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of Newgate [Rev. Mr. Cotton] used to attend poor wretches to the scaffold, standing by their side to the last moment, they were said to 'die with cotton in their ears!' Let us add here, that Rowe invented the phrase 'launched into eternity,' to signify the simple but solemn matter of hanging.
This was by no means the only instance of a popular punning allusion to the name of Cotton. The Jesuit Father Coton, having obtained a great ascendency over Henri IV., it was remarked by that monarch's subjects that, unfortunately, 'his ears were stuffed with cotton.'
Cotton-Top, subs. (obsolete).—A
woman loose in fact, but
keeping up some sort of appearance.
[In allusion to cotton
stockings with silk feet.]
Couch a Hogshead, verbal phr.
(old).—To lie down and sleep.
[Couch, to lie down, was in
common use in Shakspeare's time
(Merry Wives of Windsor, v., 2).
Hogshead = the head.]—See,
however, quot., 1610, and for
synonyms, see Balmy.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. To couch a hogshead: to ly downe and slepe. Ibid, I couched a hogshead in a skypper this darkemans.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 38 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). Cowch a hogshead: to lie doune and sleepe; this phrase is like an Alminacke that is out of date: now the duch word to slope is with them vsed, to sleepe, and liggen, to lie downe.
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, pt. I., ch. iv., p. 37 (1874). The fumes of drink had now ascended into their brain, wherefore they coucht a hogs-head, and went to sleep.
1706. E. Coles, Eng. Dict., s.v.
1818. Scott, Heart of Midlothian, ch. xxx. 'We'll couch a hogshead, and so better had you. They retired to repose, accordingly.
Councillor of The Pipowder
Court, subs. (old).—A pettifogging
lawyer. [The Pipowder
Court was one held at fairs,
where justice was done to any injured
person before the dust of
the fair was off his feet; the name
being derived from the French
pié poudré. Some, however, think
that it had its origin in pied-pouldreux,
a pedlar, and signifies a
pedlars' court.
Council-of-Ten, subs. phr. (common).—The
toes of a man who
walks duck-footed (q.v.). Cf.,
Ten commandments. Fr.,
arpions.
Counsellor, subs. (Irish).—A barrister.
Fr., un gerbier.
1889. Answers, 9 Feb. I referred him to my solicitors, who very kindly lent their services for nothing, giving the £3 he had to the counsellor (thieves always call barristers counsellors) employed.
Count, subs. (common).—A man of
fashion; a swell.—See quot., 1883,
and Dandy for synonyms.
1859. Sala, Twice Round the Clock, 6 p.m., par. 20. Tremendous counts are the clerks in the secretary's office, jaunty bureaucrats, who ride upon park hacks, and are 'come for' by ringlets in broughams at closing time.
1883. G. A. S[ala], in Ill. London News, April 21, p. 379, col. 2. Fops flourished before my time, but I can remember the 'dandy.' who was superseded by the count, the 'toff,' and other varieties of the 'swell.
Counter, verb (pugilistic).—To
strike while parrying. Also used
as a verbal subs., countering.
Figuratively, to oppose; to circumvent.
1853. C. Bede, Verdant Green, pt. I., p. 106. His kissing traps countered, his ribs roasted.
