The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-02

~ RIMlNOLOCIH mas us own ldIISduso
.-terse, expressive and incompre-
/ hensible to the uninitiated. 1t Is
necessarily a growing as well as
~ shifting, changing language, to
which the young, active and ingeni- .
Gus criminals are constantly contributing,
while a few expressions are dropped from
time to time by common consent or give
place to new and more forceful ones.
A few of the words and phrases have
proven so apt that they have found their
way into higher society, and are used
side by side with those of more reputable
origin.
Some slang words are in general use
among rogues, but in addition each coun-
trv and each city has it's peculiar dialect,
New York naturally having the richest
and most complete lexicon of this sort IN
America. .,
A detective is referred to as an elbow"
and . nolfceman as a(''inger'' or "fatty."
The crook is a gun" or mug" an old
timer who comes up at repeated and regu-
lar intervals being referred to as a re-
yolver." The fellow who knows every de-
tective by sight and can tip him off to his
comrades is termed a lighthouse me
leader OF "a gang is their main guy,
their place of meeting the, Joint and the
gang itself is the push.
The plumber which results from rod
berry is referred to in general as the
bundle" A gold watch is yellow one.'
and a silver watch is a white one A
pocketbook is Leather" and diamond
Graft is a rogue's line of business,
and a pickpocket is a CRATER or
dip" while the shoplifter is spoken OF as
a ''hoister' pronounced MYSTERY The
''dips" companion, who bumps up against
the victim or otherwise attracts his at
tention while his pal robs him is known
as a stall" When a man is said to be
Tagged it means that he is permitted
to go unmolosted. Bonds are paper,
counterfeit money is the queer, and the
man who passes "the queer" is "a
shower" A forger is known among
criminals as a 'scratcher." Jewelry
thieves. are ''penny-weiglhters3" fat or
house thieves are 'sneaks." A bank thief
is a bank sneak" and safe thief is g
"Peter." Knockout or choral drops are
also Peters, Victims of the rogues are
when they are termed "beefers" One
who has newly come into the fraternity is
said to have Just broken out" and re-
formed man has squared it,
A woman who works with thieves is
molly" and man who steals from
woman is a mol buzzer" A man who
works the churches trying to steal from
those in attendance is spoken of in this
way.
special business of following the President
on his tours about the country and at
tending conventions and other crowded
occasions, Gold brick men are also
spoken of as ''cross-roaderS.
A "squealer" is the one who gives the
gang away; a fence" is the receiver of
stolen goods; q "scrapper" is a victim
who. offers resistance to his attackers, and
crib" is saloon or gambling place
A man is sent to the jug when he goes
to the county prison or Jail, but State
prison is the "stur,'I' and his term is ex-
pressively referred to as so many
stretches in place of years.
When prisoner is convicted he is said
to be settled; If released, he is turned out.
Dividing the spoils is known as 'whack-
ing up" Warning signals are given by
peculiar throaty hacking.
A watch and chain are often referred to
as super and slang" and when a thief
announces that he ''pinched a guys yell
low super on the green-light rather" it
may be translated into the statement that
he stole a mans gold watch on a -Four
teenth-street car.
1.-The guy tumbled and we done a lamb
signifies that the intended victim was onto
the game and the thief ran away.
HE screwed his nut means that he
turned his head so that he could not see
anything. 1.-THE guy was made up IS
easily understood to mean that he was
disguised.