P’s and q’s, particular points, precise behaviour; “mind your P’S and Q’S,” be very careful. Originating, according to some, from the similarity of P’S and Q’S in the hornbook alphabet, and therefore the warning of an old dame to her pupils, or, according to others, of a French dancing-master to his pupils, to mind their pieds (feet) and queues (wigs) when bowing.

Pack, to go away; “now, then, PACK off there,” i.e., be off, don’t stop here any longer.—Old. “Make speede to flee, be PACKING awaie.”—Baret’s Alvearie, 1580. Contraction of “PACK up and be off.” Sometimes the term “sent PACKING” is used to indicate a sudden discharge, as of a servant or mistress.

Packets, hoaxing lies. Sometimes used as an exclamation of incredulity.—North.

Pad, “to stand PAD,” to beg with a small piece of paper pinned on the breast, inscribed, “I am starving.”

Pad, the highway; also a tramp or itinerant musician.

Padding, the light articles in the monthly magazines, of which the serial stories are the main attraction. Publishers of magazines seem to think that if they get a serial story from a popular novelist they can pack any amount of rubbish into the remaining pages. This is not so in America, as magazines like the Atlantic Monthly and the Overland Monthly show.

Padding-ken, or CRIB, tramps’ and boys’ lodging-house.

Paddle, to go or run away.—American.

Paddy’s goose, the sign of the White Swan, a noted flash public-house in the east of London, supposed to be Paddy’s idea of a GOOSE.

Paddy’s land, “ould Ireland.”

Padre, a clergyman. From the Portuguese.

Pal, a partner, acquaintance, friend, an accomplice. Gipsy, a brother.

Palampo, a quilt or bed-cover. Probably from Palanpore, a town in India, renowned for its manufacture of chintz counterpanes.—Anglo-Indian.

Palaver, to ask, or talk—deceitfully or otherwise, as occasion requires; “PALAVER to his nibs for a shant of bivvy,” ask the master for a pot of beer. Nantee palaver (pronounced PERLARVER), cease talking. In this sense used by tramps. Derived from the Portuguese.

Pall, to stop; “PALL that,” spoken authoritatively, means, cease what you are doing. From PALL, a small instrument which is used to stop the windlass or capstan at sea. When a man says, “I am PALLED,” he means he cannot or dare not say any more. A sailor, on receiving any extraordinary intelligence, will say, “You PALL me,” i.e., you confound me. Most likely from the order frequently given on board ship, “Ease and PALL.”

Palm, to impose upon. “You can’t PALM that off upon me,” is said when an intending purchaser is suspicious of the quality of the article offered.

Palm oil, or PALM SOAP, money; also, a bribe.

Palmer, a swindler who used to visit shops under the pretence of collecting harp halfpence. To induce shopkeepers to search for them, he offered thirteenpence for one shilling’s-worth, when many persons were silly enough to empty a large quantity of copper on their counters. The PALMER, a proficient with his fingers, generally contrived to conceal some before he left the shop.

Palming, robbing shops by pairs—one thief bargaining with apparent intent to purchase, whilst the other watches his opportunity to steal. The following anecdote will give an idea of their modus operandi. A man once entered a “ready-made” boot and shoe shop, and desired to be shown a pair of boots—his companion staying outside and amusing himself by looking in at the window. The one who required to be fresh shod was apparently of a humble and deferential turn, for he placed his hat on the floor directly he stepped into the shop. Boot after boot was tried on until at last a fit was obtained, when in rushed a man, snatched up the customer’s hat left near the door, and ran down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. Away went the customer after his hat, and Crispin, standing at the door, clapped his hands, and shouted, “Go it, you’ll catch him!”—little thinking that it was a concerted trick, and that neither his boots nor the customer would ever return. Instances of this kind of work frequently occur. PALMING sometimes refers to secreting money or rings in the hand, as well as to bribing. Palming is also the generic term for all that kind of conjuring which depends on manual dexterity, and which is totally distinct from the mechanical-contrivance department.

Pam, the knave of clubs at the game of loo; or, in street phraseology, while the “Judicious Bottleholder” was alive, Lord Palmerston.

Pannikin, a small pan.

Pannum, food, bread.—Lingua Franca, PANNEN; Latin, PANIS; Ancient Cant, YANNAM.

Pannum-bound, said of a pauper or prisoner when his food is stopped. Pannum-struck, very hungry, starving.

Panny, a house—public or otherwise; “flash PANNY,” a public-house used by thieves; PANNY-MEN, housebreakers. Panny, in thieves’ cant, also signifies a burglary.

Pantalettes, the drawers worn in America by little girls.

Pantile, a hat. The term PANTILE is properly applied to the mould into which the sugar is poured which is afterwards known as “loaf sugar.” Thus, PANTILE, from whence comes the phrase, “a sugar-loaf hat,” originally signified a tall, conical hat, in shape similar to that usually represented as the head-gear of a bandit. From PANTILE the more modern slang term TILE has been derived. Halliwell gives PANTILE SHOP, a meeting-house, from the steeple-crowned or PANTILE hats of its frequenters. Pantile also means a flat cake with jam on it, given to boys at boarding-schools instead of pudding.

Pantiler, a Dissenting preacher. Probably from the practice of the Quakers, and many Dissenters, of not removing their hats in a place of worship; or from the sugar-loaf hats originally worn by Puritans. Another derivation is from the earthen tiles, technically PANTILES (tiles hollowed in the middle, as distinguished from “pintiles,” the older sort, which are flat, smaller, and pinned or nailed to the rafters), with which meeting-houses of Dissenters are usually covered; hence the meeting-house came to be called a PANTILE, and its frequenters PANTILERS.

Pants, American term for trousers. Here used to represent the long drawers worn underneath.

Panupetaston, a loose overcoat with wide sleeves, now out of fashion.—Oxford University.

Paper-maker, a rag-gatherer, or gutter-raker—similar to the chiffonnier of Paris. Also, a man who tramps through the country, and collects rags on the pretence that he is an agent to a paper mill.

Paper-Worker, a wandering vendor of street literature; one who sells ballads, dying speeches, and confessions, sometimes termed a “running stationer.”

Parachute, a parasol.

Paradise, French slang for the gallery of a theatre, “up amongst the GODS,” which see.

Parish lantern, the moon.

Parish prig, or PARISH BULL, a parson.—Thieves’ cant.

Parney, rain; “dowry of PARNEY,” a quantity of rain. Anglo-Indian slang from the Hindoo, PANI, water; Gipsy, PANE. Old Indian officers always call brandy-and-water “brandy PAWNEE.”

Parson, a signpost. Common term in the north, where they say that the PARSON points, but does not lead. This is given, as the lawyers say, “without prejudice.”

Parson Trulliber, a rude, vulgar, country clergyman, devoted to agricultural pursuits; the race is most probably now extinct. From the pig-feeding and pig-headed parson in Joseph Andrews.

Parson’s nose, the hind part of a goose—a savoury mouthful. Sometimes called the Pope’s nose.

Part, to pay, restore, or give up; “he’s a right un, he is; I know’d he’d PART,” i.e., he is a liberal (or punctual) person, and pays his debts, or bestows gratuities. The term is in general use in sporting circles, and is very commonly employed when speaking of the settlement of bets after a race. It is probably derived from the very common reference to stingy people, who are described as not liking to PART with their money.

Parter, a free, liberal person. Sometimes called a “good PARTER.” Any one who looks twice at his money, or who doesn’t pay it at all, is called a “bad PARTER.”

Pash, to strike; now corrupted to BASH, which see.—Shakspeare.

Paste, to beat, to thrash vigorously.

Pasteboard, a visiting card; “to PASTEBOARD a person,” to drop a card at an absent person’s house.

Paste-horn, the nose. Shoemakers nickname any shopmate with a large nose “old PASTE-HORN,” from the shape of the horn in which they keep their paste.

Pasty, a bookbinder.

Patent coats, the first coat, with the pockets inside the skirt, were so termed.

Patter, a speech or discourse, a pompous street oration, a judge’s summing up, a trial. Ancient word for muttering. Probably from the Latin, PATERNOSTER, or Lord’s Prayer. This was said, before the Reformation, in a “low voice” by the priest, until he came to “and lead us not into temptation,” to which the choir responded, “but deliver us from evil.” In the reformed Prayer Book this was altered, and the Lord’s Prayer directed to be said “with a loud voice.” Dr. Pusey takes this view of the derivation in his Letter to the Bishop of London, p. 78, 1851. Scott uses the word twice, in Ivanhoe and the Bride of Lammermoor.

Patter, to talk. Patter flash, to speak the language of thieves, talk cant.

Patteran, a gipsy trail, made by throwing down a handful of grass occasionally, especially where they have turned off from the main road.

Patter-crib, a flash house.

Patterer, one of a race now nearly defunct, who cried last dying speeches, &c., in the streets. The term is also applied to those who help off their wares by long harangues in the public thoroughfares. These men, to use their own term, “are the aristocracy of the street sellers,” and despise the costermongers for their ignorance, boasting that they live by their intellect, which, as they do not live wonderfully well, is no particularly wise boast.

Pattern, a common vulgar phrase for “patent.”

Paul Pry, an inquisitive person. From the well-known comedy.

Paw, the hand. Paw-cases, gloves. Boots are in some parts of Ireland called “gloves for the feet.”

Pay, to beat a person, or “serve him out.” Originally a nautical term, meaning to stop the seams of a vessel with pitch (French, POIX); “here’s the d‑‑‑‑l to PAY, and no pitch hot,” said when any catastrophe occurs which there is no means of averting; “to PAY over face and eyes, as the cat did the monkey;” “to PAY through the nose,” to give a ridiculous price,—an expressive phrase of which no one seems to know the origin. Shakspeare uses PAY in the sense of to beat or thrash.

Pay, to deliver. “Pay that letter to Mr. So-and-so” is a very common direction to a Chinese servant.—Anglo-Chinese.

Pay-away, “go on with your story, or discourse.” From the nautical phrase PAY-AWAY, meaning to allow a rope to run out of a vessel. When the hearer considers the story quite long enough, he, carrying out the same metaphor, exclaims “hold on.”

Peach, an informer against omnibus conductors and drivers, one especially hired by the proprietors to count passengers and stoppages. The term is in frequent use amongst omnibus-men. This is about the only instance known of the verb being used as a substantive.

Peach, to inform against or betray. Webster states that the word “impeach” is now mostly used, and that PEACH is confined principally to the conversation of thieves and the lower orders. The word was originally “impeach,” though it was never until lately used in the same way as its abridgment.

Peacock horse, amongst undertakers, is one with a showy tail and mane, which holds its head up well. Peacocky refers to an objectionable high action among racehorses.

Peaking, remnants of cloth. Term amongst drapers and cloth warehousemen.

Peaky, sickly, delicate.

Pec, a term used by the Eton boys for money, an abbreviation, of course, of the Latin PECUNIA.

Peck, food; “PECK and boose,” meat and drink.—Lincolnshire. Ancient Cant, PEK, meat.

Peck, to eat voraciously. A hearty eater is generally called “a rare PECKER.” Originally PECK was to eat delicately, “but we have changed all that now.”

Peck-alley, the throat.

Pecker, “keep your PECKER up,” i.e., don’t get down in the mouth,—literally, keep your beak or head well up, “never say die!”

Peckham, a facetious usage of the name of this district, implying a dinner; “all holiday at Peckham,” i.e., nothing to eat.

Peckish, hungry. Old Cant, PECKIDGE, meat.

Peel, to strip, or disrobe.—Sporting.

Peeler, a policeman; so called from Sir Robert Peel (see BOBBY); properly applied to the Irish Constabulary rather than the Metropolitan Police, the former force having been established by Sir Robert Peel.

Peepers, eyes; “painted PEEPERS,” eyes bruised or blackened from a blow.—Pugilistic.

Peery, suspicious, or inquisitive.

Peg, brandy and soda-water. A PEG by which to pull oneself up again. Also, a shilling.—Scotch.

Peg, “to PEG away,” to strike, run, or drive away; “PEG a hack,” to drive a cab; “to take him down a PEG or two,” to check an arrogant or conceited person,—possibly derived from the use of PEG tankards. See PIN.

Peg, to drink frequently; generally used in reference to devotees of “S. and B.”

Peggers, people who constantly stimulate themselves by means of brandy and soda-water.

Pegtops, the loose trousers in fashion some years back, small at the ankle and swelling upwards, in imitation of the Zouave costume.

Penang-lawyer, a long cane, sometimes carried by a footman. Penang-lawyers are also bludgeons which are carried by all classes in Singapore.

Pencil-fever, a supposititious disease among racehorses, the preliminary symptoms of which show that an animal has been pretty considerably “milked.” Pencil-fever sets in when, despite the efforts of the “marketeers,” a horse can no longer be kept at a short price in the lists, through his actual condition being discovered, and when every layer of odds is anxious to write his name down. This disorder is also called “milk-fever,” “market-fever,” and other suggestive names.

Penny-a-liner, a contributor of local news, accidents, fires, and scandals to a newspaper; a man not regularly “on the paper;” one who is popularly believed to be paid for each contribution at the rate of a penny a line, and whose interest is, therefore, that his articles should be stuffed with fine words and long sentences. This wonderful person, to whom so much is daily attributed, is now generally called a LINER.

Penny dreadfuls, an expressive term for those penny publications which depend more upon sensationalism than upon merit, artistic or literary, for success.

Penny gaff, a shop turned into a temporary theatre (admission one penny), at which dancing and singing take place every night. Sometimes rude pictures of the performers are arranged outside to give the front a gaudy and attractive look, and at night-time coloured lamps and transparencies are displayed to draw an audience. Zest is given to these entertainments by the fact that now and again the police make raids upon the houses, and carry off both actors and spectators. These places are also called “dukeys,” for no reason that can be discovered. See GAFF.

Penny starver, a penny roll. See BUSTER.

Pen’orth, value for money; as, “I’ll have my PEN’ORTH,”—given irrespective of the actual amount.

Pensioner, a man of the most degraded condition who lives off the miserable earnings of a prostitute. There is an unmentionable prefix to the word Pensioner. See Ponce.

Pepper, to thrash, or strike.—Pugilistic, but used by Shakspeare.—Eastern Counties.

Pepper-boxes, the buildings of the Royal Academy and National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The name was first given by a wag, in allusion to the cupolas erected by Wilkins, the architect, upon the roof, which, from their form and awkward appearance, at a distance suggest to the stranger the fact of their being enlarged PEPPER-BOXES. See BOILERS.

Perform, to carry out a design, generally a dishonest one. To “PERFORM on a flat” is to cozen a fool.

Perkin, beer. Dandy or affected shortening of the widely-known firm, Barclay and Perkins.

Perpendicular, a lunch taken standing-up at a tavern bar. It is usual to call it lunch, often as the PERPENDICULAR may take the place of dinner.

Persuaders, spurs.

Pesky, an intensitive expression, implying annoyance; as, “A PESKY, troublesome fellow.” Corruption of PESTILENT; or, Irish, PEASGACH, rough, rugged. Pesky has now become more American than English. Pesky Ike is the name of a popular American drama.

Peter, a partridge.—Poacher’s term.

Peter, a bundle, or valise. Also, a cash-box.

Peter, to run short, or give out.—American.

Peter Funk, an American term for a spurious auction or “knock-out.”

Peter Grievous, a miserable, melancholy fellow; a croaker.

Petticoat, a woman.

Pewter, money, like “tin,” used generally to signify silver; also a tankard. “Let me have my beer in the PEWTER,” is a common request to waiters, made by “City” men, and others who affect habits of rude health. The pots for which rowing men contend are often called PEWTERS.

Philadelphia-lawyer, a Transatlantic limb of the law considered to be the very acme of acuteness. Sailors relate many stories of his artful abilities, none, however, short enough to find a place here. The phrase, “Enough to puzzle a Philadelphia-lawyer,” means, enough to puzzle the sharpest man in the world.

Philander, to ramble on incoherently; to write discursively and weakly.

Philip, a policeman. The word is loudly given as a signal that the police are approaching.

Philiper, a thief’s accomplice, one who stands by and looks out for the police while the others commit a robbery, and who calls out “Philip!” when any one approaches.

Physog, or PHIZ, the face. Swift uses the latter word. Corruption of PHYSIOGNOMY.

Picaroon, a pirate or buccaneer originally; now an ordinary thief.

Piccadilly butchers, a satirical name applied by the crowd to the regiment of Horse Guards, known as the “Royal Blues,” from their savage onslaught upon the crowd on the occasion of the arrest of Sir Francis Burdett at his house in Piccadilly, by order of the Speaker of the House of Commons. See Cheesemongers.

Piccadilly weepers, long carefully combed-out whiskers of the Dundreary fashion.

Pick, “to PICK oneself up,” to recover after a beating or illness, sometimes varied to “PICK up one’s crumbs;” “to PICK a man up,” “to do,” or cheat him.

Pickaninny, a young child is thus styled by the West Indian negroes. The word is now completely naturalized among sailors and water-side people in England.

Pickers, the hands.—Shakspeare.

Pickle, a miserable or comical position; “he is in a sad PICKLE,” said of any one who has fallen into the gutter, or got besmeared. “A PICKLE herring,” a comical fellow, a merry-andrew.—Old. Also, a mischievous boy; “what a PICKLE he is, to be sure!” Derived from his always getting into a PICKLE, or mess.

Pickles! gammon; also a jeering and insulting exclamation.

Pick-me-up, a revivifying drink taken after a debauch; a tonic.

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.

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.

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 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. “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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Pyjands, a kind of drawers or loose pantaloons.—Anglo-Indian.