Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A house for receiving stolen goods.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word stalling-ken.
Examples
Sorry, no example sentences found.
chained_bear commented on the word stalling-ken
Thieves' cant, according to the OED. I'm especially pleased that the citations use "clapper dogeon."
1567 HARMAN Caveat 32 Whych pigs or poultry they brynge to their stawlinge kens, which is their typplyng houses. Ibid. 83 A staulinge ken, a house that wyll receaue stolen ware.
1621 B. JONSON Masque Gypsies (1640) 48 Till..he be able to beate it on the hoofe to the bene bouse, or the stauling Ken.
1624 BP. R. MONTAGU Gagg Pref. 17 They and their Trulls may meet at their stawling kenns with such clapper dogeons as your selfe.
1676 COLES Dict., Stalling-ken, a brokers, or any house that receives stolen goods.
a1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Stalling-ken. Ibid., Stuling-ken. Also in later Dicts.
October 22, 2008