Heading
Captain, subs. (general).—1. A familiar and jesting form of address. An equivalent of 'governor,' 'boss,' etc. Very common in U.S.A., where also it signifies the conductor or guard of a train—an analogy being drawn between the phraseology of rail and water traffic. (see quot. 1862).
1598. Shakspeare King Henry IV.
pt. 2, Act ii., Sc. 4. Doll Tearsheet. A captain! God's light, these villains will make the word as odious as the word 'occupy.'
1862. Russell, Diary, North and S.,
I., xiii., 139. All the people who addressed me by name prefixed 'Major' or 'Colonel.' 'Captain' is very low. . . . The conductor who took our tickets was called 'Captain.' [m.]
2. (old).—A gaming or bawdy house bully. Cf., Fielding's Captain Bilkum in Covent Garden Tragedy. Fr. un major de table d'hôte.
1731. Daily Journal, Jan. 9. 'List
of the officers established in the most notorious gaming-houses.' 12th. A Captain, who is to fight any gentleman who is peevish for losing his money.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5 ed.).
Captain (s.) . . . and in the Cant Phrase, a captain is a bully, who is to quarrel or fight with peevish gamesters, who are testy or quarrelsome at the loss of their money; and sometimes it signifies money itself, as, 'the captain is not at home,' that is, there is no money in my pocket.
[Captain is also a fancy title for a highwayman in a good way of business; Fletcher uses the term copper-captain, as also does Washington Irving, for one who has no right to the title, and, in modern athletics, we have the captain of a club or crew, with the corresponding verb to captain.]
3. (old).—Money.—See preceding quot. [1748].
4. (knackers').—A glandered (horse).
Captain Armstrong. To come
Captain Armstrong, phr. (turf)—To
'pull' a horse and thus
prevent him from winning.
Captain Armstrong is often
used for a dishonest jockey. [A
play upon words, i.e., 'to pull
with a strong arm.']
1864. Sporting Life, 5 Nov. (Leader).
Captain Armstrong is again abroad, muscular and powerful, riding his favourite hobby in the steeple-chase field, preparing thus early in the season for pulling, stopping, and putting the strings on.
Captain Copperthorn's Crew.
subs. phr. (old).—All officers
Said of a company where everyone
wants to be first.
Captain Cork, subs. phr. (military).—A
nickname for a man
who is slow in passing the bottle.
Captain Crank, subs. phr. (old).—The
chief of a gang of highway-*men.
Captain Grand, subs. phr. (old).—A
haughty, blustering fellow.
For synonyms, see Furioso.
Captain Hackum, subs. phr. (old).—A
hectoring bully.—Grose.
Captain Lieutenant, subs. phr.
(old).—Meat neither young
enough for veal, nor old enough
for beef. [The simile is drawn
from the brevet officer who, while
ranking as captain, receives lieutenant's
pay.]—Grose.
Captain Queernabs, subs. phr.
(old).—A shabby or ill-dressed
man. For synonyms, see Guy.
Captain Quiz, subs. phr. (old).—A
mocker.
Captain Sharp, subs. phr. (old).—A
cheating bully, or one in a set
