Cache-Control: public, max-age=1024000 Cant terms for Men
18th Century Thieves Cant
Men
Men : Big and Small
CHITa Dandyprat, or Durgen, a little trifling-Fellow.1737
DANDY PRATAn insignificant or trifling fellow.1811
DANDYPRATa little puny Fellow1737
DUMPLINA short thick man or woman. Norfolk dumplin; a jeering appellation of a Norfolk man, dumplins being a favourite kind of food in that county.1811
JACK SPRATA dwarf, or diminutive fellow.1811
JACK-SPRATa Dwarf, or very little Fellow, a Hop on my-thumb.1737
KINCHIN COVE a little Man.1737
LIMBSDuke of limbs; a tall awkward fellow.1811
LOCKERAM-JAWEDThin-faced, or lanthorn-jawed. See LANTHORN JAWED.1811
LONG SHANKSA long-legged person.1811
LONG-SHANKSlong-legged.1737
MACKAREL-BACKa very tall, lank Person.1737
RUNTA short squat man or woman: from the small cattle called Welsh runts.1811
SHRIMPA little diminutive person.1811
SWINGINGA great swinging fellow; a great stout fellow. A swinging lie; a lusty lie.1811
TOM THUMBA dwarf, a little hop-omy-thumb.1811
TOM-THUMBa Dwarf or diminutive Fellow.1737
URCHINa little sorry Fellow; also a Hedge-hog.1737
WHIPPER-SNAPPERA diminutive fellow.1811
Men : Clever and Sly
CLINKERa crafty Fellow1737
DRY BOOTSA sly humorous fellow.1811
DRY-BOBa smart or sharp Repartee.1737
DRY-BOOTSa sly, close cunning Fellow.1737
FLYKnowing. Acquainted with anothers meaning or proceeding. The rattling cove is fly; the coachman knows what we are about.1811
FLYvigilant; suspicious; cunning; not easily robbed or duped; a shopkeeper or person of this description, is called a fly cove, or a leary cove ; on other occasions fly is synonymous with flash or leary, as, I'm fly to you, I was put flash to him, &c.1819
FOXa sharp, cunning Fellow.1737
FoxA sharp, cunning fellow. Also an old term for a sword, probably a rusty one, or else from its being dyed red with blood; some say this name alluded to certain swords of remarkable good temper, or metal, marked with the figure of a fox, probably the sign, or rebus, of the maker.1811
LEARYsynonymous with fly1819
LEARY-COVESee Fly.1819
LEERYOn ones guard. See PEERY.1811
PUT FLYSee Fly.1819
SHAVERA cunning Shaver; A subtle, smart Fellow. He shaves close; He gripes, squeezes, or extorts very severely.1737
SHAVERA cunning shaver; a subtle fellow, one who trims close, an acute cheat. A young shaver; a boy. SEA TERM.1811
SHUFFLERor Shuffling-Fellow; a slippery, shifting Fellow.1737
SLY BOOTSA cunning fellow, under the mask of simplicity.1811
SLY-BOOTSa seeming silly, but subtle Fellow.1737
TONGUE-PADa smooth, glib-tongued, insinuating Fellow.1737
WHIPSTERa sharp, or subtle Fellow.1737
WHIPSTERA sharp or subtle fellow.1811
WILYcunning, crafty, intriguing.1737
Men : Clumsy, Stupid and Foolish
BENa foolish Fellow, a Simpleton.1737
BENA fool. Cant.1811
BENISHfoolish, simple.1737
BENISHFoolish.1811
BIRD-WITTEDhare-brained; not solid or stayed.1737
BIRD-WITTEDInconsiderate, thoughtless, easily imposed on.1811
BLUNDERBUSan awkward Fellow.1737
BOTTLE-HEADvoid of Wit.1737
BOTTLE-HEADEDVoid of wit.1811
BULLY-FOPa maggot-pated, huffing, silly, rattling Fellow.1737
BUZZARDa foolish, soft Fellow, drawn in and culled or tricked.1737
CAW-HANDEDawkward, not dextrous, ready or nimble.1737
CAW-HANDED, or CAW-PAWEDAwkward, not dextrous, ready, or nimble.1811
CLUNCHa clumsy Clown, an awkward or unhandy Fellow.1737
CLUNCHAn awkward clownish fellow.1811
CODS HEADA stupid fellow.1811
CODs-HEADa Fool.1737
CONYor Tom Cony; a silly Fellow; A meer Cony, very silly indeed.1737
CULLYa Fop, a Fool, one who is easily drawn in and cheated by Whores and Rogues1737
CULLYA fog or fool: also, a dupe to women: from the Italian word coglione, a blockhead.1811
DRUMBELOa dull, heavy Fellow.1737
FAT HEADEDStupid.1811
FLATA bubble, gull, or silly fellow.1811
FLATIn a general sense, any honest man, or square cove, in opposition to a sharp or cross-cove; when used particularly, it means the person whom you have a design to rob or defraud, who is termed the flat, or the flatty-gory. A man who does any foolish or imprudent act, is called a flat; any person who is found an easy dupe to the designs of the family, is said to be a prime fiat. It's a good flat that's never down, is a proverb among flash people ; meaning, that though a man may be repeatedly duped or taken in, he must in the end have his eyes opened to his folly.1819
GO-ALONGERa simple easy person, who suffers himself to be made a tool of, and is readily persuaded to any act or undertaking by his associates, who inwardly laugh at his folly, and ridicule him behind his back.1819
GOOSEor Goose cap; a Fool. A Taylors Goose roasted, a Red-hot smoothing Iron, to close the seams. Hot and heavy like a Taylors Goose. applied to a passionate Coxcomb.1737
HANKTELOa silly Fellow, a meer Codshead.1737
HICKany Person from whom a Booty is taken, a silly Country Fellow; a Booby.1737
HICKA country hick; an ignorant clown. CANT.1811
HIGH SHOON, or CLOUTED SHOONA country clown.1811
HIGH-SHOONor Clouted-Shoon; a Country Clown.1737
HOBa plain Country Fellow or Clown.1737
HOB NAILa High-shoon or Country Clown.1737
HOBINALthe same [[as Hob]].1737
HOBNAILA country clodhopper: from the shoes of country farmers and ploughmen being commonly stuck full of hob-nails, and even often clouted, or tipped with iron. The Devil ran over his face with hobnails in his shoes; said of one pitted With the small pox.1811
HULVER HEADa silly, foolish Fellow.1737
HULVER-HEADEDHaving a hard impenetrable head; hulver, in the Norfolk dialect, signifying holly, a hard and solid wood.1811
JACK ADAMS A fool. Jack Adamss parish; Clerkenwell.1811
JACOBA soft fellow. A fool.1811
JINGLE BRAINSa Maggot-pated Fellow.1737
JINGLE BRAINSA wild, thoughtless, rattling fellow.1811
JOSKINA countryman. The dropcove maced the Joskin of twenty quid; The ring dropper cheated the countryman of twenty guineas.1811
JOSKINa country-bumbkin.1819
LEATHER-HEADa Thick-skilld, heavy-headed Fellow.1737
LOB-COCKa heavy, dull Fellow.1737
LOBCOCKA large relaxed penis: also a dull inanimate fellow.1811
LOGGERHEADA blockhead, or stupid fellow. We three loggerheads be: a sentence frequently written under two heads, and the reader by repeating it makes himself the third. A loggerhead is also a double-headed, or bar shot of iron. To go to loggerheads; to fall to fighting.1811
MILESTONEa country booby.1819
MOUTHA silly fellow. A dupe. To stand mouth; i.e. to be duped.1811
MOUTHa foolish silly person; a man who does a very imprudent act, is said to be a rank mouth.1819
NICK NINNYA simpleton.1811
NICK-NINNYan emty Fellow, a meer Gods-head.1737
NICKIN, NIKEY or NIZEYA soft simple fellow; also a diminutive of Isaac.1811
NICKUM-POOPa Fool, also a silly, soft, uxorious Fellow.1737
NICKUMPOOP, or NINCUMPOOPA foolish fellow; also one who never saw his wifes ****.1811
NIGITqu. an Ideot, i.e. a Fool.1737
NIGMENOGa very silly fellow.1737
NIGMENOGA very silly fellow.1811
NIKINa Natural, or very soft Creature.1737
NIZYa Fool or Coxcomb.1737
NOCKYa silly, dull Fellow.1737
NOCKY BOYA dull simple fellow.1811
NODDYa Fool. Knave Noddy, a Game on the Cards.1737
NODDYA simpleton or fool. Also a kind of low cart, with a seat before it for the driver, used in and about Dublin, in the manner of a hackney coach: the fare is just half that of a coach, for the same distance; so that for sixpence one may have a set down, as it is called, of a mile and half, and frequently a tumble down into the bargain: it is called a noddy from the nutation of its head. Knave noddy; the old-fashioned name for the knave of trumps.1811
NOKESA ninny, or fool. John-a-Nokes and Tom-a-Stiles; two honest peaceable gentlemen, repeatedly set together by the ears by lawyers of different denominations: two fictitious names formerly used in law proceedings, but now very seldom, having for several years past been supplanted by two other honest peaceable gentlemen, namely, John Doe and Richard Roe.1811
NUMBSCULLA stupid fellow.1811
OAFA silly fellow.1811
OAFISHSimple.1811
PIG-WIDGEONa silly Fellow.1737
PIGEONA weak silly fellow easily imposed on. To pigeon; to cheat. To milk the pigeon; to attempt impossibilities, to be put to shifts for want of money. To fly a blue pigeon; to steal lead off a church.1811
POLEHe is like a rope-dancers polo, lead at both ends; a saying of a stupid sluggish fellow.1811
PUDDING-HEADED FELLOWA stupid fellow, one whose brains are all in confusion.1811
PUTA Country Put, a silly, shallow pated, Fellow. Put so it, beset.1737
PUTA country put; an ignorant awkward clown. To put upon any one; to attempt to impose on him, or to make him the but of the company.1811
QUEERE-CULLa Fop or Fool, a Cods-head; also a shabby poor Fellow.1737
RALPH SPOONERa Fool.1737
RALPH SPOONERA fool.1811
RUM CULLA rich fool, easily cheated, particularly by his mistress.1811
RUM NEDA very rich silly fellow. CANT.1811
RUM-CULLa rich Fool, that can be easily bit, or cheated by any body; also one that is very generous and kind to a Mistress.1737
RUM-NEDa very silly Fellow.1737
SAPSCULLA simple fellow. Sappy; foolish.1811
SHALLOW PATEA simple fellow.1811
SIMKINa Fool.1737
SIMKINA foolish fellow.1811
SIMPLETONAbbreviation of simple Tony or Anthony, a foolish fellow.1811
SINGLE-TENa very foolish, silly Fellow.1737
SINGLETONA very foolish fellow; also a particular kind of nails.1811
SIR QUIBBLE-QUEEREa trifling, silly shatter-brained Fellow; a meer Wittol or Punter, likewise a Whiffler.1737
SOWSE CROWNa Fool.1737
SPOONYfoolish, half-witted, nonsensical; a man who has been drinking till he becomes disgusting by his very ridiculous behaviour, is said to be spoony drunk ; and, from hence it is usual to call a very prating shallow fellow, a rank spoon.1819
SQUIRISHfoolish; also one that pretends to pay all Reckonings, and is not strong enough in the Pocket.1737
SQUIRISHFoolish.1811
TOM CONYA simple fellow.1811
TOM-CONYa very silly Felow.1737
TONYa silly Fellow or Ninny. A meer Tony; a meer Simpleton.1737
TONYA silly fellow, or ninny. A mere tony: a simpleton.1811
TOTTY-HEADEDgiddy-headed, hare-brained.1737
TOTTY-HEADEDGiddy, hare-brained.1811
WIND-MILLS IN THE HEADempty Projects.1737
WINDYFoolish. A windy fellow; a simple fellow.1811
WINDY-FELLOWwithout Sense or Reason.1737
WISEAs wise as Walthams calf, that ran nine miles to suck a bull.1811
WISE MAN OF GOTHAMa Fool.1737
WISE MEN OF GOTHAMGotham is a village in Nottinghamshire; its magistrates are said to have attempted to hedge in a cuckow; a bush, called the cuckows bush, is still shewn in support of the tradition. A thousand other ridiculous stories are told of the men of Gotham.1811
WISEACREA foolish conceited fellow.1811
WOOLLEY CROWNA soft-headed fellow.1811
WOOLLY-CROWNa soft-headed Fellow.1737
YANKEY, or YANKEY DOODLEA booby, or country lout: a name given to the New England men in North America. A general appellation for an American.1811
YEA AND NAY MANA quaker, a simple fellow, one who can only answer yes, or no.1811
YEA-AND-NAY-MENa Phrase originally applied to Quakers; but now used for any simple Fellows.1737
Men : Fat and Thin
BACON FEDFat, greasy.1811
FALLEN AWAY FROM A HORSE LOAD TO A CART LOAD A saying on one grown fat.1811
GUNDIGUTSa fat, pursy Fellow.1737
GUNDIGUTSA fat, pursy fellow.1811
GUTSa very fat, gross Person.1737
JACK WEIGHTA fat man.1811
LANTERN-JAWDa very lean, thin-faced Fellow.1737
LANTHORN-JAWEDThin-visaged: from their cheeksbeing almost transparent. Or else, lenten jawed; i.e. having the jaws of one emaciated by a too rigid observation of Lent. Dark lanthorn; a servant or agent at court, who receives a bribe for his principal or master.1811
LOCKRAM JAWDthin, lean, sharp-visagd1737
PUFF GUTSA fat man.1811
SCRAGGYLean, bony.1811
SHOTTEN HERRINGA thin meagre fellow.1811
SPOONEY(WHIP) Thin, haggard, like the shank of a spoon; also delicate, craving for something, longing for sweets. Avaricious. That tit is damned spooney. Shes a spooney piece of goods. Hes a spooney old fellow.1811
SQUABa very fat, truss Person; a new-hatchd Chick; also a Couch.1737
SQUABA fat man or woman: from their likeness to a well-stuffed couch, called also a squab. A new-hatched chicken.1811
Men : Fighters, Bullies and Cowards
BATTERED BULLYan old well cudgelled and bruised huffing fellow.1737
BLUSTRING Fellowa rude ratling Hector.1737
BOUNCERa Bully.1737
BULLYa supposed Husband to a Bawd, or Whore; also a huffing Fellow, a pretended Bravo, but a Coward at the Bottom.1737
CAPTAIN-HACKUMa fighting, blustering Bully.1737
DAMME BOYA roaring, mad, blustering fellow, a scourer of the streets, or kicker up of a breeze.1811
DAMME-BOYa roaring, mad, blustring Fellow, a Scourer of the Streets.1737
FLASH MANA bully to a bawdy house. A whores bully.1811
FLASH-MANa favourite or fancy-man; but this term is generally applied to those dissolute characters upon the town, who subsist upon the liberality of unfortunate women; and who, in return, are generally at hand during their nocturnal perambulations, to protect them should any brawl occur, or should they be detected in robbing those whom they have picked up.1819
HACKUMa fighting Fellow.1737
HACKUMCaptain Hackum; a bravo, a slasher.1811
HECTORa vapouring, swaggering Coward.1737
HECTORbully, a swaggering coward. To hector; to bully, probably from such persons affecting the valour of Hector, the Trojan hero.1811
HUFFa Bullying Fellow1737
KNIGHT OF THE BLADEa Hector or Bully.1737
KNIGHT OF THE BLADEA bully.1811
RANTIPOLEa rude wild Boy or Girl.1737
RANTIPOLEA rude romping boy or girl; also a gadabout dissipated woman. To ride rantipole; the same as riding St. George. See ST. GEORGE.1811
Men : Hard and Soft
COCK ROBINA soft, easy fellow.1811
COCK-ROBBINa soft easy Fellow.1737
CORK-BRAINDa very impudent, hardend, brazen-faced Fellow.1737
CORK-BRAINEDLight-headed, foolish.1811
COURT CARDA gay fluttering coxcomb.1811
COURT-CARDa gay, fluttering Fellow1737
SKIN FLINTAn avaricious man or woman,1811
SKIN-FLINTa griping, sharping, close-fisted Fellow.1737
TURKany cruel hard-hearted Man.1737
TURKA cruel, hard-hearted man. Turkish treatment; barbarous usage. Turkish shore; Lambeth, Southwark, and Rotherhithe side of the Thames.1811
Men : Husbands and Wives
FREEHOLDERhe whose Wife goes with him to the Alehouse.1737
FREEHOLDERHe whose wife accompanies him to the alehouse.1811
HEN-PECKT-FRIGOTwhose Commander and Officers are absolutely swayed by their Wives.1737
HENPECT-HUSBANDwhose Wife wears the Breeches.1737
Men : Important
NIBa gentleman, or person of the higher order. People who affect gentility or consequence, without any real pretensions thereto, are from hence vulgarly called Half-nibs or Half-swells; and, indeed, persons of low minds, who conceive money to be the only criterion of gentility, are too apt to stigmatize with the before-mentioned epithets any man, who, however well-bred and educated, may be reduced to a shabby external, but still preserves a sense of decorum in his manners, and avoids associating with the vagabonds among whom he may unfortunately be doomed to exist.1819
NOBA king. A man of rank.1811
SWELLA gentleman. A well-dressed map. The flashman bounced the swell of all his blunt; the girls bully frightened the gentleman out of all his money.1811
SWELLa gentleman ; but any well-dressed person is emphatically termed a swell, or a rank swell. A family man who appears to have plenty of money, and makes a genteel figure, is said by his associates to be in swell street. Any thing remarkable for its beauty or elegance, is called a swell article; so a swell crib, is a genteel house; a swell mollisher, an elegantly-dressed woman, &c. Sometimes, in alluding to a particular gentleman, whose name is not requisite, he is styled, the swell, meaning the person who is the object of your discourse, or attention; and whether be is called the swell, the cove, or the gory, is immaterial, as in the following (in addition to many other) examples: I was turned up at China-street, because the swell would not appear; meaning, of course, the prosecutor : again, speaking of a person whom you were on the point of robbing, but who has taken the alarm, and is therefore on his guard, you will say to your pall, It's of no use, the cove is as down as a hammer ; or, We may as well stow it, the gory's leary. See Cove and Down.1819
Men : Insult/Negative Description
BOLTER OF WHITE FRYARSone that peeps out, but dares not venture abroad.1737
BOUNCEas a meer Bounce, a swaggering Fellow.1737
BY-BLOWa Bastard.1737
BYE BLOWA bastard.1811
CARRY THE KEGa man who is easily vexed or put out of humour by any joke passed upon him, and cannot conceal his chagrin, is said to carry the keg, or is compared to a walking distiller.1819
CRUSTY BEAUOne that uses paint and cosmetics, to obtain a fine complexion.1811
CRUSTY-BEAUone that lies with a Cover over his Face all Night, and uses Washes, Paint, etc.1737
DUNGHILLA coward: a cockpit phrase, all but gamecocks being styled dunghills. To die dunghill; to repent, or shew any signs of contrition at the gallows. Moving dunghill; a dirty, filthy man or woman. Dung, an abbreviation of dunghill, also means a journeyman taylor who submits to the law for regulating journeymen taylors wages, therefore deemed by the flints a coward. See FLINTS.1811
HE CRIMPS ITHe plays booty. A crimping Fellow, a sneaking Cur.1737
HOG GRUBBERA mean stingy fellow.1811
HOG-GRUBBERa close-fisted, narrow sould sneaking Fellow.1737
JACKANAPESAn ape; a pert, ugly, little fellow.1811
JEWany over-reaching Dealer, or hard sharp Fellow. He treated me like a Jew; He used me very barbarously.1737
LOLLPOOPA lazy, idle drone.1811
LOLPOOPa lazy, idle Drone.1737
LOVE BEGOTTEN CHILDA bastard.1811
MERRY-BEGOTTENA bastard.1811
MOUTHa noisy Fellow. Mouth half cockt, gaping and staring at every Thing they see.1737
MOUTHA noisy fellow. Mouth half cocked; one gaping and staring at every thing he sees. To make any one laugh on the wrong, or tother side of his mouth; to make him cry or grieve.1811
NEEDY-MIZZLERa poor ragged object of either sex ; a shabby-looking person.1819
NIFFYNAFFY FELLOWA trifler.1811
PRINCOCKa pert, forward Fellow.1737
SCALYMean. Sordid. How scaly the cove is; how mean the fellow is.1811
SCOTa person of an irritable temper, who is easily put in a passion, which is often done by the company he is with, to create fun; such a one is declared to be a fine scot. This diversion is called getting him out, or getting him round the corner, from these terms being used by bull-hankers, with whom also a scot is a bullock of a particular breed, which affords superior diversion when hunted.1819
SCOTTISHfiery, irritable, easily provoked.1819
SLOUCHA stooping gait, a negligent slovenly fellow. To slouch; to hang down ones head. A slouched hat: a hat whose brims are let down.1811
SLUBBER DE GULLIONA dirty nasty fellow.1811
SLUBBER-DEGULLIONa slovenly, dirty, nasty Fellow.1737
SLUG-A-BEDA drone, one that cannot rise in the morning.1811
SNEAKSBYA mean-spirited fellow, a sneaking cur.1811
SNOWBALLA jeering appellation for a negro.1811
SORRYVile, mean, worthless. A sorry fellow, or hussy; a worthless man or woman.1811
SPUNGING FELLOWone that lives upon the rest, and pays nothing.1737
STALL WHIMPERA bastard. CANT.1811
STALL-WHIMPERa Bastard.1737
STARCHEDStiff, prim, formal, affected.1811
STINGRUMA niggard.1811
TENDER PARNELLA tender creature, fearful of the least puff of wind or drop of rain. As tender as Parnell, who broke her finger in a posset drink.1811
TENDER-PARNELa very nicely educated Creature, apt to catch cold on the least Puff of Wind.1737
TITTER TATTEROne reeling, and ready to fall at the least touch; also the childish amusement of riding upon the two ends of a plank, poised upon the prop underneath its centre, called also see-saw. Perhaps tatter is a rustic pronunciation of totter.1811
TITTER-TOTTERone ready to reel, at every Jog, or Blast of Wind.1737
TOM LONGA tiresome story teller. It is coming by Tom Long, the carrier; said of any thing that has been long expected.1811
TOM-LONGtedious; as Come by Tom Long the Carrier; of what is very long a coming.1737
UNLICKED CUBA rude uncouth young fellow.1811
VAIN-GLORIOUSor Ostentatious Man, one that boasts without Reason, or, as the Canters say, pisses more than he drinks.1737
WALKING-DISTILLERSee Carry The Keg.1819
WHISKa little inconsiderable, impertinent Fellow.1737
WINTERS DAYHe is like a winters day, short and dirty.1811
ZLOUCHor Slouch; a slovenly ungenteel Man.1737
Men : Lovers and Lechers
BUCK FITCHA lecherous old fellow.1811
BUCK-FITCHESold leacherous Fellows.1737
COLTS TOOTHAn old fellow who marries or keeps a young girl, is said to have a colts tooth in his head.1811
DARK CULLYa married Man, who keeps a Mistress, and creeps to her in the Night, for fear of Discovery.1737
DARK CULLYA married man that keeps a mistress, whom he visits only at night, for fear of discovery.1811
DUDDERING RAKEa thundering Rake, or of the first Rank, one devilishly lewd.1737
DUDDERING RAKEA thundering rake, a buck of the first head, one extremely lewd.1811
GOATa Letcher, or very lascivious Person.1737
GOATA lascivious person. Goats jigg; making the beast with two backs, copulation.1811
HELL-BORN BABEA lewd graceless youth, one naturally of a wicked disposition.1811
HELL-BORN-BABEa lewd, graceless, notorious Youth.1737
HELL-HOUNDa profligate, lewd Fellow.1737
HORN MADstark staring mad because Cuckolded.1737
HORN MADA person extremely jealous of his wife, is said to be horn mad. Also a cuckold, who does not cut or breed his horns easily.1811
MAN OF THE TOWNA rake, a debauchee.1811
MAN OTH TOWNa lewd Spark, or very Debauchee.1737
MUTTON MONGERa Lover of Women; also a Sheep-stealer.1737
MUTTON MONGERA man addicted to wenching.1811
PENSIONERa mean-spirited fellow who lives with a woman of the town, and suffers her to maintain him in idleness in the character of her fancy-man.1819
PETTICOAT PENSIONERa Gallant maintained for secret Service.1737
PETTICOAT PENSIONEROne kept by a woman forsecret services.1811
RAKERake-hell, Rake shame; a lewd Spark or Debauchee.1737
RAKE, RAKEHELL, or RAKESHAMEA lewd, debauched fellow.1811
SATYRA libidinous fellow: those imaginary things are by poets reported to be extremely salacious.1811
SON OF VENUSa Lover of Women.1737
TOP Divera Lover of Women.1737
TOP DIVERA lover of women. An old top diver; one who has loved old hat in his time.1811
TOWN-BULLone that rides all the Women he meets.1737
Men : Men in General
COFEas COVE. Which See.1737
COVEa Man, a Fellow; also a Rogue. The Cove was Bit; The Rogue was out-sharped or out-witted. The Cove has bit the Cole; The Rogue has stollen the Money. That Coves a rum Diver; That Fellow is a clever Pick-pocket.1737
COVEA man, a fellow, a rogue. The cove was bit; the rogue was outwitted. The cove has bit the cole; the rogue has got the money. CANT.1811
COVEthe master of a house or shop, is called the Cove; on other occasions, when joined to particular words, as a cross-cove, a flask-cove, a leary-cove, &c., it simply implies a man of those several descriptions; sometimes, in speaking of any third person, whose name you are either ignorant of, or don't wish'to mention, the word cove is adopted by way of emphasis, as may be seen under the word Awake.1819
CUFFINa Man.1737
CUFFINA man.1811
CULLa Man, either honest, or otherwise. A Bob-Cull, a Sweet-humourd Man to a Wench. The Cull naps us; The Person robbd apprehends us. A curst Cull, an ill-naturd Fellow, a Churl to a Woman.1737
CULLA man, honest or otherwise. A bob cull; a good- natured, quiet fellow. CANT.1811
GILLa word used by way of variation, similar to cove, gloak, or gory; but generally coupled to some other descriptive term, as a flash-gill, a toby-gill, &c.1819
GLOAKsynonymous with Gill, which see.1819
GORYa term synonymous with cow, gill, or gloak, and like them, commonly used in the descriptive. See Flat and Swell.1819
Men : Old, Young and Novice
COLT-BOWLERa raw or unexperienced Person1737
GREEN HEADa very raw Novice, or unexperienced Fellow.1737
OLD TOASTa brisk old Fellow.1737
OLD TOASTA brisk old fellow. CANT.1811
RUSTY GUTSA blunt surly fellow: a jocular misnomer of RESTICUS.1811
RUSTYGUTSan old blunt Fellow.1737
SQUARE TOESAn old man: square toed shoes were anciently worn in common, and long retained by old men.1811
WHIPPER-SNAPPERa very small sprightly Boy.1737
Men : Physical Descriptions
BAG OF NAILSHe squints like a bag of nails; i. e. his eyes are directed as many ways as the points of a bag of nails. The old BAG OF NAILS at Pimlico; originally the BACCHANALS.1811
BLUFF(to look) To look big or like Bull-beef.1737
BLUFFFierce, surly. He looked as bluff as bull beef.1811
CARROTTY-PATEDGinger-hackled, red-haired. See GINGER-HACKLED.1811
CLUMPA lump. Clumpish; lumpish, stupid.1811
CLUMPISHLumpish.1737
GROPERSblind Men.1737
LORD a very crooked deformed, or ill-shapen Person.1737
LORDA crooked or hump-backed man. These unhappy people afford great scope for vulgar raillery; such as, Did you come straight from home? if so, you have got confoundedly bent by the way. Dont abuse the gemman, adds a by-stander, he has been grossly insulted already; dont you see his backs up? Or someone asks him if the show is behind; because I see, adds he, you have the drum at your back. Another piece of vulgar wit is let loose on a deformed person: If met by a party of soldiers on their march, one o1811
PRICKEARD Fellowa Crop whose Ears are longer than his Hair.1737
ROSY GILLSOne with a sanguine or fresh-coloured countenance.1811
ROSY-GILLSsanguine or fresh colourd1737
SHAMBLE-LEGGDone that goes wide, and shuffles his Feet about. Shake your Shambles; Haste, be gone.1737
SPARROW-MOUTHEDWide-mouthed, like the mouth of a sparrow: it is said of such persons, that they do not hold their mouths by lease, but have it from year to year; i.e. from ear to ear. One whose mouth cannot be enlarged without removing their ears, and who when they yawn have their heads half off.1811
SPIDER-SHANKEDThin-legged.1811
SPINDLE SHANKSSlender legs.1811
SPITHe is as like his father as if he was spit out of his mouth; said of a child much resembling his father.1811
SQUINT-A-PIPESA squinting man or woman; said to be born in the middle of the week, and looking both ways for Sunday; or born in a hackney coach, and looking out of both windows; fit for a cook, one eye in the pot, and the other up the chimney; looking nine ways at once.1811
SQUINTE-FUEGOone that squints very much.1737
SWIVEL-EYEDSquinting.1811
TO LOOK LIKE BULL BEEFto look big and grim.1737
ZADcrooked, like the letter Z; as, A meer Zad, used of any bandy-leggd, crouch-backd or deformed Person.1737
ZADCrooked like the letter Z. He is a mere zad, or perhaps zed; a description of a very crooked or deformed person.1811
Men : Poor and Ragged
BUSHY-PARKa man who is poor is said to be at Bushy park, or in the park.1819
CAPTAIN QUEERNABSA shabby ill-dressed fellow.1811
CAPTAIN-QUEERNABSa Fellow in poor Cloaths, or Shabby.1737
HEATHEN PHILOSOPHERa sorry poor tattered Fellow, whose Breech may be seen through his Pocket-holes.1737
HEATHEN PHILOSOPHEROne whose breech may be seen through his pocket-hole: this saying arose from the old philosophers, many of whom depised the vanity of dress to such a point, as often to fall into the opposite extreme.1811
LANSPRESADOHe that comes into Company with but Two-pence in his Pocket.1737
LANSPRISADOOne who has only two-pence in his pocket. Also a lance, or deputy corporal; that is, one doing the duty without the pay of a corporal. Formerly a lancier, or horseman, who being dismounted by the death of his horse, served in the foot, by the title of lansprisado, or lancepesato, a broken lance.1811
OUT AT HEELS, OR OUT AT ELBOWSIn declining circumstances.1811
OUT-AT-HEELSor elbows; in a declining Condition going down the Wind.1737
PARKSee Bushy-park.1819
PICKAROONa very shabby poor Fellow.1737
QUEERE-DUKEa poor decayed Gentleman, also a lean, thin, half-starved Fellow.1737
RAG-GORGYa rich or monied man, but generally used in conversation when a particular gentleman, or person high in office, is hinted at; instead of mentioning his name, they say, the Rag-gorgy, knowing themselves to be understood by those they are addressing. See Cove, and Swell.1819
RAGAMUFFINa Taterdemallion.1737
RAGAMUFFINA ragged fellow, one all in tatters, atatterdemallion.1811
SCRUBa Ragamuffin.1737
SCRUBA low mean fellow, employed in all sorts of dirty work.1811
SHABBAROONAn ill-dressed shabby fellow; also a mean- spirited person.1811
SHABBEROONa Ragamuffin.1737
SHAG-BAGa poor shabby Fellow.1737
SHAG-BAG, or SHAKE-BAGA poor sneaking fellow; a man of no spirit: a term borrowed from the cock-pit.1811
WILLOWpoor, and of no Reputation.1737
WILLOWPoor, and of no reputation. To wear the willow; to be abandoned by a lover or mistress.1811
Men : Praise/Positive Description
BANG UP(WHIP.) Quite the thing, hellish fine. Well done. Compleat. Dashing. In a handsome stile. A bang up cove; a dashing fellow who spends his money freely. To bang up prime: to bring your horses up in a dashing or fine style: as the swells rattler and prads are bang up prime; the gentleman sports an elegant carriage and fine horses.1811
BANG-UPA person, whose dress or equipage is in the first style of perfection, is declared to be bang up to the mark. A man who has behaved with extraordinary spirit and resolution in any enterprise he has been engaged in, is also said to have come bang up to the mark; any article which is remarkably good or elegant, or any fashion, act, or measure which is carried to the highest pitch, is likewise illustrated by the same emphatical phrase.1819
BENE COVEA good fellow. Cant.1811
BENE-COVEa good Fellow, a merry companion.1737
BLEEDING CULLYOne who parts easily with his money, or bleeds freely.1811
BLEEDING-CULLYan easy Fellow, this is profuse with his Money, or persuaded to support all the Exravaganies of his Companion or Mistress, at his own Expence.1737
BOUNCEa person well or fashionably drest, is said to be a rank bounce.1819
BUCKas a Bold Buck.1737
BUCKA blind horse; also a gay debauchee.1811
DEFT FELLOWa tidy, neat, little Man1737
DEFT FELLOWA neat little man.1811
DIMBER-COVEa pretty Fellow.1737
GENTRY COVEA gentleman. CANT.1811
GENTRY-COVEa Gentleman.1737
KNAVE IN GRAINone of the First Rate.1737
KNAVE IN GRAINA knave of the first rate: a phrase borrowed from the dyehouse, where certain colours are said to be in grain, to denote their superiority, as being dyed with cochineal, called grain. Knave in grain is likewise a pun applied to a cornfactor or miller.1811
OUT-AND-OUTERa person of a resolute determined spirit, who pursues his object without regard to danger or difficulties; also an incorrigible depredator, who will rob friend or stranger indiscriminately, being possessed of neither honour nor principle.1819
RUM DUKEA jolly handsome fellow; also an odd eccentric fellow; likewise the boldest and stoutest fellows lately among the Alsatians, Minters, Savoyards, and other inhabitants of privileged districts, sent to remove and guard the goods of such bankrupts as intended to take sanctuary in those places. CANT.1811
RUM-DUKEa jolly handsome Man, Rum-Dukes, the boldest or stoutest Fellows (lately) amongst the Alsatians, Minters, Sawyards, etc. sent for to remove and guard the Goods of such Bankrupts as intended to take Sanctuary in those Places.1737
SIR TIMOTHYone that treats every Body, and pays the Reckonings every where.1737
SIR TIMOTHYOne who, from a desire of being the head of the company, pays the reckoning, or, as the term is, stands squire. See SQUIRE.1811
SQUAREHonest, not roguish. A square cove, i.e. a man who does not steal, or get his living by dishonest means.1811
SQUAREall fair, upright, and honest practices, are called the square, in opposition to the cross. Any thing you have bought, or acquired honestly, is termed a square article; and any transaction which is fairly and equitably conducted, is said to be a square concern. A tradesman or other person who is considered by the world to be an honest man, and who is unacquainted with family people, and their system of operations, is by the latter emphatically styled a square cove, whereas an old thief who has acquired an independence, and now confines himself to square practices, is still called by his old palls a flash cove, who has tyed up prigging. See Cross and Flat. In making a bargain or contract, any overture considered to be really fair and reasonable, is declared to be a square thing, or to be upon the square. To be upon the square with any person, is to have mutually settled all accompts between you both up to that moment. To threaten another that you will be upon the square with him some time, signifies that you'll be even with him for some supposed injury, &c.1819
SQUARE-COVESee Square.1819
STAUNCHa resolute faithful associate, in whom one may place implicit confidence, is said by his palls to be a staunch cove.1819
TERCEL GENTLEa Knight or Gentleman of a good Estate; also any rich Man.1737
TOPPING FELLOWOne at the top or head of his profession.1811
TOPPING-FELLOWwho has reachd the Pitch and greatest Eminence in any Art; the Master, and the Cock of his Profession.1737
UPON THE SQUARESee Square.1819
Men : Related Terms
CHUMA chamber-fellow, particularly at the universities and in prison.1811
CHUMa fellow prisoner in a jail, hulk, &c.; so there are new chums and old chums, as they happen to have been a short or a long time in confinement.1819
CREATURESMen raised by others, and their Tools ever after.1737
FLASHa person who affects any peculiar habit, as swearing, dressing in a particular manner, taking snuff, &c., merely to be taken notice of, is said to do it out of flash.1819
FOREMAN OF THE JURYOne who engrosses all the talk to himself, or speaks for the rest of the company.1811
FORMAN OF THE JURYone that engrosses all the Talk to himself.1737
GLASS EYESA nick name for one wearing spectacles.1811
HALF-FLASH AND HALF-FOOLISHthis character is applied sarcastically to a person, who has a smattering of the cant language, and having associated a little with family people, pretends to a knowledge of life which he really does not possess, and by this conduct becomes an object of ridicule among his acquaintance.1819
HOBBYas Sir Posthumus Hobby, one that draws on his Breeches with a Shoeing-horn; a Fellow that is nice and whimsical in the Set of his Cloaths1737
HOBBYSir Posthumouss hobby; one nice or whimsical in his clothes.1811
TOOLan Implement fit for any Turn, the Creature of any Cause or Faction; a meer Property, or Cats Foot.1737
TURN-COAThe that quits one and embraces another Party.1737
TURNCOATOne who has changed his party from interested motives.1811