I lit a cigarette and stood there looking out to sea. Very suddenly, far out, lights shone from a big ship. I watched them, but they didn't move. I went over to the hot dog man.
"Anchored?" I asked him, pointing.
He looked around the end of his booth, wrinkled his nose with contempt.
"Hell, that's the gambling boat. The Cruise to Nowhere, they call the act, because it don't go no place. If Tango ain't crooked enough, try that. Yes, sir, that's the good ship Montecito. How about a nice warm puppy?"
I simply can't find the proper meaning of these in any dictionary.
Another 'blunt' expression of Raymond Chandler. (The Man who Liked Dogs.)
Please help me understand these words.