Coachman, subs. (anglers’).—A fly-fisher’s rod. [In allusion to
whipping the stream.]
Coach-Wheel, subs. (popular).—A crown-piece, or five shillings. For
synonyms, see Cart-wheel.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue. Coach wheel: a half crown piece is
a fore coach wheel, and a crown piece a hind coach wheel, the fore
wheels of a coach being less than the hind ones.
Coal.—See Cole.
To take in one’s coals, or winter coals, phr. (nautical).—To contract a
venereal disease. For synonyms, see Ladies’ fever.
Coal-Box, subs. (musical).—A chorus. [Obviously ‘music-hally’ or
‘circussy’ in derivation: a cross between rhyming slang and a clown’s
wheeze (q.v.).]
1809–70. Mark Lemon, Up and Down London Streets. The slang word for
chorus, coal box, if we might mention anything so ungenteel.
Coaley, subs. (common).—A coal-heaver, or porter.
1880. Jas. Greenwood, ‘Diddler Domesticus,’ in Odd People in Odd
Places, p. 93. With such arguments the bargain is driven to a
conclusion, and the grateful coaley takes his departure.
1889. Star, 3 Dec., p. 3, col. 4. The coalies demonstrated last
night in right novel fashion at St. Pancras Arches.
Coaling or Coally, adj. (theatrical).—Among ‘pros’ a coally or coaling
part is one that is grateful to the player. [Hotten says it means
‘profitable,’ and derives it from cole = money, but this is
doubtful.—See quot.]
1872. M. E. Braddon, Dead Sea Fruit, ch. xiv. The gorger’s awful
coally on his own slumming, eh?... I mean to say that our friend
the manager is rather sweet upon his own acting.
Coal-Scuttle, subs. (common).—A poke bonnet; modish once, but now
reserved for old-fashioned Quakeresses and ‘Hallelujah Lasses.’ [From
the shape.]
1838. Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby. There was Miss Snevellici ...
glancing from the depths of her coal-scuttle bonnet at Nicholas.
Coat. To get the sun into a horse’s coat, phr. (racing).—Explained by
quot.
1889. Standard. ‘Sir Chas. Russell’s Speech in Durham-Chetwynd
Case,’ June 25. An owner says to his trainer, ‘I suppose, Mr.
Jones, we’ll have very good luck to-morrow?’ (laughter). ‘Well no,
sir,’ says the trainer; ‘I don’t think the horse has any chance
to-morrow. The fact is, he isn’t fit.’ A fortnight elapses, and on
comes another meeting at Newmarket, and the owner goes down again,
and he sees the horse. To his uninitiated eye the horse seems as
well as when he saw it on the previous occasion. In the interval
the trainer had ‘slipped in a lot of work into him,’ I think that
is the term, and the owner, who thinks he knows something about
horses (laughter) says to his trainer ‘You’re going to run this
horse to-morrow?’ ‘Oh, I think so, sir,’ says the trainer. ‘But
look here,’ says the owner, ‘This is a much better class. He is
meeting this horse upon no better terms than before.’ ‘But, sir,’
says the trainer, ‘he has greatly improved. The sun has got into
his coat.’
Coax, verb (old).—To dissemble in the shoes the soiled or ragged parts
of a pair of stockings.—[Grose, 1785.]
Cob, subs. (prison).—1. A punishment cell. For synonyms, see Clinch.
2. (nautical).—Money. Especially given to a Spanish coin formerly
current in Ireland, worth about 4s. 8d. Also the name still given at
Gibraltar to a Spanish dollar.
1805. Plymouth Newspaper of Feb. 24, quoted in ‘Autobiography of a
Seaman,’ by Earl of Dundonald, vol. I., ch. x., p. 174. His
Lordship sent word to Plymouth that, if ever it was in his power he
would fulfil his public advertisement (stuck up here) for entering
seamen, of filling their pockets with Spanish ‘pewter’ and ‘cobs,’
nicknames given by seamen to ingots and dollars.
3. (Winchester College).—A hard hit at cricket. Of modern introduction.
Cf., Barter.
Verb (schoolboys’).—1. To detect, catch, etc.