Lexicon Balatronicum

Lexicon Balatronicum

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Tongue
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Title: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
Author: Captain Grose et al.
Release Date: April, 2004 [EBook #5402] [Yes, we are more than one
year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 6, 2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1811
VULGAR DICTIONARY ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team

1811 DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE.
A DICTIONARY OF BUCKISH SLANG, UNIVERSITY WIT, AND
PICKPOCKET ELOQUENCE.
UNABRIDGED FROM THE ORIGINAL 1811 EDITION WITH A
FOREWORD BY ROBERT CROMIE
COMPILED ORIGINALLY BY CAPTAIN GROSE.
AND NOW CONSIDERABLY ALTERED AND ENLARGED, WITH
THE MODERN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS, BY A
MEMBER OF THE WHIP CLUB.
ASSISTED BY HELL-FIRE DICK, AND JAMES GORDON, ESQRS.
OF CAMBRIDGE; AND WILLIAM SOAMES, ESQ. OF THE HON.
SOCIETY OF NEWMAN'S HOTEL.

PREFACE.
The merit of Captain Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue has been
long and universally acknowledged. But its circulation was confined
almost exclusively to the lower orders of society: he was not aware, at
the time of its compilation, that our young men of fashion would at no
very distant period be as distinguished for the vulgarity of their jargon
as the inhabitants of Newgate; and he therefore conceived it
superfluous to incorporate with his work the few examples of
fashionable slang that might occur to his observation.
But our Jehus of rank have a phraseology not less peculiar to
themselves, than the disciples of Barrington: for the uninitiated to

understand their modes of expression, is as impossible as for a Buxton
to construe the Greek Testament. To sport an Upper Benjamin, and to
swear with a good grace, are qualifications easily attainable by their
cockney imitators; but without the aid of our additional definitions,
neither the cits of Fish-street, nor the boors of Brentford would be able
to attain the language of whippism. We trust, therefore, that the whole
tribe of second- rate Bang Ups, will feel grateful for our endeavour to
render this part of the work as complete as possible. By an occasional
reference to our pages, they may be initiated into all the peculiarities of
language by which the man of spirit is distinguished from the man of
worth. They may now talk bawdy before their papas, without the fear
of detection, and abuse their less spirited companions, who prefer a
good dinner at home to a glorious UP-SHOT in the highway, without
the hazard of a cudgelling.
But we claim not merely the praise of gratifying curiosity, or affording
assistance to the ambitious; we are very sure that the moral influence of
the Lexicon Balatronicum will be more certain and extensive than that
of any methodist sermon that has ever been delivered within the bills of
mortality. We need not descant on the dangerous impressions that are
made on the female mind, by the remarks that fall incidentally from the
lips of the brothers or servants of a family; and we have before
observed, that improper topics can with our assistance be discussed,
even before the ladies, without raising a blush on the cheek of modesty.
It is impossible that a female should understand the meaning of
TWIDDLE DIDDLES, or rise from table at the mention of
BUCKINGER'S BOOT. Besides, Pope assures us, that "VICE TO BE
HATED NEEDS BUT TO BE SEEN;" in this volume it cannot be
denied, that she is seen very plainly; and a love of virtue is, therefore,
the necessary result of perusing it.
The propriety of introducing the UNIVERSITY SLANG will be readily
admitted; it is not less curious than that of the College in the Old Bailey,
and is less generally understood. When the number and accuracy of our
additions are compared with the price of the volume, we have no doubt
that