/ · John S. Farmer’s Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes
The Pickpocket’s Chaunt
The Pickpocket’s Chaunt
1829
By W. MAGINN: being a translation of Vidocq’s song, “En roulant de vergne en vergne”.
I
As from ken to ken I was going,
1 shop; house
Doing a bit on the prigging lay,
2 thieving
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
3 girl, strumpet, sweetheart
Tol lol, lol lol, tol dirol lay;
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
Who was fly to the time of day.
4 ’cute in business
II
Who should I meet but a jolly blowen,
Who was fly to the time of day,
I pattered in flash like a covey knowing,
5 spoke in slang
Tol, lol, etc.
‘Ay, bub or grubby, I say?’
6 drink and food
III
I pattered in flash like a covey knowing,
‘Ay, bub or grubby, I say?’
‘Lots of gatter,’ says she, is flowing
7 porter, beer
Tol lol, etc.
Lend me a lift in the family way.
8 family = fraternity of thieves
IV
Lots of gatter, says she, is flowing
Lend me a lift in the family way.
You may have a crib to stow in.
Tol lol, etc.
Welcome, my pal, as the flowers in May.
V
You may have a crib to stow in,
Welcome, my pal, as the flowers in May.
To her ken at once I go in
Tol lol, etc.
Where in a corner out of the way,
VI
To her ken at once I go in.
Where in a corner out of the way
With his smeller a trumpet blowing
9 nose
Tol lol, etc.
A regular swell cove lushy lay.
10 gentleman; drunk
VII
With his smeller a trumpet blowing
A regular swell cove lushy lay,
To his clies my hooks I throw in
11 pockets; fingers
Tol lol, etc.
And collar his dragons clear away.
12 take his sovereigns
VIII
To his clies my hooks I throw in,
And collar his dragons clear away
Then his ticker I set agoing,
13 watch
Tol lol, etc.
And his onions, chain, and key.
14 seals
IX
Then his ticker I set a going
And his onions, chain, and key
Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing,
Tol lol, etc.
And his ginger head topper gay.
15 hat
X
Next slipt off his bottom clo’ing
And his ginger head topper gay.
Then his other toggery stowing,
16 clothes
Tol lol, etc.
All with the swag I sneak away.
17 plunder
XI
Then his other toggery stowing
All with the swag I sneak away.
Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen,
Tol lol, etc.
Or be grabbed by the beaks we may.
18 taken; police
XII
Tramp it, tramp it, my jolly blowen
Or be grabbed by the beaks we may.
And we shall caper a-heel and toeing,
Tol lol, etc.
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day.
19 hanging
XIII
And we shall caper a-heel and toeing
A Newgate hornpipe some fine day
With the mots their ogles throwing
20 girl’s; eyes
Tol lol, etc.
And old Cotton humming his pray.
21 Notes
XIV
With the mots their ogles throwing
And old Cotton humming his pray,
And the fogle hunters doing
Tol lol, etc.
Their morning fake in the prigging lay.
Taken from
Musa Pedestris,
Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes
[1536―1896], collected and annotated by John S. Farmer.
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