| Airy |
The area, at basement level, at the bottom of the steps from the street, a feature of many London houses. More commonly called the 'area'. |
| A giry door |
The basement door from the 'airy' into the house. |
| Allus |
Always |
| Ballet |
Front row (ballet toe?) |
| Bank Holiday |
Fight or row |
| Barcelona |
Head (Barcelona Nut?) |
| Batting |
beating down, arguing |
| Beak |
Magistrate |
| Bluchers |
A strong leather half-boot |
| Blue Bottle |
Policeman |
| Boco |
Nut or Head (Cocoa nut) |
| Boke |
Nose |
| Bosh |
Nonsense |
| Bubble and squeak |
Private parts |
| Bull's Eye |
Torch or lantern |
| Carsey |
(karzee) W.C. - bathroom |
| Carmine |
Red or crimson pigment |
| China |
Mate (china plate) |
| Chivvy chase |
Face |
| Choused |
Cheated or defrauded |
| Cigarette |
Lamplighters pole |
| Chavy |
Child |
| Cove |
A man |
| Cram |
A lie |
| Crusher |
Policeman |
| Crust |
Head (crust of bread) |
| Crutch and Toothpick |
A crutch was a handled walking stick and the toothpick is refering to a gold toothpick that fops used to wear as a form of jewelry, so the tight trousered, crutch sticks and gold toothpick characters were dubbed the 'Crutch and Toothpick' brigade.
|
| D. |
Detective |
| Darby Kelly |
Belly |
| Deuce |
The Devil |
| Die |
A card (die hard) (i.e. an odd or amusing person) |
| Doing a Mike |
Skiving |
| Donah |
Girlfriend |
| Done a guy |
Run away or moonlight flit |
| Dooks |
Fists |
| Drabble |
Drink |
| Drum |
Building, lodgings |
| Facings |
Left, right, about turn, in military drill |
| Fagged |
Tired |
| Filibeg |
Little fold (Gaelic) like a loin cloth |
| Flimsies |
Paper money |
| Flowery |
Prison Cell (Flowery Dell) |
| Galipot |
Earthenware pot |
| Gamp |
Umbrella |
| Getting the spike |
Becoming irrritable |
| Gowan |
A plant with white/yellow flowers |
| Graft |
Work |
| Grashes |
Something you shoot on the moors |
| Grasshopper |
Copper (ie. policeman) |
| Gyeing |
Flirting |
| Hearts of Oak |
Stoney broke |
| Hedge |
To dodge or leave a way open to retreat |
| Hobble |
Skirt that also ties at the ankles |
| Hokey Pokey |
Ice cream |
| Hooky |
Truant |
| Ipecacuanha |
Dried root used as an emetic or purgative. |
| Jagged |
Cut with tailors scissors |
| Jay |
Sucker |
| Jarvies |
Horse-driven cab driver |
| Jehu |
A horse driven bus driver or cabby |
| Johnny |
Fellow |
| Josser |
Originally it meant simple or stupid |
| Jerusalem |
Donkey - Jerusalem Artichoke = moke |
| Kinchin' lay |
The practice of stealing money from children sent on errands. |
| Kivver |
Clothed /covered |
| Knock |
Horse |
| Little Mary |
Stomach |
| Masher |
A fop of affected manners/ladies man |
| Merry as a grig |
An extravagantly lively person (a grig is a species of eel) |
| Mivvy |
Could be face, or mouth, or bottom |
| Moil |
To drudge |
| Moke |
Donkey |
| Morf |
Chill |
| Mortal coil |
Life |
| Napper |
Head |
| Nut |
A swell or dandy |
| Off my chump |
Crazy |
| On the cop |
On the look out |
| Oof |
Money |
| Pansy |
Bodypart someone is likely to kick you |
| Pard |
Chum (partner) |
| Pelf |
Riches |
| Pie |
A good thing |
| Pinnies |
Garments that were pinned (Pinafore) |
| Pobs |
Bread soaked in hot milk with sugar sprinkled on top |
| Polony |
Partly cooked sausage |
| Primp |
To gaze (as into a shop window) |
| Rap |
A counterfeit coin supposed to be worth about a farthing. |
| Rhino |
Money |
| Sell |
Con artist |
| Seraglio |
Restricted area (from area in harem) |
| Shanty |
Shiner or black-eye |
| Shooting the moon |
A moonlight flit |
| Six months hard |
Six months hard labour as a punishment. |
| Skilly |
Watery porridge |
| Sky |
Pocket (sky rocket) |
| Slop |
Police (back slang) |
| Sold |
Caught out |
| Snobbing |
Shoe repairing |
| Spoof |
Humbug |
| Spoon |
To court in romantic or silly way |
| Spot |
Drop of liquor |
| Spout |
Put in pawn |
| Stepping |
Time in prison |
| Story |
Crook (Story book?) |
| Sticks |
Furniture |
| Stooks |
Belongings |
| Strap |
Credit |
| Strict QT |
In confidence |
| Swell |
Stylish - good social standing |
| T.T. |
Tee-total |
| Take your hook |
Scarper, run away |
| Tenner |
Ten years (only later ten quid) |
| Ticket-of-leaf man |
Someone back from having being transported. |
| Tiddly |
drink (Tiddly wink) |
| Tile |
Hat |
| Tin |
Money |
| Twig |
Understand |
| Two eyed steak |
Bloater (the fish) |
| Tyke |
Mongrel dog or small child. |
| Uncle |
Pawn broker |
| Up the stick |
In trouble |
| Up the spout |
To put into pawn or pregnant. |
| Wilets |
Violets |
| Wide |
Smart, clever |
| Wired in |
An expression meaning that you were in the know about the latest fads and fashions. |
| Yob |
Boy (back slang - word reversed) |
| Young guns |
Pickpockets |
A
