The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-08-17
JARGON OF THIEVES.
The Peculiarly OF. Criminals
Palaver.

A man must be pretty well posted to
understand the drift of what has become
the current vernacular of the hardened
criminals and bad citizens" Even in a
city tue size of Austin, the "vags" are
not long in catching on" to the latest
out. We give some samples, as for in
stance, a cell is a drum" keys are
screws" lights of any kind from gas
Jet TO an electric light are 'glims," and a
bed is "doss." When a man is arrest
ed he is simply ''pulled." A prisoner is
a "con," which appears to be an abbre-
Walton of the word convict. A saloon
is "boOZing KEN" and u well-dressed
man is ''swell cove" A corpse Is a
''stiff," and following analogy a coffin is
"stiff-box." Strangely enough the
word stiff is also used in speaking of a
letter, a message, or q note. For in
stance, if a criminal succeeds in snug
Cling a note out of Jail, he is said to be
''sneaking a stiff. :" The victim of conf
dence operation is spoken of as 'bloke, ("
and, therefore, "hy-bloke" is one who,
having been ''played" for fool, sudden
ly turns out to be rather smart. The word
''cat" is often used as an adjective, as a
''cat restaurant or a "cathouse," the lat
ter meaning house of ill-fame and the
former a restaurant where loose women
eat.
In wider application of the term, "cat"
is applied generally to women, though it
is restricted among the more aesthetic
criminals 10 loose women. A blow of
the fist or club is Slug" a loaf of bread
is dummy" and the end of an untinish-
ed cigar a ''snipe. Small boys who gather
cigar stumps are called ''snipe-hunteIs,"
term also applied to an Objectionable
person TO indicate that he is very low or
degraded. The act of stealing is called
''swiping," and, as 'kerchief is called
''wipe," stealing a 'kerchief is called
''swiping a wipe" A newspaper is called
"giveaway." police officer as every
body knows cop" or a ''peeler," and,
as is equally wellknown, captured plum
| der is called 'swag." A safe-breaker is
now called ''gopher-cracker, and if a
criminal desired to express the idea that
a safe-robber had been sent to San Quen-
tin, he would say, "a gopher-cracker
has gone up the bean rauch." Hand
cuffs are of course called "brace-
let's" thief is Crook" the Jail is
the "jug," and coffee is called boot
leg" though for what earthly reason We
cannot understand. A pickpocket is
dip" and purse poke" There
fore, if man steals a purse from IL
pocket he is said ito dip a poke"
ShadOwlng man is "piping him" and
hence, if you desire to call attention
to neatly dressed man on
the the street. you say, Pipe
pop" which is peculiarly appropriate,
knife is "shoV," and serving out a
sentence in Jail is doing time" If jim
my the Joker had been sent to San Quen-
tin, he would be doing time at the
bean ranch" A doctor has always been
called ''sawbones," and "A hospital for the
wounded slaughter house"
"a friend is called "pall" or Cove"
and rum cove" would be smart and
true friend. Clio. hing is called 'togs,"
and an overcoat is an ''overtog." Shoes
or boots are stamps" soft hat is a
''caddie," a stiff hat is 'dicer" Shak-
ing dice is ''rattling the bUnes," to de-
ceive any one is to give HIM Flip or
''gaff, and if a hoodlum should remark,
81 gave the blue belly fill" he would
probably mean that he had succeeded in
deceiving a police officer. A watch is
called super" chain slang" and
diamond spark" If man should
"swlpe spark" he would steal dia-
mond pm, and if he "collared super
and slang" he would have
snatched a watch and chain. A ''rum
cove might swipe wipe, collar super,
give blue-belly a fill, and yet get jagged
and finally be compelled to do time at
the bean RANCH" but if any one should
relate the story to you in that language
you would be more able to understand
him than you would if he asked
you for dummy" a cup of "bootleg"
and ''doss," in which word there is no
cleW to his meaning.