(Prostitutes’) Une brème, card delivered by the police to registered prostitutes. Fille en——, registered prostitute.
Brêmeur, m. (thieves’), card player, “broad faker.”
Brêmier, m. (thieves’), manufacturer of playing cards.
Brésilien, m. (popular), wealthy, generous man, “rag-splawger.”
Bricabracologie, art of dealing in or collecting bric-à-brac or knick-knacks.
Bricard, m. (popular), staircase.
Bricheton, m. (popular), bread; —— d’attaque, four-pound loaf.
Bricole, f. (popular), small, odd jobs that only procure scanty profits. Properly a shoulder-strap used by costermongers to draw their barrows.
Bricoler (popular), to make an effort; to give a good pull; to do anything in a hurried and clumsy manner; to carry on some affair in a not over straightforward way.
Bricoleur, m. (popular), man who will undertake any kind of work, any sundry jobs.
Bricul, briculé, m. (thieves’), police inspector.
Bridaukil (thieves’), gold watch chain, “redge slang,” or “red tackle.”
Bride, f. (thieves’), watch chain, “slang;” convict’s chain. (Popular) Vieille——, worthless, discarded object; term of contempt for individuals.
Bridé (thieves’), shackled.
Brider (thieves’), to shut, “to dub;” to fasten on a fetter, or “wife.”
Brif (Breton), bread.
Briffe, f. (popular), food, “belly timber;” bread, “tommy.” Passer à——, to eat, “to grub.”
N’importe où nous nous empatons
D’arlequins, d’briffe et d’rogatons.
Richepin, Chanson des Gueux.
Briffer (popular), to eat, “to grub.”
Brigadier, m. (popular), baker’s foreman.
Brigand, m. (popular), term of friendliness. Vieux——, you old scamp!
Brigant, brigeant, m. (thieves’), hair, or “strommel.”
Brigante or bringeante, f. (thieves’), wig, or “periwinkle.”
Brigeants or bringeants, m. pl. (thieves’), hair, “thatch.” Termed also “tifs, douilles, douillards.”
Brigeton, bricheton (popular), bread, “tommy.”
Brig-fourre, m. (military), brigadier fourrier.
Brignolet, m. (popular), bread, “tommy.”
Briller (thieves’), to light.
Brimade, f. (military), euphemism for bullying; practical and often cruel jokes perpetrated at the military school of Saint-Cyr at the expense of the newly joined, termed “melons” (“snookers” at the R. M. Academy), such as tossing one in a blanket, together with boots, spurs, and brushes, or trying him by a mock court-martial for some supposed offence. An illustration with a vengeance of such practical joking occurred some years ago at an English garrison town. Some young officers packed up a colleague’s traps, without leaving in the rooms a particle of property, nailed the boxes to the floor, and laid a he-goat in the bed. On the victim’s arrival they left him no time to give vent to his indignant feelings, for they cast him into a fisherman’s net and dragged him downstairs, with the result that the unfortunate officer barely escaped with his life.
Brimer, to indulge in brimades (which see).
Brinde, f. (popular), tall, lanky woman; landlord of a wine shop.
Brindezingue, m. (thieves’), tin case of very small diameter containing implements, such as a fine steel saw or a watch-spring, which they secrete in a peculiar manner. Says Delvau:—
Comment arrivent-ils à soustraire cet instrument de délivrance aux investigations les plus minutieuses des geôliers? C’est ce qu’il faut demander à M. le docteur Ambroise Tardieu qui a fait une étude spéciale des maladies de la gaîne naturelle de cet étui.
(Mountebanks’) Etre en——, to be ruined, a bankrupt, “cracked up,” or “gone to smash.”
Brindezingues, m. pl. (popular), être dans les——, to be intoxicated. From an old word brinde, toast.
Bringue, m. (popular), bread, or “soft tommy.” Mettre en——, to smash up.
Brio, m. (familiar). Properly a musical term. Figuratively, Parler, écrire avec——, to speak or write with spirit, in dashing style.
Brioches, f. pl. (popular). Literally gross mistake. Figuratively, Faire des——, to lead a disorderly life.
Briolet, m. (popular), thin, sour wine, that is, “vin de Brie.”
Briquemann, briquemon, m. (military), cavalry sword.
Briquemon, m. (thieves’), tinder box.
Brisac, m. (popular), careless child who tears his clothes.
Brisacque, m. (popular), noise; noisy man.
Brisant, m. (thieves’), the wind.
Briscard or brisque, m. (military), old soldier with long-service stripes.
Brise, f. (sailors’), à faire plier le pouce, violent gale; —— à grenouille, west wind.
Briser (printers’), to cease working. (Popular) Se la——, to go away, “to mizzle.” See Patatrot.
Briseur, m. The “briseurs” (gens qui se la brisent), according to Vidocq, are natives of Auvergne who pass themselves off for tradesmen. They at first gain the confidence of manufacturers or wholesale dealers by paying in cash for a few insignificant orders, and swindle them afterwards on larger ones. The goods, denominated “brisées,” are then sold much under value, and the unlawful proceeds are invested in Auvergne.
Brisque, f. (thieves’), year, or “stretch.”
Brisques, f. pl. (gamblers’), the ace and figures in a pack of cards. When a player possesses all these in his game he is said to have “la triomphe;” (military) stripes.
Brisure,