2. (vagrants').—Street ballad-singing.
1851. Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor, I., p. 297. There is a class of ballads, which may with perfect propriety be called street ballads, as they are written by street authors for street singing (or chaunting) and street sale.
1883. Daily Telegraph, Feb. 8, p. 3, col. 1. 'The bitterest sort of weather is their [cadgers'] weather, and it doesn't matter if it's house-to-house work or chanting, or mud-plunging, it's cold work.'
Chapel or Chapel of Ease, subs.
(common).—A water-closet. For
synonyms, see Bury a Quaker
and Mrs. Jones.
Chapel of Little Ease, subs.
phr. (thieves')—The police station
or cells.
1871. Daily Telegraph, 27 Jan. [See short leader; also 25 Jan.]
1889. Answers, 9 Feb. A fourth kind of torture was a cell called little ease. It was of so small dimensions, and so constructed, that the prisoner could neither stand, walk, sit, nor lie in it at full length. He was compelled to draw himself up in a squatting posture, and so remain during several days.
Chapped or Chapt, ppl. adj. (old).—Parched;
'dry'; thirsty.
[From chap, to crack (as the
lips) from want of moisture, +
ed.]
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 37. Chap'd, Dry, or Thirsty.
1725. New Canting Dictionary, s.v.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue. Chapt: dry or thirsty.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v.
Chappie or Chappy, subs.
(familiar).—The latest (1890)
variety of man about town; a
term of intimacy. [From chap,
a chum, + ie, a diminutive.]
For synonyms, see Dandy.
1882. Punch, vol. LXXXII., p. 69, col. 1. I'll sing you a fine new song, all about a fine young spark, Who's a fine young London gentleman, quite up to any lark, Who takes supper very early, and breakfasts in the dark; Who's a real 'dear old chappie,' as I needn't perhaps remark.
1883. G. A. S[ala], in Illustr. London News, March 24, p. 290, col. 1. Lord Boodle, a rapid Chappie always ready to bet on everything with anybody.
Character, subs. (colloquial).—A
man or woman exhibiting some
prominent (and usually contemptible)
trait; an eccentric; a case
(q.v.). Generally used with such
adjectives as 'low,' 'queer,'
'comic,' etc.—[From character
= a personage in history or fiction:
one who has distinguished him-
or herself.] For synonyms, see
Odd Fish.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, II., 1. A very impudent fellow this! but he's a character, and I'll humour him.
1820-33. C. Lamb, Essays of Elia, p. 163. You are fond of having a character at your table, and truly he is one.
Charactered, ppl. adj. (old).—Burnt
on the hand; otherwise
lettered (q.v.). [From the
legitimate meaning of the word, =
'marked or inscribed with characters.']
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. T., s.v.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. They have palmed the character upon him.
Charing-Cross, subs. (rhyming
slang).—A horse. For synonyms,
see Prad.
Chariot, subs. (thieves').—An
omnibus. In the sixteenth century
chariot = a vehicle of
any kind, and in the eighteenth
a light four-wheeled carriage.
French thieves call an omnibus
une omnicroche, or un four banal,
which last = also a pocket or
'cly.'
