Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954), Thursday 4 August 1881, page 2


MONET.

PART HT.

( Written for tiie Morning Bulletin.)

FOR bad money there are but few names. " Case " is a slang term for a spurious half crown. " Mopus," again, refers to Sir Giles Mompressan, which would lead UB to infer that he waB not very particular in some of his transactions as a treasurer. " Sheen " is a

Scotch term, and refers to glitter in the metal, the word "sheen," shining, signifying the same. " Shaud " also, is Scotch for spurious money. " Schofel " is of German origin. The very word itsely, being translated, is rubbish, or, as an adjective, valueless. There are two or three explanations offered for the word "sinker," but the truo one may I» found in trade-"a die-Bibker,"or a man who engraves or BinkB tho die. This sobriquet any amateur coiner might appropriate to himself, and thus transfer it to the coin in the spirit of the flash man. "Plugging" and "sweating" aro terms expressing two different means of depriving coins of part of their intrinsic weight. "Plugging is to bore holes in them, and alludes to making plugholes ; while "sweating" ie shaking a number of sovereigns violently together in a bag, when a small quantity is chafed off. The term alludes to the exercise taken by pugilists, pedestrians, jockeys, and others, when re-ducing themselves to get into condition, or to pull themselves down to some stipulated weight.

" Arlee " or " Airlee " (Scotch) refers to money put down as " deposit " for the faith of a transaction. Thus we have " Airl Penny,'

as representing " hiring-money," i.e., a smalll sum paid down to bind the engagement. "Ernest" (English) and "Hansel" (Anglo Saxon) are terms for a " deposit " to bind a purchase. " Earnest-money " changes its name very significantly into " rue-money," should it be forfeited. "Hansel"is also a term for " luck-money," It ie a corruption of "hand-sale," and refers to money paid for small purchases at fairs or markets from "cheap-jacks," when the article sold is ¡lauded over to the purchaser with the one hand, and the cash received with the other. A very decided way of saying " there is no tick." "Garnish" is money expended as a

douceur under certain cirumstances. For instance-at the laying of a foundation, the turning of the first sod of a railway, or the launch of a ship, an amount of money is fre queutly given for the purpose of drinking success to somebody or something. This is " garnish." It marks, embellishes, or garnialtes the occasion. Again, it is very common in horse-dealing. In Borne parts of England

few horscB change owners withont the vendor or vendee having to pay for drintcB as an understood portion of the contract. The same custom exists in Australia, but it is termed a "shout." The term "shout" does not require much tracing, as it is known to have come into vogue as lately as the discovery of our goldfields. It arose from the act of calling or "shouting" to the barman, or waiter, in any drinking saloon. Gradually, but surely, the term has become general, and "It is your shout," or " It is your turn to pay for drinks," are synonymous. Nor is it con-fined to drinking, for if one person invites another to a glass of P.B., or a box at the opera, and pays for it, he "shouts". On the goldfields "shouts " of great value have been known. We cannot mention names, as the parties are most likely living within reach of us at the present moment, and we do not care about applied stockwhips ; but many who read this will remember the wedding of a jovial boni-face not a thousand miles from Bendigo, whose shout on the occasion was in pounds, and also beyond a tale of two figures. The words, "tip," "palm oil," "cherry merry," and "douceur," are synonymous. " propine," is university slang for money, given expressly to be expended in drink, which its derivation as plainly expresses. When " a tip " is given for the purpose af securing secrecy in any matter, it becomes "a capsule," "a bribe," and "hush money. " Salary," is taken from the Latin "Balarium," or salt-money. "To eat salt," with a man means to dine with him. There-fore, in the case of an employee, salt-money or salary, is equivalent to board and lodging. In former days it was a custom, much more general now, for an apprentice to live in the house of his master. Thus an old saying " not worth his salt," is accounted for. " Screw," is equivalent to " salary " but means a limited one, which may be inferred from different expressions : for instance, to be "under the screw," is to have limited allowance or credit. To "put on the screw," means to enforce payment. To " raise the screw " lightens the pressure of poverty, and gives thc recipient means for increased comfort and enjoyment. All these expressions may be safely said to have reference to the old instru-ment of torture, thc thumb-screw ; but a miser, SB an " old screw, " ÍB one of any sort which has got rusty and hard to move. " Crying-siller" is an allusion to matrimony, and is a Sootch term for the fee paid for publishing tho banns. It is sometimes named "calling-siller." We can hence sec that a " calling-shame," or "crying-shame," has reference originally to cases of matrimony to which perhaps Borne delicate circumstances were attached. "Tinkler's tippence" is a cognomen for useless money. It does not in any way refer to spurious coin, but to any odd small change which might come in handy to give to wan-dering minstrels, who, as was the custom, would be detaiued to entertain the Lord of the Castle and his guests during their evening repast. " Mcnavelings " ie the term used for surplus money at railway stations. More people than would be supposed hurry away from the ticket windows to catch their train, leaving bchiud them portions of their proper change. " Overs " represent moneys left with similar neglect ou a bauk counter. " Menave liug," we are told, are periodically divided among thc clerks, while, we presume, " Overs " arc carried to a "suspense account. " " A pocket " is a hoard of money, and a " roulleau " a packet or roll of sovereigns. " Seven-pennorth " is a flash term for the same number of years' imprisonment, '"l aking-it-short" means receiving an amount in as few coins as possible. Prisoners would be happy to take seren-pennortb very short.

Socket-money " is difficult to trace. It is Baid to bo money "extorted by threat," in which case it may allude to the difficulty of extracting a rusty screw. More likely it means hidden money from the fact of a sock or stocking being a saving woman's purse or Elant. Uow often have wc not read of money

eing fouud in an old stocking. " Ammuni-tion " and " a shot-in-the-lnckcr " are nautical tenn. To be rich is to bo " warm," while to bc poor is to have "cold gruel" or "cold coffee." To be rich is to be "well lined," while to have an empty purse is "sitting on a bad egg," A "pension," as a money allowance, may be noted, but it is curious that the meanings of the English "pensioner" and French "pensionnaire" are distinctly opposite. The one receives Iiis board, tho other pays for it. An amusing anecdote is told of one Sir James Gordon. When in command of a frigate he lost a leg in action, for which action bc received a pension. Subsequently the wooden substitute came to grief under similar circumstances, when Sir James forwarded a claim for "another leg," and report says he got it.