Chapter Capitulars to Carcass of C by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Caqueux A sort of gipsy race in Brittany, similar to the Cagots of Gascony, and Colliberts of Poitou.

Carabas He is a Marquis of Carabas. A fossil nobleman, of unbounded pretensions and vanity, who would fain restore the slavish foolery of the reign of Louis XIV.; one with Fortunatus's purse, which was never empty. The character is taken from Perrault's tale of Puss in Boots.

“Prêtres que nous vengeons
Levez la drine et partageons;
Et toi, peuple animal,
Porte encor le bât feodal. ...
Chapeau bas! Chapeau bas!
Gloire au marquis de Carabas!”
Béranger, 1816.

Caracalla [long-mantle ]. Aurelius Antoninus was so called because he adopted the Gaulish caracalla in preference to the Roman toga. It was a large, close-fitting, hooded mantle, reaching to the heels, and slit up before and behind to the waist. Aurelius was himself born in Gaul, called Caracal in Ossian. (See Curtmantle .)

Caracci (pron. Kar-rah'-che). Founder of the eclectic school in Italy. Luis and his two cousins Augustin and Annibale founded the school called Incamminati (progressive), which had for its chief principle the strict observance of nature. Luis (1554-1619), Augustin (1558-1601), Annibale (1560-1609).
   The Caracci of France. Jean Jouvenet, who was paralysed on the right side, and painted with his left hand. (1647- 1707.)
   The Annibale Caracci of the Eclectic School. Bernardino Campi, the Italian, is so called by Lanzi (1522-1590).

Carack or Carrack. A ship of great bulk, constructed to carry heavy frieghts. (Spanish, caraca.)

“The rich-laden carack bound to distant shores.”
Pollok: Course of Time, book vii. line 60.

Caradoc A Knight of the Round Table, noted for being the husband of the only lady in the queen's train who could wear “the mantle of matrimonial fidelity.” Also in history, the British chief whom the Romans called Caractacus.

Caraites A religious sect among the Jews, who rigidly adhered to the words and letters of Scripture, regardless of metaphor, etc. Of course, they rejected the rabbinical interpretations and the Cabala. The word is derived from Caraïm, equivalent to scripturarii (textualists). Pronounce Carry-ites.

Caran D'Ache The pseudonym of M. Emanuel Poirié, the French caricaturist.

Carat of Gold So called from the carat bean, or seed of the locust tree, formerly employed in weighing gold and silver. Hence the expressions “22 carats fine,” “18 carats fine,” etc., meaning that out of 24 parts, 22 or 18 are gold, and the rest alloy.

“Here's the note
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat.”
Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors, iv. 1.

Caraway Latin, carum, from Caria in Asia Minor, whence the seeds were imported.

“Nay, you shall see my orchard, where in an arbour we will eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing, with a dish of caraways.”- Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV., v. 3 (Justice Shallow to Falstaff).

Carbineer or Carabineer. Properly a skirmisher or light horseman, from the Arabic carabine. A carbine is the light musket used by cavalry soldiers.

“He ... left the Rhinegrave, with his company of mounted carbineers, to guard the passage.” Motley: Dutch Republic (vol. i. part i. chap. ii. p. 179).

Carbonado A chop; mince meat. Strictly speaking, a carbonado is a piece of meat cut crosswise for the gridiron. (Latin, carbo, a coal.)

“If he do come in my way, so; if he do not- if
I come in his willingly, let him make a carbonado
of me.”- Shakespeare: 1 Henry IV., v. 3.

Carbonari means charcoal-burners, a name assumed by a secret political society in Italy (organised 1808-1814). Their place of muster they called a “hut;” its inside, “the place for selling charcoal;” and the outside, the “forest.” Their political opponents they called “wolves.” Their object was to convert the kingdom of Naples into a republic. In the singular number, Carbonaro. (See Charbonnerie.)