Part 57 (1/2)

PETER LAY. The department of stealing portmanteaus, trunks, &c.

PETER LUG. Who is Peter Lug? who lets the gla.s.s stand at his door, or before him.

PETTICOAT HOLD. One who has an estate during his wife's life, called the ap.r.o.n-string hold.

PETTICOAT PENSIONER. One kept by a woman forsecret services.

PETTISH. Pa.s.sionate.

PETTY FOGGER. A little dirty attorney, ready to undertake any litigious or bad cause: it is derived from the French words pet.i.t vogue, of small credit, or little reputation.

PHARAOH. Strong malt liquor.

PHILISTINES. Bailiffs, or officers of justice; also drunkards.

PHOENIX-MEN. Firemen belonging to an insurance office, which gave a badge charged with a phoenix: these men were called likewise firedrakes.

PHOS BOTTLE. A. bottle of phosphorus: used by housebreakers to light their lanthorns. Ding the phos; throw away the bottle of phosphorus.

PHRASE OF PAPER. Half a quarter of a sheet. See VESSEL, PHYSOG.

PHYSOG. The face. A vulgar abbreviation of physiognomy.

PHYZ. The face. Rum phyz; an odd face or countenance.

PICAROON. A pirate; also a sharper.

PICKANINY. A young child, an infant. NEGRO TERM.

PICKING. Pilfering, petty larceny.

PICKLE. An arch waggish fellow. In pickle, or in the pickling tub; in a salivation. There are rods in brine, or pickle, for him; a punishment awaits him, or is prepared for him. Pickle herring; the zany or merry andrew of a mountebank. See JACK PUDDING.

PICKT HATCH. To go to the manor of pickt hatch, a cant name for some part of the town noted for bawdy houses in Shakespeare's time, and used by him in that sense.

PICKTHANK. A tale-bearer or mischief maker.

PICTURE FRAME. The sheriff's picture frame; the gallows or pillory.

To PIDDLE. To make water: a childish expression; as, Mammy, I want to piddle. Piddling also means trifling, or doing any thing in a small degree: perhaps from peddling.

PIECE. A wench. A d.a.m.ned good or bad piece; a girl who is more or less active and skilful in the amorous congress.

Hence the (CAMBRIDGE) toast, May we never have a PIECE (peace) that will injure the const.i.tution. Piece likewise means at Cambridge a close or spot of ground adjacent to any of the colleges, as Clare-hall Piece, &c.

The spot of ground before King's College formerly belonged to Clare-hall. While Clare Piece belonged to King's, the master of Clare-hall proposed a swop, which being refused by the provost of King's, he erected before their gates a temple of CLOACINA. It will be unnecessary to say that his arguments were soon acceded to.

PIG. A police officer. A China street pig; a Bow-street officer. Floor the pig and bolt; knock down the officer and run away.

PIG. Sixpence, a sow's baby. Pig-widgeon; a simpleton.

To pig together; to lie or sleep together, two or more in a bed. Cold pig; a jocular punishment inflicted by the maid seryants, or other females of the house, on persons lying over long in bed: it consists in pulling off all the bed clothes, and leaving them to pig or lie in the cold. To buy a pig in a poke; to purchase any thing without seeing.