Heading
1755. Connoisseur, No. 62. That fashionable cloak . . . which indeed is with great propriety styled the cardinal.
1755. The World, No. 127. I have made no objection to their (the ladies) wearing the cardinal, though it be a habit of popish etymology, and was, I am afraid, first invented to hide the sluttishness of French dishabille.
1881. Besant and Rice, Chap. of the Fleet, pt. 1, ch. iv. In the windows of which were hoods, cardinals, sashes, pinners, and shawls.
2. (general).—Mulled red wine.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, ch. xv. He goes up, and finds the remains of the supper, Tankards full of egg-flip and cardinal, and a party playing at vingt-un.
3. in plural (street).—Shoeblacks. [In allusion to the red tunics of some London brigades. That stationed in the City is now better known as the City Reds.]
1889. T. Mackay [on 'Shoeblacks'], in Time, Aug., p. 132. From that hour the Shoeblack Brigade has been firmly established in London . . . costermongers called them cardinals.
4. (American).—A lobster; from its colour when cooked. Jules Janin once made a curious blunder and called the lobster le cardinal de la mer. Cardinal hash = a lobster salad.
5. (common).—A new [1890] variety of red.
Care. Not to care or be worth
a [fig, pin, rap, button, cent,
straw, rush, or hang, etc.],
phr. (colloquial).—Similes of indifference;
to care about a matter
not even so much as to the value
of a fig, a pin, or a straw. Fr.
s'en battre l'œil.—See Not worth
a Fig.
1590. Spenser, Fairie Queene, I., ii., 12. He . . . cared not for God or man a point. [m.]
1633. Marmyon, Fine Compan., II., i., 68. I do not care a pin for her. [m.]
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 50. I do not care a farthing for you. [m.]
1760. Goldsmith, Citizen of the World, xlvi. Not that I care three damns what figure I may cut.
1833. Marryat, Peter Simple, ed. 1846, vol. I., ch. iii., p. 13. You told him you did not care a fig for him.
1848-62. J. R. Lowell, Biglow Papers. 'Don't fire,' sez Joe, 'it ain't no use, Thet Deacon Peleg's tame wil-'goose'; Seys Isrel, 'I don't care a cent, I've sighted an' I'll let her went.'
1871. London Figaro, May 13, p. 4, col. 2. Coster Ballads, 'Found Drowned.' 'Well, sir, to cut it short, she 'ad the chap—'Twos cruel 'ard on me—I don't believe he cared for 'er a rap, But so it wos, yer see.'
1889. Answers, June 22, p. 49, col. 1. 'Is it for sale?' demanded the visitor, excitedly. 'If it is I want it. I don't care a snap what it costs.'
I don't care if I do, phr. (American).—A street phrase, meaning nothing in particular. Also a form of accepting an invitation to drink: 'Will you peg?' 'I don't care if I do.'
1888. New York Tribune. Volapuk will never be popular in Kentucky. It contains no sentence to take the place of that classic phrase, I don't care if I do.
Care-Grinder, subs. (thieves').—More
usually the vertical care-grinder.—See
quot. For synonyms,
see Wheel of life.
1883. Echo, Jan. 25, p. 2, col 4. The treadmill again, is more politely called . . . the wheel of life, or the vertical care-grinder.
Cargo, subs. (Winchester College).—A
hamper from home. The
word is still in use.
1870. Mansfield, School Life at Winchester College, p. 77. The boys, eager for breakfast, tumultuously rushed out from school-court . . . to see if Poole,
