PIAU, _m._ (printers’), _falsehood_, “cram.” From la peau! _nonsense!_
(thieves’) _bed_. Pincer le ----, _to go to bed_, _to get into_ “kip.”
See PIEU.
PIAULLE, PIOLE, or PIOLLE, _f._ (thieves’), _house_, “crib, hangs-out,
ken;” _tavern_. Same origin as picter. La ---- a l’air rupin, _there’s
plenty to steal in that house_.
PIAUSSER (thieves’), _to sleep_, “to doss.” Se ----, _to dress_; _to go
to bed_. See PIEU.
Ils sont allés se piausser (se coucher) chez
Bicêtre.--=VIDOCQ.=
(Printers’) Piausser, _to lie_; _to humbug_.
PIAUSSEUR, _m._ (printers’), _liar_; _humbug_.
PICAILLONS, _m. pl._ (popular), _money_, “tin.” See QUIBUS. Avoir des
----, _to be well off_, or “well ballasted.” Picaillons is probably a
corruption of picarons, _Spanish coin_.
PICANTI, _adj._ (thieves’), gau ----, _louse_, “gold-backed ’un.” See
BASOURDIR.
PICCOLET, or PICOLO, _m._ (popular), _thin wine_. From picton, which
itself comes from the Greek πιεῖν, through picter.
Le suave fromage à la pie ... et qu’ils mangeaient avec un
chanteau de pain bis, avant de boire un gobelet de picolo,
de ce vert petit reginglard qui leur piquait un cent
d’épingles dans la gorge.--=RICHEPIN=, _Le Pavé_.
PICHE, _m._ (popular), for pique, _spades of cards_.
PICHENET, _m._ (popular), _thin wine_. See PICTON.
Le pichenet et le vitriol l’engraissaient
positivement.--=ZOLA.=
PICKPOCKETER (familiar), _to pick pockets_.
PICORAGE, _m._ (thieves’), _highway robbery_.
PICOURE, _f._ (thieves’), _hedge_. Déflotter, or défleurir la ----, _to
steal linen laid out on a hedge to dry_, “lully prigging.” A thief who
steals linen is termed “snow-gatherer.” La ---- est fleurie, _there is
linen on the hedge_, “snowy on the ruffman.”
PICTER (popular and thieves’), _to drink_, “to liquor up,” or, as the
Americans say, “to smile, or to see the man.” From the Greek πιεῖν.
Laissez-le donc, nous le ferons picter à la refaite de
sorgue.--=VIDOCQ.= (_Leave him alone, we’ll make him drink
at dinner._)
Picter des canons, _to drink glasses of wine_.
Comme moi gagne de la pièce,
Tu pourras picter des canons.
Et sans aller trimer sans cesse.
Te lâcher le fin rigaudon.
Ne crains pas le pré que je brave,
Car de la bride je n’ai pas peur;
Dans une tôle enquille en brave,
Fais-toi voleur!
=VIDOCQ.=
Allons ---- un kil, _let us go and drink a litre of wine_. Picter
du pivois sans lance, _to drink wine without water_. Picter une
rouillarde, _to drink a bottle of wine_. La ---- à la douce, _to sit
over a bottle of wine_.
PICTON, _m._ (popular and thieves’), _wine_. Termed also “picolo,
nectar, ginglet, ginglard, pichenet, briolet, pivois, bleu, petit bleu,
vinasse, blanc, huile,” &c. Picton sans lance, _wine without water_. Un
coup de ----, _a glass of wine_.
Encore un coup d’picton,
La mère Bernard, il n’est pas tard,
Encore un coup d’picton
Pour nous mettre à la raison.
_Old Song._
PICTONNER (popular), _to drink heavily_, “to swill.” See RINCER.
PICTONNEUR, _m._ (popular), _drunkard_, “lushington.” See POIVROT.
PIÈCE, _f._ (military), de quatre, _syringe_; ---- grasse, _cook_, or
“dripping;” ---- de sept, _stout man_, “forty guts;” (freemasons’) ----
d’architecture, _speech_; (literary) ---- de bœuf, _gushing article on
the topics of the day_; (theatrical) ---- de bœuf, _a play in which one
obtains the most success_; ---- à tiroirs, _play with transformation
scenes_; ---- d’été, _bad play_; (prostitutes’) ---- d’estomac,
_lover_, “Sunday man.” (Thieves’) Vol à la ---- forcée. This kind of
theft requires two confederates, one of whom tenders in payment of a
purchase a marked coin. His friend then steps in, makes a purchase,
and maintains he has paid for it with a coin of which he gives a
description, and which of course is found in the till by the amazed
tradesman. (Popular) Une ---- du pape, or suisse, _an ugly woman_. La
---- de dix sous, or de dix ronds, _the anus_. N’avoir plus sa ---- de
dix ronds, _to be a Sodomite_. Cracher des pièces de dix sous, _to be
parched_, _dry_.
Coupeau voyant le petit horloger cracher là-bas des pièces
de dix sous, lui montra de loin une bouteille; et, l’autre
ayant accepté de la tête, il lui porta la bouteille et un
verre.--=ZOLA.=
The English have the expression, “to spit sixpences,” _to be thirsty_.
He had thought it a rather dry discourse; and beginning to
spit sixpences (as his saying was), he gave hints to M.
Wildgoose to stop at the first public-house they should
come to--=GRAVES=, _Spiritual Quixote_.
PIED, _m._ (popular), à dormir debout, _large flat foot_; ---- de
cochon, _pistol_, or “barking iron;” ---- de nez, _one sou_; ---- plat,
_a Jew_, or “mouchey, Ikey, or sheney.” Mettre à ----, _to dismiss_,
“to give the sack.” En avoir son ----, _to have had enough of it_.
(Thieves’) Pied de biche, _short crowbar_, or “jemmy.” Termed also
“Jacques, l’enfant, sucre de pomme, biribi.” Le ----, _the ground_;
termed also “la dure;” _share_, or “whack.” Mon ----, ou je casse! _my
share, or I peach_, or “my whack, or I blow the gaff.” (Military) Pied,
or ---- bleu, _recruit_, or “Johnny raw.”
Je t’en fiche; y prend un air digne, toise l’infirmier
du haut en bas, et te l’engueule comme un pied.
--=G. COURTELINE.=
Pied de banc, _sergeant_. There are just as many sergeants in a company
as there are feet to a bench.
Les sous-officiers sont l’âme de l’armée si les officiers
en sont la tête ... les soldats le savent et le disent
bien, et se rendant compte de l’utilité de ces humbles
subalternes, ils les appellent les pieds de banc. Enlevez
un officier à la compagnie, nul ne s’apercevra du vide;
ôtez un sergent elle deviendra boiteuse.--=HECTOR FRANCE=,
_L’Homme qui Tue_.
PIEDS, _m. pl._ (popular), avoir mangé ses ----, _to have an offensive
breath_. Se tirer des ----, _to go away_, _to run away_, “to hook it.”
See PATATROT. Où mets-tu tes pieds? _what are you meddling about?_
(Military) Avoir les ---- de châlit, _to be particular_, _careful_.
Avoir les ---- nattés, _to feel a disinclination for going out, or not
to be able to go out_. (Printers’) Pieds de mouche, _notes in a book,
generally printed in small type_. (Thieves’) Avoir les ---- attachés
dans le dos, _to be dogged by the police_, “to get a roasting.”
(Popular and thieves’) Bénir des pieds, _to be hanged_, “to swing,
to be scragged.” Termed formerly “to fetch a Tyburn stretch,” or “to
preach at Tyburn Cross,” alluding to the penitential speeches made on
such occasions. In olden times a hanged person was termed in France
“évêque des champs,” alluding to the cap which was drawn over the face
of the convict, and which represented the mitre, also to the convulsive
movements of his legs. It was the custom to erect the gallows in the
open country. Hence the expression, “évêque des champs qui donne la
bénédiction avec les pieds.”
PIER (thieves’), old word, _to drink_. In English slang, “to liquor
up,” and, as the Americans term the act, “to smile,” or “to see the
man.” See RINCER.
PIERRE, _f._ (popular), à affûter, _bread_, or “soft tommy;”
(freemasons’) ---- brute, _bread_; (thieves’) ---- de touche,
_confrontation of a malefactor with his victim or with witnesses_.
PIERREAU, _m._ (military), _recruit_, or “Johnny raw.” Also _soldier
who has been for one year in the corps_.
Ils tranchaient les questions d’un mot, ... considéraient
du haut de leur importance les brigadiers qu’ils
qualifiaient de bleus et de pierreaux, comme s’ils fussent
arrivés de la veille.--=G. COURTELINE.=
PIERREUSE, _f._ (popular), _prostitute of the lowest class, who
generally prowls near heaps of stones on the road, or in building
yards_, “draggle-tail.” See GADOUE. Concerning this class of
prostitutes Léo Taxil says: “Il est une classe absolument ignoble,
qui est la lie des filles en carte: les pierreuses. On donne ce nom
à un genre particulier de femmes qui ont vieilli dans l’exercice de
la prostitution du plus bas étage ... elles sortent la nuit ... elles
stationnent auprès des chantiers ou à proximité des terrains vagues.”
PIERROT, _m._ (popular), _glass of white wine_. Asphyxier un ----,
_to drink a glass of white wine_. Pierrot, properly, is a pantomimic
character with face painted white and dressed in white attire.
(Hairdressers’) Pierrot, _application of lather on the face_;
(military) _recruit_, or “Johnny raw.” Termed also “bleu.”
Les anciens commencèrent par faire la sourde oreille,
supportèrent avec patience les quolibets et les piqûres
d’aiguille jusqu’au jour où un “pierrot,” tout nouvellement
arrivé ... reçut une paire de calottes.--=G. COURTELINE.=
Also _bad soldier who shirks his duty and incurs punishment_.
De temps en temps, l’adjudant Flick, en cherchant ses deux
“pierrots,” constatait leur disparition. Les deux pierrots
... s’étaient donné un peu d’air. Ces bordées duraient six
journées, au bout desquelles ils revenaient fiers comme
des paons, frisant la désertion de cinq minutes.
--=G. COURTELINE.=
PIESTO, _m._ (popular), _money_, “the needful, gilt, or loaver.” See
QUIBUS.
PIÈTRE, _m._ (thieves’), _rogue who plays the lame man so as to excite
the commiseration of the public_.
PIEU, _m._ (thieves’), _crossbar_; ---- de la vanterne, _crossbar of a
window_; (popular and thieves’) bed. From old word piautre, _straw_,
_rags_. Hence the old peaultraille, _canaille_, _ragamuffins_. An
instance of the insertion of the _i_ is shown by pieu, _a stake_, from
pau.
Les pant’s sont couchés dans leurs pieux,
Par conséquent je n’gên’ personne.
Laissez-moi donc! j’suis un pauv’ vieux.
Où qu’ vous m’emm’nez, messieurs d’la sonne?
=RICHEPIN.=
Spelt also pieux.
Dès que le réveil entendras
Tes deux châssis épongeras;
La botte aux Cocos donneras,
Et leur crottin enlèveras,
A la chambre remonteras
Faire ton pieux.
_Les Litanies du Cavalier._
Se coller dans le ----, _to go to bed_, _to get into the_ “kip.” Etre
en route pour le ----, _to feel sleepy_. Etre rivé au ----, _to be
passionately attached to a woman_.
PIEUTÉ, _adj._ (popular), être ----, _to be in bed_.
Il réfléchit, partage entre l’inquiétude de coucher le
soir à la boîte et le plaisir de rester “pieuté.”
--=G. COURTELINE=, _Les Gaietés de l’Escadron_.
PIEUVRE, _f._ (familiar), _kept woman_. Properly _octopus_. See GADOUE.
PIEUVRISME, _m._ (familiar), _prostitution_; _the world of prostitutes_.
PIF, or PIFRE, _m._ (familiar and popular), _nose_, “handle, conk,
or snorter.” See MORVIAU. The word “pifre” is used by Rabelais with
the signification of _fife_. It is, therefore, not improbable that
the nasal organ received the appellation on account of its being
assimilated to that wind instrument, the more so as other parts of the
body bear the names of musical instruments, as trompette, or musette,
_face_; sifflet, _throat_; guitare, or guimbarde, _head_; grosse
caisse, _body_; flûtes, _legs_; mirliton, _nose_.
Où que j’vas? ça vous r’garde pas.
J’vas où que j’veux, loin d’où que j’suis.
C’est à côté, tout près d’là-bas.
Mon pif marche d’vant, et je l’suis.
=RICHEPIN.=
C’est pas pour ton ----, _that’s not for you_. (Thieves’) Etre dans le
---- comme grinche, _to be noted as a swindler_. (Prostitutes’) Faire
un ---- d’ocas, _to find a client_, or “flat.”
J’ai fait que poiroter sous les lansquines en battant mon
quart pour faire un pif d’ocas, qui me donne de quoi que
mon marlou ne m’éreinte pas de coups.--=LOUISE MICHEL.=
PIFFARD, _m._ (popular), _the possessor of a nose remarkable on account
of its large proportions or vermilion hue_, like that of a drunkard, an
“Admiral of the Red,” whose nasal organ bears “grog blossoms.”
PIFFE, _m._ (thieves’), _breech_, or “blind cheek.” See VASISTAS.
PIFFER (popular), _to be discontented, or to look disappointed_, “down
in the mouth.” Synonymous of “faire son nez.”
PIGE, _f._ (thieves’), _year_, or “stretch;” _hour_; _prison_, or
“stir.” See MOTTE. (Familiar) Faire la ----, _to race_. (Printers’)
Pige, _a certain number of lines to be composed in an hour_. Prendre sa
----, _to ascertain the length of a page or column_.
PIGEON, _m._ (card-sharpers’). Elever des pigeons, _to entice dupes
into playing in order to fleece them of their money_. (General) Pigeon,
_a gullible or soft person_, a “pigeon.” The vagabonds and brigands of
Spain also used the word in their “germania,” or robber’s language,
“palomo,” _ignorant_, _simple_. In the sporting world “sharps and
flats” are often called “rooks and pigeons” respectively--sometimes
“spiders and flies.” When the “pigeon” has been done, he then is
entitled to the appellation of “muggins.” Pigeon voyageur, _a girl
of indifferent character who travels up and down a line seeking for
clients_. (Cocottes’) Avoir son ----, _to have found a client_, _to
have a_ “flat.” (Theatrical) Pigeon, _part payment of a fee due to
an author by the manager of a theatre_. (Familiar) Aile de ----,
_old-fashioned_. An allusion to the headdress preserved by émigrés on
their return to France.
PIGEONNER (familiar and popular), _to dupe_, or “to do.”
Dans celle-là, ce n’est plus moi qui pige, c’est moi qui
suis pigeonné.--_Mémoires de Monsieur Claude._
PIGEONNIER, _m._ (familiar), _the boudoir of a cocotte_.
PIGER (general), _to detect_; _to take_, “to collar;” _to apprehend_,
“to nab.”
Eh! la Gribouille, comment que t’as été pigée, dit une
vagabonde à une autre.--=LOUISE MICHEL.=
Piger, _to understand_, “to twig,” or, as the Americans say, “to catch
on.”
Moi aussi ... mais piges-tu, pas de braise; ceux qu’ont
du poignon dans les finettes peuvent décaniller.
--=LOUISE MICHEL.= (_Oh, I also ... but do you understand,
no money; those who have money in their pockets can go._)
Piger, _to race_; _to compete_.
Et je vous jure bien que dans cette foule de fillettes de
magasin qui descendent en capeline, ... petites gueules
fraîches toussotant à la brume, toujours talonnées de
quelque galant, aucune n’aurait pu piger avec elle.
--=A. DAUDET.=
Piger, _to find_.
Tiens, v’là Casimir, c’est ta femme, cette colombe-là? où
as-tu pigé ce canasson-là, c’est bon pour le muséum, mon
cher.--=BAUMAINE ET BLONDELET=, _Les Locutions Vicieuses_.
Piger la vignette, _to look attentively and with pleasure on some funny
person or amusing scene_, “to take it in.” Se faire ----, _to allow
oneself to be detected or apprehended_; _to allow oneself to be done_,
or “bested.” Piger, _to catch_, “to nab.”
On grimp’ pas su’ les parapets!
Attends! attends! j’y vas ... cré garce,
Pigé, j’te tiens! Dit’s donc, c’est farce
Tout d’même.
=GILL.=
PIGET, or PIPET, _m._ (thieves’), _castle_. The root of this word is
pigeon, in the Low Latin pipio.
PIGNARD, _m._ (thieves’), _breech_, or “blind cheek.” See VASISTAS.
PIGNOCHER (popular). Means properly _to pick one’s food_. Se ----, _to
fight_, “to slip into one another;” (artists’) _to put too much finish
in a work_.
PIGNOUF, _m._ (general), _one who behaves like a cad_; _coarse fellow_;
_mean, paltry fellow_.
J’ai vu que tu avais par moments ennuyé les critiques. Tu
sais, il ne faut pas faire attention à eux, c’est des tas
de pignoufs.--=E. MONTEIL.=
(Shoemakers’) Pignouf, _apprentice_, the master being denominated
“pontife,” and a workman “gniaf.”
PIGNOUFLE, _m._ (general), _cad_.
La faille rose braquant sa jumelle--“A qui en ont-ils ces
pignoufles?”--=P. MAHALIN.=
PIGOCHE, _f._, _a game_. Some coins being placed inside a circumference
traced out on the ground, are to be knocked out of it by aiming with
another coin.
Nous arrachions tout, les boutons
Des portes et des pantalons
Pour la pigoche.
=DE CHATILLON.=
The word has passed into the language.
PILE! (popular), _exclamation uttered when one sees a person falling,
or hears a smash of crockery or other article_. Properly _tails!_
at pitch and toss. Termed also d’autant! a favourite ejaculation of
waiters.
PILER (popular), du poivre, _to walk on the tips of one’s toes on
account of blistered feet_; =TO WAIT=; _to slander_. Faire ---- du
poivre à quelqu’un, _to throw one down repeatedly_. Piler le bitume _is
said of a prostitute who walks the streets_; (military) ---- du poivre,
_to mark time_; _to be on sentry duty_; _to ride a hard trotting
horse_; ---- du poivre à quelqu’un, _to forsake one_; _to leave off
keeping company with one_.
Ah! pompon du diable! il y a longtemps que j’avais envie de
lui piler du poivre.--=C. DUBOIS DE GENNES.=
Piler le poivre, _to be on sentry duty_.
PILIER, _m._ (familiar), de cabaret, _drunkard_, or “mop.” See POIVROT.
(Thieves’) Le ----, _the master_. Un ---- de boutanche, _a shopman_. Un
----, _the master of a brothel_. Un ---- de pacquelin, _a commercial
traveller_.
Quel fichu temps! le pilier de pacquelin ne viendra
pas.--=VIDOCQ.=
Le ---- du creux, _the master of the house_, the “omee of the carsey.”
From uomo della casa in lingua franca.
PILLE, _f._ (thieves’), _one thousand francs_.
PILLOIS VAIN, _m._ (thieves’), _village judge_, a kind of “beak, or
queer cuffin.”
PILOCHES, _f. pl._ (thieves’), _teeth_, “bones, or ivories.” Termed
also “chocottes.” Montrer ses ----, “to flash one’s ivories.”
PILOIRS, _m. pl._ (thieves’), _fingers_, “forks, stealers, or pickers.”
PILON, _m._ (thieves’), _finger or thumb_; (popular) _maimed beggar_.
PIMPELOTER (popular), se ----, _to eat and drink of the best_, _to take
care of number one in that respect_.
PIMPIONS, _m. pl._ (thieves’), _coin_, “pieces.” See QUIBUS.
PINÇANTS, _m. pl._ (old cant), _scissors_. Termed also “fauchants,
fauchettes.”
PINÇARD, _m._ (cavalry), _horseman who possesses strong thighs, and
has, in consequence, a firm grip in the saddle_. From pince, _grip_.
PINCE, _f._ (thieves’), _hand_, or “duke.” (Horsemen’s) Pince, _grip of
the thighs_. (Popular) Chaud de la ----, _fond of women_. La pince is
_the fork_.
Puis, comme c’était un chaud de la pince qui faisait des
enfants à toutes les figurantes de l’Odéon.--=E. MONTEIL.=
(Card-sharpers’) Pince, _a box constructed on cheating principles, and
used by sharpers at the game called consolation, a game played with
dice_.
PINCEAU, _m._ (military), _broom_.
Allons ... nous sommes de corvée de quartier, il va falloir
aller jouer du pinceau avant un quart d’heure.
--=DUBOIS DE GENNES.=
(Freemasons’) Pinceau, _pen_; (popular) _hand, or foot_, “daddle,
or hoof.” Détacher un coup de ---- dans la giberne, _to kick one’s
behind_, “to toe one’s bum.” Détacher un coup de ---- sur la
frimousse, _to give a box on the ear_, “to give a bang in the mug, to
fetch a wipe in the gills, or mug,” or, as the Americans term it, “to
give a biff in the jaw.”
PINCE-CUL, _m._ (popular), _low dancing-hall patronized by prostitutes
and roughs_. An allusion to the liberties which male dancers take with
their partners.
PINCE-DUR, _m._ (military), _adjutant_. From pincer, _to nab_.
PINCE-LOQUE, _m._ (thieves’), _needle_.
PINCER (familiar and popular), le cancan, _to dance the_ “cancan.”
A kind of choregraphy which requires great agility, the toes of
the female performers being more often on a level with the faces
of their partners than on the floor. The cancan is in great favour
at Bullier and kindred dancing-halls, its devotees being generally
medical students and their female friends, the “étudiantes;”
also “horizontales” and their protectors, or “poissons;” ---- au
demi-cercle, _to catch unawares_, “to nab;” ---- quelqu’un, _to catch
one_, _to take one red-handed_. Se faire ----, _to be detected_; _to be
caught_, _to get_ “nabbed.” Pincer un coup de sirop, _to be slightly
the worse for liquor, or slightly_ “elevated.” See POMPETTE. En ----
pour une femme, _to be smitten with a fair one’s charms_, “to be mashed
on, sweet on, keen on, or to be spooney.” (Thieves’) Pincer, _to
steal_, “to nick.” For synonyms see GRINCHIR.
Cartouche.--Qu’avez-vous pincé? Harpin.--Six pièces de
toile et quatre de mousseline.--=LE GRAND=, _Les Fourberies
de Cartouche_.
Pincer de la guitare, or de la harpe, _to be locked up in jail_, _to
be_ “in quod.” An allusion to the bars of the prison cell assimilated
to the strings of a guitar.
PINCE-SANS-RIRE, _m._ (thieves’), _police officer_, “copper,” or
“reeler.” See POT-À-TABAC.
PINCETTES, _f. pl._ (popular), affûter, or se tirer les ----, _to
decamp in a hurry_, “to guy.” See PATATROT.
PINCHARD, _adj._ (literary), _vulgar_, _in bad taste_, “jimmy.”
PINDARÈS (thieves’), _the gendarmes_; _city police, or rural police_.
Pindarès! _we wash our hands of it!_ an exclamation uttered by
malefactors after committing some crime.
PINET, or PINO, _m._ (thieves’), _farthing_. Termed in English cant,
“fadge.”
PINGOUIN, _m._ (popular), _fool_, or “flat;” _good-for-nothing man_.
(Mountebanks’) Le ----, _the public_.
Vois-tu le pingouin comme il s’allume? ... ça n’est rien, à
la reprise je vas l’incendier.--=E. SUE.=
Pingouin maigre, _small audience_; ---- gras, _large audience_.
PINGRE, _adj._ (thieves’), _poor_, “quisby.”
PIOCHE, _f._ (freemasons’), _fork_; (popular) _work_, or “graft.” Se
mettre à la ----, _to set oneself to work_. Tête de ----, _blockhead_,
“cabbage-head.” (Thieves’) Une ----, _a pickpocket_, or “finger-smith.”
PIOCHER (barristers’), les larmes, _to prepare a pathetic oration
with a view to exciting the commiseration of the jury, and enlisting
their sympathy in favour of the accused_. There is an old joke about
a barrister who, having undertaken to defend a scoundrel accused of
murdering his own father and mother, wound up his speech by beseeching
the jury to be merciful unto his client, on the plea of his being a
“poor orphan left alone and unprotected in this wicked world.” The
celebrated and truthful author of a recent diatribe on the manners
and customs of the French, reproduces the story, presenting it to his
readers as a striking but “genuine” specimen of the forensic eloquence
in favour with John Bull’s neighbours! (Thieves’) Piocher, _to carry on
the business of a pickpocket_, “to be on the cross.” See GRINCHIR.
PIOLE, or PIOLLE, _f._ (thieves’), _house_. The synonyms are, “cambuse,
cassine, boîte, niche, kasbah, barraque, creux, bahut, baite, case,
taule, taudion,” and, in the English slang, “diggings, ken, hangs-out,
chat, crib,” &c. Piole, _lodging-house_, or “dossing-ken.”
Veux-tu venir prendre de la morfe et piausser avec mézière
en une des pioles que tu m’as rouscaillées?--_Le Jargon de
l’Argot._ (_Will you come eat and sleep_ _with me in one of
the cribs which you were talking about?_)
Piole, _tavern_, or “lush-crib;” ---- blindée, _fortress_; ---- à
machabées, _cemetery_; ---- de lartonnier, _baker’s shop_, or “mungarly
casa.” The English cant term is a corruption of the Lingua Franca
phrase for an eating-house. Mangiare, _to eat_, in Italian.
PIOLLER (popular and thieves’), _to pay frequent visits to the
wine-shop_; _to get the worse for liquor_, _to get_ “cut, or canon.”
PIOLLIER, _m._ (popular and thieves’), _landlord of a drinking-shop_,
“the boss of a lush-crib.”
PION, _m. and adj._ (familiar), un ----, _an usher at a school_, or
“bum-brusher.” Properly _a pawn_; (thieves’) _louse_, “grey-back,
or German duck.” The _Slang Dictionary_ says: “These pretty little
things are called by many names, among others by those of ‘grey-backs’
and ‘gold-backed ’uns,’ which are popular among those who have most
interest in the matter.” Etre ----, _to be drunk_. From an old word
pier, _to drink_. Villon in his _Grand Testament_, fifteenth century,
has the word with the signification of _toper_, _drunkard_:--
Brief, on n’eust sçeu en ce monde chercher
Meilleur pion, pour boire tost et tard.
Faictes entrer quand vous orrez trucher
L’ame du bon feu maistre Jehan Cotard.