Bâtiment (familiar), être du ——, to be of a certain profession.
Bâtir (popular), sur le devant, to have a large stomach; to have something like a “corporation” growing upon one.
Bâton, m. (thieves’), creux, musket, or “dag;” —— de cire, leg; —— de réglisse, police officer, “crusher,” “copper,” or “reeler;” priest, or “devil dodger” (mountebanks’) —— de tremplin, leg. Properly tremplin, a spring board; (familiar) —— merdeux, man whom it is not easy to deal with, who cannot be humoured; (thieves’) —— rompu, ticket-of-leave convict who has broken bounds. Termed also “canne, trique, tricard, fagot, cheval de retour.”
Bâtons de chaise, m. pl. (popular), noce de ——, grand jollification, “flare up,” or “break down.”
Batouse, batouze, f. (thieves’), canvas; —— toute battante, new canvas.
Batousier, m. (thieves’), weaver.
Battage (popular), lie, “gag;” imposition; joke; humbug; damage to any article.
Battant, m. (thieves’), heart, “panter;” stomach; throat, “red lane;” tongue, “jibb.” Un bon ——, a nimble tongue. Se pousser dans le ——, to drink, “to lush.” Faire trimer le ——, to eat.
Battante, f. (popular), bell, or “ringer.”