Thieves’ Cant — The Rogues’ Lexicon

To steal — the cant verb that gave us 'shoplifting' centuries on.

The night, in the cant — when the angler hooked windows and the prig went to work.

A sneak-thief who slipped into houses to steal cloaks and coats off the pegs.

An accomplice who screens the thief — the body that blocks the view while the foin works.

Cant for a church — root of 'autem mort' (a wedded woman) and 'autem diver' (church-thief).

Cant for a woman — a 'walking mort' tramped the roads; an 'autem mort' was a wedded one.

Cant for 'good' — the opposite of 'queer'; bene bouse was good drink, a bene cove a sound man.

The day, in the cant — paired against darkmans on the rogue's upside-down clock.

Cant for a man or fellow — your 'cove' could be a mate, a master, or the mark.

An old name for the canting tongue itself — the secret 'language' of thieves and vagabonds.

Mature content — open to view.

A swaggering beggar posing as a maimed ex-soldier — second only to the upright man.

To drink, in the old cant — and 'bousing ken' was the boozing-house where rogues drank.

To speak or talk in the cant — and to 'cut bene whids' was to speak fair and friendly.

A thief who 'fished' goods through open windows with a hooked pole by night.

The head — and a 'nab-cheat' was a hat; to nab also meant to seize or arrest.

A thief, in the old canting tongue — the general word for anyone who lifts what isn't theirs.

A cutpurse — the rogue who sliced the strings of a hanging purse and palmed the coin.

A pickpocket — the rogue who lifted a purse by fingers alone, no blade required.

The top rank of the canting crew — the boss rogue who lorded it over every lesser vagabond.