Cat and Kitten Sneaking, stealing pint and quart pots and small pewter spirit measures from public-houses.
Cataract, once a black satin scarf arranged for the display of jewellery, much in vogue among “commercial gents.” Now quite out of date.
Catchbet, a bet made for the purpose of entrapping the unwary by means of a paltry subterfuge. See [CHERRY COLOUR].
Catch-’em-Alive, a humane trap; also a small-tooth comb. A piece of paper smeared with a sweet sticky substance which is spread about where flies most abound, and in this sense not particularly humane. The CATCH-’EM-ALIVE trap for rats and other such animals is humane compared with the gin trap.
Catch-penny, any temporary contrivance to obtain money from the public; penny shows, or cheap exhibitions. Also descriptions of murders which have never taken place.
Catchy (similar formation to [touchy]), inclined to take an undue advantage.
Caterwauling, applied derisively to inharmonious singing; also love-making, from the noise of cats similarly engaged.
Catever, a queer, or singular affair; anything poor, or very bad. From the Lingua Franca, and Italian, CATTIVO, bad. Variously spelled by the lower orders.—See KERTEVER.
Cat-faced, a vulgar and very common expression of contempt in the North of England.
Catgut-Scraper, a fiddler.