m&che  pour 
que  le  ratichon  maquille  soa  true  de  la 
morgane  et  de  la  lance. — Vidocq. 

Le  — ,  thieving,  "  lay."  Le  grand 
— ,  murder.  Des  trues,  things, 
objects.  Donner  le  — ,  to  give  the 
■watchword.  Boulotter  le  — ,  to 
reveal  the  watchword.  (Theatrical) 
True,  engine  used  to  effect  a  trans- 
formation scene.  Piece  i  trues, 
play  with  transformation  scenes. 
(Prostitutes')  Faire  le  — ,  to  walk 
the  streets.    (Military)  True,  room. 

Nous  arrivons  dans  une  esp&ce  de  sale 
true,  grand  k  peu  pres  comme  y'la  la 
chambre,  seurment  pas  t'tafait  aussi  haut. 

— G.  COURTELINE. 

Also  military  equipment.  True, 
from  the  Provenfal  trie,  deceit. 
Then  we  have  the  old-fashioned 
word  "  triche,"  which  corresponds 
to  the  English  trick  at  cards. 
A  thief  in  Italian  lingo  is  termed 
' '  truccanle. "  Literally  trickster. 
In  old  French  "true"  meant 
blow,  and  in  the  Italian  jargon 
"  trucco  "  is  used  to  denominate 
a  stick,  from  a  correlation  between 
the  effect  and  the  cause. 

Trucage,  m.,  selling  new  articles 
for  antiquities. 

Trucageur,    m.,   manufacturer  of 
articles  sold  as  genuine  antiquities. 

Trucard,     m.     (popular),     artful 
dodger. 

Truche,/  (thieves'  and  tramps'), 
begging,  "cadging." 

{e  suis  ce  fameux  argotier, 
«  grand  Coesre  de  ces  mions. 


Fenterve  truche  et  doubler 
Dedans  les  boules  et  fr^mions. 

La.  Chanson  des  Argotiers, 


La    faire   El   la 
cadge. " 


to  beg,    "to 


Trucher  (old  cant),  to  beg,  "to 
cadge  ;  "  —  sur  I'entiffe,  to  beg  on 
the  road.     From  true. 

Trucheur,  or  trucheux,  m.  (old 
cant),  beggar,  or  "  cadger;"  tramp, 
or  ' '  pikey. " 

Qui  veut  rouscailler, 

D'un  appele  du  grand  Coesre, 

Dabusche  des  argotiers, 

Et  des  trucheurs  le  grand  maltre, 

Et  aussi  de  tous  ses  vassaux. 

Vive  les  enfans  de  la  truche, 

Vive  les  enfans  de  I'argot. 

La  Chanson  des  A  rgotiers. 

Trucsin,  m.  (thieves'),  house  of  ill- 
fame,  "flash-drum,  nanny-shop, 
or  Academy."  In  America  certain 
establishments  of  this  description 
are  termed  "panel-cribs."  I  find 
the  following  description  in  a 
book  called  the  Slang  Dictionary 
of  New  York,  London,  and  Paris 
(the  last-named  town  might  have 
been  left  out)  :  Panel-crib,  a 
place  especially  fitted  up  for  the 
robbery  of  gentlemen,  who  are 
enticed  thereto  by  women  wh6 
make  it  their  business  to  pick  up 
strangers.  Panel-cribs  are  some- 
times called  badger-cribs,  shake- 
downs, and  touch-cribs,  and  are 
variously  fitted  for  the  admission 
of  those  who  are  in  the  secret,  but 
which  defy  the  scrutiny  of  the 
uninitiated.  Sometimes  the  casing 
of  the  door  is  made  to  swing  on 
well-oiled  hinges  which  are  not 
discoverable  in  the  room,  while 
the  door  itself  appears  to  be  hung 
in  the  usual  manner,  and  well 
secured  by  bolts  and  lock.  At 
other  times  the  entrance  is  effected 
by  means  of  what  appears  to  be 
an  ordinary  wardrobe,  the  back 
of  which  revolves  like  a  turnstile 


464 


Truelle —  Truqueur. 


on  pivots.  When  the  victim  has 
got  into  bed  with  the  woman,  the 
thief  enters,  and  picking  his 
pocket-book  out  of  his  pocket, 
abstracts  the  money,  and  supply- 
ing its  place  with  a  small  roll  of 
paper,  returnsthe  book  toits  place. 
He  then  withdraws,  and  coming  to 
the  door  raps  and  demands  ad- 
mission, calling  the  woman  by  the 
name  of  wife.  The  frightened 
victim  dresses  himself  in  a  hurry, 
feels  his  pocket-book  in  its  proper 
place,  and  escapes  through  an- 
other door,  congratulating  him- 
self on  his  happy  deliverance.  The 
panel-thief  who  fits  up  a  panel- 
crib  tries  always  to  pick  up  gentle- 
men that  are  on  a  visit  to  the  city 
on  business  or  pleasure,  who  are 
not  likely  to  remain  and  prose- 
cute the  thieves. 

Truelle,  f.  (freemasons'),  spoon. 
Termed  also  "pelle." 

Truffard,  or  truffardin,  m.  (popu- 
lar), j-oMVr,  "swaddy."  Truffard 
also  means  happy,  lucky, 

Truffe,  /  (popular),  nose  of  consi- 
derable proportions,  or  "  conk  ;  " 
potato,  "spud;"  —  de  savetier, 
chestnut.  Aux  truffes,  excellent, 
"first-class,  fizzing,  out-and-out, 
nap."  II  a  un  nez  h  chercher  des 
truffes  is  used  to  compare  a  vian  to 
a  pig,  as  a  porcine  assistant  is  ne- 
cessary for  the  finding  and  rooting 
up  of  truffles. 

Truffe,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar),  ar- 
rant, or  "captious  "  fool ;  —  de 
lAAt:.,  superlatively  elegant  or  stylish, 
"  tsing  tsing." 

Truffer  (popular),  to  deceive,  "to 
cram  up." 

Trufferie,/  (popular), /^,  "cram- 
ming up." 

Truffeur,  m.  (popular),  one  who.  tells 
fibs,  who  "throws  the  hatchet,''  or 


"draws  the  long-bow."  The 
English  slang  expressions  come 
from  the  wonderful  stories  which 
used  to  be  told  of  the  Norman 
archers,  and  more  subsequently  of 
Indians'  skill  with  the  tomahawk. 

Truffier,  m.,  trufifiere,/.  (popular), 
fat  person.  Analhision  to  a  pig 
used  for  finding  truffles,  and  which 
is  called  truffier  in  certain  parts  of 
France.  It  appears  that  peasants, 
in  order  to  discover  an  animal 
with  a  fine  nose,  go  to  the  fair 
with  a  bit  of  trufHe  in  their  shoe, 
and  they  know  a  good  truffle- 
finder  at  once,  as  he  never  fails  tO' 
sniff  at  their  heels. 

Trumeau,  m.  (popular),  woman  of 
indifferent  character.  See  Ga- 
doue.  Vieux— !  old  fool,"  Aoi- 
dering  old  sheep's  head." 

Truquage,  m.  {sutists'),  putting  the 
name  of  an  old  master  to  a  modern 
picture, 

Truquer,  m.  (popular),  to  live  by 
one's  wits ;  (thieves')  to  swindle, 
"to  bite  ; "  to  give  oneself  up  to- 
prostitution;  —  de  la  pogne,  to 
beg,  "to  cadge."  (Tradespeoples') 
Truquer,  to  manufacture  articles^ 
sold  as  genuine  antiquities. 

Truqueur  (popular),  one  who  lives- 
by  his  wits;  swindler,  one  of  the 
"  swell  -  mob  ;  "  card  ■  sharper, 
"  look;"  Sodomist,  "gentleman 
of  the  back  door ;  "  seller  of  theatre 
checks ;  one  who  does  sundry  odd" 
jobs,  such  as  opening  the  doors  of 
carriages,  &'c.,  "one  who  lives, 
on  the  mooch,"  or  who  sells  smalt 
articles  in  the  streets;  pedlar. 

Je  vous  assure  qu'il  me  r^pugne  de  verser 
le  raising  de  ces  deux  truqueurs.— VlDocQ. 

Truqueur  de  cambrouse,  tramps 
or  ' '  pikey. " 

Les  deux  truqueurs  de  cambrouse  noua 
entendront  si  on  rebatit  le  sinve. — Vidocq. 


Truye —  Tutler. 


46s 


Truye,/,  fils  de  —  (obsolete),  used 
to  be  said  of  a  man  who  vanishes, 
alluding  to  La  Truye  qui  file,  the 
signboard  of  a  celebrated  wine- 
shop of  the  seventeenth  century. 

Tual  (Breton  cs.nl),  fox. 

Tuant,  adj.  (familiar),  dull  in  the 
superlative  degree. 

Tubard,  m.  (popular),  silk  hat. 
Various  kinds  of  covering  for  the 
head  are  termed:  "capet,  car- 
beluche,  combre,  combrieu,  cap- 
sule, tuyau  de  poele,  tromblon, 
tube,  tubeahautepression, casque, 
viscope,  bolivar,  couvre-amour, 
tuile,  ^picephale,  galurin,  lam- 
pion, nid  d'hirondelle,  calo- 
quet,  cadratin,  ardoise,  marquin, 
bache,  decalitre,  comiche,  cou- 
vercle,  couvrante,  loupion,  bosse- 
lard ;  "  and  in  the  English  slang  : 
"  tile,  chimney-pot,  stove-pipe, 
goss."  To  complete  this  chapitre 
des  chapeaux,  which  has  nothing 
in  common  with  the  one  said  by 
Sganarelle  to  have  been  written 
by  Aristotle,  we  may  add  that 
Fielding  calls  hats  "principles," 
and  in  explanation  of  the  term  he 
says : — 

_  As  these  persons  wore  different  "  prin- 
ciples," i.e.  hats,  frequent  dissensions  grew 
amopg  them.  There  were  particularly  two 
parties,  viz.  those  who  wore  hats  fiercely 
:ockcd,  and  those  who  preferred  the  "  nab  " 
Dr  trencher  hat,  with  the  brim  flapping  over 
:heir  eyes.  The  former  were  called  *  cava- 
liers "and  "tory  rory  ranter  boys,"  &c. 
ITie  latter  went  by  the  several  names  of 
''wags,  roundheads,  shakebags,  oldnolls," 
md  several  others.  Between  these  con- 
linual  jars  arose,  insomuch  that  they  grew 
n  time  to  think  there  was  something  e.ssen- 
:ial  in  their  differences,  and  that  ^eir  in- 
lerests  were  incompatible  with  each  other, 
vhereas,  in  truth,  the  difference  lay  only 
n  the  fashion  of  their  hsiti..— Jonathan 

mid. 

Tube,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
silk     hat,      "  stove-pipe.       See 
Tubard. 
Et  .  .  .  !e  tube  sur  I'oreille  .  .  .  suivi 


d'horizontales,  de  verticales,  de  ddhanch^es 
et  d'agenouilldes,  on  le  verra  s'en  alter  dans 
les  rues. — Le  Voltaire. 

(Popular)  Le  — ,  the  throat, 
"gutter-lane,  or  whistler;"  the 
nose,  or  "smeller."  See  Mor- 
viau.  Se  coUer  quelquechose 
dans  le  — ,  to  eat,  "to  grub."  Se 
piquer  le  — ,  to  get  drunk,  or 
"tight."  Se  flanquer  du  terreau 
dans  le  — ,  to  take  snuff.  Un  — , 
a  musket,  or  "dag."  Un  —  a 
haute  pression,  silk  hat. 

Tuber  (popular),  to  smoke.  Tubons 
en  une,  let's  "  blow  a  cloud." 

Tubercule,  m.  (familiar),  6£g  nose, 
"conk." 

Tu^,  adj.  (familiar),  astounded, 
aghast,  "flabbergasted." 

Tuer  (thieves'),  le  ver,  to  silence  the 
calls  of  one's  conscience,  a  not  un- 
usual thing  for  thieves  to  do. 
(Popular)  Tuer  les  mouches  a 
quinze  pas,  to  have  an  offensive 
breath  ;  —  le  colima9on,  to  have 
a  morning  glass  of  white  wine ; 
—  le  ver,  to  have  an  early  glass  of 
spirits,  a  "dew-drink." 

Ensuite  on  tue  le  ver  abondamment :  vin 
blanc,  mel^-cassis,  anisette  de  Bordeaux, 
d'aucunes  grognardes,  \  la  peau  couleur 
de  tan  ne  crachent  pas  sur  une  couple  de 
perroquets,  le  demi-setier  de  casse-poitrine 
ou  la  chopine  d'eau-de-vie  de  marc. — P. 
Mahalin. 


Tuffre,    m. 

"stuff." 


(thieves'),      tobacco. 


Tuile,  /  (freemasons"),  plate ;  (fa- 
miliar) disagreeable  and  unforeseen 
event ;  (roughs')  hat,  or  "  tile." 

Tuileau,  m.  (roughs'),  capi  "tile." 

I'm  a  gent,  I'm  a  gent. 
In  the  Regent-Street  style,- 
Examine  my  costume 
And  look  at  my  tile. 

Popular  Song. 

Tuiler    (popular),   to    measure,    to 

judge  of  one's  character  or  abilities; 

to  survey  one  with  suspicious  eye, 

Se  — ,  to  reach  the  stage  ofintoxi- 

H  H 


466 


Tulipe  orageuse — Turin. 


cation  when  the  drunkard  looks 
apoplectic,  when  he  is  as  "drunk 
as  Davy's  sow." 
Tulipe  orageuse,  f.,  a  step  of  the 
cancan,  a  pas  seul  danced  in  such 
places  as  Bullier  orL'Elysee  Mont- 
raartre  by  a  young  lady  with  skirts 
and  the  rest  tucked  up  so  as 
to  disclose  enough  of  her  person 
to  shock  the  sense  of  decorum  of 
virtuous  lookers-on,  whose  feelings 
must  be  further  hurt  by  the  ener- 
getic and  suggestive  gyratory  mo- 
tions of  the  performer  s  body.  This 
pas  is  varied  by  the  "  presentez 
armes  !  "  when  the  lady  handles 
her  leg  as  a  soldier  does  his  mus- 
ket on  parade.  Other  chore- 
graphic  embellishments  are,  "le 
passage  du  guet,  le  coup  dulapin, 
la  chaloupe  en  detresse,  le  pas  du 
hareng  saur,"  &c. 

Tune,    or    thune,    /     (thieves'), 
money,    or  "pieces;"  five-franc 
piece. 
J'suis  un  grinche,  un  voleur,  un  escarpe  : 

je  buterais  le  Pere  Eternel  pour  affurer  une 

tune,  mais  .  .  .  trahir  des  amis,  jamais  ! — 

ViDOCQ. 

La  — ,  ortunebee  (old  cant),  the  old 
prison  of  Bicttre.  In  the  fifteenth 
century  the  king  of  mendicants 
was  called  Roi  de  Thune,  or  Tunis, 
as  mentioned  by  V.  Hugo  in  his 
description  of  La  Cour  des 
Miracles  under  Louis  XI.  (see 
Notre  Dame  de  Paris),  in  imita- 
tion of  the  title  of  Roi  d'Egypte, 
which  the  head  of  the  gipsies  bore 
at  that  time.  It  is  natural  that 
rogues  should  have  given  the  ap- 
pellation to  the  prison  of  Bicetre, 
where  so  many  of  the  members  of 
the  ' '  canting  crew  "  were  given 
free  lodgings,  and  which  was  thus 
considered  as  a  natural  place  of 
meeting  for  the  subjects  of  the 
King  of  Thune. 

Tunegon, /;  (old  cant),  prison,  or 
"stir." 


Tuner  (old  cant),  to  beg,  "  to  maun- 
der." The  latter  term  seems  to 
be  derived  from  mendier,  to  beg, 

Tuneur,  m.  (old  cant),  beggar, 
"  maunderer." 

Tunnel,  m.  (medical  students'),  the 
anus. 

Tunodi  (Breton  cant),  to  talk  cant, 
"  to  patter  flash." 

Tunodo  (Breton  cant),  cant  expres- 
sions;  —  miason,  falsehoods. 

Turbin,  ?«.  (popular),  annoyatue. 

Bon  sang  d'bon  Dieu  !  quel  turbin  ! 
J'viens  d'mett'mon  pied  dan'  eun'  flaque : 
Cast  I'hasard  qui  m'ofFre  un.bain, 
V'lan  !  v'la  I'vent  qui  m'fiche  eun'  claque, 

RlCHEPIN. 

Turbin,  work,  "  graft." 

Apr&s  six  jours  entiers  d'turbin 
J  'me  sentais  la  gueule  un  peu  sale. 
Vrai,  j'avais  besoin  d'prend'un  bain ; 
Seul'ment  j'l'ai  pris  par  I'amygdale. 

RiCHEFIN. 

(Thieves')  Le  — ,  thieving.  (Pros- 
titutes') Le  — ,  prostitution.  Aller 
au  — ,  to  walk  the  streets  as  a  street- 
walker. 

Turbiner  (popular),  to  work,  to  do 
"elbow  grease." 

Plus  joyeux  encore  I'ouvrier  qui  turbnie 
en  plein  air,  suspendu  sur  un  ^chafaudage, 
plus  pres  du  bleu,  ^ventg  par  !es  souffles  de 
rhorizon. — KlCHEPlN,  Le  Pave. 

Turbiner  une  verte,  to  drink  a  glass 
of  absinthe.  (Thieves')  Turbiner, 
to  thieve. 

Turbineur,  m.  (popular),  labourer. 

Turc,  m.  (thieves'),  a  native  of  Tou- 
raine.     See  TSte,  Face. 

Turcan,  m.  (thieves'),  the  town  oj 
Tours. 

Turin,  m.  (thieves'),  earthenware 
pot.  This  word  is  no  doubt  a 
corruption  of  terrine. 


Turlurette —  Typote. 


467 


Turlurette,  /.  (popular),  fast  girl, 

Turlutaine,  /  (popular),  caprice, 
whim. 

Turlutine,/;  (military),  campaign- 
ing ration  consisting  of  pounded 
biscuit,  rice,  and  bacon, 

Tume,  /;  (familiar  and  popular), 
illfumished,  wretched  room  or 
lodgings.  This  word  is  derived 
from  the  Gipsy  ' '  turno, "  castle. 

L'immeuble  .  .  .  je  me  suis  tout  de  suite 
Souvenu  de  cette  turne. 

Xavier  Mont^pin. 

Turquie,/.  (thieves'),  Toiiraine. 

Tutoyer  (popular),  une  chose,  to 
take  hold  of  a  thing  unceremo- 
niously;  to  purloin  ;  —  un  porte- 
morningue,  to  steal  a  purse. 

Tutu,  m.  (familiar),  kind  of  short 
muslin  drawers  worn  by  ballet 
girls.     Termed  also  "  cousu." 

Son  maillot  tendu  sans  un  pli,  avant 
I'enfiler  cette  sorte  de  jupon-calegon  de 
nousseline,  bouffant  aux  hanches,  ferrn^ 
lu-deshus  du  genou  et  qui  r^pond  au  joli 
letit  nom  harmonieux  de  tutu  ou  cousu. — 

\,  SiRVEN. 

Fuyau,  m.  (popular),  ear,  or 
"wattle  ;  "  throat,  or  "  red  lane." 
Se  Jeter  quelque  chose  dans  le  — , 
to  eat  or  drink.  Avoir  le — bouche, 
to  have  a  cold  in  the  head.  (Fa- 
miliar and  popular)  Tuyau  de 
poele,  silk  hat,  "  stove-pipe." 

Ni  blouses,  ni  vestes,  ni  casquettes :  re- 
lingotes,  paletots,  tuyaux  de  poele. — ^A. 

ilRVEN. 

(Military)  Tuyau  de  poele,  regula- 
tion boots.  (Popular)  Les  tuyaux, 
legs,  "  pins."  Ramoner  ses  tu- 
yaux, to  run  away ;  to  wash  one's 
feet.    See  Patattot. 


(Sporting)  Tuyau,  "  tip,"  that  is, 
confidential  information  about  a 
horse  that  is  likely  to  win.  Given 
in  le  tuyau  de  I'oreille. 

Apr&s  men  operation,  le  cheval  que  j'ai 
pris  devient  subitement  le  tuyau.— Ze  Gil 
Bias. 

Donner  un  — ,  to  give  such  infor- 
mation, "  to  give  the  office." 

Tuyaux  depoSle,  m.pl.  (popular), 
high  boots  ;  worn-out  shoes. 

Des  tuyaux  de  po61e  qui  reniflent  la 
poussifere  desruisseaux.— E.  de  la  B^dol- 

Ll&RE, 

Type,  m.  (familiar  and  popular), 
individual,  "bloke,  cove,"  or 
"  cuss,"  as  the  Americans  say. 

Nous  ne  parlerons  que  pour  m^moire  du 
gargon  de  caf6  qui,  d^daignant  aujourd'hui 
le  pourboire,  ne  rend  jamais  exactement  la 
monnaie,  lorsqu'il  a  flaire  un  type  a  ne  pas 
compter. — A.  Sirven. 

Type  has  also  the  signification  of 
odd  fellow,  "  queer  fish."  The 
term  "  type  "  was  first  used  by 
cocottes  as  synonymous  of  dupe, 
or  "  flat,"  as  appears  from  the 
following  dialogue  between  two 
"  soupeuses,"  frequenters  of  Bre- 
'  bant's  restaurant. 

—  Avec  qui  as-tu  passe  ta  soiree  ? 

—  M'en  parte  pas :  avec  deux  types  qui 
m'ont  embet^e  k  cent  francs  par  tete. — P. 
PMTi^n-RK-ii\3,PetitsM£7noires£mieStalle 
dOrchesire. 

typesse,  f.  (familiar  and  popular). 


Typo,  m.  (popular),  compositor. 

Typote,  f,   (popular),  female  com- 
tositor. 


468 


Ulcere — Usine. 


u 


Ulcfere,  m.  (popular),  faire  degorger 
son  — ,  to  make  oneself  vomit. 

Unch'  (popular),  the  first  words  of 
a  mild  form  of  swearing,  nom 
d'un  .... 

Bravo  .  .  .  Nom  d'unch  !  C'est  presque 
aussibien  qu'k I'Ambigu. — Victor  Hugo. 

Un  peu  de  courage  k  la  poche 
(mountebanks'),  a  fhrase  used  as 
an  appeal  to  the  generosity  of  the 
public  when  the  sum  required  be- 
fore  the  performance  of  any  feat  is 
not  forthcoming.  May  be  rendered 
by  "  tuppence  more  and  up  goes 
the  donkey,"  a  vulgar  street 
phrase,  says  the  Slang  Dictionary, 
for  extracting  as  much  money  as 
possible  before  performing  any 
task.  The  phrase  had  its  origin 
with  a  travelling  showman,  the 
finale  of  whose  performance  was 
the  hoisting  of  a  donkey  on  a 
pole  or  ladder.  (Familiar)  Un  de 
plus  refers  to  an  injured  husband. 

Uonik  (Breton  cant),  the  sun. 

Urf,  adj.  (popular),  excellent,  first- 
class.  C'est  rien  —  !  excellent, 
"  real  jam."  Le  monde  — ,_fine 
people. 

Urge,  m.  The  word  is  used  by  the 
ladies  or  "  tartlets"  of  the  Boule- 
vards to  qualify  a  man's  financial 
status.  Tlie  scale  ranges  from  the 
humble  "  un  urge,"  denoting  a 
poor  or  very  stingy  man,  to  the 
superlative  "dix  urges."  A  stingy 
man  is  also  said  to  wear  gloves  of 
the  size  6J,  whilst  a  geneious 
one  sports  the  8J. 

Ainsi  un  gandin  passe  d'un  air  d^gag^  sur 
le  boulevard,  lorgnant  les  lemmes  qui  font 


espalier  k  la  porte  des  cafi£s.  Trois  urges  X 
diront  celles-ci_  en  I'apercevant.  Trois 
urges,  c'est-k-dire :  ce  monsieur  n'est  pas 

f^n^reux,  il  |^ante  dans  les  num^ros  has. 
i,  au  contraire,  elles  disent :  Six  urges  ! 
ou  huit  urges  !  oh  !  alors,  c'est  un  banquier 
mexicain  qui  passe  Ik,  elles  le  .<iavent,  il  leur 
en  a  donn^  des  preuves  la  veille  ou  I'avant- 
veille.  L'^chelle  n'a  que  dix  Echelons ; 
le_  premier  urge  s'emploie  k  propos  des 
pignoufs ;  le  dixi&me  urge  seulement  k 
propos  des  grands  seigneurs. — Delvau. 

Urine  de  lapin  (popular),  bad  and 
weak  brandy. 

Urle,yC  (thieves'),  the  room  where 
prisoners  have  interviews  with 
visitors. 

Vme,f.  (fopuiar), head,  or  "tibby." 
Avoir  un  depute  dans  1' — ,  to  be 
enceinte. 

Urpino,  adj.  (popular),  excellent, 
' '  fizzing ;"  elegant.  For  rupino, 
rupin.  C'est  ■ —  aux  pommes,  it 
is  the  height  of  elegance. 

Ursule,/.  (familiar),  old  maid. 

Usager  (popular),  is  said  of  a  man 
with  genteel  manners. 

User  (military),  son  matricule,  to 
serve  in  the  army.  Le  numero 
matiicule  -  is  the  soldier's  number. 
(Gamesters')  User  le  tapis,  to  play 
low ;  (familiar)  —  sa  salive,  to 
argue  uselessly.  Ne  pas  avoir  use 
ses  culottes  sur  les  bancs,  to  be  ig- 
norant. (Thieves')  User  la  pierre 
ponce,  to  be  a  convict  at  a  penal 
servitude  settlement.  From  a. 
simile.  Pumice  stone  takes  a  long 
time  to  wear  away. 

Usine,/  {,-po-pyi\sx),  place  where  one 
works. 


Usiner —  Vadrouillarde. 


469 


Jsiner   (popular),    to  work,   "to 

graft."   - 
Ustensile,  m.  (bullies'),  mistress. 

LJstensiller,  m.  (theatrical),  one 
■who  has  charge  of  the  minor 
articles  of  the  plant. 

Ustoches,  m.pl.  (popular),  jfjVwrf, 
Deformation  of  eustache,  knife. 


Ut !  (^roAsx^), your  health  I  First 
word  of  a  sentence  formerly  used 
by  printers  when  drinking  to- 
gether, "  Ut  tibi  prosit  meri 
potio  !  "  The  Germans  use  the 
expression,  "prosit!" 

Utilit^,^  (theatrical),  useful  actor, 
an  "  all  round  "  one. 


V 


Vachard,  vi.  (popular),  man  with 
no  energy;  lazy  fellow,  "bummer." 

Vache,  /.  (popular),  woman  of  in- 
different character  ;  —  a  lait,  pros- 
titute. See  Gadoue.  Vache! 
an  insulting  epithet  applied  to 
either  eex. 

Ce  fut,  pendant  une  minute,  une  clameur 
assourdissante.  . .  . 

—  Cochon  ! 

—  Salaud  ! 

—  Bougre  de  vache  !— G.  Courteline. 

Etre  — ,  faire  la  — ,  to  he  lazy. 
Prendre  la  —  et  le  veau,  to  marry 
a  girl  who  is  pregnant.  Le  train 
des  vaches,  the  tramcar.  A  play 
on  the  word  tramway.  (Thieves') 
La  — ,  the  police,  "  reelers."  Une 
— ,  police  spy,  or  policeman. 

Elle  avail  ili  amende  ft  par  deux  horri- 
bles pecits  dr61es. ...  lis  dtaient  en  train 
de  dresser  la  "  gonzesse  "  avant  de  I'envoyer 
battre  le  trimar  (le  trottoir)  lorsque  les 
roussins,  les  vaches,  survinrent. — Albert 
CiM,  Institution  de  Demoiselles. 

Mort  aux  vaches  !  is  a  motto  often 
found  tattooed  on  malefactor^ 
bodies. 

Vacher,  m.  (thieves')  police  officer, 
or  "reeler." 

Vacherie,  /  (popular),  laziness;  a 
place  where  drinks  are  served  by 
women. 


Va  -  comma  -  je  -  te  pousse,  / 
(popular),  ^  la  — ,  at  haphazard. 

Vacquerie,/  (thieves'),  aller  en  — , 
to  sally  forth  on  a  thieving  expe- 
dition. 

Vade,  f.  (thieves'),  crowd,  or 
"push."    Tenned  also  "  tigne." 

Va-de-la-gueule,.  m.  (popular), 
gormandizer,  or '  'grand  paunch ; " 
orator. 

Va-de-la-lance,  m.  (popular),  boon 
companion,  a  kind  0/""  jolly  dog." 

Vadoux,  m.  (obsolete),  servant. 

Vadrouillard,  vadrouilleur,  m. 
(popular),  low  fellow  fond  of  hold- 
ing revels  with  prostitutes. 

Vadrouillarde,  vadrouille,  va- 
drouilleuse,  /.  (familiar  and 
popular),  Icfw  prostitute,  or 
' '  draggle-tail. "  Vadrouille,  low 
graceless  fellow. 

Fais-toi  connaitre.    II  faut 
Que  je  saches  oil  tu  perches. 
Je  fais  mille  recherches, 
O  gibier  d'^chafaud.^ 
Et  je  reviens  bredouille  !  .  .  . 
Ainsi  chantait  T —  or, 
Mais  rhorrible  vadrouille 
Ricana :  cherche  encor. 

Raminagrobis. 

Vadrouille   is    properly  u,  sivab. 


470 


Vadrouilkr —  Vanteme. 


AUer  en  — ,  or  faire  une  — ,  to  go 
and  amuse  oneself  with  gay  girls. 
(Thieves'  and  roughs')  En  — , 
wandering  about,  "on  the  mooch." 

Vadrouiller  (popular),  to  go  with 
prostitutes,  to  be  a  "mutton 
monger." 

Vague,  m,  (thieves'),  aller  au  — ,  to 
go  about  seeking  for  a  "job," 
qucerens  qtiem  devoret.  Coup  de 
— ,  theft.  Pousser  un  coup  de  — > 
to  commit  a  robbery. 

Un  certain  soir  £tant  dans  la  d^bine, 
Un  coup  de  vague  il  leur  fallut  pousser. 
Car  sans  argent  Ton  fait  bien  triste  mine. 
Song  written  by  Clement, 
a  burglar, 

(Bullies')  Envoyer  une  femme  au 
— ,  to  send  a  woman  otit  for  pur- 
poses of  prostitution.  (Popular) 
Du  —  !  an  expression  of  refilsal, 
which  may  be  rendered  by  the 
Americanism,  "yes,  in  a  horn." 
Se  licher  du  — ,  lancer  une  gousse 
au  — ,  to  send  a  woman  out  to  walk 
the  streets. 

Vaguer  (prostitutes'),  to  wander 
about. 

Vain,  adj.  (thieves'),  lad. 

Vaisseau  du  desert,  m.  (popular), 
euphemism  for  chameau,  prosti- 
tute. 

Vaisselle,7C  (popular),  de  poche, 
money,  "needful."  (Military) 
Vaisselle,  decorations.  Mettresa — 
a  I'air,  to  put  on  one's  decorations, 

Valade,  /  (thieves'),  pocket,  or 
' '  cly. " 

J*ai  toujours  de  I'auber  dans  mes  va- 
lades,  bogue  d'orient,  cadenne,  rondines 
et  frusquins.— VlDOCQ. 

From  avaler,  to  swallow  up.  Bon- 
der les  valades,  to  feel  pockets  in  a 
crowd. 

Valet  de  coeur,  m.  (popular),  the 
lover  of  a  prostitute,  or  "  Sunday- 
man."     See  Poisson. 


Valoir  (popular),  ne  pas  —  cher, 
to  have  a  disagreeable^  "nasty" 
temper.  Valoir  son  pesant  de  mou- 
tarde,  not  worth  muck  ;  (thieves') 
—  le  coup  de  fusil,  to  be  worth 
robbing, 

Valser  (popular),  to  go  away ;  to 
run  away,  "  to  hook  it."  Balzare 
in  furbesche ;  —  du  bee,  to  have  an 
offensive  breath. 

Valtreuse,  /.  (thieves'),  portman- 
teau, or  "  peter." 

Valtreusier,  m.  (thieves'),  rogue 
who  devotes  his  attentions  to  port- 
manteaus, "dragsman." 

Vandale,/  (thieves'),  empty  pocket. 

Vannage,  m.  (gambling  cheats'), 
faire  un  — ,  to  allow  a  ' '  pigeon  " 
to  win  the  first  game.  Termed 
also  maquiller  un  — . 

Vann6,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
exhausted,  "gruelled." 

C'est  vrai  que  je  suis  un  peu  vann^  .  ,  . 
dk  Elys^e  en  souriant,  et  il  montait  ses 
cinq  Stages,  le  dos  rond,  ^crase. — A. 
Daudet. 

Vanner  (thieves'),  to  run  away, 
"  to  speel."  Alluding  to  the  mo- 
tions of  the  body  and  arms  of  a 
■winnower,  or  from  the  old  French 
word  vanoyer,  to  disappear. 

Vannes,/.  pi.  (popular),  falsehood; 
''flam." 


Am  I  dreaming?  or  what?  Pinch  me, 
Jesse  1  I  am  quite  awake,  am  I  not  ?  And 
the  thing  is  no  "flam ? "—The  Globe,  Dec, 
1886. 

Des  — !  ejaculation  of  disbelief, 
"over,  or  over  the  shoulder." 
C'est  des  —  !  that's  all  humbug, 
"all  my  eye." 

Vanneur,  m.  (thieves'),  one  who 
runs  away  ;  co7vard. 

Vanterne,  or  venterne,/  (thieves'), 
window,  or  "jump."  From  the 
Spanish   ventana,    or   more   pro- 


Vantemier —  Vas-y-vas-y. 


An 


bably  from  vent,  wind,  so  that 
venterne  literally  signifies  which 
lets  in  the  wind.  Ventosa  in 
Spanish  cant.  Vanterne  (for  lan- 
terne),  lantern ;  —  sans  loches, 
dark  lantern,  or  "  darky." 

Vanternier,  ot. (thieves'),  robber  who 
effects  an  entrance  through  a  win- 
dow, "dancer,  orgarreter." 

Vapeur.y;  (popular),  una  demi  — , 
a  glass  of  absinthe. 

Vaquerie,  /.  (old  cant),  bier  en  — , 
to  sally  forth  on  a  thieving  expe- 
dition. 

Vase,  m.  andf.  (familiar),  etrusque, 
chamber-pot,  or  "jerry."  Con- 
cerning this  utensil  Viscount  Bas- 
terot,  in  his  work  De  Quibec  h 
Lima,  speaks  of  a  curious  cus- 
tom of  the  Peruvians.  He  says : 
"On  it  su  de  tout  temps  que  les 
Espagnols  ne   se   font  pas  prier 

'  pour  annoncer  bruyamment  qu'ils 
out  bien  dine ;  temoin  une  cer- 
taine  histoire  du  Marechal  Bas- 
sompierre.  Mais  il  est  une  certaine 
habitude  peruvienne  dontvraiment 
je  n'avais  jamais  entendu  parler. 
II  est  un  peu  embarrassant  de  la 
decrire,  mais  pourquoi  la  tairais- 
je  ?  Ne  faut-il  pas  raconter,  quels 
qu'ils  soient,  les  usages  et  les 
mceurs?  Quel  serait  sans  cela 
I'interet  des  voyages  ?  Le  fait  est 
qu'au  Perou,  le  pot  de  chambre 
est  arrive  i  la  hauteur  d'une  in- 
stitution nationale.  On  se  met- 
trait  plutot  en  route  sans  malle  que 
sans  cet  ustensile  precieux.  Les 
personnes  riches  les  font  faire  en 
argent.  Mais,  helas  !  la  vieille 
aristocratic  est  sur  son  declin,  et 
la  faience  domine  aujourd'hui. 
Les  dames  surtout  les  etalent  avec 
une  complaisance  infinie ;  il  est 
vnii  qu'ils  servent  aussiquelquefois 
de  meuble  de  toilette.  On  voit 
arriver  une  brillante  senora  ;  elle 


tient  quelque  chose  ^  la  main  : 
c'est  sans  doute  un  bouquet  de 
fleurs,  ou  un  mouchoir  de  den- 
telle?  Non,  c'est  son  vase  de 
nuit  !  Encore  si  elles  se  dispen- 
saient  de  s'en  servir  publiquement ! 
Mais  elles  pensent  probablement, 
avec  quelques  cyniques,  que  les 
choses  naturelles  ne  sont  pas  in- 
decentes."  (Popular  and  thieves') 
De  la  — ,  rain,  or  "  parney."  II 
tombe  de  la  — ,  or  de  la  flotte,  it 
rains. 

Vaser  (popular  and  thieves'),  to 
rain.  Termed  also  ' '  lansquiner, 
tomber  de  la  lance." 

Vasinette,/.  (popular),  bath.  Aller 
a  la  — ,  to  bathe.  Termed  "to 
tosh"  by  the  gentlemen  cadets  of 
the  R.M.  Academy. 

Vasistas,  m.  (popular),  monocular 
eye-glass;  the  behind.  The  sy- 
nonyms are  :  "  le  piffe,  le  me- 
dallion, I'arriere-train,  le  trMe, 
messire  Luc,  le  moulin  ^  vent,  le 
ponant,  la  lune,  le  bienseant,  le 
petard,  le  ballon,  le  moutardier, 
le  baril  de  moutarde,  I'obusier,  la 
tabatiere,  la  tire-lire,  la  giberne, 
le  proye,  cadet,  la  figure,  la  ca- 
nonniere,  I'oignon,  la  machine  a 
moulures,  la  rose  des  vents,  le  de- 
partement  du  Bas-Rhin,  le  democ, 
le  schelingophone,  le  Prussien, 
le  panier  aux  crottes,  le  visage  de 
campagne  or  sans  nez,  le  fignard, 
le  petrouskin,  la  face  du  Grand 
Turc,  le  tortillon,  le  fleurant, 
le  pedzouille,  le  cadran,  le  foiron, 
le  tal,  le  garde-manger,  le  naze, 
le  soufflet,  le  prouas,  la  contre- 
basse,  le  cyclope,  le  schaffouse,  le 
gingin." 

Vassarfes,/,  (thieves'),  water. 

Vas-y-t'assir,  m.  (roughs'),  chair. 

Vas-y-vas-y,  m.  (roughs'),  casement 
of  a  window.     Play  on  vasistas. 


472 


Va-te-faire-suer —  Velours. 


Va-te-faire-suer !  (popular),  go  to 
the  deuce  I 

Va-te-!aver,  m.  (popular),  box  on 
the  ear,  right  and  left. 

Et  il  regardait  les  gens,  tout  pret  Si  leur 
administrer  un  va-te-laver  s'ils  s'tftaient 
permis  la  moindre  rigolade. — Zola, 

Va-t'  faire-panser,  m.  (popular), 
box  on  the  ear  ;  biaw,  or  "wipe." 

Je  lui  ai  flanqu^  un  va-t'  faire-panser  sur 
I'oeil.— Randon. 

Vaticanaille,/;  (familiar),  clericals. 

Va-trop,  m.  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
servant ;  —  de  charretier,  carter's 
man. 

Ah  !  ah  !  personn'  ne  sait  c'qu'il  fiche 
Depuis  qu'il  roul'  par  les  grands  ch'mins. 
Oh  !  oh  !  p't'et'  qu'il  est  merlifiche, 
Va-trop  d'chartier,  ou  tend-la-iriain. 

RlCHEPIN. 

Vaudevillifere  (literary),  actress  of 
no  ability  who  is  engaged  only  on 
account  of  her  personal  attractions. 

Vautour,  m.  (popular),  hard- 
hearted landlord  ;  gambling  cheat, 
or  "hawk." 

Veau,  m.  (military),  knapsack,  or 
' '  scran-bag  ;  "  (popular)  young 
prostitute. 

Un  soir  2i  la  barrlfere 
Uii  veau,  un  veau 
Tortillait  du  derriere. 

Vedette,  f.  (theatrical),  avoir  son 
nom  en  — ,  or  etre  en  — ,  to  have 
one's  name  in  large  type  on  a  play- 
bill. 

—  Laissez-moi,  rdpondait-elle,  vous  me 
d^chirez. 

—  Tu  seras  en  vedette. 

—  Vous  etes  insupportable. 

—  En  6toile  ! 

—  Assez  I— J.  Sermet. 

Veilleurs  de  morts,  m.  pi.  (bro- 
thels'), young  scamps  who  amuse 
themselves  by  causing  an  uproar 
in  brothels  and  putting  everything 
topsy-turvy. 


En  argot  de  lupanar,  on  appelle  ' '  veil- 
leurs de  morts "  les  jeunes  vauriens  qui 
emploient  leur  soiree  \  mettre  sens  dessus 
dessous  les  maisons  de  toMrance.  lis  sont 
la  terreur  des  maquerelles,  et  les  pertes 
qu'ils  leur  font  subir  sont  les  revers  de  la 
m^daille  du  proxdndtisme. — L^  Taxil. 

Veilleuse,  /.  (thieves'),  stomach, 
"  middle  piece  ;  "  —  k  sec,  empty 
stomach.  Une  — ,  a  franc.  Demi 
— ,  fifty  centimes.  (Familiar) 
Souifler  sa  — ,  to  die,  "  to  kick 
the  bucket,  or  to  snuff  it." 

Veinard,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar  and 
popular),  lucky  ;  lucky  fellow. 

J'suis  connu  d'Charonne  k  Plaisance 
Sous  le  nom  d'Chan9ard  dit  I'veinard  . . . 
V'lh  Chan9ard,  un  veinard 
Qu'a  d'la  chance  en  abondance. 

A.  Jambon,  via  Chan^ard. 

Veine,  /.  (familiar  and  popular), 
de  cocu,  g7-eat  luck.  Veine  alors  ! 
what  luck  ! 

Le  colonel  lui  jeta  un  coup  d'oeil,  rendit 
le  salut  et  passa.  Laigrepin,  stupefait,  se 
dit — Veine  alors  !  II  est  myope  comme  une 
chaufferette. — G.  Courteline. 

V61er  (popular),  to  be  in  childbed, 
"in  the  straw." 

Velin,  m.  (printers'),  wife.  Arrange- 
maner,  or  secouer  son  — ,  to  chas- 
tise one's  better  half. 

Velo,  ;«,  (old  cant),  postilion. 

Velocipede,  m.  (popular),  casser 
son  — ,  to  die.  For  synonyms  see 
Pipe. 

Ah  !  ben  !  en  v'li  un  creve,  9a  veut  fumer, 
5a  n'tient  pas  sur  ses  pattes,  s'il  ne  ddgele 
pas  cet  hiver,  s'il  ne  d^visse  pas  son  hillard 
au  printemps,  pour  sfir  ^  I'automne,  il  va 
casser  son  vdocip&de. —  Baumaine  et 
Blondelet, 

Velours,  m.  (gamesters'),  gaming- 
table. Eclairer  le  — ,  to  lay  one's 
stakes  on  the  green  cloth.  Jouer 
sur  le  — ,  to  stake  one's  winnings, 
(Familiar)  Faire  un  — ,  or  cuir,  to 
put  in  a  consonant  at  the  end  of  a 
woj'd  and  carry  it  on  to  the  next. 


Velouter — ,  Verdousier. 


473 


as :  Je  suis  venu  z'a  Paris.  (Popu- 
lar) Un  — ,  crepitus  ventris.  Ri- 
gaud  says :  "  Le  velours  se  produit 
dans  le  monde  avec  une  certaine 
timidile  melancolique  et  rappelle 
les  sons  files  de  la  flute  (ceci  pour 
les  gens  qui  aiment  la  precision).  ' 
C'est  un  — ,  that  is  excellent  (of 
drink).  (Thieves')  Un  — ,  robbing 
without  violence.  Faire  du  — ,  to 
flav  the  good  fellow ;  to  seek  to 
■wheedle  one  out  of  something. 

Velouter  (familiar),  se  — ,  to  com- 
fort oneself  by  a  drink. 

Velu,  adj.  (students'),  synonjrmous 
of  chic,  excellent,  first-rate,  "  true 
marmalade." 

Vendanger  (old  cant),  to  ill-treat; 
to  execute  ;  —  a  I'echelle,  to  hang. 

Vendangeuse  d'amour,  f.  (fa- 
miliar), gay  girl.  The  expression 
is  Delvau's. 

Vendre  (thieves'),  la  calebasse,  to 
inform  against,  "  to  blow  the  gaff, 
or  to  turn  snitch." 

Toujours  est-il,  reprit  le  rec^Ieur,  que 
c'est  lui  qui  a  vendu  la  calebasse,  et  que 
sans  lui  .  .  . — ^VlDOCQ. 

(Popular)  Vendre  des  guignes,  to 
squint,  "to  have  swivel  eyes;" 
(familiar  and  popular) — la  meche, 
to  reveal  a  secret. 

Vendu,  m.  (popular  and  journa- 
lists'), epithet  exp7-essive  of  a  vague 
accusation  of  extortion,  but  gene- 
rally used  with  no  particular 
meaning. 

Oui,  je  lui  en  prSterai,  hurla  Mes-Bottes. 
Tiens  !  Bibi,  jette-Iui  sa  monnaie  k  travers 
la  gueule,  k  ce  vendu !— Zola,  VAssom- 
moir. 

Venerable,  m.  (popular),  the  be- 
hind. 

Vent,  m.  (popular),  du  —  !  is  ex- 
pressive of  derisive  refusal,  "  go  to 
pot."  (Hawkers')  Vent  du  nord, 
fan.    (Students')  Donner  du — ,to 


buily.  (Sailors')  Avoir  du  —  dans 
les  voiles,  etre  —  dessus,  —  de- 
dans, to  be  in  a  state  of  intoxi- 
cation, "  to  have  one's  mainbrace 
well  spliced." 

Vente.     See  Abattage. 

Ventre,  m.  (popular),  beni^,  beadle; 
verger;  chorister.  An  allusion  to 
' '  pain  benit, "  supposed  to  be 
their  staple  food.  C'est  le  —  de 
ma  mere,  /  shall  never  return 
there,  or  I  shall  have  nothing  more 
to  do  viith  this.  Un  —  d'osier, 
a  drunkard,  or  "  lushington." 
(Familiar)  Nous  allons  voir  ce 
qu'il  a  dans  le  — ,  we  will  see  what 
stuff  he  is  made  of.  Se  brosser  le 
— ,  to  go  without  food. 

J'aime  inon  art .  .  .  ma  foi,  dit  un  acteur. 
si  je  pouvais  passer  mes  jours  k  me  brosser 
le  ventre,  le  theatre  .  .  .— E.  Monteil. 

Avoir  du  chien  dans  le  — ,  to  have 
pluck,  endurance ;  to  be  made  of 
good  stuff. 

Je  suis  sur  que  ce  nez  I'aidera  k  faire  son 
chemin.  II  joue  ce  soir.  Jugez-le.  Vous 
verrez  qu'il  a  du  chien  dans  le  ventre. — P. 
AUDEBRAND. 

Ventree,/;  (popular),  copious  meal, 
' '  buster. "  Se  foutre  une  — ,  to 
make  a  hearty  meal,  or"tightener. " 

Venus,/!  (artists'),  mouler  une  — , 
to  ease  oneself  by  evacuation. 

Ver,  m.  (familiar),  rongeur,  cab 
taken  by  the  hour.  Tuer  le  — ,  to 
have  an  early  glass  of  spirits  "  to 
keep  the  damp  out." 

Verbe,  m.  (thieves'),  sur  le  — ,  on 
credit. 

Verdet,  m.  (old  cant),  wind. 

Verdouse,  or  verdouze,  / 
(thieves'),  apple;  meadow.  In 
the  Italian  cant  verdume  signifies 
grass.     See  Arroseur,  Cribleur. 

Verdousier,  m.  (thieves'),  apple- 
tree;  garden  ;  fruiterer. 


474 


Verdousiire —  Verver. 


Verdousifere,  /.    (thieves'),  fruu 

terer's  wife. 

Verds,  m.  pi.  (thieves'),  formerly 
name  given  to  the  Paris  police. 

Oh  !  c'est  que  nous  avons  eu  la  moresque 
(la  peur)  d'une  Here  force  :  je  sais  bien  que 
quand  je  m'ai  sent!  les  verds  au  dos  le 
treffe  (ccEur)  me  faisait  trente  et  un. — Mi~ 
moires  de  Vidocq. 

V^reux,  ni.  (thieves'),  ticket-of-leave 
man. 

Vergne,  /  (thieves'),  town.  Xs. 
grande  — ,  Paris.  Una  —  de 
misericorde,  literally  une  villa  da 
misere  et  corde,  a  town  where 
thieves  have  little  chance  of  success, 
Michel  says  vergna  is  literally 
winter  quarters,  from  the  Italian 
verno,  winter.  More  probably, 
however,  it  comes  from  vergne, 
alder  plantation.  Every  small 
town  has  u  square  planted  out 
with  trees,  used  as  a  promenade, 
or  for  the  holding  of  fairs,  &c. ,  a 
meeting-place  for  pedlars  (who 
have  contributed  so  m'any  ex- 
pressions to  the  jargon).  Thus 
aller  a  la  vergne  possibly  signified 
to  go  to  the  public  square,  and,  by 
an  association  of  ideas,  to  go  to  the 
toivn.  It  is  to  be  noted,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  the  Latin  vema, 
vernaculus,  respectively  mean  slave 
born  in  the  house  of  his  master, 
native ;  so  that  the  word  vergne 
would  be  a  native  house,  collection 
of  native  houses — hence  town. 

Vermeil,  m.  (thieves'),  blood, 
"  clarat." 

Vermicelles,  m.pl.  {popnla.t),  hair, 
"thatch." 

Le  Pierrot  birbe,  avec  ses  vermicelles 
autour  du  gniasse  !  oh  !  esbloquant,  ca  ! — 

RlCHEPlN. 

(Thieves')    Vermicelles,    or    var- 
michels,  blood-vessels. 

Par  le  meg  des  fanandels,  tu  es  sans 
raisind  dans  les  vermicheis  (sans  sang  dans 
les  veines). — bALZAC 


Vermilion,  m.  (thieves'),  an  Eng- 
lishman, supposed  to  invariably 
sport  a  red  coat. 

Verminard,  vermineux,  m. 
(students'),  contemptible  man, 
"skunk." 

Vermine,  /  (thieves'),  lawyer, 
"  land-shark." 

Vermois,  m.  (thieves'),  blood, 
"clarat." 

Vermoise,  adj.  (thieves'),  of  a  red 
colour. 

Veronique,  f.  (rag-pickers'),  lati- 
tern. 

Verre,  m.  (popular),  de  montre,  the 
behind.  Casser  le  —  de  sa  montre, 
to  fall  on  on/s  behind.  (Gambling 
cheats')  Montrer  le  verre,  more 
correctly  le  vert  (tapis  vert),  en 
fleurs,  one  of  two  confederates 
engaged  in  a  game  of  cards  shows 
such  a  good  array  of  trumps  thai 
lookers-on  are  induced  to  stake. 

Verseuse,y;  (familiar),  waitress  at 
certain  cafis. 

Versigo,  m.  (thieves'),  the  town  of 
Versailles. 

Vert,  m.  (popular),  samettreau — , 
to  play  ;  to  gamble.     Montrer  le 

■  —  en  fleur.  See  Verre.  (Thieves') 
II  fait  — ,  it  is  cold. 

Verte,  adj.  (familiar),  la  — ,  ab- 
sinthe. Garcon,  une  — ,  waiter,  a 
glass  of  absinthe.  L'heure  de  la 
— ,  the  time  of  day  when  absinthe 
is  discussed  in  the  cafis,  generally 
from  five  o'clock  to  seven. 

Verticale,/  (familiar),  a  variety  of 
prostitute  best  described  by  the  ap- 
pellation itself. 

Verver  (thieves'),  to  weep,  "to  nap 
a  bib. "    A  deformation  of  verser. 


Verveux —  Vice. 


475 


Verveux,  adj.  (journalists'),  pos- 
sessing verve  or  spirit. 

Le  plus  verveux  des  journalistes— un 
Gascon  devenu  parisien. — La  Vie  Papu- 
laire,  1887. 

Vervignoler  (obsolete),  to  have 
connection. 

Mais  vervignolant,  me  faisait  quelquefois 
de  chaudes  caresses. — Pamasse  des  Muses, 

Vessard,  m.  (popular),  poltroon. 

Vesse,  f.  (popular),  avoir  la  — ,  to 
be  afraid.  (Schoolboys')  Vesse  ! 
cave!  or  "  chucks  !  " 

Vesser  dxi  bee  (popular),  to  have 
an  offensive  breath. 

Vessie,  f.  (popular),  low  prosti- 
tute.    See  Gadoue. 

Veste,/  (familiar),  remporter  une 
— ,  to  meet  with  complete  failure. 

Vestiaire,  m.  (familiar),  laisser  sa 
langue  au  — ,  to  have  lost  one^s 
tongue. 

Vestige,  m.  (thieves'),  coquer  le 
— ,  to  frighten;  to  be  afraid. 
Des  vestiges,  or  vestos,  haricot 
beans,  which  generate  wind  in  the 
bowels.     From  vesse,  wind. 

Vesto  de  la  cuisine,  m.  (thieves'), 
detective  officer, '  'cop. "  La  cuisine, 
vesto,  respectively  detective  force, 
haricot  bean. 

Vesuve,  m.  (familiar),  faireson — , 
fr  make  a  fuss ;  to  show  off. 

Vesuver  (popular),  to  bevery  liberal 
with  one's  money. 

Vesuvienne,  /  (familiar),  ^7 ^V/. 
For  synonyms  see  Gadoue. 

Veuve,  /  (thieves'),  formerly  the 
gallows,  "scrag;"  nowadays  the 
guillotine.  Grosser  chez  la  — , 
tirer  sa  crampe  avec  la  — ,  or 
epouser  la  — ,  to  be  guillotined. 
(Familiar)  Veuves  de  colonel, 
female  adventurers  who  attend 
gaming-tables,  passing  themselves 


off  as  widows  of  militsiry  men. 
Veuve  d'un  colonel  mort .  .  .  d'un 
coup  de  pied  dans  le  cul,  woman 
who  passes  herself  off  as  a  colonefs 
widow. 

Veux-tu-cacher-5a,    m.    (familiar 
and  popular),  short  coat. 

Maintenant  on  ne  dit  plus  les  paletots 
d'hommes,  on  dit  des  veux-tu-cacher-ga. — 
Baumaine  et  Blondelet. 

(Auctioneers')  Veuve  rentree,  seller 
whose  property  has  not  beenknocked 
down  at  an  auction-room.  Etre 
loge  chez  la  —  j'en  tenons  (obso- 
lete), to  be  enceinte. 
Veziner  (thieves'),  to  stink. 

Je  vou^rais  avoir  un  homme  comme  toi  \ 
ll3]aed^;Dlite. .  .  .  D'abordilv^zine(ilsent 
mauvats),  puis  il  est  marie  !  Rien  ne  me 
dit  qu'il  ne  me  serrera  pas  un  jour  la  vis 
pour  sa  \2azvi^,—Mimoires  de  Monsieur 
Claude. 

Vezou,/.  [pofvlai),  prostitute.  See 
Gadoue. 

Quant  aux  lilies  publiques,  les  hommes 
les  d^signent  par  uii  grand  nombre  d'appel- 
lations  ...  les  autres  termes  employes,  avec 
le  plus  de  grossierettS  sont  les  suivants : 
toupie,  bagasse,  calfeche,  grenouille,  tortue, 
volaiUe,  rouscailleuse,  couillere,  vessie,  ve- 
zou.— hto  Taxil. 

Vezouiller  (popular),  to  stink. 

Viande,  /.  (popular),  coller  sa  — 
dans  le  torchon,  to  go  to  bed,  "  to 
get  into  kip."  Montrer  sa  — ,  to 
wear  a  low  dress.  Ramasse  ta  — , 
pick  yourself  up.  Viande  de 
Morgue,  insulting  epithet  applied 
to  a  person  who  imprudently  im- 
perils his  limbs  or  life.  Morgue, 
dead-house.  Basse  — ,  or  viande 
de  seconde  categoric,  woman  with 
flabby  charms. 

Viauper  (popular),  to  lead  a  dissolute 
life,  or  "to  go  molrowing;  "  to 
weep,  or  "  to  nap  a  bib." 

Vice,  m.  (popular),  avoir  du  — ,  ta 
be  cunning,  "  to  be  fly. " 

La  femme  qui  a  un  peu  de  vice,  s'^man- 
cipe  t6t  ou  tard  de  la  tutelle  d'une  maitresse 


476 


Victoire —  Vingt-deux. 


de  maison  et  travaille  pour  son  compte. — 

E.  DE  GONCOURT. 

Victoire,  /.  (rag-pickers'),  shirt, 
"flesh-bag." 

Vidange,y.  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
largue  en  — ,  woman  in  childbed, 
"in  the  straw." 

Videe,  f.  (rag-pickers'),  basketful 
of  a  rag-ficker^  s  findings, 

Vider  (popular),  le  plancher,  to  go 
away,  "  to  slope ; '  —  ses  poches, 
to  play  the  piano.  (Familiar)  Etre 
vide,  to  be  spent  in  point  of  inteU 
lectual  productions.  (Prostitutes') 
Vider  un  homme,  to  leave  a  man 
penniless. 

Vie,  f.  (familiar),  faire  une  —  de 
Polichinelle,  to  make  a  great 
noise  ;  to  lead  a  dissolute  life. . 

Vi6daser  (obsolete),  to  work  care- 
lessly. 

Vieille,  adj.  (familiar),  un  verre  de 
— ,  a  glass  of  old  brandy.  La  — 
garde,  the  set  of  superannuated 
cocottes,  of  "played-out  tarts." 

Tout  ce  qu'on  appelatt  ddj^,  il  y  a  quinze 
ans,  la  vieille-garde,  a  passe  par  le  Moulin- 
Rouge.^  C'etaient  Esther  Guimond,  dont 
un  ministre  de  la  guerre  disait  :  *'  Elle  est 
de  ma  promotion." — Mahalin. 

(Familiar    and    popular)   Ma  — 
tranche,   old  fellow,    my  hearty, 
'    "  old  chump,  my  ribstone,  or  my 
bloater. " 

D'lk-haut  j'applaudis  chaque  acteur 
Surtout  si  la  piece  est  bien  Tranche. 
J'cri'  :    chaud  !   chaud !    vas-y,   ma  vieill' 
branche. 

BURANI  ET  BUGUET. 

Vieille  barbe,  oldfashioned  poli- 
tician who  will  not  keep  up  with 
the  times. 

Invitez  1^  tous  ces  fossiles 
Remis  k  neuf  et  rempaiilds. 
Les  vieilles  barbes  indociles, 
Fourbus,  cassis,  crevds,  rouill^s. 
Le  Triboulet,  1880, 


The  term  is  applied  specially  to 
the  Republican  politicians  of  1848, 

Vieux,  adj.  (familiar  and  popular), 
se  faire  — ,  to  feel  dull ;  to  be 
waiting  for  a  long  while.  Se  faire 
de  —  OS,  to  wait  for  a  long  while. 
Un  —  cabas,  a  stingy  old  woman. 
(Popular)  Vieux  meuble,  old  man; 
—  comme  Mathieu-sale,  very 
old.  (Literary)  Vieux  jeu,  old- 
fashioned ;  (familiar)  —  tison,  old 
"gallivant."  Un  —  de  la  vieille, 
old  veteran.  (Military)  C'est  —  ! 
I  am  not  to  be  taken  tn,  "  tell  that 
to  the  marines." 

Vieux  plumeau,  m.  (popular),  old 
fool,  "doddering  old  sheep's 
head." 

Eir  dit :  II  ne  sent  pas  bon  ! 

—  Pas  bon  ? .  ,  .  Espfec'  de  vieille  cruche  ! 
Dit  la  marchand' — Vieux  plumeau  ! 
T'en  mang'rais  plus  que  d'merluche  ! . . . 
Va  done,  eh  !  foumeati  ! 

A.  QuEYRIAUX. 

Vif-argent,  m.  (thieves'),  cash. 
Vignette,/,  (printers'), /k*. 
Vigousse,  /.    (popular),    energy, 
strength.    For  vigueur. 

Villois,  m.  (thieves'),  village.  An 
old  French  word  from  the  Low 
Latin  villaticum. 

Si  j'venais  d'faire  un  gerbement  et  que 
j'en  aye  de  la  surbine  on  m'enverrait  dans 
un  trou  d'vergne  ou  dans  un  villois  de  la 
Jargole. — ViDOCQ. 

Vinaigre,  tn.  (thieves'),  ram. 
(Familiar)  Du  vinaigre  !  faster! 
Expression  used  by  children  who 
are  rope-skipping. 

Vinasse, /.  (popular),  witie. 

Vingt-cinq  (popular),  k  —  francs 
par  tete,  superlatively.     Rigoler  a 

—  francs  par  tete,  to  amuse  one- 
self enormously. 

Vingt-deux,    m.    (thieves'),  knife, 
or  "chive." 
Prends  le  vingt-deux  en  cas  de  malheur, 

—  ViDOCQ. 


Vingt-huit-jours —  Vitrine. 


477 


(Printers')  Le  — ,  lie  master  or 
chief  overseer.  Vingt-deux  !  is 
used  to  notify  that  the  master  is  ap- 
proaching. A  signal  of  the  same 
description  used  by  English 
schoolboys  or  workmen  is  "  nix ! " 

Vingt-huit-jours,  m.  (popular), 
soldier  of  the  reserve.  Thus 
termed  on  account  of  his  yearly 
twenty-eight  days'  service. 

Viocque,  adj.  andf.  (thieves')  old ; 
life.  From  the  old  word  viouche, 
pronounced  viouque. 

Violon,  m.  (popular),  bolte  a  — , 
lock-up  at  a  police  station. 

J'suis  connu  d'tous  les  sergents  d'ville, 
J'connais  tout's  les  bolt's  a  violon, 
C'est  chez  eux  qu*  j'^lis  domicile, 
J'pourrais  pas  vivr'  dans  les  salons  ! 

E.  DU  Bois,  C'est  Pitaitchard, 

The  word  violon  itself  signifies 
lock-up,  on  account  of  the  window- 
bars  of  a  cell  being  compared  to 
the  strings  of  that  instrument. 
The  lingo  terms,,  "jouer  de  la 
harpe,"  to  be  in  prison,  and 
"jouer  du  violon,"  to  file  through 
the  window-bars  of  a  cell,  seem  to 
bear  out  this  explanation.  Some 
philologists,  however,  think  that 
the  stocks  being  termed  psalte- 
rion,  "mettre  au  psalterion, "  to 
ptit  in  the  stocks,  became  syno- 
nymous of  to  imprison,  the  ex- 
pression being  superseded  in  time 
-by  "  mettre  au  violon "  when 
that  instrument  itself  superseded 
the  psalterion. 

Violone,  adj.  (thieves'),  poor.  A 
Man  who  comes  out  of  prison  is 
generally  "hard-up." 

Virolets,  m.  (obsolete),  explained 
by  quotation  : — 
Pour  les  testicules,  les   g&itoires,  les 

marques    de   virility  d'un   homme.  —  Le 

Roux. 

Vis,  /  (familiar  and  popular),  tor- 
tiller,  or  serrer  la  — ,  to  strangle. 
See  Refroidir. 


Visage,  »/.  (popular),  a  culotte,  — - 
cousu,  thin,  spare  man,  "a  scare 
crow  ; "  —  de  bois  flotte,  haggard 
face  ;  —  de  constipe,  sour  coun- 
tenance;  —  de  campagne,  or 
sans  nez,  the  behitid ;  —  h.  cu- 
lotte, ugly  face. 

Viscope,  /.  (thieves'  and  roughs'), 
cap,  "  tile." 

Vise  -  au  -  trfefle,  m.  (popular), 
apothecary,  "squirt." 

Visqueux,  m.  (popular),  most  de- 
graded variety  of  prostitutes'  bul- 
lies.    See  Poisson. 

Visser  (thieves'),  to  abash  by  a  stern 
glance. 

Visuel,  m.  (popular),  s'en  injecter, 
or  s'en  humecter  le  — ,  to  look 
attentively. 

Vitam  (Breton  cant),  brandy. 

Vitelotte,  f.  (popular),  red  nose, 
one  with  "grog  blossoms." 

Vitres,  f.  pi.  (popular),  eyes,  or 
"glaziers." 

Vitriers,  m.  pi.  (military),  chas- 
seurs a  pied,  or  rifles.  Thus  nick- 
named, either  from  their  high 
knapsack  compared  to  an  itine- 
rant glazier's  plant,  or  from  the 
expression,  casser  les  vitres,  to  be 
reckless.  The  appellation  forms 
the  theme  of  the  following  verse 
set  to  one  of  their  bugle  marches: — 

Encore  un  carreau  d'casstS, 
V'lk  I'vitrier  qui  passe, 
Encore  un  carreau  d'cass^, 
Via  I'vitrier  pass^, 

(Popular)  Les  vitriers,  diamonds 
of  cards. 
Tierce  major  dans   les   vitriers,  vingt- 

trois  ;  trois  boeufs,  vingt-six  ;  trois  larbins, 

vingt-neuf;    trois   borgnes,    quatre-vingt- 

douze. — Zola. 

Vitrine,  /.  (popular),  opera  glass  ; 
spectacles,  or  "  barnacles."  (Fami- 
liar) Etre  dans  la  — ,  to  be  well- 
dressed. 


4;8 


Vitriol —  Voir. 


Vitriol,  m.  (popular),  brandy. 

Vitrioler  (general),  to  threw  oil  of 
vitriol  at  on^s  face. 

Je  la  vitriolerais  !  . , .  je  la  tuerais  plutSt, 
la  vieille  gredine,  k  coups  de  revolver. — D. 
DE  Laforest, 

Vitrioleuse,  /  (general),  woman 
who  out  of  revenge  throws  vitriol 
at  her  lover  or  rival. 

Les  vitrioleuses  font  d^cidement  fortune : 
les  graves  jur^s  les  acquittent  avec  une 
complaisance  singuli^re  .  .  .  place  aux  r€- 
cidivistes  du  vitriol. — Un  Fl&neur, 

Vitriolisateur,  m.  (journalists'), 
imaginary  instrument  recom- 
mended for  the  use  of  those  of  the 
fair  sex  who  throw  oil  of  vitriol  at 
their  lovers. 

Cet  instrument  n'est  autre  que  le  vitrioli- 
sateur, qui,  sur  la  table  de  toilette  de  ces 
dames,  prendra  place  k  cdt£  du  vaporisa- 
teur. —  Un  Fl&tuur, 

Vlan,  adj.  and  m.  (familiar), /jk^ 
of  fashion  ;  the  world  of  dandies, 
or  "swelldom." 

Voici,_  d'abord,  les  Trossuli,  comme  lis 
s'appelaient  autrefois:  le  "pschutt,"  le 
"  vlan,"  les  "  luisants,"  comme  nous  les 
nommons  aujourd'hui.  Oh  !  ce  n'est  plus 
^  des  "Troyens"  qu'ils  ont  I'ambition  de 
ressembler. — P.  de  Mahalin. 

Vlan,    or   v'lan,    elegant ;  of  the 
fashionable  world. 

La  pauvre  Mathilde  C.  est  dans  la  de- 
solation. Elle  croyait  avoir  mis  la  main 
sur  un  horn  me  v'lan  et  voilk  qu'elle  d^- 
couvre  que  c'est  rien  du  \a^x\~—G^l  Btas. 

Voie,  f  (popular),  foutre  une  — 
de  bois  a  quelqu'un,  to  thrash, 
to  cudgel  one.  Refiler  une  — , 
to  thrash.  The  synonyms  to 
describe  the  act  in  the  various 
kinds  of  slang  are  :  ' '  donner 
une  tournee,  graisser  les  bottes, 
reconduire,  faire  la  conduite, 
donner  du  tabac,  passer  chez 
paings,  rouler,  retourner,  donner 
une  roulie,  une  frottee,  une  fro- 
teska,  de  la  salade  j  faire  valser. 


deshabiller,  faire  danser  sans  vio- 
lons,  faire  chanter  un  Te  Deum 
raboteux,  chiquer,  refiler  une 
purge,  une  seance,  une  ratisse, 
une  pousse,  estuquer,  bdcher, 
demolir,  mettre  en  compote, 
flauper,  manger  le  nez,  aplatir, 
astiquer,  suifer,  murer,  donner 
une  dandinette,  caresser  or  tri- 
coter  les  cfltes,  pointer,  schlaguer, 
savonner,  faire  danser  la  malaisee, 
amocher,  faire  chanter  une 
gamme,  sabouler,  sabojder,  don- 
ner une  raclee,  une  danse,  une 
torchee,  une  brulee ;  fianquer  une 
tripotee,  une  cuite,  une  degelee, 
une  peignee,  une  brossee,  une 
tatouille,  une  ratatouille,  une 
trempe,  une  trempee,  une  .rincee, 
une  pile,  une  trepignee,  une 
grattee,  de  ^h^ile  de  cotterets  ; 
tremper  une  soupe,  descendre  le 
crayon  sur  la  colonne,  raboter 
I'andosse,  balayer,  dandiner,  coller 
des  chataignes,  accommoder  au 
beurre  noir,  passer  quelqu'un  a 
travers,  foutre  du  tabac,  faire 
trinquer,  tomber  sur  Je  casaquin, 
tamponner,  tanner  le  cuir,  tra- 
vailler  le  cadavre,  le  casaquin ; 
ramasser  les  pattes,  atiger,  tomber 
sur  le  poil,  trepigner,  pommader, 
cogner,  faire  etrenner,  secouer  les 
tripes,  les  puces ;  ratisser  la 
couenne, panser  de  lamain,  donner 
une  patee,  repasserle  bufle,  em- 
platrer,  encaisser,  fianquer  une 
ratapiaule  ; "  and  in  the  English 
slang:  "to  give  a  hiding,  a 
walloping,  to  dust  one's  jacket, 
to  set  about,  to  tan,  to  walk  into, 
to  slip  into,  to  quilt,  to  pay,  to 
manhandle,  to  give  one  Jessie,  to 
give  one  gas,  to  dowse,"  &c. 

Voile,  m.  (freemasons'),  table-doth. 
Termed  also  "grand  drapeau." 

Voir  (familiar),  to  have  one's 
menses;  (popular)  —  en  dedans, 
to  sleep,   "to  doss."     Also  to  be 


Voirie —  Voltigetir. 


479 


drunk.  See  Pompette.  Voir 
la  lune,  io  lose  one's  maidenhead. 
A  girl  whose  "  rose  has  thus  been 
plucked  "  i5  said  to  have  "  yu  le 
loup,"  or,  in  the  English  slang, 
"  to  have  seen  the  elephant ; " 
—  a  travers  la  verte,  io  labour 
under  a  delusion  caused  by  over- 
indulgence in  absinthe  drinking. 
(Military)  Ne  pas  —  quelqu'un 
blanc,  to  entertain  fears  concern- 
ing one's  prospects  or  one's  affairs. 
(Thieves')  Voir,  to  apprehend, 
' '  to  smug. " 

Voirie,  f.  (popular),  disreputable 
woman;  vagabond. 

Voite,  /.  (popular  and  thieves'), 
vehicle,  "drag."  Regarde  done 
ce  pante  qui  s'fait  trimballer  dans 
une  voite,  look  at  that  "  cove " 
who  sports  a  carriage. 

Voiture  k  talons,  /.  (popular), 
the  legs,  or  "  Shanks's  mare." 

Vol,  /«.  See  Americain,  Bon- 
jour,  Grinchissage,  Rendeme. 
(Thieves')  Vol  "a  I'endormage, 
robbery  by  hocussing  the  victim. 
The  thief  is  called  "drummer" 
in  the  English  lingo. 

Une  certaine  qimntite  de  pavots  et  de 
poinmes  ^pineuses  (datura  stramonium) 
mise  dans  un  litre  d'eau  .  .  .  produit  un 
narcotique  tres  violent .  .  .  I'endormeur  en 
emporte  toujours  sur  lui  dans  une  petite 
fide. — Canler. 

Vol  a  la  bousculade,  robbery  by 
hustling  the  victim  ;  —  au  pou- 
pon,  robbery  from-  a  shop  by  a 
woman  with  a  baby  in  her  arms  ; 
— au  radin.  See  Grinchissage. 
Vol  sous-comptoir,  robbing  a 
tradesman  of  articles  taken  away 
for  another  person  to  choose  from. 

Volailler  (familiar),  to  make  friends 
with  the  first  comer;  (popular) 
to  keep  company  with  disreputable 
women. 

Volaillon,  m.  (popular),  clumsy 
thief. 


Volant,  m.  (old  cant),  cloak,  or 
"ryder." 

Volante,  /.  (i\ae\e=,'),  feather ;  pen. 

Volapuk,  m.  (familiar),  bustle, 
or  "  back -staircase."  Properly 
"volapuk,"  says  the  .ficy^fl,  "is  the 
artificial  language,  or  gibberish, 
which  an  industrious  German  sa- 
vant has  been  inventing  by  eclectic 
process  from  all  languages  of  the 
world.  It  is  intended  by  its  in- 
genious author  to  undo  the  mis- 
chief caused  by  the  confusion  of 
tongues  at  Babel.  But,  judging 
by  the  published  specimens  of  it, 
it  is  horribly  cacophonous."  A 
Volapuk  grammar  has  already 
been  published  in  Paris. 

Vol-au-vent,  m.  (popular),  head. 
See  Tronche,  Avoir.  (Thieves') 
Vol-au-vent,  kind  of  robbery  from 
the  person  described  as  follows : — 

L'op^rateur  choisit  son  sujet  parmi  les 
passants  qui  n'ont  pas  leur  chapeau  bien 
assujiti  sur  la  tete.  II  s'61ance  alors  vers 
iui,  le  heurte,  re9oit  son  couvre-chef  entre 
les  mains  et  le  lui  rend  avec  un  gracieux 
sourire.  Pendant  que  le  monsieur  se  con- 
fond  en  remerciements,  I'escroc  lui  fait  son 
porte-monnaie  avec  une  adresse  exquise. — 
£.  Fr^bault. 

Voleur,  OT.  (printers'),  scrap  of  paper 
which  gets  stuck  to  the  compoiition 
in  the  press ;  (military)  —  d'eti- 
quettes,  quartermaster.  He  is 
supposed  to  steal  the  card  (which 
is  placed  over  every  soldier's  bed, 
and  bears  his  name,  number,  and 
other  particulars)  so  as  to  be  able 
to  charge  for  a  new  one. 

Tour  i.  tour,  c'ftait .  .  .  le  "  voleur  d'^ti- 
quettes  "  qui  n'y  couperait  pas  a  cause  que 
depuis  un  quart  d'heure  le  trompette  le 
sonnait  au  trot.— G.  Coueteline. 

Volige, /.  (popular),  thin  person. 

Voltigeante,  /  (popular),  mud. 

Voltigeur,  m.  (popular),  hodman. 


48o 


Vousaille —  Wioii. 


Vousaille,  vouzaille,  vouzigo, 
voziferes,  vozigue  (thieves')) 
you. 

Vousoyer  (familiar),  tosay"vous" 
to  a  person  whom  one  is  in  the 
habit  of  addressing  as  "  tu." 

Voyage,  m.  (common),  faire  un  — 
au  long  cours,  to  be  transported. 

Voyager  (ballet-dancers'),  to  whirl 
rajddly  up  and  down  the  stage, 

Voyageur,  m.  (hotel-keepers'),  sec, 
traveller  who  spends  little  in  the 
hotel  at  which  he  puts  up.  (Popu- 
lar) Voyageurs  k  quinze  francs  le 
cent,  passengers  on  top  of  bus. 

Voyante,  /  (thieves'),  the  guillo- 
tine. Termed  also:  "butte  or 
bute,  le  monde  renverse,  Mari- 
anne, la  veuve,  la  passe,  la  mere 
au  bleu,  la  bute  a  regret,  I'abbaye 
de  Monte-a-regret,  I'abbaye  de 
Monte-a-rebours,  la  bascule,  la 
bequillarde,  les  deux  mats. " 

C'est  le  docteur  Louis,  secretaire  du  Col- 
lege des  chirurgiens,  qui  fit,  en  1792,  le 
rat)port  pour  I'adoption  de  la  premi&re  guil- 
lotine.   EUe  fut  ^tablie  par  un  nomm^  To- 


bias Schmitz,  fabricant  de  pianos , .  .  c'^tait 
i  tort  que  le  nom  du  docteur  Guillotin  avait 
€\&  donn^  ^  rinstrument  de  supplice.— G. 
Frison. 

Voyeur,  m.  (brothels'),  better  ex- 
plained by  quotation : — 

Je  ne  puis  pourtant  omettre  une  cat^gorie 
de  sadistes  assez  etonnants ;  ce  sent  ceux 
qu'on  designe  sous  le  nom  de  "  voyeurs." 
Ceux-ci  cherchent  une  excitation  dans  les 
spectacles  impudiques. — L60  Taxil. 

Voyoucratados,  m.  (familiar),  one- 
sou  cigar.     From  voyou,  aid. 

Qu'y  voule2-vous  faire  ?  II  y  aura  tou- 
jours  plus  de  fumeurs  de  voyoucratados  a 
un  sou  que  d'aristocrates  k  un  franc— 
ScAPIN,  Le  Voltaire. 

Voyoucrate,  m.  (familiar),  a  poli- 
tician whose  sympathies,  real  or 
pretended,  are  with  the  mob. 

Voyoucratie,  /  (familiar),  mob 
government,  mobocracy. 

Voyoutados,  m.  (familiar),  one- 
sou  cigar. 


Vrignole,  /    (thieves'), 
"  carnish." 


meat,    or 


w 


Wagon,  or  wagon  ibestiaux,  m. 

(popular),  dirty  prostitute,  "drag- 
gle-tail." Wagon,  large  glass  of 
wine. 

Wallace,  m.  (popular),  water. 

Et  comme  il  faut  boire  en  mangeant, 
Comme  ils  adorent  boire  k  la  fraiche,  k  la 

glace, 
Comme  ils  ne  veulent  pas  d^penser  leur 

argent, 
lis  s'ingnrgitent  du  Wallace. 

RiCHEPIK. 


water  at  a  fountain.  Sir  Richard 
Wallace  has  endowed  Paris  with 
numerous  drinking  fountains. 

Wateri  (Breton  cant),  to  rain  ;  to 
void  urine. 

Waterloo,  m.  (roughs'),  the  behind. 

Watriniser  (popular),  to  htich. 
An  allusion  to  the  murder  of  the 
engineer,  M.  Watrin,  by  the 
Decazeville  miners  in  1886. 


Wallacer     (popular),     to     drink      Wiou  (Breton  cant),  w. 


X —  You-yoH. 


481 


X 


X,  m.  (students'),  un  — ,  a  stu- 
dent at  the  Ecole  Polvtecknique. 
Aller  a  I'X,  to  go  to  that  school. 
(Familiar)  L' — ,  mathematics. 
Termed  the  "  swat  "  by  gentle- 
men cadets  of  the  Royal  Military 
Academy.  Un  — ,  a  thorough 
mathematician,  one  who  devotes 
himself  entirely  to  the  study  of 
mathematics.  There  is  a  story 
about  a  mathematician  (some  say 
he  was  no  other  than  Arago)  who 
used  to  work  out  problems  wher- 
ever he  found  himself  at  the  time 
they  occurred  to  him.     One  day 


he  was  drawing  figures  with  a 
piece  of  chalk  on  the  back  of  a 
hackney  coach  when  it  began  to 
move,  but  so  wrapped  up  was  he 
in  his  favourite  occupation  that 
he  followed  his  extemporized 
blackboard  at  a  walk  at  first, 
then  at  a  run,  but  never  stopped 
till  he  had  found  a  solution  of  the 
problem,  tin  fort  en  — ,  one  well 
up  in  mathematics,  but  who  knows 
little  of  other  subjects.  Une  tSte 
a  — ,  one  who  has  a  good  head  for 
mathematics.  A  pun  on  the  for- 
mula Q  Xj  pronounced  theta  X. 


y  (military),  a  du  bon,  good  news. 

Eh  ben,  mon  vieux,  y  a  du  bon  !   les 
bleus  ne  vont  pas  y  couper  ! — G.  Courte- 

LINE. 

(Popular)   Y  a  pas  meche,   it  is 
impossible. 

Mais  y  pairait  qu'I'il'  des  Pins,  y  a  pas 
meche. 

IT  a  d^ja  quelqu'un  c'est  ^patant. 

L'gouvernement  maronn'  !  Moi  j'suis  con- 
tent. 

r'suis  en  bateau  et  j'ai  lachd  la  deche. 
Gringoike,  I.e  Conteittejnent  dn 
K^cidiviste,  a  Cancre  ! 

ifeux,  m.  fl.   (familiar),   culottes. 


eyes  sttrrounded  with  a  dark 
circle  ;  —  en  trou  de  vrille,  small 
eyes  with  stupid  expression. 

Youte,  or  youtre,  m.  (popular), 
Jew.  From  the  German.  Termed 
also  "fris^,  pied  plat,  guinal," 
and,  in  the  English  slang,  "ikey, 
sheney,  mouchey."  Jardin  des 
youtres,  Jewish  cemetery, 

Youtre  rie,  /  (popular),  gathering 
of  Jews  ;  avarice. 

You-you,    m.    (convicts'),   warder 
at  the  pettal  servitude  settlement. 
I  I 


482 


Z^ph — Zig. 


Zeph,  m.  (popular),  wind.  Se 
poiisser  du  — ,  to  run  away.  See 
Patatrot. 

Zephir,  m.  (military),  soldier  of  the 
"bataillon  d'Afrique,"  a  corps 
serving  in  Africa  only,  composed 
of  soldiers  who  have  been  in 
prison  for  a  common  Ism  offence, 
and  who  have  not  completed  their 
term  of  service.  A  pun  on  the 
words  voler  comme  le  zephir. 

Dans  la  plaine  tourbillonne 
La  nuee  aux  burnous  blancs; 
A  la  tete  de  la  colonne 
AUons  rejoindre  nos  rangs. 
Dejk  le  soleil  levant 
Nous  jette  un  regard  oblique  ! 
Pan  !  du  bataillon  d'Afrique, 
Pan  !  les  zephirs  en  avant. 
H.  Fkance,  Chanson  duBatailUm 
cCAfriqite. 

Zer  (Breton  cant),  apples. 

Zerasined-douar    (Breton    cant), 

potatoes. 

Zif,  m.     See  SoUiceur. 

Zig,  zigue,  zigorneau,  or  zigard, 
m.  (popular),  a  jolly  fellow,  a 
"  regular  brick  ;  "  a  friend. 

Polyte  Chupin  lui  eflt  tendu  la  main 
comme  k  un  ami  .  .  .  Si  un  **zig." — Ga- 

BORIAU. 

Mince  !  s'^cria  I'autre,  j'me  fais  rien  de 
belles joumdes  depuis  quelquetemps.  Vous 


etes  vraiment  des  zigues,  les  artisses  !■ 
RiCHEFiN,  Braves  Gens. 


Mon  vieux  — ,  old  "cock,"  old 
fellow,  "my  bloater,  my  rib- 
stone."  Mes  bons  zigues,  wzj/^ocif 
fellows,  old  fellows. 

Mes  bons  zigues,  dit  le  lutteur,  inutile 
de  crier  ainsi  comme  la  trule  de  David. — 
Hector  France. 

Bon — d'attaque,  a  stautuh  friend. 
Un  —  a  la'  rebiffe,  old  offender. 
Quel  —  !  a  splendid  chap  !  a  rare 
un'  1 


Quel  sacre  zig,  tout  de  meme,  ce  Mes- 
Bottes.  Est-ce  qu'un  jour  tl  n'avait  pas 
mang^  douze  ceufs  durs  et  buMouze  verres 
de  vin  pendant  que  les  douze  coups  de  midi 
sonnaient. — Zola. 


Un  bon  zig  is  synonymous  flf  un 
bon  bougre  (whose  origin  is  Bul- 
gare),  and  concerning  the  expres- 
sion M.  Genin  says  :  "  Un  fait 
d'argot  des  plus  curieux,  c'est  le 
synonyme  que  donne  aujourd'l;«i 
le  peuple  a  un  mot  (bougre)  qui 
commence  apparemment  a  lui 
sembler  trop  grossier  :  'c'est  un 
bon  zigue  ! '  '  tu  es  un  bon 
zigue  ! '  Or  il  se  trouve  que  les 
Zigues  figurent  ^  cote  des  Bul- 
gares  dans  une  chronique  grecque. 


Zinc — Zut. 


483 


en  vers  politiques,  des  premieres 
annees  du  XIV«  si^cle. — 'Theo- 
dore Lascaris,  dit  I'auteur,  appro- 
visionna  ses  forteresses  et  prit  i 
son  service,  moyennant  salaire, 
des  Turcs,  des  Cumans,  des 
Lains,  des  Zigues  et  des  Bulgares  ' 
{^\i,€&<ya,Chroniquede  Roumanie). 
Comment  peut-etre  venue,  k  des 
hommes  du  peuple,  I'idee  de  cette 
maligne  substitution  des  Zigues 
aux  Bulgares?  C'est  un  trait 
d'erudition  tris  raffinee  !  Je  ne 
vois  d'autre  explication  sinon  que 
ce  mot  et  ce  rapprochement 
s'etaient  conserves  au  fond  de  la 
tradition  populaire  depuis  la  con- 
qu^te  de  Constantinople  et  I'eta- 
blissement  des  Fran9ais  en  Moree. 
Mais  cette  Explication  meme 
donne  beaucoup  a  refl^chir,  et 
montre  combien  le  langage  du 
peuple  merite  I'attention  des 
philosophes. " 

Zinc,  m.  (popular),  money ;  vene- 
real ailment,  "  Venus'  curse  ; " 
elegance,  dash ;  wine-shop  bar. 
Tomber  un  — ,  to  have  a  glass  of 
liquor  at  the  bar.  (Theatrical) 
Avoir  du  — ,  or  etre  zingue,  to 
possess  a  clear,  sonorous  voice  ;  to 
play  in  dashing  style. 

Je  joue  le  r6Ie  d'un  pigeondu  Jockey- 
Club  qui  se  croit  aime  pour  lui-meme.  .  .  . 
II  faut  que  j'y  aie  du  zinc  ce  soir.  Sans 
^,  les  vieux  de  I'orchestre  regretteraient 
trop  Ddjazet  ;  et  ils  appelleraient  Azor. — 

P.  AUDEBKAND. 

Zingo,  VI.  (wine  retailers'),  a  good 
fellow,  "a  brick." 


Zinguer  (popular),  to  drink  at  a 
bar.  Eire  zingue,  to  be  well  off, 
"  well  ballasted." 

Zingueur,  m.  (cocottes'),  le  — ,  he 
who  furnishes  the  funds,  who 
keeps  a  woman. 

Je  t'engage  done  \  raconter  tout  ce  que 
tu  me  racontes  Ik  au  zingueur  !  11  te  croira 
parcequ'il  t'aime !  Et  lui  du  moins  est 
assez  riche  pour  se  permettre  le  luxe  de  la 
paternite. — Mhnoires  de  MonsieurClavde. 

Zinguot,  m.,  shed  in  the  court- 
yard at  the  Ecole  de  Saint -Cyr. 

Zousill  (Breton  cant),  drink; 
drunken  man. 

Zousilla    (Breton     cant),    to    get  ' 

drunk. 
Zousilladen  (Breton  cant),  drink. 
Zousiller  (Breton  cant),  di-unkard. 
Zousill  hirr  (Breton  cant),  cider. 
Zousill-tan  (Breton  cant),  brandy. 
Zouzou,  m.  (familiar),  a  Zouave. 

Zozotte,  f,  appellation  given  by 
bullies  to  the  money  given  them 
by  prostitutes. 

Zut !  (familiar  and  popular),  excla- 
mation expressive  of  refusal,  care- 
less defiance,  Si'c.  Je  te  dis  zut ! 
you  be  hanged!  go  to  the 
deuce !  Ah  !  zut  alors  !  confound 
it,  then  !  I  give  it  up,  "  it's  no 
go. "  Je  dis  zut  au  service,  /  say 
good-bye  to  the  service. 

Zut  pour  les  aristos  !  Coupeau  envoyait 
le  monde  k  la  balan^oire.— Zola. 


€|)istDicft  13rEss 

PRINTED    BY   CHARLES   WHITTINGHAM    AND   CO. 
TOOKS    COURT,    CHANCERY   LANE,    LONDON,  E.O
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Full text of "Argot and slang; a new French and English dictionary of the cant words, quaint expressions, slang terms and flash phrases used in the high and low life of old and new Paris"

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