Slang and its analogues, 2 | Project Gutenberg

1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. IV., ch. ii. Never a cross cove of us all can throw off so prime a chant as yourself.

1864. Cornhill Magazine, II., 336. In the following verse, taken from a pet flash song, you have a comic specimen of this sort of guilty chivalry:—‘A cross cove is in the street for me, And I a poor girl of low degree; If I was as rich as I am poor, Ye never should go on the cross no more.’

1887. W. E. Henley and R. L. Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, Act iv., Sc. 3. What made you cross the fight and play booty with your own man?

Cross in the air, subs. phr. (volunteers’).—A rifle carried butt-end upwards.

1709. Matthew Prior, The Thief, etc. There the squires of the pad and the knights of the post, Find their fears no more balked and their hopes no more crossed.

To play a cross, verbal phr.—See Cross, subs., sense 1; and verb, sense 1.

1834. W. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, p. 257 (ed. 1864), Zoroaster was just the man to lose a fight; or, in the language of the Fancy, to play a cross.

To shake the cross, verbal phr. (American thieves’).—To quit the cross and go on the square (q.v.).

1877. S. L. Clemens (‘Mark Twain’), Life on the Mississippi, ch. lii., p. 459. The day my time was up, you told me if i would shake the cross and live on the square for three months, it would be the best job i ever done in my life.

To be crossed, verbal phr. (University).—Thus explained in a University Guide:—For not paying term bills to the bursar (treasurer), or for cutting chapels, or lectures, or other offences, an undergrad can be crossed at the buttery, or kitchen, or both, i.e., a cross is put against his name by the Don, who wishes to see him, or to punish him.

1853. Rev. E. Bradley, (‘Cuthbert Bede’), Verdant Green, pt. II., ch. x. Sir!—You will translate all your lectures; have your name crossed on the buttery and kitchen books; and be confined to chapel, hall, and college. [219]

On the cross, phr.—The opposite of on the square (q.v.). Cf., On the Crook.

1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xxxv. [Chas. Ravenshoe to Shoeblack] ‘Have you any brothers?’ ‘Five altogether. Jim was gone for a sojer, it appeared; and Nipper was sent over the water, Harry was gone on the cross.’ ‘On the cross?’ said Charles. ‘Ah,’ the boy said, ‘he goes out cly-faking and such. He’s a prig, and a smart one, too. He’s fly, is Harry.’

1868. Ouida, Under Two Flags, ch. v. Rake had seen a good deal of men and manners, and, in his own opinion at least, was ‘up to every dodge on the cross’ that this iniquitous world could unfold.

1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 244. We went down to a bloke I knew up in one of the streets leading off the Euston road who did a little on the cross now and again, to see what he’d stand for the £300.

1884. Echo, 1 March, p. 3, col. 6. Prisoner knew they were stolen, and said he could get rid of any quantity of similar articles that were got on the cross, a slang expression for stolen goods.

1889. Answers, 8 June, p. 25. One of them then came a little nearer, and produced a good gold scarf pin, worth, perhaps, £2 or £3, and asked if I would buy it, adding it was on the cross (stolen), and I could have it for 2s., as they wanted a shilling to get a bed.

Cross-Belts, subs. (military).—The Eighth Hussars. [The regiment wears the sword belt over the right shoulder in memory of the Battle of Saragossa, where it took the belts of the Spanish cavalry. This privilege was confirmed by the King’s Regulations of 1768.]

Cross-Bite, subs. (old).—See Cross-biting.

Verb (old).—To cheat; to scold; to hoax. [Nares thinks it a compound of cross and bite. It has suffered a double abbreviation, both its components being used substantively and verbally in the same sense.] For synonyms, see Stiff.

1581. Riche, Farewell to Militarie Profession. She was such a devill of her tongue, and would so crossebite hym with suche tauntes and spightful quippes.

1593. G. Harvey, New Letter, in wks. I., 274 (Grosart). If he playeth at fast and loose … whom shall he conny catch, or crosbite, but his cast-away selfe.

1717. Prior, Alma, canto iii. As Nature slily had thought fit For some by ends to cross-bit wit.

1822. Scott, Fortunes of Nigel, ch. xxiii. I know—I know—ugh—but I’ll cross-bite him.

Cross-Biter, subs. (old).—A cheat; swindler; or hoaxer. [From cross-bite, verb (q.v.), + er.] Fr., un goureur.

1592. Robert Greene, Blacke Bookes Messenger [part of title]. Laying open the Life and Death of Ned Browne, one of the most notable Cutpurses, cros-biters, and Coneycatchers.

1681. A Dialogue, etc., in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), II., 126. I think nobody knows what he is; but I take him to be a cross-biter.

Cross-Biting, verbal subs. (old).—A deception; cheat; or hoax. Cf., Cross-bite, verb.

1576. Whetstone, Rocke of Regard, p. 50. Crosbiting, a kind of cousoning, under the couler of friendship; and in his epistle to the readers, The cheter will fume to see his crosbiting and cunning shiftes decyphered.

1586. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, IV., v. Like one that is employed in catzerie [knavery] and crossbiting.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 53 (H. Club’s Repr., 1874). He [Lawrence Crosbiter] first vsed that art which now is named crosbiting, and from whose name this damned art (crosbiting) tooke her first call, as if Laurence Crosbiter first inuented the same. [220]

1839. W. H. Ainsworth, J. Sheppard, p. 126, ed. 1840. ‘The devil,’ ejaculated Jonathan. ‘Here’s a cross-bite.’

Cross-Buttock, subs. (athletics’).—A peculiar throw in wrestling. Also used as a verb and verbal subs.

1690. D’Urfey, Collin’s Walk, c. ii., p. 74. When th’ hardy Major, skilled in Wars, To make quick end of fight prepares, By Strength or’e buttock cross to hawl him, And with a trip i’ th’ Inturn maul him.

1742. ‘Handbill,’ in P. Egan’s Boxiana, vol. I., p. 45. I doubt not but I shall prove the truth of what I have asserted, by pegs, darts, hard blows, falls, and cross-buttocks.

1760. Smollett, L. Greaves, vol. II., ch. viii. He was on his legs again … but, instead of accomplishing his purpose, he received a cross-buttock.

1836. M. Scott, Cringle’s Log, ch. xii. While the old woman keelhauled me with a poker on one side, he jerked at me on the other, until at length he gave me a regular cross-buttock.

1860. Chambers’ Journal, vol. XIII., p. 347. He is initiated into all the mysteries of ‘hitting’ and ‘counterhitting,’ ‘stopping’ and ‘infighting,’ ‘the suit in chancery, and the cross-buttock.’

Cross-Chap.—See Cross, subs., sense 2.

Cross-Cove.—See Cross, subs., sense 2.

Cross-Crib, subs. (thieves’ and vagrants’).—A thieves’ hotel. [From cross (q.v., subs., sense 2), a thief, + crib (q.v., subs., sense 2), a place of abode.]

Cross-Drum, subs. (thieves’).—A thieves’ tavern. [From cross (q.v., subs., sense 2), a thief, + drum, a house or lodging.]

Crosser, subs. (sporting).—One who arranges or takes part in a cross (q.v., subs., sense 1).

1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood. The mill is o’er, the crosser crost, The loser’s won, the vinner’s lost!

Cross-Fan or Cross-Fam, subs. (thieves’).—Robbery from the person done cross-fammed, that is, with one hand (fam) across, and dissembling the action of, the other.

c. 1869. Broadside Ballad, ‘The Chickaleary Cove.’ Off to Paris I shall go, to show a thing or two, To the ‘dipping blokes’ what hangs about the caffies, How to do a cross-fan for a ‘super’ or a ‘slang.’

Cross-Kid or Cross-Quid, verb (thieves’).—To question; cross-examine. [Kid = to quiz; hoax, or jest.] Fr., faire la jactance; also faire saigner du nez.

1879. J. W. Horsley, in Macmillan’s Mag., XL., 502. A reeler [policeman] came to the cell and cross-kidded (examined) me.

Cross-Man.—See Cross, subs., sense 2.

Cross-Patch, subs. (colloquial).—An ill-natured, ill-tempered person. As in the old nursery rhyme:

1841. Comic Almanack, p. 258. Miss Pigeon’s trying to look shy, He’s calling her crosspatch!

Cross the Damp-Pot, verbal phr. (tailors’).—To cross the Atlantic.—Cf., Big drink, Damp-pot, puddle, and Herring-pond. [221]

Crow, subs. (thieves’).—1. A confederate on watch whilst another steals. Generally a man, but occasionally a woman acts as a crow; the latter is also called a canary (q.v., subs., sense 4).

1851–61. H. Mayhew, Lon. Lab. and Lon. Poor, IV., 286. One keeps a look-out to see there is no person near to detect them. This person is termed a ‘crow.’ If anyone should be near, the ‘crow’ gives a signal, and then decamps.

1862. Cornhill Mag., VI., 648. Occasionally they [women] assist at a burglary … remaining outside and keeping watch; they are then called crows.

1889. Answers, 18 May, p. 390, col. 2. A crow (confederate) is next planted outside, or in an upper window, if there be one, to give notice, by means of signals or a cord reaching to the workers, of the approach of a peeler or chance passer-by.

2. (common).—A piece of unexpected luck; a ‘fluke’; generally ‘a regular crow.’ [Originally billiards’ in which it = a hazard not played for, i.e., a ‘fluke’: no doubt a corruption of the Fr. raccroc.] A French equivalent is mettre dans le mille.

A crow to pluck, to pull, or to pick with one, phr. (colloquial). Something demanding explanation: a misunderstanding to clear; a disagreeable matter to settle. Sometimes, a bone to pick, etc.

1593. Shakspeare, Comedy of Errors, iii., 1. If a crow help us in, sirrah, we’ll pluck a crow together.

1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, in wks. V., 302. So I coulde plucke a crowe wyth Poet Martiall for calling it putre halec.

1664. Butler, Hudibras, pt. II., 2. If not, resolve before we go, That you and i must pull a crow.

1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue. To pluck a crow: To reprove anyone for a fault committed; to settle a dispute.

1819. Scott, Bride of Lammermoor, ch. xv. If these Ravenswood cases be called over the coals in the House of Peers, you will find that the Marquis will have a crow to pluck with you.

Crowd, subs. (old).—A fiddle.

Crowder, subs. (theatrical).—1. A large audience.

1883. Referee, 18 March, p. 3, col. 2. If the proprietors want, in the way of audiences, to be able to boast of crowders, they should take care to avoid giving pain.

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. [222]

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.

Cruganaler, subs. (Christ’s Hospital). A biscuit given on St. Matthew’s Day. [Orthography dubious. Blanch inclines to the following derivation: ‘The biscuit had once something to do with those nights when bread and beer, with cheese, were substituted for bread-and-butter and milk. Thence the term “crug and aler.” The only argument against this is the fact that the liquid was never dignified with the name of ale, but was invariably called “the swipes.” By another derivation = “hard as nails.” It is then spelt cruggy-nailer.’]

Cruggy, adj. (Christ’s Hospital).—Hungry. [From crug (q.v.).]

Cruisers, subs. (old).—1. Beggars, or highway spies: ‘those who traversed the road,’ says Grose, ‘to give intelligence of a booty’; also, rogues ‘ready to snap up any booty that may offer.’

Crumb, subs. (military).—A pretty woman. Cf., Crummy, adj., senses 1 and 2.

Crumb and Crust Man, subs. phr. (common).—A baker. Cf., Burn-crust and Master of the rolls. Fr., un marchand de larton.

Crumbs.—See Pick up one’s crumbs and chates.

Crummy, adj. (popular).—1. Fat; plump; well-developed. Especially said of high-bosomed and full-figured women: e.g., a crummy piece of goods. [From a provincialism, crum or crom = to stuff, whence crummy = fat or well stuffed.] Fr., fort en mie (an almost literal translation); elle a de ça; Sp., carrilludo = plump-faced.

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Crummy (a.): … also fat, rich, plump, or fleshy. [223]

1819. T. Moore, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress p. 14. For they saw, notwithstanding Crib’s honest endeavour, To train down the crummy, ’twas monstrous as ever!

1828. Jon. Bee, Pict. of London, p. 60. A nice, crummy, young woman, who seemed surprised and interested at his situation.

1843. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, ch. xxix., p. 289. ‘There’s the remains of a fine woman about Sairah. Poll, … Too much crumb, you know,’ said Mr. Bailey; ‘too fat, Poll.’

1865. Henry Kingsley, The Hillyars and the Burtons. You’re crummy and I ain’t a going to deny it. But you ain’t what I’d call fat.

Crummy-Doss, subs. (thieves’).—A lousy bed. [From crummy (q.v., sense 3), lousy, + doss (q.v.), a bed.]

Crump, subs. (Winchester College).—A hard hit; a fall. Used also as a verb in very much the same sense as to cob (q.v.). Cf., Barter.

Crumpet, subs. (common).—The head.

English Synonyms. Brain-pan; nut; chump; jazey; steeple; tib or tibby; weather-cock; turnip; upper extremity; top end; twopenny; upper storey; canister; attic; garret; costard; sconce; bonce; nob; lolly; lobb; knowledge-box; block; cocoa-nut; Crown-Office; calabash; top-knot; crust; chimney-pot; onion; chevy; cockloft; top-flat; gable; pumpkin; hat-peg; billiard ball; upper-crust; mazzard; cabaza; dome.

French Synonyms. Le michaud (thieves’); un caillou (popular; properly a pebble or flint); une baigneuse (thieves’); un baptême (popular); une cafetière (thieves’ and vagrants’); une façade (popular); une armoire à glace (popular); une bille (popular: properly a billiard ball); un béguin (popular); une citrouille or un citrouillard (thieves’: literally a pumpkin or gourd); un citron (thieves’); une ardoise (popular); un coco (popular: literally a cocoa-nut); une calebasse (popular = a calabash); une cocarde (popular: properly a cocade); un caisson (common: literally a chest or locker); une coloquinte (thieves’); un chapiteau (popular: literally a capital); une balle (popular); un moule de bonnet (popular: literally a cap-mould); le grenier à sel (popular: properly the [Attic] salt-loft); le baldaquin (a canopy); la boule (popular: the bowl, ball, or sconce); une ciboule (popular: properly a scallion, green onion, or eschalot); la boussole (familiar: in nautical phraseology, the compass); la pomme (popular and thieves’); le tesson (roughs’); la bobine (popular: literally a bobbin or spool); la poire (popular); la boîte au sel (familiar: the [Attic] salt-box); la boîte à sardines (popular = sardine box); la boîte à surprises (general: box of surprises); la tirelire (popular: literally money-box); la hure (properly the head of a wild boar); la gouache (popular); la noisette (popular: literally nut); le char (popular); le réservoir (popular: reservoir or cistern); le bourrichon (popular); la goupine [224](thieves’); la tourte (popular: properly tart or fruit pie); la tronche (thieves’ = chunk (or ‘chump’ of wood); le trognon (popular); la guitare (common); la guimbarde (popular: properly a Jew’s harp); le soliveau (popular; properly a small joist); le bobéchon (popular); la bobinasse (popular); le kiosque (familiar); le vol-au-vent (general); l’omnibus (common); la sorbonne (see remarks under Balmy, sense 2); la caboche (possibly a language word); le soufflet (popular: literally bellows; also the head of a carriage); le jambonneau (popular: properly a small ham); le schako (popular).

Italian Synonyms. Chiurla or ciurla (a popular term); elmo (literally a helmet); borella (properly a ball); grinta (in orthodox Italian, ringworm of the scalp).

Spanish Synonyms. Chimenea (fem.; literally a chimney. Se le subió el humo á la chimenea, = the smoke has got into his head; said of one who is affected with drink); cholla (fem.); cabezorro (mas.; a big head, an augmentative of cabeza); caletre (mas.; an abusive term, properly understanding, judgment, discernment); campanario (mas.; properly a belfry).

Crumpet-face, subs. (common).—A pock-pitted face.—See Cribbage-face.

Crumpet-Scramble, subs. (popular).—A tea party; tea-fight, muffin-worry, muffin-fight, bitch-party or cooky-shine (q.v.).

1864. Derby Day, p. 16. There are men who do not disdain muffin-worries and crumpet-scrambles.

Crumpler, subs. (common).—1. A cravat.

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. [225]

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.).

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.

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.’

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. [226]

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.

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.’

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. [227]

1598. Shakspeare, Henry IV., Part I, Act i, Scene 4. O’horseback, ye cuckoo; but afoot he will not budge a foot.

1594. Shakspeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act v, Scene 2. Cuckoo, Cuckoo, O word of fear Unpleasing to a married ear.

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.]

Cuddie, subs. (Scots).—A donkey.

Cuddling, verbal subs. (athletic and pugilistic).—Wrestling.

Cuddy, adj. (Christ’s Hospital).—Hard; difficult; said of a lesson. Also Hertfordicé for passy (q.v.). [There is a common hard biscuit called a ‘cuddy-biscuit’ which doubtless has this derivation.]

Cue, verb (thieves’).—To swindle on credit.

Cuff, subs. (old).—1. A foolish old man. [Probably a contraction of cuffin (q.v.).]

1678. C. Cotton, Scarronides, bk. I., p. 3 (ed. 1725). The lustiest Carles thereabouts. Rich cuffs and very sturdy Louts.

1708. Centlivre, Busie Body, Act i. A very extraordinary Bargain I have made truly, if she should be really in Love with this old cuff now.

1760. Colman, Polly Honeycombe, in wks. (1777) IV., 38. They are just here! ten to one the old cuff may not stay with her: I’ll pop into this closet.

Cuffen.—See Cuffin. [228]

Cuffer, subs. (military).—1. A lie; an exaggerated and improbable story.—See quot., under to spin cuffers, and for synonyms, see Whopper.

2. (American thieves’).—A man; also cuffir. [Cf., Cofe, Cove, and Cuffin, from one of which the American form is doubtless derived.]

To spin cuffers, phr.—To tell extremely improbable stories; to yarn; to draw the long bow (q.v.).

1888. Colonies and India, 14 Nov. The Australian youth can develop the art of spinning cuffers very successfully on his own account, without any adventitious assistance from a passing Minister of Public Instruction.

Cuffin, Cuffen, or Cuffing, subs. (Old Cant).—A man.

1857. Punch, 31 Jan., p. 49. ‘Dear Bill, this Stone-jug.’ In the day-rooms the cuffins [warders] we queer at our ease, And at Darkmans we run the rig just as we please.

Queer-cuffin, subs. (old).—A magistrate. [From queer, an old canting term for bad, + cuffin, a man; literally a bad man—from a rogue’s point of view. Some of the old canting terms are curious enough: e.g., ‘quyer crampringes’ = bolts or fetters; ‘quyer kyn’ = a prison house.] For synonyms, see Beak, sense 2.

1609. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candle-light [ed. Gros., III., p. 203]. To the quier cuffing we bing.

1837. Disraeli, Venetia, p. 71. The gentry cove will be romboyld by his dam said a third gypsy. ‘Queer cuffin’ [magistrate or queer man] will be the word if we don’t tour.

Cuff-Shooter, subs. (theatrical).—A beginner; one who gives himself ‘airs’; literally one who shoots his cuffs: having a greater regard for the display of his linen than for his work as an actor.

Cule, Cull, Culing, Culling, verb and verbal subs. (thieves’).—To purloin from the seats of carriages; the act of snatching handbags and other impedimenta therefrom. [Either an abbreviation and corruption of reticule, or from cull, to gather.]

1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant, 3 ed., p. 444. Snatching reticules from a carriage—culing.

Cull or Cully, subs. (old).—A man; companion; partner. Specifically, a fool; one tricked or imposed upon. Grose seems to make a distinction, for he quotes cull = ‘a man honest or otherwise,’ and cully = ‘a fop, fool, or dupe to women,’ in which sense it was current in the seventeenth century. Thus Rochester (in Satire on the Times), ‘But pimp-fed Ratcliffe’s not a greater cully.’—See also quot., 1771. [Probably a contraction of cullion (Fr., couillon; It., coglione); but derived by Annandale from the Sp. Gypsy chulai, a man; Turkish Gypsy, khulai, a gentleman.]

1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 48 (1874). Culle: a sap-headed fellow.

1676. A Warning for Housekeepers. As we walk along the street, We bite the cullly of his cole.

1693. Congreve, Old Batchelor, Act iii., Sc. 1. Man was by nature woman’s cully made: We never are but by ourselves betrayed.

1712. Arbuthnot, Hist. of John Bull, pt. IV., ch. i. I won’t let him make me over, by deed and indenture, as his lawful cully. [229]

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Cull (s.): a cant word for a man, either good or bad, but generally means one that a wench has picked up for some naughty purpose.

1760. Johnston, Chrysal, ii., 17. Your secret, grave, old, rich culls, just fit to do business with.

1771. Henry Mackenzie, The Man of Feeling, vol. I., ch. xxvi. Harley … sallied forth with a blush of triumph on his face, without taking notice of the sneer of the waiter who, twirling the watch in his hand, made him a profound bow at the door, and whispered to a girl who stood in the passage something in which the word cully was honoured with a particular emphasis.

1823. Scott, St. Ronan’s Well, ch. xxx. ‘Na, Na,’ answered the boy: ‘he is a queer auld cull, he disna frequent wi’ other folk.’

1830. Bulwer Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 75 (ed. 1854). A famous cull is my friend Attie—an old soldier—has seen the world, and knows what is what.

1839. W. H. Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard (1889), p. 14. Capital trick of the cull in the cloak to make another person’s brain stand the brunt for his own—capital!

1889. Puck’s Library, April, p. 18. Showman: Look-a-here, cully, yer don’t ’xpect ter git a lecture on nat’l history ’n’a free ticket ter the antipoads fer a quarter, do yer?

Rum cull, subs. (theatrical).—The manager of a theatre; also called a cully-gorger.

Culls, subs. (old).—The testes.

b. 1574, d. 1637. Ben Jonson. Claw a churl by the culls, and he’ll shite in your fist.

Cully-Gorger, subs. (theatrical).—The manager of a theatre; a companion or brother actor. [Cully (q.v.) = a man + gorger (q.v.), a swell, employer, or boss; literally a well-dressed man.]

Cully-Shangy, subs. (common).—Copulation. For synonyms, see Greens.

Culminate, verb (University: obsolete).—To mount a coach-box.

Culty-Gun, subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick.

Cum-Annexis, subs. (West Indian).—One’s belongings; specially applied to one’s wife and children. [In allusion to a legal locution connected with land transfer in Demerara. The outlying farms of estates come under this general description; e.g., Belair, (a well-known property) cum annexis includes, amongst others, estates formerly known as La Penitence, Turkeyen, Cuming’s Lodge, Industry, etc., and in official documents this congeries of estates is spoken of as Belair cum annexis.]

Cummer, subs. (common).—An intimate. For synonyms, see Chum.

Cundum, subs. (old).—An obsolete appliance worn in the act of coition, to prevent infection: so-called from the name of its inventor, a colonel in the Guards, temp., Charles II.: the modern equivalent is known as a French letter (q.v.).

1767. Rochester, Roscommon, and Dorset, A Panegyric upon Cundum, p. 208. Happy the man who in his pocket keeps, Whether with green or scarlet riband bound, A well-made cundum.

Cunnilinge, verb (venery).—To tongue a woman. [Latin cunnilingus, a form which occurs in Martial, from cunnus = the female pudendum + lingo. Cf., Tip the velvet.] [230]

Cunnilingist, subs. (venery).—A man (or woman) addicted to the practice of tonguing the female pudendum.

Cunny-haunted, adj. phr. (popular).—Lecherous.

Cunny-Thumbed, adj. (old).—1. Said of a person who doubles the fist with the thumb turned inwards.

2. (schoolboys’).—Said of one who shoots his marble—as at ring-taw or shoot hole—with the first phalange of the thumb from the second of the forefinger, instead of with the knuckle of the thumb from the first of the forefinger.

Cunt, subs. (common).—The female pudendum; Latin cunnus. A language word, but vulgar in usage. Diminutives of varying degrees are cunnicle, cunnikin, cuntkin, cuntlet, cunny. Derivatives, the result of an obvious play upon words (old), are cunny-catcher and cunny-burrow ferret (Urquhart), for which see Cream-stick; cunny-hunter = a whoremonger; and Cunny-skin (Durfey), for which see Fleece. For synonyms, see Monosyllable.

1383. Chauce, The Miller’s Tale. Full prively he caught her by the queint, And sayde Ywis but if I have my will, For derne love of thee, lemman, I spill.

1622. Fletcher, Spanish Curate. They write sunt with a C, which is abominable.

1647–80. Rochester, The Royal Angler. However weak and slender in the string, Bait it with cunt, and it will hold a king.

1768. Sterne, The Sentimental Journey. So that, when I stretched out my hand, I caught hold of the fille-de-chambre’s ——.

Cunt-Pensioner, subs. (vulgar).—A male keep; one who lives by the prostitution of a wife, a mistress, a daughter, or any other female connection.

Cunt-Struck, adj. (vulgar).—Enamoured of women: who may, in turn, be either Cock-smitten or Prick-struck (q.v.).

Cup-and-Saucer Player, subs. phr. (theatrical).—A term of derision applied to the players associated with the late T. W. Robertson’s comedies.

Cupboard Love, subs. phr. (popular).—Interested affection: a variant of the saw that ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’ Cf., Rice-Christian.

c. 1661. Poor Robin [Herrick]. A cupboard love is seldom true, A love sincere is found in few.

1787. Miss Seward, Letters [ed. 1811], vol. II., p. 103. This last and long-enduring passion [of Dr. Johnson] for Mrs. Thrale was, however, composed perhaps of cupboard love, Platonic love, and vanity tickled and gratified.

1885. Girl’s Own Paper, VI., 830. When tea-time comes and milk, she’s not above Increasing her caresses, till we hear A whisper now and then of cupboard love.

Cupid.—See Fancy Joseph.

Cups. In one’s cups, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Drunk. Cf., Cup-shot, and for synonyms, see Screwed.

1593. Nashe, Christ’s Teares, in wks. IV., 228 (Grosart). Those whom the Sunne sees not in a month together, I nowe see in their cuppes and their jolitie.

1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, III., in wks. (1720), iv., 64. I shall take my leave: you are in your cups: you will wish you had heard me. [231]

1712. Arbuthnot, History of John Bull, pt. II., ch. iv. She used to come home in her cups, and break the china and the locking-glasses.

1837. Barham, I. L. (Brothers of Birchington). Gets tipsy whenever he dines or he sups, And is wont to come quarrelsome home in his cups.

1864. Mark Lemon, Jest Book, p. 185 [of one remarkable at once for Bacchanalian devotion and large and startling eyes]. ‘I always know when he has been in his cups by the state of his saucers.’

Cup-Shot, adj. (old).—Drunk.

1639. Fuller, Holy War, bk. III., ch. xvi. The spring-tide of their mirth so drowned their souls that the Turks coming in upon them cut every one of their throats, to the number of twenty thousand, and quickly they were stabbed with the sword that were cup-shot before.

Cup-Tosser, subs. (common).—See quot.

1868. Brewer, Phrase and Fable, s.v. Cup Tosser: a juggler (French joueur de gobelet). The old symbol for a juggler was a goblet. The phrase and symbol are derived from the practice of jugglers who toss in the air, twist on a stick, and play all sorts of tricks with goblets or cups.

Curate, subs. (common).—A small poker, or tickler (q.v.), used to save a better one; also a pocket-handkerchief in actual use as against one worn for show. The better article is called a rector. Similarly when a tea-cake is split and buttered, the bottom half, which gets the more butter, is called the rector, and the other, the curate.

Curb, verb (old).—To steal. For synonyms, see Prig.

1615. Greene, Thieves Falling Out (Harl. Misc., VIII., 389). Though you can foyst, nip, prig, lift, curbe, and use the black art, yet you cannot crossbite without the helpe of a woman.

Curbstone-Broker, subs.—See Gutter-snipe.

Curbstone-Sailor, subs. (popular).—A prostitute. For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart, and cf., Cruiser, sense 2.

Cure, subs. (common).—An eccentric; a fool; also a funny fellow. Originally applied in many connections, see quot.