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 son grelot; faire la jactance; jarguer (= to patter flash; also jaspiner le jars); jarviller; javoter; radouber la lanterne; lantenni (Breton cant); limer (= ‘to stutter’); mouliner (= to prattle: specifically of women); pallasser; papoter; parlotter; rouscailler.

  c. 1360.  Pearl, in Alliterative Poems [MORRIS, p. 15, l. 485].

  c. 1394.  Piers Plowman’s Creed, 5.

  1500.  How the Ploughman learned his Paternoster [HALLIWELL].

  d. 1536.  TYNDALE, Workes, 232. How blinde are they which thinke prayer to be the PATTERING of many wordes.

  1546.  HEYWOOD, Wit and Folly [Percy Society], p. xxxvii.

  1561.  Godly Queene Hester [GROSART], 22. By his crafti PATTERING, hath turned law into flattering.

  1589.  NASHE, Martin’s Months Minde [Works, i. 173]. See how like the old Ape this young Monkey PATTERETH.

  c. 1648.  Knaves Are No Honest Men, &c. [COLLIER, Roxburghe Ballads (1847), xxi]. Marry, they say that the RUNNING STATIONERS of London, I mean such as use to sing ballads, and those that cry malignant pamphlets in the streets have all laid their heads together.

  c. 1696.  B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v., PATERING.

  1781.  G. PARKER, A View of Society, I. 200. I could PATTER him on the Cant Universities of Newgate, Bedlam, and Bridewell.

  1785.  GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v., PATTERING. The maundering or pert replies of servants: also talk or palaver … to amuse one intended to be cheated. PATTERING of prayers; the confused sound of … praying together. Ibid. PATTER. How the blowen lushes jackey, and PATTERS FLASH.

  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, 150. GAMMON AND PATTER is the language of cant.

  1819.  SCOTT, The Bride of Lammermoor, i. Your characters … PATTER too much.

  1821.  D. HAGGART, Life, 88. It was shown upon my PATTER that I had the dub in my fam.

  c. 1838.  G. W. REYNOLDS, Pickwick Abroad [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 123], ‘The House Breaker’s Song.’ Though the HUM-BOX PATTERER talked of hell.

  1841.  LEMAN REDE, Sixteen-String Jack, i. 6. Stash your PATTER and come along!

  1851.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, 228–51. The pattering genus known as RUNNING PATTERERS, or FLYING STATIONERS, from the fact of their being continually on the move…. Contradistinguished from them, however, are the STANDING PATTERERS, [who] require, a ‘pitch’ … where they can hold forth…. The long-song sellers did not depend upon PATTER—though some of them PATTERED a little…. The parsons came out as stunning patrons of the PATTER.… He PATTERS very little in the main drag. Ibid., i. 253. One quick-witted Irishman, whom I knew to be a Roman Catholic, was working a PATTER against the Pope.

  1848.  E. Z. C. JUDSON (‘Ned Buntline’), The Mysteries and Miseries of New York, iv. Nothin’ much worth PATTERING about. Ibid., iv. PATTER FLASH, my lucky, you’re as used to it as I am.

  1853.  DICKENS, Bleak House, xxxix. PATTER allusions to the subject, [are] received with loud applause.

  1856.  H. MAYHEW, The Great World of London, 6, note. PATTER,… is borrowed merely from the ‘PATER-NOSTERS’ that the old-established mendicants delighted to mumble.

  1863.  The Singular Story of a Lancashire Thief, 9. Brummagem Joe was … a PATTERER; and he could likewise screeve a fakement with any one.

  1864.  HOTTEN, The Slang Dictionary, s.v. PATTER.… Probably from the Latin, PATERNOSTER … said, before the Reformation, in a ‘low voice’ by the priest, until he came to ‘and lead us not into temptation,’ to which the choir responded, ‘but deliver us from evil.’ In the reformed Prayer Book this was altered, and the Lord’s Prayer directed to be said ‘with an loud voice.’ Dr. Pusey takes this view of the derivation in his Letter to the Bishop of London, 78, 1851.

  1864.  Derby Day, 155. She had finished the PATTER she had learnt by heart.

  1877.  W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ii. 244. Well she could do the French’s PATTER, as she’d been there afore, when she was living on the ‘square.’

  1880.  G. R. SIMS, Three Brass Balls, Pledge xvii. It is thieves’ PATTER, but someone in the crowd understands it well enough and answers him.

  1883.  Daily News, 26 March, 2, 4. A PATTER song … was twice redemanded.

  1889.  Answers, 11 May, 374. Beggars who cannot read are being taught hymns or doleful songs, PATTER as it is called professionally.

  1891.  J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 61. Pay me and I’ll PATTER pretty; but no pay, no PATTER is my motto.

  1897.  The Sporting Times, 13 March, 1, 3. She did it in a sort of “it’s of no consequence” way that fairly amazed the learned counsel who was PATTERING on her behalf.

  2.  verb (common).—1.  See subs. 2. (Australian).—To eat.

  1833.  C. STURT, Southern Australia, II., vii. 223. He himself did not PATTER any of it.

  1881.  A. C. GRANT, Bush-Life in Queensland, I. 236. ‘You PATTER (eat) potchum?’ ‘Yohi’ (yes), said John, doubtfully, for he is not sure how his stomach will agree with the strange meat.