ObÉliscal, or obÉlisqual, adj. (common), splendid; wonderful, marvellous, “crushing.”

Splendide, aveuglant, obÉlisqual! Un ban pour la nÉophyte.—P. Mahalin.

Observasse, f. (popular), remark. For observation.

Obusier, m. (military), the behind.

Occase, f. (general), opportunity.

En ce bas monde, il ne faut jamais perdre une occase de s’amuser.—E. Monteil.

MÈre d’——, pretended mother. (Popular) Œil d’——, glass eye. (Thieves’) Chasse d’——, glass eye.

Occasion, f. (thieves’), candle-stick.

Occir (familiar), used jocularly, to kill, “to put one out of his misery.”

Occuper (thieves’), s’—— de politique, to extort money from persons by threats of disclosures.

Les hommes qui se livrent au genre d’escroquerie dit chantage et qui dans leur argot, prÉtendent s’occuper de politique ... spÉculent sur les habitudes vicieuses de certains individus, pour les attirer, par l’appÂt de leurs passions secrÈtes, dans des piÈges oÙ ils ranÇonnent sans peine leur honteuse faiblesse.—Tardieu, Etude MÉdico-lÉgale sur les attentats aux moeurs.

Oches, or loches, f. pl. (popular), ears, “wattles, or lugs.”

OcrÉas, m. pl. (Saint-Cyr cadets’), shoes.

Oculaire astronomique, m. (billiard players’), two balls touching one another, or “kissing.”

Odeur de gousset, f. (obsolete), money.

Ça fait d’bons lurons qui ont l’odeur du gousset chenument forte. Falloit les gruger d’la bonne faiseuse.—Amusemens À la Grecque, 1764.

Œil, m. (familiar and popular), amÉricain, sharp eye.

Tu vois clair, ma vieille!—Oh! on a de l’oeil.—L’oeil amÉricain! Quand on a fait la campagne d’Afrique!—E. Monteil.

Taper dans l’——, to take one’s fancy. Œil bordÉ d’anchois, inflamed eye; —— de boeuf, five-franc piece; —— de verre, eye-glass; —— d’occase. See Occase. Œil en dedans is used to express the dull, lack-lustre expression of a drunkard’s eye.

Pris d’absinthe—selon sa louable habitude—Hurluret prÉsidait la cÉrÉmonie en sa qualitÉ de capitaine commandant, les poignets enfouis dans les poches, l’oeil en dedans.—G. Courteline.

Œil en tirelire, eye with amorous expression; —— marÉcageux, eye with killing expression; —— qui dit zut, or merde, À l’autre, squinting eye, “swivel-eye.” A l’——, gratis.

L’abbÉ R. ... qui s’y connaÎt, traite un peu les enfants comme sa protÉgÉe Annette; il les exploite; ils travaillent “À l’oeil” pour un salaire au moins insignifiant et pour une becquetÉe de fayots, accompagnÉs d’hosties de temps en temps.—Francis Enne, Le Radical.

Avoir l’——, to have credit, “tick, jawbone, or day.” Faire l’——, to allow credit. Crever un —— À quelqu’un, to refuse one credit, to refuse him “ready gilt tick;” to give one a kick behind, “to toe one’s bum,” or “to land a kick.” L’—— est crevÉ, no more credit. The following announcement is sometimes to be read on shop windows: “CrÉdit est mort; les mauvais dÉbiteurs lui ont crevÉ l’oeil,” which might be rendered by “touch pot, touch penny.”

“We know the custom of such houses,” continues he, “’tis touch pot, touch penny.”—Graves, Spiritual Quixote.

Ouvrir l’—— de 20 francs, de 30 francs, &c., to give credit for 20 francs, &c. Avoir de l’——, or du chien, to have elegance, to be “tsing-tsing.” Faire de l’—— À une femme, to court a woman. Mon ——! is expressive of refusal; may be rendered by “don’t you wish you may get it!” or the Americanism, “yes, in a horn.” See NÈfles. Avoir de l’——, du cheveu, et de la dent is said of a woman who has preserved her good looks. Se mettre le doigt dans l’——, to be mistaken. S’en battre l’——, not to care a straw, a “hang.” Un tape À l’——, a one-eyed man, or a “seven-sided animal,” as “he has an inside, outside, left side, right side, foreside, backside, and blind side.” Taper dans l’—— À quelqu’un, to please one, to suit one. Taper de l’——, to sleep, “to have a dose of balmy.” Tortiller, or tourner de l’——, to die, “to kick the bucket.” Avoir un —— au beurre noir, to have a black eye, or eyes in “half-mourning.”

Mais il aperÇut Bibi-la-Grillade, qui lisait Également l’affiche. Bibi avait un oeil au beurre noir, quelque coup de poing attrapÉ la veille.—Zola, L’Assommoir.

Des yeux au beurre noir, black eyes, “in mourning.” The possessor of these is said in pugilistic slang to have his “peepers painted,” or to have his “glaziers darkened.”

Œillets, m. pl. (popular), eyes, “top lights, or peepers.” Cligner des ——, to wink.

Œuf, m. (popular), head, or “nut.” Casser son ——, to have a miscarriage. Un —— sur le plat, twenty-five francs (a silver five-franc piece and a twenty-franc gold coin). Des oeufs sur le plat, black eyes, or “eyes in mourning.” Also small breasts.

N’allez pas m’dire qu’une femme qui n’a qu’deux oeufs sur le plat posÉs sur la place d’armes, peut avoir une fluxion vraisemblable a une personne avantagÉe comme la commandante?—Charles Leroy, Le Colonel Ramollot.

Officier, m. (popular), working confectioner; assistant waiter at a cafÉ; (gamesters’) —— de tango, or de topo, cheat, “tame cheater, or hawk.” A play on the words “carte topographique;” (thieves’) —— de la manicle, swindler; (military) —— de guÉrite, a private soldier; —— payeur, comrade who treats the company to drink.

Officieux, m. (familiar), man-servant.

Ogre, m. (popular), wholesale rag-dealer. Formerly one who kept an office for providing substitutes for those who, having drawn a bad number at the conscription, had to serve in the army; usurer; (thieves’) receiver of stolen property, or “fence;” landlord of a wine-shop frequented by thieves, or “boss of cross-crib;” (printers’) compositor who works by the day.

Ogresse, f. (thieves’), proprietress of a wine-shop frequented by thieves, or “cross-crib;” proprietress of a brothel.

Oie, f. (familiar), la petite —— (obsolete), preliminary caresses, better explained by quotation.

Ce sont les petites faveurs qu’accordent les femmes À leurs amants, comme petits baisers tendres, attouchements et autres badineries, qui conduisent insensiblement plus loin. La petite oie, c’est proprement les prÉludes de l’amour.—Le Roux, Dict. Comique.

Oignes, m. pl. (popular), aux petits ——, excellently, in first-rate style. For aux petits oignons.

Oignon, m. (popular), money, or “blunt.” For synonyms see Quibus. It has been said that the term “blunt” is from the French “blond,” sandy or golden colour, and that a parallel may be found in brown or browns, the slang for halfpence. This etymology, it has been said again, may be correct, as it is borne out by the analogy of similar expressions; blanquillo, for instance, is a word used in Morocco and southern Spain for a small Moorish coin. The “asper” (asp???) of Constantinople is called by the Turks akcheh, i.e., little white. It seems to me more probable, however, that the word is derived from blanc, an old French coin, or from the nature of the coin itself, which has a blunt circular edge. Arranger aux petits oignons, to scold vehemently, “to bully-rag.” ChaÎne d’oignons, ten of cards. Champ d’oignons, see Champ. Il y a de l’——, there is much groaning and gnashing of teeth. An allusion to the tears brought to the eyes by the proximity of onions. Peler des oignons, to scold, “to give a wigging.” (Familiar and popular) Faire quelque chose aux petits oignons, to do something excellently, in first-rate style.

Vous savez, elle est cocasse votre chanson, et vous l’avez dÉtaillÉe ... aux petits oignons!—E. Monteil.

Un ——, a large watch, “turnip.”

Oiseau, m. (popular), faire l’——, to play the fool. Aux oiseaux, very fine, or very good, excellent, perfect, “out-and-out, first-class.”

Ca m’ paroÎt bien tapÉ, “aux oiseaux,” mamzelle. Fourrez un peu la main sous l’empeigne pour voir tout l’fini d’l’ouvrage.—Saint-Firmin, Le Galant Savetier.

The origin of this expression comes, no doubt, from certain bindings in fashion in the eighteenth century, which bore birds in the corners. People would say then, une reliure aux oiseaux. Se donner des noms d’——, is said ironically of gushing lovers who give one another fond appellations. Oiseau de cage, prisoner, “canary;” —— fatal, crow. The expression reminds one of Virgil’s—

SÆpe sinistra cava prÆdixit ab ilice cornix,

and of La Fontaine’s—

Olive de savetier, f. (popular), turnip. See Changer.

Ombre, f. (general), prison, or “quod.”

Elle sera condamnÉe dans le gerbement de la Pouraille, et grÂciÉe pour rÉvÉlation aprÈs un an d’ombre!—Balzac.

A l’——, in prison, in “quod.” Mettre quelqu’un À l’——, to kill one, “to do for one.” See Refroidir.

Omelette, f. (military), practical joke which consists in turning topsy-turvy the bed of a sleeping soldier; —— du sac, similar operation performed on the contents of a knapsack.

Omettre (thieves’), l’——, to kill him.

Omnibus, m. (popular), overflow of liquids on the counter of a wine-shop collected in a tank and retailed at a low price; glass holding a demi-setier of wine. On some wine-shops in the suburbs may yet be seen the inscription: “Ici on prend l’omnibus.” Un ——, a prostitute, or “mot.” Literally one who may be ridden by all. For synonyms see Gadoue. Omnibus, extra waiter at a restaurant or cafÉ; also one who loafs about the streets of Paris without any visible means of livelihood.

Omnibus, batteur de pavÉ, c’est-À-dire des gens que l’on rencontre sur tous les points de Paris comme les vÉhicules dont ils portent le nom, mais qui diffÈrent de ceux-ci en ce qu’ils n’ont ni couleur, ni enseigne, ni lanterne pour indiquer oÙ ils vont et d’oÙ ils viennent.—Paul Mahalin.

Attendre l’——, to wait for one’s glass to be filled; (thieves’) —— de coni, hearse; —— À pÈgres, prison van, or “black Maria.”

Omnibusard, m. (popular), beggar who plies his trade in omnibuses. He pretends not to have sufficient money wherewith to pay his fare, and by a pitiful tale awakens the compassion of the passengers.

Omnicochemar À la colle, m. (thieves’), bus driver. Thus called because he seems stuck to his box.

Omnicroche, f. (thieves’), omnibus, “chariot.” Faire l’——, to pick pockets in an omnibus, an operation which goes among English thieves by the name of “chariot-buzzing.” Gaule d’——, bus driver. Termed also Échalas d’——.

On (thieves’), À sa gin, here is; —— À lavarÈs, drunken man. On À sa gin on À lavarÈs, here is a drunken man. I have given the expression in my informant’s own spelling. (Popular) On pave! words which mean that a certain street is to be avoided for fear of meeting a creditor.

Exclamation pittoresque qui exprime l’effroi d’un dÉbiteur amenÉ par hasard À passer dans une rue oÙ se trouve un “loup.” Le “typo” dÉbiteur fait alors un circuit plus ou moins long pour Éviter la rue oÙ l’ “on pave.”—Boutmy.

(Familiar and popular) On dirait du veau, ironical ejaculation of eulogy.

Onchets, m. pl. (military), partie d’——, a duel. Onchets, properly spellicans.

C’est-À-dire que tu es dans l’intention d’entamer une seconde partie d’onchets, consÉquemment.—C. Dubois de Gennes.

Oncle, m. (popular), usurer.

Ce mot symbolise l’usure, comme dans la langue populaire ma tante signifie le prÊt sur gage.—Balzac.

Mon —— du prÊt, pawnbroker’s, or “lug-shop.” (Thieves’) Oncle, jailer, or “jigger-dubber.”

Onclesse, f. (thieves’), jailer’s wife.

Ondoyeuse, f. (thieves’), wash-hand basin.

Ongle, m. (popular), croche, miser, or “hunks.” Avoir les ongles croches, to be deceitful, not over-scrupulous.

Onguent, m. (old cant), money, or “palm grease.” See Quibus.

Onze (familiar), du —— gendarme, extra large size for gloves.

Ses vastes mains aux doigts ÉcartÉs, chaussÉes de gants presque blancs, dont la pointure ne devait point Être infÉrieure À ce que l’on appelle familiÈrement du “onze gendarme.”—Le Mot d’Ordre.

Op’, m. (boulevards’), for OpÉra.

Le premier bal de l’Op’, ou, pour mieux parler, le premier bal masquÉ de l’OpÉra, est le commencement de l’Ère des plaisirs.—Mirliton, Gil Blas.

OpÉrateur, m. (thieves’), executioner.

OpÉrer (thieves’), to guillotine. See FauchÉ.

Opineur hÉsitant, m. (popular), juryman.

Opiumiste, m. (familiar), one who smokes opium.

Oranger, m. (popular), woman’s breasts, “Charlies, dairies, or bubbies.” Termed also “oeufs sur la place d’armes, avant-postes, avant-scÈnes, nÉnais.”

Oranges, f. pl. (popular), À cochons, potatoes, “spuds, or bog oranges.”

La pomme de terre est aussitÔt saluÉe par l’argot d’orange À cochons.—Balzac.

Potatoes are also termed “murphies,” probably from the Irish national liking for them. They are sometimes called “Donovans.” At the R. M. Academy fried potatoes go by the name of “greasers.” Des —— sur l’ÉtagÈre, woman’s breasts, “Charlies, bubbies, or dairies.”

Les soeurs Souris, dont l’aÎnÉe avait ÉtÉ surnommÉe la Reine des Amazones, eu Égard À certaine opÉration chirurgicale qui lui avait enlevÉ “une des oranges de son ÉtagÈre.”—P. Mahalin.

Orbite, m. (popular), se calfeutrer l’——, to close one’s eyes.

Ordinaire, m. (familiar and popular), soup and boiled beef at a small restaurant. Les ordinaires, menses.

Ordonnance, f. (military), papier qui n’est pas d’——, bank-notes. D’ordonnance, properly regulation. The French soldier’s pay does not, as a rule, enable him to have bank-notes in his possession; hence the allusion.

Ordonne (popular), Madame J’——, is said of a woman who likes to order people about, of an imperious person.

Ordre, m. (military), copier l’——, to do fatigue duty. Military wags when detailed for fatigue duty will sometimes say, pointing to their brooms, that they are going to copy the order. (Familiar) Ordre moralien, ironical appellation applied to the Conservative party by their opponents in 1879.

Or-dur, m. (familiar and popular), gold-plated brass. A play on the words or, gold, and ordure, filth.

Ordures, f. pl. (journalists’), boÎte aux ——, special column in certain newspapers, reserved, of course, for quotations from hostile contemporaries. (Popular) BoÎte aux ——, the breech. See Vasistas.

Oreillard, m. (popular), ass, or “moke.”

Oreille À l’enfant, f. (familiar), avoir fait une ——, is said of a man who has done all that is necessary, in co-operation with others, to be able to think that a child’s paternity may be traced to him.

OrfÈvre, m. (familiar and popular), facetiously used for MorphÉe. Etre dans les bras de l’——, to be asleep, or “in Murphy’s arms.”

Organe, f. (thieves’), hunger.

Orgue, m. (popular), jouer de l’——, to snore, “to drive one’s pigs to market.” (Thieves’) Orgue, man, or “cove.” Manger sur l’——, or jaspiner de l’——, to peach, to inform, “to blow the gaff, to turn snitch.” Mon ——, ton ——, son ——, &c., I, thou, he, myself, &c. Parler en ——, or en iergue, en aille, en muche, to disguise words by the use of these words as suffixes. “Vouziergue trouvaille bonorgue ce gigotmuche?” Do you think this leg of mutton good? A question put to a jailer by the celebrated rogue Cartouche—a French Jack Sheppard and Dick Turpin put together—with a view to ascertain whether his proferred bribe was deemed sufficient.

Orient, m. (thieves’), gold, or “redge.” Une bogue d’——, a gold watch, or “red ’un.”

Rebouise donc ce niert, ses maltaises et son pÈze sont en salade dans la valade de son croisant; pÉcille l’orient avec ta fourchette.—Canler. (Look at that man; his gold coin and change are loose in his waistcoat pocket; take out the gold with your fingers.)

OrlÉÂnerie, f. (journalists’), series of disparaging anecdotes or facts concerning the OrlÉans family, and published under the above head in Radical papers.

OrlÉans, m. (thieves’), vinegar. An allusion to the vinegar manufactories at Orleans.

Ornichon, m. (thieves’), chicken, “cackling cheat.”

Ornie, f. (thieves’ and beggars’), hen, “margery prater;” —— de balle, turkey-hen, or “cobble colter.” Engrailler l’——, to catch a fowl, generally by angling with a hook and line, the bait being a worm or snail. Termed “snaggling” in the English cant. Engrailler l’—— de balle, to steal turkeys, to be a “Turkey merchant.”

OrniÈre, f. (thieves’), hen-house, “cackler’s ken.”

Ornion, m. (thieves’), capon.

Orphelin, m. (popular), cigar end; —— de muraille, lump of excrement, “quaker.” (Thieves’) Orphelin, goldsmith. Des orphelins, gang of thieves, “mob.”

Orpheline de Lacenaire (journalists’), prostitute of the Boulevard.

Orphie, m. (thieves’), bird.

Os (familiar and popular), money, “oof, or stumpy.” See Quibus. With regard to the English slang expression, Mr. T. Lewis O. Davies, in his Supplementary English Glossary, says: “Stumpy, money, that which is paid down on the nail or stump.”

Reduced to despair, they ransomed themselves by the payment of sixpence a head, or, to adopt his own figurative expression in all its native beauty: “till they was reg’larly done over, and forked out the stumpy.”—Sketches by Boz.

Called also “pÉcune,” which corresponds to the Eton boys’ term “pec” for money, from pecunia. Avoir de l’——, to have money, to have the “oof-bird.” (Popular) Os À moelle, a repulsive term for nose, “conk, smeller, snorter, boko.” See Morviau. Faire juter l’—— À moelle, to use one’s fingers as a handkerchief. Casser les —— de la tÊte, to kiss one heartily.

Osanores, m. pl. (thieves’), teeth, or “grinders.” Jouer des ——, to eat, “to grub.” See Mastiquer.

Oseille, f. (popular), money, “stumpy, or oof.” See Quibus. Avoir mangÉ de l’——, to be in a bad humour, to be “snaggy.” (Thieves’) La faire À l’——, to do a good “job.” See Faire. (Theatrical) ScÈnes de l’——, scenes in which the female supernumeraries make their appearance in very suggestive attire.

Osselets, m. pl. (thieves’), teeth, “ivories,” or “bones.”

Ostant (Breton cant), individual; master of a house.

Ostrogoth, m. (general), dunce. Also rude, rough fellow.

Otage, m. (popular), priest. An allusion to the priests taken as hostages by the insurgents of 1871, and shot by them.

Otolondrer (thieves’), to annoy, to bore, “to spur.”

Otolondreur, m. (thieves’), tiresome man.

Otro (Breton cant), pig.

Ouater (painters’), to paint outlines with too much vagueness, without vigour. Properly to pad.

Oui (printers’), en plume! fiddle-faddle! (popular) —— les lanciers! nonsense! “rot.”

Ouistiti, m., envoyer un ——, to break off one’s connection with a mistress, or, as the English slang has it, “to bury a moll.”

Lorsqu’une liaison commence À le fatiguer, il envoie un de ses ouistitis P. P. C. Une faÇon À lui de faire la grimace À ce qu’il n’aime plus.... Au grand club on ne dit plus lÂcher une maÎtresse, mais lui envoyer son ouistiti.—A. Daudet.

Ourler. See Beq.

Ours, m. (theatrical), play which a manager produces on the stage only when he has nothing else at his disposal; a literary production or article which has been refused by every editor. Marchand, or meneur d’——, playwright or literary man whose spÉcialitÉ is to produce “ours,” which he offers to every manager or editor. (Printers’) Ours, idle talk. Poser un ——, to bore one by idle talk.

Se dit d’un compagnon, peu disposÉ au travail, qui vient en dÉranger un autre sans que celui-ci puisse s’en dÉbarrasser.—Boutmy.

Ours, pressman, or “pig.”

Le mouvement de va-et-vient qui ressemble assez À celui de l’ours en cage, par lequel les pressiers se portent de l’encrier À la presse, leur a valu sans doute ce sobriquet.—Balzac.

(Familiar and popular) Ours, prison; guard-room, or cells, “Irish theatre, or mill.” Flanquer À l’——, to imprison, “to put in limbo.” The latter term, according to the Slang Dictionary, comes from limbus, or limbus patrum, a mediÆval theological term for purgatory. The Catholic Church teaches that “limbo” was that part of hell where holy people who died before the Redemption were kept. Envoyer À l’——, to send to the deuce. A l’——! to the deuce!

Assez! assez! À l’ours!—Mes enfants je vous rappelle au calme.—E. Monteil, Cornebois.

(Popular) Ours, goose.

Ourserie, f. (popular), living the life of a bear.

Oursin, m. (thieves’), young thief, or “ziff.”

Ous’ (popular), qu’est mon fusil? is expressive of feigned anger at some silly assertion or bad joke; —— que tu demeures? is expressive of a mock show of interest; —— que vous allez sans parapluie, you are a simpleton, “how’s your brother Job?”

Outil, m. (prostitutes’), de besoin, good-for-nothing bully. (Thieves’) Des outils, housebreaking implements, “jilts, or twirls.”

Outrancier, m., name given in 1870 to those who wished to continue the war.

Ouvrage, m. (popular), excrement, or “quaker;” (thieves’) robbery, “push, or sneaking budge.” See Grinchissage.

Ouvrier, m. (thieves’), thief, or “prig.” See Grinche.

Il me dit qu’il venait de travailler en cambrouze avec des ouvriers qui venaient de tomber malades.—Vidocq. (He told me he had done some job in the country with thieves who had just been convicted.)

OuvriÈre, f. (bullies’), prostitute; mistress of a bully.

Ouvrir. See Compas. (Familiar) Ouvrir son robinet, to begin talking.

Oh! bien! si Linois ouvre son robinet!... On va en entendre de salÉes.—E. Monteil.

Ouvrir l’oeil et le bon, to watch carefully; to seek to avoid being deceived.

Ovale, m. (thieves’), oil. De l’—— et de l’acite, oil and vinegar.