The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-19
AllTrades Have Their
Slang.
THE "PATTER" TALK.
Lower the Calling Richer
It's Vocabulary.
(PhiIadelphia Times.O

Some one is contending in the public
misuse of language and that we Ameri-
cans should not be controlled in our
| lingual expressions by the laws and
regulations of our British ancestors
This has led to a query Of the origin
of what we call slang" 1t is said by
Webster to be of gypsy origin, and is
defined to be low, vulgar, unauthorized
language. All professions, trades and
| occupations have their slang, but it
may safely be set down as an axiom
| That the lower the calling the richer
| II is III this deectable lingo, Slang is
UNIVERSAL. Every nation and tribe in
the known world has it's cant terms,
and though refined people deprecate
their use, it cannot be denied that by
| the means of slang term expression
| Is often given to an idea that it would
| take sentence to imperfectly explain.
That the lower the calling the richer
| it is in slang is fully exempified in the
case OF the dishonest-for thieves have
| q vocabulary almost as copious as
| Webster's Unabridged. They "patter
nash that is, talk slang-almost con-
stantly. This is caused by two reasons
first, their desire TO keep as secret as
possible even their ordinary thoughts,
and second, their love of being thought
| ny, or smart people In thieves
slang, an honest man is a square
ploke, and all that do not come under
that category are crooks" or ION
the cross. A pickpocket is a "cly ia
| kir, a burglar a "craoksman," a safe
robber a gopher blower while com
| moner thieves are "sneaks," "lSnucks,"
guns and ''goniffs," A thief's wife,
or female companion, is q "Moll," a
drinking saloon is a "boozing," or a
flushing ken" the place where he sells
or disposes Of his ill-gotten gains
fence while the property itself is
'swag." His companions in crime are
mis- mob, or gang" and his especial
enemies. the police, are cops" or
coppers." He is never arrested, but is
"collared'' quite frequently and when
the proof against him is conclusive ne
is ,,coppered dead to rights"
When he drinks he collars his
booze; II sent to prison he is Tin
auod, in stur' or ''jugged." Serving
out term of Imprisonment is doing
time and it's length is indicated by
| moons for months and "stretchers"
for years. He has a hundred terms for
money, but a dollar is invariably
ease and a hundred of them consti-
tute century" A silver watch is a
ticker and a gold one super"
Twisting a super" means wringing a
gold watch off its chain. To tell a man
lie is to give him a stiff" while to
tiatter him IS to give him 'taffy." hence
the oft-used expression: What are yer
SiVin' me. tafy?" A thief never be-
trays another, he gives him away"
! His name is 'monaker," and he never
| dies but ''croaks'
| Next to thieves the disciples of the
! Inv VsEr, IL.
head is his nut" or knowledge box"
his eyes are his "ogles," or his "gIims"
his nose is his horn his "conk." his
sIneller,' his "cutWater" and his prob
oscis' his mouth is his potato trap"
or his "kisser," and his ears are his
Tugs" his arms are his fins" or his
dukes and his fists are his "mau-
leys" and his punches of fves": his
stomach Is his bread basket" and his
'viotualing department" and his legs
are his pins When he gets a good
humping and does not vince he is
said to be game" and to take to his
Cruel kindly" When his opponent
catches him around the neck With one
arm and pounds him with the other,
he is said to be in "chancery." The
beating he gives or receives is punish
ment," and when from its reception he
is so weak he can hardly stand up he
is said to be "groggy,' in which event
his opponent is advised to go in and
finish him by putting on the kibosh"
The turf is rich in slang, as might be
expected. It's patrons are mainly divid- !
ed into two classes-the "sharps" and
the flats" The former prey upon the |
latter and, in fact If it were not for !
the fresh crops which every year pro- |
duces they would not exist. The |
knowing ones" are frequently talked |
of, but when their knowledge proves to !
be transformation they come to grief" |
and dump" their money like a com
mon sucker" A horse that is taken |
through the country and trotted under |
a false name, pedigree or record. is a |
ringer" and, unfortunately, the num- |
Der of these is legion. A "stayer' is a |
horse with great powers of endurance, |
and a "welcher" is a man who sneaks |
out of his bets.
Under the American system of betting !
there are but few of this class on our |
courses though in England they are as (
plenty as blackberries in July.
Circus men use slang very freely, their |
lives being so much IN public that but !
for ii they would have difficulty in COM !
municating with each other without |
making their affairs known to the |