Heading
1840. R. H. Dana, Two Years before the Mast, ch. xxi. A few weeks afterwards I saw the poor wretch sitting on the bare ground, in front of the calabozo, with his feet chained to a stake, and handcuffs about his wrists.
1888. Santa Ana Blade. Charley Read struck an old tramp in the calaboose the other day, who looked disgusted at his headquarters and remarked 'Well I've been in every jail from Portland to Santa Ana, but this is the d—nest snide of a calaboose I ever struck yet.
Calculate, verb (U.S. colloquial).—To
think; expect; believe;
intend; indeed, almost any sense
save the legitimate, which is 'to
estimate by calculation.' It
belongs to the same class of
colloquialisms as guess and
reckon. Calculate is sometimes,
especially in New England,
corrupted into cal'late.
1830.—Galt, Lawrie, T., II., v. (1849), 56. I calculate, that ain't no thing to make nobody afeard.
1848.—J. R. Lowell, Biglow Papers. The Sarjunt he thout Hosea hedn't gut his i teeth cos he looked a kindo's though he'd jest come down, so he cal'lated to hook him in, but Hosy woodn't take none of his sarse.
1851.—Miss Wetherell, Queechy, ch. xix. 'Your aunt sets two tables, I calculate, don't she?'
Caleys, subs. (Stock Exchange).—Caledonian
Railway Ordinary
Stock.
1881.—Atkin, House Scraps. 'If anything tickles our fancy We buy them, Brums, Caleys or Apes.'
Calf, subs. (colloquial).—An ignoramus;
a dolt; a weakling. Cf.,
Calf lolly. For synonyms,
see Buffle and Cabbage-head.
1553.—Udall, Royster oyster D., II., iv., in Hazl. Dodsley, III., 94. You great calf, ye should have more wit, so ye should.
1627.—Drayton, Nymphid (1631), 171. Some silly doting brainless calfe.
1872. Hamilton Aidé, Morals and Mysteries, p. 60. She had a girlish fancy for the good-looking young calf who had so signally disgraced himself.
To eat the calf in the cow's belly, phr. (common).—A variant of 'to count one's chickens before they are hatched.'
1748. Richardson. Clarissa Harlowe [ed. 1811], III., 135. I ever made shift to avoid anticipations: I never would eat the calf in the cow's belly, as Lord M's phrase is.
Calf-Clingers, subs. (common).—Pantaloons;
i.e., close-fitting
trousers. [Derivation obvious.]
For synonyms, see Bags and
Kicks.
1884.—J. Greenwood, Little Ragamuffins. Knee-breeches were just going out of fashion when I was a little boy, and calf-clingers (that is, trousers made to fit the leg as tight as a worsted stocking) were 'coming in.'
Calf, Cow, and Bull Week, subs.
phr. (operatives').—Before the
passing of the Factory Acts it
was customary in manufacturing
districts, especially for men,
women, and children, to indulge
in the practice of working very
long hours for a period of three
weeks before the Christmas
holidays. In the first, which
was called 'calf week,' the
ordinary hours of work were
but slightly exceeded; in the
second, or 'cow week,' they
were considerably augmented;
and in the third, or 'bull week,'
it was common for operatives to
spend the greater portion of the
twenty-four of each day in their
workshops. The practice resulted
in extreme exhaustion and—naturally—indulgence
to excess
in stimulants.
