A Dictionary of the Underworld: British and AmericanFirst published in 1949 (this edition in 1968), this book is a dictionary of the past, exploring the language of the criminal and near-criminal worlds. It includes entries from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, as well as from Britain and America and offers a fascinating and unique study of language. The book provides an invaluable insight into social history, with the British vocabulary dating back to the 16th century and the American to the late 18th century. Each entry comes complete with the approximate date of origin, the etymology for each word, and a note of the milieu in which the expression arose. |
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Common terms and phrases
addicts American Andrewes Anon Australian Baker beggars Black blow called Canting Dict carry cheat classified Convict Crime criminal crook Dekker Detective Dick Turpin drug Egan's Grose England English Ersine Ex sense extant F & H fellow flash Flynn's Flynt gang George give glossary Godfrey Irwin Greene Grose hand Hargan Head Hence Henderson Hobo Howard implied J. H. Vaux Jack Jackson & Hellyer James John Keys to Crookdom late letter Leverage Living March Matsell means Mysteries one's origin Parker Perhaps person pickpocket pocket police Potter prison prob Racketeers reference Rhyming Road Rose says Sessions Papers short Sing Sing Sinks of London Slang slightly steal Stiff street term thief thieves tramps underworld usually variant Vocabulum woman York