▪ I. † ˈcallet, n. Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 6 calat(e, calet, kallat, 6–7 callette, callot, 7 callat, calette, callott, 6–8 calot, callet.
[Many have suggested its identity with F. caillette ‘foole, ninnie, noddie, naturall’ (Cotgr.), dim. of caille quail (esteemed a silly bird); but this does not quite answer phonetically, does not quite suit the sense, and was in French applied to men as readily as to women. Others have thought of F. calotte a kind of small bonnet or cap covering only the top of the head, but no evidence appears connecting this especially with a ‘callet’. The Gael. and Ir. caille girl has also been suggested. It is not certain which is the earlier sense: perh. ‘scold’, as in the vb. and callety.]
1. A lewd woman, trull, strumpet, drab.
| c 1500 Cocke Lorelles B. (1843) 1 Yf he call her calat, she calleth hym knave agayne. c 1530 Redforde Play Wit & Sc. (1848) 17 Wyll I mar him, drabb? Thow, calat, thow! 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 423/2 Frere Luther and Cate calate his nunne, lye luskyng together in lechery. 1569 J. Sa[nford] tr. Agrippa's Van. Artes 94 Other Queenes which were queanes, and courtly callets. 1600 Holland Livy i. lviii. 41 Any unhonest woman or wanton callot [impudica]. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iv. ii. 121 A Begger in his drinke Could not haue laid such termes vpon his Callet. 1616 Bullokar, Callette, a Lewd Woman. 1731 Bailey vol. II, Calot, a Drab. 1785 Burns Jolly Beggars Air i, I'm as happy with my wallet, my bottle and my callet. |
2. As a term of abuse; sometimes perhaps = ‘scold’ as in the vb. Also attrib. Still dial.
| a 1528 Skelton El. Rummyng 347 Than Elynour sayde, ye callettes, I shall breake your pallettes. 1530 Palsgr. 678, I rampe, I play the callet, je ramponne [I gibe, flout]. 1575 J. Still Gamm. Gurton ii. iii, Faith, would chad her by the face, chould crack her callet Crown. 1577 Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed VI. 52 Let us..leave lieing for varlets..scolding for callets. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. ii. iii. 90 A Callat Of boundless tongue, who late hath beat her Husband, And now bayts me. |
Hence callety a. dial., scolding, ‘ill-tongued’.
| 1863 in Atkinson Provinc. Danby. |
▪ II. ˈcallet, v. Obs. exc. dial.
[f. prec. n.]
intr. To scold, rail. Hence ˈcalleting ppl. a.
| a 1673 R. Brathwait Care's Cure, To hear her in her spleen Callet like a butter queen. 1691 Ray N.C. Wds., Callet, to cample, or scold; as, a calleting housewife. 1764 T. Bridges Homer Travest. (1797) I. 62 Mother, you know not what you're doing; To Callot thus will be your ruin. 1864 Atkinson Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.) Callit, to wrangle, to chide. ‘They snap an' callit like a couple o' cur-dogs.’ |