Thieves have their own terminology for many of the words common to their vocation. Some of it is just slang, other words originated so that thieves could speak about their work with non-thieves being none-the-wiser. So why would we share this with you? Just consider yourselves lucky and don't ask so many questions.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

-A- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Abbess: the mistress of a brothel 
Abram: naked 
Abram cove: a word used among thieves which signifies a naked or poor man. It can also mean a lusty strong rogue
Abram men: a beggar who pretends to be mad 
To sham abram: to pretend to be sick 
Academy:  brothel 
Ace of spades: a widow 
Acorn:  to ride a horse foaled by an acorn, is to be hanged on the gallows
Adam Tiler: a pickpockets associate, who receives the stolen goods, and runs off with them
Affidavit Men: a witness for hire Someone who will swear to anything in court if paid to do so 
Air and exercise: he has had air and exercise, i.e. he has been whipped as he was dragged along behind a cart
Ambidexter: a lawyer who garners fees from both plaintiff and defender 
To amuse: to fling dust into the eyes of the person intended to be robbed; also to invent some plausible tale to delude a shopkeeper in order to put them off their guard
Amusers: a rogue who uses the above tactic
Anabaptist:  a pickpocket caught in the act, and punished by being thrown into a pond 
Anglers: pilferers or petty thieves who with a stick having a hook at the end, steal goods out of shop windows, grates etc. Also someone who 'draws in' victims in order to rob them
Angling for coppers: begging out of a prison window with a cap or box let down on the end of a long string
Arch Rogue: The chief of a gang of thieves or gypsies 
Ard: hot, stolen 
Ark: a boat 
Ark ruffians: rogues who in conjunction with watermen, robbed and sometimes murdered on the water by picking a quarrel with passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard
Artichoke: hang (see hearty choke)
Aunt: a prostitute or someone who procures prostitutes 
Autem Bawler: a priest 
Autem Divers: pickpockets who operate in churches and temples 
Autem Mort:  a female beggar who hires children in order to inspire charity
 

-B- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Babes in the wood:  criminals in the stocks or pillory
Badge: a term for one who has had his hand burned as punishment for theft 
Bagged Flash:  Magic Item
Bandog: a bailiff or sheriff 
Barmy:  crazy, mad 
Barrow man:  a man under sentence of transport 
Bat: a very common prostitute 
Bawd: a prostitute 
Bawdy basket: a criminal who sells items from door to door, but makes most of their living by stealing 
Beak: a justice of the peace, judge or magistrate 
Beef: to "cry beef" is to give an alarm. To "be in a mans beef" is to wound him with a sword 
Beggar maker:  a man who owns a tavern 
Beilby's Ball:  to "dance with Beilby's ball" is to be hung 
Bene: good 
Bene Bowse: good beer 
Bene Cove: good fellow
Bene Darkmans: good night
Bene feaker: counterfeiter
Bene feaker: counterfeiter of false passes
Ben: a fool
Bess or Betty:   a crow bar 
Bilboes: the stocks or prison 
Bilk: to cheat or con 
Bing: to go or escape 
Bingo: brandy or other spirit
Bingo boy: a drinker of brandy
Bingo mort: a female drinker of brandy
Birds of a feather: rogues of the same gang 
Bite: to steal 
Black art:  The art of picking a lock
Black box: a lawyer 
Blasted fellow:  an abandoned rogue or prostitute 
Blater: a stolen calf 
Bleaters: those cheated by a Jack in the Box (See Jack in the box) 
Bleating rig: sheep stealing 
Blow:  to "bite the blow" is to steal the goods 
Blue pigeons: thieves who steal lead off houses and other buildings 
Bluffer: an inn keeper 
Blunt: money 
Boarding school: a prison 
Bob: shoplifter's assistant One who receives stolen goods 
Boned: seized, arrested 
Boredom: Risk
Borrow: to steal
Boung: a purse 
Boung nipper: a cutpurse
Boxman: a thief or craftsman that specializes in making and disarming traps
Boxwork: the act of making or disarming traps, or the craftsmanship of a trap, as in "there's some fine boxwork to this trap."
Brimstone: an abandoned woman or thief 
Bub:  strong drink, usually cheap 
Bubber:  a thief who steals from taverns or a drunkard 
Bufe: a dog 
Bufe nabber:  a dog thief 
Bug: to exchange a material for one of less value 
Bung nipper:  a pickpocket 
Burning the ken: to flee a tavern without paying your bill 
Bus napper: a constable 
Bus napper kenchin: a watchman
Buttock and file: a prostitute who steals from their clients
Button:  a fake coin 
Buzman: a pickpocket
 

-C- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Cackle: to inform on a thief 
Calle: a cloak or gown worn as a disguise 
Canters: thieves or beggars 
Canting Crew: thieves or beggars 
Cap: take an oath 
Captain Sharp: a person in a fixed game of chance whose job is to bully those who refuse to pay their debts 
Caravan: a large sum of money, or one who is cheated of a large sum of money 
Cattle: prostitutes or gypsies 
Charactered: to have your hand burnt as a punishment for theft 
Charm: a lockpick 
Chatts: the gallows 
Clank: a silver tankard 
Clank napper:  a silver tankard stealer 
Clear: very drunk 
Click: to hit 
Clicker: the person who divides the booty between a group of thieves
Climb up a ladder to bed: be hanged 
Cloy: steal 
Cloyes: thieves 
Cly: a pocket 
Cly the jerk: to be whipped 
Cockles, to cry: to be hanged
Colt: one who lends a horse to a highway man, or an apprentice thief 
Confect: counterfeited 
Content: a person murdered for resisting a robbery 
Contraband:  Illegal goods
Cove: a man 
Cracksman: a house breaker 
Cramp word: the sentence of death 
Crash: kill 
Crawl in a hole:  hide
Crib:  House
Crop: hang 
Cull: an honest man 
Cullability: easily cheated 
Curbing law: the act off hooking items out of a window (see angling)
Cursitor: a bad lawyer
 

-D- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Dangle: hang 
Danglestuff:  Rope
Darbies: chains (handcuffs) 
Darby: easy money 
Darkee: a dark or hooded lantern 
Darkmans: night time 
Dawb: bribe 
Deadly nevergreen: gallows 
Derrick: a hangman 
Ding Boy: a mugger 
Dive: to pick a pocket or a thieves hideout 
Dive:  A thieves hideout
Dodgies:  innocent
Dommerer: a beggar who pretends to be mute 
Drag: to follow a cart or wagon in order to rob it 
Draw-latches: robbers of houses 
Drawing the King's picture: counterfeiting coins 
Dromedary: a bungling thief 
Dropping a glove: losing a hand (legal punishment)
Dress up:  Tie up
Dub: a lockpick 
Dub Lay: to rob a house by picking its lock 
Dummee: a pocket book or purse 
Dumps: coins made of lead 
Die hard: show no fear or remorse at the gallows
 

-E- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Earnest: a promise to pay
Equipt: well dressed, rich
Expense money:  bribe
 

-F- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Fagger: a small boy passed through a window in order to open the door to a house 
Family man: a receiver of stolen goods 
Fam lay: palming an item in order to steal it 
Fams: gloves 
Fang:  dog
Fen: a prostitute 
Fence:  to sell stolen goods One who buys stolen goods 
Fencing ken:  a place where stolen goods are hidden 
Fidlam ben: thieves 
Figging law: the art of picking pockets 
Figure dancer: one who alters the numbers on notes of credit or other paper money
Filcher: see angler 
Flag waving:  planning
Flash ken: a thieves hideout 
Flash lingo: thieves cant 
Floating hell: a prison ship 
Flog: to whip 
Fob: cheat 
Footpad: a common thief 
Fork: to pick a pocket 
Fortune teller: a judge 
Foyst: a pickpocket 
Frummagemmed: strangled or hanged 
Fun: a cheat or a trick 
Fuzz: to pretend to shuffle a deck of cards
 

-G- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Gallows bird: a thief or pickpocket or someone that associates with them 
Game: any mode of robbery 
Gamon: to deceive 
Gaoler's coach: a cart used to take felons to execution 
Gentleman: Thief
Gentleman's master: a highwayman 
Getting stripes: to be flogged
Gibberish: thieves cant 
Gilt: a thief who picks locks 
Ginny: a crowbar 
Glazier: a thief who breaks windows in order to steal 
Glim: a lantern used in housebreaking 
Goin' home:   jail break
Goin' legit:  to die
Grandpa:  judge
Grease: bribe 
Gregorian tree: gallows 
Gudgeon: a gullible person 
Guesthouse:  jail
Gull: a gullible person, to cheat someone
 

-H- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Hamlet: a senior constable 
Hang gallows look:  a villainous appearance
Hang in chains:  a vile, desperate person
Harman: a constable 
Harman's: the stocks 
Have a chat wit:  kill
Hearty choke: to be hanged 
Heave: to rob 
Hempen fever: a person who has been hanged is said to have died of "hempen fever" 
Hempen widow: one whose husband was hanged 
High pad: a highwayman 
Hike: to run away 
Hired help:  accompolice
Hitman:  assassin
Hizzoner's guest: prisoner
Hoist: to rob by entering though windows that have been left open
Hole in need of pluggin:  informant
Hoodwink: blindfold or fool someone 
Hooked:  captured 
Hookers: see angler 
Hubbub:  a riot 
Hue: to whip 
Hush: murder
Hush money: a bribe
 

-I- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Invited:  arrested
Iron: money
Ironmongers shop: to "keep an ironmongers shop" is to be hung in chains
 

-J- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Jack in a box: a card sharper 
Jack Ketch: hangman 
Jail bird: prisoner 
Jammed: hanged 
Jem: a gold ring 
Jemmy: a crow bar 
Jigger: whipping post 
Jink: money, coins 
Jordain: a stick or staff used by muggers 
Juggler's box: the device used to burn the hands of criminals 
Jukrum: the permission of the head of a thieves guild to operate within his territory
 

-K- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Kate: a lockpick 
Ken: a house 
Ken Miller or Ken Cracker: a housebreaker
Ketch: a hangman
Kiddeys: young thieves 
King's plate: chains, shackles 
King's pictures:  money 
Knight of the cross-trade: any criminal, a thief or swindler of reputation in particular 
Knight of the blade: a bully 
Knight of the post: a man willing to give fake evidence for money 
Knight of the road: a highwayman
Knock-knock:  hello
 

-L- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Laced mutton: a prostitute 
Lag:  a man transported for a crime
Land pirate: a highwayman
Laugh: flee or escape, as in "give this place the laugh"
Lag: a criminal being transported (extradition) 
Lay: danger 
Leaf to "go with the fall of the leaf" is to be hanged
Lid:  door
Lift:  steal 
Lightmans: daytime 
Little snakesman: a small boy passed through a window in order to open a door 
Lone wolf:  thief, independent
Long tongued: unable to keep a secret 
Lowre:  money
Lully priggers: thieves who steal wet clothes off clothes lines 
Lurch: to be "left in the lurch" is to be betrayed by ones companions
 

-M- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Mad Tom: a beggar who feigns madness 
Made: stolen 
Made man: a member of the thieves guild 
Mark: victim, or potential victim 
Maunding: begging 
Milch cow: one who is easily tricked out of his money 
Moabites: bailiffs 
Mob:  group of thieves
Mobility: the commoners (Intended as a pun on 'nobility') 
Moon curser: a thief who uses the darkness as cover for his crime 
Moon men:  gypsies 
Moon pigs:  night watchmen
Morning drop: the gallows 
Mort: a woman 
Moss: lead stolen off the top of buildings 
Mot: see Mort 
Myrmidons: constables
 

-N- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Nab: to seize 
Nab the stoop: to be put in the stocks 
Napper: a cheat or thief
Napper of naps: a sheep stealer 
Natty lads: young thieves or pickpockets 
Neck weed: hemp to be made into rope 
Needle point: a card sharper 
New drop:  the gallows 
Newman's lift: the gallows 
Nig: the metal clipped off a coin by a criminal
Night magistrate: a constable 
Nim: to steal or pilfer 
Nip: a cheat 
Noisy dog racket: the crime of stealing brass door knockers from doors 
Noozed: hanged (or married) 
Nose: a criminal who gives evidence against his colleagues in order to gain a lighter sentence 
Nubbing: hanging 
Nubbing cheat: the gallows 
Nubbing cove: the hangman 
Nubbing ken: the courthouse 
Nypper: a cutpurse
 

-O- (back to top)

Oak: a rich man 
Oaken Towel: a cudgel
Office: to "give office" is to tell constables of a thieves activities 
Old hand: an experienced thief 
Onion: a seal or signet ring 
Overseer: a man in the pillory or stocks
 

-P- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Pad: the highway 
Pad borrowers: horse thieves 
Pair of eye:  a lookout
Palaver: a tale told in order avoid blame for a crime 
Panny: house 
Papa porker:  head of the guard
Parenthesis:  the stocks
Parings: the metal clipped off a coin by a criminal 
Patter flash: to use thieves cant 
Palm: conceal in the hand 
Peach: turn informer 
Peel: to fool, con or commit fraud, "peeling the gullies" is a popular term for fraud. 
Peeper: a spying glass
Penance board:  pillory
Pennyweighter:  thief who replaces valuable goods with worthless ones
Petty fogger:  a lawyer willing to undertake any case 
Piece man:  trader of knowledge on where stolen property can be sold
Pig: an officer of the law 
Pigeon: a person easy to cheat
Pigeon plucker:  con-artist/swindler
Pig poker:  dagger
Plate: money, silver, gold etc.
Pony:  money
Pop: pawn 
Pop shop: pawnbrokers 
Porridge:   prison
Posse mobilitatis: a mob chasing a criminal 
Poulterer:  a man who opens mail and steals the money enclosed within 
Pound:  prison 
Prad: a horse 
Prad lay: the act of cutting the saddlebags of horses in order to steal their contents 
Prig: a thief 
Prig napper: one who catches thieves A bounty hunter 
Priggers: thieves 
Priggers of prancers: horse thieves 
Priggers of cacklers: robbers of henhouses 
Prince Prig: head of a group of thieves or gypsies 
Provender: the victim of a thief 
Public ledger: a prostitute 
Pull: arrest 
Purse collector:  pickpocket
Puzzle-cause: a lawyer who does not understand the case
 

-Q- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Quarromes:  a body
Queer:  "To queer" means to confuse someone 
Queer bail: someone who pretends to have money in order to act as surety  for an arrested person. When the person is released they disappear 
Queer birds:  A person who when released from prison, returns to a life of crime
Queer bit makers:  conterfeiters of coins
Queer bung:  an empty purse
Queer cove:  a thief
Queer ken:, a prison
Queer mort: a diseased prostitute 
Quod: prison 
Quota: a thieves share of the booty 
 

-R- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Racket:  larceny
Rag: paper money 
Rank rider:  a highwayman 
Rap: taking a false oath 
Rat: an informer To turn informer 
Rattling cove: a coachman
Rattling mummers: beggars who beg from coaches 
Reader:  a pocket book or purse 
Reader merchants: pickpockets 
Ready:  money 
Recruiting service: highway robbery 
Repository: a gaol 
Resurrection men: those employed to steal bodies from churchyards 
Rhino:  money
Ribbin:  money
Riding the rope:  to hang
Ringing the changes: exchanging silver coins for those made of less valuable metal 
Roast: arrest 
Robert's men: successful thieves 
Rooton:  committing crimes
Rot gut:  cheap spiritous liquor
Rounder:  burglar, professional
Rovers: pirates, wandering thieves 
Rub: run away 
Ruffles: chains or shackles 
Rufflers: beggars who pretend to be wounded soldiers or sailors 
Rug: safe and secure 
Rum: fine, good, valuable 
Rum beck: a justice of the peace 
Rum bite: a clever trick 
Rum bob: a skilled apprentice thief 
Rum bung: a full purse 
Rum cod: a purse filled with gold 
Rum diver: a skilled pickpocket 
Rum dubber: a skilled lock picker 
Rum file: a skilled pickpocket 
Rum fun: a clever trick 
Rum pad: the highway 
Rum padders: skilled and successful highwaymen
Rum prancer: a good horse 
Rushers: home invaders
 

-S- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Salmon: an oath taken by a beggar 
Scapegallows: one who deserves and has escaped the gallows 
Score:  loot from a theft
Scragged: hanged 
Scragg'em fair: a public execution 
Scratch:  injury
Screw:  a lock pick or skeleton key 
Shadow dance:  hide
Sham: a trick 
Sharper: a con man 
Sheriff's journeyman:  hangman
Sheriff's ball:  an execution
Sheriff's hotel:  prison
Sheriff's picture frame:  gallows
Shop: prison 
Shoplifter: one who steals from a shop 
Shoulder tap:  backstab
Show:  trial
Signals:  plan (noun)
Sing: call out, inform 
Slang: thieves cant 
Slang:  chains or shackles
Slipgibbet:  See scapegallows
Smooth:  quiet
Snap the glaze: break a window 
Snapt: captured 
Sneak: a pilferer 
Snoozing ken: brothel 
Sop: a bribe 
Spring-ankle warehouse:  prison
Squeak: escape or "To squeak" means to confess 
Squeakers: organ pipes 
Stalling ken: place where stolen goods can be sold 
Star the glaze: break a jewelers window 
Stoop:  the pillory
Stop hole abbey: the central hideout or guild hall for a thieves guild 
Stretching:  hanging
Stuling ken:  see Stalling ken 
Swaddler: a thief who beats and murders his victims 
Swag: booty 
Sweating: removing metal from a coin, by using chemicals
Swing:  hang
Switch:  sell
 

-T- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Tail: a prostitute 
Tayle drawers: a thief who steals swords from a mans belt 
Tea with pigs:  to have "tea with the pigs" means to be tortured
Teize: a flogging
Thatch-gallows: a man of poor character 
Thief takers: someone who associates with thieves in order to arrest them and obtain rewards 
Three-legged mare: the gallows 
Three-legged stool:  the gallows
Tilted floor:  wall
Tinker:  healer, underworld
Tom of Bedlam: see Mad Tom
Topping cheat:  the gallows
Topping cove: hangman
Touch: arrest 
Trounce: punish 
Tuck in bed:  knock unconscious
Tucked up:  hanged
Turncoat:  one who has betrayed his friends
Turn off: hanged
Twig: realize that something is up 
Two to one shop: pawnbrokers
 

-U- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Uncle:  fence
Underdubber: a prison guard
Upright Man: chief thief of a guild
Used up: killed
 

-V- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Vamp: pawn
Varlets: criminals
Vincent's law: the art of cheating at cards
Visiting the neighbors:  burglary
Vowel: to write an IOU
 

-W- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Waterpad: river pirate
Wedge: silver plate
Whack: a share of booty obtained by fraud
Whip jacks: thieves who pretend to be sailors in order to gain free passage on boats and ships
Wiper: handkerchief
Wiper drawer: a pickpocket who steals handkerchiefs
Wooden ruff:  pillory
Wry neck dry:  day of execution
 

-X- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

-Y- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Yelp: cry out for the police
 

-Z- (back to top)(back to Cant toEnglish)

Zad: a very crooked person

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

-A- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Abandoned person: blasted fellow, brimstone, lurch
Accomplice:  hired help
Arrested: boned, hooked, nabbed, pulled, roasted, snapt, touched
Assassin:  hit man
 

-B- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Backstab:  shoulder tap
Beer: bowse 
Beggars: abram men, autem mort, dommerer, Mad Tom, rattling mummers, rufflers, Tom of Bedlam 
Begging: angling for coppers, maunding
Boat: ark 
Body: quarromes 
Body thieves: resurrection men 
Booty: quota, swag, whack 
Brandy:  bingo
Bribe:  dawb, grease, hush money, sop, expense money
Brothel: academy, snoozing ken
Burglar, professional:  rounder
Burglary:  visitin' the neighbors
 

-C- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Calf, stolen: blater 
Call for police: cry beef 
Cart: gaoler's coach 
Climb:  taking a big step
Cloak: calle 
Club: jordain, oaken towel 
Coach man: rattling cove 
Coin, fake: button, dump 
Coin shavings: nig, parings 
Committing crimes:  rooton'
Con: amuse, bilk, fob, fun, fuzz, hoodwink, sham 
Con man: amuser, jack in a box, needle point, nip, sharper
Con/swindle victim:  pigeon
Con artist/swindler:  pigeon plucker
Counterfeiter: bene faker, figure dancer 
Counterfeited: confect 
Counterfeiting: drawing the King's picture, sweating 
Courthouse: nubbing ken 
Criminals being transported: barrow man, lag 
Criminals in the stocks: babes in the wood, nappered, overseer 
Criminals with hands burned:     badge, charactered
Crow bar:  Bess, Betty, ginny, jemmy
 

-D- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Dagger:  pig poker
Danger: lay
Day: lightmans
Death sentence: cramp word
Dog: bufe, fang
Door:  lid
Drunk(n.) bubber
Drunk(adj.): clear
 

-E- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Escape: bing, burning the ken, hike, rub,  give 'em the laugh
 

-F- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Feign illness: sham abram
Fence:  uncle
Flogging:  getting stripes
Follow: drag
Fool: Ben, cullability, gudgeon, gull, milch cow, pigeon, queer
 

-G- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Gallows: Chatts, deadly nevergreen, Gregorian Tree, morning drop, new drop, Newman's lift, nubbing cheat, sheriff's picture frame, three legged mare, three legged stool, topping cheat 
Gang: birds of a feather
Gypsies: cattle, moon men
Gloves: fams
Good: bene, rum
Guard:  pig
Guard,. head of the:  Papa porker
Guildsman, high-standing: made-man, made-guy
 

-H- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Hanged: acorn, artichoked, beilby's ball, cry cockles, cropped, dangled, frummagemmed, hearty choked, hempen fever, ironmongers shop, jammed, leaf, noozed, nubbing, ridin' the rope, scragged, stretched, swing, turned off 
Hangman: Derrick, Jack Ketch, Ketch, nubbing cove,sheriff's journeyman, topping cove
Healer, underworld:  tinker
Hello:  knock-knock
Hide:  shadow-dance, crawl in a hole
Hideout: dive, fencing ken, flash ken, stalling ken, stop hole abbey, stuling ken
Highway: pad 
Highwayman: colt, gentleman's master, high pad, knight of the road, land pirate, rank rider
Highway robbery: recruiting service 
Hit: click 
Honest man: cull 
House: ken, panny 
Housebreaker: cracksman, draw latch, Ken Miller, Ken Cracker
House Invaders: rushers
 

-I- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Illegal goods:  contraband
Inform: cackle, long tongued, nose, office, peach, rat, sing
Informant:  a hole in need of plugging
Injury:  scratch
Injury, serious:  broken finger
Innocent:  dodgies
Insane: barmy
 

-J- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Jail:  guesthouse
Jail break:  goin' home
Judge: beak, fortune teller, grandpa, queer cuffin
 

-K- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Kill: crash, use up
Knock unconcious:  tuck in bed
 

-L- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Lantern: darkee, glim 
Larceny:  racket
Lawyer: black box, cursitor, petty fogger, puzzle-case 
Lead: moss 
License: jukrum 
Lie: amuse, gamon, palaver 
Lock:  joke
Lock pick: punchline, charm, dub, kate, screw 
Lock picker: gilt 
Lock picking: black art, dub lay
Lookout:  pair of eyes
Loot from a theft:  score
Losing a hand (legal punishment):  dropping a glove
 

-M- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Magic:  flash
Magic item:  bagged flashs\
Man: cove 
Mistress of brothel: abbess, aunt 
Money: caravan, iron, jink, King's pictures, plate, rag, ready, wedge 
Mugger: ding boy 
Murder: hush
 

-N- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Naked: abram
Night: darkmans
Night watchman:  moon pigs

-O- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Oath: cap, earnest, rap (false), salmon
Open:  tell a joke

-P- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Palming: fam lay 
Pawn: pop, vamp 
Pawnbrokers: pop shop, two to one shop 
Pickpocket: purse collector, cannon Adam Tiler, anabaptist, autem divers, bung nipper, buzman,  foyst, natty lad, nypper, reader merchants
Picking pockets: dive, figging law, forking 
Plan (noun):  signals
Planning:  flag waving
Pocket: cly 
Police officer: bandog, bus napper, bus napper kenchin, hamlet, harman, moabites, myrmidons, night magistrate, pig 
Priest: autem bawler 
Prison: Bilboes, boarding school, pound, quod, repository, shop 
Prison ship: floating hell 
Prisoner: jail bird, hizzoner's guest
Prostitute: aunt, bat, bawd, buttock and file, cattle, fen, laced mutton, public ledger, tail 
Purse: boung, dummee, reader
 

-Q- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Quiet:  smooth
 

-R- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Receiver of stolen goods: family man, fence
Rich: equipt, oak
Ring: jem, onion
Riot: hubbub
Risk:  boredom
Rope:  danglestuff
 

-S- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Secure: rug 
Sell:  switch
Shackles: darbies, King's plate, ruffles, slang 
Sheep stealing: bleating rig 
Shoplifter: Bob 
Staff: jordain 
Steal: bite, bite the blow, borrow, cloy, curbing law, heave, hoist, lift, nim, prad lay 
Stocks: Bilboes, parenthesis, penance board, wooden ruff
Stolen: ard, made 
Swap: bug, ring the changes
 

-T- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Taking a big step:  climb
Target of a confidence game:  mark
Tavern owner: beggar maker 
Theft: game 
Theft of brass weights:  avoir du pois lay
Tie up:  dress up
Thief: Adam Tiler, anabaptist, anglers, ark ruffians, autem divers, bawdy basket, blue pigeons, Bob, bubber, bufe napper, bung nipper, buzman, canters, canting crew, Captain Sharp, clank napper, cloyes, cracksman, draw latches, dromedary, fagger, fidlam ben, filcher, footpad, foyst, gallows bird, gilt, glazier, hooker, kiddeys, Knight of the Cross-trade, little snakesman, lully priggers, made man, moon curser, napper of naps, natty lads, nypper, old hand, pad borrowers, poulterer, priggers, priggers of prancers, priggers of cacklers, queer cove, reader merchant, resurrection men, Robert's men, rovers, shoplifter, sneak, swaddler, tayle drawer, waterpad, whip jack
Thief, head: Arch Rogue, Dimber Damber, Prince Prig, Upright Man
Thief, independent:  lone wolf
Thief who replaces valuable goods with worthless ones:  pennyweighter
Thief who specializes in safe cracking:  box-man
Thieves cant: flash lingo, gibberish, patter flash, slang
Thieves, group of:  mob
Torture:  have tea with the pigs
Trader of knowledge on where stolen property can be sold:  piece man
Trap:  bite
Trial:  show
 

-U- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

-V- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Victim: content, provender, mark
 

-W- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

Wall:  tilted floor
Whipping: air and exercise, cly the jerk, flogging, hue, teize 
Whipping post: jigger 
Widow: ace of spades, hempen widow (if husband was hanged) 
Witness, fake: affidavit man, knight of the post 
Woman: mort, mot 
Wound: beef

-X- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

-Y- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)

-Z- (back to top)(back to English to Cant)
 
 

Time is measured in hours after sunset or sunrise.
After sunset is "clean," after sunrise is "dirty."
One hour is called a finger.
"Fingers" can be divided into three 20 minute periods called "knuckles."

If a thief suspects that he can be overheard, hand gestures may be used. In this case, the back of the hand is "dirty" and the palm is "clean."

There are hundreds of variations in this scheme.  Thieves planning a crime will agree beforehand on which to use.

                       CANT CONVERSATION
                         Thief #1: "Knock-knock, Blackhand an I were flag wavin' bout visiting Papa
                         Porker's crib at seven clean fingers. We're lookin' fer a third gentleman for a pair o'
                         eyes. Interested?"
                        Thief #2: "What style of stuffing ya wanna to borrow ? Who's your uncle?"
                        Thief #1: "Uncle's out of town. We're gonna pick bits.
                        Thief #2: "That's fat lady work. Sounds too boring. I'm not interested."

                        ENGLISH TRANSLATION
                        Thief #1: "Hello, Blackhand and I were planning on burglarizing the Captain of the
                         Guard's house tonight at 1:00 am. We need a third thieff to act as lookout. Are you
                         intrested?"
                        Thief #2: "What kind of loot are you going to steal? Who's your fence?
                        Thief #1: "We won't need a fence. We are going for money only."
                        Thief #2: "That's going to be heavy work. Sounds too risky. I'm not interested."

This work is heavily based on "The Guide to Thieves Cant for AD&D (1st Edition): Compiled by Shaun Hately." (C) 1996 Shaun Hately, except where copyright is owned by other people. That in turn was based on the "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit and Pickpocket Eloquence." printed for C. Chappel of Pall-Mall, London in 1811, and based on the dictionary compiled by Captain Grose in 1785. Despite its date of publication, it can be used in AD&D campaigns by those who desire a detailed use of thieves cant. A reproduction of this dictionary was published in 1981 by Papermac, a division of MacMillan Publishers Limited, London and Basingstoke and is (C) 1971 Digest Books Inc. Illinois. Portions of this document are also reproduced from The Thieves Guild website (http://www.djgallagher.com/Thiefguild/index.shtml)  No challenge is made to any copyright status held by any other party.