Argot and Slang. Albert Barrere

the word “to beg,” which is derived from “bag;” —— à l’arche, to fetch money; —— à niort, to deny, a play on the words “Niort,” name of a town, and “nier,” to deny; —— à ses affaires, to ease oneself, “to go to Mrs. Jones’;” —— au persil is said of street-walkers who ply their trade. This expression may have its origin in the practice sometimes followed by this class of women of carrying a small basket as if going to the fruiterer’s; —— au trot is said of a prostitute walking the street in grand attire, or “full fig;” —— au vice, to make one’s resort of places where immorality is rife; —— voir défiler les dragons, to go without dinner. The English have the expressions, “to dine out,” used by the lower classes, and “to dine with Duke Humphrey,” by the middle and upper. According to the Slang Dictionary the reason of the latter saying is as follows: “Some visitors were inspecting the abbey where the remains of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, lie, and one of them was unfortunately shut in, and remained there solus while his companions were feasting at a neighbouring hostelry. He was afterwards said to have dined with Duke Humphrey, and the saying eventually passed into a proverb.” Aller aux pruneaux is said of the victim of a practical joke played in hospitals at the expense of a new patient, who, being sent at the conclusion of a meal to request another patient to furnish him with the customary dessert, gets bolstered for his pains; —— où le roi va à pied, to go to the latrines, or “chapel of ease;” (printers’) —— en galilée, or —— en germanie (a play on the words “Je remanie,” I overrun), to do some overrunning in a piece of composition; (soldiers’) —— à l’astic, to clean one’s equipment; (sporting) —— pour l’argent, to back one’s own horse; (musicians’) —— au carreau, to seek an engagement. An allusion to “la Rue du Petit-Carreau,” a meeting-place for musicians of the lowest class, and musical conductors. (Thieves’) Aller à comberge, to go to confession with a priest; —— à la retape, to waylay in order to murder; —— chez Fualdès, to share the booty, “to nap the regulars.” Fualdès was a rich banker, who was murdered in circumstances of peculiar atrocity.

      Allez donc (familiar), et——, a kind of flourish at the end of a sentence to emphasize an assertion. Allez donc vous laver (popular), be off, go to “pot;” —— vous asseoir, “shut up!”

      Alliances, f. pl. (thieves’), handcuffs, “bracelets.” Properly wedding-rings.

      Allonger (familiar), to pay, to “fork out;” —— les radis, to pay, “to shell out;” (military) —— la ficelle or la courroie, to make an addition to a penalty. S’——, to fall, to “come down a cropper.”

      Allume, m., confederate who makes sham bids at auctions, a “button.”

      Allumé (thieves’), stared at.

      Sur la placarde de Vergne

      Il nous faudrait gambiller,

      Allumés de toutes ces largues

      Et du trèpe rassemblé.

      Mémoires de Vidocq.

      Allumer (thieves’), to look, “to stag,” to see, or “to pipe;” to keep a sharp look-out, to watch, “to nark.”

      Si le Squelette avait eu tantôt une largue comme moi pour allumer, il n’aurait pas été mouché le surin dans l’avaloir du grinche.—E. Sue, Mystères de Paris.

      Allumer le miston, to scan one’s features; —— ses clairs, to look attentively, “to stag;” (prostitutes’) —— son pétrole, son gaz, to get highly excited. (Theatrical) Allumer, to awake interest or enthusiasm among an audience; (popular) to allure purchasers at fair stalls, or the public at theatrical booths or “gaffs” by glowing accounts. In coachmens’ parlance, to whip, “to flush.” (Familiar) S’——, to be slightly intoxicated, “fresh;” excited by women’s allurements; brought to the proper pitch of interest by card-sharpers or salesmen.

      Un autre compère gagne encore un coup de dix francs cette fois. La galerie s’allume de plus en plus.—Richepin, Le Pavé.

      Allumette, f. (popular), avoir son——, to be tipsy, “screwed.” The successive stages of this degree of intoxication are expressed by the qualifying terms, “ronde,” “de marchand de vin,” “de campagne.”

      Allumettes, f. pl. (popular), arms, “benders.”

      Allumeur, m., confederate at auction rooms (see Allume); thief who gets workmen into a state of intoxication on pay day, after which they are seen home, and robbed of their earnings by his confederates, the “meneuses” and “travailleurs,” or “bug hunters;” gambling cheat who plays as if he were one of the general public, and who otherwise sets a game going, a “buttoner,” or “decoy-duck.”

      Allumeurs, m. pl. (military), de gaz, lancers. An allusion to their weapon, which has some resemblance with a lamp-lighter’s rod.

      Allumeuse, f., woman who seeks to entice passers-by into patronizing a house of ill fame.

      Almanach, m. (popular), des vingt-cinq mille adresses, girl or woman of dissolute character, “public ledger.” See Gadoue.

      Alpaga, alpag, m. (popular), coat, “tog,” or “Benjamin.”

      Alpague (popular), clothing, “toggery,” coat, “Benjamin.”

      Alphonse (familiar), man who protects prostitutes, ill-treats them often, and lives off their earnings, “pensioner.” These worthies go also by the names of “dos, barbeau, chevalier de la guiche, marlou,” &c. See Poisson.

      Alphonsisme (familiar), the calling of an Alphonse.

      Alpion (gamesters’), man who cheats at cards, one who “bites.”

      Altèque (thieves’), manly, “spry,” handsome, excellent, “nobby.” From altus.

      Amadou, m., amadoue, f. (thieves’ and tramps’), substance with which vagabonds rub their faces to give themselves a sickly, wretched appearance.

      Les cagous emmènent avec sezières leurs apprentis pour leur apprendre à exercer l’argot. Premièrement, leur enseignent à acquiger de l’amadoue de plusieurs sortes, l’une avec de l’herbe qu’on nomme éclaire, pour servir aux francs-mijoux.—Le Jargon de l’Argot.

      (Popular) man with an inflammable heart.

      Amadouage, m. (thieves’), marriage, “buckling.”

      Amadouer, s’—— (thieves’ and tramps’), to paint or otherwise make up one’s face with a view to deceiving people.

      Amandes, f. pl. (popular), de pain d’épice, black teeth, few and far between.

      Amant (prostitutes’), de carton, lover of no importance, a poor lover in both senses; —— de cœur, one who enjoys a kept woman’s affections gratis, one who is loved for “love,” not money.

      Amar, amarre, m. (thieves’), friend, “pal,” or “Ben cull;” —— d’attaque, staunch friend.

      Amar-loer (Breton cant), rope which has served to hang one.

      Amarrer