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conduct of the Bread Union, the first to climb down, and the promptest to send in its little bill.

1890. Globe, 7 April, p. 2, col. 2. It is satisfactory to learn on no less an authority than that of the New York Herald that the general election may at the moment be regarded remote. This is indeed a climb down on the part of the chief disseminator of the Dissolution rumour.

1890. Globe, 19 Feb., p. 2, col. 2. Mr. MacNeill's 'personal statement' in the House yesterday was distinctly in the nature of a climb down.

Clinch, subs. (thieves').—A prison cell. [? From clinch, to clutch, grip, and hold fast. Cf., Clink.] Variants in English are box, cob, salt-box, chokey and shoe. Fr., une cachemitte, une cachemar or cachemince (all thieves', from cachot, 'a black hole'); also un clou (military); maison de campagne (military); un mazaro, or lazaro; une matatane (military); un ours (popular); un abattoir (thieves'; properly 'a slaughter house.' This last, the name of the condemned cell in the prison of La Roquette, corresponds to the Newgate Salt Box). In German: Näck (only in Zimmermann; single cell in a prison; probably from the U.G. Noche and the M.H.G. Nacke = boat, from its shape; derivation from the Hebrew Nekef = hole, is also possible).

To get or kiss the Clinch or Clink, verbal phr. (thieves').—To be imprisoned. For synonyms, see Cop.

1864. Hotten, Slang Dict., p. 102. s.v.

Clincher or Clencher, subs. (colloquial).—1. That which decides a matter, especially a retort which closes an argument; a 'finisher,' 'settler,' 'corker.' [From clinch, 'to secure or make fast,' through its obsolete meaning of 'to pun or quibble,' + er.]

1754. B. Martin, Eng. Dict. Clincher an unanswerable reason or argument.

1839. Pierce Egan, Finish to Life in London, p. 13. Death comes but once, the Philosophers say And 'tis true my brave boys, but that once is a clencher It takes us from drinking and loving away And spoils at a blow the best tippler and wencher.

1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xvi., p. 136. 'Why cannot I communicate with the young lady's friends?' 'Because they live one hundred miles from here, sir,' responded Job Trotter. 'That's a clincher,' said Mr. Weller, aside.

2. (common).—An unsurpassed lie; a 'stopper-up,' [This sense flows naturally from sense 1 and the accepted usages of clinch, verb and noun. Cf., Clinker, Whopper, Thumper, Whacker, etc.] For synonyms, see Whopper.

Cling-Rig.—See Clink-rig.

Clink, subs. (old).—1. A prison or lock-up; specifically applied, it is thought, to a noted gaol in the borough of Southwark; subsequently to places—like Alsatia, the Mint, etc.—privileged from arrests; and latterly, to a small dismal prison or a military guard room. For synonyms, see Cage.

1515. Barclay, Egloges, I. (1570) A. 5, 4. Then art thou clapped in the Flete or Clinke. [m.]

1642. Milton, Apol. for Smect, § ii., in wks. (1806) I., 237. And the divine right of episcopacy was then valiantly asserted, when he who would have been respondent, must have bethought himself withal how he could refute the Clink or the Gatehouse.

1835. Marryat, Jacob Faithful, ch. xix. Come along with me; we've a nice clink at Wandsworth to lock you up in.