pogue n.2
(UK Und.) a purse, a wallet, a pocket.
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 259: pogue A bag, (probably a corruption of poke). | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1812]. | |
| ‘Autobiog. of a Thief’ in Macmillan’s Mag. (London) XL 504: I went out the next day to Maidenhead and touched for some wedge and a poge (purse) with over five quid in it. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Indianapolis Jrnl (IN) 28 Feb. 3/3: To the thief a purse bewcomes a ‘pogue’. | |
| Register (Adelaide) 4 Jan. 10/3: There was thirteen quid in that pogue. | |
| Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 2 Dec. 18/3: The crowd was mostly outside. I’m there and busy. ‘Pogues’ are shooting off in all directions. | |
| ‘English Und. Sl.’ in Variety 8 Apr. n.p.: Powg—Purse. | |
| Sun. Mail (Brisbane) 13 Nov. 20/8: No denizen of the underworld has any other name for the purse or wallet but ‘pogue,’ just as he would term relieving a citizen of his watch and chain ‘hoisting a block and tackle’. | |
| Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 179: poge A pocket book. | |
| Signs of Crime 197: Pogue See Poggler [i.e. purse or wallet]. | |
| (con. 1900–30) in Samuel East End Und. 283: Poge – Lady’s purse. |
In compounds
a purse-snatcher or pickpocket who specializes in taking purses.
| Child of the Jago (1982) 150: He recognised one of the High Mob, a pogue-hunter — that is, a pickpocket who deals in purses. | |
| Spoilers 66: Remember, Chick, ’ow they used to tumble out when the tiggies made a raid for a ’ot poge-hunter or snidesman. | |
| City Of The World 271: A poge-hunter pinches purses. | |
| in Advertiser (Adelaide) 12 Apr. 24/8: ‘Pogue hunter’ means purse thief. | |
| Framlingham Wkly News 8 Dec. 3/7: Thieves’ Dialect [...] ‘Poge-hunter’ means purse-thief. |