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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 i
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 i
Cat and Wheel. A corruption of the old i
56Cat 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.
Catchpe
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.
Cente
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.
57Chalk 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.
58Charles 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 i
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 co
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.
60Chiswick. Anciently “Cheoselwick,” or village of shingles, from the Anglo-Saxon ceosal, sand, gravel.
Chocolat-Menier. The perfection of chocolate, introduced by M. Menier of Paris, who died in 1881.
Choke Him off. The allusion is to grip a dog by the throat in order to make him relax his hold.
Christiania. Rebuilt by Christian IV. of Denmark.
Christian Scientists. A modern offshoot of the Peculiar People, or Faith Healers, who believe that sickness and pain can be cured by faith and prayer without medicine.
Christmas-box. A relic of Catholic days, when a box was placed in all the churches to receive Christmas alms for the poor. These were distributed on the day following.
Christmas Island. Captain Cook landed here on Christmas Day, 1777.
Christ’s College. Founded at Cambridge by Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII., for a master and twelve fellows, corresponding to Christ and His apostles, to whom it was dedicated.
Christy Minstrels. After Charles Christy, who introduced the Negro Minstrel Entertainment to England.
Church Ale. Specifically the ale brewed by the church-wardens for merrymakers on the village green at Whitsuntide and other high holidays. Later the assemblage itself came to be styled a “Church Ale.”
Chute. The French for “a fall,” applied by the Americans to a declivity of water. The exciting diversion of boating on such a waterfall is styled “Shooting the Chutes.”
Cicerone. After Cicero, the prince of speakers. The comparison between the celebrated orator and the “Roman Guide” befooled by Mark Twain is rather painful.
61Cigar. From the Spanish Cigarro, the original name of a particular kind of Cuban tobacco.
Cinderella Dance. Because it is brought to an end at twelve o’clock, in allusion to the heroine in the fairy story.
Circumlocution Office. A term first applied to the shuttle-cock methods in vogue at our public offices by Charles Dickens in “Little Dorrit.”
Cistercians. An Order of monks established at Cistercium, or Citeau, near Dijon.
City. The proper and historic distinction between a city and a town lies in the fact that the former is the seat of a bishop, and accordingly contains a cathedral. In modern times many burghs or towns have been advanced to the dignity of a city on account of their commercial importance. These are, however, cities only in name.
City Fathers. Aldermen of the city of London.
City Golgotha. Old Temple Bar, from the heads of rebels spiked on its top. Golgotha is Hebrew for “the place of skulls.”
Claim. A squatter’s term for a piece of land which he has marked off and settled upon pending its legal acquisition from the Government. During the gold fever the name also came to be applied to the land parcelled out to each digger.
Clare Market. The site of Clare House, the residence of the Earl of Clare.
Clarence. A carriage named after the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV.
Clarges Street. From the mansion of Sir Walter Clarges, afterwards taken over by the Venetian ambassador.
Clarendon. The black type first used at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, which owed its foundation to the profits of Lord Clarendon’s “History of the Rebellion,” presented to the University.
62Claude Lorraine. The assumed name of the celebrated landscape painter Claude Galée, who was a native of Lorraine.
Cleaned Out. Pockets emptied of cash. The allusion is to a saucepan or other domestic cooking utensil which is cleansed after use.
Clerkenwell. The holy well beside which the parish clerks performed their miracle plays on festival days.
Clifford Street. After Elizabeth Clifford, wife of the Earl of Burlington.