A New and Comprehensive Vocabulary of the Flash Language by James Hardy Vaux (top ten books to read TXT) 📕

this is what

the newspapers denominate hustling, and is universally practised at the

doors of public theatres, at boxing matches, ship-launches, and other

places where the general anxiety of all ranks, either to push forward, or

to obtain a view of the scene before them, forms a pretext for jostling,

and every other advantage which the strength or numbers of one party

gives them over a weaker one, or a single person. It is not unusual for

the buz-coves, on particular occasions, to procure a formidable squad of

stout fellows of the lower class, who, though not expert at knuckling,

render essential service by violently pushing and squeezing in the crowd,

and, in the confusion excited by this conduct, the unconcerned prigs reap

a plentiful harvest, and the stallers up are gratified with such part of

the gains acquired, as the liberality of the knuckling gentlemen may

prompt them to bestow. This coup de guerre is termed making a regular

stall at such a place, naming the scene of their operations. See STALL.

 

STAMPS: shoes.

 

STAND THE PATTER. See PATTER’D.

 

STAR. The star is a game chiefly practised by young boys, often under ten

years of age, although the offence is capital. It consists of cutting a

pane of glass in a shop-window, by a peculiar operation I called starring

the glaze, which is performed very effectually by a common penknife; the

depredators then take out such articles of value as lie within reach of

their arm, which if they are not interrupted, sometimes includes half the

contents of the window. A person convicted of this offence is said to

have been done for a star.

 

START. See PITCHER.

 

STASH. To stash any practice, habit, or proceeding, signifies to put an

end to, relinquish, or quash the same; thus, a thief determined to leave

off his vicious courses will declare that he means to stash (or stow)

prigging. A man in custody for felony, will endeavour, by offering money,

or other means, to induce his prosecutor’s forbearance, and compromise

the matter, so as to obtain his liberation; this is called stashing the

business. To stash drinking, card-playing, or any other employment you

may be engaged in, for the time present, signifies to stow it, knife it,

cheese it, or cut it, which are all synonymous, that is, to desist or

leave off. See WANTED.

 

STASH IT. See STOW IT, which has the same meaning.

 

STAUNCH: a resolute faithful associate, in whom one may place implicit

confidence, is said by his palls to be a staunch cover.

 

STEAMER: a tobacco-pipe.

 

STEVEN: money.

 

STICK: a pistol.

 

STICKS: household furniture.

 

STING: to rob or defraud a person or place is called stinging them, as,

that cove is too fly; he has been stung before; meaning that man is upon

his guard; he has already been trick’d.

 

STINK: When any robbery of moment has been committed, which causes much

alarm, or of which much is said in the daily papers, the family people

will say, there is a great stink about it. See WANTED.

 

STONE-JUG; STONE-PITCHER: See PITCHER.

 

STOOP: the pillory is called the stoop; to be stoop’d, is to be set on

the pillory.

 

STOOPING-MATCH: the exhibition of one or more persons on the pillory. See

PUSH.

 

STOW: to stow any business, employment, or mode of life, is the same as

to stash it, etc. See STASH.

 

STOW, STOW IT; or STOW FAKING: an intimation from a thief to his pall, to

desist from what he is about, on the occasion of some alarm, etc. See

AWAKE.

 

STOW, or STOW-MANGING: an intimation from one flash-cove to another in a

mixed company to be silent, or drop the subject, he was upon. See MANG.

 

STOW THAT. When a person advances any assertion which his auditor

believes to be false, or spoken in jest, or wishes the former to recant,

the latter will say, stow that, if you please, or, cheese that, meaning

don’t say so, or that’s out of the question.

 

STRETCH. Five or ten stretch, signifies five or ten yards, etc.; so in

dealing for any article, as linen, etc., I will give you three hog a

stretch, means, I’ll give three shillings a yard. See HOG.

 

STRING. See LINE.

 

STRUMMEL: the hair of the head. To get your strummel faked in twig, is to

have your hair dressed in style.

 

STUBBS: nothing.

 

SUIT: in general synonymous with game; as, what suit did you give it to

‘em upon? in what manner did you rob them, or upon what pretence, etc.,

did you defraud them? One species of imposition is said to be a prime

suit, another a queer suit: a man describing the pretext he used to

obtain money from another, would say, I draw’d him if a quid upon the

suit if so and so, naming the ground of his application. See DRAW. A

person having engaged with another on very advantageous terms to serve or

work for him, will declare that he is upon a good suit. To use great

submission and respect in asking any favour of another, is called giving

it to him upon the humble suit.

 

SWAG: a bundle, parcel, or package; as a swag of snow, etc. The swag, is

a term used in speaking of any booty you have lately obtained, be it of

what kind it may, except money, as Where did you lumber the swag? that

is, where did you deposit the stolen property? To carry the swag is to be

the bearer of the stolen goods to a place of safety. A swag of any thing,

signifies emphatically a great deal. To have knap’d a good swag, is to

have got a good booty.

 

SWAG. Wearing-apparel, linen, piece-goods, etc., are all comprehended

under the name of swag, when describing any speak lately made, etc., in

order to distinguish them from plate, jewellery, or other more portable

articles.

 

SWELL: a gentleman; but any well-dressed person is emphatically termed a

swell, or a rank swell. A family man who appears to have plenty of money,

and makes a genteel figure, is said by his associates to be in swell

street. Any thing remarkable for its beauty or elegance, is called a

swell article; so a swell crib, is a genteel house; a swell mollisher, an

elegantly-dressed woman, etc. Sometimes, in alluding to a particular

gentleman, whose name is not requisite, he is styled, the swell, meaning

the person who is the object of your discourse, or attention; and whether

he is called the swell, the cove, or the gory, is immaterial, as in the

following (in addition to many other) examples: I was turned up at

China-street, because the swell would not appear; meaning, of course, the

prosecutor: again, speaking of a person whom you were on the point of

robbing, but who has taken the alarm, and is therefore on his guard, you

will say to your pall, It’s of no use, the cove is as down as a hammer;

or, We may as well stow it, the gory’s leary. See COVE and DOWN.

 

SWIMMER: a guard-ship, or tender; a thief who escapes prosecution, when

before a magistrate, on condition of being sent on board the

receiving-ship, to serve His Majesty, is said by his palls to be

swimmered.

 

SWISH’D: married.

 

SWODDY, or SWOD-GILL: a soldier.

 

TANNER: a sixpence. Three and a tanner, is three and sixpence, etc.

 

TAT: to flog or scourge.

 

TATTS: dice.

 

TATT-BOX: a dice-box.

 

TATS AND ALL: an expression used out of flash, in the same manner as the

word bender; and has a similar meaning.

 

TEAZE: to flog, or whip.

 

THIMBLE: a watch.

 

THIMBLED: having, or wearing a watch.

 

THRUMS, THRUMBUSKINS, or a THRUM-MOP: three pence.

 

THROUGH IT, or THROUGH THE PIECE: getting acquitted on an indictment, or

surmounting any other trouble, or difficulty, is called getting through

it, or thro’ the piece; so, to get a man through it, etc., is to

extricate him by virtue of your counsel and friendly assistance;

sometimes called pulling him through it.

 

THROW OFF: to talk in a sarcastical strain, so as to convey offensive

allusions under the mask of pleasantry, or innocent freedom; but,

perhaps, secretly venting that abuse which you would not dare to give in

direct terms; this is called throwing off, a practice at which the flash

ladies are very expert, when any little jealousies arise among them. To

begin to talk flash, and speak freely of robberies past, or in

contemplation, when in company with family people, is also termed

throwing off; meaning to banish all reserve, none but friends being

present; also, to sing when called on by the company present. See CHAUNT.

 

TILBURY: a sixpence.

 

TINNY: a fire; a conflagration.

 

TINNY-HUNTERS: persons whose practice it is to attend fires, for the

purpose of plundering the unfortunate sufferers, under pretence of

assisting them to remove their property.

 

TIP: to give, pay, or bribe. To take the tip, is to receive a bribe in

any shape; and they say of a person who is known to be corruptible, that

he will stand the tip. The tip is a term frequently used to signify the

money concerned in any dealings or contract existing between parties;

synonymous with the dues. See DUES.

 

TITTER: a young woman or girl.

 

TOBY: to toby a man, is to rob him on the highway; a person convicted of

this offence, is said to be done for a toby. The toby applies exclusively

to robbing on horseback; the practice of footpad robbery being properly

called the spice, though it is common to distinguish the former by the

title of high-toby, and the latter of low-toby.

 

TOBY-GILL, or TOBY-MAN: properly signifies a highwayman.

 

TODDLE: to walk slowly, either from infirmity or choice. Come, let us

toddle, is a familiar phrase, signifying, let us be going.

 

TODDLER: an infirm elderly person, or a child not yet perfect in walking.

 

TOG: a coat; to tog, is to dress or put on clothes; to tog a person, is

also to supply them with apparel, and they are said to be well or queerly

tog’d, according to their appearance.

 

TOG’D OUT TO THE NINES: a fanciful phrase, meaning simply, that a person

is well or gaily dressed.

 

TOGS, or TOGGERY: wearing-apparel in general.

 

TOM BRAY’S BILK: laying out ace and deuce at cribbage.

 

TOM BROWN: twelve in hand, or crib.

 

TOOLS: implements for housebreaking, picklocks, pistols, etc., are

indiscriminately called the tools. A thief, convicted on the police act,

of having illegal instruments or weapons about him, is said to be fined

for the tools.

 

TOP: to top a clout or other article (among pickpockets) is to draw the

corner or end of it to the top of a person’s pocket, in readiness for

shaking or drawing, that is, taking out, when a favourable moment occurs,

which latter operation is frequently done by a second person.

 

TOP’D: hanged.

 

TO THE NINES; or, TO THE RUFFIAN. These terms are synonymous, and imply

an extreme of any kind, or the superlative degree.

 

TOUT: to tout a person, is to watch his motions; to keep tout, is to look

out, or watch, while your pall is effecting any private purpose. A strong

tout, is a strict observation, or eye, upon any proceedings, or person.

 

TOW; or, TOWLINE. See LINE. To tow a person out; that is, from his

premises, or post: is to decoy him therefrom by some fictitious story, or

other artifice, while your pall seizes the opportunity of his absence, to

rob the place he has imprudently quitted.

 

TRAPS: police officers,