Lexicon Balatronicum | Page 4

DAMBER UPRIGHT MAN. The chief of a
gang of thieves or gypsies.
ARCH DELL, or ARCH DOXY, signifies the same in rank among the
female canters or gypsies.
ARD. Hot. CANT.
ARMOUR. In his armour, pot valiant: to fight in armour; to make use
of Mrs. Philips's ware. See C--D--M.
ARK. A boat or wherry. Let us take an ark and winns, let us take a
sculler. CANT.
ARK RUFFIANS. Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed,
and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the
passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing
them overboard, &c. A species of badger. CANT.
ARRAH NOW. An unmeaning expletive, frequently used by the vulgar

Irish.
ARS MUSICA. A bum fiddlle.
ARSE. To hang an arse; to hang back, to be afraid to advance. He
would lend his a-e and sh-te through his ribs; a saying of any one who
lends his money inconsiderately. He would lose his a-e if it was loose;
said of a careless person. A-e about; turn round.
ARSY YARSEY. To fall arsy varsey, i.e. head over heels.
ARTHUR, KING ARTHUR, A game used at sea, when near the line,
or in a hot latitude. It is performed thus: A man who is to represent king
Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig made out of oakum, or
some old swabs, is seated on the side, or over a large vessel of water.
Every person in his turn is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and
to pour a bucket of water over him, crying, hail, king Arthur! if during
this ceremony the person introduced laughs or smiles (to which his
majesty endeavours to excite him, by all sorts of ridiculous
gesticulations), he changes place with, and then becomes, king Arthur,
till relieved by some brother tar, who has as little command over his
muscles as himself.
ARTICLES. Breeches; coat, waistcoat, and articles.
ARTICLE. A wench. A prime article. A handsome girl. She's a prime
article (WHIP SLANG), she's a devilish good piece, a hell of a GOER.
ASK, or AX MY A-E. A common reply to any question; still deemed
wit at sea, and formerly at court, under the denomination of selling
bargains. See BARGAIN.
ASSIG. An assignation.
ATHANASIAN WENCH, or QUICUNQUE VULT. A forward girl,
ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.
AUNT. Mine aunt; a bawd or procuress: a title of eminence for the
senior dells, who serve for instructresses, midwives, &c. for the dells.
CANT. See DELLS.
AVOIR DU POIS LAY. Stealing brass weights off the counters of
shops. CANT.
AUTEM. A church.
AUTEM BAWLER. A parson. CANT.
AUTEM CACKLERS, AUTEM PRICKEARS. Dissenters of every
denomination. CANT.
AUTEM CACKLETUB. A conventicle or meeting-house for dissenters.

CANT.
AUTEM DIPPERS. Anabaptists. CANT.
AUTEM DIVERS. Pickpockets who practice in churches; also
churchwardens and overseers of the poor. CANT.
AUTEM GOGLERS. Pretended French prophets. CANT.
AUTEM MORT. A married woman; also a female beggar with several
children hired or borrowed to excite charity. CANT.
AUTEM QUAVERS. Quakers.
AUTEM QUAVER TUB. A Quakers' meeting-house. CANT.
AWAKE. Acquainted with, knowing the business. Stow the books, the
culls are awake; hide the cards, the fellows know what we intended to
do.
BABES IN THE WOOD. Criminals in the stocks, or pillory.
BABBLE. Confused, unintelligible talk, such as was used at the
building the tower of Babel.
BACK BITER. One who slanders another behind his back, i.e. in his
absence. His bosom friends are become his back biters, said of a lousy
man.
BACKED. Dead. He wishes to have the senior, or old square-toes,
backed; he longs to have his father on six men's shoulders; that is,
carrying to the grave.
BACK UP. His back is up, i.e. he is offended or angry; an expression
or idea taken from a cat; that animal, when angry, always raising its
back. An allusion also sometimes used to jeer a crooked man; as, So,
Sir, I see somebody has offended you, for your back is up.
BACON. He has saved his bacon; he has escaped. He has a good voice
to beg bacon; a saying in ridicule of a bad voice.
BACON-FACED. Full-faced.
BACON FED. Fat, greasy.
BACK GAMMON PLAYER. A sodomite.
BACK DOOR (USHER, or GENTLEMAN OF THE). The same.
BAD BARGAIN. One of his majesty's bad bargains; a worthless
soldier, a malingeror. See MALINGEROR.
BADGE. A term used for one burned in the hand. He has got his badge,
and piked; he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty. Cant.
BADGE-COVES. Parish Pensioners. Cant.
BADGERS. A crew of desperate villains who robbed near rivers, into

which they threw the bodies of those they murdered. Cant.
BAG. He gave them the bag, i.e. left them.
BAG OF NAILS. He squints like a bag of nails; i. e. his eyes