flat n.1
1. (UK Und.) a type of false die, in which one side is fractionally shorter than the others.
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Toxophilus (1761) I 85: What false dyse use they? As dyse stopped with quick silver and heares, dyse of vauntage, flattes, gourdes to chop and change when they liste, to let the true dyse fall under the table, and so take up the false. | |
| Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 24: Therefore (saith the master) marke well your flat, and learn to know him surely when he runeth on the board. | |
| Belman of London E3: The Names of false Dyce [...] A Bale of Flat sincke Dewces. A Bale of Flat sice Aces. | |
| The Tricks of the Town Laid Open (4 edn) 51: I have seen their Mathematical Flats and Bars; nay [...] Mathematical Fullams too. | |
| Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue. | |
| Lex. Balatronicum. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘Scene in a London Flash-Panny’ Vocabulum 100: Come, Bell, let us track the dancers and rumble the flats. | |
 | in Flynn’s mag. 21 Mar. n.p.: ‘Flats’ are dice which measure less on certain sides . . . This slight dimensional difference is sufficient to produce certain favored combinations [DU]. |
2. in pl., counterfeit coinage.
| Police of the Metropolis 114: The counterfeit money now in circulation, not above one third part is of the species of Flats or composition money. | |
| Chronicles of Newgate 318: Of base silver money there were five kinds; viz. flats, plated goods, plain goods, castings and fig things. The flats were cut out of prepared flattened plates composed of silver and blanched copper. | |
| Sl. and Its Analogues. |
3. in pl., playing cards.
| ‘Flash Lang.’ in Confessions of Thomas Mount 19: Cards [...] flats. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Vocab. of the Flash Lang. | |
![[Scot]](/static/img/flags/sco.png "Scotland") | Autobiog. 115: Robert Kain, and I, used to make very well out at the flats. | |
| , , | | Sl. Dict. |
| Sharping London 35: Flats, cards. | |
| Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 4: Flats - Playing cards. | |
| Sl. and Its Analogues. | |
| Aus. Sl. Dict. 29: Flts, playing cards. | |
| Und. Speaks. | |
| Venetian Blonde (2006) 165: Pasteboards. Flats, Cards. | |
| Signs of Crime 184: Flats. Playing cards. | |
![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Slanguage. |
4. (Aus.) a third-rate painting.
| Bulletin (Sydney) 22 Aug. 14/3: We have discovered that all the Art ‘flats’ in the Southern Hemisphere are not stationed in Sydney, and we are glad. [...] One or two of the highest-priced specimens in the [Victorian National Gallery’s] collection are vile daubs, and others are ‘going bung’ through crude workmanship. |
5. (US black) five cents, a nickel; five cents’ worth.
| Maison De Shine 208: Hully chee! Can’t a man take a flat o’ beer wit’out gittin’ the razoo? | |
| Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 13: The stud cuts out to drop a flat in the piccolo. |
6. a flat tyre.
| How to Commit a Murder 105: If they have soft tires, I would like to give them a slow puncture. [...] That’s a good idea, in giving them a flat, maybe they might get out and fix it. | |
| Walk in Sun 84: He might have gotten a flat. | |
| Blue Messiah 184: A passenger pointed to my wheels and shouted: ‘Ya got a flat, buddy!’. | |
| Songlines 114: We had three flats, and Marian had two in the Land-Rover. | |
| diary 14 June Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 147: The car has a flat. | |
| et al. Attack Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Personal Protection 10: If while you’re driving, someone points to your wheel and says you’ve got a flat, say ‘thank you’ and keep driving to the nearest safe area. |
7. (US drugs) a thin packet of heroin.
| They Talked To A Stranger 71: The addict...wants only to retain contact with his source and buy what white powder he needs in what he calls ‘flats’ [HDAS]. |
8. a plastic credit card.
| Signs of Crime 184: Flats [...] credit cards. |
9. (US drugs) a pill of MDMA.
| ‘Macaroni Time’ 🎵 Dumb fuck just popped a flat, I’m beamin’ right now. |