Balayer (theatrical), les planches, to be the first to sing at a concert.
Balayez-moi-ça, m. (popular), woman’s dress. Literally you just sweep that away.
Balcon, m. (popular), il y a du monde, or il y a quelqu’un au——, an allusion to well-developed breasts.
Balconnier, m., orator who makes a practice of addressing the crowd from a balcony.
Baleine, f. (popular), disreputable woman, “bed-fagot.” Rire comme une——, to laugh in a silly manner with mouth wide open like a whale’s.
Baliverneur, m. (popular), monger of “twaddle,” of tomfooleries, of “blarney.”
Ballade, f. (popular), aller faire une—— à la lune, to ease oneself.
Balle, f. (thieves’), secret; affair; opportunity. Ça fait ma——, that just suits me. Manquer sa——, to miss one’s opportunity. Faire——, to be fasting. Faire la——, to act according to instructions. (Popular) Balle, one-franc piece; face, “mug;” head, “block.” Il a une bonne——, he has a good-natured looking face, or a grotesque face. Rond comme——, is said of one who has eaten or drunk to excess; of one who is drunk, or “tight.” Un blafard de cinq balles, a five-franc piece. (Familiar) Enfant de la——, actor’s child; actor; one who is of the same profession as his father. (Prostitutes’) Balle d’amour, handsome face. Rude——, energetic countenance, with harsh features. Balle de coton, a blow with the fist, a “bang,” “wipe,” “one on the mug,” or a “cant in the gills.”
Ballomanie, f., mania for ballooning.
Ballon, m. (popular), glass of beer; the behind, or “tochas.” Enlever le—— à quelqu’un, to kick one in the hinder part of the body, “to toe one’s bum,” “to root,” or “to land a kick.” En——, in prison, “in quod.” Se donner du——, to make a dress bulge out. Se lâcher du——, to make off rapidly, “to brush.”
Ballonné, adj. (thieves’), imprisoned, “in limbo.”
Ballot, m. (tailors’), stoppage of work.
Balloter (tailors’), to be out of work, “out of collar;” (thieves’) to throw.
Bal-musette, m., dancing place for workpeople in the suburbs.
Les bals-musette au plancher de bois qui sonne comme un tympanon sous les talons tambourinant la bourrée montagnarde … que la musette remplit de son chant agreste.—Richepin, Le Pavé.
Balochard, balocheur, m. (popular), one who idles about town carelessly and merrily.
Aussi j’laisse l’chic et les chars,
Aux feignants et aux galupiers,
Et j’suis l’roi des Balochards,
Des Balochards qui va-t-à pieds.
Richpin, Gueux de Paris.
Balocher, (popular), to be an habitué of dancing halls; to bestir oneself; to fish in troubled waters; to have on hand any unlawful business; to move things; to hang them up; to idle about carelessly and merrily, or “to mike.”
Balots, m. pl. (thieves’), lips. Se graisser les——, to eat, “to grub.”
Balouf (popular), very strong, “spry.”
Balthazar, m. (familiar), a plentiful meal, “a tightener.”
Baluchon, m. (popular), parcel, or “peter.”
Bambino, bambochino, m. (popular), term of endearment for a child.
Bamboche, adj. (popular), être——, to be tipsy, or “to be screwed.”
Banban, m. and f. (popular), lame person, “dot and go one;” small stunted person, “Jack Sprat.”
Banc, m. (convicts’), camp bed; (Parisians’) —— de Terre-Neuve, that part of the Boulevard between the Madeleine and Porte Saint-Denis. Probably an allusion to the ladies of fishy character, termed “morues,” or codfish, who cruise about that part of Paris, and a play on the word Terre-Neuve, Newfoundland, where the real article is fished in large quantities. (Military) Pied de——, sergeant. See Pied.
Bancal, m. (soldiers’), cavalry sword.
Et, je me sens fier, ingambe,
D’un plumet sur mon colbac,
D’un bancal, et du flic-flac
De ce machin sur ma jambe.
A. de Chatillon.
Bande, Properly cushion of billiard table. Coller sous——, to get one in a fix, in a “hole.”
Bande d’air, f. (theatrical), frieze painted blue so as to represent the sky.
Bande noire, f., a gang of swindlers who procure goods on false pretences and sell them below their value, “long firm.”
La Bande Noire comprises four categories of swindlers working jointly: “le courtier à la mode,” who, by means of false references, gets himself appointed as agent to important firms, generally wine merchants, jewellers, provision dealers. He calls on some small tradesmen on the verge of bankruptcy, denominated “petits faisans,” or “frères de la côte,” and offers them at a very low price merchandise which they are to dispose of, allowing him a share in the profits. The next step to be taken is to bribe a clerk of some private information office, who is thus induced to give a favourable answer to all inquiries regarding the solvency of the “petit faisan.” The courtier à la mode also bribes with a like object the doorkeeper of his clients. At length the goods are delivered by the victimized firms; now steps in the “fusilleur” or “gros faisan,” who obtains the merchandise at a price much below value—a cask of wine worth 170 francs, for instance, being transferred to him at less than half that sum—the sale often taking place at the railway goods station, especially when the “petit faisan” is an imaginary individual represented by a doorkeeper in confederacy with the gang.—Translated from the “République Française” newspaper, February, 1886.
Bander (popular), la caisse, to abscond with the cash-box. Properly to tighten the drum; —— l’ergot, to run away, “to crush.”
Bannette (popular), apron.
Bannière, f. (familiar), être en——, to be in one’s shirt, in one’s “flesh bag.”
Banque, f. (popular), falsehood, imposition, “plant.” (Hawkers’) La——, the puffing up of goods to allure purchasers; the confraternity of mountebanks. (Showmens’) Truc de——, password which obtains admission to booths or raree-shows. (Printers’) Banque,