Dictionary of criminal slang Dictionary of criminal slang Share Intro The word 'cant' refers to the secret language spoken by professional thieves and beggars. The Canting Academy, or Devils Cabinet Opened, by Richard Head, was first published in 1673. It records the customs, phrases and songs of urban villains and scoundrels, including an early dictionary of criminal slang. The baffling language of the criminal underworld helped pickpockets and cutpurses to communicate with each other in secret. The Canting Academy followed a tradition of books designed to warn the innocent city dweller against rogues, vagabonds, and pickpockets. Here you see the title page, and a page defining a range of words, including Prig-napper (a horse thief), Peeper (a looking glass), or smudge ('one that lies underneath a Bed, to watch an opportunity to rob the house'). A number of the words are still familiar today, such as swag and shoplift. As Pike on the been; Run for it as fast as you can. Peery Fearful Plant your Be careful what you say or speak.

whids and stow them As track the Dancers, and pikes with the Peeper: Go up the Stairs, and trip off with the Looking-glass. Peeping Drowsie, or sleepy. Rum-gutlers Canary Wine As Rum-hopper, tip us presently a Bounsing cheat of Rum gutlers; Drawer fill us presently a bottle of best Canary. Rum-dropper A Vintner Rum-glimmar King of the Link-boys Rumboyle A Ward or Watch Rum Gallant Rum-vile London Ruffin The Devil As the Ruffin nap the Cuffin-quer, and let the Harmanbeck trine with his Kinchins about his Colquarron; That is, let the Devil take the Justice, and let the Constable hang with his Children about his neck. Rum boozing Welts A Bunch of Grapes Roger A Cloak-bag Rum-padders The better sort of Highway men.

Rum-cully A rich Coxcomb Ratling mumpers Such who only beg at Coaches Romboyl’d Sought after with a Warrant Rum-hopper A Drawer Swag A Shop Smudge One that lies underneath a Bed, to watch an opportunity to rob the house Shop-lift One that filcheth Commodities out of a Shop, under the pretence of cheapning or bying them of the Shop-keeper. Stampers Shoos Dip - definition of dip by The Free Dictionary Dip - definition of dip by The Free Dictionary v. dipped, dip·ping, dips v.tr. 1. To plunge briefly into a liquid, as in order to wet, coat, or saturate. 2. To color or dye by immersing: dip Easter eggs. 3. To immerse (a sheep or other animal) in a disinfectant solution. 4. To form (a candle) by repeatedly immersing a wick in melted wax or tallow. 5. To galvanize or plate (metal) by immersion. 6. To scoop up by plunging the hand or a receptacle below the surface, as of a liquid; ladle: dip water out of a bucket. 7.

To lower and raise (a flag) in salute. 8. To lower or drop (something) suddenly: dipped my head to avoid the branch. 9. Slang To pick the pockets of. v.intr. 1. To plunge into water or other liquid and come out quickly. 2. To plunge the hand or a receptacle into liquid or a container, especially so as to take something up or out: I dipped into my pocket for some coins. 3. To withdraw a small amount from a fund: We dipped into our savings. 4. To drop down or sink out of sight suddenly: The sun dipped below the horizon. 5. To drop suddenly before climbing. Used of an aircraft. 6. To slope downward; decline: The road dipped. 7. To decline slightly and usually temporarily: Sales dipped after Christmas. 8. Geology To lie at an angle to the horizontal plane, as a rock stratum or vein. 9. a. To read here and there at random; browse: dipping into Chaucer. b. To investigate a subject superficially; dabble: dipped into psychology. 10. Slang To steal by picking pockets. 11. To place a preparation of finely shredded tobacco in one's mouth. n.

1. A brief plunge or immersion, especially a quick swim. 2. A liquid into which something is dipped, as for dyeing or disinfecting. 3. A savory creamy mixture into which crackers, raw vegetables, or other foods may be dipped. 4. An amount taken up by dipping. 5. A container for dipping. 6. A candle made by repeated dipping in tallow or wax. 7. A downward slope; a decline. 8. A sharp downward course; a drop: a dip in prices. 9. Geology The downward inclination of a rock stratum or vein in reference to the plane of the horizon. 10. a. Linguistics A part of a phrase or sentence that is unstressed or less strongly stressed relative to surrounding words, as the words I and to in I have to go. b. The unstressed portion of a metrical foot. 11. Magnetic dip. 12. A hollow or depression. 13. Sports A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered by bending the elbows until the chin reaches the level of the bars and then is raised by straightening the arms. 14. Slang A pickpocket. 15.

Slang A foolish or stupid person. 16. A preparation of finely shredded tobacco, usually placed between the lower lip and gum. Also called snuff. [Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan; see dheub- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. N., sense 15, back-formation from dippy .] dip (dɪp) vb, dips, dipping or dipped 1. to plunge or be plunged quickly or briefly into a liquid, esp to wet or coat 2. (intr) to undergo a slight decline, esp temporarily: sales dipped in November. 3. (intr) to slope downwards: the land dips towards the river. 4. (intr) to sink or appear to sink quickly: the sun dipped below the horizon. 5. (Automotive Engineering) (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam. US and Canadian word: dim 6. (Agriculture) (tr) a. to immerse (poultry, sheep, etc) briefly in a liquid chemical to rid them of or prevent infestation by insects, etc b. to immerse (grain, vegetables, or wood) in a preservative liquid 7.

(Dyeing) (tr) to stain or dye by immersing in a liquid 8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (tr) to baptize (someone) by immersion 9. (Metallurgy) (tr) to plate or galvanize (a metal, etc) by immersion in an electrolyte or electrolytic cell 10. (tr) to scoop up (a liquid or something from a liquid) in the hands or in a container 11. to lower or be lowered briefly: she dipped her knee in a curtsy. 12. (Crafts) (tr) to make (a candle) by plunging the wick into melted wax 13. (intr) to plunge a container, the hands, etc, into something, esp to obtain or retrieve an object: he dipped in his pocket for money. 14. (intr; foll by in or into) to dabble (in); play (at): he dipped into black magic. 15. (Aeronautics) (intr) (of an aircraft) to drop suddenly and then regain height 16.

(Geological Science) (intr) (of a rock stratum or mineral vein) to slope downwards from the horizontal 17. (Games, other than specified) (often foll by: for) (in children's games) to select a leader, etc by reciting any of various rhymes 18. (tr) slang to pick (a person's) pocket n 19. the act of dipping or state of being dipped 20. a brief swim in water 21. (Agriculture) a. any liquid chemical preparation in which poultry, sheep, etc are dipped b. any liquid preservative into which objects, esp of wood, are dipped 22. (Dyeing) a preparation of dyeing agents into which fabric is immersed 23. (Physical Geography) a depression, esp in a landscape 24. something taken up by dipping 25. a container used for dipping; dipper 26. a momentary sinking down 27. (Geological Science) the angle of slope of rock strata, fault planes, etc, from the horizontal plane 28.

(General Physics) Also called: angle of dip, magnetic dip or inclination the angle between the direction of the earth's magnetic field and the plane of the horizon; the angle that a magnetic needle free to swing in a vertical plane makes with the horizontal 29. (Cookery) a creamy mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten 30. (Surveying) surveying the angular distance of the horizon below the plane of observation 31. (Crafts) a candle made by plunging a wick repeatedly into wax 32. (Aeronautics) a momentary loss of altitude when flying 33. (Gymnastics) (in gymnastics) a chinning exercise on the parallel bars 34. a slang word for pickpocket [Old English dyppan; related to Old High German tupfen to wash, German taufen to baptize; see deep] dip1 v. dipped, dip•ping, n. v.t. 1. to plunge temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten, dye, or take up some of the liquid. 2. to take up by bailing or ladling: to dip water out of a boat. 3.

to lower and raise: to dip a flag in salutation. 4. to immerse in a solution containing an insecticide or pesticide. 5. to make (a candle) by repeatedly plunging a wick into melted tallow or wax. 6. Chiefly Brit. to lower (headlights); dim. v.i. 7. to plunge into a liquid and emerge quickly. 8. to reach down into a liquid or container so as to remove something (usu. fol. by into). 9. to withdraw something in small amounts: to dip into one's savings. 10. to sink: The sun dipped below the horizon. 11. to incline downward: The road dips into a valley. 12. to decrease slightly or temporarily: Stock-market prices often dip on Fridays. 13. to engage slightly in a subject: to dip into astronomy. 14. to read here and there in a book or author's work (often fol. by into). n. 15. the act of dipping. 16. something taken up by dipping. 17. a scoop of ice cream. 18. a substance into which something is dipped. 19.

a creamy mixture of seasoned foods for scooping with a cracker, potato chip, etc., served as an appetizer. 20. a solution containing an insecticide or pesticide for use in dipping animals. 21. a momentary lowering. 22. a moderate or temporary decrease. 23. a downward inclination, slope, or course. 24. the amount of this. 25. a hollow or depression in the land. 26. a brief swim. 27. the downward inclination of a mineral vein or stratum with reference to the horizontal. 28. the angle that a freely rotating magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon. 29. a short downward plunge, as of an airplane. [before 1000; Middle English dippen (v.), Old English dyppan] dip′pa•ble, adj. syn: dip , immerse , plunge refer to putting something into liquid. To dip is to put down into a liquid quickly or partially and lift out again: to dip a finger into water to test the temperature. immerse denotes a lowering into a liquid until covered by it: to immerse meat in salt water.

plunge adds a suggestion of force or suddenness to the action of dipping: to plunge a lobster into boiling water. dip3 to dip into a book → scorrere un libro to dip into an author → leggere brani di un autore dip (dip) – past tense, past participle dipped – verb 1. to lower into any liquid for a moment. He dipped his bread in the soup. doop يَغْمِسُ топвaм mergulhar namočit, ponořit eintauchen dyppe βουτώ κτ.

σε υγρό mojar sisse pistma, kastma فرو بردن؛ غوطه دادن upottaa tremper לִטבּוֹל डुबाना umočiti bemárt mencelupkan dÿfa í intingere ちょっと浸す 잠깐 담그다 panardinti, pamerkti iemērkt; iegremdēt celup dompelen dyppe , senke zanurzać غوټه كول (په او بو كې)، منډل كښته كول او بيرته سمدلاسى پورته كول (لكه دبيرغ mergulhar a înmuia макать namočiť pomočiti umočiti doppa จุ่ม batırmak, daldırmak 浸 занурювати(ся); вмочати کسی مائع میں ہلکی سی ڈبکی دینا nhúng, nhấn chìm 浸 2. to slope downwards.

The road dipped just beyond the crossroads. inklineer يَنْحَدِر навеждам baixar klesat sich senken skråne; gå nedad κατηφορίζω descender , bajar langema سرازیر شدن laskea descendre לָרֶדֶת कम होना nagibati se , spuštati se lejt menurun halla scendere 下がる 내리받이가 되다 leistis žemyn noslīdēt zemāk; nolaisties; vest lejup menurun dalen helle/skråne nedover opadać غوټه كول baixar a coborî идти под уклон klesať spustiti se spustiti se slutta, sänka sig ลาด yokuş aşağı gitmek, alçalmak 向下傾斜 спускати(ся) سطح سے نیچے اترنا dốc xuống 下倾 3. to lower the beam of (car headlights).

He dipped his lights as the other car approached.

domp يُخْفِضُ الضَّوْء العالي في السَّيّارَه намалявам фаровете baixar sklopit abblenden blænde ned μειώνω την ένταση, χαμηλώνω bajar lähituledele üle minema کم کردن؛ پایین بردن vaihtaa lähivaloille mettre en code לְהַנמִיך नीचे को आना oboriti svjetla „leveszi” a fényt meredupkan lækka ljósin abbassare 下に向ける (헤드라이트를) 하향(下向)하다 perjungti į artimąsias šviesas (par automašīnām) izslēgt tālās gaismas rendahkan dimmen blende zmieniać na krótkie غوټه كول baixar a micşora (lumina farurilor) переключать (фары) на б

лижний свет sklopiť zasenčiti (luči) smanjiti blända av ลดลง kısa farları yakmak 降低汽車頭燈亮度 перевести світло фар с дальнього на ближнє گاڑی کی روشنی کو جھپکی دینا hạ thoáng xuống 降低汽车头灯亮度 4.

(of a ship) to lower (a flag) briefly in salute. laat sak يُخْفِضُ عَلَمَ السَّفينَه спускам baixar pozdravit dippen kippe χαμηλώνω π.χ.

σημαία σε χαιρετισμό bajar bandera tervituseks (lippu) langetama پایین بردن و فوراً بالا آوردن tervehtiä lippua laskemalla saluer לְהַנמִיך לְרֶגָע सलामी में थोड़ी देर के लिए जहाज का झंडा झुकाना spustiti zastavu (kod pozdrava) zászlóval üdvözöl (hajót) menurunkan bendera dÿfa (fána) (abbassare una bandiera in segno di saluto) 旗をちょっと下げる (깃발을) 조금 낮추었다가 올리다 truputį nuleisti (vėliavą) (par kuģi) nolaist karogu (sveicienam) banggakan even neerlaten hilse med flagget zasalutow

ać (flagą) كښته وړل او په چټكى سره بيرته پورته راوړل baixar a saluta (prin coborârea pavilionului) салютовать флагом pozdraviť spustiti (zastavo v pozdrav) spustiti hälsa [med flaggan] ลดธงลง bayrak indirmek 降旗隨即升起以示敬意(如商船遇到軍艦時) салютувати سلامی دینا hạ xuống rồi kéo lên ngay 把旗下降后即行升起（对另一船扬旗致敬），行点旗礼 noun 1.

a hollow (in a road etc). The car was hidden by a dip in the road. duik فَجْوَه، تَجْويف، حُفْرَه хлътване depressão výmol, jáma die Senkung hulning κοίλωμα depresión , hondonada lohk گودی کوچک؛ فرورفتگی کوچک notkelma creux שקע गड्ढा uleknina horpadás (földben) cekungan slakki avvallamento くぼみ 내리받이 įduba kritums lubang inzinking forsenkning , søkk dziura !! added 3rd meaning !! كوچنى غار depressão groapă впадина výmoľ, jama luknja rupa sänka, svacka หลุม çukur 路面凹陷 заглиблення; укіс سڑک وغیرہ میں نشیب việc nhấn chìm 凹陷处 2.

a soft, savoury mixture in which a biscuit etc can be dipped. a cheese dip. doopsous غِماس، طعام تُغْمَس فيه اللقْمَه рядък соc molho omáčka, pomazánka die Tunke dip σάλτσα στην οποία βουτά κπ.

στέρεα τροφή salsa kaste چاشنی؛ سس dippikastike hors-d'oeuvre crémeux מטבל एक मिश्रण जिसमें बिस्कुट डुबाया जा सकता है umak mártás keju cair ídÿfa crema , salsa ディップ 찍어먹는 액체 padažas mērce celupan dipsaus dip ساندویچ molho sos соус nátierka, omáčka omaka umak dipsås น้ำจิ้ม daldırye sos 浸餅乾的調味醬 соус, підлива چٹنی یا مسالہ وغیرہ جس میں کوئی چیز ڈبو کے کھائی جاۓ nước chấm 浸饼干的调味酱 3. a short swim. a dip in the sea.

swem, induik غَطْسَه кратко плуване mergulho smočení kurzes Bad dukkert βουτιά chapuzón sukeldus آبتنی؛ شنای کوتاه kastautuminen baignade טבילה संक्षिप्त तैराकी uron megmártózás berenang stinga sér bagno ひと浴び 짧은 수영 išsimaudymas, murktelėjimas ātra izpeldēšanās berenang sekejap duik dukkert krótka kąpiel لنده لامبی mergulho baie купание ovlaženie, rýchly kúpeľ kratko kopanje kratkotrajno kupanje u moru dopp การว่ายน้ำระยะสั้น dalıp çıkma 時間短暫的游泳 занурювання ڈبکی یا غوطہ لگانا đi tắm ào 时间短暂的游泳 dip into 1.

to withdraw amounts from (a supply, eg of money). I've been dipping into my savings recently.

geld gebruik يَسْحَبُ من تَوْفيراتِه، يَغْمِسُ يَدَهُ في رَصيدِهِ، يُنْفِقُ бръквам recorrer a vybrat z, sáhnout na angreifen gøre indhug i; tage hul på βάζω χέρι σε, αφαιρώ echar mano de kukrut kergendama برداشتن nostaa rahaa puiser לִמשוֹך כֶּסֶף कमी posegnuti za belenyúl a zsebébe menarik simpanan taka út attingere 使い込む (저축 등에) 손을 대다 imti iš ķerties pie (ietaupījumiem u.tml.) mengeluarkan simpanan een aanspraak doen op gjøre inngrep i sięgać ايسته كول recorrer a a lua bani (din) транжирить siahnuť do, načrieť se

či (v) načeti ta av, tulla på ใช้เงินที่เก็บสะสมมา el atmak, kullanmak 動用(物資、存款) потратити غلّے سے پیسہ نکالنا rút tiền ra 动用...

2. to look briefly at (a book) or to study (a subject) in a casual manner. I've dipped into his book on Shakespeare, but I haven't read it right through.

vlugtig kennis maak met يَتَصَفَّحُ كِتابا разглеждам folhear nahlédnout einen Blick werfen in kigge i; skimme ρίχνω μια ματιά hojear , leer por encima pilku heitma بطور سطحی مطالعه کردن katsoa ohimennen feuilleter לְדַפדֵף בְּ- ध्यान लगा कर नहीं पढ़ना zaviriti belelapoz (könyvbe) melihat, membaca sebentar glugga í scorrere 拾い読みする 대강 훑어보다 žvilgterėti pavirši iepazīties (ar grāmatu, tēmu) melihat secara ringkas vluchtig bekijken kikke litt på ; fuske i zaglądać سر تیری مطاله کول folhear a-şi arunca ochii peste просматривать nahliadnu

ť prelistati (knjigo) zaviriti bläddra (titta) i, nosa på ดูคร่าว ๆ göz atmak , karıştırmak 瀏覽，略有涉獵 пробігти مختصرا مطلعہ کرنا xem lướt qua 浏览，草草阅读（或学习） dip The criminal’s alphabet | Books | The Guardian Reference and languages The criminal’s alphabet Can’t tell your turtles from your hotplate hamsters?

Wise up with this indispensable guide to prison slang Fletcher (Ronnie Barker, on left), fellow prisoner Godber (Richard Beckinsale) and prison officer Mackay (Fulton Mackay) in the BBC television series, Porridge. Photograph: PA Noel ‘Razor' Smith Saturday 15 August 2015 04.00 EDT Last modified on Tuesday 20 September 2016 06.03 EDT Close Across the pavement To go across the pavement is criminal parlance for robbing banks and security vans. The Wembley Mob (a gang of bank robbers from the late 1960s and early 70s) pioneered the method of driving the getaway vehicle up on to the pavement outside a bank and blocking the entrance. They were known as a “crash-bang gang” – they would rely on the element of surprise by “crashing” the bank doors open and then firing a shotgun into the ceiling in order to elicit fear and compliance. April A weapon, as in April fool = tool.

If a villain tells you he is going to sort you out with his April, don’t think: “Well, it’s only June now so I’ve got plenty of time.” It means they are going to get a weapon and intend to inflict serious injury on you. Baron An old-fashioned term for the prisoner who would run the black market on each prison wing. It dates back to the days when tobacco was the only currency in prison and whoever had access to large amounts of “snout” could virtually control their wing. Battle taxi Any police vehicle used to transport riot squad officers to an incident or protest; the name derives from the fact that the officers are hyped up and ready to face “the enemy”. Bed and breakfast A night in the punishment block before appearing in front of the governor for adjudication, or an overnight stay in any prison while en route to another one. Bilking The practice of eluding payment for goods or services by making a quick getaway. These days, it is mostly the preserve of motorised bandits and car thieves, who will pull into a petrol station, fill their tank with fuel and then drive off without paying. One for the bottle squad ...

Photograph: Alamy Bottle squad An undercover squad dedicated to investigating and catching pickpockets, who mingle with crowds in railway stations and shopping centres and try to catch them in the act. It’s known as the bottle squad because of the criminal slang for working pickpockets, “on the bottle”, meaning to follow someone closely (rhyming slang: bottle and glass = arse; “be on someone’s arse”). Budgie syndrome What a lot of those who regularly use the prison gym seem to suffer from. It’s a disease that makes them pose or parade up and down in front of the full-length mirrors, preening and chirping at their own reflection. Every prison gym will have a large cohort of body-builders who act as though they are on Muscle Beach, grunting and stretching and working out, but always with one eye on themselves in the mirror. Bujo/bag game A Gypsy fortune-telling con that goes back at least 200 years. It involves convincing the mark that their money has been cursed. They are told to seal it in a cloth bag and bring it to the elder, or shaman, in order for it to be blessed and have the curse lifted.

During the “blessing” the money is secretly removed from the bag and replaced with worthless paper or stones. Charlie Big Spuds The generic insult for anyone who walks around giving it the Barry (Barry McGuigan = big ’un = acting in a cocky way), a bully who may have a tendency to fold when confronted. It’s particularly used in prisons, where some criminals try to reinvent themselves. Other forms are Billy Big Bollocks or Jack the Biscuit. Commy burgs Commercial burglars, the people who will break into warehouses, shops or factories in their pursuit of ill-gotten gains. Commy burgs are unlikely to come across anyone during their crime, so theirs is seen as an entirely impersonal offfence, acquisitive rather than violent. Copsicles A slang term for the new breed of police officers who patrol on bicycles, particularly apt in the winter months, when they have to brave the bad weather. Diesel Slang for prison tea.

Made with one huge netting teabag in a copper boiler the size of the average family bath, weaker than a knock-kneed sparrow with emphysema and more bitter than a miser who has lost a penny down a bottomless well, prison tea is not for the faint-hearted. Drummer A word dating from the 1920s for a burglar who can get into places even when they are “as tight as a drum”. Houses are sometimes referred to as “drums”, as in “I went up to his drum but he wasn’t in.” If someone in prison were to tell you he was in for “drumming”, you shouldn’t therefore assume that he’s a percussionist. Ekky Another word for the police and comes from the fact that, when seen in the rear-view mirror of a vehicle, the “police” sign reads – ECILOP (“ekkylop”, which is shortened to ekky). Slang names for the police can be extremely localised and rarely heard beyond a specific manor or region. For example, in Streatham, south London, the police are known as “the shrubs” because Streatham police station is situated on Shrubbery Road.

Fido An acronym (Fuck it, drive on) used by the police for any crime or offence they witness but deem unworthy of their attention. FTS Fuck the System is the common cry of the prisoner, and a common way of signing off jail mail to others in the same position. To British prisoners, “the system” is everything from straight society and the police to the courts and prison – one big mass which they believe is permanently against them. Growlers at the ready ... Keith Carradine in ‘The Duellists’. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/Scott Free Growlers An 18th-century criminal word for pistols, as in “I’d have been taken by the watchman if I’d not had my growlers with me.” Pistols were also known as barkers because of the noise they made when discharged. In those days, even burglars tended to carry at least one pistol: homeowners tended to dish out their own brand of justice when catching criminals in the act. Have it up! In the typical illegal street-trading team there will be the trader, the one who has the patter and does the selling, and the look-out, or “doggy’s” (doggy’s eye = spy).

The doggy’s will hump the gear, help set up the pitch, then keep an eye out for police and trading standards officers. The warning cry of “Have it up!” means pack everything fast, the cops are coming. A cry of “Have it up!” on any criminal enterprise is cause for concern. Hobbit shop Almost every prison has a hobbit shop – a workshop where mind-numbing, repetitive work, such as putting washers on bolts or making prison brooms, can be undertaken for a wage of around 10p a day. Any prisoner with an ounce of self-respect will try to avoid the hobbit shop – only hobbits are happy to work there. Hotplate hamster A screw who wangles duty on the hotplate in order to eat prisoners’ rations rather than pay the price of a meal in the subsidised staff canteen. IC8 This is an addition to police identification codes – the shorthand for a person’s national or racial origin; it is code for a “ginger male”. Jekyll If something is classed as Jekyll, it means it is false, a fake, not the real thing.

It is second-level rhyming slang: Jekyll and Hyde = snide = fake. Jiggling and scissoring Jiggling can be used on older vehicles, using a car key (pretty much any one will do) in a fast up-and-down and side- to-side action to catch the tumblers in motion – give it a sharp twist when you get a bite. Scissoring is using a large pair of stainless-steel scissors: insert the point into the lock, wrench them up and down to break the tumblers, give them a quick twist, and the lock should spring open. It should take no more than a few seconds. John Wayne This is prison-issue toilet paper, because it is so very tough, just like the cowboys played by the actor. Kanga Slang for a prison officer (kangaroo = screw). The word, is widely used in every prison in the country by cons.

Little fellas A slang phrase for cigarette ends, the term is widely used in northern prisons, as in “Blimey, I’m dying for a smoke, you got any little fellas?” LOB Police acronym meaning “load of bollocks”, usually marked on forms and personal notebooks to indicate that the officer does not believe a word of what they are being told. Moon In prison moon is taken to mean “month”, as in “I see Jerry got three moon for that bit of work.” MOP A police acronym for “member of the public”, used as shorthand when filling in notebooks and reports. The police use many acronyms, and different forces often use their own local versions. MOP, however, is standard for the majority of, if not all, police forces. The cup that cheers ... hot chocolate. Photograph: Felicity Cloake for the Guardian Non-stimulant pack This is issued to Mormons in the British prison system instead of the normal brew pack, which is given to those of all other religious denominations. It contains hot-chocolate powder and Ovaltine instead of teabags and coffee sachets. The packs are issued weekly in prison.

The other people This term may be London specific, as I’ve never heard anyone from outside the Smoke using it. It’s a name for the police, as in “Don’t trust the geezer, I hear he’s been having a trade with the other people.” The Out This is how prisoners refer to the big world outside of the prison walls and fences, as in “I knew him on The Out”. The Out is where all prisoners long to be. And, yes, it should always have capital letters. Polo If someone tells you they are polo it means they have no money (rhyming slang: Polo mint = skint). Quack Probably from the Afrikaans kwaksalwer, meaning a “hawker of salve”, or somebody who sells medicines, this is a prison doctor. They are doctors, but not as you know them. Though it doesn’t apply to every one, in my own personal experience of more than three decades of imprisonment, the majority of prison doctors don’t really prioritise their bedside manner and are more interested in pleasing the governor than in easing pain or healing the sick.

Most are prison officers who have taken a first aid course which entitles them to wear a white coat and work in the prison hospital, dispensing aspirin and plasters. They are not to be confused with real doctors. RTFL Used between police officers, this stands for “Read the fucking log” – an instruction for officers to familiarise themselves with the log recording what has been going on before they come on duty. Snow-droppers This means someone who makes a living by stealing clothes from washing lines (as opposed to someone who steals only underwear and who is known as a “pervert”). This crime was particularly prevalent in the Victorian era, when cotton and linen sheets were a pretty lucrative lay (criminal specialism). These days, snow-droppers usually go for designer clothing. Although it can be a fairly profitable crime, it is still way down on the scale of serious theft and is practised mainly by kids and amateurs. Touching dogs’ arses The charge of stealing cars used to be called TDA (Taking and Driving Away a motor vehicle), and young criminals found it amusing to insult amateur car thieves by saying they were into touching dogs’ arses. Amateur car thieves steal cars just for the fun of it. Don’t forget the turtles ...

Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian Turtles If you are going to commit any sort of crime, the minimum you are going to need in order to avoid detection, arrest and imprisonment is a decent pair of turtles (turtle doves = gloves). Undies Undies is youth slang for undercover police officers. Unfortunately, the laws of the UK do not include a defence of agent provocateur (as does the law in some countries), so if a police officer (undercover or in plain sight) incites a citizen to commit a crime there would be no defence for that citizen. Watch out for the undies! Vegetable patch Some prisons do not have a specific room for the communal television and so it is placed centrally on the wing and prisoners must bring their cell chairs to sit on. This spread of chairs is usually known as the vegetable patch because it’s where the “vegetables” (those who want to watch) sit. When a prisoner ends up in the vegetable patch they are classed as a cabbage or Cabbage Patch Kid (after the freaky-looking American dolls of the 1980s), or as a hobbit.

Whizzer/whiz mob These slang terms for a pickpocket have largely fallen out of vogue since their heyday in the 1940s and 50s. Whiz mobs used to work the crowds at racecourses, picking pockets then blending into the throng. The origin of “whiz” is uncertain, but some people say it’s to do with the speed with which these criminals could dip a crowd. You want some? The battle cry that has led to violence outside every pub, club and football ground and on every prison landing. It means: “Would you like me to nut you or punch you in the face, ’cos I’m ready for action?” It’s a warning not to be ignored. The “some” mentioned in this phrase is violence. You want some, or what? Again, a possible precursor to violence, but this time with a get-out clause. The antagonist, while ready and willing to offer violence, may also be looking for a way out and be open to a bit of verbal being the end result – as long as the target is suitably contrite. Zombie A zombie is what the police call an officer close to retirement and now merely going through the motions.

It can also mean a lazy officer. Most police officers hate zombies with a passion, as they tend to make everyone else’s job harder. • To order The Criminal Alphabet for £11.99 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99. Full text of "Criminal Slang" See other formats STOP Early Journal Content on JSTOR, Free to Anyone in the World This article is one of nearly 500,000 scholarly works digitized and made freely available to everyone in the world by JSTOR. Known as the Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. The works date from the mid-seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. We encourage people to read and share the Early Journal Content openly and to tell others that this resource exists. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non-commercial purposes. Read more about Early Journal Content at journal-content .

JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. JSTOR helps people discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content through a powerful research and teaching platform, and preserves this content for future generations. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization that also includes Ithaka S+R and Portico. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. 1921. ] CRIMINAL SLANG. CRIMINAL SLANG. What is slang? Slang, briefly defined, is low, vulgar and unauthorized language ; a popular but unauthorized word, phrase or mode of expression ; also the jargon of some par- ticular calling or class in society ; low popular cant ; as the slang of the theater, of colleges, sailors, gypsies, thieves, and various other classes that compose the dregs of society. Slang had its birth in criminality. Take for example the language of the gypsies and Magyars.

The gypsies were a vagabond race whose tribes coming originally from India en- tered Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries and are now scat- tered over Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Spain, England and America, living by thefts, horse- jockeying, fortune telling, tin- kering and the like. The Magyar race was one of the domi- nant people of Hungary and was allied to the Turks and the Finns. Those were wandering tribes and their language was intelligible only to the immediate members of each individual tribe; as a class they were decidedly criminal and from their argot we trace the authenticity of ancient criminal slang. Their slang language is the same today as it was in the four- teenth century and is still unscathed by the mutation of time. The Magyar race of Hungary was in its habits and char- acteristics much the same as the. gypsies; they had criminal tendencies and vagabond habits, and their trades of horse- jockeying, fortune telling and tinkering were merely adjunct to their successful depredations.

The language of this class of people especially their criminal jargon and cries of warning has remained unchanged through the march of centuries. The criminal class of India use warning cries and employ cipher marks to tell subsequent prowlers of the conditions of the neighborhood in regard to safety and in this respect they are similar to our "Yeggmen" of the present day in America, a class whose activities have baffled the keenest minds of the United States Government, and in the suppression of whom as a class the post office inspectors have ignominously failed. All over India numerous wandering tribes are to be found like the Bedijas of Bengal; the Nats, Sansijas, and Kanjars of the United Provinces, the Mang, Mahar, or Dhed of the Dec 10 7 VIRGINIA LAW REGISTER, N. S. [ May, can. These tribes practice the usual gipsy industries — mat and basket making, knife grinding and the like. The facility of their occupation makes it an easy cloak for most nefarious practices, as is the case with the European gipsy. Some, like the Gulgulias of Bengal, live by begging and pilfering, and exhibiting trained goats .ind monkeys.

The woman sells drugs to cure ear and tooth ache, and for less reputable pur- poses. The Koravers, a class of railway thieves of India, are a branch or off-shcot of the Gulgulian tribes of wandering thieves. The Punjab, again, has a tribe of wandering black- smiths, whose home is their cart, in which they carry about the tools and materials of their craft. There are, again, wan- dering tribes of tumblers, rope dancers, acrobats, jugglers, and snake charmers. These people speak a variety of thieves' slang, based on one of the dialects of Pakrit, a later tongue allied to Sanskrit. The gypsy and Magyar tribes lived in seclusion free from any intercourse with the world, and in that respect they dif- fered radically from the modern criminal,, who loves society and the pleasures which follow from conventionality and good fellowship. Modern criminal slang has for its distinguishing features, expressiveness and applicability. It has taken our modern civilization to make the present day criminal and evolve his classic speech.

Many of the slang expressions which are in current use among the American criminals of the present day will, because they convey so much truth in a "pat" form, eventually find a place in all the dictionaries. The peculiar language used by the underworld, is to my mind due to their perverted, but acute mentality. Just as the yeggman finds a burglar's kit and dynamite an essential preparation for blowing open safes, so the criminal finds his own slang a most convenient and useful mode of expression because of its brevity, and its usefulness in con- veying so many ideas in a very few words. The newsboy has his favorite jargon, the race track tout also has his favorite words which are intelligible only to the followers of his cult, the horse jockey has his own peculiar 1921. ] CRIMINAL SLANG.

11 lingo, in fact each and every class of the criminal world uses its own peculiar dialect, and uses it frequently whenever oc- casion requires as a mode of conveying its or their own pecu- liar ideas, thoughts and expressions, and to people not familiar with the habits and customs of the underworld this slang lan- guage is absolutely unintelligible and full of mystery. Perhaps you will ask why the underworld uses a language, possession of which arouses instant suspicion and perhaps immediate detection. The average policeman in all of our large American cities is wholly ignorant of criminal slang and its meaning; he is what the underworld calls a "harness bull," to- wit, an officer in uniform, and the average criminal treats his knowledge with contempt, and well he might because as far as any knowledge of the subject goes he is on a mental "track 13 and a washout." Let us examine the reasons for the prevailing ignorance of the meaning of criminal slang among police officers, detectives, sheriffs, and other officials entrusted with the enforcement of the criminal laws. In the first place the meeting of thieves and police is naturally a hostile one; the culprit is in fear, and is overawed by the weight of authority.

This is not calculated to inspire any confidence or grounds of friendship, because to learn the peculiar argot of criminals one must mix with them socially and become a hail fellow well met, and in this way become familiar with their language and mannerisms. The operation of the third degree and the sweat-box methods are not calculated to kindle warm friendships between the under- world and the members of the police. Then again, the police- man doing patrol duty on the streets of our large cities is dressed in full uniform: and is a marked man and conse- quently is shunned by all members of the light-fingered fra- ternity. The plain clothes men have a slightly better oppor- tunity to obtain a knowledge of criminal slang and thief ver- nacular. If a thief has experienced a "bad fall" (an arrest) he is put to his wits end, and as he is naturally resourceful, he begins at once to get on the right side of the arresting officer. This is where the application of "salve" (getting on the right side of the arresting officer) begins, and by reason of this en- 12 7 VIRGINIA LAW REGISTER, N. S.

[ May, forced familiarity the inspector might pick up a few words of slang here and there, but the knowledge he gains in this way is never a burden to him. Then again, thieves from different parts of the United States have different dialects and colloquial sayings, and a thief from the Pacific Coast would use a great many words that are wholly unknown to the New York pickpocket. Of course after a "meet" of Western thieves with Eastern thieves an interchange of slang and pat words follows, and one readily picks up the cant words and sayings of the other. Thus the police have no means at hand of acquiring the slang words and cant phrases of the under- world and this is not to be "wondered at for the reasons which I have narrated in detail above. An examination and critical study of criminal slang will, to my mind, prove instructive and entertaining to the reader.

We will take for the first illustration the pick-pocket who is called in the slang language "a gun." "A gun" is a thief who does not force, somewhat of a paradox, but nevertheless true, and in this manner he is distinguished from the "Gorilla," the strong arm highwayman, who holds up people on the road- side and relieves them of their valuables. A "Grafter" is a thief in the language of criminals. This meaning will probably be adopted by honest men and find a place in all the dictionaries.. Then too, the term "jail arith- metic" is so applicable to our embezzling bank officers, con- scienceless financiers, and swindling contracts, or "et id omne genus," that it deserves a place in our literature. That crim- inals consider all persons holding office under political gov- ernment "Political Paupers" should merit the attention of Civil Service Commissions.

A complaint or charge of crime is a "rap," and the com- plainant is the "rapper." The one whose property is stolen is the "sucker" and the judge is called a "beak." A "fall" is an arrest and "fall money" is the money which used to liberate a man from custody. To "spring a man" is to bail one out who is under arrest, and to help square the 1921. ] CRIMINAL SLANG. 13 "sucker" and get a man off clear from any charge of crime the "underground wires" must be used. A pocket-book is a "Poke" and a man who jumps his bail- bonds, becoming a fugitive from justice is a "Lamaster." The thief who steals your pocket-book is the "wire" or "tool" and a gang of pick-pockets consisting of three or more people who travel together to steal is called a "mob." A "swell mob" is a gang of first class pick-pockets who can hire first class legal talent and have good financial backing.

When a man is convicted of crime he is "settled" or to give the English slang phrase "unfortunate." If a girl should lose her fellow through a court sentence she is "divorced" in the language of the underworld.

A "swell mouth piece" is a very good lawyer, while a very bad one is called a "shyster." A pick-pocket is frequently called a "dip" and in Western States a "cannon." A shoplifter is called a "booster" or "hoister" or "hyster," and an exceptionally smart one a "swell booster." A green goods man when plying his trade is said to be "out on the spud." Store thieves who steal jewelry are called "penny- weighters," while thieves who tap store tills are called "dam- per getters," and when working are said to be "out on the Heel." Thieves who steal diamonds or other precious stones from the person are called "prop getters" or "stone getters." A woman thief is called a "gun-moll," and a male thief who makes a specialty of robbing women is called a "moll-buzzer." A safe blower is called a gopher man, Peter man, or yegg- man and "Gerver" and an empty safe is called a "Bloomer." A second-story worker who breaks and enters dwelling houses is called a "houseman," "porch climber" and "

flat worker." "Turn out" is to discharge from arrest and put a man on the street.

A woman who decoys men and then her accomplice (alleged husband), blackmails them is called a "badger-worker"' or "panel- worker." 14 7 VIRGINIA LAW REGISTER, N. S.

[ May, The go-between of lobbyists who buys up legislators is called the "gravel-train" because he has the rocks whereby he can debauch legislators and the lobbyist himself is known to the criminal world as a "dress suit burglar." The thief who robs drunks is called a "lush toucher" and the stylish hotel beat is called a "baron." A lodging house is a "Doss-house" and to sleep is to "Doss." A restaurant is a "dump" or "beanery" and a convict who works the churches and is insincere in his profession of re- ligion is called a "mission stiff." A minister is called a sky- pilot" and a Catholic priest is called a "galway" or "buck." A prison keeper or turnkey is called a "screw" and prison food is called "steamed grub." "Mugged"' is photographed and "stood-up" is to be placed in the line of police headquarters for identification and ex- posed to the gaze of probable "rappers." An Irish Club house is a "police station" and an. "ink-pot" is a resort for low characters.

A "thimble and turnip" is a watch and counterfeit money is "bad dough." Diamonds with flaws are called "Bum Rocks" and a "fixer" is a man who looks after the interests of the man who is ar- rested, squares the sucker, hires the lawyer and attends to all necessary details. A chief of police is a "buzzard" or mean person and a "good fellow" is a thief, man or woman who pay their bills. A "prison stool pigeon" is a. "trusty," "psalm singer" or "pig," and "stick" and "slug" means "keep together and fight." "Slinging the lingo" is to hold a conversation in slang, while a "mush" is an umbrella and "wipe" is a handkerchief. "Track 13" and "washout" is a life sentence in a Western penitentiary and "Salt Creek" means death in the electric chair. A "meet" is an appointment, a date, a place where thieves can see each other. "Anchor" is a stay of execution of sentence and a "life- boat" is a pardon. 1921.

] CRIMINAL SLANG. 15 "Making the boast" is getting by the pardon board and obtaining a pardon. "Shake down" is paying for police protection against your will, and a "dead criminal" is one who has become dis- couraged, reformed or given up grafting. "Rat" is a cheap thief who squeals on "fall money" and re- fuses to pay his bills. "White line" is an aicohol drinker, while a cocaine fiend •uses "burnese" a preparation for snuffing through the nos- trils. "Dope" is opium or picking winners from past per- formance. "To job a man" is to convict him with perjured testimony. I could go on and give hundreds of other specimens of crim- inal slang, but I think the examples given above will suffice. The vocabulary of criminal slang is large, interesting and expressive, and withal it reeks with good-natured humor.

When the Angel Gabriel shall blow his trumpet and sum- mon us all to that court of infinite justice and mercy, there we shall find a fair judge, no irate rapper, no perjured testi- mony, and there many, many of the judgments of this world shall be reversed, thus insuring to many of the unfortunate described above a "turn-out" into the Elysian Fields. Today on all sides we hear the slang of the deft, furtive pickpocket on "dips," the vocabulary of the "yegg," of the "boosters," the confidence-man, the counterfeiters ; of every class and kind of criminal which is today operating in America. And this subject, be it said in passing, is by no means one to be summarily dismissed. Slang is too big, too vital, too much a part of language (and a living part) for us to ignore it. Words scribbled in the margin of life's page, some of which survive and creep into the text. Such is slang. Its origins have always mystified the savant and its use amused the ordinary mortal.

Learned societies are today puzzling their wits over the "Jobelin" of Villon, trying in vain to decipher what that prince of crooks meant by some of his as- tonishing rhymes, and many of his meanings are today utterly 16 7 VIRGINIA LAW REGISTER, N. S. [ May, unknown. The study of criminal slang will surprise you with its wealth of information, its accuracy, its humor, its live human interest and appeal. Victor Hugo thought criminal slang worthy of a chapter in "Les Miserables." Every earnest investigator of the under- world agrees with him. This subterranean dialect, obscure, ingenious, wonderfully Groighant, which passes muster everywhere as a "lingue frenca" among criminals, is surely worth more than a casual study. To everybody the subject appeals as interesting. But to whom must it appeal as absolutely essential for the under- standing and pursuit of this profession? The philologist should like to have this information, although he can remain efficient without it. The sociologist, the writers, the business man. All these and many other classes, would find criminal slang better reading than most novels; yet, frankly, the subject is not vital to them.

But to certain classes it is vital. Con- cerning it there reigns a most astonishing degree of ignorance among the people who ought to be in duty bound to under- stand it — I mean all detectives, policemen, lawyers (in short), all, perhaps, in any way whatsoever connected with the admin- istration of justice. Crooks can converse at will in the presence of the police, or can write to each other without at all divulging to the uninitiated their meaning, which meaning it is more often than not most necessary for the police or the au- thorities to understand. Justice might less often miscarry, were the subject thoroughly and generally understood. John P. McNichols, S. J., writing in America, says, "there is no gainsaying that much of American slang is picturesque; neither can it be denied that it is often a \fery effective method of expression. In saying this, I am merely quoting the opinion of a very distinguished Englishman who, some years back, paid a prolonged visit to the States. Unhappily, the efficiency of American slang is shortlived. The slang term, which covers a multitude of ideas today, tomorrow is expressive of nothing.

A slang term is usually not a permanent addition to vocabu- lary. Its efficiency is frequently due to its blanket quality, which does not contribute to that precision of expression which is essential in correctness of speech." 1921. ] CRIMINAL SLANG. 17 These remarks apply with full force to ordinary slang which appears for a short time and rapidly disappears from our lan- guage. But it has no application whatever to criminal slang. Take the word "grafter" for example; when I was a boy it referred to the process of engrafting fruit trees; it still has that meaning, but its widely accepted meaning is today its criminal definition, namely, "a crook, a criminal." There are criminal slang words used today by criminals which were used both in the United States and Great Britain over fifty years ago; their meaning has not changed, and thieves use the same expressions that their "pals" used half a century ago. Criminal slang has made permanent additions to our vocabu- lary and language. Joseph Matthew Sullivan, in American Law Review. —3

Question: In criminal slang, what is a dip
Answer: A pickpocket