It was explained to me by a costermonger, who had introduced some new words into the slang, that “leven” was allowed so closely to resemble the proper word, because elevenpence was almost an unknown sum to costermongers, the transition—weights and measures notwithstanding—being immediate from 10d. to 1s.
“Gen” is a shilling and the numismatic sequence is pursued with the gens, as regards shillings, as with the “yeneps” as regards pence. The blending of the two is also according to the same system as “Owt-gen, teaich-yenep” two-and-eightpence. The exception to the uniformity of the “gen” enumeration is in the sum of 8s., which instead of “teaich-gen” is “teaich-guy:” a deviation with ample precedents in all civilised tongues.
As regards the larger coins the translation into slang is not reducible into rule. The following are the costermonger coins of the higher value:
| Couter | Sovereign. |
| Half-Couter, or Net-gen | Half-sovereign. |
| Ewif-gen | Crown. |
| Flatch-ynork | Half-crown. |
The costermongers still further complicate their slang by a mode of multiplication. They thus say, “Erth Ewif-gens” or 3 times 5s., which means of course 15s.
Speaking of this language, a costermonger said to me: “The Irish can’t tumble to it anyhow; the Jews can tumble better, but we’re their masters. Some of the young salesmen at Billingsgate understand us,—but only at Billingsgate; and they think they’re uncommon clever, but they’re not quite up to the mark. The police don’t understand us at all. It would be a pity if they did.”
I give a few more phrases:
| A doogheno or dabheno? | Is it a good or bad market? |
| A regular trosseno | A regular bad one. |
| On | No. |
| Say | Yes. |
| Tumble to your barrikin | Understand you. |
| Top o’ reeb | Pot of beer. |
| Doing dab | Doing badly. |
| Cool him | Look at him. |
The latter phrase is used when one costermonger warns another of the approach of a policeman “who might order him to move on, or be otherwise unpleasant.” “Cool” (look) is exclaimed, or “Cool him” (look at him). One costermonger told me as a great joke that a very stout policeman, who was then new to the duty, was when in a violent state of perspiration, much offended by a costermonger saying “Cool him.”
| Cool the esclop | Look at the police. |
| Cool the namesclop | Look at the policeman. |
| Cool ta the dillo nemo | Look at the old woman; |