Clink: Cells. The Guard Room. Prison. "I've sat in clink without my boots, admiring how the world was made" (Rudyard Kipling). Clink is a survival of 18th Century thieves' slang, a name for Newgate and other jails, suggested by the clanking of the fetters and leg-irons of the prisoners. "The Clinks" in particular, was the name of a large prison in Southwark, which was burned down in the Gordon Riots of 1780. [1]
References / notes
- ↑ Edward Fraser and John Gibbons (1925). Soldier and Sailor Words and Phrases. Routledge, London p.58.
Glossary of words and phrases
The above term is listed in our glossary of words and phrases of the Armed Forces of Great Britain during the Great War. Included are trench slang, service terms, expressions in everyday use, nicknames, the titles and origins of British and Commonwealth Regiments, and warfare in general. These words and phrases are contemporary to the war, which is reflected in the language used. They have been transcribed from three primary sources (see Contents). Feel free to expand upon and improve this content.
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