Telegram-herald., 1889-06-07
VOCABULARY 0F SLANG
Ees Singular Lag gzage with Which
Thoughts Are ConcsaIed-
oxsgiz ~ so=ss fSFzi-s Fnr1sss-Hs- she
k@ksas @a5 crsoks T.lk-TsreS Ehoa-
s@z1 Wsrsis @aa EEps.ssloas IA
tie kssa~s' Ds.lecL

tie kssa~s' Ds@lSeL
S.agg a.Uays hls beea more cr lsss prey
yateat. ct aexsr acre 50. perhaps, ta-a
nga Every tr@ls, prefessiol z43 business
LIS - goc2olizTy u s-aAs. f1ere are
Lrss paBers Il - lEetsfge lu i % an extra
crclaAry extent, aad II - evra seare occzr
si1aa.ly Ia tie pglpit. TIE stage = vsrg
prollac Of slzns snd ulany % taS expires
sions that coEae into ccHassoa, u~e 4fe nFsf
heard irgEu oxaiAt tte fo0E3gLts- Inefe 4rs
E4zy Giads q slang OEe ilellces Il
press .o1s ~ American ora In this class
are found scca phrases 50 ''la tie soep
Nc nlss on ~. F" you make ne weary
4at " " ell should smile.
Many Of TIE COMMON words and phrases
used on the streets and even n society come
from tie voc 409-.4ry of r0xaes ant thieves.
TDe rraternIty of rogues have a 14ggon Of
thelr own But rtls cider sud most cyperi
enced xu2ves never use u. Ibey axe 100
smart for that The bsu K bur -lar the Sail
Ia f0rgcr, t1c confidence mAl, tle house
breaker, are generally wei etU cated, coel
ard calculating, bland and susye Their
good department Is t1eir stock in trade.
They know that % use an uncoH mon diA
lect would threw suspicion on them. and il
- only when they wish - communicate
WIKI each otheF that tae words ia their
strange vocabulary are used First-class
detectives, too, while they sre familiar " "a
this language. neyer use slang IN public
tt tne rounder, the saso0n l0afer, petty
thief and small criminal who makes the
greatest display Of slang wisdom. Tie
detective who seldom catches any thing OF
more consequeuos than a cold Is also very
fond Of intulslug 10 ~ alarming e4tent IA
slang.
4 few extracts from the rogues' 'un-
written dictionary may beOf interest, says
the indianapolis News. \ might worker
Is a house breaker; one who climbs into
window, ''secoud story worker \ "g0-
pher'' is a safe-blower. A "cracksman" IS
one who opens u safe with tho most i'm
proved tools; al artist IN the line Of safe
ro5bine, Us it we're. A picSpoelIet is a
wife" a dip o. stool" IL ne picks
mems pockets ne Is a Choke buzZer," or
''knuck;" II he robs a woman, 'mol
buzzer;" If he phys his trade on the treet-
cars or In a crowded place, a car buzzer;"
stealing handkerchiefs is 'speaking
wipes" The highwaymen who uses force
20 rob his victim lights the officer is
''strOng-armn man. "Bloke'' is man, "molln
is woman, kid" male person under
twenty years. \ ''stall'i Is "a weil-dressed
man who diverts attention while the thief
does his WORK. Papa is the man who
furnishes bail for arrested crooks, hires
lawyers for them and aids them as much as
he can without getting into the meshes OF
tue law hnnself. A plant Is hidden plum
der; "springing or flashing the plant is
70 bring out the plun6er after the officers
have abandoned the search for it. The
fence is the man who disposes Of the
stolen goods, a Ia Fagin in SOLVER Twist"
.Cady'' is q hat, aud 10 ''tip the cady'' is 10
jam the victiSl's hat over his eyes that be
may be robbed easier. 4 ''orush7 is the
man who creates n disturbance in a crowd
so that his friends will have better chance
10 pick pockets unmOleste6. A mob Is
four or more thieves working together. A
"guy," ''soft mark Reuben" "Jason,
etc, is u countrynan unused 90 city life.
s'Stae his nfbsn raesns look at him. Graft
is stealing Evening graft" is robbery in
| the evening. Tho ''gun," lookout"
piper" is the man who stands guard while
| his com npanion is rahbing store or blowing
q safe. "Piping of a lay' is selecting a
house to be robbed. Piping off, is watch
| ING suspicious character. "Shadowing" Is
following a person. The "snipe" peddles
goods for confidence game or to get into
| house 20 secure information for the gang
| that intends 10 rob it. "Stif' has variety
| of meanings-a forged order, fictitious
| check, dead body (cadaver also) or a
| forged letter. 1t means also a ridiculous or
| EXAGGERATED statement. "Giving the CT
| fee" {. low whistle, cough, or any sound 10
| put thief on his guard A mark Is q
man who appears to nage plenty Of money
Red or yellow super is a gold watch ;
"super and slang" watch and chain
Touched" means robbed.
Thus: "He touched me for my yellow su-
! per and sang,n and ''pinched my spark ."
| signifies "He robbed me Of my gold watch
| and chain and extracted ms diamond pin. 5"
| To "ring "a supern is TO take a watch
and leave the chain by twisting the ring
that fastens the watch to the chain.
Sugar" "dust," dough" "wad," "roll, -
"scads," stuff" etc, are q few terms for
money.
! A "case" is paper dollar; a century
one hundred dollars; ''cartwheel," silver
dollar; ''yellow boys" gold; queer" Is
counterfeit money. a "coniscker' makes
/ the spurious coin 'boOdie carrier deiiv-
eFs it, "cutter" or ''shover" passes it.
The "headworker" plans the robberies.
Rather" is train of cars; 'ducket. - rail-
road ticket; "tip," railroad office; "give-
away" a newspaper; "scratcher for a give
! away" a reporter; "prod' is a horse
drag is wagon; ''nipped," arrested
''blue bottle" copper" ''peeler," police
man. "Gooseberry law" signifies low or
little work.
Doing tiDe' Il serving sentence
stretch" is ten years; six "lunas" or six
"uoonsr Is six months; cooler. "GuOd, -
''httle sterr," Jail or station house; "grand
sterr.r States prison; tally Is a trial
"set.led" Is convicted snd sentenced -
| prison; mouth piece" is a lawyer; "beak,
a fudge: switch or "squeaier." one who
turns States evidence; jug" - a bank;
.iirgerv is door; "ghm," light
"sloughed,r imprisoned; 'ierves' "a
an outside pocket; "pitment," an inside
vest pocket. cover ben" an overcoat
''hennie." a coat: stamps shoes
"sneaks," rubbers or shoes IN felt soies-
II Is said that the thieves ~ tins country
have nearly three thousand words and ex-
pressions they use, bat the few given hers
is q fair sample of them. bow many can be
heard spoken every day by many Of our