Canonneur, m. (popular), tippler, a wine bibber.
Canonnier de la pièce humide, m. (military), hospital orderly.
Canonnière, f. (popular), the behind, or “tochas.” See Vasistas. Charger la——, to eat, “to grub.” Gargousses de la——, vegetables.
Cant, m. (familiar), show of false virtue. From the English word.
Cantaloup, m. (popular), fool, “duffer,” or “cull.” Properly a kind of melon.
Ah çà! d’où sort-il donc ce cantaloup.—Ricard.
Cantique, m. (freemasons’), bacchanalian song.
Canton, m. (thieves’), prison, or “stir.” For synonyms see Motte. Comte de——, jailer, “dubsman,” or “jigger-dubber.”
Cantonade, f. (literary), écrire à la——, to write productions which are not read by the public. From a theatrical expression, Parler à la——, to speak to an invisible person behind the scenes.
Cantonnier, m. (thieves’), prisoner, one in “quod.”
Canulant, adj. (familiar), tedious, tiresome, “boring.” From canule, a clyster-pipe.
Canularium, m. (Ecole Normale), ordeal which new pupils have to go through, such as passing a mock examination.
Canule, f. (popular), tedious man, bore. Canule, properly speaking, is a clyster-pipe.
Canuler (popular), to annoy, to bore.
Canuleur. See Canule.
Caoutchouc, m. (popular), clown. Properly india-rubber.
Cap, m. (thieves’), chief warder at the hulks. (Familiar) Doubler le——, to go a roundabout way in order to avoid meeting a creditor, or passing before his door. Doubler le—— des tempêtes, to clear safely the 1st or 15th of the month, when certain payments are due. Doubler le—— du terme, to be able to pay one’s rent when due. Doubler un——, to be able to pay a note of hand when it falls due.
Capahut, f. (thieves’), voler à la——, to murder an accomplice so as to get possession of his share of the booty.
Capahuter. See Capahut.
Cape, f. (thieves’), handwriting.
Capet, m. (popular), hat, or “tile.” See Tubard.
Capine, f. (thieves’), inkstand.
Capir (thieves’), to write, or “to screeve.”
Capiston, m. (military), captain; —— bêcheur, an officer who acts as public prosecutor at courts-martial. Termed also “capitaine bêcheur.”
Capitaine (thieves’), stock-jobber; financier; (military) —— bêcheur, see Capiston; —— de la soupe, an officer who has never been under fire.
Capitainer (thieves’), to be a stock-jobber.
Capital, m. (popular), maidenhead. Villon, fifteenth century, terms it “ceincture.”
Capitole, m. (schoolboys’), formerly the black hole.
Capitonnée, adj. (popular), is said of a stout woman.
Capitonner (popular), se——, to grow stout.
Capitulard, m. (familiar and popular), term of contempt applied during the war of 1870 to those who were in favour of surrender.
Caporal, m., tobacco of French manufacture.
Caporalisme, m. (familiar), pipe-clayism.
Capou, m. (popular), a scribe who writes letters for illiterate persons in return for a fee.
Capoul (familiar), bandeaux à la——, or des Capouls, hair brushed low on forehead, fringe, or “toffs.” From the name of a celebrated tenor who some twenty years ago was a great favourite of the public, especially of the feminine portion of it.
Caprice, m., appellation given by ladies of the demi-monde to their lovers; —— sérieux, one who keeps a girl.
Capsule, f. (popular), hat with narrow rim; infantry shako. See Tubard.
Captif, m. (popular), abbreviation of ballon captif. Enlever le——, to kick one in the hind quarters, “to root.”
Capucin, m. (sportsmen’s), hare.
Capucine, f. (familiar and popular), jusqu’à la troisième——, completely, “awfully.” Etre paf jusqu’à la troisième——, to be quite drunk, or “ploughed.” See Pompette. S’ennuyer——, &c., to feel “awfully” dull.
Caquer (popular), to ease oneself. See Mouscailler.
Carabine, f. (popular), sweetheart of a “carabin,” or medical student; (military) whip.
Carabiné, adj. (popular), excessive, violent. Un mal de tête——, a violent headache. Une plaisanterie carabinée, a spicy joke.
Carabiner (military), les côtes, to thrash. See Voie.
Carabinier, m. (popular), de la Faculté, chemist.
Carafe, f. (cads’), throat, or “gutter lane;” mouth, or “mug.” Fouetter de la——, to have an offensive breath.
Carambolage, m. (popular), collision; general set-to; coition, or “chivalry.” Properly cannoning at billiards.
Caramboler (popular), to come into collision with anything; to strike two persons at one blow; to thrash a person or several persons. Also corresponds to the Latin futuere. The old poet Villon termed this “chevaulcher,” or “faire le bas mestier,” and Rabelais called it, “faire la bête à deux dos.” Properly “caramboler” signifies to make a cannon at billiards.
Carant, m. (thieves’), board; square piece of wood. A corruption of carré, square.
Carante, f. (thieves’), table.
Carapata, m. (popular), pedestrian; bargee; (cavalry) recruit, or “Johnny raw.”
Carapater (popular), to run, “to brush.” Se——, to run away, or “to slope.” Literally, courir à pattes. See Patatrot.
Caravane, f. (popular), travelling show, or “slang.” Des caravanes, love adventures. Termed also “cavalcades.”