Grasping for the Wind

Christen, v.

I knew that the the word christen could be used humorously, but I had no idea it had very specific meaning in Thieves Cant. From the OED:

6. With various allusions, mostly humorous. 1588 SHAKES. Tit. A. IV. ii. 71 Heere is the babe..The Empresse sends it thee..And bids thee christen it with thy daggers point. 1679 DRYDEN Tr. & Cr. Prol. 20 Weak short liv'd issues of a feeble age, Scarce living to be Christen'd on the Stage! 1785 BURNS Ep. J. Lapraik xix, We 'se..kirsen him wi' reekin water. 1824 SCOTT Redgauntlet Let. xiii, We'll christen him with the brewer (here he added a little small beer to his beverage).

b. in Thieves' Cant. 1812 J. H. VAUX Flash Dict., Obliterating the name and number on..a stolen watch; or the crest, cipher, etc., on articles of plate, and getting others engraved, so as to prevent their being identified, is termed having them bishop'd, or christen'd. 1868 DORAN Saints & Sinn. II. 290 The pietist thieves..‘christen’ daily as soon as they have stolen a watch. This thieves' christening consists in erasing the maker's name and supplying another.

I wouldn't mind being christened by the brewer, it actually sounds like a rockin' good time.

Posted by John on August 17, 2007 08:42 AM | Posted to Literature and Language
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