Carnish, meat, from the Ital. CARNE, flesh; a Lingua Franca importation; CARNISH-KEN, a thieves’ eating-house; “cove of the CARNISH-KEN,” the keeper thereof.—North Country Cant.
Caroon, five shillings. French, COURONNE; Gipsy, COURNA; Spanish, CORONA.
Carpet, “upon the CARPET,” any subject or matter that is uppermost for discussion or conversation. Frequently quoted as sur le tapis, or more generally “on the tapis,” but it does not seem to be at all known in France. Also servants’ slang. When a domestic is summoned by the master or mistress to receive a warning or reprimand, he or she is said to be CARPETED. The corresponding term in commercial establishments is a [WIGGING].
Carpet-Knight, an habitué of drawing-rooms, a “ladies’ man.”
Carrier-Pigeon, a swindler, one who formerly used to cheat lottery-office keepers. Now used among betting men to describe one who runs from place to place with “commissions.”
Carriwitchet, a hoaxing, puzzling question, not admitting of a satisfactory answer, as—“How far is it from the first of July to London Bridge?” “If a bushel of apples cost ten shillings, how long will it take for an oyster to eat its way through a barrel of soap?”
Carrot. “Take a CARROT!” a vulgar insulting phrase.
Carrots, the coarse and satirical term for red hair. An epigram gives an illustration of the use of this term:—
“Why scorn red hair? The Greeks, we know,
(I note it here in charity)
Had taste in beauty, and with them
The graces were all Χάριται!”
Of late years CARROTY hair in all its shades has been voted beautiful, i.e., fashionable.