Verb.—To stab; to ‘knife.’
1725. New Cant. Dict. To Chive his Darbies: to saw asunder his
Irons.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v. To chiv a person is to stab or
cut him with a knife.
1868. Cassell’s Magazine, May, p. 80. He [a bushranger] was as good
a man as Jacky at any weapon that could be named, and if Jacky were
game for a chiving (stabbing) match, he (Kavanagh) was ready for
him.
1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macm. Mag., XL., 503. After the place got
well where I was chived.
Chive-Fencer, subs. (costers’).—A street hawker of cutlery. [From
chive, a knife, + fence or fencer, a receiver of stolen property.]
Chivey or Chivvy, subs. (common).—A shout; greeting or cheer. Cf.,
Chi-ike.
Verb (common).—To ‘guy’; to chase round or hunt about; to throw or
pitch about. Also chevy. [Mr. C. G. Leland says in Annandale (vol. I.,
460) chivvy is a common English word, meaning to goad, drive, vex,
hunt, or throw as it were here and there. It is purely Gypsy. Chiv in
Rommany means anything sharp-pointed, as a dagger, goad, or knife. The
old Gypsy word Chiv among its numerous meanings has exactly that of
casting, throwing, pitching, and driving. Murray, however, inclines to
derive it from Chevy Chase, the scene of a famous Border skirmish; in
any case the usage is modern, but see quot., 1821.] So also chivied,
chiveying, etc.
1821. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, I., vii. Log. Come along, then.
Now, Jerry, chivey! Jerry. Chivey? Log. Mizzle! Jerry. Mizzle? Log.
Tip your rags a gallop! Jerry. Tip my rags a gallop?... Log. Bolt!
Jerry. Bolt? Oh, aye! I’m fly now. You mean go.
1840. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), V. 50. The other side are to
blame, if they do not, as we should say in the dragoons ‘chevy’
them back again.
1851–61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. III., p. 44. I
never had patience enough to try and kill fleas by my process; it
would be too much of a chivey to please me.
1863. H. Kingsley, Austin Elliot, ch. xxxix. The dog ... used to
chivy the cats into the window among the bon bons, and play the
deuce and all.
1864. Eton School-days, ch. xiv., p. 168. Burke, however, ran the
faster of the two, and after a short chivey, succeeded in capturing
him.
1868. Miss Braddon, Trail of the Serpent, bk. VI., ch. iv. The
Board of Health came a-chivying of us to take up our floorings, and
limewash ourselves inside.
1871. Daily News Report, ‘A Republican Demonstration in Hyde Park,
on Sunday, April 17.’ A comparatively decent man selling ‘A History
of Ireland’ was mobbed and chivied from side to side.
Chiving Lay, subs. phr. (old).—Cutting the braces of coaches behind,
whereupon, the coachman quitting the box, an accomplice broke and
robbed the boot. Also cutting through the back of the coach to snatch
the large and costly wigs then fashionable.—Grose. [From Chive, a
knife.]
Chivy or Chevy, subs. (thieves’).—The face. For synonyms, see Dial.
c. 1886. Music Hall Song. ‘’Aint he got an artful chevy.’
Verb.—To scold; to bullyrag. For synonyms, see Wig.
Choakee.—See Chokey.
Chock, verb (streets’).—To strike a person under the chin. [Probably a
corruption of to chuck, i.e., ‘chuck under the chin.’]—See Chocker.
Chocker, subs. (streets’).—A man. Generally Old Chocker, and thus
comparable with Old Codger (q.v.). The term is not however, used in
contempt; presumably, therefore, it signifies a manly man, i.e., one
who is capable of ‘chocking.’—See Chock.
Chocolate. To give chocolate without sugar, phr. (old).—To
reprove.—Grose [1785], and Lexicon Balatronicum [1811].
Choke-Dog, subs. (common).—Cheese; especially that made in Devonshire.
1870. Good Words, March. As I have said before, the Dorsetshire
hind is undoubtedly under-fed. Bread and choke-dog, as he calls his
county’s cheese, etc.—these, as I have said before, are the chief
items in his bill of fare.
Choke Off, verb (common).—To get rid of; to put a stop to; and in a
milder sense, ‘to run contrary to.’ [In the first instance the idea was
associated with the throttling of bull-dogs to make them loose their
hold; but the editor of a recent edition of the Slang Dictionary (Mr.
Henry M. Sampson of The Referee) adds en parenthèse, ‘Of course by
those who don’t know the scientific way used in canine exhibitions and
dog-fights—of biting their tails till they round to bite the biter.’]
English Synonyms. To shut off; to shunt; to fub off; to rump; to cold
shoulder. For synonyms in a more emphatic sense, see Floor.
French Synonyms. Envoyer quelqu’un s’asseoir (popular: Cf., ‘to set one
down’); arrêter les frais (‘to put a stop to proceedings.’)
1818. Cobbett, Pol. Reg., XXXIII., 72. The Duke’s seven mouths ...
made the Whig party choak off Sheridan. [m.]
1848. New York Exp., 21 Feb. (Bartlett). In the House ... of ...
Representatives. The operation of choking off a speaker was very
funny, and reminded me of the lawless conduct of fighting
school-boys.
1864. Derby Day, p. 155. ‘That will do, mother,’ he said; ‘I think
I have had my five shillings’ worth’; but the gipsy would not be
choked off until she had finished the patter she had learnt by
heart.
1870. London Figaro, 26 November. The hair-oil vendor was
proceeding in this strain of eulogium on the virtues of his
particular invigorating application when he was gently but firmly
choked off.
1883. Graphic, July 7, p. 11, col. 2. English dealers attend these
fairs with the object of purchasing these noble-looking animals,
but prices have now risen to £20 per head, and the English demand
is being choked off.
Choker, subs. (common).—1. A cravat; primarily the large neckerchief
once worn high round the neck. Sometimes white choker (q.v.), the white
neckerchief peculiar to evening dress.
English Synonyms. Neckinger; tie (this is now technical, but was
formerly a slang term); crumpler.
French Synonyms. Un collier or coulant; un blave or blavin; un épiploon
(students’).
1848. Thackeray, Book of Snobs, ch. i., p. 146. The usual attire of
a gentleman, viz., pumps, a gold waistcoat, a crush hat, a sham
frill, and a white choker.
1853. Wh. Melville, Digby Grand, ch. xix. Cram on a wrap-rascal and
a shawl choaker. Never mind the gold-laced overalls and spurs.
1853. Rev. E. Bradley (‘Cuthbert Bede’), Verdant Green, pt. I., p.
72. I’ll take off his choker and make him easy about the neck, and
then we’ll shut him up and leave him. Why, the beggar’s asleep
already.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. vii. There’s Mr. Brown, who oils his
hair, and wears rings, and white chokers—my eyes! such white
chokers!—and yet we call him the handsome snob!
1869. Orchestra, 20 August. I found myself elbowing a
fellow-countryman in a button-up waistcoat, and white choker!
1871. London Figaro, 13 May, p. 3, col. 3. ‘Bill ain’t hungry this
morning,’ she repeated; ‘or the cove with the white choker ’ud be
safe to collar. But look!’