Hardcastle's Soldiers

by Graham Ison

EIGHT O’CLOCK WALK, to take the: to be hanged.

  FEEL THE COLLAR, to: to make an arrest.

  FIVE-AND-NINE ON THE BRIGHTON LINE: the fare from London to Brighton was five shillings and ninepence, so ‘Brighton Line’ was a popular call for ‘59’ in housey-housey (qv).

  FLEET STREET: former centre of the newspaper industry

  FOURPENNY CANNON, a: a steak and kidney pie.

  GAMP: an umbrella (from Sarah Gamp in Dickens’s Martin Chuzzlewit).

  GUNNERS, The: the Royal Horse Artillery, the Royal Garrison Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery.

  HAND AMBULANCE: a two-wheeled barrow used for conveying drunkards to the police station, and occasionally for removing dead bodies.

  HAWKING THE MUTTON: leading a life of prostitution.

  HOUSEY-HOUSEY: army term for lotto, bingo or tombola.

  JILDI: quickly (ex Hindi).

  KC: King’s Counsel: a senior barrister.

  KNOCK OFF to: to arrest.

  LAY-DOWN, a: a remand in custody.

  LINEN DRAPERS: newspapers (rhyming slang).

  MC: Military Cross.

  NCO: non-commissioned officer.

  NICK: a police station or prison or to arrest or to steal.

  PIP EMMA: signallers’ code for p.m. (cf ACK EMMA.)

  POT AND PAN, OLD: father (rhyming slang: old man).

  PROVOST, the: military police.

  QUEER STREET, in: in serious difficulty; short of money.

  REDCAPS: The Corps of Military Police.

  ROZZER: a policeman.

  RP: regimental police, not to be confused with the Corps of Military Police.

  RSM: regimental sergeant major (a senior warrant officer).

  SAM BROWNE: a military officer’s belt with shoulder strap.

  SAUSAGE AND MASH: cash (rhyming slang).

  SCRIMSHANKER: one who evades duty or work.

  SILK, a: a King’s Counsel, from the silk gowns they wear.

  SKIP or SKIPPER: an informal police alternative to sergeant.

  SMOKE, The: London.

  SPROG: a child.

  STONEY: broke.

  STRETCH, a: one year’s imprisonment.

  SWADDY: a soldier.

  TEA LEAF: a thief (rhyming slang).

  THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND: drunk.

  TITFER: a hat (rhyming slang: tit for tat).

  TOBY: a police area.

  TOD (SLOAN), on one’s: on one’s own (rhyming slang).

  TOM: a prostitute.

  TOPPED: murdered or hanged.

  TWO-AND-EIGHT, in a: in a state (rhyming slang).

  WALLAH: someone employed in a specific office (ex Hindi).

  WAR OFFICE: Department of State overseeing the army.

  WIPERS: Army slang for Ypres in Belgium.