Victorian era criminals, especially those from the East End of London (one of the worst and most crime infested regions of the City) had a distinctive slang,\u00a0 that allowed them to recognize each other and help conceal their intentions from the authorities and their intended victims…<\/p>\n
A few examples:<\/p>\n
The Family=<\/strong> The Victorian criminal fraternity.<\/p>\n On the Game=<\/strong> Thieving.<\/p>\n All Gay=<\/strong> Used by lookouts to indicate that the coast is clear<\/p>\n Ramp=<\/strong> A violent crime or mugging<\/p>\n Rampsman = <\/strong>A mugger<\/p>\n Angler=<\/strong> A thief who uses a hook tied to a stick to steal from open windows<\/p>\n Smasher= <\/strong>Someone who passes counterfeit money<\/p>\n Arab=<\/strong> A street urchin. Also, \u201cstreet arab.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter= <\/strong>A street robber<\/p>\n Dragsman=<\/strong> A robber of vehicles or carriages.<\/p>\n Badger=<\/strong>\u00a0 A riverside thief who throws his victims into the Thames after overpowering or killing and robbing them.<\/p>\n Macer= <\/strong>A conman or cheat<\/p>\n Duffer=\u00a0 <\/strong>Someone who sells stolen goods, also someone who sells fake jewelry.<\/p>\n Bit Faker=<\/strong>\u00a0 A crafter of counterfeit coins<\/p>\n Palmer=<\/strong>\u00a0 A shoplifter<\/p>\n Blower=<\/strong>\u00a0 An informer<\/p>\n Nobblers=<\/strong> Violent robber<\/p>\n Punisher<\/strong>= Hired muscle<\/p>\n Bludger<\/strong>= Hired muscle known for using a club or bludgeon<\/p>\n Esclops (or slops), crushers, rozzers, pigs, and peelers= <\/strong>Various names for the police<\/p>\n Mob=<\/strong>\u00a0 A Gang<\/p>\n Flash-House=<\/strong> Headquarters for a mob or a Duffer<\/p>\n Lurkers=<\/strong> Lookouts for a flash-house<\/p>\n Cracksmen=<\/strong> Burglar<\/p>\n Screwsman=<\/strong> A Burglar who specializes in opening safes<\/p>\n Mutchers= <\/strong>Pickpocket who robs drunks<\/p>\n Drunkenroller=<\/strong> Pickpocket<\/p>\n Dippers=<\/strong> Pickpocket<\/p>\n Tooler=<\/strong> A particularly skilled pickpocket<\/p>\n Broadsman=<\/strong>\u00a0 A cardsharp; anyone who cheats at cards for profit.<\/p>\n Mobsmen=<\/strong> Someone who work with a mob<\/p>\n Life-Preserver=<\/strong> A sap or blackjack<\/p>\n Barker=<\/strong> A pistol or revolver<\/p>\n Betties=<\/strong>\u00a0 Lockpicks<\/p>\n Cutter=<\/strong>\u00a0 Tool to cut holes in woodwork<\/p>\n Jemmy=\u00a0<\/strong> A small crowbar<\/p>\n Chiv=<\/strong>\u00a0 A knife. Used as a verb, it means \u201cto slash.\u201d<\/p>\n Lists=<\/strong>\u00a0 Strips of cloth that the tools are wrapped in to facilitate easy disposal if a search by police seems likely.<\/p>\n Jack-in-the-box=<\/strong>\u00a0 A special tool designed to pry open all but the toughest safe.<\/p>\n Crow=<\/strong> A lookout for a cracksman<\/p>\n Canary=<\/strong> A female lookout for a cracksmen<\/p>\n Cop=<\/strong> To arrest, capture, or ensnare.<\/p>\n Copper:<\/strong>\u00a0 A penny or, by extension, a police constable (whose buttons resembled pennies).<\/p>\n Buer=<\/strong> Professional (full time) prostitute or streetwalker<\/p>\n Ladybird=<\/strong> Professional (full time) prostitute or streetwalker<\/p>\n Troopers=<\/strong> Professional (full time) prostitute or streetwalker<\/p>\n Dollymop=<\/strong>\u00a0 Part time prostitute<\/p>\n Toffer=<\/strong> High end prostitute<\/p>\n Toff=<\/strong>\u00a0 A well to do gentleman<\/p>\n Cab=<\/strong>\u00a0 A brothel.<\/p>\n Snoozers=<\/strong>\u00a0 Criminals who steal the luggage of hotel guests while they are out or sleeping.<\/p>\n Skinner=<\/strong> Usually a woman, who lures children into an alley and strips them of their clothes to sell.<\/p>\n Caddee=<\/strong>\u00a0 An especially lowly underling or assistant to a thief<\/p>\n Chokey=<\/strong>\u00a0 Police custody or prison<\/p>\n Dry Room=<\/strong> A cell, or a prison as a whole.<\/p>\n Scurf=<\/strong>\u00a0 Leader of a gang.<\/p>\n Darbies=<\/strong> Handcuffs<\/p>\n John Darbie=<\/strong> Handcuffs<\/p>\n Ruffles=<\/strong> Handcuffs<\/p>\n Esclop (pronounced \u201cslop\u201d)=<\/strong> A policeman<\/p>\n The Factory=<\/strong> Scotland Yard.<\/p>\n The Eye=<\/strong>\u00a0 A place where a fence hides stolen goods<\/p>\n Flash Notes=<\/strong>\u00a0 Crudely fashioned paper designed to resemble bank notes; counterfeit bank\u00a0 notes.<\/p>\n Gagger=<\/strong>\u00a0 Con man specializing in hard-luck stories<\/p>\n Gift=<\/strong> Stolen property sold cheaply.<\/p>\n Hempen Fever=\u00a0<\/strong> Hanged<\/p>\n Kicking the Clouds=<\/strong> Hanged<\/p>\n Leaping at a Daisy=<\/strong>\u00a0 Hanged<\/p>\n Hustling:<\/strong> Robbing In pairs, one man holding the victim while the other robs him.<\/p>\n Jack=<\/strong>\u00a0 A detective<\/p>\n A Peach=<\/strong> A detective<\/p>\n Fitter=<\/strong>\u00a0 A locksmith specializing in making burglar tools.<\/p>\n Jug=<\/strong> Prison.<\/p>\n Kate=<\/strong> A skeleton key.<\/p>\n Kidsman=<\/strong> A recruiter of gangs of child thieves<\/p>\n Leaving Shop=<\/strong> Pawnbroking without a license.<\/p>\n Cosh=<\/strong> A blackjack<\/p>\n Macer=<\/strong> A cheat.<\/p>\n Mil Tonian=\u00a0<\/strong> A policeman.<\/p>\n Mud Lark=<\/strong>\u00a0 A scavenger along the Thames.<\/p>\n Mug-Hunter=<\/strong>\u00a0 A street robber.<\/p>\n Neddy=\u00a0<\/strong> A life-preserver.<\/p>\n Nibbed=<\/strong>\u00a0 Arrested.<\/p>\n Old Bird=\u00a0<\/strong> An experienced thief.<\/p>\n Out of Twig=\u00a0<\/strong> In disguise; undercover.<\/p>\n Peter=<\/strong> A safe.<\/p>\n Pipe=<\/strong> A private detective. A reference to Sherlock Holmes?<\/p>\n Rook=<\/strong>\u00a0 A small crowbar or “Jemmy”<\/p>\n Readers=<\/strong> The marked cards used by card cheats<\/p>\n Smashers=<\/strong> Passers of counterfeit bills<\/p>\n Snide Pitching=<\/strong> Th act of passing counterfeit money.<\/p>\n Spike=<\/strong> A workhouse. Where the Destitute often wind up.<\/p>\n Spring the Rattle=<\/strong> To call the police or otherwise raise an alarm. Referencing the Rattles formerly carried by the Police.<\/p>\n Stand the Racket=<\/strong>\u00a0 To take the rap for a fellow thief.<\/p>\n Stephen=<\/strong>\u00a0 Money<\/p>\n Tiddlywinker=\u00a0<\/strong> A cheat.<\/p>\n Timber Merchant=<\/strong>\u00a0 A match-seller on the street.<\/p>\n Tom Sawyer=<\/strong> Rhyming slang for a lawyer.<\/p>\n Tombstone=<\/strong> A pawn ticket.<\/p>\n Twirls=<\/strong> Skeleton keys.<\/p>\n Under and Over=<\/strong> a swindle.<\/p>\n Vampsman=<\/strong> A robber<\/p>\n Vamp=<\/strong> A robbery.<\/p>\n Virtue Rewarded:=<\/strong> Taken away in a police van<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Victorian era criminals, especially those from the East End of London (one of the worst and most crime infested regions of the City) had a distinctive slang,\u00a0 that allowed them to recognize each other and help conceal their intentions from … Continue reading