Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-03-21
WHAT Do YER SOY?
A SHORT DISSERTATION on SANG.
SHOWING HOW IT Is USED AND DT
WHOM.

t'"hSS "'A't occupations nave tEelr
slaLg, and though polite soci II
leprccate; its uac and effects to de-
spisc its users, it cannot be denied
| that by the means Of slang term.
expression is often given to an idea
that it would otherwise take sem
tence to explain. 1t is daily used.
often nnconsciously, by thousands
yes, millions Of people. The lower
the calling the richer it is in this de-
icctahl" iar"0n. Thieves have a yo.
cahulary almost n copons rs Web
5ter s. nabridgeh Dictionary. The,
''paffpr fash, that l., tall, slang al
most constantly. They are taught
1t Is pant Of their calling to kerI
secret As possible even thei ordinary
thoughts; aud desire In he thought
"hy or smart" people leads then
10 ase 'iieir ling" AZ opportunity
presents. ia thieves slang an homes
man Is square hloEc," and al
who Il" not come under that catec,r,
are crooks" or "on the cross" A
pickpocllct is a ''cly fakir," a burg
lar ''crarksman. safe-robber :
gopher blower while commoneI
thieves are ''SncakS," "knucks, >
"guns, and commits. A thief.
wife or mistress is his "moll," ant
in his expressive cant. prostitute i.
4 moi or Il "laggot," a drinking
saloon, a ''hoozinS" or ''lusein!
ken, The place where he sells or dis
poses ot his iIl-gotten wealth,
''fcncc, while the property itself i
''swag.' Ills companions in crim
are his mob or the "~ang." an,
his especial enemies, the police, ar
cops or 'cOppers. He is ncye
arrested, but is '>collard'' quite tre
quentlv, and when the proof of hi
guilt il conclusive he is s::'copped dea'
to rights Whcn he drinks he 'scol
lars lis boC2e.' If sent to prison h
is sin Guod, in stnr," or ''iuq
ged." Serving ont term of impris
onment is "doing fine" and it
. length is indicated by "moons" fu
months and stretches" for years
r He has hundred terms for money
but dollar rs invariably "a case,
, and Il hundred of them constitute g
century, \ silver watch is ''tiCh
: err and 4 gold one is "super.
! "Twisting super means wringin
= gold watch oil its cham To tc
= man lie il to give him stiff :;
: while to dattcr him is to give hin
/ "tatfv. hence, the oft used EXPIRE.
sion: Whit are Ncr givin' IN
tati'y - :, thief never bctravs NJ
t other, he gives HIM away. IL
: na1hc - ms N'honaNff, AMI he
dies. hut 'rrnaks." " Next to thiev,
the disciples of the prize RING mos
love ~laar. A fighters heal is II
G 'snnt," or knowledge box h
eyes NJ" his "o@le,' or his ''glims,
his nos" - lis horn, his ''conk,
his sncllrr, hi' 'cnt-water" al
c his ''proboaciS 20 hiT mouth is h
''potato o-trai," on his ''kisser'' al
his ears are hi7 ''In@s;" his arms a
is his "dns, or dukes, and his fis
are his "mauleya, and his "bnnch
II ofiivcs;" his stomach is his ''brea
t. basket" and bis "yictnaily depal
ment, " aud his legs ar" his ''pins
at When h @ets good humping n
ID does not vince, hc is said 10
n "galnc" and to take his Cruel kin
Nv" When his opponent catch
him around the neck with one ar
ot and pounds him riith the other han
De he is said to be ''in chancery. T
beating he gives or receives is ssapu
~ ishment, and when from its rece
Is ton he is so weak that he can hare
Il stand mp, he is said to be ''grogcy
TO il which event his opponent is adv
O. ed to go in and punish him by "pr
us ting on the kibosh. Food is "peck
and drink is "lush." The mana.
of or proprietor of an establishment
r. ''main guy while his patrons
IS simply i'guys" or s'gillies. -
e. weed means to talk, and no
de "NlSey. The expression MI