CLOAK TWITCHERS. Rogues who lurk about the entrances into dark alleys, and bye-lanes, to s.n.a.t.c.h cloaks from the shoulders of pa.s.sengers.

CLOD HOPPER. A country farmer, or ploughman.

CLOD PATE. A dull, heavy b.o.o.by.

CLOD POLE. The same.

CLOSE. As close as G.o.d's curse to a wh.o.r.e's a-se: close as shirt and s.h.i.tten a-se.

CLOSE-FISTED. Covetous or stingy.

CLOSH. A general name given by the mobility to Dutch seamen, being a corruption of CLAUS, the abbreviation of Nicholas, a name very common among the men of that nation.

CLOTH MARKET. He is just come from the cloth market, i.e. from between the sheets, he is just risen from bed.

CLOUD. Tobacco. Under a cloud; in adversity.

CLOVEN, CLEAVE, or CLEFT. A term used for a woman who pa.s.ses for a maid, but is not one.

CLOVEN FOOT. To spy the cloven foot in any business; to discover some roguery or something bad in it: a saying that alludes to a piece of vulgar superst.i.tion, which is, that, let the Devil transform himself into what shape he will, he cannot hide his cloven foot

TO CHUCK. To shew a propensity for a man. The mors chucks; the wench wants to be doing.

CLOUT. A blow. I'll give you a clout on your jolly n.o.b; I'll give you a blow on your head. It also means a handkerchief. CANT. Any pocket handkerchief except a silk one.

CLOUTED SHOON. Shoes tipped with iron.

CLOUTING LAY. Picking pockets of handkerchiefs.

CLOVER. To be, or live, in clover; to live luxuriously.

Clover is the most desirable food for cattle.

CLOWES. Rogues.

CLOY. To steal. To cloy the clout; to steal the handkerchief.

To cloy the lour; to steal money. CANT.

CLOVES. Thieves, robbers, &c.

CLUB. A meeting or a.s.sociation, where each man is to spend an equal and stated sum, called his club.

CLUB LAW. Argumentum bacculinum, in which an oaken stick is a better plea than an act of parliament.

CLUMP. A lump. Clumpish; lumpish, stupid.

CLUNCH. An awkward clownish fellow.

TO CLUTCH THE FIST. To clench or shut the hand. Clutch fisted; covetous, stingy. See CLOSE-FISTED.

CLUTCHES. Hands, gripe, power.

CLUTTER. A stir, noise, or racket: what a confounded clutter here is!

CLY. Money; also a pocket. He has filed the cly; he has picked a pocket. CANT.

CLY THE JERK: To be whipped. CANT.

CLYSTER PIPE. A nick name for an apothecary.

COACH WHEEL. A half crown piece is a fore coach wheel, and a crown piece a hind coach wheel; the fore wheels of a coach being less than the hind ones.

TO COAX. To fondle, or wheedle. To coax a pair of stockings; to pull down the part soiled into the shoes, so as to give a dirty pair of stockings the appearance of clean ones.

Coaxing is also used, instead of darning, to hide the holes about the ancles.

COB. A Spanish dollar.

COB, or COBBING. A punishment used by the seamen for petty offences, or irregularities, among themselves: it consists in bastonadoing the offender on the posteriors with a cobbing stick, or pipe staff; the number usually inflicted is a dozen. At the first stroke the executioner repeats the word WATCH, on which all persons present are to take off their hats, on pain of like punishment: the last stroke is always given as hard as possible, and is called THE PURSE.

Ash.o.r.e, among soldiers, where this punishment is sometimes adopted, WATCH and THE PURSE are not included in the number, but given over and above, or, in the vulgar phrase, free gratis for nothing. This piece of discipline is also inflicted in Ireland, by the school-boys, on persons coming into the school without taking off their hats; it is there called school b.u.t.ter.

COBBLE. A kind of boat.

TO COBBLE. To mend, or patch; likewise to do a thing in a bungling manner.

COBBLE COLTER. A turkey.

COBBLER. A mender of shoes, an improver of the understandings of his customers; a translator.

COBBLERS PUNCH. Treacle, vinegar, gin, and water.

c.o.c.k, or CHIEF c.o.c.k OF THE WALK. The leading man in any society or body; the best boxer in a village or district.

c.o.c.k ALE. A provocative drink.

c.o.c.k ALLEY or c.o.c.k LANE. The private parts of a woman.

c.o.c.k AND A BULL STORY. A roundabout story, without head or tail, i.e. beginning or ending.

c.o.c.k OF THE COMPANY. A weak man, who from the desire of being the head of the company a.s.sociates with low people, and pays all the reckoning.

c.o.c.k-A-WHOOP. Elevated, in high-spirits, transported with joy.

c.o.c.k BAWD. A male keeper of a bawdy-house.

c.o.c.k HOIST. A cross b.u.t.tock.

c.o.c.kISH. Wanton, forward. A c.o.c.kish wench; a forward coming girl.

c.o.c.kLES. To cry c.o.c.kles; to be hanged: perhaps from the noise made whilst strangling. CANT.--This will rejoice the c.o.c.kles of one's heart; a saying in praise of wine, ale, or spirituous liquors.