Cabochon, m. (popular), blow, “prop,” or “bang.”
Cabonte, or camoufle, f. (military), candle.
Cabot, m. (common), third-rate actor, or “surf;” term of contempt applied to an actor. Abbreviation of cabotin. Also a dog.
Cabotinage, m. (familiar), life of hardships which most actors have to live before they acquire any reputation.
Cabotine (familiar), bad actress; strolling actress, or one who belongs to a troupe of “barn stormers.”
Cabotiner (familiar), to be a strolling actor; to mix with cabotins; to fall into their way of living, which is not exactly a “proper” one.
Caboulot, m. (familiar), small café where customers are waited upon by girls; small café where the spécialité is the retailing of cherry brandy, absinthe, and sweet liquors; best sort of wine-shop.
Cabriolet, m., short rope or strap with a double loop affixed, made fast to a criminals wrists, the extremity being held by a police officer; small box for labels; woman’s bonnet.
Cabrion, m. (artists’), painter without talent, or “dauber;” practical joker. In the Mystères de Paris of Eugène Sue, Cabrion, a painter, nearly drives the doorkeeper Pipelet mad by his practical jokes.
Cachalot, m. (sailors’), old sailor, old “tar.” Properly spermaceti whale.
Cache-folie, m. (popular), drawers; false hair.
Cachemar, cachemince, m. (thieves’), cell, “clinch.” From cachot, black hole.
Cachemire, m. (popular), clout; —— d’osier, rag-picker’s wicker basket.
Voici les biffins qui passent, le crochet au poing et les pauvres lanternes sont recueillies dans le cachemire d’osier.—Richepin, Le Pavé.
Cache-misère (familiar), coat buttoned up to the chin to conceal the absence of linen.
Cachemitte, f. (thieves’), cell, “clinch.”
Cachemuche. See Cachemar.
Cacher (popular), to eat, “to grub.”
Cachet, m. (thieves’ and cads’), de la République, the mark of one’s heel on a person’s face, a kind of farewell indulged in by night ruffians, especially when the victim’s pockets do not yield a satisfactory harvest. (Familiar) Le——, the fashion, “quite the thing.”
Et ce n’est pas lui qui porterait des gants vert-pomme si le cachet était de les porter sang de bœuf.— P. Mahalin, Mesdames de Cœur Volant.
Cacique, m., head scholar in a division at the Ecole Normale.
Cadavre, m. (familiar and popular), body; a secret misdeed, “a skeleton in the locker;” tangible proof of anything. Grand——, tall man. Se mettre quelquechose dans le——, to eat. See Mastiquer.
Cadenne, f. (thieves’), chain fastened round the neck. La grande—— was formerly the name given to the gang of convicts which went from Paris to the hulks at Toulon.
Cadet, m. (thieves’), crowbar, or “Jemmy.” Termed also “l’enfant, Jacques, sucre de pommes, biribi, rigolo;” (popular) breech. Baiser——, to be guilty of contemptible mean actions; to be a lickspittle. Baise——! you be hanged! Bon pour—— is said of any worthless object or unpleasant letter.
Cadichon, m. (thieves’), watch, “Jerry,” or “red toy.”
Cador (thieves’), dog, “tyke;” —— du commissaire, secretary to the “commissaire de police,” a kind of police magistrate.
Cadouille, f. (sailors’), rattan.
Effarés de ne pas recevoir de coups de cadouille, ils s’éloignent à reculons, et leurs prosternations ne s’arrêtent plus.—Bonnetain, Au Tonkin.
Cadran, m. (popular), breech, or “bum;” —— lunaire, same meaning. See Vasistas.
Cadratin, m. (printers’), top hat, or “stove pipe;” (police) staff of detectives; (journalists’) apocryphal letter.
Cafard, m. (military), officer who makes himself unpleasant; a busybody.
Cafarde, f. (thieves’), moon, “parish lantern;” cup.
Cafarder (popular), to be a hypocrite, a “mawworm.”
Café, m. C’est un peu fort de——, it is really too bad, coming it too strong. Prendre son——, to laugh at.
Cafetière, f. (thieves’ and cads’), head, “canister.” See Tronche.
Cafiot, m., weak coffee.
Cafouillade (boatmens’), bad rowing.
Cafouilleux, m. (popular), espèce de——! blockhead! “bally bounder!”
Cage, f. (popular), workshop with glass roof; prison, or “stone jug;” —— à chapons, monastery; —— à jacasses, nunnery; —— à poulets, dirty, narrow room, “a hole;” (printers’) workshop.
Cageton, m. (thieves’), may-bug.
Cagne, f. (popular), wretched horse, or “screw;” worthless dog; lazy person; police officer, or “bobby.”
Cagnotte, f. (familiar), money-box in which is deposited each player’s contribution to the expenses of a game. Faire une——, to deposit in a money-box the winnings of players which are to be invested to the common advantage of the whole party.
Cagou, m. (thieves’), rogue who operates single-handed; expert thief, or “gonnof,” who takes charge of the education of the uninitiated after the manner of the old Jew Fagin (see Oliver Twist); a tutor such as is to be met with in a “buz napper’s academy,” or training school for thieves; in olden times a lieutenant of the “grand Coëre,” or king of rogues. The kingdom of the “grand Coëre” was divided into as many districts as there were “provinces” or counties in France, each superintended by a “cagou.” Says Le Jargon de l’Argot:—
Le cagou du pasquelin d’Anjou résolut de se venger de lui et de lui jouer quelque tour chenâtre.
Cahua, m. (French soldiers’ in Algeria), coffee. Pousse——, brandy.
Caillasse, f. (popular), stones.
Caillé (thieves’), fish.
Caillou, m. (popular), grotesque face; head, or “block;”