Charley, a watchman, a beadle. Almost obsolete now.
Charley-pitcher, a low, cheating gambler.
Charlies, a woman’s breasts. Also called dairies and bubbies.
Chats, lice, or body vermin. Prov., any small things of the same kind.
Chatter-basket, common term for a prattling child amongst nurses.
Chatter-box, an incessant talker or chatterer.
Chatty, a filthy person, one whose clothes are not free from vermin; CHATTY DOSS, a lousy bed. A CHATTY DOSSER or a CRUMMY DOSSER is a filthy tramp or houseless wanderer.
Chaunt, to sing the contents of any paper in the streets. Cant, as applied to vulgar language, may have been derived from CHAUNT.
Chaunt, “to CHAUNT the play,” to explain the tricks and manœuvres of thieves.
Chaunter-culls, a singular body of men who used to haunt certain well-known public-houses, and write satirical or libellous ballads on any person, or body of persons, for a consideration. 7s. 6d. was the usual fee, and in three hours the ballad might be heard in St. Paul’s Churchyard, or other public spot. Strange as it may appear, there are actually two men in London at the present day who gain their living in this way. Very recently they were singing before the establishment of a fashionable tailor in Regent Street; and not long since they were bawling their doggrel rhymes outside the mansion of a Norfolk M.P., in Belgravia.[57]