Heading
ther + Lat. loquor, to speak, influenced probably by 'colleague' and 'colloquy.']
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, in wks. III., 136. For once before I had bin so cousend by his colloging, though personally we neuer met face to face.
1676. Earl of Rochester, Hist. of Insipids, st. 9. When to give Money he can't cologue 'um, He doth with Scorn prorogue, prorogue 'um.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.). collogue (v.): to treat with a person underhandedly, to cheat, flatter, coax, or sooth a person in order to get a secret out of him.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, ch. xxxvii. It was hardly possible two such d—d rascals should collogue together without mischief to honest people.
1857. Barham, I. L.(House-warming). Miss Alice, in short, was supposed to collogue—I Don't much like the word—with the subtle old rogue, I'Ve heard call'd by so many names,—one of them's Bogy.
1858. G. Eliot, Mr. Gilfil's Love-Story, ch. iv. 'We shall be poisoned wi' lime an' plaster, and hev the house full o' workmen collogeing wi' the maids, an' makin' no end o' mischief.'
1861. G. Eliot, Silas Marner, ch. ix. 'And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?'
Colly-Molly, adj. and adv. (old).—Melancholy.
[A jocular corruption
of the word. Cf., Solemoncholy
and (in Dr. Marigolds
Prescriptions) lemon-jolly.]
17(?). Decl. of Pop. Imp. sign. Q. 3. (quoted in Nares). The devil was a little colli-mollie and would not come off.
Colly Wobbles, subs. (common).—The
stomach-ache; also the
rumblings of flatulency; figuratively,
the stomach.
English Synonyms. Wiffle-waffles; gripes; mulligrubs.
French Synonyms. Mai au bréchet; also gargouillade.
1853. Cuthbert Bede, Verdant Green, pt. I., ch. viii. 'Peakyish you feel, don't you, now, with a touch of the mulligrubs in your collywobbles?'
c. 1880. Broadside Ballad, 'Complaints' or 'The Ills of Life.' Then I've had the colic, spasms, dizziness, and swimmings, Mullygrubs and collywobbles, with delicious trimmings.
Colour, subs. (sporting).—1. The
handkerchief worn as a badge by
prize-fighters and other professional
athletes. Each man chooses
his own, and it was once a practice
to sell them to backers to be
worn at the ring-side. The present
rules of the Ring provide as
follows:—'That every man shall
be provided with a handkerchief
of a colour suitable to his own
fancy, and that the seconds proceed
to entwine these handkerchiefs
at the upper end of one of
the centre stakes of the ring; that
these handkerchiefs shall be
called the colours, and that the
winner of the battle at its conclusion
shall be entitled to their
possession as the trophy of victory.'
For a description of various
'fancies,' see Billy. In racing
circles the colours are the
owner's and are shown in the
jockeys' caps and jackets.
1818. P. Egan, Boxiana, vol. I., p. 170. The Chicken now sported the blue-spotted silk handkerchief, as the champion's colour.
1858. A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold, bk. II., ch. xii., p. 189. Each of the men had, previous to the fight, done a little profitable business by selling pocket-handkerchiefs, which they called their colours.
2. (popular).—Used of money; e.g., 'I have not seen the colour of his money' = I have not received payment.—See quots.
1736. Fielding, Don Quixote, I., iii. If I have seen the colour of gold this fortnight, may I never see Teresa Pancha again.
