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Shifting (Grose 1811 Dictionary)

Shifting

Shuffling. Tricking. Shifting cove; i.e. a person who lives by tricking.

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

To Sherry * Shifting Ballast

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.

Sheepish
Sheepskin Fiddler
Shelf
Sheriff’s Journeyman
Sheriff’s Ball
Sheriff’s Bracelets
Sheriff’s Hotel
Sheriff’s Picture Frame
To Sherk
To Sherry
Shifting
Shifting Ballast
Shillaley
Shilly-shally
Shindy
Shine
Ship Shape
Sh-t Sack
Sh-t-ng Through the Teeth
Shod All Round
Shoemaker’s Stocks