The specialized language, slang, or jargon used by criminals and those in the criminal world.
From criminal + -ese (suffix meaning 'the language of,' borrowed from Italian), analogous to Journalese or Officialese. Created in the 20th century to describe criminal argot.
Languages evolve wherever tight communities exist—criminals developed their own coded language (like 'grifter,' 'beef,' 'stir') partly to communicate secretly and partly to feel part of an exclusive group.
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