Heading
Chaunted, ppl. adj. (streets').—Sung of, and celebrated, in street ballads. [From chaunt, to sing street ballads, + ed.]—See Chanting, subs., sense 2.
1827. Reynolds ('Peter Corcoran'). Lines to Philip Samson in The Fancy. 'Be content that you've beat Dolly Smith, and been chaunted, And trained—stripped—and petted, and hit off your legs!'
Chaunter, subs. (vagrants').—1. A street singer of ballads, dying speeches, etc. Rarely heard now except in the poorest neighbourhoods. His practice is peculiar. One man gets as far as he can, and when his voice cracks his companion takes things up. For this reason the business is conducted by a brace of men, by a man and woman, or by a woman and child.—See quot. 1851. [From chaunt, to sing, + er.] Also called a paper-worker (q.v.); and Death - hunter (q.v.). French Synonyms are un chanteur à la balade or au baladage; un goualeur or une goualeuse (see Eugene Sue Mystères de Paris); une cigale (popular: a female street-singer); and un braillard. Fourbesque, granchetto (a term also applied to one who speaks gibberish or thieves' lingo).
1851-61. H. Mayhew, London Lab. and Lon. Poor, vol. I., p. 229. The chaunters, or those who do not cry, but (if one may so far stretch the English language) sing the contents of the 'papers' they vend. Ibid, p. 240. The running patterer . . . is accompanied generally by a chaunter. . . . The chaunter not only sings, but fiddles.
2. (common).—See Chanter, sense 1.
Chaunter-Cove, subs. (thieves').—A
reporter. [From chaunt,
to 'crack' or 'cry up,' + er +
cove, a man.]
Chaunter-Cull, subs. (old).—A
writer of ballads and street
literature for the use of chaunters
or 'street patterers.' They
haunted certain well-known public-houses
in London and Birmingham,
and were open to write
ballads 'to order' on any subject,
the rate of remuneration
varying from half-a-crown to
seven-and-sixpence. The chaunter
having practically disappeared,
his poet has gone with him.
1781. G. Parker, View of Society, II., 58. [Named and described in.]
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue. Chaunter-culls: Grub Street writers, who compose songs, carrols, etc., for ballad singers.
1834. H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, bk. IV., ch. vi. I trust, whenever the chanter-culls and last-speech scribblers get hold of me, they'll at least put no cursed nonsense into my mouth.
Chaunter upon the Leer, phr.
(old).—An advertiser.
Chaunting.—See Chanting.
Chauvering Donna or Moll,
subs. (old).—A prostitute.
[From chauvering, sexual
intercourse. + donna (q.v.), a
woman, or moll (q.v.), a loose
female.] For synonyms, see
Barrack-hack.
Chaw, subs. (common).—1. A
countryman; a yokel; a bumpkin.
[A contraction of chaw-*bacon
(q.v.). In common use
at Harrow School.]
1856. T. Hughes, Tom Brown's School-days, pt. I., ch. i. There's nothing like the old country-side for me, and no music like the twang of the real old Saxon tongue, as one gets it fresh from the veritable chaw in the White Horse Vale.
2. (vulgar).—A mouthful; a 'gobbet'; in the mouth at once;
