slipping
Preserved but no longer current.
A trick of card-sharpers, in the performance of which, by dexterous manipulation, they place the cut card on the top, instead of at the bottom of the pack. It is the faire sauter la coupe of the French. In pugilistic parlance, "to SLIP a man," is to "duck and get away" with great dexterity.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “slipping” mean?
A trick of card-sharpers, in the performance of which, by dexterous manipulation, they place the cut card on the top, instead of at the bottom of the pack. It is the faire sauter la coupe of the French. In pugilistic parlance, "to SLIP a man," is to "duck and get away" with great dexterity.
Is “slipping” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.