Heading
2. (thieves').—Stealing handkerchiefs. Cf., Clouter.
Cloven, Cleaved, Cleft, adj.
(old).—Terms applied to a sham
virgin. (Cleft, subs. = the female
pudendum.)
In Clover, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Well-off; comfortable; e.g., like a horse at grass in a clover field.
Clow, subs. (Winchester College).
Pronounced cl[=o].—A box on the
ear. [Possibly from clout (q.v.).
on the model of 'bow' from
'bout,' and 'low' from 'lout.'
Halliwell gives 'clow' as a
Cumberland word, meaning 'to
scratch.'] Cf., Baste, and for
general synonyms, see Bang, Dig,
and Wipe.
1870. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 140. The juniors did not get much fun out of the regular games, as their part consisted solely in kicking in the ball, and receiving divers kicks and clows in return for their vigilance. Ibid, p. 39. Nor, when ordered to 'hold down,' (i.e., put your head in a convenient position) for a clow, would the victim dare to ward off the blow.
Verb.—To box one on the ear. It was customary to preface the action by an injunction to 'hold down.'—See quot., 1870, under subs., sense.
Clowes, subs. (old).—Rogues.—Grose
[1785].
Cloy, Cligh, or Cly, verb (old).—To
steal. For synonyms, see
Prig. An old Gloucestershire
vulgarism for the hands is clees.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 8 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). They are sure to be clyd in the night by the angler, or hooker, or such like pilferers that liue upon the spoyle of other poore people.
1622. Head and Kirkman, Canting Song, in English Rogue. I met a Dell, I viewed her well, She was benship to my watch; So she and I did stall and cloy, Whatever we could catch.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 48 (1874). Cloy: to steal.
1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict. Cloy: to steal.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, s.v. To cloy the clout, to steal the handkerchief. To cloy the lour, to steal money.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
Cloyer, subs. (old).—A thief who intruded on the profits of young sharpers, by claiming a share.
1611. Middleton, Roaring Girl, O. Pl., vi., 113. Then there's a cloyer, or snap, that dogs any new brother in that trade, and snaps,—will have half in any booty.
1659. The Catterpillars of this Nation Anatomised. [Cloyer = a pickpocket.]
Cloyes, subs. (old).—Thieves;
robbers, etc. [In Grose, 1785,
and Lexicon Balatronicum, 1811.]—See
Cloy and Cloyer.
Cloying, verbal subs, (old) Stealing.
1739. Poor Robin. Money is now a hard commodity to get, insomuch that some will venture their necks for it, by padding, cloying, milling, filching, nabbing, etc., all of which in plain English is only stealing.
Club, verb (military).—In manœuvring
troops, so to blunder
the word of command that the
soldiers get into a position from
which they cannot extricate themselves
by ordinary tactics.
18(?). Thackeray, Novels by Eminent Hands. 'Phil Fogarty.' 'Clubbed, be jabers!' roared Lanty Clancy. 'I wish we could show 'em the Fighting Onety-Oneth, Captain, darlin'!'
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, ch. xi. If you're in difficulties,
