Carpe Diem
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carpet
"upon the CARPET," any subject or matter that is uppermost for discussion or conversation. Frequently quoted as sur le tapis, or more generally "on the tapis," but it does not seem to be at all known in France. Also servants’ slang. When a domestic is summoned by the master or mistress to receive a warning or reprimand, he or she is said to be CARPETED. The corresponding term in commercial establishments is a WIGGING.
carpet knight
One dubbed at Court by favour, not having won his spurs by military service in the field. Perhaps because mayors, lawyers, and civilians generally are knighted as they kneel on a carpet before their sovereign in contradistinction to those knighthoods that used to be conferred on the actual field of battle; but more probably with allusion to the preference shown by non-martial knights for the carpeted drawing-room over the tented field.
carpet munching
cunnilingus
Carpet The magic carpet
The carpet which, to all appearances, was worthless, but which, if anyone sat thereon, would transport him instantaneously to the place he wished to go, is one of the stock properties of Eastern wonder-tales and romance.
carpet-knight
An habitué of drawing-rooms, a "ladies’ man."
carriage company
Persons who go visiting in their private carriage. Seeing a great deal of carriage company.
carriage trade
High-end or luxury customers
carried away
to be overwhelmed by emotion or excitement
carrier-pigeon
A swindler, one who formerly used to cheat lottery-office keepers. Now used among betting men to describe one who runs from place to place with "commissions."
carriers
A set of rogues who are employed to look out and watch upon the roads, at inns, &c. in order to carry information to their respective gangs, of a booty in prospect.
carrion hunter
An undertaker; called also a cold cook, and death hunter. See COLD COOK and DEATH HUNTER.
carriwitchet
A hoaxing, puzzling question, not admitting of a satisfactory answer, as—"How far is it from the first of July to London Bridge?" "If a bushel of apples cost ten shillings, how long will it take for an oyster to eat its way through a barrel of soap?"
carrot
"Take a CARROT!" a vulgar insulting phrase.
carrots
A redhead.
carrots
The coarse and satirical term for red hair. An epigram gives an illustration of the use of this term:—
carrotty-pated
Ginger-hackled, red-haired. See GINGER-HACKLED.
carry a torch
to have a long-standing crush or love for someone
carry away
to sweep someone off their feet with strong emotions
carry corn
To bear success well and equally. It is said of a man who breaks down under a sudden access of wealth—as successful horse-racing men and unexpected legatees often do—or who becomes affected and intolerant, that "he doesn’t CARRY CORN well."
carry forward
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
carry me out!
An exclamation of pretended astonishment on hearing news too good to be true, or a story too marvellous to be believed. Sometimes varied by "Let me die," i.e., I can’t survive that. Profanely derived from the Nunc dimittis (Luke xi. 29). The Irish say, "CARRY ME OUT, and bury me decently."
carry off
to succeed or accomplish something
carry on
continue doing something
carry on with something
continue doing something
carry one's weight
to do one's share of work or contribute equally
carry oneself
To conduct or behave oneself in a particular way
carry out
To perform or execute a task or plan
carry over
to extend or transfer something to another time or situation
carry someone's water
To support or promote someone's interests or ideas
carry something out
to complete or fulfill a task or plan
carry the ball
to take responsibility and lead a project or effort
carry the can
be blamed or punished for someone else's mistake
carry the mail
to perform well or succeed
carry the message to Garcia
To take initiative and responsibility to complete a task
carry the torch
to continue or support a tradition or idea
carry through
To complete or fulfill something
carry water for
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
carry witchet
A sort of conundrum, puzzlewit, or riddle.
carry-on
To joke a person to excess, to CARRY ON a "spree" too far; "how we CARRIED ON, to be sure!" i.e., what fun we had. Nautical term—from carrying on sail.
Carrying coals to Newcastle
Doing something unnecessary or redundant
cart
To put the cart before the horse; to mention the last part of a story first. To be flogged at the cart's a-se or tail; persons guilty of petty larceny are frequently sentenced to be tied to the tail of a cart, and whipped by the common executioner, for a certain distance: the degree of severity in the execution is left to the discretion of the executioner, who, it is said, has cats of nine tails of all prices.
cart-wheel
A five-shilling piece. Generally condensed to "WHEEL."
carte de visite
A visiting card; a photographic likeness on a card, originally intended to be used as a visiting card. The idea was started in 1857, but it never "caught on," as such, although the small size of photo- graph became very popular. Cartel (kar tel'J, This is a word with several meanings. Originally it was applied only to a written agreement between opponents in a war arranging the exchange of prisoners.
carting
The punishment formerly inflicted on bawds, who were placed in a tumbrel or cart, and led through a town, that their persons might be known.
Cartridge Paper
A stout, rough paper, originally manufactured for cartridges. The word is a corruption of cartouche.
carts
A pair of shoes. In Norfolk the carapace of a crab is called a crab cart; hence CARTS would be synonymous with CRAB SHELLS, which see.
carved in stone
Definitely decided and unlikely to be changed
carvel's ring
The private parts of a woman. Ham Carvel, a jealous old doctor, being in bed with his wife, dreamed that the Devil gave him a ring, which, so long as he had it on his finger, would prevent his being made a cuckold: waking he found he had got his finger the Lord knows where. See Rabelais, and Prior's versification of the story.
casa
house
casa
Or CASE, a house, respectable or otherwise. Probably from the Italian CASA.—Old Cant. The Dutch use the word KAST in a vulgar sense for a house, i.e., MOTTEKAST, a brothel. CASE sometimes means a water-closet, but is in general applied to a "house of accommodation." CASA is generally pronounced carzey.
case
A house; perhaps from the Italian CASA. In the canting lingo it meant store or ware house, as well as a dwelling house. Tout that case; mark or observe that house. It is all bob, now let's dub the gig of the case; now the coast is clear, let us break open the door of the house.
case
Some years ago the term CASE was applied generally to persons or things; "what a CASE he is," i.e., what a curious person; "a rum CASE that," or "you are a CASE," both synonymous with the phrase "odd fish," common half a century ago. This would seem to have been originally a "case" for the police-court; drunkenness, &c. Among young ladies at boarding-schools a CASE means a love-affair. CASE now means any unfortunate matter. "I’m afraid it’s a CASE with him."
case study
A detailed analysis of a person, situation, or event
case the joint
To carefully explore and examine a place
case vrow
A prostitute attached to a particular bawdy house.
cash and carry
A business where customers pay for goods before taking them away
cash in one's chips
to die or leave a situation
cash on the barrelhead
Payment is required immediately
cash up
To pay someone the money they are owed
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