1889. Bird o’ Freedom, Aug. 7, p. 3. chaffy answers were all he got
at first.
Chained or Chain Lightning, subs.—(American).—Whiskey of the vilest
description—a spirit ‘warranted to kill at forty rods.’ Hence forty rod
lightning, stone-fence, railroad, rotgut, and kill-the-carter (Scots).
For synonyms, see Drinks. In the Western States of America, what is
known as forked lightning in England, is called chain-lightning, from
its forming a sequence of zig-zags.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms p. 215. The worst of lickers, as the
signboards often have it in unconscious irony, is called
chain-lightning, from its terrible strength and stunning effect.
Chain-Gang, subs. (thieves’).—Jewellers; watch-chain makers. The French
argot has un boguiste (thieves’) and un chaîniste.
Chair. To put in the chair, phr. (cab-drivers’).—See quot.
1864. Social Science Review, I., 408. A Justice’s order is
sufficient for the committal to prison of a cab hirer (driver) who
will not or cannot pay.... Some hirers who become inured to prison
discipline and prison fare get altogether hardened, and boast of
the number of owners whom they have put in the chair or in polite
English neglected to pay.
Chairmarking, verbal subs. (cab-owners’).—Inserting the date in a
cab-driver’s licence in words instead of figures: or, endorsing it in
an unusually bold, heavy hand: a hint to possible employers that the
holder is undesirable. In other trades it is understood that an
unexceptionable character, with the adjectives carefully underlined, is
to be read as implying just the opposite of what it appears to say.
1890. Pall Mall Gazette, Sept. 15. A correspondent writes to
protest against the heading ‘A Cabman’s Odd Complaint,’ which was
given in these columns on Saturday to a paragraph concerning the
chair-marking of a licence.
Chaldese, verb (old).—To trick, cheat, or ‘take in.’ [Thought to be
from ‘Chaldee,’ in allusion to astrology. Cf., to Jew.] For synonyms,
see Stick.
1664. Butler, Hudibras, II., iii., 1010. He stole your cloak and
pick’d your pocket, Chows’d and Caldes’d you like a blockhead.
1680. Rem. (1759), I., 24. Asham’d, that Men so grave and wise,
Should be chaldes’d by Gnats and Flies. [m.]
1697. Dennis, Plot and No Plot, I. I chaldes’d a Judge while he was
taking my Depositions. [m.]
Chalk, subs. (colloquial).—1. A score, reckoning; and (in a more
decidedly slang sense) by Chalks, many chalks, long chalks, etc., i.e.,
‘degrees’ or ‘marks’; also ‘credit,’ or ‘tick.’ Cf., Clock stopped.
1529. Skelton, El. Rummyng, 613. We’re fayne with a chalke To score
on the balke. [m.]
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse, B j b. Hee that hath no money must goe
and dine with Sir John best betrust, at the signe of the chalke and
the Post.
1634. S. R., Noble Soldier, v., 3, in Bullen’s O. Pl., I., 333.
There’s lesse chalke upon you[r] score of sinnes. [m.]
1704. T. Brown, Lat. on Fr. King, wks. (1730) I., 60. I trespassed
most enormously in chalk. [m.]
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), I., 270. This wheedling talk you fancy
will rub out my chalk.
1838–40. Haliburton, The Clockmaker (ed. 1862), p. 102. They reckon
themselves here a chalk above us Yankees...
1864–5. Edmund Yates, Broken to Harness, I., p. 174. ‘Can you say
that I have deceived or thrown you over in any way? Never!’ ‘Thank
God for that!’ says the girl, with some bitterness; ‘for that’s a
chalk in my favor, at least.’
2. (nautical).—A scratch or scar. Cf., verb, sense 2, and Chalkers,
sense 1.
1840. Marryat, Poor Jack, vi. I got this chalk.
Adj. (turf).—Unknown or incompetent. [From the practice at
race-meetings of keeping blank slides at the telegraph board on which
the names of new jockeys can be inscribed in chalk, while the names of
well-known men are usually painted or printed in permanent characters.
The former were called chalk-jockeys, and the general public argued
that they were incompetent, being unknown.]
Verb (old).—1. To score up, or tick off, in chalk, a material at one
time handier than pen-and-ink. Subsequently in pugilistic circles merit
marks, etc., were made with the same.
2. (nautical).—To make one ‘stand treat’ or ‘pay his footing.’ If an
old hand succeeds in chalking the shoes of a green hand, the latter has
to ‘stand drinks all round.’