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A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words: Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James. — John Shaqi

General

A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words: Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

Name: A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words: Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.
Author: Hotten, John Camden

Hotten, John Camden

Cambridge (England) -- Languages -- Dictionaries; Cant -- Dictionaries; Cant -- England -- London -- Dictionaries; English language -- Dialects -- England -- London -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.; English language -- England -- London -- Slang -- Dictionaries; London (England) -- Languages -- Dic

THE COMPILER WILL BE MUCH OBLIGED BY THE RECEIPT, THROUGH MR. CAMDEN
HOTTEN, THE PUBLISHER, OF ANY CANT, SLANG, OR VULGAR WORDS NOT
MENTIONED IN THE DICTIONARY. THE PROBABLE ORIGIN, OR ETYMOLOGY, OF ANY
FASHIONABLE OR UNFASHIONABLE VULGARISM, WILL ALSO BE RECEIVED BY HIM
WITH THANKS.

_Piccadilly, June 30th, 1859._




CONTENTS.


THE HISTORY OF CANT, OR THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF VAGABONDS.

                                                                    PAGE

  Black and Coloured VAGABONDS—Vagabonds all over Europe—Vagabonds
  Universal                                                          1–5

  Etymology of CANT—Cant used in old times—Difference between Cant
  and Slang                                                          5–7

  THE GIPSEYS—Gipseys taught English Vagabonds—The Gipsey-Vagabond
  alliance—The Origin of Cant—Vulgar words from the Gipsey—Gipsey
  element in the English language—The poet Moore on the origin of
  Cant—Borrow on the Gipsey language—The inventor of Canting not
  hanged                                                            7–15

  OLD CANT words still used—Old Cant words with modern meanings—The
  words “_Rum_” and “_Queer_” explained—Old Cant words entirely
  obsolete                                                         16–19

  THE OLDEST “ROGUE’S DICTIONARY”                                  20–26

  “Jaw-breakers,” or hard words, used as Cant—Were Highwaymen educated
  men?—Vagabonds used Foreign words as Cant—The Lingua Franca, or
  Bastard Italian—Cant derived from Jews and Showmen—Classic words
  used as English Cant—Old English words used as Cant—Old English
  words not fashionable now—Our old Authors very vulgar persons—Was
  Shakespere a pugilist?—Old Dramatists used Cant words—Curious
  systems of Cant                                                  26–35


  ACCOUNT OF THE HIEROGLYPHICS USED BY VAGABONDS.

  MENDICANT FREEMASONRY—Hieroglyphics of Vagabonds—Maps used by
  Beggars—Account of a Cadger’s Map—Explanation of the
  Hieroglyphics—Did the Gipseys invent them?—The Murderer’s Signal on
  the Gallows                                                      36–43


  THE HISTORY OF SLANG, OR THE VULGAR LANGUAGE OF FAST LIFE.

  Slang at Babylon and Nineveh—Old English Slang—Slang in the time of
  Cromwell; and in the Court of Charles II.—Swift and Arbuthnot fond
  of Slang—The origin of “_Cabbage_”—“The Real Simon Pure”—Tom Brown
  and Ned Ward—Did Dr. Johnson compile a Slang Dictionary?—John Bee’s
  absurd etymology of _Slang_—The true origin of the term—Derived from
  the Gipseys—Burns and his fat friend, Grose—Slang used by all
  classes, High and Low—Slang in Parliament, and amongst our
  friends—New words not so reprehensible as old words burdened with
  strange meanings—The poor Foreigner’s perplexity—Long and windy
  Slang words—Vulgar corruptions                                   44–55

  FASHIONABLE SLANG                                                   58

A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words: Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

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