Scores of other visitors know to their loss how they were buzzed. The Plunger had his note-case, containing over £200 in notes, extracted from his fob.—Bird o' Freedom.
Buz in thieves' slang was originally to whisper; it is now common in the sense of talking confidentially or earnestly to anybody.
"I saw you talking to Blank on the corner over there."
"Yes."
"Buzzing you to vote for him?"
"Yes."
"But you can't do it."
"No."
'"And you told him so?"
"Well, not right away."
"What were you waiting for?"
" Why, I didn't tell him so until I had asked for the loan of $5, and he said he didn't have it."—Detroit Free Press.
(Popular), to talk, to make a speech.
Old bottle-blue buzzed for a bit,
And a sniffy young Wiscount in barnacles, landed wot 'e thought a' it.
—Punch.
Buz-bloke (thieves), a pickpocket.
Buz-cove (Australian convicts' slang), most likely taken out to Australia by the convicts transported thither.
Vaux, in his "Memoirs of Convict Life in Australia," says: "Buz-cove or 'buz-gloak,' a pickpocket; a person who is clever at this practice is said to be a 'good buz.' "
Buz-man (thieves), a thief; an informer.
Buznapper (old slang), a constable, one who "knaps" or takes "buzzers" or pickpocket. Also a young pickpocket.
Buznapper's academy, a school in which young thieves were trained. Figures were dressed up and experienced tutors stood in various difficult attitudes for the boys to practise upon. When clever enough they were sent on the streets. Dickens gives full particulars of this old style of business in "Oliver Twist" (Hotten).
Buznapper's kinchin (old cant), a watchman.
Buzzard (American), an oppressive, arrogant person, jealous of rivalry, and vindictive. The Wiggins alluded to in the following paragraph is a celebrated though not very successful American weather-prophet.
Wiggins pronounces Professor Proctor "a buzzard among scientists, devouring every young man whom he finds making any pretensions." If he can succeed in eliminating the pretentious Wiggins, the country will rise up as one man and call him blessed.—Chicago Tribune.
Buzzard dollar (American), so called from the eagle on it, which captious critics think looks like a turkey-buzzard.
The waiters all expect something from you. They are very cunning, and always bring plenty of small change, so that if one is inclined to give he can find no excuse. They will take anything you give them, from a nickel up to a buzzard dollar, and look happy.—Chicago Tribune.
Buzzer (thieves), a pickpocket.
