C’était un girond tonneau,
L’anderlique, l’anderlique,
L’anderliqu’ de Landerneau!
Gill.
The English cant has the old word “queer,” signifying base, roguish, or worthless—the opposite of “rum,” which signified good and genuine. “Queer, in all probability,” says the Slang Dictionary, “is immediately derived from the cant language. It has been mooted that it came into use from a ‘quære’ (?) being set before a man’s name; but it is more than probable that it was brought into this country by the gipsies from Germany, where quer signifies cross, or crooked.” (Thieves’) Etre —— à sa section, or à la sec, to be noted as a bad character at the police office of one’s district. The word “mouchique,” says Michel, is derived from “mujik,” a Russian peasant, which must have become familiar in 1815 to the inhabitants of the parts of the country invaded by the Russians.
Mouchoir, m. (popular), d’Adam, the fingers, used by some people as a natural handkerchief, “forks;” —— de bœuf, meadow. Termed thus on account of oxen having their noses in the grass when grazing; —— de poche, pistol, or “pops.” (Familiar and popular) Faire le ——, to steal pocket-handkerchiefs, “to draw a wipe.” Coup de —— (obsolete), a box on the ear, a “wipe in the chaps.”
Voyez le train qu’a m’ fait pour un coup de mouchoir que j’lui ai donné.—Pompigny, 1783.
(Theatrical) Faire le ——, to pirate another author’s productions.
Mouchouar-godel (Breton cant), pistol.
Moudre (popular), or —— un air, to ply a street organ.