P
Pack, a Fardel or Bundle. Pack of Knaves, the worst of all the Pack, or a Knave in Grain. Pack of Juries, Packing of Cards, Pick a Pack, Pack up your Nawls and be gone, Packing of Parties and Elections. A common Pack-horse, a Hackney or common Drudge, one made a Slave of.
Pad, c. the High Way, and a Robber thereon; also a Bundle. Rum Pad, c. a daring or stout Highway-man. Paddington-Fair, c. an Execution of Malefactors at Tyburn; also a real Fair at the Village of that Name, near that Place. Goes upon the Pad, or a Padding, c. Robbs upon the Highway. A Pad, an easy Pacing Horse. Padds, worn by the Women to save their Sides from being Cut or Mark’d with the Strings of their Petty-coats.
Pageant, a thing Drest up and set out to make a Show. A Piece of Pageantry, a thing that makes a Figure in a Show or Play, as Play-house Kings and Generals Strut and Stalk upon the Stage.
Pain, not in Pain, not in Care or Concern.
Painter, the Rope that lies in the Ship’s Long-boat, or Barge, alwaies ready to Fasten her, or Hale her on Shoar. I’ll Cut your Painter for ye, I’ll prevent ye doing me any Mischief; the Tar-Cant, when they Quarrel one with another. What pleases the Painter, when any Representation in the Productions of his or any Art is unaccountable, and so is to be resolv’d purely into the good Pleasure of the Artist.
Pale of the Church, in or out of the Church’s Enclosure.
Pall’d, Flat, Dispirited, or Dead Drink.
Pallet, a little Bed; also the Receiver of the Painter’s Colours mingled, as the Shells are of his several Colours unmingled; also one half of the Pale in Heraldry.
Palm, the Attire of a Buck.
Paltry Fellow, a sorry, base, mean, contemptible Varlet.
Palliards, c. the Seventh Rank of the Canting Crew, whose Fathers were Born Beggers, and who themselves follow the same Trade, with Sham Sores, making a hideous Noise, Pretending grievous Pain, do extort Charity.
Pam, the Knave of Clubbs.
| Pamper’d, | { | Priest | } | High-Fead. |
| { | Horse | } |
Panam, c. Bread.
Pantas, a Disease in Hawks.
Panter, c. a Hart.
Pantry, Buttery.
Pantler, Butler.
Paper-Buildings, slight, Wooden, or old.
Paper-Skul, foolish, soft, silly.
Paper-Wars, Letter-combats.
Papers, Writings, or Deeds.
Paplar, c. Milk-pottage.
Par, Gold and Silver at a like Proportion.
Parasite, a Trencher-Friend, a meer Wheedle.
Parell, Whites of Eggs, Bay-Salt, Milk and Conduit-Water beat together, and poured into a Vessel of Wine to Cure its Fretting, in order to Fine it, and make it Drink up.
Parie, to put By a Thrust or Blow.
Parings, c. the Clippings of Money.
Parlous, or Perillous Man, a notable, shrew’d Fellow.
Parsimonious, Near, Niggardly, Pinching, Stingy.
Pass, a Way, Lane, River, Leave; also condition. What a Sad Pass things are come to? In what an ill State they are. That Shamm wont Pass, that Trick won’t take. Do the Waters Pass well? much in use at the Wells, do they Move as they ought. To Passe upon one, to top upon him, or impose upon him; also a Term at Billiards, when the Ball goes through the Court or Porch, it is said to pass.
Passage, a Camp-Game, with three Dice, Doublets, making up Ten or more, to Pass or Win, any other Chances lose.
Pass-bank, the Stock or Fund thereto belonging; also the playing Place Cut out in the Ground almost Cock-pit waies.
Pat, apposite, or to the purpose.
Patering, the Maundring or pert Replies of Servants. Patering of Prayers, Muttering of them, from the thick Repeating of so many Paters or Pater-nosters. No Penny, no Pater-nosters no Pay, no Prayers.
Patrico, c. or Pater-cove, c. the Fifeteenth Rank of the Canting Tribe, stroling Priests that Marry under a Hedge without Gospel or Common-prayer Book, the Couple standing on each side a Dead Beast, are bid to Live together till Death them do’s Part, so shaking Hands, the Wedding is ended; also any Minister, or Parson.
Pateepan, a little Pye, or small Pasty.
Patrole, the Rounds.
Paume, when a Die or Piece of Money is hid in the Hand, to secure the Game, or Wager. He Paumes it, he Cheats, or Plaies Foul.
Paw, a Hand.
Pawn. To Pawn any Body, to steal away and leave him or them to Pay the Reckoning.
Pay through the Nose, Excessively, or with Extortion.
Peak, c. any kind of Lace.
Pearls, the little Knobs on the Bur (which see) of a Stag.
Peck, c. Meat.
Peckidge, c. Meat. Rum Peck, c. good Eating. The Gentry Cove tipt us rum Peck and rum Gutlers, till we were all Bowsy, and snapt all the Flickers, the Gentleman gave us so much good Victuals, and Canary, that we were all Damn’d Drunk, and broke all the drinking Glasses.
Peculiars, Plants, Animals and Fossiles, proper and particular to some one Country, and rarely if ever found in others, as English Scurvy-grass, Sarsa, Sassafras and Guajacum, all West Indian Druggs; and so for Animals, English Maistiffs, Irish Greyhounds, Barnacles, and Soland Geese peculiar to Scotland, as Puffins, to the Isle of Man; also Parishes exempt from other Ordinaries, and peculiarly belonging to the See of Canterbury.
Peculiar, c. a Mistress; also particular, private, proper.
Pedant, a meer Scholar, a School-master, a Man of one kind of Learning or Business, out of which he is good for nothing.
Pedantry, a Learning and Skill of one Colour.
Ped, a Basket.
Pedlars, Scotch Merchants; also English Retailers of Goods, that stroll from Town to Town.
Pedlars-French, a sort of Gibrish or made Language, easy to be Learnt and Understood, used by Gypsies, &c. Also the Beggers Cant.
Peeking Fellow, a meer Sneaks, one that peeps in every Hole and Corner; also a thin, weasel-faced Fellow.
Peeper, c. a Looking-glass. Track the Dancers, and pike with the Peepers, c. whip up the Stairs, and trip off with the Looking-glass.
Peepers, c. Eyes.
Peepy, c. Peeping, c. Drowsy, Sleepy. As the Cull Peeps let’s Mill him, c. when the Man is a Sleep, let’s Kill him.
Peery, c. fearful, shy, sly. The Cull’s Peery, c. the Rogue’s afraid to venture.
Peeter, c. a Portmantle or Cloak-bag. Bite the Peeter, c. to whip off the Cloak-bag. Biter of Peeters, c. one that makes a Trade of whipping Boxes and Trunks from behind a Coach or out of a Waggon, or off a Horse’s Back.
Pea-goose, a silly Creature.
Peg at Cocks, to throw at them at Shrovetide.
Gon to Pegtrantums, Dead.
Pel-mel, helter-skelter.
Pelt, a Heat or Chafe. What a Pelt you are in? what a Chafe your in? Also the Dead Body of any Fowl the Hawk has killd.
Pelts, Beast Skinns.
Pelting-village, Blind, Obscure.
Penelope’s Web, to do and undo.
Pennance-bord, c. a Pillory.
Pennites, that Faction of Quakers that follow most and are in the Interest of William Pen, the chief Proprietor and Governor of Pensylvania, a Country lying betwixt Forty and Forty five Degrees of Latitude, in America, much improv’d, and like to florish.
Penny-worth. I’ll fetch my Pennyworth out of him, or make him earn what he cost me.
Penny-white, said of her, to whom Fortune has been kinder than Nature. Penny-wise and Pound-foolish, Sparing in a little and Lavish in a great Deal, save at the Spiggot and let it out at the Bung-hole. A Penny-worth for one’s Penny, for what is worth one’s Money. To get a Penny, to endeaver to Live; to turn and winde the Penny, to make to most of one’s Money, or Lay it out at the best Advantage, Pennyless, poor, sharp, bare of Money.
Penurious, pinching, hard, parsimonious, little.
Pentice Nab, a very broad-brm’d Hat.
Pepper’d off, Damnably Clapt; or Poxt. Pepper-proof, not Clapt or Poxt.
Pericranium, the Head or Skull.
Perking, the late D. of M. also any pert forward silly Fellow. To Perk up, to hold up the Head after Drooping.
Periwinkle, a Perruque or Periwig; also the same as Pinpatches.
Pestilent-fine, Tearing-fine.
Pet, a Fret. To be in a Pet, or out of Humor.
Peter Lug, Who is Peter Lug? Who let’s the Glass stand at his Door?
Petrify, to turn to Stone.
Petrification, Concretions, either such as are hardned into Stone, by exposing them to Air, as Coral; or by casting them into Cold, petrifying Waters, as Wood.
Pettycoat-Pensioner, a Gallant, or one Maintain’d for secret Service.
Phanatics, Dissenters from the Church of England.
Pharoah, very strong Mault-Drink.
Phenix-men, the same as Fire-drakes.
Philadelphians, a new Sect of Enthusiasts pretenders to Brotherly Love, &c.
Philistines, Serjeants Bailiffs and their Crew; also Drunkards. I fell among the Philistines, I chopt upon a knot of Drunken Fellows.
Phis, for Physiognomy, Face or Aspect.
Picking, little Stealing, Pilfering, petty Larceny.
Pickthank, a Talebearer, or an Insinuator by any means to curry Favor.
Pickaroon, a very small Privateer; also a shabby poor Fellow.
Pickled, very Arch or Waggish. In Pickle, Poxt. Rodds in Pickle, or revenge in Lavender.
Pig, c. Sixpence. The Cull tipt me a Pig, c. the Man gave me Sixpence.
Pig of the Sounder, see Wild Boar.
Pigsnie, a word of Love.
Pig-widgeon, a silly Fellow.
Pike, c. to run away, flee, quit, or leave the Place; also to Die. As he Pikes, c. he walks or goes. Pike on the been, c. run away as fast as you can. Piked off, c. run away, fled, broke; also Dead. To pass the Pikes, to be out of Danger.
Pillau, a Hen and Rice Boil’d, a Turkish Dish, but now in use in England, France and Holland.
Pillory, a Baker, also a Punishment mostly heretofore for Beggers, now for Perjury, Forgery and suborned Persons.
Pimp, the same as Cock-bawd.
Pimp-whisking, a Top Trader that way; also a little mean-spirited, narrow-soul’d Fellow.
Pimlico, a noted Cake-house formerly, but now converted into a Bowlinggreen, of good report at Hogsden near London.
Pin, a small Vessel containing Four Gallons and a half, or the Eighth part of a Barrel. To Pin himself upon you, or to Hang on. To Pin ones Faith on another’s Sleeve, or take all upon Trust, for Gospel that he saies. Not a Pin to chuse, when there is little or no difference. Upon a merry Pin, or in a pleasant Mood. Nick the Pin, to Drink fairly.
Pimginnit, a large, red, angry Pimple.
Pinch, to Steal, or Slily convey any thing away. To Pinch, to Cut the Measures of Ale, Beer, &c. To Pinch on the Parson’s side, or Sharp him of his Tythes.
At Pinch, upon a Push or Exigence.
Pinch-gut-hall, a noted House at Milend, so Nick-nam’d by the Tarrs, who were half Starved in an East-India Voiage, by their then Commander, who Built (at his return) that famous Fabrick, and (as they say) with what he Pinch’d out of their Bellies.
Pinch-gut-money, allow’d by the King to the Seamen, that Serve on Bord the Navy Royal, when their Provision falls Short; also in long Voyages when they are forced to Drink Water instead of Beer.
Pinpatches, a small Shel-fish very like a Snail, but less, Caught on the Ouzes at low Tide, in Rivers near the Sea, and Sold cheap.
Picquant, a sharp Reflection; also a poynant Sawce.
Pink’t, Prickt with a Sword in a Rencounter or Duel. He Pink’d his Doublet, he Run him Through.
Piquet, a game at Cards.
Pit, c. the hole under the Gallows into which those that Pay not the Fee, viz. 6s 8d, are cast and Buried.
Pit-a pat, or Pintle de Pantledy, sadly Scared, grievously put to it.
Pitcher-bawd, the poor Hack that runs of Errands to fetch Wenches or Liquor. Little Pitchers have large Ears, Children may over-hear, and discover Secrets. The Pitcher do’s not go so often to the Well, but it comes home Broke at last, of him that after many lucky Adventures or narrow Escapes, miscarries in the End.
Pithy jest, or Sentence, that couches a great deal in a little room.
Pittance, a small Largess or petty Gratuity.
Placaert, a Dutch Proclamation, or Order of the States.
Plad, Scotch striped Stuff.
Plaint for Complaint, he made his Plaint to me, or made his Complaint to me. Hence Plaintiff and Defendant at Law, for Complainant and Defendant.
Planks, thrown out to save those that can Swim in a Wreck; also Flooring.
Plant, c. to lay, place, or hide. Plant your Whids and Stow them, c. be wary what you say or let slip.
Plaister of hot Gutts, one warm Belly clapt to another.
Platter-fac’d-jade, a very broad, ord’nary faced Woman.
Plausible, smooth, specious, Taking.
Play it off, to play Booty; also to throw away, at Gaming, so much and no more. He Plaies it off, he Cheats.
Pliant, supple, flexible, ductile, manageable, Wax to every Thumb.
Plodder, a Porer in Records, Writings or Books, a dull Drudge, or hard Student. A Plodding Lawyer, a Laborious Lawyer. A Plodding Horse, a good Drudge or Pack-horse.
Pluck the Ribond, or Pluck Sir O——n, ring the Bell at the Tavern.
Plump-in-the-pocket, flush of Money.
Plyer, c. a Crutch.
Poching, a sly destroying of Game, with Dogs, Netts, Snares &c. Contrary to the Laws; also an Egg Boyld in Water out of the Shell.
Poke, a Bag, Sack, or Pocket. To buy a Pig in a Poke, or unsight or unseen. To carry your Passions in your Pocket, or smother your Passions.
Poker, one that conveys Coals (at Newcastle) in Sacks, on Horseback; also a pointed Porr to raise the Fire, and a Sword.
Polt on the Pate, a good Rap there.
Poltron, a Coward.
Ponyard, a short Dagger or Stilletto.
Porker, c. a Sword.
Porters, Hirelings to carry Burthens, Beasts of Burthen, or else Menial Servants set to Guard the Gates in a great Man’s House, of whom Dr. Donne said pleasantly, that he was ever next the Door, yet the seldomest Abroad of any of the Family.
Portable, Pocketable.
Portage, Carriage of any thing, whether by Land or Water.
Posse Mobilitatis, the whole Rabble in a Body.
Post, Employment, Office, Station; also an advanced, or advantagious piece of Ground: A Pillar in the Way or Street. From Pillar to Post, from Constable to Constable.
Pot-hooks, Scrawls or bad Writing.
Pot-valiant, Drunk.
Pot and Spit, Boyl’d and Roast. A little Pot is soon Hot, or a little Fellow soon made angry. The Pot calls the Kettle black A——, when one accuses another of what he is as Deep in himself.
Poulain, a Bubo.
Powder-monkey, Boys planted at the Guns a Bord the Ship, to fetch Gun-powder &c. in the Engagement.
Powdring-Tub, the pocky Hospital at Kingsland near London.
Poyson’d, Big with Child.
Poyson-pate, red Hair’d.
Prancer, c. a Horse.
Prancers-nab, c. a Horse’s Head used in a Sham-Seal to such a Pass.
Prancers-poll, c. the same as before; also the Sign of the Nag’s Head. Mount the Prancer, c. get on the Horse’s Back.
Pranks, Tricks.
Pratts, c. Buttocks; also a Tinder-box or Touch-box.
Prating-cheat, c. a Tongue.
Prateroast, a Talking Boy.
Precarious, what is Disputable and uncertain, as being purely at the Pleasure and Courtesy of another.
Precaution, Forecast, or the Wisdom of Prevention, which is beyond that of Remedy.
Precipitate, Rash, Headstrong, Unadvised, Inconsiderate, hurrying in Business.
Precisians, Strait-laced, Squeemish, Foolishly Scrupulous.
Preservatives, Antidotes to keep off, or prevent Diseases.
Priest-craft, the Art of awing the People, managing their Consciences, and diving into their Purses.
Pretext, Show, Colour, Pretence, or Excuse.
Prey, c. Money.
Prick, the first Head of a Fallow Deer; also a Skewer.
Pricker, a Huntsman on Horse Back.
Pricketh, the Footing of a Hare on the hard Highway, when it can be perceived.
Prickear’d Fellow, a Crop, whose Ears are longer than his Hair.
Prick louse, a Taylor.
Pricks, decayed Wine, tending to Sower. The Prick and Praise of our Town, that bears the Bell from all the Rest, in all Exercises, as Wrestling, Running, Leaping, Vaulting, Pitching of the Barr, &c.
Priest-link’d, Married.
Priest-ridden, wholly influenc’d and absolutely govern’d by that Tribe.
Prig, c. a Thief, a Cheat; also a Nice beauish, silly Fellow, is called a meer Prig.
Priggs, c. the Ninth Rank of Canting Rogues, Thieves.
Priggers, c. Thieves.
Prigging, c. Riding; also Lying with a Woman.
Prigstar, c. a Rival in Love.
Priggish, c. Thievish.
Prig-napper, c. a Horse-Stealer; also a Thief-taker.
Priggers of the Cacklers. c. Poultry-Stealers.
Priggers of Prancers, c. the Sixth Order of the Canting Crew, Horse-Stealers, who carry a Bridle in their Pockets, a small Pad Saddle in their Breeches.
Primero, an old German Game at Cards.
Prim, a silly empty starcht Fellow.
Princock, a pert, forward Fellow.
Princes-metal, a mixt Metal, betwixt Brass and Copper, and of a mixt Colour between both, not so Pale as the one, nor so Red as the other, the late Invention of Prince Rupert.
Prince Prig, c. a King of the Gypsies; also a Top-Thief, or Receiver General.
Prinking, nicely Dressing. Prinkt up, set up on the Cupboards-head in their best Cloaths, or in State. Stiff-starched. Mistress Princum-Prancum, such a one.
Print, the Treading of a Fox. To set in Print, with Mouth skrew’d up and Neck Stretcht out.
Prisme, a Triangular Crystal-Glass or Fools Paradise, that by refraction reflects imaginary Blew, Red, and Yellow Colours upon all Objects seen through it; also any Saw-dust.
Prittle-Prattle, idle impertinent Chat.
Proclamations, his Head is full of Proclamations, much taken up to little Purpose.
Prog, c. Meat. Rum Prog, c. nice Eating The Cull tipt us Rum Prog, c. the Gentleman Treated us very High.
Projectors, Busybodies in new inventions and Discoveries, Virtuoso’s of Fortune, or Traders in unsuccesful if not impracticable Whimms, who are alwaies Digging where there is no more to be found.
Proling, Hunting or Searching about in quest of a Wench, or any Game.
Property, a meer Tool, or Implement, to serve a Turn, a Cat’s foot; also a natural Quality or Talent, and the highest right a Man can have to any thing, Liberty and Property, two Inestimable Jewells. To change the Property, or give it another turn, with a new Dress, or the Disguise of a Wig and a false Beard.
Proud Bitch, desirous of Copulation.
Prying Fellow, that is very curious to enquire into other Men’s Secrets and Affairs.
Provender, c. he from whom any Money is taken on the Highway.
Puke, to Spue.
Pug, Pugnasty, a meer Pug, a nasty Slut, a sorry Jade, of a Woman; also a Monkey.
Puling, Sickly.
Pummel, the Hilt, Handle, or round Knob of a Sword, or Saddle; also to Beat. I Pummel’d his Sides for him, I Beat him soundly.
Pump, to wheedle Secrets out of any one; Bailives, Serjeants, Pick-pockets, &c. Pumpt dry, not a Word left to say.
Pun, to Play with Words and Sounds.
Punch, Brandy and Water, with Limes or Lemon-juice; also a thick short Man. Punch Nag, a short, thick, fat, squat, strong Horse.
Punch houses, Bawdy-houses.
Punchable, old passable Money, Anno 1695.
Punk, a little Whore.
Puny Child, weak little Puny Stomack. Puny Judge, the Junior or Youngest.
Pure, c. a Mistress.
Purest-pure, c. a Top-Mistress, or Fine Woman.
Pupil-mongers, Tutors at the Universities, that have many Pupils, and make a Penny of them.
Puritans, Puritanical, those of the precise Cut, strait-laced Precisians, whining (as Osborn saies) for a Sanctity God never yet trusted out of Heaven.
Purl, Worm-wood infus’d in Ale.
Purl-Royal, Canary with a dash of Wormwood.
Pursenets, c. Goods taken upon Trust by young Unthrifts at treble the Value; also a little Purse.
Purse-proud, haughty because Rich.
Pursy, Fuggy, Fat.
Pushers, Canary-birds new Flown that cannot Feed themselves.
Pushing School, a Fencing School; also Bawdy-house. At a Push, at a pinch or strait. At Push of Pike, at Defiance. Push-pinn, Childrens Play. To Push on one’s Fortune, to advance, or run it up.
Put. A Country-Put, a silly, shallow-pated Fellow. Put to it, Beset.