EIGHT O’CLOCK WALK, to take the: to be hanged.
FEEL THE COLLAR, to: to make an arrest.
FIVE-AND-NINE ON THE BRIGHTON LINE: the fare from London to Brighton was five shillings and ninepence, so ‘Brighton Line’ was a popular call for ‘59’ in housey-housey (qv).
FLEET STREET: former centre of the newspaper industry
FOURPENNY CANNON, a: a steak and kidney pie.
GAMP: an umbrella (from Sarah Gamp in Dickens’s Martin Chuzzlewit).
GUNNERS, The: the Royal Horse Artillery, the Royal Garrison Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery.
HAND AMBULANCE: a two-wheeled barrow used for conveying drunkards to the police station, and occasionally for removing dead bodies.
HAWKING THE MUTTON: leading a life of prostitution.
HOUSEY-HOUSEY: army term for lotto, bingo or tombola.
JILDI: quickly (ex Hindi).
KC: King’s Counsel: a senior barrister.
KNOCK OFF to: to arrest.
LAY-DOWN, a: a remand in custody.
LINEN DRAPERS: newspapers (rhyming slang).
MC: Military Cross.
NCO: non-commissioned officer.
NICK: a police station or prison or to arrest or to steal.
PIP EMMA: signallers’ code for p.m. (cf ACK EMMA.)
POT AND PAN, OLD: father (rhyming slang: old man).
PROVOST, the: military police.
QUEER STREET, in: in serious difficulty; short of money.
REDCAPS: The Corps of Military Police.
ROZZER: a policeman.
RP: regimental police, not to be confused with the Corps of Military Police.
RSM: regimental sergeant major (a senior warrant officer).
SAM BROWNE: a military officer’s belt with shoulder strap.
SAUSAGE AND MASH: cash (rhyming slang).
SCRIMSHANKER: one who evades duty or work.
SILK, a: a King’s Counsel, from the silk gowns they wear.
SKIP or SKIPPER: an informal police alternative to sergeant.
SMOKE, The: London.
SPROG: a child.
STONEY: broke.
STRETCH, a: one year’s imprisonment.
SWADDY: a soldier.
TEA LEAF: a thief (rhyming slang).
THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND: drunk.
TITFER: a hat (rhyming slang: tit for tat).
TOBY: a police area.
TOD (SLOAN), on one’s: on one’s own (rhyming slang).
TOM: a prostitute.
TOPPED: murdered or hanged.
TWO-AND-EIGHT, in a: in a state (rhyming slang).
WALLAH: someone employed in a specific office (ex Hindi).
WAR OFFICE: Department of State overseeing the army.
WIPERS: Army slang for Ypres in Belgium.