1810. Charles Lamb, Recollections of Christ’s Hospital [1835], p.
24. The Cots, or superior Shoe Strings of the Monitors.
Cotsold or Cotswold Lion, subs. phr. (old).—A sheep. Mentioned by Ray
in his proverbs. For synonyms, see Wool-bird.
1615. Harington, Epigrams, bk. III., ep. 18. Lo then the mystery
from whence the name Of Cotsold lyons first to England came.
Cotton-Lord or King, subs. (common).—A wealthy cotton manufacturer.
1883. Hawley Smart, Hard Lines, ch. xix. ‘But, Mr. Fulsby [a
Manchester man], the country will never ... do away with the army
because you cotton lords consider it unnecessary.’
Cottonopolis, subs. (general).—Manchester. [In allusion to the staple.]
Cf., Albertopolis, Cubitopolis, Hygeiapolis.
1884. Echo, May 12, p. 4, col. 2. For the big race [Manchester Cup]
at Cottonopolis a fine lot are let in.
Cottons, subs. (Stock Exchange).—Confederate Bonds. [From the staple of
the Southern States.]
Cotton To, verb (common).—To take a fancy to; to unite with; to agree
with. In the last sense it is found occasionally in the Elizabethan
writers, and is American by survival. [As regards derivation, it comes
from the Welsh cytuno, to agree, to consent.]
Some French analogues are:—Avoir un béguin pour quelqu’un and avoir un
pépin pour une femme; one who cottons to another is by students called
un colleur; while concubinage by sheer force of habit is damned as le
collage.
1582. Stanyhurst, Virgil, p. 19 (Arber). If this geare cotten, what
wight wyl yeelde to myn aulters Bright honor and Sacrifice.
1605. Play of Stucley, I., 290. John a Nokes and John a Style and I
cannot cotton.
1837. Barham, I. L. (The Bagman’s Story). For when once Madam
Fortune deals out her hard raps, It’s amazing to think, How one
cottons to drink!
1846. Punch, vol. II., p. 12. I agree in the words of Mrs. Judy,
who says, ‘My dear, I hope one day to see Peel and Cobden cotton
together.’
1864. Derby Day, p. 152. ‘You stop here and cotton up to the
gipsies,’ exclaimed Charley Brickwood.
1880. Ouida, Moths, ch. vii. ‘Ride? Ah! That’s a thing I don’t
cotton to anyhow,’ said Miss Fuschia Leach, who had found that her
talent did not lie that way.
To die with cotton in one’s ears, phr. (obsolete).—See quots.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry (ed. 1890), p. 92. Many of the most
hardened and desperate offenders, from the kindness, attention, and
soothing conduct of the Rev. Mr. Cotton [the chaplain at Newgate,
1821], who is indefatigable in administering consolation to their
troubled minds, have become the most sincere penitents.
1864. Athenæum, 29 Oct., No. 1931. Rev. of Sl. Dict. When a late
chaplain of Newgate [Rev. Mr. Cotton] used to attend poor wretches
to the scaffold, standing by their side to the last moment, they
were said to ‘die with cotton in their ears!’ Let us add here, that
Rowe invented the phrase ‘launched into eternity,’ to signify the
simple but solemn matter of hanging.
This was by no means the only instance of a popular punning allusion to
the name of Cotton. The Jesuit Father Coton, having obtained a great
ascendency over Henri IV., it was remarked by that monarch’s subjects
that, unfortunately, ‘his ears were stuffed with cotton.’
Cotton-Top, subs. (obsolete).—A woman loose in fact, but keeping up
some sort of appearance. [In allusion to cotton stockings with silk
feet.]
Couch a Hogshead, verbal phr. (old).—To lie down and sleep. [Couch, to
lie down, was in common use in Shakspeare’s time (Merry Wives of
Windsor, v., 2). Hogshead = the head.]—See, however, quot., 1610, and
for synonyms, see Balmy.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. To couch a hogshead: to ly
downe and slepe. Ibid, I couched a hogshead in a skypper this
darkemans.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club’s Repr., 1874).
Cowch a hogshead: to lie doune and sleepe; this phrase is like an
Alminacke that is out of date: now the duch word to slope is with
them vsed, to sleepe, and liggen, to lie downe.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. iv., p. 37 (1874). The
fumes of drink had now ascended into their brain, wherefore they
coucht a hogs-head, and went to sleep.
1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1818. Scott, Heart of Midlothian, ch. xxx. ‘We’ll couch a hogshead,
and so better had you.’ They retired to repose, accordingly.
Councillor of The Pipowder Court, subs. (old).—A pettifogging lawyer.
[The Pipowder Court was one held at fairs, where justice was done to
any injured person before the dust of the fair was off his feet; the
name being derived from the French pié poudré. Some, however, think
that it had its origin in pied-pouldreux, a pedlar, and signifies a
pedlars’ court.
Council-of-Ten, subs. phr. (common).—The toes of a man who walks
duck-footed (q.v.). Cf., Ten commandments. Fr., arpions.
Counsellor, subs. (Irish).—A barrister. Fr., un gerbier.
1889. Answers, 9 Feb. I referred him to my solicitors, who very
kindly lent their services for nothing, giving the £3 he had to the
counsellor (thieves always call barristers counsellors) employed.
Count, subs. (common).—A man of fashion; a swell.—See quot., 1883, and
Dandy for synonyms.
1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 6 p.m., par. 20. Tremendous
counts are the clerks in the secretary’s office, jaunty
bureaucrats, who ride upon park hacks, and are ‘come for’ by
ringlets in broughams at closing time.
1883. G. A. S[ala], in Ill. London News, April 21, p. 379, col. 2.
Fops flourished before my time, but I can remember the ‘dandy,’ who
was superseded by the count, the ‘toff,’ and other varieties of the
‘swell.’
Counter, verb (pugilistic).—To strike while parrying. Also used as a
verbal subs., countering. Figuratively, to oppose; to circumvent.
1853. C. Bede, Verdant Green, pt. I., p. 106. His kissing traps
countered, his ribs roasted.
1857. O. W. Holmes, Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, ch. vii. He
will certainly knock the little man’s head off, if he strikes him.
Feinting, dodging, stopping, hitting, countering—little man’s head
not off yet.
1871. Daily News, 17 April, p. 2, col. 2. The Jockey Club met on
Wednesday last, when they countered the Hunt Committee ... by
refusing to father the said ‘wrangling stakes’ by a majority of
eleven to three.
1873. Conservative, 15 Feb. If ‘The Druid’ is the prettier sparrer,
‘The Ædile’ must be admitted to have shown unexpected powers of
countering, and has stood up gamely to his bigger opponent.
Another lie nailed to the counter.—See Another.
Counterfeit-Cranke, subs. (old).—Explained in quots.—See Cranke.
1567. Harman, Caveat. These that do counterfet the cranke be yong
knaves and yonge harlots, that deeply dissemble the falling
sickness.
1621. Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, p. 159. A lawyer of Bruges
hath some notable examples of such counterfeit cranks. Ibid. 436.
Thou art a counterfeit crank, a cheater.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, ii., 1. And these, what name or
title e’er they bear, Jarkman, or Patrico, Cranke, or
Clapper-dudgeon, Frater, or Abram-man, I speak to all That stand in
fair election for the title Of king of beggars.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 39 (1874), s.v.
Counter-Jumper (or Skipper), subs. (common).—A draper’s assistant; a
shopman. Fr., chevalier du mètre. For synonyms, see Knight of the yard.
Also counter-jump = to act as a shop-assistant, and counter-jumping,
verbal subs.
1855. C. Kingsley, Westward Ho. ‘Why,’ said he, stifling his anger,
‘it seems free enough to every counter-jumper in the town.’
1860. Guide to Eton, p. 236. They are like the young
counter-jumper, mentioned by Dickens, on the outside of a coach,
who lighted a great many cigars, and threw them away when he
thought no one was looking.
1863. C. Reade, Hard Cash, II., 189. Mamma, dear, you open that
gigantic wardrobe of yours, and I’ll oil my hair, whitewash my mug
(a little moan from Mrs. D.), and do the counter-jumping business
to the life.
1864. G. A. Sala, in Temple Bar, Dec., p. 40. He is as dextrous as
a Regent Street counter-jumper in the questionable art of ‘shaving
the ladies.’
1876. M. E. Braddon, Joshua Haggard, ch. viii. I don’t want my son
and heir to keep company with counter jumpers.
Count-Noses, verbal phr. (parliamentary).—To count the ‘Ayes’ and
‘Noes.’ [A punning allusion to the latter.] Generally, to take the
sense of any assembly.
Country, subs. (cricket).—That part of the ground at a great distance
from the wicket; thus, a fielder at ‘deep-long-off,’ or ‘long-on’ is
said ‘to be in the Country,’ and a ball hit to the far boundary is ‘hit
into the Country.’
Country-Put, subs. (old).—An ignorant, country fellow. For synonyms,
see Joskin.
1717. Mrs. Centlivre, Bold Stroke for a Wife, Act iv., Sc. 2. Col.
F. Enough. Now for the country-put.
County-Crop, subs. (general).—The hair cut close to the skull; a mode
once common to all prisoners, but now to convicts only. Also
prison-crop. [An abbreviation of county-prison crop.] Used likewise
adjectively.
1867. Jas. Greenwood, Unsent. Journeys, xxv., 199. A slangy,
low-browed, bull-necked, county-cropped ... crew.
Couple- (also Buckle-) Beggar, subs. (old).—A celebrant of irregular
marriages—as the Chaplain of the Fleet; a hedge priest. A Spanish
colloquialism for such a marriage is bodijo.
1737. Swift, Proposal for Badges to the Beggars. Nay, their
happiness is often deferred until they find credit to borrow, or
cunning to steal, a shilling to pay their popish priest, or
infamous couple-beggar.
1842. Lever, Handy Andy, ch. xxix. This was a degraded clergyman,
known in Ireland under the title of Couple-Beggar, who was ready to
perform irregular marriages on such urgent occasions as the
present.
Couple of Shakes.—See Brace of Shakes.
Coupling-House, subs. (old).—A brothel. [From coupling, the act of
copulating, + house.] For synonyms, see Nanny-shop.
Couranne.—See Caroon.
Court-Card, subs. (old).—A beau, or ‘swell.’ For synonyms, see Dandy.
Court Holy Water or Court Promises, subs. phr. (old).—Fair speeches
without performance.
Cousin Betty, subs. (colloquial).—A half-witted person. For synonyms,
see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1860. Mrs. Gaskell, Sylvia’s Lovers, ch. xiv. I dunnot think
there’s a man living—or dead for that matter—as can say Foster’s
wrong him of a penny, or gave short measure to a child or a cousin
betty.
Cousin-Trumps, subs. (old).—One of a kind: brother smut; brother chip.
1825. English Spy, p. 255. Most noble cracks, and worthy
cousin-trumps, etc.
Couter or Cooter, subs. (common).—A sovereign. For synonyms, see
Canary, sense 3. Half a couter = half-a-sovereign.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant (3 ed.), p. 444, s.v.
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 243. ‘A foulcher,
with flimsies and couters for a score of quid in it.’
1880. James Payn, A Confidential Agent, I., 207. ‘Well, he gave us
half a couter at all events,’ pleaded John in mitigation.
Cove, Covey, Cofe, Cuffing, and, in the feminine, Covess, subs.
(general).—1. A person; a companion. [Some derive cove from the Gypsy
cova, covo = that man, covi = that woman; Cova, says Pott (quoted in
Annandale), has a far wider application than the Latin res; there is no
expression more frequent in a gypsy’s mouth. Others connect it with the
north country coof; a lout or dolt.] Cove enters into many
combinations: e.g.,
Cross-cove = a robber.
Flash-cove = a thief or swindler.
Kinchin-cove = a little man.
Flogging-cove = a beadle.
Smacking-cove = a coachman.
Narry-cove = a drunkard.
Topping-cove = a highwayman.
Abram-cove = a beggar.
Queer-cove = a rogue.
Nubbing-cove = the hangman.
Gentry-cove = a gentleman.
Downy-cove = a shrewd man.
Rum-cove = a doubtful character.
Nib-cove = a gentleman,
etc., etc., etc., all which see.
English Synonyms. Boy; chap; cull; cully; customer; kiddy; homo or
omee; fish; put; bloke; gloak; party; cuss; codger; buffer; gaffer;
damber; duck; chip.
French Synonyms. Bête à pain (popular: literally a bread-eater; also a
man who ‘keeps’ a woman); un bonhomme (familiar); un type (prostitutes’
= a dupe); un gonce, gonse or gonze, and une gonzesse (thieves’); un
goncier (thieves’); un gonsalé (thieves’); un gadouille; un nière or
niert; un pante (thieves’: from pantin, a puppet); un mastic (thieves’:
properly cement or putty); une mazette (military); une mecque
(thieves’); un marquant (thieves’: especially applied to bullies or
Sunday-men); un marpaut or marpeau (old cant); un lancier (thieves’);
un lascar (thieves’); un messier or messière (thieves’: from mézière, a
fool); un orgue (thieves’); un gas (thieves’); un gosselin (popular =
Eng. covey; une fignolé gosseline = a ‘natty piece’); un gniasse
(thieves’); un loncegue (thieves’).
German Synonyms. Baal (perhaps one of the most comprehensive terms in
the Gaunersprache, and signifying not only a ‘cove’ [i.e., an
individual], but also a master, husband, possessor, artist, expert,
artisan—in fact, one owning or capable of anything. Combinations are
Balbajis, Balbos [fem. Balboste, Balboëste] = master of the house;
Baldower = a principal or leader of a gang, an adviser, the creator of
opportunities, the spy; Baleze, Baleize = an adviser, also a chief of
police; Balhoche [from Baal and hocho (there)], prostitutes’ = ‘one in
possession’ but removeable; Balhoche (thieves’) = one with an
opportunity of theft; Balhei is merely the abbreviation or Baalhe or
hei; Balmassematten [masso umattan], the business man, the leader of a
gang; Balmelocho, the artisan; Balmelochestift, the artisan’s
apprentice; Balplete, Balpleite, the runaway; Balschochad, any official
who takes bribes; Balspiess = a common lodging-house; Balm, Balmach,
Balmachan, Palm, Palmer, Palmach, Pallmack, Pallmagen = a soldier; the
Hanov. has Palemachome [Palemachen, Pallemacher]; Balverschmai = an
inquisitor or judge); Brooker (Hanoverian = one in trousers, from the
North German Broek or Bracca, trousers); Gatscho (from the Gypsy gaxo);
Isch (from the Hebrew isch).
1567. Harman, Caveat. Cofe: a person.
1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candlelight, in wks. (Grosart) III.,
196. The word cove, or cofe, or cuffin, signifies a Man, a Fellow,
etc.
1654. Witts, Recreations. As priest of the game, And prelate of the
same, There’s a gentry cove here.
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 12, s.v.
1837. Dickens, Oliver Twist, ch. x. ‘Do you see that old cove at
the book-stall?’
1849. C. Kingsley, Alton Locke, ch. ii.: [a misquotation of a far
older song.] ‘The ministers talk a great deal about port, And they
makes Cape wine very dear, But blow their hi’s if ever they tries,
To deprive a poor cove of his beer.’
1871. Figaro, 15 April. We need hardly say that the cove in
question is not a man.
[For examples of the use of Covey and Covess, see same.]
2. (Up-country Australian).—The master, ‘boss,’ or ‘gaffer’ of a sheep
station.
Cove of Dossing-Ken, subs. phr. (thieves’).—The landlord of a common
lodging-house. Fr., marchand de sommeil.
Covent-Garden, subs. (rhyming slang).—A ‘farden’ or farthing.
Covent-Garden Abbess, subs. (old).—A procuress. [Covent Garden at one
time teemed with brothels: as Fielding’s Covent Garden Tragedy (1751–2)
suggests. Cf., Bankside ladies, and Barnwell ague.]—See Covent-Garden
ague and Abbess. For synonyms, see Mother.
Covent-Garden Ague, subs. phr. (old).—A venereal disease. [An allusion
to brothels in the neighbourhood in question.] Cf., Bankside ladies.
For synonyms, see Ladies’ fever.
Covent-Garden Nun, subs. phr. (old).—A prostitute.—[See Covent-garden
ague and Nun.]
Coventry. To send one to, or to be in Coventry, verbal phr.
(colloquial).—To exclude from social intercourse, or notice; to be in
disgrace. [Variously but indecisively explained:—(1) From Coventry
Gaol, as a place of imprisonment for Royalists during the Parliamentary
war. (2) From the fact that in Coventry, as elsewhere, the privilege of
trading was anciently confined to certain privileged persons. (3) As a
corruption of put or sent into quarantine, the transition from
‘Coventry’ formerly pronounced and written Cointrie—(‘his breech of
Cointrie blewe.’ Drayton’s Dowsabell: 1593)—being easy and natural, in
which connection, see quot., 1821. The expression appears first in
Grose, but ‘Quarantine’ used analogically is found in Swift.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
1821. Croker, in Croker Papers, vol. I., p. 203. I found MacMahon
in a kind of Coventry, and was warned not to continue my
acquaintance with him.
1838. Lytton, Alice, bk. IV., ch. iii. ‘If any one dares to buy it,
we’ll send him to Coventry.’
1869. Spencer, Study of Sociology, ch. x., p. 244 (9 ed.). The
skilful artizan, who in a given period can do more than his
fellows, but who dares not do it because he would be sent to
Coventry by them.
1872. Post, 21 June. Another representation on behalf of Lieutenant
Tribe, of the 9th Lancers, now for some months past in Coventry,
will be made in the course of a few days to the Minister for War
and to his Royal Highness Commanding-in-Chief.
Cover, subs. (thieves’).—A pickpocket’s confederate: one who ‘fronts,’
i.e., distracts the attention of, the victim; a stall (q.v.).
Verb (thieves’).—1. To act as a pickpocket’s confederate.
1868. Glasgow Gazette, 13 Nov. ‘A Sensitive Thief.’ I saw Merritt
lift up the tail of a gentleman’s coat and thrust his hand into the
pocket.... Jordan and O’Brien were covering Merritt while so
acting. I knew them all to be regular thieves.