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French Leave (Grose 1811 Dictionary)

French Leave

To take French leave; to go off without taking leave of the company: a saying frequently applied to persons who have run away from their creditors.

Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.

French Disease * Frenchified

Nearby

Nathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang

John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes

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About

Francis Grose was independently wealthy, having inherited money from his father, a jeweller. Finding himself overspending, he published a number of books; his Provincial Glossary seems to have been the starting-point for the Vulgar Tongue reproduced here.

Foysted In
Fraters
Free
Free and Easy Johns
Free Booters
Freeholder
Freeman’s Quay
Freeze
French Cream
French Disease
French Leave
Frenchified
Fresh Milk
Freshman
Fribble
Friday-face
To Frig
Frig Pig
Frigate
Frisk
To Frisk