ANT

ftools placed on each fide of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpawlin, or old fail: this is kept tight by two perfons, who are to represent the king and queen of a foreign country, and are seated on the ftools. The person intended to be ducked plays the ambaffador, and after repeating a ridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and feated between the king and queen, who rifing fuddenly as foon as he is feated, he falls backwards into the tub of water. AMBIDEXTER. A lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and defendant, or that goes fnacks with both parties in gaming. AMEN CURLER. A parish clerk.

AMEN. He faid Yes and Amen to every thing; he agreed to every thing.

AMINIDAB. A jeering name for a quaker.

AMES ACE. Within ames ace; nearly, very near.,

1

To AMUSE. To fling duft or fnuft in the eyes of the perfon in tended to be robbed; alfo to invent fome plaufible tale, to delude fhopkeepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard. Cant.

AMUSERS. Rogues who carried fnuff or duft in their pockets, which they threw into the eyes of any person they intended to rob; and running away (their accomplices pretending to affift and pity the half-blinded person), took that opportunity of plundering him.

ANABAPTIST. A pickpocket caught in the fact, and punished with the difcipline of the pump or horse-pond.

ANCHOR. Bring your a-fe to an anchor, i. e. fit down. To let

go an anchor to the windward of the law; to keep within the letter of the law. Sea Wit.

ANGLERS. Pilferers, or petty thieves, who, with a stick having

a hook at the end, steal goods out of fhop windows, gratės, &c; also those who draw in or entice unwary persons to prick at the belt, or fuch like devices.

ANGLING FOR FARTHINGS, Begging out of a prison window.

with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string., ANKLE. A girl who is got with child, is faid to have sprained her ankle.

ANODYNE NECKLACE. A halter.

ANTHONY OF TANTONY PIG. The favourite or fmallest pig

A PR

th the litter. To follow like a tantony pig, i. e. St. Anthony's pig; to follow clofe at one's heels. St. Anthony the hermit was a wine herd, and is always reprefented with a fwine's bell and a pig. Some derive this faying from a privilege enjoyed by the friars of certain convents in England and France (Tons of St. Anthony) whofe fwine were permitted to feed in the ftreets. Thefe fwine would follow any one having greens or other provifions, till they obtained fome of them. TO KNOCK ANTHONY. Said of an inkneed perfon, or one whofe knees knock together; to cuff Jonas. See JONAS. APE LEADER. An old maid: their punishment after death, for neglecting to increase and multiply, will be, it is faid, leading apes in hell.

APOSTLES. To manœuvre the apostles; i. e. rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money of one man to pay another. APOTHECARY. To talk like an apothecary; to talk nonfense: from the affumed gravity and affectation of knowledge generally put on by the gentlemen of that profeffion, who are commonly but fuperficial in their learning. APOTHECARY'S BILL. A long bill.

APOTHECARY's or LAW LATIN. Barbarous Latin, vulgarly called Dog Latin, in Ireland Bog Latin.

APPLE CART. Down with his apple-cart; knock or throw him down.

APPLE DUMPLIN SHOP. A woman's bofom.

APPLE-PYE BED. A bed made apple-pye fashion, like what is called a turnover apple-pye, where the sheets are so doubled as to prevent any one from getting at his length between them : a common trick played by frolicfome country laffes on their fweethearts, male relations, or visitors.

APRIL FOOL. Any one imposed on, or fent on a bootlefs errand, on the first of April; on which day it is the custom among the lower people, children, and fervants, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up, fending persons on abfurd meffages, and fuch like contrivances, to impofe on every one they can, and then to falute them with the title of April Fool.

APRON STRING HOLD. An eftate held by a man during his wife's life.

AQUA

ART

AQUA PUMPAGINIS. Pump water. Apothecaries Latin. ARRBOR VITÆ. A man's penis.

ARCH DUKE. A comical or eccentric fellow..

ARCH ROGUE, or DIMBER DAMBER UPRIGHT MAN. The chief of a gang of thieves or gypfies.

ARCH DELL, or ARCH DOXY, fignifies the fame in rank among the female canters or gypfies.

ARD. Hot. Cant.

ARISTIPPUS. A diet drink, or decoction of farfaparilla, china, &c. fold at certain coffee-houses, and drank as tea. ARMOUR. In his armour, pot valiant; to fight in armour, to make ufe of Mrs. Philips's ware. See C--D--M.

ARK. A boat or wherry. Let us take an Ark and winns; let us take a fculler. Cant. ARK RUFFIANS. Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and fometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the paffengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, ftripping, and throwing them overboard, &c. A fpecies of badgers. Cant.

ARRAH NOW.

An unmeaning expletive, frequently used by

the vulgar Irish..

ARS MUSICA. A bum-fiddle.

ARSE. To hang an arfe; to hang back, to be afraid to advance. He would lend his a--e, and fh-te through his ribs ; a faying of any one who lends his money inconfiderately. He would lose his a--e if it was loofe; faid of a careless perfon. A--e about; turn round.

ARSY VARSEY. To fall arfy varfey, i. e. head over heels. ARTHUR; KING ARTHUR. A game ufed at sea, when near the line, or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus: a man who is to reprefent king Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig made out of oakum, or fome old fwabs, is feated on the fide, or over a large veffel of water. Every person in his turn is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying, Hail, king Arthur! If during this ceremony the perfon introduced laughs or fimiles. (to which his majesty endeavours to excite him, by all forts of ridiculous gefticulations), he changes place with, and then

becomes,

.

AUT

becomes, king Arthur, till relieved by fome brother tar, who has as little command over his muscles as himself.

ARTICLES. Breeches; coat, waistcoat, and articles.

ASK or AX MY A--E. A common reply to any question; ftill deemed wit at fea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of felling bargains. See BARGAIN. ASSIG. An affignation.

ATHANASIAN WENCH, or QUICUNQUE VULT.

A for

ward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her, AUNT. Mine aunt; a bawd or procurefs; a title of eminence for the fenior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, &c. for the dells. Cant.-See DELLS.

AVOIR DU POIS LAY, Stealing brafs weights off the counters of fhops. Cant.

AUTEM CACKLE TUE. A conventicle or meeting house for diffenters. Cant.

AUTEM DIPPERS. Anabaptifts, Cant.

AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practise in churches; also churchwardens and overfeers of the poor. Gant.

AUTEM GOGLERS. Pretended French prophets. Cant. AUTEM MORT. A married woman; alfo a female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity, Cant.

AUTEM QUAVERS. Quakers.

AUTEM QUAVER TUB. A Quakers meeting-house. Cant.

B.

B.

B A G.

BABES IN THE WOOD. Rogues in the flocks, or pil

lory.

BABBLE. Confused, unintelligible talk, fuch as was used at the building the Tower of Bable.

BACK BITER. One who flanders another behind his back, i. e. in his abfence. His bofom friends are become his back biterss faid of a lousy man.

BACKED. Dead. He wishes to have the fenior, or old fquare

toes, backed: he longs to have his father on fix men's shoulders; that is, carrying to the grave.

BACK UP. His back is up, i. e. he is offended or angry: an expreffion or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raifing its back. An allufion alfo fometimes used to jeer a crooked man; as, So, Sir, I fee fomebody has offended you, for your back is up.

BACON. He has faved his bacon; he has escaped. He has a good voice to beg bacon; a faying in ridicule of a bad voice. BACON FACED. Full faced.

BACON FED. Fat, greasy,

BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A fodomite.

BACK DOOR (USHER OF GENTLEMAN OF THE). The fame. BAD BARGAIN. One of his majefty's bad bargains; a worthlefs foldier, a malingeror. See MALINGEROR.

BADGE. A term used for one burned in the hand. He has got his badge, and piked; he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty. Cant.

BADGE COVES. Parish penfioners. Cant.

BADGERS. A crew of defperate villains who robbed near rivers, into which they threw the bodies of those they murdered. Cant.

To BADGER. To confound, perplex, or teize.

BAG. He gave them the bag; i. e. left them.

BAG