Rivette, f. (popular and thieves’), prostitute, or “punk.” See [Gadoue]. Also name given by Sodomites to wretches whom they plunder under threats of disclosures.
La rivette se récrie; le faux agent persiste, s’emporte, jure ... il finit par obtenir une somme d’argent.—Léo Taxil.
Riz-pain-sel, m. (military), anyone connected with the commissariat, a “mucker.”
Les deux hommes tenaient conseil. T’as entendu ce qu’a dit le colonel?—C’est pas un colonel, c’est un riz-pain-sel. Ça y fait rien.... Faut en finir avec nos deux particuliers. Nous allons leur brûler la gueule d’un coup de flingot.—Bonnetain, L’Opium.
Robaux, or roveaux, m. pl. (old cant), gendarmes. Attrimer les ——, to run away from gendarmes, to show them sport. The term seems a corruption of royaux.
Rober (thieves’), to steal; to steal a man’s clothes. This is the old form of dérober, which formerly signified to disrobe, and nowadays to purloin. Provençal raubar. Compare with the English to rob. See [Grinchir].
Robignol, adj. (thieves’), extremely amusing; extremely good.
Robinson, or pépin, m. (popular), umbrella, “mush.”
Rochet, m. (thieves’), bishop; priest, or “devil-dodger.”
Rogne, adj. and f. (familiar and popular), être ——, to be in a rage, “to be shirty.” Avoir des rognes avec un gas, to have a quarrel. Flanquer la ——, to get one in a rage. Properly rogne signifies itch, mange, and it stands to reason that anyone suffering from the ailment would naturally be in anything but a good humour.