Читать книгу Phrases and Names, Their Origins and Meanings - Trench H. Johnson - Страница 7

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Cab. Short for “Cabriolet,” or little caperer, from cabriole, a goat’s leap. See “Capri.”

Cabal. A political term formed out of the initials of the intriguing ministry of 1670--thus: Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale.

Cabinet. The designation of Ministers of State, who first conducted their deliberations in a cabinet, from the Italian gabinetto, a small room. A picture or photograph of this size received its name from the apartment for which it was best suited.

Cabin Girls. Waitresses at the “Cabin” Restaurants Limited.

Cablegram. An Americanism for telegram.

Cadiz. Called Gades by the Romans, from the Phœnician Gadir, enclosed, shut in.

Cadogan Square. From the Earl of Cadogan, the lord of the manor of Chelsea.

Cahoot. An Americanism for partnership or company, derived from the French capute, hut, cabin. Men who share a cabin or shanty are said to be “in cahoot.”

Caitiff. An old term of contempt for a despicable person, derived from the Latin captivis, a captive, slave.

Caius College. The name given to Gonville College, Cambridge, after its refoundation by Dr. Caius by royal charter in 1558.

Cake Walk. A musical walking competition round a cake, very popular among the negroes of the southern states. The couple adjudged to walk most gracefully receive the cake as a prize.

Calcutta. From Kalikutta, “the village of Kali,” the goddess of time.

Caledonia. The country of the Caels or Gaels; Gadhel in the native tongue signified a “hidden cover.”

Caledonian Road. From the Royal Caledonian Asylum for Scottish orphans, now removed.

Calico. First brought from Calicut in the East Indies.

California. Called by Cortez Caliente Fornalla, or “hot furnace,” on account of its climate.

Caliph. From the Arabic Khalifah, a successor.

Called over the Coals. A corruption of “Hauled over the Coals.”

Camberwell. From the ancient holy well in the vicinity of the church of St. Giles, the patron saint of cripples. Cam is Celtic for “crooked.”

Cambria. The country of the Cimbri or Cymri, who finally settled in Wales.

Cambric. First made at Cambray in Flanders.

Cambridge. From the bridge over the Cam, or “crooked” river. See “Cantab.”

Camden Town. After the Earl of Camden, the ground landlord.

Camellia. Introduced into Europe by G. J. Camelli, the German missionary botanist.

Camera Obscura. Literally a dark chamber.

Cameron Highlanders. The Scottish regiment of infantry raised by Allan Cameron in 1793.

Camisard. A military term for a night attack, after the Camisards, Protestant insurgents of the seventeenth century, who, wearing a camise, or peasant’s smock, conducted their depredations under cover of night.

Camomile Street. From the herbs that grew on the waste north of the city.

Campania. An extensive plain outside Rome, across which the “Appian Way” was constructed. The word comes from the Latin campus, a field.

Campden Square. From the residence of Sir Baptist Hicks, created Viscount Campden.

Canada. From the Indian kannatha, a village or collection of huts.

Canary. Wine and a species of singing bird brought from the Canary Islands, so called, agreeably to the Latin canis, on account of the large dogs found there.

Candia. Anciently Crete, called by the Arabs Khandæ, “island of trenches.”

Candy. An Americanism for sweetmeats. The Arabic quand, sugar, gave the French word candi.

Canned Meat. An Americanism for tinned meat.

Cannibal. See “Caribbean Sea.”

Cannon Row. The ancient residence of the Canons of St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey.

Cannon Street. A corruption of Candlewick Street, where the candle-makers congregated.

Cannucks. See “K’nucks.”

Canonbury. From the manorial residence of the priors of St. Bartholomew Church, Clerkenwell, of which the ancient tower remains.

Cant. After Alexander and Andrew Cant, a couple of bigoted Covenanters, who persecuted their religious opponents with relentless zeal, and at the same time prayed for those who suffered on account of their religious opinions.

Cantab. Of Cambridge University. The River Cam was anciently called the Granta; hence the Saxon name of the city Grantabrycge, or the bridge over the Granta, softened later into Cantbrigge.

Canterbury. The fortified place or chief town of “Kent.”

Canterbury Music Hall. This, the first of the London music halls, opened in 1848, grew out of the old-time popular “free-and-easy,” or “sing-song,” held in an upper room of what was until then a tavern displaying the arms of the city of Canterbury, and styled the “Canterbury Arms.”

Cantlowes Road. See “Kentish Town.”

Canvas Back. A species of sea-duck, regarded as a luxury on account of the delicacy of its flesh. So called from the colour of the plumage on its back.

Cape Finisterre. Adapted by the French from the Latin finis terra, “land’s end.”

Capel Court. The Stock Exchange, so called from the residence of Sir William Capel, Lord Mayor in 1504.

Cape of Good Hope. So called by John II., King of Portugal, after Diaz had touched this point of Africa, as a favourable augury for the circumnavigation of the globe.

Cape Horn. Named Hoorn, after his birthplace, by Schouten, the Dutch navigator, who first rounded it.

Capri. From the Latin caper, a he-goat, expresses the island of wild goats.

Capuchin Friars. From the pointed cowl or capuce worn by them.

Carat Gold. So called because gold and precious stones were formerly weighted against carat seeds or seeds of the Abyssinian coral flower.

Carbonari. Italian for charcoal-burners, in whose huts this secret society held its meetings.

Carburton Street. From the Northamptonshire village on the ducal estate of the ground landlord.

Cardiff. From Caer Taff, the fort on the Taff.

Cardigan. After Ceredog, a famous chieftain.

Caribbean Sea. From the Caribbs, which West Indian designation signifies “cruel men.” Corrupted through the Spanish Caribal, we have derived the word “Cannibal,” for one who eats human flesh.

Carlton House Terrace. From Carlton House, built by Lord Carlton, later the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of George III.

Carmagnole. A wild song and dance which came into prominence during the French Revolution. It received its name from Carmagnolas, a town in Piedmont, whence the Savoyard boys carried the tune into the south of France.

Carmarthen. A corruption of Caer-merlin, or the fortress built by Merlin, in the neighbourhood of which he was born.

Carmelites. White Friars of the order of Mount Carmel.

Carnarvon. The fortress on the Arfon, or water.

Carolina. After Carollus, the Latinised name of Charles II., who granted a charter of colonisation to eight of his favourites.

Caroline Islands. In honour of Charles I. of Spain.

Carpenter. Originally one who made only the body or wooden portion of a vehicle. So called from the Latin carpentum, waggon. An ordinary worker in wood was, and still is in the English provinces, a joiner.

Carpet Knight. A civilian honoured with a knighthood by the sovereign. One who has not won his spurs on the field, like the knights of old.

Carry Coals to Newcastle. To do that which is altogether superfluous. It would be ridiculous to take coals to a place where they are found in abundance.

Cartaret Street. After John Cartaret, Earl of Granville, Secretary of State, and one of the most popular ministers of the reign of George II.

Carte de Visite. Photographs received this name because the Duc de Parma in 1857 had his likeness printed on the back of his large visiting-cards.

Carthage. From the Phœnician Karth-hadtha, New Town.

Carthagena. From Carthago Novo, or New Carthage.

Carthusians. Monks of La Chartreuse, near Grenoble. This name is also given to former scholars of the “Charter House.”

Carthusian Street. Although some distance to the west of it, this street leads to the “Charter House.”

Caspian Sea. From the Caspii, who peopled its shores.

Castile. In Spanish Castilla, from the castles or forts set up for defence against the Moors.

Castle. An inn sign denoting a wine-house, from the castle in the arms of Spain.

Catacombs. Italian Catacomba, from the Greek kata, downward, and kumbe, a hollow, a cavity.

Cat and Fiddle. A corruption of “Caton le Fidele,” the faithful Caton, Governor of Calais, whose name was honoured by many an inn sign.

Cat and Wheel. A corruption of the old inn sign the “Catherine Wheel,” the instrument of the martyrdom of St. Catherine.

Cat Call. A corruption of Cat Wail. When a theatre or music-hall audience is dissatisfied with the performance, and impatient for it to be brought to an end, the “Gods” indulging in “Mewing” like a chorus of cats on the roof by night.

Catch a Weasel asleep. No one ever caught a weasel napping, for the simple reason that he hides himself in a hole away from the sight of man.

Catchpenny. Short for “Catnach Penny,” from the penny dying speeches and yard of songs printed by James Catnach in Seven Dials, and hawked about the streets. The “Catnach Press” was as great a power in that day as the trashy “Bits” literature is in our own.

Cathedral. From the Greek kathedra, a seat--i.e. the chair of a bishop. See “City.”

Caucus. From the Caulkers of Boston, U.S., who shortly before the Revolution came into open conflict with the British soldiery. Meetings were held in the calk houses, and a Caulkers’ Club was formed. Since that time a political meeting of American citizens has been styled a Caucus.

Cavalier. From the French chevalier, a horseman.

Cavendish. Tobacco pressed into plugs for chewing, from the name of the first maker.

Cavendish Square. After Henrietta Cavendish, second wife of Lord Harley, the ground landlord.

Centennial State. Colorado, admitted into the American Union one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence.

Ceylon. Called by the Portuguese Selen, an abbreviation of the Sanskrit Sinhaladwipa, “Island of Lyons.”

Chadwell Street. After the name of the source of the New River in Hertfordshire. The well was anciently dedicated to St. Chad.

Chaff. A corruption of chafe, to make hot with anger, as heat may be produced by friction.

Chalk Farm. Originally “Chalcot Farm,” a noted resort for duellists of a past day.

Chalk it up. In allusion to the drink score chalked on a slate against a customer at a country ale-house.

Champagne. A light wine, from the French province of the same name, which expresses a plain, from the Latin campus, field.

Champs de Mars. Expresses the large open space or “Plain of Mars,” in Paris, set apart for military reviews.

Chancery Lane. A corruption of “Chancellor’s Lane,” from the town house of the Bishops of Chichester, afterwards the residence of the Lord High Chancellor of England.

Chandos Street. From the residence of James Bridges, Duke of Chandos.

Chap. Originally short for “Chapman,” one who sold his wares at a chepe, or market.

Chap Book. A small book or tract sold by chapmen. See “Chap.”

Chapel. A printers’ meeting held in the composing-room, so called because Caxton set up the first English press in a disused chapel of Westminster Abbey. The presiding workman is styled “The Father of the Chapel.”

Chapel of Ease. An auxiliary place of worship, for the convenience of those who resided at a great distance from the parish church.

Charing Cross. The idea that this spot received its name from the “good Queen” Eleanor, whose bier was set down here for the last time on its way to Westminster Abbey has been exploded. It was even then called the village of Charing, in honour of La Chère Reine, the Blessed Virgin, this being the usual halting-place between London and the venerable Abbey.

Charlatan. From the Italian ciarlatano, a quack, a babbler, a loquacious itinerant who sold medicines in a public square.

Charles Martel. See “Martel.”

Charles Street. Built upon in the reign of Charles II.

Charlies. The old night watchmen reorganised by Charles I. These were the only civic protectors down to the introduction of the modern police system by Sir Robert Peel.

Charlotte Street. After the queen of George III.

Charter House. A corruption of La Chartreuse, one of the English houses of the Order of monks of the place of the same name in France.

Chartreuse. The liqueurs prepared at the monastery of La Chartreuse, near Grenoble.

Chauffeur. The French term for a motor-car driver; it has no English equivalent.

Cheap Jack. A modern equivalent for “Chap-man.” Jack is a generic name for man-servant or an inferior person.

Cheapside. The High Street of the city of London, consequently abutting on the chepe, or market-place.

Cheese it. A corruption of “Choose it better,” or, in other words, “Tell me something I can believe.”

Chef. French for head or master. Employed alone, the word expresses a head man cook.

Chelmsford. The ford over the Chelmer.

Chelsea. Anciently “Chevelsey,” or “Shingle Island.” See “Chiswick.”

Chequers. An inn sign derived from the arms of the Fitzwarrens, one of whom had the granting of vintners’ licences.

Cherry Bob. An old summer pastime for boys. A bunch of cherries suspended from a beam or tree-branch was kept swinging to and fro, while the boys, with their hands behind them, tried to catch the fruit with their mouths.

Cherry Gardens Pier. A name reminiscent of a popular resort of bygone days in connection with the “Jamaica” in front of which rum, newly arrived from the West Indies, was landed.

Cherry Pickers. The 11th Hussars, because, when captured by the French during the Peninsular War, some men of the regiment were robbing an orchard.

Chesapeake. Indian for “great waters.”

Chester. The city built on the Roman castra, or camp.

Chestnut. Edwin Abbey, the painter of the Coronation picture, is said to have been responsible for the term “Chestnut” as applied to a stale joke. While a member of a club at Philadelphia he always told a story about a man who had a chestnut farm, but made nothing out of it because he gave his chestnuts away. Abbey invariably began this story differently, so that his follow clubmen would not recognise it, but they soon interrupted him by exclaiming “Chestnuts!”

Chestnut Sunday. The first Sunday in June, when the chestnut-trees in Bushey Park at Hampton Court are in bloom.

Cheyne Walk. After Lord Cheyne, lord of the manor of Chelsea in the seventeenth century.

Chicago. Indian for “wild onion.”

Chichester. The Roman camp town taken by Cissa, King of the South Saxons, thenceforth called Cissanceaster.

Chichester Rents. The site of the town mansion of the Bishops of Chichester.

Chili. Peruvian for “land of snow.”

China. After Tsin, the founder of a great dynasty. Earthenware of a superior quality was first made in China; hence the name.

Chin Music. An Americanism for derisive laughter.

Chip off the Old Block. A saying in allusion to the “Family Tree.”

Chippendale. Furniture of elegant design, named after its famous maker.

Chiswick. Anciently “Cheoselwick,” or village of shingles, from the Anglo-Saxon ceosal, sand, gravel.