1851. Mayhew, London Labour and Lon. Poor, I., p. 529. There was
his (Nelson’s) pillar at Charing Cross, just by the candlesticks
(fountains).
Candy, adj. (old).—Given by Grose in 1785, and by the Lexicon
Balatronicum, in 1811, as ‘drunk—an Irish term.’
Candyman, subs. (northern).—A bailiff or process server. Originally a
seller of candy. [In October, 1863, there was a great strike of miners
at the collieries of Messrs. Strakers and Love, in the county of
Durham. As no adjustment of the difference was possible, the owners
determined to eject the miners from their cottages. For this purpose,
an army of rascals were engaged, including at least one whose ordinary
occupation was that of hawking candy and sweetmeats. The man was
recognised and was chaffed; and candyman, which rapidly became a term
of reproach, was soon applied to the whole class; and since that time
is come into general use over the two northern counties whenever
ejectments take place.]
1863. Newcastle Chronicle, Oct. 31. The colliery carts and waggons
stood at the doors, and the furniture was handed out, and piled
quickly but carefully upon them. It was evident that the candymen
had warmed to their work. The name of candyman has been given to
the loaders because of their avocations of ‘candy’ hawking, from
which they are supposed to have been taken to be put to this work.
1876. Notes and Queries, 5 S., v., 405. A term in the North for men
employed to carry out evictions against cottage occupiers.
1886. Notes and Queries, 7 S., i., p. 445.
Canister, subs. (general).—1. The head. [A transference of the original
meaning, ‘a box or case for holding things.’] For synonyms, see
Crumpet.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. To mill his cannister; to break his
head.
1821. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, Act ii., Sc. 4. Tom. I’ve nobb’d
him on the canister.
1885. Bell’s Life, Jan. 3, p. 8, col. 4. Once more did the star of
Australia rise, but to set from additional raps on the canister. He
fell on his knees, and his head droped on his breast.
2. (common).—A hat. [Formerly canister-cap (see sense 1); subsequently
shortened to canister.] For synonyms, see Golgotha.
1887. Atkin, House Scraps. Turning round, I saw my unfortunate
beaver, or canister, as it was called by the gentry who had it in
their keeping, bounding backwards and forwards.
Cank, adj. (old).—Dumb; silent. [Curiously enough, cank also signifies
‘to chatter,’ or ‘cackle as a goose’; it only survives in this latter
sense.]
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 36. Cank: dumb.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Cank: dumb.
Cannibal, subs. (Cambridge University).—In the bumping races at
Cambridge, a college may be represented by more than one boat. The best
talent is put into the first, but it has sometimes happened that the
crew of the second have got so well together that it has disappointed
the prophets and bumped the first of its own college. In this case it
is termed a cannibal, it having eaten up its own kind, and a fine is
enacted from it by the University Boat Club.
Cannikin or Canniken, subs. (old).—The plague. [Grose includes it in
his dictionary under the sense of ‘a small can,’ but this was not a
slang usage.]
1688. R. Holme, Armoury. III., iii., § 68. Cannikin, the Plague.
[m.]
1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew. s.v.
Cannis-Cove, subs. (American).—A dog-fancier. [Either from Latin canis,
a dog, or the Fr. caniche, poodle + cove, a man.]
Cannon.—See Canon.
Cannon-Balls, subs. (political).—1. A nickname, now obsolete, given to
the irreconcileable opponents of free trade in England.
1858. Saturday Review, 30 Oct., p. 413, col. 2. The amendment ...
which sealed for ever the fate of Protection, was carried [in 1852]
with only fifty dissentient voices—the celebrated cannon-balls.
[m.]