New Books Published by JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, 151B, PICCADILLY.
Now ready, Second Edition, beautifully printed, Fcap. 8vo, pp. 316, cloth extra, 4s. 6d.,
A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and VULGAR WORDS, used at the present day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James: preceded by a History of Cant and Vulgar Language from the time of Henry VIII., showing its connection with the Gipsey Tongue; with Glossaries of Two Secret Languages, spoken by the Wandering Tribes of London, the Costermongers, and the Patterers. By a London Antiquary. Fcp. 8vo. extra cloth. With a curious Woodcut, “A Cadger’s Map of a Beggar’s District,” and Explanation of the Hieroglyphics used by Vagabonds.
“Rabble-charming words, which carry so much wild-fire wrapt up in them.”—South.
☞ The Second Edition, entirely rewritten, with more than TWO THOUSAND additional words, and a mass of fresh information not included in the first issue.
This interesting work is an important contribution to popular philology, as it chronicles for the first time nearly Five Thousand Words used by persons of every denomination in common conversation, most of which are contained in no English Dictionary whatever. The origin of many cant and slang words is also traced.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
“The author has spared no pains to make his little volume perfect, both by collecting original and unused material from costermongers, vagabonds, and tramps, and by consulting nearly all writers who have gone before. * * * The author divides Slang into historical, fashionable, parliamentary, military and dandy, university, religious, legal, literary, theatrical, civic, money, shopkeepers’ and workmen’s slang,—the slang apologies for oaths, and the slang of drunkenness. The Freemasonry of tramps and beggars, and the hieroglyphics they use, is an interesting part of vagabond history that requires, if possible, further investigation. * * * His work is carefully and honestly performed, and we hope that the writer will read our remarks [five full columns] in a proper spirit, and, in the latest slang of the present hour, will “TAKE THEM ON HIS HEAD LIKE A BIRD.”—Athenæum.
“Extremely interesting. This little volume is evidently the result of a great deal of labour, as all works must be that are, in the chief part, collected directly by the observation and care of the author: and this we believe is the case in the present instance. The author we suspect to be identical with the publisher, and if so, he has had great opportunity by his possession of a large amount of scarce tracts, ballads, and street publications, of informing himself of the language of the vagabond portion of our population.”—Leader.
“There is a certain amount of interest in preserving the origin of slang words as a record of existing manners, and of those strange popular sayings which have a rapid and almost universal popularity, and then fade away as rapidly. The combinations of language in cant are often curious. The London Antiquary informs us that the cant for a public house at the present day is suck cassa,—pure Saxon and pure Spanish.”—Saturday Review.
“This is by far the most complete work upon a curious subject which has yet been compiled—a dictionary of more than three thousand words in current use in our streets and alleys, lanes and by-ways, from which the learned lexicographers have turned aside with contempt.”—Critic.
“This new Dictionary of our English cant and slang is full, and may be received as an amusing and suggestive little book of common knowledge into any household. Indecency has been omitted from its pages.”—Examiner.
“The ‘London Antiquary’ has certainly taken up a very curious and interesting branch of linguistic research.”—Notes and Queries.
“An instructive as well as amusing work. The author may be congratulated upon the successful issue of his labours in the field of vagabond and unrecognised speech.”—Titan in an article of ten pages.
“An amusing work, and a most useful and valuable contribution to the study of words. It is absolutely necessary to all those who in fast life would “mind their P’s and Q’s,” as well as to the readers of our newspaper and periodical literature.”—Montrose Review.
“We do not wonder that of so quaint and entertaining a compilation a new edition should so soon have been demanded.”—Globe.
“Contains a good deal of curious historical and anecdotical information, and is altogether a well got up, well edited, and amusing little volume.”—Shipping Gazette.
“Evinces a great amount of industry.”—Morning Star.