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one always on the look out for amusement. [Primarily used of frequenters of calico-balls.]
18(?). Broadside Ballad, 'The Flipperty-Flop Young Man.' I once was a cabby and hack young man, And a little bit calico-bally; A picture card out of the pack young man, And frequently music hally.
California.—See Californian,
sense 2.
Californian, subs. (common).—1.
A red or hard-dried herring.
Further explained by quotations.
Also Soldier, Atlantic
ranger and Glasgow Magistrate.
1873.—Cassell's Mag., Jan., p. 245, Very large quantities of cured herrings came from North Britain at that time, and, excepting those from the Firth of Forth, they were more cured, dryer and salter than those from Norfolk. Some were sent very dry indeed, as hard as a stick, and of a very deep red colour; such were used, as similar fish now are, for exportation. About the time of the gold discoveries, some one applied the term Californian to these. The word was appropriate, and Californians such highly-coloured herrings are called to this day.
2. [Generally used in the plural—Californians.] Generic for gold pieces.
California Widow, subs. phr.
(American).—A married woman
whose husband is away from her for
any extended period; a grass
widow (q.v.) in the least offensive
sense. The expression dates
from the period of the Californian
gold fever, when so many men
went West, leaving their wives
and families behind them.
Calk, verb (Eton College).—To
throw.
Call, subs. (Eton College).—The
time when the masters do not call
absence (q.v.).
TO HAVE or GET A CALL UPON, phr. (American).—To have a preference, or the first chance.
1888.—Puck's Library, May, p. 23, Picture Dealer (to Professional's Husband): 'No, sir; I can't sell no more of your wife's pictures unless she gets down some of that flesh, and looks kinder æstheticker. The ethereal and intellectual has got the call on the old style of beauty now-a-days.
To call a go, verbal phr. (vagrants' and street patterers').—To change one's stand; to alter one's tactics; to give in at any game or business. [From the go 'call' in cribbage.]
1851-61.—H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 252. To call a go, signifies to remove to another spot, or adopt some other patter, or, in short, to resort to some change or other in consequence of a failure.
To call a spade a spade.—See Spade.
To call over the coals.—See Wigging.
Put and call.—See Put.
Calle, subs. (old and American
thieves').—A cloak or gown.
Quoted by Grose [1785], and
still in use in the U.S.A. amongst
the criminal classes. For synonyms,
see Caster.
Calp or Kelp, subs. (old).—A hat.
[Origin unknown.] For synonyms,
see Golgotha.
Calvert's Entire.—The Fourteenth
Foot. [Called Calvert
from their colonel, Sir Harry Calvert
(1806-1826), and entire, because
three entire battalions were
kept up for the good of Sir
Harry, when adjutant-general.
A play upon words in reference
