May 8, 1885. 



SCIENCE 



381 



arranged his glossary in alphabetical form, 

 and have in a few cases analyzed a phrase 

 into its component words ; but I have not al- 

 tered his definitions. In the table that fol- 

 lows, his list of words will be found compared 

 with various other lists of the same descrip- 

 tion. 



The books which I have selected for com- 

 parison were published at various dates, some 

 before and some after Tufts 's glossary, which 

 was compiled at least as early as 1798, he 

 having been a prisoner at the Castle for the 

 five years preceding. These books are as 

 follows, arranged in order of date, and they 

 are designated in the accompanying table by 

 this date alone. 



1573, Harman's (Thomas) 'Caveat for com- 

 mon cursetors,' reprinted in J. C. Hotten's 

 ' Slang dictionary,' ed. 1873, p. 15. 



1673, Head's (Richard) ' Canting academy, 

 to which is added a compleat Canting Diction- 

 ary.' 



1785, Grose's (Francis) ' Classical diction- 

 ary of the vulgar tongue.' 



1790, Potter's (Henry T.) ' New dictionary 

 of the cant and flash languages.' 



1811, 'Lexicon Balatronicum ' [founded on 

 Grose] . 



1859, Matsell's (George W.) 'Dictionary 

 of the thieves' jargon' [New York]. 



1873, Hotten's ' Slang dictionary,' a new 

 edition. 



Tufts' s glossary, 1793-98 (Boston). 



Blower A woman 1673 (blower); 1785 (same) ; 1790; 1811; 1873. 



Bonny lay .... Highway robbery .... [The best lay, or device.] 



Briar* A saw [Obvious analogy.] 



Chant Writing of any kind . . . 1790 (c haunt, to make known) ; 1859 (same, and also chant = name). 



Clout A handkerchief .... 1859; 1873 (called ' old cant'). 



Ciy A pocket 1573; 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873 [Anglo-Saxon clea, claws?]. 



Cove A man 1573 (cofe); 1673; 1785 (cove or coffin); 1790 (landlord); 1811; 1859 [found in 



Dekker's ' Wits' recreations']. 



Crab A shoe 1785 (crab-shells, Irish) ; 1811 (same) ; 1859 (same, and also crabs = feet) ; 1873. 



Crabkin A shoemaker's shop. 



Crack To break open . .... 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Darky Cloudy 1573 (darkemans = the night) ; 1673, 1785, 1790, 1811 (the same) ; 1873 (darky = 



twilight). 



Dead up to, to be . . To know well [Dead = very, exceeding. Halliwell, North.] 



Dinge A dark night [To dinge = to drizzle. Halliwell.] 



Dingy cove .... A negro 1785 (dingy Christian = a mulatto) ; 1811 (same). 



Do To rob 1785; 1811; 1873. 



Douse the glim . . To put out the light . . . 1811; 1859; 1873 [glin or glim] . 



Drag A prisoner [One dragged by the police?] 



Dub A false key 1785; 1790 (dubb the jigger = lock the door) ; 1811; 1859. 



Evening sneak . . . Going into a house at night, 



where the doors are open, 1785; 1790; 1811. 



Flamer Vitriol [Inflamer?] 



Flat A foolish man 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Gentleman .... A crowbar. 



G-laze A square of glass . . . . 1785 (glazier = a window-thief) ; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Glin A star or light 1573 (glimmar = fire) ; 1673, 1790 (the same); 1811 (glim); 1859 (g Urn sticks = 



candlesticks); 1873 (glim). 



Gorge A person or fellow . . . 1811 (gorger = a gentleman). [Gypsy, gorgio.'j 



Grub Victuals 1785; 1790; 1811. 



Hammers to you, I'm, I know what you mean. 



Hookses . ". . . . Neat-cattle. 



Horney A sheriff 1790 (hornees) ; 1859 (horness = watchman). 



Jarvel A jacket. 



Jigger A door 1573 (gyger) ; 1790; 1811 (jig) ; 1859; 1873. 



Kickses Breeches 1785 (kicks) ; 1790, 1811 (kicks or kickseys) ; 1859 (kicksies) ; 1873 (same). 



Kin A stone. 



Kinchen A child 1573 (kynchen) ; 1673; 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873. [German, kindchen.] 



Lay [Mode of stealing] . . . 1785; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Leg-bags Stockings [Bags = trousers, Loudon Punch.] 



Long tog A coat [Toga. Shaksp., Togde.] 



Lour Money 1573 (Lowre, a Wallachian gypsy word) ; 1673; 1785; 1790 (lour or lower); 1811; 



1859 (lowre) ; 1873. 



Mitre A hat. 



Napping Stealing 1673; 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Napping his bib . . Crying 1790; 1873. 



Nipping-jig. . . . A gallows 1673 (nubbing cheat) . 



Oliver The moon 1790; 1859; 1873 (' nearly obsolete '). 



Petre yourself . . . Take care of yourself x . 1790 (peterees = thieves of peters or trunks) ; 1859 (peter-biter = same). 



Pops Pistols 1785; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873. 



Prad Ahorse 1573 (prauncer) ; 1673 (prancer) ; 1790; 1811; 1859; 1873 (' old cant '). 



Pradholder .... A bridle. 



Qua A jail 1573 (quyer ken); 1673 (queer ken); 1790 (quod); 1S73 (quad or quod, an 



abbreviation of quadrangle). 



Quakeeper . . . . A jailer. 



Quid A guinea 1790; 1859 (quid = $5). 



Quillpipes .... Boots 1785 (quailpipe boots, so called because plaited like a quailpipe) ; 1S11 (same). 



Quisby Mean 1785 (quiz = a strange-looking fellow) ; 1873 (quisby = an amplification of queer). 



Roram The sun [Possibly a corruption of Rowland, to correspond to Oliver = the moon.] 



Rum-blower . . . A gentlewoman .... 1785 (a handsome wench) ; 1790 (same) ; 1811 (same) ; 1S59 (same). 



Rum-cove .... A gentleman 1785 (a dexterous rogue !) ; 1790 (a good landlord) ; 1811 (same as 1785). 



Scrag a lay, to . . . To steal clothes from a 

 hedge. 



