Heading
1882. Notes and Queries, 6 S., vi., 210. But he said, If I cabbage that ring to-night, I shall be all the richer to-*morrow.
2. (schoolboys').—To use a translation or other adventitious aid in preparing exercises; to 'crib.'
1837. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), IV., 234, A speech, which . . . had been what schoolboys call cabbaged, from some of the forms of oration . . . published by way of caricature [m.]
1862. H. Marryat, Year in Sweden, II., 387. Steelyards . . . sent by Gustaf Wasa as checks upon country dealers, who cabbaged, giving short weight. [m.]
So also cabbaged, ppl. adj., pilfered, or stolen; and cabbaging, verbal subs., pilfering, purloining.
Cabbage-Contractor, subs. (old).—A
tailor. [From cabbage
(q.v., subs., sense 1) = contractor,
a trader.] For synonyms,
see Button-catcher and
Snip.
Cabbage-Gelder, subs. (old).—A
greengrocer or market gardener.—A.B.C.
of a New Dictionary of
Flash, Cant, and Slang[1866].
Cabbage-Head, subs. (popular).—A
fool; a soft-head; a 'go-along.'
For synonyms generally,
see Buffle, and more particularly
infra.
English Synonyms. Block-*head; chuckle-head; chowder-head; cod's-head; chump or chump of wood; dunderhead; flat; go-along; goosecap; green-lander; gulpin; juggins; thick-head; lights; loony; looby; lubber; mooney; mug; muggins; muff; ninny-hammer; nincompoop; nizzie; pigeon; sawney; Simon, or Simple Simon; slow-*coach; soft-horn; sop; Tom Tug. To which may be added 'cupboard-headed,' 'half-boiled,' 'not all there,' and 'off one's chump,' used also of one not compos mentis; a thick (Winchester College).
French Synonyms. Une tête de pioche (popular: pioche = pick-*axe or mattock); un poulet d'Inde (popular: poule d Inde = turkey-hen); un couillé (popular); un paroissien de Saint Pierre aux bœufs (popular); un noc (popular = a 'juggins'); un loffiat (popular: this is formed from a species of French back slang, lof = fol reversed. On the same lines we get la loffitude = 'stupidity' or 'nonsense'; bonisseur de loffitudes = 'a nonsense monger'; also solliceur de loffitudes = 'a journalist'); un Jean-bête (common: Cf., English 'Johnnie' and 'Jack'); barré (= cabbage-headed); une vieille bouillote (popular); une bourriche (popular: 'a hamper'); une badouille (popular: also = 'a hen-pecked husband'); être déboulonné (popular: literally = 'unpinned' or 'unbolted'); un fifilolo (popular); un daim (popular); être de la tribu des Bênicoco (military); être du 14 bénédictins (popular); une bestiasse (this term has passed into the language); bête comme chou (= 'extremely stupid'); bête comme un pôt (= a perfect ass); bête comme ses pieds (= an arrant fool); un abruti or ahuri de Chaillot (popular: Chaillot, in the suburbs of Paris, is a common butt, much as are Hanwell, Colney Hatch, etc.; abrutir = 'to stupify, to besot, to imbrute'); une tête de boche (common: = a wooden head; also a German); un bidon de zinc (military = 'a can' or 'flask'); un
