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derived from the Latine Verbe (Canto) which signifies in English to sing, or to make a sounde with words, that is to say, to speake. And very aptly may Canting take its derivation, à cantando, from singing, because amongst these beggerly consorts that can play on no better instruments, the language of canting is a kinde of Musicke, and he that in such assemblies can cant best, is counted the best musician.
1639. Ford, Lady's Trial, V., 1. One can man a gulan, and cant, and pick a pocket.
1748. T Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.) Cant (v.): to talk gibberish like gypsies.
3. To speak; to talk.
1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. To Cante, to speake.
1881. New York Slang Dictionary. 'On the trail.' 'But cant us the cues. What was the job?' 'A pinch for an emperor's slang. We touched his leather too, but it was very lathy.
Cantab, subs. (colloquial).—A
student at Cambridge. [An abbreviation
of 'Cantabrigian.']
1750. Coventry, Pompey Litt. II., x. (1785), p. 18, col. 1. The young cantab . . . had come up to London. [m.]
1821. Byron, Don Juan, c. iii., st. 126. And I grown out of many 'wooden spoons' Of verse (the name with which we cantabs please To dub the last of honours in degrees).
CANTABANK, subs. (old).—A common
ballad singer. [From Latin
cantare, to sing, + banco, bench;
i.e., a singer on a stage or platform.]
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (Arb.), 96. Small and popular Musickes song by these Cantabanqui vpon benches and barrels heads. [m.]
1834. Taylor, Ph. van Art, pt. I., iii., 2. He was no tavern cantabank that made it, But a Squire minstrel of your Highness' court.
Cantankerous, adj. (colloquial).—Cross-grained;
ill-humoured;
self-willed; productive of strife.
See also quot. 1773. [Thought
to be derived from the M.E.
contak, conteke, contention or
quarrelling.] So also cantankerously
and cantankerousness.
For synonyms, see Crusty.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer; II. There's not a more bitter cantankerous road in all Christendom.
1775. Sheridan, Rivals, Act v., Sc. 3. But I hope Mr. Faulkland, as there are three of us come on purpose for the game, you wont be so cantankerous as to spoil the party by sitting out.
1876. M. E. Braddon, Joshua Haggard, ch. xvi. And who was to nurse this peevish, cantankerous old man.
Hence the American verb, to cantankerate, and adjective, cantankersome.
1835. Haliburton ('Sam Slick'), The Clockmaker, 1 S., ch. xxiv. You may [by contentious writing] happify your inimies [and] cantankerate your opponents. Ibid, 3 S., ch. xii. Plato Frisk, a jumpin' Quaker, a terrible cross-grained cantankersome critter.
Cante.—See Canter.
Canteen Medal, subs. phr. (military).—A
good conduct stripe for
the consumption of liquor.
Canter, subs. (old).—A vagrant or beggar; one who cants (q.v.) or uses the secret language otherwise called Peddlars' French, St. Giles' Greek, etc. The form has varied, Greene using cante, whilst many writers speak of the fraternity as the canting crew.—See Appendix. [From cant, verb, sense 1, + er.]
1592. Greene, Quip for Upst. Courtiers, Harl, Misc, V., 396. I fell into a great laughter, to see certain Italianate cantes, humourous cavaliers, youthful gentlemen, etc.
1625. Ben Jonson, Staple of News, Act ii. A rogue, a very canter I, sir, one that maunds upon the pad.
1630. Taylor, ('Water Poet'), wks. II., 239, i. Two leash of oyster-wives
