cornered
Hemmed in a corner, placed in a position from which there is no escape.
English · UK & Ireland 17968
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Where will you be? Anywhere UK & IrelandUnited StatesOnline slangBusiness jargon
Expressions you’ll hear in Britain and Ireland — distinctly British usage first, then widespread staples.
cornish hug
A particular lock in wrestling, peculiar to the people of that county.
corny-faced
A very red pimpled face.
corporal
To mount a corporal and four; to be guilty of onanism: the thumb is the corporal, the four fingers the privates.
corporation
A large belly. He has a glorious corporation; he has a very prominent belly.
corporation
The protuberant front of an obese person. Probably from the old announcements which used to be made, and are made now in some towns where improvements are made by the municipal authorities, "Widened at the expense of the CORPORATION."
corpse
To stick fast in the dialogue; to confuse, or put out the actors by making a mistake.—Theatrical.
cosh
A neddy, a life-preserver; any short, loaded bludgeon.
cosset
A foundling. Cosset colt or lamb; a colt or lamb brought up by hand.
costard
The head. I'll smite your costard; I'll give you a knock on the head.
costard
The head. A very old word, generally used in connexion with "cracked."
costard monger
A dealer in fruit, particularly apples.
coster
The short and slang rendering of "costermonger," or "costardmonger," who was originally an apple-seller. COSTERING, i.e., costermongering, acting as a costermonger would.
cotton
To like, adhere to, or agree with any person; "to COTTON on to a man," to attach yourself to him, or fancy him, literally, to stick to him as cotton would. Vide Bartlett, who claims it as an Americanism, and Halliwell, who terms it an archaism; also Bacchus and Venus, 1737.
cotton lord
A Manchester manufacturer.
cottonopolis
Manchester. A term much in use among the reporters of the sporting press engaged in that locality.
cotton’s
(Charles) Genuine Poetical Works, 12mo. 1771.
council-of-ten
The toes of a man who turns his feet inward.
counter
To hit back, to exchange blows. A cross COUNTER is a blow with the right hand given in exchange for one with the left, the counterer preferring to strike rather than to "stop" the blow.—Pugilistic.
counter-jumper
A shopman, a draper’s assistant.
counterfeit crank
A general cheat, assuming all sorts of characters; one counterfeiting the falling sickness.
country put
An ignorant country fellow.
country-captain
A spatch-cocked fowl, sprinkled with curry-powder. A favourite breakfast dish with the captains of country-ships.—Indian.
country-ship
A ship belonging to the East Indies, and trading from port to port in that country.
county work
Said of any work that advances slowly.
county-crop
(i.e., COUNTY-PRISON CROP), haircut close and round, as if guided by a basin—an indication of having been in prison. Since short hair has become fashionable the expression has fallen somewhat into disuse. In the times when long hair was worn, a man with his hair cut as described was said to have had it done with a knife and fork.
couple-beggar
A degraded person, who officiated as a clergyman in performing marriages in the Fleet Prison.
court card
A gay fluttering coxcomb.
court holy water, court promises
Fair speeches and promises, without performance.
court of assistants
A court often applied to by young women who marry old men.
couter
A sovereign. HALF-A-COUTER, half-a-sovereign. From the Danubian-gipsy word CUTA, a gold coin.
cove
A man, a fellow, a rogue. The cove was bit; the rogue was outwitted. The cove has bit the cole; the rogue has got the money. CANT.
cove
Or COVEY, a boy or man of any age or station. A term generally preceded by an expressive adjective, thus a "flash COVE," a "rum COVE," a "downy COVE," &c. The feminine, COVESS, was once popular, but it has fallen into disuse. Originally ancient cant (temp. Henry VII.), COFE, or CUFFIN, altered in Decker’s time to COVE. See Witts’ Recreations, 1654: "there’s a gentry-COVE here," i.e., a gentleman. Probably connected with CUIF, which, in the North of England, signifies a lout or awkward fellow.
Covent Garden
A farthing.
coventry
To send one to Coventry; a punishment inflicted by officers of the army on such of their brethren as are testy, or have been guilty of improper behaviour, not worthy the cognizance of a court martial. The person sent to Coventry is considered as absent; no one must speak to or answer any question he asks, except relative to duty, under penalty of being also sent to the same place.
coventry
"to send a man to COVENTRY," not to speak to or notice him. Coventry was one of those towns in which the privilege of practising most trades was anciently confined to certain privileged persons, as the freemen, &c. Hence a stranger stood little chance of custom, or countenance, and "to send a man to COVENTRY" came to be equivalent to putting him out of the pale of society.
cover-down
A tossing coin with a false cover, enabling either head or tail to be shown, according as the cover is left on or taken off. The cover is more generally called a CAP. This style of cheating is now obsolete. A man who cannot manage to cheat at tossing without machinery is a sorry rogue.
covey
A collection of whores. What a fine covey here is, if the Devil would but throw his net!
cow
To sleep like a cow, with a **** at one's a-se; said of a married man; married men being supposed to sleep with their backs towards their wives, according to the following proclamation:
cow itch
The product of a sort of bean, which excites an insufferable itching, used chiefly for playing tricks.
cow's thumb
Done to a cow's thumb; done exactly.
cow-cow
To be very angry, to scold or reprimand violently.—Anglo-Chinese.
cow-hocked
Clumsy about the ankles; with large or awkward feet.
cow-lick
The term given to the lock of hair which costermongers and tramps usually twist forward from the ear; a large greasy curl upon the cheek, seemingly licked into shape. These locks are also called NUMBER SIXES, from their usual shape. The opposite of NEWGATE-KNOCKER, which see.
cowan
A sneak, an inquisitive or prying person. Greek, κύων, a dog. Term given by Freemasons to all uninitiated persons. Used in Anderson’s Constitutions, edit. 1769, p. 97. If derived from κύων, its use was probably suggested by such passages in the N. T. as Matt. vii. 6, and Phil. iii. 2. The Moslems apply dog in a similar manner. It is probably Oriental.
cows and kisses
Mistress or missus—referring to the ladies.
coxcomb
Anciently, a fool. Fools, in great families, wore a cap with bells, on the top of which was a piece of red cloth, in the shape of a cock's comb. At present, coxcomb signifies a fop, or vain self-conceited fellow.
coxy-loxy
Good-tempered, drunk.—Norfolk.
crab
To catch a crab; to fall backwards by missing one's stroke in rowing.
crab
A disagreeable old person. Name of a wild and sour fruit.
crab louse
A species of louse peculiar to the human body; the male is denominated a cock, the female a hen.
crabbed
Sour, ill-tempered, difficult.
crabs
A losing throw to the main at hazard.
crabs
In dicing, a pair of aces.
crabshells
Or TROTTER-CASES, shoes.—See CARTS.
crack
The favourite horse in a race. Steeplechase and hunting CRACKS have been made the subjects of well-known pictures, and "the gallops of the CRACKS" is a prominent line in the sporting papers.
crack a bottle
To drink. Shakspeare uses CRUSH in the same slang sense.
crack up
to laugh loudly or become amused
cracker
Crust, sea biscuit, or ammunition loaf; also the backside. Farting crackers; breeches.
cracking a crust
Rubbing along in the world. CRACKING A TIDY CRUST, means doing very well. This is a very common expression among the lower orders.
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