Part 29

~Psalm-smiter~, a “Ranter,” one who sings at a conventicle. _See_ BRISKET-BEATER.

~Pub~, or PUBLIC, a public-house; “what PUB do you use?” _i.e._, which inn or public-house do you frequent?

~Public patterers~, swell mobsmen who pretend to be Dissenting preachers, and harangue in the open air to attract a crowd for their confederates to rob.

~Pucker~, poor or bad temper, difficulty, _déshabillé_. PUCKER UP, to get in a bad temper.

~Puckering~, talking privately.

~Puckerow~, to seize, to take hold of. From the _Hindostanee_, PUCKERNA.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Pudding-snammer~, one who robs a cook-shop.

~Puff~, to blow up, or swell with praise; declared by a writer in the _Weekly Register_, as far back as 1732, to be illegitimate.

“PUFF has become a cant word, signifying the applause set forth by writers, &c. to increase the reputation and sale of a book, and is an excellent stratagem to excite the curiosity of gentle readers.”

Lord Bacon, however, used the word in a similar sense a century before. Sheridan also seems to have remembered the use of the word, _vide_ Mr. PUFF.

~Pug~, a fighting man’s idea of the contracted word to be produced from pugilist.

~Pull~, an advantage, or hold upon another; “I’ve the PULL over (or of) you,” _i.e._, you are in my power—perhaps an oblique allusion to the judicial sense. See the following.

~Pull~, to have one apprehended; “to be PULLED up,” or more recently “to be PULLED” only, to be taken before a magistrate. The police are constantly “pulling” loitering, furiously driving, or drunken cabmen.

~Pull~, to drink; “come, take a PULL at it,” _i.e._, drink up.

~Pull~, to prevent a horse from winning, that is, so far as the rider’s action is concerned.

~Pullet~, a young girl. Filly is an exchangeable term.

~Pummel~, to thrash,—from POMMEL.

~Pump~, to extract information by roundabout questioning.

~Pundit~, a person who assumes to be very grave and learned.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Punkah~, a fan, usually a fan of very large size, worked with a string, and used to ventilate rooms.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Punt~, to gamble; PUNTING-SHOP, a gambling-house. Common in ancient writers, but now disused. The word seems confined to playing for “chicken stakes.” PUNT means now in the sporting world to back horses for small stakes.

~Punter~, a small professional backer of horses.

~Pup and ringer~, _i.e._, the “Dog and Bell,” the sign of a flash public-house.

~Purdah~, a curtain.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Pure finders~, street-collectors of dogs’ dung.—_Humorous._

~Purl~, to spill; PURLED is a hunting and steeplechasing term synonymous with “foaled,” or “spilt” (thrown); “he’ll get PURLED at the rails.”

~Purl~, a mixture of hot ale and sugar, with wormwood infused in it, a favourite morning drink to produce an appetite; sometimes with gin and spice added:—

“Two penn’orth o’ PURL— Good ‘early PURL,’ ’Gin all the world To put your hair into a curl, When you feel yourself queer of a mornin’.”

~Purler~, a heavy fall from a horse in the hunting or steeplechasing field.

~Push~, a robbery or swindle. “I’m in this PUSH,” the notice given by one magsman to another that he means to “stand in.”

~Push~, a crowd.—_Old Cant._

~Pussey-cats~, corruption of Puseyites, a name constantly, but improperly, given to the Tractarian party in the Church, from the Oxford Regius Professor of Hebrew, who by no means approved of the Romanizing tendencies of some of its leaders. The name still sticks, however, to this day.

~Put~, a game at cards, once fashionable, but now played among thieves and costermongers only.

~Put~, an obsolete slang term representing the modern “bloke” or “cove.” It was generally applied to elderly persons.

~Put on~, to promise another money or valuables in the event of an anticipated success. “You’re ON a quid if Kaiser wins,” might often have been heard before last St. Leger. Many hangers-on of the turf live almost entirely by what they are PUT ON, by bookmakers and backers for whom they do odd work.

~Put that in your pipe and smoke it~, said of a blow or repartee, and equivalent to take that and think over it, or digest it, or let it be a warning to you.

~Put the pot on~, to put too much money upon one horse.—_Sporting._

~Put up~, to suggest, to incite, “he PUT me UP to it;” he prompted me to do it. PUT UP, to stop at an hotel or a tavern for entertainment.

~Put up~, to inspect or plan out with a view of robbery. To obtain full particulars with regard to a house and its occupants, so that danger shall be reduced to a minimum, and the chances of success enlarged.

~Put upon~, cheated, victimized, oppressed.

~Putter up~, a man who travels about for the purpose of obtaining information useful to professional burglars. A man of this description will assume many characters, sometimes ingratiating himself with the master of a house, sometimes with the servants, but all to one end, that of robbery. He rarely or never joins in the actual burglary, his work being simply to obtain full particulars as to how, when, and where, for which he receives his full share of the “swag.”

~Puttun~, regiment.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Pyah~, weak, useless, paltry. This word, much in use among sailors, is evidently derived from the Indian term PARIAH, signifying the lowest caste of Hindoos. Thus the Pariah dogs in India are termed PYAH dogs; and the Pariah descendants of the old Portuguese settlers are called PYAH Portuguese. Sailors term the natives of St. Helena—a wretched-looking set of individuals—PYAH Englishmen.

~Pygostole~, the least irreverent of names for the peculiar M. B. coats worn by Tractarian curates:—

“It is true that the wicked make sport Of our PYGOSTOLES, as we go by; And one gownsman, in Trinity Court, Went so far as to call me a ‘Guy.’”

_See_ M. B.

~Pyjands~, a kind of drawers or loose pantaloons.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Quad.~ _See_ QUOD.

~Quaker~, a lump of excrement.

~Quality~, gentry, the upper classes.

~Quandary~, described in the dictionaries as a “low word,” may fittingly be given here. It illustrates, like “hocus-pocus,” and other compound colloquialisms, the singular origin of slang expressions. QUANDARY, a dilemma, a doubt, a difficulty, is from the French, QU’EN DIRAI-JE?—_Skinner._

~Quartereen~, a farthing.—_Gibraltar term._ _Italian_, QUATTRINO.

~Quaver~, a musician.

~Quean~, a strumpet. In Scotland, a lower-class woman. _Saxon_, CWEAN, a barren old cow.

~Queen Bess~, the Queen of Clubs,—perhaps because that queen, history says, was of a swarthy complexion.—_North Hants._ _See Gentleman’s Magazine for 1791_, p. 141.

~Queen’s tobacco-pipe~, the kiln in which all contraband tobacco seized by the Custom-house officers is burned.

~Queer~, an old cant word, once in continual use as a prefix, signifying base, roguish, or worthless,—the opposite of RUM, which signified good and genuine. QUEER, in all probability, is immediately derived from the cant language. It has been mooted that it came into use from a _quære_ (?) being set before a man’s name; but it is more than probable that it was brought into this country, by the gipsies, from Germany, where QUER signifies “cross” or “crooked.” At all events it is believed to have been first used in England as a cant word.

~Queer~, “to QUEER a flat,” to puzzle or confound a “gull,” or silly fellow.

“Who in a row like Tom could lead the van, Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle? Who QUEER a flat,” &c.—_Don Juan_, xi. 19.

~Queer bail~, worthless persons who for a consideration formerly stood bail for any one in court. Insolvent Jews generally performed this office, which gave rise to the term JEW-BAIL, otherwise STRAW BAIL.

~Queer-bit-makers~, coiners.

~Queer cuffen~, a justice of the peace, or magistrate,—a very ancient term, mentioned in the earliest slang dictionary. In this sense, as well as in that of the verb just given, the term is evidently derived from _quæro_, to inquire, to question. Quiz and _quis?_ have also an undoubted connexion.

~Queer-soft~, bad notes.

~Queer-street~, “in QUEER STREET,” in difficulty or in want.

~Querier~, a chimney-sweep who calls from house to house soliciting employment,—formerly termed KNULLER, which _see_.

~Qui-hi~, an English resident at Calcutta.—_Anglo-Indian._

~Quick sticks~, in a hurry, rapidly; “to cut QUICK STICKS,” to start off hurriedly, or without more ado. _See_ CUT ONE’S STICK.

~Quid~, or THICK UN, a sovereign; “half a QUID,” half a sovereign; QUIDS, money generally; “QUID for a QUOD,” one good turn for another. The word is used by old French writers:—

“Des testamens qu’on dit le maistre De mon fait n’aura QUID ne QUOD.”

_Grand testament de Villon._

~Quid~, a small piece of tobacco—one mouthful. _Quid est hoc?_ asked one, tapping the swelled cheek of another; _Hoc est quid_, promptly replied the other, exhibiting at the same time a “chaw” of the weed. CUD is probably a corruption. Derivation, _O. F._, or _Norman_, QUIDER, to ruminate.

~Quid-nunc~, an inquisitive person, always seeking for news. The words translated simply signify, “What now?”

~Quiet~, “on the QUIET,” clandestinely, so as to avoid observation, “under the rose.”

~Quill-driver~, a scrivener, a clerk,—satirical phrase similar to “steel bar driver,” a tailor.

~Quiller~, a parasite, a person who sucks neatly through a quill. _See_ SUCK UP.

~Quilt~, to thrash, or beat.

~Quisby~, bankrupt, poverty-stricken. Amplification of QUEER.

~Quisi~, roguish, low, obscene.—_Anglo-Chinese._

~Qui-tam~, a solicitor. _He who_, _i.e._, “he who, as much for himself as for the King,” seeks a conviction, the penalty for which goes half to the informer and half to the Crown. The term would, therefore, with greater propriety, be applied to a spy than to a solicitor.

~Quiz~, a prying person, an odd fellow. Originally Oxford slang, but now general, and lately admitted into some dictionaries. _See_ QUEER CUFFEN.

~Quiz~, to pry, or joke; to hoax.

~Quizzical~, jocose, humorous.

~Quizzing-glass~, an eyeglass. This was applied to the old single eyeglass, which was not stuck in the eye, as now, but was held in the hand.

~Quockerwodger~, a wooden toy figure which, when pulled by a string, jerks its limbs about. The term is used in a slang sense, to signify a pseudo-politician, one whose strings of action are pulled by somebody else.

~Quod~, a prison, a lock-up; QUODDED, put in prison. QUOD is really a shortening of quadrangle; so to be QUODDED is to be within four walls. The expression is, however, seldom used now except to mean in prison. At Oxford, where it is spelt QUAD, the word has its original signification.

~Quodger~, a contraction, or corruption rather, of the _Latin_ law phrase, QUO JURE? by what law?—_Legal._

~R. M. D.~, cash down, immediate payment. The initial letters of READY MONEY DOWN. Another version of this is P. Y. C. (pay your cash), often seen in the market quotations,—as, “Meat fetched 6_s._ 4_d._ a stone, P. Y. C., and 6_s._ 6_d._ for the account.”

~Rabbit~, when a person gets the worst of a bargain, he is said “to have bought the RABBIT.” From an old story about a man selling a cat to a foreigner for a rabbit.

~Racket~, a dodge, manœuvre, exhibition; a disturbance.

~Rackety~, wild or noisy.

~Racks~, the bones of a dead horse. Term used by horse-slaughterers.

~Raclan~, a married woman. Originally Gipsy, but now a term with English tramps.

~Rafe~, or RALPH, a pawnbroker’s duplicate.—_Norwich._

~Raff~, a dirty, dissipated fellow; RAFFISH, looking like a RAFF.

~Rag~, to divide or share; “let’s RAG IT,” or “go RAGS,” _i.e._, share it equally between us.—_Norwich._

~Rag~, a bank-note.

~Rag and Famish~, the Army and Navy Club. From Ensign RAG and Captain FAMISH, imaginary characters, out of whom Leech some years back obtained much amusement.

~Rag-shop~, a bank.

~Rag-splawger~, a rich man.

~Ragamuffin~, an ill-clad vagabond, a tatterdemalion.

~Rain napper~, an umbrella.

~Raise the wind~, to obtain credit, or money,—generally by pawning or selling property, but not unusually by borrowing. Sometimes varied to WHISTLE UP THE BREEZE.

~Raker~, TO GO A, is, in racing parlance, to put more money than usual on a certain horse. “Going a RAKER” often leads to “coming a cropper.”

~Ramp~, to hustle, to rob with violence, to levy blackmail in a ferocious manner; to extort by means of threats. RAMPING is generally done in gangs.

~Rampage~, TO BE ON THE, on the drink, on the loose. Dickens, in _Great Expectations_, refers to Mrs. Jo as being on the RAMPAGE when she is worse tempered than usual.

~Ramper~, a ruffian of the most brutal description, who infests racecourses and similar places on welching expeditions during summer, and finds pleasure and profit in garrotte robberies during winter.

~Ramshackle~, queer, rickety, knocked about, as standing corn is after a high wind. Corrupted from RAM-SHATTER, or possibly from RANSACK.

~Rancho~, originally a Spanish-American word, signifying a hunting-lodge, or cattle-station, in a wood or desert far from the haunts of men. A hunting or fishing station in the Highlands or elsewhere. In Washington, with their accustomed ingenuity in corrupting words and meanings, the Americans use the appellation for a place of evil report. The word is generally pronounced RANCH now.

~Randals-man.~ _See_ BILLY.

~Randan~, a boat impelled by three rowers, the midship man sculling, and the bowman and strokesman rowing with oars.

~Random~, three horses driven in line. _See_ TANDEM, SUDDEN DEATH, HARUM-SCARUM.

~Randy~, rampant, violent, warm.—_North._ RANDY-BEGGAR, a gipsy tinker.

~Rank~, to cheat. Modification of RAMP.

~Ranker~, a commissioned officer in the army who has risen from the ranks. Usually employed in a disparaging sense. Purely military. Also, among street folk, a corruption of RANK DUFFER.

~Ran-tan~, “on the RAN-TAN,” drunk.

~Rantipoll~, a noisy rude girl, a madcap.

~Rap~, a halfpenny; frequently used generically for money, thus:—“I haven’t a RAP,” _i.e._, I have no money whatever; “I don’t care a RAP,” &c. Originally a species of counterfeit coin used for small change in Ireland, against the use of which a proclamation was issued, 5th May, 1737. Small copper or base metal coins are still called RAPPEN in the Swiss cantons. Irish robbers were formerly termed RAPPAREES.

~Rap~, to utter rapidly and vehemently; “he RAPPED out a volley of oaths.”

~Rapping~, enormous; “a RAPPING big lie.”

~Rapscallion~, a low tattered wretch—not worth a RAP.

~Raree-show~, a collection of curiosities.

~Rat~, a sneak, an informer, a turn-coat, one who changes his party for interest. The late Sir Robert Peel was called the RAT, or the TAMWORTH RATCATCHER, for altering his views on the Roman Catholic question. From RATS deserting vessels about to sink. The term is often used amongst printers to denote one who works under price. Old cant for a clergyman.

~Rat~, TO SMELL A, to suspect something, to guess that there is something amiss.

~Rather!~ a ridiculous street exclamation synonymous with yes; “Do you like fried chickens?” “RATHER!” “Are you going out of town?” “RATHER!” Very often pronounced “RAYTHER!”

~Rattening~, the punishment inflicted on non-unionists by Sheffield grinders, through the instrumentality of “Mary Ann.” _See_ Parliamentary Inquiry Report on the subject.

~Rattlecap~, an unsteady, volatile person. Generally applied to girls.

~Rattler~, a cab, coach, or cart.—_Old Cant._

~Rattletrap~, the mouth. Anything shaky and mean, but pretentious and vulgar, is said to belong to the RATTLETRAP order of things.

~Rattling~, jolly, pleasant, well-appointed. “A RATTLING good spread” means an excellent repast, while a true friend is said to be a “RATTLING good fellow.”

~Raw~, a tender point, or foible; “to touch a man upon the RAW,” is to irritate one by alluding to, or joking him on, anything on which he is peculiarly susceptible or “thin-skinned.” Originally stable slang.

“Liver and bacon, kidneys, ten pounds one! He thinks me RAW. I think I’m rather DONE.”

_Phantom Barber._

~Raw~, uninitiated; a novice.—_Old._ Frequently JOHNNY RAW.

~Reach me downs~, or HAND ME DOWNS, clothes bought at secondhand shops. From “REACH ME DOWN that, and let’s see if it fits.” In Houndsditch and other celebrated old clothes’ marts, the goods are kept hanging on pegs so as to be well within view of intending buyers.

~Reader~, a pocket-book; “Touch him for his READER,” _i.e._, rob him of his pocket-book.

~Ready~, or READY GILT (maybe GELT), money. Used by Arbuthnot—“Lord Strut was not very flush in READY.”

~Ready-reckoners~, the Highland regiments of the British army.

~Real jam~, a sporting phrase, meaning anything exceptionally good. It is said to be REAL JAM for those who back a horse at a long price, when the animal wins, or comes to a short figure.

~Recent incision~, the busy thoroughfare on the Surrey side of the Thames, known to sober people as the New Cut. Even this latter name has now been changed—if indeed the place ever was so called properly. Although to the general public the street which runs from opposite Rowland Hill’s Chapel to Westminster Bridge Road is known as the New Cut, its name to the Board of Works is Lower Marsh.

~Redge~, gold.

~Red herring~, a soldier. The terms are exchangeable, the fish being often called a “soldier.”

~Red lane~, the throat.

~Red liner~, an officer of the Mendicity Society.

~Red rag~, the tongue.

~Red un~, a gold watch.

~Redtape~, official routine. A term which was much in vogue during the Crimean campaign, so famous for War Office blunderings.

~Regulars~, a thief’s fair share of plunder.

~Reliever~, a coat worn in turn by any party of poor devils whose wardrobes are in pawn.

~Relieving Officer~, a significant term for a father.—_University._

~Renage~, to revoke, a word used in Ireland at the game of five-card.

~Rench~, vulgar pronunciation of RINSE. “(W)RENCH your mouth out,” said a fashionable dentist one day.

~Re-raw~, “on the RE-RAW,” tipsy or drunk.

~Resurrection pie~, once a school but now a common phrase, used in reference to a pie supposed to be made of the scraps and leavings that have appeared before.

~Ret~, an abbreviation of the word REITERATION, used to denote the forme which, in a printing-office, backs or perfects paper already printed on one side.

~Rhino~, ready money.—_Old._

“Some as I know, Have parted with their ready RINO.”

_The Seaman’s Adieu_, Old Ballad, 1670.

~Rhinoceral~, rich, wealthy, abounding in RHINO. At first sound it would seem as though it meant a man abounding in rhinoceroses.

~Rib~, a wife. Derivation, of course, Biblical.

~Ribbon~, gin, or other spirits. Modification of white satin.

~Ribbons~, the reins. “To handle the RIBBONS,” to drive.

~Ribroast~, to beat till the ribs are sore.—_Old_; but still in use:—

“And he departs, not meanly boasting Of his magnificent RIBROASTING.”—_Hudibras._

~Rich~, spicy; also used in the sense of “too much of a good thing;” “a RICH idea,” one too absurd or unreasonable to be adopted.

~Richard~, a dictionary. _See_ DICK.

~Ride~, “to RIDE the high horse,” or “RIDE roughshod over one,” to be overbearing or oppressive; “to RIDE the black donkey,” to be in an ill humour.

~Rider~, in a University examination, a problem or question appended to another, as directly arising from or dependent on it;—beginning to be generally used for any corollary or position which naturally arises from any previous statement or evidence.

~Rider~, a supplementary clause in a document.

~Riff-raff~, low, vulgar rabble.

~Rig~, or trick, “spree,” or performance; “run a RIG,” to play a trick.—_See_ JOHN GILPIN. “RIG the market,” in reality to play tricks with it,—a mercantile slang phrase often used in the newspapers.

~Rigged~, “well RIGGED,” well dressed.—_Old Slang_, in use in 1736. _See Bailey’s Dictionary.—Sea._

~Rigging~, a process well known in connexion with sales by auction, by which articles are secured at prices considerably below their real value. _See_ KNOCK-OUTS. To RIG the market is to do similar business on a larger scale for the purpose of affecting the supplies, and thereby increasing the profits on an original purchase of the goods thus made scarce.

~Right as ninepence~, or NICE AS NINEPENCE (possible corruption of NINE-PINS), quite right, exactly right, comfortable. _See_ NINEPENCE.

~Right you are~, a phrase implying entire acquiescence in what has been said or done. The expression is singularly frequent and general amongst the lower and middle classes of the metropolis.

~Rights~, “to have one to RIGHTS,” to be even with him, to serve him out properly. “TO RIGHTS” is also an ejaculation signifying satisfaction of the highest order.

~Rigmarole~, a prolix story.

~Rile~, to offend, to render very cross, irritated, or vexed. Properly, to render liquor turbid.

~Ring~, to change; “RINGING castors,” changing hats; “to RING the changes,” in low life means to change bad money for good; in respectable society the phrase is sometimes employed to denote that the aggressor has been paid back in his own coin, as in practical joking, when the laugh is turned against the jester. The expression originally came from the belfry.

~Ring~, a generic term given to horse-racing and pugilism,—the latter was sometimes termed the PRIZE-RING. From the rings used for betting and fighting in, respectively.

~Ring~, formerly “to go through the RING,” to take advantage of the Insolvency Act, or be “whitewashed.” Now obsolete.

~Ring~, the open space in front of a racecourse stand, which is used for betting purposes. Betting men are nowadays known as members of the ring, especially if they are in the habit of attending race-meetings. RING, in America, is a combination of speculators whose object is to force the market for their own especial benefit without any regard to order or decency. We have similar arrangements here, but hitherto no one word has fairly described them.

~Ringdropping~, is a pursuit to which London “magsmen” and “street-muggers” are prone. A ring or other spurious article is supposed to be found just in front of a “soft-looking party,” and he or she is tempted to buy it at less than half its supposed value.

~Rip~, a rake, “an old RIP,” an old libertine, or a debauchee. Corruption of REPROBATE.

~Rip~, to go at a rare pace. This is an American term, and often means to burst up. “Let her RIP, I’m insured.”

~Ripper~, a first-rate man or article.—_Provincial._

~Ripping~, excellent, very good. Equivalent to “stunning.”

~Rise~, “to take a RISE out of a person.” A metaphor from fly-fishing, the silly fish RISING to be caught by an artificial fly; to mortify, outwit, or cheat him, by superior cunning.

“There is only one thing, unfortunately, of which Oxford men are economical, and that is, their University experience. They not only think it fair that Freshmen should go through their ordeal unaided, but many have a sweet satisfaction in their distresses, and even busy themselves in obtaining elevations, or, as it is vulgarly termed, in ‘getting RISES out of them.’”—_Hints to Freshmen_, Oxford, 1843.

~Rise, or raise, a Barney~, to collect a mob; term used by patterers and “schwassle-box” (Punch and Judy) men.

~Roarer~, a broken-winded horse; or, in the more polite speech of the stable, “a high blower.” ROARING, as applied to horses, is often termed “talking” by turf-men. It is often said delicately by sporting writers, when speaking of a broken-winded racehorse, that “he makes a noise.”

~Roaring trade~, a very successful business.—_Shopkeepers’ Slang._

~Roast~, to expose a person to a running fire of jokes for the amusement and with the assistance of a whole company. A performance not indulged in by gentlemen. QUIZZING is done by a single person only.

~Robin redbreast~, the ancient Bow Street runner. So called from the colour of his waistcoat.