Poniffe, or poniffle, f. (thieves’), prostitute, “bunter.” See [Gadoue].
Et si la p’tit’ ponif’e triche
Su’ l’compt’ des rouleaux,
Gare au bataillon d’la guiche!
C’est nous qu’est les dos.
Richepin, La Chanson des Gueux.
Ponifler (thieves’), to make love to a woman.
[Pont], m. (popular), d’Avignon, prostitute, or “mot.” See [Gadoue]. (Card-sharpers’) Faire le —— sec, to slightly bend a card at the place at which it is desired the pack should be cut. (Familiar and popular) Couper dans le ——, to believe a falsehood; to fall into a snare. (Thieves’) Donner un —— à faucher, to prepare a snare for one. (Officials’) Faire le ——, is to keep away from one’s office on a day preceded and followed by a holiday. (Popular) Pont-levis de cul (obsolete), breeches.
Chausses à la martingale ce qui est un pont-levis de cul.—Rabelais.
(Roughs’) Le —— aux bergères, the Halles, or Paris central market. Aller au —— aux bergères, to go to that place for the purpose of meeting with a prostitute.