![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States")
(con. 1920s) Warden’s Wife 137: A cheque artist who had been in and out of San Quentin several times.at -artist, sfx
(con. 1920s) Warden’s Wife 137: A cheque artist who had been in and out of San Quentin several times. (con. 1916) Warden’s Wife 83: He’s as guilty as I am [...] But he figures if he hollers bum beef loud enough, some people are going to believe he’s riding a phony.at bum beef (n.) under beef, n.2
(ref. to 1920s) Warden’s Wife 142: Where did you get the idea that prisoners are beetleheads?at beetle-head (n.) under beetle, n.1
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 83: My father maintained that [...] ‘Mooney thinks of himself as a big shot.’.at big shot, n.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 70: They were so proud of the modern cell block [...] so pleased that the ‘birdcages’ were enclosed within walls.at birdcage, n.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 53: Other members of the fraternity [...] referred to him contemptuously as a ‘blanket stiff’.at blanket stiff (n.) under blanket, n.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 61: I get a big boot out of telling people I was born in the big house.at boot, n.4
(con. 1906) Warden’s Wife 21: Since no one knew any of the dull, factual details concerning this latest ‘breeze,’ there was plenty of conjecture.at breeze, n.1
(con. c.1910) Warden’s Wife 50: My father [...] in the parlance of the Yard [...] was con-wise. He had the knack of sizing up men.at conwise (adj.) under con, n.1
(ref. to 1920s) Warden’s Wife 141: There were tremendous problems [...] which [...] made con bosses necessary. [...] carefully selected prisoners could handle the men on work projects just as well as civilian guards.at con boss (n.) under con, n.1
(con. c.1910) Warden’s Wife 49: Crazy Alley [...] was by no means even a crude precursor of the psychiatric wards of today. It was just a place to immure prisoners who were troublesome because they had gone crazy.at crazy alley (n.) under crazy, n.
Warden’s Wife 63: After getting ‘dog-eye’ looks from their fellow-prisoners, they gradually abandon all pretences [i.e. of innocence].at dog-eye, n.
(con. c.1910) Warden’s Wife 9: If Warden Edgar catches us in his garden we’ll get holy hallelujah.at hallelujah, n.
Warden’s Wife 146: For nearly a year...no convict had succeeded in ‘hanging it on a bush’ .at hang it on the limb (v.) under hang it on, v.1
(con. c.1917) Warden’s Wife 93: He was skin and bone when he came in [i.e. to prison] [...] He was a ‘hype’.at hype, n.2
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 72: Fugitives [...] would [...] forcibly persuade some ‘square John’ into an exchange of clothing.at square john, n.
(ref. to 1920s) Warden’s Wife 140: It is only a misdemeanour to ‘jump’ a hotel bill.at jump, v.
(con. 1920s) Warden’s Wife 137: The matrons [...] could not prevent the kiting which kept old feuds alive.at kite, v.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 53: Other members of the fraternity, the prowlers, porch-climbers, and yeggmen.at prowler, n.
(con. c.1921) Warden’s Wife 124: He has no one Outside pulling for him.at pull for (v.) under pull, v.
(ref. to 1919) Warden’s Wife 98: In 1919, people spoke about ‘San Quentin strawberries’ – beans ladled out of big buckets on to tin plates.at San Quentin strawberries (n.) under San Quentin, adj.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 67: The warden couldn’t thrust aside the feeling that the prisoner was a ringer.at ringer, n.
(con. 1920s) Warden’s Wife 139: When he and my father settled down to talk shop, it was always my father’s shop they discussed.at shop, n.1
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 67: Upon being released, a ‘paper-hanger’ will [...] assure you that his days of being a ‘short-story writer’ are over.at short story writer (n.) under short story, n.
Warden’s Wife 63: Prisoners who, having been convicted of particularly heinous crimes, have stiff jolts to serve.at stiff rap (n.) under stiff, adj.
(ref. to 1920s) Warden’s Wife 149: A ‘girl’ wasn’t concerned. ‘Wifie’ was a male inmate whose conduct had aroused suspicion.at wifey, n.
(con. c.1915) Warden’s Wife 53: Other members of the fraternity, the prowlers, porch-climbers, and yeggmen.at yegg, n.
no more results