Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/15

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Cacafuego, subs. (old).—A spitfire; braggart; bully. [From the Latin cacare through the Spanish cagar, 'to void excrement,' + Spanish fuego, fire.] This word, once literary, has long fallen into desuetude. It was regarded as vulgar after the middle of the last century, and thereafter was only included in slang dictionaries.

1625. Fletcher, Fair Maid, III., i. She will be ravisht before our faces, by rascalls and cacafugos, wife, cacafugoes. [m].

1696. Phillips. Cacafuego, a Spanish word signifying Shitéfire; and it is used for a bragging, vapouring fellow. [m.]

1725. New Cant. Dict, [s.v.]

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. Cacafeugo. A sh-te-fire, a furious braggadocio or bully huff.

Cachunk! intj. (American).—Onomatopœic—the 'bow-wow' word of Max Müller—belonging to a class of exclamations intended to convey an imitation of the sound of a falling body. Uncertain as regards orthography they are largely affected in the Southern and Western States. Mainly of recent origin, though two, keswollop and kewhollux rare in the States, are not unfamiliar to English ears. Examples are:—Caswash; Caw-*halux; Chewallop; Casouse; Cathump; Kerplunk; Katouse; Katoose; Kelumpus; Kerchunk; Kerplunk; Kerswosh; Kerslosh; Kerswollop; Kerblinkityblunk; and Kerblam.

Cackle, subs. (theatrical).—1. The dialogue of a play; especially used at first, of the patter of clowns, etc., in a circus. [From the figurative usage of cackle, to make a noise as a hen after laying an egg, a usage traceable as far back as 1225.]

1887. Referee, 21 August, p. 2, col. 3. Those [playgoers] who do not insist upon a very high order of literary quality in the CACKLE.

2. (colloquial).—Idle, inconsequent, noisy chatter.

1676. A. Rivetus, Jun. Mr. Smirke, 18. Bedawb'd with Addle Eggs of the Animadverters own Cackle.

1887. Punch, 10 Sept., p. 111. If a feller would tackle a feminine fair up to Dick, he 'as got to be dabs at the cackle.

Verb (old).—To talk idly, especially in the sense of telling secrets. For synonyms, see Peach.

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. The cull is leaky and cackles; the rogue tells all.

1882. Punch, LXXXII., 177, 2. The old jokers in scarlet and erming who lounge in their red bedroom-chairs, And the cinder-wig'd toffs in alpaca who cackle and give themselves airs.

Cackle-Chucker, subs. (theatrical).—A prompter. [From cackle, the dialogue of a play, + chucker, one who throws out (from the mouth).]

Cackle-Merchant, subs. (theatrical).—A dramatic author. [From cackle, the dialogue of a play, + MERCHANT. Cf., CAPER-MERCHANT, a dancing-master.]

Cackler, subs. (old).—1. A fowl. [From cackle (q.v.) + er.]—See also Cackling cheat.

1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 192. A Prigger of the Cacklers.

1730-6. Bailey. Cackler a humorous word for capons or fowl.

1749. Life of Bamphylde-Moore Carew. Oath of the 'Canting Crew.' No dimber damber, angler, dancer, Prig of cackler, prig of prancer.

1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. Cackler: a hen.