A

# The Letter A

## ABRAM

Naked, or having scarce Cloaths enough to hide Nakedness.

## ABRAM-COVE

a lusty Rogue, with hardly any Cloaths on his Back: a Tatterdemallion.

## ABRAM-MEN

otherwise called Toms of Bedlam, shabby Beggars, patched and trick'd up with Ribbons, Red-Tape, Fox-tails, Rags of various Colours; pretending to be besides themselves, to palliate their Thefts of Poultry, Linnen, &c. A sort of itinerant Hedge-Robbers, and Strippers of Children, &c.

## ACADEMY

a Bawdy House; a Receptacle for all sorts of Villains, where the Young Ones are initiated in the Canting Language, and all manner of Cheats and Impostures, and sorted into Tribes and Bands, according to their several Capacities for Mischief.

## ADAM TILER

the Comerade of a Pick pocket, who receives stollen Goods or Money, and scours off with them, Tip the coal to Adam Tiler; i.e. give the Money, Watch, &c. to a running Companion, that the Pick Pocket may have nothing found upon him, when he is apprehended.

## AFFIDAVIT-MEN

Knights of the Post: mercenary and abandoned Wretches, who used to frequent the Temple and other Inns of Court, in order to be in Readiness to swear any thing that was proposed to them.

## ALSATIA the Higher

## White-Fryars

once a Privileged Place, as the Mint was lately; but suppressed, on Account of the notorious Abuses committed in it.

## ALSATIA the Lower

the Mint in Southwark.

## ALSATIANS

the Inhabitants of these two Places, such as broken Tradesmen, extravagant Spendthrifts.

## ALTEMAL

Vide Dutch Reckoning.

## AMBIDEXTER

one that goes snacks in Gaming with both Parties; also a Lawyer that takes Fees of Plaintiff and Defendant at once.

## To AMUSE [in a Canting sense]

to fling Dust in the Eyes; also to invent strange Tales to delude Shop keepers and others, from being upon their Guard.

## AMUSEMENT

a blind, or feint.

## AMU'SERS

who were wont to have their Pockets filled with Dust, which they would throw into the Eyes of People they had a mind to rob, and so run away, while their Comerade, who followed them, under the Notion of pitying the half blinded Person, laid his Hand on whatever came next.

## ANGLERS

## alias HOOKERS

petty Thieves, who have a Stick with a Hook at the End, wherewith they pluck Things out of Windows, Grates, &c. Make ready your Angling Stick; a Word of Command used by these petty Villains, to get ready the Stick with which they perform their Pranks, and as a Signal of a Prey in Sight. In the Day-time they beg from House to House, to spy best where to plant their Designs, which at Night they put in Execution.

## ANTICKS

such as dress themselves up with Ribbons, mismatched Colours, Feathers &c.

## ANTIQUATED

an old Rogue, or one who has forgot, or left off his Trade of thieving, is said to be.

## ARCH-ROGUE

the Dimber-Damber Uprightman or Chief of a Gang; as Arch-Dell, or Arch-Doxy signifies the same Degree in Rank among the Female Canters and Gypsies.

## ARK

a Boat or Wherry.

## ARK-RUFFIANS

Rogues, who in Conjunction with Watermen, &c. rob and sometimes murder on the Water; by picking a Quarrel with the Passenger and then plundering, stripping and throwing him or her over board, &c.

A Species of Badgers.

## ASSIG.

An Assignation, Appointment or Meeting

## AUNT

a Bawd, or Procuress; a Title of Eminence for the Senior Dells, who serve for Instructresses, Midwives, &c., to the Morts.

## AUTEM

a Church; also married.

## AUTEM-BAWLER

a Preacher, or Parson, of any sect.

## AUTEM-CACKLERS

## AUTEM-PRICKEARS

Dissenters of any Denomination.

## AUTEM-CACKLETUB

a Conventicle, a Meeting-House for Dissenters.

## AUTEM-DIPPERS

Anabaptists.

## AUTEM-DIVERS

Church-Pick-pockets; also Church-wardens, Overseers of the Poor.

## AUTEM-GOGGLERS

pretended French Prophets.

## AUTEM-MORT

a marry'd Woman; also one who travels up and down the Country, with one Child in their Arms, another on her Back, and often leading a third in her Hand.

## AUTEM-QUAVERS

Quakers

## AUTEM-QUA-VERTUB

a Quaker's Meeting-House.