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1778. D'Arblay, Diary, etc. (1876), vol. I. p. 85. Mrs. Thrale and I were dressing, and, as usual, confabbing.
Confectionery, subs. (American).—A
drinking bar. An analogous
term is grocery, but for synonyms,
see Lush-crib.
Confidence Trick, Dodge, or
Buck, subs. phr. (common).—A
process of swindling, the basis of
which consists in obtaining trust
with the deliberate intention of
betraying it to your own advantage.
A greenhorn meets (or
rather is picked up by) a stranger
who invites him to drink. The
stranger admires him openly, protests
his confidence in him, and
to prove his sincerity hands him
over a large amount of money
[snide] or valuables [bogus], with
which to walk off and return.
The greenhorn does both, whereupon
the stranger suggests that it
is his turn next, and being
favoured with certain proofs of
'confidence,' which in this case
are real, decamps and is no more
seen. This is the simplest form
of the trick, but the confidence
man is inexhaustible in devices.
In many cases the subject's
idiosyncrasy takes the form of
an idiotic desire to overreach his
fellows; i.e., he is only a knave,
wrong side out, and it is upon this
idiosyncrasy that the operator
works. He offers a sham gold
watch at the price of a nickel one;
he calls with presents from nowhere
where none are expected;
he writes letters announcing huge
legacies to persons absolutely
kinless; and as his appeal is addressed
to the sister passions of
greed and dishonesty he seldom
fails of his reward. Fr., mener
en bateau un pante pour le refaire
= 'to stick a jay and flap
him.'
CONFLABBERATED, ppl. adj. (common).—Bothered;
upset; 'flummoxed.'
CONFLABBERATION, subs. (common).—A
confused wrangle; a
'hullabaloo.'
Confounded, adj. (colloquial).—Excessive;
odious; detestable;
e.g., a CONFOUNDED nuisance,
lie, humbug, etc. [Confound
is properly 'to mistake one for
another,' or 'to throw into consternation.'
In its colloquial
sense confounded is misused
much as are 'awful,' 'beastly,'
and other 'strumpets of speech.']
1766. O. Goldsmith, Vicar of Wakefield, ch. vii. (ed. 1827), p. 42. Mr Thornhill, loq.: 'For what are tythes and tricks but an imposition, all confounded imposture.'
CONFUBUSCATE, verb (popular).—See
quot., and Cf., Confusticate.
1880. Broadside Ballad, 'You mustn't tickle me.' I hope I don't confubuscate, I'se Topsy from the Georgia State.
Confusticate, verb (American).—To
confuse.
Coniacker, subs. (thieves').—A
counterfeiter; smasher; or
'queer-bit' faker. [Obviously a
play upon coin, money, and
hack, to mutilate.] Fr., un
mornifleur tarte.
1871. De Vere, Americanisms, p. 296. False coins, the makers of which are curiously called coniackers.
Conish, adj. (old).—See quot.
1830. Sir E. B. Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 29 (ed. 1854). 'Paul, my ben cull,' said he with a knowing wink, and
