MaryBeth, The Gentleman Texter

criminalwisdom:

A dictionary of buckish slang, university wit, and pickpocket eloquence.

ANGLING FOR FARTHINGS. Begging out of a prison window with a cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.

BUNTER. A low dirty prostitute, half whore and half beggar.

FIRE PRIGGERS. Villains who rob at fires under pretence of assisting in removing the goods.

GAP STOPPER. A whoremaster.

JARKMEN. Those, who fabricate counterfeit passes, licences, and certificates for beggars.

MORNING DROP. The gallows. He napped the king’s pardon and escaped the morning drop; he was pardoned, and was not hanged.

PETTY FOGGER. A little dirty attorney, ready to undertake any litigious or bad cause: it is derived from the French words petit vogue, of small credit, or little reputation.

RED RAG. The tongue. Shut your potatoe trap, and give your red rag a holiday; i.e. shut your mouth, and let your tongue rest. Too much of the red rag (too much tongue).

SWIGMEN. Thieves who travel the country under colour of buying old shoes, old clothes, &c. or selling brooms, mops, &c.

WRINKLE. A wrinkle-bellied whore; one who has had a number of bastards: child-bearing leaves wrinkles in a woman’s belly. To take the wrinkles out of any one’s belly; to fill it out by a hearty meal. You have one wrinkle more in your a-se; i.e. you have one piece of knowledge more than you had, every fresh piece of knowledge being supposed by the vulgar naturalists to add a wrinkle to that part.

(Source: Boing Boing)