Heading
Chariot-Buzzing, subs. (thieves').—Picking pockets in an omnibus. [From chariot (q.v.), an omnibus, + buz, verb 2 (q.v.), to pick pockets, + ing.] French thieves' faire l'omnicroche.
Charles, His Friend, subs.
(theatrical).—See Friend.
Charley or Charlie, subs. (old).—1.
A night watchman, A popular
name, prior to the introduction
by Sir R. Peel, in 1829, of the
present police force; since when
it has fallen into desuetude. The
Charlies were generally old
men whose chief duty was crying
the hour on their rounds. Boxing
a Charley was a favourite
amusement with young bucks
and bloods, who, when they
found a night-watchman asleep
in his box, would overturn it,
leaving the occupant to escape
as best he might. [The origin of
the term is uncertain. Some
trace it to Charles I., who re-organised
the watch system of
the metropolis in 1640. If this
be tenable it is curious that so
long a period elapsed between
the event and its recognition in
slang. The earliest appears to
be that given infra. For synonyms,
see Beak and Copper.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dictionary. Charley: a watchman.
1823. Charles Westmacott, Points of Misery, p. 28. A regular chase between me and the Charleys all the way to Lad Lane.
1845. Hood, Tale of a Trumpet, st. 55. That other old woman, the parish Charley!
1852. Bentley's Miscellany, 1 June, p 620. Oh, those dear old Charlies of the Dogberry school! How their husky cries of the passing hour mingled with our dreams, letting us know that they were at least wide awake to the thievings of time!
1865. G. F. Berkeley, My Life, etc., I., 106. The night's entertainment ending in the morning before a magistrate, when the roughly used Charleys, as the night-policemen were called, preferred charges of assault supported by black eyes and a few loose teeth carefully preserved for the purpose, and the offenders thought themselves lucky if they got off with only a moderate fine. [Temp. George IV.]
1889. Daily News, Sep. 28, p. 2, col. 5. The Last of the Charleys. In the person of Mr. William Mason, who died on Wednesday at the age of 89, we lose the last survivor of the Charleys who used to patrol the streets prior to the establishment in 1849 of the City Police Force.
2. (common).—A small, pointed beard, fashionable in the time of Charles I.; an 'imperial'; in America a goatee (q.v. for synonyms).
1824. Gentleman's Magazine, March 1, p. 295, col. 2. With white pantaloons, watch chains, and Wellingtons, and a Charley at their under lip.
1841. Hook, Widow, x., 145. He . . . wore . . . a Charley on his under lip.
1861. Taylor, Antiq. Falkland, 43. That square, short man . . . wearing a moustache and Charlie is William Laud.
18(?). R. M. Jephson, Girl He Left Behind Him, ch. i. Dolly himself was occupied in nursing a tuft of hair on his chin termed, grandiloquently, an imperial, familiarly, a Charley.
3. (hunting).—A fox. Fourbesque, graniera.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, ch. i., p. 8. A nice little gorse or spinney where abideth poor Charley, having no other cover to which to betake himself for miles and miles, when pushed out some fine November morning by the old Berkshire.
1859. H. Kingsley, Geoffrey Hamlyn, ch. xxviii. 'And all after a poor little fox!' 'You don't know Charley, I can see,' said Halbert; 'poor little fox indeed.'
4. (American thieves').—A watch. [Possibly a pun upon Charley, sense 1, a watch or
