Clyfaking

/ˈklaɪˌfeɪkɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The act or practice of stealing items from clothing, pockets, or the body; pickpocketing or clothes-theft in historical thieves' cant.

Etymology

The gerund (noun form ending in '-ing') of 'clyfake,' formed from 'cly' and 'fake,' both originating from thieves' cant. The '-ing' suffix transforms a verb into a noun describing the action.

Kelly Says

Terms like 'clyfaking' show that thieves didn't just have their own vocabulary—they had their own grammar and word-formation rules, meaning they essentially spoke a fully functional secret language as complex as any 'legitimate' language.

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