A HILARIOUS rare book filled with old London slang has gone up for auction – but can you guess what some of the words mean?
The publication was designed as a guide for visitors to avoid thieves and even getting murdered in the 17th century by dodgy street crooks.
“New Dictionary Of The Terms… Of The Canting Crew” was released in 1699 by author B.E Gent.
It features long lost and amusing terms such as “catch–fart”, “fat–cull” and “fuddle–cup”.
But there are also words that have stood the test of time.
“Banter” is listed and described as a “pleasant way of prating”.
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“Racket” is there as “a noise or bustle” and “rabble” for “the mob”.
The book is designed to give foreigner visitors to London a better idea of any muggers lurking around them.
A “catch–fart” was apparently code for a footboy, while a “fat–cull” was a rich man.
“Fuddle–cup” meant a drunkard and an “adam–tiler” is pickpocket’s camerade.
The 327–year–old dictionary is a rare first edition that’s currently up for auction and estimated to be worth £3,000 to £4,000.
“This is a first edition of the first comprehensive dictionary of slang, and a rich source for the colourful language of England’s low life and underworld,” auction house Dominic Winter Auctioneers of Cirencester told the Daily Mail.
BIZARRE MONEY-RELATED TERMS
- Balsom: A “canting” term for money
- Baubee: A half-penny
- Queere-cole: Base, clipt, counterfeit, or brass money
- Queere-cole-maker: A person who creates false or counterfeit coins
- Queere-cole-fencer: A receiver and seller of counterfeit money
- Butter: To double or treble a bet or wager in an attempt to recover previous losses
- Rabbet-suckers: Young, wasteful people who buy goods on credit at extremely high interest rates
“This dictionary is perhaps the most important dictionary of slang ever printed, since it had such an influence on later compilations.
“Little is known of the author, B.E. Gent, but from his dictionary one gathers that he was an antiquary.
“Some of his words bear no relation to slang or cant, but merely gratify his whim for his curiosities.
“It is an interesting piece on British social history.”
Other terms that feature include “jenny” which is described as a tool used for shoplifting.
And “cackling–farts” mean eggs.
THE PICKPOCKET’S SLANG
- Buttock and File: A woman who is both a prostitute and a pickpocket
- Queere-diver: A bungling or unskilled pickpocket
- Cabbage: A tailor who pinches scraps of cloth from the garments they are hired to make
- Nimming: A slang word for stealing
- Catch–fart: A footboy
- Fat–cull: A rich man
- Fuddle–cup: A drunkard
- Adam–tiler: A pickpocket’s camerade
