Thief

subs. (old).—A term of reproach: not necessarily a robber. Thus (GROSE): ‘You are a murderer and a THIEF, you have killed a baboon and stolen his face; vulgar abuse.’

  1440.  Sir Perceval [Camden Society], 923.

  1603.  SHAKESPEARE, Measure for Measure, v. 1. 40. Angelo is an adulterous THIEF.

  2.  (old).—A mushroom growth on a burning wick which makes the candle gutter; a waster: see BISHOP (GROSE).

  [1598.  FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Fungo, that firy round in a burning candle called a BISHOP.]

  1622.  T. MAY, Virgil, ‘Georgic,’ i.

  d. 1635.  R. SIBBES, Works, iv. 355. Many break themselves by intemperate courses, as candles that have THIEVES in them, as we say, that consume them before their ordinary time.

  d. 1655.  T. ADAMS, Works, iii. 84, ‘A Coal from the Altar.’ The least known evil unrepented of, is as a THIEF IN THE CANDLE, or an obstruction in the liver.

  1642.  HOWELL, Forraine Travell [ARBER], 77. If there bee a THEEFE IN THE CANDLE … there is a way to pull it out; and not to put out the candle.

  1644.  QUARLES, Judgment and Mercy (1807), 132. If a THIEF BE IN HIS CANDLE blow it not out.

  1669.  T. BROOKS, A Cabinet of Choice Jewels (Works, iii. 295), note. A CANDLE will never burn clear whilst there is a THIEF in it.

  d. 1797.  WALPOLE, Letters (CUNNINGHAM), ii. 200. Un voleur! un voleur! cried Mrs. Nugent at an assembly. It turned out to be a THIEF IN THE CANDLE.

  2.  (provincial).—A bramble: cf. BRAMBLE = country lawyer, keeping in mind the A.S. thefe-thorn = bramble.

  3.  SYNONYMS FOR THIEF [= a person guilty of larceny, robbery, swindling, or crookedness of any kind: the following list runs up and down the whole gamut of roguery].

  Aaron; abacter; abaddon; abandanad; abraham-cove; ack-man; ack-pirate; acquisitive cove; Adam; Adam Filer; adept; affidavit-man; afflicke; alsatian; ambidexter; amuser; anabaptist; angler; angling-cove; arch-cove; arch-dell; arch-doxy (GROSE); arch-gonnof; arch-rogue; area-sneak; ark-pirate; ark-ruff; artful-dodger; autem-diver; avoirdupois-man.

  Babe; back-jumper; back-stall; badger; baggage-smasher; baldover; bank-sneak; barabbas; barnacle; baster; beak; beaker-hauler; beaker-hunter; bearer-up; beau-trap (GROSE); bene-feaker; bene-gybe; bester; bilk (SHERIDAN); bilker; Billy Buzman; billy-fencer; birdlime; bite; bit-faker; bit-make; blackleg; blasted-fellow; bleating-cull; blowed-in-the-glass-stiff (American tramps’); bludger; bludget; blue-pigeon flyer; bluey-hunter; bob; bobby-twister; bonnet; boodler; bookkeeper; bouncer; boung-nipper; bowman; bridle-cull; brief-snatcher; broad cove; broadsman; bubber; bubble; bubbler; budge; buffer; buffer-napper; bugger; bug-hunter; bulk; bulk-and-file; bull-trap; bully-buck; bully-cock; bunco-steerer; bunco-man; bung; bung-napper; bunter; burner; buster; buttock-and-file; button; buttoner; buz-bloke; buz-cove; buz-faker; buzman; buzzer; buzzlock.

  Canter (CANTING CREW = generic for thieves, rogues, and beggars); Captain Sharp; carrier: cat-and-kitten nipper; chariot-buzzer; charley-pitcher; chaunting-cove; chive or (chiff) thief; chouse; chouser; christener; circling-boy; clank-napper; clicker; clink-rigger; cloak-twitcher; clouter; cloy; cloyer; cly-filcher; cogger; collector; colt; cork; conveyancer; conveyor; coney-catcher; counterfeit-crank; cover; coverer; crack; cracksman; crony; crook; cross-bite; cross-biter; cross-famker; crib-cracker; cross; cross-cove; crossman; cross-mollisher; crow; cruiser; cunning-man; curtail; cut-purse; cutter.

  Damber (GROSE); damned soul; dancer; darkman’s budge; dead-nap; deeker; deep-one; diddler; dimber-damber (GROSE): ding-boy; dinger; dip; dipper; dipping-bloke; dive; diver; dog-buffer; dragsman; drag-sneak; draw-latch; drop-cove; dropper; dromedary; drummer; drunken tinker; dubber; dudder; duffer; dummerer; dummy-hunter; dunaker.

  Eriff; eves-dropper (GROSE).

  Facer; fagger; family (generic); father; fawney-rigger; fence; fencing-cully; ferret; fiddle; fidlam-bens; figger; filcher; filching-cove; filching-mort; file; finder; finger-smith; fire-prigger; fish-hook; flash-cove; flashman (GROSE); flash-gentry (generic); flat-catcher; fleecer; flimper; flying-cove; fobber; fogle-hunter; foist; footpad; fore-beggar; fork; forker; frater; free-booker; free-booter; freshwater-warmer; frisker; funker.

  Gagger; gallows-bird; gambler (GROSE); garreteer; garrotter; geach; gentleman of the road; gentleman’s master; gentry (generic); gilt; gin-spinner; glasier; gleaner; glimmerer; gold-dropper; gonnof; goodfellow; grafter; Greek; groaner; gun; gutter-prowler.

  Hawk; heaver; hedge-creeper; highpad; high-tober (or toby); hoist; hoister (or hoyster); hook; hooker; hoveller; Hugh Prowler.

  Ingler; innocent; int; Irish toyle (B. E.).

  Jack-in-a-box; Janus-mug; jarkman; jerry-sneak; Jew; jilter; jingler; jockey; jumper.

  Ken-cracker; ken-miller; kiddy (GROSE); kiddy-nipper; kidsman; kinchin-cove; kite; kirk-buzzer; kitchener; klep; knap; knight; knight of the road; knight of St. Nicholas; knowing one; knuck; knuckler.

  Ladrone; lag; landloper; landlubber; landpirate; land-shark; lark; latch-drawer; leatherhead; leg; legger; lift; lifter; little-sneaksman; lob-crawler; lob-sneak; lully-prigger; lumberer; lumper.

  Mace-cove; magsman (MAYHEW, MATSELL, HENLEY); maker; mill-ben; money-dropper; mounter; mocher.

  Nabber; nabbler; nailer; napper; nasty-man; natty-lad; needle; needle-point; Newgate-bird (or nightingale); Newmarket-heath Commissioner; nibbler; nibbling-cull; nicker; nick-pot; nickum; night-bird (cap, hawk, hunter, poacher, snap, trader or walker); nigler (= a sweater); nimmer; nip; nipping Christian; nobbler; nob-pitcher; nose (GROSE).

  Office-sneak; old bird (or hand); olli compolli; ostler; out-and-outer; outrider.

  Pad; pad-borrower; padder; paddist; palmer; panel dodger; panel-thief; pannyman; parlour-jumper; pea-rigger; pea-man; peter (= a safe thief); peter-biter; peter-claimer; peter-hunter; peterman; picaro; picaroon; picker; picker-up; pickereer; pick-penny; pickpocket; pie-man; pigeon; pinch-gloak; pitch-fingers; poacher; pocket-book dropper; poulterer; practitioner; prig; prigger; prigman; Prince Prig; prinado; prowler (or Hugh Prowler); propnailer; pudding-snammer; puller-up; purple dromedary; puffer; puggard; push (generic); pushing tout.

  Quarrel picker; queer bail (or bird); queer-bit-maker; queer bluffer; queer cole fencer; queer cole maker; queer plunger; queer-prancer; queer shover.

  Ramper (ramp, or rampsman); ranger; rank-rider; rapparee; rascal (GROSE); reader-hunter; reader-merchant; repeater and revolver (American tramps’); resurrectionist; ring-dropper; ring-faller; river-rat; road-agent; roberd’s-man (or knave); rob-thief; rogue; rook; rover; royal scamp; royal foot-scamp; rumbler; runner; running glasier; running-snavel.

  Saint Peter’s son; St. Nicholas’s clerk; St. Nicholas’s clergyman; salter; satyr (= cattle thief); sawny-hunter; scamp; scampsman; screwsman; scuffle-hunter; setter; shark; sharp; sharper; shaver; sheep-biter; sheep-napper; sheep-shearer; she-napper; shifter; shoful-pitcher; shop-bouncer; shop-lift; shoplifter; shoulderer; shoulder-sham; shover; shark; shutter-racket worker; shyce; shyster; silk-snatcher; silver cooper; skylarker; slink; smasher; smugger; snabbler; snaffle; snaffler; snaggler; snakesman; snammer; snap; snapper; snapper-up; snatch-cly; snatcher; sneak; sneak-thief; sneaking-budge; sneaksman; sneck-drawer; sneeze-lurker; snick-fudger; snide-pitcher; snow-dropper; snow-gatherer; snudge; soaper; sourplanter; son of St. Peter; spice-gloak; stall (or stale); stallsman; stander-up; standing-budge; stook-hauler; sutler; swagsman; sweetener; swigman; swimmer; swindler.

  Tail-buzzer; thimble-rigger; thimble-twister; till-sneak; tinny-hunter; toby-gill; tobyman; tool; tooler; top-sawyer; tosher; toy-getter; tradesman; traveller; tripper-up; Tyburn-blossom.

  Uncorn; unregenerate; upright-man.

  Vamper; village bustler; voucher.

  Walking poulterer; watchmaker; waterpad; water-sneak; water-sneaksman; welcher; wheedle; whipster; whispering dudder; whyo; wild rogue; wipe-drawer; workman; wrong ’un.

  Ziff.