Heading
Crown-Office, subs. (old).—The head. For synonyms, see Crumpet. Quoted by Grose [1785].
Crow's-Foot, subs. (thieves').—The Government broad arrow; also (in pl.) wrinkles at the outside corners of the eyes.
Cruel or Cruelly, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Extremely; very; great. A fashionable intensitive; an Americanism by survival. Cf., Awful and Beastly.
1662. Pepys, Diary, 31 July. Met Captain Brown, of the 'Rosebush,' at which he was cruel angry. Ibid, 1666-7, 21 Feb. W. Batten denies all, but is cruel mad.
1848. Bartlett, Dict. of Americanisms, p. 170. Oh, doctor, I am powerful weak, but cruel easy.
Cruelty-Van or Booby-Hutch, subs. (common).—A four-wheeled chaise.
CRUG, subs. (Christ's Hospital).—1. At Hertford, a crust; in the London school, crust and crumb alike.
1820. Lamb, Elia (Christ's Hospital), p. 322, wks. [ed. 1852]. He had his tea and hot rolls in a morning, while we were battening upon our quarter of a penny loaf—our crug.
2. (Christ's Hospital).—A Blue; especially an 'old boy.'
1877. Blanch, Blue Coat Boys, p. 80. All crugs will well remember, etc.
CRUGANALER, subs. (Christ's Hospital). A biscuit given on St. Matthew's Day. [Orthography dubious. Blanch inclines to the following derivation: 'The biscuit had once something to do with those nights when bread and beer, with cheese, were substituted for bread-and-butter and milk. Thence the term "crug and aler." The only argument against this is the fact that the liquid was never dignified with the name of ale, but was invariably called "the swipes." By another derivation = "hard as nails." It is then spelt cruggy-nailer.']
CRUGGY, adj. (Christ's Hospital).—Hungry. [From crug (q.v.).]
Cruisers, subs. (old).—1. Beggars, or highway spies: 'those who traversed the road,' says Grose, 'to give intelligence of a booty'; also, rogues 'ready to snap up any booty that may offer.'
2. in sing. (common).—A street-walker.
Crumb, subs. (military).—A pretty woman. Cf., Crummy, adj., senses 1 and 2.
Crumb and Crust man, subs. phr. (common).—A baker. Cf., Burn-*crust and Master of the rolls. Fr., un marchand de larton.
Crumbs.—See Pick up one's crumbs and chates.
Crummy, adj. (popular).—1. Fat; plump; well-developed. Especially said of high-bosomed and full-figured women: e.g., a crummy piece of goods. [From a provincialism, crum or crom = to stuff, whence crummy = fat or well stuffed.] Fr., fort en mie (an almost literal translation); elle a de ça; Sp., carrilludo = plump-faced.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). Crummy (a.): . . . also fat, rich, plump, or fleshy.
