PIGS, or GRUNTERS, police runners.
PINS, the legs.
PINCH, to purloin small articles of value in the shops of jewellers, &c., while pretending to purchase or bespeak some trinket. This game is called the pinch—I pinch’d him for a fawney, signifies I purloined a ring from him; Did you pinch any thing in that crib? did you succeed in secreting any thing in that shop? This game is a branch of shop-lifting; but when the hoist is spoken of, it commonly applies to stealing articles of a larger, though less valuable, kind, as pieces of muslin, or silk handkerchiefs, printed cotton, &c. See [Hoist].
PINCH-GLOAK, a man who works upon the pinch.
PIPES, boots.
PIT, the bosom pocket in a coat.
PIT-MAN, a pocket-book worn in the bosom-pocket.
PITCHER. Newgate in London is called by various names, as the pitcher, the stone pitcher, the start, and the stone jug, according to the humour of the speaker.
PLANT. To hide, or conceal any person or thing, is termed planting him, or it; and any thing hid is called, the plant, when alluded to in conversation; such article is said to be in plant; the place of concealment is sometimes called the plant, as, I know of a fine plant; that is, a secure hiding-place. To spring a plant, is to find any thing that has been concealed by another. To rise the plant, is to take up and remove any thing that has been hid, whether by yourself or another. A person’s money, or valuables, secreted about his house, or person, is called his plant. To plant upon a man, is to set somebody to watch his motions; also to place any thing purposely in his way, that he may steal it and be immediately detected.
PLAY ACROSS. What is commonly termed playing booty, that is, purposely losing the game, or match, in order to take in the flats who have backed you, (see [Bridge]) while the sharps divide the spoil, in which you have a share. This sort of treachery extends to boxing, racing, and every other species of sport, on which bets are laid; sometimes a sham match is made for the purpose of inducing strangers to bet, which is decided in such a manner that the latter will inevitably lose. Across signifies generally any collusion or unfair dealing between several parties.