Cock, a pugilistic term for a man who is knocked out of time. “Knocked him a reg’lar COCK.” Sometimes used to signify knocked out of shape, as, “Knocked him A-COCK,” probably connected with “cocked-hat shape.” A horse who has been backed by the public, but who does not run, or, running, does not persevere.
Cock, “to COCK your eye,” to shut or wink one eye, to make “sheep’s-eyes.”
Cock-a-hoop, in high spirits. Possibly the idea is from the fact that, if a cock wins a fight, he will mount on anything near, and crow lustily and jubilantly. It is noticeable that under these circumstances a cock always gets off the ground-level if he can.
Cockalorum, or COCKYLORUM, amplification of cock or cocky.
Cock and bull story, a long, rambling anecdote.—See Peroration to Tristram Shandy.
Cock-and-hen-club, a free and easy gathering, or “sing-song,” where females are admitted as well as males.
Cock-and-pinch, the old-fashioned beaver hat, affected by “swells” and “sporting gents” forty years ago—COCKED back and front, and PINCHED up at the sides.
Cock-a-wax, an amplification of the simple term COCK, sometimes “Lad of WAX,” originally applied to a cobbler, but now general.
Cocked-hat-club, the principal clique amongst the members of the Society of Antiquaries, who virtually decide whether any person proposed shall be admitted or not. The term comes from the “cocked-hat” placed before the president at the sittings. There was another cocked-hat club in London not many years back, which had nothing peculiar about it beyond the fact that every member wore during club sittings, a “fore-and-aft” cocked-hat. Otherwise the proceedings were of the most ordinary kind.
Cocked-hat-shaped, shapeless: Anything which has been altered beyond recognition, or any man who has been put completely hors de combat, is said to have been knocked into a COCKED-HAT.