LAMINE (thieves’), _Le Mans_, a town.
LAMPAGNE DU CAM, _f._ (thieves’), _country_, or “drum.” It is the word
“campagne” itself disguised in the following way. The first consonant
is replaced by the letter l, and the word is followed by its first
syllable preceded by “du” (Richepin). English thieves and gypsies have
a similar mode of distorting words, termed gibberish; called also
pedlar’s French, St. Giles’s Greek, and the Flash tongue. Gibberish
means a kind of disguised language formed by inserting any consonant
between each syllable of an English word, in which case it is called
the gibberish of the letter inserted; if F, it is the F gibberish; if
G, the G gibberish; as in the sentence, How do you do? Howg dog youg
dog?
LAMPAS, _m._ (common), _throat_, or “red lane.”
Pour l’histoire de s’assurer de la qualité du liquide et
s’arroser le lampas.--=LADIMIR.=
LAMPE, _f._ (freemasons’), _drinking-glass_.
LAMPIE, _f._ (thieves’), _meal_. From lamper, _to gulp down_.
LAMPION, _m._ (thieves’), _hat_; _bottle_; ---- rouge, _police
officer_, “copper, or reeler.” For synonymous expressions see
POT-À-TABAC.
LAMPIONS, _m. pl._ (thieves’), _eyes_, or “glaziers,” see MIRETTES;
---- fumeux, _inflamed eyes_. Des ----! Des ----! _a call expressive of
the impatience of a crowd, or rough elements of an audience, and made
more forcible by stamping of feet_.
LANCE, _f._ (popular and thieves’), _water_, or “Adam’s ale;” _rain_,
or “parney.”
C’est gagné! faites servir! six litres de vin! six litres
sans lance!--_Catéchisme Poissard._
This word is “ance” with the article. Michel says, “_ance_ vient
du terme de la vieille germania espagnole (Spanish cant) _ansia_,
qui lui-même est une apocope d’_angustia_; en effet l’eau était un
instrument de torture fort employé autrefois.” Il tombe de la ----, _it
rains_. Lance, _broom_; _shoemaker’s awl_. Chevalier de la courte ----,
or de Saint-Crépin, _shoemaker_, or “snob.” Du chenu pivois sans ----,
_good wine without water_. Lance had formerly the same signification as
FLAGEOLET, which see.
LANCÉ, _m. and adj._ (popular), _agile play of dancers’ legs at dancing
halls_.
Paul a un coup de pied si vainqueur et Rigolette un si
voluptueux saut de carpe! Les spectateurs s’intéressaient à
cet assaut de lancé vigoureux.--=VITU.=
(Familiar) Lancé, _slightly intoxicated_, or “elevated.” See POMPETTE.
LANCEQUINER (popular), _to rain_; _to weep_; _to void urine_.
LANCER (thieves’), _to void urine_. See LÂCHER. (Popular) Lancer son
prospectus, _to ogle_.
LANCEUR, _m._ (familiar), bon ----, _bookseller who is clever at
making known to the public a new publication_, “un étouffeur” _being
the reverse_. (Police) Lanceur allumeur, _a politician, generally
a journalist, in the employ of the police of the Third Empire_.
His functions consisted in exciting people to rebellion either by
inflammatory speeches at public meetings or by violent articles.
On appelle allumeurs, en termes de police, les agents
provocateurs chargés de se mêler aux sociétés secrètes,
aux manifestations populaires.... Les allumeurs furent
créés sous l’empire; ils devinrent, sous la direction
de M. Lagrange, la fleur du panier de la préfecture. Ce
fonctionnaire fut lui-même ... avec un nommé P. le metteur
en œuvre du complot de l’Opéra-Comique ... qui aboutit à
cinquante-sept arrestations ... et finit par mettre sur la
défensive tous les républicains.--_Mémoires de Monsieur
Claude._
LANCEUSE, _f._ (familiar), _superannuated cocotte who acts as the
chaperone of a younger one_.
LANCIER, _m._ (thieves’ and cads’), _individual_, or “cove.”
Que’qu’ j’y foutrai dans la trompette,
A c’ lancier-là, s’il vient vivant?
=RICHEPIN.=
Lancier du préfet, _street-sweeper in the employ of the municipal
authorities_.
LANCIERS, _m. pl._ (popular), oui, les ----! _nonsense!_ “tell that to
the marines!” “how’s your brother Job?” or “do you see any green in my
eye?”
LANDAU À BALEINES, _m._ (popular), _umbrella_, “mush, or rain-napper.”
LANDERNAU, _m._ (familiar), _name of a small town in Brittany_. Il
y aura du bruit dans ----, _is said of an insignificant event which
will set going the tongues of people who have nothing else to do_. The
expression has passed into the language.
LANDIER, _m. and adj._ (thieves’), official of the octroi. The “octroi”
is the office established at the gates of a town for the collection of
a tax due for the introduction of certain articles of food or drink.
(Thieves’) Landier, _white_.
LANDIÈRE, _f._ (old cant), _stall at a fair_.
On sait que le Landit était une foire célèbre qui se tenait
à Saint-Denis.--MICHEL.
LANDREUX, _adj._ (popular), _invalid_.
LANGOUSTE, _f._ (popular), _simpleton_, _greenhorn_, “flat.”
LANGUE, _f._ (familiar), verte, _slang of gamesters_. Also _slang_. The
expression is Delvau’s. (Popular) Avaler sa ----, _to die_, “to kick
the bucket.” See PIPE. Prendre sa ---- des dimanches, _to use choice
language_. (Familiar and popular) Une ---- fourrée, _lingua duplex, id
est quum basiis lingua linguæ promiscetur_ (=RIGAUD=).
LANGUINEUR, _m._ (popular), _man whose functions are to examine the
tongues of pigs at the slaughter-house to ascertain that they are not
diseased_.
LANSQUAILLER (thieves’). See LASCAILLER.
LANSQUE (popular), abbreviation of lansquenet.
LANSQUINAGE, _m._ (thieves’), _weeping_.
LANSQUINE, _f._ (thieves’), _rain_, or “parny.”
Aussi j’suis gai quand la lansquine,
M’a trempé l’cuir, j’ m’essuie l’échine
Dans l’vent qui passe et m’fait joli.
=RICHEPIN.=
Lansquiner (thieves’ and cads’), _to rain_; ---- des chasses, _to
weep_, “to nap a bib.”
LANTEOZ (Breton cant), _butter_.
LANTERNE, _f._ (popular), _window_, “jump.” Radouber la ----, _to
talk_, _to tattle_. The expression is old. Avoir la ----, or se taper
sur la ----, _to be hungry_, “to be bandied, or to cry cupboard.”
Vieille ----, _old prostitute_. See GADOUE. (Popular) Lanternes de
cabriolet, _large goggle eyes_.
Oh! c’est vrai! t’as les yeux comme les lanternes de ton
cabriolet.--=GAVARNI.=
LANTIMÈCHE, _m._ (popular), _lamp-lighter_; _also a word equivalent
to_ “thingumbob.” Il a filé avec ---- pour mener les poules pisser, _a
derisive reply to one inquiring about the whereabouts of a person_.
LANTURLU, _m._ (popular), _madcap_.
LAOU PHARAOU (Breton cant), _body lice_.
LAPIN, _m._ (popular), _apprentice_. Des lapins, _shoes_, or
“trotter-cases.” (Familiar and popular) Lapin, _a clever or sturdy
fellow_.
Ah! tu es un lapin! ... lui disaient tous ceux qu’il
abordait, il paraît que tu viens de faire une fameuse
découverte! on parle de toi pour la croix!--=E. GABORIAU=,
_M. Lecoq_.
Etre en ----, _to ride by the side of the coachman_. Un ---- de
gouttière, _cat_, or “long-tailed beggar.” Coller or poser un ----,
_to deceive_, _to take in_, “to bilk.” It is said the expression
draws its origin from the practice of certain sportsmen who used to
invite themselves to dinner at some friend’s house in the country, and
repaid their host by leaving a rabbit as a compensation. The _Slang
Dictionary_ says that when a person gets the worst of a bargain he
is said “to have bought the rabbit,” from an old story about a man
selling a cat to a foreigner for a rabbit. With reference to deceiving
prostitutes the act is described in the English slang as “doing a bilk.”
Je vous demande pardon, mais le vocable est consacré.
“Poser un lapin” fut longtemps une définition malséante,
bannie des salons où l’on cause. Maintenant, elle est
admise entre gens de bonne compagnie, et le lapin cesse,
dans les mots, de braver l’honnêteté.--=MAXIME BOUCHERON.=
Un fameux, or rude ----, _a strong fearless man_, _one who is_ “spry.”
L’homme qui me rendra rêveuse pourra se vanter d’être un
rude lapin.--=GAVARNI.=
Also _a man who begets many children_. Voler au ----, or étouffer
un ----, _is said of a bus conductor who swindles his employers by
pocketing part of the fares_. Mon vieux ----! _old fellow!_ “old cock!”
(Thieves’) Lapin ferré, _mounted gendarme_. (Printers’) Manger un ----,
_to attend a comrade’s funeral_.
Cette locution vient sans doute de ce que, à l’issue de
la cérémonie funèbre, les assistants se réunissaient
autrefois dans quelque restaurant avoisinant le cimetière
et, en guise de repas de funérailles, mangeaient un lapin
plus ou moins authentique.--=BOUTMY.=
Concerning this expression, there is an anecdote of a typo who was
lying in hospital at the point of death, and who informed his sorrowing
friends that he would try and wait till the Friday morning, so that
they might have all the Saturday and Sunday for the funeral feast.
Je tâcherai d’aller jusqu’à demain soir ... parceque les
amis auraient ainsi samedi et dimanche pour boulotter mon
“lapin.” Cela ne vaut-il pas le “plaudite!” de l’empereur
Auguste, ou le “Baissez le rideau, la farce est jouée!” de
notre vieux Rabelais?--=BOUTMY.=
(Familiar and popular) C’est le ---- qui a commencé _is said ironically
in allusion to a difference or fight between a strong man and a weak
one, when the latter is worsted and blamed into the bargain_. A cartoon
of the late artist Gill, on the occasion of the assassination of Victor
Noir by Pierre Bonaparte in the last days of the Third Empire, depicted
the two principal actors in that mysterious affair under the features
of a fierce bull-dog and a rabbit, with the saying, “C’est le lapin qui
a commencé,” for a text line.
LAPINER (general), _to cheat a prostitute by not paying her her dues_.
LAQUEUSE, _f._ (familiar and popular), _cocotte who walks in the
vicinity of the lake at the Bois de Boulogne_. See GADOUE.
LARANTQUÉ, _m._ (popular and thieves’), _two-franc coin_.
LARBIN, _m._ (general), _man-servant_, _footman_, “flunkey,” or
“bone-picker.”
Le savoureux Lebeau ... ancien valet de pied aux Tuileries,
laissait voir le hideux larbin qu’il était, âpre au gain et
à la curée.--=A. DAUDET=, _Les Rois en Exil_.
(Popular) Larbin savonné, _knave of cards_.
LARBINE, _f._ (popular), _maid-servant_, “slavey.”
LARBINERIE, _f._ (familiar), _set of servants_, “flunkeydom, or
flunkeyism.”
LARCOTTIER, _m._ (old cant), _one who yields too often to the
promptings of a well-developed bump of amativeness_, a “beard-splitter.”
LARD, _m._ (popular), _disreputable woman_; _mistress_; _skin, or
body_. Sauver son ----, _to save one’s_ “bacon.” Perdre son ----, _to
become thin_. Faire son ----, _to put on a conceited look_. (General)
Faire du ----, _to lie in bed of a morning_. (Thieves’) Manger du ----,
_to inform against_, “to turn snitch.”
LARDA (Breton cant), _to beat_.
LARDÉ, _m._ (popular), un ---- aux pommes, _mess of potatoes and bacon_.
Au prix où sont les lardés aux pommes aux trente-neuf
marmites.--_Tam-Tam_ du 6 Juin, 1880.
LARDÉE, _f._ (printers’), _composition full of italics and roman_.