Another pip of the scavy

Gordon Brain · 15 May 1998, 23:00 · from whorl-v0008.mbox · original

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From: "Gordon Brain" <gobrain at netcomuk.co.uk>
Subject: (whorl) Another pip of the scavy
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 00:00:31 +0100
Message-ID: <whorl-v0008-0635 at digest.urth.net>
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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).=20

Bob cull =E2=80=93 a 'good fellow', pleasant companion, late C18-19 (Prt2)

Books =E2=80=93 a pack of cards, C18-20 (Prt2)

Card in a cart =E2=80=93 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 =E2=80=93 as in Whorl currency
Card =E2=80=93 a device, expedient (c. 1700-1900)=20
Cart =E2=80=93 a bed: army C19-20, a bunk
in the cart =E2=80=93 wrong, in the wrong
in the cart =E2=80=93 in the know (later C19) (all from Prt2)

Dimberdamber =E2=80=93 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 =E2=80=93 possibly from nanny as in rhyming slang for nanny go=
at =3D
coat, hence type of thief who cuts into coats?=20

Pip of the scavy  - sense of "a bit of the knowledge required"
Meaning: pip =3D each spot on playing cards, dice or dominoes; (OED)
Scavy =E2=80=93 see below

Pure =3D adj. excellent, splendid, very pleasant (Prt2)

Pure keg =E2=80=93 (can't find it on either of the pages mentioned =E2=80=
=93 have you got
any other references?)
Keg =3D the stomach, human copulation, a small piece of common meat (Prt2)

Scavy =3D scavey =3D alternate form of 'savvy' =3D common sense, good sense,
gumption (Prt2)

Scrape out =E2=80=93 possibly from 'scrape the kettle' =3D to go to confess=
ion, lower
middle class and proletarian Catholic C19-20 (Prt2)

Sweatin' ken =E2=80=93 pawn shop, from sweat =3D 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/

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