1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar TongueGrose, Francis
History
1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
Grose, Francis
English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries
CRUISERS. Beggars, or highway spies, who traverse the
road, to give intelligence of a booty; also rogues ready to
snap up any booty that may offer, like privateers or pirates
on a cruise.
CRUMMY. Fat, fleshy. A fine crummy dame; a fat woman.
He has picked up his crumbs finely of late; he has
grown very fat, or rich, of late.
CRUMP. One who helps solicitors to affidavit men, or false
witnesses.--'I wish you had, Mrs. Crump;' a Gloucestershire
saying, in answer to a wish for any thing; implying,
you must not expect any assistance from the speaker. It
is said to have originated from the following incident:
One Mrs. Crump, the wife of a substantial farmer, dining
with the old Lady Coventry, who was extremely deaf, said
to one of the footmen, waiting at table, 'I wish I had a
draught of small beer,' her modesty not permitting her to
desire so fine a gentleman to bring it: the fellow, conscious
that his mistress could not hear either the request or
answer, replied, without moving, 'I wish you had, Mrs.
Crump.' These wishes being again repeated by both parties,
Mrs. Crump got up from the table to fetch it herself;
and being asked by my lady where she was going, related
what had passed. The story being told abroad, the expression
became proverbial.
CRUMP-BACKED. Hump-backed.
CRUSTY BEAU. One that uses paint and cosmetics, to obtain
a fine complexion.
CRUSTY FELLOW. A surly fellow.
CUB. An unlicked cub; an unformed, ill-educated young
man, a young nobleman or gentleman on his travels: an
allusion to the story of the bear, said to bring its cub into
form by licking. Also, a new gamester.
CUCKOLD. The husband of an incontinent wife: cuckolds,
however, are Christians, as we learn by the following story:
An old woman hearing a man call his dog Cuckold, reproved
him sharply, saying, 'Sirrah, are not you ashamed
to call a dog by a Christian's name?' To cuckold the
parson; to bed with one's wife before she has been churched.
CUCUMBERS. Taylors, who are jocularly said to subsist,
during the summer, chiefly on cucumbers.
CUFF. An old cuff; an old man. To cuff Jonas; said of one
who is knock-kneed, or who beats his sides to keep himself
warm in frosty weather; called also Beating the
booby.
CUFFIN. A man.
CULL. A man, honest or otherwise. A bob cull; a good-natured,
quiet fellow. CANT.
CULLABILITY. A disposition liable to be cheated, an
unsuspecting nature, open to imposition.
CULLY. A fog or fool: also, a dupe to women: from the
Italian word coglione, a blockhead.
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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