Chiche! (popular), an exclamation expressive of defiance.
Chickstrac, m. (military), refuse, dung, excrement. Corvée de ——, fatigue duty for sweeping away the refuse, and especially for emptying cesspools.
Chicmann, m. (popular), tailor. A great many tailors in Paris bear Germanic names; hence the termination of the word.
Chicorée, f. (popular), c’est fort de ——, it is really too bad! Ficher de la ——, to reprimand, “to give a wigging.” Faire sa ——, is said of a person with affected or “high-falutin” airs. Ne fais donc pas ta ——, don’t give yourself such airs, “come off the tall grass,” as the Americans have it.
Chié, adj. (popular), tout ——, “as like as two peas.”
Chie-dans-l’eau, m. (military), sailor.
[Chien], m. and adj. (popular), noyé, sugar soaked in coffee. (Journalists’) Un —— perdu, short newspaper paragraph. (Schoolboys’) Un —— de cour, school usher, or “bum brusher.” (Military) Un —— de compagnie, a sergeant major. Un —— de régiment, adjutant. (Familiar and popular) Le —— du commissaire, police magistrate’s secretary. The commissaire is a police functionary and petty magistrate. He examines privately cases brought before him, sends prisoners for trial, or dismisses them at once, settles then and there disputes between coachmen and their fares, sometimes between husbands and wives, makes perquisitions. He possesses to a certain extent discretionary powers. Avoir du ——, to possess dash, go, “gameness.” Il faut avoir du —— dans le ventre pour résister, one must have wonderful staying powers to resist. Avoir un —— pour un homme, to be infatuated with a man. Faire le ——, is said of a servant who follows with a basket in the wake of her mistress going to market. Rester en —— de faience, to remain immovable, like a block. Se regarder en —— de faience, to look at one another without uttering a word. Piquer un ——, to take a nap. Dormir en —— de fusil, to sleep with the body doubled up. Une coiffure à la ——, mode of wearing the hair loose on the forehead. (Military) Un officier ——, a martinet.
Chiendent, m., arracher le ——. See [Arracher].
Chier (popular), coarse word; —— dans la vanette, to be too free and easy; —— de petites crottes, to earn little money; to live in poverty; —— des carottes, to be costive; —— des chasses, to weep, “to nap a bib;” —— du poivre, to fail in keeping one’s promise; to abscond; to vanish when one’s services or help are most needed; —— sur l’œil, to laugh at one; —— sur, to show great contempt for; to abandon. Ne pas —— de grosses crottes, to have had a bad dinner, or no dinner at all. Vous me faites ——, you bore me. Un gueuleton à —— partout, a grand feast. Une mine à —— dessus, a repulsive countenance. (Printers’) Chier dans le cassetin aux apostrophes, to cease to be a printer.