Pigeons.—Young beginners, or novices, persons very necessary to be plucked. Also companions of the right sort—birds of a feather.
Pilot.—A watchman.
Pimple.—The head.
Pinks.—Dashing fellows. Pinks of the fashion.
Pipkin.—The head. To crack a pipkin, to break a head.
Pippen.—A good fellow.
Plum.—He is worth a plum—is said of a man possessed of £100,000, and of him who has only realized £50,000, he’s got but “half-a-plum.”
Pockets to Let.—When there’s no money in them—such are best let alone.
Point Nonplus.—Neither money nor credit.
Police.—The London police grew out of the London watch, instituted about 1253; the whole system was remodelled by Mr., afterwards Sir Robert Peel, by 10 Geo. IV., 19th June, and the New Police commenced duty 29th September, 1829. Sir Richard Mayne was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan District. The new system was not popular with the people, nor with those who deemed they had “vested rights,” and the constables were considered as a target that every one might fire off their chaff and witticism at with impunity. The terms “Bobby and Peeler”—after Robert Peel, immediately became the cant words, together with “Blue Bottles,” “Blue Devils,” the “Royal Blues; or, the Cook’s Own,” and other opprobious terms. Within a month of the establishing of the New Police—viz., on the 14th of October, 1829, one of the members, named John Jones, was charged, at the Hatton Garden Police-station, with stealing a scrag of mutton, from the stall-board of a butcher, named Samuel, in Skinner Street, Somer’s Town. The circumstance having been witnessed by a neighbour, he pursued the policeman, and took him into custody. He had fifteen shillings and sixpence in his pocket. In his defence, he said he was going to take the mutton to show his wife. This was a circumstance that could not be lost sight of by the Seven Dials printers, and several street-papers and ballads were immediately issued on the subject, and continued to find a ready sale for some months; while “Who stole the mutton?” became the by-word. Following is one of the many ballads that appeared:—