Heading
North-West comes across, sooner or later, the snag on which he is to catch.
Catch on the Hop, verbal phr.
(popular).—Properly to catch
or have on the hip, as Gratiano
catches Shylock.—See Hop.
c. 1869. The Chickaleary Bloke, sung by Vance. For to get me on the hop, or on my 'tibby' drop, You must wake up very early in the morning.
Catch-Pole, subs. (old).—A warrant-officer;
a bum-bailiff. A
very old term formerly in respectable
use, but employed
contemptuously from the sixteenth
century. [From catch,
to arrest, or stop, + pole or
poll, the head.] Fourbesque,
foco or fuoco = fire. Cf., Bum-bailiff.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., bk. XVIII., 46. Crucifige, quod a cacchepolle I warante hym a wicche. [m.]
c. 1510. Barclay, Mrr. Good Mann. (1570), G., iv. Be no towler, catchpoll, nor customer.
1601. B. Johnson, Poetaster, III. Catchpole, loose the gentlemen, or by my velvet arms, etc.
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, ch. xcvii. The catchpole, after a diligent search, had an opportunity of executing the writ upon the defendant.
1859. Sala, Gaslight and Daylight, ch. xiii. You are brought there by a catchpole, and kept there under lock and key until your creditors are paid.
Catch the Wind of the Word,
verbal phr. (Irish).—To quickly
understand the meaning of what is
said. For synonyms, see Twig.
Catchy, adj. (colloquial).—Vulgarly
or cheaply attractive; of a
quality to take the eye or ear;
easily caught and remembered
(as a tune). Wrongly used in
quot. 1885.
1831. Fraser's Mag., III., 679. A catchy, stage-like effect. [m.]
1885. S. O. Addy, in N. and Q., 6 S., xii., 143. This seemed to be like one of those catchy questions which examiners in law and history are said to 'stump' the candidates.
Caterpillar, subs. (old).—A soldier.
For synonyms, see Mudcrusher.
Caterwaul, verb (colloquial).—Properly
to make a noise like
cats at rutting time; to woo, to
'make love.' The quotations
show the process of transition
from the old figurative usage of
the word, to be 'in heat,' 'to be
lecherous,' to the current sense.
For synonyms, see Firkytoodle.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, in wks. V., 284. The friars and monks caterwawld from the abbots and priors to the novices.
1700. Congreve, Way of the World, Act i., Sc. 9. An old aunt, who loves catterwauling better than a conventicle.
1771. Smollett, Humphry Clinker, I. 64. I hope you have worked a reformation among them [servant-maids], as I exhorted you in my last, and set their hearts upon better things than they can find in junketting and caterwauling with the fellows of the country.
1884. Hawley Smart, Post to Finish, ch. xvii. From what I hear, you came to Riddleton fooling after my daughter. Now, I'll have no caterwauling of that sort.
Catever, subs. (common).—A
queer, or singular affair; anything
poor or bad. [From the
Lingua Franca, and Italian cattivo,
bad.] Variously spelled by
the lower orders.—Hotten.
Catfish Death, subs. (American).—Suicide
by drowning.
c. 1889. Chicago Press [quoted by Barrère]. . . . driving his sweetheart to lunacy and a catfish death, by his dime-museum freaks.
