Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-22
VOCABULARY OF SLANG.
The Singular Language with Which
Thoughts Are Concealed.
Origin of Some Popular Phrases-How the
Fagins and Crooks Taik-Three Thou
sand Words and Expressions in
the Rogues' Dialect.

Slang always has been more or less prev
valent, but never more So perhaps, than
now. Every trade, profession and business
has its vocabulary of slang. There are
newspapers th..t indulge in it to an extra
ordinary extent, aud it is even heard occa-
sionally in the pulpit. The stage is very
prolific of slang, nd many of the express
sions that come into common use are first
heard from behind the footlights. There are
many kinds of slang One includes ex,
pressions of American origin In this class
are found such phrases as "In the SOUP"
''No flies on us" s,""You make me weary"
and "Well, lshould smile"
Many of the common words and phrases
used on the streets and even in society come
from the vocabulary of rogues and thieves
The fraternity of rogues have jargon of
their own. But the older and most expert
enced knaves never use it. They are too
smart for that. The bank-burgar, the skill
full forger. the confidence man. the house
breaker, are generIlly we'll educated, cool
and calculating, bland and suave. Their
good department is their stock in trade.
They know that to use an uncommon dia-
lect would throw suspicion on them, and it
is only when they wish to communicate
strange vocabulary are used. First-class
detectives, too, while they are familiar with
this language, never use slang in public.
1t is the rounder, the saloon loafer, petty
thief and small criminal who makes the
greatest display of slang wisdom. The
detective who seldom catches any thing of
more consequence than a cold is also very
fond of INDUCING to an alarming extent in
slang.
A few extracts from the rogues' sun
written dictionary may be of interest, says
the Indianapolis News. A might worker
is house breaker; one who Climbs into a
window, "second-story worker" A "go
pher" is safe-blower. A ''cracksman" is
one who opens a safe with the most i'm.
proved tools; an artist in the line of safe
robbng, as it were. A pckpocket is
''wlre," 'dlp'' or ''tool;" if he picks
mems pockets he is a "bloke buzzer," or
"knuck;" if he robs a woman, a "mol
buzzer;" if he phys his trade on the street.
cars or in a crowded place, "car buzzer;"
stealing handkerchiefs is ''sneaking
wipes.' The highwaymen who uses force
% rob his victim or fights the officer is
'strong-arm' man. "Bloke'' is man, "moll'
woman, "kid'' a male person under
twenty years. A "staip' is well-dressed
man who dlverts attention while the thief
does his work. "Papa" is the man who
furnishes bail for arrested crooks, nires
'awyers for them and aids them as much as
he can without getting into the meshes of
he law himself A 'plant" is hidden plum
ler; "springinG or flashing the plant" is
bring out the plunder after the officers
ave abandoned the search for it. The
fence" is the man who disposes of the
tolen goods, a la Fagin in "Oliver Twist ~
| 'Cady'' is a hat, and to Tip the cady' is to
| am the victims hat over his eyes that he
nay be robbed easier A "crush" is the
! nan who creates a disturbance in crowC
so that his friends viii h We a better chance
| to pick pockets unmolested. A ''mob" is
| four or more thieves working together. A
| guy" 'sott marx" "keuDen," Jason, -
| ,tc, is a countryman unused to city life.
Stag his nIbs" means look at him. Graft
stealing. "Evening graft" is robbery in
| he evening. The "gun." ''look-out,n -
'plper,n is the man who stands guard while
lls companion is robbing store or blowing
I sale. Piping off a lay'' is selecting a
house to be robUed. Piping Off is watch
nc a suspicious character ''ShadoWing" is
Ollowing a person. The "snlpe" peddles
goods for a confidence game or to get into a
house to- secure information for the gang
hat intends to rob it. "Stiff' has variety
If meanings-a forged order, fictitious
check, dead body (cadaver a!so) or a
forged letter. 1t means also ridiculous or
exaggerated statement. 'GIving the of
fce,' low whistle, cough, or any sound TO
put thief on his guard. A marx"
man who appears to have plenty of money.
Red or yellow super" is a gold watch;
''super and slang" watch and cham.
Touched means robbed.
M 1 4.
per and slang" and "pinched my spark"
signifies "He robbed me OF my gold watch
md chain and extracted my diamond pin
TO "ring a super" is TO take a watch
md leave the chain by twisting the ring
hat fastens the watch to the chain.
Sugar." 'dust," dough-" "wad," "roll,"
'scads," "stuff," ETC., are a few terms for
money.
A cease" is paper dollar; a "centurv,"
one hundred dollars; ''cartwheel," silver
loiiar; ''yeilow boys,'' gold; ''queer'' is
counterfeit money. A "coniacker" makes
he spurious com; "booG.e carrier'' deliy-
RS it, a ''cutJer'' or 'snover'' passes it.
The "headworker" plans the robberies
Rather is train of cars; "ducket," rail
road ticket; 'up," railroad otfice; "gve-
away" a newspaper; "scralc cher for give
away" u reporter; "prod" is a horse;
drag is a wagon; 'nIpped," arrested;
''bue bottle" "copper"" 'peeler," police
man "Gooseberry law" signifies low or
little work.
"Doing time" is serving sentence;
''stretchn is ten years; six "lunas" or six
"moons" is six months COOLER" "quod,"
''lttle sterr," Jail or station house; 'grand
sterr," States PRISON. tally is trial;
''settled" is convicted and sentenced to
prison; "mouth-plece" is LAWYER; "beak,n
a Judge; "switch" or "squeaer," one who
turns States evidence; Jug is a bank;
''jigger'' is a door; "glin," a light;
"sloughed," imprisoned; 'jerves" IS
an outside pocket; "ptment," an inside
vest pocket; "over-ben," an overcoat;
"bennie," a coat; 'stamps," shoes
'sneaks," rubbers or shoes with felt soles.
1t is said that the thieves of this country
have nearly three thousand words and ex-
pressions they use, but the few given here
is fair sample of them. How many can be
heard spoken every day by many of our
young peoplel
Queen VictOria's Rings.
IL is said that the three rings which
Queen Victoria prizes the most highly re: