Subject: (whorl) Another pip of the scavy

From: Gordon Brain <gobrain at netcomuk.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 23:00:31 +0000

As promised, some more feedback for Mantis's booklet LS-2, Languages Of The
Short Sun Whorl:

Most of it from 'A Dictionary Of Slang And Unconventional English', Eric
Partridge (abbreviated Prt2). 

Bob cull – a 'good fellow', pleasant companion, late C18-19 (Prt2)

Books – a pack of cards, C18-20 (Prt2)

Card in a cart – I'm struggling with this one. Anyone got any ideas?
Only references I could find are as follows, but I can't see how they'd fit
together:
Card – as in Whorl currency
Card – a device, expedient (c. 1700-1900) 
Cart – a bed: army C19-20, a bunk
in the cart – wrong, in the wrong
in the cart – in the know (later C19) (all from Prt2)

Dimberdamber – a Cockney adj. C19-20, 'smart, active, adroit' (Prt2)

Dog's right - I've got a sneaking suspicion this might be rhyming slang.
But dog's right what? And rhyming with what?

Nanny nipper – possibly from nanny as in rhyming slang for nanny goat =
coat, hence type of thief who cuts into coats? 

Pip of the scavy  - sense of "a bit of the knowledge required"
Meaning: pip = each spot on playing cards, dice or dominoes; (OED)
Scavy – see below

Pure = adj. excellent, splendid, very pleasant (Prt2)

Pure keg – (can't find it on either of the pages mentioned – have you got
any other references?)
Keg = the stomach, human copulation, a small piece of common meat (Prt2)

Scavy = scavey = alternate form of 'savvy' = common sense, good sense,
gumption (Prt2)

Scrape out – possibly from 'scrape the kettle' = to go to confession, lower
middle class and proletarian Catholic C19-20 (Prt2)

Sweatin' ken – pawn shop, from sweat = to pawn (c. 1800) (Prt2)

That's all I've got this week.

Brain gone!

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.moonmilk.com/whorl/