Jabot, m. (popular), stomach, or “bread-basket.” Meant formerly heart, breast. Chouette ——, fine breasts. Faire son ——, to eat.

Jacque, m. (thieves’), a sou.

Jacqueline, f. (soldiers’), cavalry sword.

Jacques, m. (thieves’), crowbar, “James, or the stick.” (Military) Faire le ——, to manoeuvre.

Jactance, f. (thieves’ and cads’), speech, talking, “jaw.” Properly silly conceit. Caleter la ——, to stop talking, “to put a clapper to one’s jaw.” Quelle sale —— il a! how he does talk! Faire la ——, to talk, “to jaw;” to question, or “cross-kid.”

Jacter (popular and thieves’), to speak, “to rap;” to cry out; to slander. Meant formerly to boast.

Jacteur, m. (popular), speaker.

Jaffe, f. (popular), soup; box on the ear. Refiler une ——, to box one’s ears. (Thieves’) Jaffes, cheeks, or “chops.”

Jaffier, m. (thieves’), garden, or “smelling cheat.”

Jaffin, m. (thieves’), gardener. Termed in English slang “master of the mint.”

Jaluzot, m. (general), umbrella, or “rain-napper, mush, or gingham.” From the name of the proprietor of the “Printemps,” who, being a wealthy man, said to his shopmen that he had not the means to buy an umbrella. So goes an idiotic song:—

Jambe, f. (popular), de vin, intoxication. S’en aller sur une ——, to drink only a glass or a bottle of wine. (Thieves’) Jambe en l’air (obsolete), the gallows, “scrag, nobbing-cheat, or government signpost.” (Familiar and popular) Lever la ——, to dance the cancan, see Chahut; is said also of a girl who leads a fast, disreputable sort of life. Faire —— de vin had formerly the signification of to drink heavily, “to swill.”

DÈs ce matin, messieurs, j’ai fait jambe de vin.—La RapiniÈre.

Jambes de coq, thin legs, “spindle-shanks.” Jambes de coton, weak legs. Jambes en manche de veste, bandy legs. (Military) Sortir sur les jambes d’un autre, to be confined to barracks or to the guard-room.

Jambinet, m. (railway porters’), coffee with brandy.

Jambon, m. (popular), violin. (Military) Faire un ——, to break one’s musket, a crime sometimes punished by incorporation in the compagnies de discipline in Africa.

Jambonneau, m. (popular), ne plus avoir de chapelure sur le ——, to be bald. For synonymous terms see Avoir.

Jambot, m. (obsolete), penis. The term is used by Villon.

Jappe, f. (popular), prattling, “jaw.” Tais ta ——, hold your “jaw,” “put a clapper to your mug,” or “don’t shoot off your mouth” (American).

Japper (popular), to scream, to squall.

Jardin, m. (popular), faire du ——, to quiz, “to carry on.”

Jardinage, m. (popular), running down, slandering.

Jardiner (thieves’ and cads’), to slander; to run down; to quiz.

Jardiner quelqu’un, to make one talk so as to elicit his secrets from him, to “pump” one.

Jardineur, m. (popular and thieves’), man who seeks to discover a secret; inquisitive man, a kind of “Paul Pry.”

Jardinier, m. (thieves’), see Jardineur; a thief who operates in the manner described at the word “charriage.”

Jargolle, or jergole, f. (thieves’), Normandy.

Jargollier, m. (thieves’), a native of Normandy.

Jargouiller (thieves’), to talk incoherently.

Jarguer (thieves’). See Jars.

Jarnaffe, f. (thieves’), garter.

JarretiÈre, f. (thieves’), watch chain, or “slang.”

Jars, m. (thieves’), cant, or “flash.” DÉvider, jaspiner le ——, or jarguer, to talk cant, “to patter flash.” Entraver or enterver le ——, to understand cant. The language of thieves is also termed “thieves’ Latin,” as appears from the following quotation:—

“Go away,” I heard her say, “there’s a dear man,” and then something about a “queer cuffin,” that’s a justice in these canters’ thieves’ Latin.—Kingsley, Westward Ho.

Entendre le —— had formerly the signification of to be cunning.

Jarvillage, m. (thieves’), conversation; dirt. An illustrious Englishman, whose name I forget, gave once the definition of dirt as “matter in the wrong place.”

Jarviller (thieves’), to converse, “to rap;” to dirty.

Jasante, f. (thieves’), prayer.

Jaser (thieves’), to pray.

Jaspin, or gy (thieves’), yes, or “usher.”

Y a-t-il un castu dans cette vergne? Jaspin.—Le Jargon de l’Argot. (Is there an hospital in this country? Yes.)

The word has also the meaning of chat, language, “jaw.”

Jaspinement, m. (thieves’), barking of a dog.

Jaspiner (thieves’), to talk, to speak, “to rap, to patter.” Termed also “dÉbagouler, dÉvider, gazouiller, jacter, jardiner, baver, tenir le crachoir;” —— bigorne, to talk in slang, “to patter flash.” Le cabe jaspine, the dog barks. Jaspiner de l’orgue, to inform against, “to blow the gaff.”

Jaspineur, m. (thieves’), talker; orator.

Jaune, m. (thieves’), summer; (popular) brandy. See Tord-boyaux. Jaune, gold, or “redge.” Aimer avec un —— d’oeuf is said of a woman who deceives her husband or lover. An allusion to the alleged favourite colour of cuckolds.

Jaunet, jauniau, or sigue, m., gold coin, “canary, yellow-boy, goldfinch, yellow-hammer, quid, shiner, gingle-boy.”

Jaunier, m. (popular), retailer of spirits. An allusion to the colour of brandy.

Javanais (familiar), kind of jargon formed by disguising words by means of the letters of the syllable “av” properly interpolated; thus “je l’ai vu jeudi,” becomes “javÉ lavai vavu javeudavi.”

Argot de Breda oÙ la syllabe av, jetÉe dans chaque syllabe, hache pour les profanes le son et le sens des mots, idiome hiÉroglyphique du monde des filles qui lui permet de se parler À l’oreille—tout haut.—De Goncourt.

Javard, m. (thieves’), hemp; (popular) tattle-box.

Javoter (popular), to prattle.

Javotte, f. (popular), tattle-box.

Jean, m. (popular), de la suie, sweep; —— guÊtrÉ, peasant, or “clod;” —— houssine, stick, or “toco.” (Thieves’) Un —— de la vigne, a crucifix.

Jean-bÊte, m. (general), blockhead, “cabbage-head.”

Jean-fesse, or Jean-foutre (general), scamp.

Jeanjean, m. (familiar and popular), simpleton.

La blanchisseuse Était allÉe retrouver son ancien Époux aussitÔt que ce jeanjean de Coupeau avait ronflÉ.—Zola, L’Assommoir.

(Soldiers’) Jeanjean, recruit, “Johnny raw.”

Jeanneton, f. (popular), servant wench at an inn; girl of doubtful morals, a “dolly mop.”

Jem’enfoutisme, m. (familiar), the philosophy of utter indifference.

Aussi, lui n’Était-il ni orlÉaniste, ni rÉpublicain, ni bonapartiste, il affichait le “jem’enfoutisme” qui mettait tout le monde d’accord.—J. Sermet.

JÉrÔme, m. (popular), stick, or “toco.”

JÉrusalem (thieves’), lettre de ——, letter written from prison to make a request of money. The PrÉfecture de police, and consequently the lock-up, was formerly in the Rue de JÉrusalem.

JÉsuite, m. (thieves’), turkey-cock. This species of gallinacea was introduced into France by the Jesuit missionaries. Termed by English vagabonds “cobble colter.” Engrailler un ——, to steal a turkey, “to be a Turkey merchant.”

JÉsus, m. (thieves’), innocent man, thieves considering themselves as much-injured individuals. Grippe-JÉsus, gendarme. (Popular) Petit ——, or À quatre sous, newly-born infant. (Sodomists’) Un ——, a Sodomist in confederacy with a rogue termed “chanteur,” whose spÉcialitÉ is to extort money from rich people with unnatural passions.

Le persillard qui, une fois d’accord avec le chanteur pour duper son douillard, devient alors son compÈre, c’est-À-dire son JÉsus! Tel est dÉnommÉ aujourd’hui le persillard exploiteur.—MÉmoires de Monsieur Claude.

Jet, m. (thieves’), musket, or “dag.”

Jetar, m. (military), prison, “Irish theatre, or mill.”

J’ai ordre du sous-officier de semaine de te faire fourrer au jetar sitÔt rentrÉ.—G. Courteline.

JetÉ, adj. (popular), bien ——, or bien grattÉ, well done, well made, handsome. Etre ——, to be sent to the deuce.

Jeter (thieves’ and cads’), to send roughly away; to send to the deuce; —— avec perte et fracas, to bundle one out of doors forcibly; —— un coup, to look, “to pipe.” Jettes-en un coup sur le pante, just look at that “cove.” Jeter de la grille, to summons, to request in the name of the law; —— une mandole, to give one a box on the ear, “to smack one’s chops.” (Printers’) Jeter, to assure. Je vous le jette, I assure you it’s a fact, “my Davy on it.”

Jeter du coeur sur carreau (general), or —— son lest, to vomit, “to cast up accounts, to shoot the cat, or to spew.” Literally to throw hearts on diamonds, or to throw one’s heart (which has here the meaning of stomach) on the floor.

Jeton, m. (popular), coin.

Jeu de dominos, m. (popular and thieves’), set of teeth. Montrer son ——, to show one’s teeth, “to flash” one’s “ivories.”

Jeune France (literary), name given to young men of the “Ecole romantique” in 1830—the “Byronian” school.

Ils ont fait de moi un Jeune France accompli ... j’ai une raie dans les cheveux À la RaphaËl ... j’appelle bourgeois ceux qui ont un col de chemise.—Th. Gautier.

Jeune homme, m. (familiar and popular), measure of wine of the capacity of four litres. Avoir son ——, to be drunk, “screwed.” For synonyms see Pompette.

Tiens ta langue, tu as ton jeune homme, roupille dans ton coin.—E. Monteil.

Suivez-moi ——, ribbons worn in the rear of ladies’ dresses, or “follow me, lads.”

Jinglard. See Ginglard.

Jiroble, adj. (thieves’), for girofle, pretty.

Job, m. and adj. (popular), silly fellow, or “flat.” Monter le ——, to deceive, “to bamboozle.” Se monter le ——, to entertain groundless hopes. Job is an abbreviation of jobard.

Jobarder (general), to deceive, to dupe, to fool one, “to bamboozle.” The equivalents for to deceive are in the different varieties of jargon: “mener en bateau, monter un bateau, donner un pont À faucher, promener quelqu’un, compter des mistoufles, gourrer, affluer, rouster, affÛter, bouler, amarrer, battre l’antif, emblÊmer, mettre dedans, empaumer, enfoncer, allumer, hisser un gandin, entortiller, faire voir le tour, la faire À l’oseille, refaire, refaire au mÊme, faire la barbe, faire la queue, flancher, pigeonner, juiffer,” &c.; and in the English slang or cant, “to stick, to bilk, to do, to best, to do brown, to bounce, to take in, to kid, to gammon,” &c.

Jobelin, m. (old word), jargon ——, cant.

Joberie, f. (popular), nonsense, “tomfoolery.”

Jobisme, m. (popular), poverty.

Desroches a roulÉ comme nous sur les fumiers du Jobisme.—Balzac.

Compare with the English expression, “as poor as Job’s turkey;” “as thin and as badly fed,” says the Slang Dictionary, “as that ill-conditioned and imaginary bird.”

Jocko, m. (familiar), pain ——, loaf of an elongated shape.

Jocko, pain long À la mode depuis 1824, annÉe oÙ le singe Jocko Était À la mode.—L. Larchey, Dict. Hist. d’Argot.

Jocrissiade, f. (familiar), stupid action. Jocrisse, simpleton.

Jojo, adj. and m. (popular), pretty; simpleton. Faire son ——, to play the fool.

Jonc, m. (thieves’), gold, or “redge.” Etre sur les joncs, to be in prison, “in quod.” Un bobe, or un bobinot de ——, a gold watch, a “red toy.”

Joncher (thieves’), to gild.

Joncherie, f. (popular), deceit, swindle. The word is old.

Joncheur, m. (thieves’), gilder.

Jonquille, adj. (popular), mari ——, injured husband. An allusion to the alleged favourite colour of cuckolds.

Jorne, m. (thieves’), day (Italian giorno). Refaite de ——, breakfast.

Jose, m. (popular), bank-note. From papier Joseph, tracing paper.

Joseph, m. (familiar), over-virtuous man. Faire le or son ——, to give oneself virtuous airs. An allusion to the story of Madame Potiphar and Joseph.

Je me disais aussi: voilÀ un gaillard qui fait le Joseph. Il doit y avoir une raison.—A. Dumas fils.

JosÉphine, f. (thieves’), skeleton key, or “betty.”

Tel grinche s’arrÊtera À faire le barbot dans une cambriolle (À voler dans une chambre). S’il a oubliÉ sa josÉphine (fausse clef), jamais il ne se servira de la josÉphine d’un autre de peur d’attraper des punaises, c’est-À-dire de manquer son coup ou d’avoir affaire À un mouchard.—MÉmoires de Monsieur Claude.

(Popular) Faire sa ——, is said of a woman who puts on virtuous airs, indignantly tossing her head, or blushingly casting down her eyes, &c.

Jouasser (familiar), to play badly at a game or on an instrument.

Jouasson (familiar), poor player.

Jouer (popular), À la ronfle, or de l’orgue, to snore, “to drive one’s pigs to market;” —— des guibolles, to run away, “to leg it;” see Patatrot; —— du coeur, to vomit, “to shoot the cat;” (familiar and popular) —— de la harpe, to stroke a woman’s dress as Tartuffe with Elmire, or otherwise to take certain liberties with her. See Harpe. Jouer des mandibules, to eat, “to grub;” see Mastiquer; —— du NapolÉon, to be generous with one’s money, “to come down handsome;” an allusion to napolÉon, a twenty-franc coin; —— du fifre, to go without food; —— du piano is said of a horse which has a disunited trot, or of a man who is knock-kneed; —— du pouce, to give money, “to fork out;” to spend freely one’s money. The expression is old; Villon uses it in his dialogue of Messieurs de Mallepaye et de Baillevent, 15th century:—

Jouer comme un fiacre, to play badly; —— la fille de l’air, to run away, “to slope.” See Patatrot. (Theatrical) Jouer À l’avant-scÈne, to stand close to the footlights when acting; —— devant les banquettes, to perform before an empty house; (thieves’) —— À la main chaude, to be guillotined. Literally to play hot cockles. See FauchÉ. Jouer de la harpe, to be in prison, or “in quod;” —— du linve, or du vingt-deux, to knife, or “to chive;” —— du violon, to file iron bars or irons.

Joujouter (popular), to play; to frolic.

Jour de la Saint Jean Baptiste, m. (thieves’), execution day, or “wry-neck day.”

JournÉe gourd (Breton cant), good day’s profits.

Journoyer (popular), to do nothing at all.

Jouste, or juste (thieves’), near. From the old word jouxte, Latin juxta. Je trimardais jouste la lourde, I was passing close to the door.

Joyeuse, f. (thieves’), sword, or “poker.”

Joyeux, m. pl. (military), men of the “bataillon d’Afrique,” a corps recruited with military convicts, who on being liberated serve the remainder of their term of service in this corps.

Jubile, f. (glove-makers’), pieces of glove skins, the perquisites of glove-makers.

Jubile, peau ÉconomisÉe par l’ouvrier gantier sur celles qu’on lui a confiÉes pour tailler une douzaine de paires de gants.—L. Larchey, Dict. Hist. d’Argot.

Judas, m. (popular), barbe de ——, red beard. Bran de ——, speckles. Le point de ——, thirteen.

Judasser (popular), to betray; to act as a “cat in the pan,” or, in thieves’ cant, “to turn snitch.”

Judasserie, f. (popular), treacherous show of friendship.

JudÉe, f. (thieves’), la petite ——, PrÉfecture de police, headquarters of the police, situated formerly in the Rue de JÉrusalem; hence the expression.

JugÉ, m. (prisoners’), young offender who has been sentenced to be confined in a house of correction.

Juge de paix, m. (thieves’), stick; a kind of roulette at wine-shops; (gamblers’) pack of cards, or “book of broads.”

Jugeotte, f. (popular), intellect.

Jugulant, adj. (popular), annoying.

Juguler (popular), to strangle; to bore; to cry out. Scrongnieugneu! que j’jugulais! darn it, I cried!

Jules, m. (popular), chamber pot, or “jerry.” Aller chez ——, to ease oneself. (Military) Prendre, pincer, or tirer les oreilles À ——, to carry away the privy tub. Passer la jambe À ——, to empty the aforesaid tub. Travailler pour ——, to eat. Des jules, socks.

Jumelles, f. pl. (popular), breech.

Juponnier, m. (common), one fond of the petticoat.

Jus, m. (familiar and popular), wine; —— de bÂton, thrashing with a stick; —— d’Échalas, wine; —— de rÉglisse, negro; —— de chapeau, weak coffee. Avoir du ——, to be elegant, dashing. Avoir du —— de navet dans les veines, to be devoid of energy. (Popular) Jus, profits in business. Hardi! du —— de bras, now, with a will, my lads!

Se coller un coup de ——, to get drunk. (Sailors’) Jus de cancre, landsman, or “land-lubber.” Du —— de botte premier brin, rum of the best quality.

Jusqu’À la gauche (military), to a great extent; for a long time.

Vous serez consignÉ jusqu’À la gauche ... c’Était son mot ce “jusqu’À la gauche,” une expression de caserne ... qui ne signifiait pas grand chose ... mais personnifiait l’ÉternitÉ.—G. Courteline.

Jusqu’À plus soif (popular), to excess.

Juste, f. (thieves’), the assizes.

Juste-milieu, m. (familiar), the behind. See Vasistas.

Juter de l’oeil (popular), to weep.

SpÈce de tourte, n’jute donc pas d’ l’oeil d’une faÇon aussi incongrue.—G. Frison.

Juteux, adj. (dandies’), elegant; dashing. (Familiar) Affaire juteuse, profitable transaction, a “fat job.”