Canoe. To paddle one’s own canoe, phr. (American).—To make one’s own
way in life; to exhibit skill and energy; to succeed unaided; a slang
phrase of Western American origin, but now universal. [Extremely
careful and clever manipulation is required in the management of
canoes, especially in shooting rapids; otherwise the surging body of
water might swamp the boat, or sunken rocks strike and seriously damage
it. Hence the adoption of such an expression to signify skill, close
attention, and energy.] A variant is to bail one’s own boat; and the
French have a proverbial saying, il conduit or il mène bien sa barque.
1845. Harper’s Magazine, May. Voyager upon life’s sea, to yourself
be true; And, where’er your lot may be, Paddle your own canoe.
1868. Broadside Ballad, sung by Harry Clifton. My wants are small,
I care not at all, If my debts are paid when due. And to drive away
strife on the ocean of life, I paddle my own canoe.
1870. C. H. Spurgeon. At Metropolitan Tabernacle [speaking of Mr.
John Magregor said]—He puts his trust in God and paddles his own
canoe.
1871. De Vere, English of the New World, p. 343. The familiarity
with boating, which the unsurpassed number of watercourses all over
the country naturally produces everywhere, has led to the use, not
only of paddling one’s own canoe, ... but also of ‘bailing one’s
own boat,’ in the sense of ‘minding one’s own business,’
independently and without waiting for help from others.
Canon or Cannon, adj. (thieves’).—Drunk. [The origin of this term is
very obscure, although many guesses have been hazarded. Amongst these
may be mentioned (1) From the ‘can’ having been used freely. Rather
less absurd is (2) its derivation from the French slang expressions un
canon, a glass drunk at the bar of a wine-shop; canonner, to drink wine
at a wine-shop, or to be a habitual tippler; se canonner, to get drunk;
and un canonneur, a tippler, wine-bibber, or drunkard. Yet another
suggested origin is (3) from the German cannon, a drinking cup, from
which is obtained canonised, = ‘shot’ or ‘drunk.’ A German proverb runs
er ist geschossen, and Barrère points out that canon becomes naturally
confused with can, German Kaune, a tankard, and Canonenstiefel, or
‘canon’ (i.e., long boots), a common pattern of tankard.] For synonyms,
see Screwed.
1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag., XL., 502. One night I was with
the mob, I got canon (drunk), this being the first time.
Canoodle, verb (American).—1. To fondle; bill and coo; indulge in
endearments.—See Canoodling. [There are two suggested derivations—(1)
from cannie in the sense of gentle, and (2) that the primary
signification may have been ‘to act as a noodle,’ i.e., to play the
fool.] For synonyms, see Firkytoodle.
1864. G. A. Sala, Temple Bar, Dec., p. 40. He is an adept in that
branch of persuasive dialectics known as conoodling. He will
conoodle the ladies (bless their dear hearts! and how sharp they
think themselves at making a bargain!) into the acquisition of
whole packages of gimcrack merchandise.
1879. Punch, March 15, p. 117, col. 2. ‘Our Representative Man.’
Then he and the matchless one struggle, snuggle, and generally
conoodle together rapturously. Then the matchless Ecstacy being the
wife, not of the Chevalier, but of Charles VI., King of France,
she, this impulsive, loving, beautiful, hugging, conoodling young
Ecstacy, has the cool impudence to declare that theirs is a
‘guiltless love.’