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Category Archives: Dictionary

The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: boat

boat – 1. transport; 2. transport a prisoner; 3. to go in with, as in “to boat with another”: “to be his partner in the same boat—in the same scrape”; 4. to go to sea. Sources Barrère, Albert and Charles G. Leland. A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. [London]: The Ballantyne Press, 1889. Matsell, […]

The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: boarding-house and boarding-school

boarding-house – city prison, the Tombs (New York City prison). boarding-school – penitentiary. Sources Barrère, Albert and Charles G. Leland. A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. [London]: The Ballantyne Press, 1889. Farmer, John S. and W. E. Henley. A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English. Abridged from Slang and Its Analogues. London: George Routledge […]

The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: blunt and its variants

blunt – money. blunted – in possession of money. blunted crib – a house with money in it. blunt ken – a bank or broker’s office. Sources Barnes, Daniel R. “An Early American Collection of Rogues’ Cant.” The Journal of American Folklore 79 no. 314 (Oct.-Dec., 1966), 600-607. Barrère, Albert and Charles G. Leland. A […]

The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: bludgeoner

bludgeoner – a bully, pimp, ponce. “A fellow who passes off some well-dressed woman as his wife. She goes out in search of a gallant, and entices her victim into some unfrequented place. The bludgeoner waits outside until she gives him a signal that the man is robbed, when he rushes in with a knife, […]

The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: blowen and its variants

blowen – 1. a woman; 2. a thief’s mistress; 3. a prostitute; 4. a strange woman. blowen, a fine – lady. blowen of the ken – mistress of the house. blowen spenie or blowen mush – a thief’s girl. blowen, to do him of his – to rob him of his wife. Sources Barnes, Daniel […]