Under the light.

Undergoing police questioning, often under third degree coercion.

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White.

(Prohibition-era term used between retailers and customers) Gin.

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White gold.

Sugar.

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White line.

Alcohol. “Lam (get out of town). Whiskers (Federal Agents) is kicking in (raiding) all the white line plants in the county.”

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White mule.

Raw alcohol.

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White stuff.

Any of various powdered narcotics, as cocaine, heroin, and morphine. “There’s a nice buck (good money) pushin‘ (selling) white stuff. Junkeys (addicts) are easy to clip (swindle).”

—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

White tin.

The silvered badge worn by uniformed policemen and precinct plainclothes men.
—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

Yellow tin.

A gold badge carried by headquarters detectives of upper grades, as precinct sergeants and lieutenants; a counterfeit gold badge used by extortionists.
—Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo, Hyman E. Goldin, Editor in Chief, 1950.

a piece of blue bottle glass to look through

“. . . twelve marbles, part of a jew’s-harp, a piece of blue bottle glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, the glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog collar but no dog, the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange peel and a dilapidated window sash.”

—Mark Twain, from Tom Sawyer, 1876.

a peculiarly beautiful book

“It was a peculiarly beautiful book. Its smooth and creamy paper, a little yellowed by age, was of a kind that had not been manufactured for at least forty years past. . . . The pen was an archaic instrument, seldom used even for signtures, and he had procured one . . . simply because of a feeling that the beautiful cream paper deserved to be written on with a real nib instead of being scratched with an ink pencil.”

—George Orwell, from 1984, 1949.