1874. G. A. Lawrence, Hagarene, ch. xxxviii. Pete knew how to fall
as well as any acrobat, and thought no more of a common ‘crumpler,’
than ordinary hunting folks do of a ‘peck’ or stumble.
Crush, subs. (colloquial).—A fashionable name for any large social
gathering.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. xiii. We fear he had
rather go to a crush at Lady Dinadam’s than sup with Boz.
1872. Pall Mall Gaz., 23 June. It would possibly be found that one
week of political reunions, concerts, balls, and crushes would be
as disastrous in its effects as two months of absinthe drinking.
1890. H. D. Traill, Tea Without Toast. ‘Saturday Songs,’ p. 100. It
appeared to us a feast wouldn’t help the cause the least, And we
settled that to give a crush at nine Would be greatly more
effectual, and far more intellectual, Than at six o’clock to,
greatly daring, dine.
Verb (general).—To run away; to decamp. For synonyms, see Amputate and
Skedaddle.
To crush down sides, verbal phr. (Northern).—To keep tryst; also to run
to a place of safety.
To crush or burst a pot, cup, or bottle, phr. (old).—To drink
(generally in company). See Crack a bottle. [From the Italian crosciare
= to decant.] Shakspeare, in The Taming of the Shrew, induction, Sc. 1,
uses burst in a similar sense to crack and crush.
1592. Defence of Conny-catching, in Greene’s wks., xi., 43. If euer
I brought my Conny but to crush a potte of ale with mee.
1595. Shakspeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act I., Sc. 2. And if you be
not of the house of Montagues, I pray, come and crush a cup of
wine.
1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. vii. I crushed a quart with
that jolly boy Jenkin.
Crusher, subs. (popular).—1. A policeman. [Possibly from the slang verb
to crush = to run. Crush! was once a favourite signal of the ‘pea and
thimble’ and other race-course sharpers, the meaning being: ‘Run! the
police!’ The word came into general use, and was ultimately converted
into crusher = a policeman.] For synonyms, see Beak, sense 1, and
Copper.
c. 1840. Thackeray, The Organ-Boy’s Appeal. Though you set in
Vestminster surrounded by your crushers, Harrogant and habsolute
like the Hortocrat of hall the Rushers.
1842. Punch, vol. II., p. 137. ‘Proverbial Philosophy.’ There is
not one crusher who is proof against the waistcoat pocket.
1853. Diogenes, II., 46. Here in came [to the Court] a crusher (Beg
pardon—mean usher), Dragging in a Pot-boy, With great show of joy.
1859. Sala, Tw. Round the Clock, 5 p.m., par. 19. A crusher, or
policeman, there is indeed.
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 223. Oh, that’s one
of the cleverest gentlemen cracksmen out.... The blooming crushers
were precious glad when they ‘pinched’ ’im.
2. (popular).—Anything large, fine, or extraordinary. [From crush, to
overwhelm or subdue.] Akin to whopper, stinger, corker, bouncer, etc.
(q.v.).
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, ch. iv. She is a crusher, ain’t she
now?
1870. New York Herald, Jan. The Fenians in England received rather
a crusher, if I may use so slang a word, two days ago.
Crushing, ppl. adj. (colloquial).—Excellent; first-rate. For synonyms,
see a1 and Fizzing.
Crust or Upper Crust, subs. (common).—1. The head. For synonyms, see
Crumpet.
Upper-crust (q.v.), also = Society with a capital S.
Crusty-Beau, subs. (old).—One that uses paint and cosmetics to obtain a
fine complexion.—Grose.
Crutch, subs. (colloquial).—The ‘fork,’ or inner angle of the thigh.
Crutches are Cheap.—See Wooden-Legs.
Cry, subs. (common).—A large number; a quantity. [From cry, a pack of
dogs.] As in Shakspeare’s Coriolanus, Act iii., Scene 3. ‘You common
cry of curs.’
Great cry and little wool, phr. (general).—Much ado about nothing. The
original text of the proverb was, ‘Great cry and little wool, as the
devil said when he sheared the hogs.’ Hudibras alters it into ‘All cry
and no wool.’
To cry carrots and turnips, verbal phr. (old).—See quot.
1747. Charles Johnson, Highwaymen and Pyrates, p. 254. He came oft
with crying carrots and turnips, a term which rogues use for
whipping at the cart’s arse.
To cry [or call] a go, verbal phr. (common).—To give in, as one unable
to proceed. An expression borrowed from cribbage signifying that the
player who makes use of it has nothing playable in his hand, and is
compelled to ‘cry a go.’] Cf., Pass.
1880. Punch’s Almanack. Got three quid; have cried a go with Fan,
Game to spend my money like a man.
To cry cupboard, verbal phr. (common).—To be fasting, hungry, banded
(q.v.). Fr., n’avoir rien dans le cornet; avoir le buffet vide; and
danser devant le buffet.
1738. Swift, Polite Conversation (conv. iii.), Footman. Madam,
dinner’s upon the table. Col. Faith, I’m glad of it; my belly began
to cry cupboard.
Cry matches! intj. phr. (American).—An exclamation of surprise.
[Variously derived: (1) a corruption of ‘Crime hatches’; (2) cry = XPI
or Christ, no suggestion being offered to account for ‘matches’; and
(3) a conversion of the Fr. cré matin, presumably Canadian. Cf.,
Crimini.] Quoted in N. and Q., 5 S., viii., 491, and ix., 55, 318.
Cry off, verb (general).—To retreat; to back out from an engagement.
1866. London Miscellany, 5 May, p. 201. ‘London Revelations.’ ‘Why
this gent told me to bid,’ said the dealer, patting his tingling
fingers sharply, ‘and now he wants to cry off.’
To cry stinking fish.—See Stinking fish.
C.T.A., phr. (circus and showmen’s)—The police.
Cub or Unlicked-Cub, subs. (colloquial).—An awkward, sulky girl; a
mannerless, uncouth lout of a boy. [In allusion to the clumsiness of
bear cubs till their dam has ‘licked them into shape.’] Cf.,
Bear-leader.
1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, Act v., I., 167. Duke. O thou
dissembling cub! what wilt thou be When time hath sow’d a grizzle
on thy case?
1693. Congreve, Old Batchelor, Act iv., Sc. 8. A country squire,
with the equipage of a wife and two daughters, came to Mrs.
Snipwell’s shop while I was there—but, oh Gad! two such unlicked
cubs!
1762. Foote, Liar, II., ii. I don’t reckon much upon him: for you
know, my dear, what can I do with an awkward, raw, college cub?
1773. O. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, Act iv., Sc. 1. ‘A poor
contemptible booby that would but disgrace correction.’... ‘An
insensible cub.’
1880. A. Trollope, The Duke’s Children, ch. ix. And Tommy, you are
an uncivil young,—young,—young,—I should say cub if I dared, to
tell me that you don’t like dining with me any day of the week.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, ch. xxix. I don’t see why that infernal
young cub of a Clive is always meddling in our affairs.
Cubitopolis, subs. (obsolete).—The Warwick and Eccleston Square
districts. [From the name of the builders, see quot., 1864.] Cf.,
Albertopolis, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, The New Jerusalem, Slopers’
Island, etc. (q.v.).
1864. The Press, 12 Nov. Cubitopolis received its felicitous
cognomen from Lady Morley.
1866. E. Yates, Land at Last, ch. iii. There are men yet living
among us whose mothers had been robbed on their way from Ranelagh
in crossing the spot, then a dreary swampy marsh, on which now
stands the city of palaces known as cubittopolis.
Cuckoo, subs. (popular).—1. A fool. For synonyms, see Buffle and
Cabbage-head.
1598. Shakspeare, Henry IV., Part I, Act i, Scene 4. O’horseback,
ye cuckoo; but afoot he will not budge a foot.