a mean-spirited fellow who lives with a woman of the town
Suffering her to maintain him in idleness in the character of her fancy‑man.
peter
a parcel or bundle , whether large or small
But most properly it signifies a trunk or box.
peter-hunting
traversing the streets or roads
For the purpose of cutting away trunks, etc from travelling carriages.
Persons who follow this game are from thence called peter-hunters, whereas the drag more properly applies to robbing carts or waggons.
peter-hunting-jemmy
a small iron crow
Particularly adapted for breaking the patent chain with which the luggage is of late years secured to gentlemen's carriages, and which being of steel and case-hardened is fallaciously supposed to be proof against the attempts of thieves.
to accost or enter into conversation with any person
For the purpose of executing some design upon his personal property.
Thus among gamblers it is called picking up a flat or a mouth.
Sharpers who are daily on the look-out for some unwary countryman or stranger use the same phrase.
Among drop-coves and others who act in concert this task is allotted to one of the gang, duly qualified, who is thence termed the picker-up and he having performed his part his associates proceed systematically in cleaning out the flat. To pick up a cull is a term used by blowens in their vocation of street‑walking. To pick a person up in a general sense, is to impose upon or take advantage of him in a contract or bargain.
pigs ~ grunters
police runners aussie english
pins
the legs
pinch
to purloin small articles of value in the shops of jewellers , etc
While pretending to purchase or bespeak some trinket. This game is called the pinch. I pinch'd him for a fawney signifies I purloined a ring from him. Did you pinch any thing in that crib? signifies Did you succeed in secreting anything in that shop? This game is a branch of shoplifting, but when the hoist is spoken of it commonly applies to stealing articles of a larger though less valuable kind, as pieces of muslin, or silk handkerchiefs, printed cotton, etc.
aussie english
pinch-gloak
a man who works upon the pinch
pipes
boots
pit
the bosom pocket in a coat
pit-man
a pocket-book worn in the bosom-pocket
pitcher
newgate in london
Called by various names, as the pitcher, the stone pitcher, the start, and the stone jug, according to the humour of the speaker.
Termed planting him or it, and any thing hid is called the plant when alluded to in conversation. Such article is said to be in plant.
The place of concealment is sometimes called the plant as in I know of a fine plant, meaning a secure hiding-place.
To spring a plant is to find any thing that has been concealed by another.
To rise the plant is to take up and remove any thing that has been hid, whether by yourself or another.
A person's money, or valuables, secreted about his house or person is called his plant.
To plant upon a man is to set somebody to watch his motions.
Also to place any thing purposely in his way that he may steal it and be immediately detected.
play a-cross
purposely losing a game or match
What is commonly termed playing booty that is, purposely losing the game or match in order to take in the flats who have backed you, while the sharps divide the spoil in which you have a share. This sort of treachery extends to boxing, racing, and every other species of sport, on which bets are laid.
Sometimes a sham match is made for the purpose of inducing strangers to bet which is decided in such a manner that the latter will inevitably lose.
a-cross signifies any collusion between several parties
plummy
right , very good , as it should be
Expressing your approbation of any act or event, you will say, that's plummy or it's all plummy meaning ‘ it is all right’.
any event which is considered certain or inevitable
As the issue of a game, the success of a bet, etc.
pound it
to ensure or make a certainty of any thing
Thus a man will say, I'll pound it to be so.
Taken probably from the custom of laying, or rather offering ten pounds to a crown at a cock-match, in which case if no person takes this extravagant odds the battle is at an end.
Anything very good of its kind is called a prime article. Anything executed in a stylish or masterly manner is said to be done in prime twig. See fakement and gammon the twelve for more information.
1 an important advantage possessed by one party over another
As in gaming, you may by some slight unknown to your adversary or by a knowledge of the cards, etc, have the odds of winning considerably on your side. You are then said to have a great pull.
2 to have the power of injuring a person
By the knowledge of any thing erroneous in his conduct, which leaves his character or personal safety at your mercy, is also termed having a pull upon him, that is (to use a vulgar phrase) that you have him under your thumb.
3 a person speaking of any intricate affair or feat of ingenuity
Which he cannot comprehend will say: There is some pull at the bottom of it that I'm not fly to.
pull ~ pull up
to accost , stop , apprehend , take into custody
As to pull up a jack is to stop a post-chaise on the highway. To pull a man or have him pulled is to cause his apprehension for some offence. It is then said that Mr. Pullen is concerned.
pulled ~ pulled up, in pull
taken in custody , in confinement
push
a crowd or concourse of people
Either in the streets, or at any public place of amusement, etc. When any particular scene of crowding is alluded to they say the push, as the push, at the spell doors, the push at the stooping-match, etc.
to suggest to another the means of committing a depredation
Or effecting any other business is termed putting him up to it.
put up affair
any preconcerted plan or scheme to effect a robbery , etc
Undertaken at the suggestion of another person, who possessing a knowledge of the premises is competent to advise the principal how best to proceed.
putter up
the projector or planner of a put-up affair
For example a servant in a gentleman's family who proposes to a gang of housebreakers the robbery of his master's house, and informs them where the plate, etc, is deposited, (instances of which are frequent in London) is termed the putter up and usually shares equally in the booty with the parties executing although the former may lie dormant and take no part in the actual commission of the fact.
puzzling-sticks
the triangles
To which culprits are tied up for the purpose of undergoing flagellation.