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Wretches of Povertyville 134: The so-called ‘bad nigger,’ the one who carries a razor, is simply a bully among his own people, just like the bad white man who carries a pistol is a bully among his class.at bad nigger (n.) under bad, adj.
Wretches of Povertyville 134: The so-called ‘bad nigger,’ the one who carries a razor, is simply a bully among his own people, just like the bad white man who carries a pistol is a bully among his class. Wretches of Povertyville 42: The ‘Barker’ and the ‘Bouncer,’ the one strong of voice to lure the wretches in, the other strong of arm to throw them out.at barker, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 21: On a side street nearby is a ‘barrel house’ where casks take the place of bottles behind the bar.at barrelhouse, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 31: Criminals occasionally use a [...] loaded billy [...] a small club with a piece of lead in a cavity in the lower end.at billy, n.4
Wretches of Povertyville 93: The diner gives his order to the waiter, who translates it into the expressive slang of the Bowery as he shouts into the kitchen, [...] ‘two shipwrecked’ for two fried eggs turned over, ‘soaked bums’ for beets, etc.at soaked bum, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 218: The bunco schemes requiring a large amount of money to begin with [...] are no longer profitable.at bunco, adj.
Wretches of Povertyville 233: The sport wears a loud checked suit of clothes, the bunco man makes a display of jewelry and money.at bunco man (n.) under bunco, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 93: The diner gives his order to the waiter, who translates it into the expressive slang of the Bowery as he shouts into the kitchen [...] ‘sleeve-buttons’ or two ‘sunny side up’ for two fried eggs.at sleeve button, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 181: Many of the opium fiends are also ‘coke’ fiends or cocaine habitues. This drug is snuffed up the nose and produces a mild stimulation, followed by intense depression.at coke fiend (n.) under coke, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 223: Even wise city folks are sometimes inveigled into buying articles which the ‘con’ (confidence man) has just picked up.at con, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 101: If he is still young and strong, he will ‘cut out’ the lover of a woman of the street, either in a fight or while the other is in jail.at cut out, v.2
Wretches of Povertyville 233: Desperation nerves the criminal to attack a police officer in his efforts to escape arrest, but the young tough will try to ‘do the cop’ in a spirit of bravado. If he succeeds he is the hero of his class.at do, v.1
Wretches of Povertyville 60: Knock-out drops is a solution of chloral hydrate, the pungent taste of which is immediately noticed by a person in his sober senses [...] Knock-out drops are supplied in half dram vials, each vial containing 20 grains of chloral, a vial full being used at a time.at knockout drops, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 238: It is delirium tremens, the D. T. of the hospital record, which ends in a stupor, followed by death.at DTs, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 147: ‘Dutchy,’ who has been kicked out of every saloon where a lunch counter is near the door, shows on his face the scars inflicted by the German University Schlager.at Dutchy, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 109: This class is composed of those whose propensities, viler than animal since they have no counterpart in the animal kingdom, place them outside of any human category. They call themselves ‘fairies.’ Such a wretch [...] gives himself a female appelative, imitates woman’s voice and ways, and as far as he dares wears woman’s attire. He [...] uses rouges, powders and cosmetics and all the artifices a woman might use to enhance her charms. Corsets, high-heeled shoes and bracelets are generally worn and in his room he dons complete female attire. This effeminate creature is in love with an equally despicable wretch of his own sex.at fairy, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 110: The ‘fake bandagers,’ who pose as cripples, go to the shopping district, where they work upon the sympathies of the women.at fake bandager (n.) under fake, adj.
Wretches of Povertyville 220: A fakir has a satchel containing a number of small boxes, each holding a cake of soap.at fakir, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 220: If the victim finds he is flim-flammed and complains, the waiter will again take the money, count it, make good the deficiency, and in returning it will again extract the bottom bill.at flim-flam, v.
Wretches of Povertyville 45: If he gives a large bill to the waiter, the latter may decamp or practice the flimflam game, a sleight-of-hand trick whereby he extracts a bill after having counted the change in the presence of the visitor.at flim-flam, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 220: The flimflammer invariably places a one dollar bill at the bottom and a larger bill next to it, to be withdrawn when the change is returned the second time.at flim-flammer, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 237: The ‘rounders,’ ‘floaters,’ ‘revolvers,’ as they are called, are not missed, although they may have been patrons at the same bar and in the same lodging house for years.at floater, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 211: The gold brick game, one of the most profitable swindles known, has been worked ever since the California gold miners returned to New York with lumps of gold in the early fifties.at goldbrick, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 205: The pickpockets whose ‘graft’ or dishonest work is to rob women are called ‘moll buzzers’ or ‘moll wires’.at graft, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 204: The meanest and lowest in the criminal social order is the ‘vogel grafter’ or fellow who entices little children into hallways and robs them of their earnings, capes, coats, etc.at vogel grafter, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 203: They are not confronted by the serious problems which the ‘big guns’ or thieves are compelled to solve.at big gun (n.) under gun, n.1
Wretches of Povertyville 138: Druggists [...] are asked to supply ‘hop’ the opium extract used by smokers, and other morphine and opium preparations, knockout drops, cocaine, appliances and drugs used for immoral purposes.at hop, n.3
Wretches of Povertyville 16: The frequenters of these theaters want what they call a ‘hot show,’ one coming as close to the line of indecency as the law will allow.at hot, adj.
Wretches of Povertyville 110: Few beggars ply their trade in Povertyville, and these are, with rare exceptions, lodging-house inmates trying to raise their ‘hote’ money or room rent.at hote, n.
Wretches of Povertyville 206: When engaged in ‘housework’ (burglary) or ‘till tapping’ (robbing money drawers) a pal or companion is necessary and plans must be made in advance. [...] The ‘house worker’ [...] will go through a house pretending to be the directory man or a peddler of gas tips or some other small article [...] If he finds a door open and no one in the room he will take whatever he can lay his hands on.at housework (n.) under house, n.1
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