5. (thieves’).—A burglary. Cf., Crack a crib, and for synonyms, see
Panny. [The term originated about the beginning of the present century.
Fr., une fraction.]
1834. W. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood p. 120 (ed. 1864). We’ll overhaul
the swag here, when the speak is spoken over. This crack may make
us all for life.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, p. 124. The crack failed, said Toby,
faintly.
1841. G. W. Reynolds, Pickwick Abroad, ch. xxvi. But should the
traps be on the sly, For a change we’ll have a crack.
1841. Leman Rede, Sixteen-String Jack, Act i., Sc. 5. Come on,
then! A sweet ride of a dozen miles, just to cool one’s head, then
for the crack; and then back to London.
1889. Answers, 13 April, p. 313. Such inscriptions as ‘Poor Joe
from the Dials in for a crack,’ meaning ‘Poor Joe from Seven Dials
in for a burglary,’ are numerous.