Thieves' Cant
General
Accomplice Hired Help Lockpick Punchline
Arrested nvited Lookout Pair of eyes
Backstab Shoulder Tap Losing a Hand Dropping a Glove
Bribe Expense Money (Legal Burglary Visitin' The Neighbours
Punishment)
Climb Taking A Big Step Magic Flash
Dagger Pig Poker Magic Item Bagged Flash
Die Goin' Legit Night Watchmen Moon Pigs
Dog Fang Open Tell a Joke
Door Lid Pickpocket Purse Collect(-or,-ing)
Fence Uncle Plan (n.) Signals
Flogging Getting Stripes Planning Flag Waving
Guard Pig Prisoner Hizzoner's Guest
Guard, Head Papa Proker Quiet Smooth
Hang Ridin' The Rope Rope Danglestuff
Healer, Tinker Sell Switch
Steal Borrow
Hello Knock-Knock Tie Up Dress Up
Hide Shadow Dance or Thief Gentleman
Crawl in a Hole Torture Have Tea with
House Crib the Pigs
Informant A Hole In Need Trap Bite
of Plugging Trial Show
Injury Scratch Wall Tilted Floor
Injury, Broken Finger Window Backdoor
Serious
Innocent Dodgies
Bystander
Jail Guesthouse
Jailbreak Going Home
Judge Grandpa
Kill Have a Chat With
Knock Tuck In Bed
Unconcious
Lock Joke
TREASURE
Bronz Bronze Diamond Chunk o' Gin
Copper Rust Emerald Green Beer
Gold Yellow Tin Sapphire Berry Wine
Platinum Shiny Tin Pearl Milk
Silver Tin Ruby Chunk o' Brandy
Ear Rings Lobe Latches
Jewel Booze
Jewerly Fancy Booze
Loot Stuffing
Money Bits
Necklace Noose
Ring Finger Joint
TIME
Time is measured in hours after sunset and sunrise. One hour is called a finger. After sunset is "clean", after sunrise is "dirty".
Noon: "six dirty fingers"
Midnight: "Thumbs"
3:00 am: "nine clean fingers"
"fingers" can be divided into three 20 minute periods called "knuckels".
2:20 pm: "first dirty knuckel on the eighth finger"
1:19 pm: "seventh dirty finger"
4:45 am: "second clean knuckel on the tenth finger"
Other phrases
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Near sunrise "Gettin' dirty"
Near sunset "Almost clean"
If a theif suspects that he can be overheard hand gestures may be used. In this case, the back of the hand is "dirty" and the palm is "clean". There are hundreds of variations based on this scheme. Thieves planning a crime will agree beforehand on the which to use.
Size and Weight
Size
big Tall man
small Short man
Weight
Heavy Fat lady
Light Thin woman
Specific lengths and weights are given in normal measurements.
Example Conversation
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Thief #1: "Knock-knock, Blackhand an I were flag wavin' bout visiting Papa Porker's crib at seven clean fingers. We're lookin' fer a third gentleman for a pair o' eyes. Intrested ?
Thief #2: "What style of stuffing ya wanna to borrow ? Who's your uncle ?
Thief #1: "Uncle's out of town. We're gonna pick bits.
Thief #2: "That's fat lady work. Sounds too boring. I'm not intrested."
TRANSLATION
Thief #1: "Hello, Blackhand and I were planing on burglarising the Captain of the Guard's house tonight at 1:00 am. We need a third theif to act as lookout. Are you intrested ?
Thief #2: "What kind of loot are you going to steal ? Who's your fence ?
Thief #1: "We won't need a fence. We are going for money only."
Thief #2: "That's going to be heavy work. Sounds too risky. I'm not
intrested."
(
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