Forms: 7 carwhichet, -whitchet, -wichet, corwhichet, 7–9 carwitchet, 8 carrawitchet, carry-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., 234/1 (N.). Deuices … of planting the Ile of Dogs with Whiblins, Corwhichets, Mushromes and Tobacco.
1662. Dryden, Wild Gallant, I. i. (1669), 2. A bare clinch will serve the turne; a Carwhichet, 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 Dict., Carriwitchet, a hoaxing, puzzling question…, as—‘How far is it from the first of July to London Bridge?’
