A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words / Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

by John Camden Hotten

GLOSSARY OF THE BACK SLANG.

• BIRK, a “crib,”—house.
• COOL, to look.
• COOL HIM, look at him. A phrase frequently used when one costermonger warns another of the approach of a policeman.
• DAB, bad.
• DABHENO, one bad, or a bad market.—See DOOGHENO.
• DAB TROS, a bad sort.
• DA-ERB, bread.
• DEB, or DAB, a bed; “I’m on to the DEB,” I’m going to bed.
• DILLO-NAMO, an old woman.
• DLOG, gold.
• DOOG, good.
• DOOGHENO, literally “one-good,” or “good-one,” but implying generally a good market.
• DOOGHENO HIT, one good hit. A coster remarks to a “mate,”
• “Jack made a DOOGHENO HIT this morning,” implying that he did well at market, or sold out with good profit.
• DUNOP, a pound.
• ERTH, three.
• EARTH[⁵⁷] GENS, three shillings.
• EARTH SITH-NOMS, three months.
• EARTH YANNOPS, or YENEPS, threepence.
• EDGABAC, cabbage.
• EDGENARO, an orange.
• E-FINK, knife.
• EKAME, a “make,” or swindle.
• EKOM, a “moke,” or donkey.
• ELRIG, a girl.
• ENIF, fine.
• ENIN GENS, nine shillings.
• ENIN YENEP, ninepence.
• ENIN YANNOPS, or YENEPS, ninepence.
• ENO, one.
• ERIF, fire.
• ERTH GENS, three shillings.
• ERTH-PU, three-up, a street game.
• ERTH SITH-NOMS, three months,—a term of imprisonment unfortunately very familiar to the lower orders.
• ERTH-YENEPS, threepence.
• ESCLOP, the police.
• ES-ROPH, or ES-ROCH, a horse.
• EVIF-YENEPS, five pence.
• EVLENET-GENS, twelve shillings.
• EVLENET SITH-NOMS, twelve months.
• EWIF-GENS, a crown, or five shillings.
• EWIF-YENEPS, fivepence.
• EXIS GENS, six shillings.
• EXIS-EWIF-GENS, six times five shillings, i.e., 30s. All moneys may be reckoned in this manner, either with YENEPS or GENS.
• EXIS-EVIF YENEPS, elevenpence,—literally, “sixpence and fivepence = elevenpence.” This mode of reckoning, distinct from the preceding, is also common amongst those who use the back slang.
• EXIS SITH-NOMS, six months.
• EXIS-YENEPS, sixpence.
• FI-HEATH, a thief.
• FLATCH, a half, or halfpenny.
• FLATCH KEN-NURD, half drunk.
• FLATCH YENEP, a halfpenny.
• FLATCH-YENORK, half-a-crown.
• GEN, twelvepence, or one shilling. Possibly an abbreviation of ARGENT, cant term for silver.—See following.
• GENERALIZE, a shilling, generally shortened to GEN.
• GEN-NET, or NET GENS, ten shillings.
• HEL-BAT, a table.
• HELPA, an apple.
• KENNETSEENO, stinking.
• KENNURD, drunk.
• KEW, a week.
• KEWS, or SKEW, weeks.
• KIRB, a brick.
• KOOL, to look.
• LAWT, tall.
• LEVEN, in back slang, is sometimes allowed to stand for eleven, for the reason that it is a number which seldom occurs. An article is either 10d. or 1s.
• LUR-AC-HAM, mackarel.
• MOTTAB, bottom.
• MUR, rum.
• NALE, or NAEL, lean.
• NAM, a man.
• NAMESCLOP, a policeman.
• NAMOW, a woman; DILLO NAMOW, an old woman.
• NEERGS, greens.
• NETENIN GENS, nineteen shillings.
• NEETEWIF GENS, fifteen shillings.
• NEETEXIS, or NETEXIS GENS, sixteen shillings.
• NETNEVIS GENS, seventeen shillings.
• NET-THEG GENS, eighteen shillings.
• NEETRITH GENS, thirteen shillings.
• NEETROUF GENS, fourteen shillings.
• NET-GEN, ten shillings, or half a sovereign.
• NET-YENEPS, tenpence.
• NEVELE GENS, eleven shillings.
• NEVELE YENEPS, elevenpence,—generally LEVEN YENEPS.
• NEVIS GENS, seven shillings.
• NEVIS STRETCH, seven years’ transportation, or imprisonment.—See [STRETCH], in the Slang Dictionary.
• NEVIS YENEPS, sevenpence.
• NIRE, rain.
• NIG, gin.
• NI-OG OT TAKRAM, going to market.
• NITRAPH, a farthing.
• NOL, long.
• NOOM, the moon.
• NOS-RAP, a parson.
• OCCABOT, tobacco; “tib of OCCABOT,” bit of tobacco.
• ON, no.
• ON DOOG, no good.
• OWT GENS, two shillings.
• OWT YENEPS, twopence.
• PAC, a cap.
• PINURT POTS, turnip tops.
• POT, top.
• RAPE, a pear.
• REEB, beer.
• REV-LIS, silver.
• ROUF-EFIL, for life,—sentence of punishment.
• ROUF-GENS, four shillings.
• ROUF-YENEPS, fourpence.
• RUTAT, or RATTAT, a “tatur,” or potato.
• SAY, yes.
• SEE-O, shoes.
• SELOPAS, apples.
• SHIF, fish.
• SIR-ETCH, cherries.
• SITH-NOM, a month.
• SLAOC, coals.
• SLOP, a policeman.—See [Dictionary of Slang and Cant Words].
• SNEERG, greens.
• SOUSH, a house.
• SPINSRAP, parsnips.
• SRES WORT, trowsers.
• STARPS, sprats.
• STOOB, boots.
• STORRAC, carrots.
• STUN, nuts.
• STUNLAWS, walnuts.
• SWRET-SIO, oysters.
• TACH, a hat.
• TAF, or TAFFY, fat.
• THEG, or TEAICH GENS, eight shillings.
• TEAICH-GUY, eight shillings,—a slight deviation from the numerical arrangement of GENS.
• TENIP, a pint.
• THEG YENEPS, eightpence.
• TIB, a bit, or piece.
• TOAC, or TOG, a coat. Tog is the old cant term.—[See Dictionary of Slang, &c.]
• TOAC-TISAW, a waistcoat.
• TOL, lot, stock, or share.
• TOP O’ REEB, a pot of beer.
• TOP-YOB, a pot boy.
• TORRAC, a carrot.
• TRACK (or TRAG), a quart.
• TROSSENO, literally, “one-sort,” but the costermongers use it to imply anything that is bad.
• WAR-RAB, a barrow.
• WEDGE, a Jew.
• YAD, a day; YADS, days.
• YADNAB, brandy.
• YENEP, a penny.
• YENEP-A-TIME, penny each time,—term in betting.
• YENEP-FLATCH, three halfpence,—all the halfpence and pennies continue in the same sequence.
• YAP-POO, pay up.
• YEKNOD, or JERK-NOD, a donkey.
• YENORK, a crown.
• YOB, a boy.
• ZEB, best.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE RHYMING SLANG,
THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF CHAUNTERS AND PATTERERS.

There exists in London a singular tribe of men, known amongst the “fraternity of vagabonds” as Chaunters and Patterers. Both classes are great talkers. The first sing or chaunt through the public thoroughfares ballads—political and humorous—carols, dying speeches, and the various other kinds of gallows and street literature. The second deliver street orations on grease-removing compounds, plating powders, high polishing blacking, and the thousand and one wonderful pennyworths that are retailed to gaping mobs from a London kerb stone.

They are quite a distinct tribe from the costermongers; indeed, amongst tramps, they term themselves the “harristocrats of the streets,” and boast that they live by their intellects. Like the costermongers, however, they have a secret tongue or Cant speech, known only to each other. This Cant, which has nothing to do with that spoken by the costermongers, is known in Seven Dials and elsewhere as the RHYMING SLANG, or the substitution of words and sentences which rhyme with other words intended to be kept secret. The chaunter’s Cant, therefore, partakes of his calling, and he transforms and uses up into a rough speech the various odds and ends of old songs, ballads, and street nick-names, which are found suitable to his purpose. Unlike nearly all other systems of Cant, the rhyming Slang is not founded upon allegory; unless we except a few rude similes, thus—I’M AFLOAT is the rhyming Cant for boat, SORROWFUL TALE is equivalent to three months in jail, ARTFUL DODGER signifies a lodger, and a SNAKE IN THE GRASS stands for a looking-glass—a meaning that would delight a fat Chinaman, or a Collector of Oriental proverbs. But, as in the case of the costers’ speech and the old gipsey-vagabond Cant, the chaunters and patterers so interlard this rhyming Slang with their general remarks, while their ordinary language is so smothered and subdued, that, unless when they are professionally engaged and talking of their wares, they might almost pass for foreigners.

From the inquiries I have made of various patterers and “paper workers,” I learn that the rhyming Slang was introduced about twelve or fifteen years ago. Numbering this class of oratorical and bawling wanderers at twenty thousand, scattered over Great Britain, including London and the large provincial towns, we thus see the number of English vagabonds who converse in rhyme and talk poetry, although their habitations and mode of life constitute a very unpleasant Arcadia. These nomadic poets, like the other talkers of Cant or secret languages, are stamped with the vagabond’s mark, and are continually on the move. The married men mostly have lodgings in London, and come and go as occasion may require. A few never quit London streets, but the greater number tramp to all the large provincial fairs, and prefer the MONKERY (country) to town life. Some transact their business in a systematic way, sending a post-office order to the Seven Dials printer, for a fresh supply of ballads or penny books, or to the SWAG SHOP, as the case may be, for trinkets and gewgaws, to be sent on by rail to a given town by the time they shall arrive there.

When any dreadful murder, colliery explosion, or frightful railway accident has happened in a country district, three or four chaunters are generally on the spot in a day or two after the occurrence, vending and bawling “A True and Faithful Account,” &c., which “true and faithful account” was concocted purely in the imaginations of the successors of Catnach and Tommy Pitts,[⁵⁸] behind the counters of their printing shops in Seven Dials. And but few fairs are held in any part of England without the patterer being punctually at his post, with his nostrums, or real gold rings (with the story of the wager laid by the gentleman—see [FAWNEY BOUNCING], in the Dictionary), or save-alls for candlesticks, or paste which, when applied to the strop, makes the dullest razor keen enough to hack broom handles and sticks, and after that to have quite enough sharpness left for splitting hairs, or shaving them off the back of one of the clodhoppers’ hands, looking on in amazement. And CHEAP JOHN, too, with his coarse jokes, and no end of six-bladed knives, and pocket-books, containing information for everybody, with pockets to hold money, and a pencil to write with in the bargain, and a van stuffed with the cheap productions of Sheffield and “Brummagem,”—he, too, is a patterer of the highest order, and visits fairs, and can hold a conversation in the rhyming Slang.

Such is a rough description of the men who speak this jargon; and simple and ridiculous as the vulgar scheme of a rhyming Slang may appear, it must always be regarded as a curious fact in linguistic history. In order that the reader’s patience may not be too much taxed, only a selection of rhyming words has been given in the Glossary,—and these for the most part, as in the case of the back Slang, are the terms of everyday life, as used by this order of tramps and hucksters.

It must not be supposed, however, that the chaunter or patterer confines himself entirely to this Slang when conveying secret intelligence. On the contrary, although he speaks not a “leash of languages,” yet is he master of the beggars’ Cant, and is thoroughly “up” in street Slang. The following letter, written by a chaunter to a gentleman who took an interest in his welfare, will show his capabilities in this line.

Dear Friend,[⁵⁹]

Excuse the liberty, since i saw you last i have not earned a thickun, we have had such a Dowry of Parny that it completely stumped or Coopered Drory the Bossmans Patter therefore i am broke up and not having another friend but you i wish to know if you would lend me the price of 2 Gross of Tops, Dies, or Croaks, which is 7 shillings, of the above mentioned worthy and Sarah Chesham the Essex Burick for the Poisoning job, they are both to be topped at Springfield Sturaban on Tuesday next. i hope you will oblige me if you can for it will be the means of putting a Quid or a James in my Clye. i will call at your Carser on Sunday Evening next for an answer, for i want to Speel on the Drum as soon as possible. hoping you and the family are All Square,

I remain Your obedient Servant,
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