solomon, n.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

solomon n.¹

also salaman, salamon, salmon, salomon

[the biblical king, Solomon, or ? Fr. serment, an oath. Rowlands, Martin-Mark-all (1610), notes that while solomon/salomon duly means Mass, ‘Many men I have heard take this word Solomon to be the chief commander among the beggars. But to put them out of doubt, this is not he. Marry, there was one Solomon in King Henry the Eighth’s time that was a jolly fellow among them, who kept his court [...] at Foxhall (Vauxhall) [...] who was successor to Cock Lorel’]

1. (UK Und.) an altar.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: Salomon a [sic] alter.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].

2. (UK Und.) the Mass; usu. in the canting or beggars’ oath by the solomon! by the Mass!

c.1535		R. Copland Hye way to the Spyttel House Eiii: Cyarum by salmon and thou shalt pek my iere / In thy gan for my watch it is nace gere.
c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: Salomon [...] masse. [Ibid.] 85: By the Salomon I will lage it off with a gage of benebouse.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Belman of London (3rd) J3: By the Salomon I will lage it off with a gage of bene bowse.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle in Dekker Works III 216: I have by the Salaman a doxy, that carries a kitchin mort in her flat at her backe.
1615		T. Overbury New and Choise Characters n.p.: [A Canting Rogue] He will not beg out of his limit though hee starue; nor breake his oath if hee sweare by his Salomon, though you hang him.
1621		Jonson Gypsies Metamorphosed 5: It will proue as a good a seruice As euer did Gypsie Gervice or our Captaine Charles the tall man and a part to of our salmon.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush III iv: I crown thy nab with a gage of ben bouse, / And stall thee by the salmon into clowes.
1637		Dekker Canting Song in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O2: Doxie oh! thy Glaziers shine, as Glymmer; by the Salomon.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II ii: By Salmon, I think my Mort is in drink.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 52: Solomon, The Mass.
a.1674		‘The Rogues . . . praise of his Stroling Mort’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 19: [as cit. 1637].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Solomon, the Mass.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Salmon, c. the Beggers Sacrament or Oath. Solomon, c. the Mass.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 198: [as cit. 1637].
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: salamon the Beggar’s Sacrament or Oath.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1749		B.M. Carew ‘The Oath of the Canting Crew’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 51: And as I keep to the foregone, / So may help me Salamon!
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Salmon or salamon. The beggars’ sacrament or oath. [Ibid.] Solomon, the mass.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1815		(con. 18C) W. Scott Guy Mannering (1999) 193: She swore by the salmon, if we did the kinchin no harm, she would never tell how the gauger got it.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 176: And as I keep to the foregone, / So may help me Salamon.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

solomon n.1

solomon n.¹