Lower East Side Slang of Yore
In the past, we here at Boogie have frequently delved into the subject of Lower East Side linguistics. That is to say, etymology of words and phrases still in common parlance today. For instance, Great Jones Street spawned the verb “Jonesin,” while the Bowery birthed “going on a bender” and “chum.”
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Yesterday, the Tenement Museum revealed some nineteenth century neighborhood slang that didn’t quite make the cut. Words that, for one reason or another, never seemed to catch on.
Maltooler: (n) pickpocketer
Smatter hauling: (v) stealing handkerchiefs
Crushers: (n) cops
We sorta like “Crushers”…
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