The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue dates from 1811 and this is probably the only full, uncensored and searchable version of this dictionary on the internet. All the original crudities have been restored and it offers an interesting perspective on Common English from the time of the Regency and Jane Austen.

Select a letter or type a word and click Find. Searches are automatically wild-carded and clicking on words in the first column will look for all occurrences of that word, or related word.

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Entries releated to EVES

 

ABRAM COVE		A cant word among thieves, signifying a naked or poor man; also a lusty, strong rogue.
ANGLERS		Pilferers, or petty thieves, who, with a stick having a hook at the end, steal goods out of shop-windows, grates, etc.; also those who draw in or entice unwary persons to prick at the belt, or such like devices.
ARCH ROGUE, DIMBER DAMBER UPRIGHT MAN		The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies.
BLACK JACK		A nick name given to the Recorder by the Thieves.
BLOODY		A favourite word used by the thieves in swearing, as bloody eyes, bloody rascal.
BLUE PIGEONS		Thieves who steal lead off houses and churches. To fly a blue pigeon; to steal lead off houses or churches.
CHEATS		Sham sleeves to put over a dirty shift or shirt. See SHAMS.
CLICKER		A salesman's servant; also, one who proportions out the different shares of the booty among thieves.
CLOVES		Thieves, robbers, etc.
CURTAILS		Thieves who cut off pieces of stuff hanging out of shop windows, the tails of women's gowns, etc.; also, thieves wearing short jackets.
DEAD CARGO		A term used by thieves, when they are disappointed in the value of their booty.
DROP DOWN		To be dispirited. This expression is used by thieves to signify that their companion did not die game, as the kiddy dropped down when he went to be twisted; the young fellow was very low spirited when he walked out to be hanged.
EVES		Hen roosts.
EVES DROPPER		One that lurks about to rob hen-roosts; also a listener at doors and windows, to hear private conversation.
FIDLAM BEN		General thieves; called also St. Peter's sons, having every finger a fish-hook.
FLASH KEN		A house that harbours thieves.
FLASH PANNEYS		Houses to which thieves and prostitutes resort. Next for his favourite MOT (Girl) the KIDDEY (Youth) looks about, And if she's in a FLASH PANNEY (Brothel) he swears he'll have her out; So he FENCES (Pawns) all his TOGS (Cloathes) to buy her DUDS, (Wearing Apparel) and then He FRISKS (Robs) his master's LOB (Till) to take her from the bawdy KEN (House).
FRISK		Used by thieves to signify searching a person whom they have robbed. Blast his eyes! frisk him.
GAG		An instrument used chiefly by housebreakers and thieves, for propping open the mouth of a person robbed, thereby to prevent his calling out for assistance.
GAME		Any mode of robbing. The toby is now a queer game; to rob on the highway is now a bad mode of acting. This observation is frequently made by thieves; the roads being now so well guarded by the horse patrole; and gentlemen travel with little cash in their pockets.
GANG		A company of men, a body of sailors, a knot of thieves, pickpockets, etc. A gang of sheep trotters; the four feet of a sheep.
GIBBERISH		The cant language of thieves and gypsies, called Pedlars' French, and St. Giles's Greek: see ST. GILES'S GREEK. Also the mystic language of Geber, used by chymists. Gibberish likewise means a sort of disguised language, formed by inserting any consonant between each syllable of an English word; in which case it is called the gibberish of the letter inserted: if F, it is the F gibberish; if G, the G gibberish; as in the sentence How do you do? Howg dog youg dog.
GILES'S or ST GILES'S BREED		Fat, ragged, and saucy; Newton and Dyot streets, the grand head-quarters-of most of the thieves and pickpockets about London, are in St. Giles's Giles's parish. St. Giles's Greek; the cant language, called also Slang, Pedlars' French, and Flash.
HEAVERS		Thieves who make it their business to steal tradesmen's shop-books.
IRISH TOYLES		Thieves who carry about pins, laces, and other pedlars wares, and under the pretence of offering their goods to sale, rob houses, or pilfer any thing they can lay hold of.
KEN		A house. A bob ken, or a bowman ken; a well-furnished house, also a house that harbours thieves. Biting the ken; robbing the house.
KIDDEYS		Young thieves.
LIKENESS		A phrase used by thieves when the officers or turnkeys are examining their countenance. As the traps are taking our likeness; the officers are attentively observing us.
LULLY TRIGGERS		Thieves who steal wet linen.
LUMBER HOUSE		A house appropriated by thieves for the reception of their stolen property.
LUMPERS		Persons who contract to unload ships; also thieves who lurk about wharfs to pilfer goods from ships, lighters, etc.
NATTY LADS		Young thieves or pickpockets.
OATHS		The favourite oaths of the thieves of the present day are, "God strike me blind!" "I wish my bloody eyes may drop out if it is not true!" "So help me God!" "Bloody end to me!"
ONION		A seal. Onion hunters, a class of young thieves who are on the look out for gentlemen who wear their seals suspended on a ribbon, which they cut, and thus secure the seals or other trinkets suspended to the watch.
PATTER		To talk. To patter flash; to speak flash, or the language used by thieves. How the blowen lushes jackey, and patters flash; how the wench drinks gin, and talks flash.
PRIGGERS		Thieves in general. Priggers of prancers; horse stealers. Priggers of cacklers: robbers of hen- roosts.
PUDDING SLEEVES		A parson.
QUEER ROOSTER		An informer that pretends to be sleeping, and thereby overhears the conversation of thieves in night cellars.
RIGHT		All right! A favourite expression among thieves, to signify that all is as they wish, or proper for their purpose. All right, hand down the jemmy; every thing is in proper order, give me the crow.
ROBERT'S MEN		The third old rank of the canting crew, mighty thieves, like Robin Hood.
RUSHERS		Thieves who knock at the doors of great houses in London, in summer time, when the families are gone out of town, and on the door being opened by a woman, rush in and rob the house; also housebreakers who enter lone houses by force.
SHAM		A cheat, or trick. To cut a sham; to cheat or deceive. Shams; false sleeves to put on over a dirty shirt, or false sleeves with ruffles to put over a plain one. To sham Abram; to counterfeit sickness.
SILK SNATCHERS		Thieves who snatch hoods or bonnets from persons walking in the streets.
SLAP-BANG SHOP		A petty cook's shop, where there is no credit given, but what is had must be paid DOWN WITH THE READY SLAP-BANG, i.e. immediately. This is a common appellation for a night cellar frequented by thieves, and sometimes for a stage coach or caravan.
SQUEAK		A narrow escape, a chance: he had a squeak for his life. To squeak; to confess, peach, or turn stag. They squeak beef upon us; they cry out thieves after us.
STOP HOLE ABBEY		The nick name of the chief rendzvous of the canting crew of beggars, gypsies, cheats, thieves, etc. etc.
STRAIT WAISTCOAT		A tight waistcoat, with long sleeves coming over the hand, having strings for binding them behind the back of the wearer: these waistcoats are used in madhouses for the management of lunatics when outrageous.
SWIGMEN		Thieves who travel the country under colour of buying old shoes, old clothes, etc. or selling brooms, mops, etc.
SWIMMER		A ship. I shall have a swimmer; a cant phrase used by thieves to signify that they will be sent on board the tender.
TAYLE DRAWERS		Thieves who snatch gentlemens swords from their sides. He drew the cull's tayle rumly; he snatched away the gentleman's sword cleverly.
TOUTING		(From TUERI, to look about) Publicans fore-stalling guests, or meeting them on the road, and begging their custom; also thieves or smugglers looking out to see that the coast is clear. Touting ken; the bar of a public house.
TRADESMEN		Thieves. Clever tradesmen; good thieves.
TRY ON		To endeavour. To live by thieving. Coves who try it on; professed thieves.
TWO THIEVES BEATING A ROGUE		A man beating his hands against his sides to warm himself in cold weather; called also beating the booby, and cuffing Jonas.
WARE HAWK		An exclamation used by thieves to inform their confederates that some police officers are at hand.
WELL		To divide unfairly. To conceal part. A cant phrase used by thieves, where one of the party conceals some of the booty, instead of dividing it fairly amongst his confederates.
WHIDDLE		To tell or discover. He whiddles; he peaches. He whiddles the whole scrap; he discovers all he knows. The cull whiddled because they would not tip him a snack: the fellow peached because they would not give him a share, They whiddle beef, and we must brush; they cry out thieves, and we must make off.