This document is a list of real world slang that could easily be used as part of the Planescape Cant. The sources used for this list are:

1. Partridge, E. (Ed.) (1992) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. New York: Dorset Press (reprinted from the 1792 edition)
2. Justice Inc. Sourcebook (Role-playing detectives and superheroes in the 1920's and 1930's) {words from here are marked with `*'}

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

A Back to Top

Abram Cove

Naked or poor man

To Sham Abram

To pretend sickness

Adam

An accomplice

Adam's Ale

Water

Apothecary

To talk like an apothecary, to use hard or pedantic words, to assume gravity and affectation of knowledge

*Applesauce

Nonsense

Arch Duke

A comical or eccentric fellow (also Duke, Rum Duke)

Arch Rogue

Chief of a gang of thieves (also Dimber Damber, Upright Man)

Arch Dell

Same in rank among female thieves

B Back to Top

*Baby

Girl

Back Door (Gentleman or Usher of the-)

Sodomite (also Indorser, Molly, Queanie)

*Back Room Parole

Natural death in prison

*Bacon

$$ or plunder

*"The Badger Game"

A swindle where a woman entices a man and then her `husband' catches them en flagrante delicto. For a fee, all is forgotten.

Baggage

A woman, women and children, wantons

Banging

Great; e.g. "a banging boy" (also Long ["a long price"], Long Meg, Lumping, Strapping, Thumping)

*"In the Barrel"

Broke

To Baste

To beat; "I'll give him his basting" (also Lace, Settle, Swaddle, Tawed, Trimmed, To Tune)

Battle-Royal

Fisticuffs among more than two people

Bear-garden Jaw

Rude, vulgar language

*Beat the rap

Escape conviction

Beaters

Feet

Beater Cases

Boots

Beau-Nasty

A slovenly fop; one finely dressed, but dirty

Beef (To Cry Beef)

to give the alarm; "they have cried beef on us"; a complaint

*Beezer

Nose

Beggar-Maker

Ale-house keeper

Bell Swagger

A noisy bullying fellow

Belly Timber

Food

*Belly Brass

Anything on a watch chain

*Belt

Slug of liquor; thrill

Bene/Benar/Benat

Good/Better/Best

*(He is) "the Berries"

Great thing or person

*B-girl

Prostitute

*Bim

Girl

*Bimbo

Thug

Bing

To go

Bing Avast

"get you gone"

Binged avast in a darkmans

"stole away in the night"

"Bing We To...?"

"Shall we go to...?" (also Bag, Brush, Hike, Hop the Twig, Give Leg-bail and Land Security, Pike, Rub, Scour, Sherry, Whip Off)

*Birdcage

Jail cell

*Biscuit Hooks

Hands

*Bit

Prison term, sentence

*"The Bite"

To borrow something

*Black Betsy

Club (baseball bat)

Bleeding Cully

One who parts easily with his money

*Blind

Drunk

*Blip off

Kill

Blood

Riotous, disorderly fellow (also Slasher)

*(Go) Blooey

Explode

*Bloomer

Nearly empty safe/vault

*Blot out

Kill

*Blotto

Drunk

*Blowen

Girl/B-girl

Bluff

Fierce, surly

Bobbed

Cheated, tricked, disappointed (also To Do, Make, To Rook, To Speak With = to rob, To Top, To Trim, To Win)

*Boff

Strike/hit

*Bolus

Underworld doctor

*Boost

Steal(er), thief

*Bop

Hit/kill

*"Both Hands"

A 10 year prison term

Bouncing Cheat

The bottle, from the explosion in drawing the cork

*Box

To be killed

*Boxman

Safe cracker

*Bozo

Man

Bracket-Faced

Ugly, hard-featured

*Bread

Money

Break-Teeth Words

Hard words; difficult to pronounce

Brother of the Blade

A soldier

Brother of the Buskin

A player

Brother of the Bung

A brewer

Brother of the Gusset

A pimp

Brother of the String

A fiddler

Brother of the Whip

A coachman (also Rattling Cove, Smacking Cove)

Brother Starling

One who lies with the same woman/builds in the same nest

Bruiser

A boxer

Buck Fitch

A lecherous old fellow

*Bugle

Nose

Bulk and File

Two pickpockets; the bulk jostles the victim, the file does the business

*Bullpen

Prison

*Bumpman

Killer

*Bump off

Kill

Bung

Purse (Queer Bung = empty purse; Rum Bung = full purse)

Burnt

Poxed or clapped; "he has burnt his fingers" (also Flap Dragon, Peppered, Sunburnt, Token)

*Burrole

Stool pigeon

*Bush Parole

Escape from prison

C Back to Top

*Can Opener

Safe cracking tools

Canters

thieves (also The Canting Crew)

*"Carry the difference"

Carry a weapon (gun)

*Cash in (his) chips

Die

Cater Cousins

Good friends. (also Thick = intimate/friendly)

Cathedral

Old-fashioned; "a cathedral suit"

*Chib

Knife

*Chill

Kill

Chink

Money (also Crop, Dust, Goree)

Chive or Chife

A knife, file or saw

*Chromo

Ugly person/thing

Clanker

A big lie (also Coker, Rapper, Whisker)

*Clean

Unarmed

Clear

Very drunk; "the cull is clear, let's bite him" - "the fellow is very drunk, let's cheat him" (also Surveyor of the Highways - a drunkard)

Convenient

A mistress. (also Peculiar)

*Cop a heel, Cop a mope

Bush Parole

Court Card

A gay, fluttering coxcomb (also Twiddle-Poop)

Cove

A man, a fellow, a rogue

The Crack, All the Crack

The fashionable theme, the go. (also The Dandy, The Ton, The Barber)

Cramp Rings

Bolts, shackles or fetters (also Darbies)

To Crash

To kill; "to crash the cull" (also Backed, Hushed, Milled - which also means to rob, break or beat, use up)

*Croak

Kill

*Crush-out

Escape prison

Cull

A man, honest or otherwise (also Bob Cull - good-natured, quiet fellow)

D Back to Top

Dab

An adept, "a dab at any feat or exercise"

Damber

A rascal

Darkmans

The night (also Blind Man's Holiday)

Devilish

Very; "devilish bad", "devilish hot", etc.

Dimber

Pretty; "a dimber cove", a pretty fellow; "a dimber mort", a pretty girl

Dimber Damber

Chief of a gang of thieves (also the Upright Man)

*Dip

Pickpocket

*Dish

Girl, especially good looking

*Dock Rat

Wharf bum

*Do in

Kill

*Doll

Dame

*Drill

Kill

*Dropper

Killer

*Dry Gulch

Ambush/kill

Dub

A Picklock

Dub Lay

Robbing Houses

Dub the Jigger

Oopen the Door (also Gilt, Kate, Rum Dubber)

*Duke

Fist

E Back to Top

*Egghead

Sage (also Gray-Beard)

*Erase

Kill

Eternity Box

Coffin

F Back to Top

Fat

Rich; "a fat cull" = a rich man (also Tercel Gentle - a rich man, Topping Fellow)

*Fem, Femme

Female

*Fence

Dealer in stolen goods

Fencing Cully

a fence, a receiver of stolen goods

Fencing Kip (Fencing Ken)

where the goods are secreted (also Lock, Stalling Kip)

*File

Pickpocket

*Filly

Girl

*Fish

Convict, or a dummy

*Fishbowl

Jail

*Fist

Five year sentence

*Five Fingers

Thief or five year sentence

Flash Kip

A house that harbours thieves

Flash

Relating to criminals, vagabonds and prostitutes

*Flim-flam

Trick someone

*Flogger

Overcoat

*Floozie

Girl

*Fluff

Girl or little girl

*Fog

Kill

*Foolish Powder

Heroin

G Back to Top

*Gams

Legs

*Gelt

Cash

Gentleman's Master

A highwayman (because he makes a gentleman obey his commands, i.e. stand and deliver) (also High Pad, Knight of the Road, Land Pirates, Royal Scamps - who rob the rich and do not ill-treat them, Snaffle)

Gentry Cove

A gentleman

Gentry Mort

A gentlewoman

Glaze

A window

Glimflashy

Angry

*Goniff

Crook

*Goon, Gorill, Gorilla

Hood

*Grease

Bribe money

Gull

A simple, credulous fellow, easily cheated; Gulled - cheated (also Sweet)

*Guzzle shop

Tavern

H Back to Top

*Handful

Five year sentence

Hank

Ascendancy or hold; "he has a hank on him"

*Hardware

Weapons

*Hatchet man

Killer

To Ware Hawk

To Look sharp

*Heat

Weapon (gun), trouble, guards (cops)

*Heavy

Thug

*Heebie-jeebies

Nervousness, "the creeps"

*Heel

Petty crook

*Heistman

Thief

*"The Hole"

Solitary confinement

*Hooch

Alcohol

*Hood

Thug

*Hooligan

Hood

*Hoop

Finger ring

*Hoosegow

Jail

*Hoosier

New prisoner

*Hop

Opium or other narcotic

*Hop fiend

Drug addict

*Hop joint

Opium den

*Hot shot

Tough guy

I Back to Top

*Ice

Diamonds/jewels or bribe money

*"Put on Ice"

Kill

*Icebox

Jail

*Iceman

Jewel thief

*Index

Face

*Iron House

Jail

*Iso

Solitary cell

*Ivory Dome

Egghead

J Back to Top

*Jack

Money

Jack Ketch

Hangman (also Nubbing Cove, Topping Cove)

Jakes

water closet, toilets (also Bog House, Jordans, Tea Voiders)

Jemmy

Smart, spruce; "Jemmy Fellow", Jessamy. (Also Prink, To Dress Over Nicely, Sparking)

*Jiggerman

Lookout

*"The jitters"

Nerves

*Jug

Jail, bank, or safe

*Jump

Attack or rob

*Junk

Drugs

K Back to Top

*Kajody

Thingamagig

*Kale

Money

*Kayducer

Wagoneer (train conductor) who allows illegal actions/cargo

*Keptie

Kept woman

*Kick off

Die

*Kick over

Rob

Kip (Ken)

A house; Bob Kip - well-furnished house or thieves' house

Biting the Kip

robbing the house

Knight of the Trencher

A great eater

*Knuck

Pickpocket or thief

*Knucks

Brass knuckles

L Back to Top

*Lag

Convict

*Lam

On the run

*Lamb

Mark to be fleeced

*Larrikin

Hood

Lavender

Pawned; "laid up in lavender" (also To Vamp)

*Lay

Robbery

*Lay one on

Hit

*Leather

Money purse (wallet)

*Leery

Wary

Leg

"To make a leg", to bow

*Legger

Bootlegger or other smuggler

*Level

Honest, as in "on the level"

*Life boat

Given pardon from death sentence

*Lifer

Life sentence inmate

Lightmans

The day

*Light Piece

Silver coin

*Lights out

Dead or death

Lily

True, truthful

*Little school

Women's detention center

*Lob

Dullard

*Lobo

Thug

*Lobster

Dupe

*Locust

Club (nightstick)

*Lolapalooza

A real knock out (great)

*Loogan

Dummy

*Looker

Beautiful girl

*Lug

Fighter

*Lummox

Big dummy

*Lunkhead

Lummox

M Back to Top

*M

Morphine

*Madame

Female brothel manager

*Main Line

High society, rich folks

*Maison joie

Brothel

*"Make little ones out of big ones"

Hard labor

*Mark

Victim

*Massage

Beat up

*Meat Hooks

Hands

Merry Andrew

A mountebank, jester (also Jack Pudding, Zany)

*Mickey finn

Knockout drug

*Mill

Prizefight or prison

*Mitt

Hand

*Mix it up

Prizefight

*Mix up

Fight

*Mob

Gang

*Moll

Sweetheart or prostitute

*Moll buzzer

Thief who preys on women

*Monkey

Man

*Monniker

Name

*Moola

Cash

Mort

A woman or wench

*Mother Machree

Sob story/alibi

*Mouse

Bruise near eye or girlfriend

*Mouthpiece

Lawyer

*Moxie

Courage or guts

*Mucker

Thug

*Mug

Face or hood/thug

*Murder

Great or difficult

*Muscle

Thug

*Muscle in

Take over an operation by force

*Muttonhead

Dummy

*Muzzler

Minor crook

N Back to Top

*Nab

Arrest

*Nail

Nab or kill

*Nance

Sissy

*Nark

Stool pigeon

Nask

Prison (also Pound, Queer Kip, Quod, Shop)

*Natural

7 or 11 in craps, 7 year prison term

*Necktie

Hangman's noose

*Nightingale

Squealer

*Nod-guy

Yesman

*Noggin

Head

*Noodle

Head

*Nose

Paid cop informer

Nubbing

Hanging (also Scragged, To Swing, Trining, Tucked Up)

Nubbing Cheat

The gallows (also Sheriff's Picture Frame, Three-legged Mare, Stool, Topping Cheat)

*Nut

Madman or tough guy

*Nuthouse

Asylum

O Back to Top

*Oakus/Oakum

Money purse

*Oil

Beat or bribe someone

*One-two

A potent set of punches

*Open up

Start punching

*Operator

Conman, thief, or pickpocket

*Oscar

Cash

*Oyster-berry

Pearl

P Back to Top

*Pack heat

Carry a weapon

*Paint cards

Face cards

*Palooka

Inferior fighter

*Pancake

Hardboiled woman (tough dame)

*Panther sweat

Poor whiskey

*Pants

Man

*Pantywaist

Sissy

*Pap

Cash

*Papa

Male lover

*Paperhanger

Forger

*Parlor house

Brothel

*Parlor snake

Lady's man

*Paste

To hit someone

*Patsy

Person blamed for a crime

*Pay off

Bribe

*Payola

Graft

*Peach

Cute dame

*Peanut

Smalltime person

*Peepers

Eyes

Peery

Inquisitive, suspicious (also Smoky)

*Peeties

Loaded dice

*Peeved off

Angry

*Peg

ID something

*Pelican

Whore

*Pen

Prison

Penance Board

The pillory (also Wooden Ruff)

*Pennyweight

Jewelry

*Pennyweighter

Jewel thief

*Pen yen

Opium

*Percy boy

Sissy

*Persuader

Weapon

*Pete

A safe

*Peteman

Safecracker

*Phedinkus

Nonsense

*Pickle

Kill

*Pick up

Arrest

*Piece up

Split loot

*Pill peddler

Doctor

*Pimple

Human head (prizefight parlance)

*Pinch

Steal or arrest

*Pin ears back

Defeat

*Pins

Human legs

*Pinto

Coffin

*Pip

Extraordinary person or thing

*Plant

Bury, or a hiding place

*Plaster

Cash

*Pluck

Rob or cheat

*Plug

Silver coin, or prizefighter

*Point

Jaw

*Point-head

Thug

*Poke

Money purse

*Polish off

Kill

*Pony up

Pay

*Pop off

Kill or die

*Portsider

Lefty

*Potato

Head

Pothooks and Hangers

A scrawl; bad writing

*"Take a powder"

Leave

*Powder-puff

Cautious boxer

*Prig

Steal or thief

Prig Nabber

Thief taker (also Tappers, Traps)

*Promote

Steal or obtain through con game

*Protection

Bribe money

*Prowl

Frisk

*Psycho

Nutcase

*Punch-out

Fistfight

*Punk

Hoodlum or lousy fighter

*Puppy dog feet

Clubs, as in suit of cards

*Push across

Kill

*Puss

Face

Q Back to Top

*Quail

Woman

Queer

Bad, roguish, base, worthless, odd, uncommon, counterfeit

Queer Cove

Rogue (also Scape Gallows, Thatch Gallows, Waghalter)

R Back to Top

*Raft

Many

*Raggle

Pretty girl

*Rap

Jail sentence

*Raw

Nude

*Redeye

Bad booze

*Repeaters

Loaded dice

*Rhino

Money

*Rhubarb

Argument

*Rib

Woman

*Rib joint

Brothel

*"Take for a ride"

Kill

Rigging

Clothing; Rum Rigging - fine clothes

*Ringer

Look-alike

*Rip

Disreputable person

*Rivets

Money

*Rock candy

Diamonds

*Roll

Rob a sleeping person

*Roller

Prison guard

*Rook

Cheat

*Roughneck

Hoodlum

*Rough stuff

Violence

*Rough up

Beat up

*Roundheel

Poor fighter

*Roust

Arrest

*Rub, Rub out

Kill

*Rubber

Professional killer

Rum

Fine, good, valuable

Rum Bite

good cheat

*Rumble

Danger, or to inform

*"Run a sandy on"

Trick

*Run in

Meeting or arrest

*Rutabaga

Ugly dame

S Back to Top

*Salted down

Dead

*Sausage

Inferior boxer

*Scissorbill

Mark or fool

*Score

Mark, act of making money, or share of loot

*Scrag

Kill

*Scram

Depart hastily

*Scratch

Money or a wound

*Screw

Prison guard

*Screwball

Worthless person

*Scumster

A vile person

*Sea food

Whiskey

*Seat-man

A professional gambler

*Sent up

Gone to prison

*Settle

Imprison

*Settle hash

Kill

*Seventeer

A corpse

*Shade

Fence

*Shake, Shakedown

Blackmail

*Shark

Cheater

*Sheba

Attractive woman

*Shell

A safe

*Shellacking

Beating

*Shiever

Doublecrosser

*Shill

Decoy for a con game

*Shiv

Knife

*Short

A prisoner close to release date

*Shoulder-hitter

Thug

*Shove

Kill

*Shyster

Lawyer

*Sidewinder

Bodyguard

*Simple Simon

Diamond

*Sin hound

A priest

*Skee

Whiskey

*Skiboo

Hitman

*"The skids"

On the way down

*Skirt

Dame

*Slammer

Door or jail

*Slam off

Die

*Slap happy

Punch drunk

*Sleep

1 year jail term or a night

*Sleeper

Night watchman

*Slipper

To reform as a crook

*Slough

Lock up or hit

*Slough up

Arrest

Sly Boots

A cunning fellow, under a mask of simplicity

*Smear

Murder

Smear Gelt

A bribe

Smoke

To observe, to suspect (also To Twig)

Smuggling Kip

a brothel

*Snack

Easy victim

Snapt

Taken, caught

*Sneeze

Kidnap

*Sniper

Pickpocket

*Snitch

Steal or inform

*Snooker

Swindle

Snug

"All's snug" - "All's quiet"

*"The soft"

Money

*Soft touch

Easy target

*Sol

Solitary confinement

*Solitaire

Suicide

*Solo

Confessing a crime

*Song

Confession

*Songbird

Confessor

*Sourdough

Counterfeit money

*"Go south with"

Steal

*Spike

Poison

*"Spot"

Kill

*Put on the spot

Kill

*Spring

Release someone from jail

*Spruce

A sucker

*Square John

Easily victimized man

*Squeal

Inform

*Squealer's Mark

Scar given to squealers

*Squib off

Kill

Stag

"To turn stag" - "to impeach one's confederates"

Stag

to find, discover or observe (also To Peach, To Whiddle; a whiddler)

*Stall

Pickpocket's assistant

Stam Flash

to cant

*Step off

Die

*Sticker

Knife

*Sting

Money from a crime

*The Stir

Jail

*Stool pigeon

Informer

*Stop

A fence

Stow

"Stow you" - be silent, hold your piece; "Stow your whidds and plant'em for the cove of the kip can cant 'em" - "you have said enough, the man of the house understands you" (also Tace)

*Stretch

Time in jail

*Strike bedrock

Die

*Strong-arm man

Hood

*Stumble

Get arrested

*Sunday punch

Very strong blow

*Switch

Inform

T Back to Top

*Thinkbox/Thinker

Brain

Tip

to give or lend; "tip me your daddle" - "give me your hand"; "she tipped him the token" - "she gave him the pox"

*Tip over

Rob

*Tomato

Woman

*Tool

Pickpocket

*Toots

Woman

*Top

Hang or kill

Trumps

"To be put to one's trumps" - "to be in difficulties"

To turn up trumps

to get lucky

*Turn off

Rob

*Twist

Woman

U Back to Top

Unrig

Undress, strip

*Up the river

In prison

V Back to Top

*Vacation

Prison term

*Vic

Convict

W Back to Top

*"Go over the wall"

Escape prison

*Weasel

Informer

*Weed

Take cash from money purse, then drop purse

Weeping Cross

"To come home by weeping cross" - to repent

Whack

To divide, a share of a booty

*Whiff

Kill

*Whistle Bait

Woman

*White hot

Very wanted by authorities

*The willies

Nervousness

*Wing

Wound

Wink

"To tip one the wink" - to give a signal by winking the eye

*Wipe off, Wipe out

Kill

*Wiper

Killer

*Wolf

Lady killer

*Workout

Beating

*World beater

Champion

X Back to Top

*XX

Doublecross

Y Back to Top

*Yak

Pal

*Yardbird

Convict

*Yard bull

Prison guard

*Yodeler

Informer

Z Back to Top

*Zap

Kill

*Zuch

Informer

Example:
This note is from a thief to a mage friend who just got out of jail after being tossed in by his fiancee's brothers. It includes an invitation to commit a crime, and a comment about a friend who's about to get in trouble with the law. (Sorry, it's got words in it that aren't on the list.)

Altair-

Sorry to hear you got bobbed, boned and bummed, but I'm cocksure the fastner won't stick, so tip her a wink for us when you get out of the block house. Mind you play the butcher's dog, now! Seein' as how you didn't fetch the fat cull into gallimaufry, we figure it's real love and have started looking around for hitchin' post and halter. If you need some help caning the gentry mort's folks, we'll be happy to oblige a crony

If your comfortable importance gives you any time, we've got a cock-a-whoop set up for a month from now and you're invited. We'll bilk the bluffer and bouse a rum bingo. By the by, Minimin's in for a clap on the shoulder - I gave him a good chivey but the lad keeps it up. Pox on the tom cony; he's all yours.

Beneshiply,
Jimmy