burglar n.
1. (US) a swindler, a bribe-taker, thus v. burgle, to take bribes.
Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Oct. 7/4: Three sweet burglars in Melbourne are in a tight place. The old story. Too fond of the Jimmies. | ||
Sun. Times (Perth) 29 Nov. 4/7: A pea comes up [...] an’ arsts me for the fair-dinkum chat. ‘E’es a real burglar an’ I warns ’im orf the course. | ||
‘Mexican Love Song’ 5 Nov. [synd. col.] I love to [...] dream of pleasant scenes / Like pottin’ burglin’ jockeys from the stands. | ||
Old Man Curry 131: A day when all the burglars at the track will be levelling for the get-away money. | ‘Sanguinary Jeremiah’ in||
, | DAS. |
2. a sodomite [euph. for SE bugger and implication of ‘breaking in’].
‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 441: Burglar, An active pederast. | ||
Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 43: Burglar. – An active pederast. | ||
Sex Variants. | ‘Lang. of Homosexuality’ Appendix VII in Henry||
Lex. of Cadet Lang. 65: G explains burglar as a corruption of bugger (in its primary sense ‘someone who engages in active as opposed to passive anal intercourse’). |
3. a security prison officer.
Gate Fever 110: That evening the burglars spun Gilbert’s cell. | ||
Lowspeak 32: Burglar Brigade – officers in prison who inspect the anus of a prisoner for concealed drugs. | ||
Guardian Rev. 31 Mar. 9: The three prison officers from security (also responsible for cell searches and affectionately known as ‘burglars’) marched him out. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(US Und.) a corrupt police officer.
(con. 1905–25) Professional Thief (1956) 125: The burglar copper is not regared as a traitor to the public or as a friend but as a sensible person who is playing the game intelligently. | ||
Men of the Und. 320: Burglar cop, A policeman who extorts protection money from thieves. |
(US) a peephole in a front door.
Freaky Friday 27: I peeked through the burglar hole . . . and almost fainted dead away! [HDAS]. |