Chapter C

Cabbish-skrunt, C; Kail-runt, S, the stalk of a cabbage.

“_Cabbish-skrunt_ pultess is grand for biles.”
Said by a rustic Doctor.

Canny, C, (Connie in Furness, etc.) nice, attractive, pleasant.

“God speed ye weel! a _cannier_ pair
Ne’er kneel’d afore a priest.”
_Miss Blamire._ The Sailor Lad.

Canny, S, gentle, careful.

“Be _cannie_ wi’ the cream.“—A common legend on tea-ware.

Canty, S, happy, cheerful.

”_Canty_ war we ower yere kail,
Toddy jugs an’ draps o’ ale.”
_Hogg._ The Laird o’ Lamington.

Carle, S, a vulgar man.

“Auld gudeman ye’re a drucken _carle_, a drucken _carle_.”
_Sir A. Boswell._ Song.

Carlin, S, a coarse old woman; feminine of Carle.

On being told that the wives of the Scottish Judges claimed the title of “My Lady,” their husbands being “My Lord,” King James exclaimed: “I made the carles lords, but wha the deil made the _carlins_ leddies?”

Chafts, S and C, the jaws.

“On Seaton crafts they buff’t their _chafts_,
An’ garrt them rin like daft, man.”
_Skirvin._ Tranent Muir.
“At time when nowte but teeth was gawn,
An’ aw by th’ _chafts_ was tether’t.”
_Mark Lonsdale._ The Upshot.

Chap, S, rap, strike or stroke.

“An’ quhan he cam’ to Barnard’s Ha’
Would neither _chap_ nor ca’.”
Ballad—Gilmorice.

Chiel’, S, a man; generally applied to young men.

“Weel we lo’e the _chiel’_ we think
Can get us tick or gi’e us drink.”
_Ferguson._ My Aul’ Breeks.

Clash, C and S, scandal, gossip.

“The king, the laws, the reets o’ man,
The parish _clash_, the empire’s ban.”
_Stagg._ New Year’s Epistle.

Clatter, S and C, superfluous, rapid or noisy talk.

“He that talks till himsel’ _clatters_ till a feul.”—Proverb.

Clink, C, a sounding blow.

“An’ brong Fisher Jemmy a _clink_ i’ the lug.”
_Anderson._ Burgh Reaces.

Clippin’, C, sheep-shearing. A great festival on the larger dale farms. For a description see “The Old Man,” first edition.

Clemm’d, C, starved with hunger. A Lancashire and Cheshire word.

Nixon, the Cheshire prophet, said he was “going to London to be _clemm’d_,” and was accidentally shut up in a closet without food, and there found dead—so fulfilling his prophecy.

Clot-heed, C, blockhead.

“I is gà’n to be a _clot-heed_—I’s leavin’ nin for mysel’!”
Anthony Gasgarth, carving a goose at a hunt dinner.

Clowk, C, clutch or grasp greedily.

“He meàd a _clowk_ at my neckcloth and missed it.”
Said after a fight.

Cobbles, C, stones rounded by water-wear.

“Smith Lytle fell oot wi’ the _cobbles_,
An’ peel’d o’ the bark off his shins.
_Anderson._ The Codbeck Wedding.

Coddle, C, Cuddle, S, embrace.

“I trimlin’ steud an’ dursn’t speak,
But fain wad _coddled_ Peggy Penn.”
_Anderson._ Peggy Penn.
“I’ve seen the day ye butter’t my brose,
An’ _cuddlet_ me late an’ early.”
Old Song—The Deuk’s dang owre wi’ my Daidie.

Corbie, S, the carrion crow.

“It’s kittle shootin’ at _corbies_ or clergy.”—Proverb.

Crack, S and C, converse; also boast.

“They _crack’t_ away like bourtree guns.”
_Mark Lonsdale._ The Upshot.

“Keep out o’ his company that _cracks_ o’ his cheatrie.”
Proverb.

Croodle, or Cruddle, S and C, crouch or shrink.

“My bonnie wee _croodlin’_ doo.”
Old Song.

“We sat doon an’ grat under a hedge or a wo’, o’ _cruddlea_ togidder.”—_Betty Yewdale._ T’ terrible Knitters i’ Dent.

Crouse, S, brisk, bold, “bumptious.”

“A cock’s aye _crouse_ on its ain midden-heed.”—Proverb.

Cushion dance, C, the finishing dance at a rural ball or merry-night.

A young man, carrying a cushion, paces round the room in time to the appropriate tune, selects a girl, lays the cushion at her feet, and both kneel upon it and kiss, the fiddler making an extraordinary squeal during the operation. The girl then takes the cushion to another young man, who kisses her as before, and eaves her free to “link” with the first, and march round the room. This is repeated till the whole party is brought in, when they all form a circle, and “kiss out” in the same manner, sometimes varying it by the kissers sitting on two chairs, back to back, in the middle of the ring, and kissing over their shoulders—a trying process to bashful youth of either sex.

Cuttie, S, any thing short—as a spoon, pipe, etc.

“Better sup wi’ a cuttie nor want a speun.”
Proverb.

“Aul’ Simon sat luntin’ his _cuttie_,
An’ lowsin’ his buttons for bed.”
_Andrew Scott._ Simon and Janet.