Sherlock Holmes Murder Most Foul

by Gordon Punter

  [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