Argot and Slang. Albert Barrere
habituée of balls and cafés; (familiar) —— petite, a young lady of the demi-monde, a “pretty horse-breaker.”
Bénard, m. (popular), breeches, “kicks,” or “sit-upons.”
Bénef, m., for bénéfice, profit.
Bénévole, m. (popular), young doctor in hospitals.
Béni-coco (military), être de la tribu des——, to be a fool.
Béni-Mouffetard (popular), dweller of the Quartier Mouffetard, the abode of rag-pickers.
Bénir (popular), bas, to kick one in the lower part of the back, “to toe one’s bum,” “to root,” or “to land a kick;” (popular and thieves’) —— des pieds, to be hanged, “to cut caper-sauce,” or “to be scragged.”
Bénisseur, m. (familiar), one who puts on a dignified and solemn air, as if about to give his blessing, and who delivers platitudes on virtue, &c.; one who makes fine but empty promises; political man who professes to believe, and seeks to make others believe, that everything is for the best. An historical illustration of this is General Changarnier thus addressing the House on the very eve of the Coup d’Etat which was to throw most of its members into prison, “Représentants du peuple, délibérez en paix!”
Benoît, m. (popular), woman’s bully, “ponce.” See Poisson.
La vrai’ vérité,
C’est qu’ les Benoîts toujours lichent
Et s’graissent les balots.
Vive eul’ bataillon d’ la guiche,
C’est nous qu’est les dos.
Richepin, Chanson des Gueux.
Benoîton, m., benoîtonne, f., people eccentric in their ways and style of dress. From a play of Sardou’s, La Famille Benoîton.
Benoîtonner, to live and dress after the style of the Benoîtons (which see).
Benoîtonnerie, f., style and ways of the Benoîtons.
Beq, m. (engravers’), work.
Béquet, m. (shoemakers’), patch of leather sewn on a boot; (wood engravers’) small block; (printers’) a composition of a few lines; paper prop placed under a forme.
Béqueter (popular), to eat, “to peck,” or “to grub.”
Béquillard, m. (popular), old man, old “codger;” (thieves’) executioner.
Béquillarde, f. (thieves’), guillotine.
Béquille, f. (thieves’), gallows, “scrag.” Properly crutch.
Béquillé, m. (thieves’), hanged person, one who has “cut caper sauce.”
Béquiller (popular), to hang; to eat, “to grub.”
Béquilleur, m. (thieves’), executioner; man who eats.
Berce. Cheval qui se——, horse which rocks from side to side when trotting, which “wobbles.”
Berdouillard (popular), man with a fat paunch, “forty guts.”
Berdouille, f. (popular), belly, “tripes.”
T’as bouffé des haricots que t’as la berdouille gonfle.—Richepin, Le Pavé.
Berge, f., or longe (thieves’), year; one year’s imprisonment, “stretch.”
Bergère, f. (popular), sweetheart, “poll;” last card in a pack.
Béribono, béricain (thieves’), silly fellow easily deceived, a “flat,” a “go along.”
Berlauder (popular), to lounge about, “to mike;” to go the round of all the wine-shops in the neighbourhood.
Berline de commerce, f. (thieves’), tradesman’s clerk.
Berlu, m. (thieves’), blind, or “hoodman.” From avoir la berlue, to see double.
Berlue, f. (thieves’), blanket, “woolly.”
Bernard, m. (popular), aller voir——, or aller voir comment se porte madame——, to ease oneself, “to go to Mrs. Jones.”
Bernards, m. pl. (popular), posteriors, “cheeks.”
Berniquer (popular), to go away with the intention of not returning.
Berri, m. (popular), rag-picker’s basket.
Berry, m. (Ecole Polytechnique), fatigue tunic.
Bertelo, m. (thieves’), one-franc piece.
Bertrand, m. (familiar), a swindler who is swindled by his confederates, who acts as a cat’s-paw of other rogues.
Berzélius, m. (college), watch.
Besoin, m. (popular), autel de——, house of ill-fame, or “nanny-shop.”
Besouille, f. (thieves’), belt. From bezzi, Italian, small coin kept in a belt.
Bessons, m. pl. (popular), the breasts, “dairies.” Properly twins.
Bestiasse, f. (popular), arrant fool; dullard, “buffle-head.”
Bête, f. and adj. (thieves’), confederate in a swindle at billiards. See Bachotter. (Popular) —— à bon Dieu, harmless person (properly lady-bird); —— à cornes, fork; lithographic press; —— à deux fins, walking-stick; —— à pain, a man; also a man who keeps a woman; —— comme ses pieds, arrant fool; —— comme chou, extremely stupid; very easy; —— épaulée, girl who has lost her maidenhead (this expression has passed into the language). Une—— rouge, an advanced Republican, a Radical. Thus termed by the Conservatives. Called also “démoc-soc.”
Bêtises, f. pl. (popular), questionable, or “blue,” talk.
Bettander (thieves’), to beg, “to mump,” or “cadge.”
Betterave, f. (popular), drunkard’s nose, a nose with “grog blossoms,” or a “copper nose,” such as is possessed by an “admiral of the red.”
Beuglant, m. (familiar), low music hall; music hall.
Beugler (popular), to weep, “to nap one’s bib.”
Beugne, f. (popular), blow, “clout,” “bang,” or “wipe.”
Beurloquin, m. (popular), proprietor of boot warehouse of a