FAG. A lawyer's clerk; to beat. "Fag the flat," beat the fool.
FAGGER. A small boy put into a window to rob the house, or to open it
for others to rob.
FAGGOT. To bind. "Faggot the culls," bind the men.
FAIKING. Cutting out the wards of a key.
FAITHFUL. A tailor that gives long credit. "I say, Sam, what kind of
crib was that you cracked?" "Oh! it belonged to one of the faithful."
FAKEMENT. A written or printed paper; the written deposition of a
witness.
FAKER. A jeweller.
FAM GRASP. To shake hands. "Fam grasp the cove," shake hands with the
fellow.
FAM LAY. Thieves who rob jewellers' stores by pretending to want to make
a purchase.
FAMILY-MAN. A receiver of stolen goods from a dwelling-house.
FAMLY-MAN. Connected with thieves.
FAMS. Hands.
FAN. A waistcoat.
FANNY BLAIR. The hair.
FARMER. An alderman.
FASTNER. A warrant.
FAT. Money.
FATERS. Fortune-tellers.
FEEDERS. Silver spoons or forks. "Nap the feeders," steal the spoons.
FEINT. A pawn-broker.
FEKER. Trade; profession.
FEN. A common woman.
FENCE. A receiver of stolen goods; to sell stolen goods. "The bloke
fenced the swag for five cases," the fellow sold the plunder for five
dollars.
FENCED. Sold.
FERM. A hole.
FIB. To beat. "Fib the bloke's quarron in the rum-pad, and draw the
honey in his poke," beat the fellow's carcase in the street, and steal
the money in his pocket.
FIBBING. Striking with the fist.
FIDLAM BENS. Thieves who have no particular lay, whose every finger is a
fish-hook; fellows that will steal any thing they can remove.
FIDLAM COVES. Small thieves who steal any thing they can lay hands on.
FIGDEAN. To kill.
FIGGER. A juvenile thief put through side-lights at outside doors to
unbolt the door and admit other thieves to the house.
FIGGING LAW. The art of picking pockets.
FIGNER. A small thief.
FIGURE-DANCER. One who alters the numbers or figures on bank-bills.
FILE. A pick-pocket. The file is one who is generally accompanied by two
others, one of whom is called the "Adam tyler;" and the other the
"bulker," or "staller." It is their business to jostle, or "ramp" the
victim, while the "file" picks his pocket and then hands the plunder to
the Adam tyler, who makes off with it.
FINE. Imprisoned. "The cove had a fine of two stretchers and a half
imposed upon him for relieving a joskin of a load of cole," the fellow
was sentenced to imprisonment for stealing a countryman's money.
FINGER-BETTER. A fellow who wants to bet on credit, and indicates the
favorite card by pointing to it with his finger.
FINNIFF. Five dollars.
FIRE. Danger. "This place is all on fire; I must pad like a bull or the
cops will nail me," every body is after me in this place; I must run
like a locomotive or the officers will arrest me.
FISH. A seaman.
FITTER. A fellow that fits keys to locks for burglars.
FIZZLE. To escape. "The cove made a fizzle," the fellow escaped.
FIZZLED. Broke up; fell through.
FLAG ABOUT. A low strumpet.
FLAM. To humbug. "Flam the bloke," humbug the fellow.
FLAME. A mistress.
FLAPPERS. Hands.
FLASH. Knowing; to understand another's meaning; to "patter flash," to
speak knowingly.
FLASH HER DILES. Spend her money.
FLASH PANNY. A house resorted to by rogues of both sexes.
FLASH YOUR IVORY. Laugh; show your teeth.
FLASH-DRUM. A drinking-place resorted to by thieves.
FLASH-HOUSE. A house of resort for thieves.
FLASH-KEN. A thieves' boarding-house.
FLASH-MAN. A fellow that has no visible means of living, yet goes
dressed in fine clothes, exhibiting a profusion of jewelry about his
person.
FLAT. A man that is not acquainted with the tricks and devices of
rogues.
FLATTER-TRAP. The mouth.
FLAWED. Half-drunk; quick-tempered; not exactly honest.
FLAY. To vomit.
FLESH-BROKER. A match maker; a procuress.
FLICKER. To drink. "Flicker with me," drink with me.
FLICKERING. Laughing; smiling; drinking.
FLICKING. Cutting. "Flick me some panam and caffar," cut me some bread
and cheese. "Flick the Peter and rake the swag, for I want to pad my
beaters," cut the portmanteau and divide the plunder, I want to walk my
boots, (to be off.)
FLIMP. To tussel; to wrestle.
FLIMPING. Garroting; highway robbery.
FLIMSEY. A bank-note.
FLING. To get the best of another. "The sharp will fling the bloke," the
rogue will cheat the man.
FLOORERS or TRIPPERS. Fellows that cause persons to slip or fall in the
street, and then, while assisting them up, steal their watch or
portmonnaie. They are sometimes called "rampers." A gentleman in a hurry
on his way to the bank, or any other place of business, is suddenly
stopped by a fellow directly in front of him, going in an opposite
direction to himself, who has apparently slipped or stumbled, and in
endeavoring to save himself from falling, thrusts his head into the pit
of the gentleman's stomach, thereby knocking him down. Immediately two
very kind gentlemen, one on each side, assist him to rise, and when on
his feet busy themselves in brushing the dirt from his clothing, during
which operation they pick his pockets. Thanking his kind assistants with
much profuseness, he goes on his way, and very soon afterwards finds
himself minus his watch or pocket-book, and perhaps both.
FLUE-SCRAPERS. Chimney-sweeps.
FLUSH. Plenty; the cove.
FLUTE. The recorder of a city.
FLUX. To cheat; cozen; over-reach.
FLY. Knowing; up to him. "The bloke was fly, and I could not draw his
fogle," the man was aware of what I wanted, and I could not steal his
handkerchief.
FLY-COP. Sharp officer; an officer that is well posted; one who
understands his business.
FLYERS. Shoes.
FLYING COVES. Fellows who obtain money by pretending to persons who have
been robbed, that they can give them information that will be the means
of recovering their lost goods.
FLYING JIGGERS. Turnpike-gates.
FOB. To cheat.
FOG. Smoke.
FOGLE. A pocket-handkerchief.
FOGLE-HUNTING. Stealing pocket-handkerchiefs.
FOGRAM. A fusty old fellow.
FOGUE. Fierce; fiery; impetuous.
FOGUS. Tobacco. "Tip me a gage of fogus," give me a cigar, or a pipe and
tobacco.
FORK. A pickpocket.
FORKS. The fore and middle fingers.
FOXEY. Cunning; crafty; sly.
FOXING. To pretend to be asleep.
FOYST. A cheat.
FOYSTER. A pickpocket.
FRAMER. A shawl.
FREE. To steal.
FRENCH CREAM. Brandy--called "French cream," by the old Tabbies, when
mixed with their tea.
FRIDAY. Hangman's day.
FRIDAY FACE. A dismal countenance; the face of a man who is sentenced to
be executed.
FRISK. To search; to examine.
FROG. A policeman.
FROG AND TOE. The city of New-York. "Coves, let us frog and toe," coves,
let us go to New-York.
FRUMPER. A sturdy blade.
FUBSEY. Plump.
FUBSEY DUMMEY. A fat pocket-book.
FULLIED. Committed for trial.
FUMBLES. Gloves.
FUN. To cheat. "To fun a man," is to cheat him.
FUNK. To frighten.
FUNKED OUT. Frightened; backed out.
FUNKERS. The very lowest order of thieves.
FUSSOCK. An old fat woman.
FUSTIAN. Wine.
G
GABBEY. A foolish fellow.
GABS. Talk.
GADDING THE HOOF. Going without shoes.
GAFF. A theatre; a fair. "The drop-coves maced the joskins at the gaff,"
the ring-droppers cheated the countrymen at the fair.
GAFFING. Tossing; pitching; throwing.
GAGE. Man; fellow. "Deck the gage," see the man.
GAGERS. Eyes.
GAIT. Manner; fashion; way; profession. "I say, Tim, what's your gait
now?" "Why, you see, I'm on the crack," (burglary.)
GALENA. Salt pork.
GALIGASKIN. A pair of breeches.
GAM. Stealing.
GAME. The particular line of rascality the rogue is engaged in;
thieving; cheating.
GAMMON. To deceive. "What rum gammon the old sharp pitched into the
flat," how finely the knowing old fellow flattered the fool.
GAMMY. Bad.
GAN. The mouth or lips.
GANDER. A married man not living at home with his wife.
GANG. Company; squad; mob.
GAPESEED. Wonderful stories; any thing that will cause people to stop,
look, or listen.
GARRET. The head.
GARRETTING. To rob a house by entering it through the scuttle or an
upper window.
GARROTE. To choke.
GARROTERS. Fellows that rob by choking their victim. Three fellows work
together in this manner: The tallest of the three steps behind the
victim, and putting his right arm around the neck, compresses the
windpipe, and at the same time, locks the right leg by throwing his own
around it. Another of the confederates secures his hands, while the
third rifles his pockets. Should the garroting be done on a public
thoroughfare, where people are passing, the garroters engage in laughter
and jocular remarks, as if it were a pleasant lark among friends. They
sometimes sprinkle rum on and about the victim's neck and face, so as to
induce persons who find him, after they have left him half-dead and
stupified, to believe that he is drunk.
GATTER. Drink of any kind.
GELTER. Money.
GERMAN FLUTE. A pair of boots.
GETAWAY. A locomotive; railroad train.
GHOULS. Fellows who watch assignation-houses, and follow females that
come out of them to their homes and then threaten to expose them to
their husbands, relatives, or friends, if they refuse to give them not
only money, but also the use of their bodies.
GIG. A door. "Dub the gig of the cosa," break open the door of the
house.
GIG-LAMPS. A pair of spectacles.
GIGG. A nose. "Snitchel the bloke's gigg," smash the man's nose.
GIGGER. A lock or door. "Dub the gigger," open the door.
GIGGER-DUBBER. A turn-key; a prison-keeper.
GILFLIRT. A proud, capricious woman.
GILL. A woman.
GILT or JILT. A crowbar.
GILT-DUBBER. A hotel-thief.
GILYORE. Plenty.
GINGERLY. Cautiously.
GIP. A thief.
GLASS. An hour. "The badger piped his Moll about a glass and a half
before she cribbed the flat."
GLAZE. Break the glass. "I say, Bill, you mill the glaze, and I'll touch
the swag and mizzle," I say, Bill, you break the glass, and I will steal
the goods and run away.
GLAZIER. A fellow that breaks windows or showcases, to steal the goods
exposed for sale.
GLIB. Smooth; polite. "The bloke is glib," the fellow is polite.
GLIBE. Writing; a written agreement.
GLIM FLASHY. In a passion; savage.
GLIMMER. The fire.
GLIMS. Eyes.
GLIMSTICKS. Candlesticks.
GLUM. Sombre; low-spirited.
GLUTTON. A fellow that can stand a great deal of beating.
GNARLER. A little dog, who, by his barking, alarms the family. Gnarlers
are more feared by burglars than guns or pistols.
GNOSTICS. Knowing ones; smart fellows; sharps.
GO. The fashion. "All the go," all the fashion.
GO BACK. To turn against. "He won't go back on the cove; he is staunch,"
he will not turn against the fellow, for he is a true man.
GO THE JUMP. Sneak into a room through the window.
GOADS. Peter Funks; cappers in.
GOATER. Dress.
GOAWAYS. Railroad trains. "The knuck was working the goaways at Jersey
City, and had but just touched a bloke's leather, as the bull bellowed
for the last time, and so the cove mizzled through the jigger. The flat
roared beef; but it was no go, as the bull was going very mad," the
pickpocket was busy in the cars at Jersey City, and had just stolen a
man's pocket-book, as the locomotive blew its whistle for the last time.
The thief bolted through the door, and off the cars, just as the victim
had discovered his loss and cried, "stop thief!" But it was of no avail,
as the locomotive was going very fast.
GOB. The mouth.
GOBSTICKS. Silver forks or spoons.
GOBSTRING. A bridle.
GODFATHERS. Jurymen; so called because they name the degrees of crime as
to grand or petit larceny, etc., etc.
GOLDFINCH. Gold coin.
GONNOFF. A thief that has attained the higher walks of his profession.
GOOH. A prostitute.
GOOSEBERRY-LAY. Stealing wet clothes from clothes-lines or bushes.
GOOSEBERRY-PUDDING. Woman.
GOOSECAP. A silly fellow; a fool.
GOOSING SLUM. A brothel.
GOREE. Gold dust.
GORGER. A gentleman; a well-dressed man.
GOT HIM DOWN CLOSE. Know all about him; know where to find him.
GOT HIM DOWN FINE. Know for a certainty; Know all his antecedents.
GOVERNOR'S STIFF. A governor's pardon.
GRABBED. Arrested.
GRABBLE. To seize. "You grabble the goose-cap and I'll frisk his pokes,"
you seize the fool, and I'll search his pockets.
GRAFT. To work.
GRAFTING. Working; helping another to steal.
GRASSVILLE. The country.
GREASE. A bribe. "Grease the copper in the fist, and he'll be as blind
as your mother," put money in the officer's hand, and he will not watch
you.
GREED. Money.
GRIG. A merry fellow.