Je peste contre le quart d’œil de mon quartier qui ne m’a pas à la bonne.—Vidocq.
A la carre (thieves’), dégringoler ——, to steal from shops; kind of theft committed principally by women who pretend to be shopping; “shoplifting.”
[A la clef] (familiar), an expletive. Trop de zèle ——, too much zeal by half. From a musical term. The expression is used sometimes with no particular meaning, thus, Il y aura du champagne ——, is equivalent to, Il y aura du champagne.
A la corde (popular), logement ——, low lodging-house, where the lodgers sleep with their heads on a rope, which is let down early in the morning. In some of these the lodgers leave all their clothes with the keeper, to ensure against their being stolen.
A la coule (popular), être ——, to be conversant with.
S’il avait été au courant, à la coule, il aurait su que le premier truc du camelot, c’est de s’établir au cœur même de la foule.—Richepin.
Etre ——, to be happy; at one’s ease; comfortable. Je n’étais pas ——, I felt very uncomfortable.
A la flan, à la rencontre, or à la dure (thieves’), fabriquer un gas ——, to attack and rob a person at night, “to jump a cove.”
A la grive! (thieves’ and cads’), take care! “shoe leather!” Cribler ——, to call out “police!” to “give hot beef.”
Par contretemps ma largue,