| 释义 |
costermonger|ˈkɒstəmʌŋgə(r)|
Forms: 6 costerde monger, costerd-m., costerdm., costardem., 6–7 costardm., 7 costard-m., costar'-, coster-monger, (costerd-, costermunger, costormonger, custard-monger, 9 arch. costard-m.), 6– costermonger.
[f. costard an apple + monger dealer, trader.]
a. orig. An apple-seller, a fruiterer; esp. one that sold his fruit in the open street. Hence,
b. Now, in London, a man who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, etc. in the street from a barrow.
1514Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 2 Than [was he] a costermonger. 1515― Egloges (Percy Soc.) 26 I was acquaynted..With a costardemonger, and with an hostler. 1530Palsgr. 209/1 Costardmongar, fruyctier. 1563–87Foxe A. & M. (1684) III. 124 To go before, and put out the Costermongers Candles, who use to sit with lights in the streets. 1608D. Carleton in Times 30 Nov. (1883) 3/6 Costerdmungers that sell fruite uppon the passages. 1622Peacham Compl. Gent. iii. (1634) 23 Which he culs out to admiration..as a Costardmonger his fairest pippins. 1683Crowne City Pol. iv. i, To have a fool carry a great basket on his head like a Costardmonger. 1766Entick London IV. 350 These stairs are much frequented by costermongers, who have large warehouses near them for their fruit and cyder. 1818Scott Rob Roy vii, No apple-wife..can settle her account with a costermonger without an audience of the reluctant Justice. 1864Knight Passages Work. Life II. xiii. 369 The costermonger has monopolised all the old cries of radishes, etc. 1886G. R. Sims in Daily News 4 Dec. 5/4 A very old costermonger informs me that a man who carries a basket is a hawker, a man who has a barrow is a costermonger, and a man who has a donkey or a pony and cart is a general dealer. But I fancy that general dealer is often a euphemism for coster.
fig.1726Amherst Terræ Fil. xxxvi. (1741) 190 Concerning the several virtues of these academical apples..I profess myself a philosophical costermonger. 1812Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life I. vi. 209 From all the selected fruits of all the poetical costermongers..could ye choose nothing more promising than this green sour apple?
c. As a term of contempt or abuse; also attrib.
1597Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. ii. 191 (Qo.) Vertue is of so little regard in these costermongers [mod. edd. costermonger] times. 1781Cowper Lett. 15 Feb., In these costermonger days, as I have a notion Falstaff calls them. 1809W. Irving Knickerb. v. ii. (1849) 265 Thou art some scurvy costard-monger knave.
Hence ˈcosterˌmongerdom, the community or realm of costermongers; ˈcostermongered ppl. a., occupied by costermongers; ˈcosterˌmongering vbl. n., ˈcostermongery n., the occupation of a costermonger; ˈcostermongery a., resembling or suggestive of a costermonger.
1851Mayhew Lond. Labour I. 365 The interest of the man and woman in the business was closer than in costermongering. 1860All Year Round No. 37. 257 The bulldog, that most costermongery and bloodthirsty of ‘our four-footed favourites’. 1865Pall Mall G. 19 July 3 The language of costermongery is more expressive..than..polished. 1888Hadden in Athenæum 11 Feb. 171/2 St. Thomas's was peculiar in another way. Costermongery was the ‘industry’ of the place; the district was Costermongria. 1889J. Thomson Trav. Atlas xxvi, The whole donkey-riding costermongerdom of Maraksh. 1891Daily Tel. 18 May 5/6 Liverpool Street is alleged to be the most costermongered street in the world for its size. |