Ralph-Spooner ("Fool"): the diversity of terms he has gathered for lewd women, randy men and alcoholic refreshment is rivaled only by the creativity of the slang for money and status symbols. For instance, The Cull equipt me with a brace of Meggs is cant for "the Gentleman furnish'd me with a couple of Guineas," which could perchance buy some Famble-cheats (gold rings or gloves) or a Rum Jockum-Gage (a silver chamber pot). All the bitches, booze, bluffs and boasts from Scorsese to Jay-Z could be translated into the rogue jargon of the late seventeenth century without missing a beat.from Ange Mlinko: The Nation: The Canting Crew
~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments :
Post a Comment