subs. (old).—A key. Also BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER.—GROSE (1785).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Betty; blacksmith’s daughter (or wife); gilkes (= skeleton keys); Jack-in-the-box; screw; sket; twirl. See JEMMY and THIEVES.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Une aiguille (popular); un bouton (= master-key); un débridoir (thieves’); un frou-frou (thieves’ = master-key); une Josephine (cf. BETTY); un luctrême (thieves’); un peigne (thieves’); une penne (une plume = a false key).
GERMAN SYNONYMS. Bua (Viennese thieves’: Heb. bube); Dalme or Dalmer (Dalmerei = lock; Dalmernekef = keyhole); Echeder or Echoder (Heb. echod: zarfes Echeder = French skeleton key); Haupter (= a master-key); Hinterschieber; Posschener maphteach; Kleinpurim (= skeleton keys); Sckasklamonis (= a set of skeleton keys).
DUTCH SYNONYMS. Draaier; klanker; tantel; troetel.
ITALIAN SYNONYM. Ingegnosa (= witty or possessed of genius).
