own, forcible, picturesque, and graphic. This language sometimes embodies in a single word a whole train of philosophical ideas, and is dashed with a grim humour, with a species of wit which not often misses the mark. Moreover, these labourers, roughs, street arabs, thieves, and worse than thieves--these Coupeaus, Bec-Salés, Mes-Bottes, Lantiers--are not the sole possessors of a vernacular which, to a certain extent, is the exponent of their idiosyncrasies. Slang has invaded all classes of society, and is often used for want of terms sufficiently strong or pointed to convey the speaker’s real feelings. It seems to be resorted to in order to make up for the shortcomings of a well-balanced and polished tongue, which will not lend itself to exaggeration and violence of utterance. Journalists, artists, politicians, men of fashion, soldiers, even women talk _argot_, sometimes unawares, and these as well as the lower classes are depicted in the Naturalistic novel. Now, although the study of French is daily acquiring more and more importance in England, the professors of that language do not as a rule initiate their pupils--and very naturally so--into the mysteries of the vernacular of the highest and lowest strata of society, into the cynical but pithy and humorous jargon of the _voyou_ from the heights of Montmartre or Ménilmontant, nor even into the lisping twaddle of the languid _gommeux_ who lolls on the Boulevard des Italiens. Hence English readers of _L’Assommoir_ and other similar works find themselves puzzled at every line, and turn in vain for assistance to their dictionaries. The present volume aims at filling the vacant space on the shelves of all who read for something besides the passing of an idle hour. An _English slang equivalent_ of the _English rendering_ has been inserted whenever that was possible, and because the meaning of a term is better conveyed by examples, as many quotations as the limits of the _Dictionary_ would admit have been reproduced from different authors. A few words on the manner in which the work has been compiled are due to the reader. In order to complete my own private information, specially with reference to old cant, I have drawn as freely as seemed to me legitimate on works of a similar character--Michel’s, Delvau’s, Rigaud’s, Lorédan Larchey’s excellent _Dictionnaire Historique d’Argot_, Vilatte’s _Parisismen_, a very complete work on French _argot_ rendered into German. But by far the most important portion of my collection has been gathered from Vidocq’s productions, Balzac’s works, _The Memoirs of Monsieur Claude_, formerly superintendent of the detective department in Paris, and from other works to be mentioned hereafter. To an inspector of the detective force in Paris, Monsieur Lagaillarde, I am indebted for many of the terms of the phraseology used by the worthies with whom his functions have brought him in contact.