Chant

or chaunt, subs. (old).—1.  See quots.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, A Vocabulary of the Flash Language. CHAUNT, a song … to throw off a rum CHAUNT is to sing a good song.

  1882.  Daily Telegraph, 19 Oct., p. 5, col. 2. To troll his jovial CHAUNTS … in a tavern-parlour.  [M.]

  2.  (old).—See quots.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, A Vocabulary of the Flash Language. CHAUNT, a person’s name, address, or designation;… a cipher, initials, or mark of any kind, on a piece of plate, linen, or other article; any thing so marked is said to be CHANTED … an advertisement in a newspaper or handbill, etc.

  1824.  A Complete History of the Murder of Mr. Weare, 258. ‘We may as well look and see if there is any CHAUNT about the money’—and they examined the four notes, but there were no marks upon them.  [M.]

  Verb (old).—1.  To talk; sing; relate the praises of; to ‘cry’ or ‘crack up.’ Street patterers and vendors CHANT their songs and wares, oftentimes to an extent not warranted by their quality: hence sense 2. An equivalent amongst French thieves is pousser la goualante.

  1851.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I., p. 240. A running patterer … who also occasionally CHAUNTS.

  2.  (common).—To sell a horse by fraudulent representations. [Apparently an extended usage of sense 1—‘to cry’ or ‘crack up.’] Fr., enrosser = to dissemble a horse’s faults.

  1816.  Sporting Magazine, vol. XLIX., p. 305. A number of frauds have been practised lately in the disposal of horses … by a gang of … swindlers, who technically call it CHAUNTING horses.

  1825.  C. M. WESTMACOTT, The English Spy, vol. I., pp. 199, 200.

  1860.  THACKERAY, The Adventures of Philip, ch. xx. You may as well say that horses are sold in heaven, which, as you know, are groomed, are doctored, are CHANTED on to the market, and warranted by dexterous horse-vendors as possessing every quality of blood, pace, temper, age.