carriˈwitchet, carˈwitchet
Forms: 7 carwhichet, -whitchet, -wichet, corwhichet, 7–9 carwitchet, 8 carrawitchet, cary-whichit, carry witchet, 9 carwhichit, carriwitchet.
[Derivation unknown. Dr. Fitzedward Hall in Mod. Eng. asks ‘can it be a corruption of F. colifichet?’]
A pun, quibble; a hoaxing question or conundrum.
| 1614 B. Jonson Barth. Fair v. i. (1631) 69 All the fowle i' the Fayre, I meane, all the dirt in Smithfield, (that's one of Master Littlewit's Carwhitchets now). 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. (N.) Devices..of planting the Ile of Dogs with whiblins, corwhichets, mushromes and tobacco. 1662 Dryden Wild Gall. i. i, A bare Clinch will serve the turn; a Carwichet, a Quarterquibble, or a Punn. 1669 Butler Rem. II. 120 Carwitchets, Clenches and Quibbles. a 1743 Savage Author to be let §4, I..deal in clinches, puns..and carry-which-its. c 1750 Arbuthnot Dissert. Dumpling (N.) Conundrums, and carrawitchets,—at which the king laughed till his sides crackt. 1822 Scott Nigel xiii, Mortally wounded with a quibble or a carwitchet at the Mermaid. 1874 Slang D. Carriwitchet, a hoaxing, puzzling question..as ‘How far is it from the first of July to London Bridge?’ |