Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shorthand n.

[‘one form of prison punishment for a thief, or a tealeafer, is to chop off one or more of his fingers’ Looser (2001)]

(N.Z. prison) a thief.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 166/1: shorthand n. a thief .