Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) to speak, to talk, esp. underworld slang.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: to cante, to speake.
1592		Greene Defence of Conny-Catching 7: At these wordes Conny-catcher and Setter, I was driuen into as great a maze, as if one had dropt out of the clowds, to hear a pesant cant the wordes of art belonging to our trade.
1608		Dekker Belman of London C: Henceforth it shall bee lawfull for thee to Cant, (that is to say) to be a Vagabond and Beg, and to speake that Pedlers French, or that Canting language, which is to bee found among none but beggars.
1615		T. Overbury New and Choise Characters n.p.: [A Canting Rogue] He leaues his children all the world to Cant in, and all the people to their fathers.
1621		Jonson Gypsies Metamorphosed 29: They can Cant or Mill, are they Masters in theire arts.
1639		Ford Lady’s Trial V i: A villanous poor banditti [...] Can man a quean, and cant, and pick a pocket, Pad for a cloak, or hat, in the dark.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 366: They could Cant indifferently, Wheedle most cunningly, Lye confoundedly, Swear desperately.
1677		Behn Rover IV i: [A] very errant Gipsy, the talkingst, pratingst, cantingst little Animal thou ever saw’st.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] To Cant, to speak.
1690		D’Urfey Collin’s Walk canto 4 150: The whole Tribe of those that Cant.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 105: Henceforth it shall be lawful for thee to cant, and to carry a Doxy or Mort along with thee.
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 115: Say little or nothing, for the Man of the House can understand you, or his Wife, or his Child Stow your Whids and plant them; the Cove of the Ken can cant ’em; if the Cove can’t, the Mort can; if the Mort can’t, the Kinchen can.
1754		Trial of Elizabeth Canning in Howell State Trials (1816) 344: Upon this an old gentleman said, You must cant to her, talk gypsey to her, and she'll answer you.
1789		G. Parker Life’s Painter 146: I can [...] cant and slang, with a lumper of St. Giles’s.
1806		G. Colman Yngr John Bull I i: Many would cant out ‘shame!’ but I care not for the stoicks, nor the puritans.
1836		‘’ in New Cockalorum Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) II 25: I oft go out and cant and jaw, / And turn parson in the open air.
1841		‘Ax My Eye’ Dublin Comic Songster 101: I oft go out and cant and jaw, / Play parson in the open air.
1881		Trumble Sl. Dict. n.p.: ‘On the trail.’ ‘But cant us the cues. What was the job?’ ‘A pinch for an emperor’s slang. We touched his leather too, but it was very lathy ’ [F&H].
1892		‘John Miller’ Workingman’s Paradise 143: They [...] don’t cant much about knowing things aren’t right.

2. to beg for alms.

1610		Beaumont & Fletcher Scornful Lady V iii: yo. lo.: You are resolved to cant, then? where, Savil, Shall your scene lie? sav.: Beggars must be no choosers; In every place, I take it, but the stocks.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush V ii: I’ll maund no more, nor cant.

3. (Irish und.) to trick, to confuse.

c.1785

‘The Connaughtman’s Visit to dublin’ in A. Carpenter Verse in Eng. in 18C Ireland (1998) 388: You people of Dublin who whollies [i.e. follows] the rules, / Of canting poor strangers and humbugging fools.