Bertrand, m. (familiar), a swindler who is swindled by his confederates, who acts as a cat’s-paw of other rogues.
Berzélius, m. (college), watch.
Besoin, m. (popular), autel de ——, house of ill-fame, or “nanny-shop.”
Besouille, f. (thieves’), belt. From bezzi, Italian, small coin kept in a belt.
Bessons, m. pl. (popular), the breasts, “dairies.” Properly twins.
Bestiasse, f. (popular), arrant fool; dullard, “buffle-head.”
Bête, f. and adj. (thieves’), confederate in a swindle at billiards. See [Bachotter]. (Popular) —— à bon Dieu, harmless person (properly lady-bird); —— à cornes, fork; lithographic press; —— à deux fins, walking-stick; —— à pain, a man; also a man who keeps a woman; —— comme ses pieds, arrant fool; —— comme chou, extremely stupid; very easy; —— épaulée, girl who has lost her maidenhead (this expression has passed into the language). Une —— rouge, an advanced Republican, a Radical. Thus termed by the Conservatives. Called also “démoc-soc.”
Bêtises, f. pl. (popular), questionable, or “blue,” talk.
Bettander (thieves’), to beg, “to mump,” or “cadge.”
Betterave, f. (popular), drunkard’s nose, a nose with “grog blossoms,” or a “copper nose,” such as is possessed by an “admiral of the red.”