The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue E-Book

Francis Grose

• Herausgeber: Hesperus Press Ltd.
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Originally printed as a guide to street slang for men of quality, The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue is a gem! The avowed purpose of the dictionary was to give men 'of fashion' an insight into the inappropriate language of the street. Read in modern times it is by turn uproariously funny and deeply confusing and yet certain truths have remained - the need for the mot juste has not diminished. Many of the words should be brought back into common parlance forthwith: we have no term for the 'admiral of the narrow seas' - 'One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him.' We have perhaps less use for a word for 'dobin rig': 'Stealing ribbons from haberdashers early in the morning or late at night; generally practised by women in the disguise of maid servants.' Learn how the Georgians and early Victorians would insult each other and find out how some of today's words and derivations have come about in this quirky little volume. DOCK: Lie with a woman. ELBOW SHAKER: A dice player. FLASH THE HASH: Vomit. GLAZIER: Someone who breaks windows to steal goods for sale. INEXPRESSIBLES: Breeches. SHY COCK: One who keeps within doors for fear of bailiffs. STRIP ME NAKED: Gin. TWIDDLE-DIDDLES: Testicles. UNLICKED CUB: Rude, uncouth young fellow.

Leseprobe

The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit and Pickpocket Eloquence

Originally edited by Francis Grose

Contents

Title PageExtract from the Preface to 1811 editionABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAbout the PublisherSELECTED TITLES FROM HESPERUS PRESSCopyright

Extract from the Preface to 1811 edition

The great approbation with which so polite a nation as France has received the Satirical and Burlesque Dictionary of Monsieur Le Roux, testified by the several editions it has gone through, will, it is hoped, apologise for an attempt to compile an English Dictionary on a similar plan; our language being at least as copious as the French, and as capable of the witty equivoque; besides which, the freedom of thought and speech arising from, and privileged by, our constitution, gives a force and poignancy to the expressions of our common people, not to be found under arbitrary governments, where the ebullitions of vulgar wit are checked by the fear of the bastinado or of a lodging during pleasure in some jail or castle.

The many vulgar allusions and cant expressions that so frequently occur in our common conversation and periodical publications, make a work of this kind extremely useful, if not absolutely necessary, not only to foreigners, but even to natives resident at a distance from the Metropolis, or who do not mix in the busy world: without some such help, they might hunt through all the ordinary dictionaries, from Alpha to Omega, in search of [some of these] words, all terms of well-known import at Newmarket, Exchange Alley, the City, the Parade, Wapping and Newgate.

The fashionable words, or favourite expressions of the day, also find their way into our political and theatrical compositions: these, as they generally originate from some trifling event, or temporary circumstance, on falling into disuse, or being superseded by new ones, vanish without leaving a trace behind…

To prevent any charge of immorality being brought against this work, the Editor begs leave to observe, that when an indelicate or immodest word has obtruded itself for explanation, he has endeavoured to get rid of it in the most decent manner possible;* and none have been admitted but such as either could not be left out without rendering the work incomplete, or in some measure compensate by their wit for the trespass committed on decorum. Indeed, respecting this matter, he can with great truth make the same defence that Falstaff ludicrously urges in behalf of one engaged in viz. that he did not seek them, but that, like rebellion in the case instanced, they lay in his way, and he found them.

The Editor likewise begs leave to add, that if he has had the misfortune to run foul of the dignity of anybody of men, profession or trade, it is totally contrary to his intention and he hopes the interpretations given to any particular terms that may seem to bear hard upon them, will not be considered as his sentiments, but as the sentiments of the persons by whom such terms were first invented, or those by whom they are used.

*Note to Hesperus edition: For the sake of clarity we thought it preferable to restore all bowdlerised words to their full contents.

A

Abbess, or lady abbess A bawd, the mistress of a brothel.

Abel-wackets Blows given on the palm of the hand with a twisted handkerchief, instead of a ferula; a jocular punishment among seamen, who sometimes play at cards for wackets, the loser suffering as many strokes as he has lost games

Abigail A lady’s waiting-maid.

Abram Naked.

Abramcove A cant word among thieves, signifying a naked or poor man; also a lusty, strong rogue.

Abrammen Pretended mad men.

Academy, or Pushing school A brothel. ‘The Floating Academy’, the lighters on board of which those persons are confined, who by a late regulation are condemned to hard labour, instead of transportation. ‘Campbell’s Academy’, the same, from a gentleman of that name, who had the contract for victualling the hulks or lighters.

Accounts To cast up one’s accounts; to vomit.

Ace of Spades A widow.

Acorn ‘You will ride a horse foaled by an acorn’, i.e. the gallows, called also the wooden or Three-legged Mare. You will be hanged.

Act of Parliament A military term for small beer, five pints of which, by an act of parliament, a landlord was formerly obliged to give to each soldier gratis.

Active citizen A louse.

Adam’s ale Water.

Adam tiler A pickpocket’s associate, who receives the stolen goods, and runs off with them.

Addle pate An inconsiderate foolish fellow.

Addle plot A spoilsport, a mar-all.

Admiral of the narrow seas One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him. (Sea phrase)

After-clap A demand after the first given in has been discharged; a charge for pretended omissions; in short, anything disagreeable happening after all consequences of the cause have been thought at an end.

Against the grain Unwilling. ‘It went much against the grain with him’, i.e. it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

Aground Stuck fast, stopped, at a loss, ruined; like a boat or vessel aground.

Air and exercise ‘He has had air and exercise’, i.e. he has been whipped at the cart’s tail; or, as it is generally, though more vulgarly, expressed, at the cart’s arse.

Alderman A roasted turkey garnished with sausages; the latter are supposed to represent the gold chain worn by those magistrates.

Aldgate ‘A draught on the pump at Aldgate’, a bad bill of exchange, drawn on persons who have no effects of the drawer.

Ale draper An alehouse keeper.

Ale post A may-pole.

All holiday ‘It is all holiday at Peckham’, or ‘it is all holiday with him’, a saying signifying that it is all over with the business or person spoken of or alluded to.

Allnations A composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram-shop, collected in a vessel into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

Altamel A verbal or lump account, without particulars, such as is commonly produced at bawdy houses, spunging houses, etc.

Altitudes ‘The man is in his altitudes’, i.e. he is drunk.

Ambassador A trick to duck some ignorant fellow or landsman, frequently played onboard ships in the warm latitudes. It is thus managed: a large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed on each side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpaulin, or old sail: this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king and queen of a foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The person intended to be ducked plays the Ambassador, and after repeating a ridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and seated between the king and queen, who rising suddenly as soon as he is seated, he falls backwards into the tub of water.

Ambassador of Morocco A Shoemaker.

Ambidexter A lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and defendant, or that goes snacks with both parties in gaming.

Amen curler A parish clerk.

Amen ‘He said Yes and Amen to everything’, he agreed to everything.

Aminadab A jeering name for a Quaker.

Ames ace ‘Within ames ace’, nearly, very near.

Amuse To fling dust or snuff in the eyes of the person intended to be robbed; also to invent some plausible tale, to delude shopkeepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard.

Anabaptist A pickpocket caught in the fact, and punished with the discipline of the pump or horse-pond.

Anchor ‘Bring your arse to an anchor’, i.e. sit down. ‘To let go an anchor to the windward of the law’, to keep within the letter of the law. (Sea wit)

Anglers Pilferers, or petty thieves, who, with a stick having a hook at the end, steal goods out of shop windows, grates, etc.; also those who draw in or entice unwary persons to prick at the belt, or such like devices.

Angling for farthings Begging out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

Ankle A girl who is got with child, is said to have sprained her ankle.

Anodyne necklace A halter.

Anthony or Tantony pig. The favourite or smallest pig in the litter. ‘To follow like a tantony pig’, i.e. St Anthony’s pig, to follow close at one’s heels. St Anthony the hermit was a swineherd, and is always represented with a swine’s bell and a pig. Some derive this saying from a privilege enjoyed by the friars of certain convents in England and France (sons of St Anthony), whose swine were permitted to feed in the streets. These swine would follow anyone having greens or other provisions till they obtained some of them and it was in those days considered an act of charity and religion to feed them.

Ape leader. An old maid; their punishment after death, for neglecting increase and multiply, will be, it is said, leading apes in hell.

Apostles ‘To manoeuvre the apostles’, i.e. rob Peter to pay Paul, that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.

Apothecary ‘To talk like an apothecary’, to use hard or gallipot words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their language.

Apothecary’s Bill A long bill.

Apothecary’s, or Law Latin Barbarous Latin, vulgarly called Dog Latin, in Ireland Bog Latin.

Apple cart ‘Down with his apple cart’, knock or throw him down.

Appledumplin’ shop A woman’s bosom.

Apple-pie bed A bed made apple-pie fashion, like what is called a turnover apple-pie, where the sheets are so doubled as to prevent anyone from getting at his length between them: a common trick played by frolicsome country lasses on their sweethearts, male relations, or visitors.

April fool Anyone imposed on, or sent on a bootless errand, on the first of April, which day it is the custom among the lower people, children, and servants, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up, sending persons on absurd messages, and such like contrivances, to impose on everyone they can, and then to salute them with the title of ‘April fool’. This is also practised in Scotland under the title of Hunting the Gowke.

Apron string hold An estate held by a man during his wife’s life.

Arbor vitae A man’s penis.

Arch duke A comical or eccentric fellow.

Ard Hot.

Ark A boat or wherry. ‘Let us take an ark and winns’, let us take a sculler.

Ark ruffians Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, etc. A species of badger.

Armour ‘In his armour’, pot valiant; ‘to fight in armour’, to make use of Mrs Philips’s ware. See Cundum.

Ars musica A bum fiddle.

Arse ‘To hang an arse’, to hang back, to be afraid to advance. ‘He would lend his arse and shite through his ribs’, a saying of anyone who lends his money inconsiderately. ‘He would lose his arse if it was loose’, said of a careless person. ‘Arse about’, turn round.

Arsy varsey ‘To fall arsy varsey’, i.e. head over heels.

Article. A wench. ‘A prime article’, a handsome girl. ‘She’s a prime article’; ‘She’s a devilish good piece, a hell of a goer.’

Athanasian wench, or Quicunque vul A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

Aunt ‘Mine aunt’, a bawd or procuress, a title of eminence for the senior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, etc. for the dells.

Awake Acquainted with, knowing the business. ‘Stow the books, the culls are awake’, hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to do.

B

Babes in the wood Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.

Back biter One who slanders another behind his back, i.e. in his absence. ‘His bosom friends are become his back biters’, said of a lousy man.

Back door (Usher, or gentleman of the –) As above.

Back up ‘His back is up’, i.e. he is offended or angry, an expression or idea taken from a cat – that animal, when angry, always raising its back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man; as, ‘So, Sir, I see somebody has offended you, for your back is up.’

Backed Dead. ‘He wishes to have the senior, or old square-toes, backed’; ‘He longs to have his father on six men’s shoulders’, that is, carrying to the grave.

Backgammon player A sodomite.

Bacon ‘He has saved his bacon’, he has escaped. ‘He has a good voice to beg bacon’, a saying in ridicule of a bad voice.

Bacon-faced Full-faced.

Bacon fed Fat, greasy.

Bad bargain One of his majesty’s bad bargains; a worthless soldier, a malingeror.

Badge A term used for one burned in the hand. ‘He has got his badge, and piked’, he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty.

Badge-coves Parish Pensioners.

Badgers A crew of desperate villains who robbed near rivers, into which they threw the bodies of those they murdered.

Bag ‘He gave them the bag’, i.e. left them.

Bag of nails ‘He squints like a bag of nails’, i.e. his eyes are directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails.

Baggage ‘Heavy baggage’, women and children. Also a familiar epithet for a woman, as ‘cunning baggage’, ‘wanton baggage’, etc.

Bakers dozen Fourteen, that number of rolls being allowed to the purchasers of a dozen.

Baker-kneed One whose knees knock together in walking, as if kneading dough.

Balderdash Adulterated wine.

Ballocks The testicles of a man or beast; also a vulgar nickname for a parson. ‘His brains are in his ballocks’, a cant saying to designate a fool.

Balsam Money.

Balum Rancum A hop or dance, where the women are all prostitutes. N.B. The company dance in their birthday suits.

Banaghan ‘He beats Banaghan’, an Irish saying of one who tells wonderful stories. Perhaps Banaghan was a minstrel famous for dealing in the marvellous.

Banbury story of a cock and a bull A roundabout, nonsensical story.

Bandog A bailiff or his follower; also a very fierce mastiff: likewise, a bandbox.

Bang up Quite the thing, hellish fine. Well done. Complete. Dashing. In a handsome style. ‘A bang up cove’, a dashing fellow who spends his money freely. ‘To bang up prime’, to bring your horses up in a dashing or fine style: as ‘The swell’s rattler and prads are bang up prime’, the gentleman sports an elegant carriage and fine horses.

Bang To beat.

Banging ‘Great, a fine banging boy’.

Bang straw A nickname for a thresher, but applied to all the servants of a farmer.

Bankruptcart A one-horse chaise, said to be so called by a Lord Chief Justice, from their being so frequently used on Sunday jaunts by extravagant shopkeepers and tradesmen.

Bantling A young child.

Banyan day A sea term for those days on which no meat is allowed to the sailors: the term is borrowed from the Banyans in the East Indies, a cast that eat nothing that had life.

Baptized, or christened. Rum, brandy or any other spirits, that have been lowered with water.

Barber’s chair ‘She is as common as a barber’s chair, in which a whole parish sit to be trimmed’, said of a prostitute.

Barber’s sign A standing pole and two wash balls.

Bargain ‘To sell a bargain’, a species of wit, much in vogue about the latter end of the reign of Queen Anne, and frequently alluded to by Dean Swift, who says the maids of honour often amused themselves with it. It consisted in the seller naming his or her hinder parts, in answer to the question, ‘What?’ which the buyer was artfully led to ask. As a specimen, take the following instance: a lady would come into a room full of company, apparently in a fright, crying out, ‘It is white, and follows me!’ On any of the company asking, ‘What?’ she sold him the bargain, by saying, ‘Mine arse.’

Barkshire A member or candidate for Barkshire, said of one troubled with a cough, vulgarly styled barking.

Barking irons Pistols, from their explosion resembling the bow-wow or barking of a dog. (Irish)

Barn ‘A parson’s barn’, never so full but there is still room for more. ‘Bit by a barn mouse’, tipsy, probably from an allusion to barley.

Barnacle A good job, or snack easily got; also shellfish growing at the bottoms of ships; a bird of the goose kind; an instrument like a pair of pincers, to fix on the noses of vicious horses whilst shoeing; a nickname for spectacles; also for the gratuity given to grooms by the buyers and sellers of horses.

Barrel fever ‘He died of the barrel fever’, he killed himself by drinking.

Barrow man A man under sentence of transportation, alluding to the convicts at Woolwich, who are principally employed in wheeling barrows full of brick or dirt.

Basket An exclamation frequently made use of in cock-pits, at cock-fightings, where persons refusing or unable to pay their losings, are adjudged by that respectable assembly to be put into a basket suspended over the pit, there to remain during that day’s diversion: on the least demur to pay a bet, ‘Basket’ is vociferated in terrorem. ‘He grins like a basket of chips’, a saying of one who is on the broad grin.

Basket-making ‘The good old trade of basket-making’, copulation, or making feet for children’s stockings.

Bastardly gullion A bastard’s bastard.

Baste To beat. ‘I’ll give him his bastings’, I’ll beat him heartily.

Bastonading Beating anyone with a stick; from baton, a stick, formerly spelt baston.

Bat A low whore: so called from moving out like bats in the dusk of the evening.

Batch ‘We had a pretty batch of it last night’, we had a hearty dose of liquor. Batch originally means the whole quantity of bread baked at one time in an oven.

Batchelor’s fare Bread and cheese and kisses.

Batchelor’s son A bastard.

Battle-royal A battle or bout at cudgels or fisty-cuffs, wherein more than two persons are engaged: perhaps from its resemblance, in that particular, to more serious engagements fought to settle royal disputes.

Bawbels, or bawbles Trinkets; a man’s testicles.

Bawd A female procuress.

Bawdy house bottle A very small bottle; short measure being among the many means used by the keepers of those houses, to gain what they call an honest livelihood: indeed this is one of the least reprehensible; the less they give a man of their infernal beverages for his money, the kinder they behave to him.

Bay fever A term of ridicule applied to convicts, who sham illness, to avoid being sent to Botany Bay.

Bayard of ten toes ‘To ride bayard of ten toes’, is to walk on foot. Bayard was a horse famous in old romances.

Bear One who contracts to deliver a certain quantity of sum of stock in the public funds, on a future day, and at stated price; or, in other words, sells what he has not got, like the huntsman in the fable, who sold the bear’s skin before the bear was killed. As the bear sells the stock he is not possessed of, so the bull purchases what he has not money to pay for; but in case of any alteration in the price agreed on, either party pays or receives the difference.

Bear-garden jaw, or discourse Rude, vulgar language, such as was used at the bear-gardens.

Bear leader A travelling tutor.

Beard splitter A man much given to wenching.

Bearings ‘I’ll bring him to his bearings’, I’ll bring him to reason. (Sea term)

Beast To drink like a beast, i.e. only when thirsty.

Beast with two backs A man and woman in the act of copulation. (Shakespeare in Othello)

Beater cases Boots.

Beau nasty A slovenly fop; one finely dressed, but dirty.

Beau trap A loose stone in a pavement, under which water lodges, and on being trod upon, squirts it up, to the great damage of white stockings; also a sharper neatly dressed, lying in wait for raw country squires, or ignorant fops.

Becalmed A piece of sea wit, sported in hot weather. ‘I am becalmed, the sail sticks to the mast’, that is, my shirt sticks to my back. ‘His prad is becalmed’, his horse knocked up.

Bed ‘Put to bed with a mattock, and tucked up with a spade’, said of one that is dead and buried. ‘You will go up a ladder to bed’, i.e. you will be hanged. In many country places, persons hanged are made to mount up a ladder, which is afterwards turned round or taken away, whence the term, ‘Turned off’.

Bedfordshire ‘I am for Bedfordshire’, i.e. for going to bed.

Bedizened Dressed out, over-dressed, or awkwardly ornamented.

Beef ‘To cry beef’, to give the alarm. ‘They have cried beef on us.’ ‘To be in a man’s beef’, to wound him with a sword. ‘To be in a woman’s beef’, to have carnal knowledge of her. ‘Say you bought your beef of me’, a jocular request from a butcher to a fat man, implying that he credits the butcher who serves him.

Beef eater A yeoman of the guards, instituted by Henry VII. Their office was to stand near the bouffet, or cupboard, thence called Bouffetiers, since corrupted to ‘Beef eaters’. Others suppose they obtained this name from the size of their persons, and the easiness of their duty, as having scarce more to do than to eat the king’s beef.

Beetle-browed One having thick projecting eyebrows.

Beetle-headed Dull, stupid.

Beggar maker A publican, or ale-house keeper.

Beggar’s bullets Stones. ‘The beggar’s bullets began to fly’, i.e. they began to throw stones.

Belch All sorts of beer; that liquor being apt to cause eructation.

Belcher A red silk handkerchief, intermixed with yellow and a little black. ‘The kiddey flashes his belcher’, the young fellow wears a silk handkerchief round his neck.

Bell, book and candle ‘They cursed him with bell, book, and candle’, an allusion to the popish form of excommunicating and anathematizing persons who had offended the church.

Bell swagger A noisy bullying fellow.

Bellows The lungs.

Bellower The town crier.

Bellowser Transportation for life: i.e. as long.

Bellwether The chief or leader of a mob, an idea taken from a flock of sheep, where the wether has a bell about his neck.

Belly ‘His eye was bigger than his belly’, a saying of a person at a table, who takes more on his plate than he can eat.

Bellyfull A hearty beating, sufficient to make a man yield or give out. A woman with child is also said to have got her belly full.

Belly cheat An apron.

Belly plea The plea of pregnancy, generally adduced by female felons capitally convicted, which they take care to provide for, previous to their trials; every jail having, as the Beggar’s Opera informs us, one or more child getters, who qualify the ladies for that expedient to procure a respite.

Belly timber Food of all sorts.

Ben A fool.

Benish Foolish.

Benison The beggar’s benison: ‘May your prick and purse never fail you.’

Bess, or betty A small instrument used by house-breakers to force open doors. ‘Bring bess and glym’, bring the instrument to force the door, and the dark lantern. Small flasks, like those for Florence wine, are also called betties.

Best ‘To the best in Christendom’: i.e. the best cunt in Christendom, a health formerly much in vogue.

Betty martin ‘That’s my eye, Betty Martin’, an answer to anyone that attempts to impose or humbug.

Betwattled Surprised, confounded, out of one’s senses; also bewrayed.

Bever An afternoon’s luncheon; also a fine hat, beaver’s fur making the best hats.

Beverage Garnish money, or money for drink, demanded of anyone having a new suit of clothes.

Bible A boatswain’s great axe. (Sea term)

Bidet Commonly pronounced Biddy. A kind of tub, contrived for ladies to wash themselves, for which purpose they bestride it like a French pony, or post-horse, called in French ‘bidets’.

Bienly Excellently. ‘She wheedled so bienly’, she coaxed or flattered so cleverly. (French)

Bilk To cheat. ‘Let us bilk the rattling cove’, let us cheat the hackney coachman of his fare. Bilking a coachman, a box-keeper, and a poor whore, were formerly, among men of the town, thought gallant actions.

Bill at sight ‘To pay a bill at sight’, to be ready at all times for the venereal act.

Bill of sale A widow’s weeds. See Sign of a house to let.

Billingsgate language Foul language, or abuse. Billingsgate is the market where the fishwomen assemble to purchase fish and where, in their dealings and disputes, they are somewhat apt to leave decency and good manners a little on the left hand.

Bing To go. ‘Bing avast’ get you gone. ‘Binged avast in a darkmans’, stole away in the night. ‘Bing we to Rumeville’, shall we go to London?

Bingoboy A dram drinker.

Bingo Brandy or other spirituous liquor.

Bingo mort A female dram drinker.

Binnacle word A fine or affected word, which sailors jeeringly offer to chalk up on the binnacle.

Bird and baby The sign of the Eagle and Child.

Bird-witted Inconsiderate, thoughtless, easily imposed on.

Birds of a feather Rogues of the same gang.

Bishop A mixture of wine and water, into which is put a roasted orange. Also one of the largest of Mrs Philips’s purses, used to contain the others. See Cundum.

Bishoped, or To bishop A term used among horse dealers, for burning the mark into a horse’s tooth, after he has lost it by age; ‘by bishoping’ a horse is made to appear younger than he is. It is a common saying of milk that is burnt too, that the bishop has set his foot in it. Formerly, when a bishop passed through a village, all the inhabitants ran out of their houses to solicit his blessing, even leaving their milk, etc. on the fire, to take its chance: which, went burnt to, was said to ‘be bishoped’.

Bishop the balls A term used among printers, to water them.

Bit Money. ‘He grappled the cull’s bit’, he seized the man’s money. A bit is also the smallest coin in Jamaica, equal to about sixpence sterling.

Bitch A she dog, or doggess, the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore, as may he gathered from the regular Billingsgate or St Giles’s answer – ‘I may be a whore, but can’t be a bitch.’

Bitch To yield, or give up an attempt through fear. ‘To stand bitch’, to make tea, or do the honours of the tea-table, performing a female part: bitch there standing for woman, species for genus.

Bitch booby A country wench. (Military term)

Bite A cheat; also a woman’s privities. ‘The cull wapt the mort’s bite’, the fellow enjoyed the wench heartily.

Bite To over-reach, or impose; also to steal. Biting was once esteemed a kind of wit, similar to the humbug. An instance of it is given in The Spectator: a man under sentence of death having sold his body to a surgeon rather below the market price, on receiving the money, cried, ‘A bite! I am to be hanged in chains.’ ‘To bite the roger’, to steal a portmanteau. ‘To bite the wiper’, to steal a handkerchief. ‘To bite on the bridle’, to be pinched or reduced to difficulties.

Biter ‘A wench whose cunt is ready to bite her arse’, a lascivious, rampant wench.

Blab A tell-tale, or one incapable of keeping a secret

Black and white In writing. ‘I have it in black and white’, I have written evidence.

Black art The art of picking a lock.

Black arse A copper or kettle. ‘The pot calls the kettle black arse.’

Black book ‘He is down in the black book’, i.e. has a stain in his character. A black book is keep in most regiments, wherein the names of all persons sentenced to punishment are recorded.

Black eye ‘We gave the bottle a black eye’, i.e. drank it almost up. ‘He cannot say black is the white of my eye’, he cannot point out a blot in my character.

Black fly ‘The greatest drawback on the farmer is the black fly’, i.e. the parson who takes tithe of the harvest.

Black guard A shabby, mean fellow; a term said to be derived from a number of dirty, tattered roguish boys, who attended at the Horse Guards, and Parade in St James’s Park, to black the boots and shoes of the soldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. These, from their constant attendance about the time of guard mounting, were nicknamed the black-guards.

Black jack A jug to drink out of, made of jacked leather.

Black joke A popular tune to a song, having for the burden, ‘Her black joke and belly so white’: figuratively the black joke signifies the monosyllable.

Blacklegs A gambler or sharper on the turf or in the cockpit: so called, perhaps, from their appearing generally in boots; or else from game-cocks whose legs are always black.

Black Monday The first Monday after the schoolboys’ holidays, or breaking up, when they are to go to school, and produce or repeat the tasks set them.

Black psalm ‘To sing the black psalm’, to cry: a saying used to children.

Black spice racket To rob chimney sweepers of their soot, bag and soot.

Black spy The Devil.

Black strap ‘Bene Carlo wine’, also port. A task of labour imposed on soldiers at Gibraltar, as a punishment for small offences.

Blank ‘To look blank’, to appear disappointed or confounded.

Blanket hornpipe The amorous congress.

Blast To curse.

Blasted fellow or Brimstone An abandoned rogue or prostitute.

Blater A calf.

Bleached mor A fair-complexioned wench.

Bleating cheat A sheep.

Bleating rig Sheep stealing.

Bleeders Spurs. ‘He clapped his bleeders to his prad’, be put spurs to his horse.

Bleeding cully One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely.

Bleeding new A metaphor borrowed from fish, which will not bleed when stale.

Blessing A small quantity over and above the measure, usually given by hucksters dealing in peas, beans, and other vegetables.

Blind A feint, pretence or shift.

Blind cheeks The breech. ‘Buss blind cheeks’, kiss mine arse.

Blind cupid The backside.

Blind excuse A poor or insufficient excuse. ‘A blind ale-house’, ‘lane’ or ‘alley’, an obscure, or little known or frequented ale-house, lane or alley.

Blind harpers Beggars counterfeiting blindness, playing on fiddles, etc.

Block houses Prisons, houses of correction, etc.

Blocked at both ends Finished. ‘The game is blocked at both ends’, the game is ended.

Blood A riotous disorderly fellow.

Blood for blood A term used by tradesmen for bartering the different commodities in which they deal. Thus a hatter furnishing a hosier with a hat, and taking payment in stockings, is said to ‘deal blood for blood’.

Blood money The reward given by the legislature on the conviction of highwaymen, burglars, etc.

Bloody A favourite word used by the thieves in swearing, as ‘bloody eyes’, ‘bloody rascal’.

Bloody back A jeering appellation for a soldier, alluding to his scarlet coat.

Bloss The pretended wife of a bully, or shoplifter.

Blow ‘He has bit the blow’, i.e. he has stolen the goods.

Blow the grounsils To lie with a woman on the floor.

Blow the gab To confess, or impeach a confederate.

Blow-up A discovery, or the confusion occasioned by one.

Blowen A mistress or whore of a gentleman of the scamp. ‘The blowen kidded the swell into a snoozing ken, and shook him of his dummee and thimble’, the girl inveigled the gentleman into a brothel and robbed him of his pocket book and watch.

Blower A pipe. ‘How the swell funks his blower and lushes red tape’, what a smoke the gentleman makes with his pipe, and drinks brandy.

Blowse, or blowsabella A woman whose hair is dishevelled, and hanging about her face; a slattern.

Blubber The mouth. ‘I have stopped the cull’s blubber’, I have stopped the fellow’s mouth, meant either by gagging or murdering him.

Blubber To cry.

Blubber cheeks Large flaccid cheeks, hanging like the fat or blubber of a whale. ‘To sport blubber’, said of a large coarse woman, who exposes her bosom.

Blue ‘To look blue’, to be confounded, terrified, or disappointed. ‘Blue as a razor’, perhaps, ‘blue as azure’.

Blue boar A venereal bubo.

Blue devils Low spirits.

Blue pigeons Thieves who steal lead off houses and churches. ‘To fly a blue pigeon’, to steal lead off houses or churches.

Blue ruin Gin. ‘Blue ribband’, gin.

Bluff Fierce, surly. ‘He looked as bluff as bull beef.’

Bluffer An innkeeper.

Blunderbuss A short gun, with a wide bore, for carrying slugs; also a stupid, blundering fellow.

Blunt Money.

Bluster To talk big, to hector or bully.

Boardingschool Bridewell, Newgate, or any other prison, or house of correction.

Bob A shoplifter’s assistant, or one that receives and carries off stolen goods. ‘All is bob’, all is safe.

Bob A shilling.

Bobbed Cheated, tricked, disappointed.

Bobbish Smart, clever, spruce.

Bob stay A rope which holds the bowsprit to the stem or cutwater. Figuratively, the frenum of a man’s yard.

Bob tail A lewd woman, or one that plays with her tail; also an impotent man, or an eunuch. ‘Tag, rag, and bobtail’, a mob of all sorts of low people. ‘To shift one’s bob’, to move off, or go away. ‘To bear a bob’n to join in chorus with any singers. Also a term used by the sellers of game, for a partridge.

Body snatchers Bum bailiffs.

Body of divinity bound in black calf A parson.

Bog house The necessary house. ‘To go to bog’, to go to stool.

Bog lander An Irishman; Ireland being famous for its large bogs, which furnish the chief fuel in many parts of that kingdom.

Bog latin Barbarous Latin. (Irish) See Dog Latin and Apothecary’sLatin.

Bog trotter The same.

Bogy ‘Ask bogy’, i.e. ask mine arse. (Sea wit)

Bold Bold as a miller’s shirt, which every day takes a rogue by the collar.

Bolt A blunt arrow.

Bolt To run suddenly out of one’s house, or hiding place, through fear; a term borrowed from a rabbit-warren, where the rabbits are made to bolt, by sending ferrets into their burrows: ‘We set the house on fire, and made him bolt’. To bolt also means to swallow meat without chewing: ‘the farmer’s servants in Kent are famous for bolting large quantities of pickled pork’.

Bolt upright As erect, or straight up, as an arrow set on its end.

Bolus A nickname for an apothecary.

Bones Dice.

Bone box The mouth. ‘Shut your bone box’, shut your mouth.

Bone picker A footman.

Boned Seized, apprehended, taken up by a constable.

Bonesetter A hard-trotting horse.

Booby, or Dog booby. An awkward lout, clodhopper, or country fellow. ‘A bitch booby’, a country wench.

Booby hutch A one-horse chaise, noddy, buggy, or leathern bottle.

Books Cards to play with. ‘To plant the books’, to place the cards in the pack in an unfair manner.

Book-keeper One who never returns borrowed books. ‘Out of one’s books’, out of one’s favour. ‘Out of his books’, out of debt.

Boose, or Bouse Drink.

Boosey Drunk.

Boot catcher The servant at an inn whose business it is to clean the boots of the guest.

Boots The youngest officer in a regimental mess, whose duty it is to skink, that is, to stir the fire, snuff the candles, and ring the bell. ‘To ride in anyone’s old boots’, to marry or keep his cast-off mistress.

Booty ‘To play booty’, cheating play, where the player purposely avoids winning.

Bo-peep One who sometimes hides himself, and sometimes appears publicly abroad, is said to ‘play at bo-peep’. Also one who lies perdue, or on the watch.

Borachio A skin for holding wine, commonly a goat’s; also a nickname for a drunkard.

Borde A shilling. ‘A half borde’, a sixpence.

Bordello A bawdy house.

Bore A tedious, troublesome man or woman, one who bores the ears of his hearers with an uninteresting tale; a term much in fashion about the years 1780 and 1781.

Born under a threepenny halfpenny planet, never to be worth a groat Said of any person remarkably unsuccessful in his attempts or profession.

Botch A nickname for a tailor.

Bothered or both-eared. Talked to at both ears by different persons at the same time, confounded, confused. (Irish)

Botherams A convivial society.

Bottle-headed Void of wit.

Bottom A polite term for the posteriors. Also, in the sporting sense, strength and spirits to support fatigue, as a ‘bottomed horse’. Among bruisers it is used to express a hardy fellow, who will bear a good beating.

Bottomless pit The monosyllable.

Boughs ‘Wide in the boughs’, with large hips and posteriors.

Bounce To brag or hector; also to tell an improbable story. To bully a man out of anything. ‘The kiddey bounced the swell of the blowen’, the lad bullied the gentleman out of the girl.

Bouncer A large man or woman; also a great lie.

Bouncing cheat A bottle; from the explosion in drawing the cork.

Boung A purse.

Boung nipper. A cut purse. Formerly purses were worn at the girdle, from whence they were cut.

Bowsing ken An ale-house or gin-shop.

Bowsprit. The nose, from its being the most projecting part of the human face, as the bowsprit is of a ship.

Bow-wow. The childish name for a dog; also a jeering appellation for a man born at Boston in America.

Bow-wow mutton Dog’s flesh.

Bow-wow shop A salesman’s shop in Monmouth Street; so called because the servant barks, and the master bites.

Bowyer One that draws a long bow, a dealer in the marvellous, a teller of improbable stories, a liar: perhaps from the wonderful shots frequently boasted of by archers.

Box the compass To say or repeat the mariner’s compass, not only backwards or forwards, but also to be able to answer any and all questions respecting its divisions. (Sea term)

Box the Jesuit, and get cockroaches A sea term for masturbation; a crime, it is said, much practised by the reverend fathers of that society.

Bracket-faced Ugly, hard-featured.