[139] Great Fire of London = at the beginning of September 1666, an inferno, which had begun as a small fire in a bakery in Pudding Lane, raged for three days destroying most of the city
[140] House = House of Commons
[141] Saint John = John the Baptist
[142] Sweet Jesus = predominantly Irish exclamation
[143] Patch = neighbourhood territory
[144] Ha’pennies = ½ pennies
[145] Ol’ Lady o’ Threadneedle Street = Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, City of London
[146] Sweatshop = where manual workers are employed at very low wages for long hours under poor conditions
[147] Skilly = thin broth made from oatmeal, water and flavoured with meat
[148] Young ’un = baby
[149] Wring its neck = throttle
[150] Windsor = some 20 miles from London and dominated by Windsor Castle
[151] Whale o’ a time = enjoying oneself very much
[152] Bleedin’ rich = indignation, scornful disbelief
[153] Done fer = exhausted
[154] Bareback = sitting astride the back of a naked woman and slapping her buttocks whilst she pretends to be a horse
[155] Epsom = 18 miles from London and famously known for its racecourse
[156] Pint = drinking glass which holds one eighth of a gallon of beer
[157] Stand me a pint = buy me a pint
[158] Pull the other leg, its got bells on = expressing disbelief
[159] Splitting hairs = uttered by one person to another who is thought to be quibbling
[160] Over my dead body = under no circumstances
[161] Pop Goes the Weasel = implies a task will be done quickly
[162] Professor Faulds, Henry = Scottish physician noted for his scientific study of fingerprinting
[163] Buffoon = idiot
[164] Leave no stone unturned = try every possible course of action
[165] Beck and call = ready to comply with any wish or command
Chapter 6: The Mark of M
[166] Takin’ the bleedin’ piss = abusing the goodwill of a person
[167] Tick = credit
[168] Rancid = smelling or tasting unpleasant
[169] A slip of the tongue = unintentional remark
[170] You’ve lost me = said when a person is bemused
[171] Linsey-woolsey = strong coarse fabric
[172] Gusset boots = ankle footwear with elasticated sides
[173] Dark Annie = nickname for Annie Chapman
[174] Nook an’ ctranny = Look everywhere
[175] Sixes and sevens = befuddled, confused
[176] Swine = awful person
[177] Comeuppance = well deserved punishment
[178] Skint = no money
[179] Scratch me back = ask for or do a favour
[180] Dregs = insignificant, worthless
[181] An’ I don’t work the streets anymore = refers to a prostitute who openly plies her trade in the street
[182] A slice of me on the side = sexual payment
[183] Pawnbroker = lends money at interest on an item left behind as security
[184] Sweet Mother o’ Mary = Irish exclamation of anguish
[185] Tickled = amused
[186] Ta = thank you
[187] Mum’s the word = not a word of this to anyone
Chapter 7: Dear Boss
[188] Geneva = second largest city in Switzerland
[189] Cobwebs of the mind = wearisome thoughts
[190] Bon voyage = French for a courteous farewell
[191] Churlish = rude, surly
[192] Monomania = obsessively preoccupied with one thing
[193] Hypothesis = supposition based on limited evidence, but which can be used as a starting point for further investigation
[194] Blighters = troublesome people
[195] All piss and wind = empty talk
[196] Wouldn’t throw a plank to a drowning man = selfish, disinclined to help another person in need
[197] Wouldn’t ’arm a fly = would not injure or offend anyone
[198] Local nick = local police station
[199] Tail between his legs = retreat quickly, through defeat or fear
[200] Tosh = untrue
[201] A little bird whispered in my ear = I was informed
[202] Mad as a March hare = stark raving mad
[203] Sharp as a needle = astute
[204] Guinea = twenty-one shillings
[205] Barney = noisy quarrel
[206] Heathens = people who do not belong to any known religion
[207] ‘E were a sport = kind generous person
[208] Tip = monetary reward for a service
[209] One an’ six = one shilling and sixpence
[210] Garden of Eden = according to the biblical account of the Creation, the place where Adam and Eve lived
[211] Metaphorically speaking = symbolic of something
[212] Vargulf = German for werewwolf
[213] Alexandra, Princess of Wales = wife of Albert Edward, heir to the throne
[214] Bluebottle = police constable
[215] Gone and torn it = uttered in dismay when something said or done has created disorder
[216] Ragamuffins = shoeless children in ragged, dirty cloths
[217] Rained cats and dogs = heavy, continuous downpour of rain
[218] Steal a nap = brief sleep
[219] Buggers = term of contempt, referring to men
[220] Whippersnapper = brash, inexperienced young man
Chapter 8: Harbinger of Death
[221] Shacked up = reside with a person, usually of the opposite sex
[222] Send ’er t’ sleep = kill her
[223] Carved up = murdered and mutiliated with a knife
[224] Bogies = police
[225] Buggered off an’ left me = gone away, permanently
[226] Pissin’ broken glass = searing pain during urination
[227] Unt’ward = unexpected, inappropriate or inconvenient
[228] Porkies = lies
[229] Pushin’ up daisies = dead, buried
[230] Spick-an’-span = exceedingly clean
[231] Take yer fancy, do I? = do you like the way I look?
[232] Bleeder = contemptuous individual
[233] Nicked = stole
[234] Worth a bob or two = shilling or two
[235] Lor’ bless yer – thank you kindly
[236] Dray = wagon
[237] Yer’ve got a ’ead, lass = smart, intelligent
[238] Breezin’ in = entering uninvited
[239] Emerald Isle = Ireland
[240] Chemise = female upper undergarment with short sleeves
[241] Back scuttle = anal intercourse
[242] Natter = gossip
[243] Straight from the horse’s mouth = direct from the source
[244] Blind Alley = apt to lead nowhere
[245] Git ’itched, like = get married
[246] I’d treat yer fair an’ square = good and proper, with respect
[247] Mutton jeff = deaf
[248] Funny = peculiar
[249] Chiswick = west London district
[250] Posh = upper class
[251] Good riddance = pleased to be rid of a troublesome person
[252] Tickled pink = very happy
[253] Want t’ dip yer wick? = do you want to have sexual intercourse?
[254] Stone the crows = incredulous exclamation
[255] Shooting oneself in the foot = doing something stupid or making a silly mistake
[256] Lavvy = toilet
[257] Squirt = urinate
[258] Plums = testicles
[259] Thru’pence = three pennies
[260] Dublin, city in Ireland
[261] Lead in yer pencil = able to achieve an erection
[262] Welch = inform on an individual
[263] Nothin’ serious = do not deviate from the accepted norm
[264]
Someone just stepped on me grave = ominous feeling
[265] Manhood = penis
[266] Tumbled = stumbled upon whilst committing a crime
[267]
Chapter 9: Night of the Signs
‘Iding = beat a person incessantly
[268] Ol’ cock = friendly form of address
[269] Gladstone bag = hinged bag with two equal compatments, named after former Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone
[270] Nth degree = utmost, extreme
[271] Nasty piece of work = unpleasant person
[272] Sniffing about = investigate stealthily
[273] Fools errand = waste of time
[274] In league with the devil = implying that a person has committed a crime in partnership with Satan
[275] Strong stomach = not affected by queasiness
[276] Collared = arrest
[277] Gibberish = nonsense
[278] Hit the nail on the head = to be exactly right about something
[279] Feculent = excrement
[280] Liverpool = situated in the north-west of England and situated along the eastern side of the Mersey estuary
[281] Wild goose chase = fruitless pursuit
Chapter 10: Revelations
[282] Too clever by half = outsmart oneself
[283] Post-haste = hurry
[284] Rule the roost = complete authority
[285] Newgate Jail = just inside the city of London where death sentences are carried out
[286] Stokin’ = sexual intercourse
[287] Dropped a clanger = foolishly incriminate oneself
[288] Judas = Judas Iscariot. Disciple of Christ who betrayed Him to the Romans
[289] Dalston = district of east London
[290] Kosher butcher = prepares meat according to the Jewish law
[291] Will-o’-the-wisp = ghostly light seen at night over bogs, swamps and marshes, which continually recedes when approached
[292] Chessington = located in the county of Surrey
[293] Geezer = man
[294] £4 6s = four pounds, six shillings
[295] Pong = strong, unpleasant smell
[296] Madagascar = island in the Indian Ocean off the south-east coast of Africa
[297] No rest fer the wicked = very busy, no time to rest
[298] In fer a penny, in fer a pound = perform a task until completed
[299] Catch on quick, don’t yer = understand immediately
[300] Shilling ’ead = fellatio
[301] Oooh, lovely ’elmet = head of the penis
[302] An’ no cheese = accumulated scum around the lower rim of the tip of the penis. Accrued by a constant lack of personal hygiene
[303] Farthin’ = ¼ of a penny
[304] Yakkin = incessant talk
[305] I’ll cut yer fer this = cause injury with a knife
Chapter 11: Abyss
[306] Clutching at straws = futile course of action to solve a problem
[307] In a nutshell = brief summary
[308] Achilles heel = vulnerable point
[309] On the double = quickly
[310] Lifted = stolen
[311] Second nature = natural,normal
[312] By fair means or foul = use whatever means necessary to achieve a result
[313] Hound our quarry = pursue relentlessly
[314] Hither and thither = muddled, disorganised
[315] Miserable cow = contemptible woman
[316] Coppers = pennies
[317] Keep yer ’air on, will yer? = calm down
[318] ‘Igh an’ dry = stranded, alone without help
[319] Earn a crust = just enough money to live on
[320] Boracic = no money, skint
[321] Tea leaf = thief
[322] Sick t’ death = unwilling to tolerate a situation any longer
[323] Eighty-six, eighty-seven = 1886 and 1887
[324] Tash - moustache
[325] Won me over = convince someone impressively
[326] Two yards = six feet
[327] Cosh = small bludgeoning lead weapon encsed in leather
[328] ’And job = masturbation
[329] Stroke = masturbate
Chapter 12: Charnel House
[330] Tennyson, Lord Alfred = poet laureate to Queen Victoria
[331] Chucked in the towel = admit defeat or failure
[332] Yutz = Yiddish for fool
[333] Bottle = courage
[334] Means t’ an’ end = person or situation which is not considered important but is used nevertheless to achieve an aim
[335] Dead giveaway = something uttered or done which betrays, reveals or exposes a fraudulent person or activity
[336] Malice aforethought = kill or harm as planned
[337] Put a spring in a man’s ’eel = make someone cheerful, happy
[338] One born every minute = gullible, stupid
[339] Prim an’ proper = strait-laced, prudish
[340] Piss = urine
[341] King’s Ransom = large treasure
[342] Squirrel away = hoard
[343] Safe haven = place free of danger
[344] Blaggard = unprincipled, comtemptible man
[345] From ill-gotten gains = acquired by illegal or unfair means
[346] Bogey = policeman
[347] Gay Paree = Paris, France
[348] Oui = French for yes
[349] Merci, monsieur = French for thank you, sir
[350] Warms the cockles o’ yer heart = makes one happy
[351] Stone’s throw = short distance
[352] All square now = even. Settle a debt
[353] I’m all ears = receptive to a proposal or scheme
[354] Toff = member of the upper classes
[355] Freeze the balls of a brass monkey = very cold weather
[356] Stuck = burdened
[357] Romford = located in the county of Essex, some twelve miles from Whitechapel
[358] If the boot were on t’ other foot = if the situation was reversed and I had the advantage
[359] Piece o’ brass = money
[360] Bloody blue murder = make an outcry, scream until you are blue in the face
[361] Astrakhan = fleece of the karakul lambs of central Asia
[362] Bonbons = chocolate coated confectionery
[363] Coinage = money
[364] Ain’t one t’ mince words = to say what you mean
[365] She your tongue? = she speaks for you?
[366] Gelt – Yiddish for money
[367] E ’as a slate missin’, if not the whole roof – said about a person who is perceived to be acting extremely oddly
[368] Ol’ ’abits die ’ard = existing habits are hard to change
Chapter 13: Hue and Cry
[369] Put wood in the ’ole = close the door
[370] Pasty = pale
[371] First port o’ call = first place to stop to do something
[372] Wreck me own livelihood? = damage the source of my income
[373] That’s calmed ’im down = quietened, silenced or subdued
[374] Tooting Common = large, open, grassy area in south London
[375] Regent’s Park = located in central London and close to Baker Street
[376] Hyde Park = located in central London and contains an artificial lake called the Serpentine
[377] Wyndyate, Scarborough = located near the North Sea coast, North Yorkshire
[378] Manacled by superiors = hundered from achieving a task by officialdom
[379] Wot’s the bleedin’ ’old up? = why are we waiting
[380] A bit of the beaten track = not one’s normal locale
[381] Right carry-on innit? = a ridiculous situation, isn’t it?
[382] A trick or two = effective way to do something
[383] Fallowfield glass-plate camera = manufactured by J Fallowfield & Co., 35 & 36 Lower Marsh, Lambeth, London
[384] Sallying forth = come forth in a sudden, energetic or violent man
ner
[385] Throw up = vomit
[386] Nosy parker = person who pries in the affairs of others
[387] Princetown Prison = located a quarter of a mile from Princetown village on Dartmoor in Devonshire
[388] Let the cat out of the bag = inadvertently disclose a secret
[389] Tom-toms = message sent overland by the beating of drums
Chapter 14: Consequences
[390] Constitution = health
[391] Foot the bill = pay for something or a service
[392] Charing Cross Hospital = located in Agar Street, London
[393] Coup de grâce = final blow or shot which kills a wounded person or animal
[394] Banged up = incarcerated
[395] ‘Et up = agitated, angry
[396] Au revoir = French for farewell
[397] Cock crows = male bird whose characteristic cry heralds dawn
[398] Spare me face = do not injure my face
[399] Charlatan = person who deceptively claims to have special knowledge or skill
[400] Slammed up = incarcerated
[401] Cortège = solemn procession, especially a funeral
[402] Carpet bag = travelling bag made from carpet-like material
[403] Mulatto = person who has one white and one black parent
[404] Tasmania = island off the southern coast of Australia
[405] Shekels = Yiddish for money
[406] Tight-lipped = unspoken. silent
[407] Ferret out = find, discover
Chapter15: Reckoning
[408] Bournemouth = resort town situated on the southern coast of England
[409] Brighton = resort town situated on the southern coast of England, renowned for its West Pier
[410] Bolted = fled, in this case, to escape arrest
[411] Frogs = French
[412] Devil’s Island = island penal colony in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of French Guiana
[413] Thespian = theatre actor or actress
[414] Prick up my ears = caught my attention
[415] Keep the wolf from the door = avert poverty, prevent starvation
[416] My tongue is tied, my lips are sealed = will not divulge what one knows
[417] Wipe that grin off your face = reprimand for failing to show due respect to another person
[418] I spilled me guts t’ a copper = told everything
[419] Shadwell = a district near St Katherine’s Dock and less than a mile from Whitechapel
Sherlock Holmes Murder Most Foul Page 45
