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ROARATORIOS AND UPROARS. Oratorios and operas.
ROARING BOY. A noisy, riotous fellow.
ROARER. A broken-winded horse.
ROARING TRADE. A quick trade.
TO ROAST. To arrest. I'll roast the dab; I'll arrest the
rascal. Also to jeer, ridicule, or banter. He stood the
roast; he was the butt. Roast meat clothes; Sunday or
holiday-clothes. To cry roast meat; to boast of one's
situation. To rule the roast; to be master or paramount.
ROAST AND BOILED. A nick name for the Life Guards,
who are mostly substantial house-keepers; and eat daily
of roast and boiled.
ROBERT'S MEN. The third old rank of the canting crew,
mighty thieves, like Robin Hood.
ROBY DOUGLASS, with one eye and a stinking breath. The
breech.
ROCHESTER PORTION. Two torn smocks, and what nature gave.
ROCKED. He was rocked in a stone kitchen; a saying
meant to convey the idea that the person spoken of is a
fool, his brains having been disordered by the jumbling of
his cradle.
ROGER. A portmanteau; also a man's yard. Cant.
ROGER, or TIB OF THE BUTTERY. A goose. Cant. Jolly
Roger; a flag hoisted by pirates.
TO ROGER. To bull, or lie with a woman; from the name
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of Roger being frequently given to a bull.
ROGUES. The fourth order of canters. A rogue in grain;
a great rogue, also a corn chandler. A rogue in spirit; a
distiller or brandy merchant.
ROGUM POGUM, or DRAGRUM POGRAM. Goat's beard,
eaten for asparagus; so called by the ladies who gather
cresses, who also deal in this plant.
ROMBOYLES. Watch and ward. Romboyled; sought after
with a warrant.
ROME MORT. A queen.
ROMEVILLE. London. Cant.
ROMP. A forward wanton girl, a tomrig. Grey, in his
notes to Shakespeare, derives it from arompo, an animal
found in South Guinea, that is a man eater. See HOYDEN.
ROOK. A cheat: probably from the thievish disposition of
the birds of that name. Also the cant name for a crow
used in house-breaking. To rook; to cheat, particularly
at play.
ROOM. She lets out her fore room and lies backwards:
saying of a woman suspected of prostitution.
ROOST LAY. Stealing poultry.
ROPES. Upon the high ropes; elated, in high spirits,
cock-a-hoop.
ROSE. Under the rose: privately or secretly. The rose
was, it is said, sacred to Harpocrates, the God of silence,
and therefore frequently placed in the ceilings of rooms
destined for the receiving of guests; implying, that
whatever was transacted there, should not be made public.
ROSY GILLS. One with a sanguine or fresh-coloured countenance.
ROTAN. A coach, cart, or other wheeled carriage.
ROT GUT. Small beer; called beer-a-bumble will burst
one's guts before it will make one tumble.
ROVERS. Pirates, vagabonds.
ROUGH. To lie rough; to lie all night in one's clothes:
called also roughing it. Likewise to sleep on the bare
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deck of a ship, when the person is commonly advised to
chuse the softest plank.
ROUGH MUSIC. Saucepans, frying-paps, poker and tongs,
marrow-bones and cleavers, bulls horns, beaten upon
and sounded in ludicrous processions.
ROULEAU. A number of guineas, from twenty to fifty or
more, wrapped up in paper, for the more ready circulation
at gaming-tables: sometimes they are inclosed in ivory boxes,
made to hold exactly 20, 50, or 100 guineas.
ROUND DEALING. Plain, honest dealing.
ROUNDHEADS. A term of reproach to the puritans and
partizans of Oliver Cromwell, and the Rump Parliament,
who it is said made use of a bowl as a guide to trim their
hair.
ROUND ROBIN. A mode of signing remonstrances practised
by sailors on board the king's ships, wherein their
names are written in a circle, so that it cannot be
discovered who first signed it, or was, in other words, the
ringleader.
ROUND SUM. A considerable sum.
ROUND ABOUT. An instrument used in housebreaking.
This instrument has not been long in use. It will cut a
round piece about five inches in diameter out of a shutter
or door.
ROUND MOUTH. The fundament. Brother round mouth,
speaks; he has let a fart.
ROUT. A modern card meeting at a private house; also an
order from the Secretary at War, directing the march
and quartering of soldiers.
ROW. A disturbance; a term used by the students at
Cambridge.
ROW. To row in the same boat; to be embarked in the
same scheme.
ROWLAND. To give a Rowland for an Oliver; to give an
equivalent. Rowland and Oliver were two knights famous
in romance: the wonderful achievements of the
one could only be equalled by those of the other.
ROYAL SCAMPS. Highwaymen who never rob any but
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rich persons, and that without ill treating them. See
SCAMP.
ROYAL STAG SOCIETY. Was held every Monday evening,
at seven o'clock, at the Three tuns, near the Hospital
Gate, Newgate-street.
ROYSTER. A rude boisterous fellow; also a hound that
opens on a false scent.
TO RUB. To run away. Don't rub us to the whit; don't
send us to Newgate. CANT. To rub up; to refresh: to
rub up one's memory. A rub: an impediment. A rubber;
the best two out of three. To win a rubber: to
win two games out of three.
RUBY FACED. Red-faced.
RUFF. An ornament formerly worn by men and women
round their necks. Wooden ruff; the pillory.
RUFFIAN. The devil. CANT. May the ruffian nab the
cuffin queer, and let the harmanbeck trine with his kinchins
about his colquarren; may the Devil take the justice,
and let the constable be hanged with his children about
his neck. The ruffian cly thee; the Devil take thee.
Ruffian cook ruffian, who scalded the Devil in his feathers;
a saying of a bad cook. Ruffian sometimes also means,
a justice.
RUFFLES. Handcuffs. CANT.
RUFFLERS. The first rank of canters; also notorious rogues
pretending to be maimed soldiers or sailors.
RUFFMANS. The woods, hedges, or bushes. CANT.
RUG. It is all rug; it is all right and safe, the game is
secure. CANT.
RUG. Asleep. The whole gill is safe at rug; the people
of the house are fast asleep.
RUM. Fine, good, valuable.
RUM BECK. A justice of the peace. CANT.
RUM BITE. A clever cheat, a clean trick.
RUM BLEATING CHEAT. A fat wether sheep. CANT.
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RUM BLOWEN. A handsome wench. CANT.
RUM BLUFFER. A jolly host. CANT.
RUM BOB. A young apprentice; also a sharp trick.
RUM BOOZE. Wine, or any other good liquor. Rum boozing
welts; bunches of grapes. CANT.
RUM BUBBER. A dexterous fellow at stealing silver tankards
from inns and taverns.
RUM BUGHER. A valuable dog. CANT.
RUM BUNG. A full purse. CANT.
RUM CHUB. Among butchers, a customer easily imposed
on, as to the quality and price of meat. CANT.
RUM CHANT. A song.
RUM CLOUT. A fine silk, cambric, or holland handkerchief.
CANT.
RUM COD. A good purse of gold. CANT.
RUM COLE. New money, or medals.
RUM COVE. A dexterous or clever rogue.
RUM CULL. A rich fool, easily cheated, particularly by
his mistress.
RUM DEGEN. A handsome sword. CANT.
RUM DELL. See RUM DOXY.
RUM DIVER. A dextrous pickpocket. CANT.
RUM DOXY. A fine wench. CANT.
RUM DRAWERS. Silk, or other fine stockings. CANT.
RUM DROPPER. A vintner. CANT.
RUM DUBBER. An expert picklock.
RUM DUKE. A jolly handsome fellow; also an odd eccentric
fellow; likewise the boldest and stoutest fellows lately
among the Alsatians, Minters, Savoyards, and other
inhabitants of privileged districts, sent to remove and guard
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the goods of such bankrupts as intended to take sanctuary
in those places. CANT.
RUM FILE. See RUM DIVER.
RUM FUN. A sharp trick. CANT.
RUM GAGGERS. Cheats who tell wonderful stories of
their sufferings at sea, or when taken by the Algerines,
CANT.
RUM GHELT. See RUM COLE. CANT.
RUM GLYMMER. King or chief of the link-boys. CANT.
RUM KICKS. Breeches of gold or silver brocade, or richly
laced with gold or silver. CANT.
RUM MAWND. One that counterfeits a fool. CANT
RUM MORT. A queen, or great lady. CANT.
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