Roubleur, m. (thieves’), witness.
Rouchi, m. (familiar and popular), man of repugnant manners or morals; low cad, “rank outsider.”
Rouchie, m. (familiar and popular), low, abandoned girl or woman, “draggle-tail;” dirty, disgusting woman.
Roue, f. (popular and thieves’), de derrière, thune, or palet, silver five-franc piece. Le messière a dégaîné une roue de derrière, the gentleman has given a five-franc piece. In the English slang a crown is termed a “hind coach-wheel,” and half-a-crown a “fore coach-wheel.”
Ils ouvraient des quinquets grands comme des roues de derrière en nous reluquant d’un air épaté.—Richepin.
Roue de devant, two-franc piece.
Roué, m. (thieves’), juge d’instruction; (card-sharpers’) swindler who handles the cards at the three-card game, his confederate being termed “amorceur.”
Rouen, m. (obsolete), aller à ——, to be ruined, “to go a mucker.” A play on the word ruiner. Envoyer à ——, to ruin. Michel records the following expressions formed by a similar play on words: Aller à “Dourdan,” to be beaten (old word dourder, to beat); aller à “Versailles,” to be upset (from verser); aller en “Angoulême,” to eat (from en and gueule); aller à “Niort,” to deny (from nier, to deny); aller à “Patras,” to die (from ad patres); aller à “Cachan,” to conceal oneself (from cacher). To kill was expressed by envoyer à “Mortaigne.” It used to be said of a person conjugally deceived, that he travelled in “Cornouaille,” alluding to the horns. An ignorant man was said to have received his education at “Asnières” (âne). A threat of dismissal was made in the words “envoyer à l’abbaye de Vatan.” A madman was a native of “Lunel,” &c. (Theatrical) Aller à Rouen, to be hissed, “to get the big bird.”
Rouffier, m. (thieves’), soldier. The old English cant had the word “ruffler” to designate beggars pretending to be old or maimed soldiers, and who robbed or even murdered people. From the Italian ruffare, to seize.
Rouffion, m. (shopmen’s), shop-boy at a haberdasher’s. “Rouffionne,” shop-girl.