curios
A corruption of "curiosities;" any articles of vertu brought from abroad. Used by naval and military travellers and others.
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curiosity killed the cat
Excessive curiosity can lead to trouble or danger
curiouser and curiouser
Becoming increasingly strange or interesting
curl someone's hair
To shock or surprise someone greatly
curle
Clippings of money, which curls up in the operation. CANT.
curlies
Pubic hair
curmudgeon
A covetous old fellow, derived, according to some, from the French term coeur mechant.
currants and plums
Thrums,—slang for threepence.
currency
Persons born in Australia are there termed CURRENCY, while natives of England are termed STERLING. The allusion is to the difference between colonial and imperial moneys, which it may be as well to remark have no difference so far as actual value is concerned.
curry
To curry favour; to obtain the favour of a person be coaxing or servility. To curry any one's hide; to beat him.
curry favor
To try to gain favor or approval by flattering or pleasing someone
Curry Favour
A corruption of the M.E. to curry favel, to rub down Favel: Favel (or Fauvel) being the name of the horse in the 14th- century French satire Roman de Fauvel, which was a kind of counterpart to the more famous romance, Reynard the Fox.
curse
Anything worthless. Corruption of the Old English word KERSE, a small sour wild cherry; French, CERISE; German, KIRSCH. Vision of Piers Ploughman:—
cursitors
Broken petty-fogging attornies, or Newgate solicitors. CANT.
curtail
To cut off. Originally a Cant word—vide Hudibras, and Bacchus and Venus, 1737. Evidently derived from the French court tailler.
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.
curtain off
To separate, isolate or block by means of a curtain or other barrier.
curtains
The foreskin.
Curtal Friar
Curtal was originally applied to horses — a "curtal horse" was one with its tail docked; hence the adjective came to be used for things in general that were cut down or shortened, and a "curtal friar" was one who wore a short cloak. In later use (especially by Scott) it acquired a vaguely derisory or belittling significance.
Curule Chair
The chair of state among the ancient Romans; an elaborate kind of camp-stool inlaid with ivory, etc. As dictators, consuls, praetors, censors, and the chief ediles occupied such a chair, they were termed curie magistrates or curules. The word is connected either with currus, a chariot — perhaps because the chair was originally intended for use in a chariot — or with curvus, through the shape of its legs.
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-smiter
Polite rendering of tub-thumper, a clergyman, a preacher.
cushmawaunee
Never mind. Sailors and soldiers who have been in India frequently say—
custard cannon
The penis.
custard cap
The cap worn by the sword-bearer of the city of London, made hollow at the top like a custard.
custard launcher
Penis.
custie
A customer.
custom-house goods
The stock in trade of a prostitute, because fairly entered.
customer
Synonymous with CHAP, a fellow; "a rum CUSTOMER," i.e., a man likely to turn the tables on any one who attacked him, and therefore better be let alone, or very warily proceeded with; an "odd fish," or curious person.—Shakspeare.
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.
cut
To take cards from a pack, with a view to decide by comparison which persons shall be partners, or which players shall deal. Not less than four cards must be picked up by the cutter, and the bottom one is the CUT. When cutting for a "turn-up," the residuum is called the CUT.
cut a dash
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cut a figure
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cut a rug
To dance.
cut a swath
To make a strong impression or have a significant impact
cut a wide swath
To have a strong impact or influence on something
cut about
To move or travel around, often in a casual or aimless manner
cut above
Better than others of the same type
cut and dried
Settled.
cut and dried
Already prepared. "He had a speech all cut and dried." The allusion is to timber, cut, dried, and fit for use. Sets of phrases, cut and dry, Evermore thy tongue supply.
Cut and long taH
One and another, all of every description. The phrase had its origin in the practice of cutting the tails of certain dogs and horses, and leaving others in their natural state, so that cut and long tail horses or dogs included all the species, Master Slender says he will maintain Anne Page like a gentlewoman. "Ah!
cut and paste
To copy and move text or images
cut and run
Be off as quickly as possible. A sea phrase, meaning cut your cable and run before the wind.
cut away one's soul
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cut bait
to stop wasting time and take action
cut below
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cut down
reduce or decrease something
cut down the tall poppy
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cut in
Interrupt someone or something
cut it
to stop doing something
cut it out
Stop doing something annoying
cut loose
to break free from restraint or responsibility
cut no ice
Be of no account, make no impression, presumably borrowed from figure skating.
cut of one's jib
To appear or seem a certain way at first glance
cut off with a shilling
Disinherited. Blackstone tells us that the Romans set aside those testaments which passed by the natural heirs unnoticed; but if any legacy was left, no matter how small, it proved the testator's in- tention. English law has no such provision, but the notion at one time prevailed that the name of the heir should appear in the will; and if he was bequeathed "a shilling," that the testator had not forgotten him, but disinherited him intentionally.
cut off your nose to spite your face
To pursue revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one's anger.
cut one loose
to release or free someone from a responsibility or obligation
cut one's cloth to suit one's purse
Spend money according to one's means
cut one's teeth
to gain initial experience or skills in a particular field
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