Glossary

Ardents:
Alcoholic drinks
area-sneak:
A thief who sneaks down areas to see what he can steal in kitchens.
beak hunting:
Poultry stealing.
Blacklegs:
Swindlers, especially those connected with the ÒturfÓ, or horseracing.
The Board of Green Cloth:
the Hazard table.
Bonnet:
An gambling hellÕs employee/accomplice who lures unsuspecting players to the gaming table.
Boozing-ken:
Public house.
bouncer:
Someone who steals from a shop while pretending to make an honest purchase
Brown:
A copper penny, or half-penny.
Bummed:
arrested.
Bung:
Pick-pocket.
Burked:
Murdered, usually by strangulation or stifling.
Buzzing:
Picking pockets.
To "Cabbage":
To pilfer, or purloin.
Captain Sharp:
A cheating bully, whose office was to bully any ÒPigeonÓ who refused to pay what he had lost because he suspected roguery.
Children in the wood:
Dice in the ÒboxÓ for shaking them.
chirped:
Informed.
Chums:
Cellmates in prison.
Coldbath Jug:
Prison
Couter:
a soveriegn
Cracksman:
Burgler.
Crimps:
Decoys, or procurers of marks, or ÒpigeonsÓ -originally to lure men into being impressed as sailores,or soldiers.
darkey:
Dark lantern
Davy's-dust:
Gunpowder.
Demi-rep:
A woman of dubious reputation.
Dip:
The pocket, and pick pocketÕs term as in he didnÕt have the nerve to go into the dip.
Do:
To cheat.
Done up:
Ruined.
Down-hills:
False dice which favour low numbers.
Dress lodgers:
A woman supported by another whom she pays by prostitution.
dubsman:
Turnkey.
Dunstable:
An gambling hellÕs employee/accomplice who lures unsuspecting players to the gaming table.
Elbow-shaker.
A gamester.
Fag:
One who runs errands.
Flashhouses:
A place frequented by the ostentatious, theives, also a brothel.
Flat:
Someone to take advantge of, a pigeon, or mark.
Fulhams:
Loaded dice.
Fuzz:
To shuffle cards closely: to change the pack.
Game:
Bubbles, Flats, Pigeons.
Gammoned:
Tricked.
Gull Gropers:
Usurers who lend money to gamesters.
Greeks:
Cheaters at play.
A "Grey":
A coin with two heads, or two tails.
Hedge:
To secure a bet by betting on the other side.
High Jinks:
A gambler who drinks to intoxicate his Pigeon.
Holy Land:
A squalid area of London inhabited mainly by Irish.
Hunting:
Drawing in the unwary.
Joeys:
Fourpenny pieces.
Joskins:
Country bumpkins.
Kifers:
Implements used by burglars
Macer:
A swindler.
A Mag":
A halfpenny.
Magsmen:
Individuals who specialize in cheating, or swindling farmers, or countrymen visiting London.
Names of False Dice:
A bale of... bard cinque deuces; -of flat cinque deuces; -of flat size aces; -of bard cater treys; -of flat cater treys; -of Fulhams; -of light graniers; -of gordes, with as many highmen and lowmen for passage; -of demies; -of long dice for even, or odd; -of bristles; -of direct contraries.
Pannie:
Burglary.
Paum
(palm): To hide a card or die.
Pieces:
Counters, or chips used as money.
Picking up:
Luring a pigeon, or mark to play a game. A ÒPicker-upÓ is the person who lures unsuspecting players to the gaming table.
Pigeons:
Dupes of sharpers at play.
Punters:
Gamblers in certain card games who play against the ÒbankÓ, or house, as opposed to against other players.
Quod:
prison.
Regulars:
"let me in for my reglars" -Gave him a share.
St. Hugh's bones:
Dice.
Slop-sellers:
Sellers of cheap, or inferior clothing.
Smashing queer screens:
Passing forged notes
Sponges:
Someone who drinks, or eats at the expense of others.
Standing Sam:
Paying the expenses.
The Swinging Dumplings:
The three balls which are the traditional symbol of a pawnbrokersÕ shop.
Tanner:
Sixpence.
Throw in:
to win a hand, also throw out to lose.
Tippet:
Someone ready to part with his money by buying drinks/meals for others.
Tout:
An gambling hellÕs employee/accomplice who lures unsuspecting players to the gaming table.
Tuck-up Fair:
Gallows.
Vincent's Law:
Art of cheating at cards, by the banker, who plays booty, Gripe, who bets, and the Vincent, who is cheated. The gain is called termage.
Vowel:
To give an I. O. U. in payment.
Up-hills:
False dice which run high.
To erase the original name or number from a stolen watch, and substitute one that is fictitious—christening Jack. To take the works from one watch, and case them in another— churching Jack. One who entices another to play at a game at which cheating rules, such as card or skittle sharping— a buttoner. The treadmill, shin scraper (arising, it may be assumed, on account of the operator’s liability, if he is not careful, to get his shins scraped by the ever-revolving wheel). To commit burglary— crack a case, or break a drum. The van that conveys prisoners to gaol— Black Maria. A thief who robs cabs or carriages by climbing up behind, and cutting the straps that secure the luggage on the roof— a dragsman. Breaking a square of glass— starring the glaze. Training young thieves— kidsman. To be transported or sent to penal servitude— lagged. Three years’ imprisonment— a stretch. Six months— half stretch. Three months’ imprisonment— a tail piece. To rob a till— pinch a bob. A confederate in the practice of thimble rigging— a nobbler. One who assists at a sham street row for the purpose of creating a mob, and promoting robbery from the person— a jolly. A thief who secretes goods in a shop while a confederate dis­tracts the attention of the shopkeeper is— a palmer. A person marked for plunder— a plant. Going out to steal linen in process of drying in gardens— going snowing. Bad money— sinker. Passer of counterfeit coins— smasher. Stolen property generally— swag. To go about half-naked to excite compassion— on the shallow. Stealing lead from the roof of houses— flying the blue pigeon. Coiners of bad money— bit fakers. Midnight prowlers who rob drunken men— bug hunters. Entering a dwelling house while the family have gone to church — a dead lurk. Convicted of thieving— in for a vamp. A city missionary or scripture reader— gospel grinder. Shop-lifting— hoisting. Hidden from the police— in lavender. Forged bank notes— queer screens. Whipping while in prison— scroby or claws for breakfast. Long-fingered thieves expert in emptying ladies’ pockets— fine wirers. The condemned call— the salt box. The prison chaplain— Lady Green. A boy thief, lithe and thin and daring, such a one as house­breakers hire for the purpose of entering a small window at the rear of a dwelling house— a little snakesman.