A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words Used at the Present Day in the Streets of London; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; the Houses of Parliament; the Dens of St. Giles; and the Palaces of St. James.

"A Dictionary of Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words" by John Camden Hotten is a detailed collection of informal language from the late 1800s. It checks out slang and cant used back then, especially in London at all levels of society. It looks at where these words came from and how they were used. The dictionary kicks off by talking about what slang and cant are, noting how they were secret ways for the underclass to talk to each other. It says these words came from a mix of different places, including old languages and foreign lands and how these special words mirror the structure of society. The book gives super interesting hieroglyphics from beggars that helps everyone understand the systematic network the people had. All together it shows a broad look into the slang that was going on back in the day.