CHATTER BROTH. Tea. See CAT LAP and SCANDAL BROTH.
CHATTER BROTH. Tea. See CAT LAP and SCANDAL BROTH.
CHATTER BOX. One whose tongue runs twelve score to the
dozen, a chattering man or woman.
CHATTS. Lice: perhaps an abbreviation of chattels, lice
being the chief live stock of chattels of beggars, gypsies,
and the rest of the canting crew. CANT.--Also, according
to the canting academy, the gallows.
BEILBY'S BALL. He will dance at Beilby's ball, where the
sheriff pays the music; he will be hanged. Who Mr.
Beilby was, or why that ceremony was so called, remains
with the quadrature of the circle, the discovery of the
philosopher's stone, and divers other desiderata yet
undiscovered.
CHARM. A picklock. CANT.
CHAPERON. The cicisbeo, or gentleman usher to a lady;
from the French.
CALVES. His calves are gone to grass; a saying of a man
with slender legs without calves. Veal will be cheap,
calves fall; said of a man whose calves fall away.
CAT OF NINE TAILS. A scourge composed of nine strings
of whip-cord, each string having nine knots.
CHARACTERED, or LETTERED. Burnt in the hand. They
have palmed the character upon him; they have burned
him in the hand, CANT.--See LETTERED.
CHARREN. The smoke of Charren.--His eyes water from
the smoke of Charren; a man of that place coming out
of his house weeping, because his wife had beat him, told
his neighbours the smoke had made his eyes water.
CHATES. The gallows. CANT.
CHEATS. Sham sleeves to put over a dirty shift or shirt.
See SHAMS.
BAWDY BASKET. The twenty-third rank of canters, who
carry pins, tape, ballads, and obscene books to sell, but live
mostly by stealing. Cant.
CENT PER CENT. An usurer.
CAXON. An old weather-beaten wig.
BAWDY-HOUSE BOTTLE. A very small bottle; short measure
being among the many means used by the keepers of those
houses, to gain what they call an honest livelihood: indeed
this is one of the least reprehensible; the less they give a
man of their infernal beverages for his money, the kinder
they behave to him.
BAY FEVER. A term of ridicule applied to convicts, who
sham illness, to avoid being sent to Botany Bay.
CAGG. To cagg; a military term used by the private soldiers,
signifying a solemn vow or resolution not to get
drunk for a certain time; or, as the term is, till their cagg
is out: which vow is commonly observed with the strictest
exactness. Ex. I have cagg'd myself for six months.
Excuse me this time, and I will cagg myself for
a year. This term is also used in the same sense among
the common people of Scotland, where it is performed
with divers ceremonies.
BAYARD OF TEN TOES. To ride bayard of ten toes, is to
walk on foot. Bayard was a horse famous in old romances,
POISONED. Big with child: that wench is poisoned, see
how her belly is swelled. Poison-pated: red-haired.
BEAK. A justice of-peace, or magistrate. Also a judge or
chairman who presides in court. I clapp'd my peepers
full of tears, and so the old beak set me free; I began to
weep, and the judge set me free.
POLE. He is like a rope-dancer's polo, lead at both ends;
a saying of a stupid sluggish fellow.
CHAFED. Well beaten; from CHAUFFE, warmed.
WIPER. A handkerchief. CANT.
CAUTIONS. The four cautions: I. Beware of a woman
before.--II. Beware of a horse behind.--III. Beware of a cart
side-ways.--IV. Beware of a priest every way.
PONEY. Money. Post the poney; lay down the money.
CHAPT. Dry or thirsty.
CAW-HANDED, or CAW-PAWED. Awkward, not dextrous,
ready, or nimble.
CHALKERS. Men of wit, in Ireland, who in the night amuse
themselves with cutting inoffensive passengers across the
face with a knife. They are somewhat like those facetious
gentlemen some time ago known in England by the title
of Sweaters and Mohocks.
BEDIZENED. Dressed out, over-dressed, or awkwardly ornamented.