Lexicon Balatronicum | Page 3

ships in the warm latitudes. It is thus
managed: A large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed on
each side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpaulin, or old sail: this is
kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king and queen of a
foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The person intended to be
ducked plays the Ambassador, and after repeating a ridiculous speech
dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and seated
between the king and queen, who rising suddenly as soon as he is
seated, he falls backwards into the tub of water.
AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO. A Shoemaker. (See Mrs. Clarke's
Examination.)
AMBIDEXTER. A lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and
defendant, or that goes snacks with both parties in gaming.
AMEN CURLER. A parish clerk.
AMEN. He said Yes and Amen to every thing; he agreed to every
thing.
AMINADAB. A jeering name for a Quaker.
AMES ACE. Within ames ace; nearly, very near.
TO AMUSE. To fling dust or snuff in the eyes of the person intended
to be robbed; also to invent some plausible tale, to delude shop-keepers
and others, thereby to put them off their guard. CANT.
AMUSERS. Rogues who carried snuff or dust in their pockets, which
they threw into the eyes of any person they intended to rob; and

running away, their accomplices (pretending to assist and pity the
half-blinded person) took that opportunity of plundering him.
ANABAPTIST. A pickpocket caught in the fact, and punished with the
discipline of the pump or horse-pond.
ANCHOR. Bring your a-se to an anchor, i.e. sit down. To let go an
anchor to the windward of the law; to keep within the letter of the law.
SEA WIT.
ANGLERS. Pilferers, or petty thieves, who, with a stick having a hook
at the end, steal goods out of shop-windows, grates, &c.; also those
who draw in or entice unwary persons to prick at the belt, or such like
devices.
ANGLING FOR FARTHINGS. Begging out of a prison window with a
cap, or box, let down at the end of a long string.
ANKLE. A girl who is got with child, is said to have sprained her
ankle.
ANODYNE NECKLACE. A halter.
ANTHONY or TANTONY PIG. The favourite or smallest pig in the
litter.--To follow like a tantony pig, i.e. St. Anthony's pig; to follow
close at one's heels. St. Anthony the hermit was a swineherd, and is
always represented with a swine's bell and a pig. Some derive this
saying from a privilege enjoyed by the friars of certain convents in
England and France (sons of St. Anthony), whose swine were permitted
to feed in the streets. These swine would follow any one having greens
or other provisions, till they obtained some of them; and it was in those
days considered an act of charity and religion to feed them.
TO KNOCK ANTHONY. Said of an in-kneed person, or one whose
knees knock together; to cuff Jonas. See JONAS.
APE LEADER. An old maid; their punishment after death, for
neglecting increase and multiply, will be, it is said, leading apes in hell.
APOSTLES. To manoeuvre the apostles, i.e. rob Peter to pay Paul; that
is, to borrow money of one man to pay another.
APOSTLES. (CAMBRIDGE.) Men who are plucked, refused their
degree.
APOTHECARY. To talk like an apothecary; to use hard or gallipot
words: from the assumed gravity and affectation of knowledge
generally put on by the gentlemen of this profession, who are
commonly as superficial in their learning as they are pedantic in their

language.
APOTHECARY'S BILL. A long bill.
APOTHECARY'S, or LAW LATIN. Barbarous Latin, vulgarly called
Dog Latin, in Ireland Bog Latin.
APPLE CART. Down with his apple-cart; knock or throw him down.
APPLE DUMPLIN SHOP. A woman's bosom.
APPLE-PYE BED. A bed made apple-pye fashion, like what is called a
turnover apple-pye, where the sheets are so doubled as to prevent any
one from getting at his length between them: a common trick played by
frolicsome country lasses on their sweethearts, male relations, or
visitors.
APRIL FOOL. Any one imposed on, or sent on a bootless errand, on
the first of April; which day it is the custom among the lower people,
children, and servants, by dropping empty papers carefully doubled up,
sending persons on absurd messages, and such like contrivances, to
impose on every one they can, and then to salute them with the title of
April Fool. This is also practised in Scotland under the title of Hunting
the Gowke.
APRON STRING HOLD. An estate held by a man during his wife's
life.
AQUA PUMPAGINIS. Pump water. APOTHECARIES LATIN.
ARBOR VITAE. A man's penis.
ARCH DUKE. A comical or eccentric fellow.
ARCH ROGUE, DIMBER