1887. Sir F. Pollock, Pers. Remembr., vol. I., p. 212. In April I
accompanied the newly-made Chief Baron [of Exchequer] as his colt
(the so-called attendant on a serjeant at his making) to the Lord
Chancellor’s private room at Westminster.
Verb (nautical).—1. To thrash; [From colt, sense 2.] Cf., Baste, and
for synonyms, see Tan.
1836. Marryat, Midshipman Easy, ch. xii. ‘Then he colted me for
half-an-hour, and that’s all.’
2. (common).—To cause a person to stand treat by way of being ‘made
free’ of a new place; to make one ‘pay one’s footing.’ Cf., subs.,
sense 1.
Coltage, subs. (old).—The footing paid by colts (q.v., subs., sense 1)
on their first appearance.
Colting, verbal subs. (common).—A thrashing. For general synonyms, see
Tanning and Baste.
Colt-Man.—See Colt, subs., sense 4.
Colt’s Tooth. To have a colt or colt’s tooth, verbal phr. (old).—To be
fond of youthful pleasures; in the case of elderly persons, to have
juvenile tastes; to be of wanton disposition and capacity. [In allusion
to a supposed desire to shed the teeth and see life over again.]
1500. Marlowe, 2 Tamburlaine, iv., 4. Nay, we will break the hedges
of their mouths, And pull their kicking colts out of their
pastures.
1606. Sir Gyles Goosecappe, v., 2, in Bullen’s Old Plays, iii., 87.
I shood doe my country, and Court-ship good service to beate thy
coalts teeth out of thy head, for suffering such a reverend word to
passe their guarde.
1637. Fletcher, Elder Brother, II., iii. He should love her now, As
he hath a colt’s tooth yet.
1753. Walpole, Lett. to Mann, 27 April (1833), vol. III., p. 89. I
hear that my Lord Granville has cut another colt’s tooth—in short,
they say he is going to be married again ... there are not above
two or three-and-forty years difference in their ages.
1770. Colman, The Portrait, in wks. (1777) IV., 215. Tho’ not in
the bloom of my youth, Yet still I have left a colt’s tooth.
1812. C. K. Sharpe, in Correspondence (1888), II., 5. Tyndall and I
always fought about noblemen, tho’ I suspected his colt’s tooth
with regard to Lord Apsley, who is a mighty good sort of man, but
only captivating.
Columbine, subs. (theatrical).—A prostitute. For synonyms, see
Barrack-hack and Tart.
Columbus, subs. (theatrical).—Failure. A regular Columbus = an utter
failure; ‘dead frost.’ Fr., Il pleut! = the play is a failure.
Comb-Brush, subs. (old).—A lady’s maid. [A word compounded from the
names of two familiar toilet requisites. Cf., whip = a coachman.]—See
Abigail.
1750. Fielding, Tom Jones. The maid who at present attended on
Sophia was recommended by Lady Bellaston, with whom she had lived
for some time in the capacity of a comb-brush.
Comb Cut. To have one’s comb cut, verbal phr. (popular).—To be
mortified; disgraced; down on one’s luck. [A simile drawn from
cock-fighting.]
Comb Down.—See Comb one’s hair.
Combie, subs. (university).—A familiar abbreviation for ‘Combination
room,’ the parlour in which college dons drink wine after Hall. Also a
garment; see Combination.
Combination, subs. (general).—A woman’s undergarment, shift and drawers
in one. Also combie, and (American) chemiloon (q.v.), itself a
combination of ‘chemise’ and ‘pantaloon.’
Comb One’s Hair, verbal phr., trs. and intr. (common).—To take to task;
to scold; to keep in order. Sometimes to thrash, and generally
ill-treat. Variants are to comb down; to comb one’s noddle with a
three-legged or joint stool. [A.S. cemban; O.E. kemben; German, kämmen
= to comb. Halliwell gives kemb (a Border form) = to comb; also comb =
to cut a person’s comb, to disable him. The word seems to have always
involved the idea of personal castigation, either physical or
figurative. In this connection, cf., quot., 1593.] Fr., donner une
peignée and laver la tête; but for synonyms in the sense of ‘to scold,’
see Wig; and in the sense of ‘to thrash,’ see Tan.
1593. Shakspeare, Taming of the Shrew, i., 1. Kath ... doubt not
her cares should be to comb your noddle with a three-legg’d stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.
1769. John Wallis, Antiquities of Northumberland. [Speaking of Wark
Castle.] On the west side are the outworks, now called the Kemb,
i.e., the camp of the militia designed to kemb or fight an enemy;
kemb being a word often used by the borderers when they threaten in
a passionate tone to beat an assailant,—they will kemb him, i.e.,
drub him heartily.
1836. W. Kidd, London and all its Dangers. ‘Magistrates,’ p. 12.
The Magistrate of Hatton Garden has lately had his ‘hair combed’ by
the Home Secretary for his brutal conduct.
1852. Dickens, Bleak House, ch. xxvii., p. 236. ‘If you had only
settled down, and married Joe Pouch’s widow when he died in North
America, she’d have combed your hair for you.’
1866. G. Eliot, Felix Holt, ch. xliii. ‘But you see, these
riots—it’s been a nasty business. I shall have my hair combed at
the sessions for a year to come.’
1869. ... Ino (played at Strand Theatre). ‘Since Ino’s combed my
wool it’s ceased to grow.’
Comb the Cat, verbal phr. (nautical).—See quot.
1867. Smyth, Sailors’ Word Book. Combing the Cat: the boatswain, or
other operator, running his fingers through the cat-o’-nine tails
to separate them.
Come, verb (venery).—1. To experience the sexual spasm; to achieve
emission; to Spend (q.v.). The expression (which applies to the agents
only: never to the proof, or effect, of their activity) is common to
both the sexes. Cf., Cream (q.v.); Spendings; q.v.; and Letch-water
(q.v.).
2. (general).—To practice; to understand; to act the part of. Cf., Come
over and Come tricks.
1883. Greenwood, Tag, Rag, and Co. We ain’t two by ourselves as
comes that dodge.