cully
A fog or fool: also, a dupe to women: from the Italian word coglione, a blockhead.
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cully gorger
A companion, a brother actor.—Theatrical. See GORGER.
culp
A kick or blow: from the words mea culpa, being that part of the popish liturgy at which the people beat their breasts; or, as the vulgar term is, thump their craws.
Culross Girdles
The thin plate of iron in Scotland, on which oat cakes, scones, etc. are cooked, is called a "girdle," for which Culross was long celebrated.
culture hero
A person who inspires and represents the values of a culture
cum grano salis
with a grain of salt, skeptically
Cumberland Presbyterians
A sect found in Kentucky and Tennessee which was opposed to college-trained ministers. Cum grano sails (kum gra' no sa'lis) (Lat.). With a gram of salt; there is some truth in the statement, but we must use great caution in accepting it.
cummer
A gossip or acquaintance.
cumshaw
A present or bribe.—Anglo-Chinese.
cumwhore
A cumslut.
Cuneiform Letters
Letters like wedges (Lat. cuneus, a wedge). They form the writing of ancient Persia, Babylonia, Assyria, etc., and, dating from about 3800 B.C. to the early years of the Christian era, are the most ancient specimens of writing known to us. Cuneiform inscriptions first attracted interest in Europe in the early 17th century, but no deciphering was successful until 1802 (by Grotefend, of Hanover).
cunning man
A cheat, who pretends by his skill in astrology to assist persons in recovering stolen goods: and also to tell them their fortunes, and when, how often, and to whom they shall be married; likewise answers all lawful questions, both by sea and land. This profession is frequently occupied by ladies.
cunning shaver
A sharp fellow, one that trims close, i.e. cheats ingeniously.
cunningham
A punning appellation for a simple fellow.
cunny-thumbed
To double one's fist with the thumb inwards, like a woman.
cunt dropping
A child.
cuntada
Canada.
cunted
Having a vulva of a specified kind.
cuntfaced
Very drunk.
cuntfucker
A stupid or otherwise undesirable person.
cuntling
A woman.
cuntry
A country.
cup and saucer
a perfectly matched pair
cup of joe
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
cup of tea
Something one enjoys or finds appealing
cup of the creature
A cup of good liquor.
cup-tosser
A person who professes to tell fortunes by examining the grounds in tea or coffee cups. A cup or goblet, however, is the old mystic symbol of a juggler. French, JOUEUR DE GOBELET.
cupar justice
Same as "Jedburgh justice," hang first and try afterwards. It is sometimes called "Cowper law," and it had its rise from a baron-baile in Coupar-Angus, before heritable jurisdictions were abolished. Abmgdon Law is a similar phrase. It is said that Major-General Browne, of Abingdon, in the Commonwealth, first hanged his prisoners and then tried them. See JEDWOOD JUSTICE; LYDFORD LAW.
cupboard love
Pretended love to the cook, or any other person, for the sake of a meal. My guts cry cupboard; i.e. I am hungry
Cupboard Love
Love from interested mo- tives. The allusion is to the love of children to some indulgent person who gives them something nice from her cupboard.
cupboard-headed
An expressive designation of one whose head is both wooden and hollow.—Norfolk.
cupboard-love
Affection arising from interested motives.
Cupid and Psyche
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
Cupid and Psyche
An episode in the Golden Ass (q.v.) of Apuleius. It is an allegory representing the progress of the soul to perfection. William Morns retells the story in his Earthly Paradise (May), as also does Walter Pater in Marius the Epicurean. See PSYCHE.
cupid's golden arrow
Virtuous love. Cupid's leaden arrow, sensual passion. Deque sagittifera promisit duo tela pharetra Diversorum operum; fugat hoc, facil illud amorem. Quod facit auratum est et cuspide fulget acuta — Quod fugat ofatusum est, et habet sub arundine plumbum. OVID : Apollo and Daphne.
cupid, blind cupid
A jeering name for an ugly blind man: Cupid, the god of love, being frequently painted blind. See BLIND CUPID.
cups as sports trophies
An engraved (usually silver) cup is a common form of trophy. One of the oldest is the Waterloo Cup for coursing, which originated in 1836 and owes its name to the fact that its leading promoter was landlord of the Waterloo Hotel, Liverpool.
cur
A cut or curtailed dog. According to the forest laws, a man who had no right to the privilege of the chase, was obliged to cut or law his dog: among other modes of disabling him from disturbing the game, one was by depriving him of his tail: a dog so cut was called a cut or curtailed dog, and by contraction a cur. A cur is figuratively used to signify a surly fellow.
curate in charge
A curate placed by a bishop in charge of a parish where there is no incumbent, or where the incumbent is sus- pended.
curate's egg
Something that is partly good and partly bad
curate's egg
Among the catch-phrases that Punch has introduced into the English language, "Good in parts, like the curate's egg" is, perhaps, the most commonly used. The illustrated joke showed a nervous young curate, at his bishop's breakfast table. He has been asked by his lordship whether his egg is to his liking; terrified to say that it is bad, he stammers out that " it's good in parts.
curb appeal
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
curb crawler
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
curbing law
The act of hooking goods out of windows: the curber is the thief, the curb the hook. CANT.
cure
An odd person; a contemptuous term, abridged from CURIOSITY, which was formerly the favourite expression. The word cure, as originally applied, was London street slang, and was, as just stated, an abbreviation of curiosity, or, more correctly, of curious or queer fellow. Of late years it has, however, been used to denote a funny, humorous person, who can give and receive chaff.
cure a-se
A dyachilon plaister, applied to the parts galled by riding.
Cure the disease and kill the patient. (Francis Bacon)
To solve a problem but cause more harm in the process
curios
A corruption of "curiosities;" any articles of vertu brought from abroad. Used by naval and military travellers and others.
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:—
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