Lexicon Balatronicum | Page 9

say black is the white of my eye; he cannot point out a blot
in my character.
BLACK FLY. The greatest drawback on the farmer is the black fly, i.e.
the parson who takes tithe of the harvest.
BLACK GUARD. A shabby, mean fellow; a term said to be derived
from a number of dirty, tattered roguish boys, who attended at the
Horse Guards, and Parade in St. James's Park, to black the boots and
shoes of the soldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. These, from their
constant attendance about the time of guard mounting, were
nick-named the black-guards.
BLACK JACK. A nick name given to the Recorder by the Thieves.
BLACK JACK. A jug to drink out of, made of jacked leather.
BLACK JOKE. A popular tune to a song, having for the burden, "Her
black joke and belly so white:" figuratively the black joke signifies the
monosyllable. See MONOSYLLABLE.
BLACK INDIES. Newcastle upon Tyne, whose rich coal mines prove
an Indies to the proprietors.
BLACKLEGS. A gambler or sharper on the turf or in the cockpit: so
called, perhaps, from their appearing generally in boots; or else from
game-cocks whose legs are always black.
BLACK MONDAY. The first Monday after the school-boys holidays,
or breaking up, when they are to go to school, and produce or repeat the
tasks set them.
BLACK PSALM. To sing the black psalm; to cry: a saying used to
children.
BLACK SPICE RACKET. To rob chimney sweepers of their soot, bag
and soot.
BLACK SPY. The Devil.

BLACK STRAP. Bene Carlo wine; also port. A task of labour imposed
on soldiers at Gibraltar, as a punishment for small offences.
BLANK. To look blank; to appear disappointed or confounded.
BLANKET HORNPIPE. The amorous congress.
BLARNEY. He has licked the blarney stone; he deals in the wonderful,
or tips us the traveller. The blarney stone is a triangular stone on the
very top of an ancient castle of that name in the county of Cork in
Ireland, extremely difficult of access; so that to have ascended to it,
was considered as a proof of perseverance, courage, and agility,
whereof many are supposed to claim the honour, who never atchieved
the adventure: and to tip the blarney, is figuratively used telling a
marvellous story, or falsity; and also sometimes to express flattery.
Irish.
A BLASTED FELLOW or BRIMSTONE. An abandoned rogue or
prostitute. Cant.
To BLAST. To curse.
BLATER. A calf. Cant.
BLEACHED MORT. A fair-complexioned wench.
BLEATERS. Those cheated by Jack in a box. CANT.--See JACK IN A
BOX.
BLEATING CHEAT. A sheep. Cant.
BLEATING RIG. Sheep stealing. Cant.
BLEEDERS. Spurs. He clapped his bleeders to his prad; be put spurs to
his horse.
BLEEDING CULLY. One who parts easily with his money, or bleeds
freely.
BLEEDING NEW. A metaphor borrowed from fish, which will not
bleed when stale.
BLESSING. A small quantity over and above the measure, usually
given by hucksters dealing in peas, beans, and other vegetables.
BLIND. A feint, pretence, or shift.
BLIND CHEEKS. The breech. Buss blind cheeks; kiss mine a-se.
BLIND EXCUSE. A poor or insufficient excuse. A blind ale-house,
lane, or alley; an obscure, or little known or frequented ale-house, lane,
or alley.
BLIND HARPERS. Beggars counterfeiting blindness, playing on
fiddles, &c.

BLINDMAN'S BUFF. A play used by children, where one being
blinded by a handkerchief bound over his eyes, attempts to seize any
one of the company, who all endeavour to avoid him; the person caught,
must be blinded in his stead.
BLIND CUPID. The backside.
BLINDMAN'S HOLIDAY. Night, darkness.
BLOCK HOUSES. Prisons, houses of correction, &c.
BLOCKED AT BOTH ENDS. Finished. The game is blocked at both
ends; the game is ended.
BLOOD. A riotous disorderly fellow.
BLOOD FOR BLOOD. A term used by tradesmen for bartering the
different commodities in which they deal. Thus a hatter furnishing a
hosier with a hat, and taking payment in stockings, is said to deal blood
for blood.
BLOOD MONEY. The reward given by the legislature on the
conviction of highwaymen, burglars, &c.
BLOODY BACK. A jeering appellation for a soldier, alluding to his
scarlet coat.
BLOODY. A favourite word used by the thieves in swearing, as bloody
eyes, bloody rascal.
BLOSS or BLOWEN. The pretended wife of a bully, or shoplifter.
Cant.
TO BLOT THE SKRIP AND JAR IT. To stand engaged or bound for
any one. Cant.
BLOW. He has bit the blow, i.e. he has stolen the goods. Cant.
BLOWEN. A mistress or whore of a gentleman of the scamp. The
blowen kidded the swell into a snoozing ken, and shook him of his
dummee and thimble; the girl inveigled the gentleman into a brothel
and robbed him of his pocket book and watch.
BLOWER. A pipe. How the swell funks his blower and lushes red tape;