ACT of PARLIAMENT, a military term for small beer, five pints of which, by an act of parliament, a landlord was formerly obliged to give to each soldier gratis.

ACTEON, a cuckold, from the horns planted on the head of Acteon by Diana.

ADAM'S ALE, water.

ADAM TILER, a pickpocket's associate, who receives the stolen goods and runs off with them, (cant).

ADDLE PATE, an inconsiderate foolish fellow.

ADDLE PLOT, a spoil sport, a mar all.

ADMIRAL of the BLUE, who carries his flag on his mainmast, a landlord or publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among gentleman of that vocation. ADRIFT, (sea phrase) loose, turned adrift, discharged. AFFIDAVIT MEN, knights of the post, or false witnesses, said to attend Westminster Hall and other courts of justice, ready to swear anything for hire, distinguished by having straws stuck in the heels of their shoes.

AFTER CLAP, a demand after that first given in has been discharged, a charge for pretended omissions.

AGAINST THE GRAIN, unwillingly, it went much against the grain with him, i. e., it was much against his inclination, or against his pluck.

AGOG, ALL-A-GOG, anxious, eager, impatient.

AGROUND, stuck fast, stopped, at a loss, ruined, like a boat or vessel aground.

AIR and EXERCISE, he has had air and exercise, i.e., he has been whipp'd at the cart's tail, or as it is generally, though more vulgarly, expressed, at the cart's a-se.

ALE DRAPER, an ale-house keeper.

ALL-A-MORT, struck dumb, confounded.

ALL NATIONS, a composition of all the different spirits sold in a dram shop, collected in a vessel, into which the drainings of the bottles and quartern pots are emptied. ALSASIA THE HIGHER, White Fryers, once a place privileged from arrests for debt, as was also the Mint, but suppressed on account of the notorious abuses committed there.

ALSASIA THE LOWER, the Mint in Southwark. ALSASIANS, the Inhabitants of White Fryers, or the Mint. ALTAMEL, vide Dutch reckoning, a verbal or lump account, without particulars, such as are commonly produced at bawdy houses, spunging houses, &c.

ALTITUDES, the man is in his altitudes, i. e. he is drunk. AMBASSADOR, a trick to duck some ignorant fellow or landsman, frequently played on board ships in the warm latitudes, it is thus managed: a large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed on each side of it, over the whole is thrown a tarpawlin or old sail, this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king and queen of a foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The person intended to be ducked plays the ambassador, and after repeating a ridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and seated between the king and queen, who rising suddenly as soon as he is seated, he falls backward into the tub of water. AMBIDEXTER, a lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and defendant, or that goes snacks with both parties in gaming. AMEN CURLER, a parish clerk.

AMINIDAB, a jeering name for a quaker.

AMES ACE, within ames ace, nearly, very near.

TO AMUSE, (in a canting sense) to fling dust or snuff in the. eyes of a person intended to be robbed. Also to invent some plausible tale, to delude shopkeepers and others, thereby to put them off their guard.

AMUSERS, rogues who carried snuff or dust in their pockets, which they threw into the eyes of any person they intended. to rob, and running away, their accomplices pretending to assist, and pity the half blinded person, took that opportunity of plundering him. An ANABAPTIST, a pickpocket caught in the fact, and punished with the discipline of the pump, or horse-pond. ANGLERS, pilferers, or petty thieves, who with a stick having a hook at the end, steal goods out of shop windows, grates, &c., also those who draw in, or entice unwary persons, to prick at the belt, or such like devices.

ANGLING FOR FARTHINGS, begging out of a prison win-
dow with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long
string.
ANKLE, a girl who is got with child, is said to have sprained
her ankle.

ANTHONY, or TANTONY PIG, the favourite or smallest
pig in the litter to follow like a tantony pig, i. e. St.
Anthony's pig, to follow close at one's heels. St. Anthony
the hermit was a swine herd, and is always represented
with his bell and pig.

TO KNOCK ANTHONY, said of an inkneed person, or one whose knees knock together. See to cuff Jonas.

APE LEADER, an old maid, their punishment after death, for neglecting to increase and multiply, will be it is said, leading apes in hell.

APOTHECARY, to talk like an apothecary, to talk nonsense, from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge, generally put on by the gentleman of that profession, who are commonly but superficial in their learning. APOTHECARY'S BILL, a long bill.

APOTHECARY'S, or LAW LATIN, barbarous Latin, vulgarly called dog latin, in Ireland bog latin.

APRIL FOOL, any one imposed on, or sent on a bootless errand on the first of April, on which day it is the custom among the lower people, children, and servants, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up, sending persons on absurd messages, and such like contrivances, to impose on every one they can, and then to salute them with the title of April-fool.

APRON STRING HOLD, an Estate held by a man during
his wife's life.

AQUA POMPAGINIS, pump water, (Apothecaries Latin.)
AN ARCH ROGUE, or DIMBER DAMBER UPRIGHT
MAN, the chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.

An ARCH DELL, or ARCH DOXY, signifies the same in
rank among the female canters or gypsies.

ARISTIPPUS, a diet drink or decoction of sarsaparilla, china, &c., sold at certain coffee houses and drank as tea.

་

ARMOUR, in his armour, pot valiant; to fight in armour, to make use of Mrs. Phillips's ware. See c-d-m.

ARK, (cant) a boat or wherry. Let us take an ark and winns. Let us take a sculler.

ARK RUFFIANS, (cant) rogues who in conjunction with watermen robbed and sometimes murdered on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, &c., a species of badgers.

ARS MUSICA, a bum-fiddle.

ARSE, to hang an arse, to hang back, to be afraid to advance. ARSY VARSEY, to fall arsy varsey, i. e., head over heels. ARTHUR, KING ARTHUR, a game used at sea, when

near the line, or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus: a man who is to represent King Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig made out of oakum, or some old swabs, is seated on the side or over a large vessel of water, every person in his turn is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying hail king Arthur! if during this ceremony the person introduced laughs or smiles, (to which his majesty endeavours to excite him, by all sorts of ridiculous gesticulations) he changes place with, and then becomes king Arthur, till relieved by some brother tar, who has as little command over his muscles as himself.

ASSIG, an assignation.

ATHANASIAN WENCH, or QUICUNQUE VULT, a forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her. AUNT, mine aunt, (cant) a bawd or procuress, a title of eminence for the senior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, &c., for the dells. See dells.

AUTEM, a Church.

AUTEM BAWLER, (cant) a parson.

AUTEM CACKLERS,

AUTEM PRICKEARS,

(cant) dissenters of every denomination.

AUTEM CACKLE TUB, (cant) a conventicle or meeting

house for dissenters.

AUTEM DIPPERS, (cant) anabaptists.

AUTEM DIVERS, (cant) pickpockets who practise in churches, also church-wardens and overseers of the poor. AUTEM GOGLERS, (cant) pretended French prophets. AUTEM MORT, (cant) a married woman, also a female beggar, with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

AUTEM QUAVERS, (cant) quakers.

AUTEM QUAVER TUB, (cant) a quakers' meeting-house.

B.

BABES IN THE WOOD, rogues in the stocks, or pillory.

BACK BITER, one who slanders another behind his back, i.e., in his absence. His bosom friends are become his back biters, said of a lousy man.

BACK'D, dead.

He wishes to have the senior, or old squaretoes back'd. He longs to have his father on six mens' shoulders, that is, carrying to the grave.

BACK UP, his back is up, i.e., he is offended or angry; an expression or idea taken from a cat, that animal when angry, always raising its back; an allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man, as, so Sir, I see somebody has offended you, for your back is up.

BACON, he has saved his bacon, he has escaped, he has a good voice to beg bacon, a saying in ridicule of a bad

voice.

BACON FACED, full faced.

BACON FED, fat, greasy.

BACK GAMMON PLAYER, a sodomite.

USHER, or GENTLEMAN OF THE BACK DOOR, the

same.

BAD BARGAIN, one of his majesty's bad bargains, a worthless soldier, a malingeror. See malingeror.

BADGE, term used in the canting sense, for one burned in the hand. He has got his badge, and piked; he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty (cant).