criminologists learn the secret argot of the underworld to enhance our understanding of the people and events we study. poets learn such street jargon because its imagery is often colorfully evocative and metaphorical, yet subtle or sly enough to facilitate secret communication. boing directs us to a fine 1736 dictionary of thieving cant at fromoldbooks.com. … Continue reading olde thieving cant for pupil-mongers, word-peckers, and knaves in grain