smatter-hauling

English

Noun

smatter-hauling (uncountable)

  1. (UK, slang, obsolete) The theft of handkerchiefs.
    • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
      At the end of the two years and a half I got into the way of forged Bank-of-England notes. A man I knew in the course of business, said, ‘I would cut that game of ‘smatter-hauling,’ (stealing handkerchiefs), and do a little soft,’ (pass bad notes).
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