"goose," a tailor's smoothing-iron; "sheep's-foot," an iron hammer; "sow," a receptacle for molten iron, whilst the metal poured from it is termed "pig." Many of the Slang terms for money may have originally come from the workshop, thus"brads," from the ironmonger; "chips," from the carpenter; "dust," from the goldsmith; "feathers," from the upholsterer; "horse-nails," from the farrier; "haddock," from the fishmonger; and "tanner and skin" from the leather-dresser.

If society, as has been remarked, is a sham, from the vulgar foundation of commonalty to the crowning summit of royalty, then do we perceive the justness of the remark in that most peculiar of peculiarities, the Slang of makeshifts for oaths, and sham exclamations for passion and temper. These. apologies for feeling are an addition to our vernacular, and though some argue that they are a disgrace, for the reason that no man should pretend to swear or curse who does not do so, it is some satisfaction to know that they serve the purpose of reducing the stock of national profanity. "You be blowed," or "I'll be blowed if," &c., is an exclamation often heard in the streets. "Blazes," or "like blazes," came probably from the army, unless, indeed, it came from the original metaphor, afterwards corrupted, to serve all turns, to smoke like blazes." Blast,"

too, although in general vulgar use, may have had an engineering or military origin, and the phrase, "I wish I may be shot, if," smacks much of powder. "Blow me tight" is a very windy and common exclamation. The same may be said of "strike me lucky," "never trust me," and "so help me Davy;" the latter being evidently derived from the truer old phrase, "I'll take my Davy on't-i.e., my affidavit, "Davy," and sometimes "Alfred Davy," being a corruption of that word. "By Golly," "Gol darn it," and "so help"-generally pronounced "selp" or "swelp"-" me Bob," are evident shams for profane oaths. "Tarnation" is but a softening of damnation; and "od," whether used in "od drat it," or "od's blood," is but an apology for the name of the Deity. "Marry," a term of asse

veration in common use, was originally, in Popish times, a mode of swearing by the Virgin Mary ;-so also "marrow-bones," for the knees. "I'll bring him down upon his marrow-bones,"i.e., I'll make him bend his knees as he does to the Virgin Mary. The Irish phrase, "Bad scran to yer!" is equivalent to wishing a person bad food. "I'm sniggered if you will," and "I'm jiggered," are other mild forms of swearing among men fearful of committing an open profanity, yet slily nibbling at the sin. Maybe, some day one of these adventurers will meet with the object of his desires, and then when fairly "jiggered," whatever it may ultimately turn out to be, it is to be hoped he will prove a fearful example to all persons with the will, but not the pluck, to swear fierce oaths. Both "deuce" and "dickens" are vulgar old synonyms for the devil; and "zounds" is an abbreviation of "God's wounds,”—a very ancient oath.

In a casual survey of the territory of Slang, it is curious to observe how well represented are the familiar wants and failings of life. First, there is money, with one hundred and odd Slang terms and synonyms; then comes drink, from smal beer to champagne; and next as a very natural sequence, intoxication, and fuddlement generally, with some half a hundred vulgar terms, graduating the scale of drunkenness, from a slight inebriation to the soaky state which leads to the gutter, sometimes to the stretcher, the station-house, the fine, and, most terrible of all, the "caution." The Slang synonyms for mild intoxication are certainly very choice, they are "beery," "bemused," "boozy," "bosky," "buffy," "corned," "foggy," "fou," "fresh," "hazy," "elevated," "kisky," "lushy," "moony," "muggy," "muzzy," "on," "screwed," "stewed," "tight," and "winey." A higher or more intense state of beastliness is represented by the expressions, "podgy," "beargered," "blued," "cut," "primed," "lumpy," "ploughed," "muddled," "obfuscated," "swipey," "three sheets in the wind," and "top-heavy." But the climax of fuddlement is only obtained when the "disguised" individual "can't see a hole in a ladder,"

or when he is all "mops and brooms," or "off his nut," or with his "main-brace well spliced," or with the "sun in his eyes," or when he has "lapped the gutter," and got the "gravel rash," or is on the "ran-tan," or on the "ree-raw," or when "sewed up," and regularly "scammered,"-then, and not till then, is he entitled, in vulgar society, to the title of "lushington," or recommended to "put in the pin," i.e., the linch-pin, to keep his legs steady.

THE

SLANG DICTIONARY.

A 1, first-rate, the very best; "she's a prime girl, she is ; she is A 1."— Sam Slick. The highest classification of ships at Lloyd's; common term in the United States; also at Liverpool and other English seaports. Another, even more intensitive form is "first-class, letter A, No. 1." Some people choose to say A I, for no reason, however, beyond that of being different from others.

Abigail, a lady's-maid; perhaps obtained from old comedies. Used in an uncomplimentary sense. Some think the term is derived from Abigail Hill (Mrs. Masham), lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne, and a typical ABIGAIL in the way of intrigue.

About Right, "to do the thing ABOUT RIGHT," i.e., to do it properly, soundly, correctly; "he guv it 'im ABOUT RIGHT," i.e., he beat him severely.

Abraham-man, a vagabond, such as were driven to beg about the country after the dissolution of the monasteries.-See BESS O' BEDLAM, infra. They are well described under the title of Bedlam Beggars.— Shakspeare's K. Lear, ii. 3.

"And these, what name or title e'er they bear,

Jarkman, or Patrico, Cranke, or Clapper-dudgeon,
Frater, or ABRAM-MAN; I speak to all

That stand in fair election for the title

Of king of beggars."—Beaumont and Fletcher's Begg. Bush. ii. 1. It appears to have been the practice in former days to allow certain inmates of Bethlehem Hospital to have fixed days "to go begging:" hence impostors were said to "SHAM ABRAHAM" (the Abraham Ward in Bedlam having for its inmates these mendicant lunatics) when they pretended they were licensed beggars in behalf of the hospital. Abraham-sham, or SHAM ABRAHAM, to feign sickness or distress. From ABRAHAM-MAN, the ancient Cant term for a begging impostor, or one who pretended to have been mad.—Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, vol. i. p. 360. When Abraham Newland was Cashier to the Bank of England, and signed their notes, it was sung :

Absquatulate, to run away, or abscond; a hybrid American expression, from the Latin ab, and "squat" to settle.

Acres, a coward. From Bob Acres, in Sheridan's Rivals.

Adam's Ale, water.-English. The Scotch term is ADAM'S WINE. Added to the List, a euphuism current among sporting writers implying that a horse has been gelded. As, "Sabinus has been ADDED TO THE LIST. Another form of expression in reference to this matter is that "the knife has been brought into requisition." "ADDED TO THE LIST" is simply a contraction for "added to the list of geldings in training."

Addlepate, a foolish fellow, a dullard.

Admiral of the Red, a person whose very red face evinces a fondness for strong potations.

Affygraphy. "It fits to an AFFYGRAPHY,” ¿.e., to a nicety—to a T. Afternoon Farmer, one who wastes his best opportunity, and drives off the large end of his work to the little end of his time.

Against the Grain, in opposition to the wish. "It went AGAINST THE GRAIN to do it, but I knew I must," is a common expression. Aggerawators (corruption of Aggravators), the greasy locks of hair in vogue among costermongers and other street folk. worn twisted from the temple back towards the ear. They are also, from a supposed resemblance in form, termed NEWGATE KNOCKERS, and sometimes NUMBER SIXES. This style of adorning the head is, however, fast dying out, and the everyday costermonger or street thief has his hair cut like any one else. The yearly militia drill may have had a good Ideal to do with this alteration.

Akeybo, a slang phrase used in the following manner :-" He beats AKEYBO, and AKEYBO beat the devil."

Albertopolis, a facetious appellation given by the Londoners to the Kensington Gore district. Now obsolete.

Alderman, a half-crown-possibly from its rotundity.

pipe.

Also a long

Alderman, a turkey; "ALDERMAN IN CHAINS," a turkey hung with

sausages.

All of a Hugh! all on one side; falling with a thump; the word HUGH being pronounced with a grunt.-Suffolk.

All my Eye, a remark of incredulity made in reference to an improbable story; condensation of "ALL MY EYE AND BETTY MARTIN," a vulgar phrase constructed from the commencement of a Roman Catholic prayer to St. Martin, "Oh, mihi, beate Martine," which in common. with many another fell into discredit and ridicule after the Reformation. All out, by far; "he was ALL OUT the best of the lot." Old--frequently used by Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy.