The merit of Captain Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue has
been long and universally acknowledged. But its circulation was
confined almost exclusively to the lower orders of society: he was
not aware, at the time of its compilation, that our young men of
fashion would at no very distant period be as distinguished for the
vulgarity of their jargon as the inhabitants of Newgate; and he
therefore conceived it superfluous to incorporate with his work the
few examples of fashionable slang that might occur to his
observation. But our Jehus of rank have a phraseology not less
peculiar to themselves, than the disciples of Barrington: for the
uninitiated to understand their modes of expression, is as
impossible as for a Buxton to construe the Greek Testament. To
sport an Upper Benjamin, and to swear with a good grace, are
qualifications easily attainable by their cockney imitators; but
without the aid of our additional definitions, neither the cits of
Fish-street, nor the boors of Brentford would be able to attain the
language of whippism. We trust, therefore, that the whole tribe of
second-rate Bang Ups, will feel grateful for our endeavour to
render this part of the work as complete as possible.
General
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