CASTOR, a hat. CASTOR was once the ancient word for a BEAVER; and
strange to add, BEAVER was the slang for CASTOR, or hat, thirty years
ago, before gossamer came into fashion.
CAT, to vomit like a cat.—_See_ SHOOT THE CAT.
CAT, a lady’s muff; “to free a CAT,” _i.e._, steal a muff.
CATARACT, a black satin scarf arranged for the display of jewellery,
much in vogue among “commercial gents.”
CATCH ’EM ALIVE, a trap, also a small-tooth comb.
CATCHY (similar formation to _touchy_), inclined to take an undue
advantage.
CATEVER, a queer, or singular affair; anything poor, or very bad. From
the _Lingua Franca_, and _Italian_, CATTIVO, bad. Variously spelled by
the lower orders.—_See_ KERTEVER.
CATGUT-SCRAPER, a fiddler.
CAT-LAP, a contemptuous expression for weak drink.
CAT’S WATER, old Tom, or Gin.
CAT AND KITTEN SNEAKING, stealing pint and quart pots from
public-houses.
CATCH-PENNY, any temporary contrivance to obtain money from the public,
penny shows, or cheap exhibitions.
CAT-IN-THE-PAN, a traitor, a turn-coat—derived by some from the
_Greek_, καταπαν, altogether; or from _cake in pan_, a pan cake, which
is frequently turned from side to side.
CAUCUS, a private meeting held for the purpose of concerting measures,
agreeing upon candidates for office before an election, &c.—_See
Pickering’s Vocabulary._
CAVAULTING, coition. _Lingua Franca_, CAVOLTA.
CAVE, or CAVE IN, to submit, shut up.—_American._ Metaphor taken from
the sinking of an abandoned mining shaft.
CHAFF, to gammon, joke, quiz, or praise ironically. CHAFF-bone, the
jaw-bone.—_Yorkshire._ CHAFF, jesting. In _Anglo Saxon_, CEAF is chaff;
and CEAFL, bill, beak, or jaw. In the “Ancien Riwle,” A.D. 1221,
_ceafle_ is used in the sense of idle discourse.
CHALK-OUT, or CHALK DOWN, to mark out a line of conduct or action; to
make a rule, order. Phrase derived from the _Workshop_.
CHALK UP, to credit, make entry in account books of indebtedness; “I
can’t pay you now, but you can CHALK IT UP,” _i.e._, charge me with the
article in your day-book. From the old practice of chalking one’s score
for drink behind the bar-doors of public houses.
CHALKS, “to walk one’s CHALKS,” to move off, or run away. An ordeal for
drunkenness used on board ship, to see whether the suspected person can
walk on a chalked line without overstepping it on either side.
CHAP, a fellow, a boy; “a low CHAP,” a low fellow—abbreviation of
CHAP-MAN, a huckster. Used by Byron in his _Critical Remarks_.
CHARIOT-BUZZING, picking pockets in an omnibus.
CHARLEY, a watchman, a beadle.
CHARLEY-PITCHERS, low, cheating gamblers.
CHATTER BASKET, common term for a prattling child amongst nurses.
CHATTER-BOX, an incessant talker or chatterer.
CHATTRY-FEEDER, a spoon.
CHATTS, dice,—formerly the gallows; a bunch of seals.
CHATTS, lice, or body vermin.
CHATTY, a filthy person, one whose clothes are not free from vermin;
CHATTY DOSS, a lousy bed.
CHAUNTER-CULLS, a singular body of men who used to haunt certain well
known public-houses, and write satirical or libellous ballads on any
person, or body of persons, for a consideration. 7s. 6d. was the
usual fee, and in three hours the ballad might be heard in St. Paul’s
Churchyard, or other public spot. There are two men in London at the
present day who gain their living in this way.
CHAUNTERS, those street sellers of ballads, last copies of verses, and
other broadsheets, who sing or bawl the contents of their papers. They
often term themselves PAPER WORKERS. _A. N._—_See_ HORSE CHAUNTERS.
CHAUNT, to sing the contents of any paper in the streets. CANT, as
applied to vulgar language, was derived from CHAUNT.—_See Introduction._
CHEAP, “doing it on the CHEAP,” living economically, or keeping up a
showy appearance with very little means.
CHEAP JACKS, or JOHNS, oratorical hucksters and patterers of hardware,
&c., at fairs and races. They put an article up at a high price, and
then cheapen it by degrees, indulging in volleys of coarse wit, until
it becomes to all appearance a bargain, and as such it is bought by
one of the crowd. The popular idea is that the inverse method of
auctioneering saves them paying for the auction license.
CHEEK, share or portion; “where’s my CHEEK?” where is my allowance?
CHEEK, impudence, assurance; CHEEKY, saucy or forward. _Lincolnshire_,
CHEEK, to accuse.
CHEEK, to irritate by impudence.
CHEEK BY JOWL, side by side,—said often of persons in such close
confabulation as almost to have their faces touch.
CHEESE, anything good, first-rate in quality, genuine, pleasant, or
advantageous, is termed THE CHEESE. _Mayhew_ thinks CHEESE, in this
sense, is from the _Saxon_, CEOSAN, to choose, and quotes _Chaucer_,
who uses CHESE in the sense of choice. The _London Guide_, 1818, says
it was from some young fellows translating “c’est une autre CHOSE” into
“that is another CHEESE.” CHEESE is also _Gipsey_ and _Hindoo_ (_see
Introduction_); and _Persian_, CHIZ, a thing.—_See_ STILTON.
CHEESE, or CHEESE IT (evidently a corruption of _cease_), leave off, or
have done; “CHEESE your barrikin,” hold your noise.
CHEESY, fine or showy.
CHERUBS, or CHERUBIMS, the chorister boys who chaunt in the services at
the abbeys.
CHESHIRE CAT, “to grin like a CHESHIRE CAT,” to display the teeth and
gums when laughing. Formerly the phrase was “to grin like a CHESHIRE
CAT _eating_ CHEESE.” A _hardly satisfactory_ explanation has been
given of this phrase—that Cheshire is a county palatine, and the cats,
when they think of it, are so tickled with the notion that they can’t
help grinning.
CHICKEN, a young girl.
CHICKEN-HEARTED, cowardly, fearful.
CHI-IKE, a hurrah, a good word, or hearty praise.
CHINK, money.—_Ancient._—_See_ FLORIO.
CHINKERS, money.
CHIP OF THE OLD BLOCK, a child who resembles its father. BROTHER CHIP,
one of the same trade or profession.
CHIPS, money.
CHISEL, to cheat.
CHITTERLINGS, the shirt frills worn still by ancient beaux; properly,
the _entrails of a pig_, to which they are supposed to bear some
resemblance. _Belgian_, SCHYTERLINGH.
CHIVARLY, coition. Probably a corruption from the _Lingua Franca_.
CHIVE, a knife; a sharp tool of any kind.—_Old cant._ This term is
particularly applied to the tin knives used in gaols.
CHIVE, to cut, saw, or file.
CHIVE, or CHIVEY, a shout; a halloo, or cheer, loud tongued. From
CHEVY-CHASE, a boy’s game, in which the word CHEVY is bawled aloud; or
from the _Gipsey_?—_See Introduction._
CHIVE-FENCER, a street hawker of cutlery.
CHIVEY, to chase round, or hunt about.
CHOCK-FULL, full till the scale comes down with a shock. _French_,
CHOC. A correspondent suggests CHOKED-FULL.
CHOKE OFF, to get rid of. Bull dogs can only be made to loose their
hold by choking them.
CHOKER, a cravat, a neckerchief. WHITE-CHOKER, the white neckerchief
worn by mutes at a funeral, and waiters at a tavern. Clergymen are
frequently termed WHITE-CHOKERS.
CHOKER, or WIND-STOPPER, a garrotter.
CHONKEYS, a kind of mince meat baked in a crust, and sold in the
streets.