Heading
Caze, subs. (venery).—The female pudendum.
Cedar, subs. (Eton College).—1.
A pair-oared boat inrigged, without
canvas, and very 'crank.'
[From the material.]
2. (prison).—A pencil. [This, like the foregoing, is derived from the wood of which both are made.]
Celestial Poultry, subs. (popular).—Angels.
[An allusion to
the mythological wings of 'men
out of the body.']
Celestials, subs. (military).—The
Ninety-seventh Regiment of
Foot. [So nicknamed from its
facings of sky blue. ]
1856. Notes and Queries, 2 S., ii., p. 215. The 97th too is not mentioned by your correspondents as far as I have seen, the celestials.
1871. Chambers' Journal. Dec. 23, p. 801. 'Celestials'—the facings of the . . . corps being sky blue.
2. sing, (common).—A 'turn-*up' or 'pug' nose. For synonyms, see Conk.
3. (colloquial).—The Chinese. The Chinese Empire is spoken of as the Celestial Empire.
Cellier, subs. (old).—An out-and-out,
unmitigated lie. [A word of
great interest, illustrating the
temporary use for certain purposes
of the name of a certain person,
as in the cases of Burke, Boycott,
Bishop, and Salisbury
(q.v.). The Meal-tub Plot in
1680 was the concoction of
Thomas Dangerfield and Elizabeth
Cellier, a Roman Catholic
midwife. Forged documents
which Dangerfield hid in
Colonel Mansel's lodgings were
upon his deposition found
there by Government officers;
but the fraud was soon discovered,
and Dangerfield was committed
to Newgate. On his trial he
endeavoured to throw the entire
blame on Mrs. Cellier, and
asserted that the original papers
were all to be found in her house
hidden in a meal tub. This
turned out to be true, and Mrs.
Cellier was committed to prison.
On her trial she managed to
prove that Dangerfield was wholly
unworthy of credit, and her
marvellous impudence and vigorous
mendacity led to her own
acquittal, and made her name
for the time the equivalent of
'an out-and-out lie.' After her
trial she thanked the jurors for
giving her a good deliverance,
and offered to 'serve their ladies
with the same fidelity in their
deliveries.'] For synonyms, see
Whopper.
1682. Popes Harbinger, p. 79. That's a Celier, Sir, a modern and most proper phrase to signifie any Egregious Lye.
Cellar-Flap, subs. (common).—A
step or dance performed
within the compass of (say) a
Cellar-Flap. The object of
the Whitechapel artist in the
dance is to achieve as many
changes of step as possible without
shifting his ground: his
action being restricted to the feet
and legs. An old equivalent is
To Cut Capers on a
Trencher; also Double-Shuffle (q.v.).
1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. iii., p. 219. Others again would indulge in a break-down, or cellar-flap dance, dreadfully to the discomfort of the men in the cells below.
