Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 2.pdf/83

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Chariot-Buzzing, subs. (thieves').—Picking pockets in an omnibus. [From chariot (q.v.), an omnibus, + buz, verb 2 (q.v.), to pick pockets, + ing.] French thieves' faire l'omnicroche.

Charles, His Friend, subs. (theatrical).—See Friend.

Charley or Charlie, subs. (old).—1. A night watchman, A popular name, prior to the introduction by Sir R. Peel, in 1829, of the present police force; since when it has fallen into desuetude. The Charlies were generally old men whose chief duty was crying the hour on their rounds. Boxing a Charley was a favourite amusement with young bucks and bloods, who, when they found a night-watchman asleep in his box, would overturn it, leaving the occupant to escape as best he might. [The origin of the term is uncertain. Some trace it to Charles I., who re-organised the watch system of the metropolis in 1640. If this be tenable it is curious that so long a period elapsed between the event and its recognition in slang. The earliest appears to be that given infra. For synonyms, see Beak and Copper.

1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dictionary. Charley: a watchman.

1823. Charles Westmacott, Points of Misery, p. 28. A regular chase between me and the Charleys all the way to Lad Lane.

1845. Hood, Tale of a Trumpet, st. 55. That other old woman, the parish Charley!

1852. Bentley's Miscellany, 1 June, p 620. Oh, those dear old Charlies of the Dogberry school! How their husky cries of the passing hour mingled with our dreams, letting us know that they were at least wide awake to the thievings of time!

1865. G. F. Berkeley, My Life, etc., I., 106. The night's entertainment ending in the morning before a magistrate, when the roughly used Charleys, as the night-policemen were called, preferred charges of assault supported by black eyes and a few loose teeth carefully preserved for the purpose, and the offenders thought themselves lucky if they got off with only a moderate fine. [Temp. George IV.]

1889. Daily News, Sep. 28, p. 2, col. 5. The Last of the Charleys. In the person of Mr. William Mason, who died on Wednesday at the age of 89, we lose the last survivor of the Charleys who used to patrol the streets prior to the establishment in 1849 of the City Police Force.

2. (common).—A small, pointed beard, fashionable in the time of Charles I.; an 'imperial'; in America a goatee (q.v. for synonyms).

1824. Gentleman's Magazine, March 1, p. 295, col. 2. With white pantaloons, watch chains, and Wellingtons, and a Charley at their under lip.

1841. Hook, Widow, x., 145. He wore a Charley on his under lip.

1861. Taylor, Antiq. Falkland, 43. That square, short man wearing a moustache and Charlie is William Laud.

18(?). R. M. Jephson, Girl He Left Behind Him, ch. i. Dolly himself was occupied in nursing a tuft of hair on his chin termed, grandiloquently, an imperial, familiarly, a Charley.

3. (hunting).—A fox. Fourbesque, graniera.

1857. Hughes, Tom Brown's Schooldays, ch. i., p. 8. A nice little gorse or spinney where abideth poor Charley, having no other cover to which to betake himself for miles and miles, when pushed out some fine November morning by the old Berkshire.

1859. H. Kingsley, Geoffrey Hamlyn, ch. xxviii. 'And all after a poor little fox!' 'You don't know Charley, I can see,' said Halbert; 'poor little fox indeed.'

4. (American thieves').—A watch. [Possibly a pun upon Charley, sense 1, a watch or