Nous arrivons dans une espèce de sale truc, grand à peu près comme v’là la chambre, seul’ment pas t’tafait aussi haut.—G. Courteline.
Also military equipment. Truc, from the Provençal tric, deceit. Then we have the old-fashioned word “triche,” which corresponds to the English trick at cards. A thief in Italian lingo is termed “truccante.” Literally trickster. In old French “truc” meant blow, and in the Italian jargon “trucco” is used to denominate a stick, from a correlation between the effect and the cause.
Trucage, m., selling new articles for antiquities.
Trucageur, m., manufacturer of articles sold as genuine antiquities.
Trucard, m. (popular), artful dodger.
Truche, f. (thieves’ and tramps’), begging, “cadging.”
Je suis ce fameux argotier,
Le grand Coesre de ces mions.
J’enterve truche et doubler
Dedans les boules et frémions.