A New — Dictionary
Abram-cove, c. a Naked or poor Man, also a lusty strong Rogue.
Abram-men, c. the seventeenth Order of the Canting-crew. Beggers antickly trick’d up with Ribbands, Red Tape, Foxtails, Rags, &c. pretending Madness to palliate their Thefts of Poultrey, Linnen, &c.
Academy, c. a Bawdy-house, also an University or School to learn Gentleman-like Exercises.
Accutrements, c. fine rigging (now) for Men or Women, (formerly) only Trappings for Horses. Well accoutred, c. gentilly dress’d.
Acquests, and Acquisitions, the rights of Fortune purchased by Labour, Arts or Arms, oppos’d to Hereditary and Paternal.
Acteon, a Cuckold.
Acteon’d, Cuckolded, or made a Cuckold of.
Adam’s-ale, Water.
Adam-tiler, c. a Pick-pocket’s Camerade, who receives Stolen Money or Goods, and scowers off with them.
Addle-pate, one full of Whimsies and Projects, and as empty of Wit.
Addle-plot, a Martin-mar-all.
Adrift, loose. I’ll turn ye adrift, a Tar-phrase; I’ll prevent ye doing me any harm.
Affidavit men, Knights of the Post, Mercenary Sweaters for Hire, Inhabitants (formerly) of White Friers, now dispersed.
Aft and Abase, towards the Stern, or hinder Part of the Ship.
Aim, Endeavour or Design. To aim or level at a Mark, he has mist his Aim or End.
Air of a Song, the Tune.
Air of a Face or picture, the Configuration and consent of Parts in each.
Airy, Light, brisk, pleasant; also a Nest of Hawks; He is an Airy Fellow.
Alabaster, mixt by all the knavish Perfumers with the Hair-Powder they sell, to make it weigh heavy, being of it self very cheap, that their Gain may be the greater, found destructive to the Hair and Health.
Alsatia, White Friers.
Alsatia the higher, the same.
Alsatia the lower, the Mint in Southwark.
Alsatians, the Inhabitants, such as, broken Gentlemen, Tradesmen, &c. Lurking there.
Allay, the Embasing of a purer and finer Metal, by mixing it with an inferior or coarser Metal, as of pale Gold with a Silver-Allay, or of deep Gold with an Allay of Copper; also whatever is used to qualify what is bitter or nauseous in Compositions, as gilding of Pills, sweetning of Boluses, or Powders.
Aloft, above or over Head; also anciently an Upper-room or Garret, now more us’d in Compounds, as Cock-loft, Hay-loft, &c.
Altemall, altogether.
Altitudes, the Man is in his Altitudes, he is Drunk.
Ambidexter, one that goes snacks in gaming with both Parties; also a Lawyer that takes Fees of Plaintif and Defendant at once.
Ambient-Air, Air abroad oppos’d to that pent and shut up in Wells, Vaults, Caves, &c. Or else the outward Air in the House, oppos’d to that shut up in the Cavities of Vessels, Glasses Vials, &c.
Ambrol, among the Tarrs for Admiral.
Amphibious Creatures, of a doubtful kind or of a double Element; as a Bat is between a Bird and a Beast; an Otter between a Beast and a Fish, and a Puffin with the rest of the Sea-Fowl, between Fowl and Fish.
Amuse, to throw dirt in one’s Eyes, by diverting one from a serious Thought to a pleasant one.
Amusement, a Blind or Disengagement from deep Thoughts to more Diverting.
An Ark, c. a Boat or Wherry.
Anglers, c. Cheats, petty Thievs, who have a Stick with a hook at the end, with which they pluck things out of Windows, Grates, &c. also those that draw in People to be cheated.
Animal, a Fool. He is a meer Animal, he is a very silly Fellow.
Antechambers, forerooms for receiving of Visits, as the back and Drawing Rooms are For Lodgings, anciently called Dining-rooms.
Antidote, a very homely Woman, also a medicine against Poyson.
Antient, at Sea, for Ensign, or Flag.
Anticks, little Images on Stone, on the out side of old Churches. Antick postures or dresses, such as are odd, ridiculous and singular, the habits and motions of Fools, Zanies, or Merry-andrews, of Mountebanks, with Ribbands, mismatched colours and Feathers.
Antiquary, a curious Critick in old Coins, Stones and Inscriptions, in Worm-eaten Records, and ancient Manuscripts; also one that affects and blindly doats, on Relicks, Ruins, old Customs Phrases and Fashions.
Antiquated-Rogue, Old, out of date, that has forgot or left off his Trade of Thieving, &c. also superannuated, obsolete Customs, or Words, such as are worn out, out of use and Fashion.
Apart, severally, asunder.
Apartments, Rooms apart, private Lodgings, inner Chambers, secret and withdrawn from the rest. Recesses of the House opposed to the Ante-chambers.
Arack, an East-Indian Brandy, or strong Spirit drawn from Rice, and (sometimes) Roes of Fish, best when old, much us’d in Punch, the double distill’d Goa most esteem’d.
| Areh, | { | Rogue, Witty. |
| { | Wag, Pleasant. | |
| { | Whore, Cunning. |
Armi, to bear Arms, a Profession not unbecoming a Gentleman, for Books and Arms are Gentlemens Burdens.
Armour, in his Armour, Pot-valiant.
Aristippus, a Diet-drink, or Decoction of Sarsa, China, &c. Sold at certain Coffee-houses, and drank as T.
Arsworm, a little diminutive Fellow.
Ascendant, Power, Influence, as, he has the Ascendant over him, or an Hank upon him; also the Horoscope, or point of the Ecliptic that rises at one’s Nativity.
Assig, now us’d for Assignation, an Appointment or meeting.
Assuming, conceited, as, an Assuming Fellow, one that abounds in his own Sense, and imposes it upon every Man else.
Assurance, Confidence, as, a Man of Assurance, one that has a stock of Confidence.
Aunt, a Bawd, as one of my Aunts, one of the same Order.
Autem, c. a Church, also Married.
Autem mort, c. a Married-woman, also the Twenty fourth Order of the Canting Tribe, Travelling, Begging (and often Stealing) about the Country, with one Child in Arms another on Back, and (sometimes) leading a third in the Hand.
Auxiliary beauty, Dress, Paint, Patches, setting of Eye-brows, and licking the Lipps with red.