1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Part 56

PARSON PALMER. A jocular name, or term of reproach, to one who stops the circulation of the gla.s.s by preaching over his liquor; as it is said was done by a parson of that name whose cellar was under his pulpit.

PARTIAL. Inclining more to one side than the other, crooked, all o' one hugh.

Pa.s.s BANK. The place for playing at pa.s.sage, cut into the ground almost like a c.o.c.k-pit. Also the stock or fund.

Pa.s.sAGE. A camp game with three dice: doublets, making up ten or more, to pa.s.s or win; any other chances lose.

PAT. Apposite, or to the purpose.

PATE. The head. Carroty-pated; red-haired.

PATRICO, or PATER-COVE. The fifteenth rank of the canting tribe; strolling priests that marry people under a hedge, without gospel or common prayer book: the couple standing on each side of a dead beast, are bid to live together till death them does part; so shaking hands, the wedding is ended. Also any minister or parson.

PATTERING. The maundering or pert replies of servants; also talk or palaver in order to amuse one intended to be cheated. Pattering of prayers; the confused sound of a number of persons praying together.

TO PATTER. To talk. To patter flash; to speak flash, or the language used by thieves. How the blowen lushes jackey, and patters flash; how the wench drinks gin, and talks flash.

PAVIOUR'S WORKSHOP. The street.

TO PAUM. To conceal in the hand. To paum a die: to hide a die in the palm of the hand. He paums; he cheats.

Don't pretend to paum that upon me.

PAUNCH. The belly. Some think paunch was the original name of that facetious prince of puppets, now called Mr. Punch, as he is always represented with a very prominent belly: though the common opinion is, that both the name and character were taken from a celebrated Italian comedian, called Polichenello.

PAW. A hand or foot; look at his dirty paws. Fore paw; the hand. Hind paw; the foot. To paw; to touch or handle clumsily.

PAW PAW TRICKS. Naughty tricks: an expression used by nurses, &c. to children.

TO PAY. To smear over. To pay the bottom of a ship or boat; to smear it over with pitch: The devil to pay, and no pitch hot or ready. SEA TERM.--Also to beat: as, I will pay you as Paul paid the Ephesians, over the face and eyes, and all your d---d jaws. To pay away; to fight manfully, also to eat voraciously. To pay through the nose: to pay an extravagant price.

To PEACH. To impeach: called also to blow the gab, squeak, or turn stag.

PEAK. Any kind of lace.

PEAL. To ring a peal in a man's ears; to scold at him: his wife rang him such a peal!

PEAR MAKING. Taking bounties from several regiments and immediately deserting. The cove was fined in the steel for pear making; the fellow was imprisoned in the house of correction for taking bounties from different regiments.

PECCAVI. To cry peccavi; to acknowledge one's self in an error, to own a fault: from the Latin PECCAVI, I have sinned.

PECK. Victuals. Peck and booze; victuals and drink.

PECKISH. Hungry.

PECULIAR. A mistress.

PED. A basket. CANT.

PEDLAR'S FRENCH. The cant language. Pedlar's pony; a walking-stick.

To PEEL. To strip: allusion to the taking off the coat or rind of an orange or apple.

PEEPER. A spying gla.s.s; also a looking-gla.s.s. Track up the dancers, and pike with the peeper; whip up stairs, and run off with the looking-gla.s.s. CANT.

PEEPERS. Eyes. Single peeper, a one-eyed man.

PEEPING TOM. A nick name for a curious prying fellow; derived from an old legendary tale, told of a taylor of Coventry, who, when G.o.diva countess of Chester rode at noon quite naked through that town, in order to procure certain immunities for the inhabitants, (notwithstanding the rest of the people shut up their houses) shly peeped out of his window, for which he was miraculously struck blind. His figure, peeping out of a window, is still kept up in remembrance of the transaction.

PEEPY. Drowsy.

To PEER. To look about, to be circ.u.mspect.

PEERY. Inquisitive, suspicious. The cull's peery; that fellow suspects something. There's a peery, tis snitch we are observed, there's nothing to be done.

PEG. Old Peg; poor hard Suffolk or Yorkshire cheese. A peg is also a blow with a straightarm: a term used by the professors of gymnastic arts. A peg in the day-light, the victualling office, or the haltering-place; a blow in the eye, stomach, or under the ear.

PEG TRANTUM'S. Gone to Peg Trantum's; dead.

PEGO. The p.e.n.i.s of man or beast.

PELL-MELL. Tumultuously, helter skelter, jumbled together.

PELT. A heat, chafe, or pa.s.sion; as, What a pelt he was in! Pelt is also the skin of several beasts.

PENANCE BOARD. The pillory.

PENNY-WISE AND POUND FOOLISH. Saving in small matters, and extravagant in great.

PENNYWORTH. An equivalent. A good pennyworth; cheap bargain.

PENTHOUSE NAB. A broad brimmed hat.

PEPPERED. Infected with the venereal disease.

PEPPERY. Warm, pa.s.sionate.

PERKIN. Water cyder.

PERRIWINKLE. A wig.

PERSUADERS. Spurs. The kiddey clapped his persuaders to his prad but the traps boned him; the highwayman spurred his horse hard, but the officers seized him.

PET. In a pet; in a pa.s.sion or miff.

PETER. A portmanteau or cloke-bag. Biter of peters; one that makes it a trade to steal boxes and trunks from behind stage coaches or out of waggons. To rob Peter to pay Paul; to borrow of one man to pay another: styled also manoeuvring the apostles.

PETER GUNNER, will kill all the birds that died last summer.

A piece of wit commonly thrown out at a person walking through a street or village near London, with a gun in his hand.