Green’s Dictionary of Slang

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Thirty Years a Detective choose

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[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 81: The game [counterfeit money] is successfully worked, and the victims continue to add to the profits of the ‘Boodle Swindlers’.
at boodle, n.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 209: ‘Banco,’ [...] now called ‘bunco,’ is another form of confidence swindle, and first made its appearance at New Orleans in 1869.
at bunco, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 77: There’s some crooked stuff [...] If you have any doubt about the ‘chromos’ being negotiable and all right anywhere on the Continent, why, we’ll just go out and try them.
at chromo, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 531: The ‘twenties’ [dollar note] were excellent [...] and placed him at the head of the ‘Coney’ business as a cutter or engraver.
at coney, n.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 60: When they are ready to come out, they generally put a small piece of white paper under the front door, so as to inform the ‘crow’ – as the outside watcher is called – that they have finished their work [...] The ‘crow’ is constantly on the alert.
at crow, n.2
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 44: The thief lightly runs his hand across the front of both pockets of the ‘mark’ – and this operation of feeling for a pocket-book is called ‘fanning’.
at fan, v.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 77: Well, by Gosh! if this don’t beat ennything I ever seed! By the great horn-spoon, they’re es like es two peas.
at by the great horn spoon! (excl.) under great...!, excl.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 76: Would you like to look at the green articles? [...] Sharp, without further delay, dives down into his trousers pockets and draws out a large roll of bills.
at green, adj.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 209: This game [bunco] consists in ‘roping in’ or inducing an unsuspicious victim, with plenty of money, and then fleecing him of all his ready cash.
at rope in, v.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 41: After he [a pickpocket] has secured the wallet he will chirp like a bird, or will utter the word ‘lam!’ This means to let the man go, and to get out of the way as soon as possible .
at lam, v.2
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 50: Pick-pockets who operate on ladies [...] are called ‘Moll-buzzers’.
at moll buzzer (n.) under moll, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 445: It is no longer the common ‘shover of the queer,’ as he is called in police circles, who is the worst and most dangerous pirate upon the monetary seas.
at shover (of the queer), n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 44: A pocket-book is called ‘leather,’ a wallet, or ‘a pittman’ or ‘pitt’.
at pit-man (n.) under pit, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 44: This kind of robbery is generally practiced on the cars – (called ‘rattlers’) [...] and if upon the cars it is performed on the platforms or in the doorways of these crowded vehicles.
at rattler, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 45: He inserts the first two fingers of his right hand [...] he draws the pocket-book up little by little, which is known as ‘reefing’ [...] the moment he is able to take hold of the pocket-book – called ‘tapping,’ he quietly calls out ‘Rouse!’ the victim receives a rough push from the stalls – and out comes the pocket-book.
at reef, v.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 41: The ‘tool,’ when he has the wallet in his fingers and ready to be drawn out, will cry ‘Rouse!’ [sic] At this signal all of the ‘stalls’ give the man a general push at the same time, and, during the confusion [...] the ‘tool’ deftly pulls out the wallet.
at roust, v.2
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 79: The victim will want from two to five hundred dollars’ worth of the stuff, [and] the ‘saw-dust’ racket is put into operation.
at sawdust game (n.) under sawdust, n.2
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 112: The ‘sneak’ will stealthily steal into the vault, and in a few minutes emerge with all the available resources of the bank, concealed beneath his coat.
at sneak, n.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 136: I will relate the incidents of a daring and successful robbery, by sneak thieves, which took place in the city of New York during the month of January, 1878.
at sneak, adj.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 39: Two of the ‘stalls’ will immediately manage to get in front of the man – and these men are called ‘front stalls’ – this is done for the purpose of stopping him.
at stall, n.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 456: Gold coin is tampered with [...] One operation consists in ‘sweating’ or jingling the coin together in a buckskin bag, by which five per cent can be made.
at sweat, v.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 45: He inserts the first two fingers of his right hand [...] he draws the pocket-book up little by little, which is known as ‘reefing’ [...] the moment he is able to take hold of the pocket-book – called ‘tapping,’ he quietly calls out ‘Rouse!’ the victim receives a rough push from the stalls – and out comes the pocket-book.
at tap, v.2
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 50: The men who twist the rings or steal the watches are called ‘super twisters.’.
at thimble-twister (n.) under thimble, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 46: A quiet command ‘tile him!’ is given, and the countryman’s hat is shoved from behind.
at fly a tile (v.) under tile, n.
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 38: The man who does the actual stealing is called the ‘tool’ [...] The ‘tool’ usually carries a coat upon his arm for the purpose of covering his hand; with his concealed hand he will work under the man’s [victim] coat.
at tool, n.1
[US] A. Pinkerton Thirty Years a Detective 169: ‘Weeding’ consists in extracting all the large bills from the wallet, and substituting small ones [...] so that the bulk will be about the same.
at weed, v.2
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