P (continued 2)

Cartouche.—Qu’avez-vous pincé? Harpin.—Six pièces de toile et quatre de mousseline.—Le Grand, Les Fourberies de Cartouche.

Pincer de la guitare, or de la harpe, to be locked up in jail, to be “in quod.” An allusion to the bars of the prison cell assimilated to the strings of a guitar.

Pince-sans-rire, m. (thieves’), police officer, “copper,” or “reeler.” See Pot-à-tabac.

Pincettes, f. pl. (popular), affûter, or se tirer les ——, to decamp in a hurry, “to guy.” See Patatrot.

Pinchard, adj. (literary), vulgar, in bad taste, “jimmy.”

Pindarès (thieves’), the gendarmes; city police, or rural police. Pindarès! we wash our hands of it! an exclamation uttered by malefactors after committing some crime.

Pinet, or pino, m. (thieves’), farthing. Termed in English cant, “fadge.”

Pingouin, m. (popular), fool, or “flat;” good-for-nothing man. (Mountebanks’) Le ——, the public.

Vois-tu le pingouin comme il s’allume? ... ça n’est rien, à la reprise je vas l’incendier.—E. Sue.

Pingouin maigre, small audience; —— gras, large audience.

Pingre, adj. (thieves’), poor, “quisby.”

Pioche, f. (freemasons’), fork; (popular) work, or “graft.” Se mettre à la ——, to set oneself to work. Tête de ——, blockhead, “cabbage-head.” (Thieves’) Une ——, a pickpocket, or “finger-smith.”

Piocher (barristers’), les larmes, to prepare a pathetic oration with a view to exciting the commiseration of the jury, and enlisting their sympathy in favour of the accused. There is an old joke about a barrister who, having undertaken to defend a scoundrel accused of murdering his own father and mother, wound up his speech by beseeching the jury to be merciful unto his client, on the plea of his being a “poor orphan left alone and unprotected in this wicked world.” The celebrated and truthful author of a recent diatribe on the manners and customs of the French, reproduces the story, presenting it to his readers as a striking but “genuine” specimen of the forensic eloquence in favour with John Bull’s neighbours! (Thieves’) Piocher, to carry on the business of a pickpocket, “to be on the cross.” See Grinchir.

Piole, or piolle, f. (thieves’), house. The synonyms are, “cambuse, cassine, boîte, niche, kasbah, barraque, creux, bahut, baite, case, taule, taudion,” and, in the English slang, “diggings, ken, hangs-out, chat, crib,” &c. Piole, lodging-house, or “dossing-ken.”

Veux-tu venir prendre de la morfe et piausser avec mézière en une des pioles que tu m’as rouscaillées?—Le Jargon de l’Argot. (Will you come eat and sleep with me in one of the cribs which you were talking about?)

Piole, tavern, or “lush-crib;” —— blindée, fortress; —— à machabées, cemetery; —— de lartonnier, baker’s shop, or “mungarly casa.” The English cant term is a corruption of the Lingua Franca phrase for an eating-house. Mangiare, to eat, in Italian.

Pioller (popular and thieves’), to pay frequent visits to the wine-shop; to get the worse for liquor, to get “cut, or canon.”

Piollier, m. (popular and thieves’), landlord of a drinking-shop, “the boss of a lush-crib.”

Pion, m. and adj. (familiar), un ——, an usher at a school, or “bum-brusher.” Properly a pawn; (thieves’) louse, “grey-back, or German duck.” The Slang Dictionary says: “These pretty little things are called by many names, among others by those of ‘grey-backs’ and ‘gold-backed ’uns,’ which are popular among those who have most interest in the matter.” Etre ——, to be drunk. From an old word pier, to drink. Villon in his Grand Testament, fifteenth century, has the word with the signification of toper, drunkard:—

Rabelais uses pion with the same signification:—

Pionce, f., or pionçage, m. (popular), sleep, or “balmy.” Camarade de ——, bedfellow.

Il avait couché dans un garno où l’on est deux par paillasse. Son camarade de pionce était un gros père à mine rouge qui avait une tête comme un bonnet d’astrakan.—Richepin, Le Pavé.

Pioncer (familiar and popular), to sleep. From piausser.

The synonyms are: “casser une canne, piquer un chien, piquer une romance, faire le lézard, faire son michaud, roupiller, se recueillir, compter des pauses, taper de l’œil, mettre le chien au cran de repos.”

Pionceur, m. (familiar and popular), man who sleeps.

Pionne, f. (scholars’), governess at a school.

Piote, f. (cavalry), insulting term applied by a cavalry man to a foot-soldier.

Piou, or pioupiou, m. (familiar and popular), infantry soldier, the French “Tommy Atkins.”

Pipe, f. (familiar and popular), head, face. Casser sa ——, to die. The synonyms are: “dévisser, or décoller son billard, graisser ses bottes, avaler sa langue, sa gaffe, sa cuiller, or ses baguettes, cracher son âme, n’avoir plus mal aux dents, poser sa chique, claquer, saluer le public, recevoir son décompte, ingurgiter son bilan, cracher ses embouchures, déposer ses bouts de manche, déteindre, donner son dernier bon à tirer, lâcher la perche, éteindre son gaz, épointer son foret, être exproprié, péter son lof, fumer ses terres, fermer son parapluie, perdre son bâton, descendre la garde, passer l’arme à gauche, défiler la parade, tourner de l’œil, perdre le goût du pain, lâcher la rampe, faire ses petits paquets, casser son crachoir, remercier son boulanger, canner, dévider à l’estorgue, baiser la camarde, camarder, fuir, casser son câble, son fouet; faire sa crevaison, déralinguer, virer de bord, déchirer son faux-col, dégeler, couper sa mèche, piquer sa plaque, mettre la table pour les asticots, aller manger les pissenlits par la racine, laisser fuir son tonneau, calancher, laisser ses bottes quelque part, déchirer son habit, or son tablier, souffler sa veilleuse, pousser le boum du cygne, avoir son coke, rendre sa secousse,” and, in the English slang, “to snuff it, to lay down one’s knife and fork, to stick one’s spoon in the wall, to kick the bucket, to give in, give up, to go to Davy Jones, to peg out, to hop the twig, to slip one’s cable, to lose the number of one’s mess, to turn one’s toes up.” The latter is to be met with in Reade’s Cloister and Hearth:—

“Several arbalestriers turned their toes up, and I among them.” “Killed, Denys? Come now!” “Dead as mutton.”

Pipé, adj. (thieves’), être —— sur le tas, to be caught red-handed.

Pipelet, m. (general), doorkeeper. A character in Eugène Sue’s Les Mystères de Paris.

The Pipelet of Eugène Sue was the victim of a ferocious practical joker, a painter, Cabrion by name, who made his life a burden to him. The doorkeepers have retaliated by calling “un Cabrion” a lodger who does not pay his rent.

Pipelette, f. (general), the wife of a concierge or doorkeeper. Termed also Madame Pipelet. See Pipelet.

Piper (familiar and popular), to smoke, or “to blow a cloud.”

Il me semble qu’on a pipé ici.—Gavarni.

(Thieves’) Piper, to catch.

Comprend-on après cela qu’un homme qui changeait si fréquemment de nom ... ait été se loger ... sous le nom de Mahossier qui lui avait servi à piper sa victime?—Canler.

Piper un pègre, to apprehend a thief, “to smug a prig.” The different expressions signifying to apprehend or to imprison are: “poisser, grimer, coquer, enflacquer, enfourailler, mettre dedans, fourrer dedans, mettre à l’ombre, mettre au violon, boucler, grappiner, poser un gluau, empoigner, piger, emballer, gripper, empioler, encoffrer, encager, accrocher, ramasser, souffler, faire tomber malade, agrafer, mettre le grappin dessus, enchetiber, enfourner, coltiger, colletiner, poser le grappin, faire passer à la fabrication, fabriquer,” and, in the English slang, “to smug, to nab, to run in.”

Pipet, m. (thieves’), castle, mansion, “chat, or hangings-out.” See Piget.

Il arriva que je trimardais juste la lourde de ce pipet ... une cambrouze du pipet me mouchaillait et en avertit le rupin.—Le Jargon de l’Argot. (It happened that I was just going by the door of that mansion ... a servant girl of the mansion perceived me and warned the master.)

Pipo, or pipot, m., the Ecole Polytechnique; student at that school. This establishment is the great training school for government civil engineers, who are chosen, after a two years’ course, out of those who come first on the competitive list, and for officers of the engineers and artillery, the latter being sent for a three years’ course to the “Ecole d’application” at Fontainebleau, with the rank of sub-lieutenant.

Piquage, m. (military), de romance, sleep, “balmy;” snoring, or “driving one’s pigs to market.”

Les autres cavaliers ... continuaient, à poings fermés, le piquage de leur romance.—C. Dubois de Gennes.

(Popular) Faire un ——, to steal wine by boring a hole in a cask which is being conveyed in a van to its destination. Also to abstract wine or spirits from a cask by the insertion of a tube, or “sucking the monkey.” The English expression has also the meaning of drinking generally, and originally, according to Marryat, to drink rum out of cocoa-nuts, the milk having been poured out and the liquor substituted.

Piquante, f. (thieves’), pin.

Piquantine, f. (thieves’), flea. Called sometimes “F sharp,” bugs being the “B flats.”

Piqué, adj. (popular), pas —— des hannetons, good, or “bully;” excellent.

Pique-chien, m., doorkeeper at the Ecole Polytechnique. Literally slumberer. See Pipo.

Pique-en-terre, m. (popular and thieves’), fowl, “cackling cheat, or margery prater.”

Piquelard, m. (popular), pork-butcher, or “kiddier.”

Pique-poux, m. (popular), a tailor. Termed also pique-prunes, or pique-puces. Called among English operatives a “steel-bar driver, cabbage-contractor, or goose-persuader;” by the world, a “ninth part of a man;” and by the “fast” man, a “sufferer.” Termed also “snip,” from “snipes,” a pair of scissors, or from the snipping sound made by scissors in cutting up anything.

Piquer (students’), to do; —— l’étrangère, to be absent or distraught, “to go moon-raking,” or “wool-gathering;” —— un laïus, to make a speech; —— une muette, to remain silent, “to be mum.” J’ai piqué 17 à la colle, I obtained 17 marks at the examination. See Colle. Piquer le bâton d’encouragement, to obtain 1 mark, the maximum being 20; —— une sèche, to get no marks at all, or a “duck’s egg;” (familiar and popular) —— un chien, to sleep, “to have a dose of balmy;” —— un fard, or un soleil, to blush; —— un renard, to vomit, “to shoot the cat, to cast up accounts, or to cascade.” Rabelais termed the act “supergurgiter;” —— une victime, to dive from a great height with arms uplifted and body perfectly rigid; (sailors’) —— sa plaque, to sleep; to die. See Pipe. (Artists’) Piquer un cinabre, to blush; (popular) —— dans le tas, to choose.

Nous v’là ... nous sont point pressées: piquez donc vite dans eul’ tas, au p’tit bonheur.—Trublot.

Piquer une romance, to sleep, “to have a dose of balmy;” to snore, “to drive one’s pigs to market.”

Et puisqu’ils pioncent tous comme des marmottes.... A ton tour, mon bon de piquer une romance.—C. Dubois de Gennes.

Se —— le tasseau, to get drunk, or “tight.” For synonyms see Sculpter. Piquer un chahut, to dance the cancan.

Revenant ensuite dans les environs de la Gare Saint-Lazare, dansant à Buliier, piquant un “chahut” à l’Elysée-Montmartre ou même à la Boule-Noire, aux heures de dèche.—Dubut De Laforest, Le Gaga.

Piquet, m. (popular), prayer-book. Also juge de paix, a kind of county court magistrate.

Piqueton, m. (popular), thin wine.

Et les verres se vidaient d’une lampée.... Il pleuvait du piqueton, quoi? un piqueton qui avait d’abord un goût de vieux tonneau.—Zola.

Piqueuse de trains, f. (popular), prostitute who prowls about railway stations. See Gadoue.

Pissat, m. (popular), d’âne, brandy, or “French cream;” beer; —— de vache, sour or small beer, “swipes.”

Pisse-froid dans la canicule, m. (popular), man of an extremely phlegmatic disposition, who on all occasions remains “as cool as a cucumber.” Also “pisse-verglas.”

Pisse-huile, m. (schoolboys’), lamp-lighter.

Pissenlits, m. pl. (popular), arroser les ——, to void urine in the open air. Manger les —— par la racine, to be dead and buried.

Pisser (familiar and popular), à l’Anglaise, to give the slip, “to take French leave.” From the act of a man who, wishing to get rid of another, pretends to go to the “lavatory,” and disappears. Pisser au cul de quelqu’un, to entertain feelings of utter contempt for one; —— contre le soleil, to strive in vain, to make useless efforts; —— dans un violon, to waste one’s time in some fruitless attempt; —— des enfants, to beget a large number of children; —— des yeux, to weep, “to nap a bib;” —— sa côtelette, to be in child-bed, or “in the straw;” —— sur quelqu’un, to despise one. Faire —— des lames de rasoir en travers, to annoy one terribly, to “rile” one, or to “spur” him. Mener les poules ——, to leave off working under false pretences. Une histoire à faire —— un cheval de bois, astounding story hard to swallow, story told by one who can “spin a twister.” (Literary) Pisser de la copie, to be a facile writer, to write lengthy journalistic productions off-hand.

Pisse-trois-gouttes, m. (popular), one who frequently stops on the road in order to void urine, one who “lags;” —— dans quatre pots de chambre, slow man who does little work.

Pisseur de copie, m. (literary), facile writer, one who writes lengthy journalistic productions off-hand.

Pisseuse, f. (popular), little girl, little chit.

Pisse-verglas, m. (popular). See Pisse-froid.

Pissin de cheval, m. (popular), bad beer, “swipes, or belly-vengeance.”

Pissote, f. (popular), urinals. Faire une ——, to void urine, “to pump ship.”

Pistache, f. (familiar), mild stage of intoxication. Pincer sa ——, to be slightly the worse for liquor, “to be elevated.”

Pistaon, m. (Breton cant), money.

Piste, f. (military), suivez la ——, go on talking, proceed.

Pister (popular), is said of hotel touts who follow and generally bore travellers; (thieves’) to follow. La riflette me pistait mais je me suis fait une paire de mains courantes à la mode, the spy was following me, but I ran away.

Elle la piste, elle arrive essouflée au Bureau des mœurs pour prévenir la police.—Dr. Jeannel.

Pisteur, m. (familiar), an admirer of the fair sex, whose principal occupation is to follow women in the streets. Rigaud makes the following remarks: “Il ne faut pas confondre le pisteur avec le suiveur. Le suiveur est un fantaisiste qui opère à l’aventure. Il emboîte le pas à toutes les femmes qui lui plaisent, ou, mieux, à toutes les jolies jambes. Parmi cent autres, il reconnaîtra un mollet qu’il aura déjà chassé. Il va, vient, s’arrête, tourne, retourne, marche devant, derrière, croise, coupe l’objet de sa poursuite, qu’il perd souvent au détour d’une rue. Plus méthodique, le pisteur surveille d’un trottoir à l’autre son gibier. Il suit à une distance respectueuse, pose devant les magasins, sous les fenêtres, se cache derrière une porte, retient le numéro de la maison, fait sentinelle et ne donne de la voix que lorsqu’il est sûr du succès. Le pisteur est, ou un tout jeune homme timide, plein d’illusions, ou un homme mûr, plein d’expérience. Le pisteur d’omnibus est un désœuvré qui suit les femmes en omnibus, leur fait du pied, du genou, du coude, risque un bout de conversation, et n’a d’autre sérieuse opération que celle de se faire voiturer de la Bastille à la Madeleine et vice versa. Cet amateur du beau sexe est ordinairement un quinquagénaire dont le ventre a, depuis longtemps, tourné au majestueux. Il offre à tout hasard aux ouvrières le classique mobilier en acajou; les plus entreprenants vont jusqu’au palissandre. Les paroles s’envolent, et acajou et palissandre restent ... chez le marchand de meubles. Peut-être est-ce un pisteur qui a trouvé le proverbe: promettre et tenir font deux.”

Pistole, f. (popular). Grande ——, ten-franc piece. Petite ——, fifty-centime coin.

Pistolet, m. (obsolete), de manœuvres, stone.

Ils chassèrent le sergent et tous ceux qui étoient avec lui, à grands coups de pierres que ces palots nommoient des pistolets de manœuvres.—L’Apothicaire empoisonné.

(Familiar) Pistolet, a pint bottle of champagne, a pint of “boy, or fiz.” Un drôle de ——, a queer “fish.” (Popular) Pistolet à la Saint-Dôme, small hook used by cigar-end finders to whisk up bits of cigars or cigarettes. Ous qu’est mon ——? expression of mock indignation.

Faites donc attention, jeune homme. Vous allez chiffonner ma robe, c’est du 60 francs le mètre ça, mon petit! Que j’lui dis ... soixante francs le mètre, ous qu’est mon pistolet? Je ne donnerais pas cent sous de l’enveloppe avec la poupée qu’est d’dans.—Les Locutions Vicieuses.

Pistolet, in the fifteenth century, a dagger manufactured at Pistoie.

Pistolier, m. (prisoners’), prisoner who lives at the “pistole,” a separate cell allowed to a prisoner for a consideration.

Piston, m. (students’), assistant to a lecturer on chemistry or physics; (popular) man who is well recommended for a situation. In the slang of naval cadets, a busybody, a bore.

Pistonner (familiar and popular), quelqu’un, to give one who is seeking a post the support of one’s influence; to annoy, “to rile;” to guide one.

Ayant rencontré un portefaix qu’il connaissait, il s’est fait “pistonner” par lui, suivant son expression, à travers la ville.—Le Voltaire, Nov., 1886.

Pitaine-crayon, m. (Ecole Polytechnique), orderly acting as servant at the drawing classes.

Pitancher (popular), to drink, “to liquor up.” Termed by the Americans, “to smile, to see the man;” —— de l’eau d’aff, to drink brandy.

Piton, m. (popular), nose, “handle, conk, boko, snorter, smeller.” See Morviau.

Un —— passé à l’encaustique, red nose, “copper nose,” or one with “grog blossoms,” such as is sported by an “Admiral of the Red.”

Pître du comme, m. (thieves’), commercial traveller. Pître, properly mountebank’s fool, or “Billy Barlow,” and figuratively a literary or political quack.

Pitroux, pétouze, m. (thieves’), gun, or “dag;” pistol, “barking iron,” or “barker.”

Pituiter (popular), to slander; to prattle, to gabble, “to clack, or to jaw.”

Pivase, m. (popular), nose of large dimensions, “conk.” See Morviau.

Pivaste, m. (thieves’), child, “kid, or kinchin.” Termed also “miou, loupiau, môme.”

Pive, or pivre, m. (popular), wine. Marchand de ——, landlord of a wine-shop. Rabelais called wine “purée septembrale,” or “eau beniste de cave,” as appears from the following:—

Maistre Janotus, tondu à la césarine, vestu de son liripipion à l’antique, et bien antidoté l’estomach de cotignac de four et eau beniste de cave, se transporta au logis de Gargantua.—Gargantua.

Pivert, m. (thieves’), fine saw made out of a watch-spring, used by prisoners to file through the bars of a cell-window. An allusion to the sharp beak of the woodpecker.

Pivoiner (popular), to redden. From pivoine, peony.

Pivois, pive, or pie, m. (thieves’), wine. Charles Nodier says: “Un certain vin se dit ‘pivois’ à cause de la ressemblance de son raisin avec la pive, nom patois du fruit appelé improprement pomme de pin;” —— à quatre nerfs, small measure of wine costing four sous; —— citron, vinegar; —— vermoisé, red wine; —— savonné, white wine.

Mais que ce soit le pétrole ou le pivois savonné, dans le godet ou dans l’entonnoir à patte, toujours les buveurs ont soin de dire: à la vôtre, patron!—Richepin.

The synonyms are the following: “picton, tortu, reginglard, picolo, bleu, petit bleu, ginglet, briolet, huile, sirop, jus d’échalas.”

Pivot, m. (thieves’), pen.

Frangin et frangine.—Je pésigue le pivot pour vous bonnir que mézigue vient d’être servi maron à la lègre de Canelle.—Vidocq. (Brother and sister.—I take the pen to tell you that I have just been caught in the act at the fair of Caen.)

(Military) Envoyer chercher le —— de conversion, to send one on a fool’s errand, something like sending one for “pigeon’s milk.” Envoyer chercher “la clef du champ de manœuvre, le moule à guillemets, or le parapluie de l’escouade,” are kindred jokes perpetrated on unsophisticated recruits.

Pivoter (military), to work; to drill; to be on duty.

Tour à tour, c’était le brigadier de semaine qui pivotait, les bleus qui en fichaient un coup.—G. Courteline.

Placarde, f. (thieves’), public square in a city, generally the one where executions take place. Before 1830 the death sentence was carried out at the Place de Grève, later on at the Place St. Jacques, and nowadays criminals are executed in front of the prison of La Roquette; —— au quart d’œil, place of executions. La —— de vergne, the town public place.

Place d’armes, f. (popular), stomach, “bread-basket;” body, “apple-cart.”

Vous êtes invité à passer la soirée chez des bourgeois.... Vous entrez.... Au lieu de dire: bonjour, cher ami; madame est bien? Allons tant mieux! enchanté de vous voir en bonne santé, l’on dit carrément; bonjour, ma vieille branche, comment va la place d’armes? Et le bourgeois pour se mettre à la mode, répond; merci! mon vieux, ça boulotte, et ta sœur?—Les Locutions Vicieuses.

Placeur de lapins, m. (familiar), humbug who plays the moralist.

Desgenais n’est, malgré ses malédictions à fracas, qu’un simple placeur de lapins.—L. Chapron, Le Gaulois.

It also means man who lives at the expense of others and introduces his friends to women of the demi-monde.

Plafond, m. (familiar and popular), head, skull, “nut.” Avoir une araignée dans le ——, to be “cracked,” “to have a slate off.” See Avoir.

—Voilà encore un de nos jolis “toqués,” disait l’un d’eux à demi-voix.

—Il a une belle “araignée dans le plafond,” murmurait un autre.—P. Audebrand.

Avoir des trychines dans le ——, same signification as above. Se défoncer, or se faire sauter le ——, to blow one’s brains out. (Theatrical) Plafond d’air, long strips of painted canvas stretched across the upper part of the stage to represent the sky.

Plaider la ficelle (lawyers’), is said of a counsel who has recourse when pleading to some transparent ruse, such as diverting the attention from the point at issue by treating of questions irrelevant to the case.

Plamousse, f. (popular), box on the ear, “wipe in the gills.”

Plan, m. (familiar and popular), pawnbroker’s establishment, “lug chovey.” Mettre au ——, or en ——, to pawn, “to put up the spout.”

Le lendemain elle mit son châle “en plan” pour cinq francs—Léo Taxil.

Etre en ——, to remain at a restaurant while a friend goes to fetch wherewith to defray the common expenses for a meal. Laisser en ——, to abandon, to leave one in the lurch. Laisser tout en ——, to leave or “chuck up” everything in hand. (Popular) Il y a ——, it is possible. (Military) Plan, arrest. Etre au ——, to be under arrest, “to be roosted.” (Thieves’) Plan, prison, “stir.” See Motte. Plan de couillé, remand. Etre mis au —— de couillé, to be imprisoned for another. Etre mis au ——, to be imprisoned, “to get the clinch.” Tomber au ——, to be apprehended, or “smugged.” See Piper. (Theatrical) Laisser en plan is said of the claque, or paid applauders, when they do not applaud an actor.

Vous ferez Madame B. (faire ici veut dire applaudir ou soigner) vous laisserez en plan Monsieur X. (cela signifie vous ne l’applaudirez pas).—Balzac.

Planche, f. (familiar and popular), woman the reverse of buxom, who is not “built that way;” (popular) —— à boudin, woman of indifferent character. Faire la ——, to be a prostitute, or “mot.” Faire sa ——, to give oneself airs. Sans ——, without any ceremonies, frankly. (Freemasons’) Planche à tracer, table; sheet of white paper; letter. (Thieves’) Planche, sword, or “poker;” —— à grimaces, altar; —— à sapement, police court; —— au chiquage, or à lavement, confessional; —— au pain, tribunal; bench occupied by prisoners in the dock. Etre mis sur la —— au pain, to be committed for trial, “to be fullied.”

On m’empoigne, on me met sur la planche au pain. J’ai une fièvre cérébrale.—Victor Hugo.

(Theatrical) Avoir des planches, to be an experienced actor. Brûler les planches, to play with spirit.

Ce n’était pas un mauvais acteur. Il avait de la chaleur, il brûlait même un peu les planches.—E. Monteil, Cornebois.

(Military) Une —— à pain, a tall lanky man. (Tailors’) Une ——, a “goose.” Avoir fait les planches, to have worked as a journeyman tailor.

Planché, adj. (thieves’), être ——, to be convicted, “to be booked, or to be in for a vamp.”

Plancher (military), to be confined in the cells, or guard-room; (popular and thieves’) to be afraid; to laugh at; to joke.

Tu planches, mon homme.—Vidocq. (You are joking, my good fellow.)

Plancherie, f. (popular and thieves’), joke, “wheeze,” or practical joke.

Plancheur, m. (popular and thieves’), joker; practical joker.

Planque, f. (thieves’), en ——, on the watch.

J’allai en compagnie de H. au Passage du Cheval Rouge, et, le laissant en planque (en observation).—Canler.

Planque, place of concealment; police station. Le truc de la ——, the secret concerning a place of concealment.

Par une chouette sorgue, la rousse est aboulée à la taule ... un macaron avait mangé le morceau sur nouzailles et bonni le truc de la planque; tous les fanandels avaient été servis.—Vidocq. (One fine night the police came to the house ... a traitor had peached on us, and revealed the secret of the hiding place; all the comrades had been apprehended.)

Planque à corbeaux, priest’s seminary; —— à larbins, servants’ registering office; —— des gouâpeurs, dépôt of the Préfecture de Police; —— à plombes, clock; —— à sergots, police station; —— à suif, gaming-house, or “punting-shop;” —— à tortorer, eating-house, “grubbing-ken, or spinikin.” Etre en ——, to be locked up, or “put away.” See Piper.

Planquer (popular), to pawn, “to put in lug;” (thieves’) to imprison, “to smug.” See Piper. Planquer, to conceal.

A c’te plombe j’suis si bien planquée que je ne crains ni cognes, ni griviers, ni railles, ni quart d’œil, ni gerbiers.—Vidocq. (I am now so well concealed that I fear no gendarmes, soldiers, detectives, police magistrate, or judges.)

Planquer le marmot, to conceal the booty, to put away the “swag.” It also means to place, to put in. Planquer les paccins dans un roulant, to put the parcels in a cab. (Printers’) Planquer des sortes, to put by, for one’s personal use, and with much inconvenience to fellow-compositors, some particular description of type required in large quantities for a common piece of composition.

Plantation, f. (theatrical), arrangement of scenic plant, such as furniture, &c.

J’avais dit de poser là une chaise pour figurer la porte. Tous les jours, il faut recommencer la plantation.—Zola, Nana.

Planter (theatrical), refers to the effecting of all scenic arrangements; —— un acte, to settle all the scenic details of an act; —— un comparse, to give directions to a supernumerary as to his make-up, position on the stage, movements, &c.; (sailors’) —— le harpon, to express some idea, some proposal. (Popular) Planter, to make a sacrifice to Venus; —— son poireau, to be waiting for someone who is not making his appearance; —— le drapeau, to leave without paying one’s reckoning; not to pay a debt; (familiar) —— un chou, to deceive, “to bamboozle.” See Jobarder.

Plantes, f. pl. (popular), feet, “everlasting shoes.”

Eh! bien, vous êtes de la jolie fripouille, cria-t-il, j’ai usé mes plantes pendant trois heures sur la route, même qu’un gendarme m’a demandé mes papiers. Ah! non, vous savez, blague dans le coin, je la trouve raide.—Zola, L’Assommoir. (Well, he cried, you are nice un’s, you are; here I have been scraping the road with my everlasting shoes these three hours. None of that you know, and no kid, you come it rather too strong.)

Plaque, f. (popular), avoir sa —— d’égout défoncée, to be a Sodomite. (Military) Des plaques de garde-champêtre, an old sergeant’s stripes.

Plaquer (popular), to put, to leave, to forsake; —— sa viande sous l’édredon, to go to bed; —— son nière, to forsake one’s friend. Se ——, to fall flat; to put oneself; to have one’s wet clothes sticking to one’s body. Se —— dans la limonade, to jump into the water.

Plastronneur, m. (popular), swell, “gorger.” From the stiff plastron, or shirt-front, sported by dandies when in “full fig.” See Gommeux.

Plat, m. (popular), deux œufs sur le ——, or deux œufs, small breasts.

C’ment ça! c’que vous m’f... là, cap’taine! n’allez pas m’dire qu’une femme qui n’a qu’deux œufs posés sur la place d’armes, peut avoir une fluxion vraisemblable à une personne avantagée comme la commandante?—Ch. Leroy, Ramollot.

Plat d’épinards, painting, or “daub.” (Popular) Faire du ——, to create a disturbance; to make a noise, “to kick up a row.” Prendre un —— d’affiches, to have no breakfast in consequence of absence of means to pay for it. Literally to walk about with an empty stomach, reading the bills posted up, to while away the time. Plats à barbe, ears, “wattles, lugs, hearing cheats.”

Le nez s’appelle un “piton;” la bouche, un “four;” l’oreille un “plat à barbe;” les dents des “dominos,” et les yeux des “quinquets.”—Les Locutions Vicieuses.

(Restaurants’) Plat du jour, dish which is got ready specially for the day, and which consequently is generally the most palatable in the bill of fare.

Ce que le restaurateur appelle dans son argot un plat du jour, c’est-à-dire un plat humain, possible, semblable à la nourriture que les hommes mariés trouvent chez eux.—Th. de Banville, La Cuisinière Poétique.

(Military) Plat, gorget formerly worn by officers.

Platane, m. (familiar), feuille de ——, rank cigar, “cabbage-leaf.”

Plateau, m. (freemasons’), a dish.

Plato. See Filer.

Plâtre, m. See Essuyer. (Printers’) Plâtre, for emplâtre, bad compositor. (Thieves’) Plâtre, silver; silver coin. Possibly an allusion to the colour and shape of the face of a watch. Je viens de dégringolarer un bobinot en plâtre, I have just stolen a silver watch. Etre au ——, to have money.

Platue, f. (thieves’), a kind of flat cake.

Plein, m. and adj. (popular), avoir son ——, to be intoxicated, “to be primed;” —— comme un œuf, comme un sac, drunk, “drunk as Davy’s sow.” See Pompette. Gros —— de soupe, a stout, clumsy man.

Pleine, adj. (popular), lune, breech, or “Nancy.” See Vasistas. (Familiar) Faire une —— eau, to dive into a river or the sea from a boat, and swim about in deep water.

Plette, f. (thieves’), skin, “buff.”

Pleurant, m. (thieves’), onion. From pleurer, to weep. The allusion is obvious. Du cabot avec des pleurants, a mess of dogfish and onions.

Pleurer (popular), en filou, to pretend to weep, crocodile fashion. Faire —— son aveugle, to void urine, “to pump ship.”

Pleut (popular), il ——! ejaculation of refusal; silence! be careful! The expression is used by printers as a warning to be silent when the master or a stranger enters the workshop.

Pleuvoir (thieves’), des châsses, to weep, “to nap a bib.” Termed also “baver des clignots.” (Military) Pleuvoir, to void urine.

Pli, m. (familiar), avoir un —— dans sa rose, to have something that mars one’s joy or disturbs one’s happiness.

La Martinière avait un “pli dans sa rose” comme il le disait lui-même.—H. France, A Travers l’Espagne.

Pliant, m. (thieves’), knife, or “chive.” Termed also “vingt-deux, surin, or lingre.” Jouer du ——, to knife, “to chive.”

Plier (popular), ses chemises, to die. “to snuff it.” See Pipe. Plier son éventail, to make signals to men in the orchestra stalls.

Plis, m. pl. (popular), des ——, derisive expression of refusal; might be rendered by, Don’t you wish you may get it? or by the Americanism, “Yes, in a horn!” See Nèfles.

Plomb, m. (restaurants’), entremets. Probably from plum pudding; (popular) venereal disease. Laver la tête avec du ——, to shoot one. Manger du ——, to be shot. Le ——, the throat, or “red lane;” the mouth. Termed also “l’avaloir, le bécot, la bavarde, la gargoine, la boîte, l’égout, la babouine, la cassolette, l’entonnoir, la gaffe, le mouloir, le gaviot.” In the English slang, “mug, potato-trap, rattler, kisser, maw-dubber, rattle-trap, potato-jaw, muns, bone-box.” Ferme ton ——, hold your tongue, “put a clapper to your mug, mum your dubber, or hold your jaw.”

—D’où sort-elle donc celle-là? Elle ferait bien mieux de clouer son bec.

—Celle-là ... celle-là vaut bien Madame de la Queue-Rousse. Ferme ton plomb toi-même.—H. France, Le Péché de Sœur Cunégonde.

Jeter dans le ——, to swallow.

Plombe, f. (thieves’), hour. An allusion to the weights of clocks, formerly “plomées.” Six plombes se décrochent, it is six o’clock. Luysard estampillait six plombes, it was six o’clock by the sun.

Voilà six plombes et une mèche qui crossent ... tu pionces encore.—Je crois bien, nous avons voulu maquiller à la sorgue chez un orphelin, mais le pantre était chaud; j’ai vu le moment où il faudrait jouer du vingt-deux et alors il y aurait eu du raisinet.—Vidocq. (It is half-past six ... sleeping yet?—I should think so; we wanted to do a night job at a goldsmith’s, but the cove was wide-awake. I was very near doing for him with my knife.)

Plomber (popular and thieves’), to emit a bad smell. From plomb, sink.

Plomber de la gargoine, to have an offensive breath. Plomber, to strike the hour. La guimbarde ne plombe pas, the clock does not strike the hour. Etre plombé, to be drunk, or “lumpy,” see Pompette; to suffer from a venereal disease.

Plombes, f. pl. (thieves’), money, “pieces.” See Quibus.

De vieux marmiteux de la haute lui ont offert de l’épouser. Mais ils n’avaient que le titre (elle veut, dit-elle, le titre avec les plombes).—Louise Michel.

Plonger (thieves’), les pognes dans la profonde, or fabriquer un poivrot, to pick the pockets of a drunken man who has come to grief on a bench.

Plongeur, m. (thieves’), poverty-stricken man, or “quisby;” tatterdemalion; (popular) scullery man at a café or restaurant.

Plotte, f. (thieves’), purse, “skin, or poge.” Termed, in old English cant, “bounge.” Faire une ——, “to fake a skin.”

Plouse, f. (thieves’), straw, “strommel.”

Ployant, or ployé, m. (thieves’), pocket-book, “dee,” or “dummy.”

J’étais avec lui à la dinée au tapis, lorsque les cognes sont venus lui demander ses escraches et j’ai remarqué que son ployant était plein de tailbins d’altèque.—Vidocq. (I was with him at dinner in the inn when the gendarmes came to ask him for his passport, and I noticed that his pocket-book was full of bank-notes.)

Pluc, m. (thieves’), booty, “regulars,” or “swag.”

Plumade, f. (obsolete), straw mattress.

Plumard, m. (popular), bed, “doss,” or “bug-walk.” Termed also “panier, pagne, pucier.”

Plumarder (military), se ——, to go to bed.

Plume, f. (thieves’), false key; a short crowbar which generally takes to pieces for the convenience of housebreakers. Termed also, “Jacques, sucre de pommes, l’enfant, biribi, rigolo.” Denominated by English housebreakers, “the stick, Jemmy, or James.” Passer à la ——, to be ill-treated by the police. Plume de Beauce (obsolete), straw, or “strommel.”

Quand on couche sur la plume de la Beauce (la paille), des rideaux, c’est du luxe.—Vidocq.

Piausser sur la —— de Beauce, to sleep in the straw. (Popular) Plumes, hair, or “thatch.” Termed also “tifs, douilles, douillards.” Se faire des plumes, or paumer ses plumes, to feel dull, to have the “blues.” (Familiar) Ecrire ses mémoires avec une —— de quinze pieds was said formerly of galley slaves. An allusion to the long oar which such convicts had to ply on board the old galleys. (Military) Plume! an ejaculation to denote that the soldier referred to will spend the night at the guard-room or in prison. An ironical allusion to the expression “coucher dans la plume,” to sleep in a featherbed, and to the hard planks which are to form the culprit’s couch. (Journalists’) Gen de ——, literary man. The term is used disparagingly.

C’est comme ça! continue le gen de plume. X... a osé m’envoyer son ouvrage en vers ... oh! la! la! quelle guitare!—Louise Michel.

Plumeau, m. (popular), va donc vieux ——! get along, you old fool, or “doddering old sheep’s head.”

Plumepatte, m., synonymous of Dache (which see).

Plumer (thieves’), le pantre, or faire la grèce, is said of rogues who, having formed an acquaintance with travellers whom they fall in with in the vicinity of railway stations, take them to a neighbouring café and induce them to play at some swindling game, with the result that the pigeon’s money changes hands. (Popular) Plumer, to sleep. Se ——, to go to bed.

Plumet, m. (familiar and popular), avoir son ——, to be drunk, or “tight.” Termed also “avoir son petit jeune homme, être paf, s’être piqué le nez.” For other synonyms see Pompette. One day, in 1853, Alfred de Musset, who then had become a confirmed tippler of absinthe, called on M. Empis, the manager of the Théâtre Français, and asked one of the officials of the theatre to introduce him into his presence. The official entered the directorial office, says Philibert Audebrand, when the following dialogue took place:—

—Monsieur le directeur ...

—Quoi? qu’y a-t-il?

—Eh bien, c’est M. Alfred de Musset.

—Mais, monsieur le directeur....

—Quoi donc?

—C’est qu’il a son “petit jeune homme.”

—Qu’est-ce que ça fait, Lachaume? Faites entrer M. Alfred de Musset avec son petit jeune homme.

Le plus piquant de l’histoire, c’est que M. Empis ne savait pas ce que voulaient dire ces mots: “avoir son petit jeune homme.”

The expression led to the following conversation between two savants:—

Un Grammairien. Eh bien, “avoir son petit jeune homme,” qu’est-ce que ça veut dire?

Un Philologue. C’est “avoir son plumet.”

Le Grammairien. Bon! me voilà bien avancé! Qu’est-ce qu’avoir son plumet?

Le Philologue. Monsieur, c’est “être paf.”

Le Grammairien. De mieux en mieux. Qu’est-ce donc qu’ “être paf”?

Le Philologue. Selon le dictionnaire de la langue verte, le mot se dit de ceux qui “se piquent le nez.”

Le Grammairien. Je ne comprends toujours pas.

Le Philologue. Eh bien, traduisez: ceux qui se saoulent.

Le Grammairien. Pour le coup, j’y suis!

Faux ——, wig, “flash, or periwinkle.”

Plumeuse, f. (popular), woman who draws so largely on a man’s purse as not to leave him a sou.

Plus (popular), n’avoir —— de fil sur la bobine, —— de crin sur la brosse, —— de gazon sur le pré, —— de paillasson à la porte, to be bald, “to be stag-faced, to have a bladder of lard,” &c. See Avoir. (Familiar and popular) Ne —— pouvoir passer sous la Porte Saint-Denis. See Passer. Plus que ça de chic! how elegant! —— que ça de toupet! what “cheek!” N’avoir —— de mousse sur le caillou, to be bald. See Avoir.

Plus de mousse sur le caillou, quatre cheveux frisant à plat dans le cou, si bien qu’elle était toujours tentée de lui demander l’adresse du merlan qui lui faisait la raie.—Zola.

C’est —— fort que de jouer au bouchon, words meant to express the speaker’s astonishment or indignation, “it is coming it rather too strong.”

Moi? exclama le fourrier stupéfait, j’aurai huit jours de salle de police? Eh ben, vrai, c’est plus fort que de jouer au bouchon!—G. Courteline.

Plus souvent (familiar and popular), certainly not; never.

C’est moi qui me chargerai de toi.—Plus souvent, va! c’est encore toi qui sera bien aise de revenir manger mon pain.—E. Monteil.

Pocharder (general), se ——, to get drunk, “to get screwed.” See Sculpter.

Pocharderie, f. (general), drunkenness.

Pochards. Signe de la croix des ——. See Ménilmuche.

Poche, adj. and subst. (popular), être ——, to be drunk, to be “screwed.” See Pompette. (Thieves’) Une ——, a spoon, or “feeder.” Termed by Rabelais “happesoupe.”

Poche-œil, m. (popular), blow in the eye. Donner un ——, to give a black eye, “to put one’s eyes in half-mourning.”

Pocher (printers’), better explained by quotation.

Prendre trop d’encre avec le rouleau et la mettre sur la forme sans l’avoir bien distribuée.—Boutmy.

Pocheté, m. (popular), dunce, or “flat.” Used sometimes as a friendly appellation.

Pochetée, f. (popular), en avoir une ——, to be dull-witted.

Pochonner (popular), to give one a couple of black eyes, “to put one’s eyes in mourning.”

Poèle à châtaignes, f. (popular), pock-marked face, “cribbage-face.”

Poétraillon, m. (familiar), poet who writes lame verses.

Pogne, f. (thieves’), thief, “prig,” see Grinche; hand, or “duke.” Plonger les pognes dans la profonde, or dans la valade, to pick a pocket, “to fake a cly.” See Grinchir.

Pogne-main (popular), à ——, heavily, roughly.

Pognon, or poignon, m. (popular), money, or “dimmock.” For synonyms see Quibus.

Poignard, m. (tailors’), the act of touching up some article of clothing.

Poigne, f. (popular), hand, “daddle.”

J’ai la poigne solide ... je vous étrangle.—E. Lemoine.

Donne-moi ta ——, “tip us your daddle.” Ergot de la ——, fingernail. Avoir de la ——, to be strong; energetic.

Poignée, f. (popular), foutre une —— de viande par la figure à quelqu’un, to box one’s ears, “to warm the wax of one’s ears.”

Poigneux, adj. (popular), strong, vigorous, “spry.”

Poignon, m. (popular), money, “tin.”

Dis donc, l’enflé, si t’as du poignon, remuche-moi la môme. Elle est rien gironde.—Richepin.

Poil, m. (popular), avoir un —— dans la main, to be lazy; to feel disinclined for work, or “Mondayish.”

Gervaise s’amusa à suivre trois ouvriers, ... qui se retournaient tous les dix pas ... ah! bien! murmura-t-elle, en voilà trois qui ont un fameux poil dans la main.—Zola, L’Assommoir.

Avoir du —— au cul, to have courage, “spunk.” Faire le ——, to surpass. Flanquer un ——, to reprimand, to give a “wigging.” Tomber sur le ——, to thrash, “to wallop.” See Voie. Un bougre à poils, a sturdy fellow, a “game” one. (Sailors’) Un cachalot bon ——, a good sailor. Un terrien à trois poils, a swell landsman. (Picture dealers’) Cuir et poils, at a high price.

Il vend son Corot très cher, “cuir et poils,” comme on dit dans ce joli commerce; et c’est son droit; car ta valeur d’un objet d’art est facultative.—A. Daudet.

(Familiar and popular) Prendre du —— de la bête, to take a “modest quencher” on the morning following a debauch, “to take a hair of the dog.” When a man has tried too many “hairs of the dog that bit him,” he is said to be “stale drunk.” If this state of things is too long continued, it is often called, “same old drunk,” from a well-known nigger story. The nigger was cautioned by his master for being too often drunk within a given period, when the “cullud pusson” replied, “Same old drunk, massa, same old drunk.” (Students’) Le faste en ——, the garden of the Palace of Luxembourg, by synonyms on the words luxe en bourre. Faire son petit ourson au faste en ——, to stroll in the Luxembourg garden.

Poins (Breton cant), theft.

Poinsa (Breton cant), to steal.

Poinser (Breton cant), thief.

Point, m. (popular), one franc; —— de côté, a nuisance. Properly a stitch in the side; creditor, or “dun;” police-officer whose functions are to watch prostitutes. (Ecole Polytechnique) Point gamma, yearly examination. See Pipo. Jusqu’au —— M, up to a certain point; in a certain degree. Le —— Q, breech. Tangente au —— Q, sword.

Pointe, f. (familiar), avoir sa ——, to be slightly in drink, or “elevated.” See Pompette.

Pointeau, m. (popular), clerk who keeps a record of the working hours in manufactories.

Pointer (popular), to thrash, “to give a walloping.” See Voie.

Si ta Dédèle est gironde, faut la gober, si elle est rosse, faut la pointer ferme.—Le Cri du Peuple, Feb., 1886. (If your little woman is a nice one you must love her, if she is a shrew you must thrash her well.)

Pointu, m. (popular), or bouillon ——, clyster; bishop. (Military) Un —— carré, a slow fellow, “stick in the mud.”

Eh bien! et les “bleus,” ils ne descendent pas? Ils n’ont donc pas entendu sonner le demi-appel, ces “pointus-carrés!” Tas de carapatas, va!—C. Dubois de Gennes.

Pointue, f. (thieves’), the Préfecture de Police. Ballonné à la ——, imprisoned in the lock-up of the Préfecture.

Poire, f. (cads’ and thieves’), head, or “tibby.” See Tronche. Tambouriner la —— à quelqu’un, to slap one’s face, “to fetch one a wipe in the mug,” or “to give a biff in the jaw” (Americanism). (Familiar and popular) Faire sa ——, to give oneself airs; to have an air of self-conceit, to look “gumptious.” Synonymous of “faire sa tête,” and, in the elegant language of cads, “faire sa merde.”

Poireau, m. (popular). Properly leek. Faire le ——, to be kept waiting at an appointed time or place, “to cool, or to kick one’s heels.” Surtout ne me fais pas faire le ——, mind you don’t “stick me up.”

Il est comme les poireaux, he is ever young and “spry.” The expression is old.

Tu me reproches mon poil grisonnant et ne consydere point comment il est de la nature des pourreaux esquels nous voyons la teste blanche et la queue verte, droicte et vigoureuse.—Rabelais.

(Familiar and popular) Un ——, a rogue who extorts money from Sodomites under threats of disclosures.

Par malheur le poireau, le chanteur, connaît aussi ce signe de reconnaissance. Si ces deux antiphysiques ont derrière eux cette araignée, toujours prête à tendre sa toile pour les surprendre c’en est fait du douillard.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Poireauter (popular), to wait a long while at an appointed place, “to cool, or to kick one’s heels.” Fielding uses the latter expression in his Amelia:—

In this parlour Amelia cooled her heels, as the phrase is, near a quarter of an hour.

Poirette, f. (thieves’), face, or “mug.” Laver la ——, to kiss.

Poirier, m. (dancing halls’), a variety of pas seul included in the cancan, a rather questionable sort of choregraphy.

L’orchestre joue et l’on répète le “canard qui barbote,” la “tulipe orageuse,” le “poirier” avec un ensemble parfait.—Gil Blas, Janvier, 1887.

Poiroté, m. (police and thieves’), rogue who is being watched by the police.

Poiroter (police and thieves’), to watch, “to give a roasting,” or “to dick.”

Pois, f. pl. (popular), coucher dans le lit aux —— verts, to sleep in the fields.

Poison, f. (familiar and popular). insulting epithet applied to a woman.

Poisse, f. (popular and thieves’), thief, “prig.” For synonyms see Grinche.

Voilà comment on devient grinche, l’homme pauvre devient gouêpeur, on l’envoie à la Lorcefé, il en sort poisse.—Vidocq. (That is how one takes to thieving; a poor man becomes a vagrant, he is sent to La Force, when he leaves he is a thief.)

Une —— à la détourne, a shoplifter, or “sneaksman,” termed formerly “buttock-and-file.” “Robbing a shop by pairs is termed ‘palming’—one thief bargaining with apparent intent to purchase,” says the Slang Dictionary, “whilst the other watches his opportunity to steal. The following anecdote will give an idea of their modus operandi. A man once entered a ‘ready-made’ boot and shoe shop, and desired to be shown a pair of boots, his companion staying outside and amusing himself by looking in at the window. The one who required to be fresh shod was apparently of a humble and deferential turn, for he placed his hat on the floor directly he stepped into the shop. Boot after boot was tried on until at last a fit was obtained, when in rushed a man, snatched up the customer’s hat left near the door, and ran down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. Away went the customer after his hat, and Crispin, standing at the door, clapped his hands, and shouted, ‘Go it, you’ll catch him?’ little thinking that it was a concerted trick, and that neither his boots nor the customer would ever return.” Detectives occasionally learn something from thieves, as appears from the stratagem resorted to by a French member of the Sûreté some time ago, who, himself a small man, and having a warrant for the arrest of an herculean and desperate scoundrel, proceeded as follows. He dogged his man, who pretended to hawk chains and watches, and, watching his opportunity, when the man had laid down his merchandise on the table of a wine-shop, he suddenly caught up one of the articles, and made off in the direction of the police station, followed thither by his quarry in hot pursuit, and crying out, “Stop thief!” Needless to say that the result was quite the reverse of that anticipated by the burly malefactor. (Dandies’) La ——, the world of cads, of “rank outsiders.”

Poissé, adj. (thieves’), stolen; caught. Au bout d’un an —— avec une pesée de gigot que j’allais fourguer. After one year nabbed with some leg of mutton which I was taking away to sell.

Poisser (popular and thieves’), to catch; to steal, “to cop, to clift, or to claim;” —— les philippes, or l’auber, to steal money. See Grinchir.

Se ——, to get drunk. See Sculpter. Se faire —— la gerce, to be guilty of unnatural offences.

Poisseur, m. (popular and thieves’), thief, or “prig.” See Grinche.

Poisseuse, f. (familiar), dressy, stylish woman, a “blooming tart.”

Poisseux, m. (familiar), dandy, or “masher.” For list of synonyms see Gommeux.

Les petits jeunes gens, les poisseux, les boudinés ... étaient à leur poste.—A. Sirven, Au Pays des Roublards.

Dandies used to apply the epithet to a cad, a “rank outsider.”

Poisson, m. (familiar and popular), one who lives on the earnings of a prostitute, whom he terms “sa marmite,” as providing him with his daily bread.

Seulement ... tout souteneur qui ne venge pas sa largue est considéré comme un fainéant. Il est condamné par la bande des poissons.—Mémoires de Monsieur Claude.

Bullies frequent all parts of Paris, but principally the outer Boulevards and Quartier Montmartre. Those of the lower sort are recognizable by their vigorous appearance, kiss-curls, tight light-coloured trousers, and tall silk cap. These degraded creatures, who are the bane of the outer quarters, readily turn murderers when “business” is slack. Léo Taxil says: “Every day the newspapers are full of the exploits of these wretches, who ply the knife as jugglers do their balls. The police are powerless against them.” In a curious pamphlet, written in 1830, as a protest of the Paris bullies against a police order, forbidding prostitutes from plying their trade in public places, we have a marlou’s portrait painted by himself:—

Un marlou, monsieur le Préfet, c’est un beau jeune homme, fort, solide, sachant tirer la savate, se mettant fort bien, dansant le chahut et le cancan avec élégance, aimable auprès des filles dévouées au culte de Vénus, les soutenant dans les dangers éminents (sic), sachant les faire respecter et les forcer à se conduire avec décence ... vous voyez bien qu’un marlou est un être moral, utile à la société.—Le beau Théodore Cancan.

The synonyms of “poisson” are the following: “Alphonse, baigne-dans-le-beurre, barbise, barbe, barbillon, barbeau, marlou, benoît, brochet, dos, dos vert, casquette à trois ponts, chevalier du bidet, chevalier de la guiche, chiqueur de blanc, bouffeur de blanc, costel, cravate verte, guiche, dessous, écaillé, fish, foulard rouge, gentilhomme sous-marin, ambassadeur, gonce à écailles, goujon, lacromuche, retrousseur, dos d’azur, dauphin, macchoux, machabée, macque, macquet, macrottin, maq, maquereau, poisson frayeur, releveur de fumeuse, maquignon à bidoche, mangeur de blanc, tête de patère, marloupatte, marloupin, marlousier, marquant, mec, mec de la guiche, monsieur à nageoires, monsieur à rouflaquettes, nég en viande chaude, patenté, porte-nageoires, roi de la mer, rouflaquette, roule-en-cul, soixante-six, un qui va aux épinards, valet de cœur, visqueux, bibi, and formerly bras de fer.” The English slang has “Sunday-man, petticoat pensioner, pensioner with an obscene prefix, ponce, prosser,” &c. (Popular) Poisson, large glass of brandy.

Poitou, m. (thieves’), the public. Epargner le ——, to take one’s precautions. Poitou, or poiton, no; nothing. As-tu vingt ronds? Du poiton. Have you a franc? No.

Poitrinaire, f. (popular), woman with opulent breasts. Properly consumptive person.

Poitrine, f. (military), d’acier, cuirassier; —— de velours, officer of the engineers, or “sapper.” An allusion to the velvet front of his tunic. (Popular) Du casse ——, brandy. Un casse ——. The celebrated physician Tardieu, in his Etude Médico-Légale sur les Attentats aux Mœurs, says: “Qui manu stupro dediti sunt, casse-poitrine appellantur.”

Poitriner (players’), to hold cards close to one so as to conceal one’s game.

Poivrade, f. (popular), syphilis, or other kind of venereal disease, one of which the English slang terms “French gout, or ladies’ fever.”

Poivre, m. and adj. (thieves’), poison. Flasquer du —— à la rousse, to keep out of the way of the police, to be in “lavender.” (Popular and thieves’) Poivre, brandy; glass of brandy.

De la bière, deux poivres ou un saladier?—P. Mahalin.

Se flanquer une culotte de ——, to get intoxicated on brandy. Chier du ——, to abscond. Une mine à ——, a shop where alcoholic liquors are retailed, a kind of low “gin palace.”

Comment, une bride de son espèce se permettait de mauvaises manières.... Tous les marchands de coco faisaient l’œil! Il fallait venir dans les mines à poivre pour être insulté!—Zola.

Etre ——, to be drunk, or “tight.” See Pompette.

Dans la langue imagée qui a cours du côté de Montparnasse, on dit qu’un buveur est “poivre” quand il a laissé sa raison au fond des pots.—Gaboriau.

Canarder un ——, to rob a drunkard.

Poivreau, or poivrot; m. (popular), drunkard, “lushington.” From poivre, rank brandy. Boutmy says: “Un ‘poivreau’ que le culte de Bacchus a plongé dans la plus grande débine, se fit renvoyer de son atelier. Par pitié ... ses camarades font entre eux une collecte ... notre poivreau revient une heure après complètement ivre.

“—Vous n’êtes pas honteux, de vous mettre dans un état pareil avec l’argent que l’on vous avait donné pour vous acheter un vêtement?

“—Eh bien! répondit l’incorrigible ivrogne, j’ai pris une ‘culotte.’”

Poivrement, m. (thieves’), payment.

Poivrer (general), to overcharge, or “to shave;” to give a venereal disease.

Poivreur, m. (thieves’), one who pays; one who “shells out the shiners.”

Poivrier, m. (popular and thieves’), drunkard. See Poivrot. Faire le ——, barboter le ——, to rob a drunkard.

A nous trois, nous avons barboté pas mal de poivriers.—Le Petit Journal.

Poivrier, spirit shop; thief who robs drunkards, a “bug-hunter.”

Poivrière, f. (popular), woman suffering from a venereal disease. Vol à la ——, robbing drunkards.

Le pillage d’un étalage par le jeune Z.; enfin le pillage “à la poivrière” d’un ivrogne, couché sur un banc.—Grosclaude, Gil Blas.

Poivrot, m. (general), drunkard, or habitual drunkard, “mop.” To be on the “mop” is to be on the drink from day to day, to be perpetually “stale drunk.” The synonyms of poivrot are “polonais, poivrier, pompier, éponge, mouillard, sac à vin,” &c., and in the English slang, “lushington, bibber,” and the old word “swill-pot,” used by Urquhart in his translation of Rabelais:—

What doth that part of our army in the meantime which overthrows that unworthy swill-pot Grangousier?

Une filature à poivrots, an establishment where spirits are retailed. (Thieves’) Fabriquer un ——, cueillir un ——, to pick the pockets of a drunken man, the thief being termed in the English slang a “bug-hunter.”

Poivrotter (popular), se ——, to get drunk, or “tight.” For synonyms see Sculpter.

Police, f. (military), bonnet de ——, recruit, or “Johnny raw.”

Ah! mille milliards de trompettes à piston! S’être laissé tarauder ainsi par un bleu ... par un blanc bec ... un carapata ... un bonnet de police; un conscrit enfin!—Dubois de Gennes.

Police (prostitutes’), se mettre à la ——, to have one’s name taken down in the police-books as a prostitute. All such women have to fulfil that formality, failing which they are liable to be summarily locked up.

Polichinelle (popular), avaler le ——, to partake of communion. Avoir un —— dans le tiroir, to be pregnant, or “lumpy.” Un ——, large glass of brandy.

Si mon auguste épouse ne reçoit pas sa trempée ce soir, je veux que ce polichinelle-là me serve de poison.—Gavarni.

Agacer un —— sur le zinc, to have a glass of brandy at the bar.

Polik (Breton cant), cat; attorney.

Polir. See Asphalte, Bitume.

Polisseuse de mâts de cocagne en chambre, f. (popular), a variety of the prostitute tribe, whose spécialité may more easily be guessed at than described. In Latin fellatrix. See Gadoue.

Polisson, m. (vagrants’). Formerly one of the tribe of rogues and mendicants, a miserably clad beggar.

Polissons sont ceux qui ont des frusquins qui ne valent que floutière; en hiver quand sigris bouesse, c’est lorsque leur état est plus chenastre.—Le Jargon de l’Argot. (“Polissons” are those who possess clothes in rags; in winter, when it is cold, then is their trade more profitable.)

(Obsolete) Polisson, pad worn under the dress to make up for the lack of rotundity in a certain part of the body, bustle, or “bird-cage.”

Dames et demoiselles quelconques, qui, pour suppléer au manque de rondeur de certaines parties, portent ce que Madame de Genlis appelle, tout crûment, un polisson, et que nous appelons une tournure.—Th. Gautier.

Polissonner (theatrical), to hiss, “to give the big bird.”

L’auteur est un client, sa dernière pièce a été un peu polissonnée (sifflée). Il s’agit de lui donner une revanche pour celle-ci!—Balzac.

Politiculard, m. (journalists’), a contemptuous term for a worthless politician.

Y a pas.... C’est un rude homme tout d’même, qu’eul’ Bismarck qui vient d’gueuler comm’ un tonnerre au Reichstag.... En v’là-z-un qui leur-z-y parle comm’ y méritent, à c’troupeau d’politiculards allemands, presqu’ aussi toc qu’ les nôtres, au fond, j’m’imagine.—Le Cri du Peuple, 16 Janvier, 1887.

Polka, f. and m. (models’), indecent photograph of nude figures. (Popular) Faire danser la —— à quelqu’un, to thrash one, “to wallop.” See Voie.(Familiar) Polka, silly young dandy, an indefatigable dancer.

Les jolies femmes dédaignent les petits polkas.—Figaro.

Polkiste, m. (familiar), in favour of the polka.

Polochon, m. (popular), bolster. (Military) Mille polochons! a mild oath.

Polonais, m. (popular), drunken man, see Poivrot; man employed to keep order in a brothel, and who is called upon to interfere when any disturbance takes place among the clientèle and ladies of the place.

Quand la dame du lieu, à bout de prières, parle de faire descendre le Polonais, le tapage s’apaise comme par enchantement.—Delvau.

Polonais, a small pressing iron.

Elle promenait doucement, dans le fond de la coiffe, le polonais, un petit fer arrondi des deux bouts.—Zola, L’Assommoir.

Pomaquer (thieves’), to lose. Votre greffier n’est pas pomaqué, your cat is not lost. Pomaquer, to arrest, “to smug.” See Piper. Mon poteau s’est fait —— par la rousse, my comrade has allowed himself to be apprehended by the police, or my “pal” got “smugged” by the “reelers.” Pomaquer, to take.

Voilà! En rangeant les cambrioles (petites boutiques) on a peut-être laissé se plaquer (tomber) un gluant (bébé) de carton, et je voudrais le pomaquer (prendre) pour ma daronne (mère).—Richepin.

Pommade, f. (popular), flattery, “soft sawder.” Jeter de la ——, to flatter, “to butter up.” Pommade, ruin; misfortune. Tomber dans la ——, to be ruined, “to be chawed up,” or “smashed up.”

Pommader (popular), quelqu’un, to thrash one, or “to anoint,” see Voie; to flatter, “to butter up.” Se ——, to get drunk, or “screwed.” See Sculpter.

Pommadeur, m. (popular), flatterer, one who gives “soft sawder;” man who buys damaged furniture and sells it again after having filled up the cracks with putty.

Pommadin, m. (popular), assistant to a hair-dresser; swell, or “gorger.” See Gommeux.

Pommard, m. (old cant), cider. From pomme, apple.

Pomme, f. (popular and thieves’), head, or “tibby;” face, or “mug.” See Tronche.

(Popular) Pomme de rampe, bald head, “bladder of lard.” Sucer la ——, to kiss. Une —— à vers, Dutch cheese. Une —— de canne, grotesque face, or “knocker face.” Avoir une —— de canne fêlée, to be deranged, “to have a slate off,” “to be balmy.” See Avoir. Aux pommes, or bate aux pommes, excellent, first-rate, “slap up.” Concerning the expression Rigaud says: “Deux consommateurs, un habitué et un étranger, demandent, dans un café, chacun un bifteck, le premier aux pommes, le second naturel, nature, dans l’argot des restaurateurs. Le garçon chargé des commandes vole vers les cuisines et s’écrie d’une voix retentissante, ‘Deux biftecks, dont un aux pommes, soigné!’ Le mot fit fortune. C’est depuis ce jour qu’on dit, Aux pommes, pour soigné.” (Military) C’est comme des pommes, it is useless.

Pommé, adj. (familiar and popular), excessive, “awful.” Bêtise pommée, great stupidity.

Pommer, or paumer (thieves’ and cads’), to apprehend, “to nail,” or “to smug.”

Paumer ses plumes, to feel dull.

Pommier, m. (popular), en fleurs, breasts of a young maiden; —— stérile, skinny breasts.

Pompage, m. (popular), libations, “lushing.”

Pompe, f. (tailors’), touching up of ill-fitting garments. Petite ——, grande ——, respectively, touching up of waistcoats and coats. (Familiar and popular) Pompe funèbre, a variety of prostitute. In Latin fellatrix. (Military schools’) Le corps de ——, the staff of instructors. La ——, work.

(Military) La —— du part-à-douze, imaginary pump in the paradise from which rain is supposed to spout.

Parfait, s’écrie Cousinet, il me paraît que le père Eternel il a mis quatre hommes de renfort à la pompe du part-à-douze!... Voilà ce qui peut s’appeler une averse de bonheur!—Dubois de Gennes.

(Popular and thieves’) Pompe, shoe, “trotter case, or daisy root.” See Ripaton. Refiler un coup de —— dans l’oignon, to kick one in the behind, “to root.”

Pomper (popular), to drink much, “to guzzle,” see Rincer; to work hard, “to sweat;” (shopmen’s) —— le gaz, to be the victim of a practical joke, which consists in making a new-comer ply an imaginary gas-pump. Pomper meant formerly to make a sacrifice to Venus. Le Roux gives the explanation in the following words: “Dans un sens équivoque et malicieux, pour faire le déduit.”

Pompette, adj. (general), être ——, to be intoxicated.

Ce serait moule de ne pas rigoler parfois.... On se sépara à trois heures, délicatement pompettes.—Emile Kapp, La Joie des Pauvres.

Rabelais uses the word with the signification of “grog-blossoms.” The terms graduating the scale of drunkenness, beginning with those which denote mild intoxication, are: “Avoir sa pointe, son allumette, sa pistache, un grain; être bien, monté, en train, lancé, parti, poussé, en patrouille, émêché, ému, bamboche; voir en dedans, être dessous, dans les brouillards, pavois, allumé, gai, dans un état voisin, mouillé, humecté, casquette, bu, bien pansé, pochard, poche, gavé, cinglé, plein, rond, complet, rond comme une balle, raide, raide comme la justice, paf, slasse, poivre, riche, chargé, dans la paroisse de Saint-Jean le Rond, dans les vignes du seigneur, vent dessus dessous, fier, dans les broussailles, dans les brindezingues; avoir un coup de bouteille, de sirop, de soleil, de gaz, de feu, sa chique, un sabre, son paquet, son casque, une culotte, le nez sale, son plumet, son jeune homme, son caillou, sa cocarde, une barbe, son pompon, son poteau, son toquet, son sac, sa cuite, son affaire, son compte, son plein, sa pente, en avoir une vraie mufée; être saoul comme un âne, comme un hanneton, comme une grive, comme un Polonais; être pion, en avoir jusqu’à la troisième capucine, saoul comme trente mille hommes, être asphyxié.” According to the Slang Dictionary the slang terms for mild intoxication are certainly very choice; they are, “beery, bemused, boozy, bosky, buffy, corned, foggy, fou, fresh, hazy, elevated, kisky, lushy, moony, muggy, muzzy, on, screwed, slewed, tight, and winey.” A higher or more intense state of beastliness is represented by the expressions, “podgy, beargered, blued, cut, primed, lumpy, ploughed, muddled, obfuscated, swipey, three sheets in the wind, and top-heavy.” But the climax of fuddlement is only obtained when the “disguised” individual “can’t see a hole in a ladder,” or when he is “all mops and brooms,” or “off his nut,” or “with his mainbrace well spliced,” or with “the sun in his eyes,” or when he has “lapped the gutter,” and got the “gravel-rash,” or is on the “ran-tan,” or on the “ree-raw,” or when “sewed up,” and regularly “scammered,”—then, and not till then, is he entitled, in vulgar society, to the title of “lushington,” or recommended to “put in the pin,” i.e., the linch-pin, to keep his legs steady. We may add to this long list the expression which is to be found in A Supplementary English Glossary, by T. Lewis O. Davies, “to hunt a tavern fox,” or “to be foxed.”

The same author gives “muckibus,” tipsy, to be found in Walpole’s Letters.

Pompier, m. (popular), drunken man, one who is “screwed;” drunkard, or “lushington;” a mixture of vermout and cassis; pocket-handkerchief, “snottinger;” —— de nuit, scavenger employed in emptying the cesspools, “gold-finder.” (Tailors’) Pompier, journeyman tailor whose functions are to touch up the ill-fitting parts of garments; (Ecole Polytechnique) musical rigmarole which the students sing on the occasion of certain holidays; (military) soldier who is the reverse of smart; (literary) productions written in a conventional, commonplace style; (students’) member of the Institut de France; a student preparing for an examination. (Artists’) Faire son ——, consisted in painting a large picture representing some Roman or Greek hero in full armour, and armed with shield, lance, or sword. For the following explanation I am indebted to Mr. G. D., a French artist well known to the English public:—

Du temps de David et plus tard on disait d’un artiste qui n’avait pas eu le prix de Rome: bah! il fera son pompier, il réussira tout de même. Or, faire son pompier, c’était peindre un grand tableau représentant un Grec ou un Romain célèbre avec casque, bouclier et lance; une ville en flammes dans le fond; et si le nu,—car il n’y avait d’autre costume que l’armure,—si le nu dis-je, était bien, l’artiste obtenait un succès. Le pompier était acheté généralement par le gouvernement pour être placé dans un musée de province. Quand vous visiterez les musées de France, vous n’aurez pas de chance si vous ne trouvez pas au moins trois pompiers. Il paraît que les greniers du Louvre en possèdent des quantités qui y restent faute de place dans les musées.

Pompon, m. (popular), head, “nut,” or “tibby.” See Tronche. Dévisser le —— à quelqu’un, to break one’s head. Un vieux ——, an old fool, “doddering old sheep’s head.” Avoir son ——, to be drunk, or “screwed.” See Pompette.

(Military) Pompon, drunkard.

Ponant, m. (popular), the behind. See Vasistas.

Ponante, f. (thieves’), prostitute of the lowest class, “draggle-tail.” The connection with “ponant” is obvious. See Gadoue.

Ponce, f. (thieves’ and roughs’), refiler une ——, to thrash, “to set about” one. See Voie.

Pondant, m. (schools’), guardian of a school-boy whose parents live at a distance, who takes him out on holidays.

Pondre (popular), to work, “to graft;” —— sur ses œufs, to keep on increasing one’s wealth; —— un œuf, to ease oneself, “to go to the chapel of ease.” See Mouscailler.

Poney, m. (sporting), five hundred francs. Double ——, carriage and pair of ponies.

Son petit air fripon et la crânerie avec laquelle elle conduit son double poney.—Figaro, Oct., 1886.

Poniffe, or poniffle, f. (thieves’), prostitute, “bunter.” See Gadoue.

Ponifler (thieves’), to make love to a woman.

Pont, m. (popular), d’Avignon, prostitute, or “mot.” See Gadoue. (Card-sharpers’) Faire le —— sec, to slightly bend a card at the place at which it is desired the pack should be cut. (Familiar and popular) Couper dans le ——, to believe a falsehood; to fall into a snare. (Thieves’) Donner un —— à faucher, to prepare a snare for one. (Officials’) Faire le ——, is to keep away from one’s office on a day preceded and followed by a holiday. (Popular) Pont-levis de cul (obsolete), breeches.

Chausses à la martingale ce qui est un pont-levis de cul.—Rabelais.

(Roughs’) Le —— aux bergères, the Halles, or Paris central market. Aller au —— aux bergères, to go to that place for the purpose of meeting with a prostitute.

Pontaniou, m. (sailors’), prison.

Ponter (gamesters’), to stake; —— dur, to play high; —— sec, to stake large sums at intervals. (Bohemians’) Ponter, to pay, “to fork out.”

Pontes pour l’af, f. pl. (thieves’), a gathering of card-sharpers.

Ponteur, m. (popular), man who keeps a woman; (familiar and popular) gamester.

Pontife, m. (popular), shoemaker. An allusion to the souliers à pont in fashion at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Souverain ——, master shoemaker.

Ponton, m. (popular), d’amarrage, hulks. (Sailors’) Devenir ——, to become old, worn out.

Pontonnière, f. (popular), prostitute who plies her trade under the arches of bridges.

Les pontonnières fréquentent le dessous des ponts ... toutes ces filles sont des voleuses. Le macque qui joue ici un rôle plus actif que le barbillon ne quitte sa largue ni jour ni nuit.—Canler.

Popotte, f. (familiar), table d’hôte. Faire la ——, to cook. Etre ——, is said of a very plain, homely woman. (Military) Popotte, military mess in a small way.

L’unique cabaret de Hanoï le vit donc à l’heure de l’absinthe, mêlé aux uniformes, et il connut les réunions de table par “fractions de corps,” les popottes où les officiers dévoraient joyeusement les vivres ferrugineux des boîtes de conserves.—P. Bonnetain, L’Opium.

Popotter. See Popotte.

Populo, m. (familiar), populace, or “mob.” Swift informs us, in his Art of Polite Conversation, that “mob” was, in his time, the slang abbreviation of mobility, just as nob is of nobility at the present day.

It is perhaps this humour of speaking no more words than we need which has so miserably curtailed some of our words, that in familiar writing and conversation they often lose all but their first syllables, as in mob, red. pos. incog. and the like.—Addison’s Spectator.

Burke called the populace “the great unwashed.”

Porc-épic, m. (thieves’), the Holy Sacrament. An allusion to the metal beams which encircle the Host.

Portanche, m. (thieves’), doorkeeper.

Port d’armes, m. (military), laisser au ——, to leave the service before another; to leave one waiting.

Porte, f. (familiar and popular), ne plus pouvoir passer sous la —— Saint-Denis, to be an injured husband. Alluding to the height of his horns. Un clos ——, a doorkeeper. A play on the words clot porte and cloporte, woodlouse. It must be said that in Paris the concierges are generally much detested by lodgers, and deservedly so.

Porté, adj. (familiar and popular), sur l’article, one with a well-developed bump of amativeness; (military schools’) —— sur la liste des élèves morts, on the sick list.

Porte-aumusse, m. (popular), master shoemaker, or “snob.”

Porte-balle, m. (popular), humpback, or “lord.”

Porte-bonheur, m. (familiar and popular), pig. Termed in English thieves’ cant, “grunting cheat, or patricoe’s kinchen.” An allusion to certain trinkets which represent this animal and are said to bring luck to the wearer.

Porte-bottes, m. (military), trooper, in opposition to “guêtré,” foot-soldier.

L’hiver c’est à l’écurie que le porte-bottes précède de beaucoup le réveil de ses bons voisins les guêtrés.—Dubois de Gennes.

Porte-chance, m. (popular), lump of excrement, or “quaker.” Literally luck-bearer. Superstitious people in France believe that treading by chance on the above-mentioned is an unfailing sign of a forthcoming moneyed windfall.

Porte-crème, m. (popular), scavenger employed at emptying the cesspools, “gold-finder.”

Porte de prison, f. (popular), ill-natured, snarling person; one who is constantly “nasty,” or “grumble guts;” one whose speeches jar on the ear as unpleasantly as the grating of a prison door.

Portefeuille, m. (familiar and popular), bed, “doss, bug-walk, kip.” Se fourrer dans son ——, to go to bed, to get into “kip.” Mettre un lit en ——, to make an “apple-pie” bed.

De classe en classe les soldats se transmettent un certain nombre de facéties ... mettre le lit du bleu en portefeuille, de façon qu’il ne puisse entrer plus loin que les chevilles.—G. Courteline.

Portefeuilliste, m. (familiar), minister of state.

Porte-luque, m. (thieves’), pocket-book, “dummy, or dee.”

Porte-maillot, m. (theatrical), ballet dancer. Literally one who wears tights.

Porte-manteau, m. (popular), épaules en ——, high and flat shoulders.

Porte-mince, m. (thieves’), pocket-book, “dee, or dummy.”

Porte-morningue, m. (thieves’), purse, “skin,” or “poge.” Termed also “porte-mornif.”

Porte-nageoires, m. (familiar and popular), man who lives on prostitutes’ earnings, “pensioner.” For synonyms see Poisson.

Porte-pipe, m. (popular), mouth, “mug, rattle-trap, kisser, gob.”

Porte-poigne, m. (popular), glove.

Porter (familiar and popular), en faire ——, to deceive conjugally. For faire porter des cornes.

En ——, to be deceived conjugally. Porter à la peau, to inspire with carnal desires; —— le deuil de sa blanchisseuse, to have linen the reverse of snow-white. Literally to be in mourning for one’s washerwoman; —— sa malle, to be a humpback, or “lord;” (thieves’) —— gaffe, to be on sentry duty. Un grivier qui porte gaffe, a soldier on sentry duty. Porter du gras-double au moulin, to sell stolen lead to a receiver, or “fence.”

Porte-trèfle, m. (popular), trousers, “kicks.” See Trèfle.

Porteur, m. (thieves’), de camoufle, prostitute’s bully, “ponce.” See Poisson. “Camoufle” is equivalent to chandelle, and “tenir la chandelle” is to favour the intercourse of lovers. (Popular) Avoir cassé la gueule à son —— d’eau, to have one’s menses.

Porteuse, f. (thieves’) hand, “picker, famm, duke, or daddle.”

Porte-veine. See Porte-bonheur.

Portez! remettez! (cavalry), a mock command said when anyone has just uttered something foolish, or a “bull.”

Portier, m., portière, f. (familiar and popular), scandal-monger. Alluding to the propensity of Paris doorkeepers for scandal.

Portion, f. (military), prostitute, or “barrack-hack.” Demi ——, chum.

—Mon bon camarade Cousinet, hé donc!

—Ah! tu es la demi-portion du Merlan? C’est un bon zigue.—Dubois de Gennes.

Portrait, m. (popular), face, “mug.” Dégrader le —— à quelqu’un, to strike one in the face, to give one a “facer,” “to fetch one a bang in the mug,” or “to give a biff in the jaw” (Americanism).

Portugal, m. (popular), une entrée de ——, said of a bad, awkward rider.

Pose, f. (familiar and popular), la faire à la ——, to assume an air of superiority. Faut pas me la faire à la ——, “you mustn’t come Shakespeare over me, you mustn’t come Rothschild over me,” &c. (Popular) A moi la ——! words used by a man who has just received a blow, to express his intention of returning it with interest. Literally, expression used by domino players, my turn to play!

Poser (artists’), l’ensemble, to pose nude; (familiar and popular) —— un factionnaire, or un pépin, to ease oneself, “to bury a quaker,” see Mouscailler;—— un lapin, or lapiner, to deceive, to take one in. More specially to enjoy the good graces of a cocotte and make off without giving her a fee, “to do a bilk.”

Si l’abbé Roussel a essayé de “poser un lapin” et s’il laisse vraiment cette petite noceuse sous une prévention de ce genre, voilà qui m’indigne.—Francis Enne, Le Radical.

For explanation see Lapin. Faire —— quelqu’un, to make one wait a long time; to fool one, “to bamboozle.” Poser pour le torse, to bear oneself so as to show off one’s figure; (popular) —— sa chique, to hold one’s tongue, “to be mum.” Pose ta chique, “hold your jaw, or stubble your whids.” Poser et marcher dedans, to get bewildered; to betray oneself; (thieves’) —— un gluau, to lay a trap, or make preparations for the apprehension of a criminal, of one who is “wanted” by the police. Gluau, bird-lime.

Poses, f. pl. (gamesters’), faire des ——, to insert certain cards prepared for cheating purposes in a pack.

Poseur de lapins, m. (familiar and popular), artful fellow who fools simple-minded folk.

Le garçon.—Trente-sept francs soixante-quinze, messieurs.

Deuxième provincial, bondissant.—Trente-sept francs soixante-quinze! Comment, nous n’avons que nos deux “assinthes” et les deux bocks de ce monsieur!

Le garçon.—Oui, mais il y a l’addition de ce monsieur qui a déjeûné avec une dame ... vous êtes du Midi, n’est-ce pas, messieurs?... Eh bien, croyez-moi: à Paris, mieux vaut encore parler tout seul que de lier conversation avec un “poseur de lapins.”—Paul Mahalin.

The epithet is also applied to a man who deceives a woman of indifferent character by making promises of money or presents, one who does a “bilk.”

Eva sonne sa femme de chambre qui vient pendant qu’il murmure: châmante, châmante!

—Tu peux le prendre, s’il te convient, moi, je n aime pas les poseurs de lapins.—Mathurine, La Marotte.

Poseuse, f. (theatrical), female singer whose business is to pose.

Là, il put à son aise imposer son répertoire aux chanteurs, répertoire fort varié, du reste, car pour les “poseuses” on fit murmurer le rossignol et le papillon se poser sur la rose à peine éclose.—J. Sermet.

Position, f. (thieves’), trunk, portmanteau, “peter.” Thieves judge of a man’s standing by his “traps.”

Possédé, m. (thieves’), brandy, “bingo,” in old cant.

Posséder son embouchure (popular), to have a natural talent for speechifying, “to have the gift of the gab.”

Poste, m. (sailors’), or —— aux choux, victualling boat.

Postérieurs, m. pl. (popular), limonadier des ——, apothecary, one who used to perform the “clysterium donare” of Molière. Termed also “flûtencul,” and formerly “mirancu.”

Postiche, f. (printers’), dull story; humbug, “regular flam, or gammon;” (thieves’) gathering of people in the street, enabling rogues to ease someone of his valuables, “scuff.”

Postière, f. (popular), female clerk employed at the post office.

Postige, f. (mountebanks’), preliminary performance of mountebanks.

Postillon, m. (thieves’), pellet used as a mode of communication between prisoners, or between a prisoner and outsiders.

Un postillon est tout simplement une boulette de mie de pain pétrie entre les doigts et renfermant une lettre, un avis.—Mémoires de Canler.

Envoyer le ——, to correspond thus. (Popular) Postillon d’eau chaude, engine driver, “puffing billy” driver; hospital assistant whose functions consist in administering clysters to patients, an operation described by Molière as “clysterium donare.”

Postillonner (thieves’), to correspond by means of the “postillon” (which see); (familiar and popular) to spit involuntarily when talking.

Posture, f. (popular), en ——, apothecary, or “pill-driver.” Termed also “potard.”

Pot, m. (thieves’), cabriolet, a kind of gig. Termed also “cuiller à pot, or potiron roulant.”

Enlevez le gré, le pot et les frusquins du sinve qui s’est esgaré avec les miens.—Vidocq. (Take away the horse, the gig, and the clothes of the fool who ran away with mine.)

Pot, crucible used by coiners. (Popular) Fouille au ——, man who is fond of taking liberties with women.

Il fallait le voir toujours en petoche autour d’elle. Un vrai fouille-au-pot, qui tâtait sa jupe par derrière, dans la foule, sans avoir l’air de rien.—Zola.

Potache, m. (students’), pupil at a lycée, a government school. Probably a corruption of “potasse,” from “potasser,” a slang term used by students to signify to work. L. Larchey says the origin of the word may be found in “pot-à-chien,” college cap.

Potager, m. (popular), brothel, “nanny-shop, flash-drum, or, academy.”

Pot-à-minium, m. (popular), painter or house decorator.

Pot-à-moineaux, m. (popular), large hat, “mushroom.”

Potard, m. (popular), apothecary, “pill-driver, gallipot, or squirt.”

C’t Arthur de Bretagne, n’fut même pas l’premier ouvrage d’ Claude Bernard puisque ... l’élève pharmacien avait fait représenter à Lyon une bluette pas méchante.... Avec son manuscrit dans sa malle le jeune potard vint à Paris.—Trublot, Le Cri du Peuple.

Potasser (students’), to work. Termed “to sap” at Winchester and many other schools. Also to work hard, “to mug.”

Pot-à-tabac, m. (popular), short and stout person, “humpty dumpty;” dull, insignificant man, “very small potatoes;” (thieves’) policeman. Termed also “rousse, roussin, bâton de réglisse, baladin, cagne, cogne, balai, serin, pousse, vache, arnif, peste, tronche à la manque, flaquadard, cabestan, raille (detective officer), railleux, sacre, grive, laune, flique, bec-de-gaz, estaffier, bourrique, pousse-cul, lampion rouge, escargot de trottoir, cierge, sergo;” in the English cant and slang, “crusher, worm, pig, bobby, blue-bottle, reeler, copper, Johnny Darby (corruption of gendarme), philip, philistine, peeler, raw lobster, slop;” and in ancient cant of beggars, “harmanbek.” Whence “beak,” or magistrate.

Pot-au-feu, m. (popular), behind, see Vasistas; (coiners’) crucible in which coiners melt the metal used in their nefarious trade. (Familiar) Etre ——, to be commonplace, plain.

Ce n’est pas cet imbécile, qui m’aurait éclairée ... il est d’ailleurs bien trop pot-au-feu.—Balzac.

Pot au vin, m. (familiar and popular), obsolete, the head.

Si Dieu me sauve le moule du bonnet, c’est le pot au vin, disait ma mère-grand—Rabelais.

Pot-bouille, f. (familiar and popular), kitchen and household duties in a small way. The term has passed into the language.

Poteau, m. (thieves’), un ——, a friend, or “ben cull;” a top man, or prince among the canting crew. Also the chief rogue of the gang, or the completest cheat, “dimber damber.” Termed “upright man” in old English cant. Poteaux de bal, prison chums, “schoolmen.” (Engine-drivers’) Avoir son —— kilométrique is said of a man who is in a state of intoxication, but who can yet find his way. Avoir son —— télégraphique, to be completely drunk, or “slewed.” See Pompette. According to M. Denis Poulot the different stages are “attraper une allumette ronde,” “avoir son allumette de marchand de vin,” “prendre son allumette de campagne,” “avoir son poteau,” and as above.

Potée, f. (popular), enfiler sa ——, to drink a litre measure of wine.

Potence, f. (popular), rascally person of either sex; “bad egg,” in the case of a man.

Potet, m. (popular), whimsical man; old fool, or “doddering old sheep’s head.”

Potin, m. (popular), row, uproar. Faire du ——, to make loud complaints.

Faire du ——, is said also of some event which causes great excitement.

Avant-hier a été donné aux ambassadeurs un dîner de douze couverts qui certainement fera du potin dans le monde qui s’amuse.—Figaro, Oct., 1886.

(Familiar and popular) Potin, scandalous report. Synonymous of cancans. Concerning the latter expression Madame de Genlis quotes the following conversation between General Decaen, who was at the time aide-de-camp to his brother, and who had been arrested by the gendarmerie on his way to the camp:—

Comment vous nommez-vous? lui demanda le brigadier.

—Decaen.

—D’où êtes-vous?

—De Caen.

—Qu’êtes-vous?

—Aide de camp.

—De qui?

—Du général Decaen.

—Où allez-vous?

—Au camp.

—Oh! oh! dit le brigadier, qui n’aimait pas les calembourgs, il y a trop de cancans dans votre affaire; vous allez passer la nuit au violon, sur un lit de camp.—Mémoires.

Potiner (familiar and popular), to talk scandal.

Potinier (familiar and popular), scandal-monger.

Potiron, m. (popular), the behind; (thieves’) —— roulant, gig.

Potot, or poteau, m. (convicts’), friend, or “pal;” Sodomist.

Potred ann taouen (Breton cant), cod-fishers.

Potred ann tok-tok (Breton cant), slaters.

Pou affamé, m. (popular), greedy man, a worshipper of money.

Poubelles, f. pl. (familiar), kind of dust-bins which the inhabitants have to place at their doors every morning, in accordance with a recent regulation promulgated by M. Poubelle, Prefect of the Seine.

Pouce, m. (popular), avoir le —— rond, to be dexterous, skilful. Donner le coup de ——, to give short weight; to strangle. Et le ——! and ever so many more! (Artists’) Avoir du ——, is said of a picture painted in bold, vigorous style.

Poucette, or poussette, f. (card-sharpers’), act of adding to one’s stakes laid on the table directly the game is favourable.

Pouchon, m. (thieves’), purse, “skin, or poge.” From pochon, small pocket.

Poudre, f. (freemasons’), faible, water; —— forte, wine; —— fulminante, brandy; —— noire, coffee.

Pouffiace, or pouffiasse, f. (thieves’), prostitute; low prostitute, “draggle-tail.” See Gadoue.

Pouffiasbourg, m. (popular), nickname for Asnières, a locality in the vicinity of Paris, where many ladies leading a gay life have their abode; a kind of Parisian St. John’s Wood, in that respect.

Poufiasser (popular), is said of persons of either sex whose fondness for the opposite sex leads them into living a life of a questionable description. A man in that case is said to “go molrowing.”

Poufs, m. pl. (familiar), faire des ——, is said of a person who runs into debt knowing he will be unable to meet his liabilities, and then suddenly decamps.

Pouic (thieves’), no; nothing, “nix.”

Pouiffe, f. (thieves’), money, “dinarly,” “pieces,” see Quibus; woman of questionable character, or prostitute. Termed by English rogues, “blowen, or bunter.”

Pouilleux, m. (familiar), poor devil, or “quisby;” miser, skinflint, “hunks.” Properly lousy man.

Poulailler, m. (popular), house of ill-fame, or “nanny-shop.” Properly hen-house; upper gallery in a theatre, “up among the gods.”

Poulain, m. (military), faire un ——, to fall from one’s horse, “to come a cropper.”

Poulainte, f. (thieves’), swindle on an exchange of goods.

Poularde, f. (journalists’), kept woman.

Poule, f. (popular), laitée, man devoid of energy, “sappy,” or “henpecked fellow;” —— d’eau, washerwoman. Termed also “baquet insolent.” Des poules, female inmates of a house of ill-fame, “dress lodgers.”

Poulet, m. (popular), manger le ——, to be in confederacy with a builder, so as to divide the proceeds of unlawful gains. The expression is used by masons, carpenters, and others employed in house-building, in reference to architects and their accomplices. Poulet de carême, red herring, or “Yarmouth capon;” frog. Frogs not being considered as flesh. Poulet d’hospice, lean, hungry-looking fellow, one who looks like a half-drowned rat; —— d’Inde, fool, or “flat;” and in military slang, horse, or “gee.”

Oui, répondit-il en ramassant son cheval ... j’allais vous proposer un tour de promenade. Si cela vous sourit, en route! J’ai dit à Saïd de seller votre poulet d’Inde.—Bonnetain, L’Opium.

Poulot, m. (popular), for poulailler, the gallery in a theatre, “up amongst the gods.”

Poupard, m. (thieves’), swindle, or crime, “plant.” Nourrir un ——, to make all necessary preparations in view of committing a robbery or murder. Goury de ——, accomplice, “stallsman.”

Poupée, f. (popular), paramour, “moll;” (thieves’) soldier; (sailors’) figure-head. Etre entre poupe et poupée, to be out at sea.

Poupon, m. (popular), tool-bag; (thieves’) any kind of crime, “job.”

Voici la balle! Dans le poupon, Ruffard était en tiers avec moi et Godet.—Balzac.

Pour (cads’ and thieves’), perhaps; —— chiquer, nonsense, gammon! (Familiar and popular) Ce n’est pas —— enfiler des perles is expressive of doubt as to the innocence of purpose or harmlessness of some action.

Et veux-tu savoir ce qui t’embête, chéri?... C’est que toi-même tu trompes ta femme. Hein? tu ne découches pas pour enfiler des perles.—Zola.

(Popular) Pour la peau, for nothing.

Alors c’est pour la peau que j’ai tiré cinquante-neuf mois et quinze jours de service?—G. Courteline.

(Printers’) Aller chou —— chou, to imitate closely a printed copy when composing. (Prostitutes’) C’est —— les bas, gratuity to prostitutes in a brothel. Alluding to their habit of using their stockings as a receptacle for the money they receive.

Pour-compte, m. (tailors’), misfit.

Pourlécher (popular), s’en —— la face, to be delighted with something, the result being that one is in “full feather, or cock-a-hoop.” Tu t’en pourlécheras la face, that will give you great pleasure, “that’ll rejoice the cockles of your heart.”

Pourri, adj. (familiar), full; —— de chic, very elegant, dashing, “tsing tsing.”

Pousse, f. (thieves’), police, gendarmerie. (Popular) Ce qui se ——, money, “loaver.” See Quibus. (Roughs’) Filer, or refiler une —— à quelqu’un, to hustle, “to flimp;” to throw down. Y veut m’ coller un coup d’sorlot dans les accessoires; je l’y file une pousse et j’te l’envoie dinguer sur le trime. He tried to kick me in the privy parts; I threw him down and sent him sprawling in the road.

Poussé, adj. (thieves’), drunk, or “canon.” See Pompette.

Pousse-au-vice, f. (popular), Spanish fly.

Pousse-bateau, m. (popular), water.

Pousse-café, m. (familiar), a small glass of brandy or ligueur drunk after taking coffee, le repousse-café being a second glass.

Pousse-cailloux, m. (popular), infantry soldier, “wobbler.” In the slang of the cavalry, “mud-crusher, or beetle-crusher.”

Pousse-cul, m. (familiar and popular), obsolete, “archer,” or soldier of the watch.

Pousse-cul, pour archer, ou ce qu’on appelle vulgairement à Paris des sergens, ou des archers de l’écuelle, qui vont d’un côté et d’autre pour prendre les gueux.—Le Roux.

Nisard, in his interesting work, De quelques Parisianismes populaires, says that the foot-soldiers of the watch were termed “pousse-culs,” whereas the mounted police went by the name of “lapins ferrés,” lapin being the general term for a soldier, as shown by a letter from a general of the army in Italy to Bonaparte, written in true Spartan-like spirit:—

Citoyen général en chef—Les lapins mangent du pain; pas de pain, pas de lapins; pas de lapins, pas de victoire: ainsi ouvre l’œil n, i, ni, c’est fini.

Pousse-cul (obsolete), Lovelace. It now has the signification of police-officer.

Poussée, f. (popular), reprimand, or “wigging;” urgent work. Voilà une belle —— de bateaux is expressive of disappointment at finding that something which has been praised falls short of one’s expectations.

Pousse-moulin, m. (popular), water, “Adam’s ale.” Termed “lage” in old English cant. Evidently the old French word “aigue, aige,” preceded by the article. “Lagout” in old French cant.

Pousser (popular), le boum du cygne, to die, “to kick the bucket.” For synonyms see Pipe. Pousser son rond, to ease oneself by evacuation. See Mouscailler. Pousser un bateau, to tell a falsehood, or “flam;” —— son glaire, to talk, “to jaw.” Se —— de l’air, to go away, “to mizzle.” S’en —— dans le battant, le cornet, or le fusil, to drink or eat heartily. (Familiar and popular) Se —— du col, to feel proud of one’s achievements.

(Roughs’) Pousser son pas d’hareng saur, to dance; (thieves’) —— la goualante, to sing, “to lip a chant.” Se —— un excellent, to eat a dish of the ordinary prison fare. (Police) Pousser de la ficelle, to watch a thief, “to give a roasting.” Termed also “poiroter, prendre en filature.” (Ecole Polytechnique) Pousser une blague, to smoke, “to blow a cloud.” (Bakers’) Pousser, to rise, is used in reference to the dough.

Poussier, m. (popular), bed, “doss;” —— de motte, snuff. (Thieves’) Poussier, gunpowder; money, or “pieces.” See Quibus.

Poussière, f. (popular), faire de la ——, to make a great fuss or show. (Thieves’) Poussière, spirits. (Familiar) Couleur —— des routes, a kind of greyish brown.

Elle était en toilette de voyage, la robe poussière des routes retroussée sur un jupon écarlate.—P. Mahalin.

Poussin, m. (popular), avaler son ——, to be dismissed from one’s employ, “to get the sack.”

Poussinière, f. (thieves’), seminary.

Poutrone, f. (popular), prostitute.

Pouvoir siffler (popular). Vous pouvez siffler, you will have to do without it; you will not get what you ask for.

Prandion, m. (artists’), hearty meal, “tightener.”

Prandionner (artists’), to make a hearty meal.

Prantarsac, m. (thieves’), purse, or “skin.”

Prat, m. (popular), girl of indifferent character, “mot.”

Pratique, f. (military), worthless soldier; unscrupulous soldier who is always seeking to shirk his duties, or to deceive others.

Du reste, il n’y a ici ni blanc-bec, ni carapatas, ni moutard; vous êtes deux pratiques qui, en voyant des conscrits vous êtes dit qu’il serait facile ... de leur faire payer la consommation.—C. Dubois de Gennes.

Il ne faudrait pas cependant exagérer l’héroïsme des “pratiques.” Si d’aucuns se battent bien, un plus grand nombre ne sont que des maraudeurs et des pillards.—Hector France, L’Armée de John Bull.

Praule, m. (thieves’), central prison, “stir, or steel.”

Elles en avaient pour dix ans de praule (centrale) comme elles disaient et pourtant la môme (enfant) n’avait pas été estourbie (tuée).—Louise Michel.

Pré, m. (thieves’), convict settlement. Formerly the galleys. Termed also “pré des fagots,” or “grand pré.” Acresto, gaffine labago.—Tout est franco, y a pas d’trèpe. Quand le pante et la gonzesse décarreront de la cassine, nous les farguerons à la dure pour pagour leurs bobinarès, et leurs prantarsacs. Toi, tu babillonneras la largue. S’ils font du renaud et de l’harmonarès, nous les emplâtrerons et chair dure! Si tu veux nous les balancarguerons dans la vassarès; et après, pindarès. Ne manquons pas le coup, autrement nous irions laver nos pieds d’agnet dans le grand pré. Which signifies, in the jargon of modern malefactors, Be careful, look yonder.—All right, there’s nobody. When the man and woman leave the house, we’ll attack them to ease them of their watch and purse. You gag the female. Should they resist and make a noise, we’ll knock them over and smash them. If you wish it, we’ll pitch them into the water, after which we wash our hands of the matter. Let us not make a mull of it, otherwise we can make sure of being transported. Faucher au grand ——, to be a convict in a penal servitude settlement. Le —— salé, the sea, or “briny.” Etre au —— à vioque, to be at the penal servitude settlement for life.