Slang and Cant (M-Z) in the Toll Gate

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The Toll - Gate
Georgette Heyer

The Toll-Gate is full of Cant. If you can fill in any blanks, please email me: tricia@iaccess.com.au

M - Z

Page	Term	Definition
226	major-domo	Spanish mayordomo or obsolete Italian maiordomo, from Medieval Latin major domus, literally, chief of the house – 1589 - a head steward of a large household (as a palace); butler; a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another
225	make a cake of myself
134	make a push to see it out
124	make so bold
279	make-bait
279	Malmsey-nose
101	Master Booberkin
228	matutinal	Late Latin matutinalis, from Latin matutinus - circa 1656 - of, relating to, or occurring in the morning
268	may I be snitched
209	meed	Middle English, from Old English mEd; akin to Old High German miata reward, Greek misthos - before 12th century - archaic an earned reward or wage; a fitting return or recompense
97	Melton men	Fox-hunters who ride in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
133	men of his stamp
87	mere whipster
87	metal for my money
166	middling well	1550 - of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality
100	milk a pigeon
57	mill	to hit out with the fists
93	mill cannisters
113	mill-kens	thieves
106	mint-sauce	money
32	mish	shirt
84	missish airs
250	more hair than wit
108	more kicks than ha’pence	beatings
16	mounted on a pair o' cat-sticks
101	monarch	name
106	monkey	Ł500
108	monkey’s allowance	beatings
132	Mops-and Brooms
183	mort	woman
111	mort o’ mettle	fearless woman?
194	mouth	Middle English, from Old English muth; akin to Old High German mund mouth and perhaps to Latin mentum chin - before 12th century - a tendency to excessive talk
154	muffin-faced
99	mum’s the word	not to be talked about
113	mummer	mouth
110	mutton-headed	stupid
227	my line of country
10	nabble
148	nacky tarradiddles
154	nailed	before 12th century - trapped
194	napping his bib
188	nappy ale
199	natty turn-out
97	neck-or-nothing
204	neither to lead nor drive
105	nib-cove	Brit. Slang. a person; fellow [1560–70; said to be < Romany kova creature]
249	nimwinks	nap
91	nincompoop	1676 – fool, simpleton
86	ninnyhammer	1592 - fool, simpleton
115	nippered
81	no argle-bargle	reduplication of Scots & English argle, alteration of argue - 1872
159	noddle	head; mind
127	noddy	probably short for obsolete noddypoll, alteration of hoddypoll fumbling inept person - circa 1530 - a stupid person
87	nonpareil	Middle English nonparaille, from Middle French nonpareil, from non- + pareil equal, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin pariculus, from Latin par equal - 15th century - an individual of unequaled excellence
55	notice to quit	Middle English quiten, quitten, from Middle French quiter, quitter, from O.F., from quite free of, released, literally, at rest, from Latin quietus quiet, at rest 13^th century – dying
106	nubbing-cheat	gallows
160	Occurrence Book	Notebook of Bow Street Runners
147	ogles	eyes
36	old gager
92	on the fidgets	blue-devilled
119	on the fret	Middle English, to devour, fret, from Old English fretan to devour; akin to Old High German frezzan to devour, ezzan to eat - 12th century - to become vexed or worried
131	on the spree	celebration
234	on-dit	one-says; hearsay
199	out-and-outer
226	out o hand
150	oyster-faced
17	pair of colours
194	paperskulled gabster
241	paregoric elixir	French parégorique mitigating pain, from Late Latin paregoricus, from Greek parEgorikos, from parEgorein to talk over, soothe, from para- + agora assembly, from ageirein to gather - circa 1847 - camphorated tincture of opium used especially to relieve pain Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-iksIr the elixir, from al the + iksIr elixir, probably from Greek xErion desiccative powder, from xEros dry - 14th century - a medicinal concoction; a sweetened liquid usually containing alcohol that is used in medication either for its medicinal ingredients or as a flavoring
75	park-saunterer
242	paroxysm	French & Medieval Latin; French paroxysme, from Medieval Latin paroxysmus, from Greek paroxysmos, from paroxynein to stimulate, from para- + oxynein to provoke, from oxys sharp - 15th century - a fit, attack, or sudden increase or recurrence of symptoms (as of a disease); convulsion
231	patrol	Bow Street Runners answerable to a Conductor
251	pea-goose
269	peery cove	Brit. Slang. a person; fellow [1560–70; said to be < Romany kova creature]
106	peevy cove	Brit. Slang. a person; fellow [1560–70; said to be < Romany kova creature]
35	pelisse	French, from Late Latin pellicia, from feminine of pellicius made of skin, from Latin pellis skin - 1717 - a long cloak or coat made of fur or lined or trimmed with fur; a woman's loose lightweight cloak with wide collar and fur trimming
86	pepper
9	petticoat-line	associating with women of easy virtue
63	phaeton	Phaëthon - 1742 - any of various light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicles
157	phiz	face
233	pigeons
115	pike off	leave
105	pike on the bean
21	pike road	Middle English turnepike revolving frame bearing spikes and serving as a barrier, from turnen to turn + pike - 1533 - a road (as an expressway) for the use of which tolls are collected; a road formerly maintained as a turnpike; a main road; especially : a paved highway with crowned surface
31	piked	run away
108	pinch o’ merry-go-up	snuff
268	pitching it a trifle too strong
53	pitching it rum	to utter glibly and insincerely
250	plain as a pike-staff
200	play off the airs of an exquisite
135	play or pay
38	playing a May-game	fooling
54	pledged his host	15^th century - to drink to the health of
106	plumb	money
75	plump in the pocket
196	point-de-vice	Middle English at point devis at a fixed point – 1526 - archaic marked by punctilious attention to detail; meticulous- point-device adverb, archaic
39	pomaded	Middle French pommade ointment formerly made from apples, from It. pomata, from pomo apple, from Late Latin pomum - 1562 - a perfumed ointment; especially a fragrant hair dressing
111	pops	pistols
6	potentate	15^th century - one who wields great power or sway
14	potations	Middle English potacioun, from Middle French potation, from Latin potation, potatio act of drinking, from potare to drink - 15^th century - a usually alcoholic drink or brew
108	pound dealing	honest work?
193	powder-closet
171	prad	horse
24	prancer	Middle English prauncen - 14^th century - [horse] to spring from the hind legs or move by so doing
66	preaching propriety	Middle English propriete, from Middle French proprieté, propreté property, quality of a person or thing - 14^th century - conformity to what is socially acceptable in conduct or speech; fear of offending against conventional rules of behavior especially between the sexes; the customs and manners of polite society
27	pressed	alteration of obsolete prest to enlist by giving pay in advance - 1578 - to force into service especially in an army or navy
158	prig	steal
108	prigged his tatler	stole his hat
190	prime hunter	exceptional horse
17	prime twig	the stage in the life or development of esp. a person when they are in the best possible condition, most successful and most powerful
147	prime ‘un
160	primitive cipher	code
99	proper high-bred ‘un	horse
23	proper melting	beating?
210	protégé
119	puffers
111	put to bed with a shovel	died
36	queer as Dick's hatband	ill-looking, faint looking
199	queer cove
161	queer fetch
33	queer in his attic	unbalanced, illogical
273	Queer Nabs
113	queer start	strange occurrence
84	queer stirrups	unwell
250	queered on that suit
58	queers me	circa 1812 - to spoil the effect or success of; to put or get into an embarrassing or disadvantageous situation; puzzles
115	quirk	1565 - a peculiar trait; idiosyncrasy
225	quixotry	Don Quixote, hero of the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605, 1615) by Cervantes – 1648 - a quixotic person = 1815 - foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action
84	quizzing-glass
78	quizzing me	1794 - to make fun of; mock; to look at inquisitively; to question closely
131	the Quorn	Fox-hunters who ride in Quorn, Leicestershire
105	racked up	spent the night
115	raise a breeze
169	ram-shackle	alteration of earlier ransackled, from past participle of obsolete ransackle, frequentative of ransack – 1830 - appearing ready to collapse; rickety; carelessly or loosely constructed
106	rank-rider	highwayman
119	rasher o’ wind
239	ready and rhino
75	real Goes
181	Redbreast	Bow Street Runner
115	regular nose
97	repairing lease
17	resty
149	rib	wife
162	rig
135	rode straight at his fences
227	roll of soft	money
10	rubber of whist	alteration of earlier whisk, probably from whisk; from whisking up the tricks 1663 - a card game for four players in two partnerships that is played with a pack of 52 cards and that scores one point for each trick in excess of six
115	rum bub
109	rum-pad	highway robbery
104	rum peck and booze	Good food and drink
235	rumbled	Middle English; akin to Middle High German rummeln to rumble - 14th century - British to reveal or discover the true character
234	rusticate	1660 - to go into or reside in the country; follow a rustic life; chiefly British to suspend from school or college
149	sally	jest
226	sapskull
272	sauce	cheek
67	saucy	1508 - impertinently bold and impudent; amusingly forward and flippant
173	save our groats
5	scion	a young member of a rich and famous family; an offspring or heir
201	scrape
115	set-about
161	set-out
80	setting the hare’s head against the goose-giblets
213	shabby	obsolete English shab a low fellow – 1669 - unfair
212	shake the dust
34	shake your shambles
222	shamming it	1755 - to go through the external motions necessary to counterfeit; to act intentionally so as to give a false impression; feign
34	shap	hat?
168	shavelings	boys?
268	sheep-biter
37	shockingly green	deficient in training, knowledge, or experience; deficient in sophistication and savoir faire
150	shog-bags
132	shot in the neck	very drunk
221	shot my bolt
157	showed their shapes	ran away?
38	showy-looking hack	short for hackney - circa 1721 - a light easy saddle horse; especially a three-gaited saddle horse
156	sick as a horse
158	silver tatler	coin
161	single-stick	1771 - fighting or fencing with a wooden stick or sword held in one hand; also the weapon used
135	skirter	1602 - to go or pass around or about; specifically : to go around or keep away from in order to avoid danger or discovery; to avoid especially because of difficulty or fear of controversy
189	slap up to the echo
85	slips his wind	dies
119	slow-top
200	slug	inferior horse
146	slumguzzle
113	slummed	burgled
272	smelling of April and May
205	smirched	Middle English smorchen - 15th century - to make dirty, stained, or discolored; sully; to smear with something that stains or dirties; to bring discredit or disgrace on
182	smoked	before 12th century - suspected
38	smoky	suspicious
27	snabbled
158	snaffled	1724 - to obtain especially by devious or irregular means
16	snirp
84	snuff-box	a box for holding snuff, esp. one small enough to be carried in the pocket [1680–90]
194	snuffed it	dead
241	snuffer	15th century - a device similar to a pair of scissors for cropping and holding the snuff of a candle; a device for extinguishing candles
115	so help me bob
234	Society	1693 - of, relating to, or characteristic of fashionable society
31	sousing	Middle English, from Middle French souz, souce pickling solution, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sulza brine, Old English sealt salt - 14^th century - to plunge in liquid
180	sovereign	20s = 1 Pound [Ł]
21	Spanish cigarillo	Sp. cigarrillo cigarette, diminutive of cigarro cigar - 1832 - a very small cigar; a cigarette wrapped in tobacco rather than paper
125	sparring	boxing
278	Spasm	Middle English spasme, from Middle French, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from span to draw, pull - 14th century - an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction; a sudden violent and temporary effort or emotion
131	sport their canvases
187	squeak beef	inform on
146	squeege the puff out of me	choke
273	squeeze	neck
183	stand buff
143	Standish
98	stick to my leaders
136	stiff-necked	proud
270	stow your gab
114	strong in work
103	stubble it	be quiet
167	stub-faced cull
104	stuck in the nitch
205	superfine cloth
158	sure as a gun
154	sure as check
113	swag	haul
24	swap-hooks
190	sweet-goers	superior horses
112	swell-cove	good guy?
104	swell-trap
157	swooned	fainted
166	take the wind out of my eye
16	tallow-faced twiddle-poop	Cocking's description of Lord Melksham
65	tandem	circa 1785 - a 2-seated carriage drawn by horses harnessed one before the other
161	tapped your claret
61	tarradiddle	circa 1796 - fib = a trivial or childish lie; pretentious nonsense
280	that’s the barber
159	that’s the dandy
49	the deuce is in it	Middle French deus two, from Latin duos, accusative masculine of duo two - 15^th century - [obsolete English deuce bad luck] - used chiefly as a mild oath; something notable of its kind
68	The Music’s Paid	Password given by Chirk if accosted by Highwaymen
187	The Whit be burnt	Password given by Chirk if John needed to contact him
191	thinks every bush a bogle
272	throwing a rub in the way
75	throwing out a splint
27	thrown on the Parish
142	thwart	oppose
127	tip the double	double-cross? Cheat?
108	tipping over the dibs	paying for stolen goods?
106	tipped off	died
147	tit	horse
85	toad-eat	obsequious flatterery; sycophant [1820–30]
273	toes cocked up
34	toge	coat
189	toggery	clothing
188	toilinette
22	toll-gate	1773 - a point where the driver of a vehicle must pay a toll
5	ton	French - 1747 - high society
22	topboots	High boots, having generally a band od some kind of light-coloured leather around the upper part of the leg; riding boots.
131	top-heavy	drunk
106	top-o’-the-trees
221	top-sawyer
179	totty-headed dummy
75	touched in the wind
225	touched in your upper works	crazy
164	touts their muns
108	town-tulip
104	trap	police-officer
103	Trojan	Middle English, from Latin trojanus of Troy, from Troia, Troja Troy, from Greek TrOďa - 14th century - one who shows qualities (as pluck, endurance, or determined energy) attributed to the defenders of ancient Troy; a gay, irresponsible, or disreputable companion
24	truss of hay	Middle English, from Old French trousser, tourser to bundle, pack, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin torsare, from torsus twisted - 13^th century - to secure tightly
251	tryst	Middle English, from Middle French triste watch post, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse traust trust - 14th century -an agreement (as between lovers) to meet; an appointed meeting or meeting place
196	Tulip of Fashion
250	turn cat in pan	betray
147	turn me up sweet
109	twig	understand
243	Tyburn
235	under-game
233	up in the stirrups
95	up to every rig and row in town
165	up to slum
189	up to the knocker
22	urchin	Middle English, from Middle French herichon, heriçon, from (assumed) O.F. eriz, from Latin ericius, from eris; akin to Greek chEr hedgehog - 14^th century - a mischievous youngster
117	vagabond	Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin vagabundus, from Latin vagari to wander - 15th century -moving from place to place without a fixed home; of, relating to, or characteristic of a wanderer; leading an unsettled, irresponsible, or disreputable life
72	valise	French, from Italian valigia – 1615 - suitcase
78	vapourish
16	vulgar make-bait
72	wafer	Middle English, from Old North French waufre, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch wafel, wafer waffle - 14th century - an adhesive disk of dried paste with added coloring matter used as a seal
167	wapper-eyed
227	well-blunted	wealthy
180	well-breeched cove	wealthy
156	well-plucked ‘un
134	well-primed	informed
106	went to roost	died
111	whiddled the whole scrap	told the story
159	whirligig	Middle English whirlegigg, from whirlen to whirl + gigg top -- 15th century - a child's toy having a whirling motion; merry-go-round
167	whole scaff and raff of ‘em
154	wide in the boughs
249	windmill’s dwindled into a nutcracker
105	windmills in the head
188	windy side o’ the law
239	winged	1591 – to wound (as with a bullet) without killing
159	wisty crack
250	wood-headed
209	woolly-crown
125	worrit	worry
143	yawl-like
56	young buck	a dashing fellow

Slang A-L