subs. (old cant).—The ears.

1

  1567.  HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, s.v.

2

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HEARING CHEATS, Ears.

3

  1725.  A New Canting Dictionary, s.v.

4

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.

5

  ENGLISH SYNONYMS.—Drums; flappers; leathers; lugs (Scots’); taps; wattles.

6

  FRENCH SYNONYMS.—Les plats à barbe (popular = large ears); les oches or loches (thieves’); les isgourdes (popular); des feuilles de chou (popular = cabbage leaves); des écoutes or éscoutes (popular = hearing cheats); des cliquettes (popular).

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  GERMAN SYNONYMS.—Horcher (= the listener); Linzer, Loser (Viennese: also Losling, Leusling, Leisling, or Lauschling): Osen.

8