Musa Pedestris - Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhymes [1536 - 1896] Part 26

[3: pocket]

[4: money; mistress]

[5: Notes]

[6: food]

[7: clothes; money]

[8: hat]

[9: drunken]

[10: watch; pocketbook]

[11: pockets his money]

[12: ran off]

[13: indulge in banter]

[14: Notes]

[15: inform]

[16: betray]

[17: neck]

[18: persuaded]

[19: police; arrested]

[20: transported]

"NIX MY DOLL, PALS, FAKE AWAY" [Notes]

[1834]

[By W. HARRISON AINSWORTH, being Jerry Juniper's chaunt in _Rookwood_.]

In a box of the stone jug I was born, [1]

Of a hempen widow the kid forlorn, [2]

Fake away! [3]

And my father, as I've heard say, Was a merchant of capers gay, [4 ]

Who cut his last fling with great applause.

Nix my doll, pals, fake away! [5]

To the time of hearty choke with caper sauce. [6]

Fake away!

The knucks in quod did my schoolmen play, [7]

Fake away!

And put me up to the time of day, [8]

Until at last there was none so knowing, No such sneaksman or buzgloak going, [9]

Fake away!

Fogles and fawnies soon went their way, [10]

Fake away!

To the spout with the sneezers in grand array, [11]

No dummy hunter had forks so fly, [12]

No knuckler so deftly, could fake a cly, [13]

Fake away!

No slourd hoxter my snipes could stay, [14]

Fake away!

None knap a reader like me in the lay. [15]

Soon then I mounted in swell street-high, Nix my doll, pals, fake away!

Soon then I mounted in swell street-high.

And sported my flashest toggery, [16]

Fake away!

Fainly resolved I would make my hay, Fake away!

While Mercury's star shed a single ray; And ne'er was there seen such a das.h.i.+ng prig, With my strummel faked in the newest twig, [17]

Fake away!

With my fawnied famms and my onions gay, [18]

Fake away!

My thimble of ridge and my driz kemesa, [19]

All my togs were so niblike and plash. [20]

Readily the queer screens I then could smash. [21]

Fake away!

But my nuttiest blowen one fine day, [22]

Fake away!

To the beaks did her fancy-man betray, [23]

And thus was I bowled at last, And into the jug for a lag was cast, Fake away!

But I slipped my darbies one morn in May, [24]

And gave to the dubsman a holiday, [25]

And here I am, pals, merry and free, A regular rollicking romany. [26]

[1: cell; Newgate]

[2: woman whose husband has been hanged; child]

[3: work away!]

[4: dancing master]

[5: never mind, friends]

[6: hanging]

[7: thieves; prison]

[8: taught me thieving]

[9: shoplifter; pickpocket]

[10: silk handkerchiefs; rings]

[11: p.a.w.nbrokers; snuffboxes]

[12: pocket-book; nimble fingers]

[13: pickpocket; steal]

[14: inside pocket b.u.t.toned up]

[15: steal a pocketbook]

[16: best made clothes]

[17: hair dressed; fas.h.i.+on]

[18: hands bejewelled; seals]

[19: gold watch; lace-frilled s.h.i.+rt]

[20: clothes; fas.h.i.+onable; fine]

[21: forged notes; pa.s.s]

[22: favorite girl]

[23: magistrates; sweetheart]

[24: handcuffs]

[25: warder]

[26: gypsy]