Black arse (common), a kettle or pot.
Black art (old cant), the art of picking locks.
Blackball (society), means to vote against a man for election for a club, &c., by ballot. The expression was derived from the once prevalent custom at club elections of giving each voter a white and a black ball; if he wished to vote for the election of the candidate he put in the white ball, if otherwise, the black ball. This term is so frequently used that it has ceased to be slang, and the word "pill" has been substituted. The French equivalent, a corruption of the English, is blackbouler.
Blackberry swagger (popular), a person who hawks tapes and bootlaces (Hotten).
Blackbird, to (colonial), to kidnap, from the colour of the skin of those kidnapped, such as negroes, natives of New Zealand, &c. In the quotation reference is made to "Kanakas," which see.
But sometimes—we are glad to say in the past—iniquitously blackbirded or kidnapped, and practically sold into slavery.—Daily Telegraph.
Blackbird catching (colonial), the slave trade; recruiting coloured labourers in the South Sea Islands.
Black-box (thieves), a lawyer.
My blowen kidded a bloke into a panel crib and shook him of his thimble to put up for a black-box, but it wouldn't fadge. I took two stretches of air and exercise.—On the Trail.
i.e., "My girl enticed a man into a bawdy house (where men are robbed by confederates), and stole his watch to procure money for a counsel, but it was of no use. I got two years at a convict settlement."
Blackboys (up country Australian), aboriginal servants in Australia. Blackboy means a black who has become a servant. It is not surprising that "boy" should be synonymous with "servant" in countries in whose infancy free adult whites could hardly by any wages be induced to work. The term is not applied to wild blacks.
In many instances where two or three teams travelled together, one or more were driven by blackboys, that is to say, aboriginal natives; the term being invariably employed by colonists towards blacks, no matter what age they may be. These were attired similarly to their white companions in shirt and trousers; bnt the shirts were as a rule of a more gaudy pattern, and a bright-coloured handkerchief as often as not encircled their waists, or was bound round their heads.—A. C. Grant: Bush Life in Queensland.
Black bracelets (old), handcuffs.
When the turnkey next morning stepp'd into his room,
The sight of the hole in the wall struck him dumb;
The sheriffs black bracelets lay strewn on the ground,
But the lad that had worn 'em could nowhere be found.
Tol-de-rol!
