commission
A shirt.—Ancient Cant. Italian, CAMICIA.
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commister
A chaplain or clergyman.—Originally Old Cant.
commode
A woman's head dress.
commodity
A woman's commodity; the private parts of a modest woman, and the public parts of a prostitute.
Common fame is seldom to blame. (Strauss 1998, p. 662)
Public opinion is often correct
common ground
Shared interests or experiences that unite people
common or garden variety
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Common Pleas
Civil actions at law brought by one subject against another — not by the Crown against a subject. The Court of Common Pleas was for the trial of civil (not capital) offences; in 1875 it was abolished, and in 1880 it was represented by the Common Pleas Division and merged in the King's Bench Division.
common purse
Shared financial resources among individuals or groups
common run
ordinary or usual experience
common sense
Natural intelligence ; good, sound, practical sense; general sagacity. Formerly the expression denoted a supposed internal sense held to be common to all five senses, or one that acted as a bond or con- necting medium for them.
common sense is not so common
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
common touch
Ability to relate to ordinary people
commons
The house of commons; the necessary house.
commons
The allowance of anything sent out of the buttery or kitchen. "A COMMONS of bread," or "of cheese," for instance.—University. SHORT COMMONS (derived from the University slang term), a scanty meal, a scarcity.
Commonwealth of Australia
It was so named in 1770 by Captain Cook from its fancied resemblance from the sea to the northern shores of the Bristol Channel. The famous penal settlement of Botany Bay was founded there in 1787, five miles south of the present city of Sydney, itself named after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, at that time secretary of state in charge of colonial affairs.
communazi
Communist.
communazism
Communism.
Companion Ladder
The ladder leading from the poop to the main deck, also the staircase from the deck to a cabin.
Companions of Jehu
The Chouans (q.v.) were so called, from a fanciful analogy between their self-imposed task and that appointed to Jehu, on being set over the kingdom of Israel. Jehu was to cut off Ahab and Jezebel, with all their house, and all the priests of Baal. The Chouans were to cut off all who assassinated Louis XVI, and see that his brother (Jehu} was placed on the throne.
company
To see company; to enter into a course of prostitution.
company town
A town dominated by a single company or industry
compare notes
To share and discuss information or experiences
compared with something
Considered in relation to something else
comparisons are odious
Unfavorable comparisons are resented or disliked
comparisons are odious. (15th century)
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Comparisons are Odorous
So says Dogberry. (Much Ado About Nothing, iii, 5.) We own your verses are melodious, But then comparisons are odious.
competition wallah
One who entered the Indian Civil Service by passing a competitive examination.—Anglo-Indian.
complementary colours
Colours which, in combination, produce white light. The colour transmitted is always complementary to the one reflected.
complete and utter
totally or absolutely
completely and utterly
Totally and absolutely
Complutensian Polyglot
The great edition, in six folio volumes, containing the Hebrew and Greek texts, the Septuagmt, the Vulgate, and the Chaldee paraphrase of the Pentateuch with a Latin translation, together with Greek and Hebrew grammars and a Hebrew Diction- ary, prepared and printed at the expense of Cardinal Ximenes, and published at Alcala (the ancient Complutum) near Madrid, 1513-17.
compo
A sailor’s term for his monthly advance of wages.
comprador
A purveyor, an agent.—Originally Spanish, now Anglo-Chinese.
compuper
A computer.
compy
A computer.
comus's court
A social meeting formerly held at the Half Moon tavern Cheapside.
con spirito
With quickness and vivacity. A musical term.
Conan Doyle
His solutions of crimes and mysteries were related in a series of sixty stones that appeared in the Strand Magazine off and on between 1891 and 1927.
concaves and convexes
A pack of cards contrived for cheating, by cutting all the cards from the two to the seven concave, and all from the eight to the king convex. Then by cutting the pack breadthwise a convex card is cut, and by cutting it lengthwise a concave is secured.—See LONGS AND SHORTS.
concentrate on something
Focus one's attention or effort on something
concerned about something
Worried or anxious about a particular issue
concerned with something
Involved or interested in something
Concert Pitch
The degree of sharpness or flatness adopted by musicians acting in concef t, that all the instruments may be in accord. In England "concert pitch" is usually slightly higher than the pitch at which instruments are generally tuned.
concrete jungle
A crowded and competitive urban environment
Concrete Numbers
See ABSTRACT. Condominium (con dd min' i iim). This is a political phrase to describe the joint govern- ment or sovereignty of two or more powers over a region or country. An example of this is the condominium of the New Hebrides shared by Britain and France.
condie
A condom.
Confidence begets confidence. (Strauss 1994, p. 187)
Having confidence inspires others to have confidence in you
confidence in somebody
Faith in someone's abilities or character
confidence is the companion of success
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Confounding the Persons
The heresy of Sabellius (see SABELLIANISM), who declared that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were but three names, aspects, or manifestations of one God, the orthodox doctrine being that of the Atha- nasian Creed —
confront one's demons
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
confuzzlement
confusion
conger
To conger; the agreement of a set or knot of booksellers of London, that whosoever of them shall buy a good copy, the rest shall take off such a particular number, in quires, at a stated price; also booksellers joining to buy either a considerable or dangerous copy.
Congleton Bears
Men of Congleton. The tradition is that a Congleton parish clerk sold the church Bible to buy a bear, so that the townsmen could have some fun at bear- baiting.
congo
Will you lap your congo with me? will you drink tea with me?
conjee
A kind of gruel made of rice.—Anglo-Indian.
Conjuring Cap
I must put on my conjuring cap — i.e. your question requires deliberate thought, and I must reflect on it. Tradition says that Eric XIV, King of Sweden (1560-77), was a great believer in magic, and had an "enchanted cap*' by means of which he pretended to exercise power over the elements.
conk
A nose. Possibly from the Latin, CONCHA, a shell. Greek, κόγχη—hence anything hollow. Somewhat of a parallel may be found in the Latin, TESTA, an earthenware pot, a shell, and in later Latin, a skull; from whence the French TESTE, or TÊTE, head. CONKY, having a projecting or remarkable nose. The first Duke of Wellington was frequently termed "Old CONKY" in satirical papers and caricatures.
conk out
To fall fast asleep; to sleep soundly.
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