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Cabby, subs. (colloquial).—A cabman. [From CAB + Y.] Amongst French equivalents are une hirondelle (properly = 'a swallow'); un maraudeur (i.e., 'a marauder,' one who plies without a license; Cf., Pirate (q.v.), as applied to omnibuses.
1852. F. E. Smedley, Lewis Arundel, ch. xxxiii. I was forced to offer him a seat in the cab, but he coolly replied, 'No, thank ye . . . I'll sit beside cabby.'
1864-5. Yates, Broken to Harness, II., p. 41. Easy, cabby; we don't want to be thrown into the very midst of the aristocracy.
1890. Standard, Feb. 11, p. 3, col. 1. There was a Vienna cabby with his jolly red face and his professional impudence.
Cable, verb (popular).—To send a telegram by ocean (submarine) wire.
To slip or cut one's cable, subs. phr. (nautical).—To die. For exhaustive lists of synonymous terms, see Aloft and Hop THE TWIG.
Cable-Hanger, subs. (nautical).—Explained by quotations.
1724-7. Defoe, Tour thro' G. Britain (ed. 1748), I., 150. Persons who dredge or fish for oysters, not being free of the fishery, are called cable-hangers, and are prosecuted and punished by the Court.
1867. Smyth, Sailors' Word Book. Cable-hanger, a person catching oysters, in the River Medway, not free of the fishery.
Cab-Moll, subs. (old).—A prostitute addicted professionally to cabs and trains. [From cab (q.v., sense 2) + MOLL (q.v.), a strumpet.] For synonyms, see Barrack-hack and Tart.
Cabobbled, ppl. adj. (nautical).—Confused; puzzled; perplexed.
Caboodle, subs. (American).—A crowd; generally 'the whole caboodle.' [Thought to be an enlarged form of boodle which is frequently used in the same sense, and which is supposed by some to be derived from the old English bottel, a bundle (Fr. botel, boteau. Ger. beutel.). See, however, Boodle, subs., sense 1. Another derivation is from the Spanish cabildo, a provincialism for the corporation of a town.] Caboodle is general throughout the States, and has now almost completely supplanted boodle (q.v.), which is usually applied in a different sense. Sometimes caboose (q.v.)
1858. New Orleans Picayune, 23 Feb. The whole caboodle came out and fell upon me, till I was as soft as a squash, and then they took me up for fighting.
1887. Scribner's Magazine. Ye've got ter have faith in Goddie-mighty then, sure, a-swingin' up an' down them mount'n-*sides, dark nights or bright, when a rock on the track f'om a landslide 'ud fling the whole caboodle down the mount'n an inter kingdom come afo' you'd know it.
Caboose, subs. (American).—Generally applied to convivial quarters; also to a bachelor's snuggery—a DEN (q.v.) or DIGGINGS (q.v.). [Properly a ship's cook-house or galley; and in the United States, a car on a freight train for workmen, or for a special purpose.]
The whole caboose, phr. (nonce expression).—Obviously a variation of caboodle (q.v.).
1870. London Figaro, 19 Oct. 'After the Fire.' In this room, sir, said my gallant conductor, lived a bricklayer with his wife and two kids. He made that hole in the wall, and got 'em safe through—the whole caboose on 'em; and a jolly good job he did.
