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Transcriber’s Note

In this text version of “Argot and Slang”:
  words in italics are marked with _underscores_,
  words in small capitals are shown in UPPER CASE.

In the body of the dictionary, the words being defined, originally
printed in bold, are shown in UPPER CASE, and the authors of
quotations, originally printed in small capitals, are marked with
equals signs and shown in =UPPER CASE=.

Footnotes have been moved to the end of the poem or extract in which
they occur.

Variant spelling and use of accents, inconsistent hyphenation and
capitalization are retained, as are English words spelt in the French
manner. There are many words with irregular placing of the apostrophe
in possessive plurals (e.g. womens', Fishermens') these have not been
changed.

The changes that have been made are listed at the end of the book.




[Illustration: ARGOT AND SLANG]




  ARGOT AND SLANG

  A NEW
  FRENCH AND ENGLISH DICTIONARY

  OF THE

  CANT WORDS, QUAINT EXPRESSIONS, SLANG
  TERMS AND FLASH PHRASES

  USED IN THE HIGH AND LOW LIFE OF OLD
  AND NEW PARIS

  BY

  ALBERT BARRÈRE

  OFFICIER DE L’INSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE

  _NEW AND REVISED EDITION_

  LONDON

  WHITTAKER AND CO., WHITE HART STREET
  PATERNOSTER SQUARE
  1889




PREFACE.


The publication of a dictionary of French cant and slang demands some
explanation from the author. During a long course of philological
studies, extending over many years, I have been in the habit of putting
on record, for my own edification, a large number of those cant and
slang terms and quaint expressions of which the English and French
tongues furnish an abundant harvest. Whatever of this nature I heard
from the lips of persons to whom they are familiar, or gleaned from the
perusal of modern works and newspapers, I carefully noted down, until
my note-book had assumed such dimensions that the idea of completing
a collection already considerable was suggested. It was pointed out
to me, as an inducement to venture on so arduous an undertaking, that
it must prove, from its very nature, not only an object of curiosity
and interest to the lover of philological studies and the public at
large, but also one of utility to the English reader of modern French
works of fiction. The fact is not to be ignored that the chief works
of the so-called Naturalistic School do certainly find their way to
this country, where they command a large number of readers. These
productions of modern French fiction dwell with complaisance on
the vices of society, dissect them patiently, often with power and
talent, and too often exaggerate them. It is not within my province
to pass a judgment upon their analytical study of all that is gross
in human nature. But, from a philological point of view, the men and
women whom they place as actors on the stage of their human comedy
are interesting, whatever they may be in other respects. Some of them
belong to the very dregs of society, possessing a language of their
own, forcible, picturesque, and graphic. This language sometimes
embodies in a single word a whole train of philosophical ideas, and
is dashed with a grim humour, with a species of wit which not often
misses the mark. Moreover, these labourers, roughs, street arabs,
thieves, and worse than thieves--these Coupeaus, Bec-Salés, Mes-Bottes,
Lantiers--are not the sole possessors of a vernacular which, to a
certain extent, is the exponent of their idiosyncrasies. Slang has
invaded all classes of society, and is often used for want of terms
sufficiently strong or pointed to convey the speaker’s real feelings.
It seems to be resorted to in order to make up for the shortcomings
of a well-balanced and polished tongue, which will not lend itself
to exaggeration and violence of utterance. Journalists, artists,
politicians, men of fashion, soldiers, even women talk _argot_,
sometimes unawares, and these as well as the lower classes are depicted
in the Naturalistic novel. Now, although the study of French is daily
acquiring more and more importance in England, the professors of that
language do not as a rule initiate their pupils--and very naturally
so--into the mysteries of the vernacular of the highest and lowest
strata of society, into the cynical but pithy