Sorry, I just had to come by and see the site of the only other person who has a copy of Binstead's "Pitcher in Paradise." Your work sounds fantastic!

posted by klg19 at 9:25 pm (EST) on Jan 24, 2008

I was highly delighted by your comment. Library Thing is certainly scary in this respect, but healthy in as much as one can come clean about quirky collecting habits and then discover that you are not alone.
My interest in slang began when I worked as a junior at Hanley Reference Library in the late 50's. I spent a lot of time in the Stack (working?) It was there I discovered the Farmer and Henley volumes, and you may guess where my interests lay. It was a revelation to see 'dirty' words validated and discussed. The interest has never left me.
I baulked at the price of the New Partridge, but I was delighted to read that you have begun work on a 5 vol opus. Perhaps I may be able to afford it by the time it is published.

Legman has been a long time fascination since buying 'The Horn Book' shortly after it was published. I often wonder what became of his collection after he died. There is very little written about Legman's life, I just hope that someone somewhere is engaged on the project.
You sussed out Fraxi of course. Briefly wondered whether to use the Christian name and chickened out. It would have caused too many problems.

Thanks again, and best wishes for your current work

Fraxi

PS Whatever would Ashbee have made of the Internet today?!

posted by fraxi at 7:38 am (EST) on Oct 22, 2007

Sadly my two rats both passed on earlier this year.

Wish they were named after something like yours, but they were called Sharky and George after a kids cartoon as I was growing up. But they too did suit their names, Sharky was a big bruiser, who was all brawn and no brains, whereas George was smaller and was a lot better at figuring out my little puzzles to get treats.

posted by AlternateYou at 1:09 pm (EST) on Aug 20, 2007

Just wanted to say Thank You. Your dictionary of slang helped a lot in my English A-Level.
I used it so much at the library of my college, I went out and bought a copy.

Cute rat by the way.

posted by AlternateYou at 2:14 pm (EST) on Aug 14, 2007

Jealous! Your copy of La Cuisiniere Provencale seems very difficult to find. I continue my search! I'm so happy that someone here at Library Thing is in posession of a copy.

posted by Anniepooh at 2:49 pm (EST) on Jul 25, 2007

Hi, Jonathan.

Sorry about the delayed reply -- I'm currently in America, having arrived after a two-day delayed flight and promptly getting smacked-down with 48 hour flu! :-(

""
1912 Edwin Pugh _The City Of The World_ 154: They will have money in their pockets [...] and ‘fags’ between their lips, and maybe a Cockney blowen on their arm
""

Neat -- I especially like the scare-quotes around 'fags'.

I have two references from about then, both in historical novels --

Farnol, Jeffery Our Admirable Betty 1918 Boston: Little, Brown, and Company p.274: "Why, then, we're on the spriting lay -- a flash blowen -- a gentry mort, Jerry."

Bailey, H.C. The Highwayman 1915 Methuen and Co., London "Now, my blowens, hand over, or I'll rummage you."

>

Great!!!

>

I came on Henley's Cross Coves a few years ago, and tried to translate it into 20thC American Slang. Then a bit later found Matsell's vocabulary tucked onto the end of +The Gangs of New York+. That sent me off on a study called +A Blast for Blowens+, currently ranging from Shadwell to Whibley via Vidocq, William Maginn, David Haggart, the Reverent Tefts and several others.

>

The first and second editions are I think virtually identical. In the third edition, Haggart's solicitor (who was originally and reluctantly responsible for its printing) fiddles with the spelling a little and adds to the glossary at the end, mostly standard Scots words. And (significantly?) the interview with George Combe, Edinburgh phrenologist of note, is removed. I think partly because by the time the third edition came out late in 1821, the Blackwoods crew, especially William Maginn and James Hogg, were making an absolute meal of Combe's fingering of Haggart's skull in the death cell.

(I hope, if I ever end up about to be hangit, I have the chutzpah to send-up a mad phrenologist before they top me.)

I think Haggart's prose is marvellous, and a shame he didn't have time to write more. And does seem to be his own work. The BL copy of the first edition has an MS note by Lord Colburn, Haggart's defence counsel at his trial, to the effect that while Sinfu' Davey was a lying wee toerag, the Life was indeed his own work.

Best,

Robin

(robin.hamilton2@btinternet.com)

posted by RobinHamilton2 at 10:10 am (EST) on Apr 2, 2007

I've just joined LibraryThing and lodged one book -- the 3rd edition of David Haggart's Life. The glossary at the end of this is slightly different from the previous two editions, being reworked by (probably) the late David's solicitor.

Currently I'm at work on the term "blowen" (which is partly why I have Sinfu' Davy's book to hand.) You give the end date for this in Cassell/Slang as mid19thC. I'd tend to push it forward a bit to about 1900, as it occurs in Charles Whibley's Book of Scoundrals.

Best,

Robin

posted by RobinHamilton at 2:47 pm (EST) on Mar 10, 2007

What we have in common:

1. We are both authors named Jo(h)n Green.
2. We have both written books about the last words of famous people.

This strikes me as really, thoroughly improbable. (I am a big fan of your last words book, btw.)

Best,
John

posted by sparksflyup at 11:09 pm (EST) on Mar 3, 2007

Sorry to trouble--wondering if you'd received the paper. My wireless connection has all the integrity of US foreign policy decisions.

posted by Scriblerus at 1:34 pm (EST) on Feb 17, 2007

Quite right; Scriblerus did for the most part steer clear of the more colorful turns. I did come across the phrases "Cornish-Hug," "Scrapers," and "Nickers" in The Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus, Chapter VI, but he put them in the mouth of his father, Cornelius.

On Friday this week I shall be presenting a conference paper on Thomas Harman's A Caveat to Common Cursetors (1566). I don't get into the matter of the glossary he appended to it, but I do get to speak of Rufflars, Upright Men, and Kynchen Cos.

I will definitely keep an eye out for your future works!

posted by Scriblerus at 7:02 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2007

Very excited to see you here! Chasing the Sun was very helpful to me when I first got interested in the problem of linguistic (in)stability in the eighteenth century.

For slang--I still have most of "Villon's Straight Tip to All Cross Coves" memorized. Cant is cool!

Thanks so much for your work.

posted by Scriblerus at 5:07 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2007

Wow, you're my hero! Being a translator and subtitler (into Finnish), I refer to your huge Dictionary of Slang all the time. Thanks for the great tool!

posted by Minneli at 5:57 pm (EST) on Jan 1, 2007

legphotographer? what a cool job!

posted by tartalom at 12:24 pm (EST) on Dec 11, 2006