Heading
Verb (colloquial).—To cheat. [For suggested derivation, see subs., sense 1.] Synonyms will be found under Stick.
1659. Shirley, Honoria and Mam., II., iii. We are in a fair way to be ridiculous. . . . Chiaus'd by a scholar! [m.]
1663. Pepys, Diary, May 15. The Portugalls have choused us, it seems, in the Island of Bombay, in the East Indys.
1708. Centlivre, Busie Body, Act iii. You and my most conscionable Guardian here . . . plotted and agreed, to chouse a very civil, honest, honourable gentleman, out of a Hundred Pound.
1742-4. Roger North, Lives of the Norths, I., 90. The judge held them to it, and they were choused of the treble value.
1823. Hints for Oxford, p. 26. Everything in common use at Oxford, with the exception, perhaps, of books, is charged at an exorbitant rate; and, what is worse . . . you are often having yourself choused with abominable trash.
1890. Academy, Feb. 22, p. 125, col. 1. Susan Burnay's letters, with charming naïveté, confess that, in the expectation of an early visit from the delightful mimic, she for four mornings was up at seven o'clock, only to find herself, borrowing the slang phrases of the day, 'choused, for he nick'd us entirely, and never came at all.'
So also choused, ppl. adj., chousing, verbal subs., and chouser, subs.
Chout, subs. (East London).—An
entertainment.—Hotten.
Chovey, subs. (costermongers').—A
shop. A shopman is known
amongst the fraternity as a man-chovey,
and a shop-woman as
ann-chovey.
1857. Snowden, Mag. Assistant 2 ed.), 444. A shop—Chovey.
French Synonyms. Une boutogue (thieves'); une boutanche (thieves'); un boucard (thieves'); un rade or radeau (thieves'); also primarily, a till.
German Synonym. Chenwene (a market stall, the stock itself, or a box full of goods; Chenwener, the owner of such a place—a merchant or shop-keeper).
Chow, subs. (theatrical).—Talk;
'lip'; jaw; e.g., to have 'plenty
of chow' = to have a good deal
to say.
Verb (theatrical).—To talk incessantly; to grumble. A variant is to chip. [Chow is apparently a form of 'chew,' now fallen into desuetude.]
Chowder-Headed, adj. (American).—Stupid.
[The term
though only dialectical in England
is pretty general in U.S.A.
It is given by Murray as a variant
of cholter-headed, which in
turn is another form for jolt or
jolter-headed. Chowder is
properly a kind of hotch-potch,
and applied to the intellectuals
would imply 'confusedness,' and
hence idiocy.]
1819. Scott, Lett., 15 April, in Lockhart. I hesitate a little about Raeburn . . . [he] has twice already made a very chowder-headed person of me.
1851. H. Melville, Whale, xv., 73. What's that stultifying saying about chowder-headed people? [m].
18(?). S. L. Clemens ('Mark Twain'), Launch of the Steamer 'Capital.' The Showman . . . grabbed the orchestra and shook him up, and says, 'That lets you out, you chowder-headed old clam.'
Christen, verb (thieves')—1. To
erase the markings from a
watch, and substitute a fictitious
inscription, with a view to
preventing identification. An
Old Cant variant was to
church (q.v.), the derivation
being analogous. French thieves,
in speaking of a Christened
watch or other 'faked' silver,
use couvert.
