Heading
Cold Tea, subs. (common).—Brandy—a seventeenth and eighteenth century colloquialism. For synonyms, see Drinks.
1690. Dict. Cant. Crew. Cold tea: brandy.
1693. Remonstrance of the Batchelors, in Harl. Misc. (ed. Park), IV., 505. Since their sex has been so familiar with brandy (blasphemed by the name of cold tea).
1857. Notes and Queries, 2 S., iii., p. 59, s.v.
1888. C. J. Dunphie, The Chameleon, p. 235. It is worthy of remark that cold tea was a slang name for Brandy in the 18th century.
Cold Water Army, subs. phr.
(colloquial).—The general body
of total abstainers.
Cold Without, subs. phr. (common).—Spirits
and cold water
without sugar. Cf., Cider and;
also Hot with.
1837. R. H. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, p. 156 (ed. 1862). On the fire, too, she pops some nice mutton-chops, And she mixes a stiff glass of cold without.
1853. Bulwer Lytton, My Novel. I laugh at fame. Fame, sir! not worth a glass of cold without.
Cole or Coal, subs. (popular).—Money.
For synonyms, see Actual
and Gilt.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. v., p. 52 (1874). Tip the Cole to Adam Tyler, give what money you pocket-pickt to the next party, presently.
1676. A Warning for Housekeepers (canting song). But when that we come not agen, As we walk along the street, We bite the Culley of his cole.
1688. Shadwell, Sq. of Alsatia, I., in wks. (1720) IV., 16. Cheat. My lusty rustick, learn, and be instructed. Cole is, in the language of the witty, money; the ready, the rhino.
16(?). Song of Seventeenth Century, (quoted in Halliwell and Wright's ed. of Nares' Glossary). The twelfth a trapan, if a cull he doth meet, He naps all his cole, and turns him i' th' street.
1741. Walpole, ballad in Letters to Mann, i., 22. This our captain no sooner had finger'd the cole, But he hies him aboard with his good Madam Vole.
1837. R. H. Barham, The Ingoldsby Legends (ed. 1862), p. 398. Moreover—the whole Of the said cash or cole; Shall be spent for the good of the said Old Woman's soul!
1844. Puck, p. 146. Thank you for the offer of your bill; but I can wait until you can finger the cole, when I shan't stand on ceremony about taking a cool hundred or two. . . .
To post or tip the cole, phr. (common).—To hand over money; to 'shell' or 'fork out.'—See 1671 quot., subs. sense.
1839. Harrison Ainsworth, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 13. 'Will he post the cole? Will he come down with the dues? Ask him that,' cried Blueskin. Ibid. If he don't tip the cole without more ado, give him a taste of the pump, that's all.
1883. G. A. S[ala], in Ill. L. News, Nov. 10, p. 451, col. 3. The lamented J. B. Buckstone, at a Theatrical Fund Dinner, once entreated the guests present to post the cole, i.e., to be prompt with their subscriptions and donations.
Colfabias or Colfabis.—See
quot.
1864. Hotten, Slang Dict. Colfabias, a Latinized Irish phrase signifying the closet of decency, applied as a slang term to a place of resort in Trinity College, Dublin.
COLIANDER or COLIANDER-SEEDS,
subs. (old).—Money.—Grose
[1785]. For synonyms, see
Actual and Gilt.
Collar, verb (common).—To seize:
appropriate; steal; e.g., 'collar
his dragons,' i.e., steal his sovereigns.
[Properly 'to seize by
the collar'; hence, by transition,
'to lay hold of anything forcibly.']
For synonyms, see Nab and Prig.
1841. Leman Rede, Song, 'Kit Clayton,' in Sixteen-String Jack, Act i., Sc. 3. Ve collar'd the blunt, started off
