Heading
me that 'cocky' is Australian argot for a small farmer, adds, 'by-the-by, you never hear the word "farmer" over there . . . many scores of times at the Antipodes I have heard agriculturists, whose holdings were small, spoken of, not as "cockies" but as "cockatoo farmers." '
Cockatrice, subs. (old).—1. A
common prostitute; also a mistress
or 'keep.' [Nares says
'probably from the fascination
of the eye,' alluding to the
fabulous monster hatched from
a cock's egg by a serpent.
Shakspeare speaks of 'the death-dealing'
eye of a cockatrice.]
For synonyms, see Barrack-hack
and Tart.
1600. Ben Jonson, Cynth Rev., IV., 4. And withall, calls me at his pleasure I know not how many cockatrices and things.
1604. Marston and Webster, Malcontent, O. P., iv., 93. No courtier but has his mistress, no captain but has his cockatrice.
1630. Taylor, Workes [quoted by Nares]. And amongst souldiers this sweet piece of vice Is counted for a captaines cockatrice.
1664. Killegrew, Pandora. Some wine there, That I may court my cockatrice. Care. Good Captaine, Bid our noble friend welcome.
1740. Poor Robin. Some gallants will this month be so penurious that they will not part with a crack'd groat to a poor body, but on their cockatrice or punquetto will bestow half a dozen taffety gowns, who in requital bestows on him the French pox.
2. (common).—A baby.
Cock-a-Wax, subs. (common).—1.
A cobbler. [From cock a man
(q.v.), + a + wax, an adjunct
of the cobbler's trade.] For
synonyms, see Snob.
2. A familiar address.
Cock-Bawd, subs. (old).—A male
brothel keeper. [Quoted in
Grose (1785).]
Cockchafer, subs. (thieves').—1.
The treadmill. For synonyms,
see Wheel of life.
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. II., p. 59. 'He enpiated,' as it is called, this offence by three months' exercise on the cockchafer (treadmill).
1864. Glasgow Citizen, Nov. 19. The Jeremy Diddler who forges his honest name to a fakement, incurring thereby a drag at the cockchafer.
2. (venery).—The female pudendum.
3. (venery).—See Cock-teaser.
Cocked-Hat. To be knocked
into A cocked hat, verbal phr.
(common).—To be limp enough
to be doubled up and carried
flat under the arm [like the
cocked hat of an officer. ]
English Synonyms. To be doubled up; knocked into the middle of next week; spifflicated; beaten to a jelly; knocked a-cock; wiped out; sent all of a heap; bottled up; settled; to get beans, or snuff; sent, done, or smashed to smithereens, etc.—See also Tan, Tanning, and Wipe.
French Synonyms. Effondrer quelqu'un (popular: literally 'to dig into one'; effondrer une volaille = to draw a fowl); tatouiller quelqu'un (popular: tatouiller is a slang term for a thrashing); soigner quelqu'un (popular: properly 'to take care of,' or 'to attend,' 'to nurse'); se faire écharpiller (popular); déboulonner la colonne à quelqu'un (popular); décarcasser quelqu'un (popular); manger le nez à quelqu'un (popular: literally 'to eat one's nose').
1870. Daily Telegraph, 20 Aug., 'Speech of Mr. Ralph Harrison at the Crystal Palace.' The publication of the
