19. The Rolling Kiddy O
Click to zoom
No. 19.
The Rolling Kiddy O1
A youth comes up to town "to learn our modern fopperies
To London town no better place to teach one from the country
A Greenhorn A greenhorn and his progress is
described
He learns to fight, gets drunk a quarrel to begin
And goes with the Garden (Covent? lads to every night a bawdy ken2
xxxxx xxx xxxx &c.
Chorus
And this is the way to be a rolling Kiddy. O.
The Blowens3 all admire him and say he is the
Tippy. O.4
Editor's Notes:
1. Rolling Kiddy: dandified thief. "Rolling" means clever, sophisticated or "knowing"; a "kiddy" was a youthful thief, initially of either gender but here clearly a young boy. John Hardy Vaux, an English-born convict who was transported to Australia, compiled a Dictionary of Flash Language which was published by John Murray in 1819. This dictionary provides the following definition: kiddy: a thief of the lower order, who, when he is breeched, by a course of successful depredation, dresses in the extreme of vulgar gentility, and affects a knowingness in his air and conversation, which renders him in reality an object of ridicule; such a one is pronounced by his associates of the same class, a flash-kiddy or a rolling-kiddy. My kiddy is a familiar term used by these gentry in addressing each other.
2. Bawdy ken: a brothel
3. Blowens: women, usually prostitutes
4. Tippy: the height of fashion, smart, fine.
Annotations
This song was included by Pierce Egan as a headnote to chapter 2 of Life In London. Egan calls it "An Old Ballad". He supplies the following words:
The youth comes up to town to learn all modern foppery.
For London Town, no better place to teach those from the country;
He soon finds what is wanting, and like him not sees one in ten,
But rolls into a barber's shop to get a "Knowing cut" and then--
He becomes a prime rolling kiddy O!
The girls all admire him, and swear he is quite the tippy O!
This song can be found in Madden Ballads “The Rolling Kiddy” Reel 3, Frame 1800; slip songs O-Y. Item number 1628. A version of this is reprinted in Later English Broadside Ballads Vol 1 ed John Holloway and Joan Black, p. 233-4. The words to this fuller version read:
The youth comes up to town to learn all modern foppery.
For London Town, no better place to teach those from the country;
He soon finds out what's wanting, like him he sees one in ten,
He runs to the barber's shop and gets a swinging tail, and then
O this is the way to be a rolling kiddy O.
The girls will admire you, and say you are the tippy O.
He learneth for to fight, gets drunk a quarrel for to begin
And goes with the Garden lads to every night a bawdy ken
He is to call with authority and not lose his consequence,
To knock down the glasses and make no recompence.
For now he is made compleat &c.
Like his new companions the blowings he is to try to bilk,
And if they will not stand the lunge he is to kick the saucy jilt
And say he is a man of independent property
And wonders at their impudence so ill to treat his company
For now he is made, &c.
Here he takes the best advice his money it growing low,
Like those upon the roads, who for the oath a thieving go,
Great is the danger, yet shew a man of courage bold,
For life or death, but never be without the gold,
For now he is made &c
At hazard quite the knowing one, what is got may quickly fly,
At the ensuing dark moon to get a fresh supply,
But if the traps should hobble him, why then he is sent to quod,
Great George he may pardon him,
One more to strut abroad.
But if the saucy blowing should nap the sure reward,
While he is by a brother pa[l?] hanging by the fated chord,
No more he is complete a rolling Kiddy O,
The morning dilly puts a stop to such a rolling tippy O.