Cuckoos, subs. (old).—Money. For synonyms, see Actual and Gilt.
1612. The Passenger of Benvenuto. These companions, who ... carry
the impression and marke of the pillerie galley, and of the halter,
they call the purse a leafe, and a fleece; money, cuckoes, and
aste, and crowns.
Cuckoo’s Nest, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see
Monosyllable.
Cucumber-Time, subs. (tailors’).—The dull season. [A correspondent of
Notes and Queries (1 S., viii., 439) says it is of German origin, and
remarks that many hundreds of London tailors are of German nationality.
The German phrase is die saure Gurken Zeit (pickled gherkin-time).
Hence, it is said, the expression ‘Tailors are vegetarians,’ because
they live now on ‘cucumber’ and now on ‘cabbage.’ Quoted by Grose
(1785).] Cf., quot., 1821.
1821. P. Egan, Tom and Jerry [ed. 1890], p. 60. The chap in the
corner ... has been chaffing Spendall ... about his being so
cucumberish as to be compelled to ‘gammon the draper’ [which means
when a man is without a shirt, and is buttoned up close to his
neck, with merely a handkerchief round it to make an appearance of
cleanliness, it is termed, ‘gammoning the draper’].
Cud, subs. (popular).—A chew of tobacco; a quid. [An allusion to
‘chewing the cud.’]
Adj. (Winchester College).—1. Pretty; handsome. [Thought to be derived
from kudos.]