“As to Half-quartern Luce,” continued the waiter, “she’s a clever woman, in fact, she was reared a real lady, but now she is scarcely ever sober. I have known her to drink thirty-six half-quarterns of gin in a day; it is from her love of blue ruin she derives her name. Luce was once a very handsome woman, but she has been reduced, step by step, to the wretched creature she now appears to be, and drinks herself stupid to drown all reflections.”
“I have witnessed a great variety of scenes, since I have been in London,” said Jerry to Logic, “but this is equal to any, if it does not beggar the whole of them, in truth, I had not the least idea that such meetings were suffered to take place.”
Coffee Mill.—A watchman’s rattle.
College.—The Fleet Prison, or King’s Bench, a rough school, but salutary at times, collegiates, the prisoners.
Coper.—or Horse couper—a cheating horse dealer. See Horse Chaunter.
Core.—The heart.—In my heart’s core.—Horatio.
Cooped up.—Confined in the Poultry Counter, or elsewhere.
Chaffer.—The mouth.
Chaffing Crib.—A drinking-room where quizzing or bantering is carried on. Chaff-cutting, joking, jesting, playing on words.
Chalk, A.—An advantage. Take a chalk, the admitting of the advantage. In public-houses it is usual for the habituès to keep the score of a game of cards, dominoes, or coddom, &c., by means of chalk marks thus, | | | | |; therefore when one of the parties gains an advantage, he takes a chalk by rubbing one out.