Исторический английский фразеологический словарь

Colchester. The camp town on the Colne.

Coldstream Guards. The regiment raised by General Monk at Coldstream, Berwickshire, in 1660.

Coleman Street. Said to have been built upon by one Coleman; but long before his time the coalmen or charcoal merchants congregated here.

Colleen. Irish for girl. “Colleen Bawn” expresses a blonde girl.

College Hill. From a collegiate foundation of Sir Richard Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London.

College Port. Inferior port served up to the older students at college. It is said to be specially prepared for this market.

Collop Monday. The day preceding Shrove Tuesday, when housewives cut up all their meat into large steaks or collops for salting during Lent.

Cologne. The Colonia Agrippina of the Romans, so called after the mother of Nero, who was born here.

Colonel. A Far-West title of courtesy bestowed upon anyone who owns a stud horse.

Colorado. The Spaniards gave this name to the state in allusion to its coloured ranges.

Colosseum. Greek for “great amphitheatre.”

Combine. An Americanism for “Combination.” Applied in a financial or commercial sense, this term is now well understood in our own country.

Come up to the Scratch. A prize-fighting expression. A line was scratched on the ground with a stick, and the combatants were expected to toe it with the left foot.

Commonwealth. In theatrical parlance, a sharing out of the proceeds of the week’s performances after all expenses have been deducted. This generally happens 65when the manager has decamped with the entire takings, and left his company stranded.

Compton Street (Old and New). Built upon by Sir Richard Compton and Bishop Compton respectively.

Conduit Street. From a conduit of spring water set up here before the land was built over.

Confidence Man. An Americanism for one who in this country is known to extract money from strangers by the “confidence trick.”

Confounded Liar. Literally one who is covered with confusion on being brought face to face with the truth.

Congleton Bears. A nickname given to the people of Congleton, Cheshire. Local tradition has it that the bear intended for baiting at the holiday sports died, and, to procure another, the authorities appropriated the money collected for a new Church Bible.

Congregationalists. Independent Nonconformists, who are neither Baptists nor Wesleyans, and claim the right to “call” their own ministers, each congregation managing its own affairs.

Connecticut. From the Indian Quinnitukut, “country of the long river.”

Conscience Money. Money sent anonymously to the Treasury in respect of Income-Tax after the thought of having defrauded the Revenue has pricked the individual conscience.

Constance. Founded by Constantine, the father of Constantine the Great; one of the oldest cities of Germany.

Constantinople. The city of Constantine.

Constitution Hill. Where John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, took his daily constitutional walk while residing at Buckingham House, built by him in 1703. On the site of this mansion George IV. erected the present edifice, Buckingham Palace, in 1825.

66Cook your Goose. An old chronicler thus explains this saying: “The Kyng of Swedland coming to a towne of his enemyes with very little company, his enemyes, to slyghte his forces, did hang out a goose for him to shoote, but perceiving before nyghte that these fewe soldiers had invaded and sette their chief houlds on fire, they demanded of him what his intent was, to whom he replied, ‘To cook your goose.’”

Coon. Short for racoon, an American animal much prized on account of its fur.

Cooper. A publican’s term for half ale and half porter. See “Entire.”

Copenhagen Street. From Copenhagen Fields, where stood a noted tea-house opened by a Dane.

Copper. A policeman, from the thieves’ slang cop, to take, catch.

Copperheads. A political faction of North America during the Civil War, regarded as secret foes, and so called after the copperhead serpent, which steals upon its enemy unawares.

Cordeliers. Franciscan Friars distinguished from the parent Order by the knotted waist-cord.

Corduroy. In French Cord du Roy, “King’s cord,” because ribbed or corded material was originally worn only by the Kings of France.

Cordwainer. The old name for a shoemaker, because the leather he worked upon was Cordwain, a corruption of Cordovan, brought from the city of Cordova.

Cork. From the Gaelic corroch, a swamp.

Cork Street. From the residence of Lord Cork, one of the four brothers of the Boyle family.

Corncrackers. The Kentuckians, from a native bird of the crane species called the Corncracker.

Corner. The creation of a monopoly of prices in respect of natural produce or manufactured goods. The allusion 67here is to speculators who agreed in a quiet corner, at or near the Exchange, to buy up the whole market.

Cornhill. The ancient city corn market.

Cornwall. Pursuant to the Saxon Wahl, the horn of land peopled by foreigners.

Corpus Christi College. At Cambridge, founded by the united guilds or fraternities of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin.

Corsica. A Phoenician term for “wooded isle.”

Cossack. The Russian form of the Tartar term kasake, a horseman.

Costa Rica. Spanish for “rich coast.”

Costermonger. In Shakespeare’s time a Costardmonger, or trader in a famous species of apple so called.

Cottonopolis. Manchester, the city identified with English cotton manufacture.

Cotton Plantation State. Alabama, from its staple industry.

Cotton to. An Americanism meaning to cling to a man as cotton would cling to his garments.

Counter-jumper. The derisive nickname of a draper’s assistant, on account of his agility in leaping over the counter as a short cut from one department to another.

Country Dance. A corruption of the French contre danse, from the opposite positions of the dancers.

Coup de Grace. The merciful finishing stroke of the executioner after a criminal had been tortured by having all his bones broken on a wheel. One blow on the head then put him out of his misery.

Court Cards. Properly Coat Cards, on account of their heraldic devices.