Bavarde, f. (thieves’), mouth, “muns,” or “bone box.”
Une main autour de son colas et l’autre dans sa bavarde pour lui arquepincer le chiffon ronge.—E. Sue.
Baver (popular), to talk, “to jaw;” —— des clignots, to weep, “to nap a bib;” —— sur quelqu’un, to speak ill of one, to backbite. Baver, also to chat. The expression is old.
Venez-y, varletz, chamberières,
Qui sçavez si bien les manières,
En disant mainte bonne bave.
Villon, 15th century.
Baveux, m. (popular), one who does not know what he is talking about.
Bayafe, m. (thieves’), pistol, “barking iron,” or “barker.”
Bayafer (thieves’), to shoot.
Bazar, m. (military), house of ill-fame, “flash drum;” (servants’) house where the master is particular, “crib;” (popular) any house; (prostitutes) furniture, “marbles;” (students) college or school, “shop.”
Bazarder (popular), to sell off anything, especially one’s furniture; to barter; (military) to pillage a house; to wreck it.
Bazenne, f. (thieves’), tinder.
Bé, m. (popular), wicker-basket which rag-pickers sling to their shoulders.
Béar, adj. (popular), laisser quelqu’un——, to leave one in the lurch.
Beau, m., old term for swell; ex-——, superannuated swell.
Beau blond (thieves’), a poetical appellation for the sun.
Beauce, f. (thieves’), plume de——, straw, or “strommel.”
Beauce, m., beauceresse, f., second-hand clothes-dealers of the Quartier du Temple.
Beauge, m. (thieves’), belly, “guts.”
Beausse, m. (thieves’), wealthy man, “rag-splawger,” or one who is “well-breeched.”
Bébé, m. (popular), stunted man; female dancer at fancy public balls in the dress of an infant; the dress itself; term of endearment. Mon gros——! darling! ducky!
Bec, m. (popular), mouth, “maw;” —— salé, a thirsty mortal. Claquer du——, to be fasting, “to be bandied.” Rincer le—— à quelqu’un, to treat one to some drink. Se rincer le——, to wet one’s whistle. Tortiller du——, to eat, “to peck.” Casser du——, to have an offensive breath. Avoir la rue du—— mal pavée, to have an irregular set of teeth. Ourler son——, to finish one’s work. (Sailors’) Se calfater le——, to eat or drink, “to splice the mainbrace.” (Thieves’) Bec de gaz, bourrique, flique, cierge, arnif, peste, laune, vache, police-officer or detective, “pig,” “crusher,” “copper,” “cossack,” “nark,” &c.
Bécane, f. (popular), steam engine, “puffing billy;” small printing machine.
Bécarre is the latest title for Parisian dandies; and the term is also used to replace the now well-worn expression “chic.” The “bécarre” must be grave and sedate after the English model, with short hair, high collar, small moustache and whiskers, but no beard. He must always look thirty years of age; must neither dance nor affect the frivolity of a floral button-hole nor any jewellery; must shake hands simply with ladies and gravely bend his head to gentlemen. “Bécarre—being translated—is ‘natural’ in a musical sense.”—Graphic, Jan. 2, 1886. The French dandy goes also by the appellations of “cocodès, petit crevé, pschutteux,” &c. See Gommeux.
Bécasse, f. (popular), female guy.
Eh! va donc, grande bécasse!
Becfigue de cordonnier, m. (popular), goose.
Bêchage, m. (familiar), sharp criticism.
Bêcher (familiar), to criticize, to run down; (popular) to beat, “to bash.” Se——, to fight, “to have a mill.”
Bêcheur, m. (thieves’), beggar, “mumper;” juge d’instruction, a magistrate whose functions are to make out a case, and examine a prisoner before he is sent up for trial. Avocat——, public prosecutor.
Bêcheuse, f. (thieves’), female thief.
Bécot, m. (popular), mouth, “kisser;” kiss, “bus.”
Bécoter (popular), to kiss; to fondle, “to firkytoodle.”
Becquant, m. (thieves’), chicken, “cackling cheat,” or “beaker.”
Becquetance, f. (popular), food, “grub.”
Becqueter (popular), to eat, “to peck.”
Dis-donc! viens-tu becqueter? Arrive clampin! Je paie un canon de la bouteille.—Zola.
Bedon, m. (popular), belly, “tripes,” or “the corporation.”
Bédouin, m. (popular), harsh man, or “Tartar;” one of the card-sharper tribe.
Beek (Breton), wolf. Gwelet an euz ar beek is equivalent to elle a vu le loup, that is, she has lost her maidenhead.
Beffeur, m., beffeuse, f. (popular), deceiver, one who “puts on.”
Bègue, f. (thieves’), oats; also abbreviation of bézigue, a certain game of cards.
Béguin, m. (popular), head, “nut;” a fancy. Avoir un—— pour quelqu’un, “to fancy someone, “to cotton on to one.”
Beigne, f. (popular), cuff or blow, “bang.”
Bêlant, m. (thieves’), sheep, “wool-bird.”
Belêt, m. (horse-dealers’), sorry horse, “screw.”
Belette, f. (popular), fifty-centime piece.
Belge, f. (popular), Belgian clay-pipe.
Belgique (familiar), filer sur——, to abscond with contents of cash-box, is said also of absconding fraudulent bankrupts, who generally put the Belgian frontier between the police and their own persons.
Bélier, m. (cads’), cuckold.
Bellander (tramps’), to beg, “to cadge.”
Belle, f. (popular and familiar), attendre sa——, to wait one’s opportunity.