This singular BACK tongue has been in vogue about twenty-five years. It is, as before stated, soon acquired, and is principally used by the costermongers (as the specimen Glossary will show), for communicating the secrets of their street tradings, the cost and profit of the goods, and for keeping their natural enemies, the police, in the dark. Cool the esclop (look at the police) is often said amongst them, when one of the constabulary makes his appearance.
Perhaps on no subject is the costermonger so particular as on money matters. All costs and profits he thinks should be kept profoundly secret. The Back Slang, therefore, gives the various small amounts very minutely.
- FLATCH, halfpenny.
- YENEP, penny.
- OWT-YENEPS, twopence.
- ERTH-YENEPS, threepence.
- ROUF-YENEPS, fourpence.
- EVIF, or EWIF-YENEPS, fivepence.
- EXIS-YENEPS, sixpence.
- NEVIS-YENEPS, sevenpence.
- TEAICH, or THEG-YENEPS, eightpence.
- ENIN-YENEPS, ninepence.
- NET-YENEPS, tenpence.
- NEVELÉ-YENEPS, elevenpence.
- EVLÉNET-YENNEPS, twelvepence.
- GEN, or GENERALIZE, one shilling, or twelvepence.
- YENEP-FLATCH, three halfpence.
- OWT-YENEP-FLATCH, twopence halfpenny. &c. &c. &c.
- GEN, or ENO-GEN, one shilling.
- OWT-GENS, two shillings.
- ERTH-GENS, three shillings.
The GENS continue in the same sequence as the YENEPS above, excepting THEG-GENS, 8s., which is usually rendered THEG-GUY,—a deviation with ample precedents in all civilised tongues.
- YENORK, a crown piece, or five shillings.
- FLATCH-YENORK, half-a-crown.
Beyond this amount the costermonger reckons after an intricate and complicated mode. Fifteen shillings would be ERTH-EVIF-GENS, or, literally, three times 5s.; seventeen shillings would be ERTH-YENORK-FLATCH, or three crowns and a half; or, by another mode of reckoning, ERTH-EVIF-GENS FLATCH-YENORK, i.e., three times 5s., and half-a-crown.
- DUNOP, a pound.
Further than which the costermonger seldom goes in money reckoning.
In the following Glossary only those words are given which costermongers principally use,—the terms connected with street traffic, the names of the different coins, vegetables, fruit and fish, technicalities of police courts, &c.
The reader might naturally think that a system of speech so simple as the BACK-SLANG would require no Glossary; but he will quickly perceive, from the specimens given, that a great many words in frequent use in a BACK sense, have become so twisted as to require a little glossarial explanation.