King of the Gypsies (Grose 1811 Dictionary)

King of the Gypsies

The captain, chief, or ringleader of the gang of misrule: in the cant language called also the upright man.

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

See also the definition in 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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