cadge, the, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cadge, the n.

1. the profession or act of begging.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1832–53		Whistle-Binkie Ser. II 68: He could ‘lay on the cadge’ better than ony walleteer that e’er cost a pock o’er his shouther [F&H].
1905		Sun. Times (Perth) 24 Dec. 1/1: Corporation laborers vie with newsboys and butchers’ boys for ‘boxes’ [and] if the combined cadge came off most hard-up householders would be motherless.

2. (UK, Glasgow) a message.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 172/2: low Glasgow – 1934.

do a cadge (v.)

to exist by begging.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 317/1: from ca. 1820.

on the (grand) cadge (also on the kedge)

begging.

1818		W. Perry London Guide 5: Those idle fellows who constantly hang about coach yards without any visible means of livelihood than what they can pick up [...] are said to be ‘upon the kedge’.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 66: He’s been on the tramp cadge to day, and has copped a decent swag of scran.
1849		Sam Sly 21 Apr. 3/1: Do you forget the time when a subscription was made for you [...] to go to London on the grand cadge, by giving recitations in low tap-rooms?
1886		Freeman’s Jrnl (Dublin) 7 Jan. 5/6: Most of them are ‘on the cadge’.
1896		‘’Arry on African Affairs’ in Punch 22 Feb. 90/2: Rum thing, mate, your fair stony-broker, who lives up a court, on the cadge.
1903		Coventry Herald 18 Dec. 3/3: ’Enry (on the cadge): ‘Scuse a starvin’ man [...] can I ’ave that there bone after your dorg ’as done with it?
1911		Truth (Wellington) 11 Nov. 7/1: The kids went on the cadge for browns.
1932		M. Marshall Travels of Tramp-Royal 321: on the cadge, on the mooch, begging.
1943		J.B. Hislop Pure Gold and Rough Diamonds 126: The ‘Shiner’ with his straw hat and umbrella had wandered along on his usual cadge.
1957		G. Kersh Fowlers End (2001) 194: I’m not on the cadge, you know.
1960		G.W. Target Teachers (1962) 28: You on the cadge again?