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Thieves' cant (also known as thieves' argot, rogues' cant, or peddler's French) [1] is a cant, cryptolect, or argot which was formerly used by thieves, beggars, and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries. It is now mostly obsolete and used in literature and fantasy role-playing ...
The phrase "thief in law" is a calque of the Russian slang phrase vor v zakone, literally translated as 'thief in [a position of] the law'. The phrase has two distinct meanings in Russian: 'legalized thief' and 'thief who is the Law'. Vor (вор) came to mean 'thief' no earlier than the 18th century, before which it meant 'criminal'.
While slang is usually inappropriate for formal settings, this assortment includes well-known expressions from that time, with some still in use today, e.g., blind date, cutie-pie, freebie, and take the ball and run. [2] These items were gathered from published sources documenting 1920s slang, including books, PDFs, and websites.
Prison slang is an argot used primarily by criminals and detainees in correctional institutions. It is a form of anti-language. [1] Many of the terms deal with criminal behavior, incarcerated life, legal cases, street life, and different types of inmates. Prison slang varies depending on institution, region, and country. [2]
Rhyming slang. An optional Cockney rhyming slang language setting on an ATM on Hackney Road in London, England. [1] The rhyming words are not omitted, to make the slang easier to understand. Rhyming slang is a form of slang word construction in the English language. It is especially prevalent among Cockneys in England, and was first used in the ...
Fence (criminal) In Charles Dickens' 19th-century story Oliver Twist, Fagin (far left) is a fence who recruits homeless boys and trains them as pickpockets. A fence, also known as a receiver, mover, or moving man, is an individual who knowingly buys stolen goods in order to later resell them for profit. The fence acts as a middleman between ...
Taffy was a Welshman. "Taffy was a Welshman". Nursery rhyme. Published. c. 1780. Songwriter (s) Unknown. "Taffy was a Welshman" is an English language nursery rhyme which was popular between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19237.
v. t. e. This is a list of British words not widely used in the United States. In Commonwealth of Nations, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Australia, some of the British terms listed are used, although another usage is often preferred. Words with specific British English meanings that have ...