Argot and Slang. Albert Barrere
f. (popular), chin.
Banquezingue, m. (thieves’), banker, “rag-shop cove.”
Banquiste (thieves’), one who prepares a swindling operation.
Baptême, m. (popular), head, “nut.”
Baquet, m. (popular), washerwoman; —— insolent, same meaning (an allusion to the impudence of Parisian washerwomen); —— de science, cobbler’s tub.
Barant, m. (thieves’), gutter, brook. From the Celtic baranton, fountain.
Baraque, f., disparaging epithet for a house or establishment; (servants’) a house where masters are strict and particular; a “shop;” newspaper of which the editor is strict with respect to the productions; (schoolboys’) cupboard; (soldiers’) a service stripe; (sharpers’) a kind of swindling game of pool.
Barbaque, or bidoche, f. (popular), meat, or “carnish.”
Barbe, f. (students’), private coaching. (Popular) Avoir de la—— is said of anything old, stale. (Theatrical) Faire sa——, to make money. (Familiar) Vieille——, old-fashioned politician. (Printers’) Barbe, intoxication, the different stages of the happy state being “le coup de feu,” “la barbe simple,” “la barbe indigne.” Prendre une——, to get intoxicated, or “screwed.” (Popular) Barbe, women’s bully, or “pensioner.”
Barbe à poux, m., an insulting expression especially used by cabbies, means lousy beard. Also a nickname given sometimes to the pioneers in the French army on account of their long beards.
Barbeau, m. (popular), prostitute’s bully. Properly a barbel.
Barbeaudier (thieves’), doorkeeper; turnkey, “dubsman,” or “jigger dubber;” —— de castu, hospital overseer. Concerning this expression Michel says: Cette expression, qui nous est donnée par le Dictionnaire Argotique du Jargon, a été formée par allusion à la tisane que l’on boit dans les hôpitaux, tisane assimilée ici à la bière. En effet, barbaudier avait autrefois le sens de brasseur, si l’on peut du moins s’en rapporter à Roquefort, qui ne cite pas d’exemple. En voici un, malheureusement peu concluant. Tais-toi, putain de barbaudier: Le coup d’œil purin.
Barberot, m. (convicts’), barber, a “strap.”
Barbet, m. (thieves’), the devil, “old scratch,” or “ruffin.”
Barbichon, m. (popular), monk. An allusion to the long beard generally sported by the fraternity.
Barbille, barbillon, m., girl’s bully, young hand at the business.
Barbillons, m. pl. (popular), de Beauce, vegetables (Beauce, formerly a province); —— de Varenne, turnips.
Barbot, m. (popular), duck; girl’s bully, “ponce.” See Poisson. (Thieves’) Vol au——, pocket-picking, or “buz-faking.” Faire le——, to pick pockets, “to buz,” or “to fake a cly.”
Barbotage, m., theft, “push.” From barboter, to dabble.
Barbote, f. (thieves’), searching of prisoners on their arrival at the prison, “turning over.”
Barboter (thieves’), to search on the person, “to turn over;” to steal, “to clift;” to purloin goods and sell them; —— les poches, to pick pockets, “to buz;” (familiar) —— la caisse, to appropriate the contents of a cashbox.
Barboteur, m. (thieves’), de campagne, night thief.
Barbotier, m., searcher at prisons.
Barbotin, m. (thieves’), theft; proceeds of sale of stolen goods, “swag.”
Après mon dernier barbotin,
J’ai flasqué du poivre à la rousse.
Richepin.
Barbue, f. (thieves), pen.
Bar-de-tire, m. (thieves’), hose.
Baril de moutarde (cads’), breech. See Vasistas.
Barka (military), enough (from the Arabic).
Baron, m. (popular), de la crasse, man ill at ease in garments which are not suited to his station in life, and which in consequence give him an awkward appearance.
Barre, f. (thieves’), needle; (popular) compter à la——, primitive mode of reckoning by making dashes on a slate.
Barré, adj. (popular), dull-witted, “cabbage-head.”
Barrer (popular), to leave off work; to relinquish an undertaking; to scold. Se——, to make off, “to mizzle;” to conceal oneself.
Barres, f. pl. (popular), jaws. Se rafraîchir les——, to drink, “to wet or whet one’s whistle.”
Barrique, f. (freemasons’), decanter or bottle.
Bas (popular), de buffet, a person or thing of no consequence; —— de plafond, —— du cul, short person. Vieux—— de buffet, old coquette.
Basane, or bazane, f. (popular), skin, or “buff.” Tanner la——, to thrash, “to tan.” (Military) Tailler une——, is to make a certain contemptuous gesture the nature of which may best be described as follows:—
Un tel, quatre jours de salle de police, ordre du sous-officier X … a répondu à ce sous-officier en lui taillant une bazane; la main appliquée sur la braguette du pantalon, et lui faisant décrire une conversion à gauche, avec le pouce pour pivot.—Quoted by L. Merlin, La Langue Verte du Troupier.
Bas-bleuisme, m. (literary), mania for writing. Used in reference to those of the fair sex.
Bascule, f. (popular), guillotine.
Basculer (popular), to guillotine.
Bas-off, m. (Polytechnic School), under-officer.
Basourdir (thieves’), to knock down; to stun; to kill, “to give one his gruel.” See Refroidir.
Basse, f. (thieves’), the earth.
Bassin, m., bassinoire, f. (familiar), superlatively dull person, a bore.
Bassinant, adj. (familiar), dull, annoying, boring.
Bassiner (familiar), to annoy, to bore.
Bassinoire, f., large watch, “turnip.” See Bassin.
Basta (popular), enough; no more. From the Spanish.
Bastimage