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which they had arrived from the North. Originally, however, a carpet-bagger was a 'wild-cat banker' out West: a banker, that is, who had no local abiding place, his worldly possessions being contained in a carpet bag.] Applied to politics the term has become of general application.—Cf., Scalawag.
1868. Daily News, Sept. 18. All carpet-baggers and 'scalawags' are whites. The carpet-baggers are imm-grants from the North who have thrown themselves into local politics, and through their influence with the negroes obtained office.
1871. New York Post, April. 'The general drift of public sentiment is, that the carpet-baggers, scalawags, ex-slaves, ex-slaveholders, rebels reconstructed, rebels unreconstructed, and Southern loyalists should be left, for a brief period at least, to fight out their own battles, in their own way; and that if the nation is ever again to become a party to their quarrels, it shall be on no slight pretext and for no trivial purpose.'
1877. Temple Bar, May, p. 107. At the same moment a swarm of adventurers settled in the conquered states, and became governors, judges, tax-collectors, and so on. These are the carpet-baggers of history. They came with two shirts, got salaries of (on an average) four thousand dollars per annum, and made fortunes of a million in four years!
Carpet-Bag Recruit, subs. phr.
(military).—A recruit of better
than the ordinary standing; one
with more than he stands upright
in.
Carpet-Swab, subs. (common).—A
carpet-bag.
1837. Barham, I.L. (Misadv. at Margate). A little gallows-looking chap—dear me! what could he mean? With a carpet-swab and mucking togs, and a hat turned up with green.
Carrier, subs. (old).—See quot.,
and Cf., Carrier-pigeon.
1725. New Cant. Dict. Carriers: a sett of Rogues . . . employ'd to look out, and watch upon the Roads, at Inns, etc., in order to carry Information to their respective Gangs, of a booty in Prospect.
Carrier-Pigeon, subs. (old).—I. A cheat—especially one who victimised lottery office keepers. Cf., Carrier.
1781. G. Parker, View of Society, II., 64 [named and described in].
17*5. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Carrier Pigeons; sharpers who attend the drawing of the lottery in Guildhall, and as soon as a number or two are drawn, write them on a card, and run with them to a confederate, who is waiting near at hand, ready mounted; with these numbers he rides full speed to some distant insurance office before fixed on, where there is another of the gang, commonly a decent-looking woman, who takes care to be at the office before the hour of drawing; to her he secretly gives the number, which she insures for a considerable sum, thus biting the biter.
2. (racing).—One that runs from place to place with 'commissions'; a kind of tout.
Carrion, subs. (venery).—1. A
prostitute. For synonyms, see
Barrack-hack and tart.
2. (common).—The human body; formerly a corpse.
Carrion Case, subs. (common).—A
shirt or chemise. [From
carrion, the human body, +
case, a covering.] For synonyms,
see Flesh bag.
Carrion Hunter, subs. (old).—An
undertaker. [Carrion was
formerly general to signify a
corpse]. For synonyms, see Cold
cook.
1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Carrion Hunter: an undertaker, etc.
Carrots, subs, (popular).—Red
hair. Used attributively, and
also as a proper name. The
