THE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

OF

SLANG, CANT, AND VULGAR LANGUAGE;

OR A

LIST OF THE BOOKS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONSULTED

IN COMPILING THIS WORK,

COMPRISING NEARLY EVERY KNOWN TREATISE UPON THE SUBJECT.

SLANG has a literary history, the same as authorized language. Nearly one hundred works have treated upon the subject in one form or another,—a few devoting but a chapter, whilst many give up their entire pages to expounding its history and use. Old Harman, a worthy man, who interested himself in suppressing and exposing vagabondism in the days of good Queen Bess, was the first to write upon the subject. Decker followed fifty years afterwards, but helped himself, evidently, to his predecessor's labours. Shakespeare, Beaumont and Fletcher, Ben Jonson, and Brome, each employed beggars' cant as part of the machinery of their plays. Then came Head, (who wrote "The English Rogue," in 1680,) with a glossary of cant words "used by the Gipsies." But it was only a

reprint of what Decker had given sixty years before. About this time authorized dictionaries began to insert vulgar words, labelling them "cant." The Jack Shepherds and Dick Turpins of the early and middle part of the last century made cant popular, and many small works were published upon the subject. But it was Grose, burly, facetious Grose, who, in the year 1785, collected the scattered glossaries of cant and secret words, and formed one large work, adding to it all the vulgar words and slang terms used in his own day. I am aware that the indelicacy and extreme vulgarity of the work renders it a disgrace to its compiler, still we must admit that it is by far the most important work which has ever appeared on street or popular language; indeed, from its pages every succeeding work has, up to the present time, drawn its contents. The great fault of Grose's book consists in the author not contenting himself with slang and cant terms, but the inserting of every smutty and offensive word that could be raked out of the gutters of the streets. However, Harman and Grose are, after all, the only authors who have as yet treated the subject in an original manner, or have written on it from personal enquiry.

AINSWORTH's (William Harrison) Novels and Ballads.

London, V. D.

A few of this author's novels, such as Rookwood and Jack Shepherd, abound in cant words, placed in the mouths of the highwaymen. The author's ballads, (especially "Nix my dolly pals fake away,") have long been popular favourites.

ANDREWS' (George) Dictionary, of the Slang and Cant Languages, Ancient and Modern, 12mo. London, 1809

A sixpenny pamphlet, with a coloured frontispiece representing a beggars' carnival.

A NEW DICTIONARY OF THE JAUNTING CREW, 12mo.

N. D. Mentioned by John Bee in the Introduction to his Sportsman's Slang Dictionary.

ASH's (John, LL.D.) New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language, 2 vols, 8vo.

1775

Contains a great number of cant words and phrases. BACCHUS AND VENUS: or, a Select Collection of near 200 of the most Witty and Diverting Songs and Catches in Love and Gallantry, with Songs in the Canting Dialect, with a DICTIONARY, explaining all Burlesque and Canting Terms, 12mo. 1738

Prefixed is a curious woodcut frontispiece of a Boozing Ken. This work is scarce, and much prized by collectors. The Canting Dictionary appeared before, about 1710, with the initials B. E. on the title. It also came out afterwards, in the year 1751, under the title of the Scoundrel's Dictionary,-a mere reprint of the two former impressions.

BAILEY'S (Nath.) Etymological English Dictionary, 2 vols, 8vo 1737

Contains a great many cant and vulgar words;—indeed. Bailey does not appear to have been very particular what words he inserted, so long as they were actually in use.

BANG-UP DICTIONARY, or the Lounger and Sportsman's Vade Mecum, containing a copious and correct Glossary of the Language of the Whips, illustrated by a great variety of original and curious Anecdotes, 8vo. 1812

A vulgar performance, consisting of pilferings from Grose, and made-up words with meanings of a degraded character.

BARTLETT's Dictionary of Americanisms; a Glossary of Words and Phrases colloquially used in the United States, 8vo. New York, 1848

It is a curious fact connected with slang that a great number of vulgar words common in England are equally common in the United States; and when we remember that America began to people two centuries ago, and that these colloquialisms must have crossed the sea with the first emigrants, we can form some idea of the antiquity of popular or street language. Many words owing to the caprices of fashion or society have wholly disappeared in the parent country, whilst in the colonies they are yet heard. The word SKINK, to serve drink in company, for instance, is still in use in the United States, although obsolete here.

BEAUMONT & FLETCHER's Comedy of The Beggar's Bush, 4to, 1661, or any edition.

Contains numerous cant words.

BEE's (Jon) Dictionary of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, the Pit, the Bon Ton, and the Varieties of Life, forming the completest and most authentic Lexicon Balatronicum hitherto offered to the notice of the Sporting World, by Jon Bee [i.e. John Badcock], Esq., Editor of the Fancy, Fancy Gazette, Living Picture of London, and the like of that, 12mo. 1823 This author published books on Stable Economy in the name of Hinds. He was the sporting rival of Pierce Egan.

BEE's (Jon) Sportsman's Slang, a New Dictionary of Terms used in the affairs of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, and the Cockpit; with those of Bon Ton and the Varieties of Life, forming a Lexicon Balatronicum et Macaronicum, &c., 12mo, plate. For the Author, 1825

The same as the preceding, only with an altered title. Both wretched performances, with forced and low wit.

BLACKGUARDIANA; or, Dictionary of Rogues, Bawds, &c., Svo, WITH PORTRAITS [by James Caulfield] 1795

This work, with a long and very vulgar title, is nothing but a reprint of Grose, with a few anecdotes of pirates, odd persons, &c., and some curious portraits inserted. It was concocted by Caulfield as a speculation, and published at one guinea per copy; and, owing to the remarkable title, and the notification at the bottom, that "only a few copies were printed," soon became scarce. For philological purposes it is not worth so much as any edition of Grose.

BOXIANA, or Sketches of Modern Pugilism, by Pierce Egan (an account of the prize ring), 3 vols, 8vo.

1820

Gives more particularly the cant terms of pugilism, but contains numerous (what were then styled) "flash" words.

BRANDON. Poverty, Mendicity, and Crime; or, the Facts, Examinations, &c., upon which the Report was founded, presented to the Ho. of Lords by W. A. Miles, Esq., to which is added a Dictionary of the Flash or Cant Language, known to every Thief and Beggar, edited by H. Brandon, Esq., 8vo.

A very wretched performance.

1839

BROME's (Rich.) Joviall Crew; or the Merry Beggars. Presented in a Comedie at the Cockpit, in Drury Lane, in the Year 4to. 1652 Contains many cant words similar to those given by Decker,-from whom they were doubtless obtained.

BROWN's (Rev. Hugh Stowell) Lecture on Manliness, 12mo.

Contains a few modern slang words.

BRYDGES' (Sir Egerton) British Bibliographer, 4 vols, 8vo.

Vol ii, page 521, gives a list of cant words.

1857

1810-14

BUTLER'S Hudibras, with Dr. Grey's Annotations, 3 vols, 8vo.

1819

CAMBRIDGE. Gradus ad Cantabrigiam; or, a Dictionary of Terms, Academical and Colloquial, or Cant, which are used at the University, with illustrations, 8vo.

18

CANTING ACADEMY; or Villanies discovered, wherein are shewn the Mysterious and Villanous Practices of that Wicked Crew-Hectors, Trapanners, Gilts, &c., with several new Catches and Songs; also Compleat Canting Dictionary, 12mo, frontispiece.

Compiled by Richard Head.

1674