Chapter Coke to College Colours of C by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Coke to College Colours

Coke To cry coke. To cry peccavi; to ask for mercy. Ruddiman says “coke” is the sound which cocks utter when they are beaten.

Coke upon Littleton Tent and brandy.

“Another ... sipping Coke upon Littleton, i.e. tent and brandy.”- Nichols: Illustrations of Literature (1743).

Colbronde or Colbrand. The Danish giant slain by Sir Guy of Warwick. By the death of this giant the land was delivered from Danish tribute.

“I am not Samson, nor Sir Guy, nor Colbrand,
To mowem down before me.”
Shakespeare: Henry VIII., v. 4.

Colcannon Potatoes and cabbage pounded together and then fried in butter (Irish). “Col” is cole or cale, i.e. cabbage.

“About 1774 Isaac Sparks, the Irish comedian, founded in Long Acre a Colcannon Club.”- The Athenæum, January 20th, 1875.

Cold as Charity (See Charity )

Cold-Bath Fields So called from the cold baths established there by Mr. Bains, in 1697, for the cure of rheumatism, convulsions, and other nervous disorders.

Cold Blood Done in cold blood. (French, sang froid.) Not in the heat of temper; deliberately, and with premeditation. The allusion is to the ancient notion that the blood grew hot and cold, and this difference of temperature ruled the temper.

Cold-blooded Animals As a rule, all invertebrate animals, and all fishes and reptiles, are called cold- blooded, because the temperature of their blood is about equal to the medium in which they live.

Cold-blooded Persons Those not easily excited; those whose passions are not easily roused; those whose circulation is sluggish.

Cold-chisel (A ). A chisel of tempered steel for cutting cold metal.

Cold Drawn Oil Castor oil, obtained by pressure in the cold.

Cold Pigeon (A ). A message sent in place of a love-letter. The love-letter would have been a poulet (q.v.). A pigeon pie is called a dove-tart, and dove is symbolical of love. Pyramus says of Thisbe, “What dead, my dove?” A verbal message is “cold comfort” to a lover looking out for a letter.

Cold Pudding settles Love by giving the pains of indigestion, colic, etc.

Cold Shoulder To show or give one the cold shoulder is to assume a distant manner towards a person, to indicate that you wish to cut his acquaintance. The reference is to a cold shoulder of mutton served to a stranger at dinner; there is not much of it, and even what is left is but moderate fare.

Cold Steel The persuasion of cold steel is persuasion enforced at the point of the sword or bayonet.

Cold Water Ordeal An ancient method of testing the guilt or innocence of the common sort of people. The accused, being tied under the arms, was thrown into a river. If he sank to the bottom, he was held to be guiltless, and drawn up by the cord; but if he floated, the water rejected him, because of his guilt.

Cold Without An elliptical expression, meaning spirits mixed with cold water without sugar.

Coldbrand (See Colbronde )

Coldstream Guards One of the three regiments of Foot Guards. It was originally under the command of Colonel Monk (1650-1660), and in January, 1660, marched under him from Coldstream in Berwickshire with the object of bringing back Charles II. to the throne.