Pedlars' French
Preserved but no longer current.
The jargon or cant of thieves, rogues, and vagabonds. "French" was formerly widely used to denote anything or anyone that was foreign, and even Bracton uses the word "Frenchman" as a synonym of foreigner.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Pedlars' French” mean?
The jargon or cant of thieves, rogues, and vagabonds. "French" was formerly widely used to denote anything or anyone that was foreign, and even Bracton uses the word "Frenchman" as a synonym of foreigner.
Is “Pedlars' French” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.