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.
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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).
cardwell’s men
Officers promoted in pursuance of the new system of non-purchase.
care a button
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care a jackstraw
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care a whit
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
care about something
Feel concern or interest in something
care for somebody
To look after and provide for someone's needs
care package
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
careless talk costs lives
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
carew
Life and Adventures of Bamfylde Moore Carew, the King of the Beggars, with Canting Dictionary, portrait, 8vo. 1791.
cark it
To die.
Carling Sunday
It was an old custom, especially in the north, to eat parched peas fried in butter on this day, and they were called Carlings.
Carmen Sylva
This was the pen-name of Queen Elizabeth of Rumania (1843-1916). She was a woman of cultivated tastes, a musician, painter, and writer of poems and stories.
carney
Soft hypocritical language. Also, to flatter, wheedle, or insinuate oneself.—Prov.
carnish
Meat, from the Ital. CARNE, flesh; a Lingua Franca importation; CARNISH-KEN, a thieves’ eating-house; "cove of the CARNISH-KEN," the keeper thereof.—North Country Cant.
caroon
Five shillings. French, COURONNE; Gipsy, COURNA; Spanish, CORONA.
Carpathian Wizard
Proteus, who lived in the island of Carpathus (now Scarpanto), between Rhodes and Crete, who could transform himself into any shape he pleased. He is represented as carrying a sort of crook in his hand, because he was an ocean shepherd and had to manage a flock of sea-calves. By the Carpathian wizard's book.
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