General
darkmans
What does darkmans mean?
The night or darkness; the canting word for night-time, when much of the rogues' work was done.
"We move the goods in the darkmans, never by lightmans."
Origin
Recorded by Harman (1566) and standard in canting glossaries through B.E. (1699) and Grose (1785). It pairs with 'lightmans' (day); the '-mans' suffix is a recurring cant formative also seen in 'ruffmans' (woods).
Frequently asked questions
What does darkmans mean in thieves' cant?
The night — the canting word for darkness, recorded by Harman (1566) and pairing with 'lightmans' for day.
Why does it end in -mans?
The '-mans' is a recurring cant suffix, also seen in 'lightmans' (day) and 'ruffmans' (woods or hedges).
Why was the night so important to rogues?
Much of the thieving trade — burglary, angling, horse-stealing — was worked under cover of the darkmans.
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