Grant talks about the lingo of criminals from 1930s. Here are more examples from police reporter Ben Kendall’s 1931 Los Angeles Times article, “Underworld ‘Lingo’ Brought Up-to-Date.” This is part of a complete episode...
cee-lo n.—Gloss: A type of the dice game craps. «He says the game pads his income substantially—he said he won $1,000 playing cee-lo in July alone. The game, played with a trio of dice for stakes that can range from a few dollars to a few...
ghost n.— «The two are known as “ghosts,” in police parlance, or undercover officers whose job is to keep an eye on and provide back-up to a third undercover officer who is doing the buy-and-bust work.» —“Man Shot Dead by Police on...
sideshow n.— «Sgt. Lou Cruz said the boy, whose name was not released, was being driven home by friends just before 4 a.m. Saturday when they were caught in the middle of a sideshow at 90th and Bancroft avenues and someone shot at the...
fix-it ticket n.— «Apparently, in most states, having one headlight out is not considered a moving violation (in some states it is legal to only have one headlight working), but referred to as a “fix-it ticket.” Meaning, the police...
hot prowl burglary n.— «A string of what the police call “hot prowl” burglaries—entries into people’s homes as they sleep—had been reported.» —“Alleged Serial Burglar Nabbed in West Portal” by Joe...