Argot and slang (part 3 of 5)

Argot and slang (part 3 of 5)

EREINTEMENT, m. (familiar), sharp, 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), scurrilous or sharp critic.

ERÉNÉ (popular), exhausted, spent, done up, “gruelled.”

ERGOT, m. (popular), se fendre l’----, to run away, “to make tracks.” See PATATROT.

ERLEQUIN (Breton), frying-pan for frying pancakes.

ERNEST, m. (journalists’), official communication from official quarters to the press.

ERREUR, f. Y a pas d’----! a Parisian expression used in support of an assertion.

Y a pas d’erreur, va; j’suis un homme, Un chouett’, un zig, un rigolo.

=GILL.=

ERVOANIK PLOUILIO (Breton), death.

ES, m. (popular), for escroc, swindler, or “shark.”

ESBALLONNER (popular), to slip away, “to mizzle.” See PATATROT.

ESBIGNER (popular), s’----, to slip away, “to mizzle.” See PATATROT.

ESBLINDER (popular), to astound.

ESBLOQUANT, adj. (popular), astounding.

ESBLOQUER (popular), to astound. S’----, to feel astonished. Ne vous esbloquez donc pas comme ça, do not be so astonished, keep cool.

ESBROUF (thieves’), d’----, all at once; violently; by surprise.

D’esbrouf je l’estourbis.--=VIDOCQ.= (I suddenly knocked him over the head.)

ESBROUFE, ESBROUFFE, coup à l’----. See A L’ESBROUFFE.

ESBROUFFEUR, m. (thieves’), thief who practises the kind of theft called “VOL À L’ESBROUFFE” (which see).

ESBROUFFEUSE, f., flash girl who makes much fuss.

ESCAFF, m. (popular), kick in the breech.

ESCAFFER (popular), to give a kick in the breech, “to root,” or “to land a kick.”

ESCANNE, f. (thieves’), à l’----, away! and the devil take the hindmost.

ESCANNER (thieves’), to run away, or “to make beef.” See PATATROT.

ESCARCHER (thieves’), to look on, “to pipe.”

ESCARE, f. (thieves’), impediment; obstacle; disappointment.

ESCARER (thieves’), to prevent.

ESCAREUR (thieves’), one who prevents.

ESCARGOT, m. (popular), slow, dull man, or “stick in the mud;” vagrant; ---- de trottoir, police officer, or “crusher.” See POT-À-TABAC. (Military) Escargot, man with his tent when campaigning.

ESCARPE, m. (thieves’), thief and murderer; ---- zézigue, suicide.

ESCARPER (thieves’), to kill. See REFROIDIR. Escarper un zigue à la capahut, to kill a thief in order to rob him of his booty.

ESCARPIN, m. (popular), de Limousin, or en cuir de brouette, wooden shoe; ---- renifleur, leaky shoe.

ESCARPINER (popular), s’----, to escape nimbly; to give the slip.

ESCARPOLETTE, f. (theatrical), practical joke; an addition made to a part.

ESCAVER (thieves’). See ESCARER.

ESCLOT, m. (popular), wooden shoe.

ESCOUADE, f. (military), envoyer chercher le parapluie de l’----, to get rid of a person whose presence is not desired by sending him on a fool’s errand.

ESCOUTES, or ÉCOUTES, f. pl. (thieves’), ears, or “hearing cheats.”

ESCRIME, m. (military), clerk, “quill-driver.”

ESGANACER (thieves’), to laugh.

ESGARD, or ÉGARD, m. (thieves’), faire l’----, 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, ESGOURNE, f. (thieves’), ear, or “hearing cheat.” Débrider l’----, to listen.

ESPAGNOL, m. (popular), louse.

ESPALIER, m. (theatrical), a number of female supernumeraries drawn up in line.

ESPÈCE, f. (familiar), woman of questionable character.

ESPRIT, m. (familiar), des braves, brandy.

ESQUE, m. See ESGARD.

ESQUINTE, m. (thieves’), abyss. Vol à l’----, burglary, “panny,” “screwing,” or “busting.”

ESQUINTEMENT, m. (general), excessive fatigue; (thieves’) burglary, or “busting.”

ESQUINTER (familiar), to damage; to fatigue; (popular) to thrash; see VOIE; (thieves’) to kill; see REFROIDIR; to break. La carouble s’est esquintée dans la serrante, the key has been broken in the lock. (Familiar) S’----, or s’---- le tempérament, to tire oneself out.

ESQUINTEUR (thieves’), housebreaker, “panny-man,” “screwsman,” or “buster.”

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. (Soldiers’) Envoyer ---- une chemise de sapin, to kill.

ESSENCE, f. (general), de parapluie, water.

ESSES (popular), faire des ----, to reel about.

ESSUYER (familiar), les plâtres, to kiss the face of a female whose cheeks are painted.

ESSUYEUSE, f. (familiar), de plâtres, street-walker. See GADOUE.

ESTABLE, f. (thieves’), fowl, “beaker.”

ESTAFFIER, m. (familiar), police officer; (thieves’) cat.

ESTAFFIN, m. (popular), cat.

ESTAFFION, 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, f. (popular), slap.

ESTAPHLE, f. (thieves’), fowl, “beaker,” or “cackling cheat.”

ESTIME (familiar), succès d’----, a doubtful success.

ESTIO, ESTOC, m. (thieves’), intellect, wit. Il a de l’----, he is clever, or “wide.”

ESTOMAC, m. (general), courage, pluck, “wool.”

ESTOMAQUÉ, adj. (popular), astounded, “flabbergasted.”

ESTORGUE, ESTOQUE, f. (thieves’), falsehood. Chasses à l’----, squinting eyes.

ESTOURBIR (thieves’), to stun; to kill.

ESTOURBISSEUR, m. (popular), de clous de girofle, dentist.

ESTRADE, f. (thieves’), boulevard.

Le filant sur l’estrade D’esbrouf je l’estourbis.

=VIDOCQ.=

ESTRANGOUILLADE, f. (popular), the act of strangling or garrotting 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.”

ETAGÈRE, f. (general), female assistant at restaurants who has the charge of the fruit, &c.; bosom.

ETAL, m. (popular), bosom.

ETALAGE, m. (general), vol à l’----, shoplifting.

ETALER (familiar), sa marchandise, to wear a very low dress, thus showing what ought to remain covered.

ETAMÉ, adj. (thieves’), old offender. Boule de son ----, white bread.

ETANCHE, f. (popular), avoir le goulot en ----, to be thirsty, or dry.

ETEIGNOIR, m. (general), large nose, or large “conk;” dull person. Ordre de l’----, the order of Jesuits. (Thieves’) Eteignoir, préfecture de police, palais de justice, or law courts.

ETEINDRE (popular), son gaz, to die, “to snuff it.”

ETERNUER (popular), sur une négresse, to drink a bottle of wine; (thieves’) ---- dans le sac, or dans le son, to be guillotined.

Pauvre petit Théodore ... il est bien gentil. C’est dommage d’éternuer dans le son à son âge.--=BALZAC.=

ETIER, m., a kind of trench dug by the salt-marsh workers.

ET LE POUCE, ET MÈCHE (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. pl. (thieves’), money, “pieces.”

ETOUFFAGE, m. (thieves’), theft, or “push;” (popular), concealment of money on one’s person; stealing part 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 chœur, une négresse, 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, m. (popular), soliciting a service.

ETOURDISSEUR, m. (popular), one who solicits, who asks for a service.

ETRANGÈRE, f. (familiar), piquer l’----, to allow one’s thoughts to wander from a subject, “to be wool gathering.” Noble ----, silver five-franc piece.

ETRANGLER (familiar), un perroquet, to drink a glass of absinthe; ---- une dette, to pay off a debt.

ETRE (gay girls’), à la campagne, to be confined at the prison of Saint-Lazare (a prison for women, mostly street-walkers). (Popular) Etre à la cascade, to be joyous; ---- à l’enterrement, to feel dull; ---- à la manque, to deceive; to betray; ---- à la paille, to be half dead; ---- à l’ombre, to be dead; to be in prison; ---- à pot et à feu avec quelqu’un, to be on intimate terms with one; ---- argenté, to have funds; ---- au sac, to have plenty of money; ---- bien, to be tipsy, or “to be hoodman;” ---- bref, to be short of cash; ---- complet, see COMPLET; ---- crotté, to be penniless; (familiar and popular) ---- dans le troisième dessous, see DESSOUS; ---- dans les papiers de quelqu’un, to be in one’s confidence; ---- 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 fête, 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 l’F, see F; ---- démâté, to be old; ---- dessous, to be drunk; ---- du bâtiment, to belong to a profession mentioned; ---- d’un bon suif, to be ridiculous or badly dressed, to be a “guy;” ---- du 14ᵉ bénédictins, to be a fool; ---- en train, to be getting tipsy, see SCULPTER; ---- exproprié, to die, see CASSER SA PIPE; ---- fort au batonnet, see BATONNET; ---- le bœuf, see BŒUF; ---- paf, to be drunk, see POMPETTE; ---- près de ses pièces, to be hard up for cash; (sailors’) ---- pris dans la balancine, to be in a fix, in a “hole;” ---- vent dessus or vent dedans, to be drunk, see POMPETTE; (thieves’) ---- sur la planche, to be had up before the magistrate; ---- bien portant, to be at large; ---- dans la purée, ---- fauché, ---- molle, to be penniless; (bullies’) ---- sur le sable, to be without means of existence, that is, without a mistress. (Familiar) En ----, to be a spy or detective; to be a Sodomist.

ETRENNER (general), to receive a thrashing, “to get a drubbing.” See VOIE.

ETRIERS, m. pl. (cavalry), avoir les ---- trop courts is said of a man with bandy legs.

ETRILLAGE, m. (popular), loss of money.

ETRILLER (general), to fleece, “to shave.”

ETROITE, f. (popular), faire l’----, to be affected, or “high falutin;” to play the prude.

ETRON DE MOUCHE, m. (thieves’), wax, conveniently used for taking the impress of keyholes.

ETRUSQUE, adj. (familiar), old-fashioned.

ET TA SŒUR (popular), expression of refusal, disbelief, or a contemptuous reply to insulting words.

Une fille s’était empoignée avec son amant, à la porte d’un bastringue, l’appelant sale mufe et cochon malade, tandis que l’amant répétait, “et ta sœur?” sans trouver autre chose.--=ZOLA.=

ETUDIANT DE LA GRÈVE, m. (popular), mason.

ETUDIANTE, f. (familiar), student’s mistress, his “tartlet.”

ETUI, m. (popular), skin, or “buff;” ---- à lorgnette, coffin. (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 adroitly. S’----, to vanish, “to mizzle.”

EVENTAIL À BOURRIQUE, m. (popular), stick, or “toco.”

EVENTRER UNE NÉGRESSE (popular), to drink a bottle of wine.

EVÊQUE DE CAMPAGNE, m. (popular), a hanged person. From the expression, Bénir 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.

EXÉCUTER (familiar), s’----, to comply with a request; to fulfil one’s promise; to pay unwillingly rather than otherwise.

EXHIBER (cads’), to look at, “to pipe.” Nib de flanche, on t’exhibe, stop your game, they are looking at you. Exhiber son prussien, to run away.

EXHUMÉ, m. (familiar), swell, “masher.” An allusion to the cadaverous appearance of most French “mashers.” See GOMMEUX.

EXPLIQUER (military and popular), s’----, to fight a duel; to fight.

Sauf el’ bandeau Qu’a s’coll’ chaqu’ fois su’ l’coin d’la hure, Après qu’ nous nous somm’s expliqués, C’est pas qu’ j’aim’ y taper dans l’nez; J’haï ça; c’est cont’ ma nature.

=GILL=, La Muse à Bibi.

EXTRA, m. (popular), good dinner; guest at a military mess.

EXTRAIT DE GARNI, m. (popular), dirty servant; slattern.

EXTRAVAGANT, m. (popular), glass of beer of unusual size, “galopin” being the appellation for a small one. The latter term is quite recent as used with the above signification. According to the Dict. Comique it meant formerly a small measure for wine:--

Galopin, c’est une petite mesure de vin, ce qu’on appelle à Paris un demi-setier.--=LE ROUX.=

F

F, être de l’---- (popular), that is, être fichu, flambé, foutu, fricassé, frit, fumé, to be lost, ruined, “cracked up,” “gone to smash.”

FABRICANT, m. (popular), de culbutes, or de fourreaux, tailor, “rag-stabber.” Je me suis carmé d’une bath pelure chez le ---- de culbutes, I have bought a fine coat at the tailor’s.

FABRICATION, f. (thieves’), passer à la ----, or être fabriqué, to be apprehended. Faire passer à la ----, to apprehend.

FABRIQUER (thieves’), to apprehend, “to smug;” to steal, “to claim;” ---- un gas à la flan, à la rencontre, or à la dure, to rob from the person with violence, “to jump;” ---- un poivrot, to rob a drunkard.

FAÇADE, f. (popular), head, or “nut;” face, or “mug.” (Cocottes’) Se faire la ----, to paint one’s face, in other words, “to stick slap” on one’s face.

FACE, f. (popular and thieves’), a sou.

Je ne donnerais pas une face de ta sorbonne si l’on tenait l’argent.--=BALZAC.=

Face du Grand Turc, the behind.

FACE! an exclamation used when a smash of glass or crockery is heard, the word being the French rendering for the exclamation “heads!” at pitch and toss.

FACILE À LA DÉTENTE (popular), is said of one who readily settles a 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 a glass of wine kept ready by a comrade at a neighbouring wine-shop.

FACTURIER, m. (theatrical), one whose spécialité is to produce songs termed “couplets de facture,” for the stage or music halls.

FADAGE, m. (thieves’), the act of sharing the plunder, or “cutting it up.”

FADARD, adj. and m. (popular), dandy, or “gorger.” For synonyms see GOMMEUX.

FADE, m. (popular), a fop or empty swell, a “dundreary;” one’s share in the reckoning, or “shot;” a workman’s wages. Toucher son ----, to receive one’s wages. (Thieves’) Fade, a rogue’s share in the proceeds of a robbery, or “whack;” money, or “pieces.”

Puisque je ne l’ai plus, elle, pas plus que je n’ai du fade, Charlot peut aiguiser son couperet, je ne regrette plus ma tête.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FADÉ, 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 voilà 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 one’s “whack.”

FADER (thieves’), to divide the booty among the participators in a robbery, “to nap the regulars,” or “to cut up.”

FADEURS, f. pl. (popular), des ----! nonsense! “all my eye!” Concerning this English rendering the supplementary English Glossary says: “All my eye, nonsense, untrue. Sometimes ‘All my eye and Betty Martin.’ The explanation 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 Shrewsbury named Betty Martin giving a black eye to a constable, who was chaffed by the boys accordingly. 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.’--Pickwick, ch. xxxiii.”

FAFELARD, m. (thieves’), passport; bank note, or “soft;” ---- à la manque, forged note, or “queer soft;” ---- d’emballage, warrant of arrest.

FAFFE, m. (thieves’), paper; ---- à 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 bruissement du papier de soie?--=BALZAC.=

Fafiot garaté, 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 garatés, du nom de Garat, le caissier qui les signe.--=BALZAC.=

Un ---- en bas âge, a one hundred franc note. Un ---- femelle, a five hundred franc note. Un ---- lof, a false begging petition; forged certificate, or false passport, “fakement.” Un ---- mâle, a one thousand franc note.

Le billet de mille francs est un fafiot mâle, le billet de cinq cents francs un fafiot femelle.--=BALZAC.=

Un ---- sec, a genuine certificate or passport. Fabriquer des fafiots, or du fafelard à la manque, to forge bank notes, “to fake queer soft.”

FAFIOTEUR, m. (thieves’), paper manufacturer or merchant; banker, “rag-shop boss;” writer; (popular) cobbler, or “snob.”

FAFLARD. See FAFELARD.

FAGAUT (thieves’), the word faut disguised. Il ne ---- dégueularder 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 ---- à perte de vue, one sentenced to penal servitude for life, or “lifer.” Un ---- affranchi, a liberated convict, or “lag.” Un ---- en campe, an escaped felon. (Familiar) Un ----, a candidate for the Ecole des Eaux et Forêts, a government training school for surveyors of State forests and canals.

FAGOTIN, m. (popular), vagrant, tramp, “abraham-man,” or “piky.”

FAIBLARD, m. (popular), sickly looking, weak person. Called in English slang “barber’s cat,” a term used in connection with an expression too coarse to print, according to the Slang Dictionary.

FAIGNANT, m. (popular), coward. A corruption of fainéant, idle fellow.

FAILLI CHIEN, m. (sailors’), scamp. Un ---- de terrien, a lubberly landsman.

Le bateau va comme en rivière une gabarre, Sans personne au compas, et le mousse à la barre, Il faudrait n’être qu’un failli chien de terrien, Pour geindre en ce moment et se plaindre de rien.

=RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

FAÎNE, f. (popular), a sou.

FAININ, m. (popular), a centime.

FAIRE (general), to steal, “to prig.” See GRINCHIR.

Non qu’ils déboursent rien pour entrer, car ils font Leur contre-marque aux gens qui sortent....

=RICHEPIN=, La Chanson des Gueux.

Faire son nez, to look crestfallen, to look “glum;” ---- son beurre, to benefit by; to make profits.

Il m’a assuré que le général de Carpentras avait plus de quatre millions de rente. Je gagne bien de l’argent, moi, mais je ferais bien mon beurre avec ça.--=E. MONTEIL.=

(Thieves’) Faire banque, to kill, see REFROIDIR; ---- un poivrot, to pick the pockets or steal the clothes of a drunken man, “bug-hunting;” ---- des yeux de hareng, to put a man’s eyes out; ---- flotter un pante, to drown one; ---- du ragoût or regoût, to talk about another’s actions, and thus to awaken the suspicions of the police.

Ne fais pas du ragoût sur ton dab! (n’éveille pas les soupçons sur ton maître!) dit tout bas Jacques Collin.--=BALZAC.=

Faire la balle élastique, 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,” “flambotté aux rotins,” or “anglaise;” ---- la bride, to steal watch-guards, “to buz slangs;” ---- la fuite, la jat jat, la paire, le patatrot, faire cric, faire vite, to run away, “to make beef, or to guy.” See PATATROT. Faire la grande soulasse sur le trimar, to murder on the highway; ---- la grèce, or plumer le pantre, to entice a traveller from a railway station into a café, where he is robbed of his money at a swindling game of cards; ---- la retourne des baguenaudes, to pick the pockets of a helpless man, “to fake a cly;” ---- la souris, to rob stealthily, “to nip;” ---- la tire, to pick pockets, generally by means of a pair of scissors delicately inserted, or a double-bladed penknife, “to fake a cly;” ---- la tire à la chicane, explained by quotation:--

Ils font la tire à la chicane, en tournant le dos à celui qu’ils dépouillent.--=DU CAMP.=

Faire la tortue, to go without any food; ---- le barbot dans une cambriolle, to steal property from a room, “to do a crib;” ---- le bobe, to steal watches, “toy getting;” ---- l’égard, 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 lézard, to decamp, “to guy,” see PATATROT; ---- le morlingue, to steal a purse, “to buz a skin or poge;” ---- le mouchoir, to steal pocket-handkerchiefs, called “stook hauling, fogle hunting, or drawing the wipe;” ---- le pantre, to play the fool; ---- le rendème or rendémi, to swindle a tradesman by picking up again from his counter a gold coin tendered 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 operations; ---- la balle à quelqu’un, to carry out one’s instructions.

Fais sa balle! (suis ses instructions), dit Fil-de-Soie.--=BALZAC=, _La Dernière Incarnation 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 chêne, to kill a man, “to cook his goose.” See REFROIDIR. Faire sur l’orgue, to inform against, “to blow the gaff;” ---- un coup à l’esbrouffe, to pick a person’s pockets while hustling him, “to flimp;” ---- un coup d’étal, to steal property from a shop. A shoplifter is termed in English cant “buttock and file;” ---- un 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 procure information; ---- une maison entière, 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, ---- rôti, comparative and superlative of faire chaud; ---- cru, to use crude tints in a picture, for instance, to use blue or red without any adjunction of another colour; ---- cuire sa toile, to employ very warm tints in the painting of a picture; ---- transparent, to paint in clair obscur, or “chiaro oscuro;” ---- lanterne, 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 Préault are executed in that style; ---- sa cimaise sur quelqu’un. See CIMAISE. Faire un pétard, to paint a sensational picture for the Salon. The Salomé of H. Regnault, his masterpiece, may be termed a “pétard;” ---- des crêpes, to have a grand jollification, or “flare up;” (freemasons’) ---- feu, to drink; (theatrical) ---- feu, to lay peculiar stress on words; (mountebanks’) ---- la manche, to make a collection of money among the public, or “nobbing;” (popular) ---- à la redresse, to set one right, to correct one; ---- danser un homme sur une pelle à feu is said of a woman who freely spends a man’s money; (familiar and popular) ---- brûler 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 money; ---- de la musique, to make audible remarks about a game which is proceeding; ---- de la poussière, to make a great fuss, to show off; ---- de l’épate, to show off.

Ces jeunes troupiers font de l’épate, des embarras si vous aimez mieux.--=J. NORIAC.=

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 à 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 les pavés à ressort, to pretend to be looking for employment with a secret hope of not finding any; ---- la retape, or le trottoir, to be a street-walker; ---- l’écureuil, to give oneself much trouble to little purpose; ---- le plongeon, to confess when on the point 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 goût 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 folies bachiques.--Cabarets de Paris.

Faire peau neuve, 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 more 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 Cambronne, an euphemism for a coarse expression, “faire sa merde” (which see); ---- son lézard, to be dozing during the daytime, like a lizard basking in the sun; ---- un bœuf, to guillotine; to give cards; ---- suer, to annoy; to disgust.

Ainsi, leur politique extérieure, vrai! ça fait suer depuis quelque temps.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

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 woman willing to give her favours; ---- son fendant, to bluster; to swagger; to look big. Ne fais donc pas ton fendant, “come off the tall grass!” (an Americanism). Faire une entrée de ballet, to enter a room without bowing to the company. En ---- son beurre, to put to good use, to good profit.

Et, si ton monsieur est bien nippé, démande-lui un vieux paletot, j’en ferai mon beurre.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

La ---- à 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!”

Vas-tu t’ taire, vas tu t’ taire, Celle-là faudrait pas m’la faire, As-tu fini tes façons? Celle-là nous la connaissons!

Parisian Song.

La ---- à, to seek to impose upon by an affected show of some feigned sentiment. La ---- à la pose, to show off; to pose.

J’ pense malgré moi à la gueule dégoûtée que f’rait un décadent, ou un pessimiste au milieu de ce méli-mêlo.... Y nous la f’rait diantrement à la pose.--=TRUBLOT=, Cri du Peuple, Sept., 1886.

La ---- à la raideur, to put on a distant manner, to look “uppish.” La ---- à l’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 Delvan, the origin of the expression is the following:--A certain 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 à l’oseille!” (Popular) Se ---- caramboler is said of a woman who gives her favours.

Elle sentit très bien, malgré son avachissement, que la culbute de sa petite, en train de se faire caramboler, l’enfonçait davantage ... oui, ce chameau dénaturé lui emportait le dernier morceau de son honnêteté.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Se ---- relicher, to get kissed.

Ah! bien! qu’elle se laissât surprendre à se faire relicher dehors, elle était sûre de son affaire.... Dès qu’elle rentrait, ... il la regardait bien en face, pour deviner si elle ne rapportait pas une souris sur l’œil, un de ces petits baisers.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

S’en ---- éclater le péritoine, or péter la sous-ventrière, to eat or drink to excess, “to scorf.” Tu t’en ferais péter la sous-ventrière, 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 débinette, 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 café or wine-shop. The cavalry maintain that infantry soldiers alone are capable of so hideous an offence; (printers’) ---- banque blèche, to get no pay; (Sodomists’) ---- de la dentelle, the explanation is furnished by the following quotation:--

Tantôt se plaçant dans une foule, ... ils provoquent les assistants derrière eux en faisant de la dentelle, c’est à dire en agitant les doigts croisés derrière leur dos, ou ceux qui sont devant à l’aide de la poussette, en leur faisant sentir un corps dur, le plus souvent un long bouchon qu’ils ont disposé dans leur pantalon, de manière a simuler ce qu’on devine et à exciter ainsi les sens de ceux qu’ils jugent capables de céder à leur appel.--=TARDIEU=, Etude Médico-légale sur les Attentats aux Mœurs.

(Card-sharpers’) Faire le Saint-Jean, to cough and spit as a signal to confederates.

L’invitation acceptée, l’amorceur fait le Saint-Jean, c’est-à-dire qu’atteint d’une toux subite, il se détourne pour expectorer bruyamment. A ce signal deux complices se hâtent de se rendre à l’endroit convenu d’avance. --=PIERRE DELCOURT=, Paris Voleur.

Faire le saut de coupe, by dexterous 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 gentleman;” ---- 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 substitute a card for another, “to slip” it; ---- la carte à l’œil, 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 shorts.” By cutting in a peculiar manner, a “concave” or “convex” 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 entravé 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, swindled; to lose one’s money at a game, or “to blew it.” La ---- à l’anguille, to strike one with an eelskin or handkerchief filled with sand.

Ah! gredins, dit-il, vous me l’avez faite à l’anguille.... L’anguille ... est cette arme terrible des rôdeurs de barrière qui ne fournit aucune pièce de conviction, une fois qu’on s’en est servi. Elle consiste dans un mouchoir qu’on roule après l’avoir rempli de terre. En tenant cette sorte de fronde par un bout, tout le poids de la terre va à l’autre extrémité et forme une masse redoutable. --=A. LAURIN=, Le Million de l’Ouvrière.

Rabelais has the expression “donner l’anguillade,” with the signification 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 ----, I am willing; 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, f., or BANDE NOIRE, swindling gang composed of the “frères de la côte, or de la flotte,” denominated respectively “grands faisans,” “petits faisans,” “fusilleurs.” See BANDE NOIRE.

FAISEUR D’ŒIL, m. (popular), Lovelace.

FAISEUSE D’ANGES, f. (familiar), woman who makes a living by baby-farming, or one who procures a miscarriage by unlawful practices.

FAITRÉ, adj. (thieves’), lost; safe for a conviction, “booked,” or “hobbled.”

FALOT, m. (military), military cap.

FALOURDE, f. (thieves’), a returned transport, a “lag;” (players’) double six of dominoes; (popular) ---- engourdie, corpse, “cold meat.”

FALZAR, m. (popular), trousers, “kicks, sit-upons, hams, or trucks.” Sans ---- autour des guibolles, without any trousers, or with trousers in tatters.

FAMILIÈRES, f. pl., female prisoners employed as assistants at the prison of Saint-Lazare, and who, in consequence, are allowed more freedom than their fellow-convicts.

FANAL, m. (popular), throat, “gutter lane.” S’éclairer le ----, to drink, or “to wet one’s whistle.” See RINCER. Colle-toi ça dans l’----, eat or drink that. Altérer le ----, to make one thirsty.

Ceux-ci insinuent que cette opération a pour but d’altérer le fanal et de pousser simplement à la consommation. --=P. MAHALIN.=

FANANDE, m. (thieves’), abbreviation of fanandel, m., comrade, or “pal.”

V’là les fanand’s qui radinent, Ohé! tas d’ pochetés.

=J. RICHEPIN.=

FANANDEL, m. (thieves’), comrade, friend, “pal.”

Ce mot de fanandel veut dire à la fois: frères, amis, camarades. Tous les voleurs, les forçats, les prisonniers sont fanandels.--=BALZAC.=

FANER (popular). Mon verre se fane, my glass is empty. (Thieves’) Fourche à ----, horseman.

FANFARE, f. (popular), sale truc pour la ----! exclamation of disgust, a bad look-out for us!

FANFE, f. See FAUVE.

FANFOUINER (thieves’), to take snuff.

FANFOUINEUR, m., FANFOUINEUSE, f. (thieves’), person who is in the habit of taking snuff.

FANTABOSSE, or FANTASBOCHE, m. (military), infantry soldier, “beetle-crusher,” or “grabby.”

FANTASIA, f. (familiar), noisy proceeding more brilliant than useful. An allusion to the fantasia of Arab horsemen. Donner dans la ----, to be fond of noisily showing off. (Popular) Une ----, a whim, or “fad.”

FANTASSIN, m. (military), bolster.

FAOEN (Breton), riddle.

FARAUD, m. (thieves’), gentleman, “nib cove.”

FARAUDE, f. (thieves’), lady, or “burerk.”

FARAUDEC, FARAUDETTE, f. (thieves’), young girl, or “lunan.”

FARCE, f. (general), en avoir la ----, to be able to procure. Pour deux sous on en a la ----, an expenditure of one penny will procure it for you. Une ---- de fumiste, a practical joke.

Veut-on savoir d’où vient l’origine de cette locution: une farce de fumiste? Elle provient de la manière d’opérer d’une bande de voleurs fumistes de profession, ... ils montaient dans les cheminées pour dévaliser les appartements déserts et en faire sortir les objets les plus précieux par les toits.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FARCEUR, m. (artists’), human skeleton serving as a model at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, or the Paris Art School, thus called on account 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 square.” Avoir un coup de ----, to be slightly intoxicated, or “elevated.” See POMPETTE. (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 synonyms see SCULPTER.

FARE, f., heap of salt in salt-marshes.

FARFADET, m. (popular and thieves’), horse, or “prad.”

FAR-FAR, FARRE (popular and thieves’), quickly, in a “brace of shakes.”

FARFOUILLER (popular), le ---- dans le tympan, to whisper in one’s ear.

FARGUE, m. (thieves’), load.

FARGUEMENT, m. (thieves’), loading; deposition of a witness for the prosecution.

FARGUER (thieves’), to load.

Si vous êtes fargués de marchandises grinchies (si vous êtes chargés de marchandises volées).--=VIDOCQ.=

FARGUER À LA DURE, to pounce upon a person and rob him, “to jump” him. Il fagaut farguer à la dure le gonsarès pour lui dégringolarer son bobinarès, we must attack the fellow to ease him of his watch.

FARGUEUR, m. (thieves’), man who loads; witness for the prosecution.

FARIDOLE, f. (prostitutes’), female companion.

FARIDON, f. (popular), poverty. Etre à 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 corrections.

FASSOLETTE, f. (thieves’), handkerchief, “stook,” or “madam.”

FATIGUE, f. (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 ---- souffrant, the Faubourg Saint Marceau, one of the poorer districts of Paris. Détruire le ---- à 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. pl. (thieves’), scissors.

FAUCHÉ, adj. (thieves’), être ----, être dans la purée, or être molle, to be penniless, or a “quisby.” Etre ----, to be guillotined. The synonyms are: “être raccourci, être buté, mettre la tête à la fenêtre, éternuer dans le son, or dans le sac, épouser la veuve, jouer à la main chaude, embrasser Charlot, moufionner son mufle dans le son, tirer sa crampe avec la veuve, passer sa bille au glaive, aller à l’Abbaye de Monte-à-regret, passer à la voyante, être mécanisé, être glaivé.”

FAUCHE-ARDENT, m. (thieves’), snuffers.

FAUCHER (popular), le persil, to be a street-walker. (Thieves’) Faucher, to deceive, “to best;” to steal, “to claim.” For synonyms see GRINCHIR. Faucher, to guillotine. See FAUCHÉ.

Aussitôt les forçats, les ex-galériens, examinent cette mécanique ... ils l’appellent tout à coup l’Abbaye de Monte-à-Regret! Ils étudient l’angle décrit par le couperet d’acier et trouvent pour en peindre l’action, le verbe faucher!--=BALZAC=, La Dernière Incarnation de Vautrin.

Faucher dans le pont, to fall into a trap; ---- le colas, to cut one’s throat; ---- le grand pré, to be undergoing a term of penal servitude at a convict settlement. The convicts formerly were 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 Blas, terms this “émoucher la mer avec un éventail de vingt pieds.” A more recent expression describes it as “écrire ses mémoires avec une plume de quinze pieds.”

FAUCHETTES, f. pl. (popular and thieves’), scissors.

FAUCHEUR, m. (thieves’), thief who steals watch-chains, “slang or tackle-buzzer;” executioner. Properly 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 a field spider.

FAUCHON, m. (popular), sword, “toasting-fork.” Un ---- de satou, a wooden sword.

FAUCHURE, f. (thieves’), a cut inflicted by some sharp instrument or weapon.

FAUCONNIER, m. (thieves’), confederate of the proprietor of a gaming-house.

FAUSSANTE, f. (thieves’), false name, alias.

FAUSSE-COUCHE, f. (popular), man without any energy, a “sappy” fellow. Properly a miscarriage.

FAUSSE-MANCHE, f., fatigue jacket worn by the students of the military school of Saint-Cyr.

FAUVE, f. (thieves’), snuff-box, or “sneezer.”

FAUVETTE, f. (thieves’), à tête noire, gendarme.

FAUX-COL, m. (familiar), head of a glass of beer. Garçon, trop d’faux-col à la clef! Waiter, too much head by half!

FÉDÉRÉ, m. (popular), avoir un ---- dans la casemate, or un polichinelle dans le tiroir, to be pregnant, or “lumpy.”

FÉE, 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.”

FÉESANT, m. (thieves’), lover. From fée, love.

FÉESANTE, f. (thieves’), sweetheart, or “moll.”

FÊLÉ, adj. (popular), avoir le coco ----, to be crazy, to be “a bit balmy in one’s crumpet.”

FÊLER (popular), se ----, to become crazy.

FELOUSE, or FENOUSE, f. (thieves’), meadow.

FELOUSE, FELOUZE, or FOUILLOUSE, f. (thieves’), pocket, or “cly;” ---- à jeun, empty pocket.

Il demanda à sezière s’il n’avait pas quelques luques de son babillard; il répondit qu’oui, et mit la louche en sa felouze et en tira une, et la ficha au cornet d’épices pour la mouchailler.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (He asked him whether he had any pictures from his book. He said yes, and put his hand in his pocket, drew one out, and gave it to the friar to look at.)

FEMME, f. (familiar), de Breda, gay girl. Quartier Breda is the Paris St. John’s Wood; (popular) ---- au petit pot, rag-picker’s consort; ---- de terrain, low prostitute, or “draggle-tail.” See GADOUE. (Thieves’ and cads’) Femme de cavoisi, dressy prostitute who frequents the Boulevard cafés; (military) ---- de l’adjudant, lock-up, “jigger,” or “Irish theatre;” ---- de régiment, big drum; (familiar) ---- pur faubourg, is said of a lady with highly polished manner, or ironically of one whose manners are anything but aristocratic.

FENASSE, f. (popular), man without energy, a lazy man. Old word fen, hay.

FENDANTE, f. (thieves’), door, “jigger.” Termed also “lourde.”

FENDART, m. (popular), braggart, swaggerer, or “swashbuckler.” Termed formerly “avaleur de charrettes ferrées.” Faire son ----, to brag, to swagger, to look big, to bluster, “to bulldoze” (American). Ne fais donc pas ton ----, “come off the tall grass,” as the Americans say.

FENDRE (thieves’), l’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 à une carte, to notch a card for cheating purposes; (military) ---- l’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 l’arche à 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, I treat myself to (or I stand treat for) a bottle of wine.

Zut! je me fends d’un supplément!... Victor, une troisième confiture!--=ZOLA=, Au Bonheur des Dames.

Se ---- à s’écorcher, to be very generous with one’s money.

FENÊTRE, f. (popular), boucher une ---- à 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 tête à la ----, to be guillotined. An allusion to the passing the head through the lunette or circular aperture of the guillotine.

FENÊTRIÈRE, f. (popular), prostitute who lies in wait at a window, whence she invites passers-by to enter.

FENOUSE, or FELOUSE, f. (thieves’), meadow.

FÉODEC, adj. (thieves’), unjust.

FER À REPASSER, m. (popular), shoe, or “trotter-case.” See RIPATON.

FER-BLANC, m. (familiar), de ----, worthless. Des rognures de ----, inferior theatrical company. Un écrivain de ----, author without any ability, “penny-a-liner.”

FERBLANTERIE, f. (familiar), decorations.

FERBLANTIER, m. (naval), official.

FERLAMPIER, or FERLANDIER, m. (thieves’), bandit; sharper, or “hawk;” thief, or “prig;” lazy humbug; rogue, or “bad egg.” Ferlampié formerly had the signification of dunce.

FERLINGANTE, f. (thieves’), crockery.

FERLOQUES, f. pl. (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 égout, or sa boîte, to hold one’s tongue. Ferme ta boîte, “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 prudence.”--=FIELDING=, Amelia.

FÉROCE, m. and adj. (familiar), être ---- sur l’article, to be strict. Pas ----, made of poor stuff. Un ----, one devoted to his duty.

FERRÉ, adj. (thieves’), être ----, to be locked up, or “put away.”

FERRER LE GOUJON (popular), to make one swallow the bait.

FERTANGE, or FERTILLE, f. (thieves’), straw.

Tu es un rude mion; le môme pantinois n’est pas maquillé de fertille lansquinée.--=V. HUGO=, Les Misérables. (You are a stunner; a child of Paris is not made of wet straw.)

FERTILLANTE, f. (thieves’), feather; pen; tail.

FERTILLE, f. (thieves’), face, or “mug;” straw, or “strommel.”

FERTILLIERS, m. pl. (thieves’), wheat.

FESSE, f. (popular), woman, “laced mutton.” Ma ----, my better half. Magasin de fesses, brothel, or “nanny-shop.” (Bullies’) Fesse, paramour, “moll.” Ma ---- turbine, my girl is at work.

FESSER (popular), to do a thing quickly; ---- le champagne, to partake 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.--=RABELAIS=, Gargantua.

FESTON (popular), faire du ----, pincer un ----, to reel about; to make zigzags under the influence of drink.

FESTONNAGE, m. (popular), reeling about under the influence of drink.

FESTONNER DES GUIBOLLES (popular), to reel about while in a state of intoxication.

FÊTE, 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 fête, j’ai toujours bogue et bon radin.--=VIDOCQ.=

FÉTICHE, m. (gamesters’), marker, or any object which temporarily represents the sum of money which has been staked at some game.

FEU, m. (theatrical), faire ----, to lay particular stress on words; (freemasons’) to drink. (Military) Ne pas s’embêter or s’embrouiller dans les feux de file, to be independent; not to stick at trifles. (Familiar) Allumer les feux, to set a game going.

Il est tout et il n’est rien dans ce cercle pschutt. Sa mission est d’allumer les feux, d’où son nom bien connu: l’allumeur.--=A. SIRVEN.=

FEUILLE, f. (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 importance; a worthless bond, not marketable. Voir la ---- à l’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 cigarette paper. Aboule-moi un ---- et une brouettée d’allumettes, give me some cigarette paper and a match.

FEUILLETÉE, adj. (familiar), properly flaky. Semelle ----, worn-out sole. Termed also “pompe aspirante.”

Parfois aussi elle n’a que des bottines suspectes, à semelles feuilletées qui sourient à l’asphalte avec une gaieté intempestive.--=THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.=

FÈVE, f., attraper la ----. See ATTRAPER.

FIACRE, m. (popular), remiser son ----, to become sedate, well-behaved.

FIAT, m. (thieves’), trust; confidence.

Il y a aujourd’hui tant de railles et de cuisiniers, qu’il n’y a plus de fiat du tout.--=VIDOCQ.=

FICARD, m. (thieves’ and cads’), police officer, “crusher,” “pig,” “copper,” “reeler,” or “bulky.” See POT-À-TABAC.

FICELER (familiar and popular), to do; to dress. Bien ficelé, carefully done; well dressed.

Voilà maman Vauquer belle comme un astre, ficelée comme une carotte.--=BALZAC=, Le Père Goriot.

FICELLE, f. (familiar and popular), dodge. Etre ----, to be tricky, a “dodger.”

Cadet Roussel a trois garçons: L’un est voleur, l’autre est fripon; Le troisième 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. Je croyais réussir, mais va te faire fiche! I thought I should succeed, but no such thing.

Du pain de son! des sous de cuivre! 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! Il croit réussir je t’en ----! Vous croyez qu’il a tenu sa promesse? Je t’en ----! Fiche-moi le camp et plus vite que ça, be off in double quick time, “sling your hook.”

FICHER (thieves’), to yawn; ---- la colle, to tell plausible falsehoods; ---- la colle gourdement, to be an artful beggar; (popular) ---- la misère 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. (Military) Se ---- un coup de latte, to fight a duel with cavalry swords.

FICHTREMENT (general), very; awfully.

FICHU, adj. (general), put; given. Il l’a ---- à la porte, he turned him out of doors; he has given him the “sack.” Fichu comme l’as de pique, comme un paquet de linge sale, badly dressed; clumsily built. Fichu, capable. Il 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 fichumaces? what are you up to?

FIDIBUS, m. (familiar), pipe-light; spill. Lorédan Larchey says:--

Une communication de M. Fey assigne à ce mot une origine allemande. Dans les universités de ce pays, les admonestations officielles commencent par les mots: fidibus (pour fidelibus) discipulis universitatis, &c. Les délinquants qui allument par forfanterie leurs pipes avec le papier de l’admonestation, lui ont donné pour nom le premier mot de sa première ligne.--Dict. Hist. d’Argot.

FIÉROT, m. (popular), stuck-up, “uppish.”

FIÈVRE, f. (thieves’), accès de ---- cérébrale, accusation on the capital charge; sentence of death. Redoublement de ----, aggravating circumstances or new charge made against a prisoner who is already on his trial.

La Cigogne a la digestion difficile, surtout en fait de redoublement de fièvre (révélation d’un nouveau fait à charge).--=BALZAC.=

FIFERLIN, m. (popular), soldier, “swaddy,” or “wobbler.” From fifre, fife.

FIFI, m. and f. (popular), un ----, a scavenger employed at emptying cesspools, a “gold finder;” scavenger’s cask in which the contents of cesspools are carried away. Une ----, a thin, skinny girl.

Les plantureuses et les fifis, les grands carcans et les bassets ... les rosières comme aussi les enragées qu’ont donné des arrhes à son promis.--=TRUBLOT=, Le Cri du Peuple, Sept., 1886.

FIFI-LOLO, m. (popular), one who plays the fool.

FIFLOCHE, m. (popular), one more skilful than the rest, who leads the quadrille at a dancing hall.

FIFLOT, m. (military), infantry soldier, “beetle-crusher,” “grabby.”

FIGARISTE, m. (familiar). Properly a contributor to the Figaro newspaper, and figuratively term of contempt applied to unscrupulous journalists.

FIGNARD, m., FIGNE, f. (popular), the breech, or “one-eyed cheek.” See VASISTAS.

FIGNOLADE, f. (theatrical), prolonged trilling.

FIGNOLE, f. adj. (thieves’), pretty, “dimber.”

Alors aboula du sabri, Moure au brisant comme un cabri, Une fignole gosseline.

=RICHEPIN.=

FIGURATION, f. (theatrical), staff of supernumeraries, or “sups.”

FIGURE, f. (popular), the breech, see VASISTAS; sheep’s head. Ma ----, myself, “No. 1.”

FIGURER (thieves’), to be in irons.

FIL, m. (thieves’), de soie, thief, “prig.” See GRINCHE. (Popular) Avoir le ----, or connaître le ----, to know what one is about, “to be up to a dodge or two.” N’avoir pas inventé le ---- à 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.” Un verre de ----, a glass of brandy. Une langue qui a le ----, a sharp tongue.

FILAGE, m. (card-sharpers’), handling 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, f. (thieves’), following stealthily a person. Faire la ----, or lâcher de la ---- à quelqu’un, to follow a person stealthily, to track one, “to nose.” Prendre en ---- un voleur, to follow and watch a thief. (Familiar) Filature de poivrots, spirit-shop patronized by confirmed drunkards.

FILENDÈCHE, m. (thieves’), one of the vagabond tribe.

Lorsque j’occupais mon poste de commissaire de police dans ce dangereux quartier, les habitants sans patente des carrières d’Amérique formaient quatre catégories distinctes: les Hirondelles, les Romanichels, les Filendèches et les Enfants de la loupe.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FIL-EN-DOUBLE, m. (popular), wine.

FIL-EN-TROIS, FIL-EN-QUATRE, FIL-EN-SIX, m. (popular), spirits.

Allons ... un petit verre de fil en quatre, histoire de se velouter et de se rebomber le torse.--=TH. GAUTIER.=

FILER (thieves’), to steal. See GRINCHIR. Filer la comète, or la sorgue, to sleep in the open air; ---- le luctrème, to open a door by means of a picklock, “to screw;” ---- une pelure, to steal 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 était filée d’avance. Le rigolo eut bientôt cassé tout! Du gai plaisir, ils avaient l’espérance, Quand on est pègre on peut passer partout.

From a song composed by Clément, a burglar (quoted by Pierre Delcourt, Paris Voleur, 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, unfortunately, 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 nœud, or son câble, to go away; to run away, “to cut the cable and run before the wind.” See PATATROT. Filer un nœud, to spin a yarn. File ton nœud, go on with your story or your discourse, “pay away.” With regard to the latter expression the Slang 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 follow one stealthily so as to watch his movements; (popular) ---- la mousse, to ease oneself. See MOUSCAILLER. Filer le Plato, to love in a platonic manner; ---- une poussée, 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 scène, 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 grec a le soin d’y glisser une carte large, point de repère marquant l’endroit où il doit faire sauter la coupe au mieux de ses intérêts... Il file la carte, c’est à dire il change une carte pour une autre.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FILET DE VINAIGRE, m. (theatrical), shrill voice, one that 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, “molrower.”

FILLE, f. (familiar and popular), de maison, or ---- de tourneur, prostitute 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 courtesan; ---- de plâtre, harlot, “mot.” For list of over 140 synonyms see GADOUE.

FILLETTE, f. (popular), half a bottle of wine.

FILOCHE, f. (thieves’), purse, “skin,” or “poge.” Avoir sa ---- à jeun, to be penniless, “hard up.”

FILOU, adj. (popular), wily, “up to a dodge or two.”

FILSANGE, f. (thieves’), floss silk.

FIN, f. (thieves’), de la soupe, guillotine. See VOYANTE. (Familiar) Faire une ----, to get married, “spliced,” or “hitched” (Americanism).

FINE, f. and adj. (popular), excrement, or “quaker,” abbreviation of “fine moutarde;” (familiar) abbreviation of “fine champagne,” best quality of brandy. (Thieves’) Etre en ---- pégrène, to be in great danger; to be in an “awful fix.”

La raille (la police) est là.... Je joue la mislocq (la comédie) pour un fanandel en fine pégrène (un camarade à toute extrémité).--=BALZAC.=

FINETTE, f. (card-sharpers’), a pocket wherein are secreted certain cards.

Il a sous son habit, au dos de son pantalon, une poche dite finette, dans laquelle il place les cartes non biseautées qu’il doit substituer aux siennes.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FIOLE, f. (familiar), bottle of wine; (popular) head, or “tibby;” face, or “mug.” J’ai soupé de ta ----, I have had enough of you; I will have nothing more to do with you. Se ficher de la ---- à quelqu’un, to laugh at one.

On y connaît ma gargarousse, Ma fiole, mon pif qui retrousse, Mes calots de mec au gratin.

=RICHEPIN.=

Pour la ---- à quelqu’un, for one.

Songez qu’ ça s’ra l’plus beau jour d’la carrière d’Truiru, toujours sur la brèche, qui s’donne tant d’mal pour vos fioles.--=TRUBLOT=, Le Cri du Peuple, 1886.

Sur la ---- à quelqu’un, about one, concerning one. Il fagaut ne pas dégueularder 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 apologize, to beg one’s pardon.

FIONNER (familiar and popular), to play the dandy.

FIONNEUR, m. (familiar and popular), one who plays the dandy.

FIQUER (thieves’), to strike; to stab, “to chive.”

FIQUES, f. pl. (thieves’), clothes, or “clobber.”

FISCAL, adj. (familiar), elegant.

FISH, m. (familiar), women’s bully, or “ponce,” generally called “maquereau,” mackerel. For list of synonyms see POISSON.

FISSURE, f. (popular), avoir une ----, to be slightly crazy, “to be a little bit balmy in one’s crumpet.”

FISTON, m. (popular), term of endearment. Mon ----, my son, sonny. Mon vieux ----, old fellow.

FLAC, m. (thieves’), sack; ---- d’al, money-bag; bed, or “kip.”

FLACHE, f. (popular). See FLANCHE.

FLACONS, m. (popular), shoes, “trotter cases.” See RIPATONS. Déboucher ses ----, to take off one’s shoes.

FLACUL, m. (thieves’), bed, or “kip;” money-bag.

Le vioque a des flaculs pleins de bille; s’il va à Niort, il faut lui riffauder les paturons.--=VIDOCQ.= (The old man has bagfuls of money; if he denies it, we’ll burn his feet.)

FLAFLA, m. (familiar and popular), great showing off. Faire du ----, to show off; to flaunt.

FLAGEOLET, m. (obsolete), called by Horace cauda salax.

FLAGEOLETS, m. (popular), legs, “pegs.” Termed also “fumerons, guibes, guibolles.”

FLAMBANT, m. and adj. (military), artillery man, “son of a gun;” (familiar and popular) magnificent, “slap up, clipping, nap.”

FLAMBARD, m. (thieves’), dagger. Formerly termed “cheery;” (familiar and popular) one who has dash; one who shows off.

Tas d’flambards, tas d’chicards, Les canotiers de la Seine, Sont partout, bien reçus, Et partout font du chahut.

Parisian Song.

FLAMBARDE, f. (popular), pipe. Termed “dudeen” by the Irish; (thieves’) candle, or “glim.”

FLAMBE, f. (thieves’), sword, or “poker.” Petite ----, knife, or “chive.” From Flamberge, name given by Renaud de Montauban (one of the four sons of Aymon who revolted against Charlemagne, and who have been made, together with their one charger Bayard, the heroes of chivalry legends), to his sword, and now used in the expression, Mettre flamberge au vent, to draw.

FLAMBER (mountebanks’), to perform; (familiar and popular) to make a show; to shine.

Ils voulaient flamber avec l’argent volé, ils achetaient des défroques d’hasard.--=E. SUE.=

FLAMBERT, m. (thieves’), dagger. Termed “cheery” in the old English 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 refusal. See NÈFLES.

FLANCHARD, FLANCHEUR, m. (thieves’), cunning player; one who hesitates, who backs out.

FLANCHE, m. (thieves’), game of cards; theft; plant. Grande ----, roulette or trente et un. Un ---- mûr, preconcerted robbery or crime for the perpetration of which the time has come. (Popular) Flanche, dodge; contrivance; affair; job. Il connaît le ----, he knows the dodge. Foutu ----! a bad job! C’est ----! it is all right.

Toujours des injustices; mais attendons; c’est point fini c’flanche là.--=TRUBLOT=, Le Cri du Peuple, March, 1886.

(Thieves’ and cads’) Je n’entrave pas ton ----, I don’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 enfilé et si le curieux veut t’entamer, n’entrave 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, m. (thieves’), share; participation in a theft. Foutu ----, bad job.

C’est un foutu flanchet. Douze longes de tirade, Pour une rigolade.

=VIDOCQ.=

FLANCHEUR, m. (thieves’), an informer, a “nark;” one who backs out; a player; (popular) ---- de gadin, one who takes part in a game played with a cork, topped by a pile of halfpence, which the players try to knock off by aiming at it with a penny. (Popular and thieves’) Enfonceur de ---- de gadin, poor wretch who makes a scanty living by robbing of their halfpence the players at the game described above. He places his foot on the scattered coins, and works it about in such a manner that they find a receptacle in the interstices of his tattered soles.

FLÂNE, f. (popular), laziness.

FLANELLE, f. (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), à la porte, dismissal, “the sack.”

FLANQUE. See FLANCHE.

FLANQUER UNE TATOUILLE (general), to thrash, “to wallop.” See VOIE.

FLAQUADIN, m. (popular), poltroon, or “cow’s babe.”

FLAQUE, f. (cads’ and thieves’), lady’s reticule; lump of excrement, or “quaker.”

FLAQUER (popular), to tell a falsehood; to ease oneself, “to bury a quaker.” See MOUSCAILLER.

V’là vot’ fille que j’ vous ramène, Elle est dans un chouet’ état, Depuis la barrière du Maine Elle n’a fait qu’flaquer dans ses bas.

Parisian Song.

FLAQUET, m. (thieves’), fob. 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 à quelqu’un, to avoid one; to fly from one. J’ai flasqué du poivre à la rousse, I fled from the police.

FLATAR, m. (thieves’), four-wheeler, or “growler.”

FLAUPÉE, FLOPÉE, f. (popular), mass of anything; crowd. Une ---- de, much, or “neddy.”

FLAUPER (popular), to thrash, “to wallop.” See VOIE.

FLÈCHE, ROTTIN, or PÉLOT, m. (thieves’ and cads’), five-centime coin, or sou.

FLÉMARD, m. (general), lazy or “Mondayish” individual; poltroon, or “cow’s babe.”

FLÈME, or FLEMME (general), fear; laziness. Lorédan Larchey says: “Flemme est une forme ancienne de notre flegme. Ce n’est pas douteux quand on voit dire en Berri flême pour manque d’énergie; en Normandie et en Suisse fleume; en provençal et en italien, flemma. Sans compter le Trésor de Brunetto Latini qui dit dès le xiiiᵉ siècle: ‘Flemme est froide et moiste.’” Avoir la ----, to be afraid.

Ça fiche joliment la flème de penser qu’il faut remonter là-haut ... et jouer!--=E. MONTEIL.=

Avoir la ----, to be disinclined for work.

Aujourd’hui, c’est pas qu’j’ai la flemme. Je jure mes grands dieux non qu’j’ai point c’maudit poil dans la main qu’on m’accuse d’temps en temps d’avoir.--=TRUBLOT=, Le Cri du Peuple, 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 VASISTAS.

FLIBOCHEUSE, f. (popular), fast or “gay” girl, “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 à feu.”

FLINGUE, f. (nautical), musket.

FLIPPE, f. (popular), bad company.

FLIQUADARD, m. (popular), police officer, “bobby,” or “blue-bottle.” Concerning the latter expression the Slang Dictionary says:--“This well-known 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 Bridewell, whose duty it was to whip the women prisoners, were clad in blue.” For synonyms of fliquadard see POT-À-TABAC.

FLIQUE, m. (popular), commissaire de police, or petty police magistrate; police officer, or “bobby.” For synonyms see POT-À-TABAC.

FLOPÉE. See FLAUPÉE.

FLOQUOT, m. (thieves’), drawer.

FLOTTANT, m. (thieves’), fish; (popular) ball patronized by women’s bullies. Literally a company of “poissons,” or bullies.

FLOTTARD, m. (students’), student preparing for the naval school.

FLOTTE, f. (students’), monthly allowance. A boy’s weekly allowance 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 swindlers and murderers which existed towards 1825.

La Flotte était composée de membres fameux ... ces membres de la haute pègre travaillaient par bandes séparées: Tavacoli l’Italien était un tireur de première force (voleur de poche).... Cancan, Requin et Pisse-Vinaigre étaient des assassins, des surineurs d’élite.... Lacenaire fréquentait la Flotte sans jamais dire son véritable nom qu’il gardait, en public.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Vendre la ----, to inform against accomplices, “to turn snitch.”

FLOTTER (popular), to bathe. Termed at the R. M. Academy “to tosh;” to swim. (Popular and thieves’) Faire ----, to drown.

Nous l’avons fait flotter après lui avoir grinchi la négresse qu’elle portait sous le bras.--=E. SUE.=

FLOTTEUR, m. (popular), swimmer.

FLOU (thieves’), abbreviation of floutière, nothing. J’ai fait le ----, I found nothing to steal.

FLOUANT, m. (thieves’), game (flouer, to swindle). Grand ----, high play.

FLOUCHIPE, m. (popular), swindler, or “shark.” From flouer and chiper, to swindle and to prig.

FLOUE, f. (thieves’), crowd, “push or scuff.” The anagram of foule, crowd, or else from flouer, to swindle, through an association of ideas.

FLOUÉ, adj. (general), swindled, taken in, “sold,” “done brown.”

Alors, en deux mots, il leur raconte la scène, le traité brûlé, l’affaire flambée ...--Ah! la drogue ... je suis flouée ... dit Séphora.--=A. DAUDET.=

FLOUER, f. (general), to cheat, “to do,” “to bilk;” (thieves’) to play cards, playing being, with thieves, synonymous of cheating.

S’il y avait des brèmes on pourrait flouer.--=VIDOCQ.=

FLOUERIE, f. (general), swindle, “take in,” or “bilk.”

La flouerie est au vol ce que la course est à la marche: c’est le progrès, le perfectionnement scientifique.--=PHILIPON.=

FLOUEUR, m. (thieves’), card-sharper who entices country folks or strangers into a café where, aided by confederates, he robs them at a swindling game of cards.

FLOUME, f. (thieves’), woman, “muslin,” or “hay bag.”

FLOUTIÈRE (thieves’), nothing.

C’est qu’un de ces luisans, un marcandier alla demander la thune à un pipet et le rupin ne lui ficha que floutière.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (One day a mendicant went to ask for alms at a mansion, and the master gave him nothing.)

FLU (Breton), thrashing.

FLUBART, m. (thieves’), fear, “funk.” N’avoir pas le ----, to be fearless.

FLUME, adj. and m. (popular), être ----, to be phlegmatic; slow.

FLÛTE, f. (familiar and popular), bottle of wine; glass of beer; syringe. Flûte! go to the deuce!

Ah! flûte!--Ah! tu vois bien que je t’embête!--Pourquoi? Tu m’as dit “flûte!”--Oui, flûte! zut! tout ce que tu voudras; mais fiche-moi la paix.--=E. MONTEIL=, Cornebois.

Joueur de ----, hospital assistant. An allusion to his functions concerning the administering of clysters. (Military) Flûte, cannon. Termed also “brutal, sifflet.”

FLÛTENCUL, m. (popular), an apothecary, or “clyster pipe.” Spelt formerly flutencu. The Dictionnaire Comique has the following:--

Peste soit du courteau de boutique et du flutencu.--Pièces Comiques.

FLÛTER (familiar and popular), to drink. See RINCER. Flûter, to give a clyster. The Dictionnaire Comique (1635) has the phrase, Se faire ---- au derrière, “façon de parler burlesque, pour dire, se faire donner un lavement.” Envoyer ----, to send to the deuce. C’est comme si vous flûtiez, it is no use talking.

FLÛTES, f. pl. (popular), legs, or “pegs.” Termed also flûtes à café.

Fort des flûtes et de la pince, Il était respecté, 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.

FLÛTISTE, m. (popular), hospital attendant.

FLUX, m. (popular), avoir le ----, to be afraid. Literally to be suffering from diarrhœa.

FLUXION, f. (popular), avoir une ----, to be afraid, “to be funky.”

FŒTUS, m., first year student at the military school of surgery.

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.”

FOIN, m. (popular), faire du ----, to make a noise, “to kick up a row;” to bustle about; to dance.

FOIRE, f. (popular and thieves’), acheter à la ---- d’empoigne, to steal, “to claim.” See GRINCHIR. Foire, fair, and empoigner, to seize.

FOIRON, m. (popular), behind. From foire, diarrhœa. See VASISTAS.

FONCÉ, adj. (popular), well off, “well ballasted.” See MONACOS.

FONCER (familiar and popular), à l’appointement, to furnish funds (Dictionnaire Comique). (Thieves’) Foncer, to give, “to dub.”

Et si tezig tient à sa boule, Fonce ta largue et qu’elle aboule, Sans limace nous cambrouser.

=RICHEPIN.=

Villon (fifteenth century) uses the word with the signification of to give money:--

M. Servons marchans pour la pitance, Pour fructus ventris, pour la pance. B. On y gaigneroit ses despens. M. Et de foncer? B. Bonne asseurance, Petite foy, large conscience; Tu n’y scez riens et y aprens.

Dialogue de Messieurs de Malepaye et de Baillevent.

(Popular) Se ----, to be getting drunk, or “muddled.” See SCULPTER.

FOND (popular), d’estomac, thick soup. (General) Etre à ---- de cale, to be penniless, “hard up.” Literally to be down in the hold.

FONDANT, m. (popular and thieves’), butter, or “cow’s grease.”

FONDANTE, f. (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.

FONDRIÈRE, f. (thieves’), pocket, “cly,” “sky-rocket,” or “brigh.” Termed also “profonde, fouillouse, fouille, four banal, baguenaude.”

FONFE, f. (thieves’), snuff-box, or “sneezer.”

FONTAINE, f. (popular), n’avoir plus de cresson sur la ----, to be bald; to have “a bladder of lard.”

FONTS DE BAPTÊME, 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 abstracted.

FORESQUE, m. (thieves’), tradesman at a fair.

FORET, m. (popular), épointer son ----, to die, “to kick the bucket.” Foret, properly drill, borer. With respect to the English slang expression, 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.

FORÊT-NOIRE, f. (thieves’), a church, a temple. Termed also “entonne, rampante.”

FORFANTE, f. (thieves’), bragging, big talk. An abbreviation of forfanterie.

FORGERIE, f. (popular), falsehood, or “cram.”

FORT, adj. (popular), en mie, fat, “crummy;” (familiar) ---- en thème, clever student. The expression is sometimes applied ironically to a man who is clever at nothing else than book-work. C’est ---- de café, it is hard to believe, it is “coming it too strong.”

C’est un pauvre manchot qui s’est approché de la vierge.... Et elle a éternué? Non, c’est le bras du manchot qui a poussé--elle est fort de café, celle-là!--=E. MONTEIL.=

FORTANCHE, f. (thieves’), fortune.

FORTIFES, f. pl. (popular), fortifications 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 cerveau. L’lend’main, on fait l’chat qui r’niffe, Et l’blair coul’comme un nez d’veau.

=RICHEPIN.=

FORTIFICATION, f. (popular), cushion of a billiard table. Etre protégé par les fortifications, to have one’s ball under the cushion.

FORTIN, m. (thieves’), pepper. From fort, strong.

FORTINIÈRE, f.. (thieves’), pepper-box.

FOSSE AUX LIONS, f. (familiar), box at the opera occupied by men of fashion.

FOSSILE, m. (literary), a disrespectful epithet for the learned members of the Académie Française.

FOU, adj. (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 “sappy” fellow; a libertine, or “rip.”

FOUATAISON, f. (thieves’), stick; ---- lingrée, sword-stick; ---- mastarée, 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), schoolmaster, or “bum brusher.”

FOUETTER (popular), to emit a bad smell; ---- de la carafe, to have an offensive breath.

Tout cela se fond dans une buée de pestilence ... et, comme on dit dans ce monde-là, ça remue, ça danse, ça fouette, ça trouillotte, ça chelipotte, en un mot ça pue ferme.--=RICHEPIN=, Le Pavé.

FOUETTEUX DE CHATS, m. (popular), a poor simpleton with no heart for work, “a sap or sapscull.”

FOUFIÈRE, f. (thieves’), watch, “tatler, toy, or thimble.”

FOUILLE, f. (popular and thieves’), pocket, “sky-rocket, cly.”

FOUILLE-AU-TAS, m. (popular), rag-picker, or “tot finder.”

FOUILLE-MERDE, m. (popular), scavenger 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 ironical refusal. Si vous croyez qu’il va vous prêter cette somme, vous pouvez vous ----, if you reckon on his lending you that sum, you will have to do without it. Tu peux te ----, you shall not have it; you be hanged!

Madame, daignerez-vous accepter mon bras?--Tu peux te fouiller, calicot!--=P. MAHALIN.=

FOUILLES, f. pl. (popular), des ----! is expressive of refusal; may be rendered by the American “yes, in a horn.” For synonyms see NÈFLES.

FOUILLOUSE, f. (thieves’), pocket, or “cly.” The word is old. Rabelais has “Plus d’aubert n’estoit en fouillouse.”

FOUINARD, m. (popular), cunning, sly man; a tricky “dodger;” coward, or “cow’s babe.” Termed in old French tapineux.

FOUINER (popular), to play the spy, or Paul Pry; to escape, “to mizzle.”

FOULAGE, m. (popular), a great deal of work, much “graft or elbow grease.”

FOULARD ROUGE, m. (popular), woman’s bully, “pensioner.” For synonymous expressions see POISSON.

FOULER (familiar), se la ----, to work hard. Ne pas se ---- le poignet, to take it easy.

Du tonnerre si l’on me repince à l’enclume! voilà cinq jours que je me la foule, je puis bien le balancer ... s’il me fiche un abatage, je l’envoie à Chaillot.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

FOULTITUDE, f. (popular), many, much, “neddy” (Irish).

FOUR, m. (familiar), failure. Faire ----, to be unsuccessful. Un ---- complet, a dead failure. (Theatrical) Four, the upper part of the house in a theatre. An allusion to the heated atmosphere, like that of an oven; (popular) throat, or “gutter lane.” Chauffer le ----, to eat or drink. (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 properly; (popular and military) more or less unlawful profits on provisions and stores, or other goods; dodge; routine of the details of some trade or profession.

Puis il faisait sa tournée, ... rétablissait d’un coup de poing ou d’une secousse la symétrie d’un pied de lit, en vieux soldat sorti des rangs et qui connaît le fourbi du métier.--=G. COURTELINE.=

Connaître 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.”

Voilà ce que c’est d’avoir tant de fourbi, dit un ouvrier ... lui aussi, il a déménagé ... emportant toute sa smala dans une charrette à bras.--=RICHEPIN=, Le Pavé.

(Popular) Fourbi, occupation. A ce ---- là on ne s’enrichit pas, one does not get rich at that occupation, at that game.

FOURCANDIÈRE, f. (thieves’), épouser la ----, to get rid of stolen property by casting it away when pursued.

FOURCHE À FANER, f. (thieves’), horseman.

FOURCHETTE, f. (military), bayonet. Travailler à la ----, to fight with cold steel. (Popular) Marquer à la ----, is said of a tradesman who draws up an incorrect account, to his own advantage, of course. (Thieves’) Vol à la ----, dexterous way of picking a pocket with two fingers only.

FOURCHETTES, f. pl. (popular), fingers, “dooks;” legs, “pins;” ---- d’Adam, fingers. Jouer des ----, to run away, “to hop the twig.” See PATATROT.

FOURCHU, m. (thieves’), ox, or “mooer.”

FOURGAT, or FOURGASSE, m. (thieves’), receiver of stolen goods, or “fence.”

Le père Vestiaire était ce qu’on appelle dans l’argot des voleurs un fourgat (recéleur).--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FOURGATTE, f. (thieves’), female receiver of stolen goods, “fence.”

Viens avec moi chez ma fourgatte, je suis sûr qu’elle nous prêtera quatre ou cinq tunes de cinq balles (pièces de cinq francs).--=VIDOCQ.=

FOURGATURE, f. (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 blanquette, des bogues et des broquilles (elle n’achète que de l’argenterie, des montres et des bijoux).--=VIDOCQ.=

FOURGUEROLES, f. pl. (thieves’), stolen property, “swag.” Laver les ----, or la camelotte, to sell stolen property.

FOURGUEUR, m. (thieves’ and cads’), seller, hawker; ---- de flanches, man who goes about offering for sale prohibited articles, such as certain indecent cards called “cartes transparentes,” or contraband lucifer matches, the right of manufacture and sale of which is a monopoly granted by government 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’), pickpocket, or “buz-faker.”

FOURLOURE, m. (thieves’), sick man.

FOURLOURER (thieves’), to murder. See REFROIDIR.

FOURLOUREUR, m. (thieves’), murderer.

FOURMILLANTE, f. (thieves’), crowd, “push,” or “scuff.”

FOURMILLER (thieves’), to move about in a crowd for the purpose of picking pockets. Termed by English thieves “cross-fanning.”

FOURMILLON, m. (thieves’), market; ---- à 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 donc eh! ----! go along, you “bally fool.”

J’lui dis: de t’voir j’suis aise, Mais les feux d’l’amour; nisco. Quoi, m’dit-ell’: t’as mêm’ plus d’braise! Va donc, vieux fourneau!

Music-hall Song.

FOURNIER, 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 equivalent for Bruin.

FOUROBE, f. (thieves’), overhauling of convict’s clothes, “ruling over.”

FOUROBÉ (thieves’), one who has been searched, or “turned over.”

FOUROBER (thieves’), to search on one’s person, “to frisk,” or “to rule over.”

FOURQUER. See FOURGUER.

FOURREAU, m. (familiar), lady’s dress which fits tightly and shows the figure; (popular and thieves’) trousers, “hams, sit-upons, or kicks.” Je me suis carmé d’un bate ----, I have bought for myself a fine pair of trousers.

FOURRÉE, adj. (thieves’), pièce ----, coin which has been gouged out.

FOURRER (familiar and popular), se ---- le doigt dans l’œil, to be mistaken; to labour under a delusion.

A la fin c’est vexant, car je vois clair, ils ont l’air de me croire mal élevée ... ah! bien! mon petit, en voilà qui se fourrent le doigt dans l’œil.--=ZOLA=, Nana.

Se ---- le doigt dans l’œil jusqu’au coude, superlative of above. S’en ---- dans le gilet, to drink heavily, “to swill.”

FOURRIER DE LA LOUPE, m. (popular), lazy fellow, or “bummer;” loafer; roysterer, “merry pin.”

FOURRURES, f. pl. (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 ça c’est d’la ----, that’s all nonsense, “rot.”

FOUTERIE, f. (popular), nonsense, “rot.” C’est de la ---- de peau, that’s sheer nonsense.

FOUTIMACER, FOUTIMASSER (popular), to do worthless work; to talk nonsense.

FOUTIMACIER, FOUTIMACIÈRE (popular), unskilled workman or workwoman; silly person, or “duffer.”

FOUTIMASSEUR. See FOUTIMACIER.

FOUTOIR (familiar and popular), house of ill-fame, “academy;” disreputable house; ---- ambulant, cab.

FOUTRE (general), a coarse expression which has many significations, to give; to do; to have connection with a woman, &c.; ---- du tabac, to thrash. See VOIE. Foutre dedans, to impose upon; to imprison.

Et qu’à la fin, le chef voulait m’fout’ dedans, en disant que je commençais à l’embêter.--=G. COURTELINE.=

Foutre le camp, to be off; to decamp, “to hook it.”

Chargez-vous ça sur les épaules 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’fout’ au bagne.

=RICHEPIN.=

Foutre la paix, to leave one alone.

Vous refusez formellement, c’est bien entendu?--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 misère, to live in poverty.

Il ajoutait ... que, sacrédié! la gamine était, aussi, trop jolie pour foutre la misère à son âge.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

En ---- son billet, to assure one of the certainty of a fact. Je t’en fous mon billet or mon petit turlututu, I 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 là sont épatants, ils n’en foutraient pas une secousse si on avait le malheur de les laisser faire. --=G. COURTELINE.=

Se ---- de quelque chose, not to care a straw, “a hang,” for. 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 là? Est-ce qu’il se fout de moi, à la fin!--=ZOLA=, Nana.

Se ---- du peuple, du public, to disregard, to set at defiance people’s opinion; to make game of people. Se ---- par terre, to fall. Se ---- mal, to dress badly. Se ---- une partie de billard sur le torse, to play billiards, 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 anything to excess. (Military) Foutre au clou, to imprison, “to roost.”

Comme ça on nous fout au clou?--C’est probable, dit le brigadier.--=G. COURTELINE.=

FOUTRE! an ejaculation of anger, astonishment, or used as an expletive.

Ah! ça, foutre! parlerez-vous? Etes-vous une brute, oui ou non?--=G. COURTELINE.=

FOUTREAU, m. (popular), row, or “shindy;” fight.

Oh! il va y avoir du foutreau, le commandant s’est frotté les mains.--=BALZAC.=

FOUTRIQUET, m. (familiar and popular), expressive of contempt: diminutive man; despicable adversary. The appellation was applied as a nickname to M. Thiers by the insurgents of 1871.

FOUTRO, m. (military), a game played in military hospitals. A handkerchief 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 representative to the outstretched palm of the culprit.

Halte au jeu! par l’ordre du roi, je déconsigne M. Lefoutro.... Votre main, coupable. L’interpellé tendit la main dans laquelle Lagrappe lança à tour de bras trois énormes coups de foutro, accompagnés de ces paroles sacramentelles: faute faite, faute à payer, rien à réclamer, réclamez-vous?... Oui, monsieur, je réclame. Eh bien,... c’est parceque vous avez levé les yeux.... C’était une impolitesse à l’égard de M. Lefoutro, et M. Lefoutro ne veut pas que vous lui manquiez de respect. --=G. COURTELINE=, Les Gaietés de l’Escadron.

FOUTU, adj. (general), put; made; bad; wretched; unpleasant; ruined; lost, &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 ça! Vous n’avez pas de honte ... de laisser votre peloton dans un état pareil.--=G. COURTELINE.=

Il s’est ---- à 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 travail mal ----, clumsy work. C’est un homme ----, he is a ruined man, “on his beam ends.” Il est ----, it is all up 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 a bad job, an unlucky event.

FOUYOU (theatrical), urchin; (familiar) ----! you cad! you “snide bally bounder.”

FRACASSÉ, adj. (thieves’), dressed in a coat. From un frac, a frock-coat, dress coat.

FRACASSER (popular), quelqu’un, to abuse one, “to slang one;” to ill-use one,”to man-handle.” Literally 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 fraction!--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FRACTURER (popular), se la ----, to run away, “to hop the twig.” See PATATROT.

FRAÎCHE, f. (thieves’), cellar.

FRAIS, adj. and m. (familiar and popular), ironical, good; fine. Vous voilà ----, here you are in a sorry plight, in a fix, in a “hole.” C’est là l’ouvrage? il est ----! Is that the work? a fine piece of work! Arrêter les ----, to stop doing a thing. From an expression 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’), accomplice, 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 ailment, and who makes capital of such ailment. Messière ----, bourgeois or citizen.

En faisant nos gambades, Un grand messière 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.

Il n’avait pas voulu francfiler pendant le siège. --=E. MONTEIL=, Cornebois.

FRANC-FILEUR, m. (familiar), opprobrious epithet applied to those who left France during the war.

FRANCHIR (thieves’), to kiss.

FRANCILLON, m., FRANCILLONNE, f. (thieves’), Frenchman; Frenchwoman; friendly. Le barbaudier de castu est-il francillon? Is the hospital director friendly?

FRANC-MITOU, m. (thieves’). See FRANC.

FRANCO (cads’ and thieves’), c’est ----, it is all right; all safe. Gaffine lago, c’est ----, y a pas de trèpe, look there, it is all safe, there’s nobody.

FRANÇOIS (thieves’), la faire au père ----, to rob a man by securing a strap round his neck, and lifting him half-strangled on one’s shoulders, while an accomplice rifles his pockets.

FRANGIN, m. (popular and thieves’), brother; term of friendship; ---- dab, uncle. Mon vieux ----, old fellow! “old ribstone!”

FRANGINE, f. (thieves’ and popular), sister; ---- dabuche, aunt.

On la connaît, la vache qui nous a fait traire! C’est la vierge de Saint-Lazare, la frangine du meg!... Il est trop à la coule, le frangin! C’est au tour de la frangine maintenant à avoir son atout.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FRANGIR (thieves’), to break.

FRANGUETTIER, m. (thieves’), card-sharper, or “broadsman.”

FRAONVAL (Breton), to escape.

FRAPOUILLE. See FRIPOUILLE.

FRAPPART, m. (thieves’), père ----, a hammer.

FRAPPE, f. (popular), a worthless fellow; a scamp.

Une frappe de Beauvais qui voudrait plumer tous les rupins.--Cri du Peuple, Mars, 1886.

FRAPPE-DEVANT, m. (popular), sledge-hammer.

FRATERNELLADOS, or INSÉPARABLES, m. pl. (popular), cigars sold at two for three sous.

FRAUDEUR, m. (thieves’), butcher.

FRAYAU (popular), il fait ----, it is cold.

FREDAINES, f. pl. (thieves’), stolen property.

Si tu veux marcher en éclaireur et venir avec nous jusque dans la rue Saint-Sébastien, où nous allons déposer ces fredaines, tu auras ton fade.--=VIDOCQ.=

FRÉGATE, f. (popular), Sodomist.

FRELAMPIER. See FERLAMPIER.

FRÉMILLANTE. See FOURMILLANTE.

FRÉMION, m. (thieves’), violin.

FRÈRE (familiar), et ami, demagogue; (thieves’) ---- de la côte, see BANDE NOIRE; ---- de la manicle, convict. (Military) Gros ----, cuirassier. (Sailors’) Vieux ---- la côte, old chum.

Je suis ton vieux frère la côte, moi, et je t’aime, voyons, bon sang!--=RICHEPIN=, La Glu.

(Roughs’) Les frères qui aggrichent, the detectives. Les frères qui en grattent, rope dancers. Les frères qui en mouillent, acrobats; “en mouiller” having the signification of performing some extraordinary feat which causes one to sweat.

FRÉROT 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’où avez-vous tiré ce freschteak? où diable a-t-il trouvé à chaparder de la viande, ce rossard là?--=HECTOR FRANCE=, Sous le Burnous.

FRESSURE, f. (popular), heart, or “panter.” Properly pluck or fry.

FRÉTILLANTE, f. (thieves’), pen; tail; dance.

FRÉTILLE, FERTILLANTE, FERTILLE, f. (thieves’), straw, or “strommel.”

FRÉTILLER (thieves’), to dance.

FRETIN, m. See FORTIN.

FRIAUCHE, m. (thieves’), thief, prig, or “crossman,” see GRINCHE; convict under a death-sentence who appeals.

FRICASSE (popular), on t’en ----, expressive of ironical refusal, or, as the Americans say, “Yes, in a horn!” See NÈFLES.

FRICASSÉE, f. (popular), thrashing, “wallopping.” See VOIE.

FRICASSER SES MEUBLES (popular), to sell one’s furniture.

FRICASSEUR, m. (popular), spendthrift; 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 allow an undertaking to flag.

FRICOTER (military), to shirk one’s military duties.

FRICOTEUR (military), marauder; one who shirks duty, who only cares about good living.

FRIGOUSSE, f. (popular), food, or “prog;” stew.

C’était trop réussi, ça prouvait où conduisait l’amour de la frigousse. Au rencart les gourmandes!--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

FRIGOUSSER (popular), to cook.

FRILEUX, m. (popular), poltroon, “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.

FRIME, f. (thieves’), face, or “mug.”

Avec un’ frim’ comm’ j’en ai une, Un mariol sait trouver d’la thune.

=RICHEPIN=, La Chanson des Gueux.

Molière uses the word with the signification of grimace:--

Pourquoi toutes ces frimes-là?--Le Médecin malgré Lui.

Frime à 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 ----, falsehood; trick.

Quelque frime pour se faire donner du sucre! ah! il allait se renseigner, et si elle mentait!--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

FRIMER (thieves’), to peer into one’s face. Faire ----, to place a prisoner in presence of a prosecutor for purpose of identification. (Popular) Frimer, to make a good appearance; to look well; to pretend. Cet habit frime bien, this coat looks well. Ils friment de s’en aller, they pretend to go away.

FRIMOUSSE, f. (thieves’), figure card. (Popular) C’est pour ma ----, that’s for me. Literally physiognomy.

FRIMOUSSER (card-sharpers’), to swindle by contriving to turn up the figure cards.

FRIMOUSSEUR (card-sharpers’), card-sharper, “broadsman.”

FRINGUE, f. (thieves’), article of clothing, “clobber.” (Popular) Les fringues, players at a game called “l’ours.” These stand upright 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 “l’ours,” who keeps running about in the circle.

FRINGUER (thieves’), se ----, to dress oneself, “to rig oneself out in clobber.”

FRIPE, f. (popular), food, “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, f. (familiar), rogue; scamp. From fripe, rag. Tout ce monde là c’est de la ----, these people are a bad lot.

FRIQUES, f. pl. (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 person while embracing him, under a pretence of mistaken identity.

FRISCHTI, m. (military), dainty food; stew.

FRISÉ, m. (popular), Jew, “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 Pavé.

FRISSANTE, f. adj. (sailors’), with gentle ripples.

La mé n’est pas toujours rêche comme une étrille. Vois, elle est douce, un peu frissante, mais pas plus.

=RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

FRITES, f. pl. (popular), for pommes de terre frites, fried potatoes. Termed “greasers” at the R. M. Academy.

FRITURER (popular), to cook.

FRIVOLISTE, m. (literary), light writer; contributor, for instance, to a journal of fashion.

FROISSEUX, adj. (popular), traitor, “cat-in-the-pan;” slanderer. From froisser, to hurt one’s feelings.

FROLLANT, m. (thieves’), slanderer; traitor, one who “turns snitch.”

FROLLER (thieves’), sur la balle, to slander one. From the old word frôler, to thrash, to injure.

FROMGIBE, m. (popular), cheese.

FRONT, m. (popular), avoir le ---- dans le cou, to be bald, to be “stag-faced.”

FROTESKA, f. (popular), thrashing, “tanning,” or “hiding.” See VOIE.

FROTIN, m. (popular), billiards, or “spoof.” Coup de ----, game of billiards. Flancher au ----, to play billiards.

FROTTE, f. (popular), itch.

FROTTÉE, f. (familiar and popular), thrashing, or “licking.” See VOIE.

Cinq ou six matelots de l’Albatros furent attaqués par une dizaine de marins du Mary-Ann et reçurent une des plus vénérables frottées dont on eût ouï parler sur la côte du Pacifique.--=J. CLARETIE.=

FROTTER (gamesters’), se ---- au bonheur de quelqu’un. The expression is explained by the following quotation:--

Le joueur est superstitieux, il croit au fétiche. Un bossu gagne-t-il, on voit des pontes acharnés se grouper autour de lui pour lui toucher sa bosse et se frotter à son bonheur. A Vichy, les joueurs sont munis de pattes de lapin pour toucher délicatement le dos des heureux du tapis vert.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

FROUFROU, m. (thieves’), master-key.

FROUSSE, f. (popular and thieves’), diarrhœa; fear.

J’ai fait chibis. J’avais la frousse Des préfectanciers de Pantin.

=RICHEPIN.=

FRUCTIDORISER (familiar), to suppress one’s political adversaries by violent means, such as transportation wholesale. An allusion to the 18th Fructidor or 4th September, 1797.

FRUGES, f. pl. (popular), more or less lawful profits on sales by shopmen. English railway ticket-clerks give the name of “fluff” to profits accruing from short change given by them.

FRUSQUE, f. (popular), coat, “Benjamin.”

FRUSQUES, f. pl. (general), clothing, “toggery,” or “clobber;” ---- boulinées, clothes in tatters.

On allait ... choisir ses frusques chez Milon, qui avait des costumes moins brillants.--=E. MONTEIL.=

FRUSQUINER (popular), se ----, to dress, “to rig” oneself out.

FRUSQUINEUR, m. (popular), tailor, “snip, steel-bar driver, cabbage contractor, or button catcher.”

FRUSQUINS, m. pl. (popular), clothes, or “toggery.”

FUIR (popular), laisser ---- son tonneau, to die. For synonyms see PIPE.

FUMÉ, adj. (familiar and popular), to be in an awful fix, past praying for, “a gone coon.” With regard to the English slang equivalent, the Slang Dictionary says: “This expression is said to have originated in the first American War with a spy who dressed himself in a racoon skin, and ensconced himself in a tree. An English soldier, taking him for a veritable coon, levelled his piece at him, upon which he exclaimed, ‘Don’t shoot, I’ll come down 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 pretty general in England. (There is one difficulty about this story--how big was the man who dressed himself 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 fumé 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. pl. (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.

Il juge qu’il est temps de jouer des fuseaux, mais au moment où il se dispose à gagner plus au pied qu’à la toise ... le garçon le saisit à la gorge.--=VIDOCQ.=

FUSÉE, f. (popular), lâcher une ----, to be sick, “to shoot the cat.”

FUSER (popular), to ease oneself See MOUSCAILLER.

FUSIL, m. (popular), stomach; ---- à deux coups, trousers; ---- de toile, wallet. Aller à la chasse avec un ---- de toile, to beg. Colle-toi ça dans le ----, eat or drink that; put that in your “bread-basket.” Ecarter du ----, to spit involuntarily when talking. Se rincer, se gargariser le ----, to drink, “to swig.” See RINCER. Changer son ---- d’épaule, to change one’s political opinions, to turn one’s coat. Repousser 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 invités, to give one’s guests a bad dinner; ---- le pavé, to use one’s fingers as a pocket-handkerchief; ---- le plancher, to set off at a run; ---- son pèse, 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, f. (thieves’), vieille ----, old woman.

G

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. Elle a plutôt l’air d’un moussaillon que d’autre chose.--=RICHEPIN=, La Glu.

GABELOU, m. (common), a custom-house officer, or one of the “octroi.”

Bras Rouge est contrebandier ... il s’en vante au nez des gabelous.--=E. SUE=, Les Mystères de Paris.

GÂCHER (popular), serré, 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, f. (familiar and popular), prostitute. Properly street mud or refuse.

File, mon fiston, roule ta gadoue, mon homme, ça pue.--Catéchisme Poissard.

The slang terms for the different varieties of prostitutes are, in familiar and popular language: “cocotte, demi-mondaine, horizontale, verticale, agenouillée, déhanchée impure, petite dame, lorette, camélia, boulevardière, pêche à quinze sous, belle petite, soupeuse, grue, lolo, biche, vieille garde (old prostitute), fille de trottoir, gueuse, maquillée, ningle, pélican, pailletée, laqueuse, chameau, membre de la caravane, demi-castor, passe-lacet, demoiselle du Pont-Neuf, matelas ambulant, boulonnaise (one who plies her trade in the Bois de Boulogne), crevette, trumeau, traîneuse, fenêtrière, trychine, cul crotté, omnibus, carcan à crinoline, pieuvre, pigeon voyageur, piqueuse de trains, marcheuse, morue, fleur de macadam, vache à lait, camelote, roulante, raccrocheuse, génisse, almanach des trente-six mille adresses, chausson, hirondelle de goguenot, moelonneuse, mal peignée, persilleuse, lard, blanchisseuse en chemises, planche à boudin, galvaudeuse, poule, mouquette, poupée, fille de tourneur, fille de maison or à numéro, boutonnière en pantalons, fille en carte or en brème, lésébombe, baleine, traînée, demoiselle du bitume, vessie, boule rouge (one who walks the Faubourg Montmartre), voirie, rivette, fille à parties, terrière, terreuse, femme de terrain, rempardeuse, grenier à coups de sabre, saucisse, peau, peau de chien, vésuvienne, autel de besoin, cité d’amour, mangeuse de viande crue, dessalée, punaise, polisseuse de mâts de cocagne en chambre, pompe funèbre, polisseuse de tuyaux de pipe, pontonnière, pont d’Avignon, veau, vache, blanc, feuille, lanterne, magneuse, lipète, chamègue, bourdon, pierreuse, marneuse, paillasse de corps de garde, paillasse à troufion, rouleuse, dossière, fille de barrière, roulure, andre (old word), Jeanneton, taupe, limace, waggon, retapeuse, sommier de caserne, femme de cavoisi, prat, sauterelle, tapeuse de tal, magnée, torchon.” The bullies of unfortunates call them “marmite, fesse, ouvrière, Louis, ponife, galupe, laisée.” Thieves give them the appellations of “lutainpem, môme, ponante, calège, panuche, asticot, bourre de soie, panturne, rutière, ronfle, goipeuse, casserole, magnuce, larguèpe, larque, menesse, louille.” In the English slang they are termed: “anonyma, pretty horse-breaker, demi-rep, tartlet, mot, common Jack, bunter, trollop, bed-fagot, shake, poll, dollymop, blowen, bulker, gay woman, unfortunate, barrack-hack, dress lodger, bawdy basket, mauks, and quædam” (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. Ils tiennent sur leurs pattes comme des chats ... si je l’ai manqué, je ne me suis pas manqué, moi, je suis sûr d’aller à la butte.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Gaffe à gail, mounted police; ---- de sorgue, night watchman; ---- des machabées, cemetery watchman. Etre en ----, faire ----, to be on the watch, “to dick.”

Riboulet et moi, nous étions restés en gaffe afin de donner l’éveil en cas d’alerte.--=VIDOCQ.=

Grivier de ----, soldier of the watch. (Popular) Gaffe, f., joke; deceit; tongue, or “red rag.” Avaler sa ----, to die, “to snuff it.” See PIPE. Coup de ----, loud talking, “jawing.” Monter une ----, to play a trick; to deceive, “to bamboozle,” “to pull the leg.” (Familiar) 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 péniches du gonse, look at that man’s shoes. Gaffer, to cause to stand; to stop.

Il fallait faire gaffer un roulant pour y planquer les paccins (il fallait faire stationner un fiacre pour y placer les paquets).--=VIDOCQ.=

GAFFEUR, m. (thieves’), man on the watch.

GAFFIER, m. (thieves’), pickpocket who operates at markets; warder in a prison or convict settlement, a “screw.”

GAFFINER (thieves’ and cads’), to look at, “to pipe.” Gaffine 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 attentively.

GAGA, m. (familiar), man who, through a life of debauchery, has become almost an imbecile.

GAGNIE, f. (popular), buxom lady.

GAHISTO, m. (thieves’), the devil, “ruffin,” or “darble.” From the Basque giztoa, bad, wicked, according to V. Hugo.

GAI, adj. (popular), être ----, to 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 stealing, or “prad napping.” GAILLARD À TROIS BRINS, m. (sailors’), able sailor; old tar.

J’ai travaillé, mangé, gagné mon pain parmi Des gaillards à trois brins qui me traitaient en mousse. =RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

GAILLON, m. (popular and thieves’), horse, “prad, nag, or tit.”

GAILLOTERIE, f. (popular), stable.

GAIMAR (popular), gaily; willingly. Allons y ----, let us look alive; with a will!

GALAPIAT, GALAPIAN, GALOPIAU, m. (popular), lazy fellow, or “bummer;” street boy.

Quelle rigolade pour les gamins! Et l’un de ces galapiats qui a peut-être servi chez des saltimbanques, chipe un clairon et souffle dedans un air de foire.--=RICHEPIN=, Le Pavé.

GALBE, m. (familiar), elegance, dash. Etre truffé 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, f. (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, f. (popular), money, “tin.” For synonyms see QUIBUS. Boulotter de la ----, to spend money. (Military school of Saint-Cyr) Promenade ----, general marching out. Sortie ----, general holiday.

GALEUX, m. (popular), the master, or “boss.” Properly one who has the itch.

GALFÂTRE, m. (popular), idiot; greedy fellow.

Certes il n’aimait pas les corbeaux, ça lui crevait le cœur de porter ses six francs à ces galfâtres-là qui n’en avaient pas besoin pour se tenir le gosier frais.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

GALIER, m. (thieves’), horse, or “prad.”

GALIÈRE, f. (thieves’), mare.

GALIFARD, m. (popular), shoemaker, or “snob;” errand boy; (thieves’) one who is not yet an adept in the art of thieving.

GALIFARDE, f. (popular), shop-girl.

GALIMARD, m. (artists’), se touche! The expression is used in reference to a brother artist who extols his own self or own 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 probablement dans tous les Rambuteau de Paris, a pris origine dans notre atelier Cogniet. Galimard, un artiste de quelque talent, mais qui se croyait un génie, trouvant qu’on ne s’occupait pas assez de lui, écrivit sur le salon des articles fort bien faits mais par trop sévères pour les confrères. Il avait mis au bas un pseudonyme quelconque. Arrivé au tour de sa fameuse Léda, il ne tarissait pas d’éloges sur cette peinture vraiment médiocre. Bertall, que je connaissais fort bien, découvrit le pot aux roses. Galimard était son propre panégyriste! J’arrive à l’atelier et je dis: ‘Galimard se fait jouir lui-même, c’est lui l’auteur des articles en question.’ De là, le fameux ‘Galimard se touche’ expression maintenant consacrée lorsqu’un artiste parle trop de lui-même. Il faut ajouter que les mots furent écrits dans tous les Rambuteau du Quartier du Temple puis, non seulement à Paris, mais par toute la France. L’empereur acheta la Léda après une tentative criminelle de la part d’un malfaiteur et sur la toile et sur Galimard. On fit une enquête et l’on découvrit que le malfaiteur n’était autre que ... Galimard. L’affaire en resta là. La Léda fut placée au Musée du Luxembourg, après cicatrisation des coups de poignard, bien entendu.”

GALIOTE, f. (thieves’), conspiracy of card-sharpers to swindle a player.

GALIPOTER (sailors’), to smear.

GALLI-BÂTON, m. (popular), general fight; great row, or “shindy.”

GALLI-TRAC, m. (popular), poltroon, “cow’s babe.”

GALOCHE, f. (thieves’), chin; (popular) a game played with a cork and halfpence.

GALONS, m. pl. (military), d’imbécile, long-service stripes. Arroser ses ----, to treat one’s comrades on being made a non-commissioned officer; to pay for one’s footing.

GALOPANTE, f. (popular), diarrhœa, or “jerry-go-nimble.”

GALOPÉ, adj. (popular), done hurriedly, carelessly.

GALOPER (popular), to annoy; to make unwell. Ça me galope sur le système, 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 cafés. Had formerly the signification of small measure of wine.

GALOUBET, m. (theatrical), voice. Avoir du ----, to possess a good voice. Donner du ----, to sing.

En scène, les fées! Attaquons vivement le chœur d’entrée. Du galoubet et de l’ensemble!--=P. MAHALIN.=

GALOUSER (thieves’), to sing, “to lip.”

GALTOS, m. (sailors’), dish. Passer à ----, to eat. (Popular) Galtos, money, or “pieces.” See QUIBUS.

GALTRON, m. (thieves’), foal.

GALUCHE, f. (thieves’), braid; lace.

GALUCHÉ, adj. (thieves’), braided; laced. Combriot ----, laced hat.

GALUCHET, m. (popular), the knave at cards.

GALUPE, f. (thieves’ and popular), street-walker, “bunter.” See GADOUE.

Les galup’s qu’a des ducatons Nous rincent la dent, nous les battons. =RICHEPIN.=

GALUPIER, m. (popular), man who keeps a “galupe.” See this word.

GALURE, GALURIN (popular), hat, or “tile.” See TUBARD.

GALVAUDAGE, m. (popular), squandering of one’s money; pilfering.

GALVAUDER (popular), to squander one’s money. Se ----, to lead a disorderly life.

GALVAUDEUSE, f. (popular), lazy, disorderly woman; street-walker. See GADOUE.

GALVAUDEUX, m. (popular), lazy vagabond, or “raff;” disorderly fellow; bad workman.

GAMBETTES, f. pl. (popular), legs. From the old word gambe, leg. Jouer des ----, to run. See PATATROT.

GAMBIER, f. (popular), cutty pipe. From the name of the manufacturer.

GAMBILLARD, m. (popular), active, restless man.

GAMBILLER (popular), to dance, “to shake a leg.” Is used by Molière with the signification of to agitate the legs:--

Oui de le voir gambiller les jambes en haut devant tout le monde.--Monsieur de Pourceaugnac.

GAMBILLES, f. pl. (popular), legs, or “pins.”

GAMBILLEUR, m. (familiar), political quack; (thieves’) dancer; ---- de tourtouse, rope-dancer.

GAMBILLEUSE, f. (popular), girl who makes it a practice of attending dancing halls.

GAMBRIADE, f. (thieves’), dance.

GAME, f. (thieves’), hydrophobia.

GAMELAD (Breton cant), porringer.

GAMELER (thieves’), to inform against one, “to blow the gaff.”

GAMELLE, f. (sailors’), aux amours, mistress. (Popular and thieves’) Attacher une ----, to decamp, to run away. 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 père ----, to perform in the character of a foolish old fellow. Properly ganache, an old fool, “a doddering old sheep’s head.”

GANCE, f. (thieves’), a gang, or “mob.” The Slang Dictionary says “mob” signifies a 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 Italiens. For list of synonymous expressions see GOMMEUX. (Second-hand clothes-men’s) Gandin, fine words to attract purchasers. Monter un ----, to entice a purchaser in; to get a customer. (Thieves’) Gandin, a “job” in preparation, or quite prepared; ---- d’altèque, the insignia of any order. Hisser un ----, to deceive, “to kid,” or “to best.” See JOBARDER.

GANDINERIE, f., GANDINISME, m. (familiar), the world of gandins, or “swelldom.”

GANDOUSE, f. (popular), mud, dirt.

GANNALISER (familiar), to embalm. From Gannal, name of a practitioner. The expression is little used.

GANT, m. (popular), moule de ----, box on the ear. Properly mould for a glove.

GANTER (cocottes’), 5½, to be close-fisted; ---- 8½, to be open-handed.

GANTIÈRE, f. (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. pl. (military), wooden shoes.

GARÇON, m. (popular), à deux mains, slaughterer; ---- de bidoche, butcher boy. (Thieves’) Garçon, thief, “prig.” Un brave ----, an expert thief. Un ---- de campagne, or de cambrouse, highwayman. Termed formerly in the English cant “bridle-cull.”

La cognade à gayet servait le trèpe pour laisser abouler une roulotte farguée d’un ratichon, de Charlot et de son larbin, et d’un garçon de cambrouse.--=VIDOCQ.= (The 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, f. (familiar), odd piece of silk.

GARDE, m. and f. (popular), national, lot of bacon rind. Gardes nationaux, beans. (Familiar) Descendre la ----, to die, “to kick the bucket.” See PIPE. Vieille ----, superannuated cocotte, or “played out tart.”

Il pouvait citer tel et tel, des noms, des gentilshommes de sang plus bleu que le sien, aujourd’hui collés légitimement et très satisfaits, et pas reniés du tout, avec de vraies roulures, avec des vieilles-gardes!--=RICHEPIN=, La Glu.

GARDE-MANGER, m. (popular), the behind. See VASISTAS.

GARDE-PROYE (thieves’), wardrobe.

GARDER (familiar), se ---- à carreau, to take precautions in view 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.

GARÉ, adj. (popular), des voitures is said of a steady, prudent man, or of one who has renounced a disreputable way of living.

GARE-L’EAU, m. (thieves’), chamber-pot, or “jerry.”

GARGAGOITCHE, f. (thieves’ and cads’), face, 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 l’eau fraische pour me gargariser le palat.--=RABELAIS=, Pantagruel.

Se ---- le rossignolet, to drink, “to have a quencher.”

GARGARISME, m. (popular), a drink, a “drain,” or “quencher.” (Familiar) Faire des gargarismes, to trill when singing.

GARGAROUSSE, f. (popular and thieves’), throat, or “gutterlane;” face, or “mug.” (Sailors’) Se suiver la ----, to eat; to drink, or “to splice the mainbrace.”

GARGOINE, f. (popular and thieves’), throat, formerly “gargamelle;” mouth, or “potato-trap.” Termed formerly “potato-jaw,” according to a speech of the Duke of Clarence’s to Mrs. Schwellenberg:--

“Hold you your potato-jaw, my dear,” cried the Duke, patting her.--Supplementary English Glossary.

Se rincer la ----, to drink, “to smile, to see a man” (American).

GARGOT, 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, f. (popular), rumbling noise in the stomach.

GARGOUILLE; GARGOUINE; GARGUE, f. (popular), face; mouth. For list of synonyms see PLOMB.

GARGOUSSE, f. (sailors’), avec le cœur en ----, with sinking heart.

Un’ brise à fair’ plier l’pouce, Rigi, rigo, riguingo, Avec le cœur en gargousse, Rigi, rigo, riguingo, Ah! riguinguette. =J. RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

GARGOUSSES DE LA CANONNIÈRE (popular), turnips, cabbages, or beans.

GARIBALDI, m. (familiar), red frock; sort of hat. (Thieves’) Coup de ----, blow given by butting at one’s stomach.

GARNAFFE, f. (thieves’), farm.

GARNAFFIER, m. (thieves’), farmer, or “joskin.”

GARNIR (popular), se ---- le bocal, to eat, “to grub.” See MASTIQUER.

GARNISON, f. (popular), lice, “grey-backed uns.”

GARNO, m. (popular), lodging-house, “dossing crib.”

GAS, m. (familiar and popular), for gars, boy; fellow. Grand ----, tall chap. Mauvais ----, ill-tempered fellow. (Roughs’) Gas de la grinche, thief. Faut pas frayer avec ça, 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 ---- à la flan, à la rencontre, or à la dure, to attack a man at night and rob him, “to jump a cove.”

GASPARD, m. (popular), cunning fellow, or “sharp file;” rat; cat, or “long-tailed beggar.” Concerning this expression there is a tale that runs thus: A boy, during his first very 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?”

GÂTEAU, m. (popular), feuilleté, shoe out at the sole. (Thieves’) Avoir du ----, to get one’s share of booty, “to stand in.”

GÂTE-PÂTE, m. (popular), redoubtable wrestler.

GÂTER (popular), de l’eau, to void urine, “to lag.” Se ---- la taille, to become pregnant, or “lumpy.”

GÂTEUSE, f. (familiar), long garment worn over clothes to protect them from the dust.

GÂTISME, m. (familiar), stupidity. Le ---- littéraire, decaying state of literature.

GAUCHER, GAUCHIER, m. (familiar), member of the Left whether in the Assemblée Nationale or Senate.

GAUDILLE, or GANDILLE, f. (thieves’), sword, or “poker.”

GAUDINEUR, m. (popular), house decorator. Probably from gaudir, to be merry, house decorators having the reputation of being light-hearted.

GAUDISSARD, m. (familiar), commercial traveller, from the name of a character of Balzac’s; practical joker; jovial man.

GAUDRIOLER (familiar), equivalent to “dire des gaudrioles,” to make jests of a slightly licentious character.

GAUDRIOLEUR, m. (familiar), one fond of gaudrioler (which see).

GAUFRES, f. pl. (popular), faire des ----, is said of pock-marked persons who kiss one another. Moule à ----, pock-marked face, or “cribbage-faced.”

GAULE, f. (popular), d’omnicroche, omnibus conductor. Une gaule, properly a pole. (Thieves’) Gaules de schtard, bars of a cell window.

GAULÉ, m. (popular), cider.

GAUX, m. (thieves’), lice, “grey-backed uns;” ---- picantis, lice in clothing. Basourdir les ----, to kill lice.

GAVE, adj. and f. (popular and thieves’), drunken man, “lushington;” stomach.

Va encore à l’cave, Du cidre il faut Plein la gave, Du cidre il faut Plein l’gaviot.

=RICHEPIN.=

Etre ----, to be intoxicated. See POMPETTE.

GAVÉ, m. (thieves’), drunkard. Faire les gavés, to rob drunkards; to go “bug-hunting.” (Popular) Gavé, 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-là, c’est des clampins, Des richards, des muf’s, des gavés.

=RICHEPIN.=

GAVEAU, m. (thieves’), tortiller le ----, to kill one by strangulation.

GAVIOLÉ. See GAVÉ.

GAVIOT, m. (popular), throat; mouth. See PLOMB. Figuratively stomach.

Mais quoi! ces ventrus sur leurs pieds N’peuvent plus supporter leur gaviot.

=RICHEPIN.=

GAVOT. See GAVÉ.

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 à ----, mounted police. Des gayets, rogues who prowl about the suburbs just outside the gates of Paris.

C’étaient des rôdeurs de barrière ... c’étaient des gayets.--Mémoires de Monsieur 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, f. (familiar), lire la ----, to eat nothing.

GAZIER, m. (popular), humbug.

GAZON, m. (popular), wig, or “periwinkle;” hair, or “thatch.” N’avoir plus de ---- sur la plate-bande, or sur le pré, 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! ça gazouille, dit Clémence en se bouchant le nez.--=ZOLA.=

GÉANT, m. (thieves’), montagne de ----, gallows, “scrag,” “nobbing cheat,” or the obsolete expression “government sign-post.”

GEINDRE, m. (popular), journeyman baker. Properly to groan heavily.

GENDARME, m. (popular), red herring; mixture of white wine, gum, and water; one-sou cigar; pressing iron.

GÉNÉRAL, m. (popular), le ---- macadam, the street, or “drag.”

GÊNEUR, m. (familiar), bore.

GÉNISSE, f., woman of bad character. See GADOUE.

GÉNITEUR, m. (popular), father.

GENOU, m. (familiar), BALD PATE.

GENRE, m. (familiar), grand ----, pink of fashion. C’est tout à 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. pl. (popular), être de la société des ---- de lettres, to belong to a tribe of swindlers who extort money by threatening letters, “socketers.”

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 à d’autres qui les veulent abloquir.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (The ladies and wives give them, some a waistcoat, others a shirt, or a pair of 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 carré des petites gerbes, the police court.

GERBÉ, adj. (thieves’), sentenced, or “booked.”

On dit qu’il vient du bagne où il était gerbé à 24 longes (condamné à 24 ans).--=VIDOCQ.=

Etre ---- à 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 étaient au pré, sur ceux qui étaient en gerbement (jugement).--=VIDOCQ.=

GERBER (thieves’), to sentence.

Te voilà pris par la Cigogne, avec cinq vols qualifiés, trois assassinats, dont le plus récent concerne deux riches bourgeois ... tu seras gerbé à la passe.--=BALZAC.=

GERBERIE, f. (thieves’), court of justice.

GERBIER, m. (thieves’), judge, or “beak;” barrister, or “mouthpiece.” Mec des gerbiers, executioner.

GERBIERRES, f. pl. (thieves’), skeleton keys, or “screws.”

GERCE, f. (thieves’), wife, or “mollisher;” mattress; (popular) woman with unnatural passions. Un qui s’est fait poisser la ----, a Sodomist.

GERMANIE, f., aller en ----. See ALLER.

GERMINY, m. (familiar and popular), 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, f. (thieves’), farm.

GERNAFLIER, m. (thieves’), farmer, or “joskin.”

GÉRONTOCRACIE, f. (familiar), narrow-mindedness.

GÉSIER, m. (popular), throat. Se laver le ----, to drink.

GESSEUR, m. (popular), fussy man; 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’), yes, or “usher.”

GIBASSES, f. pl. (popular), large skinny breasts.

GIBELOTTE DE GOUTTIÈRE, f. (popular), cat stew.

GIBERNE, f. (popular), the behind. See VASISTAS.

GIBIER, m. (popular), à commissaire, woman of disorderly or drunken habits; ---- de Cayenne, incorrigible thief, or “gallows’ bird.”

GIBOYER, m. (literary), journalist of the worst sort. From a play by Emile Augier.

GIBUS, m. (familiar), 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 être ma gigolette, Moi, je serai ton gigolo.

Parisian Song.

GIGOLO, m. (popular), fast young man of the lower orders, a kind of “’Arry,” the associate of a GIGOLETTE (which see).

GIGOT, m. (popular), large thick hand, “mutton fist.”

GIGUE ET JON! bacchanalian exclamation of sailors.

Largue l’écoute! Bitte et bosse! Largue l’écoute! Gigue et jon! Largue l’écoute! on s’y fout des bosses. Chez la mère Barbe-en-jonc.

=RICHEPIN=, 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 ---- doublé de flanelle is said of one who has comforted himself with a plate of thick, hot soup. The English use the term “flannel” or “hot flannel” for a comforting 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 Shuter, and a demure, 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 profession, he rushed from the place in a frenzy, exclaiming, “Good God! and have I been sitting all this while with a hangman?” Un ---- à la mode, opulent breasts. (Familiar) Un ---- en cœur, a dandy, or “masher.”

Amantha, que Corbois avait complètement perdue de vue, était aux Bouffes et faisait la joie des gilets en cœur.--=E. MONTEIL.=

GILLE, m. (popular), faire ----, to run away, “to slope,” “bolt.” See PATATROT. The expression is old.

Jupin leur fit prendre le saut. Et contraignit de faire gille, Le grand Typhon jusqu’en Sicile.

=SCARRON.=

Faire ---- déloge (obsolete), to decamp.

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 agrès! Nous en avons troussé bien d’autres au plus près. Ce n’est pas encore lui qui verra notre quille. Souffle, souffle, mon vieux! souffle à goule écarquille!

=RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

GIN (thieves’), à son ----, see! behold! This expression has been reproduced in the spelling of my informant, 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 the Seine swimming baths, with a lower and upper landing serving as diving platforms.

GIROFLE, adj. (thieves’), pretty, “dimber.” Largue ----, pretty girl, or “dimbermort.”

GIROFLERIE, f. (thieves’), amiability.

GIROFLETER (popular), to smack one’s face, “to warm the wax of one’s ear.” Synonymous of “donner du sucre de giroflée.”

GIROLE (thieves’), expression of assent: so be it, “usher.”

Il y a deux menées de ronds en ma henne et deux ornies en mon gueulard, que j’ai égraillées sur le trimar; bions les faire riffoder, veux-tu?--Girole, et béni soit le grand havre qui m’a fait rencontrer si chenâtre occasion.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (There are two dozen halfpence in my 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 fall in with such a piece of 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 donné, “the jay has been flapped.”

GIRONDINE, f. (thieves’), handsome young girl, or “dimbermort.”

GÎTE, m. (popular), dans le ----, something of the best. An allusion to gîte à la noix, savoury morsel of beef.

GITRE (thieves’), I have.

Gitre mouchaillé le babillard.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (I have looked at the book.)

GIVERNER (popular), to prowl about at night.

GIVERNEUR, m. (popular), one who prowls 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 prostitute at a brothel; to pay for the reckoning at a café. An allusion to the large looking-glass behind the counter. (Popular) Un ----, glass of wine. Sucer un ----, to drink a glass of wine.

GLACÉ, 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 glacés, ce sont ces gros réverbères à quatre faces de vitre verte carrées comme des glaces ... ce sont ces réverbères abolis qui pendent au bout d’une corde accrochée à un bras de potence.--=RICHEPIN=, Le Pavé.

GLACIÈRE PENDUE, f. (thieves’). See GLACÉ.

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. Passer sa bille au ----, to be guillotined. See FAUCHÉ.

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.”

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 “to snuff it.” See PIPE.

GLOBE, m. (popular), head, or “nut,” see TRONCHE; stomach. S’être 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.”

Paraît que j’suis dab’l ça m’esbloque. Un p’tit salé, à moi l’salaud! Ma rouchi’ doit batt’ la berloque. Un gluant, ça 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, f. (thieves’), face, or “mug.”

GNAC, m. (popular), quarrel.

GNAFFÉ, adj. (popular), clumsily done.

GNAFLE, f. (popular), bad throw. Après ---- raffle, constant ill-luck.

GNIAFF, m. (familiar), bad workman; writer or journalist of the worst description; (shoemakers’) working shoemaker.

GNIAFFER (popular), to work clumsily.

GNIASSE (cads’ and thieves’), mon ----, I, myself, “No. 1.” Ton ----, thou, thee. Son ----, he, him; I, myself. Un ----, a fellow, a “cove.” Un bon ----, a good fellow, a “brick.”

GNIFF, adj. (popular), ce vin est ----, that wine is clear.

GNIOL, GNIOLE, GNOLLE, adj. (popular), silly; dull-witted. Es-tu assez ----! how silly, or what a “flat” you are!

On voulait nous mettre à la manque pour lui (nous le faire livrer), nous ne sommes pas des gnioles!--=BALZAC.=

GNOGNOTTE, f. (familiar and popular). The expression has passed into the language; thing of little worth, “no great scratch.”

Ce farceur de Mes-Bottes, vers la fin de l’été, avait eu le truc d’épouser pour de vrai une dame, très décatie déjà, mais qui possédait de beaux restes; oh! une dame de la rue des Martyrs, pas de la gnognotte de barrière.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

GNOL-CHY (popular), abbreviation of Batignolles-Clichy.

GNOLE, f. (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’Allemagne;” when bacchanalian, “Gnouf-gnoufs de Pologne.”

GO, parler en ----, is to use that syllable to disguise words.

GOBAGE, m. (popular), love.

GOBANTE, f. (popular), attractive woman. From gober, to like.

GOBBE, GOBELOT, m. (thieves’), chalice.

GOBELET, m. (thieves’), être 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 te gobe, you please me; I like you. Gober la chèvre, or ---- son bœuf, 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 oneself; to love oneself too much.

Non, non, pas de cabotins. Le vieux Bosc était toujours gris; Prullières se gobait trop.--=ZOLA=, Nana.

La ----, to be the victim; to have to pay for others; to be ruined; to believe a false assertion. Synonymous, in the latter sense, of the old expression, “gober le morceau.”

Mais je ne suis pas homme à gober le morceau.--=MOLIÈRE=, Ecole des Femmes.

Cent pas plus loin, le camelot a recommencé son truc, après avoir ri, avec son copain, des pantes qui la gobent!--=RICHEPIN.= (A hundred steps further the sharper again tries his dodge, after laughing with his chum at the flats who take it in.)

Si nous échouons, c’est moi qui la gobe, if we fail, I shall be made responsible.

GOBESON, m. (thieves’), drinking-glass, or “flicker;” cup; chalice.

GOBET, m. (popular), piece of beef, “a bit o’ bull.” Had formerly the signification of dainty bit.

Laisse-moi faire, nous en mangerons de bons gobets ensemble.--=HAUTEROCHE=, Crispin Médecin.

Gobet, disorderly workman. Mauvais ----, 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.

GOBICHONNER (familiar and popular), se ----, to regale oneself.

Il se sentit capable des plus grandes lâchetés pour continuer à gobichonner.--=BALZAC.=

GOBICHONNEUR, m., gobichonneuse, f. (familiar and popular), gormandizer, “grand paunch.”

GOBILLEUR, m. (thieves’), juge d’instruction, a magistrate who instructs cases, and privately examines prisoners before trial.

GOBSECK, m. (familiar), miser, “skinflint,” or “hunks.” One of the characters of Balzac’s Comédie Humaine.

GODAILLE, f. (popular), amusement; indulgence in eating and drinking.

On doit travailler, ça ne fait pas un doute: seulement quand on se trouve avec des amis, la politesse passe avant tout. Un désir de godaille les avait peu à peu chatouillés et engourdis tous les quatre.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

GODAN, m. (popular), falsehood. Connaître le ----, to be wide-awake, not easily duped, “to know what’s o’clock.” Monter un ---- à quelqu’un, to seek to deceive one, or “best” one.

GODANCER (popular), to allow oneself to be duped, “to be done brown.”

GODARD, m. (popular), a husband who has just become a father.

GODDAM, or GODDEM, m. (popular), Englishman.

(Entraînant l’Anglais.) Maintenant, allons jouer des bibelots ... voilà un goddam qui va y aller d’autant. --=P. MAHALIN.=

GODET, m. (popular), drinking glass. A common expression among the lower orders, and a very old one.

GODICHE, adj. (familiar and popular), simple-minded, foolish.

Que tu es donc godiche, Toinon, de venir tous les matins comme ça.--=GAVARNI.=

GODILLER (popular), to be merry; to be carnally excited.

GODILLEUR, m. (popular), man who is fond of the fair sex, a “molrower,” or “beard-splitter.”

GODILLOT, m. (popular), military shoe. From the name of the maker; (military) recruit, or “Johnny raw.”

GODIVEAU RANCE, m. (popular), stingy man.

Tu peux penser si je le traite de godiveau rance chaque fois qu’il me refuse un petit cadeau.--=E. MONTEIL.=

GOFFEUR, m. (thieves’), locksmith. From the Celtic goff, a smith.

GOGAILLE, f. (popular), banquet.

GOGO, m. (familiar), simple-minded man who invests his capital in swindling concerns, “gull;” man easily fleeced.

Quand les allumeurs de l’Hôtel des Ventes eurent jugé le gogo en complet entraînement, il y eut un arrêt momentané parmi les enchères intéressées.--=A. SIRVEN.=

(Popular) Gogo, greenhorn, “flat.” The term, with this signification, is hardly slang. Villon uses it in his Ballade de Villon et de la Grosse Margot (15th 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 à Thomas ----, to empty the privy tub. Hirondelle de ----, low street-walker, or “draggle-tail.” See GADOUE.

GOGUETTE, f. (popular), vocal society; 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 make merry. From the old word goguette, amusement.

GOGUETTIER, m. (popular), member 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, “quærens quem devoret.”

GOIPEUR, m. (thieves’), night thief.

GOIPEUSE, f. (thieves’), prostitute who prowls about the country. See GADOUE.

GOÎTREUX, m. (familiar), silly fellow; man devoid of all intellectual power. Synonymous of crétin.

GOJE (Breton cant), well; yes.

GOLGOTHER (familiar), to give oneself the airs of a martyr. The allusion is obvious.

GOMBERGER (thieves’), to reckon.

GOMBEUX, adj. (popular), nasty.

GOMME, f. (familiar), fashion; elegance, “swelldom.” La haute ----, the “pink” of fashion. Etre de la ----, to be a dandy, a “masher.” See GOMMEUX. The term formerly signified excellence, and was used specially in reference to wine.

Mais non pas d’un pareil trésor, Que cette souveraine gomme.

Parnasse des Muses.

GOMMEUSE, f. (familiar), showily dressed girl or woman, a “dasher.”

GOMMEUX, adj. and m. (familiar), pretty; dandy.

C’était elle qui, pour la première fois, recevant un de ses amants astiqué des pieds à la tête, empesé, ciré, frotté, tiré, semblant, en deux mots, trempé dans de la gomme arabique en dissolution, avait dit de lui: un gommeux! Le petit-crevé avait un successeur.--=E. MONTEIL=, Cornebois.

The different appellations corresponding to various periods are as follows:--Under Louis XIV., “mouchar, muguet, petit-maître, talon-rouge.” After the revolution of 1793, “muscadin.” Under the government of the Directoire from ’95 to ’99, “incroyable, merveilleux.” Then from the Restoration come in succession, “mirliflor, élégant, dandy, lion, fashionable, and gandin.” Under the Third Empire, “cocodès, crevé, petit-crevé, col-cassé.” From 1870 to the present day, “gommeux, luisant, poisseux, boudiné, pschutteux, exhumé, gratiné, faucheur, and finally bécarre.” The English have the terms “swell, gorger, masher,” and the old expression “flasher,” mentioned in the following quotation from the English Supplementary Glossary:--

They are reckoned the flashers of the place, yet everybody laughs at them for their airs, affectations, and tonish graces and impertinences.--=MADAME D’ARBLAY=, Diary.

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 distinguish themselves as such, they instituted a club under this denomination, 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 shoulders, 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 perfumed, with a bunch of lace sticking out under its chin, puzzles the common passenger to determine the thing’s sex; and many have said, by your leave, madam, without 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 comparison between the tight and light-coloured trousers sported by swells, and the stem of a pipe termed “dudeen” by the Irish. Compare the French expression “boudiné,” literally sausage-like, for a swell in tight clothing.

GOMORRHE, m. (familiar), un émigré de ----, Sodomite.

GONCE, GONSE, GONZE, m. (thieves’), man, or “cove.”

GONCESSE, GONZESSE, f. (thieves’), woman, “hay-bag, cooler, or shakester.”

GONCIER, or GONCE, m. (thieves’), man, or “cove.”

GONDOLÉ, adj. (thieves’ and popular), avoir l’air ----, to look ill. Un homme ----, high-shouldered man.

GONFLE-BOUGRES, m. (thieves’), beans, the staple food of prisoners.

GONFLER. See BALLON. (Popular) Se ----, to be elated.

Mon vieux, c’que tu peux t’gonfler d’gagner des coupes Renaissance!--Le Cri du Peuple, 17 Août, 1886.

Se ---- le jabot, to look conceited.

Tu es un bon artiste, c’est vrai, mais, vrai aussi, tu te gonfles trop le jabot.--=E. MONTEIL.=

GONSALÉ, m. (thieves’), man, or “cove.” Si le ---- fait de l’harmonarés, il faut le balancarguer dans la vassarés, if the man is not quiet, we’ll throw him into the water.

GONSARÈS, 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 triviales, Dont au bout du Pont-Neuf au son du tambourin, Monté sur deux tréteaux, l’illustre Tabarin Amusoit autrefois et la nymphe et le gonze.

=LA FONTAINE=, Ragotin.

Gonse à écailles, women’s bully, “ponce.” See =POISSON=.

GONSIER, or GADOUILLE, m. (popular), an individual, “cove.”

GONSSE, m. (police and thieves’), fool, “flat.”

Vous êtes un gonsse, monsieur, murmura le chef à l’agent porteur du bijou, qu’il lui arracha aussitôt.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

GONZESSE. See GONCESSE.

GORGE, f. (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! l’affreux gosse! pialle-t’y! Asseyez-vous dessus! et qu’ ça finisse! The horrible child! how he does squall! Sit upon him, and let there be an end of it. This seemingly uncharitable wish is often expressed in thought, if not in speech, in France, where many children are petted and spoilt into insufferable tyrants.

Arrive l’enfant de la maison qui pleure. Au lieu de lui dire: Ah! le joli enfant, même quand il pleure, on croirait entendre la voix de la Patti.... Maintenant ce n’est plus ça, l’on dit: Ah! l’affreux gosse! Pialles-t’y! ... en v’là un qui crie! ... pour sûr il a avalé la pratique à Thérésa!--Les Locutions Vicieuses.

GOSSELIN, m. (popular), a lad; a young man, or “covey” in English slang.

GOSSELINE, f. (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’), louse, or “gold-backed un.”

GOTEUR, m. (popular), whore-monger, “mutton-monger, molrower, beard-splitter, or rip.”

GOUACHE, f. (popular), face, physiognomy, or “mug.” See TRONCHE.

GOUALANTE, GOUASANTE, f. (thieves’), song; street hawker. Les goualantes avec leurs bagnioles, the hawkers with their hand-barrows.

GOUALER (thieves’), to sing, “to “lip;” ---- à la chienlit, to cry out thieves! In the slang of English thieves, “to give hot beef.”

GOUALEUR, m., GOUALEUSE, f. (thieves’), singer, “chanter.”

Dis donc, la goualeuse, est-ce que tu ne vas pas nous goualer une de tes goualantes?--=E. SUE=, Les Mystères de Paris.

GOUAPE, f. (popular), laziness; drunken and disorderly state; one who leads a lazy or dissolute life; a reprobate; thief, or “prig.” See GRINCHE.

GOUAPER (popular), to lead a disorderly life; to prowl about lazily, “to mike;” to tramp.

GOUAPEUR, GOUÊPEUR (general), lazy man; vagabond; debauchee.

Sans paffes, sans lime, plein de crotte, Aussi rupin qu’un plongeur, Un soir un gouêpeur en ribote Tombe en frime avec un voleur.

=VIDOCQ.=

Michel says, “Je suis convaincu que la racine de ce mot est guêpe, qui se dit guape en patois normand, et qui vient de wasp: pareil à l’insecte de ce nom, le gouêpeur erre çà et là, butinant pour vivre.” Gouapeur, ironical appellation given by lazy prisoners to those who work.

GOUAPEUSE, f. (general), dissolute woman fond of good cheer.

GOUÊPER (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 gouêpé dans mon enfance avec un vieux chiffonnier qui m’assommait de coups de croc.--=E. SUE.=

GOUÊPEUR. See GOUAPEUR.

GOUFFIER (obsolete), to eat.

GOUGNOTTAGE, m. (common). Rigaud says: “Honteuse cohabitation d’une femme avec une autre femme.”

GOUGNOTTE, f. (common). See GOUGNOTTAGE.

GOUGNOTTER. See GOUGNOTTAGE.

GOUILLE, f. (popular), envoyer à 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;” girl’s bully, or “Sunday man.” For synonyms see POISSON. Un ---- d’hôpital, 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. Lâcher 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.

GOULE, f. (popular), throat, or “gutter lane;” mouth, or “rattle-trap.” Old form of gueule used in the expression, now obsolete, Faire péter la goule, to speak.

GOULOT, m. (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. Trouilloter du ----, to have an offensive breath.

GOULU, m. (thieves’), a stove; a well. Properly greedy, glutton.

GOUPINAGE, m. (thieves’), work, “graft;” thieving, “faking.”

GOUPINE, f. (cads’ and thieves’), head, or “nut,” see TRONCHE; (popular) quaint dress.

GOUPINÉ, adj. (popular), mal ----, badly dressed.

GOUPINER (thieves’), to steal, “to nick.” See GRINCHIR.

En roulant de vergne en vergne Pour apprendre à goupiner.

=VIDOCQ.=

Goupiner les poivriers, to rob drunkards; ---- à la desserte, to steal plate from a dining-room in the following manner:--

D’autres bonjouriers ne se mettent en campagne qu’aux approches du dîner: ceux-là saisissent le moment où l’argenterie vient d’être posée sur la table. Ils entrent et en un clin d’œil ils la font disparaître.--=VIDOCQ.=

Goupiner, to do.

La largue est fine ... et que goupine-t-elle? Elle est établie ... elle gère une maison.--=BALZAC.=

GOUPINEUR À LA DESSERTE, m. (thieves’). See GOUPINER.

GOUPLINE, f. (thieves’), pint.

GOUR, m. (thieves’), jug; ---- de pivois, jugful of wine.

GOURD, m. (thieves’), fraud; deceit; swindling; (Breton cant) good; well.

GOURDAGO (Breton cant), food.

GOURDE, f. (popular), simpleton, “flat.”

GOURDÉ, m. (popular), fool, “flat,” or “duffer.”

GOURDEMENT (popular and thieves’), much, or, as the Irish say, “neddy;” very.

Ils piaussent dans les pioles, morfient et pictent si gourdement, que toutime en bourdonne.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (They sleep in the taverns, eat and 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 inferior 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, f. (thieves’), female deceiver or cheat.

GOURGANDIN, m. (familiar), a man too fond of cocottes. Vieux ----, old debauchee, old “rip.”

GOURGANDINAGE, m. (popular), disreputable way of living.

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), à son ----, pleased. The word is old, Villon uses it:--

L’hostesse fut bien à son gourt, Car, quand vint à compter l’escot, Le seigneur ne dist oncques mot.

GOUSPIN, or GOUSSEPAIN, m. (popular), malicious urchin.

Il 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 goussepain, Dépouilla le greffier, et lui fit sa toilette.

=RICHEPIN=, La Chanson des Gueux.

GOUSPINER (popular), to wander lazily about, “to mike.” From gouspin, a malicious urchin.

GOUSSE, f. (theatrical), la ----, monthly banquet of the actors of the Vaudeville Theatre. See GOSSELIN.

GOUSSER (popular), to eat, “to grub.” See MASTIQUER.

GOUSSET, m. (popular), armpit. Properly fob. Avoir le ---- percé, to be penniless, “to be a quisby.” Repousser du ----, to emit a disagreeable odour of humanity.

GOÛT, m. (popular), faire passer, or faire perdre à quelqu’un le ---- du pain, to kill one, “to cook one’s goose.”

GOUTTE, f. (popular), marchand de ----, retailer of spirits. (Familiar and popular) Goutte militaire, a certain disease termed in the English slang “French gout,” or “ladies’ fever.”

GOUTTIÈRE, f. (familiar), lapin de ----, a cat, “long-tailed beggar.”

GOUVERNEMENT, m. (popular), mon ----, my wife, “my old woman,” or “my comfortable impudence.”

GOYE, m. (popular), fool; dupe.

GRAFFAGNADE, f. (familiar), bad painting.

GRAFFIGNER (popular), to take; to seize, “to nab;” to scratch.

GRAFFIN, m. (popular), rag-picker, “bone-grubber,” or “tot-picker.”

GRAIGAILLE, f. (popular), bread, “soft tommy, or bran.”

GRAILLON, m. (familiar), dirty slatternly woman. That is, one who emits an odour of kitchen grease.

GRAILLONNEUSE, f. (popular), woman 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. Léger de deux grains (obsolete), an expression applied formerly to eunuchs. Un catholique à gros ---- (obsolete), the signification is given by the quotation:--

On appelle catholique à gros grain, un libertin, un homme peu dévot, qui ne va à l’église que par manière d’acquit.--=LE ROUX=, Dict. Comique.

GRAINE, f. (familiar and popular), de bagne, thief’s offspring; (familiar) ---- de chou colossal, grand promises made with the object of swindling credulous persons; ---- giberne, soldier’s child; ---- d’épinards, epaulets of field-officers. Avoir la ---- d’épinards, to be a field-officer. De la ---- d’andouilles is said of a number of small children in a group.

GRAISSAGE, m., or GRAISSE, f. (popular), money, “dust.” That which serves “to grease the palm.” See QUIBUS.

GRAISSE, f. (popular and thieves’), money, or “pieces.” See QUIBUS. (Thieves’) Voler à la graisse (for grèce), to cheat at a game. Also to obtain a loan of money on “brummagem” trinkets, or paste diamonds represented as genuine.

Voler à la graisse: se faire prêter sur des lingots d’or et sur des diamants qui ne 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;” (general) ---- la peau, to thrash, “to wallop.” See VOIE. Graisser le train de derrière, to give a kick in the behind, “to toe one’s bum;” ---- les bottes à quelqu’un, to help one; ---- les épaules à quelqu’un (obsolete), to thrash one.

Graisser les épaules à quelqu’un, pour dire, le bâtonner. Ce qui a fait dire aussi de l’huile de cotret, c’est-à-dire, des coups de bâton.--=LE ROUX=, Dict. Comique.

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 Préfet de Police; (popular) ---- bonnet, a bishop; ---- carcan, tall, lanky girl. Also an opprobrious epithet; ---- courbouillon, sea, or “briny;” ---- lumignon, sun; ---- singe, President of the Republic; (thieves’) ---- coëre, formerly the king of mendicants; ---- meudon, spy; detective, “nark;” ---- trimar, highway, “high toby;” (military) ---- montant tropical, riding breeches; (theatrical) ---- trottoir, stock of classical plays.

GRANDE, adj. and f. (popular), boutique, préfecture de police; ---- bleue, the sea, “briny,” or “herring pond;” ---- fille, bottle. (Thieves’) Grande, pocket, or “cly,” “sky-rocket,” “brigh.” Termed also “profonde, fouillouse, louche, gueularde.”

GRAND’ LARGUE, adv. (sailors’), excellent; incomparable.

GRANDS, adj. (theatrical), jouer les ---- coquets, to perform in the character of an accomplished, elegant man. (Cavalry school of Saumur) Les ---- hommes, the corridors in the school buildings.

GRANIK (Breton cant), hunger.

GRAOUDGEM, m. (thieves’), pork butcher, or “kiddier.” Faire un ---- à la dure, to steal sausages.

GRAPHIQUÉ, adj. (thieves’), filthy, 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 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-DOUBLIER, m. (thieves’), plumber.

GRASSE, f. (thieves’), strong box, or “peter.” Thus called by rogues because it contains “la graisse,” or the cash.

GRATIN, m. (popular), thrashing. Refiler un ----, to box one’s ears. (Familiar) Gratin, tip-top of fashion; swelldom.

Le Paris extra-mondain ... le gratin, quoi!--=P. MAHALIN.=

GRATINÉ, m. (familiar), swell, “masher.” For synonymous expressions 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, f. (popular), itch. From gratter, to scratch, to itch.

GRATOUSE, f. (thieves’), lace.

GRATOUSÉ, adj. (thieves’), adorned with lace.

GRATTE, f. (popular), itch; unlawful profits of shopmen on the sale of goods, something like the “fluff” or profits on short change by railway ticket-clerks; bonus allowed to shopmen; ---- couenne, barber, “strap;” ---- pavé, loiterer seeking for a living, one “on the mouch.”

GRATTÉE, f. (popular), blows, “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 thrash, “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 frères qui en grattent, rope-dancers. Gratter les pavés, 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.”

GRÈCE, f. (familiar), the tribe of card-sharpers. Tomber dans la ----, to become a card-sharper. Vol à la ----, card swindle. (Thieves’) Grèce, or soulasse, swindler who offers one a high profit on the change of gold coins, for which he substitutes base coin when the bargain has been struck. A variety of the confidence trick. Vidocq thus describes the mode of operating of these gentry. A confederate 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 confederate, 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 bargain 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.

GRÉCER (thieves’), to swindle at cards. From “grec,” card-sharper.

GRECQUERIE, f. (familiar), tribe of card-sharpers.

GRÉER (naval), se ----, to dress oneself, “to rig oneself out.”

GREFFER (popular), to be hungry, “to be bandied.” Je greffe, or je déclare, I am hungry. (Thieves’) Greffer, to steal an object by skilfully 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 pomaqué son greffier, Qui jacte par la venterne Qui le lui refilera, Le dab Lustucru Lui dit: “Dabuch’ Mich’lon, Allez! votre greffier n’est pas pomaqué; Il est dans le roulon, Qui fait la chasse aux tretons, Avec un bagaffre de fertange Et un fauchon de satou.”

Popular song of C’est la mère Michel qui a perdu son chat, in thieves’ cant, quoted by F. Michel.

GREFFIQUE, f. (roughs’), the magistracy and lawyers.

GREFIER (Breton cant), cat.

GRÊLE, m. and f. (popular), master, or “boss;” master tailor.

Ils ne nous exploiteront plus en maîtres, ces grêles.--=MACÉ.=

(Thieves’) Grêle, row or fight, “shindy.”

Il va y avoir de la grêle, c’est un raille.--=E. SUE.=

(Popular) Grêle, pockmarks. Ne pas s’être assuré contre la ----, to be pockmarked, or “to be cribbage-faced.”

GRÊLESSE, f. (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.” Il en a un ----! how he does jaw away. Faire péter son ----, to talk, “to wag the red rag.” Mettre une sourdine à son ----, to keep silent, “to be mum.” Mets une sourdine à ton ----, don’t talk so much, “don’t shoot off your mouth” (Americanism).

GRELU, or GRENU, m. (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, “grey” or “grey-backed un.”

GRENAFE, GRENASSE, f. (thieves’), barn.

GRENIER, m. (popular), à coups de poing, drunkard’s wife; ---- à coups de sabre, soldier’s woman; ---- à lentilles, pockmarked face, or “cribbage face;” ---- à sel, 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, f. (popular), woman. An insulting epithet; (military) cash-box. (General) Emporter la ----, to abscond with the cash-box. Manger la ----, to spend for ones own purposes the contents of the cash-box, or funds entrusted to one’s keeping. (Popular) Sirop de ----, water, “Adam’s ale.”

GRENOUILLER (popular), to drink water. Had formerly the signification of to frequent wine-shops.

GRENOUILLÈRE, f. (general), swimming bath. La Grenouillère is the name of a well-known swimming 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, f. (thieves’), oats.

GRENUE, GRENUSE, f. (thieves’), flour.

GRÈS, m. (thieves’), horse, or “prad.” Termed also “gail.”

GRÉSILLONNER (popular), to ask for credit, “tick,” “jawbone,” or “day.”

GRESSIER (thieves’), to steal, “to nick.” See GRINCHIR.

GRÈVE, f. (thieves’), hirondelle de ----, gendarme. Executions formerly took place at the Place de Grève in front of the Hôtel de Ville, hence the expression. Des anges de ---- (obsolete), porters.

GRÉVISTE, m. (popular), workman on strike. From grève, strike.

Du reste, la bande de grévistes ... ne viendrait plus à cette heure; quelque obstacle avait dû l’arrêter, des gendarmes peut être.--=ZOLA=, Germinal.

GRÉZILLON, m. (popular), pinch.

GRIBIS, GRIPIE, GRIPPIS, GRIPPE-FLEUR (thieves’), miller.

Il y avait en un certain tourniquet un gribis qui ne fichait rien que floutière aux bons pauvres.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (There used to be in a certain mill a miller who never gave anything to the worthy poor.)

GRIBLAGE, CRIBLAGE, m. (thieves’), shout, shouting; (popular) complaint, grumbling.

GRIE, m., GRIELLE, f. adj. (thieves’), cold.

GRIFFARD, GRIFFON, m. (popular), cat. Griffe, claw.

GRIFFARDE, f. (thieves’), pen.

GRIFFER (popular), to seize, “to collar;” to take; to purloin, “to prig.”

GRIFFETON, m. (popular), soldier, or “wobbler.” From grive, grivier, a soldier.

GRIFFLEUR, m. (thieves’), chief warder in a prison, “head screw.”

GRIFFON, m. (thieves’), writer.

GRIFFONNANTE, f. (thieves’), pen. Griffonner, to write a scrawl.

GRIFFONNER (thieves’), to swear.

GRIFFONNEUR, m. (thieves’), one who swears; (popular) ---- de babillards, journalist.

GRIFLER (thieves’), to take, “to grab.”

GRIFON (Breton cant), dog.

GRIGNOLET, m. (popular), bread, “soft tommy.”

GRIGNON, m. (thieves’), judge, “beak.” Probably from “grigner les dents,” to show one’s teeth threateningly, or from “grognon.”

GRILLÉE, 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, to lock up one, “to run in;” to deceive one (conjugally). En ---- une, to smoke a pipe or cigarette. En ---- une sèche, to smoke a cigarette. Griller une bouffarde, to smoke a pipe.

Au gardien de la paix ... sa consigne lui défend de boire et de fumer. Ni boire un verre, ni griller une bouffarde! Voilà la consigne.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

GRILLEUSE DE BLANC, f. (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, m. (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, pretending to be mistaken when discovered, and steals any property worth taking. (Popular) Un grimpant, trousers, “sit-upons, or kicks.” (Popular and thieves’) Les grimpants, staircase; steps, or “dancers.” (Military) Grand ---- tropical, riding breeches.

GRIMPE-CHATS, m. (popular), roof.

GRINCHAGE (thieves’), for GRINCHISSAGE, which see.

Un journal racontait hier que T’Kindt était, du reste, un vrai artiste en matière de grinchage, appliqué au high-life.--=PIERRE VÉRON=, Evénement au 9 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 à un journal Montagnard qui a fait paraître deux numéros au mois de juin, 1848.--=G. BRUNET=, Dictionnaire de la Conversation et de la Lecture.

Nous étions dix à douze, Tous grinches de renom; Nous attendions la sorgue, Voulant poisser des bogues, Pour faire du billon.

=VIDOCQ.=

Un ---- de cambrouse, a highwayman. In the old English cant, “bridle-cull.” Other varieties of the tribe of malefactors go by the appellations of “grinchisseur, pègre, chevalier de la grippe, fourline, escarpe, poisse, limousineur, charron, truqueur, locandier, vanternier, cambrioleur, caroubleur, solitaire, compagnon, deffardeur, pogne, tireur, voleur à la tire, doubleur, fil de soie, mion de boule, grinchisseur de bogues, friauche, tirebogue, Américain, jardinier, ramastiqueur, enfant de minuit, philosophe, philibert, voleur au bonjour, bonjourier, philantrope, frère de la manicle, garçon de campagne, garçon de cambrouse, tiretaine, enfant de la matte, careur, chêne affranchi, droguiste, &c.; the English brethren being denominated “prig, cracksman, crossman, sneaksman, moucher, hooker, flash cove, bug-hunter, cross-cove, buz-faker, stook-hauler, toy-getter, tooler, prop-nailer, area-sneak, palmer, dragsman, lob-sneak, bouncer, lully-prigger, thimble-twister, gun, conveyancer, dancer, pudding-snammer, beak-hunter, ziff, drummer, 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 ils vont décarrer nous les empaumerons. Je grincherai le sinve. Il est avec une largue, il ne criblera pas. --=E. SUE=. (We’ll follow them when they come out. I’ll rob the cove. He is with a woman, he will not cry out.)

GRINCHEUR, m. (thieves’), young thief, or “ziff.”

GRINCHIE, adj. (thieves’), camelotte ----, stolen goods, “swag.”

GRINCHIR (thieves’), to steal. Rabelais in his Pantagruel says of Panurge:--“Toutesfois il avoit soixante et trois manières d’en trouver toujours à son besoing (de l’argent), dont la plus honorable et la plus commune estoit par façon 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 imitators of Panurge have not remained 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, décrasser, rincer, entiffler, retirer l’artiche, savonner, doubler, barbotter, graisser, dégauchir, dégraisser, effaroucher, évaporer, agripper, soulever, fourmiller, filer, acheter à la foire d’empoigne, pégrer, goupiner à 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 morlingue, faire un poivrot, faire un coup d’étal, faire un coup de radin, rincer une cambriolle, faire la soulasse sur le grand trimar, ramastiquer, fourlourer, faire le mouchoir, faire un coup de roulotte, 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 convey, to buz, to be on the cross, to do the sneaking-budge, to nick, to fang,” &c., &c.

GRINCHISSAGE, m. (thieves’), thieving; theft, or “sneaking-budge.” The latter expression is used by Fielding.

Wild looked upon borrowing to be as good a way of taking as any, and, as he called it, the genteelest kind of sneaking-budge--=FIELDING=, Jonathan Wild.

Le ---- à domicile is practised by rogues known under the following denominations:--“Le bonjourier,” see this word; “le cambrioleur,” who operates in apartments; “le caroubleur,” who effects an entrance by means of skeleton keys; “le chevalier du pince-linge,” one who steals linen, “snow-gatherer;” “le déménageur,” who takes possession of articles of furniture, descending the staircase backwards, so that on an emergency he may at once make a show of ascending, as if he were bringing in furniture; “le grinchisseur à la desserte,” thief who 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 vanternier,” who effects an entrance through a window, “dancer;” “le voleur à 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 à la ballade, or à la trimballade, the thief makes some purchases, and finding he has not sufficient money, requests a clerk to accompany him home, entrusting the parcel to a pretended commissionnaire, a confederate. On the way the rogues suddenly vanish. Le ---- à la broquille consists in substituting sham jewellery for the genuine article when offered for inspection by the tradesman. Le ---- à la carre. See CARREUR. Le ---- à la cire, purloining a silver fork or spoon at a restaurant by making it adhere under the table by means of a piece of soft wax. After this preliminary operation the rogue leaves the place, generally after having been searched by the restaurant keeper; then an accomplice enters, takes his confederate’s place at the table, and obtains possession of the property. Le ---- à la détourne, 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 swaddling-clothes serve as a receptacle for the stolen property. Le ----, or vol à la glu, takes place in churches by means of a rod with birdlime at one end, plunged through the slit in the alms-box, termed tronc; the coins adhering to the extremity of the rod are thus fished out. Le ----, or vol à l’Américaine, confidence-trick robbery. It is the old story of a traveller meeting with a countryman and managing to exchange the latter’s well-filled purse for a bag of leaden coins. Those who practise it are termed “Américains,” or “magsmen.”

Il est aussi vieux que le monde. Il a été raconté mille fois!... Ce vol suranné réussit toujours! il réussira tant qu’il y aura des simples, jusqu’à la consommation des siècles.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Le ---- à la mélasse, the rogue has a tall hat, with the inside of the crown besmeared with treacle, which he suddenly places on the head of the tradesman, pushing it far down over his eyes, and thus making him temporarily helpless (Pierre Delcourt, Paris Voleur). Le ---- à la quête, stealing part of the proceeds of a collection in a church when the plate is being passed round. Le ----, or vol à la reconnaissance, consists in picking the pockets of a passer-by while pretending to recognize him and greeting him as an old friend. Le ----, or vol à la tire, according to Monsieur Claude, formerly head of the detective department, this species of theft is the classical one in which the celebrated Cartouche, a kind of French Jack Sheppard, was an adept. It consists in picking waistcoat pockets by means of a pair of scissors or a double-bladed penknife. Le ----, or vol à l’épate, is high-class swindling. It comprises “le brodage,” “le chantage,” “le négoce,” and “le vol au cautionnement.” The first of these consists in the setting-up of a financial establishment and opening an account for unwary merchants, who are made to sign bills in exchange for the swindlers’ paper endorsed by them. When these bills become due they are returned dishonoured, so that the victimized merchants 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 exposure. The proceeds are termed in the English slang “socket-money.” For full explanation see CHANTEUR. “Le négoce” is practised by English swindlers who represent themselves as being the agents of some well-known firm, and thus obtain goods from continental merchants in exchange for fictitious bills. “Le vol au cautionnement,” the rogues set up a sham financial establishment and advertise for a number of clerks to be employed by the firm on the condition of leaving a deposit as a guarantee. When a large staff of officials, or rather pigeons, have been found, the managers decamp with the deposit fund. Le ----, or vol à la roulotte or roulante, the thief jumps on the box of a vehicle temporarily left in the street by its owner and drives off at a gallop. Sometimes the horse alone is disposed of, the vehicle being left in some out-of-the-way place. 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,” according to Mr. James Greenwood. See The Seven Curses of London, p. 87. Le ----, or vol à l’esbrouffe, picking the pockets of a passer-by while hustling him as if by accident, termed “ramping.” Le ----, or vol à l’étourneau, when a thief who has just stolen the contents of a till is making his escape, an accomplice who is keeping watch outside scampers off in the opposite direction, so as to baffle the puzzled tradesman, whose hesitation allows of the rogues gaining ground. Le ----, or vol à l’opium, robbery from a person who has been drugged. The scoundrels who practise it are generally Jewish money-lenders of the lowest class, who attract their victims to their abode under pretence of advancing money. A robber who first makes his victim 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 or parcels. The little victims sometimes get their hair shorn off as well. Le ----, or vol au chatouillage, 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, meanwhile rifling the pockets of the helpless victim. Le ----, or vol au colis, the thief leaves a parcel in some coffee-house with the recommendation to the landlord not to give it up except on payment of say twenty francs. He then seeks a commissionnaire 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-cracking.” Le ----, or vol au gail or gayet, horse-stealing, or “prad-napping.” Le ----, or vol au grimpant, 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 workmen engaged in some repairs. Le ----, or vol au parapluie, a shoplifter, or “sneaksman,” drops the stolen property in a half-open umbrella. 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 trèpe, picking pockets or scarf-pins in a crowd, “cross-fanning.” Le ----, or vol au radin, the landlord of a wine-shop is requested to fetch a bottle of 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 “radin,” pushed on to it, thus imprisoning 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 place 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 Delcourt, Paris Voleur). Le ----, or vol au rigolo, appropriating the contents of a cash-box opened by means of a skeleton key.

Le Pince-Monseigneur perfectionné, se porte aujourd’hui dans un étui à cigares et dans un porte-monnaie ... les voleurs au rigolo ouvrent aujourd’hui toutes les caisses.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Le ----, or vol au suif, variety of card-sharping swindle.

Il s’opère par un grec qui rôde chez les marchands de vin, dans les cafés borgnes, pour dégotter, en bon suiffeur, une frimousse de pante ou de daim.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Le ----, or vol au timbre, a tobacconist is asked for a large number of stamps, 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. Needless to say, the envelope is empty. Le ----, or vol au tiroir, the thief enters a tobacconist’s or spirit shop, and asks for a cigar or glass of spirits. When the tradesman opens his till to give change, snuff is thrown 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, f. (popular), bread, or “soft tommy;” food, or “prog.”

GRIPIE, m. (thieves’), miller. See GRIBIS.

GRIPPE, f. (thieves’), chevalier de la ----, thief, or “prig.” See GRINCHE.

GRIPPE-CHEVILLE (thieves’), faire ----, to steal, “to claim.” See GRINCHIR.

GRIPPE-FLEUR, GRIPIE, GRIPPIS, m. (thieves’), miller. Termed “Grindoff” in English slang.

GRIPPE-JÉSUS, m. (thieves’), gendarme.

Parcequ’ils arrêtent les innocents et qu’ils n’ont pas même épargné Jésus.--=NISARD.=

GRIPPEMINI, m. (obsolete), barrister, or “mouthpiece;” lawyer, “sublime rascal, or green bag;” extortioner. From grippeminaud, thief.

GRIPPER (thieves’), to apprehend, “to smug.” See PIPER. Rabelais uses the term with the signification of to seize:--

Parmy eulx règne la sexte essence, moyennant laquelle ils grippent tout, dévorent tout et conchient tout.

GRIPPERIE, f. (popular), theft (obsolete).

GRIPPIS, GRIPIE, GRIPPE-FLEUR, m. (thieves’), miller.

GRIS, adj. and m. (thieves’), dear; wind; (popular) ---- d’officier, slight intoxication; ---- jusqu’à la troisième capucine, completely drunk, or “slewed.” Capucine, a musket band.

GRISAILLE, f. (popular), sister of mercy. An allusion to the grey costume worn by sisters of mercy.

GRISES, f. pl. (general), en faire voir de ----, to lead one a hard life.

GRISETTE. See BIFTECK.

GRISOTTER (popular), se ----, to get slightly drunk, or “elevated.” See SCULPTER.

GRISPIN, m. (thieves’), miller.

GRIVE, f. (thieves’), army; military patrol; warder. Cribler à la ----, to cry out thieves, “to whiddle beef.” Synonymous of “crier à la garde.” Harnais de ----, uniform. Tapis de ----, canteen.

GRIVIER, m. (thieves’), soldier, “swaddy, lobster, or red herring.” 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 Gruyères, serving in the French army. Grivier de gaffe, sentry; ---- de narquois, deserter. Literally a bantering soldier.

GRIVOISE, f. (obsolete), soldier’s wench, garrison town prostitute. Termed by the English military “barrack-hack.”

Grivoise, c’est à dire coureuse, putain, débauchée, aventurière, dame suivante de l’armée ou gibier de corps-de-garde, une garce à soldats.--Dictionnaire Comique.

GROBIS, m. (familiar), faire du ----, to look big (obsolete).

Et en faisant du grobis leur donnait sa bénédiction.--=RABELAIS.=

GROG AU BŒUF, m. (popular), broth.

GROGNE, f. (obsolete), faire la ----, to grumble, to have “the tantrums.”

Faire la grogne, pour faire la moue, prendre la chèvre, faire mauvais visage, bouder, gronder, être de mauvaise humeur, dédaigner.--Dictionnaire Comique.

GROGNON, m. (thieves’), one about to be executed. Properly one who grumbles, and very naturally so, at the unpleasant prospect. The English equivalent is “gallows-ripe.”

GROLLER (popular), to growl, to grumble. Properly to croak. From the word grolle, used by Rabelais with the signification of crow.

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. Gâcher du ----, to ease oneself. See MOUSCAILLER. Gros cul, prosperous rag-picker; ---- lot, venereal disease; (familiar and popular) ---- bonnet, influential man; high official, “big-wig;” ---- numéro, brothel, or “nanny-shop.” An establishment of that description has a number of large dimensions placed over the front door, and window panes whitewashed. (Thieves’) Artie de ---- Guillaume, brown bread. The expression, “du gros Guillaume,” was formerly used by the Parisians.

On appelle du gros Guillaume, du pain destiné, 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 ménage, tel que le mangent les paysans.--=LE ROUX=, Dict. Comique.

(Military) Gros bonnet, officer of high rank, “bloke;” ---- frères, ---- lolos, or ---- talons, the cuirassiers; ---- légumes, field-officers. A play on the words “épaulettes à graines d’épinards,” the insignia of such officers. The word gros, considered as the masculine of “grosse,” synonymous of “enceinte,” was formerly used with the signification of impatient, longing, alluding to the uncontrollable desires which are sometimes 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 connaître.”

GROSSE, adj. f. (popular), caisse, the body, or “apple cart;” ---- cavalerie, staff of scavengers, or “rake kennels,” an allusion to their big boots; ---- culotte, drunkard. (Convicts’) Grosse cavalerie, scum of the hulks, desperate scoundrels; and, in theatrical language, supernumeraries of the ballet. (Tramcar conductors’) Aller voir les grosses têtes, to drive the first morning car to Bineau, this part of Paris being inhabited by substantial people.

GROSSIOT, m. (popular), person of good standing, a “swell.”

GROTTE, f. (thieves’), the hulks. Gerbé à la ----, sentenced to transportation, or “lagged.” Aller à la ----, to be transported, “to lump the lighter.”

GROUCHY, m. (printers’), petit ----, one who is late; small job, the composition of which has been delayed. An allusion to the alleged tardiness of General Grouchy at Waterloo.

GROUILLER (sailors’), attrape à ne pas ----, mind you do not move.

Attrape à ne pas grouiller, fit le vieux.... Tu perdrais ton souffle à lui courir après.--=RICHEPIN=, La Glu.

GROUILLIS-GROUILLOT, m. (popular), swarm, crowd, or “scuff.”

GROUIN, m. (popular), face, or “mug.” Properly snout. Se lécher le ----, to kiss one another. Donner un coup de ---- (obsolete), to kiss.

GROULE, GROULASSE, f. (popular), female apprentice; small servant; young “slavey,” or “marchioness.”

GROUMER (popular), to grumble.

GRUBLER (thieves’), to grumble; to growl.

Vous grublez comme un guichemard.--=RICHEPIN.= (You growl like a jailer.)

GRUE, f. (familiar), more than fast girl; kept woman, or “demi-rep;” foolish, empty-headed girl or woman.

GRUERIE, f. (familiar), stupidity.

GRUN (Breton cant), chin.

GRUYÈRE, m. (popular), morceau de ----, pockmarked face, or “cribbage face.”

GUADELOUPE, f. (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.

GUÉDOUZE, or GUÉTOUSE, f. (thieves’), death.

GUELDRE, f. (fishermens’), bait prepared with shrimps for the fishing of sardines.

La sardine est jolie en arrivant à l’air ... Mais pour aller la prendre il faut avoir le nez Bougrement plein de poils, et de poils goudronnés; Car la gueldre et la rogue avec quoi l’on arrose Les seines qu’on lui tend, ne fleurent point la rose. Gueldre, lisez mortier de crevettes, pas frais.

=RICHEPIN=, La Mer.

GUELTE, f. (shopmens’), percentage allowed on sales.

GUELTER (shopmens’), to make a percentage on sales; to pay such percentage.

GUÉNAUD, m. (thieves’), wizard.

GUÉNAUDE, f. (thieves’), witch.

GUENETTE, f. (thieves’), fear, “funk.”

GUENILLES, f. pl. (familiar), trousser ses ----, to run away (obsolete), “to tip one’s rags a gallop.”

Gentil ambassadeur de quilles, Croyez-moi, troussez vos guenilles.

=SCARRON=, Gigantomachie.

GUENON, f. (popular), mistress of an establishment, the master being “le singe.”

GUÉRI, adj. (thieves’), set at liberty; free; the prison being termed “hôpital,” and imprisonment “maladie.”

Hélas! il est malade à Canelle (il est arrêté à Caen) ... il a une fièvre chaude (il est fortement compromis), et vous, il paraît que vous êtes guéri (libre)?--=VIDOCQ.=

GUÉRITE, f. (popular), à calotins, confessional. Guérite is properly a sentry-box. Enfiler la ---- (obsolete), to run away.

GUÊTRÉ, m. (military), trooper who, for some reason or other, has to make the day’s journey on foot.

GUEULARD, m. (thieves’), bag; wallet.

Ils trollent ordinairement à leur côté un gueulard avec une rouillarde pour mettre le pivois.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (They generally carry by their side a wallet with a bottle to keep the wine in.)

(Popular) Un ----, a stove. Gueulard, properly a gormandizer.

GUEULARDE, f. (thieves’), pocket, “cly,” “sky-rocket,” or “brigh.” Termed also “fouillouse, louche, profonde, or grande.”

GUEULARDISE, f. (popular), dainty food.

GUEULE, f. (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;” ---- de tourte, stupid-looking face. Bonne ----, grotesque face. Crever la ---- à 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 disdainful airs; to look disgusted.

Dis donc, Marie bon-bec, ne fais pas ta gueule.--=ZOLA.=

Avoir de la ----, to be loud-mouthed. Il n’a que la ----, he is a humbug. Se chiquer la ----, to maul one another’s face. (Military) Roulement de la ----, beating to dinner. Se sculpter une ---- de bois, to get drunk, or “screwed.” For synonyms see SCULPTER.

GUEULÉE, f. (popular), howling; meal. Chercher la ----, to be a parasite, or “quiller.”

GUEULÉES, f. pl. (popular), objectionable talk, or “blue talk.”

GUEULER (popular), comme un âne, to be loud-tongued; (thieves’) ---- à la chienlit, to cry out thieves! or police! “to whiddle beef.”

GUEULETON, m. (familiar and popular), a feast, or “spread.”

Et les artistes se levèrent pour serrer la main d’un frère qui offrait un gueuleton général.--=E. MONTEIL.=

GUEULETONNER (familiar and popular), to feast.

GUEUSE, f. (popular), mistress; prostitute, or “mot.” See GADOUE. Courir la ----, to be a whore-monger, or “molrower.”

GUEUX, m. (popular), small pan full of charcoal used as a foot-warmer by market women, &c.

Une vieille femme ... est accroupie près d’un gueux sur les cendres duquel une cafetière ronronne.--=P. MAHALIN.=

GUEUX-GUEUX (obsolete), rascal; the expression being used in a friendly manner.

GUIBE (popular), leg; ---- à la manque, lame leg; ---- de satou, wooden leg. Jouer des guibes, to dance; to run away, “to slope.” See PATATROT.

GUIBOLE, or GUIBOLLE, f. (popular and thieves’), leg, “pin.”

Mais comment? Lui, si démoli, si mal gréé à c’t’heure, avec sa guibole boiteuse, et ses bras rouillés, et toutes les avaries de sa coque en retraite, comment pourrait-il saborder ce gaillard-là, d’aplomb et trapu?--=RICHEPIN=, La Glu.

Jouer des guiboles, to run; to dance.

Puis, le soir, on avait fichu un balthazar à tout casser, et jusqu’au jour on avait joué des guiboles.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

GUIBON. See GUIBONNE.

GUIBONNE, f. (popular and thieves’), leg; ---- carrée, ham.

Mes jamb’s sont fait’s comm’ des trombones. Oui, mais j’sais tirer--gar’ là-dessous!-- La savate, avec mes guibonnes Comm’ cell’s d’un canard eud’ quinze sous.

=RICHEPIN=, La Chanson des Gueux.

GUICHE, m. and f. (popular and thieves’), duc de ----, jailer, or “jigger dubber.” From guichetier, jailer. Mec de la ----, prostitute’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 “Newgate knockers.” Regarding the latter expression the Slang Dictionary says: “‘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 resemblance 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 “pensioner.” For list of synonymous expressions see POISSON. Le bataillon de la ----, the world of bullies.

Et si la p’tit’ ponif’triche Su’ l’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-à-dire un jeune homme aux mains blanches, à l’accroche-cœur, l’Adonis des nymphes des musettes, quand ce n’est pas une tante!... La moitié des crimes qui se commettent à Paris est conçue par le cerveau des guiches, exécutée par les bras des chefs d’attaque et finie par des assommeurs.--Les Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

GUICHEMAR, GUICHEMARD, GUICHEMINCE, GUICHEMUCHE, m. (thieves’ and popular), jailer, “jigger dubber.” For guichetier.

GUIDE, m. (thieves’), the prime-mover in a murder.

C’est toujours le pégriot, le guide ou le toucheur qui devient à priori le chef d’attaque responsable d’une affaire criminelle.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

GUIGNARD, m. (popular), ill luck.

GUIGNE-À-GAUCHE, m. (popular), squinting man, or one with “swivel eyes.” From guigner, to scan.

GUIGNOL, m. (popular), small theatre.

GUIGNOLANT, adj. (popular), unlucky; annoying.

GUIGNONNÉ, adj. (popular), être ----, to be unlucky at a game.

GUILLOTINE SÈCHE, f. (familiar), transportation. To be transported is expressed in the language of English rogues by the term “lighting 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 Jew’s-harp.

Oui, une femme devait savoir se retourner, mais la sienne avait toujours été une guimbarde, un tas. Ce serait sa faute, s’ils crevaient sur la paille.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Also clock.

Au moment juste où douze plombes se sont décrochées à la guimbarde de la tôle.--Le Père Duchêne, 1879.

Couper la ---- à quelqu’un, to cut one short.

Mon gesse et surtout mon n’harangue Coupent la guimbarde aux plus forts.

=L. TESTEAU=, Le Tapageur.

GUINAL, m. (thieves’), usurer; Jew; “sheney, Ikey, or mouchey.” Termed also “youtre, frisé, pied-plat.” Le grand ----, Mont de Piété, or government pawnbroking establishment. (Rag-pickers’) Guinal, wholesale rag-dealer.

GUINALISER (thieves’), to be a usurer; to pawn. It had formerly the signification of to circumcise.

GUINCHE, f. (popular), low dancing saloon in the suburbs, or low wine-shop.

A la porte de cette guinche, un municipal se dressait sur ses ergots de cuir.--=HUYSMANS=, Les Sœurs Vatard.

GUINCHER (popular), to dance. Se ----, to dress oneself hurriedly and badly.

GUINCHEUR, m. (popular), frequenter of dancing saloons called “guinches.”

GUINDAL, m. (popular), glass. Siffler le ----, to drink, “to wet one’s whistle,” or “to moisten one’s chaffer.” See RINCER.

GUINGUETTE, f. (obsolete), fast girl.

Il faudra que je m’en retourne à pied comme une guinguette qui vient de souper en ville.--Le Ballet des XXIV. heures.

Also low restaurant.

Ça doit s’manger, la levrette. Si j’en pince une à huis clos ... J’la f’rai cuire à ma guinguette. J’t’en fich’rai, moi, des pal’tots!

=DE CHATILLON=, Poésies.

GUIRLANDE, f. (thieves’), chain which secures two convicts together.

On appelle cette chaîne guirlande, parceque, remontant du pied à la ceinture, où elle est fixée, elle retombe en décrivant un demi-cercle, dont l’autre extrémité est rattachée à la ceinture du camarade de chaîne. --=M. CHRISTOPHE.=

GUITARE, f. (familiar and popular), head, or “nut;” monotonous saying; 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 cant), woman; mother.

GWILLOIK (Breton cant), wolf.

GY, or JASPIN (thieves’), yes, or “usher.” Michel says: “J’estime que gy n’est autre chose que le j, première lettre d’ita, qui remplaçait ce mot latin dans certains actes de procédure.”

Quoi, tu veux rentiffer? Gy?--=RICHEPIN.= (What, you wish to go home? Yes?)

H

HABILLÉ 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 reprimand, to slander, to scold, or “bully-rag.”

C’est moi qui vous l’a habillé de taffetas noir. --=A. DALÈS=, La Mère l’Anecdote, Chansonnette.

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;” ---- ergamé, or engamé, rabid dog.

Ils trollent cette graisse dans leur gueulard, en une corne, et quand les hubins la sentent, ils ne leur disent rien, au contraire, ils font fête à ceux qui la trollent.--Le Jargon de l’Argot.

A dog is now called by thieves “tambour, alarmiste.”

HABINER (thieves’), to bite.

HABIT, m. (popular), noir, gentleman, or “swell;” ---- rouge, an Englishman.

Les habits rouges voulaient danser, Mais nous les avons fait sauter Vivent les Sans-culottes.

=MAURICAULT.=

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’était de l’un de ces fossés,... que les contrebandiers, au nez et à la barbe des habits verts, faisaient descendre la nuit, dans les souterrains, leurs marchandises pour les porter en ville et les affranchir de l’octroi.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

HABITANTS, m. pl. (popular), lice, “grey-backed un’s.”

HABITONGUE, f. (thieves’), for habitude, 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, f. (familiar), à la Domitien, cruelle, or homicide, offensive breath. According to the Dict. Comique it used to be said of a man troubled with that incommodity: Il serait bon trompette, parcequ’il a l’haleine forte. (Popular) Respirer l’---- de quelqu’un, to get at one’s secrets, “to pump” one.

HALÈNES, or ALÈNES, f. pl. (thieves’), thieves’ implements, or “jilts.” Alène signifies properly shoe-maker’s awl.

HALER SUR SA POCHE (sailors’), to pay, “to shell out.” Haler, properly to haul, to tow.

HALLE, f. (popular), aux croûtes, stomach, or “bread-basket.” Also baker’s shop. La ---- aux draps, the bed, “doss, or bug-walk,” and formerly “cloth-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-market.

(Journalists’) La ---- au son, the Paris Conservatoire de Musique, or national music and dramatic academy. (Bullies’) Un barbise de la ---- aux copeaux, a bully whose paramour brings him in but scanty profits, whose “business” is slack.

HALLEBARDE, f. (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, f. (thieves’), purse, “skin,” or “poge.” Termed also “henne, bouchon, morlingue, mornif.”

Il va comme la tramontane, Après avoir cassé la hanne De ce grand né qui prend le soin De lui donner chasse de loin.

L’Embarras de la foire de Beaucaire.

Casser la ---- à quelqu’un, to steal someone’s purse, “to buz a skin.”

HANNETON, m. (familiar), monomania. 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 Glossary, is the following:--“David Lloyd, a Welshman, had a sow with six legs; on one occasion 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 observed that it was the drunkest sow he had ever beheld.” Other synonymous expressions are, “drunk as a drum, to be a wheelbarrow, sow-drunk, drunk as a fish, as a lord, as a piper, as a fiddler, as a rat.”

HANNETONNER (familiar), to have a hobby verging on monomania.

HAPPER LE TAILLIS (thieves’), to flee, “to guy.” See PATATROT. Compare with the expression, now obsolete, gagner le taillis, which has the same signification.

Happons le taillis, on crie au vinaigre sur nouzailles.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (They are “whiddling beef,” and we must “guy.”)

HAPPIN. See HABIN.

HAPPINER. See HABINER.

HARAUDER (popular), quelqu’un (obsolete), to cry out after one; to pursue one with insults.

HARDI, adj. (popular), à la soupe is said of one who is more ready to eat than to fight. Hardi! courage! with a will! go it!

HARENG, m. (thieves’), faire des yeux de ---- à quelqu’un, to put out one’s eyes. (Printers’) Harengs, name given by printers to fellow-workers who do but little work.

HARENG-SAUR, m. (popular), gendarme; a member of the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul, a religious association. (Roughs’) Piquer son pas de ----, to dance.

HARIADAN BARBEROUSSE (thieves’), Jesus Christ.

Il rigolait malgré le sanglier qui voulait lui faire becqueter Hariadan Barberousse.--=VIDOCQ.=

HARICANDER (popular), to find fault with one about trifles.

HARICOT, m. (popular), body. Cavaler, or courir sur le ----, to annoy, to bore one, “to spur” one. (Thieves’) Un ---- vert, a clumsy thief, or one “not up to slum.” Se laver les haricots, to be transported, or “lagged.” (Familiar) Hôtel des haricots, formerly the prison for undisciplined national guards, the staple food for prisoners there being haricot beans.

HARICOTEUR, m. (thieves’), executioner. Termed “Rouart” in the sixteenth century, that is, one who breaks criminals on the wheel.

HARMONARÈS, m. (thieves’), noise, or “row.” Si le gonsalès fait de l’harmonarès il faut le balancarguer dans la vassarès, if the fellow makes any noise we’ll pitch him into the water.

HARMONIE, f. (popular), faire de l’----, to make a noise, “to kick up a row.”

HARNAIS, m. (thieves’), cards that have been tampered with, or “stocked broads;” clothes, or “clobber;” ---- de grive, military uniform. Laver les ----, to sell stolen clothes, “to do clobber at a fence’s.”

HARPE, f. (general), jouer de la ----, to slily 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 Dict. Comique.

Jouer de la harpe signifie jouer des mains auprès d’une femme, la patiner, lui toucher la nature, la farfouiller, la clitoriser, la chatouiller avec les doigts. --=J. LE ROUX=, Dictionnaire Comique.

(Thieves’) Harpe, prison-grated window. Jouer de la ----, to be in prison, or “in quod.” Pincer de la ----, to put oneself at a window.

HARPER (popular), to catch, “to nab;” to seize, “to grab.”

HARPIONS, m. pl. (popular and thieves’), feet, or “dew-beaters;” hands, or “dukes.” From the old word harpier, concerning which the Dictionnaire Comique says:--

Harpier. Pour voler ou friponner impunément, prendre ou enlever par force, comme les harpies.

HARPONNER (popular), to seize, “to grab;” ---- tocquardement, to lay rough hands on; to give one a shaking.

HASARD! or H! (printers’), ironical exclamation meaning that happens by chance, of course!

HAÜS, or AÜS, m. (shopmens’), appellation applied by shopmen to a person who, after much bargaining, leaves without purchasing anything.

HAUSSE-COL, m. (military), cartridge-box. The expression has become obsolete.

HAUSSIER, m. (familiar), a “bull,” that is, one who 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 “bull” is then called upon to pay the difference. The “bear” is the opposite of the “bull,” the former selling, the latter purchasing--the one operating for a fall, the other for a rise. They are respectively called “liebhaler” in Berlin, and “contremine” in Vienna.

HAUSSMANNISATION, f. See below.

HAUSSMANNISER (familiar), to pull down houses wholesale, after the fashion of M. Haussmann, a Prefect 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’), breeches, “hams, kicks, sit-upons.”

HAUTE, f. and adj. (general), for haute société, the higher class of any social stratum, “pink.”

Il y a lorette et lorette. Mademoiselle de Saint-Pharamond était de la haute.--=P. FÉVAL.=

La ---- bicherie, higher class of cocottes, the world of “demi-reps.” Un escarpe de la ----, a swindler moving in good society. La ---- pègre, swell mob, and, used ironically, good society. Un restaurant de la ----, a fashionable restaurant, a “swell” restaurant.

Si nous ne soupons pas dans la haute, je ne sais guère où nous irons à cette heure-ci.--=G. DE NERVAL.=

HAUTOCHER (thieves’), to ascend; to rise.

HAUT-TEMPS, m. (thieves’), for autan, loft.

HAVRE, or GRAND HAVRE, m. (thieves’), God. Literally the harbour, great harbour. Le ---- garde mézière, God protect me.

HEOL AR BLEI (Breton cant), the moon.

HERBE, f. (popular), à grimper, fine bosoms or shoulders. This phrase is obsolete; ---- à la vache, clubs of cards.

Quinte mangeuse portant son point dans l’herbe à la vache.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Herbe sainte, absinthe. To all appearance this is a corruption of absinthe.

HERPLIS, m. (thieves’), farthing. Sans un herplis dans ma fouillouse, without a farthing in my pocket.

HERR, m. (general), a man of importance, one of position or talent, a “swell.”

HERSE, f. (theatrical), lighting apparatus on the sides of the stage which illuminates those parts which receive no light from the chandelier.

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 créature de la high-bichery qui traîne son domino à queue avec les airs souverains d’une marquise d’autrefois.--=P. MAHALIN.=

HIRONDEAU, m. (tailors’), journeyman tailor who shifts from one employer to another. An allusion to the swallow, a migratory bird.

HIRONDELLE, f. (familiar), penny boat plying on the Seine; (popular) commercial traveller; journeyman tailor from the country temporarily established in Paris; hackney coachman; ---- d’hiver, retailer of roasted chestnuts; ---- de pont, vagrant who seeks a shelter at night under the arches of bridges; ---- du bâtiment, mason from the country who comes yearly to work in Paris. (Thieves’) Une ----, variety of vagabond.

Les Hirondelles, les Romanichels hantaient, comme les taupes, l’intérieur de leurs souterrains insondables. Romanichels et Hirondelles venaient y dormir, souper et méditer leurs crimes.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Une ---- de potence, a gendarme (obsolete).

HISSER (popular), to give a whistle call; ---- un gandin. See GANDIN.

HISTOIRES, f. pl. (general), menses. Termed also “affaires, cardinales, anglais.”

HOMARD, m. (popular), doorkeeper, or servant in red livery. (Military) spahis. The 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 ballasted.” Un ---- affiche, a “sandwich” man, that is, a man bearing a back-and-front advertising board. Avoir son jeune ----, to be drunk, or “tight.” See POMPETTE. (Thieves’) Un ---- de lettres, forger: ---- de peine, old offender, “jail-bird.” (Printers’) Homme de bois, workman who repairs wooden fixtures of formes in a printing shop.

HOMME DE LETTRES, or SINGE, m. (printers’), compositor.

Le compositeur est un bipède auquel on donne la dénomination de “singe.”... Pour vous éblouir il triture une “matière pleine” de mots équivoques: “commandite, bordereau, banque, impositions” et cela avec la gravité d’une “Minerve.” Fier du rang qu’il occupe dans l’imprimerie, ce chevalier du “composteur” s’intitule “homme de lettres,” mais c’est un “faux titre” qu’il a pris dans sa “galée,” car de tous les ouvrages auxquels il a mis des “signatures” et qu’il prétend avoir “composés,” il lui serait difficile de “justifier” une ligne, &c. &c.--Déclaration d’amour d’un imprimeur typographe à une jeune brocheuse, 1886.

HOMMELETTE, m. (popular), man devoid of energy, “sappy.”

HONNÊTE, m. (thieves’), the spring.

HONTEUSE, f., être en ----. See LESBIEN.

HÔPITAL, m. (thieves’), prison, or “stir.” See MOTTE. A thief in prison is said to be “malade,” and when liberated he is, of course, “guéri.” (Popular) Goujon d’----, leech.

HORIZONTALE, f. (familiar), prostitute, 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 l’----, to have one’s watch at the pawnbroker’s, “in lug,” or “up the spout.”

HORREURS, f. pl. (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.”

HÔTEL, m. (popular), de la modestie, poor lodgings; ---- des haricots, prison, or “jug.” See MOTTE. Coucher à l’---- de la belle étoile, 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.

HOUBLON, m. (popular), tea.

HOUPE DENTELÉE, f. (freemasons’), ties of brotherhood.

HOUSETTE, f. (thieves’), boot, or “daisy root.” Traîne-cul-les housettes, a tatterdemalion.

HOUSSINE, f. (thieves’), Jean de l’----, stick; bludgeon.

HOUSTE À LA PAILLE! (thieves’), out with him!

HUBIN, m. (thieves’), dog, or “tyke.”

Après, ils leur enseignent à aquiger certaines graisses pour empêcher que les hubins les grondent.--Le Jargon de l’Argot.

HUBINS, m. pl. (old cant), tramps who pretend to have been bitten by rabid dogs or wolves.

Les hubins triment ordinairement avec une luque comme ils bient à Saint-Hubert.--Le Jargon de l’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 Hubert, to whose shrine rabid people (in more than one sense) repair to be cured.

HUGOLÂTRE, m. (familiar), fanatical admirer of the works of V. Hugo.

HUGREMENT (thieves’), much, or “neddy” (Irish).

HUILE, f. (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 “stirrup-oil.” The Dict. Comique has: “Huile de cotret, pour coups de bâton, bastonnade.”

Qu’ils vinssent vous frotter les épaules de l’huile de cotret.--Don Quichotte.

Huile de mains, money, or “oil of palm.” For synonyms see QUIBUS. 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-appointed two-horse carriage. (Military) Flanquer ---- et sept, to give a man a fortnight’s arrest.

Y m’a flanqué huit-et-sept à cause que j’avais égaré le bouchon de mon mousqueton.--=G. COURTELINE.=

HUÎTRES, f. pl. (popular), de gueux, snails; (thieves’) ---- de Varennes, beans.

HUÎTRIFIER (familiar), s’----, to become commonplace and dull of intellect. From huître, figuratively a fool.

HUMECTER (popular), s’---- les amygdales, la dalle du cou, or le pavillon, to drink, “to wet one’s whistle.” For synonyms see RINCER.

HUPPÉ, adj. (popular), daim ----, rich person, one who is “well ballasted.”

HURE, f. (popular), head, or “tibby.” Properly wild boar’s head. See TRONCHE.

HURÉ, adj. (thieves’), rich, or “rag splawger.”

HURF, URF, adj. (general), c’est ----, that’s excellent, “tip-top, cheery, slap-up, first-chop, lummy, nap, 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 teints, Hurlubiers dont les peaux bisettes, Ressemblent à l’or des gratins.

=RICHEPIN.=

HUSSARD, m. (popular), à 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.

Il est venu pour sauver Madeleine ... mais comment?... les hussards de la guillotine sont là.--=BALZAC.=

Hussard de la veuve, gendarme on duty at executions.

Oui, c’est pour aujourd’hui, les hussards de la veuve (autre nom, nom terrible de la mécanique) sont commandés--=BALZAC.=

HUST-MUST (thieves’), thank you very much.

I

ICICAILLE, ICIGO (thieves’), here.

IENNA (Breton cant), to deceive, impose upon.

IERCHEM (roughs’), to ease oneself. A coarse word disguised. It is of “back slang” formation, with the termination em.

IERGUE, parler en ----, to use the word as a suffix to other words.

IGNORANTIN (common), a “frère des Ecoles de la Doctrine chrétienne.” 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 chamègue est ----, the woman is here.

IL (popular), y a de l’empile, or de l’empilage, there is some trickery, unfair play, cheating; ---- y a de l’empile, la peau alors! je me débine, they are cheating, to the deuce then! I’ll go; ---- y a des arêtes dans ce corps-là, an euphemism to denote that a man makes his living off a prostitute’s earnings, alluding to the epithet “poisson” applied to such creatures; ---- a plu sur sa mercerie is said of a woman 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. (Theatrical) Il pleut! is used to denote that a play is a failure, that it is being hissed down, or “damned.”

IL EST MIDI! (popular), an exclamation 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 it’s of no use, it is all in vain.

ILLICO, m. (popular), grog prepared on the sly by patients in hospitals, an extemporized medicine made of sugar, spirits, and tincture of cinnamon.

IMBÉCILE À DEUX ROUES, m. (popular), bicyclist.

IMBIBER (popular), s’---- le jabot, to drink, “to wet one’s whistle.”

IMMOBILITÉ, f. (painters’), mercenaire de l’----, model who makes a living by sitting to painters.

IMPAIR, m. (familiar), faire un ----, to make a blunder, “to put one’s foot in it.” (Thieves’) Impair! look out! ----, acré nous v’là noblés, look out, be on your guard, we are recognized.

IMPÉRATRICE, f., for impériale, top of bus.

IMPÈRE (popular), abbreviation of impériale, or top of bus.

IMPÉRIALE, f. (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’----, I’ll let him know a piece of my mind; I’ll snub him.

IMPÔT, m. (thieves’), autumn.

IMPRESSIONISME, m. (familiar), school of artists who paint nature according to the personal impression they receive. Some carry the process too far, perhaps, for if their retina conveys to them an impression that a horse, for instance, is indigo or ultramarine, they will reproduce the image in Oxford or Cambridge blue on the canvas. Needless to say, the result is sometimes startling.

IMPRESSIONISTE, m., painter of the school called impressionisme (which see).

IMPURE, f. (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.

INCOMMODÉ, adj. (thieves’), être ----, to be taken red-handed, to be “nabbed” in the act.

INCONOBRÉ, 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 expression, “C’est incroyable!” pronounced c’est incoyable, according to their custom of leaving out the r, or giving it the sound of w. For synonyms see GOMMEUX.

INDEX (popular), travailler à l’----, to work at reduced wages.

INDICATEUR, m. (general), spy in the pay of the police, “nark.” Generally a street hawker, sometimes a thief.

Il y a deux genres d’indicateurs: les indicateurs sur place, tels que les marchands de chaînes de sûreté et les marchands d’aiguilles, bimbelotiers d’occasion, faux aveugles, etc., et les indicateurs errants: marchands de balais, faux infirmes, musiciens ambulants: ... Il y avait, sous l’empire, des indicateurs jusque dans le haut commerce parisien.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

INDICATRICE, f. (familiar), female spy in the employ of the police.

INDIGENT, m. (bus conductors’), outside passenger on a bus. Thus termed on account of the outside fare being half that inside. Indigent, properly pauper.

INEXPRESSIBLES, m. pl. (familiar), from the English, trousers.

INFANTERIE, f. (popular), entrer dans l’----, 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 anything. Ce cigare est ----, that cigar is rank. Ce livre est ----, that book is worthless. Un ---- individu, a contemptible individual.

INFECTADOS, m. (familiar), cheap cigar, “cabbage leaf.”

INFÉRIEUR, adj. (popular), cela m’est ----, that is all the same to me.

INFIRME, m. (popular), clumsy fellow.

Ils sonnèrent tant bien que mal ces infirmes, et les gens accoururent au tapage.--=L. CLADEL=, Ompdraillés.

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; be calm; 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.”

INSÉPARABLES, m. pl. (familiar), cigars sold at fifteen centimes a couple.

INSINUANT, m. (thieves’), apothecary; one who performs, or used to perform, the “clysterium donare” of Molière.

INSINUANTE, f. (thieves’), syringe.

INSINUATION, f. (thieves’), clyster.

INSOLPÉ, m. and adj. (thieves’), insolent, “cheeky.”

INSPECTEUR DES PAVÉS, m. (popular), workman out of work, or “out of collar.”

INSTITUTRICE, f. (popular), female who keeps a brothel; the mistress of an “academy.”

INSTRUIT, adj. (thieves’), être ----, to be a skilful thief, a “gonnof.”

INSURGÉ DE ROMILLY, m. (popular), lump of excrement, or “quaker.”

INTERLOQUER (soldiers’), to talk. Je vais aller en ---- avec le marchichef, I will talk about it to the quartermaster sergeant.

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), politician of extreme opinions who will not sacrifice an iota of his programme. The reverse of opportuniste.

INUTILE, m. (thieves’), notary public.

INVALO, m. (popular), for invalide, pensioner of the “Hôtel des Invalides,” a home for old or disabled soldiers.

INVITE, f. (popular), faire une ---- à l’as is said of a woman who makes advances to a man.

INVITEUSE, f. (general), waitress at certain cafés termed “caboulots.” Her duties, besides serving the customers, consist in getting herself treated by them to any amount of liquor; but, to prevent accidents, 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.

IOT FETIS (Breton cant), porridge of buckwheat flour.

IOULC’H (Breton cant), giddy girl.

IOULC’HA (Breton cant), to play the giddy girl.

IPÉCA, m. (military), le père ----, the regimental surgeon.

IRLANDE, f. (thieves’), envoyer en ----, to send anything from prison.

IRRÉCONCILIABLE, m. (familiar), member of the opposition under Napoleon III.

ISGOURDE, f. (popular), ear, “wattle,” or “lug.”

ISOLAGE, m. (thieves’), abandonment; leaving in the lurch.

ISOLER (thieves’), to forsake.

ISOLOIR, m. (familiar), se mettre sur l’----, 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, adv. (popular), also. Moi ----, I too.

ITRER (thieves’), to have.

J’itre mouchaillé le babillard.--Le Jargon de l’Argot. (I have looked at the book.)

IVOIRES, f. (popular), teeth, “ivories.” Faire un effet d’----, to show one’s teeth, “to flash one’s ivories.”

IZABEL (Breton cant), brandy.

J

JABOT, m. (popular), stomach, or “bread-basket.” Meant formerly heart, breast. Chouette ----, fine breasts. Faire son ----, to eat.

JACQUE, m. (thieves’), a sou.

JACQUELINE, f. (soldiers’), cavalry sword.

JACQUES, m. (thieves’), crowbar, “James, or the stick.” (Military) Faire le ----, to manœuvre.

JACTANCE, f. (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! how he does talk! 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 shopmen that he had not the means to buy an umbrella. So goes an idiotic song:--

Il n’a pas de Jaluzot, Ça va bien quand il fait beau, Mais quand il tombe de l’eau, Il est trempé jusqu’aux os.

JAMBE, f. (popular), de vin, intoxication. S’en aller sur une ----, to drink only a glass or a bottle of wine. (Thieves’) Jambe en l’air (obsolete), the gallows, “scrag, nobbing-cheat, or government signpost.” (Familiar and popular) Lever la ----, to dance the cancan, see CHAHUT; is said also of a girl who leads a fast, disreputable sort of life. Faire ---- de vin had formerly the signification of to drink heavily, “to swill.”

Dès ce matin, messieurs, j’ai fait jambe de vin. --=LA RAPINIÈRE.=

Jambes de coq, thin legs, “spindle-shanks.” Jambes de coton, 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, m. (popular), ne plus avoir de chapelure sur le ----, to be bald. For synonymous terms see AVOIR.

JAMBOT, m. (obsolete), penis. The term is used by Villon.

JAPPE, f. (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, I’ s’ront vraiment j’tés.

=RICHEPIN.=

Jardiner quelqu’un, to make one talk so as to elicit his secrets from him, to “pump” one.

JARDINEUR, m. (popular and thieves’), man who seeks to discover a secret; inquisitive man, a kind of “Paul Pry.”

JARDINIER, m. (thieves’), see JARDINEUR; a thief who operates in the manner described at the word “charriage.”

JARGOLLE, or JERGOLE, f. (thieves’), Normandy.

JARGOLLIER, m. (thieves’), a native of Normandy.

JARGOUILLER (thieves’), to talk incoherently.

JARGUER (thieves’). See JARS.

JARNAFFE, f. (thieves’), garter.

JARRETIÈRE, f. (thieves’), watch chain, or “slang.”

JARS, m. (thieves’), cant, or “flash.” Dévider, jaspiner le ----, 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 the following quotation:--

“Go away,” I heard her say, “there’s a dear man,” and then something about a “queer cuffin,” that’s a justice in these canters’ thieves’ Latin.--=KINGSLEY=, Westward Ho.

Entendre le ---- had formerly the signification of to be cunning.

JARVILLAGE, m. (thieves’), conversation; dirt. An illustrious Englishman, whose name I forget, gave once the definition of dirt as “matter in the wrong place.”

JARVILLER (thieves’), to converse, “to rap;” to dirty.

JASANTE, f. (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 l’Argot. (Is there an hospital in this country? Yes.)

The word has also the meaning of chat, 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’), barking of a dog.

JASPINER (thieves’), to talk, to speak, “to rap, to patter.” Termed also “débagouler, dévider, gazouiller, jacter, jardiner, baver, tenir le crachoir;” ---- bigorne, to talk in slang, “to patter flash.” Le cabe jaspine, the dog barks. Jaspiner de l’orgue, to inform against, “to blow the gaff.”

JASPINEUR, m. (thieves’), talker; orator.

JAUNE, m. (thieves’), summer; (popular) brandy. See TORD-BOYAUX. Jaune, gold, or “redge.” Aimer avec un ---- d’œuf is said of a woman who deceives her husband or lover. An allusion to the alleged 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 l’ai vu jeudi,” becomes “javé lavai vavu javeudavi.”

Argot de Breda où la syllabe av, jetée dans chaque syllabe, hache pour les profanes le son et le sens des mots, idiome hiéroglyphique du monde des filles qui lui permet de se parler à l’oreille--tout haut.--=DE GONCOURT.=

JAVARD, m. (thieves’), hemp; (popular) tattle-box.

JAVOTER (popular), to prattle.

JAVOTTE, f. (popular), tattle-box.

JEAN, m. (popular), de la suie, sweep; ---- guêtré, peasant, or “clod;” ---- houssine, stick, or “toco.” (Thieves’) Un ---- de la vigne, a crucifix.

JEAN-BÊTE, m. (general), blockhead, “cabbage-head.”

JEAN-FESSE, or JEAN-FOUTRE (general), scamp.

JEANJEAN, m. (familiar and popular), simpleton.

La blanchisseuse était allée retrouver son ancien époux aussitôt que ce jeanjean de Coupeau avait ronflé.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

(Soldiers’) Jeanjean, recruit, “Johnny raw.”

JEANNETON, f. (popular), servant wench at an inn; girl of doubtful morals, a “dolly mop.”

JEM’ENFOUTISME, m. (familiar), the philosophy of utter indifference.

Aussi, lui n’était-il ni orléaniste, ni républicain, ni bonapartiste, il affichait le “jem’enfoutisme” qui mettait tout le monde d’accord.--=J. SERMET.=

JÉRÔME, m. (popular), stick, or “toco.”

JÉRUSALEM (thieves’), lettre de ----, letter written from prison to make a request of money. The Préfecture de police, and consequently the lock-up, was formerly in the Rue de Jérusalem.

JÉSUITE, m. (thieves’), turkey-cock. This species of gallinacea was introduced into France by the Jesuit missionaries. Termed by English vagabonds “cobble colter.” Engrailler un ----, to steal a turkey, “to be a Turkey merchant.”

JÉSUS, m. (thieves’), innocent man, thieves considering themselves as much-injured individuals. Grippe-Jésus, gendarme. (Popular) Petit ----, or à quatre sous, newly-born infant. (Sodomists’) Un ----, a Sodomist in confederacy with a rogue termed “chanteur,” whose spécialité is to extort money from rich people with unnatural passions.

Le persillard qui, une fois d’accord avec le chanteur pour duper son douillard, devient alors son compère, c’est-à-dire son Jésus! Tel est dénommé aujourd’hui le persillard exploiteur.--Mémoires de Monsieur 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 sitôt rentré.--=G. COURTELINE.=

JETÉ, adj. (popular), bien ----, or bien gratté, 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 summons, to request 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 it’s a fact, “my Davy on it.”

JETER DU CŒUR SUR CARREAU (general), or ---- son lest, to vomit, “to cast up accounts, to shoot the cat, or to spew.” Literally to throw hearts on diamonds, or to throw one’s 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” one’s “ivories.”

JEUNE FRANCE (literary), name given to young men of the “Ecole romantique” in 1830--the “Byronian” school.

Ils ont fait de moi un Jeune France accompli ... j’ai une raie dans les cheveux à la Raphaël ... 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.--=E. MONTEIL.=

Suivez-moi ----, ribbons worn in the rear of ladies’ dresses, or “follow me, lads.”

JINGLARD. See GINGLARD.

JIROBLE, adj. (thieves’), for girofle, pretty.

JOB, m. and adj. (popular), silly fellow, or “flat.” Monter le ----, to deceive, “to bamboozle.” Se monter 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: “mener en bateau, monter un bateau, donner un pont à faucher, promener quelqu’un, compter des mistoufles, gourrer, affluer, rouster, affûter, bouler, amarrer, battre l’antif, emblêmer, mettre dedans, empaumer, enfoncer, allumer, hisser un gandin, entortiller, faire voir le tour, la faire à l’oseille, refaire, refaire au même, 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 à pied et à cheval, Venez-y d’amont et d’aval, Les hoirs du deffunct Pathelin, Qui scavez jargon jobelin.

=VILLON=, _Les Repeues franches de François Villon et de ses compagnons_, 15th century.

JOBERIE, f. (popular), nonsense, “tomfoolery.”

JOBISME, m. (popular), poverty.

Desroches a roulé comme nous sur les fumiers du Jobisme.--=BALZAC.=

Compare with the English expression, “as poor as Job’s turkey;” “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 à la mode depuis 1824, année où le singe Jocko était à la mode.--=L. LARCHEY=, Dict. Hist. d’Argot.

JOCRISSIADE, f. (familiar), stupid action. Jocrisse, simpleton.

JOJO, adj. and m. (popular), pretty; simpleton. Faire son ----, to play the fool.

JONC, m. (thieves’), gold, or “redge.” Etre sur les joncs, to be in prison, “in quod.” Un bobe, or un bobinot de ----, a gold watch, a “red toy.”

JONCHER (thieves’), to gild.

JONCHERIE, f. (popular), deceit, swindle. The word is old.

Adonc le Penancier vit bien Qu’il y ent quelque tromperie; Quand il entendit le moyen, Il congnent bien la joncherie.

Poésies attribuées à Villon, 15th 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: voilà un gaillard qui fait le Joseph. Il doit y avoir une raison.--=A. DUMAS FILS.=

JOSÉPHINE, f. (thieves’), skeleton key, or “betty.”

Tel grinche s’arrêtera à faire le barbot dans une cambriolle (à voler dans une chambre). S’il a oublié sa joséphine (fausse clef), jamais il ne se servira de la joséphine d’un autre de peur d’attraper des punaises, c’est-à-dire de manquer son coup ou d’avoir affaire à un mouchard.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

(Popular) Faire sa ----, is said of a woman who puts on virtuous 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 (familiar), poor player.

JOUER (popular), à la ronfle, or de l’orgue, to snore, “to drive one’s pigs to market;” ---- des guibolles, to run away, “to leg it;” see PATATROT; ---- du cœur, to vomit, “to shoot the cat;” (familiar and popular) ---- de la harpe, to stroke a woman’s dress as Tartuffe with Elmire, or otherwise to take certain liberties with her. See HARPE. Jouer des mandibules, to eat, “to grub;” see MASTIQUER; ---- du Napoléon, to be generous with one’s money, “to come down handsome;” an allusion to napoléon, a twenty-franc coin; ---- du fifre, to go without food; ---- du piano is said of a horse which has a disunited trot, or of a man who is knock-kneed; ---- du pouce, to give money, “to fork out;” to spend freely one’s money. The expression is old; Villon uses it in his dialogue of Messieurs de Mallepaye et de Baillevent, 15th century:--

M. Sang bien, la mousse M’a trop cousté. B. Et pourquoy? M. Pource. B. Hay! hay! tout est mal compassé. M. Comment? B. On ne joue plus du poulce.

Jouer comme un fiacre, to play badly; ---- la fille de l’air, to run away, “to slope.” See PATATROT. (Theatrical) Jouer à l’avant-scène, to stand close to the footlights when acting; ---- devant les banquettes, to perform before an empty house; (thieves’) ---- à la main chaude, to be guillotined. Literally to play hot cockles. See FAUCHÉ. 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.”

JOURNÉE 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, I was passing close to the door.

JOYEUSE, f. (thieves’), sword, or “poker.”

JOYEUX, m. pl. (military), men of the “bataillon d’Afrique,” a corps recruited with military convicts, who on being liberated serve the remainder of their term of service in this corps.

JUBILE, f. (glove-makers’), pieces of glove skins, the perquisites of glove-makers.

Jubile, peau économisée par l’ouvrier gantier sur celles qu’on lui a confiées pour tailler une douzaine de paires de gants.--=L. LARCHEY=, Dict. Hist. d’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, f. (popular), treacherous show of friendship.

JUDÉE, f. (thieves’), la petite ----, Préfecture de police, headquarters of the police, situated formerly in the Rue de Jérusalem; hence the expression.

JUGÉ, m. (prisoners’), young offender who has been sentenced to be confined in a house of correction.

JUGE DE PAIX, m. (thieves’), stick; a kind of roulette at wine-shops; (gamblers’) pack of cards, or “book of broads.”

JUGEOTTE, f. (popular), intellect.

JUGULANT, adj. (popular), annoying.

JUGULER (popular), to strangle; to bore; to cry out. Scrongnieugneu! que j’jugulais! darn it, I cried!

JULES, m. (popular), chamber pot, or “jerry.” Aller chez ----, to ease oneself. (Military) Prendre, pincer, or tirer les oreilles à ----, to carry away the privy tub. Passer la jambe à ----, to empty the aforesaid tub. Travailler pour ----, to eat. Des jules, socks.

JUMELLES, f. pl. (popular), breech.

JUPONNIER, m. (common), one fond of the petticoat.

JUS, m. (familiar and popular), wine; ---- de bâton, thrashing with a stick; ---- d’échalas, wine; ---- de réglisse, negro; ---- de chapeau, weak coffee. Avoir du ----, to be elegant, dashing. Avoir du ---- de navet dans les veines, to be devoid of energy. (Popular) Jus, profits in 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’À LA GAUCHE (military), to a great extent; for a long time.

Vous serez consigné jusqu’à la gauche ... c’était son mot ce “jusqu’à la gauche,” une expression de caserne ... qui ne signifiait pas grand chose ... mais personnifiait l’éternité.--=G. COURTELINE.=

JUSQU’À PLUS SOIF (popular), to excess.

JUSTE, f. (thieves’), the assizes.

JUSTE-MILIEU, m. (familiar), the behind. See VASISTAS.

JUTER DE L’ŒIL (popular), to weep.

Spèce de tourte, n’jute donc pas d’ l’œil d’une façon aussi incongrue.--=G. FRISON.=

JUTEUX, adj. (dandies’), elegant; dashing. (Familiar) Affaire juteuse, profitable transaction, a “fat job.”

K

KÉBIR, m. (military), commander of a corps. From the Arab. Also colonel.

KIF-KIF (popular), all the same.

Expression qui vient des Arabes, importée assurément dans l’atelier par quelque Zéphir ou quelque Zouave typographe. Dans le patois algérien, kif-kif signifie, semblable à.--=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 dises pas comme moi ça fait jus’ kif-kif bourrique.--=G. COURTELINE.=

KIL, m. (roughs’), litre of wine. Je me suis traversé d’un ----, I have drunk a litre of wine.

KILO, m. (popular), litre of wine; false chignon. Déposer 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. (familiar), general collapse of financial firms in Austria some years ago.

KROUMIR, m. (popular), rough fellow; dirty or “chatty” fellow.

L

LA, m. (familiar), donner le ----, to give the tone.

LABADENS (theatrical), old school-fellow.

Depuis le vaudeville amusant de Labiche (l’affaire de la Rue de Lourcine) qui a mis ce terme à la mode, il a pris, avec le procès Bazaine, une valeur historique. Quand Régnier voulut en effet être mis en la présence du maréchal, il se fit annoncer ainsi: “Dites que c’est un vieux Labadens.”--=LORÉDAN LARCHEY.=

LABAGO (thieves’), is equivalent to là-bas, yonder. Gaffine ----, la riflette t’exhibe, look yonder, the spy has his eye on you.

LÀ-BAS (prostitutes’), the Saint-Lazare prison, a place of confinement for prostitutes who offend against the law, or are detected plying their trade without due authorization of the police; (thieves’) the convict 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 APRÈS DÎNER (printers’), words used ruefully by a typo to express his bitter disappointment at finding, on returning from dinner, that he has corrections of his own to attend to.

Dans cette locution, on joue sur “l’absinthe,” considérée comme breuvage et comme plante. La plante possède une saveur “amère.” Avec quelle “amertume” le compagnon restauré, bien dispos, se voit obligé de se “coller” sur le marbre pour faire un travail non payé, au moment où il se proposait de pomper avec acharnement. Déjà, comme Perrette, il avait escompté cet après-dîner productif.--=BOUTMY.=

LAC, m. (thieves’), être 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. (Gamesters’) Mettre dans le ----, to lose all one’s money, to have “blewed” it.

Au cercle, où la conversation vient de rouler sur la mort tragique du roi de Bavière, un ponte perd un louis au baccarat, en tirant à cinq:--allons, dit-il d’un air résigné, 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. pl. (thieves’), handcuffs, or “bracelets.” Marchand or solliceur de ----, gendarme.

LÂCHAGE, m. (popular), the act of forsaking one.

LÂCHE, m. (popular), Saint ----, lazy workman; one who likes to lounge about, who is “Mondayish.” Réciter la prière de Saint ----, to sleep, or “to doss.”

LÂCHER (popular), les écluses, son écureuil, or une naïade, to void urine, or “to pump ship.” Termed also “changer ses olives d’eau, lascailler, écluser, faire le petit, changer son poisson d’eau, faire pleurer son aveugle, lancer, quimper la lance, gâter de l’eau, arroser les pissenlits;” ---- une pastille, to break wind; (familiar and popular) ---- d’un cran, to leave one; to rid him of one’s presence; ---- la perche, to die; ---- les écluses, to weep, to blubber, “to nap a bib;” ---- le coude, to leave one alone.

Lâchez-nous donc le coude avec votre politique! cria le zingueur. Lisez les assassinats, c’est plus rigolo.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Lâcher le paquet, to disclose.

Et Madame Lerat, effrayée, répétant qu’elle n’était même plus tranquille pour elle, lâcha tout le paquet à son frère.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Lâcher la mousseline, to snow.

Le ciel restait d’une vilaine couleur de plomb, et la neige, amassée là-haut, coiffait le quartier d’une calotte de glace.... Gervaise levait le nez en priant le bon Dieu de ne pas lâcher sa mousseline tout de suite.--=ZOLA=, L’Assommoir.

Lâcher une femme, to break off one’s connection with a mistress, “to bury a moll;” ---- un cran, to undo a button or two after dinner. Se ---- d’une somme, to spend reluctantly a sum of money. (Theatrical) Lâcher la rampe, to die, see PIPE; (thieves’) ---- un pain, to give a blow, or “wipe.” (General) Se ----, Rigaud says: “Produire en société un bruit trop personnel.”

LACROMUCHE, m. (popular), women’s bully, or “Sunday man.” For synonymous expressions see POISSON.

LAFARGER (popular), to poison. An allusion to the celebrated Lafarge poisoning case.

LAFFE, f. (thieves’), soup.

LAGAD-IJEN (Breton cant), five-franc piece.

LAGO (thieves’), there. Gaffine ---- le pante se fait la débinette, 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 disappeared.

LAINE, f. (tailors’), work, “graft.” Avoir de la ----, to have some work to do. (Thieves’) Tirer la ----, was formerly the term for stealing cloaks from the person; hence the old expression tire-laine, thief who stole cloaks.

LAINÉ, m. (thieves’), sheep, or “wool-bird.”

LAISÉE, 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 herself to be seduced, who loses her rose; ---- tomber 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 expression is found in Le Roux’s Dict. Comique. Laisser fuir son tonneau, to die, “to kick the bucket.” See PIPE. Laisser pisser le mérinos, to wait for one’s opportunity. Synonymous of Laisser pisser le mouton, a proverbial saying.

LAIT, m. (thieves’), à broder, ink. (Theatrical) Boire du ----, to be applauded.

A peine le couplet est-il chanté, au milieu des applaudissements payés, que Biétry ... salue ... tous les applaudisseurs ... il n’est pas le seul, ce soir-là, à boire du lait, comme on dit en style de théâtre.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LAÏUS (familiar), speech, or discourse. Piquer un ----, to make a speech.

LAMBIASSE, f. (popular), rags.

LAME, f. (military), vieille ----! old chum!

LAMINE (thieves’), Le Mans, a town.

LAMPAGNE DU CAM, f. (thieves’), country, or “drum.” It is the word “campagne” itself disguised in the following way. The first consonant is replaced by the letter l, 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 gibberish; 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 gibberish 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 l’histoire de s’assurer de la qualité du liquide et s’arroser le lampas.--=LADIMIR.=

LAMPE, f. (freemasons’), drinking-glass.

LAMPIE, f. (thieves’), meal. From lamper, to gulp down.

LAMPION, m. (thieves’), hat; bottle; ---- rouge, police officer, “copper, or reeler.” For synonymous expressions see POT-À-TABAC.

LAMPIONS, m. pl. (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 gagné! faites servir! six litres de vin! six litres sans lance!--Catéchisme Poissard.

This word is “ance” with the article. Michel says, “ance vient du terme de la vieille germania espagnole (Spanish cant) ansia, qui lui-même est une apocope d’angustia; en effet l’eau était un instrument de torture fort employé autrefois.” Il tombe de la ----, it rains. Lance, broom; shoemaker’s awl. Chevalier de la courte ----, or de Saint-Crépin, shoemaker, or “snob.” Du chenu pivois sans ----, good wine without water. Lance had formerly the same signification as FLAGEOLET, which see.

LANCÉ, 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’intéressaient à cet assaut de lancé vigoureux.--=VITU.=

(Familiar) Lancé, slightly intoxicated, or “elevated.” See POMPETTE.

LANCEQUINER (popular), to rain; to weep; to void urine.

LANCER (thieves’), to void urine. See LÂCHER. (Popular) Lancer son prospectus, to ogle.

LANCEUR, m. (familiar), bon ----, bookseller who is clever at making known to the public a new publication, “un étouffeur” being the reverse. (Police) Lanceur allumeur, a politician, generally a journalist, in the employ of the police of the Third Empire. His functions consisted in exciting people to rebellion either by inflammatory speeches at public meetings or by violent articles.

On appelle allumeurs, en termes de police, les agents provocateurs chargés de se mêler aux sociétés secrètes, aux manifestations populaires.... Les allumeurs furent créés sous l’empire; ils devinrent, sous la direction de M. Lagrange, la fleur du panier de la préfecture. Ce fonctionnaire fut lui-même ... avec un nommé P. le metteur en œuvre du complot de l’Opéra-Comique ... qui aboutit à cinquante-sept arrestations ... et finit par mettre sur la défensive tous les républicains.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LANCEUSE, f. (familiar), superannuated cocotte who acts as the chaperone of a younger one.

LANCIER, m. (thieves’ and cads’), individual, or “cove.”

Que’qu’ j’y foutrai dans la trompette, A c’ lancier-là, s’il vient vivant?

=RICHEPIN.=

Lancier du préfet, street-sweeper in the employ of the municipal authorities.

LANCIERS, m. pl. (popular), oui, les ----! nonsense! “tell that to the marines!” “how’s your brother Job?” or “do you see any green in my eye?”

LANDAU À BALEINES, m. (popular), umbrella, “mush, or rain-napper.”

LANDERNAU, m. (familiar), name of a small town in Brittany. Il 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 expression has passed into the language.

LANDIER, m. and adj. (thieves’), official of the octroi. The “octroi” is the office established at the gates of a town for the collection of a tax due for the introduction of certain articles of food or drink. (Thieves’) Landier, white.

LANDIÈRE, f. (old cant), stall at a fair.

On sait que le Landit était une foire célèbre qui se tenait à Saint-Denis.--MICHEL.

LANDREUX, adj. (popular), invalid.

LANGOUSTE, f. (popular), simpleton, greenhorn, “flat.”

LANGUE, f. (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 use choice language. (Familiar and popular) Une ---- fourrée, lingua duplex, id est quum basiis lingua linguæ promiscetur (=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 LASCAILLER.

LANSQUE (popular), abbreviation of lansquenet.

LANSQUINAGE, m. (thieves’), weeping.

LANSQUINE, f. (thieves’), rain, or “parny.”

Aussi j’suis gai quand la lansquine, M’a trempé l’cuir, j’ m’essuie l’échine Dans l’vent qui passe et m’fait joli.

=RICHEPIN.=

Lansquiner (thieves’ and cads’), to rain; ---- des chasses, to weep, “to nap a bib.”

LANTEOZ (Breton cant), butter.

LANTERNE, 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. (Popular) Lanternes de cabriolet, large goggle eyes.

Oh! c’est vrai! t’as les yeux comme les lanternes de ton cabriolet.--=GAVARNI.=

LANTIMÈCHE, m. (popular), lamp-lighter; also a word equivalent to “thingumbob.” Il a filé 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 paraît que tu viens de faire une fameuse découverte! on parle de toi pour la croix!--=E. GABORIAU=, M. Lecoq.

Etre en ----, to ride by the side of the coachman. Un ---- de gouttière, 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 invite 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 says 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, mais le vocable est consacré. “Poser un lapin” fut longtemps une définition malséante, bannie des salons où l’on cause. Maintenant, elle est admise entre gens de bonne compagnie, et le lapin cesse, dans les mots, de braver l’honnêteté.--=MAXIME BOUCHERON.=

Un fameux, or rude ----, a strong fearless man, one who is “spry.”

L’homme qui me rendra rêveuse pourra se vanter d’être un rude lapin.--=GAVARNI.=

Also a man who begets many children. Voler au ----, or étouffer un ----, is said of a bus conductor who swindles his employers by pocketing part of the fares. Mon vieux ----! old fellow! “old cock!” (Thieves’) Lapin ferré, mounted gendarme. (Printers’) Manger un ----, to attend a comrade’s funeral.

Cette locution vient sans doute de ce que, à l’issue de la cérémonie funèbre, les assistants se réunissaient autrefois dans quelque restaurant avoisinant le cimetière et, en guise de repas de funérailles, mangeaient 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 sorrowing friends that he would try and wait till the Friday morning, so that they might have all the Saturday and Sunday for the funeral feast.

Je tâcherai d’aller jusqu’à demain soir ... parceque les amis auraient ainsi samedi et dimanche pour boulotter mon “lapin.” Cela ne vaut-il pas le “plaudite!” de l’empereur Auguste, ou le “Baissez le rideau, la farce est jouée!” de notre vieux Rabelais?--=BOUTMY.=

(Familiar and popular) C’est le ---- qui a commencé is said ironically 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 Empire, 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 commencé,” for a text line.

LAPINER (general), to cheat a prostitute by not paying her her dues.

LAQUEUSE, f. (familiar and popular), cocotte who walks in the vicinity of the lake at the Bois de Boulogne. See GADOUE.

LARANTQUÉ, 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 était, âpre au gain et à la curée.--=A. DAUDET=, Les Rois en Exil.

(Popular) Larbin savonné, knave of cards.

LARBINE, f. (popular), maid-servant, “slavey.”

LARBINERIE, f. (familiar), set of servants, “flunkeydom, or flunkeyism.”

LARCOTTIER, m. (old cant), one who yields too often to the promptings of a well-developed bump of amativeness, a “beard-splitter.”

LARD, m. (popular), disreputable woman; mistress; skin, or body. Sauver son ----, to save one’s “bacon.” Perdre son ----, to become 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.

LARDÉ, m. (popular), un ---- aux pommes, mess of potatoes and bacon.

Au prix où sont les lardés aux pommes aux trente-neuf marmites.--Tam-Tam du 6 Juin, 1880.

LARDÉE, f. (printers’), composition full of italics and roman.

LARDER (obsolete), explained by quotation:--

Terme libre, qui signifie, faire le déduit, se divertir avec une femme.--=LE ROUX=, Dict. 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’), female companions of prostitutes.

Après tout, mes lardives ne valent pas mieux que moi et leurs megs valent le pante que j’ai lâché parcequ’il m’embêtait.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LARDOIRE, f. (popular), sword, or “toasting fork.”

LARGE, adj. and m. (popular), il est ----, mais c’est des épaules is said ironically of a close-fisted man. N’en pas mener ----, to be ill at ease; crest-fallen. Envoyer quelqu’un au ----, to send one to the deuce.

LARGONJI, m. (thieves’), cant, slang. Properly the word jargon disguised by a process described under the heading LAMPAGNE (which see).

LARGUE, f. (popular and thieves’), woman, “hay-bag, cooler, shakester, or laced mutton.” Concerning the word Michel says: “Je crains bien qu’une pensée obscène n’ait présidé à la création de ce mot: ce qui me le fait soupçonner, c’est que je lis, p. 298 du livre d’Antoine Oudin, ‘Loger au large, d’une femme qui a grand ... or, large se prononçait largue à l’italienne et à l’espagnole dès le xivᵉ siècle.’”

Deux mots avaient suffi. Ces deux mots étaient: vos largues et votre aubert, vos femmes et votre argent, le résumé de toutes les affections vraies de l’homme.--=BALZAC.=

Largue, mistress, or “poll;” ---- d’altèque, 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 forsake 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.

LARGUEPÉ, f. (thieves’), prostitute, or thief’s wife, “mollisher.” See GADOUE. According to Michel this word is formed of largue, woman, and putain, whore.

LARME DU COMPOSITEUR, f. (printers’), comma.

LARNAC, ARNAC, or ARNACHE, m. (thieves’), police officer, “copper,” or “reeler.” Rousse à l’----, detective. For synonymous expressions see VACHE.

LARQUE, f. (roughs’), woman, or “cooler;” registered prostitute. A corruption of largue. See GADOUE.

LARRONS, m. pl. (printers’), odd pieces of paper which adhere to sheets in the press, producing “moines” or blanks.

LARTIF, LARTIE, LARTON, m. (thieves’), bread, “pannum.” Termed also “briffe, broute, pierre dure, artie, arton, brignolet, bringue, boule de son, bricheton.”

LARTILLE À PLAFOND, f. (thieves’), PASTRY.

LARTIN, m. (old cant), beggar, “maunderer.”

LARTON, m. (thieves’), bread, “pannum;” ---- brutal, black bread; ---- savonné, white bread.

LARTONNIER, m. (thieves’), baker. From larton, bread. In the English popular lingo a “dough-puncher.”

LASCAILLER (thieves’), to void urine, “to pump ship.” For synonyms see LÂCHER.

LASCAR, m. (military), bold, devil-may-care fellow. Allons, mes lascars! now, boys!

Alors il se frottait les mains, faisait des blagues, ricanait: Eh! eh! mes lascars, il y a du bon pour le “chose,” ce soir!--=G. COURTELINE.=

The term is also used disparagingly with the signification of bad soldiers.

Là-dessus, en arrière, à droite, et à gauche ... marche! A vos écuries, tas de lascars.--=G. COURTELINE.=

(Thieves’) Lascar, fellow.

Tous les lascars à l’atelier pouvaient turbiner à leur gré. Moi, je n’avais pas plus tôt le dos tourné à mon ouvrage pour grignoter mon lartif (pain) ou pour chiquer mon Saint-père (tabac), que le louchon était sur mon dos pour m’écoper.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LAS DE CHIER, 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.

LATINE, f. (students’), student’s mistress. From “Quartier Latin,” a part of Paris where students mostly dwell.

LATTE, f. (military), cavalry sword. 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-À-TABAC.

LAURE, f. (thieves’), brothel, “nanny-shop, or academy.” Concerning the inmates of a clandestine establishment 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 absolutely poorer than the meanest beggar that ever whined for a crust. These women are known as “dress lodgers.”--The Seven Curses of London.

LAVABE, m. (popular), note of hand; theatre ticket at reduced price given to people who in return agree to applaud at a given signal.

LAVAGE, m., or LESSIVE, f. (general), sale of one’s property; also sale of property at considerable loss.

Barbet n’avait pas prévu ce lavage; il croyait au talent de Lucien.--=BALZAC.=

LAVARÈS (thieves’), for laver, to sell stolen property. Nous irons à lavarès la camelote chez le fourgueur, we will go and sell the property at the receiver’s.

LAVASSE, f. (popular), soup; ---- sénatoriale, rich soup; ---- présidentielle, very rich soup.

LAVEMENT, m. (popular), au verre pilé, glass of rank brandy; (familiar and popular), troublesome man or bore; (military) adjutant.

LAVER (general), to spend; to sell.

Vous avez pour quarante francs de loges et de billets à vendre, et pour soixante francs de livres à laver au journal.--=BALZAC.=

(Thieves’) Laver la camelote, or les fourgueroles, to sell stolen property, “to do the swag;” ---- son linge, to give oneself up after sentence has been passed in contumaciam; ---- le linge dans la saignante, to kill.

Voici le pante que j’ai allumé devant le ferlampier (bandit) mis au poteau,--il faut laver son linge dans la saignante. Vite; à vos surins, les autres! Une fuis qu’il sera refroidi, qu’on le porte à la cave.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Se ---- les pieds, se ---- les pieds au dur, or au grand pré, to be transported, “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 deuce, go to “pot!” Mon linge est lavé! I am beaten, I own I have the worst of it. (General) Laver, to sell.

LAVETTE, f. (popular), tongue, or “red rag.”

LAVOIR, m. (cads’), confessional. A place where one’s conscience is made snow-white. (Familiar) Lavoir public, newspaper.

L’AVOIR ENCORE (popular). Elle l’a encore, she has yet her maidenhead, her rose has not yet been plucked.

LAZAGNE, or LAZAGEN, f. (thieves’), letter, “screeve, or stiff.”

On appelle lasagna, en Italien, une espèce de mets de pâte, et l’on dit proverbialement “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 sont pour la plupart, les gueux aient appliqué cette expression aux lettres, qui, d’ailleurs, sont loin d’être toujours lisibles. Il y a aussi des livres appelés “di lasagne.”--=MICHEL.=

Balancer une ----, to write a letter.

LAZARO, m. (military), prison, “shop.”

Il lui avait ouvert la porte du cachot ... au fond il se moquait pas mal d’être flanqué au lazaro.--=G. COURTELINE.=

LAZO-LIGOT, m. (police), strap with a noose.

Et Col-de-zinc, à l’aspect si raide, avait l’agilité du Mexicain pour jeter le lazo-ligot, pour entourer d’un seul coup le corps et le poignet de son sujet de façon à ce que la main restât attachée à sa hanche.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LAZZI-LOF, m. (thieves’), venereal malady. Termed “French gout,” or “ladies’ fever,” in the English slang.

LÈCHE-CURÉ, m. (popular), bigot, “prayer-monger.”

LÉCHÉE, f. (artists’), picture minutely painted.

LÉGITIME, m. and f. (familiar), husband, or “oboleklo;” wife, or “tart.” Manger sa ----, to squander one’s fortune.

LÉGUME, m. (military), gros ----, field officer, or “bloke.” An allusion to his epaulets, termed “graine d’épinards.”

LÉGUMISTE, m. (familiar), vegetarian.

LEM, parler en ----, mode of disguising words by prefixing the letter “l,” and adding the syllabic “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 LAMPAGNE.

LENQUETRÉ, m. (thieves’), thirty sous. The word “trente” disguised.

LENTILLE, f. (thieves’), grosse ----, moon, “parish lantern.”

LÉON, m. (thieves’), the president of the assize court.

LERMON, m. (thieves’), tin.

LERMONNER (thieves’), to tin.

LESBIEN, m. (literary), formerly termed lesbin, explained by quotation:--

Lesbin, pour dire un jeune homme ou garçon qui sert de sucube à un autre et qui souffre qu’on commette la sodomie sur lui.--=LE ROUX=, Dict. Comique.

LESBIENNE, f. (common). Rigaud says: “Femme qui suit les errements de Sapho; celle qui cultive le genre de dépravation attribué à Sapho la Lesbienne.”

LESCAILLER. See LASCAILLER.

LÉSÉBOMBE, or LÉSÉE, f. (popular), prostitute, or “mot.” For synonymous expressions see GADOUE.

LESSIVAGE, m. (popular), selling of property; (thieves’) pleading.

LESSIVANT, m. (thieves’), counsel, or “mouthpiece.”

LESSIVE, f. (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 prisoner compares himself to dirty linen, to be washed snow-white by the counsel.

LESSIVER (thieves’), is said of a barrister 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.

LETEZEN (Breton cant), pancake.

LETTRE, f. (thieves’), de Jérusalem, letter written by a prisoner to someone outside the prison, to request that some money may be sent him; ---- de couronne (obsolete), cup.

LEVAGE, m. (popular), swindle; successful gallantry.

LEVÉ, adj. (general), had formerly the signification of to be tracked by a bailiff who has found one’s whereabouts.

LEVÉE, f. (popular), wholesale arrest of prostitutes.

LÈVE-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 tradesman.

Un Toulousain ... jeune perruquier dévoré d’ambition, vint à Paris, 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 baluchons, to go away; (prostitutes’) ---- un miché, to find a client, “to pick up a flat.”

LEVEUR, m. (popular), pickpocket, “buzcove.” See GRINCHE. Leveur de femmes, a Don Giovanni in a small way, or a “molrower.” (Printers’) Bon ----, skilled typographer.

Un bon leveur est un ouvrier qui compose bien et vite.--=BOUTMY.=

LEVEUSE, f. (familiar and popular), a flash girl.

LEVURE, f. (popular), flight. Faire la ----, to run away; “to skedaddle,” “to mizzle.”

LÉZARD, m. (popular), an untrustworthy friend; dog stealer.

Le lézard vole des chiens courants, des épagneuls et surtout des levrettes. Il ne livre jamais sa proie sans recevoir la somme déclarée.--Almanach du Débiteur.

Faire son ----, to doze in the daytime like a lizard basking in the sun. (Thieves’) Faire le ----, to take to flight, “to make beef.” See PATATROT. Un ----, a traitor, a “snitcher.”

LÉZARDES, f. pl. (printers’), white spaces.

Raies blanches produites dans la composition par la rencontre fortuite d’espaces placées les unes au-dessous des autres.--=BOUTMY.=

LÉZINE, f. (thieves’), cheating at a game.

LÉZINER (thieves’), to cheat, “to bite;” to hesitate, “to funk.”

LIBRETAILLEUR, m. (familiar), a libretto writer of poor ability.

LICE, f. (popular), lecherous girl. Literally bitch.

LICHADE, f. (popular), embrace.

LICHANCE, f. (popular), hearty meal, “tightener.” From licher, equivalent to lécher, to lick.

LICHE, f. (popular), excessive eating or drinking. Etre en ----, to be “on the booze.”

LICHER (familiar and popular), to drink, “to lush.” See RINCER.

Il a liché tout’ la bouteille, Rien n’est sacré pour un sapeur.

Parisian Song.

LICHEUR, m. (familiar and popular), gormandizer. The term is very old.

LICHOTER UN RIGOLBOCHE (popular), to make a hearty meal, or “tightener.”

LIE DE FROMENT, f. (popular), excrement, or “quaker.”

LIÈGE, m. (thieves’), gendarme.

LIERCHEM (cads’), to ease oneself. An obscene word disguised. See LEM.

LIGNANTE, f. (thieves’), life.

Ce mot ... vient de la ligne, dite de vie, que les bohémiens 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) rodfisher.

LIGNE, f. (artists’), avoir la ----, to have a fine profile. (Literary) Pêcher à la ----, or tirer à la ----, is said of a journalist who seeks to make an article as lengthy as possible. (Popular) Pêcher à la ---- d’argent is said of an angler who catches fish by means of a money bait, at the fishmonger’s. (Printers’) Ligne à voleur, line containing only a syllable, or a very short word, which might have been composed into the preceding line.

Les lignes à voleur sont faciles à reconnaître, et elles n’échappent guère à l’œil d’un correcteur exercé, qui les casse d’ordinaire impitoyablement.--=BOUTMY.=

LIGORE, f. (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, f. (thieves’), rope, or strap; bonds; ---- de rifle, or riflarde, strait 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 l’abîmer, ni lui mettre les poucettes sans douleur ou le ligoter sans effort.--Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

LIGOTTE, f. (thieves’), rope; string; strap.

LILLANGE (thieves’), town of Lille.

LILLOIS, m. (thieves’), thread.

LIMACE, f. (popular), low prostitute, 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., LIMACIÈRE, f., (thieves’), shirt-maker. From limace, a shirt.

LIMANDE, f. (popular), man made of poor stuff; one who fawns. From limande, a kind of sole (fish).

LIME, f. (thieves’), for limace, shirt, or “commission” in old English cant; ---- sourde, sly, underhand man. The expression is old, and is used by Rabelais:--

Mais, qui pis est, les oultragearent grandement, les appellants trop-diteux, breschedents, plaidants rousseaulx, galliers, chie-en-licts, averlans, limes sourdes.--Gargantua.

LIMER (familiar and popular), to talk with difficulty; to do a thing slowly. Literally to file.

LIMOGÈRE, f. (thieves’), chambermaid.

LIMONADE, f. (popular), water, or “Adam’s ale;” the trade of a “limonadier,” or proprietor of a small café. Tomber, or se plaquer dans la ----, to fall into the water; to be ruined, or “gone a mucker.” (Thieves’) Limonade, flannel vest; ---- de linspré, champagne. “Linspré” is the word “prince” disguised.

LIMONADIER DE POSTÉRIEURS, m. (popular), apothecary. Formerly apothecaries performed the “clysterium donare” of Molière’s Malade Imaginaire.

LIMOUSIN, or LIMOUSINANT, m. (popular), mason. It must be mentioned that most of the Paris masons hail from Limousin.

LIMOUSINE, f. (thieves’), sheet lead on roofs, or “flap.” Termed also “saucisson, gras-double.”

LIMOUSINEUR, m. (thieves’), thief who steals sheet-lead roofing. 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 cafés, where the microscopic “bocks” or “choppes” are topped by gigantic heads. Se payer un ---- convenable, to have a stylish mistress, an “out-and-out tart.” (Popular) Un ---- à règles, a dirty, slatternly woman. Resserrer son ----, to die. (Thieves’) Avoir son ---- lavé, to be caught, apprehended, or “smugged.”

LINGÉ, adj. (popular), être ----, to have plenty of fine linen.

LINGRE, or LINGUE, m. (thieves’), knife, or “chive.” From Langres, a manufacturing town. The synonyms are “linve, trente-deux, vingt-deux, chourin or surin, scion, coupe-sifflet, 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.”

LINSPRÉ, m. (thieves’), prince. See LIMONADE.

LINVÉ, m. (popular), loussem, twenty sous. The words “vingt sous” distorted. Un ----, a franc: “un lenquetré” being one franc and fifty centimes, or thirty sous, and “un larantqué,” two francs, or forty sous. These expressions are respectively the words un, trente, quarante, disguised.

LION, m. (familiar), dandy of 1840. Fosse aux lions, box at the opera occupied by men of fashion. For synonymous terms see GOMMEUX.

LIONNERIE, f. (familiar), fashionable world.

LIPÈTE, 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, f. (thieves’), shirt, in old English cant “commission.” Décarrer le centre d’une ----, to obliterate the marking of a shirt.

LIQUEUR, f. (popular), cache-bonbon à ----, dandy’s stick-up collar. A malevolent allusion to scrofula abcesses on the neck.

LIRE (familiar), aux astres, to muse, “to go wool-gathering;” (familiar and popular) ---- le journal, to go without a dinner; ---- le Moniteur, to wait patiently. (Printers’) Lire, to note proposed alterations in a proof; ---- en première, to correct the first proof; ---- en seconde, or en bon, 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, f. (thieves’), long waistcoat; sword, or “poker.”

LISSERPEM (roughs’), to void urine. The word “pisser” disguised by prefixing the letter “l,” and adding 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 “département.” For instance, the Paris electors have to vote for a list of over thirty members.

LIT, m. (popular), être 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.

LITTÉRATURE JAUNE (familiar), the so-called Naturalist literature.

LITTÉRATURIER, m. (familiar), a literary man after a fashion.

LIVRAISON, f. (popular), avoir une ---- de bois devant sa porte, to have well-developed breasts, to be possessed of fine “Charlies.”

LIVRE, m. (popular), des quatre rois, pack of cards, “book of briefs,” or “Devil’s books;” ---- rouge, police registration book in which the names of authorized prostitutes are inscribed. Etre inscrite dans le ---- rouge, to be a registered prostitute. (Freemasons’) Livre d’architecture, ledger of a lodge. (Sharpers’) Livre, one hundred francs.

LOA VIHAN (Breton cant), coffee.

LOCANDIER, m. (thieves’). Called also “voleur au bonjour,” thief who visits apartments in the morning, and who when caught pretends to have entered the wrong rooms by mistake. See GRINCHE.

LOCHE, f. (popular), mou comme une ----, slow, phlegmatic, “lazybones.” (Thieves’) Loche, ear, or “wattle.” Properly loach or groundling.

LOCHER (thieves’), to listen; (popular) to totter, “to be groggy.”

LOCOMOTIVE, f. (popular), great smoker.

LOF, LOFF, LOFFARD, LOFFE, m. (popular), fool, or “bounder.” “Lof” is the anagram of “fol.”

A lui le coq,... pour inventer des emblèmes ... quand j’y pense, fallait-il que je fusse loff pour donner dans un godan pareil!--Mémoires de Vidocq.

LOFFAT, m. (popular), apprentice.

LOFFIAT, m. (popular), blockhead, or “cabbage-head.”

LOFFITUDE, f. (thieves’), stupidity; nonsense. Bonisseur de loffitudes, nonsense-monger. Solliceur de loffitudes, journalist.

LOGE INFERNALE, f. (theatrical), box occupied by young men of fashion.

LOGER RUE DU CROISSANT (familiar and popular), is said of an 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 “dimber damber;” (popular) cocotte, or “mot.” See GADOUE. Fifi ----, large iron cylinder in which the contents of cesspools are carried away by the scavengers. (Military) Gros lolos, cuirassiers.

LOMBARD, m. (popular), commissionnaire of the “Mont de Piété,” or government pawning establishment.

LONCEGUÉ, m. (thieves’ and cads’), man, “cove;” master of a house, “boss.” The word gonce disguised.

LONCEGUEM, f. (thieves’ and cads’), woman, or “hay-bag;” mistress of a house.

LONG, m. and adj. (popular), simpleton, greenhorn. Etes-vous logé et nourri? Oui, le ---- du mur. Do you get board and lodging? Yes, at my own expense. (Thieves’) Long, stupid; blockhead, or “go along.” Abbreviation of long à comprendre.

LONGCHAMPS, m., a long corridor of w.c.’s at the Ecole Polytechnique; (popular) a procession.

LONGE, f. (thieves’), year, or “stretch.” Tirer une ----, to do one “stretch” in prison.

LONGÉ, adj. (popular), old.

LONGIN, or SAINT-LONGIN, m. (popular), sluggard.

LONGINE, or SAINTE-LONGINE, f. (popular), sluggish woman.

LONGUETTE DE TRÈFLE, f. (thieves’), roll of tobacco, or “twist of fogus.”

LOPHE, adj. (thieves’), false; counterfeit, “flash.” Un fafiot ----, a forged bank-note, or “queer screen.”

LOPIN, m. (popular), spittle, or “gob.”

LOQUE, m. (thieves’), parler en ----, mode of disguising words. The word is preceded by the letter “l,” and the syllable preceded by the first letter of the word is added. Thus “fou” becomes “loufoque.”

LOQUES, f. pl. (thieves’), pieces of copper.

LORCEFÉ, f. (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 à la lorcefé des largues (Saint-Lazare) pour un an, le temps de ton gerbement.--=BALZAC.=

LORDANT. See LOURDIER.

LORET, m. (popular), lover of a lorette.

LORETTE, f. (familiar), more than fast girl, or “mot,” named after the Quartier Notre Dame de Lorette, the Paris Pimlico. See GADOUE.

LORGNE, or LORGNE-BÉ, 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 à ----, coffin, or “cold-meat box.” Eteindre ses deux lorgnettes, to close one’s eyes.

LORQUET, m. (popular), sou.

LOT, m. (popular), venereal disease.