Croodle, or Cruddle, S and C, crouch or shrink.
“My bonnie wee croodlin’ doo.”
Old Song.
“We sat doon an’ grat under a hedge or a wo’, o’ cruddlea togidder.”—Betty Yewdale. T’ terrible Knitters i’ Dent.
Crouse, S, brisk, bold, “bumptious.”
“A cock’s aye crouse on its ain midden-heed.”—Proverb.
Cushion dance, C, the finishing dance at a rural ball or merry-night.
A young man, carrying a cushion, paces round the room in time to the appropriate tune, selects a girl, lays the cushion at her feet, and both kneel upon it and kiss, the fiddler making an extraordinary squeal during the operation. The girl then takes the cushion to another young man, who kisses her as before, and eaves her free to “link” with the first, and march round the room. This is repeated till the whole party is brought in, when they all form a circle, and “kiss out” in the same manner, sometimes varying it by the kissers sitting on two chairs, back to back, in the middle of the ring, and kissing over their shoulders—a trying process to bashful youth of either sex.
Cuttie, S, any thing short—as a spoon, pipe, etc.
“Better sup wi’ a cuttie nor want a speun.”