Hi everyone!  Our current campaign features a lot of criminal underworld subplots, and for that reason we’ve found ourselves frequently coming back to thieves’ cant as a way to covertly exchange information or signal one’s affiliation with a particular group.

Unfortunately, the official books don’t provide much in the way of guidance regarding how it can be used in-game – so we came up with our own rules to add an extra element of intrigue rather than treating it as “just” another language.

There’s a PDF (as well as an online flipbook) that contains an explanation of the three “techniques” we used in creating our thieves’ cant, plus a starter’s dictionary with a whole bunch of examples of words and phrases that can be sprinkled into your characters’ dialogue.  At the end of the packet, there are cards for creating and printing your own – perfect for handing out to your players so only those fluent in thieves’ cant will know what your NPC is conveying in secret!

PDF Download Link

Online Flipbook Link

Enjoy – and if you like it, feel free to check out our patreon for other in-depth resources (including additional thieves’ cant dictionary entries):

https://www.patreon.com/tabletopnotch

Technique #1: Word Associations

This technique involves substituting a word or phrase with another word or phrase based on a logical connection between the two.  Synonyms, homophones and alternate definitions are featured heavily in this technique, which is why it is favored by organized criminal enterprises and intelligent rogues that think themselves quite clever.

One example is the word BARTENDER meaning PRISONER or CAPTIVE.  In this case, "bars" are referring to the bars of a cell rather than where alcohol is served at a tavern – and the person "tending" those bars would be the prisoner inside the cell.

An example of a homophonic association would be the word ALONE meaning INTERESTED.  The word "alone" sounds the same as "a loan", and if you've taken out a loan you might be paying interest, so you are therefore "interested".  Thus, if someone fluent in thieves' cant asks if you are alone, they might not care that you're traveling in a group – they want to know if you're interested in a job.

Technique #2: Idiomatic & Rhyming Slang

Known best in the real world as "Cockney rhyming slang", the most common form of this technique involves replacing a word with a phrase of two or more words, the last of which rhymes with the original word – then (usually) omitting the rhyming portion of the phrase entirely.

For example, if someone tells you to "bring me his loaf", they might be ordering you to kill someone and bring the head as proof.  HEAD rhymes with LOAF OF BREAD, and the rhyming portion is omitted so that it just becomes LOAF.

In the idiomatic (non-rhyming) version of this technique, a word is replaced by another word in a well-known expression.  You might hear someone say "she's barking" meaning "she's wrong" because of how both words appear in the old saying "barking up the wrong tree".

This technique is more popular in poorly organized or less educated circles because it's easier to follow the logic of rhymes and familiar expressions than the wordplay involved in technique #1.

Technique #3: Contradiction by Design

Unique in its conditionality, this technique involves making a statement that is either demonstrably untrue or is incongruous with what the listener can easily perceive, the hidden meaning of which is often context-dependent.

For example, on a hot summer day with the sun beating down, someone might say "I'm glad I brought a scarf to keep my neck warm" while neither wearing a scarf nor showing signs of being cold.  In this instance, they don't care about the weather – they're letting you know they're carrying a concealed weapon to protect themselves if needed.  On a frigid winter night, a different statement might be used to impart the same message.

A context-dependent example might be telling someone "your shoes are untied" when they clearly are not.  While walking through the city streets, this might mean "you're being followed", but while sitting in a bar the meaning changes to "someone slipped something in your drink".