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The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: bet on time and betting his eyes

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bet on time

– being allowed to pay a gambling debt at a later time, after one has lost all of his or her money.

betting his eyes

– a “sucker” who watches a game of chance but does not bet.

Sources

  • Farmer, John S. and W. E. Henley. A Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English. Abridged from Slang and Its Analogues. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1912.
  • Matsell, George W. Vocabulum: Or, the Rogue’s Lexicon.. New York: George W. Matsell, 1859.
  • Partridge, Eric. A Dictionary of the Underworld. New York: Bonanza Books, 1961.

Note: See “Cant: The Language of the Underworld” to learn more about the background of the American Malefactor’s Dictionary.

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