Crow-Eater, subs. (colonial).—A lazybones who prefers subsisting upon
what he can pick up, as the crows do, to putting himself to the trouble
of working for it. For synonyms, see Loafer.
Crow-Fair, subs. (old).—A gathering of clergymen.
Crown, verb (thieves’).—To inspect a window with a view to operations.
Crown and Feathers, subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum. For
synonyms, see Monosyllable.
Crowner, subs. (old colloquial).—A coroner. [A corruption of
‘coroner.’]
1596. Shakspeare, Hamlet, Act v., Sc. 1. Sec. Cl. The crowner hath
sat on her, and finds it Christian burial.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, in wks. V., 220. And if any drowne
themselues in them, their crowners sit vpon them.
1835. Haliburton, Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. ii. You’ll be to
Connecticut afore they can wake up the crowner and summon a jury.
Crown-Office, subs. (old).—The head. For synonyms, see Crumpet. Quoted
by Grose [1785].
Crow’s-Foot, subs. (thieves’).—The Government broad arrow; also (in
pl.) wrinkles at the outside corners of the eyes.
Cruel or Cruelly, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Extremely; very; great. A
fashionable intensitive; an Americanism by survival. Cf., Awful and
Beastly.
1662. Pepys, Diary, 31 July. Met Captain Brown, of the ‘Rosebush,’
at which he was cruel angry. Ibid, 1666–7, 21 Feb. W. Batten denies
all, but is cruel mad.
1848. Bartlett, Dict. of Americanisms, p. 170. Oh, doctor, I am
powerful weak, but cruel easy.
Cruelty-Van or Booby-Hutch, subs. (common).—A four-wheeled chaise.
Crug, subs. (Christ’s Hospital).—1. At Hertford, a crust; in the London
school, crust and crumb alike.
1820. Lamb, Elia (Christ’s Hospital), p. 322, wks. [ed. 1852]. He
had his tea and hot rolls in a morning, while we were battening
upon our quarter of a penny loaf—our crug.