1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue Part 21

CUFFIN. A man.

CULL. A man, honest or otherwise. A bob cull; a good-natured, quiet fellow. CANT.

CULLABILITY. A disposition liable to be cheated, an unsuspecting nature, open to imposition.

CULLY. A fog or fool: also, a dupe to women: from the Italian word coglione, a blockhead.

CULP. A kick or blow: from the words mea culpa, being that part of the popish liturgy at which the people beat their b.r.e.a.s.t.s; or, as the vulgar term is, thump their craws.

CUNDUM. The dried gut of a sheep, worn by men in the act of coition, to prevent venereal infection; said to have been invented by one colonel Cundum. These machines were long prepared and sold by a matron of the name of Philips, at the Green Canister, in Half-moon-street, in the Strand. That good lady having acquired a fortune, retired from business; but learning that the town was not well served by her successors, she, out of a patriotic zeal for the public welfare, returned to her occupation; of which she gave notice by divers hand-bills, in circulation in the year 1776. Also a false scabbard over a sword, and the oil-skin case for holding the colours of a regiment.

CUNNINGHAM. A punning appellation for a simple fellow.

CUNNING MAN. A cheat, who pretends by his skill in astrology to a.s.sist persons in recovering stolen goods: and also to tell them their fortunes, and when, how often, and to whom they shall be married; likewise answers all lawful questions, both by sea and land. This profession is frequently occupied by ladies.

CUNNING SHAVER. A sharp fellow, one that trims close, i.e. cheats ingeniously.

CUNNY-THUMBED. To double one's fist with the thumb inwards, like a woman.

C**T. The chonnos of the Greek, and the cunnus of the Latin dictionaries; a nasty name for a nasty thing: un con Miege.

CUP OF THE CREATURE. A cup of good liquor.

CUP-SHOT. Drunk.

CUPBOARD LOVE. Pretended love to the cook, or any other person, for the sake of a meal. My guts cry cupboard; i.e. I am hungry

CUPID, BLIND CUPID. A jeering name for an ugly blind man: Cupid, the G.o.d of love, being frequently painted blind. See BLIND CUPID.

CUR. A cut or curtailed dog. According to the forest laws, a man who had no right to the privilege of the chase, was obliged to cut or law his dog: among other modes of disabling him from disturbing the game, one was by depriving him of his tail: a dog so cut was called a cut or curtailed dog, and by contraction a cur. A cur is figuratively used to signify a surly fellow.

CURBING LAW. The act of hooking goods out of windows: the curber is the thief, the curb the hook. CANT.

CURE A-SE. A dyachilon plaister, applied to the parts galled by riding.

CURLE. Clippings of money, which curls up in the operation. CANT.

CURMUDGEON. A covetous old fellow, derived, according to some, from the French term coeur mechant.

CURRY. To curry favour; to obtain the favour of a person be coaxing or servility. To curry any one's hide; to beat him.

CURSE OF SCOTLAND. The nine of diamonds; diamonds, it is said, imply royalty, being ornaments to the imperial crown; and every ninth king of Scotland has been observed for many ages, to be a tyrant and a curse to that country.

Others say it is from its similarity to the arms of Argyle; the Duke of Argyle having been very instrumental in bringing about the union, which, by some Scotch patriots, has been considered as detrimental to their country.

CURSE OF G.o.d. A c.o.c.kade.

CURSITORS. Broken petty-fogging attornies, or Newgate solicitors. CANT.

CURTAILS. Thieves who cut off pieces of stuff hanging out of shop windows, the tails of women's gowns, &c.; also, thieves wearing short jackets.

CURTAIN LECTURE. A woman who scolds her husband when in bed, is said to read him a curtain lecture.

CURTEZAN. A prost.i.tute.

CUSHION. He has deserved the cushion; a saying of one whose wife is brought to bed of a boy: implying, that having done his business effectually, he may now indulge or repose himself.

CUSHION THUMPER, or DUSTER. A parson; many of whom in the fury of their eloquence, heartily belabour their cushions.

CUSTARD CAP. The cap worn by the sword-bearer of the city of London, made hollow at the top like a custard.

CUSTOM-HOUSE GOODS. The stock in trade of a prost.i.tute, because fairly entered.

CUT. Drunk. A little cut over the head; slightly intoxicated. To cut; to leave a person or company. To cut up well; to die rich.

TO CUT. (Cambridge.) To renounce acquaintance with any one is to CUT him. There are several species of the CUT.

Such as the cut direct, the cut indirect, the cut sublime, the cut infernal, &c. The cut direct, is to start across the street, at the approach of the obnoxious person in order to avoid him. The cut indirect, is to look another way, and pa.s.s without appearing to observe him. The cut sublime, is to admire the top of King's College Chapel, or the beauty of the pa.s.sing clouds, till he is out of sight. The cut infernal, is to a.n.a.lyze the arrangement of your shoe-strings, for the same purpose.

TO CUT BENE. To speak gently. To cut bene whiddes; to give good words. To cut queer whiddes; to give foul language. To cut a bosh, or a flash; to make a figure.

CANT.

TO CUTTY-EYE. To look out of the corners of one's eyes, to leer, to look askance. The cull cutty-eyed at us; the fellow looked suspicious at us.

DAB. An adept; a dab at any feat or exercise. Dab, quoth Dawkins, when he hit his wife on the a-se with a pound of b.u.t.ter.

DACE. Two pence. Tip me a dace; lend me two pence.

CANT.

DADDLES. Hands. Tip us your daddle; give me your hand.

CANT.

DADDY. Father. Old daddy; a familiar address to an old man. To beat daddy mammy; the first rudiments of drum beating, being the elements of the roll.

DAGGERS. They are at daggers drawing; i.e. at enmity, ready to fight.

DAIRY. A woman's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, particularly one that gives suck. She sported her dairy; she pulled out her breast.

DAISY CUTTER. A jockey term for a horse that does not lift up his legs sufficiently, or goes too near the ground, and is therefore apt to stumble.

DAISY KICKERS. Ostlers at great inns.

DAM. A small Indian coin, mentioned in the Gentoo code of laws: hence etymologists may, if they please, derive the common expression, I do not care a dam, i.e. I do not care half a farthing for it.

DAMBER. A rascal. See DIMBER.

DAMME BOY. A roaring, mad, bl.u.s.tering fellow, a scourer of the streets, or kicker up of a breeze.

d.a.m.nED SOUL. A clerk in a counting house, whose sole business it is to clear or swear off merchandise at the custom-house; and who, it is said, guards against the crime of perjury, by taking a previous oath, never to swear truly on those occasions.