Part 28
~Piece~, a contemptuous term for a woman; a strumpet.—_Shakspeare._ Not always objectionable nowadays. A “barber’s clerk” does not object to hear his sweetheart or wife called “a nice PIECE;” and gentlemen of the counter-jumping fraternity describe their “young ladies” as “nice PIECES of goods.”
~Pieman.~ In tossing, the man who cries is called the PIEMAN. In the old days when the itinerant PIEMAN’S duty was to toss or sell, and his call was, “Hot pies, toss or buy, toss or buy,” he was always supposed to be entitled to the cry, the intending eater “skying the copper.” An active and efficient police have, however, improved tossing—so far, at all events, as PIEMEN and poor people are concerned—off the face of the earth, and gaming of all descriptions is now a luxury confined to the rich.
~Pig~, a mass of metal,—so called from its being poured in a fluid state from a SOW, which _see_.—_Workman’s term._
~Pig~, a policeman; an informer. The word is now almost exclusively applied by London thieves to a plain-clothes man, or a “nose.”
~Pig~, a pressman in a printing office. _See_ DONKEY.
~Pig~, or SOW’S BABY, a sixpence.
~Pig~, to live in a crowded, filthy manner. The lower orders of Irish are said to PIG together. A suggestive, if not elegant, expression.
~Pig and Tinder-box~, the vulgar rendering of the well-known tavern sign, “Elephant and Castle.”
~Pigeon~, a gullible or soft person. The _French_ cant, or _Argot_, has the word PIGEON, dupe—“PECHON, PESCHON DE RUBY, apprenti gueux, enfant (sans doute dérobé)”. The vagabonds and brigands of Spain also used the word in their _Germania_, or robbers’ language, PALOMO (PIGEON), ignorant, simple. In the sporting world sharps and flats are often called “rooks and PIGEONS” respectively—sometimes “spiders and flies.”
~Pigeon~, business, simply the Chinese pronunciation of the English word.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Pigeon-English~, the English spoken by the natives of Canton and other parts of China.
~Pigeon-flying~, or BLUEY CRACKING, breaking into empty houses and stealing lead.
~Pigeon’s milk~, an imaginary fluid for which boys and simpletons are frequently sent on the 1st of April.
~Pig-headed~, obstinate.
~Pig’s eye~, the ace of diamonds in cards.
~Pig’s whisper~, a low or inaudible whisper; also a short space of time, synonymous with “cockstride,” _i.e._, cock’s tread.
~Pike~, a turnpike; “to bilk a PIKE,” to cheat the keeper of the toll-gate. Mr. Tony Weller makes many amusing remarks on PIKES and PIKE-keepers. Since the first edition of this work was published, PIKES and PIKE-keepers have departed from amongst us, so far as London and its immediate vicinity are concerned.
~Pike~, to run, to be off with speed.
~Pike it~, is said as a hasty and contemptuous, if not angry, dismissal, “if you don’t like it, take a short stick and PIKE it.” This is but a form of the attempts at rhyming smartness common in London.
“Joe quickly his sand had sold, sir, And Bess got a basket of rags; Then up to St. Giles’s they roll’d, sir; To every bunter Bess brags. Then unto the gin-shop they PIKE IT, And Bess was admitted, we hear; For none of the crew dare but like it, As Joey, her kiddy, was there,”
_The Sand-man’s Wedding_, a Cantata.
“’Twas not our fault, dear Jack; we saw the watch going into the house the moment we came there, and we thought it proper to PIKE OFF.”—_The Prison Breaker_, a Farce.
~Pikey~, a tramp or gipsy. A PIKEY-cart is in various parts of the country one of those habitable vehicles suggestive of a wandering life. Possibly the term has reference to one who constantly uses the PIKE, or turnpike road.
~Pile~, a sum of money; generally the whole of a man’s private means. A term originally peculiar to Californian miners, in reference to their accumulated dust and nuggets. American gamblers speak of “putting all the PILE on” when they fancy anything very much. “To go the whole PILE” runs level with our sporting phrase, “To go a raker.”
~Pill~, a doctor.—_Military._ PILL-DRIVER, a peddling apothecary.
~Pill~, to blackball a man at a club. Sometimes a man who is blackballed is described as having received too much medicine.
~Pill-box~, a doctor’s carriage.
~Pin~, “to put in the PIN,” to refrain from drinking. From the ancient peg tankard, which was furnished with a row of PINS, or pegs, to regulate the amount which each person was to drink. Drunken people are often requested to “put in the PIN,” from some remote connexion between their unsteadiness and that of a carriage wheel which has lost its linch-PIN. The popular cry, “Put in the PIN,” can have no connexion with the drinking PIN or peg now, whatever it may originally have had. A MERRY PIN, a roysterer. _See_ PEG.
~Pinch~, to steal or cheat; also, to catch, or apprehend.
~Pinchbeck~, inferior, deteriorated. Anything pretending to more than its proper value is said to be PINCHBECK.
“Where, in these PINCHBECK days, can we hope to find the old agricultural virtue in all its purity?”—_Framley Parsonage._
PINCHBECK was an inferior metal, compounded of copper and zinc, to resemble gold. It was very fashionable in the last century, and derived its name from a Mr. PINCHBECK, a well-known London tradesman, who manufactured watches, buckles, and other articles out of it. PINCHBECK first obtained his notoriety by the invention of an ingenious candle-snuffers, which the author of _The Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers_ made the vehicle of a facetious Ode that went through eight editions. The title of this _jeu d’esprit_ ran thus:—
“_Ode to Mr. Pinchbeck, upon his Newly-invented Candle-Snuffers, by_ MALCOLM M’GREGOR, Esq., 1776.
“Illustrious PINCHBECK! condescend, Thou well-beloved, and best king’s friend, These lyric lines to view; Oh, may they prompt thee, ere too late, To snuff the candle of the State, That burns a little blue!”
PINCHBECK published a poetical reply, and the two pamphlets were for a long time the talk of the town.
~Pink~, the acme of perfection. The scarlet garb worn in the hunting-field.
~Pink~, to stab, or pierce. In the days of rapier-wearing a professed duellist was said to be “a regular PINKER and driller.”
~Pinnel~, or PENNEL,—corruption of penal servitude. As, “four-year PINNEL.”
~Pinner-up~, a seller of old songs, pinned against a wall or framed canvas. Formerly many of these street salesmen carried on their little “paper trade” in London. There are but one or two now left.
~Pins~, legs.
~Pipe~, to follow or dog a person; to watch, to notice.
~Pipe~, to shed tears, or bewail; “PIPE one’s eye.”—_Sea term._
“He first began to eye his pipe. And then to PIPE his eye.”—_Hood._
Metaphor from the boatswain’s pipe, which calls to duty.
~Pipe~, “to put one’s PIPE out,” to traverse his plans, “to take a rise” out of him. When any one meets with a rebuff or a sharp answer, he is often told to “put that in his PIPE and smoke it,” _i.e._, to digest it carefully.
~Piper~, a person employed by an omnibus proprietor to act as a spy on the conductor.
~Piper~, a broken-winded hack horse.
~Pipkin~, the stomach,—properly, an earthen round-bottomed pot—_Norwich._
~Pips~, the marks, no matter of what suit, on playing cards. The ace is often called “single PIP.”
~Pit~, a breast-pocket.
~Pitch~, a fixed locality where a patterer can hold forth to a gaping multitude for at least some few minutes continuously; “to do a PITCH in the drag,” to perform in the street. An itinerant is said to “make a PITCH” whenever he attempts to do any business.
~Pitch~, to utter base coin. Smashers are known to themselves and their friends, the rest of the dangerous classes, as “snide PITCHERS.” The confederacy is divided into makers, buyers, holders, and pitchers. The maker probably never sees the actual passers of base money, the buyer being generally the intercommunicating medium. The holder is generally a man who carries the bulk of the “snides,” and waits about; while the pitcher, often a woman—indeed, more often than not—runs the actual risk.
~Pitch~, to go to bed for less than the ordinary period. Journeymen bakers, and others whose work is disjointed, call any short interval of sleep a PITCH. Probably from the action.
~Pitch into~, to fight; “PITCH INTO him, Bill,” _i.e._, give him a thrashing.
~Pitch the fork~, to tell a pitiful tale.
~Pitch the nob~, PRICK THE GARTER, which _see_.
~Place~, to name the first three horses in a race. This is the duty of the judge, who sees nothing of the race but the finish. Sometimes an official will place more than the first three, but this in no way interferes with the meaning of the word as generally received. To run “nowhere” is to be unplaced.
~Place~, first, second, or third position in a race. Sometimes a PLACE is called a “situation” or a “shop.”
~Plant~, a dodge, a preconcerted swindle; a position in the street to sell from. All bearings-up, bonnetings, and such like arrangements, are the results of preconcerted schemes or PLANTS.
~Plant~, to mark a person out for plunder or robbery; to conceal or hide money, &c.—_Old Cant._ In the sense of conceal, there is a similar word in _Argot_, PLANQUER.
~Plant~, a hidden store of money or variables. To “spring a PLANT” is to unearth another person’s hoard.
~Platform~, a standpoint in an argument, a statement of political or general opinion. “Home rule’s my PLATFORM!” Originally _American_, but now general.
~Play~, to strike for higher wages, to be out of work.—_North._
~Plebs~, a term used to stigmatize a tradesman’s son at Westminster School. _Latin_, PLEBS, the vulgar.
~Plough.~ To be PLOUGHED is to fail to pass an examination. About twenty years ago “pluck,” the word then used, began to be superseded by PLOUGH. It is said to have arisen from a man who could not supply the examiner with any quotation from Scripture, until at last he blurted out, “And the ploughers ploughed on my back, and made long furrows.”—_University._
~Ploughed~, drunk.
~Pluck~, the heart, liver, and lungs of an animal,—all that is PLUCKED away in connexion with the windpipe, from the chest of a sheep or hog.
~Pluck~, to turn back at a University examination. The supposed origin of PLUCK is, that when, on degree day, the proctor, after having read the name of a candidate for a degree, walks down the hall and back, it is to give any creditor the opportunity of plucking his sleeve, and informing him of the candidate’s being in debt.
~Pluck~, courage, valour, stoutness. _See following._
~Plucked un~, a stout or brave fellow; “he’s a rare PLUCKED UN,” _i.e._, he dares face anything.
During the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny PLUCKY, signifying courageous, became a favourite term even among ladies; and the term British PLUCK will probably live—slangy as is its origin—as long as the language into which it has been adopted, for the history of the deeds with which it is associated can never die, while, indeed, a history remains to this country. The word met with great disfavour at first from the “genteel,” but of course they followed when aristocracy deigned to use it.
~Plum~, £100,000, usually applied to the dowry of a rich heiress, to a legacy, or to a sum made in business or by a lucky speculation.
~Plum-cash~, prime cost.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Plummy~, round, sleek, jolly, or fat; excellent, very good, first-rate.
~Plumper~, a single vote at an election, not a “split ticket.”
~Plunder~, a common word in the horse trade to express profit. Also an American term for baggage, luggage. In Lower Canada the French packmen call luggage “butin.”
~Plunger~, a heavy cavalry-man.—_Military slang._
~Plutocracy~, the wealthy classes. The Manchester merchants are often termed a millocracy, and words of a similar character are mobocracy and moneyocracy.
~Pocket~, to put up with. A man who does not resent an affront is said to POCKET it.
~Pocket-pistol~, a dram-flask.
~Podgy~, drunk; dumpy, short, and fat.
~Pogram~, a Dissenter, a fanatic, formalist, or humbug. So called from a well-known enthusiast of this name.
~Poke~, a bag, or sack; “to buy a pig in a POKE,” to purchase anything without seeing it. POKE was originally a pocket. Shakspeare says—
“And then he pulled a dial from his POKE.”
~Poke.~ “Come, none of your POKING fun at me,” _i.e._, you must not laugh at me.
~Poker.~ “By the holy POKER and the tumbling Tom!” an Irish oath.
~Pokers~, or SILVER POKERS, the Bedels of the Vice-Chancellor, who carry silver maces, and accompany him through the streets. They are also officers of his court.—_University._
“Around, around, all, all around. On seats with velvet lined, Sat Heads of Houses in a row, And Deans and College Dons below, With a POKER or two behind.”
_Rime of the New-made Baccalere_, 1841.
~Poky~, confined or cramped; “that corner is POKY and narrow.” Housewives describe a small uncomfortable room as “a POKY hole.” _Saxon_, POKE, a sack.
~Policeman~, a fly—more especially the kind known as “blue bottle.” Also, among the dangerous classes, a man who is unworthy of confidence, a sneak or mean fellow.
~Polish off~, to finish off anything quickly—a dinner, for instance; also to finish off an adversary.—_Pugilistic._
~Poll~, at Cambridge, the “ordinary degree” candidates for the B.A. Examination, who do not aspire to the “Honours” list. From the _Greek_, οἱ πόλλοι, “the many.”
~Poll~, to beat or distance, as in a race; to utterly vanquish in competition. Term much used by printers.
~Poll~, a female of unsteady character; “POLLED up,” means living with a woman in a state of unmarried impropriety. Also, if a costermonger sees one of his friends walking with a strange woman, he will say to him on the earliest opportunity, “I saw yer when yer was POLLED up.”
~Poll~, or POLLING, one thief robbing another of part of the booty. In use in ancient times, _vide Hall’s Union_, 1548.
~Poll parrot~, a talkative, gossiping woman. A term much used about Ratcliff Highway.
~Polony~, Cockney shortening and vulgar pronunciation of Bologna (sausage). The sausages which are sold under the name of POLONIES have, however, no nearer connexion with Bologna sausages than that of the word’s derivation.
~Pompadours~, the Fifty-sixth Regiment of Foot in the British army.
~Ponce~, a degraded man who lives upon a woman’s prostitution. Low-class East-end thieves even will “draw the line” at PONCES, and object to their presence in the boozing-kens.
~Pond~, or HERRING-POND, the sea; so called by those who were sent across it at the national expense.
~Ponge~, or PONGELOW, beer, half-and-half; the term is also used as a verb, as in the Cockney phrase, “let’s PONGELOW, shall we?”
~Pony~, twenty-five pounds.—_Sporting._
~Poona~, a sovereign. Corruption of “pound;” or from the _Lingua Franca_.
~Pop~, to pawn or pledge; “to POP up the spout,” to pledge at the pawnbroker’s,—an allusion to the spout up which the brokers send the ticketed articles until such times as they shall be redeemed. The spout runs from the ground-floor to the wareroom at the top of the house. Ginger-beer is also known as POP.
~Pop the question~, to make an offer of marriage.
~Pope’s-eye~, a peculiar little part in a leg of mutton, much esteemed by lovers of that joint.
~Pope’s nose~, the extremity of the rump of a roast fowl, sometimes devilled as a dainty for epicures. Also known as “the parson’s NOSE.”
~Pops~, pocket-pistols.
~Porterhouse steak~, an American term for a steak which contains a small bone. In the States, tender-loin steaks are much eaten. These are from what we call the undercut of the sirloin.
~Portrait~, a sovereign. Modification of “Queen’s picture.”
~Posa~, a treasurer. A corruption of “purser,” the name given to the treasurer in the large Anglo-Chinese mercantile establishments.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Posh~, a halfpenny, or trifling coin. Also a generic term for money.
~Post~, to pay down; “POST the pony” signifies to place the stakes played for on the table.
~Post-horn~, the nose. _See_ PASTE-HORN.
~Post-mortem~, at Cambridge, the second examination which men who have been “plucked” have to undergo.—_University._
~Posted up~, well acquainted with the subject in question, “up to the mark,”—metaphor drawn from the counting-house.
~Pot~, a favourite in the betting for a race. Probably so called because it is usual to say that a heavily-backed horse carries “a POT of money.” When a favourite is beaten the POT is said to be upset.
~Pot~, a sixpence, _i.e._, the price of a POT or quart of half-and-half. A half-crown, in medical student slang, is a FIVE-POT piece.
~Pot~, TO GO TO POT, to die; from the classic custom of putting the ashes of the dead in an urn; also, to be ruined or broken up,—often applied to tradesmen who fail in business. “Go to POT!” _i.e._, go and hang yourself, shut up and be quiet.—_L’Estrange._ “To put the POT on,” to overcharge or exaggerate. “To go to POT” most probably means to go out of all shape, as metal in the melting-pot.
~Pot~, to finish; “don’t POT me,” term used at billiards, when a player holes his adversary’s ball—generally considered shabby play. This word was much used by our soldiers in the Crimea in reference to shots from a hole or ambush. These were called POT-SHOTS. The term is still used to denote a shot taken sitting or at ease.
~Pot-boiler~, a picture hurriedly painted for the purpose of “keeping the POT BOILING.”—_Artistic slang._
~Pot-faker~, a hawker of crockery and general earthenware.
~Pot-hat~, a low-crowned hat, as distinguished from the soft wideawake and the stove-pipe.
~Pot-hunter~, a sportsman who shoots anything he comes across, having more regard to filling his bag than to the rules which regulate the sport. A man who fires at anything, regardless of the rules which govern true sportsmen.
~Pot-hunter~, a man who gives his time up to rowing or punting, or any sort of match in order to win the “pewters” which are given as prizes.—_University._ The term is now much used in aquatic and athletic circles; and is applied, in a derogatory sense, to men of good quality who enter themselves in small races they are almost sure to win, and thus deprive the juniors of small trophies which should be above the attention of champions, though valuable to beginners. Also an unwelcome guest, who manages to be just in time for dinner.
~Pot-luck~, just as it comes; to take POT-LUCK, _i.e._, one’s chance of a dinner, or of what there is for dinner. A hearty term, used to signify that whatever the pot contains the visitor is welcome to.
~Pot-valiant~, courageous through application to the bottle. Possessed of Dutch courage.
~Pot-walloper~, an elector in certain boroughs before the passing of the first Reform Bill, whose qualification consisted in being a housekeeper,—to establish which it was only necessary to boil a pot within the limits of the borough, by the aid of any temporary erection. This implied that he was able to provide for himself, and not necessitated to apply for parochial relief. Honiton, Tregoney, Ilchester, Old Sarum, &c., had this privilege before the passing of the first Reform Bill. Also, a scullion.
~Potato-trap~, the mouth.—Originally a Hibernicism.
~Potheen~, whisky made in an illicit still, once a favourite drink in Ireland, now almost unattainable. People resident in England who read of the charms of POTHEEN would be rather astonished if they were to taste it. It is real “fire-water” flavoured with peat-smoke.
~Potted~, or POTTED OUT, cabined, confined, figurative of crammed into a garden-pot. Also applied to burial,—a horticultural allusion.
~Potter~, to meddle without much judgment. Application various. A gentleman may describe himself as “POTTERING about in his garden,” and think the phrase pleasant. The gardener, who has to do the work all over again, may, however, use the word in quite a different sense.
~Power~, a large quantity; “a POWER of money.”—_Irish_ at first, but now general.
~Pow-wow~, a conference. Originally an Indian term.
~Prad~, a horse. PRAD-NAPPING was horse-stealing. Both these terms are old cant.
~Prancer~, a horse.—_Ancient Cant._ In modern slang an officer of cavalry.
~Praties~, potatoes.—_Irish._
~Precious~, used, in a slang sense, like very or exceeding; “a PRECIOUS little of that,” _i.e._, a very little indeed; a PRECIOUS humbug, rascal, &c., _i.e._, an eminent one.
~Pretty horsebreakers~, a phrase adopted some years back, in deference to common squeamishness, to denote the _demi-monde_, who dress so well and ride so daintily. Really, pretty heartbreakers.
~Prial~, a corruption of PAIR-ROYAL, a term at the game of cribbage, meaning three cards of a similar description. Often used metaphorically for three persons or things of a kind. DOUBLE-PRIAL, a corruption of DOUBLE PAIR-ROYAL, means four cards, persons, or things of a similar description.
~Prick the garter~, or PITCH THE NOB, a gambling and cheating game common at fairs, and generally practised by thimble-riggers. It consists of a GARTER or a piece of list doubled, and then folded up tight. The bet is made upon your asserting that you can, with a pin, PRICK the point at which the garter is doubled. The garter is then unfolded, and nine times out of ten you will find that you have been deceived, and that one of the false folds has been pricked. The owner of the GARTER holds the ends tightly with one hand, and there is little doubt that he can make the “flat” lose and the “bonnet” win at pleasure. This was, doubtless, originally a gipsy game, and we are informed by Brand that it was much practised by the gipsies in the time of Shakspeare. In those days it was termed PRICKING AT THE BELT, or FAST AND LOOSE.
~Prig~, a thief. Used by Addison in the sense of a coxcomb.—_Ancient Cant_, probably from the _Saxon_, PRICC-AN, to filch, &c.—_Shakspeare._ PRIG, to steal or rob. PRIGGING, thieving. In Scotland the term PRIG is used in a different sense from what it is in England. In Glasgow, or at Aberdeen, “to PRIG a salmon” would be to cheapen it, or seek for an abatement in the price. A story is told of two Scotchmen, visitors to London, who got into sad trouble a few years ago by announcing their intention of “PRIGGING a hat” which they had espied in a fashionable manufacturer’s window, and which one of them thought he would like to possess.
~Prig~, a conceited, stuck-up, over-knowing person; one who appropriates or adopts a manner or costume not suited to him.
~Priggish~, conceited.
~Primed~, said of a person in that state of incipient intoxication that if he took more drink it would become evident. Also, crammed for an examination.
~Pro~, a professional.—_Theatrical._
~Pro~, the proproctor, or second in command in the proctorial police. The two proctors generally appoint a certain number of proproctors each.—_Oxford University._
~Proctorized~, TO BE, to be stopped by the Proctor, and told to call on him.—_University._
~Prog~, meat, food, &c. Johnson calls it “a low word.” He was fond of “prog,” however.
~Proof~, the best ale at Magdalen College, Oxford.
~Prop~, a blow. As, “a PROP on the nose,”—more street slang than pugilistic.
~Prop~, a scarf pin.
~Prop-nailer~, a man who “sneaks,” or rather snatches, pins from gentlemen’s scarves.
~Proper~, very, exceedingly, sometimes used ironically; “you are a PROPER nice fellow,” meaning a great scamp. A “PROPER man” generally means a perfect man, as far as can be known.
~Props~, crutches.
~Props~, stage properties.—_Theatrical._
~Pros~, a water-closet. Abbreviated form of πρὸς τινα τόπον. Some say, πρὸς τον τόπον.—_Oxford University._
~Pross~, to break in or instruct a stage-infatuated youth. Also, to spunge upon a comrade or stranger for drink. In this latter capacity the word is in connexion with prostitute, a PROSSER being considered a most degraded being, and the word being supposed by many to represent a man who lives on a woman’s prostitution.