| 18th Century Thieves Cant |
|---|
| Clothing |
| Clothing : Breeches |
|---|
| FARTING CRACKERS | Breeches. | 1811 |
| FARTING-CRACKERS | Breeches. | 1737 |
| HAMS | Breeches. | 1737 |
| INEXPRESSIBLES | Breeches. | 1811 |
| KICKS | Breeches. Tip us your Kicks, well have them as well as your Lour; Pull off your Breeches, for we must have them as well as your Money. | 1737 |
| KICKS | Breeches. A high kick; the top of the fashion. It is all the kick; it is the present mode. Tip us your kicks, well have them as well as your lour; pull off your breeches, for we must have them as well as your money. A kick; sixpence. Two and a kick; half-a-crown. A kick in the guts; a dram of gin, or any other spirituous liquor. A kick up; a disturbance, also a hop or dance. An odd kick in ones gallop; a strange whim or peculiarity. | 1811 |
| KICKSEYS | Breeches. | 1811 |
| KICKSEYS | breeches; speaking of a purse, &c., taken from the breeches pocket, they say, it was got from the kickseys, there being no cant term for the breeches pocket. To turn out a man's kickseys, means to pick the pockets of them, in which operation it is necessary to turn those pockets inside out, in order to get at the contents. | 1819 |
| QUEER KICKS | A bad pair of breeches. | 1811 |
| QUEERE-KICKS | course ordinary or old tattered Breeches. | 1737 |
| RUM KICKS | Breeches of gold or silver brocade, or richly laced with gold or silver. CANT. | 1811 |
| RUM-KICKS | Silver or Gold Brokade Breeches, or very rich with Gold or Silver Galloon. | 1737 |
| RUMFORD | To ride to Rumford to have ones backside new bottomed: i.e. to have a pair of new leather breeches. Rumford was formerly a famous place for leather breeches. A like saying is current in Norfolk and Suffolk, of Bungay, and for the same reason.--Rumford lion; a calf. See ESSEX LION. | 1811 |
| SMALL CLOTHES | Breeches: a gird at the affected delicacy of the present age; a suit being called coat, waistcoat, and articles, or small clothes. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Coats and Cloaks |
|---|
| CALLE | a Cloak or Gown. | 1737 |
| CALLE | A cloak or gown. CANT. | 1811 |
| CAMPAIGN-COAT | in a Canting Sense, the ragged, tatterd, patchd Coat, worn by Beggars and Gypsies, in order to move Compassion. | 1737 |
| CARDINAL | A cloak in fashion about the year 1760. | 1811 |
| CARDINAL | a lady's cloak. | 1819 |
| CASTER | a Cloak. | 1737 |
| CASTER | A cloak. CANT. | 1811 |
| DOASH | a Cloak. | 1737 |
| DOASH | A cloak. Cant. | 1811 |
| JERVIS'S UPPER BENJAMIN | a box, or coachman's great coat. | 1819 |
| JOSEPH | a Cloak or Coat. A Rum Joseph, a good Cloak or Coat. A Queer Joseph, a coarse ordinary Cloak or Coat; also an old or tatterd One. | 1737 |
| JOSEPH | A womans great coat. Also, a sheepish bashful young fellow: an allusion to Joseph who fled from Potiphars wife. You are Josephus rex; you are jo-king, i. e. joking. | 1811 |
| KILKENNY | an old sorry Frize Coat. | 1737 |
| KILKENNY | An old frize coat. | 1811 |
| MISH Topper | a Coat or Petticoat. | 1737 |
| MISH TOPPER | A coat, or petticoat. | 1811 |
| NUGGING DRESS | An out-of-the-way old-fashioned dress, or rather a loose kind of dress, denoting a courtesan. | 1811 |
| TOG | a coat; to tog, is to dress or put on clothes : to tog a person, is also to supply them with apparel, and they are said to be well or queerly tog'd, according to their appearance. | 1819 |
| TOGE | a Coat. | 1737 |
| TOGE | A coat. Cant. | 1811 |
| TOGEMANS | a Gown, or Cloak. I have bit the Togemans; I have stole the Cloak. Tis a Rum Togemans lets nim it; Tis a good Camblet-Cloak; lets whip it off. | 1737 |
| TOGEMANS | The same. CANT. | 1811 |
| UPPER BENJAMIN | A great coat. CANT. | 1811 |
| UPPER-BEN, UPPER-BENJAMIN, UPPER-TOG | a great-coat. | 1819 |
| VINEGAR | a Cloak; also the Fellow that makes a Ring, and keeps Order amongst Wrestlers, Dudgel-Players, etc. | 1737 |
| WRAP RASCAL | A red cloak, called also a roquelaire. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Gloves and Rings |
|---|
| FAMBLE-CHEATS | Gold Rings, or Gloves. | 1737 |
| FAWNEY | A ring. | 1811 |
| FAWNEY | a finger-ring. | 1819 |
| FAWNIED or FAWNEY-FAM'D | having one or more rings on the finger. | 1819 |
| JEM | a Gold Ring; Rum-Jem, a Diamond one. | 1737 |
| JEM | A gold ring. CANT. | 1811 |
| MITTS | gloves. | 1819 |
| STICK FLAMS | a Pair of Gloves. | 1737 |
| STICK FLAMS | A pair of gloves. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Handkerchiefs |
|---|
| BELCHER | A red silk handkerchief, intermixed with yellow and a little black. The kiddey flashes his belcher; the young fellow wears a silk handkerchief round his neck. | 1811 |
| CLOUT | a Handkerchief. | 1737 |
| CLOUT | a handkerchief of any kind. | 1819 |
| FOGLE | A silk handkerchief, | 1811 |
| FOGLE | a silk-handkerchief. | 1819 |
| INDIA WIPE | A silk handkerchief. | 1811 |
| KENT | a coloured pocket-handkerchief of cotton or linen. | 1819 |
| LAWN | a white cambric handkerchief. | 1819 |
| MUCKINDER | A childs handkerchief tied to the side. | 1811 |
| QUEERE-CLOUT | a sorry old Handkerchief, not worth nimming. | 1737 |
| RUM CLOUT | A fine silk, cambric, or holland handkerchief. CANT. | 1811 |
| RUM WIPER | See RUM CLOUT. | 1811 |
| RUM-CLOUT | a Silk, fine Cambrick, or Holland Handkerchief. | 1737 |
| RUM-WIPER | the same as Rum-Clout | 1737 |
| SPECKED WHIPER | A coloured hankerchief. CANT. | 1811 |
| SPECKT-WIPER | a coloured Handkerchief. | 1737 |
| WIPER | a Handkerchief. Nim the Wiper; To steal the Handkerchief. | 1737 |
| WIPER | A handkerchief. CANT. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Hats |
|---|
| BEVER | a fine hat; beavers fur making the best hats, | 1811 |
| CASTOR | A hat. To prig a castor; to steal a hat. | 1811 |
| CASTOR | a hat. | 1819 |
| COMMODE | A womans head dress. | 1811 |
| KELP | a hat; to kelp a person, is to move your hat to him. | 1819 |
| LILY SHALLOW | (WHIP SLANG) A white driving hat. | 1811 |
| NAB | a Hat, Cap, or Head, also a Coxcomb. Ill nab ye, Ill have your Hat or Cap. Nim the Nab, steal the Hat or Cap. Nabbed, apprehended, taken or arrested. | 1737 |
| NAB Cheat | a Hat. | 1737 |
| NAB, or NAB CHEAT | A hat. Penthouse nab; a large hat. | 1811 |
| PENTHOUSE NAB | A broad brimmed hat. | 1811 |
| PENTHOUSE NUB | a very broad brimmed hat. | 1737 |
| QUEER NAB | A felt hat, or other bad hat. | 1811 |
| QUEERE NAB | a Felt, Carolina Cloth or ordinary Hat. | 1737 |
| QUEERE-TOPPING | sorry Head-dresses. | 1737 |
| RUM NAB | A good hat. | 1811 |
| RUM TOPPING | A rich commode, or womans head-dress. | 1811 |
| RUM-NAB | a Beaver, or very good Hat. | 1737 |
| RUM-TOPPING | a rich Head-dress. | 1737 |
| SHALLOW | A WHIP hat, so called from the want of depth in the crown. LILLY SHALLOW, a WHITE Whip hat. | 1811 |
| SHALLOW | a hat. | 1819 |
| SHAPPEAU | or Shappo; for Chappeau, F. a Hat. | 1737 |
| SHAPPO, or SHAP | A hat: corruption of CHAPEAU. CANT. | 1811 |
| TRENCHER CAP | The square cap worn by the collegians. at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Other Clothing |
|---|
| BARNACLES | spectacles. | 1819 |
| BELLY CHEAT | An apron. | 1811 |
| BELLY-CHEAT | an Apron | 1737 |
| BLACKMUNS | Hoods and Scarves of Alamode and Lustrings. | 1737 |
| BLEEDERS | Spurs. He clapped his bleeders to his prad; be put spurs to his horse. | 1811 |
| BLEEDERS | spurs. | 1819 |
| DIGGERS | Spurs. Cant. | 1811 |
| KNUCKLE-DABS, or KNUCKLE-CONFOUNDERS | Ruffles. | 1811 |
| NEGLIGEE | A womans undressed gown, Vulgarly termed a neggledigee. | 1811 |
| NORTH ALLERTONS | Spurs; that place, like Rippon, being famous for making them. | 1811 |
| PERSUADERS | Spurs. The kiddey clapped his persuaders to his prad but the traps boned him; the highwayman spurred his horse hard, but the officers seized him. | 1811 |
| PIPES | boots. | 1819 |
| RIPPONS | Spurs: Rippon is famous for a manufactory of spurs both for men and fighting cocks. | 1811 |
| RUFF | an old-fashioned double Band; from whence the Pillory is called, The Wooden Ruff. | 1737 |
| STEENKIRK | A muslin neckcloth carelessly put on, from the manner in which the French officers wore their cravats when they returned from the battle of Steenkirk. | 1811 |
| TYE | A neckcloth. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Pockets |
|---|
| BOUNG | A purse. CANT. | 1811 |
| BUNG | a Purse, Pocket or Fob. | 1737 |
| CLY | a pocket. | 1819 |
| GARRET | the fob-pocket. | 1819 |
| HADDOCK | a purse ; a haddock stuffed with beans, is a jocular term for a purse full of guineas ! | 1819 |
| HOXTER | an inside coat-pocket. | 1819 |
| PIT | the bosom pocket in a coat. | 1819 |
| ROUGH-FAM or ROUGH-FAMMY | the waistcoat pocket. | 1819 |
| SACK | a Pocket. To Dive into his Sack; To pick his Pocket. | 1737 |
| SACK | A pocket. To buy the sack: to get drunk. To dive into the sack; to pick a pocket. To break a bottle in an empty sack; a bubble bet, a sack with a bottle in it not being an empty sack. | 1811 |
| SACK | a pocket; to sack any thing is to pocket it. | 1819 |
| SALT-BOX-CLY | the outside coat pocket, with a flap. | 1819 |
| SKIN | A purse. Frisk the skin of the stephen; empty the money out of the purse. Queer skin; an empty purse. | 1811 |
| SKIN | a purse, or money bag. | 1819 |
| SLIP | the slash pocket in the skirt of a coat behind. | 1819 |
| SOCK | a Pocket. Not a Rag in my Sock; I hant a Farthing in my Pocket. Also beat; I`ll Sock ye; I`ll drub ye tightly. | 1737 |
| Clothing : Related Terms |
|---|
| ABRAM | Naked, or having scarce Cloaths enough to hide Nakedness. | 1737 |
| ABRAM | Naked. CANT. | 1811 |
| ANTICKS | such as dress themselves up with Ribbons, mismatched Colours, Feathers etc. | 1737 |
| ARTICLES | Breeches; coat, waistcoat, and articles. | 1811 |
| CANT OF DOBBIN | a roll of riband. | 1819 |
| DOBBIN | riband. See Cant. | 1819 |
| DUDD-CHEATS | Cloaths and things stollen. Abraham Cove has wonne, (or bit) Rumm Dudds; the poor Fellow has stollen very costly Cloaths. | 1737 |
| DUDDS | Cloaths or Goods. Rum Dudds; fine or rich Cloaths or Goods. | 1737 |
| DUDS | Clothes. | 1811 |
| DUDS | women's apparel in general. | 1819 |
| LAG A-DUDDS | a Buck of Cloths; as, Well cloy the Lag of Dudds: Come, let us steal that Buck of Cloths. | 1737 |
| MALKINTRASH | one in a rueful Dress, enough to fright one. | 1737 |
| MALKINTRASH | One in a dismal garb. | 1811 |
| PARISH | His stockings are of two parishes; i.e. they are not fellows. | 1811 |
| PEAK | any kind of Lace. | 1737 |
| PEAK | Any kind of lace. | 1811 |
| PRINKING | nicely dressing. Prinked up, set up on the Cupboards head, in their best Clothes, or in State. Stiff-starched. | 1737 |
| PRINKING | Dressing over nicely: prinked up as if he came out of a bandbox, or fit to sit upon a cupboards head. | 1811 |
| RIGGING | Cloaths. Ill unrig the Bloss; I will strip the Wench. | 1737 |
| RIGGING | Clothing. Ill unrig the bloss; Ill strip the wench. Rum Rigging; fine clothes. The cull has rum rigging, lets ding him and mill him, and pike; the fellow has good clothes, lets knock him down, rob him, and scour off, i.e. run away. | 1811 |
| ROAST-MEAT-CLOATHS | Holiday-Cloaths. To rule the Roast, To be master or Paramount. Roasted, Arrested: Ill Roast the Dab, I will arrest the Rascal: To Roast, signifies also to rally; to teize, to hunt, or banter. | 1737 |
| ROCHESTER PORTION | Two torn smocks, and what nature gave. | 1811 |
| ROCHESTER-PORTION | two torn Smocks, and what Nature gave. | 1737 |
| RUM RIGGING | fine Cloaths. The Cull has Rum Rigging, lets ding him, mill him, and pike; The Man has very good Cloaths, let us knock him down, kill him, and scour off. | 1737 |
| SHABBY | in poor sorry Rigging. | 1737 |
| SLOPS | Wearing apparel and bedding used by seamen. | 1811 |
| SWAG | Wearing-apparel, linen, piece-goods, &c., are all comprehended under the name of swag, when describing any speak lately made, &c., in order to distinguish them from plate, jewellery, or other more portable articles. | 1819 |
| TACKLE | a Mistress; also good Cloaths. The Cull has tipt his Tackle Rum-rigging, or has tipt his Bloss Rum Tackle; The keeping Coxcomb has given his Mistress very fine Cloaths. | 1737 |
| TACKLE | A mistress; also good clothes. The cull has tipt his tackle rum gigging; the fellow has given his mistress good clothes. A mans tackle: the genitals. | 1811 |
| TAUDRY | garish, gawdy, with Lace, or mismatched and staring Colours: A Term borrowd from those Times when they trickd and bedeckd the Shrines and Altars of the Saints, as being at Emulation with each other upon that Occasion. The Votaries of St. Audery (in Isle of Ely Saint) exeeding all the rest in the Dress and Equipage of their Altar, it grew into a By-word, upon any thing very gawdy, that it was All Taudry; as much as to say, All St. Audery. | 1737 |
| TIRING | Dressing: perhaps abbreviation of ATTIRING. Tiring women, or tire women: women that used to cut ladies hair, and dress them. | 1811 |
| TOG'D OUT TO THE NINES | a fanciful phrase, meaning simply, that a person is well or gaily dressed. | 1819 |
| TOGS | Clothes. The swell is rum-togged. The gentleman is handsomely dressed. | 1811 |
| TOGS or TOGGERY | wearing-apparel in general. | 1819 |
| TRIM | Dress. In a sad Trim; dirty, undressd. A Trim Lad; A spruce, neat, well trickd Man. | 1737 |
| TRIM | State, dress. In a sad trim; dirty.--Also spruce or fine: a trim fellow. | 1811 |
| UNRIGD | strippd, undressd. Unrig the Drab; pull all the Whores Cloaths off. | 1737 |
| UNRIGGED | Undressed, or stripped. Unrig the drab; strip the wench. | 1811 |
| WEB | Cloth of any Sort. | 1737 |
| WHITE-CHAPPEL-PORTION | two torn Smocks, and what Nature gave. | 1737 |
| WHITECHAPEL | Whitechapel portion; two smocks, and what nature gave. Whitechapel breed; fat, ragged, and saucy: see ST. GILESS BREED. Whitechapel beau; one who dresses with a needle and thread, and undresses with a knife. To play at whist Whitechapel fashion; i.e. aces and kings first. | 1811 |
| WIDOWS-WEEDS | mourning Cloaths. A Grass-Widow; One that pretends to have been married, but never was, yet has Children. | 1737 |
| Clothing : Shirts, Shifts and Petticoats |
|---|
| BUNTLINGS | Petticoats. Hale up the main Buntlings, throw up the Womens Petticoats. | 1737 |
| BUNTLINGS | Petticoats. CANT. | 1811 |
| CAMESA | a Shirt or Shift. | 1737 |
| CAMESA | A shirt or shift. CANT. SPANISH. | 1811 |
| COMMISSION | a shirt. | 1737 |
| COMMISSION | A shirt. CANT. | 1811 |
| FLESH-BAG | a shirt. | 1819 |
| JACOBITES | Sham or Collar Shirts. | 1737 |
| JACOBITES | Sham or collar shirts. Also partizans for the Stuart family: from the name of the abdicated king, i.e. James or Jacobus. It is said by the whigs, that God changed Jacobs name to Israel, lest the descendants of that patriarch should be called Jacobites. | 1811 |
| KEMESA | a shirt. | 1819 |
| MISH | Shirt, Smock, or Sheet. | 1737 |
| MISH | A shirt, smock, or sheet. CANT. | 1811 |
| NUMMS | a sham, or Collar-shirt, to hide the other when dirty. | 1737 |
| NUMMS | A sham collar, to be worn over a dirty shirt. | 1811 |
| SMICKET | A smock, or womans shift. | 1811 |
| SMISH | a shirt. | 1819 |
| Clothing : Shoes and Stockings |
|---|
| BEATER CASES | Boots. Cant. | 1811 |
| CLOUTED SHOON | Shoes tipped with iron. | 1811 |
| CRAB SHELLS | Shoes. IRISH. | 1811 |
| CRABSHELLS | shoes. | 1819 |
| DRAWERS | Stockings. | 1737 |
| DRAWERS | Stockings. CANT. | 1811 |
| FLYERS | Shoes. | 1737 |
| FLYERS | Shoes. | 1811 |
| HOPPER-DOCKERS | shoes. | 1819 |
| LOUSE LADDER | A stitch fallen in a stocking. | 1811 |
| QUEER WEDGES | Large buckles. | 1811 |
| QUEERE-DRAWERS | Yarn, or coarse Worsted, ordinary or old Stockings. | 1737 |
| RUM DRAWERS | Silk, or other fine stockings. CANT. | 1811 |
| RUM-DRAWERS | Silk Stockings, or very fine worsted Hose. | 1737 |
| SHOEMAKERS STOCKS | New, or strait shoes. I was in the shoemakers stocks; i.e. had on a new pair of shoes that were too small for me. | 1811 |
| STAMPERS | Shoes; also Carriers. | 1737 |
| STAMPERS | Shoes. | 1811 |
| STAMPS | shoes. | 1819 |
| STOCK DRAWERS | Stockings. | 1811 |
| STOCK-DRAWERS | Stockings. | 1737 |
| THOROUGH STITCH | over Shoes, over Boots. | 1737 |
| VAMPER | Stockings. | 1811 |
| VAMPERS | Stockings. | 1737 |
| Clothing : Waistcoats |
|---|
| STRAIT WAISTCOAT | A tight waistcoat, with long sleeves coming over the hand, having strings for binding them behind the back of the wearer: these waistcoats are used in madhouses for the management of lunatics when outrageous. | 1811 |
| Clothing : Wigs |
|---|
| BAR-WIG | between a bob and a long one. | 1737 |
| CAXON | An old weather-beaten wig. | 1811 |
| FLASH | a Peruke. Rum Flash, a long, full, high-prizd Wig. Queer-Flash, a sorry weather-beaten Wig. | 1737 |
| FLASH | A periwig. Rum flash; a fine long wig. Queer flash; a miserable weather-beaten caxon. | 1811 |
| JASEY | a wig. | 1819 |
| JAZEY | A bob wig. | 1811 |
| LOUSE BAG | A black bag worn to the hair or wig. | 1811 |
| NAZAKENE FORETOP | The foretop of a wig made in imi- tation of Christs head of hair, as represented by thepainters and sculptors. | 1811 |
| PERIWINKLE | a Peruke, or Perriwig. | 1737 |
| PERRIWINKLE | A wig. | 1811 |
| SCANDALOUS | a sorry Perriwig. | 1737 |
| STRUM | a Perriwig. Rum-strum; A long Wig. Also a handsome Wench, or Strumpet. | 1737 |
| STRUM | A perriwig. Rum strum: a fine large wig. (CAMBRIDGE) To do a piece. Foeminam subagitare. CANT. | 1811 |
| TYBURN TOP, or FORETOP | A wig with the foretop combed over the eyes in a knowing style; such being much worn by the gentlemen pads, scamps, divers, and other knowing hands. | 1811 |
| WIGANNOWNS | A man wearing a large wig. | 1811 |
| WIGSBY | Wigsby; a man wearing a wig. | 1811 |
