The Miller's Crossing Dictionary

ANGLE n. A way in which a situation can be viewed.

Leo: "Okay, Tom, you know the angles - Christ, better than anybody."

BOY n. A favoured male companion or sweetheart.

Caspar: "It ain't Mink. Mink is the Dane's boy."

BUMP v. To kill, to put to death, to deprive of life.

Tom: "So you figure it was Caspar bumped Rug?"

CHEWING OVER v. To think.

Verna: "What are you chewing over?"

CHISEL v. tr. To cheat, to decieve.

Caspar: "That's why we gotta go to this question of character, determine just who exactly is chiselling in on my fix."

DAFFY adj. Silly, foolish, crazy.

Verna: "I was just in the neighbourhood, feeling a little daffy. What are you doing?"

DANGLE v. tr. To go out of or away from, to leave.

Leo: "Now take your flunky and dangle."

DIZZY v. intr. To be in love. To be deeply or passionately enamoured with.

Tom: "Yeah, you like her. Like the Kaiser likes cabbage. You're dizzy for her."

DRIFT v. To refuse to pay attention to, to disregard.

Leo: "Let it drift. All it means is a lot of people know."

FLOP n. A natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body.

Dane: "I'll see where the twist flops."

FLUNKY n. A person of slavish or unquestioning obedience; a lackey; one who does menial, trivial work.

Tom: "'Lo Frankie, how's the flunky business?"

GRIFT n. To make money dishonestly, as in a swindle.

Tom: "It's a grift Leo. If she didn't need you to protect her brother from Johnny Caspar, d'you think she'd still be go with you on slow carriage rides through the park?"

GRIFTER n. One who makes money dishonestly; a swindler.

Tom: "She's a grifter, just like her brother. They probably had grifter parents and grifter grandparents and someday they'll each spawn little grifter kids."

HEEL n. A dishonourable person; a cad.

Verna: "We're a couple of heels, Tom. Yes we are."

KICK v. To oppose by argument; protest.

Leo: "You came here to see if I'd kick if you killed Bernie. There's your answer."

KISS-OFF n. The discontinuance of a relationship, as a marriage or friendship.

Leo: "It's the kiss-off. If I never see him again it'll be soon enough."

HIGH HAT n. Lack of respect, esteem, or courteous regard.

Caspar: "I'm sick of takin' the scraps from you, Leo. I'm sick a marchin' down to this gaddamn office to kiss your Irish ass and I'M SICK A THE HIGH HAT!"

PLAY v. intr. To initiate an action; act.

Tom: "Here's the smart play, Leo; you lay back, give up Bernie, let Caspar think he's made his point."

POOP v. To kill, to put to death, to deprive of life.

Leo: "Caspar pooped Rug."

POTATO EATER n. offensive slang. Used as a disparaging term for a person of Irish birth or descent.

Caspar: "Damn right - had every potato eater from County Cork an the public tit..."

QUEERED tr. v. Disturbed. To break up or destroy the tranquility or settled state of.

Tom: "Telling you could only've queered things if I had."

RAT n. A dispicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates.

Tom: "Well, you're not supposed to be here since you turned rat."

RUMPUS n. A situation, matter, or person that presents perplexity or difficulty.

Tom: "I'll live. What's the rumpus?"

SCHNOOK n. A stupid or easily victimised person; a dupe.

Caspar: "And I'm just some schnook likes to get slapped around."

SCRATCH n. Money; a medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of thier values on the market.

Bernie: "Scratch, huh? A little bonus?"

SHEENY n. offensive slang. Used as a disparaging term for a Jew.

Mink: "I know he's got a mixed reputation, but for a sheeny he's got a lot of good qualities."

SQUARE v. intr. To pay a debt.

Tom: "I'll square myself with Lazarre if you don't mind."

STINKO adj. Intoxicated with alcoholic liquor to the point of impairment of physical and mental faculties.

Tom: "Okay, Verna. But until then, let's get stinko."

TAIL n. informal. A person assigned or employed to follow and report on someone else's movements and actions.

Tom: "So you've lost your ladyfriend and the tail you put on her."

TWIST n. A woman, an adult female.

Dane: "You're Leo's twist right?"

VENTILATORn. slang. The nose. The part of the human face or the forward part of the head of other vertibrates that contains the nostrils and organs of smell and forms the beginning of the respiratory tract.

Tom: "I've had worse, your ventilator healing up?"

WHACK n. To kill, to put to death, to deprive of life.

Bernie: "You're not part of this! Tom! Help me! These guys are gonna whack me!"

YEGG n. slang. A thief, especially a burglar or safecracker; a thug.

Caspar: "You been to college, kid? We only take yeggs what's been to college."

YID n. offensive slang. Used as a disparaging term for a Jew.

Frankie: "Get up and walk, you chisellin' little yid!"

 

"It's a grift Leo. If she didn't need you to protect her brother from Johnny Caspar, d'you think she'd still be go with you on slow carriage rides through the park?"- Tom