Bluebeetles and Bean Guns

Authors

Leonard R. N. Ashley

Abstract

The criminal classes have their argot, closed groups their cant, every vocation and avocation its own special jargon. Furniture salesman speak of borax (cheap furniture), the jeweller of jaggers (cheap watches). The sho salesman knows that kangaroos are not animals, the circus hand that convicts (zebras) are. It's really amazing how many words of these supposedly private languages the average American manages to pick up. Run down the list. See if you can spot at least one word in each group that you can define. If you can, that's zooly (superb).

Recommended Citation

Ashley, Leonard R. N. (1972) "Bluebeetles and Bean Guns," Word Ways: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 11.
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/wordways/vol5/iss2/11