1725. New Canting Dictionary. Catting: whoring.
Cattle, subs. (common).—A term of contempt applied to human beings.
Cf., Queer cattle, Kittle cattle. The generic names of the lower
creation are pretty generally used in such transferred senses; e.g.,
Queer fish, Downy bird, Pigeon, Rook, Sad dog, etc. In England mostly
employed disparagingly, but in the U.S.A. bug—here the name of one of
the most offensive of vermin, but there the common term for all
varieties of beetles—is used in a good sense; e.g., Big bug.
1579. Gosson, School of Abuse, p. 27 (Arber’s ed.). We have
infinite Poets, and Pipers, and suche peeuishe cattel among vs in
Englande.
1600. Shakspeare, As You Like It, Act iii., Sc. 2, 435. Boyes and
women are ... cattle of this colour.
188(?) G. R. Sims, Dagonet Ballads (‘Moll Jarvis’). Queer cattle is
women to deal with? Lord bless ye, yer honour, they are!
[Cattle is often used of horses. See Harrison Ainsworth’s Rookwood:
Have you any horses? Our Cattle are all blown. Also Goldsmith’s ‘She
Stoops to Conquer.’]
Cattle-Bug, subs. (American).—See Bug, subs., sense 4.
Caudge-Pawed, adj. (old).—Left-handed.—Grose.
Caught on the Fly, phr. (American).—‘Caught in the act.’ An equivalent
of ‘caught on the hop’ or ‘hip.’—See Hop.
Cauliflower, subs. (old).—1. A clerical wig supposed to resemble a
cauliflower; modish in the time of Queen Anne.