F
FACER. A glass filled so full that there is no room for the lip; a staller, or one who places himself in the way of persons who are in hot pursuit of his accomplices.
FADGE. It won't do, "It won't fadge."
FAG. A lawyer's clerk; to beat. "Fag the flat," beat the fool.
FAGGER. A small boy put into a window to rob the house, or to open it for others to rob.
FAGGOT. To bind. "Faggot the culls," bind the men.
FAIKING. Cutting out the wards of a key.
FAITHFUL. A tailor that gives long credit. "I say, Sam, what kind of crib was that you cracked?" "Oh! it belonged to one of the faithful."
FAKEMENT. A written or printed paper; the written deposition of a witness.
FAKER. A jeweller.
FAM GRASP. To shake hands. "Fam grasp the cove," shake hands with the fellow.
FAM LAY. Thieves who rob jewellers' stores by pretending to want to make a purchase.
FAMILY-MAN. A receiver of stolen goods from a dwelling-house.
FAMLY-MAN. Connected with thieves.
FAMS. Hands.
FAN. A waistcoat.
FANNY BLAIR. The hair.
FARMER. An alderman.
FASTNER. A warrant.
FAT. Money.
FATERS. Fortune-tellers.
FEEDERS. Silver spoons or forks. "Nap the feeders," steal the spoons.
FEINT. A pawn-broker.
FEKER. Trade; profession.
FEN. A common woman.
FENCE. A receiver of stolen goods; to sell stolen goods. "The bloke fenced the swag for five cases," the fellow sold the plunder for five dollars.
FENCED. Sold.
FERM. A hole.
FIB. To beat. "Fib the bloke's quarron in the rum-pad, and draw the honey in his poke," beat the fellow's carcase in the street, and steal the money in his pocket.
FIBBING. Striking with the fist.
FIDLAM BENS. Thieves who have no particular lay, whose every finger is a fish-hook; fellows that will steal any thing they can remove.
FIDLAM COVES. Small thieves who steal any thing they can lay hands on.
FIGDEAN. To kill.
FIGGER. A juvenile thief put through side-lights at outside doors to unbolt the door and admit other thieves to the house.
FIGGING LAW. The art of picking pockets.
FIGNER. A small thief.
FIGURE-DANCER. One who alters the numbers or figures on bank-bills.
FILE. A pick-pocket. The file is one who is generally accompanied by two others, one of whom is called the "Adam tyler;" and the other the "bulker," or "staller." It is their business to jostle, or "ramp" the victim, while the "file" picks his pocket and then hands the plunder to the Adam tyler, who makes off with it.
FINE. Imprisoned. "The cove had a fine of two stretchers and a half imposed upon him for relieving a joskin of a load of cole," the fellow was sentenced to imprisonment for stealing a countryman's money.
FINGER-BETTER. A fellow who wants to bet on credit, and indicates the favorite card by pointing to it with his finger.
FINNIFF. Five dollars.
FIRE. Danger. "This place is all on fire; I must pad like a bull or the cops will nail me," every body is after me in this place; I must run like a locomotive or the officers will arrest me.
FISH. A seaman.
FITTER. A fellow that fits keys to locks for burglars.
FIZZLE. To escape. "The cove made a fizzle," the fellow escaped.
FIZZLED. Broke up; fell through.
FLAG ABOUT. A low strumpet.
FLAM. To humbug. "Flam the bloke," humbug the fellow.
FLAME. A mistress.
FLAPPERS. Hands.
FLASH. Knowing; to understand another's meaning; to "patter flash," to speak knowingly.
FLASH HER DILES. Spend her money.
FLASH PANNY. A house resorted to by rogues of both sexes.
FLASH YOUR IVORY. Laugh; show your teeth.
FLASH-DRUM. A drinking-place resorted to by thieves.
FLASH-HOUSE. A house of resort for thieves.
FLASH-KEN. A thieves' boarding-house.
FLASH-MAN. A fellow that has no visible means of living, yet goes dressed in fine clothes, exhibiting a profusion of jewelry about his person.
FLAT. A man that is not acquainted with the tricks and devices of rogues.
FLATTER-TRAP. The mouth.
FLAWED. Half-drunk; quick-tempered; not exactly honest.
FLAY. To vomit.
FLESH-BROKER. A match maker; a procuress.
FLICKER. To drink. "Flicker with me," drink with me.
FLICKERING. Laughing; smiling; drinking.
FLICKING. Cutting. "Flick me some panam and caffar," cut me some bread and cheese. "Flick the Peter and rake the swag, for I want to pad my beaters," cut the portmanteau and divide the plunder, I want to walk my boots, (to be off.)
FLIMP. To tussel; to wrestle.
FLIMPING. Garroting; highway robbery.
FLIMSEY. A bank-note.
FLING. To get the best of another. "The sharp will fling the bloke," the rogue will cheat the man.
FLOORERS or TRIPPERS. Fellows that cause persons to slip or fall in the street, and then, while assisting them up, steal their watch or portmonnaie. They are sometimes called "rampers." A gentleman in a hurry on his way to the bank, or any other place of business, is suddenly stopped by a fellow directly in front of him, going in an opposite direction to himself, who has apparently slipped or stumbled, and in endeavoring to save himself from falling, thrusts his head into the pit of the gentleman's stomach, thereby knocking him down. Immediately two very kind gentlemen, one on each side, assist him to rise, and when on his feet busy themselves in brushing the dirt from his clothing, during which operation they pick his pockets. Thanking his kind assistants with much profuseness, he goes on his way, and very soon afterwards finds himself minus his watch or pocket-book, and perhaps both.
FLUE-SCRAPERS. Chimney-sweeps.
FLUSH. Plenty; the cove.
FLUTE. The recorder of a city.
FLUX. To cheat; cozen; over-reach.
FLY. Knowing; up to him. "The bloke was fly, and I could not draw his fogle," the man was aware of what I wanted, and I could not steal his handkerchief.
FLY-COP. Sharp officer; an officer that is well posted; one who understands his business.
FLYERS. Shoes.
FLYING COVES. Fellows who obtain money by pretending to persons who have been robbed, that they can give them information that will be the means of recovering their lost goods.
FLYING JIGGERS. Turnpike-gates.
FOB. To cheat.
FOG. Smoke.
FOGLE. A pocket-handkerchief.
FOGLE-HUNTING. Stealing pocket-handkerchiefs.
FOGRAM. A fusty old fellow.
FOGUE. Fierce; fiery; impetuous.
FOGUS. Tobacco. "Tip me a gage of fogus," give me a cigar, or a pipe and tobacco.
FORK. A pickpocket.
FORKS. The fore and middle fingers.
FOXEY. Cunning; crafty; sly.
FOXING. To pretend to be asleep.
FOYSTER. A pickpocket.
FRAMER. A shawl.
FREE. To steal.
FRENCH CREAM. Brandy—called "French cream," by the old Tabbies, when mixed with their tea.
FRIDAY. Hangman's day.
FRIDAY FACE. A dismal countenance; the face of a man who is sentenced to be executed.
FRISK. To search; to examine.
FROG. A policeman.
FROG AND TOE. The city of New-York. "Coves, let us frog and toe," coves, let us go to New-York.
FRUMPER. A sturdy blade.
FUBSEY. Plump.
FUBSEY DUMMEY. A fat pocket-book.
FULLIED. Committed for trial.
FUMBLES. Gloves.
FUN. To cheat. "To fun a man," is to cheat him.
FUNK. To frighten.
FUNKED OUT. Frightened; backed out.
FUNKERS. The very lowest order of thieves.
FUSSOCK. An old fat woman.
FUSTIAN. Wine.