Brutus, m. (thieves’), Brittany.
Bruyances, f. pl. (familiar), great puffing up in newspapers or otherwise.
Bu, adj. (popular), in liquor, “tight.” See Pompette.
Eh ben! oui, j’suis bu. Et puis, quoi?
Qué qu’vous m’voulez, messieurs d’la rousse?
Est-c’que vous n’aimez pas comme moi
A vous rincer la gargarousse?
Richepin, La Chanson des Gueux.
Bûche, f. Literally log; (tailors’) article of clothing. Coller sa—— au grêle, to remit a piece of work to the master. Temps de——, worktime. (Popular) Bûche, lucifer match; (thieves’) —— flambante, or plombante, lucifer match.
Bûcher (familiar), to work hard, “to sweat;” to belabour, “to lick.” (Popular) Se——, to fight, “to slip into one another.”
Bûcherie, f. (popular), fight, “mill.”
Bûcheur, m. (familiar), one who works hard, “a swat.”
Buen-retiro, m. (familiar), private place of retirement; (ironically) latrines, or “West Central.”
Buffet, m. (popular), avoir le—— garni, to have had a hearty meal; —— vide, to be fasting, to have nothing in the “locker.” Bas de——, see Bas. Remouleur de——, organ-grinder.
Buif, m. (military), shoemaker.
Bull-Park, m. (students’), Bullier’s dancing-rooms, situated near the Luxembourg, patronized by the students of the Quartier Latin, but invaded, as most places of a similar description now are, by the protectors of gay girls.
Buquer (thieves’), to commit a robbery at a shop under pretence of asking for change; (popular) to strike, a corruption of the slang term bûcher.
Vous avez dit dans votre interrogatoire devant Monsieur le Juge d’instruction: J’ai buqué avec mon marteau.—Gazette des Tribunaux.
Bureau arabe, m. (soldiers’ in Algeria), absinthe mixed with “orgeat,” a kind of liquor made with almonds.
Burettes, f. pl. (thieves’ and popular), pistols, “barking irons.” Literally phials.
Burlin, burlingue, m. (popular), office; desk. For bureau.
Chez l’pèr’ Jacob pour le jour de sa fête,
A son burlingue il voulait l’envoyer.
La France.
Busard, m., buse, f., buson, m. (familiar and popular), dull, slow, thick-witted man, “blockhead.”
Bustingue (thieves’), lodging house, “dossing ken.”
Bute, butte, or bute à regret, f. (thieves’), guillotine. Monter à la——, to be guillotined.
Buté, adj. (thieves’), guillotined; murdered. See Fauché.
Ils l’ont buté à coups de vingt-deux.—E. Sue. (They killed him by stabbing him.)
Buter (thieves’), to kill, to guillotine; to execute.
On va le buter, il est depuis deux mois gerbé à la passe.—Balzac. (He is going to be executed, he was sentenced to death two months ago.)
Buteur (thieves’), murderer; executioner. See Taule.
Butin, m. (soldiers’), equipment.
Butre (thieves’), dish.
Buvailler (popular), to drink little or slowly.
Buvailleur or buvaillon, m. (popular), a man who cannot stand drink.
Buverie, f. (common), a beerhouse, termed brasserie. From the old word beuverie.
Buveur d’encre, m. (soldiers’), any military man connected with the administration; clerk, or “quill-driver.”
L’expression de buveurs d’encre ne s’applique strictement qu’aux engagés volontaires qu’on emploie dans les bureaux, où ils échappent aux rigueurs du service, sous prétexte qu’ils ont une main superbe.—F. de Reiffenberg, La Vie de Garnison.
C
C, m. (popular), être un——, to be an arrant fool. Euphemism for a coarse word of three letters with which the walls are often adorned; —— comme la lune, extremely stupid.
Ça (popular), être——, to be the right sort. C’est un peu——, that’s excellent, “fizzing.” Avoir de——, to be wealthy. (Familiar) Ça manque de panache, it lacks finish or dash. Elle a de——, she has a full, well-developed figure.
Cab, m. (abbreviation of cabotin), contemptuous expression applied to actors; third-rate actor, or “surf.”
Cab, cabou (thieves’ and popular), dog, “tyke.” Le—— jaspine, the dog barks.
Cabande, f. (popular), candle, or “glim.” Estourbir la——, to blow the candle out.
Cabas, m. (popular), old hat. Une mère——, rapacious old woman. Properly, cabas, a woman’s bag.
Cabasser (popular), to chatter, to gabble; to delude, or “bamboozle;” to steal, “to prig.”
Cabasseur, m. (popular), scandal-monger; thief, “prig.” See Grinche.
Cabe, m. (students’), third year student at the Ecole Normale, a higher training school for professors, and one which holds the first rank among Colleges of the University of France; (popular) a dog. See Cabo.
Cabermon, m. (thieves’), wine-shop, “lush-crib.” A corruption of cabaret.
Cabestan, m. (thieves’), police inspector; police officer, “crusher,” “pig,” “copper,” or “reeler.”
Cabillot, m. (sailors’), soldier, “lobster.”
Câble à rimouque, m. (fishermens’), tow-line.
Souque! attrape à carguer! Pare à l’amarre! Et souque!
C’est le coup des haleurs et du câble à rimouque.
La oula ouli oula oula tchalez!
Hardi! les haleurs, oh! les haleurs, halez!
Richepin,