1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, ii. You are the patrico, are you? the patriarch of the cut-purses? Ibid. Staple of News (1625), iv. 1. Alm. A supercitious rogue! he looks as if He were the patrico. Mad. Or archpriest of Canters.
1622. Beaumont and Fletcher, Beggars Bush, ii. 1. What name or title e'er they bear, Jarkman, or Patrico, Cranke, or Clapper-dudgeon.
1725. Old Song [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 45]. But alas! 'tis my fear that the false Patri-coe Is reaping those transports are only my due.
1749. Old Song [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 51]. No whip-jack, palliard, patrico; No jarkman, be he high or low.
1791. Carew, Bamphylde-Moore Carew. Cadge-cloak, curtal, or curmudgeon; no Whip-Jack, palliard, patrico.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, lxxx. My idea at the moment was to disguise myself in the dress of the pater cove and perform the double job.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, III. iv. This venerable personage was no other than the patrico . . . or hierophant of the canting crew.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, iii. 2. He's a patter-*cove from Seven Dials.
Pattens. To run on pattens
verb. phr. (common).—To clatter;
'to talk nineteen to the dozen.'
1575. Still, Gammer Gurton's Needle, ii. 4. The tongue it went on patins, by him that Judas sold!
[?]. Taming of a Shrew [Child, Ballads, viii. 185.] Stil hir tongue on pattens ran Though many blowes she caught.
Patter, subs. (common).—1 Originally
muttering (of paternosters):
hence, talk of any kind, but
specifically (1) the inconsequent
orations of cheap Jacks (q.v.),
buskers (q.v.), or showmen;
and (2) the dialect or cant of
a class. Hence also patter =
a piece of street literature; a
pin-up (q.v.); a slum (q.v.).
Hence, patterer = a vendor of
street literature: with running-patterer
(or stationer): obsolete
since police control of
traffic. Also as adj. and verb,
whence to patter flash = to
talk slang or cant; to flash the
patter = to talk, or to talk slang;
to stand (or be in for) the
patter = (thieves') to stand for
trial (Vaux, 1819, and Haggart,
1821), humbox-patterer
= a parson. [Conjecturally from
Pater noster: see quots. 1590 and
1864.] Also Gammon and
patter.
English Synonyms. To cackle; to cant; to chin; to chinwag; to chip; to chirp; to chow; to chuck it out; to clack; to confab; to crack; to cut; to Duke of York (rhyming = talk); to flam; to flummox by the lip; to gabble; to give lip; to jabber; to jaw; to jaw-hawk; to jerk chin-music; to ladle; to lip; to lip-labour; to mag; to mang; to pipe; to rap; to slam; to slang; to voker; to waffle; to wag the red rag; to warble.
French Synonyms. Arçonner; arsouiller; bajoter; balancer la rouscaillante (also balancer son chiffon rouge = 'to wag the red rag'); baver; jaspiner bigorne (= 'to patter flash': also rouscailler bigorne); blaguer (specifically to chaff); bonir; bouffeter; cabasser; casser un mot; chamberter (= to talk indiscreetly); lever son copeau; cracher (also jouer du crachoir); débagouler; dégueularder; dépenser sa salive; dévider (= 'to patter'; dévider à l'éstorgue = to flam; dévider le jars = 'to patter flash'; dévider son peloton = 'to clack'); engueuler; gazouiller (= 'warble'); pousser sa glaire; glousser; faire peter
