| 18th Century Thieves Cant |
|---|
| Body |
| Body : Body |
|---|
| APPLE DUMPLIN SHOP | A womans bosom. | 1811 |
| BELLOWS | The lungs. | 1811 |
| BREAD BASKET | The stomach; a term used by boxers. I took him a punch in his bread basket; i.e. I gave him a blow in the stomach. | 1811 |
| CHITTERLINS | The bowels. There is a rumpus among my bowels, i.e. I have the colic. The frill of a shirt. | 1811 |
| DUGS | A womans breasts, | 1811 |
| HEAVER | Breast. | 1737 |
| HEAVER | The breast. CANT. | 1811 |
| KETTLEDRUMS | Cupids kettle drums; a womans breasts, called by sailors chest and bedding. | 1811 |
| PANTER | Heart. | 1737 |
| PAUNCH | The belly. Some think paunch was the original name of that facetious prince of puppets, now called Mr. Punch, as he is always represented with a very prominent belly: though the common opinion is, that both the name and character were taken from a celebrated Italian comedian, called Polichenello. | 1811 |
| PUDDINGS | The guts: Ill let out your puddings. | 1811 |
| QUARRON | Body. | 1737 |
| SOUL CASE | The body. He made a hole in his soul case; he wounded him. | 1811 |
| TRIPE | Belly or Guts. | 1737 |
| TRIPE | The belly, or guts. Mr. Double Tripe; a fat man. Tripes and trullibubs; the entrails: also a jeering appellation for a fat man. | 1811 |
| VICTUALLING OFFICE | The stomach. | 1811 |
| WIND-MILL | The fundament. She has no fortune but her mills; i.e. she has nothing but her **** and a*se. | 1811 |
| Body : Buttocks |
|---|
| BLIND CHEEKS | The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine a-se. | 1811 |
| BLIND CUPID | The backside. | 1811 |
| BLIND-CHEEKS | the Breech. | 1737 |
| BUMFIDDLE | The backside, the breech. See ARS MUSICA. | 1811 |
| CHEEKS | Ask cheeks near cunnyborough; the repartee of a St. Gilses fair one, who bids you ask her backside, anglice her a-se. A like answer is current in France: any one asking the road or distance to Macon, a city near Lyons, would be answered by a French lady of easy virtue, Mettez votre nez dans mon cul, & vous serrez dans les Fauxbourgs. | 1811 |
| COOLER | The backside. Kiss my cooler. Kiss my a-se. It is principally used to signify a womans posteriors. | 1811 |
| CRACKER | the Backside; also Crust | 1737 |
| DOUBLE JUGG | A mans backside. Cottons Virgil. | 1811 |
| DOUGLAS | Roby Douglas, with one eye and a stinking breath; the breech. Sea wit. | 1811 |
| FEAK | The fundament. | 1811 |
| FUN | is also used for the Backside; as, Ill kick your Fun, i. e. Ill kick your Breech. Likewise for Game of Diversion; as We had rare Fun with him. | 1737 |
| JUG | See DOUBLE JUG. | 1811 |
| NANCY | the posteriors | 1819 |
| NOCK | The breech; from NOCK, a notch. | 1811 |
| PRATTS | Thighs or Buttocks; also a Tinder-box or Touch-box. | 1737 |
| PRATTS | Buttocks; also a tinder box. CANT. | 1811 |
| ROBY DOUGLASS, with one eye and a stinking breat | The breech. | 1811 |
| ROUND MOUTH | The fundament. Brother round mouth, speaks; he has let a fart. | 1811 |
| Body : Ears |
|---|
| HEARING CHEATS | Ears. CANT. | 1811 |
| HEARING-Cheats | Ears. | 1737 |
| LUGGS | Ears. | 1737 |
| LUGS | Ears or wattles. See WATTLES. | 1811 |
| PRICK-EARED | A prick-eared fellow; one whose ears are longer than his hair: an appellation frequently given to puritans, who considered long hair as the mark of the whore of Babylon. | 1811 |
| WATTLES | Ears; also Sheep-folds. | 1737 |
| WATTLES | Ears. CANT. | 1811 |
| Body : Excrement |
|---|
| DANNA | human, or other excrement. | 1819 |
| DILBERRIES | Small pieces of excrement adhering to the hairs near the fundament. | 1811 |
| PILGRIMS SALVE | A sirreverence, human excrement. | 1811 |
| SIR REVERENCE | Human excrement, a t--d. | 1811 |
| TANTADLIN TART | A sirreverence, human excrement. | 1811 |
| Body : Eyes |
|---|
| GLAZIERS | Eyes. The Cove has rum Glaziers. | 1737 |
| GLIMMS | Eyes. | 1811 |
| LAMP | An eye. The cove has a queer lamp. The man has a blind or squinting eye. | 1811 |
| LAMPS | the eyes; to have queer lamps, is to have sore or weak eyes. | 1819 |
| OGLES | Eyes Rum Ogles, fine, bright clear, piercing Eyes. | 1737 |
| OGLES | Eyes. Rum ogles; fine eyes. | 1811 |
| PEEPERS | Eyes. | 1737 |
| PEEPERS | Eyes. Single peeper, a one-eyed man. | 1811 |
| SEES | The eyes. See DAYLIGHTS. | 1811 |
| SINGLE PEEPER | A person having but one eye. | 1811 |
| TOP LIGHTS | The eyes. Blast your top lights. See CURSE. | 1811 |
| Body : Face |
|---|
| BACON-FACED | Full-faced. | 1811 |
| BRACKET-FACED | Ugly, hard-featured. | 1811 |
| BRAN-FACED | Freckled. He was christened by a baker, he carries the bran in his face. | 1811 |
| BRANDY-FACED | Red-faced, as if from drinking brandy. | 1811 |
| CARBUNCLE FACE | A red face, full of pimples. | 1811 |
| CORNY-FACED | A very red pimpled face. | 1811 |
| CRIBBAGE-FACED | Marked with the small pox, the pits bearing a kind of resemblance to the holes in a cribbage-board. | 1811 |
| FREE AND EASY JOHNS | A society which meet at the Hole in the Wall, Fleet-street, to tipple porter, and sing bawdry. | 1811 |
| FRIDAY-FACE | A dismal countenance. Before, and even long after the Reformation, Friday was a day of abstinence, or jour maigre. Immediately after the restoration of king Charles II. a proclamation was issued, prohibiting all publicans from dressing any suppers on a Friday. | 1811 |
| FROSTY FACE | One pitted with the small pox. | 1811 |
| GILLS | The cheeks. To look rosy about the gills; to have a fresh complexion. To look merry about the gills: to appear cheerful. | 1811 |
| HATCHET FACE | A long thin face. | 1811 |
| HUMBUGS | The brethren of the venerable society of humbugs was held at brother Hallams, in Goodmans Fields. | 1811 |
| JOWL | The cheek. Cheek by jowl; close together, or cheek to cheek. My eyes how the cull sucked the blowens jowl; he kissed the wench handsomely. | 1811 |
| MUG | the face ; a queer mug is an ugly face. | 1819 |
| MUNNS | Face; Toute his Munns, Note his Phiz, or, Mark his Face well. Pay his Munns, i.e. Strike him in the Face, etc. | 1737 |
| PHYSOG | The face. A vulgar abbreviation of physiognomy. | 1811 |
| PHYZ | The face. Rum phyz; an odd face or countenance. | 1811 |
| PLATTER-FACED | Broad-faced. | 1811 |
| RICH FACE, or NOSE | A red pimpled, face. | 1811 |
| RICH-Face | a red-Face. | 1737 |
| RUBY FACED | Red-faced. | 1811 |
| SMOCK-FACED | Fair faced. | 1811 |
| STUB-FACED | Pitted with the smallpox: the devil ran over his face with horse stabs (horse nails) in his shoes. | 1811 |
| WEASEL-FACED | Thin, meagre-faced. Weasel-gutted; thin-bodied; a weasel is a thin long slender animal with a sharp face. | 1811 |
| Body : Genitalia |
|---|
| ARBOR VITAE | A mans penis. | 1811 |
| BOTTOMLESS PIT | The monosyllable. | 1811 |
| BROWN MADAM, or MISS BROWN | The monosyllable. | 1811 |
| BUCKINGERS BOOT | The monosyllable. Matthew Buckinger was born without hands and legs; notwithstanding which he drew coats of arms very neatly, and could write the Lords Prayer within the compass of a shilling; he was married to a tall handsome woman, and traversed the country, shewing himself for money. | 1811 |
| BUN | A common name for a rabbit, also for the monosyllable. To touch bun for luck; a practice observed among sailors going on a cruize. | 1811 |
| DUMB GLUTTON | A womans privities. | 1811 |
| EVES CUSTOM-HOUSE | where Adam made his first entry The monosyllable. | 1811 |
| FRUITFUL VINE | A womans private parts, i.e. that has FLOWERS every month, and bears fruit in nine months. | 1811 |
| GAYING INSTRUMENT | The penis. | 1811 |
| MADGE | The private parts of a woman. | 1811 |
| MATRIMONIAL PEACE-MAKER | The sugar-stick, or arbor vitae. | 1811 |
| MISS LAYCOCK | The monosyllable. | 1811 |
| MONEY | A girls private parts, commonly applied to little children: as, Take care, Miss, or you will shew your money. | 1811 |
| MONOSYLLABLE | A womans commodity. | 1811 |
| MOTHER OF ALL SAINTS | The Monosyllable. | 1811 |
| MUFF | a Womans Secrets, To the well wearing of your Muff, Mort; To the happy Consummation of your Marriage, Madam. A Health. | 1737 |
| MUFF | The private parts of a woman. To the well wearing of your muff, mort; to the happy consummation of your marriage, girl; a health. | 1811 |
| NOTCH | The private parts of awoman. | 1811 |
| NUTMEGS | Testicles. | 1811 |
| PEGO | The penis of man or beast. | 1811 |
| PITCHER | The miraculous pitcher, that holds water with the mouth downwards: a womans commodity. She has crackd her pitcher or pipkin; she has lost her maidenhead. | 1811 |
| PLUG TAIL | A mans penis. | 1811 |
| QUIM | The private parts of a woman: perhaps from the Spanish quemar, to burn. (CAMBRIDGE) A pieces furbelow. | 1811 |
| RANTALLION | One whose scrotum is so relaxed as to be longer than his penis, i.e. whose shot pouch is longer that the barrel of his piece. | 1811 |
| RUN GOODS | A maidenhead, being a commodity never entered. | 1811 |
| SILENT FLUTE | See PEGO, SUGAR STICK, &c. | 1811 |
| SUGAR STICK | The virile member. | 1811 |
| TALLYWAGS, or TARRYWAGS | A mans testicles. | 1811 |
| THOMAS | Man Thomas; a mans penis. | 1811 |
| TOOLS | The private parts of a man. | 1811 |
| TUZZY-MUZZY | The monosyllable. | 1811 |
| TWIDDLE-DIDDLES | Testicles. | 1811 |
| VENERABLE MONOSYLLABLE | Pudendum muliebre. | 1811 |
| WATER-MILL | A womans private parts. | 1811 |
| WELL-HUNG | The blowen was nutts upon the kiddey because he is well-hung; the girl is pleased with the youth because his genitals are large. | 1811 |
| WHIFFLES | A relaxation of the scrotum. | 1811 |
| WHIRLEGIGS | Testicles. | 1737 |
| WHIRLYGIGS | Testicles. | 1811 |
| WHORE PIPE | The penis. | 1811 |
| Body : Hair |
|---|
| CARROTS | Red hair. | 1811 |
| POISON Pate | red Haired. | 1737 |
| SORREL | A yellowish red. Sorrel pate; one having red hair. | 1811 |
| STROMMEL | Strap, or Hair, as, She hath good Store of Strommel on her Nob. | 1737 |
| STRUMMEL | the hair of the head. To get your strummel faked in twig, is to have your hair dressed in style. | 1819 |
| TURNIP Pate | white or Fair-haird. | 1737 |
| TURNIP-PATED | White or fair-haired. | 1811 |
| Body : Head |
|---|
| COSTARD | Head. Ill give ye a Knock on the Costard; Ill hit ye a Blow on the Pate | 1737 |
| COSTARD | The head. Ill smite your costard; Ill give you a knock on the head. | 1811 |
| CROWN OFFICE | The head. I fired into her keel upwards; my eyes and limbs Jack, the crown office was full; I s--k-d a woman with her a-e upwards, she was so drunk, that her head lay on the ground. | 1811 |
| IDEA POT | The knowledge box, the head. See KNOWLEDGE BOX. | 1811 |
| JOBBERNOLE | The head. | 1811 |
| JOLLY, or JOLLY NOB | The head. Ill lump your jolly nob for you; Ill give you a knock on the head. | 1811 |
| JOLTER HEAD | A large head; metaphorically a stupid fellow. | 1811 |
| KNOB | Head or Skull. | 1737 |
| KNOB | The head. See NOB. | 1811 |
| KNOWLEDGE BOX | The head. | 1811 |
| NOB | Head. | 1737 |
| NOB | The head. | 1811 |
| NODDLE | Head. | 1737 |
| NODDLE | The head. | 1811 |
| NOUS-BOX | The head. | 1811 |
| PATE | The head. Carroty-pated; red-haired. | 1811 |
| PIMPLE | The head. | 1811 |
| POLL | The head, jolly nob, napper, or knowledge box; also a wig. | 1811 |
| SCONCE | The head, probably as being the fort and citadel of a man: from SCONCE, an old name for a fort, derived from a Dutch word of the same signification; To build a sconce: a military term for bilking ones quarters. To sconce or skonce; to impose a fine. ACADEMICAL PHRASE. | 1811 |
| UPPER STORY, or GARRET | Figuratively used to signify the head. His upper story or garrets are unfurnished; i.e. he is an empty or foolish fellow. | 1811 |
| Body : Limbs |
|---|
| DADDLES | Hands. Tip us your daddle; give me your hand. CANT. | 1811 |
| DEW BEATERS | Feet. Cant. | 1811 |
| DUCK LEGS | Short legs. | 1811 |
| DUMB ARM | A lame arm. | 1811 |
| DURHAM MAN | Knocker kneed, he grinds mustard with his knees: Durham is famous for its mustard. | 1811 |
| FAM | the hand. | 1819 |
| FAMBLES | Rings; also the Hands. | 1737 |
| FAMMS | Hands. | 1737 |
| FAMS, or FAMBLES | Hands. Famble cheats; rings or gloves. CANT. | 1811 |
| FIN | An arm. A one finned fellow; a man who has lost an arm. SEA PHRASE. | 1811 |
| FOREFOOT, or PAW | Give us your fore foot; give us your hand. | 1811 |
| FORKS | the two fore-fingers of the hand; to put your forks down, is to pick a pocket. | 1819 |
| GAMES | Thin, ill-shapped legs: a corruption of the French word jambes. Fancy gambs; sore or swelled legs. | 1811 |
| GAMS | the legs, to have queer gams, is to be bandylegged, or otherwise deformed. | 1819 |
| MARROWBONES | The knees. To bring any one down on his marrow bones; to make him beg pardon on his knees: some derive this from Marys bones, i.e. the bones bent in honour of the Virgin Mary; but this seems rather far- fetched. Marrow bones and cleavers; principal instruments in the band of rough music: these are generally performed on by butchers, on marriages, elections, riding skimmington, and other public or joyous occasions. | 1811 |
| MAULEY | the hand. | 1819 |
| MAWLEY | A hand. Tip us your mawley; shake hands. with me. Fam the mawley; shake hands. | 1811 |
| MITTENS | the hands. | 1819 |
| PAW | A hand or foot; look at his dirty paws. Fore paw; the hand. Hind paw; the foot. To paw; to touch or handle clumsily. | 1811 |
| PAWS | Hands. | 1737 |
| PINS | Legs. Queer pins; ill shapen legs. | 1811 |
| PINS | the legs. | 1819 |
| RAMMER | The arm. The busnappers kenchin seized my rammer; i.e. the watchman laid hold of my arm. CANT. | 1811 |
| SHANKS | Legs, or gams. | 1811 |
| SMITER | an Arm. | 1737 |
| SMITER | An arm. To smite ones tutor; to get money from him. ACADEMIC TERM. | 1811 |
| SPOON HAND | The right hand. | 1811 |
| STAMPS | Legs. | 1811 |
| STUMPS | Legs. To stir ones stumps; to walk fast. | 1811 |
| TRAP STICKS | Thin legs, gambs: from the sticks with which boys play at trap-ball. | 1811 |
| WELCH COMB | The thumb and four fingers. | 1811 |
| Body : Mouth |
|---|
| BLUBBER | Mouth, Ive stopt the Culls Blubber, Ive stopt the Fellows Mouth; meant either by gagging or murdering him. | 1737 |
| BLUBBER | The mouth.--I have stopped the culls blubber; I have stopped the fellows mouth, meant either by gagging or murdering him. | 1811 |
| BONE BOX | The mouth. Shut your bone box; shut your mouth. | 1811 |
| CHOPS | The mouth. I gave him a wherrit, or a souse, across the chops; I gave him a blow over the mouth, See WHERRIT. | 1811 |
| GAB, or GOB | The mouth. Gift of the gab; a facility of speech, nimble tongued eloquence. To blow the gab; to confess, or peach. | 1811 |
| GAN | Mouth. | 1737 |
| GAN | The mouth or lips. Cant. | 1811 |
| GANS | Lips. | 1737 |
| GOB | Mouth; also a Bit or Morsel; hence Gobbets, now in use for Bits; Gift of the Gob, a wide, open Mouth; also a good Songster, or Singing Master. | 1737 |
| GOB | The mouth; also a bit or morsel: whence gobbets. Gift of the gob; wide-mouthed, or one who speaks fluently, or sings well. | 1811 |
| HIDEBOUND | Stingy, hard of delivery; a poet poor in invention, is said to have a hidebound muse. | 1811 |
| MUFF | an epithet synonymous with mouth. | 1819 |
| MUMMER | The mouth. | 1811 |
| MUNS | The face, or rather the mouth: from the German word MUND, the mouth. Toute his muns; look at his face. | 1811 |
| OVEN | A great mouth; the old woman would never have looked for her daughter in the oven, had she not been there herself. | 1811 |
| POTATOE TRAP | The mouth. Shut your potatoe trap and give your tongue a holiday; i.e. be silent. IRISH WIT. | 1811 |
| Body : Neck |
|---|
| COLQUARRON | a Mans Neck; as, His Colquarron is just about to be twisted. He is just going to be turnd off. | 1737 |
| COLQUARRON | A mans neck. His colquarron is just about to be twisted; he is just going to be hanged. CANT. | 1811 |
| CRAG | the Neck; also the Stomach, or Womb. | 1737 |
| CRAG | The neck. | 1811 |
| GUTTER LANE | The throat, the swallow, the red lane. See RED LANE. | 1811 |
| GUTTER-LANE | the Throat. | 1737 |
| NUB | the Neck; also Coition. | 1737 |
| NUB | The neck; also coition. | 1811 |
| RED LANE | The throat. Gone down the red lane; swallowed. | 1811 |
| SQUEEZE | the neck. | 1819 |
| THROTTLE | Throat or Gullet; He siezed is Throttle: i.e. He took him by the Throat. | 1737 |
| THROTTLE | The throat, or gullet. | 1811 |
| WHISTLE | the Throat. Wet your Whistle: liquor your Throat. | 1737 |
| WHISTLE | The throat. To wet ones whistle; to drink. | 1811 |
| Body : Nose |
|---|
| BOWSPRIT | The nose, from its being the most projecting part of the human face, as the bowsprit is of a ship. | 1811 |
| CONK | the nose. | 1819 |
| GIG | Nose; also a Womans Privities. Snichel the Gig, fillip the Fellow on the Nose. A young Gig, a wanton Lass. | 1737 |
| GIGG | A nose. Snitchel his gigg; fillip his nose. Grunters gigg; a hogs snout. Gigg is also a high one-horse chaise, and a womans privities. To gigg a Smithfield hank; to hamstring an over-drove ox, vulgarly called a mad bullock. | 1811 |
| MALMSEY NOSE | A red pimpled snout, rich in carbuncles and rubies. | 1811 |
| MALMSEY-NOSE | a jolly red Nose. | 1737 |
| NOZZLE | The nose of a man or woman. | 1811 |
| PUGNOSED, or PUGIFIED | A person with a snub or turned up nose. | 1811 |
| SMELLER | Nose. | 1737 |
| SMELLER | A nose. Smellers: a cats whiskers. | 1811 |
| SNUB NOSE | A short nose turned up at the end. | 1811 |
| TRUNK | Nose. How fares your old Trunk? Does your Nose stand fast? | 1737 |
| TRUNK | A nose. How fares your old trunk? does your nose still stand fast? an allusion to the proboscis or trunk of an elephant. To shove a trunk: to introduce ones self unasked into any place or company. Trunk-maker like; more noise than work. | 1811 |
| WEAR IT | to wear it upon a person, (meaning to wear a nose, or a conk,) is synonymous with nosing, conking, splitting, or coming it, and is merely one of those fanciful variations so much admired by flash people. | 1819 |
| Body : Related Terms |
|---|
| CAUDGE-PAWD | Left-handed | 1737 |
| CAUDGE-PAWED | Left-handed. | 1811 |
| MUZZLE | A beard. | 1811 |
| Body : Teeth |
|---|
| COG | A tooth. A queer cog; a rotten tooth. How the cull flashes his queer cogs; how the fool shews his rotten teeth. | 1811 |
| CRASHING CHEATS | Teeth. | 1811 |
| CRASHING-CHEATS | Teeth. | 1737 |
| GRINDERS | Teeth. | 1737 |
| GRINDERS | Teeth. Gooseberry grinder; the breech. Ask bogey, the gooseberry grinder; ask mine a-se. | 1811 |
| HEAD RAILS | Teeth. SEA PHRASE. | 1811 |
| IVORIES | Teeth. How the swell flashed his ivories; how the gentleman shewed his teeth. | 1811 |
| PARK PAILING | Teeth. | 1811 |
| SNAGGS | Large teeth; also snails. | 1811 |
| Body : Tongue |
|---|
| CLACK | Womans Tongue. | 1737 |
| CLACK | A tongue, chiefly applied to women; a simile drawn from the clack of a water-mill. | 1811 |
| CLAPPER | The tongue of a bell, and figuratively of a man or woman. | 1811 |
| MANCHESTER | the tongue. | 1819 |
| MILL-Clapper | a Womans Tongue. | 1737 |
| PRATING CHEAT | The tongue. | 1811 |
| PRATING-Cheat | Tongue. | 1737 |
| QUAIL PIPE | a Womans Tongue. | 1737 |
| QUAIL-PIPE | A womans tongue; also a device to take birds of that name by imitating their call. Quail pipe boots; boots resembling a quail pipe, from the number of plaits; they were much worn in the reign of Charles II. | 1811 |
| RED RAG | The tongue. Shut your potatoe trap, and give your red rag a holiday; i.e. shut your mouth, and let your tongue rest. Too much of the red rag (too much tongue). | 1811 |
| RED-Rag | Tongue. | 1737 |
| VELVET | Tongue. Tip the Velvet; To tongue a Woman. | 1737 |
| VELVET | To tip the velvet; to put ones tongue into a womans mouth. To be upon velvet; to have the best of a bet or match. To the little gentleman in velvet, i. e. the mole that threw up the hill that caused Crop (King Williams horse) to stumble; a toast frequently drank by the tories and catholics in Ireland. | 1811 |
