1869. Whyte-Melville, M. or N., p. 110. Rather a flat-catcher, Tom? said that nobleman, between the whiffs of a cigar.
Flat-catching, subs. (common).—Swindling.
1821. Egan, Tom and Jerry, p. 118, The no-pinned hero, on being elevated, gave, as a toast, ‘Success to flat-catching,’ which produced roars of laughter and shouts of approbation.
1869. Greenwood, Seven Curses of London. To mark the many kinds of bait that are used in flat-catching, as the turf slang has it.
Flatch, adj. (back-slang).—A half. flatch-kennurd = half drunk; flatch-yenork = half-a-crown; flatch-yennep = a half-penny (see subs., sense 1).
Subs. 1.—A half-penny. [An abbreviation of flatch-yennep.] For synonyms, see Mag.
c. 1866. Vance, The Chickaleary Cove. I doesn’t care a flatch as long as I’ve a tach.
2. (coiners’).—A counterfeit half-crown. For synonyms, see Madza. [[16]]
Flat-cap, subs. (old).—A nickname for a citizen of London. [In Henry the Eight’s time flat round caps were the pink of fashion; but when their date was out, they became ridiculous. The citizens continued to wear them long after they were generally disused, and were often satirized for their fidelity].
1596. Ben Jonson, Every Man in H., ch. ii., v. 1. Mock me all over From my flat-cap unto my shining shoes.