cap acquaintance
Persons slightly acquainted, or only so far as mutually to salute with the hat on meeting. A woman who endeavours to attract the notice of any particular man, is said to set her cap at him.
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cap acquaintance
A bowing acquaintance. One just sufficiently known to touch one's cap to.
cap and bells
The insignia of a professional fool or jester.
CAP AND BELLS above
Their headgear was a cap with bells. One is bound to speak the truth . . . whether he mounts the cap and bells or a shovel hat [like a bishop]. — THACKERAY.
cap and feather days
The time of child- hood. Here I was got into the scenes of my cap and feather days. — COBBETT.
cap and gown
academic regalia worn for graduation ceremonies
cap and gown
The full academical costume of a university student, tutor, or master, worn at lectures, examinations, and after "hair* (dinner).
cap in hand
Submissively. To wait on a man cap in hand is to wait on him like a servant, ready to do his bidding.
cap it all off
to complete or finalize something perfectly
cap money
Money collected in a cap or hat; hence an improvised collection.
cap of liberty
When a slave was manu- mitted by the Romans, a small Phrygian cap, usually of red felt, called pileus, was placed on his head, he was termed hbertinus (a freed- man), and his name was registered in the city tribes. When Saturninus, in 100 B.C.
Cap of Maintenance
A cap of dignity anciently belonging to the rank of duke; the fur cap of the Lord Mayor of London, worn on days of state; a cap carried before the British sovereigns at their coronation. The significance of maintenance here is not known, but the cap was an emblem of very high honour, for it was conferred by the Pope three times on Henry VII and once on Henry VIII.
cap over the windmill
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cap-enese
Dishonesty.
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown (1715- 83) landscape gardener and architect, one of the founders of the modern or English style ot landscape gardening. He received this name because he habitually assured prospective employers that their land held great capa- bilities.
cape cart
This is the name given to a two- wheeled, hooded, horse-drawn cart originally used in Cape Colony and S. Africa generally.
cape gooseberry
Although it takes its name from the Cape, this plant originally came from S. America and its botanical name is Physalis peruviana* It is much prized for its decorative bladder-like calyx.
Cape Horn
So named by Schouten, a Dutch mariner, who first doubled it (1616). He was a native of Hoorn, in north Holland, and named the cape after his native place.
Cape of Good Hope
He is the hero of Camoens's Lusiad (1572), Gama, captain of the venturous band, Of bold emprise, and bom for high command, Whose martial fires, with prudence close allied, Ensured the smiles of fortune on his side.
cape smoke
A cheap and villainous kind of whisky sold in South Africa.
caped
cancelled
Capel Court
A lane adjacent to the Stock Exchange in London where dealers congregate to do business: hence used sometimes for the
caper would venture out
A Manx proverb. A Caper is a fisherman of Cape Clear in Ireland, who will venture out in almost any weather.
caper-merchant
A dancing-master. Sometimes a hop-merchant.
capers
Dancing, frolicking; "to cut CAPER-SAUCE," i.e., to dance upon nothing—be hanged. Old thieves’ talk.
capful of wind
Olaus Magnus tells us that Eric, King of Sweden, was so familiar with evil spirits that what way soever he turned his cap the wind would blow, and for this he was called Windy Cap. The Laplanders drove a profitable trade in selling winds, as have many ancient and primitive peoples ; and even so late as 1814, Bessie Millie, of Pomona (Orkney), used to sell favourable winds to mariners for the small sum of sixpence.
capon
A castrated cock, also an eunuch.
capper-clawing
Female encounter, where caps are torn and nails freely used. Sometimes it is pronounced CLAPPER-CLAW. The word occurs in Shakspeare, Troilus and Cressida, act v. sc. 4.
capping verses
Repeating Latin Verses in turn, beginning with the letter with which the last speaker left off.
capricornified
Cuckolded, hornified.
capsize
To overturn or reverse. He took his broth till he capsized; he drank till he fell out of his chair. SEA TERM.
captain
Led captain; an humble dependant in a great family, who for a precarious subsistence, and distant hopes of preferment, suffers every kind of indignity, and is the butt of every species of joke or ill-humour. The small provision made for officers of the army and navy in time of peace, obliges many in both services to occupy this wretched station.
Captain Armstrong
A name for a cheating jockey — one who pulls a horse with a strong arm^ and so prevents his winning.
Captain at the Montem
All the money collected was called salt (cp. SALARY).
Captain Cook
A look
captain copperthorne's crew
All officers; a saying of a company where everyone strives to rule.
captain lieutenant
Meat between veal and beef, the flesh of an old calf; a military simile, drawn from the officer of that denomination, who has only the pay of a lieutenant, with the rank of captain; and so is not entirely one or the other, but between both.
captain podd
A celebrated master of a puppet-shew, in Ben Johnson's time, whose name became a common one to signify any of that fraternity.
captain queernabs
A shabby ill-dressed fellow.
Captain Rock
A fictitious name assumed by the leader of the Irish insurgents in 1822.
captain sharp
A cheating bully, or one in a set of gamblers, whose office is to bully any pigeon, who, suspecting roguery, refuses to pay what he has lost. CANT.
captain tom
The leader of a mob; also the mob itself.
captain's pick
A personal choice made by someone in authority
car and driver
a vehicle and its operator
car park
A place where cars are parked
caravan
A large sum of money; also, a person cheated of such sum. CANT.
caravan
A railway train, especially a train expressly chartered to convey people to a prize fight.
caravansera
A railway station. In pugilistic phraseology a tip for the starting point might have been given thus. "The SCRATCH must be TOED at sharp five, so the CARAVAN will start at four from the CARAVANSERA."
carbon burning
wasting time or energy
carbonated water
water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas
carboy
A general term in most parts of the world for a very large glass or earthenware bottle.
carbuncle face
A red face, full of pimples.
card
A character. "A queer CARD," i.e., an odd fish.
card of ten
a perfect or ideal person
cardboard box
Syphilis.
cardinal
A cloak in fashion about the year 1760.
cardinal
A lady’s red cloak. A cloak with this name was in fashion in the year 1760. It received its title from its similarity in shape to one of the vestments of a cardinal. Also mulled red wine.
cardinal humours
An obsolete medical term for the four principal "humours" of the body, viz. blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
cardinal virtues
Justice, prudence, tem- perance, and fortitude, on which all other virtues hang or depend.
cardinals in petto
Cardinals chosen by the Pope, but not yet publicly announced. Their names are in pectore (of the Pope).
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