Phrases and Names, Their Origins and Meanings. Trench H. Johnson
meeting held in the composing-room, so called because Caxton set up the first English press in a disused chapel of Westminster Abbey. The presiding workman is styled “The Father of the Chapel.”
Chapel of Ease. An auxiliary place of worship, for the convenience of those who resided at a great distance from the parish church.
Charing Cross. The idea that this spot received its name from the “good Queen” Eleanor, whose bier was set down here for the last time on its way to Westminster Abbey has been exploded. It was even then called the village of Charing, in honour of La Chère Reine, the Blessed Virgin, this being the usual halting-place between London and the venerable Abbey.
Charlatan. From the Italian ciarlatano, a quack, a babbler, a loquacious itinerant who sold medicines in a public square.
Charles Martel. See “Martel.”
Charles Street. Built upon in the reign of Charles II.
Charlies. The old night watchmen reorganised by Charles I. These were the only civic protectors down to the introduction of the modern police system by Sir Robert Peel.
Charlotte Street. After the queen of George III.
Charter House. A corruption of La Chartreuse, one of the English houses of the Order of monks of the place of the same name in France.
Chartreuse. The liqueurs prepared at the monastery of La Chartreuse, near Grenoble.
Chauffeur. The French term for a motor-car driver; it has no English equivalent.
Cheap Jack. A modern equivalent for “Chap-man.” Jack is a generic name for man-servant or an inferior person.
Cheapside. The High Street of the city of London, consequently abutting on the chepe, or market-place.
Cheese it. A corruption of “Choose it better,” or, in other words, “Tell me something I can believe.”
Chef. French for head or master. Employed alone, the word expresses a head man cook.
Chelmsford. The ford over the Chelmer.
Chelsea. Anciently “Chevelsey,” or “Shingle Island.” See “Chiswick.”
Chequers. An inn sign derived from the arms of the Fitzwarrens, one of whom had the granting of vintners’ licences.
Cherry Bob. An old summer pastime for boys. A bunch of cherries suspended from a beam or tree-branch was kept swinging to and fro, while the boys, with their hands behind them, tried to catch the fruit with their mouths.
Cherry Gardens Pier. A name reminiscent of a popular resort of bygone days in connection with the “Jamaica” in front of which rum, newly arrived from the West Indies, was landed.
Cherry Pickers. The 11th Hussars, because, when captured by the French during the Peninsular War, some men of the regiment were robbing an orchard.
Chesapeake. Indian for “great waters.”
Chester. The city built on the Roman castra, or camp.
Chestnut. Edwin Abbey, the painter of the Coronation picture, is said to have been responsible for the term “Chestnut” as applied to a stale joke. While a member of a club at Philadelphia he always told a story about a man who had a chestnut farm, but made nothing out of it because he gave his chestnuts away. Abbey invariably began this story differently, so that his follow clubmen would not recognise it, but they soon interrupted him by exclaiming “Chestnuts!”
Chestnut Sunday. The first Sunday in June, when the chestnut-trees in Bushey Park at Hampton Court are in bloom.
Cheyne Walk. After Lord Cheyne, lord of the manor of Chelsea in the seventeenth century.
Chicago. Indian for “wild onion.”
Chichester. The Roman camp town taken by Cissa, King of the South Saxons, thenceforth called Cissanceaster.
Chichester Rents. The site of the town mansion of the Bishops of Chichester.
Chili. Peruvian for “land of snow.”
China. After Tsin, the founder of a great dynasty. Earthenware of a superior quality was first made in China; hence the name.
Chin Music. An Americanism for derisive laughter.
Chip off the Old Block. A saying in allusion to the “Family Tree.”
Chippendale. Furniture of elegant design, named after its famous maker.
Chiswick. Anciently “Cheoselwick,” or village of shingles, from the Anglo-Saxon ceosal, sand, gravel.
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