Imatges de pàgina
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FIRST EDITION.

XV

viz. that he did not feek them, but that, like rebellion in the case instanced, they lay in his way, and he found them.

The Editor likewife begs leave to add, that if he has had the misfortune to run foul of the dignity of any body of men, profeffion, or trade, it is totally contrary to his intention; and he hopes the interpretations given to any particular terms that may seem to bear hard upon them, will not be confidered as his fentiments, but as the fentiments of the perfons by whom fuch terms were first invented, or those by whom they are used.

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CLASSICA L

DICTIONARY

OF THE

VULGAR TONGU E.

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ABBESS, OF LADY ABBESS. A bawd, the mistress of a

brothel.

ABEL-WACKETS. Blows given on the palm of the hand with a twisted handkerchief, inftead of a ferula; a jocular punishment among feamen, who fometimes play at cards for wackets, the lofer fuffering as many ftrokes as he has loft games. ABIGAIL. A lady's waiting maid.

ABRAM. Naked. Cant.

ABRAM COVE. A cant word among thieves, fignifying a naked or poor man; also a lufty, strong rogue.

ABRAM MEN. Pretended mad men.
TO SHAM ABRAM. To pretend sickness.

ACADEMY, or PUSHING SCHOOL. A brothel.-The Floating Academy; the lighters on board of which those perfons are confined, who by a late regulation are condemned to hard labour, instead of transportation.--Campbell's Academy; the

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AGR

fame, from a gentleman of that name, who had the contract for finding and victualling the hulks or lighters.

ACCOUNTS. To caft up one's accounts; to vomit.

ACORN. You will ride a horfe foaled by an acorn; i. e. the gallows, called alfo the Wooden and Three-legged Mare. You will be hanged.-See THREE LEGGED MARE.

ACT OF PARLIAMENT. A military term for fmall beer, five pints of which, by an act of parliament, a landlord was formerly obliged to give to each foldier gratis.

ACTEON. A cuckold, from the horns planted on the head of Acteon by Diana.

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ADAM TILER. A pickpocket's affociate, who receives the ftolen goods, and runs off with them. Cant.

ADAMS. The most ancient, honourable, and venerable society of the name of Adams, A. D. 1750, held their meetings at the Royal Swan, Kingsland Road, kept by George Adams. ADDLE PATE. An inconfiderate foolish fellow.

ADDLE PLOT. A spoil-fport, a mar-all,

ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE, who carries his flag on the mainmaft. A landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among gentlemen of that vocation. ADMIRAL OF THE NARROW SEAS. One who from drunkennefs vomits into the lap of the perfon fitting oppofite to him. Sea phrafe.

ADRIFT. Loofe, turned adrift, difcharged. Sea phrafe. AFFIDAVIT MEN. Knights of the poft, or falfe witneffes, faid

to attend Westminster Hall, and other courts of justice, ready to fwear any thing for hire; diftinguished by having straw ftuck in the heels of their fhoes.

AFTER-CLAP, A demand after the firft given-in has been discharged, a charge for pretended omiffions..

AGAINST THE GRAIN, Unwilling. It went much against the grain with him, i. e, it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

AGOG, ALL-A-GOG. Anxious, eager, impatient: from the Italian agogare, to defire eagerly.

AGROUND. Stuck faft, ftopped, at a lofs, ruined; like a boat

or veffel aground.

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AIR AND EXERCISE. He has had air and exercife, i. e. he has been whipped at the cart's tail; or, as it is generally, though more vulgarly, expreffed, at the cart's a-fe. ALDERMAN. A róafted turkey garnished with sausages; the latter are supposed to represent the gold chain worn by those magiftrates.

ALE DRAPER. An alehoufe keeper.

ALE POST. A may-pole.

ALL-A-MORT. Struck dumb, confounded.

ALGATE. A draught on the pump at Algate; a bad bill of exchange, drawn on perfons who have no effects of the drawer. ALL HOLIDAY. It is all holiday at Peckham, or it is all holi day with him; afaying fignifying that it is all over with the bufinefs or perfon spoken of or alluded to.

ALL HOLLOW. He was beat all hollow, i. e. he had no chance of conquering; it was all hollow, or a hollow thing; it was a decided thing from the beginning. See HOLLOW.

ALL NATIONS. A compofition of all the different fpirits fold in a dram fhop, collected in a veffel, into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied.

ALLS. The five alls is a country fign, reprefenting five human figures, each having a motto under him. The firft is a king in his regalia; his motto, I govern all: the second a bishop in pontificals; motto, I pray for all: third, a lawyer in his gown; motto, I plead for all: fourth, a foldier in his regimentals, fully accoutred; motto, I fight for all: fifth, a poor countryman with his scythe and rake; motto, I pay for all. ALSASIA THE HIGHER. White Friars, once a place privileged from arrefts for debt, as was alfo the Mint, but fuppreffed on account of the notorious abuses committed there. ALSASIA THE LOWER. The Mint in Southwark. ALSASIANS The inhabitants of White Fryers or the Mint. ALTAMEL. A verbal or lump account, without particulars, fuch as is commonly produced at bawdy houfes, fpunging houses, &c. Vide DUTCH RECKONING.

ALTITUDES. The man is in his altitudes, i. e. he is drunk. AMBASSADOR. A trick to duck fome ignorant fellow or landfman, frequently played on board fhips in the warm latitudes. It is thus managed: a large tub is filled with water, and two ftools

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